A new give-away

My newest project is trying to clean out my craft room. This will be a long, drawn out process. #1 - because there is so much stuff in there and #2 -because some of the things were inherited from my mom or grandmom and they are hard to part with. But, that being said, I do have to start getting rid of some things that I will honestly probably never use. I would rather see things go to someone who will use them, so now we have a new give-away.

This week's prize comes to us from the cross stitching world. I have five potholders and around 16 dishclothes that have the panels on the front for personalization via stitching. Most of them are tan, but one of the potholders is cream, two of the dishcloths are blue and two more are black.

If you or someone you know is a cross stitcher and will use these, please post a comment and I will at some point in the next week or so pick a random person to send them to.

Belated Happy Fourth!

I must say, it was a pretty darn good weekend. It started off on Friday with my new carpet being installed in my living room. I am super excited! When we first bought the house and carried out the extensive renovations, my hubby picked out some lovely white carpet for the house, but incredibly impractical given we were planning on having children. Even before Bean came along, though, the carpet in there was looking pretty rough. We used to eat every night in front of the TV and, God love him, Hubby is incapable of eating any kind of spaghetti sauce without spilling some! Then when the baby came along, things just went from bad to worse. We have stopped eating our meals in there, but the damage was done.

So, a couple of weeks ago I decided that we would be getting Stainmaster carpet in that room. Even if we don't eat in there, Bean usually has juice with her, and even in a sippy cup or juice box, there's no certainty that there won't be spills. And, she has an uncanny knack for knocking over sodas! We also decided to go with a darker color to hide any stains that might happen. We were both worried about the carpet messing up the "feel" of the room, but figured we could always go back to white later. How wrong we were! I LOVE my new carpet and think the darker tan just makes the whole room look so much warmer and more inviting! Plus it is super soft, so I just want to roll around on the floor!

We haven't done a whole heck of a lot for the rest of the weekend. I did get a sock made out of the yarn I was complaining about in my last post. I used Cookie A's Pomatomus pattern and love the effect. I think the colors are just perfect for the fish-scale pattern. I shortened the leg of the sock by one pattern repeat to compensate for the extra length I would need for my massive, size 11 feet, but think it looks really nice. I'm still on the leg for the second sock, but have put it aside in favor of another project for right now.

The new project is a knit along for the amazing and talented Shelly's Spiral Sweater. It's just such an innovative pattern that I had to take part. Shelly spun the yarn for her first sweater herself, which makes her even cooler in my book. I've never tried spinning and am afraid to do so given my addictive nature, but I think the people who do it are pretty darn nifty!

I've just about finished up my swatch for the sweater, and the best part is that it will become the beginning of the spiral. I always hate swatching because it seems like such a waste of time to make something and block it even though it won't even be part of the finished project.

Here's what the swatch looked like pre-blocking:

And here's what it looks like while being blocked:

I like this simple lace pattern. By the time I got done with the increases, I already had the repeat memorized and can really zip through it. I'm using Koigu Handpainted yarn and the colors are just delicious. Can't wait to keep going! Bring on Assignment #3, Shelly!

Can I get a yarn exorcism?

I swear this ball of yarn is cursed. Not to say I don't still think it's pretty, the colors are fun and I think someday it will become something lovely, but first, I think it needs a good dousing in holy water...

I cast on with this ball for the first time while Bean was in the hospital back in March. After a couple of inches, I realized that I wasn't doing the pattern properly. So I frogged them. Then I cast on again, deciding to work from the toe up, but soon discovered that I wasn't capable of working a decent heel in that technique yet, so I frogged it again. So tried again, this time discovering that it was too tight and there was no way it was going to fit over my heel. Ribbit, ribbit, my friends. This last time I tried to cast on the same pattern, I switched to larger needles and threw in a couple extra stitches. Still wasn't liking the result, the fabric didn't have a whole lot of stretch to it and I've decided, for now, that I will not be working that pattern. Which is a shame, because I like the way the pattern looks in the pictures, but I'm just not executing properly. I'm not going to show you a picture however, because I don't want this to seem like I'm putting it, or the designer down. I like them both, the pattern's just not for me right now.

So, yesterday I decided to cast on Pomatomus by Cookie A. These are some really great looking socks with lots of stretch and I think they will look awesome in this yarn. Plus, they are named after the genus name for the bluefish, which my brother and I used to shore fish for when we were kids. However, after working the leg, I realized that, yet again, they wouldn't fit over my heel. Dammit! I checked the instructions and realized, that like a complete moron, I had used a needle a size too small. Fortunately I realized this before I finished the stupid thing, but still, to frog this yarn for the fifth time is really demoralizing.

On a happier note, I do finally have a finished object to show off. It's been nearly a month, but I have finally finished a pair of socks. I worked them over 64 stitches in a moss stitch rib from the toe up. Yes, my friends, I finally figured out how to do a reinforced heel from the toe up. Woot! They were supposed to be for Wes, but they are too small for him, so I guess I get to keep them.

I know I've been pretty silent lately and for that I am sorry. I owe you a few stories about how Lilly is doing at camp, the fun that was Camo night and our knit in public event at the World War II museum, but for now, I'm just going to be satisfied with the fact that I finally opened my blogger publisher and will promise you the rest soon.

And the winner is....

Monkey! Sorry it took me so long to remember that I was supposed to draw names, it's been a bit of a crazy week. Bean started camp (although we're calling it pre-school) three days this week, which one would think would free up a bunch of time for me, but I managed to fill it all with various errands and housework that has been neglected for far too long. I haven't even knit all week! Errgh!

Anyhow, I know I owe you guys stories (and a picture of how stinkin' cute the kid looks in her uniform), but it won't happen this morning. I have to get her dressed, fed and ready to go, then I'm off to the dermatologist to find out why my skin has decided to revert to it's teenage state.

Monkey, send me your address and I will get the treats in the mail!

I cleaned out my pantry and found a give-a-way...

Alright, kids, I have finally determined that the time has come to clean out my pantry. I know I have a ton of food in there, but since I can't find any of it, I just keep buying more and compounding the problem. So this morning I decided to clean that bad boy out. Here's what it looked like prior to my efforts:

I'm almost embarrassed to show you how bad it looked, you couldn't even walk in there. But hey, we're friends, right? And friends don't judge. SO STOP JUDGING ME!

I found some really random things in there. Of course there was just a ton of old stuff that needed to go, including several packets of formula. Should I remind you how big Bean is and how long it has been since the kid drank formula?

Here's one of the other random items I found:

Really? Canned lychees? Not too sure why I have these, but I'm keeping them. Maybe I'll make some lychee martinis.....

Here's a holdover from Hurricane Katrina:

Yes, my friends, those are MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat) that we got from FEMA after the hurricane. Believe it or not, they're pretty tasty. However, they are also somewhere around 3000 each! Remember how people were complaining on TV after the hurricane that they were only being given one of these a day at the shelters? Yeah, there's a reason for that people, they have more than your recommended daily allowance for calories in each one. That's how they're designed and also what makes them pretty yummy. The oatmeal cookies were especially good. I think I'm going to continue holding on to these as well. After all, hurricane season started on the first and we generally tend to have a large target painted on our asses.

After about an hour of work (truthfully, I thought this would take MUCH longer, but then again, I didn't touch the right side of the pantry which is stuff like baking dishes, appliances and what-not), here is the result of my labor:

I did have to throw out more stuff than I like to admit. I really don't like throwing away that much food, but it was stale, expired or just kinda gross. But doesn't my pantry look a world better. I mean, there's a floor! How exciting!

Here's what I did hold onto:

And that's where the give-a-way comes into play. This is an assortment of stuff that I picked up at various stores while hungry and thought they looked good, that I would possibly make, or that I received in some sort of gift basket over the holiday season. None of it is expired (Oh wait, the Rudolph cocoa is, but I thought someone might like the tins, they're cute).

Here's a list of what the give-a-way consists of:

2 different cheese ball mixes

Mixes for Banana's Foster, Mardi Gras dip and some sort of Creole seafood sauce (I love these mixes, Hubby is finicky and doesn't)

Tic-tacs from my wedding. Yes, I know that was three years ago, but tic-tacs don't go bad and you can laugh at the cheesy label they have on them.

Chocolate biscotti (I kinda want to hold onto these, but I'm getting a little thick and bathing suit season is upon us)

The aforementioned cocoa mix

Red Velvet cake mix

Funnel cake mix

Two boxes of Creme Brulee mix

Two little jars of plum wine

A box of squash ravioli (I thought Lilly might like this, but then decided she probably wouldn't)

Some shortbread and also some lemon cookies that I have just burnt out on (and shouldn't be eating anyway. See previous comment about bathing suits)

Another thing of cocoa mix and some cappucino mix. I have a Flavia machine that I can use to make both of those, so don't need this.

And my two favorite items of the give-a-way: a bag of Rum-o-nade mix (The brand? Big Black Dick! Funniest name for a brand of rum ever!) and a bag of Glacier mints. Both of these are items that I would normally keep, but thought I might like to share with you guys.

All of these lovely prizes, should you win my give-a-way would be contained in the basket/wine rack you see on the table as well. All you need to do to enter is send me a comment and I'll randomly select a winner on Monday!

Knitter's Block?

I'm in a slump. I can't go back to working on my laptop cover since I don't have my yarn yet from knit picks. I swatched for Sylvi, but can't make myself commit to beginning it. I made up a pattern for a water bottle holder (Ravelry link) and started a second one in nylon, but haven't managed to finish the strap. That's all that's between me and completion, a strap, and I can't bring myself to do it. I still haven't frogged the sock I was complaining about in my last post, but I started another pair in for Hubby and although I am nearly done with the first sock, for some reason it's not making me terribly happy and I'm thinking about frogging it, too. I look at my stash, and instead of seeing the beautiful possibility of it all, I merely see how much stuff I have to do. Usually, casting on a new project is a moment of joy and excitement for me, but right now, the thought of having something else on the needles just makes me feel even more scattered. Ergg! Somthing's up, I don't know what it is yet, but I hope I get past it soon...

Mixed Emotions - Warning! RSC Spoiler!

Note: This post was begun on Monday, but it's now Thursday, so not sure what will happen as far as dates on this thing.

I had a great mail day on Saturday when I went to my mailbox and discovered not one, but two packages of yarn! (yes, I realize I said I was "grounded" for the next six months, post-Stitches, but what the hell!) One package did not break my grounding, as it was ordered prior to Stitches. My memberships in two different sock clubs do not count!

That first package had my third installment from the Rockin' Sock Club. I can't show you the pattern, but the yarn is lovely and reminds me of amethyst (my birthstone for any of you who may want to send gifts).

The second package definitely breaks the deal I made with myself, but I couldn't resist when the KnitWitch herself offered to custom dye me some Tulane sock yarn. I think it looks beautiful and she called the colorway "Green Wave". She also did some for moevan's over in Pensacola, but she added some white to hers. I hope Molly shares a picture of her version with me! The yarn itself is superwash merino and feels so soft and cushy!

And now for the mixed emotions part - after all this warm, fuzzy yarn-joy, I decided to get back to work on the Aguona laptop cover that I started a while back. I had gotten interrupted by a couple of socks that demanded to be made. So I picked it back up and made great progress until I realized that I was going to be 5 rows short on the lighter red color! Dammit! This was a kit, don't you think they'd provide you with enough yarn to finish the stupid thing? Okay, I know what you're thinking, it must be a guage issue, but as far as I can tell, I'm pretty darn close on guage. I would think that the makers of kits would maybe take into consideration minor variations and give you enough to have a little cushion. But, that's not the case here, so I need to order more of the poppy color. This leads me to wonder if, since it was that close on the lighter red, if perhaps I should order more of the darker red, just in case. I think I'm going to so when I get back to work on this bad boy I can just finish it once and for all. (note: since writing this I have in fact ordered both colors of the yarn, but resisted adding any others. I did buy some needles and a book though to qualify for free shipping)

As I said, I've gotten distracted by a couple of pairs of socks, so here they are:

They're just plain vanilla socks that I made for my nieces for Christmas. I know what you're thinking - "Christmas?! Sarah, you do realize it's May, right?" Yes, I know, but I want to do a little Christmas knitting each month and that way I'm not freaking out at the holidays. Plus, I needed some portable knitting and the laptop kit didn't qualify. It requires way too much concentration.

I tried to pick back up the socks that I started working on when Bean last went to the Emergency Room, but realized that I had kinda screwed up the pattern and had to rip them out. They are from my other sock club that I belong to and look really cool. I love the yarn. I decided that I wanted to work them from the toe-up, which shouldn't have been such a problem, but somehow I managed to screw that up too, so I ripped them out again. I cast them back on and worked most of the leg of the first one, but when I tried it on, realized that it was never going to go over my heel (the pattern has very little give). So, I need to rip them out again and make them bigger, but I'm getting pretty sick of the pattern for right now, so maybe I'll just use the yarn for something else. Mind you, this is not a condemnation of the pattern designer, I think they look great and since she has a picture of someone wearing the sock on her pattern, obviously she is capable of producing a sock that will go over a normal human foot. This leads me to believe that either I knit too tight (the pattern consists of a lot of floats) or that I do not have a "normal" foot. Or some combination of the two....

Other happy things:

On Wednesday, I got a surprise package from Red Envelope which turned out to be such a lovely gift from my dear friend, Lara. She remembered that I take my rings off when I knit and sent me an adorable little elephant ring holder to put them on! It's already next to my bed and looks quite smashing with my rings around his trunk. In honor of another one of my friends, he has been named Ernie. No, I don't have a friend named Ernie, I have a friend named Megan who calls all elephants Ernie.

Also, just kind of a stupid happy. I discovered that Whole Foods has their own version of Lunchables (they call them Snackables), which contain chicken salad (WF has one of the yummiest chicken salads ever), grapes, pepper jack cheese, and crackers. It tastes delicious and has enough food to last me for at least two snacks during the day. I'm trying to snack rather than chow down during the day and see if that helps kick my metabolism into high gear.