Squeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Look at what I won! I am the luckiest girl in the knitty world! This lovely yarn is from my Up North bloggy friend Senja. She had a blog contest on her Imagine Knit and I was the lucky winner.

I won THIS:"Spice"

But that's not all. Senja did the dye job herself! She has her own Esty shop and is an talented lady. Go check out the shop (which has been recently updated). You'll find a very pretty semi-solid green called "Green Lantern" - OH, and another called "Birch Trees" and "Apricot Blush" and "Chocolate Covered Cherries". Christmas socks and gloves and mittens need to be started soon, people - check out her delicious, hand-dyed yarn. We have to support our Minnesota sisters!

Oh, and I got a little denim knit-take-along back that I love but forgot to take a picture of it.

Sweater Specs

Here are the sweater specs:

b14-27 Jacket and Trousers in Alpaca

Yarn:
Drops Alpaca lime (#7300)
Drops Alpaca mint (#7120) - it's called light gray green I think
Needles: US 1 1/2 or 2.5 mm
I bought mine at Nordic Mart for $5.65 p/skein (three skeins total for the sweater)

What I'm working on...

I decided that of all my UFO's, the baby stuff has to be finished first. There is nothing more frustrating to my inner-knitter than starting a bunch of baby clothes only to finish them when they head off to college. So my goal - stated here, publicly, is to finish this sweater in time for Christmas for my new baby niece.

I started it over in pinks and purples, but I don't like how it's turning out. So there. I WILL finish this sweater before Little Lizzy outgrows the damn thing.

Go ahead and laugh, why dontcha

Ok, you can go ahead and laugh, cuz in some silly way, it's funny. I knitted my sleeves too long.
When you make these kinds of mistakes on something you've laboriously made by hand, it has to be recognized. I ignored it hoping that either I'd wake up the next day to find that I was mistaken - a trick of the eye - and the sleeves would miraculously be the right length. Or maybe my arms would grown five inches and the sweater would magically fit. My hubby had a good laugh at that one.

Then, thanks to blogland, a bloggy friend pointed out that I can rip back from the cuffs, and pick up the stitches and finish the cuffs going the other directions. PHEW! I can actually do that. A few years ago, I would have dumped this in my UFO pile, but I can honestly and safely call myself an intermediate knitter and the thought of cutting off those cuffs does not daunt me! HA HA!

These are a teeny pair of Classic Mittens (free - all sizes) I made for my darling niece for her 4th birthday. I love the pattern but the yarn was a compulsive, much-too-expensive purchase that I shouldn't have done. Grrrr. It's Claudia Handpainted (I know! What was I thinking!). So there you go.

My Great Escape!

Mr. Flu Bug moved into my house this week. I have donned a uniform of yellow rubber gloves, running shoes and a frazzled facial expression that makes you wonder. . . crazy person? or mother with sick kids?

So I grabbed The-Prince-Of-Poopness and we ran away.

Come on, little buddy. Let's get outta here.





Out the back door and into the woods. The sugar maples, in all their glorious vanity, took my mind off the thermometers and half-eaten Popsicles and left me feeling renewed and ready to fight onward.

They didn't turn their usual red, orange, yellow. This year they opted for the 'gold' look.
"Nature's first green is gold..." R.FrostFine by me.



And here is Prince of Poop all pooped out

. . . on my newly covered couch.

Would you have the heart to kick him off?

Go Orange!

I've been given a fun challenge by Marit - GO ORANGE. So I grabbed my camera and away I went:








Happy Orange!

Here is YOUR challenge: GO ORANGE! (or GO RED!) you decide... then pick a new color to pass on.

ps. let me know if you took the challenge - I want to see your pics.

A little Italian anyone?

My sister and bro-in-law are proud parents of a 7 pound baby girl with ten fingers, ten toes and a tiny turned up nose. She's darling and wonderful and spectacular and perfectly perfect. Welcome little Elizabeth!



So to celebrate, I cast on my Winnie socks in baby pink. With the leftovers, I can make some Saartje Booties for the little babe. They are my 'waitin' in line to pick up the kids' project.

Dullsville......

I have one finished boring pair of green industrial boot socks for y'all. And I was watching Lost in bed and made my hubby put them on and model them for you. So there you go.

Boot Socks. Needle: US 3
Yarn: Järbo Garn Raggi Multi
For Mr. Darling and his outdoor adventures.

I also finished a pair of midnight blue socks for my dad but forgot to take a picture. I'll get on that.

ps. My sister's baby is well-done but still in the oven. The suspense is killing me!

Hooooboy! And. Where the hell is my camera?

I found a box in while I was doing my Flylady decluttering and looking for my camera. Take a look at this:

I didn't find my camera but my snazzy Mac has a nice little built-in camera that worked just fine. In this box are a bunch of ALMOST finished knitted items. Why haven't I finished them? A.D.D? Perhaps. Laziness? Maybe a slight case of OCD?

Well, whatever the reason, I may as well finish them. So here they are in all of their UFO glory (that's UnFinished Objects to you non-knitting nerds)!
First up:

Rivendell Sock by Janel Laidman using dkKnits technicolor dream toes in "Molly Ringwald"
One cuff done.

2. One almost-finished Baby Mitts and Socks (LVS 5-22/23) by Rauma Designs

Sister is having a baby, so this is probably moving up to the top of the queue.

#3 - Socks for my dad that were supposed to be a Christmas present in '08.

Garter Rib by Charlene Schurch using Dream in Color Smooshy in "Midnight Derby"

#4 Socks for my hubby - Fall hunting socks of my own plain pattern. Some thick sock yarn, some big needles.


#5 These make me feel the most guilty of all because they are for my best friend who has since moved to Texas and probably will never need wool socks ever again. sniff.

"Little Pumpkins" Socks by Sabine Ruppert using ShibuiKnits Sock in ... orange.

#6 Classic mittens using Claudia Handpainted worsted in Freesia - for both my nieces birthdays this weekend.


#7. Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern by Nancy Bush using Sweet Sheep Sweet Socks in "Vampire".


SO how will I treat myself if I finish these projects? I set aside this lovely gem of a yarn to be used with my new pattern.
Yarn: Radiant Twist in "Positively Pink"
Pattern: Winnie by the fabulously talented IrishgirlieKnits (on sale until the end of Sept!!!)

P.S. please don't remind me of the two sweaters I have going which I determined to be finished by Oct. 15. Let's just agree to not talk about that right now.

Autumn Mitts

It's 80 degrees out right now, which is why my daughter is sporting a swimsuit with those mittens.

Pattern: Classic Mittens (FREE - very easy pattern, adaptable to all sizes)
Yarn: Socks that Rock - Heavyweight
Needles: US 5
CO: 40 - there is room to grow.

I know it seems sort of redundant to say this, but Socks that Rock heavyweight seriously rocks. After knitting these mits, it has become my favorite yarn!!!

Make love, not war . . . unless you're wearing football helmets.

I've never really been a football fan. So I was taken back when my kid said he wanted to play. Strange things happen to mothers when their young get out on the battlefield. We wage our own internal battles from the sidelines.

Well, folks, despite my bloggy absence, I am still here and I am still knitting. Here's the proof:
my unblocked, weirdly pink Central Park Hoodie, minus the hoodie.
(did she lay that thing on the sidewalk? - yes, I did)

And then, because we can't just red eat meat, I also added my basic greens:
Good old wool socks for Mr. Darling and his Autumn-Outdoor-Extravaganzas.

Followed by a good side of fruits:

Vintage Mittens in an unidentified Socks-That-Rock (STR) colorway.

b14-27 Jacket by DROPS design
Koigu and Unique Sheep yarns

And this little ditty for my sister's baby which will be here in a month, unless she 'goes' early. I started this in blue and green but we found out it's a GIRL, so I opted for something a little less blue and a little less traditional. The purple will stay throughout the sweater, but the contrasting color will slowly move into cooler colors. It will either turn out to be a masterpiece or a piece of god-awful crap. We shall see. We shall see.

That pink CPH WILL be finished by Oct. 15, which is the deadline for this KAL.

ANSWERS TO SOME QUESTIONS:
YES!!! I know where Chaska is - I'm a neighbor!

Fried green tomatoes are fabulous and easy. Slice your tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Dredge in flour (with salt and pepper to taste) and fry them up in a 1/4-1/2 inch of oil. (Some people dip them in an egg wash, too - I skip that step)

Guinifer: I brought the zipper and the sweater to Coldwater in Excelsior and they have a finisher that put the zipper in. It was about $30. (It was worth it - it would have stayed in my UFO cupboard for years...)

Quick Post

Hey friends,

A friend and I write for a retailer (I write a book blog and she writes a food blog) - and we are teaming up to tackle Julia Child. I am hosting a "My Life In France" by Julia Child book club and FoodieMama is taking Julia's recipes and making them 'weeknight friendly'. Her recipes are fantastic and we'd love your feedback - even if you don't read the book.

Her first recipe is Coq Au Vin (don't panic - it's chicken). She has taken Child's recipe and made it mommy friendly (ie. do we really have a bottle of Cognac lying around?) Please check it out!

Enjoy!