Are you Ready for 2016?

Hi everyone......Can you believe that 2016 is just a few days away?  I hope you had a fabulous Christmas, I know I did!  I will share some pictures at the end of this post.

Fair warning...this post will have lots of pictures!

Okay....lets start with something super exciting for me.....I think most of you know I have a few patterns here on my blog that are free.  Well one lady made my Toe Up Double Gusset On the Bottom Sock pattern and she tagged me on Instagram!  I know, that is probably not very exiting for you, but it is super exciting for me.  That pattern has had almost 7,000 hits and there are 62 projects....so for little ole me...that is a pretty big deal!

Okay, on to the knitting.....let me start with stash enhancements...I got the yarn for the Converse socks/slippers I am going to make my aunt that I told you about last week...now from the black and white, only 1/2 the skein is mine because I am splitting them with Darlene.

Then,  one of my LYS was having a sale before inventory and my friend was going there...she picked me up a skein of black sock yarn by Vice....it is their Paradigm and it is 150 grams and 500 yards....I am always wearing black, so I can always use this as a contrast in socks or in a shawl or anything!

It was $21.88 on sale from $31.25 but there was another percentage off and it came out to $15....you cannot beat that!

I also got a rock....Yup, a rock.  The same lady that crocheted the hippos for me and Darlene showed me a picture of this smooth rock that she crocheted around...I loved it, so I bought it from her...it will be a paperweight in my office....I really love it!

Lastly, I got this awesome cowl/wrap from a great friend in Indiana...it has the cutest Dachshunds on it...her name is Shawna aka KNIT4BEER....Darlene, Shawna and I are like the 3 crazy Musketeers....so like the 3 stooges!  Thank you Shawna!

Okay....on to the knitting

I finished the socks for my niece!

I also finished the last project for my Loopy Academy 1st semester of my Sophomore Year....the Smushion pillow:

Then, I worked on Chris' socks....now these socks started because of a pair of black socks I made like this for Paige....now that I am making the grey for Chris.....Paige says now she wants a pair in grey too....so I will start another pair soon...not sure when as I have lots going on...but soon.

I think that is it on the knitting front....I have lots going on and I know I will be casting on lots in the new year.

1.  mitts for my cousin in Germany
2.  mitts for Antonio in rainbow color
3.  DVD sock of the month (I will use the Flintstones colorway)
4. the Karee Shawl...this will be a KAL in the Bags by AwesomeGrannie ravelry group
5. the grey socks for Paige.

I think 2016 will be a big sock year for me!

Speaking of socks....I wanted to share a picture of my sister's socks....meaning my sister is knitting these socks!  I knitted the toes for her, but you can see she has almost one one stripe on her own.

Now that we are saying good bye to 2015, I wanted to check on my goals....all in all, I pretty much sucked at meeting my goals, but as my MAIN goal for 2015...I met it.  The goal was to knit more than I did in 2014 and I did that.  I knit 10.1 miles in 2014 and I have already knit 11.2 miles this year and that does not count Chris's socks or the yardage I have done on the Doodler (that I still want to finish).....so my goal for 2016 will be the same...to knit more than 2015...we will see if I can do it!

Okay.....Here is your picture overload from the holidays!  I did not get to see Alexxis or Baby Mario, but I saw the other grand kids!

Antonio spent the night with me Wednesday evening...and I woke up to him telling me he loved me....so sweet!

My Nephew and Niece, Sean and Grace:

My beautiful daughter, Paige:

Celeste:

Cataleya (with Precious and Baby too):

Antonio:

Happy New Year and Happy Happy Knitting Everyone!

18 days left.....are you ready?

Hello everyone...there are only 18 days left till Christmas.....are you ready?

I AM NOT!

But I am trying......I am just going to jump into what I have been working on......

I started some socks for a Christmas present for my niece, Grace!  Now, I have had a lot of people ask me how I make socks....so I put up a new free pattern on my blog here....it is not really a step by step pattern, but more of a recipe....it is how I almost always do my plain vanilla socks...I hope you enjoy the pattern as much as I do.....Here are the socks for Grace.

I worked on my mitts (so close to being done!)

and I mostly worked on the fingerless mitts for Darlene's daughter, Shyla.....

Now, I still need to start Paige's boyfriend a pair of baggy socks...but I was waiting on the yarn....and it came in!  Louise from Biscotte Yarns always does such a lovely job of packaging the yarn!  This yarn is soooooooo soft, I highly recommend it!

I also got a couple more Hiya Hiya Swap packages

The first is from Stacie aka knittingchic on ravelry.....Her package was so wonderful....she made me stitch markers and a bag for me...thank you so much Stacie....I can see the extra time you put into the package to give it just the right touch....thank you!!!

The second was from Jennifer at BugBear Woolens....she picked out the perfect color (Hook em Horns!) for me and look at the darling sweater ornament and some lovely tea....thank you Jennifer!  I love your yarn so much!

I also got Destination 4 of the Miss Babs Knitting Tour....it is Sydney Australia....800 yards of Katahdin in the Sydney Colorway, with beads, and a fleegle beader.....wow....great package!

I got my newest set of Northern Light needles from Dyakcraft...these were the Silver Northern light Needles, that they had dipped in nickel and polished like Nickel needles....you can see at the bottom that the line from the screw in tip is gone...these are going to be awesome to knit with!

I also got my secret santa package.....JoAn in Austin was my secret sister and she got me all kinds of goodies....A burlap Longhorn bag, Caron Simply soft yarn in a burnt orange colorway, two knitting books...one called Wire Knits and one called 60 Quick Knits, there is some Ghiradelli Chocolate, finishing needles, some split lock stitch markers and some Bernat Boa Yarn in beautiful Pink.  Thank you JoAn!

Last on my stash enhancement list......I am sure you all know that I knit at work during lunch every work day...there is a group of about 6 of  us....and we had a new one join us last week....her name is Amy....she did some practicing and then was ready to go....so Darlene and I started her on a weigh it shawl...Darlene brought in some Miss Babs Yowza for her to pick from and so did I....she liked my Mad Hatter colorway so she took that..but I loved Darlene's Deep Sea Jellyfish.....so we kind of did a swap....I no longer have the Mad Hatter, but I have this beauty!

Oh, and here is the start to Amy's shawl....she picked it up super quick (even if she was too hard on herself).

Well....that is really all I have.  I have lots of knitting to do this week so hopefully I have more pictures to show you next week....I leave you with a Genius Minion request to Santa! I am so in love with Self Striping socks...that I never thought of a Self Cleaning House!!!

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!!!

San Antonio Fiber Retreat 2015

This past weekend was SAFR 2015.....it was the 2nd Annual retreat......I had such a great time!  I have tons of pictures to show you, but I will do a massive insert at the end of this blog post.

I knitted on quite a few things this week.....but mostly socks.......

I finished my 'burberry' pair, which is now Paige's pair because she loves them.  I have ordered more yarn to make me some more....

I started a pair of rainbow socks.....I love this yarn....Manic Pixie Zoey Base....Darlene bought me this yarn and I love it!

And I worked a little on my loopy academy socks...

What?  There was a new bag you saw?  Why yes there was.....my birthday is this coming Wednesday and as part of my gift from Darlene, she gave me some new bags (yes, she will have them in her shop!)  I am using the medium bag for the rainbow socks above....and I also got a full set below....

I love these bags....they have cherries on them and cherries on the inside...there is even a cute scottie dog on them....so cute!  Thank you Darlene!  You are too good to me....

I also got a happy sunflower one......If you do not smile looking at this bag....there may be something wrong with you......I love the bees and the sunflowers!

I worked a little on the weigh it shawl

Last week I showed you my boxy...but it was not in a matching bag...well, I now have it in a bag that I think matches much better!!!  I also was not sure I was going to have enough yarn so I had to acquire a little more of this yarn....Darlene ordered it and it came in....it looks like it matches, but I think I am going to cake it up and alternate skeins just to be safe.

I started the Strickmich!Club shipment number 1 project...it is called Thousand Tulips

For stash enhancements I have not mentioned yet.....I got a new t-shirt......it did not make it in time for me to wear it to the retreat...but I still love it!

I also got a new skein of Wollmeise Blend int he Confident colorway...this is the same type of yarn I am doing the Martina Behm Strickmich!Club 2015 first package with...but it is a darker red colorway.

I also bought a spindle.....it is very pretty (even if I do not know anything about spinning)!

I decided to give spinning a try during the retreat....Jeanette of The Book Stitcher Podcast helped me get started...(no laughing!)

Yesterday, after I got home, I started a new hat for Antonio....he wants another Ninja Turtle hat in Blue....I think Orange will be next!

I think that is it for me for the week of knitting....now I will kill you will tons of pictures at the retreat.....enjoy!  Some of these pictures are mine, but I also stole quite a few that other ladies posted on FB.

Happy Happy Knitting!