Knitting + Olympics = Much Tinking August 18, 2008

This year’s Olympics have caused much tinking in my knitting.  Too much going on to list all my favorites, but definitely the most exciting has been Michael Phelps’ phenomenal swimming, beating one competitor by 1/100 of a second.    No, that’s not a typo- the electronic sensor confirmed that he touched the wall one one-hundredth of a second before the dude who appeared to have won.  Phelps has won 8 gold medals, beating Mark Spitz’ record of winning 7 gold medals in a single Olympic year.      

Phelps is so popular now that when I typed his name to search for a photo for this post, one of the choices was a search for  ”Michael Phelps Girlfriend.”For those of you who are interested, no he doesn’t have one.   I’m sure he already has lots of offers by now.   Judging from interviews he seems to be a pretty humble guy, hopefully he will stay that way.

Then there’s Dara Torres the 41 year old swimmer.  I can’t decide whether to be proud of her for her accomplishments or angry with her for making me feel like I should get up off my fat 40something butt and exercise.  Maybe I can rationalize that she’s an anomaly.  Yea, that’s it!

Ped/Anklet Pattern August 11, 2008

Ta-daaa!

  My second pattern is published and available: the Sporty Ped.  Another toe-up, no short row, no heel flap, no gusset sock.   This one has a closer fit on the ankle and can also easily be altered to make a taller-cuffed sock (just make the ribbing taller).  That’s basically how I made the socks for my grandfather.   Anyone who buys the Sporty Ped pattern can also enter the contest for some yummy yarn (link here).

Also very exciting, my Roll Top Shortie Sock has been featured on Lime & Violet’s The Daily Chum     Very nice write-up.

 

Not much knitting has been done the past couple of days.  My Grandaddy had his 90th birthday and we’ve been partying all weekend with him!  Not to worry, he’s not the least bit wild.  Just lots of family, lots of food, lots of laughter, and a little watching of the Olympics together :)  Oh and lots of playing with the newest baby of the family!  She just turned one and is a little ham

Blue fingers and chocolate August 3, 2008

I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to knit for a few days.  This was after several washings. 

On the bright side, I got a blue french manicure out of the deal.

    The guy at the store was very accomodating in helping me and The Kid pick out exactly the right type of color she could try for the fun of it, you know, those non-hair colors like blue, green, regular red.  She just wanted a strip of blue on the hair in the back on the underside.  A lot better than asking for a tattoo I say.  The store guy said it would wash out in a few washings.  What he FAILED to tell me is that it is prudent to wear GLOVES when coloring one’s hair.  It didn’t come with gloves so I didn’t even think about it until it was too late.  Oh, well.  More came off while doing dishes, enough to knit soon I think.  Besides, chocolate fixes anything.

    Messy but ooohhh soooo goood!!  Yep, those were some of the dishes that got washed.

Not even chocolate can keep me from thinking about knitting for too long, though.  Latest FO, more socks.  I like that the striping makes each sock looks slightly different from the other.  The yarn is Regina Silk Color, a merino/silk/polyamide blend.    Nice for wearing with tennies in the summer.

Other fun stuff July 28, 2008

Ahhh, just got back from a couple of days in the country.  Scrapbooking retreat, though I’m not fond of the term scrapbooking.  There should be a new verb made to describe the activity of taking one’s pictures and preserving them in a crafty way instead of adding “-ing” to the end of an existing noun.  Oh, well, I still enjoy the process.  Have been a little out of practice though, thank goodness I took some knitting.  It’s such a great idea, getting away and doing nothing but fun crafty stuff with about 10 other like-minded ladies.  One room is set up with a bunch of tables where we just leave our stuff out all weekend.  No husbands, kids or pets to bother anything.  No bills in the other room screaming to be paid.  No one waiting to be fed.  Nothing waited to be cleaned.

I had more knitting mojo than scrapping but did get some cards made and a little album for current pictures.  Now to put all the supplies away. 

The retreat location was such a quiet place that I was able to organize ideas for another sock pattern that’s been rolling around in my head.  Got it sketched out and started knitting it.  There goes the knitter’s ADD again, another UFO added to the list!

Sock Pattern, Contest, Win Yummy Yarn!! July 22, 2008

FINALLY my Ravelry store has been hooked up and my first pattern is available!!  It’s a sock I designed for my daughter who  has always hated the seams in sock toes. 

It has no heel flaps, no short rows and no seams.  (the seamless construction is for her, the no heel flaps and no short rows were for me!)  This design also has a short ped-like top, also for my daughter to wear with shoes in the warmer weather. 

So, in honor of releasing my first design, I’m hosting a contest.  All knitters who buy the pattern are eligible to participate.  (click on the picture above for more info)   First place prize is 2 yummy skeins of Claudia Hand Painted Fingering Weight yarn in the luscious teal colorway. 

The second prize is a skein of soft bamboo Panda Silk: 

You don’t have to be an experienced knitter to enter, I just want everyone to have fun.  Take a picture of your Roll Top Shortie sock(s) and submit to me at addicted2knittin@yahoo.comby August 22, 2008, 10:00 p.m. CST.  I will choose the finalists and post on my blog.  Readers will vote on their favorite by submitting a comment to their chosen pic.  Your picture can be a job well done, a creative setting for your socks, or even a humorous look at a disastrous attempt.  Maybe you did a great job only to have the cat undo it all in a big mess.   

Almost anything goes, only a few no-nos.  Let’s keep it fun, just snapshots/no professional jobs.  Let’s keep it clean, no nekkidness.  And let’s be kind to others, no humiliation,  but you can have your Great Dane or Chihuahua model them if you wish

More help tabs July 22, 2008

Sorry about not posting in awhile, the day job is getting in the way of all things knitty (ugh).  I did add another help tab on checking gauge.  Please feel free to check it out as well as the others (look toward the top of the page.) 

Still waiting for my Rav store to be opened for me and get my first pattern out. The people in charge have their own day jobs besides taking care of the site, but it’s so hard to be patient.   I have 2 others patterns that are getting close to releasing as well, all sock patterns.  Other ideas for hats are screaming to get out of my head, but they will have to wait.  Dang day job……

 Oh, and I will be having a contest to celebrate the release of my first pattern!!  Here’s a peek at the loot you could win:    Yea, it’s Claudia….yum

Randomness July 15, 2008

So many random thoughts, so little time.  Her uterus fell out?  The lady on tv says it’s true.  Twitter?  What the hell is that?  I just got the hang of blogging.  Damn gas prices.  Remember when the government decided to do something about Americans killing themselves with cigarettes?  They hiked up the taxes and prices so much that smokers felt “squeezed” into curbing their habits or even quitting altogether.  I have a sneaking suspicion that the same thing is happening with our gas prices.  Yes, it’s much more complicated than that, but nothing else has curbed American’s gasoline consumption the way outrageous prices have.   That’s my little theory.  Ass implants?  Who in their right mind would get fat put INto their butt?  Jesse Jackson is gonna cut Barack Obama’s n**s off?  What, he didn’t know there was a huge microphone under his nose and cameras in front of his face? 

Ok, now maybe I can concentrate on something that makes sense, a little knitting.  Latest project, socks in Regina Silk:

 

I like the yarn alright but the newness has worn off and am now anxious to get to some other yarn I haven’t played with yet.  Knitter’s ADD

UFOs and Beadwranglers July 9, 2008

Do you ever just think funny thoughts?  Like Dudley Moore in the movie Arthur?  Two words that conjure up funny images for me are UFOs and Beadwranglers.  I envision a flying saucer has landed on earth and a little old lady rides in on her beading loom to lasso one of the little green monsters with her sparkly rope. 

I began ordering Ranbow Elastic thread  through a website called 7beads.com.  The lady that owns it calls herself The Beadwrangler.   Isn’t she cute??  I know, hard to tell from the picture, but you get the idea.  I just got my second order from her.   Both orders came lickety-split-fast & both invoices had  a hand-written note AND a detailed, colorful,  picture:

 She uses several colors of sparkly ink to draw the picture.  Who takes that kind of time and care anymore?  I don’t know how she does it, but her personal touch has made a loyal customer out of me.  This pic isn’t as good but it shows the sparkle in the ink:  Cruising her website I found that she has instructions on “bead crochet” and “bead knit”  and, I don’t know what I’m gonna do with it, but have to have some some pearl cotton, too!   I already have enough UFOs, I don’t need to start something new.  Please, somebody STOP me before I buy more stuff and start yet another project!!!

 Speaking of UFOs, do any of you dislike blocking as much as I do?  I usually don’t knit bigger-project garments but love the Classic  Elite Premiere yarn so much I had to have something to wear out of it.  And so sits the unfinished shell, it even has tails yet to be woven in………………Oh, poop, the camera is acting up.  Will post a pic of the shell soon……… 

Anyway, the words “UFOs” and “Beadwranglers.”  They make me think of funny stuff

Old Friends July 8, 2008

I didn’t make this afghan, my mom did.  Yes I know it’s a little ratty, but that’s sort of the point.  It’s like an old friend who has been with me for a lot of years.  And it’s made with……steady yourself…..acrylic yarn.  In her defense, that was really all we knew then.  I say that tounge-in-cheek because I’m really not a yarn snob.  It just reminds me of how much things have changed.  This was made in 1982, before personal computers, before online shopping or LYSs to choose from.   I know she put careful thought into all aspects of making the afghan because I was going off to college, and she wanted it to be special.

 

She designed it herself, though we didn’t think of it as designing.  She has always been able to make exactly what’s in her imagination, especially with fabric.  I hope I’m like that, too.  I get images that just seem to pop into my head and bug me until I figure out exactly how to make them.  Back to the afghan,  I even found some of Mom’s notes tucked away in an old crafting book:  I love looking through old books!!  Yes, I was pilfering through her stuff not too long ago, hehehe.  I love that I have these notes to go with my afghan.  The papers now have ragged edges where they stuck out of the book all these years, and that just makes it even better. 

Enough sappiness.  Check out some of the pictures from the book: 

          Oh, baby, those collars!!  And check out the skin-tight blue jeans!!  Bet he can’t get into those now!!

And, who didn’t make this afghan?: 

I’d love to hear from those of you who remember the same things!!

Finished Project, Yea!! July 7, 2008

I finished the socks for my Grandaddy.  He’s turning 90 soon, and doesn’t like taking his shoes off once they’re on for the day, so I didn’t get a picture with him in them.  He did call the next day to say that he really loves them and that they fit perfectly!  I’m so happy that he’s pleased with them!  They really are the same size, they just look a little off in the second picture:

          

These pictures are more true to the actual purple color than pictures in other posts.

 

On the CONTEST front, I am waiting ever so patiently to be connected as a designer on Ravelry before I can release my first pattern.  Ok, not really true……really I CAN’T WAIT and am getting very impatient.  The pattern is for cool summer socks, and anyone who purchases it and knits my socks will be eligible for a contest here on my blog.  I’m so excited!!  There will be prizes for both first and second place, and both prizes will be some very nice quality yarn.  OOOhhhh, I just can’t wait any longer!!!