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Finally, a brand spankin’ new DSLR is on it’s way to my home. So very long in the coming!

I used all my own money$ from teaching classes at Knit & Pearl as well as designing (and selling the rights to) a sock pattern specifically for Santa Barbara tourist sock kits that Julie is going to be putting together.
That gave me the money to wantonly & wistfully buy my very own camera!

Fujifilm Finepix S9100, 9.0 megapixel

In knitting news, I finished Wicked using Misti Cotton & will put up pictures once I get some taken. It will be the last pictures I post from my old camera. I also finished the felted ballerina slippers for my nieces in grass green & royal blue. They will be so pleased! Now if I could just get them mailed off!

Cherry on top socks, blocking

Stitch detail on the foot/instep

Stitch detail on the leg

These were a fast & fun pair of socks to make. I used a heavier weight yarn, Cidermoon Glacier that I bought from The Loopy Ewe, on a size 2 Addi lace 32″ needles. Using magic loop method, I knit both at once. A 2 day pair of socks! My gauge was a bit tighter than the recommended 5.5sts/inch. I got 7 sts/inch. Cast on of only 48 sts & voila! A pair of socks. This would be a great pair of socks for a beginner sock knitter with just a little bit of fun, eyelet detail but nothing too scary. I will write out the pattern & post it for free on the sidebar soon.

Of course, I loved the Addi’s. They are my new favority needles & I can’t wait for K&P to get more in so I can keep hording them. The taper on the tips helps the sts move along smoothly, no catching or bunching. The cable is that perfect mixture of smooth but grippy. My sts don’t want to wander across the magic loop to join their other half.

The yarn, the yarn was fabulous! I have another hank of Glacier in the Silver Pine colorway & I do believe it might get cast on next. It didn’t split, it was smooth and flew across the needles.

All in all, a great pair of socks!

Sock Marathon mileage now up to: 1.62 miles with 3.38 miles left to go.
That is 11 pair of socks= only 1.62 miles. How sad is that? And I gave myself a goal of 5 miles by July15th. No way can I do that. I would have to keep up on my pair in 2 or 3 days & that is just not so fun. I should have some fun while doing it so I think I will just do what I do & enjoy my socks.

Only because I love Christine so much will I respond to her tag & give you 8 random things about myself:

1~ I lived in Turkey for almost 2 years when I was a tween. That is where I learned to knit.

2~ My mom taught me how to crochet when I was 10 & hated it. Once I got out of the house I loved it ;o) Such a rebel.

3~ I was born at 30 weeks. Tiny little thing just 4 lbs. If you can’t tell that means I was just as impatient then as I am now. Nothing has changed.

4~ I had a mohawk as a teenager. But I only wore it up when I was in the city hanging out with all the ‘cool punk rock kids’. Never at home with my real friends.

5~ I own my dream car. mercedes e320 wagon

6~ I stay in my pj’s most of the day. But once I do leave the house expect to see me in heels/wedges and dressed like I work 9-5 when we all know I work 24/7/365 with no real breaks. Damn the invention of the cell phone.

7~ I have 5 sets of tattoos. (how do you count the number of tattoos you have? By each individual drawing or the group that is done at the time? The 5 sets is by groups done at each visit to the artist)

8~ I was diagnosed with bulemia nervosa after 9 years of torturing myself and having a string of car accidents. The car accidents were caused by mini seizures happening in my brain from malnutrition. With proper nutritional counseling and a wonderful husband I have been ‘normal’ for over 10 years. Lucky me I have pericardium spasms that persist to this day.

I won’t tag anyone but if you feel the need to do your own 8 random things leave me a comment & let me know so I can check them out!

And they are too big. The lace makes them too big on my legs. I had a feeling but I followed the pattern for the gauge hoping they would fit. Gauge matches. Oh well. Into the gift drawer they go. Possible birthday present for my mom. The pattern was simple & fun enough (I finished them in 3 days) that I may make myself another pair on smaller sized needles. Lord knows I have enough sock yarn to choose from!

With the depression of them not fitting I cast on for another pair that I know would fit, my own pattern. I am using CiderMoon Glacier weight yarn in the color Cherry on Top on size 2 Addi lace needles.

I did all that yesterday after finishing the monkey’s in the morning. Fast & easy. Now, that is not ribbing. It’s an eyelet pattern every 4 rows in a column. Once they are further along past the gussett’s I will try them on & take a picture for more stitch defenition. But just know my goal is to finish them today ;o)

I also did my swatch for the adult size February sweater.

Atacama Alpaca, color 504, from bottom to top on sizes 9, 8, and finally 7 made me happy.
Those are all sts I might need gauge on to start the EPS pattern writing. For now that is as far as it’s going. I need to get a few other things done & then it’s goin’ on the needles, dude.

I finished the February sweater, from Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitters Almanac, last night and LOVE IT! Hopefully I will be adapting it to an adult size soon so I can use some of my new Atacama Alpaca yarn on it.

I followed EZ’s pithy instructions exactly wiht no alterations. I love that her system is that simple. Just read along & voila a sweater appears at the end!

I have worked on another project I recently acquired the yarn for at BB’s closing sale.
Summer tweed & Interweave Crochet

And I have 4 of the 6 leg repeats done on the Watercolor Monkey socks. I took the picture earlier today before I got so far along.

It looks like the yarn is going to be doing the spiral thing but with this pattern & both doing it at the same time, same direction I really don’t care. Perfect pattern to have it happen.

World, please give a warm round of applause for Marin & baby Ember Isabelle!

Congratulations to your beautiful family, congratulations on having a successful and joyous home birth!

Our love & Prayers are with your family in this time of great happiness!

I am feeling rather proud of myself for starting Stacy’s sweater & working solely on it until it was completed (other than the random rows of knitting on the tofutsie sock which is in my purse at all times). So I thought as a treat I would start a new, fun pair of socks. How ’bout some watercolor monkeys?

I am still working on the February sweater. I am now thinking it will go to Marin’s new baby girl, born last night while we were all at knitting group, Ember Isabelle. Cutest thing ever! I do believe Peter posted the email with her pics over at the santabarbaraknitters yahoo group for those of you that are members. My goal will be to get it done so I can swing by this next week (after seeing li’l Toby at Suzanne’s) and drop it off.  Babies popping out all over the place! So glad I am done but can enjoy all of them from afar ;o)

Next up, serious focus on the twins slippers. Actually, I do believe I will go cast on.

This is the sweater I just finished for my sister Stacy.

I used ElizabethZimmerman’s generic in the round percentage system. Adding the cabling & ribbing actually gave me a lot of ease. That is Sadie wearing it for the photo, she is a girls size 12. Stacy is a junior size 1. Not too far off in size really. And, there is plenty of room left to stretch on Sadie. As of now, I am thinking it’s going to fit smashingly! I will try to get her to take a picture of it on. I won’t hold my breath though.

cotton picnic blanket, 30 squares of 144 planned. It measures 27″ by 34″ currently.
This is the center of the blanket (obviously) and the rest of the squares will be multi-colored, like the one below. No 2 the same. Some will have every round different colors, some will have mulitple rounds the same color. Whatever strikes my fancy at the time.

40 more squares ready to be joined by their colourful friends
I am really enjoying this blanket still. It’s so fun to crochet every single square a different color mix. It’s endless really.

Now for some sugar

this is one giant ball of sugar ‘n’ cream cotton yarn for dishcloths. It’s 12 oz to be exact, for $7.99 from Michael’s. They had about 12 colors on hand, ombre & solid colors. Great deal for an immediate fix of cotton but it’s still a better yarn, better quantity, better price over at Peaches & Creme.

Envirosax from Delight.com.

I have used them everyday since I got them in the mail last Friday. I used them to haul my Mother’s day gifts around in. I used them at the grocery store today, I used them to haul around some of the kids stuff. They are brilliant! Great large size, strong material, wide handles that can go on your shoulder or you can carry it in your hand without it being too long. Each bag holds at least 2 grocery bags’ worth of stuff. For a total of just over $42 it’s a great bargain for 5 bags plus the carrying case as compared to the grocery store reusable bags that are bulky & cost $10 a piece.

And hello!! How cute are they??