Socks can die in a fire.

All of them. I have nothing but hate. While doing the laundry today I found my other Ravenclaw sock, soft and happy from a trip through the washer and dryer. With a HUGE hole in it. Guess who didn't weave the end in quite right? Oh yes. I had to get out the scissors. At some later, more sane point in time, I will pick up the stitches and carry on with the extra yarn I have. Or I might just set them on fire.

Seriously, the only thing that could inspire more sock hate this weekend would be if one of my dogs ate my Lantern Moon DPNs.

I should have known it wasn't going to go well. I was stalking the mailbox for my SITM pal box and instead got our foundation papers. Sure enough, the part of our foundation that is settling isn't covered. So, before we ever sell our house, I'll have to come up with thousands of dollars to have the back half of the house piered. Fortunately, that's a long way off.

I'm grumpy. And that, folks, is why we don't keep liquor in the house. Or chocolate. That's also why I'm never doing laundry again. You never know when you might find a mangled Ravenclaw sock in the wash.

Con-testy

Lately I've been lucky with the blog contests. I won some beautiful yarn from Knit Playground, and a fabulous gift certificate from SockPr0n (I already have the pendant I want picked out..unless I change my mind that is).

I've been knitting on the same things. I have castonitis. I desperately want to be DONE with these socks. I'm knitting the secret Hogwarts socks, and Hederas for me. I just washed the Hogwarts socks I accidentally made myself. The yarn is very washable, which was my pal's only specific requirement. So that makes me feel good. This is my first time knitting with a wool/nylon blend and I'm liking it. I don't like the splittiness of the yarn though..

Fortunately, my Hederas are being knit in Zen Strings Serendipity. The most unsplitty, tightly wound yarn I've enjoyed so far. It's just gorgeous. So they are a good contrast for each other.

So about not stashing more sock yarn..

I lied. I bought 6 skeins of Lorna's Laces and just tried to buy another 6, but the buyer didn't take credit card paypal.

It's not that I don't want more sock yarn, because that would be crazy. I just want to start stashing sweater yarn!

A Package!

So yesterday I came home sick at 3. The only thing worse than being sick is toughing it out until 3. Seriously, what's the point of going home at that point? I made a trip by the doctor for allergy medicine, painkillers, and then home. My husband had been home earlier for a meeting with the insurance adjuster, so I assumed my Secret Pal 11 package was not here. But it was! It was just small enough to fit in the mailbox, so my husband hadn't spotted it.

Inside was a gorgeous skein of alpaca from New Hampshire, a rubber band ball, a cool book on knitting lingo, Tootsie Roll pops in a neat lunchbox tin, Swedish Fish (now swimming somewhere in my stomach), and Petfinder.com bookmarks!

Thank you so much, whoever you are! I am thinking about making some driving mitts out of the alpaca. I've promised my husband mitts so he can type and have warm hands at the same time in his frigid office. I think though, that these mitts will be mine. I have to test the pattern first of course, right? Yep.



That's the Hogwart's sock that was not to be. That one is finished. i'm about halfway through it's mate. I should be done with them by the time the replacement yarn arrives and the knitting frenzy begins!

Sometimes I am not so smart...subtitled: I guess I wanted to be a Ravenclaw

Lately my husband and I have been discussing what trouble people get in when they make assumptions. So I was happily knitting along on my socks for the Hogwart's Sock Swap 2, down past the gussets. Only then did I look at the size foot I was knitting for. So I have instituted Rule 2 now: Try and remember not everyone is your size, some are smaller, some are bigger.

So, to summarize so far, we have:
1. Don't join a sock club unless you have preloved their yarn (by ACTUALLY knitting it, not just stashing it).
2. Look at the request made for your swap or gift project and knit accordingly.

So, I was faced with the decision: frog or buy more yarn. I chose to buy more yarn. Honestly, I don't know how to make a pattern larger or smaller. So I'm going to rebuy yarn and go with my personal favorite pattern of the moment, it's very stretchy, with one extra repeat so I can have a bigger heel cup/sole and voila.

Fortunately, I really like the sock I finished. Maybe I did this on purpose? Unfortunately it means that the Hogwart's Socks will be my monogamous project as soon as the yarn gets in (hopefully before next weekend).

Hmm...Grover Pacman?*

The new Knitty is up. You already knew? Oh...well....sorry...geez...

Just kidding! I will be knitting quite a few things from there. It's frustrating. My queue keeps growing. However, this issue of Knitty will solve a few "what am I going to make with this" questions I had about some of my stashed. I got some gorgeous handspun, which will be a Urchin hat. Should I acquire a lone skein of Malbrigo on my next trip to Fayetteville, or well, just because, viola Foliage. Foliage had me contemplate frogging Besotted to make my husband and I matching hats. I'm still debating it. Nevermind, he gives it the "too girly" veto. I think it looks elfin.

I had a bit of a sock club epiphany. I will not join a sock club or yarn club unless I have first tried and fallen in love with the yarn. For instance, I love Woolgirl, hence the joining of the club. I cannot understand WHY I am disgruntled that the Yarn Pirate sock club openings are this weekend when I don't have cash to join. I haven't even touched the stuff. Yet I want to join. I am a joiner. But I must introduce this rule to myself: no joining unless I have preloved. I prelove Woolgirl. So many indie dyers, different enough from The Loopy Ewe to justify a purchase. I also love TLE, so if I were to encounter a club sign up there, I'm allowed...

I'm package stalking. Apparently a package is on it's way to me. Actually, three are: SP11 (or is it 12 now? I lose track), yarn from Destash, and Woolgirl sock club.

*Do you know that reference? First to get it right gets an RAOK, and it's yarny. Though it's a toughy.

Destashing my life...

No, no yarn for sale. I'm going to pack up some yarn that I have no idea what to do with and send it to Winter's Mill High School's knitting club. Here's the damage, while most of it is odds and ends from projects, there's about 10 whole skeins of yarnage. Lots of variety, from alpaca and acrylic to indie dyed sock yarn:



I destashed my closet last week. That was an ugly sight. It's amazing how many things I have that I don't use. I am going to take the clothing to consignment and Goodwill. Though I end up buying things at places like that. Though I can't complain about spending $5.75 on last week's haul: gorgeous Gap trouser jeans in a dark wash and bugle bead edged black Mossimo flip flops.

My mantra lately is "simplify, simplify, simplify". I read in a book on women and money (of the same title Women & Money by Suze Orman, see below with Besotted..) that being surrounded by things that are worthless to us makes us feel worthless. I can understand that.

Here is the long awaited contents of my Ravelry Summer Camp swap package. Minus the food. I don't know what happened to that.


And here's the other skein of Malabrigo, cast on for the Besotted Scarf. The picture is not true to color.



Oooh, a peeking out Hogwart's Sock Swap Sock!


In this corner, finished objects:

Pawprint washcloth:



Sock It To Me Sock Swap Hederas:


Love me some Madelinetosh sock yarn. Yummy stuff. I hope my pal enjoys these socks. I think they're gorgeous.

I've been attacked by a vicious yarn cat. Is there any remedy?

Oooh, look at me law!

Yesterday I ran down to the courthouse and got sworn in. I'm officially a lawyer! I haven't done anything lawyerish yet though. I don't have my bar number, so I can't sign anything. I did change my footer on my email signature at work to add the word "Attorney" though. I sent a message to my boss commenting on the repair guy's overabundance of chest hair to test my signature. It was hilarious. Seriously, if it's poking out of your shirt, what makes you think that's appropriate? I guess it's the equivalent of jeans that ride so low you see butt cleavage.

I've been knitting Hederas. I ran out of Noro Silk Garden for my entrelac scarf, so that went on stitch holders and into the storage closet until I get more funds for two more skeins to polish it off. It's pretty gorgeous. I'm halfway through a dishcloth.

That's all the knitting news. I got a fabulous swap package yesterday for the Ravelry Summer Camp Exchange. However, you'll have to wait until pictures. Suffice it to say, anything edible in that box is long gone. Remember: lobster lollipops are temporary, Malabrigo is forever!*


*There was a lobster lolly in the box, along with emerald colored Malabrigo. Next payday I will procure size 11 needles and cast on a My So-Called Scarf.