Mad dash update!

Since it's been sooooooo long since I've posted, here's the warp speed update...
Oct. 07-Football weekends...Go DAWGS!

Nov. 07-Ditto!
Dec. 07-family from the Pacific Northwest visit for the holidays. Much knitterly talk transpires, as well as snuggling with the grandsons, and the newest member of the family, courtesy of daughter #2.

Jan. 08-It's been too long ago to remember!
Feb. 08-You know that short term memory is the first thing to go!
Mar. 08-Spring Break trip with my traveling buddy to Barcelona and Madrid. Wow is the only word for it. Managed to visit 2 yarn shops, too. Top pic is Barcelona...notice Clapotis in window...bottom is Madrid (not actually open, it was Good Friday).


Apr. 08-Stressful time at school - achievement tests for everybody.
May 08-School's out! Garden tour at our house...lots of weeding time!

June 08-Wonderful trip to the beach with family...homemade ice cream, watermelon, and the Gulf of Mexico.

July 08-Well, that's now, so next post will be a few things I'm working on (before school starts AGAIN the first week in Aug.).

Sock It To Me goodies

Take a look at some of the wonderful treats from Jen C that arrived last week. I feel terrible that it has taken me so long to post about this package, but you know how crazy things can get some days! I didn't realize I had given so much of myself away in my questionnaire, but my pal really has my number...a mystery I haven't read (How DID she do that?) , a knitting magazine, great smelly stuff, and my favorite candy of all time...Turtles (That's just plain mindreading, 'cause I KNOW I didn't mention them!)! Then there are the socks...lovely, woodsy, mock cable socks that I can hardly wait to wear. (Maybe if I turn the air conditioning WAY down, my feet will need some nice, warm socks!) Raspberry soap, dangly purple stitch markers, and a hank of beautiful, hand-dyed sock yarn in wonderful, warm shades of yellow, green, and raspberry almost made my package complete...but the "piece de resistance" is a new pen for my desk at work. Now won't the kids LOVE this? Thanks so much for everything, Jen...you are a terrific pal.

Sock it to me progress

Are these for you? I finally decided on the pattern (third time was the charm!) and things are going well. The picture shows the pattern, Hedera by Cookie A, but not my progress...I'm almost to the toe decrease of sock #1. What took so much time was the trips to the frog pond! Current sock is try #4 from the beginning. It's going like wildfire now. So...if you like pink and lacy socks, these could be for you!

My favorite yarn...hmmmmm

It takes quite a bit of thinking to decide which is my favorite yarn, but I've decided that I have to vote for Koigu. Whenever i knit with it, the socks just seem to fly off the needles, and it feels soooo good in my hands. Of course, wearing socks made out of Koigu feel really wonderful, too! I think what I like about it the most is the smooth finish it has and the fact that it doesn't split. Here's a picture of a pair I made for daughter #2, although the picture isn't the greatest!

I'm always on the lookout for new sock yarn, but I keep coming back to this!

Socks off to Tasmania

FedEx is trying to link up with my Sockapalooza pal in Tasmania...hope they find each other soon! I guess it's safe to show the socks I sent to Amanda J...

The pattern is Diana's Trail Socks from Mountain Colors. It was simple to knit, but has lots of comfort built into the ribbed arch and the added cushiness of the yarn (Weaver's Wool Quarters). My pal wears boots a lot, and I'm hoping that she'll like the way these socks fit and feel when walking or hiking. I'm thinking of knitting some for myself for winter, except that it's a little hard to think of cold weather right now!

I also finished another pair of socks recently...from Koigu that I received at Christmas. I used a slipped stitch pattern, and I love how it highlights the beautiful yarn. Why isn't it cool enough to wear socks???????

Sockapalooza deluxe!

Look what came in the mail from Micki...the socks are absolutely wonderful! I must apologize for waiting so long to post that I received my Sockapalooza package, but school has started and the days are just not long enough to do half of what needs to be done. It does slow down in another couple of weeks, but right now it is all I can do eat dinner before I fall asleep. Back to the socks...they are just beautiful with the most even, flat stitches you can imagine (mine are always lumpy, somehow!). They fit perfectly, and I would wear them today if it weren't 100+ degrees for the eight day in a row! That has made outside duty at school a pretty sweaty ordeal lately. Micki also sent some lovely hand made soap, Jelly Bellies, and beautiful, hand-dyed "shades of green" sock yarn.


Trust my pal to encourage me to cast on another new sock! Thanks, Micki, for everything. You're the best!

How I learned to knit!

In response to the contest being held by AJ for the SITM group, I'll try to remember details about how I learned to knit. I was probably about 10 years old and asked an aunt of mine to teach me how to knit. She was visiting from Arkansas and had brought knitting with her. I guess I just thought it looked like a neat thing to know how to do! I think I knitted a pot holder, but I have no idea where that is now. About 12 years later, I picked up knitting again as a newlywed and made baby blankets, baby sweaters and hats for friends. I pretty much re-taught myself by reading knitting magazines and just basically struggling through. I think that lasted about 3 years, until my own baby was born, then I didn't seem able to find the time! Over the course of many years, I've done a lot of crafty things, but really got hung up on quilting. That seemed to last the longest of them all. I returned to knitting, again, about 30 years later, when both my daughters became knitters. I guess the crafty gene is in us all! I think I'm in it for the long haul now. I currently have 3 pairs of socks, 3 sweaters, 1 scarf, and a clapotis on the needles!!!!!! School will start again in 2 weeks, and my knitting time will be reduced dramatically, so I'm going to knit like crazy for the next few days.

Sock it to me swap

1. What are your foot measurements? Size US 10 Narrow shoe; 10.25 in. length; 8.5 in. circumference
2. How long have you been knitting? I started knitting about 35 years ago, but took off quite a few years! I returned about 2 years ago in order to keep up with my daughters, who are both knitters. I have been totally hooked since then! (You know, it's just like riding a bicycle...!)
3. How would you rate your experience? Intermediate
4. What is your favorite color? I love orange...burnt orange, rust, terra-cotta, etc. (also browns and greens) Your least favorite color? Probably, pink!
5. Do you have a favorite fiber? Wool
6. Do you have any allergies to certain fibers? None
7. Do you have an Amazon, or other type of, wishlist? None
8. What techniques, if any, would you like to learn? I'd like to try lace sometime.
9. Do you have a sweet tooth? What are your favorite snacks? Dark chocolate and anything with pecans in it!
10. What is your family situation? I'm married (36 years) with 2 daughters (neither still at home), 2 grandsons, and currently (but hopefully not for long!) pet-less.
11. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I prefer metal circulars, or bamboo ones for plane flights!
12. Besides socks, what are your favorite items to knit? Baby things are on my list right now.
13. Is there a pattern, (sock or otherwise), that you are dying to try? I'm trying to get up the courage to try the sock featured on the cover of Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. The one using a solid and a variegated yarn. I'm not sure I'm up to it yet!
14. Do you like to read? What are you reading currently? I love to read. I just finished We are all welcome here by Elizabeth Berg (for my book club), The Boelyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory, and am currently reading Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet. Next up, the new Harry Potter!
15. Do you collect music? (On an iPod or MP3 player.) Not yet!
16. What kind of music do you listen to? I enjoy classical and Italian pop
17. Is there anything you collect? Besides yarn? I collect snowmen and book related items (I'm a librarian, so no surprise there!)
18. What are your hobbies, aside from knitting? Reading, travel, gardening, quilting
19. Are you participating in any other swaps or knit alongs? I just finished two Monkey Sock Swaps and am signed up for Sockapalooza 4.
20. Do you have a favorite scent? Gardenias
21. When is your birthday? Aug. 23

Welcome home, Monkeys!

My Monkey Sock Swap package arrived...and what a wonderful treat it turned out to be!
Knitted cell phone bag, monkey key chain, point protectors, row counter, and lots of good snacks

Monkey journal, bookmark, stitch markers, and lovely recycled silk!

...and now for the wonderful, beautiful, exquisitely soft SOCKS!!!




My pal, Jeremy, is just the greatest, don't you think?