Confessions (rantings)

Sisters,

It is one week until Christmas Eve when we open presents. I must tell you, I have failed. I am still only on the first sock for BIL's Toe Socks. I spent an hour today, one whole hour, picking up dropped gusset stitches from the thing as I was trying to knit it on to 4 dpns from the broken circ fiasco. I Had No Crochet hook. I am still at the gusset decreases. I don't know if these will fit him, I will have to fit each blasted toe to his foot (with a blind fold on?) His sister is nagging me to work on them when I am at home doing something else. I must not get myself worked up. Sorry.

To my confessions: Forgive me fiber sisters, for I have sinned. It will be 8 unknit Christmas gifts this year. A pair of socks for S, felted slippers for M and P, shawls for L and J, Mrs. Beetons for B, scarves for B's 2 girls. I began with such noble, pure thoughts in October, but my sin of selfishness and pride took over and I knit myself 2 hats and bought yarn for two sweaters and spent many hours on the computer over in the devils den of Ravelry making new friends. Please deliver me from this unrighteousness and help me resist the temptation to wrap up yarn and patterns and give them with an IOU. That is the path to my eternal destruction. Pray for me, sisters, now and in the hour(s) of my knitting. It is by your grace that I will finish the blessed toe socks and a miracle of your love if they fit.

As my penance I promise to give away much of my stash (especially with Acrylic in it) in 2008 and never again promise, hint at or tease with, a hand knit item for anyone else at Christmas. Amen.

Catch up and Fourth Comment drawing

Hello all you out there in fiber-holic land! I have been absent from this blog due, in part, to Ravelry! I love it. My daughter, Sharayah, has just gotten her invite too, so it has been double the fun, as she is in Bellingham, WA and it is so fun to see her WIP etc. She is Ravelrayah, in case you want to check her out. (Thanks Cindy of Delighted Hands!)

I have been madly trying to get ahead on BIL's Toe Socks. I was cruising along with the KP Harmony wooden circs, size 1, when last night, I put them in the beaded bag and heard a sickening "SNAP" Ughh, one broke. Now I have to find my addi turbos in the red toe up socks and switch and make sure they are the same mm size... Tomorrow morning.

I made a crochet hat this week out our SWT soy wool. It is sooo cute, don't you think? It fits me better than the bear!

The spun autum colored wool is going to be our next prize for this months comment drawing. I am going to wind off half the bobbin and 2 ply it. Ran out of Bobbins don't ya know! But now I have the little gem as well as the Rose from Majacraft and so I have 8 bobbins now!!! The little gem spins like a dream and seems to be much lighter on the feet. The tension is a bit touchy, but so far, if I leave it alone, no problems.

Gotta run and get ready for work, which has been terribly slow. Have a great day and be sure to comment! Hugs, KC

Handspun Cap Karma

I found this pattern on Ravelry under the patterns for hats. Wrong, sorry, I found it with the help of Stash and Burn! It links you to a yahoo group of a new designer named Marie: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smariekknits/. Brooklyntweed put a modification on her blog to continue the cables up into the decreases, rather than stop, so that is what I did. Then I added the little eye cord on the top. Reminds me of my Brownie Beanie!

I loved knitting with my own handspun. The roving was from Deborah Brunner, a memeber of our spinners guild. She has her own web site where you can purchase. http://www.deborahbrunner.com/. Just look under the store section. Mine was the wool and silk blend. I want to get more, but I am determined to spin what I have and keep dyeing my own.

I am having my friend Natalie over today to do some dyeing. she is also my beading buddie. Next week we plan to go up to Scottsdale to Jessica Knits for a trunk show and hit the big bead store, too. We need to get more hanks of the size 8 beads that are so good to use on yarn. They go on fast when you use the beadspinner from the Bead Spinner Lady!

Gotta run, have a great day/week. Until Soon. KC

Great felted Clogs!

Yeah! Ann's felted clogs (second attempt) came out great! I used the Berrocco Ultra Alpaca and, though it takes a while to felt down to the right size, it works great. I found that adding a pair of old or kinda dirty tennis shoes to the load helps it move along faster. Also, folding over the pillowcase that the clogs are in and pinning it with safety pins is a good way to go. Better than a wet knot! The sun is not as hot, so it is taking a longer time to dry them.
Has anyone had success with putting them in the dryer for a short time???

I began a hat for me with some hand spun that is coming out really well. I will post more in a few days on that. But I did find the pattern on Ravelry. gotta love it.

I went out with Ann to the golf course today, and really had a good time. The weather was perfect and on the 10th hole, I wish I had my camera, it was so pretty. I just go a long for the ride and watch the pin as she putts, but I did make a few Practice shots off one tee. I can't get hooked on golf. They say it is worse than knitting! Ann is a member of The Pines, which is close by the house. It is an old gravel pit with lots of turns on the cart path. Not good for knitting, but fast, when she is playing by herself with just me. As long as she plies me with beer, I can hang :)

Good luck with all of your holiday knitting and Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it.
We have most of our decorations up but still need to put ornaments on the tree. Hugs, KC

We Have a Winner!

The winner of the November comment drawing is Cate K. Thanks to all who participated and I will attempt to have one for December, too.

Congratulations Cate! I will be getting in touch with you today.

I stayed home sick yesterday and this morning I got back on the computer and still no Cast On Pod cast. Total Bummer. I am checking out Stash and Burn due to many postive comments from Brenda's fan club on Ravelry.

Take care and happy knitting! KC