Not in a long while...

I know, I know. Not much happening here in the last few weeks or months for that matter. Life interrupts again but what would life be without these interruptions? Anyway, I have not had the time to knit much at all (read none). But I wanted to share there love goodies that my dear Knitty SP8 SP (The Garden Gnome or Gnomey and I call her) sent to me in the 2nd package. Insert an little embarrassed emoticon here because we are at the end of the round and any day now the final package should be arriving and I am not only getting to gush about package 2. Many apologies Gnomey!

Here are all the goodies she very caringly sent to me: (the chocolate is missing because I ate it in the car while driving on one of my many recent road trips! Yum!)

1. Tofutsies sock yarn! Love it!
2. Sweater soap - awesome because I do not have any
3. a little felted mouse - not in the picture because the kitties have taken to it and I could not find it to include in the picture.
4. Cotton washcloth in the most gorgeous stitch!
5. Aloe Vera Soap, hand lotion and a little round of another soap inside the washcloth. Very clever!
6. Another magic loop tutorial.
7. And my favorite...a little note with a picture of my SP in her Gnomey hat. That cracked me up no end!

Thanks again for a wonderful surprise!

Nope, not dead...and I have presents!

It has been a l.o.n.g time since I posted. Life is hectic with new things, more recently business ventures that took me in a direction I didn't expect just yet. I guess life is like that. But it is a good thing :)

SPeaking of good things, I joined Knittyboard's SP8 and am blown have such lovely SPs, both upstream and downstream. My upstream SP is amazing....just look what came in the mail recently! I'm very spoiled and grateful. I call her Gnomey as she has designated herself as The Garden Gnome of the Serenity Garden blog. She likes it! Check it out! (Yes, I mean every one of these !!!!!s) Click to make larger.

• Lovely note from my SP detailing the spoils within
• Elbac pattern from Knitty...I live reversible patterns and I had this one earmarked.
• Free Sock pattern from the recent IK...(free on their site)
• zip lock bags for my yarn...smart because my critters love string things, so I protect all from paws and hair...I'm a bit OCD about it.
• Yarn bras! Must support the balls! (that does not sound right...)
• Tip protectors! (I've learned my lesson in the line above, so I'm not going there with these...)
• Nail file from her LYS with yarn background...don't you hate it when you have that little chip in your nail that manages to snag everything like your neat and tidy stitches? Yeah, me too. I've tucked this immediately in my knitting bag. Genious!
• Inox Express l.o.n.g. circulars to do Magic Loop! I am over ready to tame this technique!
• Do you see the yarny goodness attached to my needles?! *pant, pant, pant* It is AMAZING, SINFULLY SOFT, THE PERFECT COLOR...graduated reds...deep rich reds! *gasp* Opal Gems, 2 skeins....I promtly told her I give her permission to got get some for herself it is that yummy!
  
• Speaking of yummy...what you are not seeing in the picture is the Mexican Hot Chocolate (has cinnamon in it) she sent along. It has been cold here and this has been keeping me warm. There was also a packet of another chocolate but I think I prepared it wrong.
  
• Can you see that instruction sheet behind the presents? SHE MADE ME MAGIC LOOP INSTRUCTIONS HERSELF...OF HER OWN HANDS! Tell me I do not have the best SP, I dare you. And, sent me the started ML swatch (that's the loveliness attached to my new needles)
• Best of all, she sent herself. A little Gnomey to sit with me while I knit and silently root me on through the ML.

Thank you SP. You have done so well and I appreciate all the effort and thoughtfulness. I really do :) I think SP really means Special Pal.

End Rant...Let's start fresh, eh?

Okay, I think I have successfully exercised the bad freecycle voodoo out of my system enough that I can snap back and move on...to this. It is the beginning of Tater's Cardi by Marie Grace Smith and is a free pattern on The Garter Belt site.

I had put aside this Plymouth Stone Cotton in bright red for something for my niece and considered a few patterns finally settling on this one. I'm hoping she'll wear it for the upcoming holidays and for knock around days when my sister dresses her in her little jeans with the tartan-colored trim at the cuffs.

I am hoping to have this done by the end of the week and also settle on what yarn to use to make Fantine, a French Girl pattern that I purchased from Yarntopia (you know, Amylovie's and Sheryl's great LYS in TX). I want to make three in total. Me, mom (I'm thinking alpaca), and my sister.

I have to put the finishing touches on my nephew's scarf from last year. Yes, bad aunt had a few finishing issues last year so he'll get it this year. He'll get a matching hat and maybe a rolled neck sweater if I can find a semi bulky pattern that can go rather quickly. I may also knit my niece a hat and scarf set also.

Yes, I am nuts. But two of the little ones that I knit for are moving to Dallas from PA. Do they really need scarves? Maybe some Knitpicks Crayon (cotton) scarves would be better. I'll have to ask and then ship after they get settled in TX. The other, other little ones I knit for live in FL. I'm cursed with warm weather friends. Good thing I live in a cold, damp, 8-months-a year snow belt and can appreciate a warmer weather vacation every now and then ;)

I do complain about the weather, but look where I drove around all day on Wednesday...I'll be doing more lake hoping with a friend this wednesday, weather permitting. I will find my little slice of heaven yet. I'll post more progress on Tater tomorrow.

The Not-So-Warm-and-Fuzzy of Freecycle

I have been on freecycle for months hoping someone would post this very type of computer desk, an armoire style that closes into a cabinet. So yesterday, there it was and only 10 miles from me. I emailed my interest and the owner sent me the dimensions and seemed like all was set. I sent her one final email telling her when I'd be there. I get home and there is an email saying is has been taken. TAKEN! So, I basically have to call back 3 friends who set aside time to help me with this (the owner knew this) and I gave my other desk away this morning to make room. What is wrong with people??? So, here I sit with my computer sprawled on my kitchen table because I no longer have a desk.

/rant

Baby Bolero and booties - FO

I've been back home for a while, but busy with other things to post about knitting. This will be a short post and this weekend is designated to cleaning and reorganising. I'll have more soon.

I'll borrow an FO post format from Laura, so here goes:

Pattern: Baby Bolero from One Skein
Yarn Specs: Mission Falls 1834 Cotton in Maize #209, 100% Cotton, 85yds, 50g skein - I used about 1.5 skeins. Machine Wash & Tumble Dry on Low.
Gauge: I was just off, but the recipient baby is already 2 months old and and growing like a weed. So, I was not ultra concerned about the gauge being a hair off.
Needles: Addi Turbo circs US8 and US9 various lengths. Bamboo was too grabby and made my hands ache.
Size: Only one size given for the pattern and I followed it. Should fit 0-3mos.
Model: Top of my washer.
Things I learned: How to pick up stitches, how to seam properly from Theresa via her wonderful instructions on Knitty. (scroll to the bottom to see all the tutorials)
Comment: Okay, you can laugh. This was challenging and frustrating because I fumbled and had to wait for a friend or two to give me the nod that I was doing it correctly. Such a tiny thing was taking FOREVER. Sheesh! But it got done and I have another in the works but this time I want to do the sleeves in the round. Overall, it came out rather cute and not too terrible for a first sweater-type item. Nothing very wonky, but perhaps that's because the nubby quality of the yarn can hide a multitude of sins. The next will be a non-knubby type yarn.

Pattern: Dreambaby Booties - free online pattern from Fabulous Yarns.
Yarn Specs: Same as above.
Gauge: 3-4 stitches per in in garter.
Needles: Clover bamboo circs US 7 - grabby was good here.
Size: 0-9 months
Model: Same washer.
Things I learned: Having faith that this was actually going to successfully form a bootie. But it did!
Comments: I modified the pattern slightly, by accident really. So, on the 2nd one I tried to follow the original oops and, well, you guessed it, opps again only slightly differently. My solution? Knit a 3rd and match a pair that was the same (stop snickering, Beannie). It was frustrating but I had to laugh at myself *snort*. I will get around to knitting a 4th in the hopes of making a match to the now orphan. One day, I promise.

Be back after...

...the Thanksgiving holiday!

Enjoy your and remember to knit :)

Figures it would end this way...

No knitting to show for today but I will post it once it is blocked and lovely. Promise. For now I'll leave you with the Amazing Death Predictor that I saw on Kathy's blog. It will go like this:

At age 75 a group of children will text message you continuously for three years, eventually distracting you while driving and causing a fatal wreck; your fatal wreck.

...I'm cancelling my cell phone so they can't get through! :P

When I was more specific with my info, I got this:

At age 77 you will start sleeping more and more. After six months of this you will be sleeping 19 hours a day. By month seven, you do not wake up anymore. You cease breathing during month nine.

I was amused so I continued to hit PREDICT! and got:

At age 46 a large monkey will beat you to death, using the antiquated art of fisticuffs.

Don't get any ideas, Ms. Rodent. I know how your mind works.

At age 91 you will die from wounds delivered by a blender after trying to make your sixteenth magarita of the day. (And it's on 3:00pm, shame on you!)

At age 45 a tiger will maul you. Don't ask why, but you will be in a Burmese jungle.

So I'm thinking Burma is off the vacation list.

At age 57 you will die while partaking in a particularly intense meditation session.

Well, they say everything in moderate, right?