I actually have a Finished object today. No, its not the good and plenty sock. Its not the turquoise sweater or anything from the list.

Its my green fleece jacket!

I made this last October(or was it September?) I tried it on before I sewed the buttons on and I thought it might be a little frou-frou with that ruffly thing on the bottom. Then I lost one of the buttons and it didn't turn up for a week or two. I decided to hang the jacket up in the closet and leave the button in the box. Last night, though, I decided I wanted to wear it. I sewed the button, cut some strings and threw it on! I still feel a little weird but I'm determined to wear it until I am comfortable in it. I like to sew but I get frustrated very easily. I demand instant gratification with that but I can knit for weeks and still be excited about my project. Weird, huh?

I am so excited about easter candy. I found the Sixlets while walking around Walmart yesterday. Only $1 a bag!I have wanted the peeps for weeks now and just decided to grab 'em!
I love sugar!

Of Socks and Bugs

Yeah!!! My Wee Tiny Sock is finally here!!!! Thank you so much, Sue! I love it!!! It was sent out a little bit late--- but its okay! It was worth the wait! Great idea, Emily! See ya next year!


That's about it for knitting news around here. The turquoise sweater is on hold as I really want to design it myself. I tried a new stitch pattern(Versailles border) a few nights ago. I picked one that I thought looked more difficult and it wasn't so bad, especially for a border. And its a French design .I'm soooo happy about that. I just have a thing for all things French!

These pictures sum up my frustration for the past few days.

Box-elder bugs. Huge clumps right outside my kitchen window. I did some research and found out that a mixture of soap and water will kill them. It doesn't work. Oh sure, a few dropped over, but not that many They don't contaminate food and they don't really get into anything. But they're coming into my house in droves. Hmmm. . .

I was going to wait to post until my wee tiny sock came in the mail so I would have some superfun pictures to post but I am tired of waiting. Since I've adopted that defeatist and slightly depressed attitude, it'll probably arrive tomorrow. Works every time.

I just got back from going out to dinner with my lovely husband. He's playing the piano in a restaurant tonight so we ate there first. He gets a free meal so its cheap. Just a good deal all around. Mom and Dad(and Adam) came tonight so I hitched a ride home with them. Last time I drove down the hill to St#$%*&ks and drank the world's crappiest mocha in the universe while I knitted on the good and plenty sock. Not a fan of that particular coffee joint. Yuck! Why pay $3.50 for a burned, greasy coffee? I guess I did, but not again. Back to the point, I'm so glad I got to come home and put my jammies on. I can knit in the comfort of my own home.

Here are some pictures of my turquoise yarn. I think I'm just going to knit a Honeymoon cami with it.(Of course I'll modify, what's the fun of keeping to the pattern?) Thicker straps, different stitch pattern on the bottom who knows? Time to swatch it doubled. I really wanted to design my own sweater but I'm just not inspired lately. Hum.

Knitpicks has fabulous(looking) new yarn out. A linen-cotton blend that I'm itching to get my hands on. I have 5 skeins of the red in my "stash" now so maybe I'll actually order(and the rest of my wants) soon.

I've applied for a super great job recently and I'm having a really hard time waiting to hear about it. I think because its a job I really want, not just one I have to get because I need money. I'm pretty optimistic but. . . still . . . . .

Well, since the post doesn't have any kind of central topic, I let you go(assuming you're still around reading all this drivel.) Have a great weekend!!

P.S: Is anyone else planning their sheep and wool trip yet?

So I finished a baby set(sweater, hat, &booties) today but sadly no picture of the finished set. It was a last minute make-up-your-own bootie-pattern-and-finish-them-at-a-highschool-band-concert deal so I forgot. The concert was pretty good even though there were 1000 people crammed onto one side of gym bleachers. We left after two(!) hours because we were hungry.

I also finished my second pair of slippers and I am just waiting on my brother to get up here so I can felt them.

I dyed my natural tan yarn a lovely shade of turquoise(that was what walmart had in dylon) and kool-aided(new word, YEAH!!) some other yarn orange. I actually swatched the turquoise on size 3s!

Oh yeah, and I got a perm that burned the side of my head. I spent the time before church explaining to people why I won't be suing my hairdresser(my sister*) and that I'm really okay. Now I have to try not to pick at my head!(Torture!!) The perm looks really great so although I lost some skin I gained some good hair.

Not many pics today, no time to load 'em up.

*She is an ACTUAL cosmetologist. I've gotten loads of perms in my life and never once has anything happened like this before. My skin is doing weird things.

The Emily and Adam Book of Opposites*

Lots of knitting going on around here. Some projects have been put by the wayside for now so I can work on the fun ones!
One of M’s slippers are done. The Size13 needles are killing my hands but I love them so far!

In contrast, I just joined Emily’s Wee Tiny sock swap. I haven’t gotten my swap pal yet but I couldn’t resist some instant gratification. The light brown one is a lace pattern and the red and dark brown is a fair isle pattern. I might do a couple of more since I can’t decide which one to give away and I don’t know what my pal might like. We’ll see on Sunday!!! I’m so excited. I’ve been wanting to do a sock swap for a while now this is just the one to get started! Yeah!




Oh, have you seen the new Knitty yet? Isabella is a really neat design. I have just the yarn too. A lady at my church gave me a cone of unknown fiber yarn last fall. Dan and I did the burn test to figure it out but that only told us that its a natural fiber. The only thing is is that the color is yucky beige. I read that you can dye it with Dylon dye but I can’t decide if I want indigo, turquoise, cherry, or terra cotta. I guess I have a little while to think about it. Isabella will be great to knit in the spring/summer!

*This book was part of a set that my Grandma bought for me and my twin brother, Adam when we were little. We always like how this one described "us" Emily is quiet, Adam is loud, etc.

Why I love my brother (and my mom). .. . or look at my great loot!

First off let me tell you about the food from this weekend. Friday night we went to a VERY fancy restaurant near my brother’s house called The Orchards. I wish I had a camera with me. Its not often I go to such a nice restaurant and the presentation was very nice. I had filet mignon and mashed potatoes. I love me a good steak!
We went to KFC for lunch on Saturday. Have you tried their boneless Honey BBQ wings? They are so good!
Now the really great part. There’s this yarn store in Chambersburg called The Yarn Basket. I went there once by myself last time we visited and bought the dreadful Rowanspun 4-ply and some Gedifra Astrakhan.
I could probably spend all day in there. It is packed to the hilt full of yarny goodness. I was having a really hard time deciding what I wanted. They have a lot of Cascade 220 so I thought I’d get the yarn to fix the green sweater. Then I remembered they had great sock yarn. I decided on some Trekking XXL #129(or the Good-n-plenty colorway).I love this yarn I’m already this far and I just started yesterday! It is such a wonderful change from the Magic stripes.
The best part, though, was my brother’s enthusiasm in the store. I found the Fibertrends felted clog pattern and M wanted to know everything about it. Of course he asked if I could make him a pair. THEN he went a picked out yarn! So now I have 3 hanks (can you really call those beasts “hanks”?) of Woolpak 10 ply to make him slippers. OH the best part. . . he paid for the yarn and pattern! I have to get my ball winder back from my sister before I can start but it should be fun! I think M will be a knitter after all. My sister and I decided that we’ll teach him soon. Those great new “men knitting” books will help too!
YEAH!!
Mom saw some yarn she liked by Schaeunemeyer(sp?) that looks like (Lionbrand) Homespun, but she forgets what its called. Any ideas?

I made myself a hat too. FairIsle pattern from this book. My own pattern out of wool-ease(fisherman) and Knitpicks WOA(artic pool heather) that I had in the stash.

I really finished the hat--that's just the only picture I have right now :)