Mr. Bear

My middle monkey came home from school on Wednesday afternoon with a cute little stuffed bear. She said they were given the task of decorating the bear and bringing it back to school on Friday so they could be collected and distributed to children overseas who are/living with someone who is affected by HIV/AIDS. She was very excited. She talked a mile a minute about all the things she was going to craft for the bear that would make the little boy or girl who receives it smile. I of course offered to knit for the bear. So around 6pm last night I finally decided to take a look around online for a bear sweater pattern.

I totally fell in love with this pattern. See that smile on old Mr. Bear? He loves it too. Even better, my little monkey's eyes lit up when she saw Mr. Bear in his little sweater. We know now without a doubt it will put a smile on the little face that gets to call Mr. Bear his/her own.

Oh, there's a little hat pattern too that's so cute which I knit up as well. I didn't decide to do it until after midnight though and was too tired to get up this morning to take a picture. Cute, cute, cute. I might have to go out and buy a little bear just to have an excuse to knit some more of these.

Renewed Faith

Is it just me or does it seem as though customer service has really hit the shitter these days? I mean, where are the smiles that used to be on the faces of store owners and their clerks? The ones that sincerely said, "Thank you so much for shopping here and supporting me and mine." Hell, what happened to them actually saying that? My first job in customer service was some 20+ years ago when I worked behind the register at our local Burger King. The owner demanded we treat the customers as they were...the signers of our paychecks. Later on I worked the customer service desk at Ames. We were told the same thing. The customer is always right (No, I don't necessarily agree with that given the fact that I once had to take back a pair of tighty white-ies that had skid marks in them because the customer complained that the waistband had stretched out of shape. I will give him that the waistband was indeed stretched but it was clearly due to the fact that they had been worn much longer (years most likely) than the one time he claimed they had been. Yutz.) and you don't ever engage in argument with them. At the end of the week, they sign your check. This has been pounded into my brain since I was a teenager. I always greeted customers with a genuine smile and an overwhelming desire to help when needed. I wish that same level of concern and willingness to help was extended to myself on the odd occassion I've needed it. Instead, I'm normally met with a rude attitude that spoils my entire day. Sad.

Imagine my surprise when this little lovely turned up in my mail last week.

You see, I recently placed an order with BMFA for 3 hanks of STR. I waited as patiently as I could for it to arrive. For the first 2 weeks I skipped down to the mailbox everyday. After that, I ran down and excitedly threw open the door of the mailbox just knowing that it would be there waiting for me. It wasn't. I checked the status online which showed it had indeed been shipped. I called BMFA and left a message asking if they could possibly tell me when it had been shipped.

I immediately got an email back showing that my package had been delivered to Saranac Lake on November 3rd. I checked the USPS website. Sure as shit, there it was in black and white in front of me. Delivered to Saranac Lake on November 3rd. The next question was where in Saranac Lake because it hadn't been delivered to my mailbox. I called the post office. I left the tracking number and asked that they pretty please check to see where my poor yarn was. They said the postmaster would call the next day. A week passed and the postmaster still hadn't called. I called again. The postmaster told me my mailman remembered that package with that tracking number because it was in a huge cardboard box and he went out of his way to bring it up and leave it on our porch where he then scanned it. I paused. It was only 3 hanks of yarn. Why would it have been shipped in a huge cardboard box? I explained this to Ms. Postmaster and told her that I had indeed received not just 1 but 2 huge cardboard boxes (I finally got my act together and started shopping for Christmas. This is a big deal for me since I normally put it off until a few days before.) within a few days on either side of November 3rd but that neither of them contained my yarn. That was when all hell broke loose. Ms. Postmaster became quite irate and told me that my mailman gave her his word that it was that exact tracking number and that exact huge cardboard box. When I tried again to nicely explain that it couldn't possibly have been and beg for help in tracking down my yarn she really flipped out. I asked what I was to do and who else I could speak to for help. She told me she was it. I asked for the name and number of her supervisor. She told me she didn't have one. I told her I didn't appreciate her unwillingness to help me and she told me I was being ridiculous and I needed to give it up. I told her she was being rude and obnoxious. I think I might even have used the word bitch. She agreed and said that was her and I was stuck with it and then hung up.

I called BMFA again to see if they could offer any suggestions on where to go to get help. They suggested I try the post office once more. (I hadn't told them yet what had happened at the post office already.) I smiled to myself, took a deep breath, and resigned to the fact that I would have to suck it up and go in to the post office the following morning when they reopened. In the meantime, I started calling phone numbers in Albany trying to find out who supervised Ms. Postmaster. Guess what, she really does have one that she has to answer to. I left my complaint and was satisfied to know that someone was actually willing to listen to my concern. (Notice I didn't say that they cared.)

The following day Ms. Postmaster called. I thought she was going to tell me they had found my yarn. Nope. But she did apologize and told me she would go look for my package herself. She called later and said she hadn't turned up anything and if I would bring her BMFA's mailing address as well as an invoice for my purchase that she would get my money refunded. OMG!!! I couldn't believe it. I thanked her very muchly and wrote BMFA to let them know. I told JoAnn all about the incident the day before with Ms. Postmaster and how I was really dreading having to go down there. I was so excited to know that I would be getting my money back so I could reorder the yarn because Hard Rock had been chosen by Duder for socks for her. Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw it and she jumped up and down screaming she had to have it for socks. This is why it was included in my order.

A few days later that gorgeousness above appeared like magic in my mailbox with a card from JoAnn. Yes, she gifted me a hank of Hard Rock to make Duder's socks with. Can you believe that? Anytime I've asked a question of BMFA I've always been met with extreme friendliness but this my friends really takes the cake. They totally went above and beyond and I will forever be grateful for it.

JoAnn, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity and for being so thoughtful, caring, and unselfish. You have truly renewed my faith in customer service.

Long Overdue

Some time ago I received an amazing package from an amazing lady. I immediately tore into it not being able to image what in the world would be inside. This is what I found...

From left to right there is hand dyed superwash merino from All Things Heather in Midnight Frost, 100% BFL from Shelby B's Designs in Mediterranean Nights, and Supersock from CTH in Spanish Moss.

All for me.

From Shelby.

Just to say thank you for spoiling her during Secret Pal.

Thank you Shelby, for taking time out to be so incredibly sweet and generous. It was my extreme pleasure to spoil you. You certainly deserve it. :-)

Shorty Shorts

These are the Tofutsies socks I started months ago for Bran. I absolutely loved the yarn and plan to use it again in the very near future having bought the right needles to use it with. The yarn feels incredibly thin and I felt the need to use a size 1 (2.25) needle with it. Which meant using an old set of dpns. Those of you who know me know how much I hate dpns. Which is why it took several months to complete these socks. Even though I totally love the yarn. They're done now and he loves them. He wanted short socks to wear with his sneakers and these are perfect for him. I'm so glad he loves the things I knit him. Everyone should be so lucky.

On One Hand...

she wore a glove.

One down, one to go. The hand circumfrence is a bit loose and the pinky is a bit tight to get into but I love it anyway. I can't wait to get the other done and start wearing them as soon as it's cold enough.

Thanks for all the sweet comments about Dexter. He is absolutely adorable and we're having such a great time watching him grow. And grow. And grow. I swear this puppy grows at least an inch each night while we sleep. ;-)

Dexter Doggy

This is the latest addition to our family. Isn't he sweet? He's part of the reason I've been so busy and haven't been posting. This is him today at 8 weeks and 3 days old. He's growing so fast.

This is him when we brought him home at 5 weeks and 1 day old on Friday, September 8th. He slept a lot more back then than he does now. We're enjoying watching him grow. He's very playful and still very unsteady on his little legs which makes for some pretty comical viewing.


Dixie was not sure what to make of him for the first few days after we brought him home. She didn't sleep for 48 hours and was more of a handful than he was. She's finally settled in and seems to really love him. She watches him like a hawk and seems to be very protective. She acts as though she thinks he's her puppy.

Giving You The Finger

of my glove...
This is the Gansey Gloves pattern from yarndemon and I'm totally in love with it. Even though I hate working moss stitch it's not bad here since it's such a small number of stitches to work with. The hand circumference is a little big for my hand but everything else is perfect. I'm using Louet Gems worsted in the Willow colorway to match my winter coat. Gorgeous!

Red Silver Splash

This is the Silver Splash pattern from Miss Bea's Colours.

While I like the look of the pattern I don't like the recommended gauge. I've also found a few mistakes in the pattern that would most definitely trip up a new knitter. This is the first pattern I've knit from the Miss Bea series and while there are several others I'd like to knit I'm not so sure I will now. We'll see how sour the taste is in my mouth when I'm done with this one. LOL

This is the coin toss (which we lost) from Saturday's football game (which we won). You can't really see Dan (he's number 74 again this year) but he's right in front of the referee.

Here are some action shots. If you look closely in the center of the pictures you'll see Dan. We smacked the Plattsburgh Hornets 46-0. Looks like the boys are off to the start of another great year.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and that everyone here is enjoying the long Labor Day weekend. We had a blast at the game Saturday (which was also my mother's birthday) and then we just chilled yesterday. Today we're off to finish up a little school shopping so the kiddos will be all set come the end of the week when school starts.

Mellow Yellow

To my Yellow Yarn Junkies pal, anything you choose will be wonderful. But if that doesn't work for you and you insist I choose between worsted or sock, I choose sock. :-) Thanks so much for asking! I can't wait to see what you decide on.

I finished the second Bow Wow sweater and love it even more than the first.

I know it's hard to tell from the photos but the shoulder seams are invisible this time. That makes me so happy that I just want to dance.

Now I just need to finish up a bunch of other stuff. Like the little bunny booties. And the Baby Surprise Jacket. And the Jaywalkers. And the...let's face it...I could do this all day.

Bitty Bunny Bootees

Are these not the cutest damn things you've ever seen? They are the Bunny Animal Bootees from the 50 baby bootees to knit book my wonderful secret pal Melissa sent me last round. I've been itching for an excuse to knit something from this book since she sent it and now I have double the incentive. You see, one of the guys my hubby works with is going to be a brand new daddy in December. To twins! Isn't that exciting? I see lots of cute little bootees in my knitting future.

O Captain! My Captain!

That's right...

DAN MADE CAPTAIN OF THE JV FOOTBALL TEAM!!!

Damn right I'm saying it loud! He was first pick. I'm such a proud mama. :-)

Tofu for my Footsies

I'm totally loving the new color for the Tofutsies sock club. It's black mixed with gorgeous tropical colors like turquoise, yellow, pink, and orange. At least that's what I remember it being. You see, I keep forgetting to buy a ball of it every time I stop at the LYS. Why? Because my LYS has crazy amounts of awesome new sock yarn coming in every other day.

Like this new OnLine that Darcie chose the other day.

It screamed "Jaywalker" as soon as I saw it. I love how it's working up and she is too. She can't wait to get them on her feet. I hope to finish them up before school starts. The pattern is so addicting that I don't think it'll be a problem.

I only thought I might have a touch of ADD before but now I'm pretty certain I do. It's so hard to decide which to buy. Anywho, this new color makes me want to sit by the pool and sip a fancy drink with an umbrella in it. Instead I think I'll sit by the pool and start a new pair of socks. Tomorrow. Because again, I forgot to buy a skein of it. Grrr. If you want some for yourself go visit Sue at Adirondack Yarns. Oh, and just so you know, she's got two big baskets full of Cherry Tree Hill Sockitome. I can see why everyone is raving about this stuff. It's silky and soft and just gorgeous. I think a skein of that will be finding it's way home with me soon too. :-)

My So Called Scarf

I knit this with some beautiful hand dyed yarn that Laura sent me some time ago. It worked up perfect with the pattern and I'm so happy with the way it turned out. Thanks again for the great yarn Laura!

Insanity Insured

He parallel parked. He three point turned. Not a point was deducted. He passed. I was so excited and proud. We stopped and had lunch. We came home. I put in a request to add him to our insurance. I'm still proud but I'm a lot less excited. How is it that one little man can raise your insurance by almost $15oo a year in a matter of minutes??? Holy. Shit.

So this is a little hat I whipped up. It's the Fiber Trends Ear Cozies pattern and I really like it. It calls for size 5 needles so I foolishly used them knowing that I would never make gauge. Guess what? I was right. It's too small for anyone here. I'm sending it off to a great girl who's collecting hats for people in her area. I also knit a yellow one with a larger needle to see how it would work up and it's the size it should be. I'll be sending that one in too. I'll be knitting several more of these for this winter. A couple for Dailaesse and a couple for Bran.

Tomorrow? How about a picture of My So Called Scarf I just finished up? You're gonna love it.

Buckle Up

We're off today to take Dan for his road test. I have mixed feelings about this. I'm super excited for him and I hope that he passes (I think he will, he's an excellent driver) but at the same time, the idea of my baby driving out into the world alone scares the hell out of me. I know it's because I'm having such a hard time with the idea of letting go. I hope that it'll be easier when the girls are ready. I can't imagine going through this at this intensity again. I don't think I have enough brown hair left to handle it. So, keep your fingers crossed for my little man and I'll be back later with the results.

Oh, and for my surprise, I was going to tell you all that my Yarn Pirate Booty Club box had arrived. It was very exciting to me. Not as exciting as a new baby would have been of course. I wish I could report a new baby to be but it doesn't look as though it's in the cards for anytime in the near future. You can keep your fingers crossed and say some prayers for that too. I'd love to have another little monkey to add to the zoo.

I have tons of projects to show and can't wait to share them. Maybe I'll have time to show them when I get back this afternoon.

How about this for some exciting news to tide you over until I get back to post...

I GOT MY RAVELRY INVITE THIS MORNING!!!

My user name is kerryknits.

I promise not to neglect the blog. Although I have been dreadfully neglectful of it lately. This summer has really taken it's toll with Dan learning to drive and needing to be brought back and forth to his job. Things are starting to settle so I should have more time soon. :-)

Quick

Things went very well for my little man Tuesday morning. We were in and out in about 5 minutes. The choice to visit his father now belongs to him and for that he is very happy. Unfortunately, this now means that his sister must visit their father alone. This is quite bothersome for everyone concerned and we're praying that she will also be given the right to choose. So once again, thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated. :-)

I have other exciting news but it will have to wait for now it is time to get the littlest princess to bed...

wish me luck.

I'm Still Alive

So much has happened in the past few weeks (Yes, I said few weeks. I can't stand to admit it's been a month. There. I said it. Month. I'm such a slacker.) since I last posted.

My sweet little man turned 16 on July 11th! It was a very emotional day. I took him to DMV to take his permit test (which he passed on the first try) and we went driving for over 2 hours in the afternoon. It rained in the afternoon just as it had the day he was born. It seemed as though just yesterday the nurse put him in my arms for the first time. So tiny and sweet. And cuddly. So cuddly. I miss those days. He's still just as sweet though and I'm so proud of the young man he's grown to be. Caring. Thoughtful. Considerate. Polite. Amazing sense of humor. I'm very much looking forward to the years ahead. Even though I wish they would slow down. ;-)

Signups have opened for Secret Pal 11. Click the link to be taken to the signup page. It'll be lots of fun.

I have been knitting. Honest. I finished a little hat last night that almost fits the littlest princess. Since I knit tight I wasn't quite knitting to gauge and I wasn't worried about it because I was really just doing it to see how the pattern knit up. My friend was trying to knit it and was having a little trouble so I tried it to see what the deal was. I really love the pattern (Fiber Trends Ear Cozies) and plan to knit another with larger needles so it'll actually fit an adult head.

I signed up for the Mystery Stole 3 project. I started my stole the day I joined and made it to row 41 before screwing up so badly that I couldn't fix my own mistake and had to rip the entire thing. I will start it over really soon though because I absolutely love it. I've got ebony Zephyr sitting here on my desk calling my name.

I've almost completed the last cabled sweater I was working on. All it needs is some seaming and the collar. I just might do that this afternoon.

I finished a sock for Bran and started it's mate.

I ripped my Aunt Noreen's sock out and am back to the heel again. I totally didn't need to rip the entire sock but I was having a bad day. It's STR so it gave me a good excuse to knit with it a little longer. Yeah. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I started a My So Called Scarf in some great hand dyed yarn that Laura (thanks again so very much!!!) shared with me some time ago. It's perfect for the pattern and is working up so nicely.

There's more but I can't seem to think of them right now. I'll be sharing pictures really soon. Like maybe tomorrow or Wednesday. Most likely Wednesday. Tomorrow is court for Dan (hopefully for Darcie too) and I'm a wreck like usual. If you could all please say a prayer or keep us in your thoughts it will be greatly appreciated. I'll check in quickly tomorrow to let you know how they make out.

Thanks for the kick in the pants Leslie! ;-)

It's No Secret

Not anymore. My pal for SP10 was Melissa and she was wonderful. I've really enjoyed the emails we've shared and am now looking forward to getting to know her a little better through her blog. Just look at the great reveal package that arrived from her today:

How awesome is this? She covered lots of ground with some great Rowan all seasons cotton for 4th of July summer knitting, Gudona Soap & Spa (I've just recently discovered this company myself and they are fantastic!) Tangerine Dreams Whipped Clean and Cupcake Soap for helping me relax the first day of school, Rowan yorkshire tweed chunky for a hat or scarf for Christmas, a cute wooden pumpkin for Halloween because it's my favorite holiday, 50 baby bootees to knit book that I've been craving just because, and some bubbles and chalk for the kiddos!

Thank you so very much Melissa for being such a super pal!!! I've really enjoyed chatting with you and hope to continue doing so. :-)

Tea Swap Sweep

My amazing partner Kelli (who just got in to Ravelry, BTW) sent me the most awesome goodies. In addition to the teas she sent, she also sent this gorgeous handpainted-just-for-me cup.




Have you ever seen a more beautiful piece of art? Gorgeous.


Then a huge, heavy boxed arrived in the mail today.

Can you believe this??? That's a cool checker game that we'll all use, Amish popcorn that I can't wait to try (we have popcorn almost every night so Kelli was right on the money with this), Mint Julep lotion and Sunset Mango soap/shampoo/bubble bath that both smell incredible, Panda sock yarn, Apple Laine Apple Pie sock yarn in Royal Blue that I have so been dying to try, chocolates that are so sinfully delicious they had to be put way in the back of the cupboard so as to limit my contact with them, elegant pearl stitch markers, hard candie and FRUIT STRIPE GUM!!! The kids were all over that. In fact, you can see the knee of the littlest monkey in the far right of the picture. I left the goodies on the counter while I went in to get the camera and when I came back there she was. Sitting on the counter.

Does that face scream "I'm up to no good" or what??? LOL She's trying to be cute and innocent to make up for the fact that she climbed up on the counter to get the "candy canes" and gum she saw sitting there calling her name.

Thank you ever so much Kelli for all the wonderful goodies you sent and for going out of your way to send the special gum the kids love so much. You truly are special!!!

Wild About Socks

Have you guys seen this yet???

It's the new Tofutsies sock club sock and I really like it. I had Sue set one aside for me and have been so busy that I still haven't had a chance to get over to pick it up. It's killing me to know it's just sitting there waiting. I really love the colors and I can't wait to see it in person. I'm going to try to make my way over to the store tomorrow. If anyone else is interested Sue is always more than happy to ship. You can find her at Adirondack Yarns.

The last week has been nuts and the following week or 2 will be more of the same. The kids are at the end of the school year and I've just enrolled the littlest princess in pre-K. It's very hard for me to admit they're growing up. I had a little meltdown on the way home from the bank the other day after taking the prince to open his first ever checking account to deposit his first ever paycheck. He looked over at me and said, "Seriously? You're crying?." I tried to explain how the past few days had been very emotional what with getting ready for pre-K in the fall, him turning 16 in just a few more incredibly short weeks, and his sister starting middle school in the fall. His response? "You're such a dork." I get no sympathy.

Kiss My

sock goodbye...

She's off to the frog pond for the second time. I really wanted to do a short row heel because I love the way the colors are striping but I can't seem to make it work without getting some awful holes in the corners. This is the second heel I've used and while I'm much happier with the way my wraps worked out I still hate the corners. Colin uses a Sherman Heel which looks really great. I want to try it so badly but I just don't know that I have the heart to do it on this sock. If it doesn't work out the way I want it to I'm going to be really pissed when I have to rip it out and do the damn heel flap that I've been trying to avoid. I hate picking up the stitches on the flap and I hate that it totally screws up the pretty striping pattern you sometimes have going. Like on this sock. And this sock is really special because it will be part of a pair going to my Aunt Noreen. I love her to pieces. She's an amazing woman and she totally deserves a pair of hand knit socks. The yarn is lightweight STR Scottish Highlands. We are Scottish. My Uncle Frank (Aunt Noreen's late husband) was so Scottish that he owned a kilt which he proudly wore to all the tattoos. He was so Scottish that he owned bagpipes. (I'd like to tell you all what a wonderful player he was but he really wasn't. He sure did try though and I loved him for that.) Aunt Noreen misses Uncle Frank alot. I hope these socks remind her of him and that they feel like a nice big warm hug every time she puts them on. Of course that's never going to happen if I can't find a heel that is worthy of being part of these special socks.

Here a cable, there a cable,

everywhere a cable...



This is the second sweater in the Bow Wow pattern that was commissioned. I like the blue much better but must admit that the yellow really grew on me. Especially once it was finished. This one is knit in Cascade 220 The Heathers. It's still worsted but this one feels thinner than the yellow so it has a softer drape which I really like. Surprisingly enough, I got the same gauge with the same needles as I did with the yellow. I took this with me to the NYS Track Sectionals yesterday. My little man did really well. He beat his best distances in both shotput and discus. Very cool. Anywho, the back is almost complete now. The cables are awesome!

Tea 4 Me

I have a confession to make. I'm like a little kid when the mail comes. I wait all day long for the familiar sound the mail truck makes. I get excited when I hear it on its way back from the lake because I know it will be coming to MY house next. It doesn't matter if I'm not expecting anything in particular because there's always the chance that there could be a surprise. That being said, imagine how thrilling it is for me when the UPS or FedEx dude pulls up to my house. You know it's got to be something good when they show up because they never bring bills or junk mail. No Sir E. Bob. No junk for them. Just the good stuff.

So when I heard the UPS dude pull up the other day I ran for the door. I threw it open and found a brown box gracing my porch. Hmmm. I didn't remember ordering anything from Republic of Tea. Maybe it was for the neighbor. Nope. It's got my name on it. Hmmm. Then I saw it. The fine print on the bottom of the label telling me this wonderful package was from my KTS3 pal. Whoopee!!! I ran back into the house with Duder hot on my heels. She wanted to know what was in the box and if it was for her. Nope. Not for you this time littlest princess. This one's for me.

Holy crap that's a lot of tea! Lots and lots of yummy tea. Just for me. (Oh, there was Passion Fruit Papaya too but I opened it yesterday to brew a pot.)

Thank you so very much Kelli for the awesome package!!! I can't wait to try the rest of them. :-)

Dose of Duder

So the littlest princess (also known as Duder) begged to go to Wendy's after the track meet tonight. Anyone who's ever had the pleasure of dealing with a tired toddler will surely tell you to take the choice they're offering instead of taking them to the dining establishment of your choice. So we went to Wendy's where she ate her entire chicken kid's meal (this is HUGE for her since she eats like a little bird) and then requested ice cream. I decided to get everyone settled in the van and then get the Frosty's at the drive-thru. I presented the options to Duder...ice cream in the van or no ice cream at all. I'm sure I don't have to tell you which she chose. So we cleaned up our table and headed towards the door. I stopped to dump the garbage while everyone else headed to the foyer to hold the door for us. At the beginning of the line was a large group of kids from Canada. Since I don't speak French I can only assume they were discussing amongst themselves what they were going to order. We had to part our way through the crowd to make it to the doors and as we did I heard my littlest princess say in her biggest most confident voice ever, "BUENOS DIAS!" I laughed so hard my shoulders hurt and I saw stars. When your world is limited to 2 languages and you know it's not one you must assume it's the other. Now if we could just get Nick Jr. to come up with a cartoon that teaches French.

Sunshine Cables

I just finished this little yellow cabled sweater yesterday. (Please note the kid is in her bathing suit and not her underpants. LOL) Actually, to be honest, I finished knitting it almost a month ago but didn't sew the seams until yesterday. I'm so bad about seaming. I always put it off and I really don't know why. Because it's really not that bad. I guess it's just that I much prefer the knitting part.

I really loved this pattern. It's Bow Wow #152 QK by Minnowknits. I knit the size 2 (which is why it's so small on the littlest princess) for the lovely lady who commissioned me to knit sweaters for her grandsons. I will be knitting a size 6 in navy (I think it was navy) really soon. This one was knit in Cascade 220 and was so much fun. The cables keep it interesting enough and it goes really fast. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the 3 needle bind off for the shoulders and the way the sleeves are picked up. I think the sleeves would have looked much better had they been sewn in instead of picked up. What do you think?

Pure

as Milk & Honey.




I finished these socks for Bran made from Lisa Souza's Sock! yarn in Milk & Honey on Sunday and he wore them to work Monday and yesterday. They fit him perfectly (7" cuff with the foot knit 'til it measured 9.5" before starting the toe) and he loves them. The yarn was an absolute dream to work with and I'm looking forward to using it again. Bran's looking forward to me using it again too. So long as it gets knit into socks for him. ;-)

I made some awesome oat bars at the beginning of the week that everyone (including the pickiest kid in the house) liked. Here's the recipe:

1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup honey
3 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups slivered almonds

Heat the peanut butter and honey in a large non stick pot over medium heat until runny. Add in oats and almonds and stir until oats and nuts are completely covered. Press into a 9"x13" pan. Cool. Cut into bars and wrap in tin foil. Store in a plastic zip lock bag.

You're not supposed to have to store them in the fridge since the ingredients are all natural but I like them when they're cold. Plus, the peanut butter I used needs to be put in the fridge after it's opened so I'm assuming the bars should be too. I love these in the morning because they're very filling. In the afternoon when I want something sweet these totally satisfy the craving.

Mommy Survey

I found this survey over at Knit and Purl Mama and thought it was fun...

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? No
2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME? Yes
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? I was so excited but I was afraid my now ex husband was going to be mad. We had only been married a month and hadn't planned to start a family for several years.
4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? No
5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 18
6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? I took a pregnancy test.
7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? My parents.
8. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? No, I wanted to be surprised.
9. DUE DATE? June 23, 1991
10. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Not morning sickness, night sickness.
11. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? Macaroni and cheese (the blue box please) and hot dogs.
12. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? Nothing that I remember.
13. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Male
14. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING? I had wanted a little girl but was thrilled with my little man. I love having had my son first. No matter how many other children we have they'll be blessed with a big brother.
15. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? 22
16. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? I had 2. One here in our town for friends and family and one out of town for my ex's side of the family.
17. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? They were both a surprise.
18. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? No.
19. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, NY. Same hospital I was born at although it was called Saranac Lake General Hospital when I was born.
20. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? 10
21. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? The ex.
22. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? The ex.
23. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? C-Section
24. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Not until I had to be knocked out for my section. I went through labor (most of which was hard) without drugs. I was very proud of myself for that.
25. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 9lbs
26. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN? July 11, 1991
27. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Daniel Joseph
28. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? He'll turn 16 this July 11th. Seems like only yesterday when I held my sweet baby boy in my arms for the first time and in less than 2 months he'll be DRIVING. Sigh.

Coffee Swap Queen

I received the most awesome package from Laura for Knitter's Coffee Swap 2! Just look at all the incredible goodies she sent...

A gorgeous hand stamped card, a super mug from her school to drink the coffee (Green Mountain Breakfast Blend which is my fave and Columbian Supremo from The Candy Basket that is to die for) she spoiled me with, 2 yummy (so yumy that the kids even helped eat them) different kinds of biscotti, and yarn. OMG the yarn! First, Laura hand dyed some awesome sock yarn just for me. Can you believe it? It's so pretty and I can't wait to try it! Then there was Cornucopia (the purple yarn) from Kollage which is 100% corn. 100% corn. It's incredible. I've never heard of it until now and can't wait to try it too. I checked the Kollage website and it has great stitch definition. And last but not least, 3 gorgeous blue hanks of Touche cotton/rayon which will make a great tank for the littlest princess. Or maybe even a bikini. She would love that.

Thanks again so very much for the great package Laura!!! It really was such a pleasure having you as my partner!

Yo Adrienne

I've always wanted to say that! LOL

A little birdy reminded me a few days (or so) ago about the Polar Sol Joy contest I had. I completely forgot about it with all the other things I've had going on. Since I said I would choose my favorite entry I've decided to choose Adrienne for reminding me of the contest and Shelley for saying that she would unravel it all on the floor and roll around in it. I've often thought of doing this myself but as Shelley has pointed out it would take way too long to untangle the mess I would make. So for now my little fantasy of having a romp in the yarn will remain just that, my little fantasy.

A Little Q & A

My hostess with the mostess for the Summer Dishcloth Swap has asked us to post the answers to the following questions...

What is one baked item you love making or buying and why?

This is a really tough one since I don't make or buy baked goodies very often. I guess I'd have to say my favorite would be cinnamon streusel or coffee cake because it tastes good.

What is one item you love to knit and why?

Socks are my favorite because they are so portable and because they can be knit with awesome, expensive yarn more cheaply than a sweater with the same yarn.

Favorite outdoor activity and why?

Totally depends on the season. I love snowmobiling in the winter, swimming in the summer, and walking in the spring and fall.

Favorite way to relax?

On the couch in front of the TV with my knitting. :-)

I don't have time to post like I want to about the coffee swap or the red and blue junkie swaps but do want to send a HUGE thank you to my pals, Laura, Debb, and Sonia. You ladies are absolutely amazing and I love the packages you put together for me! THANK YOU!!! I promise a proper post soon. :-)

Swap Slut

Wonder how many hits I'll get with a title like that.

So I'm really loving the swap deal. They are so much fun. As most of you know, I help hostess the Secret Pal exchanges. They are a blast. But they also last 3 months and sometimes you just need a little instant gratification. So you turn to the great coffee, tea, and dishcloth swaps that are out there. And don't forget Swap-Bot. I signed up to do the first 2 Yarn Junkies Unite swaps. The first was the color purple and was great. The second was red. Before the second started our wonderful hostess Sandy (please keep her and her family, she has kids, in your thoughts and prayers) found out she might have cancer. She assigned partners and we finished out the swap. The swaps were so much fun that I decided to take them over so I listed swaps for the rest of year following the guidelines (more or less) that Sandy had started. We just started the blue swap for this month but you can find the info for next month here. If you're looking for something a little less time consuming that doesn't require the larger dollar committment that Secret Pal does this just might be right up your alley.

In knitting news, I started a pair of socks for Bran in Lisa Souza's Milk & Honey Sock! yarn. I have to tell you that I wasn't sure that I was going to like this yarn since I've fallen madly in love with all the other great sock yarns out there that have a really tight twist. Man am I glad I tried it. This stuff is awesome! I thought it would split because it's not tightly wound but that isn't the case. And it's so silky soft and smooth to knit with. Bran can't wait until they're done and on his feet.

I've also taken on some commission knitting for a super sweet lady. She dropped off yarn and patterns last Wednesday for about 8 little sweaters. I've got the first almost finished and can't wait to get to work on the rest. I've not taken photos yet but promise to soon.

Track season has started once again and Short Man is doing a great job. He does discus and shot put and loves it. His score placed second for shot put in the meet last night and third last Thursday. He volunteered me to score last night and I had a blast. It was so much fun to be right in the middle of the action. I can't wait to do it again. It's hard to believe he's almost 16. We've had a truck for him for almost a year now. Bran has been driving it and the two of them have been working on it getting it ready for him to take over in July. Last Tuesday night Bran was rear ended on his way home from work. The truck isn't as pretty as it was. Once I got to the scene and knew Bran was going to live my heart sank for Short Man. I was so sad that the truck was wrecked. We're now trying to decide if we're going to fix it or sell it and get him something different. He's such a good little man. He never once asked what kind of shape his truck was in(Bran was still at Urgent Care), he only asked how Bran was. It makes me so proud to have such nice kids.

Spring Into Summer Dishcloth Swap

1. When did you learn to knit? Who taught you?

My mother tried to teach me when I was about 4 but I just couldn't get the hang of it. When I was around 17 I bought a video called Keeping You In Stitches and learned from there.

2. What was your very first completed object? Your most recent?

The first thing I ever knit was a beautiful yoke neck cardigan for my son. I loved it. It was white with navy and turquoise in the yoke. I wish I knew where it was today. My most recent completed object is a sock for my hubby.

3. What was the very first thing you sent to the frog pond? (pulled out and started over) Your most recent?

First thing sent to the frog pond was a sock. It visited the pond several times and never made it out alive. Most recent was a shawl that I've still not completed.

4. What is currently on the needles for you?

Lots and lots of socks and about a half dozen sweaters.

5. What types of needles do you enjoy working with? What have you tried and hated?

My favorite needles are Addi Turbos. I love them more than any needle I've ever tried and I use them almost exclusively. I tried some old plastic needles when I first started knitting and I hated them.

6. Have you knit dishcloths before?

Tons! I love knitting and using discloths.

7. What was your favorite one?

The Garterlac Dishcloth by Criminy Jickets.

8. Least favorite?

I can't say that I have a least favorite. I've enjoyed all the patterns I've used.

9. Do you use homemade dishcloths or face cloths yourself, or give them as gifts, or both?

Both. We use nothing but handknit dishcloths and I gift them often. I have some cotton chenille that I still need to knit into facecloths. I think I will be knitting them for the bathroom once the remodel is finished.

10. What are your favorite and least favorite scents? (For your body, such as soap/lotion/etc)

I love fruity scents. Flower scents tend to give me a headache when worn on my body.

11. What are your favorite colors?

Blue is my most favorite color but I also love pink, purple, green, black, and silver. There really aren't any colors that I don't like though.

12. What colors (if any) are your bathroom and kitchen decorated in?

White, blue, and green in the bathroom. The kitchen isn't really decorated as it will be the next room up for remodel. I think it will be hunter green when finished though.

13. What other hobbies and crafts do you enjoy?

I like to crochet and do cross stitch although I've not done either in a very long time.

14. Chocolate: Dark? White? Milk? Ew?

Milk! :-)

15. Do you like salty treats? What kinds?

I love chocolate covered pretzels.

16. If you could go anywhere in the world for one day and spend the day any way you wanted, where would you go and what would you do?

NYC for the biggest stash enhancement shopping trip of all time.

17. Do you have any allergies?

Cigarette smoke and pet dander.

Knitters' Coffee Swap Two

1. Whole bean or ground?

Ground. Unfortunately. I still haven't broke down and bought a darn grinder yet.

2. Fully-loaded or decaf?

Decaf but I like a richer roast.

3. Regular or flavored?

I prefer regular but I also like some flavored coffees. French vanilla is a favorite and there are a few others I've tried that I really liked but can't think of right now. I don't like anything nutty.

4. How do you drink your coffee?

A little cream and one Splenda if it's regular and if it's flavored I just use the Splenda.

5. Favorite coffee ever?

Green Mountain Breakfast Blend.

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?

I definitely prefer Green Mountain and the amazing organic coffee my LYS has but I'm not such a snob that I won't drink Folgers.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?

Biscotti.

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?

None that I can think of right now. :-)

9. Yarn/fiber you love?

Sock yarn is right up at the top of my list as well as any natural fiber yarn.

10. Yarn/fiber you hate?

Acrylic. Yuck.

11. What's on your needles?

Socks. Socks. Socks. Sweater. Sweater. Socks.

12. Favorite colors?

Blue is my absolute favorite. Then comes pink. Purple. Silver. Black. Green. There really aren't any colors that I hate though. And if I don't like something there's always someone else who will.

13. Allergies?

I'm allergic to cigarette smoke and animal dander. My daughter is asthmatic and cigarette smoke can be quite dangerous for her.

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?

I really love my kiddos and hubby. And knitting. And coffee. And tea. And don't even get me started on things I don't like or that I'd like to get off my chest. LOL

What I Did While I Was On Vacation...

otherwise known as bed rest. :-)

I finished the second Blueberry Waffle sock (on the left in the picture below) I was working in the original hank of Sol Joy.

I also finished the Never Ending Lagoon Sol Joy sock (on the right in the picture below) knit on a size 1 Addi Turbo. Again, I truly don't recommend using a needle this small. Even though the yarn is truly a joy to work with it's heavier weight was quite hard on my hands when knit on a 2.5mm needle. I was incredibly impressed to find that the finished sock weighed in at 2 oz and I had 1.5 oz of yarn left. That's pretty amazing to me. I worked the sock over 68 stitches with a 2" 2x2 cuff and then worked st st for another 5" to make the cuff a total of 7" long. I then worked the heel flap for 44 rows before turning the heel and working the foot until it measured 9" before I started the toe. The total foot length was 11" and fit (although a tad snug) my hubby's size 12 foot. Quite impressive, no?

Birthday Girl

Thanks so much for all the wonderful wishes for a happy birthday! You all made my day! We didn't do anything out of the ordinary last night. Bran was supposed to work so we planned to order dinner out and eat quick so he could get out early. He ended up not having to go until tonight but we still ordered out. :-)

The birthday goodness continued today when I received this awesome package from my secret pal...

I had to hold the baby back from the balloons so I could get a quick picture. She couldn't wait to play with them. She took them into the cellar and pushed them through the cat door. This amused her far longer than I ever anticipated. She giggled like crazy each time she would pop one through the door. Of course we all pretended to be scared and discussed our theory on how the balloons were getting through the door. We all agreed there must have been a huge mouse in the cellar pushing the balloons out. Pal, thanks so much for the hours of amusement!

My wonderful pal also included some gorgeous River Run CTH sock yarn, River Ripple sock pattern, and organic Dove milk chocolate for my amusement. Yum! There was also a great birthday card and a beautiful picture frame which are always desperately needed around here. Thanks so very much pal for such a great package!!! I can't wait to get that CTH on the needles.

I'm hoping I can some how drag this birthday out all week long. ;-)

Happy Birthday

To me! Yup, today's the day. I'm 35. I love birthdays that end in a 0 or 5. They're just so much more exciting than the rest.


Melissa, one of my amazing secret pal participants, sent me this incredible package...



Which when opened turned into this...



A great journal, shopping list, stationary set, and pencil case that is the perfect size for sock projects. THREE fruity scented candles that smell so yummy. GODIVA milk chocolate. 2 skeins of Panda Cotton in gorgeous shades of blue. And a beautiful hand crafted birthday card. Thank you so much for being so thoughtful and generous Melissa! I am so touched.

I also received my Beverage and Knitting swap-bot package from Andi today...

Which turned into this...

A light-up necklace for the 4th. A really cute wind sock that will get hung out at the pool. Some palm tree party picks. A flip flop magnet. Some Zingers tea that I don't think I'll be able to wait until summer to try. An ice cream cone pen. A beautiful butterfly suncatcher with a "wish" charm. A great hand crafted sachet that smells so nice. 2 skeins of gorgeous On-Line sock yarn in cream, blue, and purple. And a really funny birthday card that totally made me crack up! I love everything Andi! I can't wait for summer now.

I had a wonderful day home with the munchkins today. We got 10" of snow and lots of freezing rain during the night so they had a snow day. They made me some great birthday cards and did their best to keep the disagreements to a minimum. Doesn't get any better than that!

Yarn Junkie

I joined the Yarn Junkies swap over on swap-bot last month. The color was purple. This is what I received from my pal Stacy...




A great big hank of BFL in purple and a smaller hank of hand dyed BFL in shades of purple and pink. So pretty! She also included 2 great stitch markers and a blank note card that I believe was also hand crafted which I used the day I received it to send a note to a friend. Thanks so much for the wonderful package Stacy!

The next round is the color red and I can't wait for it to start. Go check it out. It's lots of fun!

A Quick Update...

For all of you wondering where to get the pattern for the Trinity jacket...

Adirondack Yarns

The jacket was designed by Sue (the best owner of the best LYS in the whole entire wide world) and is free when you purchase the yarn to knit the jacket. The kits can be ordered on the website. If you let Sue know you found her through the KAL here she'll give you a 10% discount.

It's a gorgeous jacket and lots of fun to knit. Go ahead, give it a try!

I've been doing lots of knitting since I've been on bed rest for the past week. My left leg started hurting early last week and I kept ignoring it hoping it would go away. By Saturday night I finally admitted to myself that it wasn't going away. I also admitted to Bran that I was pretty sure I had another blood clot. I had a DVT in my right leg and several smaller clots in my lungs almost 16 years ago after having Short Man. As long as I live I'll never forget that pain. So I drove up to the hospital and asked if someone was available to do a doppler on my leg. They called in one of the girls from x-ray and within a minute she had found it. This one is in a superficial vein and doesn't present as much of a risk as the DVT I had previously. Thank goodness. But still, to lessen the slight chance of it breaking free and wandering to my lungs I've been told to stay off my feet, keep my legs elevated, and keep heat on my left leg. I know you're all thinking that this sounds like a knitters dream, but it's really not. My elliptical machine is calling my name. And my ass is numb. I want to play on the computer for more than a few minutes a day. And most importantly, I want to wait on my baby dolls who are home on spring break. I want to play games and run around outside. Yes, I'm whining. I go back for a follow up with the doctor on Friday. Keep your fingers crossed that they tell me I can get back on my feetsies. I've got a ton of laundry to catch up on after all.

TriKnitty

I've just finished my third Trinity Jacket. I was at the LYS a few weeks back and a wonderful woman wanted one. I offered to knit it. I took a deep breath and asked what color she wanted. I crossed my fingers. And toes. And hoped it wouldn't be...CHARCOAL. Yup. Another charcoal Trinity. Now don't get me wrong, I love the color. It makes a gorgeous jacket. But I'm really looking forward to working it in a different color.

Here she is before being packed to be shipped off to her new home...

Shelby shared her progress on her blog but I thought I'd share it here too. She said she's made lots more progress and I can't wait to see it. Isn't it the prettiest purple you've ever seen?


And last but definitely not least is Jo in her completed Trinity...

Don't Jo and her Trinity make a very lovely pair?

Polar Treat

Here it is, POLAR, the last new color for Sol Joy. I've had so much fun with this. It's been so exciting to see what new color will pop up each week. I think they're all gorgeous and I hope everyone who has tried Sol Joy loves it as much as I do. :-)



Here's what Shaun had to say...

"Catalina Yarns would like to thank everyone for their wonderful response to Sol Joy. The formal launch of the Sol Joy line will occur later this summer. We will announce the launch on Kerry's blog. Until then, you can still obtain hanks of each color via Adirondack Yarns new retail website. Have a fantastic summer!"

Thanks again for a wonderful time Shaun and Sue!!!

i.m. knittified won the drawing for responding to my plea for design help. Congrats! Drop me an email with your snail mail info and I'll send something yummy your way. :-)

Since I'm on a roll with the drawings I thought I'd do another. Here's the deal...

Drop me a note, either in the comments or by sending an email and tell me what you would do with a hank of Sol Joy. Be funny. Be serious. Be creative. I'll pick my favorite entry at the end of the month and give the winner a chance to have their way with some of this luscious stuff. ;-)

Nothing But Blue Skies...

My package from my FCS2 pal arrived. I couldn't wait to get it in the house and get it opened.

First there was this too cute card about a single sock looking for a mate along with a Go Red pin and information on heart disease. Red is my pals favorite color and the Go Red campaign is something she supports. I thought it was so sweet of her to share a part of herself with me.


I thought I was going to fall over backwards when I started pulling out the packages that were inside. As you can see in the photo above there are some cute sticky notes in the shape of the letter K. Then there was this awesome spa kit with lavender bath salts, a hand crocheted cloth, and an awesome glycerin soap that appears to have oatmeal in it.

Next came this gorgeous little blue box which had 10 beautiful handmade stitch markers and a little blue sewing kit.

And then there were three...

A really cool box with a blue highlighter pen that dispenses sticky flags for keeping my place, a blue crochet hook for the ones that get away, and you can never have too much gorgeous blue Trekking sock yarn.


Two balls of Debbie Bliss Merino Aran in slate blue.


Two candles (lemon mint and mandarin orange) and some blueberry frost body butter to satisfy my fruity obsession.

A scarf. Hand crocheted. For me. In blue. 100% merino wool. What more can I say? It is amazing! It's long enough that I can fold it in half and do the slip through thing I like so much.

And last but certainly not least is the bag all these amazing goodies were packed inside. My new favorite bag. Hand crocheted. In blue.

And lined. FOR ME. By my incredible pal Emilee.

Thank you so very much for the incredible package Emilee!!! You have truly brightened my day!!!