Up and running

I finally got my passport renewed. Hooray!! The traveling itch can once again be scratched... Now, I won't go into drama that transpired in the passport office. However, rest assured, I have BOTH my new passport (with my name spelled correctly, ahem) and my expired passport (with my VALID visas intact, another ahem).


It looks like the itinerary in the next couple of weeks is calling for a trip to South America. A bit of sun and relaxation in Colombia and some yarn fondling in Peru. I can hardly wait!!

So, I have been starting and ripping out and starting and ripping out a new sock in Yarn Pirate's Killer Bees (another Booty club exclusive) to get the sock to stripe and not pool so much. Wow, what a headache.
This is what I have come up with for now:



Now, I am not completely ecstatic with the striping but I don't exactly hate it either. I have not decided or not if I like the somewhat diagonal stripe. I'm using 2.5s. I have increased and decreased the number of stitches cast on. As I have tried different sized needles. Anyway, I'll keep on trucking with what I have for now until I hit the heel.

Oh, the lovely purple bag dressing up my new WIP is made by JapaneseHandmadeEtc. I simply adore smaller bags for the portable projects. One day I will learn to sew...

And for today's sock stash enhancement segment:







Crystal Palace Yarns in Merino 5 acquired from Loopy Ewe.



Perchance to Knit in Irises also acquired from Loopy Ewe. This little pretty came with an adorable stitch marker matching the Irises colorway. How smart!

Done!

I finished these Cedarbrook Socks Tuesday. They were worked on 0s and with Yarn Pirate's Cranberry Ice. Here is a upclose shot of the details.






The pattern and yarn were both included in last month's Loopy Ewe
sock club installment. This year, packages will be sent every OTHER month! I'm ecstatic!

In today's episode of As the Stash Grows...

From Top counterclockwise: ShibuiKnits in Marine, Yarn Pirate in Hawthorne, Yarn Pirate in Icicle, Yarn Pirate in Rebel, Yarn Pirate in Moon Beam and Duet Sock Yarns in St. Valentine.

Santa was REALLY good to me this year. Thanks Santa! I haven't decided what to do with all of these lovelies as of yet....socks, fingerless mitts,... If only there were more hours in the day!

Etsy

I would like to flog the person who introduced me to this evil thing called Etsy. An addicting website for handmade goods, it is....
Over the weekend this came in the mail:



I got these zippered pouches from Piddle Loop



This adorable Piddly bag is one of Piddle Loop's newest creations. There is enough space for a small project, such as socks, mittens, etc.



These ingenious Mah-jong stitch markers are made by Yarn Lust. I am having a tough time deciding which one of my WIPs I will adorn with these beauties.

Speaking of WIPs, I am working on this bad boy's other half.



This is the imfamous Yarn Pirate's Cranberry Ice
in Cedarbrook Socks by Wildhorse Farm Designs. The pattern and yarn are Loopy Ewe Sock Club's latest delivery. And speaking of sock clubs, I am anxiously awaiting my Yarn Pirate Booty Club delivery....

I'm back!

Wow. It has been about 6 months since I last posted. Yep, life happens and takes its toll in many ways (not all fun and exciting). All is good now.

Of course, I am known for my bazillion WIPs. So, today I will share a FO that was so quick and easy to complete that I am actually contemplating making more!



This is Hannah used with the handpainted version of Misti Alpaca Chunky. Houston has finally received a splash of cold weather (yep, it was in the 50s when I went for a run this morning). I tested this bad boy out this morning. I must say, it stayed on firmly on my head and was rather warm. It really is a great hat for those of us with long hair. I had some yarn left and I despise the mere thought of wasting good yarn. So, I started this scarf.


The scarf is a simple garter stitch on size 19s. I plan making it extra long so that it can be wrapped multiple times. So, off I go for one more skein to finish. I really do like the way this handpainted chunky yarn knits up!

Baseball, beer, and knitting!

What can I say? I had a spectacular birthday this year in St. Louis. It all began with an afternoon of Stitch N' Pitch. The Cardinals played the San Diego Padres and WON 10-5 (what the Cardinals will do for a birthday)! Because there was SO much going on, I decided to take something mindless to knit: my Jaywalker.



St. Louis is a great city to visit. There is are many things to enjoy (baseball, live music, museums, etc) that will not break your bank account. The main reason I adore visiting St. Louis is the friendly people. I walked into the stadium Monday afternoon not knowing a soul (my friend Greg did not arrive until the 5th inning) As I sat down, I was mingling about with everyone around me! After the 6th inning, I noticed a lady working on a lace project. Lo and behold, Anna was working on Mystery Stole 3! Now, that's talent!




I was pooped by the end of the game. So, I called it a night (of course, after having dinner and drinks at a Bosnian restaurant on Taft).

The next morning, I made the pilgrimage to Sheri's Loopy Ewe. I could barely contain my excitement once I set foot in her basement...Needless to say, after about an hour (or so) of touching everything several times, I was able to pick a few items. No, I do not feel guilty in the least. I thoroughly enjoyed the stash enhancing event!
Thanks Sheri!


After suppressing my poor buddy, Greg to my yarn shopping experience, I figured the least I could do was pay homage to another one of my favorites: Shlafly Bottleworks! I fancy two beers in this world and only one of which is the US. We had lunch and spent the afternoon enjoying the lovely aroma of hops.


I am back home, anxiously trying to complete clue 5 of the Mystery Stole 3. Last week the theme was announced: Swan Lake! It will have a wing on the other enf of it. Once I complete clue 5, I will be sure to post its photo!

Oh Mister Postman....

I woke up this morning to that L-O-V-E-L-Y knock on my front door. Lo and behold this is what awaited, my first package from the Yarn Pirate's Booty Club!!



I forced myself to drink my espresso prior to opening the contents. Needless to say, my throat is still a tad sore from the gulping... This is a Booty Club exclusive in a fingering weight superwash merino called Rum Runner. Not only is the sock yarn fabulous, Georgia was generous enough to include a limited edition soap(which smells so good I don't want to use it!) made by the Good Soapworks of Athens and an adorable Yarn Pirate button. Hum...Now the problem of what to make with the Rum Runner...