Pictures, cuz I said I would!

OK, so I had some of my pics on a different computer! I'm posting some to share...

I seem to be having blog problems (yes, again, if you can believe it...I know, must be me, since it happens so often!) Oh well...So you have to look back up to see what I'm talking about!

So the top is a swatch of Gingerbread Dude, a new Blue Moon Fiber Arts colorway love of mine! I'm trying to decide which I like best. The first, is (hard to see, I know...) a twisted stitch column with a k2 column. The second pic (and yes, also difficult to see...) are three more samples (from top down): 1) a K2, P1 rib with white stiches purled to 'pop' them out, 2) plain stockinette with white stitches purled to 'pop' them out, and 3) an 'embossed diamond' pattern .
The swatch is approximately 24-30 stitches wide, so the white would only run at the most, 1/2 way around the sock (so I don't foresee the portions of the swatch ever showing 2 white rows stacked, though what do I know? Could happen!) Anyway, I am so excited to knit this stuff up, but I need to finish Solstice Slips and the Lenores I just started!

Last, the Dream Swatch in progress...the handspun is much fluffier other yarns I've seen used for this. Maybe after I block it, the dropped/crossed stitches will stretch out a bit more. Kinda fun to see my handspun stuff actually turning into a project!

STR--SPOILER, if you worry about these things!

I think that by now, many of you realize that I really don't care about "spoilers" and, in fact, LOVE seeing spoilers! I guess I'm in a nice mood and decided to put a warning ahead of time for the latest STR kit...just in case...(Actually, I guess I usually have no regard for that since this is not a big ol' high-volume, popularly read blog-LOL!





Anyways, I got my most-awesome BMFA Rockin' Sock Club kit on Friday, after pulling an 'all nighter' with LE's costume and proceeding to work/organize the school Fall Festival. What a wonderful package to come home to! I had been so busy that I had even forgotten that it ought to be there!





I loved this kit and the pattern sooooo much that, well...I CO yesterday and am almost 1/2 way through a cuff! I did pick up the Solstice Slip sock for a bit, as well, but I reaaaaallllly love this new kit! So...the pic of my progress is posted below...








and to make extra-sure I am not 'spoiling', I will continue my post to further push the pic down!





I got the kit and photographed it. As of Saturday night, I was contemplating swatching my Gingerbread Dude, starting the new kit, and continuing on with my scarf I started with my handspun merino/silk I had gotten a while back. I'll have to post and show those later because I am so pleased with the merino/silk scarf!





You see, a while back, I had purchased this lovely fiber from Purlescence, dyed by Chasing Rainbows. I made the(what is now my common) mistake of purchasing only one skein, so ended up with around 160-180 yds. I pondered what to do with it. Nartian had suggested a Calorimetry, but I felt the silk might not keep the stretch as well and was maybe too nice for a Calorimetry. The other night, while digging through my patterns, I found the Dream Swatch pattern! I had seen IrishGirlie's knit up and thought it was so cute! Here's the crazy thing: in looking up the specific link to IrishGirlie's Dream Swatch, I had actually commented how cute her's was and even referenced my Chasing Rainbows roving. At the time I really didn't think I'd be using it for the Dream Swatch, so it must have really been meant to be, cuz it just came to me and I had forgotten I had mildly considered the pattern in the past! All I can say is I'm such a big dork (does that word date me?!-LOL)! So...there ya go! I started knitting up my merino/silk into a Dream Swatch! I altered the pattern to add a repeat and knit on smaller needles for the end, then decreased to the regular pattern. I had been trying to find a lacy pattern to make that would help stretch the yardage. So...I shall post the pic when I get the chance!





Fun thing #2: I did swatch my Gingerbread Dude and it is absolutely INCREDIBLE! I absolutely (in the most yarny-est way that we knitters do) LOVE this colorway! It is even better than I had imagined it would knit-up! The white offers such a high contrast that I was hoping it wouldn't be too obnoxious of a contrast. Well it isn't! It is so subtle and so...well, "Icing-ish"! It really just pops out in small spurts-just like-well..., like- icing on gingerbread! (Doh!) The brown and red in the yarn mix into a gorgeous gingerbready-background for the 'white icing' to ice over every so often. So I swatched a few possibilities and will post them later-too much fun!

So now for my latest WIP ...

(aka: the October BMFA Rockin' Sock Club Kit...)

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the start of my Lenore socks!

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ta-duh!

(yeah, at it again...keep your fingers crossed that it is the start of a FO, not an UFO!)

A "doh!" (slaps the forehead) Moment!

My Blog-free reader, Terry, advised about using plain old white tissue paper when LE's costume-specifically, the nightmare fabric... I'm so lame I hadn't thought about the possibility of using the plain white stuff-I had dismissed tissue paper because I lacked motivation to go find the stuff! And here I have a bunch (read: COSTCO!) of this stuff at home! Thanks for the recommendation, Terry!

Another 'duh'-I just found my 'walking' machine foot I use (ha! *bought* to *use*) for quilting and read in the instructions that it is good to use for stretch knits! At least I had the inkling to pull the the instructions out with that thought in the back of mind!

Of course, similar to Alfredo's comment in Cinema Paradiso (my favorite Italian movie!), "Ah, progress comes too late!", I read this now, but the pants are now done! At least I can use the advice on the rest of the costume: helmet liner, boots/feet and cuffs!

Thanks, Terry! And thanks to you and IrishGirlie for your support and encouragement! Really, though, the costume is quite lopsided and embarassing to post! LE is still young enough that he won't notice or care! Once it is on, no one will know...(I hope!)

What's going on?!

YIKES! I thought that my blog was being held hostage again by the posting police, but apparently not so! I can access stuff through the main website address; it seems that my shortcut links aren't working. Hmmm...go figure, cuz I can't!

Very little knitting going on. I guess cuz I'm just slow. Or maybe it's that the majority of my free time has been sucked up with preparations for Little Emperor's school's Fall festival! I'm actually supposed to be working on his costume as I write this, so I guess I'd better hurry and post. Of course, it doesn't help that just trying to figure out this blasted posting issue sucked up a bunch of time. Oh, and photosharing my reunion pics with the other attendees wasn't a quick feat, either. Oh well...here it is, 10:37pm and I am fearing for my sleep over the next few days!

So what time I've had to knit has been devoted to the Solstice Slip socks. Please tell me they look like I've progressed since the last I posted them! One is ready for the toe decreases and the other is just starting the foot. Behind them is a Crystal Palace "Splash" scarf for my mom's cousin who's birthday celebration is approaching. Another quickie gift from the stash, though this yarn was going to be a scarf for me...

Off to work on the costume-from-hell. Did I talk about it? Like, for instance, the fact that the pattern calls for a stretch fabric? I'm adapting this metallic lamme spacesuit costume pattern to "Duck Dodgers", so I decided that despite the fact I wouldn't be using a stretch lamme, I still needed to go 'stretchy'. I ended up with a stretchy, SLIPPERY fabric (those of you old enough may recall 'quiana' fabric? ok, maybe not quite as bad maybe, but close!) Suffice it to say that this fabric is slippery, stretchy (oh-so-stretchy), with quite a bit of drape. Those of you who sew can appreciate the pains I am going through! Cutting was a pain. Marking the fabric a BIG pain. Sewing-nearly intolerable, but barely. The top is done, pants to go, as well as the 'helmet liner', gloves, boots, and an alteration to the top, if time permits! Don't think I'm a great sewer, ok? I'm nuts to have chosen this fabric!

Festive!

OK, I can't figure out why this is automatically underlining and I can't figure out how to fix it! I'll try to make this a bit more brief, since this is gonna drive me nuts!

Nartian and I met at Purlescence on Saturday to help celebrate their 1st Birthday! Check out the blog and you can see me and Nartian in our Ribby Pullis!


And of course, no visit to Purlescence is complete without some sort of Stash Enhancement! Once I spotted the Dream in Color Smooshy, it was all over for me! The Little Flowers and ebony glove needles were on sale-40% off! Can't pass that up! And well...there was this gorgissimo Zitron pencil roving, which I think I should have purchased a second of! Thanks to Nartian and her Monkey1, I chose a lovely burgundy colorway...Oh yeah, and they had some lovely Jitterbug "velvet" colorways, so how could I pass up the much longed-for "Leaf" colorway?
I think I had mentioned that costumes were roaming around in my mind. Despite the fact that I have only cut Little Emperor's costume fabric out, and not sewn one stitch, here is the pile of fabric and lovelies that I wanted to turn into my Elven Queen court dress. (With my semi-pointy ears, I have always fancied myself a fairy elf of sorts...)

Needless to say, with all the fall festival activities fast approaching and Little Emps' costume still not finished, I think this will have to be a future costume!

Right on time for YPF!

Ta-Duh! It's my latest Simply Socks Yarn Co. club shipment! Here is our special edition colorway of Dream in Color Smooshy in BROUHAHA!




I placed it under my "Ott" light, since it is quite late in the evening-no natural light! The typical chocolate brown and pink club tissue paper looks a bit bleached out, but the colors of the Smooshy look pretty good in this pic. I think you can see alot of the colors that are blended in to this special edition colorway. AWESOME! To buy an additional skein or not? Hmmmm...tempting!

Alas, my Ruffled Roses scarf is finished. But not quite! Turns out it is too short; probably by about 3-4 inches. I can fit it around my neck, as prescribed (the fold in half, tuck ends through trick), but it is snug and doesn't lay properly. I guess I will have the opportunity to practice grafting the ribbing again! But first, to unweave the end, get the halves back on holders and buy another skein of yarn! Darn! I'll have to go back to ImaginKnit!

Not much new around here...

Only the lightbulb moment of how wonderful these stickers with binder holes on the side are! I think they are "Hippopotomus" brand stickers and I have purchased them here and there for years. And I have always been aware of the holes on the side and the possibility of getting a binder in which to store them and organize them, but somehow today, it seems like such a great idea! So much greater than when I first thought about them...hmmm...maybe I am tired! Maybe I'm just realizing how hard it has been to store and organize stickers in general and though this method works only for their stickers, at least all the Hippopotomus stickers can be organized! (Yes, slow knitting news day here-lol!)

But I thought I'd at least share the Rivendell sock kit I got. So, behold the Rivendell sock kit:

The yarn label had no name on it, and it is a very natural color, with very pale brown and blue in it. I really doubt it is the same colorway shown in the pattern, which seems to have more pink, purple and green blushes to it. No matter. It'll work. I may use the "Purple Rain" Cameleon Colorworks yarn I got from ImagiKnit the other week, though it is a merino tencel, so I must think more about it...

I think knitting will be at a slower pace these days, since I am now tied up with Little Emperor's Halloween costume (Duck Dodgers) and perhaps one for myself! Of course, there is also the school Fall Festival coming up that I will be working on, too. Luckily, knitting is portable and I can spend little spurts of time on...I'm not thinking big here on the knitting front for the next month, though...

Sunday Knitting...

I'm still plugging away at the Ruffled Roses scarf and brought it out for a bit of KIP. Here is my 'purse', working on the scarf...

Admittedly, I'm crazy enough (eccentric, even...) to use this for my purse, but let me tell ya-when you have to report it missing, even I was feeling a bit silly having to tell another grown woman "I lost my purse. Er, well, not exactly a purse...more like a lunch bag. Shaped like a monkey. You know-the bag-shaped nylon lunch bags, only it's shaped like a monkey. Only I'm using it for a purse. It has my car keys in it. And my money."...And even at an Asian-oriented cutesey-filled craft show, I have to admit I felt a bit silly...Yeah, that was my day yesterday as I finished my shopping spree at a craft show, got in line to pay, and realized it was missing. Missing for a good 1 1/2 hours. I was 40 miles from home with my friend; I'd driven. We looked all over for this. Of course, Murphy's Law being what it is, once I had called to have my keys driven to me, it turned up within 5 minutes! Yet, I digress...

So I was at the Presidio Main Post, sitting at a nice picnic table, eating our bad-for-you food and knitting. Turns out it was a great place to view the Blue Angels who are in town for Fleet Week!

This is about the best pic I could come up with to share...

The Campanulas haven't been out. I sent in my renewal for next year's BMFA Socks that Rock club and I just received my Rivendell sock kit order from Cameleon Colorworks! Besides the small progress on the Ruffled Roses, I have gotten to the heel flaps (I'm parting from the short-row heel design of the pattern) on both socks. So one heel flap is in progress. So not much going on in my little knitting world, though I am looking forward to going to Purlescence for their 1 year anniversary party-they will be having a Ribby Pulli group picture, so Nartian and I are up for that! I actually resisted a LYS closing in Lafayette, though Nartian updated me on that. Hey-no knitting, no yarn purchasing! For now, at least! ;) I'll try and get the Rivendell kit posted...