are you curious?

I finished the second Katja early this week and both are winging their way to IL to the little fashionista. I also added the curious George goodies. Being a good aunt I always send books. Enjoy your weekend.

more BSG

I'm pretty sure these are goats. I don't know what kind, put I thought they were cute. The goats (and bunnies) were in a different section of the barn and had their own judging. I didn't catch any of it but made sure I took a tour through. There also were Alpacas in a barn next door. I forgot to grab my camera when we went over. It was a very small showing for the alpaca group. I wonder why?

a sad day

WASHINGTON -- A constitutional amendment to ban flag desecration died in a Senate cliffhanger Tuesday, a single vote short of the support needed to send it to the states for ratification a week before Independence Day. **this just makes me sick**

Sisters

Black Sheep Gathering weekend was great. It was a mere 4 hour ride to Eugene OR. Thankfully I did absolutely NO driving the whole weekend. SIL has a big truck and I don't drive big. We checked in Thurs night and rested for the big event. There was lots of fiber there; still on the animal, in bags of fleece, and all skeined up for sale. I made some choice purchases, and will show them off in the coming days. SIL showed her ewe lamb and won a blue ribbon and a purple rosette. (that's 1st place people) We shopped and watched the sheep judging. Then shopped and watched the sheep to shawl competition. Later we shopped and watched the Leader's Parade. All the while taking care of sheep, and listening to hours of baa. Now let me come to the big secret in the sheep world. Sheep do NOT baa. They maa. It sounds so similar to the whining of a 5 year old child calling his mom. Ma, ma, maaaaa. Thankfully you get used to it after uh oh 5 hours. It just sort of goes into the background. There were some beautiful faces, but the 2 above were my favorites. So sweet.

I'm here

I'm back from OR but a bit overloaded and tired. I have much to tell and a few pics of sheep/yarn/goodies to share but today I am resting. To those on the West coast - stay cool, to those on the East coast - stay dry. See you tomorrow.

bye bye Black Sheep

Mom left today for this thing called Black Sheep Gathering . I am left here to take care of the boy. Grandma will help. I have my hands full! She will be back on Sunday and hopes to post pictures on Monday morning. She got this cool picture phone to take along. Hmm, I wonder if she will bring me anything?
Home Dawg signing off.

FO parade

I put the hand sewing finishing touches on the Cabo Tank for Sew? I knit! That meant I could put all the sewing stuff away in my new caddy and clean off the dining room table. I then finished (I started it late Friday night) the little halter top for my cousin's little girl. Her birthday is coming up soon and I hope to get another one off the needles (next time in denim blue) in time to mail off to IL. Sunday while listening to the final round of golf I finished off the embossed leaves. My feet were cold and I put them right on. That's right - no washing/blocking in this house. Socks are made for feet! I wore them the rest of the day - even took the dog for a walk - and now they are in the handmade socks dirty laundry pile. I had delusions of grandure that I would show you a finished branching out scarf....... but not just yet. It is growing very long though. I give myself extra points for making it to the gym this morning - summer vacation and all. Just don't tell anyone it was at 10 instead of the usual 8 in the morning. Now off to get my cell phone upgraded.

Hi there KSKS buddy

The Knit Sock Kit Swap Questionnaire:
What are your favorite colors? Hmm, I would say jewel tones. Maroons, deep blues, forest greens, murky browns.
Are you a new sock knitter? How long have you been knitting socks? I have been knitting socks for less than 1 year - I have completed 6 pair.
Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? I switch off - but I am ready for some solid colors.
What fibers do you prefer in sock yarn? Anything but cotton (yuk)
Where do you usually knit socks? At home mostly, I have taken them to visit the mom and SIL. I am going on a road trip the weekend of the 24th and the sock will be coming along.
How do you usually carry/store small projects? I have a group of baskets that hold my current "on the needles." When we travel the sock goes into a ziploc bag.
What are your favorite sock knitting patterns? I have made straight St st, ribbed and lace. I would like to do a cable sock.
What are your favorite sock knitting techniques? I am a top-down sock knitter without toe-up mojo. I tried it once, and I didn't like the short row heel. I should give it a go again just because it makes so much sense when using partial skeins.
What new techniques would you like to try? I have bought the 40" circ to try the Magic Loop method. I just haven't worked up the courage yet.
Do you prefer circulars or dpns for sock knitting? I like both. I have been working the dpns lately and my next sock will be on 2 circs.
What are some of your favorite yarns? I have used Trekking XXL, Regia, handspun (my SIL's) and Rowan Cashsoft.
What yarn do you totally covet? I have heard so much about Koigu, Socks That Rock and Barefoot by Mountain Colors.
Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? sorry nothing comes to mind - I'm easy to please.
Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? Ah the Addi Turbos for my circs and Crystal Palace 6" bamboo for the dpns.
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? I am 100% wool. I may not have much give, and I can be scratchy at times, I wear well and stick around.
Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Nestle's Crunch or Rolo - yum.
What’s your favorite animal? dogs, all dogs, all breeds. I am a dog person.
Do you have pets? What are their species/names/ages? uh yep - a dog. She is a 3 yr old Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog. true, it is a breed http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/catahoula.htm
If you were a color what color would you be? a murky forest green.
Describe your favorite shirt (yours or someone else’s).. currently it is a green v-neck long sleeve fitted microfiber T.
What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature? This made me think. I decided on tree bark. It can be smooth, craggy or even peeling.
Tell me the best quote you’ve ever heard or read. This one I remember from H.S.
"Cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once" -- Julius Caesar
Do you have a wishlist? nope - it changes daily.

Not much knitting

going on around here. I have worked on my Sew? I knit! Cabo Halter. Unfortunately it is cloudy/damp here. I wonder if I will get much use out of it. Hmm, maybe I will knit a shrug to go with it. Oh - with the help of my lovely assistant (that would be mom) I have tracked down all the info on those crazy great stitch keepers. Go get one, or two or four! I need more. Have a great weekend. Last day of school/finals for my baby. A long, lazy summer awaits.

A Barbie for my birthday

That's right, I bought myself a Barbie for my birthday. Why you ask? To knit cool Barbie stuff of course! Now what did I do with that poncho pattern?......

Today is Flag Day!

Yep Flag Day is June 14th. Wikipedia defines it as "a day to fly the flag of the nation" but in this house it means it's my birthday! That's right the big 4-4. This wild woman has plans. (nothing like the Harlot's) I have lunch with mom, a trip to The Dollar Tree (no not for my present!) and maybe mom will let me go to Goodwill.
Huh mom? Can I?

Flag Day falls on June 14th every year. I have all sorts of flag stuff that I have collected or have been gifted throughout my life. When I was a little girl I asked my mom why all the flags were out and she told me it was for my birthday. I was such a beautiful child that everyone put out their flags for me. I thought this was great! Especially when July 4th came around and I was looking for more presents. :-) Enjoy your day, and fly your flag proud.

sock progress

Past the gussets and on to the foot! Aren't those the coolest point protectors? I got them at the spinning conference. Alice (one of the vendors) saw my dpn's poking through my bag and said "you need these" and I said "yes I do" and took them right out of the bag and put them on my needles and paid her on the spot. Uh that's why I can't tell you the name of them or how to get them. I will keep searching. They are little rubber caps connected with elastic. Great for the traveling sock. very gloomy rainy day in PNW - no natural light for picture taking.

Elvis called

Honestly he did. "Elvis" is the automated notification system for my library. When Elvis calls - I listen. It means I have a book ready to be picked up. I normally have several books on request ranging from novels, to knitting, to diet so it is always a surprise when I go to pick up my book. Which one will it be? This Saturday it was this book. Some cute stuff in there. No projects planned in the near future but my fav was the Baby Bolero. Alas, no one I know is with child. I had ordered some yarn to make this little number for a wee fashionista in the family, and it came this weekend. I am being a VERY good girl by not casting on until I finish my EB socks. I am at the heel turn of sock 2, and about 14" along on the branching out scarf. I noticed that when I lay the scarf on my arm (to admire my work) I really like the looks of it for a sleeve. Quirky, but pretty. I have an itchin' to make a top down raglan and I have scoped out a few child-sized ones to work first. I like to make a smaller version to boost my confidence before tackling a full size sweater project. Monday morning ritual must commence - ta ta.

WASL scores are in!

WASL scores came in the mail today. For those of you who do not live in WA state these tests are for all high school students graduating in 2008 or after. A student needs to pass these tests to graduate. My baby did it! First time out! Phew.

Not Today's Plan

I have this saying...."Today's plan is..." or even "that's today's plan" It just means that my ideas/plans for the future are only good for about 24 hrs at a time. Don't get me wrong - I don't waffle about things, I don't have a problem with commitment - I just realize that things are temporary. Today the plan was made for me and not by me. This morning brought my son tossing his cookies on the lawn prior to getting a ride to school. After that crisis was taken care of I get back home after 30 mins at the gym to a phone message from my mom. "call me as soon as you can, I need to go to the doctor" NOT good news. I left the house at 8 and didn't return until 2. Everyone feels better. Now excuse me while I go find a spot and knit awhile.

Guilty Pleasures

I don't like reality TV. I don't care who "survives". I don't watch people "race" around, and I have no need to "idol"ize. I do however have a guilty pleasure for the summer. So you think you can dance? I caught the tail end of this show last year and it helped pass the time. But I have been watching from the get-go this time and I hate to admit it - I'm hooked. Check it out tonight at 8/7c on your local Fox channel.

**and for those of you astute blog readers, yes I have an obsession with another reality-type TV show. The Biggest Loser and I are best buddies. More on that when fall comes around. Link is in the sidebar.

p.s. I posted a comment on The Yarn Harlot's blog yesterday (like #110 of 213) and this morning in my mailbox was a reply. From the Harlot! - I am still dancing around the house squealing :-)

Sew? I knit! update

I reached my goal yesterday to get my pattern pieces cut out. There they are. The Cabo pattern calls for 2 1/2 yds of fabric but I could have made do with only 2 yds. My fabric is non-directional though, so that could account for the extra. No worries I want to make a cute little bag to go with this. Today the sewing machine gets moved to the dining room table. Not long now before actual sewing occurs.

o6 o6 o6

To counteract any bad vibes that might come my way today I present pretty colors - and pretty soft stuff too. That is 1 completed Embossed Leaves sock (knit-to-fit) in Rowan Cashsoft green, and the start of a Branching Out scarf in Glimmer alpaca pink. I am not a pastel girl, I am not a pink girl, and I am definitely not a glitter girl. I like the deep rich color of jewel tones. The scarf however is for the Think Pink KAL for breast cancer. The Glimmer is 98% baby alpaca/3% polyester. I bought it at the NwRSA conference this past weekend. So soft and the pattern is working up much better than my previous adventure into lace. I hope all of you have a heavenly day ;- )

My Weekend

Phew, I am tired. I was non stop on Sat. I went with mom and SIL to The Tacoma Unit in Spanaway for a Mini-horse show. Too cute! Then we hit a farmer's market, had lunch at Knapp's and headed over to the Northwest Regional Spinners Association conference at the University of Puget Sound. (sorry Blogger is having fits and won't let me link right) We only spent the afternoon shopping the vendors and chatting with some of the spinners. SIL brought her wheel and mom and I brought our knitting but all we did was spend dollars. Oh well. We had fun.

My Little Patch of Sunlight

I have decided it is much easier to take a picture of a sock-in-progress on my foot when it is knitted on 2 circs. This just looks like foot torture. See this little patch of sunlight on my floor? That's it, that's all I have. It is upstairs in the bonus room and after I get all set to take the picture the batteries go out in the camera. So back downstairs for new batteries and then all ready to click away and we have the focused interest of the dog in the way. What are you doing mom? What is that on your foot? Let me smell it (with my cold nose) mom! Finally a pic for you of the Embossed Leaves knit #2. I am pleased to say that my idea to make these fit better is working. I knit the twisted rib on size 2 US, the leg portion on size 1.5 US (my usual size for sock knitting) and right after the heel turn I switched to size 1 US for the gussets and foot. It fits like a glove - er a sock :- )

Sew? I knit!

I joined the Sew? I knit! SAL. The new project of making a top starts today and I have all my stuff. I went with the Amy Butler Cabo Halter and a Amy Butler-ish type of fabric. The fabric is a cotton/lyra blend. It has nice stretch. It has been oh 12 years since I made a garment (not counting the sheep blankets) on a sewing machine. I was a big sewer when my son was little. I made pants and jammies and sweat outfits. The last time I made myself a garment I must have been in high school. I have a new machine and all my supplies and I am rearing to go. I did get sticker shock from the price of patterns but I caught a deal on the 40% off fabric.