Mermaid Mania, Movies, Munchkins,Money

Happy Halloween one and all.
Tomorrow, Bev and I are casting on our Mermaids, I received mine last Christmas as a gift from DH. It will be great to mark it as a FO soon. I am soooo tried of the blues in Foxie. It , too, will still get attention, but the thrill of casting on Mermaid will surely overpower it for a while. This is the colorway of my kit...purty eh? We seem to have one or two more maniacs casting on with us, terrific, the more the merrier...encouragement is a great producer of FOs. So if you have a Mermaid waiting to be started, finished, let us know.
They have been digging up my street and the surrounding streets going on 6 months. It is nerve wracking as some days when you leave, if you can leave, you can't get back. I take great pleasure in leaving just because I want to to, driving around the block and coming back. Today I had to wait 15 minutes whilst they rearranged their trucks so I could get out. Sometimes they park in the driveway completely blocking you in. I needed to get DS1 car out to get an inspection sticker and now had no idea when I would be able to get back home so I went to the movies. I saw RENDITION, somewhat sad, somewhat violent movie. I knit for as long as I could on a sock, until they really turned the lights down. there were only 4 of us in the theatre and I was going to ask them for a little a more light but heard someone snoring so thought it best not to wake them.
Now I am home and made these little Halloween goodie bags for DS2, it was rumored some munchkins Trick or Treat in the dorm and I wanted him to have some treats to hand out.
He said today it wasn't happening but he will be home this evening(early appointment tomorrow)so would hand them out here. Now 28 bags is more than enough for dorm Treating but not so for the home, alas, I am not doing more as I find I always do more no matter what it is, baking, gift giving, knitting...and this one time I am tired.
So did I mention I worked Monday for the 10th night in a row. last week ending up at 72 hours, the government decided it should keep almost 1600 dollars of my money. Just once a year you should get to keep your entire check, just once.

Saturday Musings

OK, our internet was having problems, I have worked 72 hrs since last Saturday, have been very tired(I wonder why) and haven't had a chance to photo and post, but this is the end of that. I am working tonight and tomorrow night but the end is in site, LOL....

We shall start with a pictorial reveal


This is the progress on the Tiffany Mitten for the Mitten Swap

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I adore them!! It is a wonderful pattern, the yarn is KP Merino Style ......these are going to be a difficult pair to give away.

Monkey Socks are magnificent as well.

This is yarn from my stash, Angora Valley I love the colors...the feel of the yarn is wonderful. These will be going out Monday...another swap done.
The Fall Felted Bag Exchange bag has been dry for 8-10 days, just waiting for its goodies and then off it goes, Monday as well. The pattern was from KP as well as the yarn Wool of the Andes, it felted beautifully...this is a terrific bag.



There was an unfortunate accident with my Secret of the Stole and I have restarted, this is halfway through clue 1,,can you see the beads?

Foxie Sleeves are more time consuming than I thought. This is still the first sleeve and the second sleeve only has the ribbing and the first pattern repeat. The plans were to finish this by Nov 1 as it it then Mermaid Mania, the Mermaid will still begin and the Foxie will keep plugging along.


I received my box from Hedwig for the Hogwarts Sock Swap. I was a Ravenclaw classmate this go round and Robin knit me up some gorgeous socks!!!I know it is wrong to lust, but I had been lusting over the Horcrux socks since seeing them on Robin's blog. They are magnificent. She is obviously a very advanced knitter. I had mentioned never using Colinette and she sent along a skein and a wonderful pattern. ALSO, THE CAT BORDHI NEW SOCK BOOK!!!WOW!!! I am always so fortunate in the people spoiling me. So will the yarn be used for the pattern sent or a sock from Cat's book? Only time will tell. There was also the sweet little tin of truffles, (I will have to walk some extra miles to work those off, :) )Robin also knit the most adorable book mark in the same yarn as the socks.Oh the yarn from Dharmafey of Cosmic Fibers,I have mentioned may times in the past how much I enjoy Carrie's wonderful yarns. (I actually have the next installment of yarn from the Potter Covers sock Club) She had gone on a trip to England during the swap and sent along a book mark from a castle in the Ravenclaw colors also!! Thank you so much for everything Robin!!



I have to finish up many swaps and have come to the realization I have to slow down for a bit. I have met many terrific people during the swaps, received many many thoughtful and beautiful items....but my own knitting has taken a back seat. The new year is fast approaching and new knitting strategies will ensue. I have accomplished many FO's this past year...I have enjoyed them all. I have worked scads of extra hours this year and have not enjoyed them all....I am going to work on a plan to strike a better balance there....

Just Saying

OK I am at work again and browsing the winter IK, there are 20 patterns I need to make......just saying, go and browse.... here

I have already ordered yarn for this
I ordered some alpaca from WEBS black, greys, burgundys

Quick Post Not Knitting

I have been in my field for 31 years, I have received credit for 30 years of employment as I worked while in training. Every November the country celebrates Radiologic technologist Week, I am an RT but also a CT tech. The past few years my hospital has presented us with gifts of an umbrella, rain jacket, fleece jacket, backpack, tote, towel, camping chair...all items, in the event I lost my job, would set me up nicely for life on the street(kidding, nothing ill intended)...The hospital honors long term employees every October with a lovely dinner,for working 20 and 25 years I received from the hospital engraved clocks, passing of time perhaps? I was wrong, the clocks were to indicate that time was closing in. For working 30 years a received a lovely pewter engraved urn...my final resting place

Friday Update

...has to wait til maybe Monday. I am at work now, will be off for a function Friday then on for 8 nights in a row. Moday I should have a chance to post.

Hmmm.....maybe 15 rows more on sleeve,
Through first clue of Secret of Stole....
Halfway through first mitten for No More Humdrum Mittens...
Starting second Monkey sock....
Cast on for Harvest Sock Swap.....

So much to get done before November 1 and Mermaid Mania

Yes Bev There is a Walking Knitter

The question has been posed by my pal, Bev if I can walk and knit...actually I can. I have been out 3 days this week and am prepapring to go out in a few minutes and as I have walked I have searched my cluttered mind to find a project needing doing. I generally knit on a circular when walking and hopefully straight knitting so when the second sleeve of Foxie is to the plain knitting it will be accompanying me. Other than that I don't seem to have many projects that would qualify at the moment. I did, however, bring the Holiday IWK out yesterday and browse it whilst walking. heehee...I need to be constantly entertained...
OK I may take another moment and triple check there is nothing that can go out for a walk with me.

Postal

I sent out within the last two days,

Hogwarts Sock Swap Box

Vegan Swap Box



Whew!!!



I also went for one seemingly final trip to LYS/Fabric store going out of business and the book store and got these


The IWK has the gloves I want to make, the VK Holiday is beautiful with this little detail ,yes it says Starmore and Kagan!!
And the Hamilton book has this beauty
Sorry it is blurry but isn't it neat??
OK must go walk, I started again Monday and have walked Mon, Tues and don't want to miss today...

As Promised

OK, I am off til Thursday..woohoo..but then :( :::::


So I had two boxes to open and not enough I had been soooo spoiled by Jody for the Sockittome Sock Swap and recently received my things from Carly for the Punk Rock Gift Exchange...but then I have received my Vegan Magic Ball Swap and my Secret Pal 11 October box....I am overwhelmed once more!! I had no idea what a Magic Ball was or why you would wind someone's yarn around goodies and then make them rewind it all and how big was the box going to be after you wound all the yarn around the goodies, and what if you dropped the ball and it started to unravel and.....silly me, you wind some of the yarn around some of the goodies. Whew!! I just finished putting my Vegan Pal Spoilee's box together to mail tomorrow.
So my Vegan Pal Michelle sent along to me

See all the wonderful things!!! There is a Pumpkin cookie I am trying not to open as I know I will be forced to eat it in one sitting, and some Kiss My Face lip balm and hand cream(yummy-the name scares me so though "Jason" Halloween? Hockey mask?)
Rowan Calmer yarn in 2 gorgeous colors(Michelle says because she read my blog and saw I do Fair Isle....awwwwww)some green tea bags(who doesn't love tea?) a lovely pink candle, and a pen(nifty pen that I will have to use at work secretly or someone will try to take it from me)
One of the Rowan colors was the Magic Ball yarn, my what a noisy little ball!!! I was wishing I had a cat to tease with it, heehee.

See how pretty, silk leaves wrapped into it, I would have kept it just like that but curiosity got the better of me...so I asked DH to wind as I unwound, my DH brilliant brilliant man, crafty and craft appreciative doesn't know how to wind a ball of yarn, who knew??!!! Seems I would have brought this up before we married doesn't it? So he unwound as I wound....
Lip balm, a Chibi(Iwas so planning on getting another!!), some really nice buttons and a tin of leaf stitch markers, very autumnal!(they were the noise makers)..they are so pretty, I made my wedding dress and hand beaded and appliqued maple leaves all over, I love leaves!! Everything was so wonderful!! I gush.....Thank you, Michelle.
Could there possibly be more? Could my cup runneth over again? YES!!!
My SP 11 Pal sent a box brimming with thoughtfulness and generosity. Do you ever open a swap box and feel the tears coming and think yourself silly as you don't really know the person? Well that is what the Vegan and SP boxes did to me. It is one thing to open a good box once in a while but to have three or four great boxes in the course of two weeks!!! Makes me think I must be living right!
Back to the box, whilst travelling with DH last month and hitting some LYS in Florida he saw this book by Cat Bordhi and thought I should buy it. No, I don't really need to right now and I have already spent so much on myself and even the LYS ladies were almost challenging me to,I believe they thought themselves more advanced knitters than I--doesn't matter to me but DH seemed to take a little dislike to it..no I didn't need to purchase it right now. I have found the book seeping into my dream sequences, I had wanted to be an archeologist or an architect, the architecture of sock building, how intriquing. The LYS ladies said you have to start at the beginning and move forward but DH said no, I would start at the end(just to challenge them back I believe). Anywho LOOK!!
Do you see it? Book One...that mean's there will be another!!! It is amazing...I have flipped through it and drooled and gaped and...WOW!! I also received Claudia Yarn in a wonderful autumny colorway,see it??? IT"S MINE! sorry Two, two yes TWO circular needles so I could try knitting socks on two circs, I have oft mentioned wanting to try this method, some truly amazing handmade soap, made by my Pal's Mom..it is almost edible. And the book Knit Lit which my Pal had received from her SP10 with the caveat she should read and pass along and I have been asked to do the same, how cool. I think they should have signed their names and homestates so people could see where it travelled. My Pal apparantly(oh it is easier to use her words so from my card)

"The first full weekend in October is always very special for me, because that is when my hometown(a very artsy crafty mountain town) has it's annual Fall Festival. I am very sad not to be there this weekend and so in honor of my longing for fall I decided to send you some autumnal yarn along with my mother's soap. She once sold it at the FF......"

Did you just wipe your eyes? It's OK...so in honor of my SP11 I will send the Knit Lit book along to the next Pal AND I will find a very large leaf pile to jump into!!!

LITTLE PAUSE HERE TO RECOMPOSE

Rememeber the gloves in the other post that will be in the Holiday Interweave Knits that I HAVE to make, no really, I HAVE to... well...I have been trying to limit yarn spending, actually do well with all the swap yarn coming in, heehee, I searched the yarn on RAVELRY and there was a knitter with 4 balls of red DB baby Cashmerino in her stash willing to be sold to an interested party. Did I tell you I HAVE to knit the gloves in red? No really....guess what I did?

I am not even ashamed!!!
AND the LYS/fabric store where the buttony corduroy came from also had this

What in the world what I do with these two HUMUNGOUS(30% off) skeins of folksy looking wool? I seem to lean toward fingering/sport weight yarns....whatever could it be? THIS

Glorious isn't it?

Friday Updates Down There A Bit

I started Friday and finished today so you have to scroll abit...

Knitter's Coffee Swap Questions

SWAP QUESTIONS

Here are the questions:
QUESTIONS
1. Whole bean or ground?
Either
2. Fully-loaded or decaf?
Fully loaded, always, over loaded even
3. Regular or flavored?
Used to be flavored, but now regular is preferred
4. How do you drink your coffee?
Very little cream no sugar thanks
5. Favorite coffee ever?
Coffee I had in France, not sure what kind, strong but not bitter
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?
Any old bean most of the time. I work in an ER, as long as nothing floats on top..heee. Off days, better beans
7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
Biscotti, harder cookies
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?
Not fond of espresso
9. Yarn/fiber you love?
Koigu, Louie Gems, ShubuiKnits
10. Yarn/fiber you hate?
Naw, maybe some pure acrylics..
11. What's on your needles?
Can't possibly answer that, look at side list of KALS, Swaps...
12. Favorite colors?
Fallish,burgundy,green,rust,deep blue
13. Allergies?
Nuts in the house, hehee
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?
Yes as a matter of fact, I don't like the overuse of the phrase"I could care less" not even sure people are saying it correctly, but if they don't care then be quiet. AND...naw that's it.

Friday Updates

Although I am starting this Friday I may not post til Saturday as I am coming off a night shift, get home about 930am need to catch a train at 2p to come back for a 16 hour shift...soo....yea right!!
OK let's see...
I feel like I haven't done any knitting, yet the Gazebo Lace Hufflepuff socks and matching bookmark are done and ready to mail.(Please dear Hedwig don't look)

Vog On Sockittome box already gone bye bye. I started some secret knitting which if I can get two people to agree in blood they won't read my blog I can post. So I guess I have done some knitting. I should figure out if I can post on ravelry without it showing up here.
Minimal work on the Foxie sleeve, would have liked much more progress.
Lots of cleaning...tried to leaf peep but not much color yet, maybe next week.
New yarn...
From the Loopy Ewe

That would be Curry and Raisins by Urban GypZ and Honey by ShubuiKnits...aren't they screaming fall and Thanksgiviing and squash and pie?
I received my Sockittome Box from, WOW! Can you all say it with me? ready? WOW!!!! The socks are gorgeous, fit perfectly, I can't wait to wear them. The yarn is scrumptious, terrific color. There is shower gel and body lotion in peach. A raspberry sorbet candle. A lovely photo album..hmmm..... My spoiler Jody went so over the top. That yarn is Aruncania Ranco, I am in love with it!!! I may have to start collecting it!!! The socks are scrumptious...Bearfoot Mountain Color in Rosehips, Jody designed these herself!!!

The peachy fabrics are two project bags Jody made!!
The yarn sits atop some newly acquired fabric from my LYS/fabric shop gone out of business. It is corduroy with buttons sewn all over. 50% off the price of $15/yd , how could I not get enough for a "button down",(hee hee I crack myself up, I always say I will be such a happy hermit)
Isn't that sock just making you wish your feet were cold? I can't believe she did this during the hot months!! WOw, thanks Jody.

I also, mentioned leaf peeping, well many many moons ago I would go to Uxbridge,MA and hit the yarn Mills, there was Berocco, Stanley Woolen Mills, Bernat. There were penny parking meters and it was glorious. DH and I went this past week.

The Bernat mill appeared to be burned out and was being demolished, the Berocco mill no longer had a mill store and Stanley Woolen Mills was in the midst of becoming offices. HUH??? What happened????
Heartbreaking to say the least, especially since Bev has the Lamb's Pride so close!!! Ooh the ugly green monster....
So I was so thrilled when this came my October installment from the Lucky Lurkers Sock Club and it is called AUTUMN ROSE, was that to remind me not to start my Autumn Rose sweater til more things were done?
As well as my October installemnt from TV Yarns sock club. this month is Fried Green Tomatoes, Jana is so clever with her dying and the extras she sends along.

Really bad thing is I don't want to use my LL yarn or my TV yarn....I will, I swear I will, but not yet!! :)
OK, back to work, but then off Sun, Mon, Tues and Wed, but then payback!! :(

Oh there will be more Sunday night as I have two boxes I can't open til the morning and more yarn and .....

Friday Updates

OK so first things first, Foxie had some work done on the sleeve, may not look it but I added an extra inch to the length. The patterning on top is just starting and it patterns to the end. Hoping to get quite a bit done next week.

VOG ON socks finished for Sock It To Me Pal ... I loved this pattern and will definitely make a pair for moi.

Straps are done for the entrelac tote and it just needs to be felted. Yea! Very quick knit from KnitPicks knit in Wool of the Andes.
My Autumn Rose yarn and book are here!!! WOOHOO!!! I purchased this from Two Swans Yarn from Karen. I have made some other purchases there and she always comes through. Thanks Karen. I picture myself casting on the ribbing immediately and working and hour or so a day on this as I have many other WIPs waiting to be come FOs.

I have saved the best for last. I received my Knit1Tea2 swap package from Dawn Dawn was my first spoilee way back in Monkey Sock Swap 1. She is the first person outside of family, I have knit socks for. Dawn is a fun, sweet lady and apparantly has a story to go along with my swap box which I am dying to hear. I received Tea in an apple Cider flavor which coincidentally I also sent to my K1T2 pal, I have several more tins to go out in swap packages. A tea infuser, some wicked honey straws, an awesome pumpkin warshcloth(so pretty),some of the teeny tiniest stitch markers ever which I will undoubtedly use immediately as I am in two secret lace knitting kals and some wonderfully delicious shortbread cookies. Also some jam and a package of scone mix to make for the jam. WOW, I was well spoiled!! Thanks muchly Dawn.
Oh oh...ALSO. some very curious yarn which I am wondering if Dawn dyed herself, it is exquisite and some Debbie Bliss cashmerino in a lovely purple color I will make some Fetching for me from.
AND Why oh why oh why MUST I knit these? Are they not beautiful? Do they not contain cables and wondrous length? They are from the Holiday edition of Interweave Knits

Knit from Debbie Bliss BABY Cashmerino...must check and see if I have any of that...



OH One more thing, a belated very happy Birthday to DS1 DGF...we are very blessed having her as part of our family for the past two and a half years. She is a lovely hardworking kind person. She is very good to both of my sons and makes DS1 so very happy