Sock Wars

I missed out on Sock Wars I. I don't intend to miss out this time. I've already signed up. Julie has all the information on how to sign up here. Signups end October 1, 2007. Information will be email October 13th. It will be interesting to see how long I last. When I tried to join the fastest knitter I was knocked out in the first round. It was a colour pattern and I don't really knit colours unless they are stripes.

On a totally different subject, I also need some help with anyone that knows anything about html. I tried changing the font colour on the header for "Campanula for the Cure" and "Click here to fund free mammograms" on my sidebar. In Internet Explorer it shows pink as it should. In Firefox it only shows pink when I am editing the template and I click on "preview". Is this something I just have to learn to deal with or is there something I can do? I did "font color="#ff0066"" and then "/font" at the end. I can't figure out why Firefox will only show the colour change in the preview. In the sample I have here I have replace the <> with "" because when I tried to have them in it would just change the font colour for two words and not show the code.

Thanks for any help. It's greatly appreciated.

There Be A Moosie Here

Isn't she just gorgeous? I have to try and get some better pictures but my Moosie has arrived. I don't think she spins quite as long as the regular Bosworth spindles but I wouldn't trade her or give her up for anything. Weight is 27 grams so that's just under an ounce. That is not as light as I usually like but I will still have tons of fun spinning with her.

Round and Round

Who would have thought trying to get a money order is US dollars was such a big deal? I felt like I was on the merry go round going in circles trying to get this done. I've decided to order the Woolee Winder for my Little Gem. Since I go to and from my daughter I usually have US funds left over and just hold on to it to use when I go back. I had enough in the house to pay for the winder so I figured I would pay that way rather than put it on my credit card. No problem right? Mr. Lee said a Canadian money order is fine as long as it is marked US funds.

Before I get into it, I do my banking with a bank that doesn't have a bricks and mortar building. I don't pay banking fees and it has saved me lots of money over the years. It isn't handy at times like this. Off to bank number one I go. After waiting in line the teller tells me she can't do anything for me if I don't have an account with their bank. Ok, off to bank number 2 I go, same thing. Off to bank number 3 I go and this bank I figure should be fine since my non bricks and mortar bank tells me I should use this bank to do deposits and withdrawals via their ATM. No problem they tell me, I can get the money order. I am a very happy camper. On we go with the transaction. We hit a snag. I can't pay for the money order in US dollars. They have to BUY my USD and exchange it to CDN and then switch it back to US dollars again when they write the money order. With the fee to do the money order it would cost me an extra $14.00!!! Are they nuts????? Sorry I tell the lady and she gives me back my USD. FINALLY, off to a fourth bank I go and tell them, "this is my challenge. I need a US money order, I don't have an account, I want to pay in USD and I want to pay the money order fee in CDN dollars." "No problem," is the reply I heard. Can you imagine my joy at this point? So MO is purchased and on its way. Now all I have to do is be patient and wait. I'm not very good at being patient.

Update:
For the record, I would have gone to the post office except I know that sometimes the US banks give hassles with Canadian postal money orders. I wanted to make sure Mr. Lee wouldn't have any hassles and hence I went to the bank.

Michelle, if I had know I would have asked. Something to keep in mind for next time, thanks.

Love At Second Spin?

I briefly tried the Little Gem last night and I was liking her but I wasn't loving her. I was not caring for the delta flyer and I had quite the time getting the bottom band connected. I was way to tired and I probably shouldn't have even tried last night but I couldn't resist.

I woke up this morning and I gave it another whorl. Tweaking the tension is tricky. The slightest turn makes a difference but I find that a good thing. The adjustments on the Joy were quite different but I think I like it on the Gem better. I think I've finally got the tension where I like it for this fibre.

This is what I've managed to spin this morning. It is pretty fine and I am not having the problem, so far, that I had with the Joy of it being under spun. I'm getting used to the delta flyer. I didn't like it at all last night but today it's working just fine. I am going to order the Woolee Winder at some point and I just have to decide if I want to get the delta orifice or the regular orifice. I'll play more before I make my decision.

All in all I have to say that this wheel and I will become great friends. I find it much easier to start after stopping and I really am not having difficulty with the wheel going backwards when I want to restart. I look forward to many hours of spinning. Now all I have to do is make/find the time.

Hello, Goodbye

Today I was lucky enough to tag along with Maggie and her husband when they went to The Black Lamb. Laurie is really just an amazing person and wonderful to deal with. I said goodbye to my Ashford Joy and hello to my new Majacraft Little Gem II. (picture to the left is from the Majacraft website). I can't wait to play with her and I have to figure out a name. I'll think about it for a little while and if I can't come up with anything I might do a contest of some sort.

Now it's off to bed because I am exhausted after the long day. THANK YOU MAGGIE!!! YOU ROCK!!!!!!!

SP11 Contest #2

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?

My ball winder and swift.

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project?

Lately, I take mostly socks. I make sure to have enough for 2 pairs depending on how long I will be away.

3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?

I haven't traveled enough to have a favourite spot.

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?

Interweave Knits Favorite Socks. Yes I own it.

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?

No

6. If you could only knit with 1 color for the rest of your life, what color would that be?

Anything in the lavender/purple family.

7. If you were far into a project and then noticed a mistake near the beginning what would you do?

Rip it out. I've done it before with hubby looking on and thinking I was nuts.

8. Where is the most unsual spot you've ever knit?

I don't know if this is unusual but for me it was. After I had my mastectomy I had my knitting with me at the hospital and I was knitting while flat on my back because I wasn't having an easy time sitting yet.

It's Been Quite A Day

On Tuesday I took my Campanula with me when I went to see The Yarn Harlot. I am surprised and amazed to see that Stephanie put a picture of me holding the Campanula sock and her sock on her blog today. All I can say is, first THANK YOU STEPHANIE. Second, I hope this generates LOTS of money for a cause that is near and dear to my heart - I lost my mother to breast cancer almost 25 years ago, and, I am a survivor myself. If you want to help, please go to the Knit-A-Long and you will see the link to donate on the sidebar. One more very important note, remember that NO donation is too small. Every penny counts and helps so just give what you can no matter what it is and be proud.

On The Road

Ramona has asked us to take our Campanula socks out on the road so first I took her to work and then I just had to take her to meet Stephanie last night. Unfortunately, no knitting was done on her because I still can't get the pattern straight in my head and I needed some mindless knitting. For me, right now anyway, these socks are not mindless. I am feeling a lot better about the yarn. I like the way the socks are working up so Tofutsie and I have come to an understanding. It seems to be working because the splitting is not quite as bad. Maybe I'm just taking more time with my stitches.

In other knitting I have 6 sts left to join on the Mystery Stole so that should be done by tomorrow. The last 3 pattern rows have 18 beads placed per row, if memory serves me correctly, so those rows will take me longer to do. I am getting anxious to finish this project and start something else.

UPDATE: Mystery Stole 3 is now off the needles. I just have to block it. I still have to block Scheherezade as well.

What A Day

Yesterday really was the most amazing day. When the postman arrived at work in the morning he brought me this. I am not too sure about the Fourth of July colourway on the left but I like the Canyon Sunrise and the Phlox. Now I just have to decide what they want to be. With everything on my plate right now it will be a little while.
After work I went to Newmarket and That Bead Lady. I bought some beads and had fun walking around the store and looking at all the wonderful stuff. Next time I go to Newmarket I have to go to Unwind Yarns because I am told it isn't far from That Bead Lady and since I found my way to one I can surely find my way to the other.

Maggie met me at That Bead Lady. I bought some size 8 and size 11 beads in different colours and one of these days I WILL knit one of those beaded purses.

I really do have to say a special thank you to Maggie and Gemini Fibres. In November of 2006 I drove up to Mt. Albert for a spindle spinning class at Gemini. Since then I can't even count how many times I've driven up to Keswick where Maggie lives and to Mt. Albert. It's because of all those drives north of the city that I went to see Stephanie aka The Yarn Harlot last night in Aurora. I really wasn't sure what to do. I was looking forward to it until I realized that the night Stephanie would be in Aurora was our wedding anniversary. Paul and I discussed it and he told me to just go. You don't have to tell me twice so I went.

Maggie and I got there pretty early so we walked to Needles & Knits first. The owner was wearing the most gorgeous black stole. Guess what, it was the Mystery Stole 3 with the wing and did I mention it was gorgeous!!! I was stunned. She used Dawn in black and black beads. She put more beads than called for. I can't wait to finish and block mine. If it is half as nice as hers it will be amazing. I still want to knit another Mystery symmetrically so I bought this Dawn yarn for another stole. 5 would be enough for the pattern as written but since I want to add the extra rows in clue 4 to get a little more width I bought 6 balls. I matched it to some beads I bought at That Bead Lady so I am set to go.
I also bought this Misty Alpaca and there was another lovely lavender colour that I have my eyes on.
After some stash enrichment (hey it was my anniversary after all, I just bought myself an anniversary present) Maggie and I headed back to Aurora United Church to wait for the evenings festivities. Stephanie did not disappoint. I went to the book signing in Toronto and I laughed as hard last night as I did in June. What a hoot. She really is just amazing. Since I had to take Maggie back to Keswick, then drive back to Scarborough, and since we had already shopped at Needles & Knits, Maggie and I did not go back to the yarn shop afterwards. I drove Maggie home and then went home.
Look what was waiting for me on top of my laptop when I got home. It is just too sweet. See I told you I had the most wonderful husband in the entire world.

What Number Are You?

I saw this on Pirk's blog and I couldn't resist, as usual.

You Are 2: The Helper

You always put on a happy face and try to help those around you. You're incredibly empathetic and care about everyone you know. Able to see the good in others, you're thoughtful, warm, and sincere. You connect with people who are charming and charismatic. At Your Best: You are deeply giving, altruistic, and humble. You devote your life to others while caring for yourself too. At Your Worst: You are manipulative and enjoy making other people guilty. Your Fixation: Rejection Your Primary Fear: Being unworthy of love Your Primary Desire: To be loved unconditionally Other Number 2's: Mother Teresa, John Travolta, Princess Diana, Dr. Phil, and Mr. Rogers.

What Number Are You?

Happy Anniversary Paul

It was 16 years ago today that Paul and I got married. Paul you are my soul mate. I love you more today than I did the day we got married. Thank you for being there for me through the good times and the difficult times. Thank you for tenderly dealing with all the baggage you had to deal with. Thank you for loving my children as if they were your own. Thank you for all the support you have given me over the years. You are the most wonderful man and I can't believe how lucky I was to find you after the hell I went through the first time around. You are a wonderful husband and an even better father. Joseph is blessed to have you. Here's to a very long and happy life together. I love you with all my heart and soul.

Shopping Is So Much Fun

After much deliberation I decided to go to Romni Wools this afternoon. My daughter Henny is about to embark on knitting the Great American Aran Afghan. She has all the magazines but it is easier to go from the book XRX sold after all the squares were released. Lettuce Knit didn't have it when I was there on Friday so I went to Romni to find it. I also went looking for some 2mm bamboo needles. I bought some Crystal Palace 35in 2mm bamboo needles and I HATE them!!! It's really disappointing. The join is horrible. I am going to call Romni tomorrow and see if I have any options. I am guessing that I don't because so far as I know needles are usually not returnable.

I also found some new sock yarn (new to me anyway). It's Regia Galaxy Color. I bought one ball of colour 1554 - Jupiter Indian Color. It looks so cool. I can't wait to knit a sock out of this stuff. I am interested to see how it will turn out.

Socks, Socks, And More Socks

This must be the week of socks. I feel like that's all I've been knitting lately, except for the Mystery Stole 3. On the left you see the Spiralling Socks. It's the August socks from the Sockamania Club. I knit them for my partner in the Howarts Sock Swap 2. I love the pattern and the next time I knit them I will use a less busy yarn so the pattern will show through better. The yarn used is Elann Esprit and the colour is Caribbean Surf. I used 2 50 gram balls. One of each sock.

On the right is my start to the Campanula for the Cure sock. The yarn is Tofutsie in Light Foot. I really don't like this yarn. That surprises me because when I bought my first ball of this stuff I was excited to try it. Of course if I had I would never have bought this colour and I would have chosen a different yarn for these socks. I find the fingering weight to be on the lighter side and I don't like the twist of the yarn. It is not twisted enough and the yarn splits rather easily, especially with the Knit Picks needles. I will get the sock done but I doubt I will be buying more of this yarn.

I had planned on going to Laurie at The Black Lamb today but I wasn't feeling up to it. It's been a rather crappy day. I am hoping for better tomorrow so I can go to Laurie and then up to Maggie.

August Sock One Complete

After many trials and tribulations I have finally completed the first sock. Sock yarn is Elann Esprit colour Caribbean Surf and the pattern is the Spiralling Socks. It's the August sock pattern from The Sockamania Club. The recipient of these socks is allergic to all animal fibres so we discussed it and decided this would be a good yarn choice. The socks are for my Hogwards Sock Swap pal and she is in Ravenclaw so this is colour we chose. I am not sure how much the pattern shows up. I did do the sock toe up. I have to figure out how to change the heel so I can continue the swirl on a toe up heel with the heel construction I use but that will come when I have more time to think about it. For now I am happy with the result and am finally happy with the yarn so I can hopefully knit the second sock without the adventures of the first.

Tonight is Stitch n Pitch in Toronto and I am actually looking forward to it. I don't tend to go to ballgames and my son, Joesph, went nuts when he heard I was going. He kept yelling "They got you!! You see, this is how they get you!!" He's a muggle and you'll have to excuse him. He just doesn't get it. He's also 12 and maybe that's part of it but he will, most likely, always be a muggle so all bets are off as to whether he will ever get it or not. I am going to work on the second sprialling sock and hopefully I won't mess up. I am having a bit of a challenge because the spirals go in the opposite direction for the second sock and I have to keep remembering it every other row when the stitches shift. I have the challenge mostly on the first and seventh rounds.

I went to BeadFX after work yesterday. I've been wanting to go there for the longest time but could never find the place. I had the time, was in the area, so I called them to get exact directions. Now that I know where the place is, I will definitely be going back. Someone else also advised me to try The Bead Lady in Newmarket and perhaps I will try and get there one of these days when I go up to Keswick to see Maggie.

Next Tuesday is our 16th wedding anniversary. I wanted to go up to Aurora and see The Yarn Harlot and when I was thinking of going, and REALLY looking forward to it, it somehow had not clicked that next Tuesday was the 21st and our anniversary. Now I am so torn. I don't know what to do. I'll talk to Paul about it and we can decide together what we think is best.

I've completed clue 6 on the mystery stole and I will be very interested to see how this is going to be finished off. There are 20 sts left to join and by the time the last 20 sts are joined there will be 194 sts on the needle. Melanie had mentioned the way to tell if you wanted to enlarge or shorten clu 4 is that it would be about 1/3 done. I imagine there will be some sort of edging after this wing is complete and I thought there was just one more clue to go. I can't wait for Friday and I MUST complete the spiral socks by Friday so I can get back to work on the stole.

Sockapalooza

My sockapalooza socks arrived yesterday. Thank you Jeanne!! I can't begin to express how much I love these socks. I picked the box up at the post office last night and I was so anxious to open them and try them on I did it in the mall while Paul and Joseph were eating in the food court. They were mortified of course. They couldn't believe I was putting socks on with so many people around. In my haste I thought I was going to have to do something about the cuff. I have a wide calf and I thought it was going to pose a problem but as you can see, even with the blurry picture, that the fit is perfect. And talk about colour!! They are purple and my favourite colour. A million thanks for the wonderful socks. I will always think of you and my first Sockapalooza when I wear them.

Branched Fern KAL Again

I've been thinking about my yahoo group for the socks I designed. The group is very quiet. So I thought I would try and set up a blog so people can post themselves and show off their socks or ask questions etc. If you are interested just email me at yosemite55 AT gmail DOT com.

On the knitting front, I've started the August socks from the Sockamania club. Clue 5 came out for the Mystery Stole so I hope I can get that finished this weekend. There's lots going on in Toronto this weekend so I hope I can at least go somewhere - Taste of the Danforth, Toronto Zoo, just something. Even though it cuts into my knitting time I really need to do something this weekend. Time will tell if we manage that or not.

Frogged!

Since I finished the Scheherezade stole and clue 5 of mystery stole 3, I decided to get back to work on the Moon Dance stole. I am using a gray zephyr that didn't quite get along with Kimberly. I didn't think I would have enough for the full stole because I can't get more than what I have and all I have is just under 70 grams. Instead of casting on 101 sts I cast on 61 thinking that would be enough width for a scarf. This morning, after finishing 13 of 16 repeats of chart B I decided I would have too much yarn left over and I didn't want it to go to waste. Solution? I ripped all that work out and started over casting on 81 sts instead. I hope it works this time and I don't run out. If I do I have an idea of what I will do. I can try and get some black zephyr and do both borders in black. That will solve the problem entirely and I still think the stole will look alright. I'll just have to make sure I have very good lighting because black and my eyes don't get along very well.

Well it's back to knitting. Maybe I'll get caught up to where I was by the end of the month. The stole will be put aside soon for other knitting that has deadlines and it's back to work tomorrow. YUCK!!!

SP11 Questionnaire

Here are is the questionnaire for SP11. Please be sure to post it in a spot on your blog where your pal can easily find it. Since your pal will use this to help create your packages you'll want to have it posted to your blog no later than August 15th.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? soft natural fibres - merino wool, silk, alpaca, cotton etc.

What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? mohair, virgin wool, acrylic

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a ziplock pouch that a friend made for me.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I've been knitting for almost 40 years. My mom taught me one summer so I wouldn't bug her. She needed to keep me occupied.

Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I consider myself advanced except for colour knitting. I don't do colour knitting at all.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, it's under my email address yosemite55 AT hotmail DOT com. I have a wish list on Amazon and Chapters.Indigo.CA

5. What's your favorite scent? I like lavender/lilac, coconut, lemon, citrus scents if you're talking for shower gels and the like. If you mean perfume I'd have to say Beautiful or Norell. I don't believe that Norell is available in Canada. I've never seen it since I moved here.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Yes but I try not to eat candy of any kind anymore because once I start I can't stop.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? Yes, I learned to spin in November 06 using a top whorl spindle. I now have many spindles, an Ashford Joy & Louet Victoria spinning wheel. I also am experimenting with dyeing yarn.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Country, Rock, Classical, most types except rap which I don't even think is music. Yes, I have an MP3 player.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Lavender and purple are my favourite. I am not fond of green.

10. What is your family situation? I live in Toronto with my husband of almost 16 years and our 12 year old son. I have 6 children that are in New York City and 7 grandchildren.

Do you have any pets? No. I'm allergic to cats and I live in a small apartment so there is no room for pets.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear scarves and ponchos but I don't usually wear hats or mittens.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks, shawls, and doilies, tablecloths, anything lace.

13. What are you knitting right now? The Mystery Stole 3, Sockamania Club's August sock, Moon Dance Stole from Pink Lemon Twist.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? This is a difficult one to answer. I don't dislike receiving handmade gifts, I just don't usually receive handmade gifts.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer circular needles and my favourites are Addi's and Knit Picks Options. Since I learned how to do magic loop I don't use dpns unless I have intricate cables that I can't execute with just my hands.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes, I have both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? I have an intarsia sweater I tried to knit for Joseph about 10 years ago but I never finished it because I can't stand colour knitting.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Victoria Day because it is close to my birthday and that means I sometimes have the day off work.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Unicorns and monopoly games are the first things that popped into my head.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? I can't think of any books right now but I love lace and socks and I have a lot of books on both subjects. There are some new books coming out that look interesting. IK is releasing a best of from their first 10 years in publication and that looks interesting as well.

What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I subscribe to Knitters, Interweave Knits and Spin-Off.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I would like to learn needle felting. I still haven't gotten around to trying it.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I love to knit socks and only knit using the magic loop method now. I wear a size 8 shoe. I believe my foot length is about 9 3/8 inches and because I am a fluffy knitter and I have flat feet, the widest point when measured is about the same.

23. When is your birthday? May 22

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Yes, yosemite55.

My Number

I saw this on Barbara's blog.

Your Life Path Number is 11

Your purpose in life is to inspire others Your amazing energy draws people to you, and you give them great insight in return. You hold a great amount of power over others, without even trying. You have the makings of an inventor, artist, religious leader, or prophet. In love, you are sensitive and passionate. You connect with your partner on a very deep level. You have great abilities, but you are often way too critical of yourself. You don't fit in - and instead of celebrating your differences, you dwell on them. You have high expectations of yourself. But sometimes you set them too high and don't achieve anything.

What Is Your Life Path Number?

Done & Done

I finished the Scheherezade stole this morning. Now I just have to block it. I did have enough from the 1 skein of Fleece Artist Blue Face 2/8. Now I have to decide what I want to go back and finish next.

I also finished clue 5 of Mystery Stole 3. I am a little concerned about how long this is going to be when it's completed but if worse comes to worse it will end up being a scarf instead of a stole. I do love the way it looks and the new charts flow well so I found it a very easy knit just like the cats paw section was. I am not sure if there are one or two more clues but it's getting close to the end. I can't wait to finish and block it.

Time

You know the saying time flies? I really believe that sometimes. What was yesterday's date? Couldn't possibly be August 2nd could it? The day that everyone was supposed to mail out the socks to their sockapalooza pal? Nah, that couldn't possibly be. I've had my socks ready since June!! You'd think since I knit them so long ago I would KNOW it was time to get them mailed out? But NOOOOO. That would have been too easy. Last week I even said that I have to mail my socks next week. I'm going to blame it all on the heat. I forgot to bring the socks with me to work yesterday so I could take them to the post office after work. My socks went out a day late. I am sorry to sockapalooza pal, I really am. The socks are, however, on their way and I am told it should be a week to 10 days getting there. Of course, Monday is a holiday here in Ontario so the mail won't be moving anywhere that day. I'm hoping my pal has them by 2 weeks from today and they fit alright.

Too Hot To Knit??

It just might be. It's been brutal here all week. When you don't have AC like us it gets even more interesting. To make matters even worse, when we had our Snb on Tuesday and the AC died at the Starbucks where we meet and the place was like an oven. It was actually cooler outside than it was in the store. I couldn't go outside to sit until the sun was below the horizon because the antibiotics I'm taking say no prolonged exposure to the sun. I am sensitive to the sun even when I am not taking any meds that have that on their label so I didn't dare take any chances.

I have managed to get some knitting done when I am at my in-laws. I finished the first side of the Scheherezadestole. I took some pictures this afternoon after I finished the first side and I took pictures of mystery stole 3. The pictures of Scheherezade did not come out as well as I would have liked but it's too hot to even bother to retake them right now so these will have to do.