Pretty Yarn and Finished Projects July 28, 2008

Yes, well, I know that I promised to show ya’ll the pictures of my yarn way before this, but I was really busy and baby-sitting a lot. So, I am just now getting around to this. First off, my two finished objects. First, my Fetching fingerless gloves. I just love them. They are going to be wonderful to take to Montreat this weekend. It tends to be somewhat cold in hotels and having them there will be very nice. I could also take my new socks! These are No-Purl Monkeys in Socks that Rock Lightweight in the color Space Dust. I just love these. They are very cozy and warm.

Speaking of Socks that Rock, we will now move on to my SEVEN new skeins of Socks that Rock. First off, Socks that Rock Mediumweight in Jewel of the Nile. . Next, Blue Brick Wall in Mediumweight. Now, Socks that Rock Lightweight in Firebird. This is one of the most pretty colors of Socks that Rock I have seen. This is lightweight in Kaw Kaw. More Lightweight in Knitters Without Borders. Next up, my favorite, Lightweight in Purple Rain. My last skein if Mediumweight in Pride.

I absolutely LOVE all of the skeins I bought. I have already started a pair of rpm’s with the Jewel of the Nile. They are lovely. I will try to get a picture up as soon as I can. They are on my Ravelry page, but the picture is only of the skein of yarn. I recieved my July sock club package last Thursday and have fallen head over heel in love with it. It came with two patterns this time, instead of the normal one. The color is called Goody Goody and is pastel candy colors. I chose to knit the Sweet Tart Anklets instead of the Gumdrop pattern. I am on the foot on the second sock and will post a picture of the finished socks as soon as they are done. I have decided to knit the Gumdrop pattern with May’s sock club yarn, The Incredible Shrinking Violet.

Yesterday, Tina, the dyer at Blue Moon Fiber Arts, posted a list of colors that will be “vacationing” soon. I knew that two of the colors I have wanted very badly are going to be gone, so I am planning a very small order. I am probably going to get a skein of lightweight in Hot Flash, and a skein of mediumweight in Highway 30. I am going to make my friend Ms.Kathy a pair of socks out of the Highway 30 for Christmas. The next time we see her will be at Thanksgiving, so I will probably give her the socks then. She loved my Jewel of the Nile rpm’s that I was working on this past weekend when she was here, so I will probably knit her up a pair of them.

I also recieved a lovely package from Molly (aka nerdclub2000) with two braids of roving and a skein of sock yarn. This roving was handdyed especially for me. It was inspired by the movie Grease. I adore the movie, and love the roving even more! This is Ravenclaw roving. I love this. Molly included three Ravenclaw stitch markers in sock sizes with the roving. As much as I love the roving, nothing could compare with the sock yarn. It is destined to become Monkey socks. If I finish the Sweet Tart Anklets before Friday (which I am sure that I will) I think that I will start Monkeys with this yarn. The name is fabulous. It’s called, Thar Be Pirates in that Thar Sock Yarn. I love it!

I have decided to participate in the 2008 Ravelympics. I am competeing with Team Teen, Team Blue Moon, and Team Junkie. That is Malabrigo Junkie. I am competeing in two events. The Sock Put and the Sweater Sprint. I am planning on knitting Monkeys with Kaw Kaw and knitting the February Lady Sweater with my four skeins of Cuarzo Malabrigo Merino Worsted. I can’t wait for the Olympics to start! I am determined to finish my Central Park Hoodie before the Olympics. I would love to have no other projects on the needles during the Olympics, so I am going to try to finish the Tulip Sweater, the Jewel of the Nile rpms, the Central Park Hoodie, and the Sweet Tart Anklets. I have been working on the Tulip Sweater while watching Law and Order Criminal Intent or SVU. I try to work on the rpm’s whenever I get a chance and I work on the Central Park Hoodie every night while listening to audiobooks before bed. I take the Sweet Tart Anklets with me everywhere, so I get a bit done on them just about everyday.

Speaking of audiobooks, have any of you heard of LibriVox.org? I have just recently discovered it, and have already listened to Anne of Green Gables. I am now listening to Anne of Avonlea. For those of you who have heard of it, what are some good mysteries?

TTYL
Sarah Dianne

The Friend Post July 21, 2008

Okay, Linny dear, here you go! The post about my best friends- and the ones who maybe weren’t as best friend as I thought they were. We’ll start with my newest best friend, Hannah.

 

Hannah

Hannah is like my newest best friend. She knows more about me than anyone else. She knows who I like, what I want to name my kids, she knows all of my problems, and all of my joy. She’s awesome. We met when I was baby-sitting her little sisters (3 and 1). She was baby-sitting and asked if I wanted to spend the night and help with the baby-sitting. I, of course, said yes. We spent that night talking and talking and talking- we never ran out of anything to say. Then I started having school friend troubles. She was there to listen to all of my troubles and listened to me when I cried. Hannah is beyond awesome. I love her to death, and I have only known her for about eight months. She’s incredible, and we are so alike yet different enough to be good for each other.

Lindsey

Lindsey has been one of my best friends since the middle of sixth grade. She’s smart, and funny, and sarcastic, and just plain awesome. We were thrilled on the first day of seventh grade to find out we had every class together, and even more thirlled in eighth grade when the same thing happened. Then, IB happened. It was always known that she was going to go to IB and I was going to stay. I am perfectly happy at Clay. I love the teachers, I know the teachers, and I have grown up with most of these people. Lindsey started hanging out with Shelby (more on her later) more so than with me. She and Shelby started passing around a notebook that I almost knew for sure was stuff about me. They would act mean and ignore me almost all the time. The last day of school came, and I didn’t even give Lindsey a hug. As awful as that was for her, it may have been worse for me, because I knew that she would have Shelby and I would no one the next year.

Finally, we sat down on our computers and talked. We got out all of our problems. She apologized, and I told her I had already forgiven her. Now, we talk almost everyday. We are making plans to go see Mama Mia and hopefully, be able to catch up some more. Lindsey and I have had our troubles (hasn’t everyone) but we are still best friends and now (hopefully) we are going to throw Hannah into our crazy mix. She and Lindsey have already been talking and now I feel confident that we will all be good friends.

Shelby

Shelby and I were never really best friends I think. We really just hung out with the same people all the time and were friends through others. Shelby and I had a big falling out at the end of school. We ended the year with her hating me. Quite frankly, I think she still does and I don’t see a reason to try and change it. She was always more likely to say hurtful things to me, to try and tear me down, and try to make me feel as if I was not important in her life. That hurt more than I can say. I don’t think Shelby and I will ever be friends again. We may talk sometimes, but really I don’t think that we will ever get back to “normal”.

Patrick

Patrick is awesome. He’s funny, smart, sarcastic, and has the ability to make me laugh even when I don’t really want to. That’s a pretty impressive feat, by the way. Without Patrick, who knows where all of us would be. Patrick is, in my opinion, the jelly that holds us all together. He’s the one who is friends with all of us, not just a few people. He’s great.

Okay, Lindsey, is there anybody else who you want me to talk about?

BTW, for knitting content readers, knitting post will hopefully be up tomorrow!

TTYL
Sarah

Hello! July 3, 2008

Hey everybody! I am so excited about this post because I have actual progress to show all of you! I am about halfway done with my Central Park Hoodie which is probably a  good thing because the pink color is starting to get to me. Here is my latest picture of it:   I love it so much and can’t wait to finish it! Right now I am at the armhole of the right front and hope to finish that later on this afternoon.

Hannah and I recieved our order from Eat Sleep Knit! I love love love my Malabrigo!!!!!!!! This yarn is going to become a February Lady Sweater:  I absolutely love this colorway.  I recieved two skeins of Damask Rose to make Gretel and Fetching, too. This is it: . I absolutely adore it! I started a pair of Fetchings and have finished the cables on the first mitt. I can’t wait to finish them! Here is my final Malabrigo yarn from Eat.Sleep.Knit. The color is Velvet Grapes. I think that this may be my favorite Malabrigo color EVER! The only problem is I don’t know what to make with it. Any suggestions?

I am a very excited person right now. My dad was very nice and let me use his credit card to order SEVEN skeins of Socks that Rock!!!!!! I ordered Pride in mediumweight, Blue Brick Wall in mediumweight, Jewel of the Nile in mediumweight, Knitters Without Borders in lightweight, Kaw Kaw in lightweight, Purple Rain in lightweight, and Firebird in lightweight. I am so excited about it! I know that it will probably get here next week while I am out of town, but I can’t wait to get it!

Speaking of going out of town, I should probably say that I am going to be out of town all next week and will probably sleep all day Sunday. So, if you leave a comment and don’t get a response I will be getting back to you shortly. Just thought I’d say!

TTYL
Sarah

It’s That Time Again! June 23, 2008

VBS time! Tomorrow is the first day of Vacation Bible School at my church. I will make sure to take lots of pictures because we always havea ton of fun. This year’s theme is Beach Party!

I have started spinning and I adore it! I bought a spindle from Butterfly Girl Designs and have been able to spin much better on it than on my other, much heavier, spindle. This is the spindle I got. It weighs .6 ounces. I love love love it. I actually spun up this yarn on that spindle: It is 123 yards on fibery goodness and I love it. I am probably going to make a hat with it.

So, my friend Hannah has been asking me to teach her to knit for a long time. Therefore, I gave her some Reynolds Blizzard and a pair of Laurel Hill knitting needles (along with other stuff including a handknit scarf) for her birthday. Last night at the baseball game that we went to for the church’s Family Fun Night I taught her to knit, because neither of us were into baseball. It was really fun to see the kids faces during the fireworks at the end, though. Anyway, she took to knitting wonderfully. She has learned how to fix and avoid mistakes and she has been knitting for a little more than 24 hours! So, we decided to make a joint order over at Eat.Sleep.Knit for their yarn marathon. We are going to run it together. So, that order is going to happen this week. I am ordering four skeins of Malabrigo Merino Worsted in Cuarzo to make a February Lady Sweater and one skein of Merino Worsted in Damask Rose to make Gretel. Hannah is going to get two skeins of Merino Worsted in Applewood and two skeins of Dark Earth. That will put us over a mile. I am also planning on another solo order and getting another skein of Damask Rose to make Convertible Mitts and three skeins of Dusty to make the Briar Rose Bolero.

So, I say that I am ordering the yarn to make another sweater. Well, I made a deal with myself (and told Hannah so she could remind me). I had to finish my Central Park Hoodie that I am making in Cascade 220 with another member of the Teens Knit & Crochet group over on Ravelry. Ever since I made that pack I have been knitting like crazy on this sweater. This morning I had only the ribbing and one repeat done, and now I am almost done with the back. At this rate, I think that I will be ready to start my February Lady Sweater when the yarn comes!

I finished my Alpaca Droppings Shawl!!!! I am so excited. It was knit with Garnstudio Drops Alpaca in Teal on size seven needles. It took about four days to make. This is my sister modeling (she told me I was a hopeless model). What do you think?

TTYL
Sarah

I Love Vacation June 8, 2008

I was at the beach all last week, so I was not able to write a new post. Sorry bout that! I have more yarn porn for you today!! First off, Socks that Rock Lightweight in Rock Star:. I love this color! It’s incredibly bright, but I adore it. It is definately going to become a pair of Monkey socks. I know that I said Welt Fantastic, but I adore Monkeys. Next up is Socks that Rock Lightweight in Space Dust:. This yarn is incredible. Just plain incredible. I don’t know how Tina does it. Again, this yarn will also become Monkeys. Speaking of Blue Moon, I have a gripe (not about Blue Moon, about my bank.). I went to open my checking account. They won’t let you unless you have a picture ID. I don’t have a picture ID. I”M FOURTEEN!!!!! So, I have to wait until December 30 when I get my permit. So, I can’t order my Blue Moon yet. I will have to get a Visa gift card and use that.

I got my chicken project bag in the mail! It’s sooooo cute:. Right now, the back of my Central Park Hoodie is in it. It is much bigger than my other project bags, but I love it anyway.

I am going to learn to spin!!! I bought a spindle kit on Etsy, and some Harry Potter roving from Molly. I got a Ravenclaw colorway because I am a Ravenclaw. And, depending on what quiz I take, I am also a Gryffindor, so I may end up ordering Gryffindor from her too some other time.

I finished all the Hot Head hats and I am almost halfway done with the My So Called Scarf I am making for my aunt!

TTYL
Sarah

Awesome Mail Week May 29, 2008

Oh I am having the BEST week ever! Last Friday I recieved my $300 gift card from my baby-sitting I did last summer. So, I went a little nuts. My mother decided I had to much yarn, so she wouldn’t let me order five skeins. Instead, I ordered Space Dust and Rock Star, along with two patterns (Rock and Weave and the Funky Monkey Sock Monkey). I also went a little bit nuts on Etsy!! I got these: I tihnk that the Sock Monkeys at the Beach one is my fav. Here is a close up of that one:. I love these bags! They are perfect for my sock projects! Today in the mail, I got a really pretty necklace for my best friends’ birthday. I think she reads this, so I am not going to post pictures. I also got my May Rockin’ Sock Club Package today. The colorway is called The Incredible Shrinking Violet. IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS, DON’T LOOK AT THIS PICTURE!!!!!!!!! I love this color more than any color I have seen from any of the sock clubs in the past three years. I love it soooooo much! I am not at all crazy about the pattern, so I am pretty sure that this yarn will become a pair of Monkey socks.

Speaking of Monkey socks, I finished two pairs of Monkeys in the past week and a half. The first are “real” Monkeys. These have the purls: Yes, my Gingerbread Dude Monkeys are now complete!!!!! I LOVE these socks sooo much. My second pair is a pair of No Purl Monkeys with Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in the Jewel tone. I am really not crazy about this yarn. It’s nice, but not tightly spun like Socks that Rock is. I have one more skein of this yarn, which is going to become realy Monkeys. Those are my two finished pairs of socks. I am now trying to limit myself, and not start another pair of socks until the Summer of Socks 2008 starts. It is killing me, but I am trying to knit all the hats and the needle felted ornaments that I am making for Margie and Mrs.Ann for Christmas this year. So, that should last me for awhile. I also need to swatch for the Central Park Hoodie. I am going to start that on June 5th along with another member of the Teens Knit & Crochet group on Ravelry.

As soon as I get my debit card, I am ordering Knitters Without Borders, Purple Rain, Blue Brick Wall, Kaw Kaw, and the Funky Monkey Kit from Blue Moon. My mother can’t complain because I am only ordering four skeins of yarn and the kit is for Christmas presents!! Squee!!

Oh yeah!! I had a knitting needle emergency Tuesday morning. I must have lost my fifth size one Harmony DPN at the lake on Monday. So, I had to switch the first No Purl Monkey to my size 1 circulars and do the rest of the first and the entire second No Purl Monkey on two circulars. Soooo, I ordered four sets of size 1 Harmony DPNs from Knit Picks Tuesday afternoon, and they should be here tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!

TTYL (with more new stuff)
Sarah

School’s Out! May 22, 2008

Yea!!! Now, I will hopefully have much more time to post. I know that I promised to post forever ago, but end of the year exams mixed with friend drama ends up being bad for the blog, but good for the knitting. I finished the Waving Lace socks and have fallen in love with Panda Cotton. I will definately have to get more! Here is my favorite finished object pic: I knit these on Knit Picks Harmony DPNs size 1 with Panda Cotton in Yellow. The pattern is Waving Lace, from Favorites Socks, and Interweave Press book. When I finished those, I started a pair of Monkey socks with Socks that Rock Lightweight in the color Gingerbread Dude, which I got for Christmas last year. The colorway Gingerbread Dude is what made me want to buy Socks that Rock. Speaking of, tomorrow I am placing a five skein order from Blue Moon. I am going to get Space Dust, Rock Star, Purple Rain, Kaw Kaw, and Knitters Without Borders. I am treating myself because not only did I make an 83 (!!!!!!!!!!!!) on my Algebra 1 exam, I also “graduated” from middle school and I am going to high school next year. I thought that deserved a $96 order from Blue Moon. Now, back to the Gingerbread Dude Monkeys. I have finished the first one, so this picture is outdated, but it gives you an idea of what the yarn looks like knitted up:. I think that these socks may become my new favorite socks. They are sooooo pretty. The first has a lovely spiral all the way around the sock, and I will have to get a close-up of the heel because I just love it.

I have joined the Summer of Socks 2008 and my goal is going to be to knit more patterns from my books- except for Monkeys of course! I have a LOT of books, but I hardly ever use the patterns. I am going to start with a pair of Go With the Flow socks- also from the book Favorite Socks- using Maizy in Rose. I think that the solid will make the stitch pattern show up nicely. I think that I will copy Anna, from Anna’s Yarn Mansion, and use the Rock Star Socks that Rock Lightweight and make a pair of Welt Fantastic socks from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. Anna’s are so pretty, and I would love to knit a pair from Sensational Knitted Socks. Another goal is to knit up some of my older stuff before I get to the newer stuff. So, I will probably knit the Grawk STR Lightweight into something before I knit my Louet Gems into Embossed Leaves.

The Summer of Baby-sitting has had its grand kick-off! Last weekend, I made $170. I am putting most of my money into my checking account for a laptop. I am planning on getting a black MacBook. I have wanted one for forever, so that I can watch all of the movies that my sister isn’t allowed to watch by myself in my room. After I make enough for the laptop- which shouldn’t take to long since I am baby-sitting four days a week all summer- I am going to start saving up for my end of the summer MASSIVE Blue Moon order. 15 skeins of yarn and one pattern.

TTYL
Sarah

YARN!!!!! May 1, 2008

Okay! Here’s my new yarn post! This post is really picture heavy, so sorry about that!

We’ll start with soem of my older yarn purcahses. This is Crystal Palace Yarns Iceland is a baby blue color.<img src=”” alt=”Iceland” /> This is destined to become a scarf for my aunt. I did buy two skeins, so I will be able to make it long enough. I bought some of the Cherry Tree Hill Supersock. I got the color Jewels. I think that these are going to become Monkey socks. I am not sure though. I bought three skeins of Drops Alpaca in a really pretty blue color. This stuff is AMAZING! I am pretty sure that this is for my great-grandmothers Christmas present. Any ideas for a gift?? I did buy another skein of Supersock. This colorway is Brights: I love this! It’s so pretty! This yarn is called Deluxe Worsted Magic. It is probably destined to become a felted wallet or something. I got two different colors of Eco Ull for Hot Head hats. These are for my dad, uncle, and cousin. Onto more sock yarn. I think that my dad would be much happier if I went back to not knitting socks! :). This is some Louet Gems is a really nice turqouise color. For some reason, I seem to be favoring blues… This next yarn is some Maizy in Fruit Ice. This is really pretty, so I am glad that I bought it instead of putting it back like I thought I was going to! I also got a solid color in Maizy: I think that this yarn may become a pair of Embossed Leaves… Who knows? I picked up two skeins of Panda Cotton, also in a solid color. I like this one a lot. I may end up making a pair of Lacy Socks from Lace Style. This yarn is Steinbech Wool Aktiv Effect. This yarn is really really pretty!!!! I got some Austermann Step, which I really really like. MORE BLUE!!! What is with me and trying new colors??? This is some Knit Picks Palette in the color Lemon. This is what I am using to knit the Mystic Lights Shawl. I bought some thick and thin brown yarn the last time I went, but ran out before I finished my scarf, so I bought another skein: I am really really not sure what this is, but it is so fun to knit with!

I am officially done with pictures. So, in other news, I joined the Pair-A-Month along yesterday so I have decided my May socks are the rpm Lucky socks and the Dragon Dance Serendipity. If I finish these, then I will so be ready for my next Rockin’ Sock Club package! I also joined the Summer of Socks 2008. I am participating in both contests. I know for a fact that we are going to the mountains for a wedding and on a weeklong cruise which is kinda freaking me out, but I will have fun. (Please remind of this sometimes.).

TTYL
Sarah

P.S. I am going out of town this weekend, so I will either have a new post Sunday night or Monday night.

Lot’s of NEW May 1, 2008

I have apparently been in a new mode. That, or I was just excited that the lys near my house was having amazing sales because they were closing. I bought SO much yarn! It’s insane! I bought 5 skeins of Cascade 220 to make a Central Park Hoodie. I got this color of Cascade 220: I really really like the yarn and the color, so I hope to buy the pattern pretty soon. I had to laugh because the yarn for the CPH is almost exactly the same color as my Lelah top. See: I am further along in Lelah now. Just have the straps left! I am so excited about this! I tried it on right after I finished sewing in the elastic, and it fits really well. I think that the next time I make it, I will use a six for the top part instead of a seven. That way, it is a little smaller. I have two pairs of socks on the needles. My Serendipity socks were speeding right along until I got to the second foot. Here’s where they have been for about a week:. I am also working on a pair of rpms with my March RSC shipment yarn, Lucky. I am in mad love with these. I knit the first in two days. This is where I was yesterday afternoon: . I have now finished the first sock and done two rows of ribbing on the second. I LOVE them. They speed along so quickly. I am loving this yarn! I think that I may have to get some more mediumweight Socks that Rock. I will do a big yarn post tomorrow!

TTYL
Sarah

Sigh… April 20, 2008

Hey everybody. Do you ever have one of those days where you just do everything that makes a day perfect, yet you can’t seem to get all the way happy?? I am having one of those days. I woke up at eight, didn’t get out of bed until noon, watched Gilmore Girls until three, took a shower, and then knit and played on the computer until 7. Yet, I am still not all the way happy. I am working away on a Child’s Placket Neck Sweater using my wonderful cow stitch markers from Wee Ones and watching Gilmore Girls again while baby-sitting. I am really considering just getting my iPod and listening to my happy playlist (you know the one- L-O-V-E, Sara Smile, Oh My My My, Our Song, etc.) while knitting in my comfy chair. I can’t decide.

TTYL
Sarah