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...

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~

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!)


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~


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!


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.

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~