A whole lotta yarn porn

I know that I have been deliquent in letting everyone live vicariously through my yarn hoarding collecting.  Alas, my delivery is done and has been sent, and I am at leisure (for about 20 minutes anyway) to share with you the latest acquisitions to the collection. 

Disclaimer:  This is probably 6 weeks worth of hoarding collecting.  I tend to go in spurts - buy a lot, don’t buy anything for a while.  It’s just how I am.   Also, since I am at work posting this, I don’t have the yarn in front of me, so I don’t have details.  If you want to know about a particular yarn, leave me a comment and I’ll let you know.

Let’s start the show!

KimberlyR’s BFL Superwash Sock in the Time Gunn colorway

 

 

ShibuiKnits from I think Sonny & Shear…

Zen String from ???

from an Indie dyer, Alabama Fiber Dreams.

Yarn Nerd (that’s why it’s on the computer)

My Whimzy Pinzy sale haul

DkKnits technical dream sock - I’ve never tried them before

Beyond Basics.  One of my latest acquisitions from TLE.

I got this as part of my TLE sock club.  Wollmeise… yumm 

Well, that’s about it for now.  I did pick up some Wick and other goodies a while back, but can’t find the pictures.  I’m hoping that my bender is just about over, because my checkbook can’t handle it anymore.

* at least a month, if not more…

Happy Mother’s Day

To all you mom’s out there, I hope you have a happy, relaxing day to do with what you want.

How’s your Mother’s Day going, bananie?
Wow, thanks for asking.

My Mother’s Day actually started yesterday, when I got to go to the grocery store without either of the kids!  I know what you are thinking - part of your Mother’s Day present was going to buy groceries?  Well, yes - the present part was going without the kids. 

It’s amazing how little it takes to make me happy nowadays.  I used to have higher standards.

Last night I had to work, but I only worked for two hours.  While April is over, the deliverable is on Monday, and there is still much to be done.

This morning we went to 8am Mass, just like we do every Sunday.  The kids, as usual, were belligerent, especially HRH.  Master G did give me a lovely poster he made that said “You are so awesome!”.  That just about melted my heart, until he simply stopped listening to me and refused to get ready for church.   I may be awesome, but he’s still a kid.

While the monsters heathens children were bickering, I got myself ready.  No “Happy Mother’s Day” from DH yet.  (He hadn’t had a full cup of coffee, so I can’t really get on him for that.)  I then proceeded to yell at the children because it was 7:30am and I just couldn’t take it anymore.  Not that I’m proud of yelling at them; it was the only way they would hear me.  I explained, through gritted teeth my charming smile, that today was a special day for me and of all of the days in the year, I would really appreciate it if they would not fight, not argue with each other or me, and just do as I ask. 

I know, I believe in miracles.

We went to church.  They both were less than their usual stellar selves.  HRH decided to have a tantrum immediately after (at least it wasn’t during Mass) so we got in the car and went home.

DH did make me a nice breakfast, after he asked “do you want me to help with breakfast?”.  My response “No, I want you to MAKE breakfast!”.  We had french toast, fried apples, bacon, and strawberries.  It was yummy.

Then I went to work for another two hours while HRH took a nap and DH cleaned up the basement.  Master G kindly kept me company while playing computer games and randomly talking to the screen.  Oh, I also did laundry and dishes during this time.

HRH woke up happy, then turned foul.  Maybe it’s the weather (it’s cold and rainy today).  Who knows. 

Now I am holed up in my office, finishing the last of the deliverables.  I should be done just in time for supper (left over chicken for me, grilled cheeses for the kids, and crab cakes for DH (I have a shellfish allergy and there is no sense in making a fresh chicken breast when we have one left over from the other night).

DH did get me a nice card, and I have done a snippet of knitting here and there.  I’m hoping that once the document is done I can go back to it.   I’m making a shark for May’s Sublynnminal Healing. 

Excuse me.  HRH is banging on the door.

I’m back.  HRH wanted to “do stickers”.  This means she wants to put stickers on construction paper.  DH and G are watching a movie and ignoring her, I presume.

Reading back over this post, it is terribly depressing.  I don’t mean for it to be.  Perhaps the weather is affecting me as well.

Contrary to popular belief

I have not fallen off the face of the earth, although there are moments that I wish I had.

I am eyeball deep in a delivery for work and won’t be coming up for air until May 12, when I will end my day with my very own bottle of wine (I’ll need a whole bottle by then).

I’m here, I’m just working.  A lot.  And knitting very little.

April is over

And I couldn’t be happier.  It’s been a long month, and I am really glad that it is over.  Why?  Sit back with a cup of tea and I’ll tell you…

Work
We were supposed to have a delivery on 18 April.  We were delivering 18 documents.  Eighteen large documents, so I was working crazy hours.  A week before delivery we were told that the delivery was being delayed unti May 15.  Great news, I thought.  I was wrong.  We were now having to deliver 28 documents on May 15. 

Sick Kids
Two weeks after Easter, when DH and I were at a dinner party, Master G got the stomach flu.  My Godson, our babysitter for the evening, was fantastic.  He didn’t even call us.  He waited for us to get home and told us that G had been sick and he cleaned it up and put him to bed.  10 minutes after we got home G came downstairs and informed us that he was sick - again.  It was a long night.  G was really sick too - I washed sheets 3 times that night.  He finally started feeling better the next night.

Right after that, HRH got sick.  Not the stomach flu, but some kind of weird upper respitory, fever-spiking, head cold.  She would be fine one day, then spike a fever of 104 the next day.  It was a roller coaster, and once again I became sleep deprived and stayed home with HRH until we got her fever under control. 

Work
Things started getting crazy again at work right after they calmed down.  The delivery date changed again; now to May 13, which meant that we were going to lose 4 precious days to get the documents in shape.  Then we were told to change the headers and footers on the documents.  And finally, the delivery changed back to May 15.  Seven of the 28 documents are done and ready to go.  It’s going to be a long week.

Knitting
I did get a bit of knitting done.  I was able to knock out three hats for Hats for Alex. 

 Two of the hats were from 101 Skein Designer Wonders - one was the Baby Squash hat, the other was the toddler pom-pom hat.  I’ll give details later, because I don’t really remember what I made them with right now.

I also started on a pair of ankle socks for my sister.  They are in progress (slow progress, but progress).

Sublynnminal Healing
So many hats have been received!  As of today, 51 hats and 2 shawls have been received; 6 more are on their way.  Here are the latest ones received:

From Ren:

She sent 8 hats!

A lovely shawl came from Grace:

My photography skills do not do this shawl justice.

Hats and a shawl from Aster:

I am gathering the yarn for everyone and will be sending emails asking for addresses so I can send it out. I have also gathered everything for the grand prize, which will be chosen as soon as I have a minute:

Here’s what the receipient will receive:

• A skein of Wollmeise Sockenwolle (500+ yards of yarny goodness!)
• A sockblocker keychain kit
• A Loopy Ewe tape measure
• A handmade wood needle gauge with matching keychain and stitch marker
• A set of handmade stitch markers by me, using vintage glass beads
• A set of sock needle protectors
• A handmade wooden crochet hook

All of this in a lovely wooden cigar box - these are great for storing needles and other notions!

I have a month of yarn porn to show you guys, but that will have to wait. I have stayed away from the documentation Goddess long enough - if I don’t pay hommage to her she gets angry and loses my edits.

 

that Hats Just Keep On Coming!

I can’t say it enough.  You guys amaze me.  During the last week I got more hats for Lynn.  Here are some of the photos:

From Kemtee:

Two hats and a tit bit. The bit is for fitting, and to see if Lynn even likes it. If she does, and if it fits and is soft enough, then the mate will be made. I’ll also make a pair for Lynn. I am in love with the blue hat and don’t want to part with it - but I will. I look lousy in hats.

From Grace:

These two hats are great. She also said that she was sending a shawl for Lynn, and I should be getting it in a few days. I can’t wait to see it - Grace makes everything that she touches beautiful.

From Nancy:

I love the yarn for these hats. The way the colors move around the hat are stunning. The yarn is sooooooooooo soft too. The hat on the left is for the hospital; the hat on the right (with the ribbon) is for Lynn.

From Chan:
Here is a link to her hat. Her photography skills are much, much better than mine. I got to see the knitter of this hat in person too! After blogging and emailing back and forth for what seems like months, we finally had lunch last week. It was great meeting Chan - she is exactly how I pictured her. We talked and talked and talked (okay, so we ate too) and simply had a wonderful time! I can’t wait to meet up with her again.

My two hats:

The hat on the left is the fish eye hat from a Knitting a Day calendar, 2007. It’s made using Berroco Comfort, less than 1/2 of a skein. The pattern is incredibly simple; it is an 8 row pattern repeat, done 5 times; there are only 9 rows for the crown. I only changed one thing with this pattern - I used size US9 circs instead of size US8 circs. The next time I make this hat I will add one more repeat - I think it could be a bit longer. This one is for the hospital for April.

The hat on the left is for Lynn. It is the Edge of Lace hat from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders. It’s made using Wick in Lime Green (Color 12). I love the color and hope that Lynn will too. This pattern, although incredibly simple, took longer than I had thought. I would still make it up again, this time using the Comfort.

You guys are just too much, you know that?! Again, a thousand thank yous.

 

National Grits Day

Did you know that today is National Grits Day? Betcha didn’t. Neither did I, for that matter. Being a northern girl, I didn’t know what grits were until I met DH. I didn’t eat grits for the first 10 years of our marriage. Now I eat them, but only with butter, cheese, and NY syrup (yup, you read right - New York Medium Amber syrup, from Northern NY to be specific). My DH thinks it’s disgusting. But he’s a southerner, so he eats his grits “naked”.

In honor of National Grits Day, Kris, who owns Sonny & Shear (a great shop, by the way - fantastic yarns, excellent customer service, and super fast shipping) is having a contest: Grits & Sticks. The premise is simple - make up some grits and show them with your sticks (sticks being your knitting).

Since I can’t resist joining my two favorite activities (eating and knitting), I decided to give it a go. So, here is my entry.

The Most Important Meal of the Day

 So, what do you think? I think it is perfect. Bacon, eggs, grits (my way), juice, biscuits (okay, they are out of a can, but it’s the thought that counts) and of course, my knitting.  Yes, the sticks are in teh grits… they need their nurishment too.

This little project is a sock for HRH that was started several months ago and should have been finished by now, but kept getting pushed aside for other things. It’s just a garden variety sock using Claudia Handpaints (please don’t ask me the colorway, I simply can’t remember it).

If you haven’t had grits - give them a try. They really aren’t all that bad, once you doctor them up a bit.

More Hats!

You guys never cease to amaze me.  Over the last week I have received 13 more hats for Lynn.  From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all. 

Here is what has been sent over the past week or so:

From GeorgeAnne:

 
From Roxanna:

 
From Shelly:

 
From Lisa:

 
From Gaylen:

 
I haven’t gotten this one yet, but this is what Chan knitted up.  I love the twisted rib on it. 

I’m working on this:

I hope to have it finished sometime this week.  It’s the Edge-of-Lace pattern from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders.  I’m using Wick in the lime green.

Knitters are the best people.

Crap

I don’t know if anyone has been following my cousin’s blog, but we have.  Last week they did a CT scan and found spots on her liver.  They did a biopsy on Friday; we are waiting to hear about the results. 

If the CT scan is correct, then the cancer has matasticized into her liver, and moves to Stage IV, which is not good. 

 So, if you pray (to whatever God you choose), please send out prayers, good karma, positive thoughts upward for my cousin Lynn.  If you belong to a church, please add her to your prayer list.  Every little bit helps.

yarn porn, wip, and a contest (not mine)

YARN PORN 
I’ve been on an indie dyer buying kick lately.  I don’t know what has possessed me to spend what little free time I have sitting in front of my computer, searching for indie hand dyed and hand painted yarn.  I’ve got a bee in my bonnet, I guess, and I need to make sure that it doesn’t sting me in the arse.  So I’m looking for cool new indie yarn. 

And once again I found some, through Ravelry and Etsy, of course.

Purchased from:  KimberlyR
Yarn Purchased: 3-ply worsted weight merino, “Espadrille” colorway, “Dark Spice” colorway, and “Heidi Klum” colorway. 218 yards each skein.
What I shall make with this:  Not sure yet.  It’s the perfect weight for hats, gloves, even bulky kids socks or fuzzy feet. 

And get this… because I knit for charity, she sent me the Dark Spice colorway for free.  It will be used for charity knitting.  A gift like that can’t stay in my stash - it must be passed on.  Aren’t knitters and indie dyers just the most generous people out there? 

WIP
I have finished up all but one of the hats that I am making Lynn, and decided to start on a pair of socks for DH.  He has been asking me for another pair of socks for a while, and I figured I needed something little that I can carry around with me.  So, I decided to make him the Basic Lightweight Sock by Knitting Pure & Simple. 

I’m using Berroco Comfort Sock.  I love this stuff.  It’s 447 yards, not very splitty, 50% nylon/ 50% acrylic, and feels very smooth between the fingers and on the needles.  And I’ve just been zooming along on this.  I worked on this Sunday and Monday night (I did my taxes last night - don’t get me started, because that’s a rant that I just can’t stop), and I have already finished the heel flap and turned the heel.  Now I’m on to the gusset, down the foot and I’m done with one sock. 

 CONTEST
It’s Chan’s Blogversary! (Happy Blogversary Chan!!!).  To celebrate this auspicious occassion, she is having a contest.  So, go over and read her blog.  Leave a comment.  Get entered into the drawing.  Potentially win something nice.  Go on, you know you want to do it. 

 What are you waiting for?  Click the link! 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

From our leprechauns to yours, an Irish Blessing…

May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be ever at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And the rain fall softly on your fields
And may you be in Heaven 1/2 hour before the Devil knows your dead*

*okay, so this isn’t exactly how the poem is written… but it is how I learned it

Harry St. Patrick’s Day, you guys.