Livin' La Needle Loca

...yarn version. I haven't been out in the garden to see what's new, so no photos from there. My attention is on the cat when I get home from work. Between medication and trying to get her to eat, time just slips by. You might recall that I was a member of the Rockin' Sock Club from Blue Moon Fiber Arts (BMFA) for several years. I stopped mostly because I was no longer knitting the club patterns and I had enough sock yarn to last for a lifetime. Then, I got the notice for this year's club...the theme is Lost in Space. Yeah, couldn't resist that one. I joined late, so I knew I'd be a little behind. However, BMFA has had supplier problems and loss of staff that caused everything to be way behind. It's not really their fault, but had I known thingd would be this delayed, I might have decided to skip it. Thankfully, it looks like things are getting better. Here are the two skeins I've received so far. This is Alderaan, Socks That Rock Lightweight: ...

...because Wednesday just disappeared on me! Spoiler Alert for this post : photos of the latest installment of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts sock club ahead. First the Finished Object. Here is Beyond Antares [ Ravelry ] as shown on my office model, Borg: and another view: Specs: Started 7/21/14 Finished 10/3/15 Pattern: Equatorial Nights by Audry Nicklin; Yarn: Dragonfly Fibers Pixie in Danaerys; 6/0 silver-lined crystal beads I'm still not happy with the blocking, but I'm not going to obsess about it any more. It's done. Moving on...here is the latest Rockin Sock Club installment. This is the package: and the yarn: I'm not in love with anything in this package. I'm tired of the stitch markers they've been including in each package--once was fine, but not every package. The yarn color combination is not me and the patterns are not calling my name. However, this yarn might make an interesting woven piece with the right warp, so some expe...

...and a sock club installment! On Monday, I received the July installment of the Rockin' Sock Club from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I like the yarn color, but the patterns don't do it for me. The sock pattern has bobbles: I don't like how bobbles look and I hate knitting them. The other pattern can be knit as a scarf or cowl. I already have several scarves and cowls, so I'm not really looking for another one at this point.  Oh, well. Maybe I'll use the yarn for a weaving piece. My latest cross stitch piece is coming along. It's a little on the cutesy side, but it goes with many of the summer pieces I've already stitched. I'm seriously thinking about starting another needlepoint piece. I have several painted canvases in the stash as well as several charted canvas projects with the threads already pulled. It's worth a look... WIPs: Worked on: Beyond Antares, aka Equatorial Nights (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Working on row 30 of 62 Sweet Sum...

...hooray!! We desperately need the rain! This morning's sky showed the promise of the rain that arrived a few hours later: And because I can't have an eye candy post without a flower, I joined the Rockin' Sock Club for 2015, its 10th anniversary. I only missed one of those years (last year) and I figured the 10th year was a good one to be in. The first installment arrived at the beginning of the week. I'm not putting it behind spoiler picture...I'll just make it small. We finally caught one of the rodents that have been lurking in our backyard. It was huge...how it fit in the car engine, we have no idea. One down, 50 million to go. And let me add: EWWWWWWW!! Up this weekend: Spin-In tomorrow!  I'm going to make a dessert that uses up some of the leftover ingredients from the Christmas baking...chocolate chips will be involved! I have some stash photos to take: there's the first Pro-Verbial club installment for 2015, the Loopy Academy ...

...and none too soon!  This week had some interesting work challenges that sapped a good chunk of my brain power. I'm looking forward to a little recharge this weekend. Today's eye candy is all over the board.  First, yesterday's sunrise: Next, a peek at a future project: Yes, the mermaid obsession continues! And last, the latest installment of the Rockin' Sock Club (behind the spoiler): I like the yarn colors and I'm toying with making the hat. However, I need to finish Southern Skies before I start another knitting project! Up this weekend: Absolutely no plans...yay! I do have some housework to do, but that happens every weekend, more or less. Last weekend it was less because of the baby shower and the fact that the vacuum monster croaked. With two cats in the house, we must have a functioning vacuum monster! Our last one was a pet version, which we liked a lot, but it was developing issues with suction and then the brush broke. The Husband ...

...in which I have very little to show. However, I did take an updated picture of the Night is Purple and Full of Stars (Southern Skies) shawl. I'm on round 134 of 158. Only 24 more rounds until the edging. Since each round takes me 30-45 minutes, I have a few more hours going around and round. It is the only thing I've worked on this week because it's somewhat portable. It;s not a WIP, but I have a new thing to share. I received my Rockin' Sock Club installment for July. Click to spoiler pictures to see the package. I like the yarn color, but I'm not in love with the shawl pattern. The sock pattern looks interesting and I might attempt it if I ever find my sock mojo again. [sigh] I have that let-down feeling that you get when you go from super-productive to not-so productive. I sure hope I pick up momentum this weekend! .

...first let's do the sock club installment. My Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club installment arrived today. I've been kind of "meh" about the club this year mostly because I still haven't found my sock mojo. (If you find it, will you please show it the way home? Thanks!) I am mildly interested in the "other" pattern this time, but the sock pattern does not appeal to me. The yarn color is OK. I think it might make a nice woven scarf if I decide not to make the "other" pattern. Anyway, here's the package behind the spoiler: On to the WIPs! I finally took a picture of Anasazi: It's coming along, but I'm not in love with the dark teal ribbon. I think it's the wrong shade to go with the rest of the colors. Either that or the purple Rachel (outside borders) is off. At this point, I'm not changing it -- to replace either section means that I would have to cut out the stitched items and destroy $5+ of fiber...

...I have another Finished Object and not much eye candy. The garden has very few flowers this time of the year. Many of the plants and trees are getting ready for winter, so things are looking a little scruffy out there. We do have these succulents thriving in one corner: I finally finished plying the Schoppel-Wolle singles. This is Plum Sauce: and the close up: Specs: Started ?? Finished 10/11/12 Plum Sauce top and pencil roving from Schoppel-Wolle (150g) 308.9 yds, 2-ply, 13WPI The singles continued to break through the rest of the plying. I was quite relieved to be done with this yarn last night! When I get home today, it is going to the bottom of my storage bench for a time out! I received two sock club installments this week. From the Cookie A Sock Club, I received a specially spun sock yarn by Green Mountain Spinnery. It's totally not my colors, so I'm not sure what I'll do with it: I also received the Rockin' Sock Club installment ...

...there have been a few things that arrived withing the last few weeks that I've neglected to photograph. I finally took some pictures today. As I was taking the pictures, I realized why I have ignored a couple of them: I don't like the colors. They are club yarns, so I don't have any choice on what I receive. Oldest first...the Rockin' Sock Club installment for July 2012 (behind the spoiler): I think this is the first installment in a long time where I don't like the yarn colors and I don't like either of the patterns. Let's just say I'm not a big chicken fan nor do I like autumn colors. I'm not sure what to do with this one. Next is the yarn from the Cookie A Sock Club installment for August 2012 (behind the spoiler): This color is a bit better, but still not one of my favorites. However, I do love the sock patterns that came with it. Last is the Loopy Ewe 6th Anniversary kit: and the yarn: This was not a club yarn so ...

...wow, that one week of blasting out a client release played havoc on blogging! Let's catch up. I finished some spinning, but didn't have a chance to photograph it until now.  Here is the Muir Woods Moss handspun: and the close-up: Specs: Started 3/17/12; Finished 3/24/12; Merino-Bamboo top by Royale Hare; 245.6 yds 2-ply, WPI 13 I finished Occidental Orchids: and the close-up: Specs: Started 2/18/12; Finished 3/25/12; Merino-Bamboo top by Royale Hare; 156.3 yds chain-ply, WPI 11 The company party on Saturday was fun and my mini pineapple upside-down cakes turned out yummy: The March installment of the Rockin' Sock Club arrived (click the spoiler picture to see it) : The yarn color and patterns are OK...they are not really me. However I think the yarn might make an interesting weaving project if I pair it with a matching color. I can't think of what else I missed, other than the recap. I'll get that posted soon.  I...

...thank goodness for Eye Candy Friday!  This sunrise this morning was glowing: The plants and trees definitely has spring in mind. The apricot trees are blossoming: The tulips are emerging: Here's another: and the nectarine tree is starting to set buds: Work has settled down to it's normal level of busy. (Yay!)  The first 3 days of the week were insane...I'm still waiting for  final piece to be processed so I can verify it, but that is small compared to what I did the rest of the week. Up this weekend: It's a 3-day weekend!! We have Spin-In tomorrow, a great way to start the weekend. I need to give my wheel a little tune-up in the morning and make some sort of goodie to take. I only work 2 days next week, because I'm taking Thursday and Friday off for Stitches West!  I want to spend some time this weekend going through the vendor list and marking up my map. I need to do some stash diving to find yarn suitable for the weaving class that...

...it's still Friday. right? It's been a long week! This morning's sunrise was pretty: and things are starting to bloom. The flowering plum seems to be ready for spring: A different kind of eye candy is the first installment of the Rockin' Sock Club from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.  This year they are sending one sock pattern and one "other" pattern, so it should be fun. They started the year off right (as far as I'm concerned) and did my favorite color. Click the RSC picture to see the club package. I totally love the yarn, but the patterns don't thrill me. I'll have to ask this yarn what it wants to become. :) Up this weekend: Its' the Daughter's birthday tomorrow. We're actually going to celebrate on Sunday because she has plans tomorrow. There are a few chores I need to catch up on...my junk mail pile is taking over the world again and I need to do some serious shredding. I'm not into sports so I won't be wat...

...I have a feeling Christmas will be a WIP until at least the 21st.  That's my last day at work for the year.  I'm just too tired at night to do much other than eat dinner and nod off in middle of my knitting or stitching. Remember Mr. Christmas Tree who we put in a time-out a week ago? He finally redeemed himself and is now standing much straighter (just not perfectly straight) in his stand. We put the lights on and that's as far as we've gotten. He looks nice with the lights: My week has been so scattered between client projects and HR (can you say open enrollment?) that I couldn't post a weekend report until now. Here's what I accomplished: 6 double batches of biscotti (Espresso, chocolate, Grand Marnier, coconut, and peppermint) 8 kinds of cookies (spumoni slices, chocolate-coffee slices, cut-out sugar cookies, Mexican wedding cookies, pistachio pinwheels, cranberry-coconut, cherry kisses, and spritz) Still to do some gingerbread cookies, another b...

...I have the preliminary picture of the Tealing Groovy quilt. I really need to find a good place to take quilt pictures. This is in my office and the lighting is not good: I mentioned earlier in the week that I had taken a walk around my neighborhood and took several pictures. Sit back...relax...there are a few of them! A purple daisy: Dewdrops in a rose: A chrysanthemum: A collerette dahlia: Some [insert name here] white flowers Morning glories climbing a light pole: And a close up of a morning glory: This week I received the September installment of the Rockin' Sock Club from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I love the yarn color, but I'm kind of "meh" about the patterns. They are both toe-up and we all know how much I dislike knitting toe up socks! (And let's not forget that I have a major FAIL every time I try to knit a pair.) Anyway, I'll finish the Pomatomus socks first and then see what I want to do with this yarn. ...