I am in love, and this time it's for real. . . .

Uh, can we just talk for a moment about my new love affair with my STR in Lucy? I know I say that every new sock I start is my favorite, but this time, it's for real. I am using the Jaywalker pattern once again. I love that it is making my sock look like a 1970's living room.

I feel like this sock is my child. I just want to hug it, and love it, and take a million pictures of it, so I can photo-document every moment of its life. It's a good sock.

The Combo Corset T is moving right along. I made it through ball #2 while watching Idol, but I did not have any more yarn wound, so I worked on my sock. Tonight, there will be more sweater knitting. Alex and I will watch all of our Thursday night tv, since we are not going to ballroom dancing tonight---Alex is sick. And, you know, since we take class with people mostly 60 and older (many of them much older) we try to stay away when sick.

Alright, that is really all that I had to say. I thought you would all like to know about my new love: Lucy McFancy1970s-Sock. That's right, she has a name.

Ok, back to knitting. Have a lovely evening people!

A trip to Milwaukee. . . .

Yesterday, my friends and I went up to Milwaukee to The Domes. The five of us piled into Angela's car and headed up there. Even though I was crammed in the backseat with Ang and Dan, I did manage to work on a sock. . . . Hooray for finishing up the Lorna's Laces sock, finally! I closed the toe when I got home last night. The sock had quite the adventure while at The Domes yesterday afternoon:
People were kind of looking at me funny while I was taking this picture. I guess it makes sense--I mean, really, how often do you see a woman pull a partially knit sock out of her purse and start taking pictures of it...it is kind of strange. In fact, Ryan took a picture of me taking a picture of my sock because he thought it was funny. Oh well, I am the crazy knitting lady, I must live up to that title. :)

This is my favorite picture I took while up in Milwaukee--it's an orchid. What kind? That I don't know. I just like to look at the flowers. As soon as I look at the name of the flower I immediately forget it. What can I say...it's a curse!

Finally, here is the picture of the outside of The Domes. It was built in the 1960's. Clearly, you can tell that just from the picture.
Anyway, after sock knitting and flower sniffing and stuffing adults into a tiny car, I would have to say it was a good day!

My new sock project is some Jaywalkers with STR in the Lucy colorway. I just started them, but they are looking good so far. My sweater is coming along nicely. I would have a picture, but it's just more ribbing than the last picture....nothing too exciting!

Happy knitting!

Secret Pal 10.

Well, no pictures right now (I may still be at work). I decided that I wanted to get in on some sort of knitting secret exchange thing. So, I stumbled upon one and decided to sign up. I figure what's the worst that could happen. . . .I don't actually get anything in the mail. Well, the anticipation of waiting for packages will be fun, right! :) Anyway, I think it will be fun. Everyone should sign up. Just go here: Secret Pal 10.

Alright, so here is the questionairre that I am posting on my blog for all to read. Kind of creepy being stalked, but whatever. . . .

The Questionnaire
Here are is the questionnaire for SP10. Please be sure to post it in a spot on your blog where your pal can easily find it. Since your pal will use this to help create your packages you'll want to have it posted to your blog no later than the last day of February.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
My favorite yarn to knit with is anything of the wool variety. I am currently knitting a sweater with Artyarns and am enjoying it a lot. There is nothing I won't at least try!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a zipper needle case from Joann Fabrics. The zipper is about ready to bust it's so full!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting for almost three years. I am totally self-taught. I would consider myself to be an intermediate knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes I do. It's right here.

5. What's your favorite scent?
Vanilla and lavander.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes. Peanut M&M's are my candy of choice these days.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I love to scrapbook, but I don't do it a lot because it cuts into my knitting time. I do not spin but I plan to learn one day!

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like everything. I know people say that and then qualify it by saying, but not country or rap. I really like it all. My favorites are Bon Jovi, Snow Patrol, Rascal Flatts, and U2.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I like blue and red, but I will knit with any color....honestly.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live in an apartment with a boy named Alex, who is supportive of my knitting habit, unless he steps on a needle or something. I have no pets. I love cats, but they make me sneeze.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I have never worn a poncho.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks. I am always working on a pair.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks and a sweater.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Who doesn't!?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Straight plastic needles are my favorites.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I own both!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
I have a secret knitting project that is like a month or so old.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas! Followed with a close second for Fourth of July.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Hmm, yarn? :)

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I have a subscription to Creative Knitting.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
How to knit a toe-up sock! My first attempt was a disaster!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes! I wear a size eleven shoe (yikes). I don't know how big that is because I knit the sock until it "looks big enough."

23. When is your birthday?
May 20

That's all for now. Time to go home for the day....working hard, as always! Hopefully I will have a picture of a completed pair of socks in the next day or two!!!

Happy knitting.

Lots of pictures--and some knitting.

Alright, this post has many pictures. Like a week worth of the knitting happenings of me!

Ok, so I had been thinking about getting a yarn swift. I just think they are the coolest not-so-little knitting contraption. So, I was looking around on the internet, unsure how much to spend and that's when Alex found me one on eBay. Alex will help me wind yarn when I need some yarn wound, but secretly he doesn't like doing it. Actually, he told me he doesn't like doing it much. That's probably why he found me a swift...you know, so now I can wind yarn solo. I am now a proud of owner of a yarn swift. Hooray!

Naturally, I had to try the thing out. That's the STR in Lucy that I got in the mail last week. It will soon become a pair of socks (once I finish the Lorna's Laces pair). This weekend I did a little cleaning. Part of the cleaning that took place was some organization for all my knitting stuff. I realized I had needles all over the apartment, balls of yarn sitting in the laundry basket with clean clothes waiting to be folded, and patterns shoved under the bed. A little organization was necessary! Here's an attempt to catalog all the needles I have. . . .
I had way more needles than I thought I did. I really did not have a lot of repeats. I have several pairs of size 2 dpns, but I have been knitting so many socks, that I purposely bought extras. You know, for when the couch eats one or something.

Then there was the yarn for the sweater. I ordered it from Paradise Fibers. The yarn came so fast! I decided to go with the yarn recommended for the pattern, since I have never knit a big thing, um, ever, so I figured the less math and swatching I had to do, the better. I love this yarn. It's red and beautiful and soft and so my color! :) After I received the yarn, I immediately knit my gauge swatch. And, through a belated Christmas miracle, I actually got gauge. I sat there in awe, measuring and remeasuring, for a good ten minutes. Now, this of course does not mean that I won't end up having a gauge disaster with this project, but one can only hope for the best.

So, here it is....the beginning of a Combo Corset T: The K2, P2 rib makes for some boring knitting, but I wanted my first garment to be a success, so I went with easy. Plus, it's easy to knit while watching American Idol! I am really loving this project, I really can't say that enough!

Finally, there is a lot of snow on the ground right now. Nay--there is a sh*t-ton. It's been snowing all day and the wind is blowing like crazy, and my balcony looks like this:

Sock included for scale. Yes, that is an adult sock. That's a lot of snow.

And with that, I am off to cook some dinner.

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!

oh the sock yarn, how i love thee. . . .

Well I came home today and there it was--the sock yarn I have been waiting--nay, dreaming--for. I ordered this stuff a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of it taking awhile to get here. It's the February budget purchase: Socks That Rock yarn!!! Both are mediumweight. The one on the left is the colorway Lucy (like Lucy the cat from Wendy' blog) and the one on the right is Downpour. These are going to make me some nice socks one of these days. I just love both of them!!!

That's really all I had to post about. Hmm, more content? The Lorna's Laces socks are coming along nicely. Since I had the apartment all to myself last night, I sat on the couch, watched bad MTV for hours upon hours on end, and knit a sock. I did another eye of the partridge heel on this one. I think this is my heel flap of choice. Easy, fancy, and yes I have said all this before.
Well, tonight will likely involve more sock knitting. Since I was home alone last night I was told not to watch American Idol (the favorite TV show of people who live in this apartment). So, tonight we have two episodes to watch. And, maybe some of the second season of The Office. That is my second favorite show!

Oh! I know! Last night before I turned on hours upon hours of bad MTV I was watching the eighty-zillion (that being an exact number, of course) Knitty Gritty episodes that the Tivo had recorded. I have now decided, without question that I am going to knit this. I know I was thinking about cardigans and thermal shirts and things, but I think this is the place to start in terms of shirt/sweater knitting. It's one piece, I know how to do everything the pattern requires and I think it will look good on me. So, now there is that damn budget. I have decided that I will get the yarn for this piece now and then buy no more yarn until like May or something. Whatever it takes to even the budget out. I think it won't be that bad as I have a bunch of nice sock yarn and this top is going to take me awhile. But, budget knitting is what I must do. When a girl decides to take multiple vacations in a year and what not, it must be done! :)

Alright, I came home from the gym I was so excited about the sock yarn that I decided to blog rather than shower. That is gross and too much information. :)

Happy knitting!

Will I ever get off the sock train?

Well, the Bears let me down a little bit on Sunday. My Bears socks did not let me down, though, as those were done on Saturday afternoon. I have to say the Jaywalker socks are very nice. I see another pair of socks using that pattern in my very near future. So, of course, while watching football on Sunday, I had to be working on something new. It was a new pair of socks. I had decided that I wanted to knit a pair from the toe up. So, I went to Knitty did some reading, and off I went, or so I thought. It pretty much turned out disasterously. Ok, that is kind of a lie. Everything was mostly fine until I needed something that resembled a heel. That's where it all went to hell. I couldn't even bring myself to take a picture of it. So sad. I will try again. But I have to ask my fellow knitters out there: how in the world did you learn to knit toe-up socks? I consider myself pretty good at teaching myself things relating to knitting. I figured out how to knit, how to make socks, where to find good sock yarn on the internet. But, the toe up socks, somehow are beyond me. I know I just need to give it another try. Now, however, is not the time.

Anywho. . . .

Now I am working on a nice top-down sock. I am using Lorna's Laces in Hawaii. I was going to do a nice stitch pattern, but the yarn is a little busy for that. So, plain stockinette it is. Makes for quick work.

Alex is gone for the evening, so here is my plan:

It's a good plan. Nothing like a cup of hot chocolate and a no-brainer pair of socks for vegging out in front of the TV.

Happy knitting to you. . . .