Knitphomaniac Turns Hooker...

Ha, Ha, Ha, like my title?  I better be careful not to turn my blog into an X rated blog....but we all hear about how Crocheters are 'Hookers' because they use a 'needle' with a hook on the end.......well, I have kinda turned into a semi crocheter....at least I have been crocheting a lot this past week and I have really enjoyed it!  It has been super wet and rainy here in SA (some flooding around the city) so it made for lots of staying inside and crocheting/knitting.

First, I finished Antonio's blanket made with Knit Picks Bulky Brava Held Double:

Then, I wanted to make another.....with the Bernat Blanket yarn.  I am about 1/2 way done with the 7th stripe....I made this one wider since it will be for ME!!  However, I think Precious thinks it is all for her....LOL!

I see more of these blankets in my future...they crochet up very quickly and are very soft!

I have a few stash enhancements....DVD yarn....I got 3 skeins (so it looks like I might be doing the sock a month club again next year).  From left to Right....Winnie The Pooh, Spice Market, and Melted....the Melted is a varigated color, but I love it!

Susan at DVD has a contest each month where you give her ideas of whatever she is asking and then she picks some and if she picks you, you win a skein of the colors you recommended....for December it was "Favorite Book".  So I recommended "Friday Night Knitting Club" and I won!!!!  I do not have this yarn yet....but I am hoping to get it early in the new year....Yahoo!!!

I also started my sock for December's sock a month with DVD...this is called Wine Accents....This is a sparkle base...and it is the first time I have ever knit with a sparkle base...at least I think it is..LOL!

Let's see.....what else did I do.....Oh, I did a little more reorganizing in my Yarn Room and it prompted me to pull out Paige's sweater that she washed and said was all wonky now....well, I re-soaked it and re-blocked it, and I think it will be fine....I can feel where it shrunk a little (and you can see by the ruffle in the edges) but the think was so darn huge, that I think this will still be wearable for her.

I also came across some Pearl Yarn from years ago and I am not sure if these two match.  Darlene says one color is a bit darker but I should be fine if I alternate skeins...but I am not even sure if it is the same weight yarn ??  What do you guys think?

Lastly....I worked on Paige's sweater...The first picture is of how deep her pockets will be....the second picture is of all 3 pieces (curling stockinette)....I did break the news to her that I did not think this would be done in time for Christmas....and she was okay with that (but I still want to just get it done!)

Well, I think that is all I did except hang out with Antonio.....we went to a new donut place by my house....he got chocolate with tiny circle sprinkles....I hope you all have a fabulous week....Just 19 days till Christmas.

Happy, Happy, Happy Knitting everyone!

Hello, Hello, Hello, Hello.......

I have lots of things to say Hello to this past week......Hello November, Hello Time Change, Hello Cooler Weather, Hello Deer Hunting Season! :)

Can you believe it is already November?  Where does the time go?  I love this time of year's time change when I get an extra hour :)

I am going to jump into stash enhancements...but be sure to stay with me till the end as you do not want to miss Celeste's, Cataleya's and Antonio's Halloween costumes they wore last Monday!

My first Stash enhancement was technically a Christmas Present, but I guess it was just meant to be an early Christmas Present.  Let me explain, both Darlene and I watched a new podcast called The Yarn Hoarder and on her 2nd video (not technically an episode) she does a Rhinebeck Recap and shows this awesome basket woven looking leather tote.....I just had to get one...so I looked up Long Ridge Farms and contacted them...they had some (yeah!).  I asked Darlene if she liked them and she said she did....so (after much talking with the lady selling them) I ordered a black one for me and a red one for Darlene.....the next day right after the lady sent me my tracking number, Darlene sends me a message and says that she contacted them and they have more totes...she is buying one and do I want to get one too?   GRRRRRRR!!  I reply with (and I quote):

"no!!!!!  dont!!!!!  I just bought you one for Christmas.....I hate you!"

Oh well, so much for a Christmas present....but it was meant to be because there was no way I could have waited till Christmas to use mine....so it is best that I just gave it to her early.  She loves it and I am thrilled that she loves it (and she knows I do not hate her)!!!

Oh, and the totes were wrapped with orange tissue paper...it was like the lady knew me....LOL!

Then, I got some more of my Instagram Prizes from Susan at Desert Vista Dyeworks....I got 10 mini skeins and a Sweet Pea Pod.....I only have 2 more prizes to get and that is a DVD tote and a skein of DVD yarn....Yahoo!!!  Thank You Susan for all your generosity!

Oh, and since I am a leggings junkie....I got some new ones.  These are especially for Hunting Season and I wore them all weekend and plan on wearing them most of next weekend :)  they are super comfy!

Oh, and remember that tea that Maggie from FireFlyFibreArts?  I am in LOVE with the double spice chai black tea....I had it last night before bed:

Well, since this is a knitting blog....let me get on to the knitting.  So, over the past couple of weeks I have tried to knit on only 3 (sometimes only 2) things....and while it does help get progress done on those things you are working on....I feel like I have less and less to show here on my blog.

I worked on the "this is taking forever and it feel like it is not growing" black sweater, but as stated last week, I will not show you a picture every week.  I also worked on the back panel of Paige's sweater (mostly because I kind of still have no clue how to do those pockets)....the back panel is about 25 1/2" wide...so this will be more like and XXL sweater....but I put it around her and she is well aware of how large it will be.  Worst Case scenario....I keep this sweater and start a new one for her :)

Then I started my November Socks.....I finished my October socks on 10/17 and cast on my November socks 11/5...that is 18 of no sock knitting and I really, really missed it.  I had other socks to knit on, I just didn't...and when I cast these on, I realized how much I missed knitting socks!

Then....Darlene struck again!  She has been thinking of doing a crocheted chevron blanket with bulky yarn....well, we all know that I have to be like her and she has to be like me and we have to do what the other one is doing....LOL!  So, I thought I would try to make one too...this will be for Antonio because he just loves anything I make for him....I had this yarn at home to start with, but I have some more coming from Knit Picks...it is Brava Bulky held double and a size P hook....you can see I messed up on the red a couple of times.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that I won some yarn!  Yup....on IG with my friend Mary....we are each getting 5 skeins of Zealana Performa RIMU DK yarn.......I am so excited...Mary texted me this morning and the package is already in SA!

Well, that is all I have....I hope to have more for you next week since I will be at the lease with Jaime from Thursday to Sunday!

Here are those promised Halloween pictures along with one fun knitting picture!

This is Celeste with Paige's new boyfriend Chris (yes, he last boyfriend's name was Chris too):  Chris has known Celeste since she was born because he is great friends with Erich.

Here I am taking pictures of them taking pictures of themselves:

This is what it looks like while they take the pictures:

And here is the one of the pictures she took (flip screened of course)!

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!

Viva Fiesta San Antonio!!!!!!!!!

It is the 125th year of Fiesta here in San Antonio!  This is a wonderful days filled with tons of events!  You can check it out here.

How have you been!  I hope you have had a fabulous week filled with everything your heart desired!

I am going to jump right into stash enhancements....remember I told you I was waiting on some yarn from Knit Picks for a blanket for Paige?  Well, it arrived....but I have started the blanket yet (shhhhhh, don't tell her...LOL)!

I got the final part of my prize from the Down Cellar Studios Podcast Pigskin Party winnings....stitch markers!  Thank you IsnknitCharming!  The stitch markers are very pretty!

Darlene asked Jeanette from the Bookish Stitcher Podcast to pick us up some Must Stash yarn while she was at the DFW Fiber Fest....and the did....Eeyore's Rainbow.....I love it!

My last stash enhancement are some needles....these are the new ChiaoGoo Sock interchangeable needles....I did not buy the whole set (You guys know I love to do two at a time socks but on separate needles) so I got two pairs of the 2.5 mm (size US 1.5) plus some of the small accessories to go with them:

Now, what do you think should happen if one acquires new sock yarn and new sock needles?  Yup, you guessed it....Cast on some new socks!

I do like these needles....my Dyakcraft Heavy Metal Sock Interchangeable needles will probably always be my favorites...but these are a nice, affordable alternative.

So, as for the knitting....you a,ready know I started a pair of socks....and I continued to work on my April Socks....I am doing a new to me heel and I really like it...I have one heel done and one that I just started:

I also worked on my test knit...I need to get with it on this...I was hoping to finish by end of the month, but it is not looking good :(

The last thing I worked on is my 3 color cashmere shawl....these rows are crazy long (I think I am at 457 stitches for one row...and they are still increasing)...I am 1/2 way through the lace part...I kind of wanted to see if I could finish it this past weekend...but as you can see, that did not happen....I feel the 'need' to finish something!

That is pretty much all I have on the knitting front.....Antonio did come over this week and insisted on a selfie with Ga-Ma!

We also had a pretty bad hail storm...My area did not get it as bad as other areas...but I did get some golf balled sized hail:

That is all I have.....have a great week!

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!