Blogless...ready to go?

Well, besides being busy celebrating my birthday, I have been blocked out of my blog! So here is a test to see if they have returned my blogging powers. If not, then I will save this entry like the few others past, to post when I am again allowed. Sucks, really...

So I thought I would share what a friend brought back to me from Hawaii. I picked him up the other week and he provided me these most-awesome treats! Friends should not start such addictions; then again, we do it with yarn all the time, don't we? ;)

Don't try them. You won't be able to get them out of your mind. My major weakness-shortbread. And the chocolate is absolutely creamy!

Taking the time...

So it appears I am again able to post to my blog-well, thank YOU, oh mighty Blogger! Glad you have decided I am not a spam blog. So...following, my previous entry...






I guess I can do what Stilaholic is doing and read my new HP book, instead of blogging, but I figure that I actually have something to prove I knit (and finish) *some* items! So here, a nice day project, the "felted cap" from Bev Galeskas. It was supposed to be for me, but I let it shrink too much! So it is a snug-fit hat for me, or...a cute 'ol hat for the Lil' Emperor, himself.

Lil' Emperor says, "It stinks!"...yeah, another reason not to knit him anything!

A Penny Returning to Heaven...

(Me, Pen and her sis, Car)

Early this morning a dear friend of mine passed on after an up and down battle with cancer. I just found out tonight. I adored her. I loved her; she loved me...I know because she told me so, and often...and because that is how she was-full of love and not ever forgetting to say anything she felt because she knew life is too short. Full of love, warmth, passion, mischievousness, generous...that was Penny. Towards the end, even more philosphical, though I think that happens when you face death so frequenty...Of course, there were so many other wonderful things about her. Hell-she was embracing life even before she was diagnosed with the beginning breast cancer. You couldn't help but love her and I know she is now in complete love and comfort on the other side.

I had just weaved in the last ends of the hat I had knit for her while on my Sock Camp trip, having seen her a week or two prior to leaving. That was the last time I saw her, and the first in some time that we had been able to get together. It was for Norouz-Sizdeh Bedar, the 13th day of (and ending the) Persian New Year. I wish I had gotten the hat to her earlier, as planned. Wish I had been in touch sooner. But I also do not believe in regrets in life and that it was meant to happen this way and in this order.

But don't let me kid you-my heart's breaking right now and I need to go grieve.

A Happy 7yo...

No cake or cupcake pics to share...I actually forgot to take pics, if you can believe that! Hopefully my parents or some other party-goers got the Emperor's Birthday captured on film/digital...I know my dad took a video...

But here is a Happy Lucky 7 Emperor!

(see the smile?...)

If You Don't Have a Knitting Buddy, Get One!

Ah, yes...now we know why 'buddies' are important. They enable us, and us them. And sometimes, when we end up in need of another skein of hand-dyed yarn (that the dyer is challenged in being able to re-dye anything remotely similar in color to...) because we decided to make larger socks than planned...our KNITTING BUDDIES can bail us out cuz, by George-they bought that same damn yarn at the same time you did because you were both drawn to it at the same time! (Nothing like sharing, huh?) So then the skeins are the same dye lot, too, cuz they were from that same batch! Well, whadda ya know?! Stilaholic Nartian came through with the Sanguine Gryphon Traveller yarn in the (trying to be re-done colorway, "Mali")!!! Thanks so much, Nartian!!! Couldn't survive this knittng adventure without you!

Oh...and another happy-happy to share...my Horcrux pair is finished-in time for the new movie and new book releases!

And I missed YPF-even purchased some yarn yesterday on the way to BINGO (yes, my friend got a bunch of us together to celebrate her birthday and play Bingo!). So I'll have to get the pics loaded to share. Guess it'll have to wait for next YPF...

Lookie what I got today!

A package from Sanguine Gryphon! What can I say? I saw the new "Little Traveller" fingering weight yarn and *had* to get a skein "Ghana" colorway! Threw in a bit o' batting (Wild Mountain Thyme) to justify the shipping... and there you go!

Well...Etsy can be bad for me. Very bad.

That same day, I saw this and this...LOVED them! HAD to get the sun one for me and the lady bug one for my friend's daughter who shares my birthday and who has always been the 'ladybug'...

Now, as if that wasn't enough, when I placed my order for the Little Traveller yarn, I passed up the "Brazil" colorway. Gryphon emailed me thanking me for the order and mentioned that if I had knit up my previously ordered yarn (Traveller in "Mali"), if I wouldn't mind sharing pics. Well, that very yarn was in line to be knit into Ann Budd's "Flame wave" (pic shown at someone's blog I found...) pattern from IK "Favorite Socks".

I got motivated to start them NOW, and got to it, failing to remember the cuff was only to be knit to 3 1/2"...So now that I am past the heel and into the gussett decreases, I realize I may not have enough yarn! (Picture coming soon...) Becoming so enlightened, I thought perhaps I should check Gryphon's site for more of the Traveller yarn and see what other colors exist that may work for Flamewave toes...No Traveller at this time, but one last skein of Little Traveller "Brazil", looking just as fantastic and irresistable as ever! What is a knitting sock-gal to do?! Self-restraint is not my strong point. Needless to say, it is on order and I asked Gryphon to hold it until I figure out whether a third skein will be needed for my Flamewaves or not...I know it will not exactly match, but I need the yarn type to match and I'm hoping she can dye up something that will coordinate, maybe in darker shades...Apparently she is due to dye up more of the Traveller yarn soon...

Did I ever tell you how dangerous Etsy is for me? God, I *love* that place!

Missing YPF...

As I prepare for the Emperor's 7th Birthday party! Cake, cupcakes, treat bags, food shopping...all that! But this is a once in a lifetime birthday, as he turns 7 today-July 7th! So I decided to give him a Lucky 7 Birthday Bash!

I did manage to dig out some yarn that was never flashed that came not too long ago...They are both from Zen Yarn Garden. Frosty Freeze and Creamsicle colorways. Oh...and let's not forget bootey I picked up as a result of Stilaholic Nartian merely mentioning Wool Girl...no sooner do I read about the site, I click the link and what do I see? Yarn from Pigeon Roof Studios in a colorway I could not pass up-"Atticus"! So several skeins later, I am checking out and have added on some Route 66 by Spunky Eclectic. I knew I was good, but I don't think I have ever impulse shopped any quicker than that! But look how stinkin' cute that stitch marker is? Who wouldn't want a lil' lambie marker?

And then, of course, knowing that Lis at One Planet was posting more goodies, I ended up with some Madelinetosh batts and a new Avi Wasserman spindle. I love the batts and have since finished the 'Cools" batt shown partially spun.

Must-get-sleep! (Even though I'm dying to work on the Flame Wave ala Paula socks I'm working on in some yarn I got from Gryphon...) I'll have to show off my Etsy purchases and the recent cupcakes and cakes...later...