Monday, September 24, 2007

I'm in a competition

Hi: I have socks entered in a competion on the Yarnahoy blog. If you want to take a look and vote you will find them here:

http://yarnahoy.blogspot.com/2007/09/grapevine-socks-by-isobel.html

The first prize is wonderful sock yarn, which as we know, I can always use.

Take a look and vote if you like them.

Monkey's are on their way

Sunshine Yarn in Tree Frog.

Shelridge Farm Soft Touch sock yarn.


Yarn and two Cookie A patterns.
Mona and Flicker.


Monkey extras.
There is so much "monkey" swag out there it's hard to decided what to pick.


Something extra for the kiddies.
wiener sock puppies by Manda

Monday, September 17, 2007

I ask myself, "can it last"?





He's older than she is!










He weighs more than she does!









He's longer than she is!



But, she loves him more than she can bark!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Monkey Socks (for swap pal)
Tree Frog
Sangria Stripe

Yarntini Maraschino


Sock Yarn from White Willow
(440 yards merino)
Autumn Oak colourway.
Reminds me of carmel, burnt sugar, and maple syrup.

Lace Yarn from White Willow.
(880 yards merino)
Autumn Oak colourway.

(ordered from Knit Picks)
I really, really like this book.
Wonderful patterns.
Informative history and techniques section.
Contains top down, toe up, dpns and circular patterns.
6 sets of colourful birch needles
(each set contains 6 needles)
Looking forward to knitting with these happy pins.
The postman arrived about an hour ago and brought a package from the Loopy Ewe (Zen String, Fiesta Baby Boom, and Wollmeise) and another from Wool Girl with the first installment of the Wool Girl Sock Club. I love everything from the Loopy Ewe and will have pictures on Monday. I will wait to post the sock club pictures, but I am overjoyed at the selection of yarn, pattern and extras.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Where have I been.............and where am I going!

No pictures to show, even though I have been knitting. I have finished my Monkey Socks for my swap partner, found a few extra monkey items, will knit one little gift to finish it off. I am working on the bag for my HSKS swap, although I have ventured from the rules and am not knitting the bag in house colours. Chrissie my swapmate is in Gryffindor House but since she doesn't like "earth tones" or "yellow" it seemed silly to knit a bag in colours she would not like, we had an email conversation and changed the rules to suit ourselves, rouge knitters. I have choosen a wonderful pink silky wool by Elsebeth Lavold. I am waiting for the house sock yarn to arrive, it should be here today, I have the pattern, needles and a few extras and then it can be posted off to Singapore.

I have also knitted several pairs of socks to put away for Christmas, and am working on a lace shawl. As I am having trouble at the moment with my right arm, same trouble as last year, I am limited to small increments of knitting and computer activity. I have pain pills which do totally block the pain coming from my neck, shoulder, arm, wrist and hand, however they also tend to turn me into the "walking dead" who constantly has to take a nap. Therefore the pain has to be truly unmanageable for me before I will resort to one of those.

I weighed in this morning at WW, and am now 2lbs below my goal weight, this last time that happened was August 2003. I still would like to lose 10lbs. and will keep on doing what works for me, watch what I eat and walk everyday. I wore a pair of black jeans on Wednesday that I have not been able to fit into in 3 years, and they were lose, that's a feeling you just can't buy.

I will take lots of pictures this weekend, I have Yarntini and Cider Moon socks and White Willow yarn and sock bag to show. White Willow is a another wonderful female independent dyer. If you are looking for a sock bag or a treat for a fellow knitter, check out Brooke's wonderful Halloween themed sock bags, they are adorable. I have the red witch bag, so cute, and her workmanship is terrific, Lime and Violet picked her as an Etsy site to visit. Her yarn is to dye for, her new autumn colours are up I snagged sock and lace yarn in the Autumn Oak colourway, just delicious. If you order a sock bag and yarn you will receive a 10% discount and if you ask she will wind the yarn into a center cake. As my shoulder and arm are playing up she very kindly wound the 880 yds of the lace yarn for me. Brooke's service is exceptional, her sock and yarn prices are extremely affordable, and her yardage counts amazing (880 yds on lace and 480 yds on superwash merino sock), I don't think you will be disappointed if you stop by the shop, I know that you will find her sock bags hard to resist.

Wool Girl sock club is on the way, I managed to snag a skein of Wollmeise from the Loopy Ewe along with Zen String Bambewe in Pumpkin King (I have wanted Halloween Socks for ages), and two Heartstrings lace patterns. I ordered the new Vogue sock book and wooden dpns from Knit Picks. All are in the mail and should be arriving anytime soon.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Quidditch - Round One

1. Who is the Hogwarts teacher that Voldermort performed the Avada Kedavra curse on in Deathly Hallows?
b. Charity Burbage (Muggle Studies)

2. Who replaces the Muggles studies teacher in Deathly Hallows?
c. Alecto Carrow

3. When Harry meets Mr. Olivander for the first time, which wand law is introduced?
c. The wand chooses the wizard.

4. According to Mr. Ollivander, what is not necessary to take true possession of another wizard's wand?
a. to kill the owner


5. If you know anything about Harry Potter, you will know that Harry's Patronus is a stag. But what is his best friend Ron Weasley's Patronus?
d. Jack Russell Terrier

6. Now for the third member of the trio. What form does Hermione Granger's Patronus take?
a. Otter


7. What did Mrs. Wealey make to eat the first night that Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place?
a. Stew


8. In book 5, at the start of term feast, what is Ron eating when trying to talk to Nearly Headless Nick?
c. Roast potato

9. A half-giant called Rubeus Hagrid takes you to Diagon Alley for the first time. To get there, you go into the courtyard of a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. There, Hagrid taps a certain brick on the courtyard wall three times with his pink umbrella, revealing the entrance to Diagon Alley. As he decides which brick to tap, he mutters instructions to himself. What instructions does he mutter?
b. ‘Three up... two across (3x’s)


10. The first place you go in Diagon Alley is Gringotts bank, where you can withdraw money from your vault and Hagrid can withdraw a top-secret package from Vault No. 713 on Dumbledore’s orders. On the second set of doors leading into the bank you notice a poem written.
These are the first two lines:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
What is the next line?
d. ‘For those who take, but do not earn


Rolanda Hooch

Firenze

Argus Filch

Moaning Myrtle

Colin Creevey

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

As you already know by now I just can't stop joining groups that have anything to do with socks, this is the latest.





THE RULES OF SOCK WARS II
The first rule of Sock Wars II is: You must talk about Sock Wars II.
The second rule of Sock Wars is: You MUST talk about Sock Wars. (no really, for this to be a success we need as many combatants as possible)
Two socks to a fight.
One fight at a time.
No shirts, no shoes, just socks
Fights will go on as long as they have to.THE NITTY GRITTY Sign ups close by 23:59 on 1st October 2007, you will receive your target on October 13th. To sign up as a participant
go here now!

(Socks Wars I had over 800 participants - a new group has started on Ravelry)

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Christmas Around The World Questionnaire!

1. Are you religious?
Yes – Scots Presbyterian

2. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider yourself a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced?
I have been knitting on and off most of my life, I would say
over 30 years, I would consider myself Intermediate to
Advanced.

3. Do you have any other hobbies besides knitting?
Movies – especially the 30’s and 40’s
Dogs
Collecting sock yarn

4. Favorite color(s)?
Fall brights, oranges, browns, deep reds, berry colours, deep
blues, and purples. I am not fond of pastel colours.

5. Do you collect anything?
China teapots, rabbits, sock yarn, stray animals.

6. Are you allergic to any fibers or animals?
No allergies

7. Do you have any pets?
Yes, 4 dogs and 1 long haired cat.

8. Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate?
Tea drinker, but not flavored, plain simple black tea with milk.

9. Cookies or Sweets?
Cookies

10. Do you knit socks?
Doesn’t everyone – they are my passion.

11. If not socks then what? (tell us about your favorite knits)
I also knit sweaters, mittens, hats, scarves, blankets, baby items

12. Do you put up a Christmas tree? If not then what do you do?
Live Christmas tree, every year.

13. Favorite holiday treats?
Shortbread, ginger cake, fruit cake (with lots of brandy).

14. Favorite holiday smells?
Ginger, cinnamon, pine, mincemeat.

15. Do you celebrate Christmas in a traditional or unconventional way? Please elaborate.
Very traditional, snow, tree, carols, fire, punch, red, green,
silver, Rudolph, Christmas Carol, Wonderful Life – that kind of
Christmas

16. What are your favorite holiday traditions?
Buying the tree the week after Thanksgiving, making punch
from the same recipe each year, baking shortbread, making my
own fruitcake and mincemeat

17. Finish the sentence: “For me Christmas is all about....”
Family and friends.

18. If you were a Christmas ornament you would be…….?
I would be “Holly Cow”, 24 years ago we bought an angel cow
dressed in a holly dress, with wings and a halo, she has been the
ornament on the top of our tree ever since.

19. What was your favorite gift you've ever received? Or given?
My husband gave me a string of pearls for our first Christmas.
The favorite gift I gave was an entire set of Royal Doulton China
to my parents for their 25th wedding anniversary. (They were
married on New Year’s Eve) – my mother couldn’t stop crying.

20. When do you start your Christmas?
We always start putting up decorations on the 7th of December.
That’s the date we decorated the house and the tree when I was
a child and we keep the same tradition.

21. Do you send Christmas cards? Do you make them or buy them?
Yes, we buy them, but it takes me ages to pick out just the right
ones.

22. What is your favorite Christmas dish?
Brussel sprouts – you have to be from the UK to understand.

23. Carolers are at your door. What do you do?
Open the door, join in, then ask them in for a drink.

24. When do you open presents? Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Christmas morning.

25. Do you celebrate with family or friends or both?
We celebrate Christmas with family. New Year’s we celebrate
with both family and friends
.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Christmas Around the World

I received my invitation this morning for the Christmas Around the World Swap and am now waiting for my questionnaire and my swap pal. The swap parcel is to come from your stash and should include traditions from your childhood and native country. This is my fourth swap for the autumn/winter, and before I over extend myself, it will be my last.