Life is Better......at the Lake!

Yes it is!  My sister has a Lake House out at LBJ Lake.....she lets me use it one weekend in the spring/summer to invite my friends out to knit....we love it out there.  We went last year and again this year....there were fewer of us this year, but we still had a blast and the view was fantastic!!!

I posted on Facebook that SSK = Sip, Sip, Knit....then look at view and repeat!

Darlene and her brutal strength, completely sliced a wine bottle open for me:

I really wanted to use the time to finish my tour de sock socks....but the pattern just required too much thinking...and charting (on the leg, there are 3 charts and a legend that were not all on one page).....plus all the alcohol consumption probably was not helping my socks....but I loved it!  I did get some done...but just do not think there is any way I am going to finish them before 2 pm tomorrow.....who makes a pattern with 94 required leg rows?  and I am only on row 13 on one sock and I have to tink back to row 30 on the other  (I am on row 38 but forgot to do decreases starting at row 30)....so I have 146 rows to do today at lunch and tonight and lunch tomorrow....I doubt that will happen!

A week ago I said (and I quote) "I have way too much going on right now, but if I can make a serious dent in my Camp Loopy and Tour de sock projects...I may allow myself to cast on for Smooth Move"

Well, I cast on (the pic above) because I just could not focus on those tour de sock patterns and charts (I have to tink some rows) and Tami started on hers so I wanted to start on mine (she says in a 2 year old whinny voice)....Oh, and I got a picture of Tami after she jumped in the awesome lake!

I did get to the first color change.....It is awesome!

I worked on Camp Loopy but did not finish...I am more than 1/2 way and it is only the 9th...so I am good there!

I had a stash enhancement of my Barking Dogs Yarn Sock Club come last week...I love this color and may use it for a tour de sock sock....we will see, it is called Siesta!

I have to brag on my beautiful daughter!  She was put on facebook by her work....she got a raise (she just started like 2 months ago) and they love her work!  I am so super proud of her!

I leave you with some pictures of the lake and the ducks we met at the lake....and Darlene finished her Samadhi....she was so excited!  She worked her butt off on this during the lake house visit!  Congrats!

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!

Hoppy Belated Easter!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter!  I was looking forward to doing an Easter Egg hunt with Antonio, but his dad had him this past weekend so I just got to give him his Easter basket and clean his mouth and hands of chocolate.....ha, ha!

The good news is that it made for some great knitting time!  Last week, I ordered some yarn from a friend.  I think you have heard me talk about Stacie from MustStash podcast and she owns MustStashSop.  She has some Perfect Sock yarn (and I do mean it is perfect) in a colorway called Anna & Elsa from the new Disney movie called "Frozen".  Well, Celeste is obsessed with this movie and loves all the songs and everything.  So I got some of this yarn and I wanted to make Celeste and her mother a matching pair of socks.

This yarn is my new favorite sock yarn....it is so scrumptious to knit with...I love it!  I ordered the yarn on Tuesday and had it Wednesday (Thank you Stacie!!!!).  I cast on that night and I finished the first sock on Saturday evening.  I was even knitting on them during bike night....Jaime spoils me and lets me take my knitting and a chair to events like this......I was going to do them two at a time, but I could not bear to break this perfect yarn....So I started the second one in pretty much the same spot of the yarn!.  And Stacie put in a snowflake stitch marker with a lobster claw that is too cute.  I put the first sock on a size small sock blocker so you can see it stretched out...but it is just a kids's size sock with an almost 3" leg.  I really think Celeste will love these.  I hope to finish the second sock this week.

I also finished my Hiya Hiya Diamondoid socks....in the Mochren (orange) colorway in wollmeise twin sock yarn.  I love them.

I plugged away a little on the Silver Fern Scarf for the first leg of the Miss Babs Knitting tour....I only have 24 more repeats and I will be done.....which is a good thing because I need it done before the end of April......the new craziness in my life is another shawl.....yup, you heard me right.  Darlene was on facebook one night and found this pattern and tagged me and then a few others commented to make it an official KAL for our SNB group so who am I to say no?  So I said Yes!  The pattern is called Spire and it is by Leila Raabbe.  I am using a skein of Wollmeise lace in the Confident Colorway....Darlene and I started during lunch today.  It is a bit fidly to start.  Mine is not even the size of a quarter yet.  You have to do a circular cast on and then you start off with only 8 stitches...but I am determined to get this baby going!

I know it sounds like I always blame these bright ideas on Darlene.  While this shawl was her fault, sometimes it is me and she goes along willingly....this time, not only did she go along willingly....she made us each special project bags to put this project in.....and, she is offering up a set of these project bags to one lucky winner of the KAL.  The bags are soooooooo cute and have matching zipper pulls!  There was one lady that really wanted to make the Leaves of Grass Shawl instead so we made the KAL to include pretty much any pattern from the Brooklyn Tweed LOFT Collection.....so if any of you out there want to win these two cute bags or just want to be crazy like me and start another shawl.....please feel free to join us!!!!  You can always make a hat or gloves, but try to challenge yourself and make something from the collection that is challenging for you!

These Bags by AwesomeGrannie are the best ever....and remember, there should be an announcement about Darlene, aka AwesomeGrannie, really soon!

Oh....and I have a stash enhancement......I heard about a lady name Cate that teaches Tibetan woman in China's Qinghai Province how to hand spin in China.  She has lots of hand spun yarn at reasonable prices.  I ended up getting some Helix, and while this is a mill spun, the dying is just beautiful.  The color is called Autumnal and it is no secret that it is the color of yarn that was calling my name....perfect pops of burnt orange all around.  The shop is called Infinite Twist....it is interesting to read about and see the pictures of the women spinning the yarn.....

Oh, and the last yarn related item of the week....do you remember going to the library and having to go to the catalog to find the book you wanted and where it was located?  And they had all those cards in those drawers......well, if anyone knows where all the libraries disposed of those card cabinets or a carpenter that can make me one....here is the best use ever for them.....I wish I had one!

I also have to brag just a bit.....remember I told you Paige was going to Barber College?  Well, she graduated back in February....but she was just recently able to take her practical exam (the March class was full) and she passed.....she has applied for her license (they really just want you to send them money) and she should have her license this week......I am soooooo proud of her.  I took her out to eat at her favorite restaurant last Tuesday.....She posted her test and a shout out to me on her Instagram.....I love this girl so much!!!!

Well, I think that is pretty much all I have for this week......I leave you with Aunty Acid......

Happy Happy Happy Knitting everyone.......

Moving Stinks!

How was everyone's Thanksgiving?  I had a great Thanksgiving with family, but the days before and after were crazy pants!  I have not posted in 2 weeks and I am very sorry.  Last week was a short week at work for me.  I was off Wednesday, Thursday (Turkey day of course) and Friday....then my regular Saturday and Sunday off and I was in chaos for 5 days.  Did I knit a lot you ask?  How many projects did I finish you ask?  The answer is a big fat NONE!

So....what was I doing you ask?  Moving!  and it STINKS!

I worked harder these last 5 days than I have worked in my last 5 years!  No joke!  I wish I had lots of pictures to show you, but the truth is that I was just too exhausted to remember to even take pictures.

I hurt my foot sometime Saturday (the movers were doing the heavy furniture moving on Saturday).  I have no clue what I did and I do not know why it is just my left foot and not both feet.....but my left foot is super swollen and very hard to walk on.  I took this picture late Saturday (I think, it is all kind of a blur), and I think the swelling got a little worse, then I put ice on it and it has stayed the same.

In the midst of moving craziness, I did ask my BF, Darlene, to text me at certain times so I could sign up for a yarn club.  My favorite designer, Martina Behm, is doing a yarn club for 2014.  It is a little pricey, but she is my favorite designer and I knew if I did not sign up, I would regret it later.  Jaime said he wanted to get me this yarn club as a Christmas Present.....he is so awesome!  Anyway, Darlene texted me at all the right times and I was able to get a membership (here if you are interested).  I am super excited and I cannot wait for February to get here for the first shipment.

Prior to the moving craziness....I had a bit of a scare from my daughter.  I get this text out of the blue from her that says "Mom thank god I'm okay".  So I am thinking to myself, "Holy cow she has been an a car accident!" (this just after I have a long talk with her that the insurance is going up because of all her fender benders).  I call her right away and send texts at the same time to see what happened.  Turns out a car drove into her school....seriously.  A suburban was in the middle of the school and thankfully my daughter is fine and was on the other side of the school doing a hair cut.  You can read about it here.

Oh, and some really great news is that I did not need to move Tito with us to the 'new' house (it's not really new, but if I call it the old house then it gets too confusing).  Paige's friend took him and things are much calmer in the dog area than before.  I do miss him (sometimes), but I am glad he found a good home as I just could not give him the patience and attention he deserved.

So my blog is a little here and there today but that kind of matches how I have been the past few days....disorder and lack of organization....but we did end up sleeping at the 'new' house Saturday night.  Antonio's dad watched him from Thursday to Saturday evening so we could get as much moving done as possible (it was a great help).  Paige's TV in her room is not working yet, so she and Antonio came to my room and we decided to have breakfast in bed (Paige went to Chachos as we do not have a working stove or microwave yet)....here is my handsome grandson having breakfast in my bed....and then later after he found my q-tips (Don't worry, I made him take them right out after I snapped the picture as I did not want him walking around with anything sticking out of his ears).

Lastly, I leave you with a picture for all my OCD friends....I have OKD.....and I think I have a few friends that have both of these disorders!  Ha, Ha!!!

Happy Happy Knitting!!!

Good morning!  I have gotten a bit of some knitting mojo back.  I finished my January socks, just in the 'knit' of time for the Sock Knitters Anonymous group.

I got a touch of startitis, and I started a new scarf for my cousin's daughter, Lena.  They live in Germany.  Lena had told me a few months back that she wears a scarf every day and that she likes scarves with 'thick wool'.  So I went stash diving and found 3 skeins of Malabrigo worsted weight in Deja Vu colorway.  I am holding it double to make it 'really thick'.  I am also doing this scarf on size US15 needles, so it goes really quick.  I ordered 2 more skeins (I think it will take 4 to finish the scarf) and with the one extra, I am going to make a matching cabled hat.  The pattern is from a lady on my LSSK group...she is awesome and always makes the greatest patterns.  It is called the Austin Slouchy Cable Beanie.  I have not started it yet, but it will be awesome when done.  Here is the scarf (I started on Sunday and it is going really quick):

My SNB group all finished their Lazy Girl Shawls.  I am especially proud of Erin and Carol who each finished in the last hours......and Erin won the prize of multicolored yarn that Raquel donated, along with the stitch markers that Jo made.  Congrats Erin!

I am not sure if I have mentioned this on my blog, but my daughter started Barber College.  She wants to be a barber and work her way through College to get her accounting degree.  Anyway, she decided to cut Antonio's hair this weekend.  It was his first hair cut and her first performance of a hair cut.....he did a lot of wiggling and 'not staying still'.  She cut the palm of her hand (those are some sharp scissors) but she got it all done.  It made his hair even curlier than before.  I love his deep blue eyes and curly hair!

Lastly I leave you with the cutest picture of Dory from Finding Nemo.  When I watch Antonio, we watch Finding Nemo A LOT!  I love the part where Dory says "Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming...." and I often sing it to Antonio.  Well, another lady from LSSK found this and I just had to steal it....Thank you Alice!

Happy Tuesday everyone!