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~

its raining... again!

So its POURING outside... lighting stuck somewhere very close... light flashed... house shook... alarm went off~ and My crazy grandmother was waiting for her church van to pick her up... by standing outside in the POURING rain~ (yes she was carrying an umbrella)... but still... we could not keep that woman in the house!! I wish I had a picture to show you... but my camera was in the basement somewhere and my cell phone is dead.

So its a rainy Sunday afternoon- my plans are to cast on the 2nd sleeve for my eyelet cardigan (which I recast on Wednesday night... and modified the pattern and beginning to knit with the sleeves)... hopefully squeeze in a nap... write the last of my admissions essays (which are so so late!)... and maybe stop by barnes and nobles for a coffee and to study for my Massage boards~

I haven't been knitting much lately... because...

all this knitting has created/changed the way the lines on my finger run! I now have a diagonal finger line! if I get my hand lines read... my fortune has changed because of knitting! LOL!! I haven't been knitting because that line has been flared up... red and sore for a few days~~ I have a theory as to why... (a new kinda yarn... I'm not enjoying very much)... but yeah~ok... no wonder my friends think I'm crazy but, you all understand right?~

Ok so here it is...I've mentioned it a few times... but its finally done... Shipped... received and... now posted:


The Endpaper Mits by Eunny Jang made out of Malabrigo Sock... in Tiziano Red and Terracota... on Size 1.5 and Size 3 needles~ for my Malabrigo Swap Round & partner...WOOHOO!! it was a fast fun knit... and the finished product is so pretty it makes me feel smarter! I love those make me feel smarter projects!



Pattern: Ene Scarf by Nancy Bush found in the Scarf Style Book
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace Weight in Dusty and Apricot 1.5 skeins of each (held together)
Needles: Size 7 Knit Picks options
This scarf took FOREVER!! well at least it feels like forever. I started it back in January... and then frogged it... and started it again in early June~ it took about 2 months. I wasn't working on it daily... or every week even... and if I had to do one more repeat of Chart 3... I might have cried~ but the finished project is sooo pretty! Its going on my christmas gift stash~ so maybe if your good?

I haven't knit much since... because of the finger... also I hurt my Right hand... opening a window (don't ask)~ but thats that... its just about all better so I can get started again~ Lately I've had a growing desire to learn to Sew~~ hmm~

On the Acupuncture front.... I'm officially looking for office space... my NJ license will be at my doorstep anyday now~ but the thought of having to pay rent and Student loans... is FREAKING me out~~ wish me luck!!

Malabrigo Swap- Round 5~

I was the 1st person to receive their swap package this past round~ which is always fun~ I'm not soo good at waiting sometimes~ I got an awesome package from Leigh (LeighGreyKnits on ravelry)~ she was so thoughtful and sweet... i love every part of it...
-1 skein of amazingly yummy Hand-dyed, hand-spun Blue-faced Leceister yarn~ which I think we have all lovingly named- Creamsicle~
-1 Skein of Malabrigo Sock- in Persia…. Its soooo pretty~~ i’ve been lusting after this~~and whenever I’ve gone out to get it… its been sold out!
-2 skeins of… Malabrigo DOS- in the Boticelli Red… its sooo smooshy and soft… (this is going to live in my special yarn stash till I can figure out what to make!!)
-the interweave Winter 2006 magazine… sooo many patterns I’ve been wanting from this magazine!…
-a book about spinning yarn (a new hobby of mine)…
-the amanda hat pattern~
-100 bangles~ in silver and torquiosish blue… soo cute!! I love them~ :)
-a bottle of Hazelnut syrup…. to flavor coffee and such~
-so so so cute stitch markers… from etsy… of tea pots and leaves~~
-SOAK in Aquae- which is my fave scent!
-Stash Tea and Twinings Tea… in wild raspberry and Orange Pekoe
-and the bestest best part… is a hat knit for my nephew… . Malabrigo… worsted… black forest… its sooo soft…. he’s going to LOVE IT~ I don’t know how you did it with your injury… your amazing! THANK YOU LEIGH!!

HURRAY for Malabrigo LOVE~

So after a month of being sick... and trying to figure out what to do about my Grandmother (she fell the other week...and hasn't gotten up since...*worry*)... and a 3rd visit to a doctor (not really my doctor just a buddy who is a doctor)... who prescribed me hardcore meds for my cough~ I came home to find this on my doorstep...

It was my package from Laurie aka TruMom of the Malabrigo Swap Group on Ravelry I can't even begin to describe how I love it so~~~ I think it is the most thoughtful and generous swap package I've ever received~

so here are the details...

1st thing I opened was the cute little project bag (which... I love...especially since its my 1st one~)... I've always just used ziplock baggies... but now I have this really cute bag to put my WIP's in (i'm seriously excited about this... you have no IDEA!)... but to add to the awesomeness that is the bag... it was stuffed with goodies!!... from left to right... it had... a little package of stitch markers from Spindle Cat Studio made of Copper and Czech Glass (the colors are called Grape Trio~)... then there was a package of Upcycled Cork Stitch stoppers from auroramae on Etsy! OMG! so perfect!! I'm forever dropping stitches off my needles when I throw my projects in my zip lock bag~ and I love the fact that they are recycled cork stoppers from wine bottles~ A package of Mulling Spices from Williams-sonoma... which I popped open and am beyond tempted to brew up...but I'm going to try to wait... I've been volunteered to cook Thanksgiving Dinner...I want to save them for then!... I love mulled anything... yumm~ I think I will mull wine! Then there was a package of super cute elephant candles and incense~ I don't know how she knew but my family has a slight candle obsession~ it has something to do with the fact that everyone is my family is very sensitive to odors... and we live with a dog~ its perfect!...
This came next...

a knit bag for Wine! which held something... dare I say it... better than WINE? MALABRIGO SOCK YARN!!! the color is Impressionist Sky.... its sooo prefect... and sofe... and lovely~ I just finished my 1st sock using Malabrigo Sock yarn the other day (which I will post up a bit further down)... but the stuff... is delightful!! and the color... oh my... I could go on forever!~...
Then... next came... the MALABRIGO.... (ooooooohh~~)...

4 skeins of worsted in Azul Bolita.... totally enough to make the Briar Rose or the Juliet... which patterns she also sent me... already cozy in their plastic protectors (you have no idea how beat up my patterns get!)!!! I loveeee these patterns~~ I've been waiting to buy them off my queue~ till I had a moment of sanity~ when I can actually sit down and knit for myself *cough**cough* It will happen!! one day *sigh*

I'm totally in love with my Package... the Wine theme was sooo perfect... I loooove wine... and... love Mal~~ yay this totally made my week! Thank you sooo much Laurie! You ROCK!

Nearly FO:...
finished a sock... using malabrigo Sock yarn... Indiecita... which is.... its lovely lovely yarn~ and the Pattern is... Cookie A.'s Pomatomus... the Foot part looks obnoxiously long however... it fits my size 6 foot~ (and its not too big!)


On Halloween Day... Wollmeise had an update... which was super-intense... it was all over in like less than 20 mins (its hard to pick yarn, put it in cart, and check out in 20 mins!)... in which I scored! WOOHOO! it was crazy because the server kept crashing and such~ and I was sure I got nothing~ but in the end I did get a few that I wanted... I've already 'de-stashed' 3 skeins~ I'm debating a 4th~ but still it was a very exciting yarn buy~

left to right...(all wollmeise)
80/20 Twin- Tiefer See
80/20 Twin- Versuchskaninchen 1 (destashed)
100% Versuchskaninchen 1
100% Poison No. 5
100% Baba Yaga (destashed)
2 skeins of Lace (Garn)- in the Baba Yaga Colorway (destashed 1)