loopy Swap

So I participated in teh Loopy Ewe Swap on Ravelry and here's a direct copy/paste of a post about what i got (typing=hurty so I'm only doing it once with no re formatting-you understand I assume)

Ok so! I got my package a few days ago and was waiting for either good weather (it's been over cast here) and/or my arm to stop hurting enough to type. Since the two have yet to coincide I decided to just take the pictures anyway. :)

To here's the overview of the package that [MidnightD](/people/MidnightD) sent me I love it!!


Summer is movies and ice cream (which she sent but we'll get to that) so she got me blazing saddles (squee!!!) and everything came in the adorable woven bag! (I love it desperately btw) A little bowl, pen (I've used to write to my husband with) a "s" clip (already useful for my keys SO HANDY!!) and and and the best smelling soap EVER. Apparently her friend makes it and they are divine. One is Lavender and the other is sheer yummyness. My bathroom smells like an apothecary and I'm so delighted by it!


the knitted item was a pair of perfectly fitted socks (My left foot is a shoe size larger than my right) in all of my favorite colors! pardon the crappy photo lol:


She also sent me malibrigo off my loopy wishlist that I had wanted for...somethign in my que. But of course I forgot which. I'll jsut ave to look through it again! In purple, drool. J'adore purple!

And there's a "silk" hanky she dyed herself:


And the most amusing aspect- She sent me **ICE CREAM**!!


It's freeze dried and I can't wait to dig in. Hubby has already asked me to mail him one but I can't decide if I love him enough. :D :D :D (I do but it's *mine*!)

Thank you so so much!!!!

FO'S!

Salve! (Hello-pronunced sal-way. in Classical Latin V's are pronounced with a W sound).

Good heavens it's been quite awhile hasn't it? Sorry about that. Latin class swooped in and I didn't knit for a VERY long time. Very. I am taking a break from Latin to type this up then it's back to translation ectera....(or ect...) WHICH, I've learned, is Latin (duh) and mispronounced. It's eh-ket-tra. In case you were wondering. I did however manage to finish up some knitting:

Kai-Mei by Cookie A is FINALLY, FINALLY done!


It's finally summer here so I can't wear them but they are pretty aren't they? I also finished my Shetland Triangle Shawl in Sundara Yarns Aran silky merino. I used to skeins and so i still have enough to make a hat or some such for when it gets colder. Not that I have the time per-say. And sorry about the picture, I don't have the time to take pretty ones. :)



I've knit 4 dishcloths (two are a gift so i can't mention it yet) but these two were for a RAK (random acts of kindness) in my Reclaiming the Home on Ravelry group.


And so now currently, I've got Domus Aurea by Fiber Dreams OTN, but haven't been able to work on it very much. I've a st-st felted striped tote that's almost done (primarily due to not working Friday night) from the book One Skein by Leigh Radford- I'm trying to get that finished up so it can be felted and then I'll only have two projects OTN. The Last one is a mystery KAL I'm doing through the Unique Sheep (I love Laura's stuff). I started that on Friday and it was a small clue but since it's a Pi chart, well, it'll get bigger. It's in her gradience yarn and it's heaven to work with. Go. Go buy her yarn. It's so lovely and the color- caelum! (heaven)

So that's it for me for now. I've more translating to do. If you'd like, I can always put up some fun sentences for you to say/write in Latin. Leave me a comment and I'll put some up in a post. Otherwise, I'm afraid the next one will be more of the same. Have a lovely week or month or summer and I'll do my best to be more interesting. :) Vale! (bye! "wal-ay)

Chevron Scarf

...I get the addiction now. I'm finally making a Chevron Scarf from Last Minuet Knitted Gifts out of BMFA STR Lightweight Blarney Stone (I love that colorway) and Jabberwocky. Gorgeous colors. Here's Jabberwocky:


And I CO'd the scarf around 12, so after 4 ish hours I am here on the scarf:


I'd be further along but I did want to finish:

THis pair of Monkey's. I think it's a Fleece Artist colorway but I am not 100% sure.

But the Chevron scarf? I have a feeling I'll be making a few (not all at once). It also helps me work on my 101 in 1001 list item #79 which is to complete 20 projects from my Ravelry Que. I'd knit more on it but my hands are starting to hurt and I've work soon. Have a great day!


(I'm drooling over the colors).

Best Way to End the Year

1: Got a call from the boss; we are going to be on TV next week (which should help with business)

2: FINALLY got my 3 skeins of BMFA STR;2 for a chevron scarf 1 for socks

3: (And the best): MY AUNT IS PREGNANT!!!! They've been trying for 10 or so years, did the invetro-fertilization and on the 4th time they took! They are going to have babies! I cannot think of ANYONE who'd be better parents!


(And for the person who asked -sorry I forgot who did, I'm all hopped up on the excitement- Spring Fling is a knitting retreate hosted by The Loopy Ewe in April. Hard to get into as hundreds try but there is only 50ish spots and it's all lottery picked. I got uber lucky).

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Must Have Calander

*snork* I NEED this calendar. It's just too funny. You can click to see all the months. I love!


Hahahahahahahahahahaha. Ahhhh good times. Good yarn.

How do you thin my husband would feel if I had this on my wall when he got home? *snicker*

Almost Complete

I've been knitting madly away on my Minimalist Cardigan (ravelry.com link)from IK's Spring 08. I'm currently on the last sleeve and then I'll be able to block and seam it all together. I had set the goal to knit 2 sweaters this year and this one will be my 2nd! I did do the shrug but that's more 1/4th a sweater I think. Once I get it all sewn up I'll post a picture. Other than that, all I've been working on is my spinning. I've hit a snag at the moment where the yarn/roving keeps breaking and i try to adjust the tension but still!!! I tried it for 10 minutes twice today and it's still being crap. Sigh. I'll go back to it soon since I want to learn to ply on Monday because Matthew comes home this week! I want to be able to show him finished yarn and say, "Look Honey, I made *YARN* from the gift you bought me! I love it so". It'll make him feel good I bet. :)

So my sweater is almost complete and my roving is almost complete. And now, my tea is done seeping so off I go. Have a lovely night/day/etc..

Wherin I get Sucked Back to the Land of the Living

So ok, I finished my shrug a week ago. Yes, a week ago. I've worn it twice, once to a going away party (where I got allot of complements but no pictures) and once to knit night. Love. It's so soft and comfortable. But what kept me away from here was plurk.com Eeevil site that is. (If you scroll down this page you can see some of mine) So, without further ado, my b0obalishis shrug shot!



It is so comfortable and soft. It's Debbie Bliss Cashmerio yarn in a dark navy blue. I don't think I've updated with pictures of my new yarn, but that can wait for another day I suppose. Tonight is the kick off for the Summer of Socks 08 and I'm itching to start....

..which reminds me Summer starts tomorrow and I've done nothing in preparation. bah.

Bits and Pieces

Hello! I've been having a fun time on the Ravelry Loopy Ewe boards this past week waiting for the Wollmeise sneakup (I scored 2 skeins!) an dmade some lovely friends. I knit a bit. And there is nothing else my husband and I like to do than to harass our cats:







But it's just our brand of love. :D :D Here are the socks I've been working on-I'm about to turn the heel on the 2nd.


And here is a picture we bought at the swap meet that hangs in our bedroom:



OH! And guess who's Loopy Ewe Swap Package came in? MINE! Tee hee Inside was a skein of Cherry Tree Hill, Loopy Kisses, Soap (in the shape of loopy kisses) the cute project bag and a pattern. :)

Monkey's on my Lace

Hello everyone! I started school this past week and so far it seems to be going well. My first class is Classical Archeology and while the Professor is interesting (ish-but at least I'm not bored to tears) I do have an idiot in the class who is desperate to correct my pronouncation of random words... Uh huh. RUDE much? However, I am amazing sauce and just turned to him and ever so sweetly replied, "What did you just say?" (bluster mumble "Nothing") "That's what I thought". Ahem. My other class (I only signed up for two lest Matthew and I had to move) is the Underworld and I love that professor. He is awesome, but that's a whole other blog post (and not in that way). :)

I am working on: My first pair of Lace socks and NON st-st to boot. They are Cookie A's Monkey Socks done in Blue Moon Fiber Arts Blue Moonstone Colorway. They are far, far too big for myself so I am making them for my mom. Which ties in sentimentally to our trip out to Illinois back in August when we went to Stitches Midwest and I bought them from The Fold. Mom isn't around right now so you'll have to see what it looks like on my feet-no laughing.





I'm actually further along, but you get the general idea. I'm kind of afraid that I'm going to run out halfway through the second sock (which would then make me buy another skein of yarn and-whoops! Some Raven might just follow that home) but we'll have to see.

Next up is my Secret of the Stole 2 KAL I've been working on and just finished. The second clue that is. The 3rd comes out tomorrow and that will be hopefully prior to when I leave for Camp Pendleton to see Matthew graduate. He's got check in but we aren't sure when he'll be able to leave so after 10:30 I get to sit around on base all day. If I've got clue 3 I can then sit in the library and stay entertained for hours! I love this color by the way and the yarn is absolutely lovely to work with (Jagger Spun Wool/Silk 2/18 laceweight)



And I was actually going to post about the wonderful Sit&Knit I went to on Monday but this is getting a little long so I shall save that for tomorrow (because I'll have to post pictures of my sexy Marine Graduating...again...lol).

ETA: LoL!!! I didn't even realize that on my stole, the right half of the pins used to hold it down are yellow, and the left orange! I didn't plan it that way! Hehehe

Pictorial Goodness!

It was a good day today. A very good day. But re-winding to yesterday:

Here is the Cherry Tree Hill I got from The Loopy Ewe for becoming a Groupy:

It's called "Salt Water Taffey!
Here is my stupid sock (I'm on the ankle of the 2nd one-anyone want whatever is left?) along with my bea-u-tiful nails that I finally got fixed (acrylics are teh suck).
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(You realize Pquetsch I'm taking my time to just be a tease right? )

And then!!!! Today saw me sitting my computer f-5ing on Ravelry and my email to see if I got into The Loopy Ewe's Sock Club....You bet I did!!!! There were only 100(approx) Spots avaiable and 500 (ish) people trying to get in. I am a very thankful, lucky lady.

AND THEN! THEN the mail arrived....

And now I am the happy owner of 2 skeins of Wollemise:


Poison Number 5:

And Mitternact (midnight):

And I still have mail coming! My Sarah's Yarns for my SOTS2 and my Yarn Pirate Club which I'm staying in until March (My bargian with god/spirit/karma so I could get into loopy) and 2 books!!!

All I need now is for Matthew to call and tell me where on earth we are going to be living!!!

And oh my god what am I going to knit with the wollemise?

Finished Projects and Frustration

So I am working on Stefanie Japel's Split-Neckline cap-sleeve tee from her book Fitted Knits. I've just finished 4 hours of work and come to find out that despite reading the directions obsessively carefully, 4 times, I still managed to read them wrong (I checked the errata for it) so I have to frog 22+ rows of my sweater.

Naturally this means I'll finally update with all my FO's and counters.

First up: 3 Hats from the Holiday Knits Kit. One for me (made from handdyed from MissVicki), my husband and his friend from training (debbie bliss Cashmierno aran):






And then we have 2 gifts a-la Miss Violet from LimeNViolet for the in-laws:Both made from noro silk garden).



And once again I frogged the madder sock-this time because it was too small. WTF? Sigh. I'm a bit nervous about ripping back on my Fitted Knits shirt because I've never ripped only to a certain part before. >< Gah and I was sooooo close to only having to do the st-st for 16 inches! (I love me some mindless knittin') I'm also doing that one in the Cashmerino Aran from Debbie Bliss too. The Top/light color is the main color and the bottom is the lining.


I'm off to stare depressingly at my sweater and pulling out some scrap yarn. *sigh* Wish me luck!

Finished Socks and stress

I finished my Briar Rose socks. I'm far, far ot stressed to do any kind of magical linking, so I got them form www.theloopyewe.com.



They turned out nice. I also got in my Helen's Lace form Lorna's Laces (also form TLE) but I just need the needles to start my project:


And I'm far, far to stressed out with my life. To the point where I'm "knititng because if i think about everything going on I will break down and cry" type stress. I RAN OUT OF PAPER FOR MY TO-DO LIST!!!

omg.
So it's another pair of st-st socks in Solstice from Yarn Pirate's booty club.

Sick

I am the lucky recipient of a Sinus Infection. Oh joy! I wound up going to my school's health care facility and getting medication through them-mind you I have 3, count them THREE health care coverages but couldn't access 2 of them. One is through the Marine Corps but I have to go on base to set it up, but I don't have my ID yet and can only go on the weekends during visiting hours which is most likely when they are closed. Gah.

Anyway, I've got my medicinal cocktail and feel only slightly more human since other monthly events have started..You get my drift. Knitting!

I'm past the gusset and just working on the rounds of the foot on the Briar Rose socks 9I keep changing their name) and my yarn came in from The Loopy Ewe last night so I'll be casting on my first lace project today.

At least now that I'm full of medicine my brain only slightly hurts and I'll be able to concentrate tonight....although I do have 2 papers w/ presentations due soon...One I haven't even started the research on. Please, shoot me now.

Finally

Well the husband has just left to see the movie Beowulf with a friend (I was invited but it's so not my thing) so I am alone after 16 wonderful days of not alone-ness. Hazza.

Not too much knitting has been done. I frogged the Mad Crazy sicks from Fleece Artist (cry) because it was jsut too think of a yarn for my size 3 DPNs. I did however receive 2 skeins of self-patt yarn from a Fall Swap I did:


So I started that one. Currently the damn this is on hold because the "frickin dag-gone" stitches kept committing knitting suicide and hurtled themselves off the DPN and I've not had the patience to pick up the 9 or so stitches. Buggers.But the color way is neat: reminds me of the cotton candy vendors at the summer Fairs.

I did a K2P2 scarf for my cousin (male) for x-mas out of alpaca yarn (no pictures because I'm a lazy wench)...do you think that's enough of a gift or do I need to add something to it? Let me know!

My sock yarn club for Yarn Pirate just shipped on friday so it ought to arrive on Monday (yea!) but have I knit with the first shipment yet? No.
I also have Lisa Souza, STR medium weight, Ocean Wind Knits, Fleece Artist and lots of pretty sock yarn I'd like to knit up but my problem is this:

Some of the sock yarn is lightweight. I've only really knitted with medium weight (Jitterbug, Cherry tree Hill) and so always cast on 48 stitches for my sock patterns. When I did this with the Fleece artist (Madder) the stitches were too loose. SO!! If i knit with smaller needles and lightweight yarn: DO I NEED TO CAST ON MORE STITCHES THAN MY 48?!

If not I'm good to go, if I do I'm so screwed. Math and I are not friends.

Absoutly No Knitting!

I've gotten absolutely no knitting done since Friday...Because Matthew Graduated from the Marine Corps Boot Camp!!!!!!


That was us on family day sitting in my car (he wasn't allowed off base that day) just talking and laughing. One of the best days of my life.



His mom took that one of us, before she left on family day to give us some time together...No nothing scandalous happened. That sort of thing wasn't allowed. LoL. I love these pictures. And here is what I wore to the Graduation Ceremony:



Knitty's Intolerable Cruelty!!! I finished all the little loopy things on Halloween before bed, then drove down to San Diego the next day. :D I got allot of complements and Matthew apparently got a few "head nods" the "kind guys give..." LoL.



Anyway, I'm off to mail out swap packages, get paperwork galore (oh my god the sheer amount of paperwork we have to get...), talk to Marine people, buy stuff (alas, no yarn) and clean because...My bedroom? Does not hold all his military "trash" (aka "stuff") so we have to re-arrange and put some things in storage. Have a fantastic day!!!

Updating!

Ok, just 2 days until I see my husband again. I am going crazy in the process. I finished my purple and pink socks and STILL have yarn left over from each skein. Gah. I'm STILL not finished with Intolerable Cruelty, so tomorrow prior to school I'm running mt arse down to the knitting shop to get help then finishing it as soon as freaking possible. I've started another pair of st-st socks (I promise one day I'll branch out) in Fleece Artist. Not sure how I like the yarn itself but the color way is lovely (Madder). I'm calling them my Mad Crazy Socks. I also just bought this beautiful skein from The Loopy Ewe which I'll link to eventually. And post pictures.

But here's what my pink and purple socks look like:




I've cleaned, knitted, done homework and I'm still going stark-raving waiting for Thursday. Oh my gods. Now I'm off to take pain killers for this nasty headache, finish cleaning (hahahahahahaha), grab my costume form storage for tomorrow (extra credit if I wear it to class), make my fall swap stuff (soooooo pretty! I'll show you later), do more homework, shop for a few snacks for Matthew (at his request) and...and...knit?

Feel free to send yarn and/or booze my way.

Or Nitrous Oxide. I do enjoy that when I'm at the dentist.

Yarn Buying

I am buying yarn today. I need the therapy after yesterday.

Yarn.

LALALALA CANT HEAR YOU

Time for an UPDATE! Woooo.

Are we excited yet?! SO! I finished my socks on Wednesday using yarn from The Hand Painted Sheep (dusk). Go check Laura's site out, she is teh roxsors. :) So here are my socks in all their lovely goodness!


Ta Daaa! Pretty no? I also started Knitty's Intolerable Cruelty on Thursday and while I do have a picture, it's not current anymore since I've been knitting like MAD on it since I started. (5 hours Friday, 3 hours Saturday). I'm MUCH farther along.


Much. I'm little over 7 inches. Weeeee. I've felted the scrap bag I was working on and now it's sitting in my bathtub drying. Here it is pre felting:


I'm pretty pleased with how it all came out. Not too bad. I also bought yarn. Sock yarn to be exact. I knew I should not but...the inner part of my soul that only lives for October and all it implys jumped up and SCREAMED to get it. Look. It's Pretty.


HOW I ask you was I supposed to resist? Yes I know I have a ton of sock yarn I've not used yet (Lisa Souza, Socks that Rock and Shaffer Anne) but with those I feel like doing only st-st socks isn't using them to their full potential. I'm going to try Monkey socks from Knitty with the Lisa Souza eventually. Promise.

Upcomming Projects

So, not that I'm crazy or insane or anything but I just bought the yarn for Knitty's: Intolerable Cruelty. That's not the crazy part. Nor is the fact I just dropped $73.24 on yarn for it from Yarn Market. No, what's crazy is my decision that this skirt needs to be made by November 2nd OR THE WORLD WILL END!!! *doooom* Sigh. Deadlines. November 2nd is when my sexy husband graduates from the Marine Corps Boot Camp and I wanted to wear this skirt because, you know, it's smokin' hot. That and he won't have seen me for 89 days (not that I'm counting...38 to go) and well, I'm sure you know where that's headed. So I picked out the black bamboo color and want to get a blue satin blouse (with a matching ribbon for the lacing bit of the skirt) to complement it. Preferably the shade of my eyes. So the nano-second the yarn comes in I have to cast it on RIGHT THEN or I'm screwed. Figuratively of course. I've got several papers and mid-terms which all happen to fall a week prior to him graduating and the week after he get's off leave (the gods have smiled thusly upon me...hopefully he dosen't get held back). So that is my yarn fix for the day.

....please let the yarn arrive soon....

In other news I have nothing mindless to knit. The felted bag is done and needs to be..felted. I was going to start my first pair of jaywalkers but it requires 5 DPNs and I only have a set of 4. But I ought to go down a size anyway since I knit loose. I swear to all that is holy if I ever sit through my Religious Diversity class again without knitting, I will go insane. Never, ever again.

BUT! (hee) Remember that contest I mentioned awhile back where I sent in a picture of what reminds me of fall and if I were to win I'd get a skein of the color way that inspired it? Well I won. Laura from The Handpainted Sheep mailed out my skein (in sock yarn squee) and it came to my house 2 days ago. I had mom open it and she was like, "OOOOOO this is beautiful!!!" I'm dying to see it! I have to skip on home tomorrow so I am so snagging that skein, rolling it into a ball and knitting my way through sanity on Thursday. I can't wait to see it! Squee!

On that note I ought to head for bed. I've got to be at the dentist for a filling removal, cavity filling and temp. crown placement all on the same tooth at 8am!!! *cry* I'm going to need the yarn therapy for sure.

Podcasts and Finished Projects

So, apparently the new bee in my bonnet is that I want to do a knitting podcast. I don't know why I think I'd have enough to say about knitting to fill in a half hour to an hour worth of show, but there you have it. I want to podcast. Mind you, my experience with all things technical is rather akin to my love for math...Which is to say Non-existent. I'm one of those "point and click" users of the computer world and god forbid I learn HTML. The thought is terrifying. So what makes me think I could Podcast? Lord knows.

Moving on to all things knitting and goodness!

My Alpaca Cable Trim Sweater from Vogue Knitting (Fall 2006) is DONE DONE DONE! Finally! As we speak I'm wearing it now (It's a bit itchy but I'm sure I'll survive) and aside from the itchy factor, it's comfortable. Comfort is my Mecca if you will. We have nearly achieved bliss.... Ok so yeah, that's a bit overdoing it I know. The fit could be better ((I also could gain some weight) but it's not too tight in the arms and is long enough in my torso to not annoy.


See what I mean? But it's nice and I'll wear it plenty...although that means I'll have to wash it and block it and uh...I've never blocked anything in my life. Oy.

Next up we have my finished purple socks of joy! Actually, they were rather an annoying pair to make over all. I made the first one easy peasy, then on my second one, made it too short. My right foot is a size 7.5 my left foot an 8. I've successfully made 2 pairs of socks by this pair and so you'd think I'd realize that I cannot make my left foot the same amount of stitches as my right. Alas. I had to redo the left sock. Cry. But I love how they turned out and wear all my hand knit socks more than I do any others.



I've also finished a k2-p2 ribbed scarf for a gentlemen who worked on the train I took home from Illinois this summer. He was so nice and supportive about my husband being in the Marines (he's a former one himself) that I wanted to make him something. Which is not to say I've ran into many jerks (there are a few sad to say) but everyone always been like, "ohhhhhh...the marines?! Why?" and in general not supportive. To them I say, "Kiss my Fairy Wings". Anywhodles, so I told him I'd make a scarf and he gave me his address to mail it too. I bet $10.00 that he thinks I forgot. :)



This was right before I finished the scarf, sadly, I have no Finished Pictures yet, as this weekend was busy and didn't lend itself to picture taking. It'll be a nice surprise for him in the mail, something un-expected. I love things like that. And speakin gof getting mail, look what I got from the Loopy Ewe on Monday!!!


(The yarn not the bottles) It's gorgeous!!!! It's called Coral Reef from The Knittery. My only issue with it was there was a knot in it and while I was winding the ball the yarn snapped in two! So, I tied it into a knot and kept winding. Pretty colors but sadly, it now has 2 knots. But I'll be making my first pair of Jaywalkers out of it which I hope to cast on this week. :) Have a wonderful day guys!!