Okay, so I'm a Dork. Big deal!

I am completely and totally in love with this yarn! ONLine Supersocke (from Germany) comes in so many self-striping colors I believe I could knit with it forever and never make the same pair twice! In fact, for my latest big idea - A single sock in each color to be worn as a mix-matched pair! What little girl (and, eh hem, adult woman) wouldn't totally love that?!?!?! I know I would! So I'm scouring the web trying to track down a good price for as many different colors of this group (known as Beach Color) as I can find and will start creating a set! I think it would just be the berries to make one adult- and one child-sized sock from each ball (probably two child-sized socks) and then have a matching set! C'mon! It's a brilliant idea! My mother's best friend is living in Germany right now and is on the hunt for a deal on the yarn - I don't know if I'll do better buying it here or having it "shipped" from there, but we'll work something out. I am absolutely exstatic about starting this project! I'll be the only member of my very own sock club! Yippee!!!

Update: I was able to track down a complete set of Beach Colors and the yarn should soon be on its way! An Ebay seller was gracious enough to combine her listings of individual balls into one "Buy It Now" so I'm getting them for about $9.50 ea including shipping. What a deal! Can't wait to get them started!

Sock lives again!

Due to an extremely long (and lovely) automobile ride from GA - Texas - GA I have completed Sock #1. The toe was quite tricky - still not sure if I really got rid of the so-called "donkey ears" but I've done my best and hope to improve on my skills with the mate. I'll have it cast on tonight and will have a pair before you know it!

The holiday was lovely! My niece is as cute as she could be, and just a joy to be around. She and her parents didn't seem to really appreciate the time and thought put into her gifts though, much to my chagrin. I guess all I can do is hope she appreciates them and remembers they were from me.

I wish I could say I'm done with gift-knitting but it looks like I have at least 2 more projects to finish for some people. My step dad has requested a grey scarf to go with his wool jacket and I'm working on a pair of socks for Tripp. They are Campfire Socks from Cider Moon and the yarn is Mountain Goat - Red Tail Hawk. So far I am very pleased - lovely fiber and easy pattern. I just hope he likes them or better yet - wears them!



As for the scarf. I'm still hunting for the right pattern. It must be simple but lovely - it is for a man afterall. Perhaps a small basketweave? And for the yarn - I want it to be soft and warm, so I'm thinking cashmere or mohair blends. Regardless I must come up with something soon and send it to him ASAP - the winter does not linger in The South!

Kaylee's First Christmas

I am so dang excited about my niece's first Christmas! I don't know if this is normal or what, but I've collected a few things for her that I think really stand for what I believe in as a caregiver - both as support for her and as a future parent myself. I thought I'd post a little gift preview for anyone interested! (You may click on any of the images to see where to buy!)

For her soon to be teeth, a lovely wooden teether from Haba - a German company.
I know she can't read yet, but I got her an exciting and colorful book to help her learn numbers, days of the week, and fruits! And so she can enjoy her very hungry caterpillar friend even before she's ready to read about his adventure, And of course, I knit her a lovely hat! I know, they live in Texas, why does she need a lovely hat? I'm not entirely sure yet, but I know she'll need it at some point and therefore, have it she must!

I can't believe it's been so long....
I'm working hard on a new scarf for my mom. [Spoiler Alert - Mother, if you're reading this, skip to the next paragraph! Don't you peek!] I decided that she deserved more than a simple garter stitch boucle I was able to whip up in ~5 hours. And this baby is taking much longer. I'm getting close to finishing the first ball of Manos del Uruguay 109 "Woodland" (YUM!) and I've got a second one to go. My So Called Scarf is so pretty and this yarn is so delicious - I can totally understand why people make many MANY versions of it! It's fun to knit and beautiful to look at. I feel like some kind of wonder-knitter when I look at the pattern, but it's so easy I feel bad taking the credit for the lovely piece it's become! Another glance at some fellow MSCSers reveals that mine is not half as lovely as most. I believe my problem may stem from my guage - I haven't noticed an issue previously, but I feel it may be having some effect on this scarf? Not sure, but looking forward to trying again in the future for a nicer finished piece.

The sock is on the shelf - at least until after Christmas. I want to work on it so bad, but I've got to get my gift-knitting finished before the gift-giving can commence. Once I finish Mom's scarf I'll just have one more family member (other than my dear husband for whom I will be knitting these after the holiday) to adorn with homemade goodness! Whatever do you knit a 25-year-old father of one who lives in TEXAS??? I've been racking my brain for something, anything! to make him. At this point I think it will be a lovely watch cap (the very one I knit his father) in Virginia Tech colors (orange and maroon); even if he never has reason to wear it in Texas, he does sometimes travel north and could use something so warm and cozy. I think it's as good as I can do. And what about his girlfriend, you ask? Well...I'm trying not to think about that...