Magic Balls and Spooky Hats!

Thanks Michele! I got my Vegan Swap 2 package yesterday and the boys and I had a bunch of fun unraveling the yarn! I love the godies! Chocolate is almost all gone! The recipies sound yummy and easy for the meat eaters in the house to enjoy as well I love the yarn - always wanted to try Panda Cotton and I love the witchey colors you chose. And the tape measurer is so cute - I may have to hide if from the boys! They already took the Airheads! I appreciate your hard work Michele!

I read that my pal got her package too. I want to write back but I can't send e-mail out right now for some kooky reason.
My Monkey Swap Pal also got her package! Hurray!

So, I was supposed to got to Idaho today to visit my Grandma and family. But, my nephew got sick and give it to my dad so we cancelled the trip. We will have to reschedule for next month (I hope!). I did get a chance to go to the LYS today to get the wool I dyed last weekend. I am so excited! I love how it turned out and can't wait to dye more!

Thick and thin becoming a shawl...



Sport weight superwash merino for socks...



I finished my Foliage hat! The colors remind me of the cover to my favorite new Halloween book - Room on the Broom. The yarn is a bulky weight merino hand dyed at my LYS. I love the colors and althought the pattern isn't shown off as much as I'd hoped I still like the way it all looks.



I also finished two candy corn hats for the boys. Since we aren't going to Idaho now they don't really need them but at least they are done! The other hat is having a bath right now.



OK...off to work on my Gryffindor socks!

"the most beautiful thing I've ever seen"

Yes, that's right, this lovely candycorn colored wool/alpaca blend hand painted yarn is "the most beautiful thing I've ever seen", according to my oldest. The yarn is from Keegan Lane Yarns. I traded some yarn with Meliabella of Keegan Lane Yarns (link to follow soon I promise) - we met on Ravelry where a bunch of us are lamenting the absence of Cidermoon. So, Meliabella's yarn is on it's way to becoming a hat. Which is good since we are going to Idaho a week from tomorrow. Definately need some noggin warmin' there!

You will also notice some lovely sock yarn in the candy bowl...Zen String's Pumpkin King colorway! Thanks Woolgirl - such a lovely place to shop! Hope I can make it into a sock (or two) soon.

SWAP STATS:

Vegan Pal 2 Package sent today!

SP11 Package #2 sent today!

Monkey Swap Package needs to be assembled and sent - maybe Saturday?

Hogwarts Sock Swap #2 sock on needles.

Did I leave anything out? The wind stopped blowing and my allergies are starting to ease up. Oh, I'm taking a wool dyeing class on Saturday! I can't wait!

SP11 & Happy October!

I got home today from school/the market and this was waiting for me! My first SP11 package! My swap buddy did a wonderful just of selecting goodies for me: Pooky stick with chocolate and almond, a delicious chocolate bar, a book about knitting, a book about cats and dogs, and some swanky knitting accessories - a suede tape measurer and case. Ohlala! So nice to have such thoughtful gifts sent! THANKS SP11!



Last night we decorated for Halloween. Halloween is my favorite holiday. We have lots of decorations inside because you can't really see our house from the street. I love how our house looks when we decorate it this time of year. See our Jack Skellington lights?

I finished the knitting for my cousin's baby. Now to finish the finishing. I hope to have photos on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Christmas Around The World Questionnaire

Oops...sorry I didn't post this sooner!

Are you religious? I'M SPIRITUAL
How long have you been knitting? Would you consider yourself a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced? 2 YEARS. I'M INTERMEDIATE.
Do you have any other hobbies besides knitting? SEWING, YOGA, RUNNING, READING. I'D LIKE TO LEARN TO SPIN.
Favorite color(s)? GREEN, BLUE, RED
Do you collect anything? JAPANESE FABRIC, INDIE DYER SOCK YARN
Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? NO
Do you have any pets? YES - 2 CATS, 1 DOG
Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate? ALL OF THE ABOVE!
Cookies or Sweets? COOKIES!
Do you knit socks? YES
If not socks then what? (tell us about your favorite knits)
Do you put up a Christmas tree? If not then what do you do? YES!
Favorite holiday treats? MY MOM'S CHRISTMAS COOKIES, EGG NOG ICE CREAM, STOLLEN (AM I SPELLING THAT RIGHT?)
Favorite holiday smells? CHIRSTMAS TREE!
Do you celebrate Christmas in a traditional or unconventional way? Please elaborate. WE DO TREE TRIMMING, LIGHTS AND STOCKINGS.
What are your favorite holiday traditions? DECORATING THE TREE, DRIVING AROUND TO LOOK AT LIGHTS.
Finish the sentence: “For me Christmas is all about....” MY FAMILY
If you were a Christmas ornament you would be…….? POPCORN AND CRANBERRY GARLAND
What was your favorite gift you've ever received? Or given? MY SECOND SON WAS DUE ON 12/24 SO I'LL SAY HIM
When do you start your Christmas? AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
Do you send Christmas cards? Do you make them or buy them? YES - WE SEND A COPY OF OUR FAMILY PHOTO WITH SANTA
What is your favorite Christmas dish? MY DAD'S BEANS AND MY MOM'S PUMPKIN DESSERT
Carolers are at your door. What do you do? OFFER THEM SOME COCO AND SING ALONG.
When do you open presents? Christmas eve or Christmas morning? MORNING. PRESENTS ARE LIKE POTATO CHIPS - YOU CAN'T STOP WITH JUST ONE!
Do you celebrate with family or friends or both? BOTH!

It's Here! My Sock It To Me Package!

Drum roll please.....



My amazing package from my Sock It To Me Swap partner Amy. Let me start by saying what a wonderful buddy Amy has been. You can see from previous posts that she has gone out of her way to spoil me already and now this package arrives! One pair of Marigold Socks in Fleece Artist's Sea Wool in the Amethyst colorway. They fit great and are so soft. The pattern is amazing and the color perfect. Well done! And, a yummy apple cider candle (just in time for fall), a super cute drawsting project bag (perfect for sock knitting), a book mark (gotta have um' - I can barely remember what I read let alone where I left off), and some fab Alchemy Synchronicity yarn in Teal Tide! So pretty and soft. I am going to knit the Foliage hat from the new Knitty for a Lost KAL on Ravelry so I think I'm going to use this yarn. Reminds me of the color of the ocean in Hawaii. And, last but not least, did you see the card? I love this cat. The quote by Nan Porter reads "If cats could talk, they wouldn't" Nuff Said! Thanks Amy! You are awesome!

Here are my Halloween socks:



I couldn't resist. This is the Count Sockula colorway from Lovesticks. I promise to finish my swap socks before I finish the second sock.

Once I have my swap socks done I'm going to work more on this:



These are Dani of Sunshine Yarn's HP Dragon colorways. I'm going to make a mitered square triangle shawl using all four colorways: Hungarian Horntail Dragon, Chinese Fireball Dragon, Welsh Green Dragon and Swedish Short Snout Dragon. I hope I can make it work.

Lastly, one little FO. A hat for my cousin's baby due next month. I just need to make the booties now and then the set will be complete!

Coming Attractions

I feel like I haven't blogged for a long time. So, to get back into the swing of it, I'm just going to post pictures...and I'm sick so I don't have too much energy for spinnin' yarns tonight.



First up, a beautiful skein of Wollmeise that I swapped from somebody on Ravelry! Isn't it beautiful? If anybody knows of an easy knee high sock pattern let me know. There is a ton of yardage so I think I can make knee highs work!




Now, Monkey sock #1 knit from Zen Yarn Garden's 100% Superwash Merino. This yarn is sooooo soft! I love the colors too. Hope my pal likes them too. I like the pattern but can't seem to memorize it. I'll have to cast on for sock #2 tomorrow.




Baby Beanie knit with on two circulars. Not sure how much I like it...this hat certainly isn't "soaring" off the needles.

And I stared a Halloween sock. Hopefully I'll have pictures of that tomorrow.

Bon soir!

Baby Sweater

Baby Sweater
Originally uploaded by jfwl04

Here it is! For my cousin's baby due in October. Knit from Twisted Fiber Arts Dutchess yarn in Ankh and Filanon. More specs on this on ravelry! Not much more to report. Kids started school (all three boys, that is - husband, oldest son and youngest too!), knitting socks for swaps, and getting to know Ravelry. Can it be winter yet please?

Gotta go...the vacuum is calling.