Livin' La Needle Loca

...I'm cranking this month! First,  little weekend report. I spent some of my Saturday lacing the mermaid onto foam core and getting her into a frame. She looks pretty good: Saturday afternoon was Spin-In. Lots of good company, and munchies, too! I started spinning a merino-silk in Monarch butterfly colors. On Sunday, I continued spinning the Bloomfield Blues alpaca-silk that I'd started the week before. I really love how soft this fiber feels! I finished spinning the singles. I'm letting them rest for a few days before I make a 2ply yarn out of it. I tried very hard to finish knitting the Carbonized Zombie socks, but was not able to do so. I finished them last night, though! Thank goodness! Here they are: Specs: Started 10/6/13; Finished 5/12/14; Pattern: Zombie Socks by Sheryl Giles; Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Carbon Dioxide These will probably be the last socks that I knit for quite a while. I did not enjoy the process as much as I ...

...how did it get to be Thursday? I finally got the birthday package mailed on Tuesday. While it didn't arrive in time for her birthday yesterday, the flowers I sent made up for it!   I have my new glasses prescription in-hand. I'm off to Lenscrafters as lunchtime to order my new lenses. The good news is that there is no change in my right eye, so they just need to make the left lenses!   Now that the weather is cooperating, I'm riding my bike to the gym again. It feels good to get a little more exercise, but boy are my muscles sore!   I'm knitting socks again. I'm trying to finish the Carbonized Zombie Socks [ Ravelry ]. I have finished the gusset and I'm now knitting the foot. Getting closer to the end!   I haven't worked on anything else this week. I'm trying to do as much as I can on the socks until the weekend. Then it's back to to spinning and the mermaid. Not much, but it's all I have! .

...in which we have an almost-finished object, and two new WIPs. The almost-finished object is the art yarn I did did at Spin-In. This is Verdant [ Ravelry ]: I haven't determined how many yard there are and I estimate the weight is Bulky. One of the new WIPs is Cazadero Mist [ Ravelry ] that I started at Spin-In: The other is a cross stitch piece. This is Hive by Shepherd's Bush: Here's the current WIP list:   WIPs in rotation: Mediterranean Mermaid (cross stitch) Still stitching her hair. I may work on her face to take a break from all of the brown! The Night is Purple and Full of Stars (Southern Skies) shawl [ Ravelry ]: Stitching edging repeat number 36 of 58. I'm trying to do a few rows everyday so there is more forward progress. Carbonized Zombie socks [ Ravelry ] I'm still knitting the heel flap, but I'm within 5 rows of completing it. Can;t wait to move on to the next part of the socks! Cazadero Mist handspun  [ Ravelry ] W...

...can you believe Halloween is tomorrow?!  That month just whizzed on by! With the recent completion of two projects, let's do a roll call and status of the current WIPs. Status of the WIPs in rotation: 1. Mediterranean Mermaid (cross stitch) By far, she has received the most attention in the last week. It was very satisfying to see her tail take shape. I have rotated the frame and have started working my way up her torso.& This is what she looks like now: 2. The Night is Purple and Full of Stars (Southern Skies) shawl [ Ravelry ]:  In the One-Step-Forward-Two-Steps-Back category: I finished edging repeat number 19 of 58 only to discover that I was off by one stitch. Must have been when I fell asleep in the middle of a row. No, I'm not bored with this project much. Sigh. 3. Carbonized Zombie socks [ Ravelry ] I finished pattern repeat number 2 of 3.9 last night. After measuring the cuff at this point, I've decided that I will probably do only 2.9 patt...

...I don't know if I'll ever have a complete list of my WIPs. I keep finding them in the oddest places! Case in point: I was looking for a project envelope so I could take my latest Halloween cross stitch to work on during my lunch hour.  Well, I found the envelope, but it had this in it: Yup, another WIP.  This is the Love Fob by Shepherd's Bush. I searched my project database to see when I started it and I could not find it. A little more research and I discovered that I had it listed as the Valentine scissor fob and I started it in July 2004. It must of been one of the last fobs I started before I lost my scissor fob mojo.  Anyway, the back is done and I need to work on the front. So I thought I'd stitch on it for an hour on Sunday. And then I remembered why I put it aside. It has people on it. Shepherd's Bush people. SB people are somewhat squat, usually in profile, and very country-looking. I don't like stitching them as there are frequently co...

...yes, I'm behind! Quick weekend report: The Daughter's birthday party was a hit, we had way too much food, and everyone seemed to have a good time. I made Mexican Chocolate brownies and red velvet cupcakes as planned. They were both yummy! That and laundry was pretty much my whole weekend... I knit through the entire Super Bowl game. My hands gave out towards the end, but I got quite a bit done. Here is what the Celestarium shawl looked like today: I am ready to start round 66 on chart E...only 34 more rounds on this chart and only 92 more rounds total until I get to the edging! The only thing I don't like about this pattern is the edging. I think it's too plain for me. I'm looking at what other knitters have done with the edging and there are a couple of options that look interesting...with 92 more rounds to do, I think I have time to figure it out! Because I've been enamored with this shawl, I haven't worked on any of my other WIPs. However, t...

...it's Eye Candy Friday again and I haven't posted since last Friday. And, it's now November! WTH! It's not even worth offering excuses, so let's just get on with it. The Husband and I decided to replace the hydrangea bush in the courtyard because it was simply did not like where it was planted. The courtyard gets a lot more sun than the hydrangea wants. We replaced it with a bougainvillea, which we will train to spread out rather than up so it does not block my studio window. The color is pretty intense right now, but it makes me happy! Close up: He also planted a bowl of chrysanthemums that sits on the other side of the studio door: Since I missed WIP-it Wednesday, here's a look at one of my current WIPs: and another WIP that has gone back into hibernation. I love the yarn and I like the pattern, but I keep falling asleep in the middle of a row! These socks might be destined for the frog pond. I haven't decided yet. Up this ...

...as promised, here is a picture of the Jungle Songs quilt in progress: I love the fabric, but I'm not wild about the quilt pattern. Some of the sashing is too narrow. The border fabrics have wavy lines making the sashing look crooked when it's not. The corner squares have no sashes at all and really need it. Because this was a kit, I was limited to the amount of fabric it contained. Had I started the quilt when the fabric was still available as yardage, I probably could have modified it, but, of course, this kit had marinated in my stash for a while. LOL! At any rate, I just want to finish it and move on to the next WIP. I'm also working on the Peacock Pomatomus socks . Now that I have them on separate sets of needles, things are going well. I did find an error on one cuff that I'm trying to decide whether to fix. Since the socks are for me, I'll probably leave it, but it offends my need to be perfect. HA! Progress...it's a good thing! .

...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 ...

...we really need the rain, but it made for a slow drive into work this morning. I'd forgotten about the time change until Saturday night, so I spent a good deal of Sunday checking and re-checking the time. Sunday flew by so fast!  And then I couldn't get to sleep Sunday night. I was kind of a zombie yesterday. Over the weekend, I started the Carousel socks using my beautiful skein of Wollmeise. I knit the first 9.5 inches as indicated in the pattern and started questioning my yarn choice. The Husband said it looked like something Tim Burton would create right about the time I was thinking that it looked like something out of "Beetlejuice."  It was not something I wanted in my socks. Fail. I really wanted to see how this sock construction was going to work. I looked in Ravelry to see what others had chosen for their socks to get some ideas. Then I did another stash dive. The Loopy Club gave me a second option.  One club installments was a skein of Paca-Ped...

...where the most important part is the word "Friday!" Yay! Only one picture today as the garden is in an in between stage again. Some blossoms falling off and the trees are setting leaves and fruit buds. I solved my dilemma of what project to start. I did a quick stash dive last night to see what I had and came up with a skein of Wollmeise sock yarn from one of the Club Loopy installments. When I originally received the package, I immediately fell in love with the yarn. However, the club pattern didn't inspire me so I tucked it away. When I pulled it out of the stash, I immediately thought of the Carousel socks . I wound the yarn and started them...I can't wait to see how they shape up! Up this weekend: I need to go to the library tomorrow and pick up my library card. I haven't had a library card since I stopped taking the Daughter to do research before she could drive herself...15+ years ago! Now that you can check-out eBooks, this will save me som...

...I finally took some pictures! Here is the current state of Turquoise Trail: The lower-right quadrant is done (yay!) and the upper-right quadrant is almost done.  I made good progreass over the weekend and I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! The Peacock Pomatomus socks are starting to look more interesting: I like the scalloped look that is developing. At the last two Spin-Ins, I've been working on Isonzo from Creatively Dyed (Merino-Bamboo-Seacell top). Here is bobbin 1, about 4 ounces: This top weighed in at 8 ounces, so I'm only at the halfway point. The October Spin-In is this Saturday and I've got to decide whether I'm going to continue spinning this or start something else. We all know how easily bored I can become if a project takes too long! And finally, here is the new shawl I just started: This is Nefertem by Kristin Kapur in Midnight Rendevous (that's how it's spelled on the label) Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in ...

...because Monday just didn't happen, blog-wise. The Tealing Groovy quilt is almost done. I have to finish the binding, snip the loose threads, and finish the ties on the quilt cover. It's not the best quilt I've ever made, but it's a utility quilt and doesn't need to be perfect.   I'm still working on the first pattern repeat for the Peacock Pomatomus socks. For some reason my yarn-overs are a little pronounce on these socks. It makes them a little lacy, and that's OK.   No spinning occurred over the weekend. I got so caught up in the quilt, that I just didn't get to it.   I am resisting starting another shawl. I have the Nefertem pattern [ Ravelry ] and yarn (Madelinetosh Sock) from the Loopy Ewe Club. The pattern is interesting and the yarn is yummy. Must. Resist.Casting.On.    I'm totally ignoring the Seaweed Cardigan [ Ravelry ] right now.    Totally love my new contacts! My vision is so much better with them. I'm up to 10 hours a d...

...in which all of my WIPs still look pretty much the same as the last time. The Beets Go On socks are still in cuff form. I started to work on them Monday night and remembered why I had put them aside. There were some weak areas of the yarn that resulted in breakage in a couple of places. If I didn't know better, I'd accuse one of the cats of chewing on the yarn! One ball had weak places in a couple of spots and the other just in one. I've cut out the bad areas and used the Russian join for the ends. I'm not too worried about using this kind of join in the cuffs. I hope this is the last issue I have with this yarn! I've started working on the Turquoise Trail again needlepoint. I took it to craft night last night and made some progress. I really want to get this done as I have a Susan Portra needlepoint that's calling my name! My spindle spinning is frustrating right now. While I love the feel and the color of the Wisteria angora-merino top I'm spinning ...

...maybe it's because my brain was still foggy from my cold, but Sunday night rolled around too soon for me. My brain was so foggy that I forgot the unwritten rule about Super Bowl Sunday: Never go grocery shopping until after the game starts! If you go before, you'll be completely frustrated by the armchair quarterbacks buying all their drinks and snacks - they never go grocery shopping except on Superbowl Sunday. It's always fun trying to navigate the grocery store with all these clueless people blocking the aisles. [sigh] Anyway, I'm sorry for the camera-fail today. I managed to get out of the house without taking a picture of the yarn I finished spinning on Saturday. Maybe it's because I was somewhat underwhelmed with the final product. I loved it in the bump; I'm just not happy with the way I spun and plied it. After I mailed the last Blogiversary prize on Saturday, I went to a couple of quilt stores look at blue fabrics for one of the commission pro...

...still no baking done! Man, I'm going to be busy this weekend! Here's a WIP you haven't seen in a while: I'm still working on the gusset decreases for these Mochaberry Bramble socks. It seems like it's taking forever, but given how little time I've actually been able to devote to these socks, I'm not doing too badly. I worked on these at Craft Night last night. We met at the new Panera in Sunnyvale and I decided that knitting was the best project for the location. I managed to finish 4 rows, so there was some progress. I think I've finally finished the first round of ingredient shopping. Maybe I'll be able to bake one of the breads tonight. That's assuming that the Christmas tree goes up without any problems! That's the primary goal for tonight, The poor thing has been sitting outside since Sunday! One last thing for today. I received my final installment of the Rockin' Sock Club from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Picture behind the sp...

...yeah, didn't think that would fly. For some reason, I never did get a chance to blog, even though I had 4 days off!! Wednesday afternoon and evening were busy as I prepped as much as I could for T-Day dinner, got the turkey in the brine, and did a little cleaning. Thursday was a blur, with the meal preparation and the final house cleaning. The meal was good and the company was fun. The Daughter was a great help with the clean-up. Friday is normally our day to go to the Christmas tree farm with friends, but they had to reschedule this year. Instead, I did a little weaving and a little spinning. The Daughter and I went to the movies in the afternoon and saw Burlesque. Loved it!! But then, I do love Christina Aguilera, Cher, and musicals... Saturday was another laid-back day. More weaving and spinning, and not much else. Here's what the wrap looks like so far: Sunday was the postponed Christmas tree farm trip. Our hosts asked me to bring a side dish to go with lasagna...

...guess that means I need to do a recap post soon! First off, let me put some more healing and calming vibes into the Universe for my friend Jane who is having surgery today. Everyone think good thoughts! My weekend report: I spent a good deal of Saturday cleaning out the closet in the Daughter's room. I managed to find a home in my craft armoire for most of my aromatherapy and soap supplies. It was a good thing I went through it as all of my base oils had gone bad. It had been too long since I last made any scrubs and they were pretty bad. One plastic bottle split as I was moving it into a basket so that was a little mess to clean up.  A lot of my herbs that were in plastic bags were goners, too.  I'm not as concerned about the herbs in plastic containers because I use them as additives to my soap. They are more for the exfoliating properties than scent - I depend on the essential oils for that. Anyway, the things I haven't found new homes for are the labeling suppli...

...at least for another few hours. I took the Mochaberry Bramble socks with me to Baltimore and managed to get a few rows knit. I've turned the heels, picked up the gusset stitches, and am working on the gusset decreases. It's interesting that one sock is slightly darker than the other, especially considering that they are both from the same skein of yarn. That's all I've got at the moment. When I got back to work yesterday, I had a lot of small projects to work on and I haven't had a chance to catch up yet. I have a few pictures I took on the trip that I need to upload. Soon...

...and it's the 20th. This month is just going too fast! It was a lazy weekend. I did a few household chores (very few!) and ran a couple of errands. I made the mistake of going to the quilt store to buy a couple of patterns that I wanted and ended up buying some fabric for them. Oops!  I bought the Pockets To Go pattern and the Cash and Carry pattern from Atkinson Designs. They are really cute and look like they might be a quick sew. I finally picked up my Mochaberry Brambles socks again. I'm still not done with the cuff, but I only have 9 more rows to go! Can't wait to do something other than the cuff! I spent a little time working on Turquoise Trail, but I actually spent more time prepping the Neon Rays ribbon than I did stitching. The Neon Rays ribbon had some pretty severe folds from being wrapped around its card for so long, I dampened it and wrapped it around an empty TP roll and let it dry. It's a lot better now! I made a half-hearted attempt to clean ...