Swappin' the Flip Flops!

Michelle sent me the most fabulous flip flop swap package--we had both shopped and had our packages ready, coordinating our mailing . . . and sure enough, mine arrived today.

This brown hobo bag is so chic . . . the sock yarn is something I would never find around here . . . A copy of Ann of Green Gables is a wonderful read (think Summer Reading Challenge!), and then not just pink flip flops, but a pair of fun summer crochet wedges!!! This along with a few other goodies (coffee, pedicure set . . . but the cat is mine, he just wouldn't stop checking out my stuff!!!) was like having "summer in a box!" Thanks Michelle--I'll swap with you anytime!

To Add to the Stash

Stash Flash!
My long awaited yarn from Mama-E came: oooooohhh, ahhhhhhhhhhh! We have narragansettand, the much coveted pistachio chip, and pretty in pink (660 yards), which was dyed in a slightly heavier weight for my soon-to-be-cast-on clapotis.

On the go . . .

I never leave the house without two things--my knitting and the current book I am reading. I have been known (more times than I want to admit) to leave the house without my wallet, without towels for the pool, without my Barnes and Noble Preferred Customer Card, but rarely without the needles, the yarn, the book.
Tuesday, I spent all afternoon in two different physician’s offices: and I knitted a few rounds of the sock. Yesterday, I shuttled my kids to Apple Camp--a morning workshop on how to use Garage Band and itunes--they loved it, I knitted. I could have prowled the lovely King of Prussia Mall, visiting all my friends at Neiman Marcus, Lilly Pulitzer, Pottery Barn and JCrew, but I promised the kids we would do that together, after the workshop. So I had my Starbucks Coffee, my sock and I knitted amongst all the Mac Geniuses!

In both instance, I was tempted to drag along the ice pop cardi--but I didn’t, thinking: hmmm, it won’t be that much knitting time, I’ll just bring along something little. I know this isn’t a profound notion, but it is amazing how much you can accomplish with a few minutes here, and another couple of minutes there.

Perhaps I should pack a car bag of knitting and reading, and just have that as the “on the go” project. That way, it is always in the car, and I don’t have to worry about packing anything up before we leave . . . maybe if the knitting is already in the car, I won’t forget my wallet. I may be on to something for myself, but then again, I don’t know if I can just leave the project in the car: I might have to bring it in, look at it, knit on it some more . . .

ps: I also never leave the house without kissing everybody who is staying at the house (instead of coming along with me) good-bye. Even if I am going to the grocery store, I love eveybody up, drag my knitting my book, and go. Then I return for my wallet.

Thinking of Fall

I read about the Mystery Sock KAL and knew it would be stretching my sock knitting to a new level. This will be a huge challenge to me, as the rule of the kal is to knit a pair of socks which does not have a photo for you to refer to!!! I always use the photo--I don’t even know if I can choose a pattern to knit without a photo to inspire me! Read more about it here and join the fun: http://mysterysock.blogspot.com.

And then there’s the Harvest Sock Swap, which is a fall version of the Summer Sock Party-- while I haven’t swapped the sock and goodies yet, choosing and knitting one sock and then receiving another to finish for myself is really great fun!

I was thinking that if I knit a pair of socks a month until Christmas, I would have 5 pair as gifts--and these KALs may help me stay on track--by the way, my red hot chile pepper socks have become my car stash socks: I leave the yarn and needles in the car, and knit when I can (since it's just stockinette right now!) or when I have a second. I knitted several rows as I waited in two different physician's offices this afternoon!

Weekend in review . . .

A whole powder room full of this . . .

is now this:

My flip-flop friend's package is ready to mail . . .

My web-overhaul is on the way, thanks to Karen . . . still dreaming about my package from Mama-E . . . the back of my ice pop cardi is almost, but not quite finished, the socks . . . they still need finishing, and the one skein pal project needs to get started. All in all, it was a very productive weekend, complete with seeing the movie, Superman Returns, in 3-D at Imax (it was soo fun)!

This Weekend . . .

Finish wrapping my flip flop friend’s fun stuff AND

Finish the back of Orange Ice Pop AND

Finish the Tiger Lily sock AND

Wait for my package from Mama E AND

Start my One Skein Pal’s One Skein Project AND

Get to to heel of the Red Hot Chile Pepper sock AND

Dream about my blog overhaul which the Muse from Musings of a (Mostly) Self-Taught Knitter is working on for me!

I want to take the wallpaper off the bathroom walls, too. I am feeling a busy weekend coming on . . . I hope my family won’t want to eat, or talk, or need anything!!!!

Knit, Read, Put it all in a Bag!

I know I have said this before, but next to knitting, books and reading are my other inanimate loves. So far, here’s my completed summer reading:
The Color Purple . . . Balzac and the Chinese Seamstress . . . 44 Scotland Street . . . Wuthering Heights . . . Pride and Prejudice
A Passage to India . . . Birds of a Feather . . . Heat . . . God of Small Things . . .

The goal-- 25 books by Labor Day . . . the debate--as always, should I read, or should I knit?

By the way . . . I am expecting a package from Mama-E any moment (um, day!). I can’t wait! And have I ever mentioned I love bags which I can stuff my books and knitting in? Here are two new ones which I picked up today (not that I needed two, or even one, since I have so many already--but I couldn't resist!) The plaid one is reversable . . . the cat is my yarn buddy, Filu. While I was "bag" shopping, I did some flip flop shopping, too!

ps: The Tiger Lily Sock is peeking out of the bag . . .

I RE-STARTED my orange ice pop cardigan . . . all appears well, but let's not talk too much about this yet. . . just look . . .

That's our goldfish in the bowl--he loves the color! And the book, God of Small Things, is wonderful!

PS: I met my Flip Flop Pal, Michelle, through our emails, and I have started to shop and put together her package! The swap is a quick one, as the package needs to be in the mail by the 31st. Since it hit 104 degrees here today, flip flops are just the thing!

Gator-aide has a problem . . . or two

Hmmmmmmmm . . . this granny smith thing is kicking my pants, and it is not just the color either. I have knit and re-knit (and re-knit, and re-knit) with the first skein. I had some problems with the pattern, stitch count and general "getting it right" stuff. But I felt like I was well on my way. I finished the skein, and measured width and length--the gauge has been fairly accurate--and find that the width is a whopping 3 inches more than it should be. I have counted stitches checked everything and can't get a handle on it. What's more, I think once this is washed and blocked it will grow!!

I think this yarn is a bit heartier than KSH, but I like it anyway. Re-casting on . . . less stitches . . . still the same old gator-aide, ice pop orange . . . trying to imagine how chic I will look this fall sporting this at a soccer game with everyone saying things like--"Ohhhhhh, I wish I could wear that color!!!"

Jelly, Orange Crush or Ice Pop

Well the gauge was on (more or less), the stich definition is nice, and the picot edging looks terrific. The project will be a great addition to my Amazing Lace entries. While knitting with this yarn, the color grows on me, and then I step back and it looks so
. . . bright, or orange, or loud . . . did I mention that they had a lovely apple-green, a wine-ish red and a pale-pink?

I am not joining the Granny Smith KAL, just because I can’t take all the lovely gushing over ksh--instead, I joined the Flip Flop Swap over at knit2blog1.blogspot.com. I can’t resist a pair of flip flops . . . but I already have oodles of ideas for a flip flop swap pal.

I have to think of what to call this color--orange just doesn’t do it justice (and neither does this photo!)

If you ask, I'll plead temporary insanity

I don't know what came over me today. One minute, I was completely content in my knitting world. And then, I was checking out the Mystery Stole KAL (such a fabulous idea, but when I took a look at the first week's section which some people knit so beautifully, I decided it wasn't going to work for me), popped over to the Granny Smith KAL and that was it---I decided I HAD to have the sweater pattern, HAD to make the sweater, and HAD to have the yarn today!
Now, this behavior is not new for me. Here's where I go to the other side: I go to the crazy yarn store (not my lovely lys, not to my online favorite places, not even to the shop a little further away), and stalk the place (they have so much stuff) until I find what I think would work in place of kid silk haze. When I find the 2 skeins of the colors I think I want, I have to ask the very old owners if they have more (and they always do, upstairs in some secret stash), and yes, in fact they do. The choice is between the almost identical granny smith color (which I love) of the original cardigan, or what seems to be a lovely, vibrant orange-y marmelade (which I think would be so cool). I buy the orange-y marmelade (why????!!!!!) for $2.99 a skein (on sale--I bought 10) took it out to the car, and thought--I am crazy: I bought stupid yarn instead of kid silk, in a stupid color (it isn't even marmelade-y in the sun), and it will probably look stupid (in what might have been a beautiful cardigan). ugh.

I am going to swatch, and look out if I can't get the correct gauge.

One skein, for each of us

It’s July and that means another skein off to my pal. I haven’t heard a peep from her since our initial introductions, and she is blog-less (hmm: one post, end of May), so I am hoping she is enjoying the single skeins she receives in the mail. Last month was Noro, with a list of things to make with it; July’s feature presentation, (in honor of all of the Mason-Dixon Knitting acclaim), I will send her a skein of Sugar’n Cream--the color is playtime. I am going to dig out the flower petal dishcloth pattern to send with it--a quick and easy knit! Oh, and just because I couldn't get just one skein, I bought the other one for me!

I better get cracking on a one skein project for her . . . I was thinking of a mesh market bag, or socks, or a felted stash bag . . . but I came up with just the thing while browing through some knitting books at Barnes and Noble this afternoon!

I ordered the Toe First Sock pattern from Cara, another sock party friend--and she sent me those lovely samples of yarn from her farm! Thanks so much Cara!

whew

I’ve come to the conclusion that I am knitting as fast as I can with the time allowed--in between soccer, hockey, swimming, lacrosse, filling (and re-filling) water bottles, and then responding (nicely!) to “I can’t find my bathing suit!” and “What’s for lunch/dinner/snack?” I think I should probably be happy that I get as much knitting in as I do, since it feels like I pick it up and put it down every 6 stitches! I feel like my list of projects to do is much longer than my list of accomplished projects!

We survived Sports Fest (and Wimbledon AND the World Cup--what did we do without tivo?!), and I managed to get to the heel of my “Summer Tiger Lily” sock (haven’t STARTED the heel . . .) as well as some summer shopping for my sock pal!



And just to reinforce myrecent sock knitting frenzy . . .yes, I have started to count my socks. The big zero for last year, but 2, working on 4 (2 on the needles) for this year!

Sports Fest aka Sock Fest

Our town hosts a Sports Fest--a 4 day event where 5,000 athletes convene and participate in everything from baseball to judo. So, my son is playing on the local hocket team. This means that I am packing the cooler, the equipment and my knitting for a weekend of navigating the crowd, finding a parking space, lugging the stuff, cheering the team and with any luck, working some knitting time into the events of the day!

By the way, in that big glove . . . my sock for my sock pal!! Look closely and you'll see the doublepoints!

Plan B

With my one sock project well on its way, I decided to cast on for an alternate project . . . so I wound the green, handpainted Opal I picked up last week, and thought I might cast on for the Lucy Neatby Hot Tamales socks . . . plan b.

While my boys played soccer last night, my daughter and I took a jaunt to Borders, where I was suckered into their “buy 3 books get the 4th free” deal. While I am somewhat of a Barnes and Noble loyalist, I sometimes venture over to Borders. So among the 4 books (hmmmmmmm, like I have nothing on my “to read” pile, which p.s., is like the “I have nothing to knit pile”) I finally picked up the Yarn Harlot’s Knitting Rules! LOVE IT!

Sockin' Around

Finally . . . the Lovely Lace Socks in lilac, are finished. Don’t ask me what took so long, as I have no idea. I finished the 2nd sock during World Cup over-time yesterday, just as Italy scored their first goal with 2 minutes to go.

I cast-on for my summer sock party sock last night while sitting on a blanket, waiting for the fireworks to begin. This is my first “toe-up” sock, and I love it! The yarn doesn’t have a name, only a number, so I have named it “Summer Tiger Lily”----the Summer Tiger Lily sock toe is finished and I am working on the instep; I love the yarn, and the colors . . . I am just hoping the yarn and the sock pattern compliment each other.

Happy 4th of July!