Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

• What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into: I have been sorted into the Ravenclaw House
• Shoe size: US 8
• Foot Length: 9 1/2"
• Foot Circumference: 8 1/4"
• List your three favorite double point needle brands, including size and length:

a) Clover Bamboo US 2 - 7"

b) Brittany Birch US 1 - 7"

c) Lantern Moon US 2 - 5"

• Would you try to a new needle brand? If so what brand? Length? Size? I have been wanting to try the Blue Sky Alpacas US 2, although they have been a little hard to come by
• If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or book? Do you have a strong preference? I like the colors from the book better
• Allergies? Do you have any? Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? I don't have any allergies, I do have a cat that likes to inspect my knitting from time to time. Although all projects are kept in my project bag when I'm not working on them
• Are you and international participant (outside US)? Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Swap Pal? I am not an international participant, but would be willing to have one

Just a reminder that sign ups started on the 14 of July and will close on July 30. Go here if you want to join, but hurry they will close sign ups once they get 150 participants.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Toes

As you can see I have cast on and finished one Twinkletoes from Knitty using Rowan Calmer. These were supposed to be a Christmas present for Angelina, but when she saw me knitting them there was no waiting. This is why they don't fit as snug as they are supposed to. After I got past the initial frustrations of doing wrap and turn rows they knit up quite quickly. I'm not sure why, but I just couldn't wrap my head around what I was supposed to be picking up when I came back by the stitches that were wrapped. I did eventually figure it out after frogging 3 or 4 times, and then sleeping on it. I have used a short row method before, but it was a yarn over method. I'm thinking the next pair will use this method, but I did learn something new.

Print O' Wave update: I have finished 40 of my edge border repeats with only 40 more to go. YEAH!!!

I have joined yet another Sock Swap! This one would be the Hogwarts Sock Swap and I have been sorted into the Ravenclaw House. I am excited to finally be part of all the Harry Potter action that has been going on. Now I just need to wait for my pal and then I can go shopping. By the way, I did just finish the first book so I am a little behind on what all is going on with HP, but I'm working on catching up.

Here are some pictures that Angelina took when we went to the Aquarium on Friday. ( I forgot to post them last time)

Finding Nemo


Spikey Crab

This is my favorite, I love how beautiful jellyfish are

Weekend Knitting

Well I did end up taking a break from the Print O' Wave Stole, but I didn't start the Anemoi Mittens. I was going to and then I got everything out, started reading the pattern and realized that I didn't have the right size needles. So back in the basket those went. So instead of the mittens, I did some more work on the Cotton Ease Cardigan. I finished the back of the sweater and cast on for the left front. Even though this is a really easy knit, it seems to be going pretty slow.

I also finished clue 3 for MS3. Had a small fright on the 3rd row when I was short a stitch, and couldn't figure out where I had lost it. Thank God I had put lifelines in at the end of each clue.

Monotonous Knitting

I am taking a much needed break from knitting the edging border on the Print O' Wave Stole. It's going pretty quickly, but it's boring. I am doing a 16-row repeat 80 times. If thats not monotonous I don't know what is. I have a couple of pics of the border that I took while taking my break.

The only change that I have made to the pattern (other then adding the decrease to fix the edging) is adding beads to the border. I am addicted to beading, since the MS3 calls for it, so I decided to try it on this stole also. And I think that it looks pretty good.

I got a small order from Knit Picks yesterday. It had the yarn I ordered for the Anemoi Mittens that are on my Christmas KAL.

This would be Knit Picks Palette in Salsa Heather and Cream. I think that I'm going to download the pattern this afternoon so that I can have something different to work on. We'll see, I might get a burst of energy for the stole.

I am hoping that the other order that I placed to Knit Picks will get here soon. It has the yarn needed for the Knitty KAL and a poncho for Angelina. Not that I really need any more projects to work on. I just like knowing that I have everything I need if I decide to work on them.

I changed the pattern and yarn for the Sock it to Me pals socks. I was going to do the Bayerische Socks in Lang, but then decided that I may have bitten off more then I can knit. So I went pattern hunting again, and came up with this instead. Seduction Socks from Interweave Knits Spring 2007 issue. After finding my new pattern, I went on Etsy to find some beautiful hand dyed yarn. And low and behold I found thank ewe. They sell hand dyed superwash merino and 100% merino yarn in all weights for very reasonable prices. So to make sure that I didn't change my mind again, I went ahead and order 1 skein for my pals socks and 2 for me. I'll post pictures as soon as my yummy yarn gets here.

Well back to the knitting for me

Knitting Frustrations

Well I finished clue 2 for the MS3 this past weekend. It went pretty quickly, and turned out great. Thankfully this project is going smoothly so far.

Speaking of projects going smoothly... my Print O' the Wave Stole was not going smoothly last night. I finished the 2 middle sections and grafted them together. Instead of using a tapestry needle I tried knitting them together as taught in the Tech Knitting blog. This is so much easier, plus I don't have to dig out my needle. So the pieces are grafted together, then I start the much hated chore of picking up 640 stitches from around the four corners. Ugh! The inner border went smoothly enough only took me a couple of hours. Now comes the not so smooth part. The edging border. I thought I was going crazy, because no matter how many times I frogged and recounted I was always one stitch too many when I started the decreases. So I went to bed, had horrible dreams about the freaking border, then woke up and decided to check to see if anyone else had the same problem. Low and behold, there is a mistake in the pattern. I was so relieved to hear this. So I followed with what others had done, and added a decrease to the outer edge. Problem solved. Now, after all this I have 4 repeats done and 76 more to go, then I will have my first Christmas KAL project done. I am almost done!

Sock it to Me Questions

1. What are your foot measurements? Shoe size: US8 Length: 9 1/2" Circumference: 8 1/4"



2. How long have you been knitting? How would you rate your experience? I have been knitting since I was in grade school, although I just started to seriously knit about 6 months ago. I would probably rate my knitting experience at intermediate



3. What is your favorite color? Your least favorite color? I love pink and brown, my least favorite color is anything bright.



4. Do you have a favorite fiber? What type? Anything soft



5. Do you have any allergies to certain fibers? No


6. Do you have an Amazon, or other type of, wishlist? (If so, provide the link.) Not at the moment


7. What techniques, if any, would you like to learn? Steeking and Fair Isle


8. Do you have a sweet tooth? What are your favorite snacks? I love Reese Peanut Butter Cups


9. What is your family situation? (Children, Husband, Pets...etc.) I am married to an awesome Army Guy and we have a 4 year old daughter


10. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Metal, plastic or wood? I prefer straight bamboo needles


11. Besides socks, what are your favorite items to knit? I like sweaters and stoles


12. Is there a pattern, (sock or otherwise), that you are dying to try? Eunny Jangs "Anemoi Mittens"


13. Do you like to read? What are you reading currently? I love reading! Right now I'm in the middle of John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" and I'm wanting to start the first Harry Potter book (I know I'm way behind)


14. Do you collect music? (On an iPod or MP3 player.) I collect music for my iPod


15. What kind of music do you listen to? Country, Rap and the Top 20


16. Is there anything you collect? Willow Tree figurines and Candles


17. What are your hobbies, aside from knitting? Cooking, reading, tennis and movies


18. Are you participating in any other swaps or knit alongs? The Mystery Stole 3 and the Christmas KAL and I just joined the Knitty KAL


19. Do you have a favorite scent? Magnolia Blossom (Bath & Body Works)


20. When is your birthday? (You don't have to add the year if you don't want to, LOL.) March 9th, 1982

Back from Vacation

How exciting to be back at home. I love going home to visit all our family, but there's just something about coming back home that I love. Our trip to and from Georgia was good, long, but good. We had an awesome time visiting all my husbands family and some of our old friends. The trip to Busch Gardens was a little disappointing. The first day that we went, we weren't there but 3 hours and it just started down pouring. So the park gave us rain check tickets, and we called it a day. We went back the next day, and after about 2 hours, again with the rain. So that was it for Busch Gardens. We were all so tired and hot that we just drove back to Thomasville to relax.

My husband celebrated his birthday right before we left for our trip, so while we were there he got his first tattoo for his present. Here it is:

He just got it 3 days ago, so it still has some healing time left. But I think it looks awesome.

I started a new project while we were away. I needed something that was really easy and didn't have a pattern to follow, so that I could knit while the family talked at night. So I found some of Lion Brands new yarn "Cotton Ease" on sale and started a cardigan for Angelina for Christmas.(This will be added to the Christmas KAL) I'm using Cotton Ease in Berry, Lime and Lake and the pattern can be found here. I think that this will look really cute on Angelina, and the yarn is so soft that I know she will wear it.

MS3... I finished the first clue last Wednesday, but forgot to take a picture. So here's a picture of clue 1 and what I have done so far of clue 2. The thin white line that is running across the stole is my lifeline and where clue 1 finished. I love how this is turning out! You can't tell from the picture, but the purple beads that I'm using look awesome with the sage yarn. This will be perfect for my grandmothers Christmas present.

When I got home last night, I was very happy to find that the yarn that ordered off ebay had arrived. I ordered 3 balls of Rowan Cashsoft DK and 2 balls of Rowan Calmer. My plan is to use these to make caps for the Caps for a Cure group that I joined a while ago. I had two patterns in mind when I ordered this yarn. For the Cashsoft DK this pattern and with the Calmer this pattern. Hopefully I can get something that I'm working on finished so that I can get these on my needles.

I also had a package from Crafters Choice with my introductory books. These are the first knitting books that I have bought. I am really excited about the Debbie Bliss Family Knits book. It has a couple of patterns that I would like to try for myself and there's a Fair Isle Cardigan pattern for Angelina that I am dying to try. I will refrain until I have most of my other projects done. (most)

Hmmm, let's see... the Sock it to Me swap. We got our secret pals this past week, I am so excited to get started on this. I think that I'm going to use Eunny Jang's Bayerische Sock for my pattern and Lang Jawoll in color 0060 (red). I know that the pattern is really complicated, but I like a challenge and the socks are so awesome. I will probably order the yarn this weekend so that I can get started on those, since the deadline is earlier then Christmas. This is so much fun :)