Monday, September 21, 2009

and so the new school year begins... again~

So here we are... at the beginning of my 25th (consecutive)year in school~ I remember when hitting senior year in high school was a BIG deal~ I wonder if there is a world record for consecutive years in school? just saying~

So I forgot to publicly (on my blog public)... thank my Malabrigo Swap (round 7? 8?) partner Mercourier who sent me an awesome Second City themed package...
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It was filled with all kinds of awesome- including 2 hand knit items: a pair of flippy top mittens (the best kind there is!), and an adorable Monster named Frances who now is the guardian of my computer desk. It also included... 3 mini bars of Vosges chocolates, 2 flavored sugars, local Honey, homemade cherry jam, handmade knitting themed mug, local yarn (Liberty Farms in MI), a hand dyed Silk scarf, handmade buttons, Malabrigo Worsted in Forest- and Malabrigo Sock- in Aguas (which is a new colorway). This package was filled with all kinds of awesome~ and I'm soo grateful for the thoughtfulness of each item- Thanks Sam!

On the knitting front... I haven't been finishing much- its starting to give me an itch to cast off!
some projects from the last month or so~
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Pattern: Heart and Sole by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Toddy- from the Yarn Yard in the Pillar box red colorway
Notes: this was the... May/June shipment from the Socktopus sock club. The pattern is very clever- and interesting and fits AWESOME~ but I had issues with the yarn- it wasn't as smooshy as I'd like and it didn't have alot of "give" It made my hands hurt to work with it. However, after a month of frequent wear- the socks still look good- so that means something good about the yarn (in my book)
I gifted these to my grandma (the lady who taught me to knit)... and she loves them (hurray!) She's wearing them whenever I go to visit her (even unannounced!)

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Pattern: Horcux Socks by SusanLawrence
Yarn: Cascade 220 Paints Superwash
Needles: KA DPN's size 7
Notes: this pattern is awesome- I knit these socks up in 2 days!!! Seriously! (and no I wasn't knitting them day and night!
My grandmother likes them- but she finds the yarn slippery on our hard wood floors I'm going to have to get some puffy paint for the bottoms~

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Pattern: Majestic by Elizabeth Warner
Yarn: Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Socks in the Gold Dynasty Colorway
Notes: this was the 1st package from the Wool girl sock club. Its' definitely not a color or sock pattern I would have picked up myself, which is what make these socks ever more amazing. The yarn- works up like a dream! and the pattern- how pretty are those socks?! I would definitely buy this yarn again~ and if your looking for a pretty pretty cable sock pattern- this is it!

Noro Scarf
Pattern: Noro Striped Scarf
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden #252 and #245
Needles: Knit Picks Options Size 7
Notes: fun mindless knit~~
CO 37 sts
Alternating skeins
Row 1- K1,p1 to end
Row 2- sl 1 (purlwise, wyf), k1, p1 to last stitch, sl1 purlwise, wyf.
drop yarn- pick up Contrast yarn- in front of the dropped yarn and works Row 1 and 2~
The yarn is a bit scratchy- I'll sock it in some SOAK or hair conditioner and see how that works out~

WIP's:
Vilai by Cookie A.
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and my Eyelet Cardigan (still- does this count as WIP if I haven't touched it in over a month?)

Yarn: Lots of new yarn... but in the interest of time- I'll send you over to my Flickr page, you can PM me- if you have any specific questions or check out my Ravelry Stash page~