FO’s

Here they are!!!  The latest and greatest.  I believe you can scroll the mouse over the picture for the description.  Ciao.

Bad blogger, Bad!!

Yes, I know I’ve been a bad blogger (but I’m still ahead of some people that I know!).

So, time for a mamouth update.  I will probably have to break this up as it will be a very picture heavy blog.

First off, I’m more or less officially employed.  I say more or less b/c I need to pass a background check and drug screen first.  I’m not expecting any issues, but hey, I cheerfully admit to being paranoid and not trusting beauracracy.  I will be employed as an analyst - I’m finally becoming a corporate drone.  I’ll pass on saying more, as I don’t like to discuss employment online in the blog.  Too dangerous.

Knitting wise, I’ve been fighting a really bad case of startitous.  So, I’ve been desperately trying to work on things that either need repairs or finishing.  Its coming along.  The WIP log now contains 2 cross-stitch projects, one sweater on needles, one sweater awaiting new needles to be finished (it needs to be longer and re-bound off as the original BO was too tight.  When I redid the BO on the sleeves I went from a size 8 needle to a size 10 1/2.  Originally I had done it with a 9, but way too tight.  Yes, Lucinda, I know that I have tension issues!).  One pair of gloves for the MIL and wait a minute.  Wow!  that’s it.  Hmm, I’ve been a really good girl this week….

However, the queue is really getting ugly: one more pair of gloves (BFF’s mom), the Autumn Rose Pullover by Eunny Jang (kit’s already here - I purchased it with Trifecta money won at the track), the Summer into Fall shawl from Goddess Knits (yarn is on its way!), and more sock yarn than should be imagined (I think I’m “down” to 2 full bins!).  *sigh*

 Which brings me to my rant for the day.  Has anyone used a wooly board?!?!  (pause for severe bad language!)  ARGH!!! 

If it looks as if the left side is not on, you’re almost correct.  It is attached, will not stay in place properly!  ARGH!

 The set screw goes into a slot, not a hole (due presumably to the adjustable nature of the board) and appears to be too wide on the left hand side.  I’ll be discussing this with the uber geek family for suggestions.  Right now, I am contemplating either drilling holes into the top half of the top arm (the notch only goes halfway thru it) and using dowels to peg the arm into place rather than the set screw OR using putty or clay inside the notch to give the set screw something to grip onto because the right side is not all that stable either.

Let’s look at yarn and Fo’s.  This masterpiece is my “Chunky Cardigan” made with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky (hence the “chunky” - no it was not a comment about mine or anyone else’s weight.  Jeez, leave your issues at home, people, I have enough of my own!).  Its self designed with the use of “Knitting in the Old Way” with a 4 stitch baby cable pattern repeat.  Fits well and looks good.

And now for the yarn:  I have 4 and about 2/3 skeins left over (this was penalty yarn purchased at BIL’s graduation in Alabama so its well travelled yarn!) and I’ll be putting it up on Ravelry to trade if anyone wants it (I’m arianrod there, of course).

Should probably end and edit this and put the rest of the pix in the next blog.  Ciao.

College Bowl Mania

bowl-picks-07_3.doc

A plagiarized letter to muggles…

Now that Thanksgiving is over and the Christmas season has “officially” begun, its time to link to this.

 ”This” being the Yarn Harlot’s letter to Muggles (ie, non-knitters in this case).  This masterpiece of literature walks the non-knitters who love us through appropriate seasonal shopping suggestions.

Remember - buy yarn.  Its cheaper than heroin.

p.s. a small cappuccino machine would also be lovely.

because I know I would want my baby back…

Please pass this on!
From Badger on dogster.com:

Each year thousands of dogs are lost but I want you to know about one, his name is Blue. I don’t know what makes this one so special… maybe because he’s been missing for so long, yet there is still a huge effort rallying to find him.

We believe that he is still alive - He’s a Siberian Husky and they have an amazing ability to not only roam, but also survive on their own (you all saw Eight Below).

We think that he’s in the central Michigan area as there have been sightings, we heard of one just last night. But he could have traveled quite a distance, I’m following up on a lead in Detroit. His owners are devastated as you can imagine and want him home before the weather gets worse… they want him home for the holidays.

So… why this dog? I don’t know, I don’t know him or the owners… I guess its paying it forward, hoping someone would do the same for me if I were in this situation … its because I know how awful I’d feel if it were one of my dogs… and its because maybe I can help find and save this one.

If you know anyone who lives in Michigan or the Great Lake’s Region… or if you know anyone who knows someone that lives in Michigan or the Great Lake’s Region, please get this information to them.

Hunters might see him in fields, someone might drive down a road and catch a glimpse and assume he has a home. We’ve heard stories recently of dogs that have been found months and years later and in some cases hundreds of miles away.

His name is Blue
He is a black and white 4 year old male Siberian Husky with brown eyes, he is microchipped
He’s been missing since May 8, 2007 from Brighton, MI.
Dogster page: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/620507
Website : WhereIsBlue.com
E-mail: inform@whereisblue.com
Telephone: (313) 550-6095
Reward offered for his return, no questions asked.

Please help in my efforts to spread the word and help find Blue. Pass this along and spread the word.

http://www.WhereIsBlue.com

Christmas swap

Steph appears to be slacking, so I looked up the questions from last year:

1. What is your favorite yarn?  Is there a fiber/yarn you really love/hate? - please no acrylic and/or acrylic blends.  Very soft cotton, wool, alpaca blends (no “pure” alpaca please, it stretches too much!). Also, nothing with elastic – does even worse things to my tension!  Still very into sock yarns and desperately need “jumper” weight solid color wools for Fair Isle stuff.  Please no knit picks Pallette! (its too stretchy).

Yarns I loved:	Yarns I hated:
C*eye*ber Fiber	Sockotta
Mountain Colors	Jamie
Cherry Tree Hill	Gaelic Aran
Lorna’s Laces	Online – colors were too busy

2. What do you use to store your needles, projects, gadgets in? I store. Enough said. I require no additional storage.

3. Do you have an Amazon.com wishlist?  Yes, its under my maiden name (ie, Tara Lynch)

4. Do you like candies/sweets?  Yes, but go easy (hypoglycemic!).  I especially LOVE any combination of dark chocolate (esp with mint!).  Not so much milk chocolate.  I also love cherry and licorice jelly beans!

5. Do you practice any other crafting habits.  Yes. About the only thing I haven’t done is tatting.

6. What type of music do you listen to?  Are you MP3 compatible? Loud angry music. But it has to be understandable (ie, no thrash metal).

7. What is your favorite color?  Is there a color you don’t like so much? jewel tones, reds, blues, greens, purples. NO PASTELS PLEASE!

8. Do you like hats, mittens, scarves, ponchos?  Could really use a pair of gloves. Scarves are good too!  Please, no ponchos!

9. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?  YES (p.s. I’m collecting organic cotton washcloths, hint, hint, hint).

10.What is you needle preference? metal; slick metal preferably. Bamboo is evil.

11.  Is there anything you collect?  Books, generally!  I’ve been trying to get my Amazon wishlist pretty updated… but gift receipts would probably be wise here…

12.  Are there any books, magazines or patterns you are collecting?  See #11.

13.  What size are your feet?  Women’s 6 ½ or kids 4 ½.  7 ½” circumference about 9 ½” long.

A 2-fer

I know, I know, its beyond rare that I write more than twice a week, much less twice in a day.  But during my daily blog read, I tripped over something that really caught my eye.  Hop on over to Knit Knack and read about Sugar Ray.  And then click her nice link to Hope Rescues and make a nice big, fat donation.

I truly, sincerely, deeply hope that they get the SOB that did this and give him what he deserves.  Unfortunately, I know that won’t happen with our legal system (oh, wait that’s because its based on the law not truth or justice).  Justice in this case would be 6 weeks trapped in a box w/o food!

 Go.  Now.  Please!

Exclusively yours….

Continuing on my evergoing quest to enable other fiber addicts…

 Sophie’s Fine Yarn Shoppe now has online shopping!  Also, Barb tells us that Sophie’s is THE only online source that will have all lines and colors available for Alpaca with a Twist.

3 am and can’t sleep - buy yarn!!! Hey, it always helps me sleep!  Why count sheep when you can count stitches?!?!

So - GO!  BUY YARN!  GO, NOW!!!!

New Yarn!

Thanks to some pretty serious delays due to basement work (which is DONE, thank God!!!) - I uploaded the new colorways a lot later than I had originally anticipated.

They’re up now - 5 new colors.  I’ll show you one of them as a teaser.

Later.

Its Alive!!!!!

I’m up and running!  Yippee!!!

 My store, that is.  www.granniessockyarn.com

 Please swing by and check it out!  Yes, I know products are a little limited at the moment (being mostly stitch markers) but I have several more yarns drying that I will post as soon as they can be bundled up for pictures!