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!!!

Vote for Me

I’ve cast on a new sock and am trying to decide where I want to go with it. Here’s my quandary…I’m thinking of using a 12 stitch pattern for the new sock with a cast on of 52 stitches. I’d like to use 4 repeats of the stitch pattern. I’ll be working them on one circular so I’ll have 26 stitches on each needle. About half way through the 12 row pattern there is a cable twist at the beginning of the stitch pattern. Since I’ll have 2 extra stitches for each needle should I:

1. Knit those 2 stitches at the beginning of each needle so I don’t have to start with an awkward cable twist at the beginning of the needle?

2. Knit 1 stitch at the beginning of each 12 stitch repeat?

3. Purl the 2 stitches in the middle of the 12 stitch repeat to separate each repeat?

Leave a message in the comments to cast your vote and a prize could be heading your way soon!

The world at your fingertips...

Earth and Sky




Sue's new website is up so you can now place your order online at www.adirondackyarns.com. Since the site is brand new please contact Sue by phone at 518-523-9230 or email if you experience any problems.

What Was The Question?

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I especially love natural fibers and I absolutely despise acrylics. There, I said it. My name is Kerry and I'm a yarn snob.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a great quilted circular needle holder that I store most of my Addi Turbos in. I say most because it is now overflowing. I need another soon but haven't found the right one yet. I like to store them in their original packaging so I need to find something that will allow me to do that. The rest of my circulars are in a three ring binder in sheet protectors. My straights are in a quilted needle roll and my dpns are in a fishing tackle box along with all of my stitch markers and other little doodads. My crochet hooks live in a zippered leather hook case.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been knitting for a little more than 20 years now. My mother tried teaching me to knit and crochet when I was about 3. The crochet caught like wild fire but the knitting not so much. Years later I bought a video, Keeping You In Stitches, that I was finally able to learn from. I guess I would probably consider myself to be pushing advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Nope, sorry.

5. What's your favorite scent?

Anything fruity. I also like most tree scents too. Patchouli makes me sick to my stomach and most floral scents give me a headache.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Do I ever! I love Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs, Trees, and Hearts but don't care much for the cups. I also love the chocolate covered pretzels from our local candy maker. Yum. And thanks to Shelby, I'm totally addicted to Green & Blacks Milk Chocolate bars. :-)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I crochet and do cross stitch although not much at all to speak of these days. I'd love to learn to spin but don't have room for a wheel and can't seem to convince my drop spindle I'm not an idiot.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I love country music. Old, new, makes no difference. I've also recently become quite fond of Norah Jones. My computer does play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

My absolute favorite color in the whole entire wide world is blue. Any and all shades. I also love pink, purple, black, and silver. There really aren't any colors that I can't stand though.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I live with my hubby of 6 years, our 3 children (15 yo DS and 11 & 4 yo DDs), our 2 yo Shih Tzu, and our 2 yo cat.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I would love to wear mittens. In fact, I bought an awesome Fleece Artist mitten kit but haven't had time to get to them yet. They're calling my name all the while my freezing hands swear. I don't wear scarves, hats, or ponchos. I don't wear scarves simply because I don't have any. If I had one I would wear it. I don't wear hats because my hair is bad enough without adding hat head to its list of short comings. As for ponchos, I'm 4'11" and although I've been losing a great amount of weight I'm still not thin...nuff said.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Socks are my absolute favorite but I've never met a project I didn't like.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Lots of socks, my 3rd Trinity jacket, a sweater for the FIL, 3 sweaters for my youngest DD, and an afghan.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Absolutely!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Addi Turbo circulars, hands down.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Can I plead the 5th on this???

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Halloween.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Yarn, needles, and patterns.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

50 baby bootees to knit. I have an IK subscription that expires soon and I'm trying to decide if I want to renew or not. I do this every time my renewal date rolls around. I'm not sure why I struggle with it as much as I do because I know I'm going to end up renewing the damn thing in the end.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I'm ashamed to admit that I've still not tried Moebius.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Am I ever! My feet measure 9.25" long.

23. When is your birthday?

April 16th

There you have it folks. Everything you never wanted to know about me and more. LOL

We Have Some Winners

Susan and Tabitha are the lucky winners of some new Sol Joy sock yarn! You'll all have to start stalking their blogs now to see what they do with it. :-)

Everyone Needs A Little

Romance...



You can reach Sue at 518-523-9230 or you can email her too. She's back from Stitches West and can't wait to fill more orders for this awesome yarn!

Am I blue? Yes, I'm blue.

BlueSteps. Love. It. It reminds me of our pool nestled under the trees in the backyard. Can you tell I'm ready for summer? Like always, you can email Sue or call her at 518-523-9230 if you want some of your very own.

I've decided to extend the drawing until the end of the weekend too so if you want a chance to win a hank of Sol Joy just drop me a note in the comments and tell me what you think the ideal yardage is for a sport weight sock yarn.

Knew Knittin'

I have a ton of things on my must knit list.




This isn't one of them. It is pretty though. Isn't it? It's a little top down sweater for the baby (btw Clara, the baby is now 4 but since she's the youngest she's probably going to be stuck with the title for some time LOL) that I'm working in CTH Potluck Worsted in the Jewels colorway. I cast on Monday evening and this is where I was last night before bed.



This is on the must knit list but isn't going as quickly as the sweater.

It's a Sol Joy sock in the Cold Lagoon colorway. While I'm still absolutely enthralled with this yarn I must admit I don't care for working it on a size 1. I don't think it should be worked on anything smaller than a 2. Maybe even a 3. Ever. Seriously. But since this is an experiment in yardage needed I'm doing it. At least I have an absoutely wonderful yarn to work with.

Speaking of yardage needed, what do you all think is a good yardage amount for a sport weight sock yarn? 310? 350? 400? Leave a note in the comments between now and Friday and tell me what you think the ideal yardage would be and I'll enter you in a drawing for some fabu Sol Joy.

Another KAP Update

Laurie has stalled on her jacket while she's waiting for a replacement needle that splintered and cut her finger. OUCH. Hope it doesn't cut into your knitting time Laurie! :-)



Shelby is waiting for her yarn to arrive so she can get started on hers. I hear she ordered the eggplant. ;-)


Jo posted this to share:

Looks like she'll be wearing hers before she knows it.

I've not heard from Barb. I hope she's doing well. :-)

Me? I finished knitting on Saturday and then attached the collar and seamed the sleeves on Sunday.

I'll be starting a smaller version for the baby soon. Will post pictures as soon as I get going.

RedWood

Here it is, the new Sol Joy for this week...




What do you think? I love it! The little bit of color here and there is fabulous. Call Sue at 518-523-9230 or email her if you'd like some. Go ahead. You know you want to. :-)

You Give Me Fever

Scarlet Rose...



I think I'm in love.

Don't forget, if you'd like to order any of the Sol Joy sock yarns you can call Sue at 518-523-9230 or drop her an email. She's super friendly and will be more than happy to get this yarn in your hands as fast as she can. :-)

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

1. What are your top three favorite colors?

Blue, pink, and black.

2. What crafts do you really enjoy?

Knitting.

3. What products do you really covet?

Lightweight Socks That Rock, 50 Baby Bootees to Knit, and Glitterbug.

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?

Spending time with my kids and hubby. :-)

5. Is there anything you collect?

Yarn, patterns, and needles.

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol?

Aries. Yup, I'm a Ram.

7.What are your favorite……

scents/smells?…Anything fruity. Floral scents tend to give me a headache but I love tree scents.

types of music and/or bands?…I love country music.

authors?…Stephen King and Dean Koontz

animals?…dogs, cats, and any animal that produces fiber that can be spun into yarn.

places to shop?…my LYS and etsy.

season?…winter

yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies?…I love the new Sol Joy sock yarn that is coming out from Catalina Yarns as well as their chunky Alpaca yarns. I also love tightly spun fingering weight sock yarns, any soft natural fiber, and Addi Turbo needles.

candies or goodies? Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate. Yum.

8. Do you have any wish lists?

Nothing on paper.

9. Are you allergic to anything?

Smoke, cats, and dogs.

10. Do you have any pets? What are they?

We have a beautiful 2 year old little Shih Tzu girl named Dixie and a black and white 2 year old kitty boy named Mickey.

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy.

I love all tea with the exception of green. I've also recently become addicted to vanilla chai. :-)

Super Sweet Secret Pals

My super sweet secret pal Shelby sent me this absolutely incredible final SP 9 package yesterday...

Oh, you want me to unwrap it? Well ok, here goes...

That's right folks, 2 bars of incredible handmade soaps (Cheek to Cheek and La-Tea-Da), a magnet from her recent trip out to Vegas, some amazing Darjeeling Estate Golden Tipped tea from Stash, a beautiful tea bag holder, the Great American Aran Afghan book I've been wanting so badly, the most gorgeous hank of In The Navy STR I've ever seen, and to top it all off she made me a set of 5 beautiful stitch markers and a card. Is she the greatest or what??? I honestly can't thank you enough for being such a wonderful pal Shelby. I can only hope that your pal was as good to you as you've been to me. Mwah!!!

On the other end of the SP9 front, I spoiled Clara. She's the mom of a beautiful 2 year old little boy and I had a great time getting to know her better. Stop by her blog and say hello. :-)

Trinity Update

Laurie got her yarn, started swatching, and is now off and running on her back...

Jo had this to share a few days ago...

And Barb is finished with her back and has one front almost finished.

Everyone is doing such a great job and I'm having so much fun seeing your beautiful jackets grow. :-)

Super Bowl Super Sale

While everyone else is sitting on their duffs pigging out and watching TV today I'll be making way to Lake Placid to participate in Sue's annual Super Bowl Sale. That's right. Every yarn in the store is 15% off today! Guess who'll be buying enough chunky alapaca for 2 more Trinity jackets today? That's right. ME! Sale prices apply to phone (518-523-9230) and email orders for today too. :-)

Lagoon

Are you ready for this??? I'm super psyched to present 311 luscious yards of the TWO newest Sol Joy colors...

That's right, 2 colors this week! Here's what Shaun has to say...

"Our next colorway for the Sol Joy line is Lagoon (top hank). This is the color Kerry first knit-up into a sock and posted pictures. We added a variation on the Lagoon colorway and call it "Cold Lagoon" (see bottom hank). This color has a stone-washed effect.

Don't forget, all you have to do is drop Sue an email to get your very own Sol Joy! You can also give her a call at 518-523-9230. She's even open on Sunday. :-)