Home again, Home again, Jiggedy-jigg

I'm back from California - again. After 16 days, I arrived home on Wednesday evening and was met with eager pets and husband. It is truly good to be home :)

I'm going to try and catch up with all my posting this weekend. One post at a time LOL.

I mailed off my baby socks for the Longest Line charity drive yesterday. I wanted to make 40 pairs - one for each day of Lent. I made it to 31 . Not too bad. Here are the new ones since the last picture (minus two stray pairs):


And here is a picture of 30 total. I had one stray sock that I just couldn't find the mate to and didn't remember knitting it. So I packed up the 30 and off to the post office I went.


I had no more gotten out of the driveway when I reached for my sunglasses and there was the missing sock attached to the velcro of my glasses case. So I dashed back in and got it into the package.


I'm glad to have this project complete so that now I can concentrate on my Sockapaloooza socks. I once again changed the pattern but love what I'm doing now and should be able to finish them tomorrow. I'll post pictures then.

till later ~~ Dene

Retail Therapy

Aww retail therapy is always good for the soul! Friday evening I spent at the B&N around the corner from the hotel. Came away with the Creative Knitting May 2006 magazine and I love the cotton sweater on the front. Call me crazy, but about 8 years ago, I started a cotton sweater out of cheap cotton yarn, finished about half of the front and then set it aside. The sweater was a heavily cabled pattern and I know now that it would have been a nightmare to finish along with wear as it would have been very heavy and would pull out of shape. So, I may just frog that sweater and make this little shell for moi :)

I also bought a copy of the Yarn Harlot's new book "Knitting Rules!". I absolutely love it! I thumbed through it last night and anticipate several hours of entertaining read.

This morning, I ventured out to CommuKnity in San Jose. The store is marvelous! Easy to find, park and very spacious. Plus, they had a SALE going on. Be still my heart! I managed to make it out of the store with only 2 skeins of sock yarn - just by the skin of my teeth. They had some wonderful yarns, books and accessories.

My purchase - Trekking XXL in a purple and Lana Grossa Meilenweit Tweed in navy. The purple will be gifted to a friend as socks.


Overall, I did well not to buy out the store. I'm trying very hard to knit down my stash!

Till later ~~ Dene

~~~ Waving from California ~~~

Yes, I flew back out to San Jose this morning so that I can do some training for work and also to visit my friend who is ill. It is good to be back but I miss my hubby already. He just got home from Russia last Thursday and here I go leaving him again. I should be home on the 19th.

Just so people don't think I dropped off the face of the earth with my Sockapaloooze pal, I *AM* working on it! I've started 3 different socks for my pal and think I have a winner this time LOL. I started some Jaywalkers in Socks That Rock but it was in the medium weight and with it being spring, I didn't want a heavy sock. So I started some garden trellis socks in an Opal Uni (Turquoise) but I think they are turning out too large. Soooooo.... I'm now doing the Pomatomus Socks in a discontinued Opal - Cool Ocean 223. I *love* this pattern!

Since I'm staying in a hotel this trip, I should be able to have time to finish these up before I head home. I'm also working on more baby socks for the Longest Line charity. I still have leftover odd-ball yarns to knit up. I'll shoot a picture when I get home.

BTW, some knitting bloggers are EVIL .. EVIL I say! They are such enablers .. ROFL. Susan traded some yarn with me and I scored! I received a skein of prototype Opal in red, 2 skeins of Wildfoote in a wonderful variagated red, and ... and .. she threw in a skein of bright pink mohair so that I can knit her Mountain Stream Scarf. Of course, I had to cast on immediately and made it through one repeat of the body. I love this pattern! No pictures yet since I left it in Houston so that I would be sure to finish my Sockapaloooza socks. It was hard to leave it .. it went in/out of my bag several times. I kept telling myself I was out here to work and needed to finish the socks for the swap first.

I plan on visiting one knit shop while I'm out here - CommuKNITy in San Jose. I'll let you know how it goes.

Till Later ~~ Dene

The Great Pretenders

I have just a few TV shows that I follow regularly and one of my favorites is Grey's Anatomy on Sunday evenings. Tonight, 2 of the gals swore to become celebate and instead of men, took up knitting. Now it appears that Izzy can knit but Meredith - well, it was obvious that she was a rank beginner. I love this button that Good to be Girl made:


And yes, I knitted on baby socks during the episode!

This morning at church, one of the lay ministers asked me if they could borrow some of my knitting for a skit at the ministry fair this afternoon. I had baby socks in my purse on some size 1.5 double pointed needles but I didn't want to sacrifice them. So I told her I would bring back something a 'bit larger'. This afternoon while watching a tape of House I knitted up the beginnings of a scarf with some very old acrylic on size 8 straight metal needles. It is a good thing I did - the gal that used the knitting in her skit didn't know a thing about it and just by pretending dropped stitches in the middle of the thing. Nothing lost, though.

This week will be busy with work - first of the month means a round of reports to write. I'm also having a dinner at my home on Tuesday with 4 other couples and my hubby comes home from Russia on Thursday. While he is home this time we will be planning our vacation in June - we hope to do a driving tour of the Pacific Northwest for about a week.

Till later ~~ Dene

Flashing my stash - Finis

*whew* I survived the loft! Continuing on:

Bin 6: Peace Fleece worseted wool in Artic White. 30% Mohair/70% wool. 10 skeins of it :) Future sweater or vest.


Add to count: 1 sweater





Bin 7: Wool. The natural is some homespun from "Bailey" one of my friend's sheep. The 4 skeins are Mountain Color's Weaver's Wool Quarters. And buried in the upper left is a skein of Mountain Color's Worsted in forest green. I have a Clapotis made out of this stuff that I want to frog so there is a lot more of it.

Add to count: 4 socks and a bunch of Miscellaneous.



Bin 8: Assorted wool. This is my 'buy one skein to test it out' bin. As you can see, I've not knitted much from it. Left to right: Louet Sales Gems Topaz in Red; 4 skeins of Brown Sheep Nature Spun sports weight in grey; Araucania Nature Wool in forest (I have another partial skein). Top middle is Cascade 220 in navy; below that is Nashua Julia in natural; top right is Elsebeth Lavold Classic AL Alpaca/Wool in cranberry; and buried in the lower right is a skein of lace weight black wool that I'll be selling soon.
Add to count: felted socks and bunches of miscellaneous!

Not in a bin but Lot 9: 20 skeins of Tivoli Wool Aran straight from the Emerald Isle. My daughter brought me this from Ireland and I wish I could find more. There isn't much on a skein.

Add to the count: 1 sweater.




Bin 10: Assored sock yarn. 6 skeins of Froehlich Special Blaudand. A skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in blues/purples/green (lovely stuff!). And 4 skeins of Brown Sheep Wildfoote in Rhapsody and Brilliant Bouquet.

Add to count: 6 pairs of socks.



Bin 11: More socks!
The top row are all Fortissima Cottolana and although I didn't show it, I have 2 of each. The rest of the bin are all Regia sock yarn.

Add to the count: 10 pairs of socks.




Lot 12: 20 skeins of Noro Silk Garden. I had this big plan to make several Clapotis' for presents .. till I made the first one and hated the design! So, the bag on the right is going to be listed for sale soon was sold here!

Add to the count: Unknown project - possibly a shawl.


And the Finis!
Bin 13: the leftovers.
Top left are 2 skeins of Sisu from Norway - will make a pair of socks. Below that is a started Jaywalkers in Socks that Rock. Top right are 3 skeins of Misti Alpaca Lace weight for a stole. The bottom right is my latest present from my Secret Pal 7, a huge 200g of Iron Pot Carding Montage mohair from New Zealand.

Add to the count: 2 pairs of socks, one shawl, and one unknown project.

Total count - Enough yarn for:
~ 91 pairs of socks (not counting 4 I already have started)
~ 7 Sweaters
~ 7+ Shawls
~ and a bunch of hats, mittens, and miscellaneous!

I'm getting a hot flash ~~

UPDATE - I forgot the Fixation cotton/lycra in the bedroom. Add 5 more pairs of socks!

Till later ~~ Dene

Flashing my stash - Part Deux

Back from the luncheon - yummy salads and good company (was a church thing).

Now, back to the stash .. muhahahahaha

Bin #3 - the sweaters

This bin contains the makings of 2 sweaters. The blue is the Renaissance Pullover out of Classic Elite Renaissance wool. I love this stuff! Do need to finish, though. The heathered purple is for my FLAK sweater out of Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool. I've barely started it *sigh*.



Bin #4 - more sweater yarn

On the left are 9 skeins of Plymouth Galway Highland Heather wool in blue- unknown future project. Bottom right are 11 skeins of Araucania Nature Wool in cranberry - again, unknown future project. Top is 8 4oz skeins of Brooks Farm Four Play in denim. This 50/50% silk and wool and is wonderful! Future unknown project for this stuff.. LOL. On the Top right are 3 skeins of Black Water Abbey fingering weight in natural to make The Fox Island vest.


Bin #5 - Assortment

Top left are 8 skeins of Mountain Colors Bearfoot sock yarn. I *love* this stuff!. Top right are 4 skeins of Knit Picks Simmer in Turquoise Spendor for a shawl. Just to the right of that are 3 skeins of Kayten Kraft at Moonacre Silk Noil in plum that I received from my Secret Pal 7. Left to Right along the bottom are 2 skeins of red Alchemy Lone Star wool/mohair, 1 skein of Socks that Rocks medium weight in Pop Rocks color way, and 20 skeins of Jojoland Wool Yarn fingering weight in natural.


Dat's all for now but not all my yarn! I'm headed upstairs to find the rest of the stash - wish me luck :)

Till later ~~ Dene

Flashing my stash

Cop-out: This is going to take me all day to photo all my stash - sorry isn't it! I have a luncheon at noon and have to hit the post office before that so check back later tonight for the full story!

*as always- click image for larger view*

First off, some of my sock yarn. I store most of my yarn either in my Olfa wire baskets or in plastic bins. So let's go bin by bin:

Bin#1: This is all Opal sock yarn. I can't tell you how much I love this yarn. The socks I knit 3 years ago are still going strong. I was pleased when they finally came out with some solids and colors that didn't include black. I was tired of black/jacguard self-stripes. I have tons of it in this photo. ~~~ Total for this bin - 35 skeins for 35 pairs of socks.



Bin #2: The left 15 skeins are Opal (that makes a total of 50 skeins of just Opal!). Next row - down front are 2 skeins of Flotte Socke that I received as a gift from a friend in Norway. Above that is a skein of Opal Handpainted in color #13. I've frogged this yarn several times and it still hasn't told me what it wants to be. Above that and extending along the top are 3 skeins of Trekking XXL. The spring color and blues will be socks for me. The olive will be for my son. On the right bottom (hiding) are 2 skeins of Koigu in blue/white. Above that are 3 skeins of Sweet Feet sock yarn from Hill Country Yarn in honey butter, grape crush and Gig'Em (Texas A&M Aggies). ~~~ Total for this bin - 26 skeins for 25 pairs of socks.

:: head swimming :::

More later when I get back. ~~~ Dene