I am such a slacker.

Maybe this blog has been going downhill since the video podcast!  I have been busy swapping and I got my package last night :) So I will share a picture of the spoils:

2 sparkle monsters, chocolate, slinky and notepad :)

Looks like we are on a roll!

 Stockinette Zombies is rolling along and we have over 100 members in our Ravelry Group.

So I think we are going to be doing a giveaway.  Sock Yarn mini skein lots!  I have picked out 8 yarns to give.  Megan may add some to that.  There will be 2 lots, one 5g lot and one 7g lots. I will have 2 FOs this week for sure. 

Playing with Yarn. God's Eye

I thought this was a fun idea.  I remember making them as a kid.  I never liked the ones that only had 2 sticks, but 3 makes a pretty hex. 

Recent Things :
1. Halloween today
2. I joined plurk.  I am jknitma if you are a plurker.
3. I like making ornaments
4. My podcast Rav Group has 49 members. Recording again tomorrow.

Okay PODCAST.

Megan and I did start a podcast. We taped it last night.

http://stockinettezombies.blogspot.com/

So if you are following my blog and you want to be informed when the episode is uploaded, follow Megan and I on Stockinette Zombies.

I am working away on my Nerd Wars projects so that I might turn something in before the end of the Round 1.  It will be a Team Unity Project when I get it done.  Poor Poet Mitts!! From Inara to Kaylee. 
 Now for the really bad cell phone pic.

Losing my MOJO...

I barely knit all this weekend.  I have so much on the needles that I want to do, but at the moment it is not process knitting. So I am thinking to myself :  "I just want to be done with this"  So maybe I over committed to Nerd Wars or maybe I picked too many awesome big projects... I am not sure.

Goodale in Madelinetosh  Pashmina
This is my Loopy Q4 Challenge and my Nerd Wars Dissertation.  I want to be done already, and I am not sure after all this knitting if I like the fabric it is making.  And I have a mistake in row 3 that I am calling a feature, as I am not going back!

In other knitting: I am loving my monsters.  The are quick and fun!
I am going to back off the toys for a little while so that I can finish some socks.




I am still working on the podcast idea. Megan and I might need to start with them being separate for the first few, maybe make them ping-pong so that we can have more of them in a month.  Or delay the start until her littlest is older.

Podcast? What say you?

I am thinking of venturing into the podcast world...

Finished something!

I finished some socks last night.  It felt good.
The pattern is Velma by CookieA
The yarn is Kells Sport by Three Irish Girls

Some Things I am Looking forward to in October:
1. Halloween
2. Cookie A. Sock club shipment with renewal instructions!!!
3. NERD WARS on Ravelry - Team Browncoats (I need to watch some Firefly)
4. SOCKtober - Knitting of socks as much as I can stand.
5. Dancing Dog Dyeworks Store Update - DO NOT TAKE MY STUFF!

Weekend Monster

I made a monster over the weekend and finished him :)  He is made of Dancing Dog Dyeworks Yarn, which I special ordered this summer.  She is not taking special orders at this time, but is still dying.

The monster is Melvin the Musical Monster by Danger Crafts :)  I love the monsters! I am going to be making more of these, maybe a chunky yarn next. 

I have started working on the Traveling Sweater project.  I have 4 large wedges and 1 segment (4 segments per large wedge) I need 8 total large wedges.  I know that this has been a long time coming, but I get bored with all the ribbing, I am okay with it now and I am going to try to do a segment per night. 

Soctober is coming!  I am planning on finishing the 4, yes 4, socks I have on the needles.  Then only have 2 on the needles after this.... maybe.

Finshing some Projects and Hexpuffs

I have been working on a test knit as well and it is now done! I am excited to share it with you. I love this designer and I have knit a fair number of her girl designs. Now something for me!

Her name is Elena Nodel and this is the Moody cardi. The pattern will be available at the end of the month  ( I think)

This is the Wendy Knits Summer Mystery Shawlette.  I really like this lime green! I almost wish I would have saved it for socks :)

Also I have made 2 puffs using my own little take on it... I like them, but I am going to need some more to see if they look as neat attached. The points are not very defined and that worries me.

Swatching

I have been reading the Ysolda book (Little Red in the City)  and I have been empowered to swatch for my next sweater.  I usually get gauge, but I mean a REAL swatch now :)

Here it goes

I am not using these colors, so I am swatching again.  I will get a picture of that one when I start it.

I just got 2 more books in the mail, Wendy Knits Lace and 10 Secrets of something something... Memory fails, I got the last one for a monster pattern that is in it.

Sorry I was on VACATION!

I have some pictures of me knitting on my vacation, but not much got done, so they were more or less staged ;)


Once I get them off the camera I will post them.  I bought a new knitting book on vacation, so I will be blogging about that once I have read it. 

I am going to use this post to say that once I finish the 2 shawls I have on the needles I am not doing another shawlette for a long long while!  I am going to stick with socks or big circles....  I want to get through my garments and toys.  Those are my new favorites, also socks, I forgot how fun they are! So quick!

So NO MORE SHAWLETTE... if you see one in my queue it is moving to the back!  I have one scarf/shawl that I need to make as a gift.  I have a small triangle on the needles that I am thinking of frogging! I am soooo done with shawls!

My Purple Dress!

I have finished my DRESS!!! I am so excited and I got the yardage entered into Stash Dash and I think I am going to make it to the end!! under 200 yds to go. I may get a pile of WIPs that I worked on for the dash in a pile and dive across the finish ;)

Okay I am back... sort of

I have knitting over lunch at work today, which is exciting.  I may just finish my dress (I have been thinking this for weeks, but maybe this weekend will prove productive)   So the dress is all that I have been knitting on. I have a test knit that I am trying to get going on, but I really want this dress done!

I did manage to get one thing completed.  I have decided to post it... The new parents have not given me their address yet, but I think they are busy ;)

A Baby project...

I am doing something a bit stalkery...  I have a comic that I like to read and the people are having a baby. IRL and in the comic, so I am knitting them something.

Here is a picture:

This is the Country Kiddie pattern with a mod for garter stitch on the collar part.  I think that this pattern is written well and has cute photos, but I do not think that it is worth the money now that I have been knitting longer as there is nothing special about it.

West Knits KAL

I have joined the West Knits Mystery KAL... And I have a lot of color options.  I will take pictures of the ones that I AM going to use later, but I have decided that these are too awesome for a shawl, I am thinking a pullover, but I need suggestions :

Lack of post... Not for lack of knitting!

I am in love with my dress and I cannot wait for it to be done.  I am on zig 4 of 5 on panel 3 of 4... Does that sound like I am almost done?  I hope so!  I will try it on again and get a picture out here later.

I have started having a monster on the needles at all times and a sock and a sweater or 2 so... I have only finished Monsters lately... Here is Mike, if you are on ravelry, you may have seen him.

I entered a monster swap.  I requested an Aqua monster (I think he is a Cecil the Computer Monster)... and I got him.  He is chillin on the deck with Jerry...

I think that is enough cute to last a while ;) I am going to keep on knitting. I have tons on the needles to get working on!

Loopy Swap package.. Yeah for Yarn Mail!

My swap partner in Texas sent me a lovely package that was a bit funny too. I will explain after you look at the picture of all the fun goodies

So you can see the awesome shawl, which is a Wendy's Summer Mystery Shawl in Madelinetosh Light.  Some stars that I am using as coasters.  Mini socks and keychains! A very nice skein of Mad Vintage in Fathom.  The funny part comes when I say that I am making this shawl now in green :) and that I have the exact yarn used in the shawl queued up to be an Austin Hoodie.  Somehow she knew me too well!

THANK YOU lisa33 for my lovely package!

Now I am just waiting for the package I made to land in AZ.

Have a happy Monday all.

Camp Loopy and Stash Dash

So I started a thread in the loopy groupies group on Ravelry for scabs like me that are knitting for camp loopy from stash yarn.  I may do one of the projects with all the discounts going on, but then again....

I am knitting a Spectra scarf for my Camp Loopy a long...


****Insert of picture is not working for me today!!! ARGH! I will try to edit later

I am trying to knit like crazy for Stash Dash... I have 2 stealth projects that I can add today (no pictures until the swap pals get their packages)  I am making fun progress on my dress and I have a picture to share, but since it is not working I will like you to my Ravelry Project - Dress

I hope to make it to knitting today... Maybe Megan will bring the baby by... hint hint

Knit Girllls prize!!

I won a prize from Knit Girllls thanks to my friend Megan.  I really like hanging out in the Ravelry Group for the Knit Girllls.  Without further ado my yarn :

As for my stash dash... Well I am still working on FOs.  I hope to have some very soon.  I have a few more inches on the socks and they are done.  The dress is going to be hard to keep going... just over 200 rows to go that's all :)

WWKIP - Amusement Park

This is me at Adventureland in Iowa knitting on a sock outside the Tilt-A-Whirl.  The blue drink is an ICEE(blue Raspberry).

I will be out doing WWKIP on the 18th too at Rock the Garden in Minneapolis. This is a crazy awesome concert and I cannot wait!!!

We are looking for some all day sitters to take the place of MIL. She is traveling all week and if we can get a sitter we are going to let her stay home :)

In the round!

I have finally started to knit the skirt panels on my dress.  I am excited to not be purling so much.  I am posting from my phone again so there is not much else I can include.  Who is knitting in public tomorrow?

Wednesday @ Work - Little Black Dress

So I am not able to work in the round yet, but I am getting so close!  One long car ride away from AWESOME in the round.  The construction on this dress is fun.  I started with a back piece that covers the shoulder blade area, then I picked up stitches for the should straps and knit to the underarms, then joined all of these pieces back and forth, so once I have it joined in the round I should be able to slip the stitches onto some scrap yarn and TRY IT ON!

Being a Better Blogger...

I am working on making my posts better, so I have made some helpful changes to the last 2 posts.  I am going to start this post with the sad passing of another LYS in Rochester.  I know that most knitters think it would be fun to have a shop, but it sounds like they are a lot of work and need a real saleswoman at the lead.  Having said this I would like to run a yarn shop, but it would be vastly different than any shop that we have had here in Rochester.  As I am a online shopper, that would be the first feature I would add for sure.  Also I would like to get more local dyers and popular yarn bases with exclusive colors that would be a one-time must-have ;) 

All of this sounds like grand fun, but would I have this shop open to the public? Not very often and it would be more like a private shopping experience.  I would hold many "gatherings" that would have the option to shop too! I would find classes hard to charge for, so I would have KALs that would have a fun and fancy yarn that you would have to buy at the shop.  Maybe get some famous knitters in the area to hold court at the start of each KAL. 

Okay this was fun brain storming.  Anyone want to open a yarn shop with me?

Above is my citron, a free pattern from knitty.com
I will admit that this shawl was a chore at the end.  I was not enjoying it, but it was dead simple and looks awesome, so I still recommend it!

A tank top done. And monkey to.

I got a lot of things done over the holiday weekend.
It has been brought to my attention that I am not doing a very good job of blogging.

So in an effort to improve I am going to update this one with links...

I really enjoyed knitting this sweater.  It was fairly simple and quick.  I am washing it up for the first time, so I will let you know how the yarn held up after.

The pattern in from the twist collective online publication.  Twist Collective Shop Link and my project link... Ravelry Link

I am making good progress on my Little Black Dress and I hope to post some pictures when I am able to try it on.

Monkey... Almost

I am awaiting my eyes... Although I was told today where to find them in Hobby Lobby, so I may go look there now. Jerry is a great monkey and I would recommend Danger Crafts patterns.  Link to Jerry on Ravelry

I am liking this sock... I hope keep plotting along on all my WIPs.  I may have to cast on something this weekend, but this will not help the projects get done! Pattern Linky

So I have not posted

I keep forgetting to post.  As I have not taken any pictures of what I am working on lately.  I have left my phone at home a lot lately too, so less of a chance for me to just post whatever is happening.

I am looking forward to a Monster swap in the Danger Crafts group!  A color theme has been selected and I believe it is for "Full-sized" monsters. (no using sock yarn... rats!) 

My Loopy Swap 8 is going well. I am 40% done when my partner's item.  I have hopes that I will finish it/them early.  I am a bit at a loss for the rest of the package.  I will try not to stress over it.

I really wish I had a picture for you all... Maybe tomorrow.

Wendy KAL

I have decided to do the Wendy Mystery Shawlette KAL (Thanks Sara)

I have picked some NummaNumma Saucy

As you can see I have finished some rows of the chart! I cast-on with the bad info, so I have 287 (I did the bigger option) sts on the needles :)

So all of this effort is going into my 5K(stash-dash)... as my DH prepares for a Half-Marathon on foot.  Good luck to both of us, but I think mine is the bigger challenge.

Ride Ability

For more information about this great charity go to : www.rideability.org/

Work Work Work

I have been working a lot the past 24 hours and it is looking like I will have another 10 or so to go.


I do plan to get away a bit to have a 31 gifts party (tonight).  That info is here:
http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/preshop.aspx 

Be sure to shop before Monday. I want to close on Monday.

I have made some progress on my tank top, but now I am going to do a 5K stash down, I do not want to finish anything before that starts (wips count!)

I am going to make a separate post for a Ride Ability Fundraiser I am doing :)  

84 and sunny

It is a hot one out today, but I will take it!

I went out for a walk at work.... I guess I am going to have to go inside.

Time to go shopping

I will be shopping today. I plan on buying clothes and spending a Yarnery GC.  I may end up with some sort of pattern book. 

I worked a first of many May critters from the Danger Crafts kal

Some progress...

I have finished a dress, started the yoke on my DH sweater, and made some fun progress on my tank top.

I have a coupon to a yarn store near my MIL, so I am spending that this weekend. WEE!

I am going to do the Danger Crafts critter KAL for May.  I am excited. I am starting with a Jerri!
Now to just pick out the perfect yarn from stash...

Posting from my phone again....

I made some chirps over the weekend out of sock scraps

Something fun

My son (5) showing how big this bag is...

I got nothing!

I feel like I have been working miles of plain old knitting and I do not have anything yet to show for it!

So I can report that I have started and worked 9 inches of sleeves for hubby's sweater.  Also 3 more inches on my little miss's dress... 2 more inches on my dress... and the start of a Kitty Pi 2 for Cookie cat.  I think that I also started a sock cuff in there too :)  This is why nothing gets done!

 

Little Miss dress.  Notice my awesome cupcake marker from my last Loopy Swap!!

This is my dress... not much done, but it is progressing again!

Wednesday @ Work

Okay so I am trying to use my phone to see how the app works.
So this is a little dress I started for little miss.

My Hop

So I did a really bad job of taking pictures of the stores.... but I do have some pictures to share.

So this is me in front of Lila and Claudine's (sp).  I really liked this shop and they have a really nice class space.  I got my kids books (Freddie's Blanket and Phoebe's Sweater) here.  I also got some cute gift bags that I love.

I enjoyed the day very much!  I would say my 3 favorite shops were L&C as mentioned above, StevenBe, and Darn Knit Anyways.  The Yarnery and Skeins came in fourth.

Here are my charms :)

And for the Additions that I made to my craft room :)

If you have any questions about the hop, post a comment.  Thanks so much to the great ladies that came with me! 

Thursday, YARN SHOP HOP!

I am going on my first Yarn Shop Hop tomorrow and I am so excited.  I am hoping to score some exclusive stuff :)

I do not have much to post: I found buttons and have another FO:

And I have a cute little sheep

I hope to have more from the hop... Post Monday at the latest!!!

Finished that Bear...

I have a lot of things queuing up to be finished! 

I hope to be able to post at least 1 a week over the next few weeks...

It is going to be really hard to hold back on Cast-Ons this month!!

I need to bag the bear up so that it can get to its new owner :)

All things Taxes

I am almost done with my portion of the taxes... How shall I celebrate?

I also started another Baby Bobbi Bear This time I am making it in white!  I have a small baby in mind for this bear too.  This pattern goes so quickly, I may have a picture of a stuffed armless bear by Thursday or Friday.

I am planning on going on the Yarn Shop Hop here on April 8th.  I am going to have to make a budget for yarn.  I know that I am going to want something.  What do you think $50 does not seem like much.  $100 seems like I am REALLY cheating on that diet.  April 8th is very close to my birthday, so I am going to spend some money on yarn. 

Now just a picture of a monster. She is at my desk.

Thursday @ Work??

I was so busy yesterday! I thought I might share my Citron progress.

Also I have socks that are almost done! Before the next package comes!  I rock! I roll!

I am hoping to get some scrapbooking done.  I am feeling a little guilty about not being done with that.
I may have to take a week to Spring Clean and scrap once it is warm enough for open windows... *sigh* it was 16 degrees this morning.

Look what I drew...

I bought some Copic Markers the other day and I am in love!  I sat down and drew cats and sheep and colors them in.  This one is on a post-it note.  I made a bunch into note cards the other day.  If you want one, just leave a comment and I will make sure you get one.  I am trying to think of other things I could draw.

On the knitting front I had to rip back a sweater I was making my son due to a counting mistake!  I will be working on it again when the yarn has dried.  I really wish it had counted correctly.  I have some club socks that are almost done.  I have decided to work on only the family sweaters until they are all done, so knitting for me is all club stuff :)