Knitting Misadventures

More Deaths and Funerals Than I Can Deal With

2009-09-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

We have have more bad news as of late. At some point it has to stop, right?

EVENTS OF THE LAST MONTH
-More bad news about our home.
-A friendship that is no more.
-DH Aunt passed away after battling cancer and loosing the battle.
-One of DS coaches broke his shoulder.
-And another Dear friend/BMX dad Adam Lang passed away leaving behind a son Justice's age.

Jusice and Little Adam

Pic from DH Mother's funeral.

Aunt Helen pic taken from the funeral pic above.

Sorry...but it's been a bit crazy.

2009-07-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

Sorry. I haven't blogged and I've been late on a few things lately but with good cause. We have had a death of a friend, the birth of a baby who is in the NICU due to breathing issues, 2 broken wrists at the same time, a broken collar bone and asthma attacks all over the last 2 weeks. What can I say......when it rains it pours.

Slowly but surely.....

2009-06-09T06:32:00.001-07:00

So......as of right now, I'm 25 days into this "Healthier Lifestyle" thing. I weighed myself this morning and took measurements again........15 pounds down and 6.75 inches lost so far. Still have a ways to go but this makes me hopeful that I can get to looking like I did before I had kids. Ugh........damn kids! ;o)

More Crazy!

2009-06-07T15:31:00.001-07:00

New Crazy Ex Batts!

2009-06-06T16:18:00.000-07:00

Made up some new "Crazy Ex Batts". These babies have everything but the kitchen sink in them!

Each batt could have but is not limited to alpaca, merino, mohair, tencel, silk, bamboo, angelina, faux cashmere, angora, neps and noils. These were so much fun to make!

Lemon Lime Summer Time

2009-06-06T08:12:00.001-07:00

I just love this Treasury! The colors are so much fun........and it doesn't hurt that they included me;o)

Holy Water

2009-06-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Our Lady of Holy Water,

Please may I thirst for pure, natural water
and experience with every refreshing sip
its miraculous cleansing powers.

May my sins as well as fat be washed away (FAR AWAY)
and permanently eliminated from my body.

And please,
May there always be a clean bathroom nearby (with toilet paper).

AMEN.

So..........the exercising/watching what I eat thing is going pretty well thus far. 7lbs down in 3 weeks. Though I am beginning to think that it's more the water than anything. I'm trying to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day if not more. If you drink said 64 plus ounces of water or 64 plus ounces of ANYTHING for that matter, you will in fact get a work out.........like it or not.

I spend more time walking back and forth (sometimes running) to the restroom when I am home and when I am out......well, I seem to spend quite a bit of time looking for the restrooms. I must walk a couple miles a day to the john.

It is most definitely the water.

An Interesting Thing People Are Finding Out About Knitting........who would have thunk it;o)

2009-06-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

Interesting MSNBC article that tells the world what we knitters already know:

"It is good for self-esteem and it is calming and therapeutic."
"This keeps my mind off my troubles......."

Sorry I haven't blogged....I've been getting Ideas;o)

2009-05-26T01:13:00.001-07:00

Been working on some new ideas........be back soon to fill you;o)

Homemade Crepes on Sunday Morning

2009-05-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

There are a handful of things that I make that are a big hit in my household and homemade crepes are one of them. Since the "Old Lady Yogurt" incident though I have been really watching what I eat.....but today was a special occasion of sorts.

Whenever the kids have a sleep over I try to make something special for the kids and since we had a new guest over I figured crepes where most definitely in order.

So here are some pics of my not very good for your waste line Homemade Crepes with homemade whip-creme, strawberries, and candied pecans;o)

Oh........if only that weren't so darn bad for this whole "journey to healthy enlightenment" thing. UGH.

I got presents today....JUST BECAUSE!

2009-05-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

So, I got this phone call this morning from a dear sweet friend of mine and she insisted that I make a run by her work. She said she had presents for me......SQUEE! I love presents....especially when they are not attached to a certain another year older day;o) Well, needless to say she didn't have to tell me twice. In my "Earth Destroyer" I hopped (that is what she calls my SUV) and 10 minutes later I was waiting outside of her work for oddly enough not an uncommon drive by (I have been know to make drive by fiber and yarn drop offs to this particular friend......another story for another day;o).

And do you want to know what my present was? Well of course you do! I am the proud recipient of 2.......count'em........ ONE.......TWO absolutely fantabulous (yes I know that's not a real word.....but I was in need of a word that was better than just plain 'ole fabulous) hand made knitting/sock project bags!

Let me just tell you it was most definitely one of those "Sally Field Moments"........if nothing else I know she likes me;o)

Shop Update! And trips to the Doctor....AGAIN.

2009-05-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

New batts have been put in the shop! Woo!Hoo!

On a non fiber related note......we had to make ANOTHER trip to the Man Child's doctor.....AGAIN. He has been to the doctor more in the last 6 months than he has in his entire 10 short years of life.

We decided to take him back in when he started having difficulty breathing.....evidently breathing is a good thing and not being able to breath is...well..........kinda bad. She said his lungs are clear, minus the spots from asthma (the picture was taken with my cell phone) and so he gets to start on a new run of pharmisuticals to see if we can't get these allergies under control.

I told him I was going to take him back to where ever he came from. He replied very nonchalantly that I couldn't.....the receipt was long gone, lol. I tell ya I can't get anything past this kid.

Oh! I almost forgot! The man child has a heart, lol;o) He informed me of this when I told him that all these medical bills were killing me and that he must not have a heart and must not love me very much or he wouldn't keep making me take him to the doctor. He turned to the doctor and asked if you could see his heart in the x-ray and she said it was the blob in the middle of his chest.

Man Child: See Mom.....I do have a heart (this is the part when he stuck his tongue out at me).

It's right there in black and white. How can you argue with that?

Look Mom!

2009-05-11T20:03:00.001-07:00

I was looking through the photos on my phone a few days ago and found this picture of my little man.

My Little Man: Look Mom! I'm a walrus!
Me: Ummmmm......no son....their tusks don't come out of their nose......they come out of their mouth

Ugh, lol.

WARNING! NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN! Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

So this is totally tasteless and absolute hoot all at the same time. I couldn't help it, this video made me laugh so hard my my gut hurts! Happy Mother's Day, lol!

No Animals Were Hurt....

2009-05-08T14:37:00.000-07:00

I started spinning this wonderful fiber (on my Louet S17) that I got from FlawfulFibers (at the last knit in we had) last night and thought I would post pics of the progress thus far. I tried to take a few "Artsy" photos of my new shoes and my spinning wheel! I don't normally wear shoes when I spin. I prefer to spin with a nude foot, but I figured it would be good for breaking in the back of the ankle on the new shoes so no nude feet pictures here.

My son walked in as I was loading the pictures and said........
"Mom it looks like you are kicking him in the head.....someone might think you are hurting the sheep......maybe you should have one of those warning thingies."

So......my "Artsy" pictures didn't turn out so great. I'll admit it....but the fiber, the fiber is turning out just great. One out of two ain't bad;o)

Oh! I almost forgot!

***No animals were hurt during the attempt to capture Artsy Spinning Photos.***

New Kicking Old Lady Butt Shoes!

2009-05-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

I just purchased some new walking/running shoes to kick old ladies butts with that call me fat while shopping at the local grocery store! WooHoo! And AND I have walked 4 days this week! Watch out old ladies! Here I come!

Old Ladies Make You Fat!

2009-05-06T08:30:00.001-07:00

So, I was at Publix the other morning after doing my walk at the park. I needed to pick up just a few things and noticed that they had their yogurt on sale so I figured I would get a few of them for the children. They really like them for breakfast in the morning and they are great when we have to run out first thing in the day.

So........I was placing a variety of flavors into my cart when a older woman (probably in her 70's) pulls her cart up along side of me. I continue to place items in my cart when she says................

Old Woman: You know I buy the plain yogurt cause the kind you are getting with the fruit is just going to make you fatter.
Me: Well..........yes I know I'm a Fat Ass but I'm perfectly fine with being a Fat Ass. Thank you very much!
Old Woman: Well! I was trying to be helpful!
Me: actually I didn't say anything out loud at this point. HOWEVER........I did have a whole slew of not very nice things that were being screamed in my head..........

THINGS SCREAMING IN MY HEAD: Nobody asked for your opinion or your "Helpfulness"! Why don't you just go and break a hip! Do you not realize I just walked a 15 minute mile! TWICE! Do you really think that I am "Getting Fatter" because of the yogurt I am buying that I don't ever get to eat any of because my children are savages and ALWAYS like the ones that I like and then AND THEN they proceed to eat ONLY the ones that I like so why WHY would I get fatter if I have no FAT FREE LOW CAL YOGURT to eat anyway! Is all of this walking and healthy eating in vain! Am I going to turn out like you..... walking around my local grocery store handing out these "HELPFUL" tidbits to unsuspecting shoppers when I am old and can't eat anything BUT yogurt through a straw because my dentures are ill fitting and AND........

Alright........so there were quite a few cuss words ( I think I actually made up a few new ones) that were actually in that whole monologue......but since I'm not sure if there are little eyes in the room, well........you get the point. I am not sure what my point was with posting this as every-time I think about it it just gets my blood boiling. WAIT! Doesn't boiling stuff make part of it evaporate which in theory would make something become less than what it was.....which would mean I might have burned a WHOLE 2 calories depending on how long I let my blood boil? Yes? No? Not so much? UGH.

Someone help me down from this soap box before I crush it with my yogurty fat self. It's kind of high up here. I wouldn't want to break a hip.

Lettuce Chicken Wraps

2009-05-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

I made some wonderful lettuce chicken wraps with some of the veggies I picked up at the market this weekend.

Ingredients
***********************************
1-boneless skinless chicken breast
4-cloves of garlic chopped
1- small cucumber
8-large lettuce leaves
1/8 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup of green beans
1/4 cup of sprouts
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil for browning the chicken and garlic
Asian Ginger sauce/dressing to taste as a condiment

Prep
***********************************
Cut the chicken into small bits
Mince the garlic
Peel and cut cucumber in 1/4ths and slice lengthwise
French cut green beans

Sauté the garlic and chicken in a pan with some olive oil until browned.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Place lettuce leaf then chicken and garlic mixture on top.
Layer the cucumber, green beans, almonds and sprouts on top of the chicken and garlic.
Top off wrap with a drizzle of the Asian Ginger dressing.
Roll the lettuce wrap up and enjoy!

I got presents in the mail!

2009-05-04T10:29:00.001-07:00

I love when things other than bills come in the mail and today I got the best kind of mail ever............presents from my swap partner! WooHoo!

This is the best swap package ever from dear sweet Brenda aka Closetomyheart! I am so excited because I’ve never made a shawl and have been wanting to (which really translates into......I’ve been working up the nerve) and now I have the perfect yarn and pattern to jump on in!

My package included a post card from with a lovely note written on it, some yummy teas, a bar of Denman Island Chocolate (it’s organic), some Clover stitch markers (which I’m told you need lots of when doing this project), the Revontuli Shawl pattern and some beautiful Kauni yarn in a stunning navy, eggplant and dark sky blue colorway. Thank you so much! This is truly the perfect swap package for me:o)

Market Day and Sunny Sunflower

2009-05-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

I went to the Riverside Arts Market this past Saturday. It's a great market we have here that has some of the most incredible produce from local farms along with prepared foods for sale like BBQ, cookies, meat pies, kettle corn and too many others to name. There are also a ton of local and regional artists selling things such as jewelry, paintings, purses, clothing, soaps and lotions, hooked rugs, and oodles of other artsy goodies.

One of the produce vendors sells some of the yummiest greens and this week he had beautiful sunflowers. I toiled with the decision of which one to adapt and settled on this one. There was a bee that had to be evicted but he took the news well as there were still a couple lovely sunflowers left.

I have really enjoyed going to the market to buy our produce for the week. It's great knowing were the food I feed my family comes from. And with the economy being what it is I lie that the money I'm spending stays local. Surprisingly enough the produce is very reasonably priced with a great selection to boot. I end up spending about $25 a week for our family of 4 and it's been wonderful having fresh fruits and veggies in the house.

The View From Here

2009-04-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

Behind my computer is a huge cork board (4ft. x 4ft.) with all kinds of pics, notes from dear customers/friends, paintings, ticket stubs and a bunch of other things that make me smile when I'm in my studio.

Just Keep Knitting, Just Keep Knitting

2009-04-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

So.......I have made progress on the sock.

Evidently that is what happens if you actually work on a project.
I know! Who would have thunk it!
And! AND! Drum Roll Please!
I HAVE MEMORIZED THE LACE PART OF THE PATTERN!
Crazy! Crazy I tell you!

I am a bit concerned though...........since this new bit of information has found a place to call it's own in that thing I call a brain, one can only assume that some vital bit of something else has become homeless............I hope it wasn't anything important.

Since I have not figured out the whole external brain thing, I know that at some point, having memorized the pattern will prove to have been a very bad thing. But for now, I bask in the glory that only really smart knitters usually get to enjoy;o)

What fun it is to look "Smart" when out in public with a knitted anything.....no pattern in hand.....just yarn and needles. The look of total amazement when non knitters look at you and realize that you...YOU are knitting something out of thin air! This moment will pass soon enough though. I will need the pattern again when I get to the heel.......so I will do that part at home. But rest assured that once I am at the leg part of the sock, I will venture out into the great beyond with my knitting in hand ready to be admired as only a smart knitter can.

I Completely Forgot!

2009-04-30T12:52:00.001-07:00

I'm in KnitScene!

Still in search of an external brain (Gosh! Computers have it so easy with their external hard drives!).........that is my excuse for not having posted this when it first came out.

MUST. MAKE. ROOM. IN. BRAIN. FOR. IMPORTANT. AND. EXCITING. THINGS. UGH.

Extreme Knitting

2009-04-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

Knitting Socks for me....I think.....and where to plug in an external brain.

2009-04-29T21:14:00.001-07:00

I just recently received a new book in the mail called "Socks From The Toe Up". I have never knit a toe up sock before, so I figured since I had this handy book available along with the ever fabulous YouTube for a visual on some of the casting on methods as well as my new birthday yarn from 100 Pure Wool then I was all set to give it a go.

So far it is working up nicely......... however I found an error in the pattern, so I had to do a wee bit of tinking to fix the mistakes. I chose to do the Diagonal Lace Socks as it was one of the easier patterns and I thought I might have a fighting chance of memorizing the pattern for once.........not sure if that will actually happen though. I can't even tell you how many of the No Purl Monkey Socks I have knit and I STILL haven't memorized the darn thing.

I sometimes think that brains are like computers............once you fill the hard drive up with tons of stuff you either have to get another computer or an external drive to start storing the rest of your crap on. I wonder where I you would plug an eternal brain in........hmmmmmm?

New Knitting Charms!

2009-04-29T09:06:00.001-07:00

Here is a sneak peak at some charms I'm working on:o)

Sneak Peak:o)

2009-04-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Things I LOVE!

2009-04-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

Ok........so I found this artist a few months ago and am absolutely in love with his drawings. He is an amazing talent and has been trying to figure out how to make money with his talent and will now be selling on Ebay. This is a drawing he did of another one of my YouTube favorites. The first video is of the drawing he did of her and the second video is of her singing with her Uke. You can find his auctions on Ebay at here and here

Good Morning Mrs. Robinson

2009-04-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know.........it is odd.

2009-04-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

I found this on the wonderful internet and it made me think of something that my hubby pointed out just recently. An odd little fact about myself...........when I brush my teeth I use hot water. He noticed it one evening while we were brushing our teeth getting ready for bed. He asked me why........and my answer was this..........I figure that if boiling water could kill germs surely hot water could do something beneficial as well. Odd, I know. That's just how that mass inside my scull works. I'm just saying.

Things I Hate.........

2009-04-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

I hate funerals.

Nothing good comes of them.

No one ever looks forward to them.

But unfortunately they are a necessary evil.

From the minute you are conceived you start to die. You grow and are born and live life and are dyeing all at the same time. No body looks at a new born baby and thinks to themselves I wonder how long this ones got. Our days are like grains of sand in an hour glass..........numbered.

I write this as I'm getting ready to attend a funeral. I will witness a dear friend bury his sister this afternoon. She was the oldest of 4 children.........and then there are 3. My heart breaks for her mother. As a parent you should never out live you children.

I must remember to be kinder to my wee ones. I pray that they out live me. I am chicken, a coward. I don't think I could bear to breathe another breath if they went before me.

I hate funerals.

Remember to tell those around you that you care and love them today.

2009-04-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

I saw this and thought it was a hoot!

Not 23, not 25 . . . you have 24 minutes to get your business done, except on Sunday of course. On Sundays, you can stay as lllllooooonnnnngggg as you like;o)

Unfinished Business

2009-04-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

A different way to think about creative genius

2009-04-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

A Call to Knitters!

2008-11-21T06:13:00.000-08:00

So....I have a friend....(stop laughing)......I do have a couple you know;o)Anyway she is in need of some knitting....so I figured we could help her out, what do you think? Thank you in advance:o)

The following is from Flawful Fibers post:

WHAT:
Operation Comfort Afghan Collaboration is a special project that I thought of for my dear hubby. He's currently deployed in Iraq right now and is really feeling down and homesick, so I thought I'd knit him a blanket. Since a blanket will take way too long to do by myself, I thought I would solicit the help of my fellow fiber artists, as I know from experience that fiber artists can be generous in times of need. :)

I think that if he knows that even perfect strangers care enough to get together to do a project like this then he really isn't alone out there and he can take comfort from that thought and it'll help carry him through as he finishes out his time in Iraq.

Not many probably think of this, but when they are doing the same things day in/day out and don't have their families to come home to at the end of the day, and when their off time (that they don't get very often) comes they don't have a whole lot to occupy their time, so morale gets pretty low. Anything from home, even the littlest of things can give them a boost. Mail, especially, is important and nowadays because of heightened security you can only send mail to a soldier directly if you know their name and APO address or you have to go through an organization that takes donations and send packages out.

UPDATE 08/20/08: Still taking squares! I still need a ton more so have dropped the mail in by date and will leave it open until I have enough. TOTAL SQUARES IN TO-DATE: 65

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING FOR SUBMITTING SQUARES AND HELPING ME MOVE THE PROJECT ALONG (if I misspelled your name, please let me know):
HockeyMom, Cassandra Schorsch, Dottie Scher, MerlinTheCat, Adrienne Lapp, Dan & Erin Fournier, KnottyNaomi, Kristen Healy, Karen Savage, Melissa (raineydayknitter), Dominique (Morandia)

SO TO THE DETAILS:
This is a call for any knitter, crocheter, or weaver who wouldn't mind helping me out by making a 4"x4" square to speed up the process of making the blanket.

PATTERN: Any pattern will do as long as the finished piece is a square
DIMENSIONS: Each square should be 4"x4"
COLORS: tans, browns, black, or similar neutral colors (off-whites & beiges/ecru are also ok)

The blanket, I hope will end up being at least a lapghan size (36"x48") or a twin size (48"x76"), so I will need between 108-228 4"x4" squares total.

I'd be so grateful if you all could pass the word around. I can't post it on my blog or myspace, as my hubby reads those, so need others to spread the word.

All those who are mailing squares to me, please have them mailed no later than July 26th, that way I can start putting them together and hopefully have it out and in the mail to my husband by mid-Aug, as it'll take 2 weeks alone just to get to him (mail usually takes anywhere from 14-18 days on average via priority mail). [edited] Am going to continue to take squares until I get at least enough to do a lapghan.

WHERE TO MAIL THE SQUARES?
Send squares to:
Julie O'Neil
Flawful FIbers & Yarns
RE: Special Project
845 Ridgewood Way
Hinesville, GA 31313-2989

PRIZE DRAWING IN APPRECIATION TO THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE:
In appreciation of those who participate, I'd like to give back to you, so will also be doing a random prize drawing, there will be 3 winners.

Prizes will be fibers & yarns from my past of the month clubs (preview via my flickr).

QUESTIONS? If you have any questions about this project, please feel free to contact me, either through the contact page, or email me - flawfulfibers[at]gmail.com

Lions and Tigers and Bronchitis and Pneumonia Oh My!

2008-11-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

So, I have been sick for just over a month now and finally decided a doctor's visit was in order. What I thought was a cold and some allergies turns out to be Bronchitis which has turned into Pneumonia........ugh. That would explain a lot of things.So now I am medicated (stop laughing....not that kind of medicated ....although it would probably help;o) and the doc says in about 2 weeks I should feel pretty normal....(no comments from the peanut gallery, if you please).

Needless to say I have been doing a lot of sleeping and trying to catch up on some much needed rest to give my body a chance to recoup from this. It has also given me a good excuse to hide from my family, kind of. Note to self........I must try harder to be nice to my body....it will revolt if it feels the need.

10 Things You Might Not Have Known About Me

2008-11-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

1.) I have a tattoo. I know, I know.....I got it when I was young and now I hate it. Another instance where my Mom was right.

2.) I have unnaturally long toes. I can pick things up with them.....laundry and toys just to name a few. When knitting socks, I swear that half the foot seems like it is the toe part. They are also the cause of my size 10 feet.....ugh.

3.) I am the world's slowest knitter. I have been working on my Lady Eleanor now for 2 going on 3 years. If I try to knit faster, inevitably I end up with a ridiculous amount of mistakes....... which I then promptly take to my more proficient knitter friends and say........FIX IT! PLEASE!!!

4.) I have a fear of getting my hair cut by just anyone. I have been getting my hair cut 2 times a year by the same hairdresser for about 8 years now. I can only afford to go 2 times a year because the salon charges a small fortune for a trim. I require that I see how much she is cutting off BEFORE we get started and the most adventurous I have tried to get was requesting bangs........she promptly responds EVERY SINGLE TIME.......NO. Thank you for saving me from myself.

5.) I have a ton of yarn. A TON........however it is all grey. I love color. I do! But it scares me when I am looking at knitting myself something. My friends actually make me walk away from any shade of grey yarn when we go out to the local yarn shops because they view this obsession as an illness. GREY GOES WITH EVERYTHING, doesn't it?

6.) I am a horrible speller. Thank goodness for spell check!

7.) I don't know how to buy a decent steak at the super market. I have never been much of a steak eater, much to my husband's dismay. He sent me to the store the other night to buy some steaks (something he usually does) and I picked out some steaks that I thought looked good....well..... they were pretty, nice marbling a bit of fat around the edge.....(all things I have heard him say when referring to a good steak in the past)......until I got it home and was informed that CHUCK is NOT REAL STEAK. It was tough as all get out......the baked potatoes were yummy though.

8.) I love old black and white movies. Even musicals. Wish they made movies like way back when.

9.) I love fried food. Which my attribute to the lack of weight loss on my end.....specifically my back end.

10.) The older I get the more I require a nap........yes Mom, you were right yet again.

October's Sock Yarn Pub Club!

2008-11-11T14:01:00.001-08:00

October's installment of the Politically Incorrect Sock Yarn Pub Club! Getting Novembers goodies ready to go out at the end of the week, WooHoo!!!

Too Sick To See The Harlot

2008-11-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

So........the Yarn Harlot came to Jacksonville! And I got a ticket! And then I didn't go........too sick among a laundry list of other things....UGH! But I have some wonderful friends that thought of me and so........ where I didn't get to see the Harlot, the Harlot did get to see me, lol. I Lurve You Guys!

Senile Monkeys!

2008-11-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

So this is something that I took photos of a while back. I dyed up a skein of Senile Fruit Cake and it didn't turn out quite right so I decided that I was going to do a wee experiment with it. In the last photo you can see how long each color is in the skein. These are two socks I cast on with the same size needles. The one on the left is a NO PURL MONKEY SOCK, and the one on the right is the JAYWALKER SOCK. They both start off with 64 stitches in a 1 x 1 rib. It is amazing how the pattern changes the design that the yarn makes for each sock. The Monkey Sock is striping along the leg of the sock and the Jaywalker Sock has broken up the color substantially. I thought this was a neat display of what can happen with 2 different patterns on the exact same yarn.

New Ad For Ravelry!

2008-09-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Outtake Photos by LoriRobisonStudios.blogspot.com

2008-09-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

New Socks and AlterKnits Felt Book!

2008-09-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Just got my order from amazon in the mail today! WooHoo! I got the new AlterKnits Felt book which I am lovin' a lot.

As for my socks....well I will make a long story short. My best friend Lori from high school is an amazing photographer and we had a bit of an impromptu photo shoot today! Lots of fun, maybe too much:o)

The green and aqua sock is a sock I knit called Circle Socks. If you are on Ravelry you can find the pattern here, and the best part is it's free! The bright pink and orange sock is a sock knit and designed by my dear friend Corrina. The sock pattern is called Wormy Socks and can be purchased through her web site as well as through her etsy shop. The yarn is one of mine from the Un-PC line of sock yarns called Cheap Date. Corrina is the designer that will be creating the patterns for the socks in my Sock Club! She does amazing work! I can't wait for everyone that got a spot in the club to see her stuff. I am blessed beyond belief to have such talented friends indeed:o)

The Night Went Out In Georgia

2008-09-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

New Sock Club!

2008-09-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

Check out the new Politically Incorrect Sock Yarn Pub Club! There are limited spots available (10 to be exact). The club will run for 3 months. Each month you will receive a hand dyed sock yarn and pattern made especially for the club members. The colorway and the pattern will not be available to the public until after the sock club has ended (the club runs from October thru December). There will be lots of goodies and tons of fiber fun so get 'em while you can!

New Goodies at A Stitch In Time!

2008-09-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

SALE on SOCK YARN!!!!!

2008-08-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

All of my sock yarns will be on sale until midnight Saturday the 9th of August to make room for some new colorways at my Etsy shop. Get'em while you can!

Lime & Violet The daily Chum!

2008-08-05T07:19:00.001-07:00

Lime & Violet The daily Chum!, originally uploaded by sugarbeestudios.

Senile Fruit Cake

2008-07-31T21:40:00.001-07:00

Senile Fruit Cake, originally uploaded by sugarbeestudios.

I've Been Tagged!

2008-03-14T07:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Donna I've been tagged!

Firstly, here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2. Share seven facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here goes, 7 random and/or weird things about me:

1. I rub my feet together when I am trying to fall asleep. I've done this for years......an old boyfriend mentioned it once, many moons ago, when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. I never even noticed that I did it.

2. When I look at knitting patterns, if the picture shows a beautiful girl..... at a beach..... standing in the dunes.........I somehow thing that if I can make the pattern, that I will be transported to that place on the beach standing in the dunes and will look just as stunning as the person modeling the item. I can dream can't I? This transformation has yet to happen. *Sigh*

3. I am a wonderful baker. Fights have actually broken out when there has only been one piece of my apple pie left.

4. There are days that I wish I could do nothing but sleep all day long. No Art. No Laundry. No Mommy duities. No Wife duties. Just sleep. I miss having the opportunity to have days like that.

5. When I write, I put a card or some kind of level down so that my handwriting doesn't fall off the page. It absolutely makes me crazy to see handwriting that starts off straight then over the course of the correspondence gradually slants like it is going to fall into the great unknown. I do this with lined paper as well. It is an illness I'm sure.

6. I have the best best friend in the whole world. I know this because only the bestest best friend would go and buy you amazing comfy bras. I am so having a Sally Fields moment:o)

7. I used to model. Mostly bathing suits...then I had kids. It's not an excuse, I know.....but good lord, I remember thinking I was fat and all those other things you think about yourself when you're young and stupid! What I wouldn't give to look like I did back then.

So here are the people I'm tagging...Hmmm.......I think I'll tag Kelly, Suzanne, Kathe, Ruthee, Trish, Missy, Kimberly. Can't wait to see what everyone writes!

Showcase on Etsy

2008-03-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

I finally got my showcase spot on Etsy! I never seem to be able to make the planets align just right so that I am around a computer when the spots go up for auction....but this time I managed to get one ( granted, we were late to dance class.....long story) but I did it. It's like getting the golden ticket...sort of.

So on to other things......I am putting the final touches on my fiber contest winners packages:o) I am so excited! One of my dear sweet friends is going to send them out through her office FedEx. I'm hoping that we will be able to track their journey across the US and over to Australia. If all goes well, I'll be able to post where they are along the way (good geography lesson for all you homeschoolers out there).

I really enjoyed seeing everyone's comments when I held the contest. I have the best customers and blog readers, I swear! I have been wondering how many of you would be interested in doing some kind of a yarn/ fiber swap in the near future. Please leave comments as to your thoughts on this potential project. If enough people are interested, I'll start working out the logistics and will put a post up some time next week:o)

The Mad Hatter

2008-03-03T17:51:00.000-08:00

I have turned into The Mad Hatter! These are a few of the hats that I have made over the last 2 weeks. They are all made of wool by means of needle felting and wet felting (fulling).

New Sock Yarns!

2008-03-01T17:49:00.000-08:00

Lions and tigers and Sock Yarn, Oh My!

2008-02-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

It has arrived! My wonderful man in brown came and paid me a visit. I LOVE when he visits! He ALWAYS brings me wonderful boxes full of goodies! And as always he didn't disappoint.......my sock yarn is finally here! WooHoo! So......it looks like I have no choice but to do some dying;o) I've already dyed up a couple batches tonight....I just couldn't wait until morning. Of course Candy Ass and Fiber Floozy were the first ones out of the dye pot. What can I say, I just love those colors. So more dying will take place tomorrow...the fiber kind of dying of course, which means the shop should be restocked Friday night.

On another fibery note, I will be making a big announcement on the Saturday the 15th of March, so stay tuned. You won't want to miss it. Some pretty cool stuff will be happening if I do say so myself:o) Don't you just love surprises?

So, no photos today but I promise to have some tomorrow of the sock yarn as well as a couple of other goodies. Again I want to thank everyone that entered the contest. I am truly blessed.

The Winners!!!!!

2008-02-27T11:13:00.000-08:00

WoW! What a great response for the contest! So here it goes.....drum roll please.........and the winners are

For the Yarn-Cinderella from Australia
and
for the Fiber-Dawn From Michigan!
Congratulations Ladies! I will be contacting you via e-mail this evening for your shipping info.

Thank you to everyone that entered. Since the response was so good I will be holding another contest in March! This was so much fun, WooHoo!

I will be posting some sneak peak photos of what will be going in the packages to the 2 winners. So stay tuned:o)

How Cool is This!

2008-02-25T19:15:00.000-08:00

So.....can I just say that I am the luckiest person! I am! Another article was written about my Politically Incorrect line of fiber goodies at Creative Mom Cafe! Just when you think things are pretty darn good, they just get even better. I LOVE IT!!!

I'm thinking that this is going to call for another Thank You Contest. Hmmm;o) Thankyou! Thank you! Thank you!

I'm on PJMOMMY.COM!

2008-02-25T11:13:00.000-08:00

One of my new customers happens to have an online women's magazine. She cleaned me out of stock last week and as if that wasn't enough of a high, she just put this blurb about Politically Incorrect on her site PjMommy! WOOHOO! Thank you! Thank you! I have the best patrons:o) You all ROCK!

Don't forget to keep the comments coming for the Contest!

I've got some fun stuff planned:o)

CONTEST EXTENSION!!!!!!

2008-02-24T07:24:00.001-08:00

OK.....so I am a complete pea brain. I had been wondering why more of my Etsy customers where not entering this here contest...I mean come on. FREE STUFF! Who doesn't love FREE STUFF! Right? Well, evidently I forgot to but the .blogspot part of the web address on my shop front and profile. So in honor of my slackerness, I will be extending the contest until Tuesday, February 26th at midnight. The drawing will be done on Wednesday, February 27th (Humpday.......how appropriate). Sorry Everyone for the mix up. I think the Dye Fumes are getting to me:o)

FIBER FRIDAY CONTEST!!!!!!

2008-02-22T00:27:00.000-08:00

Ok.....so it has been a crazy week. Crazy good, not crazy bad. I finally got my new line of yarns and fibers in my Etsy shop, my wonderful LYS Knit Witz and Ravelry and I have been so incredibly overwhelmed by the response I have gotten. Everyone has been so encouraging and supportive that I just can't even begin to describe how awesome that makes me feel about this new endeavor. So...... to say thank you to everyone, I am going to be holding a FIBER FRIDAY CONTEST!

This is how it will work.................
The contest starts today Friday, February 22nd.
It will run through until Sunday, February 24th at Midnight.
On Monday I will put everyone's name into a drawing and pick 2 winners (one fiber winner and one yarn winner). Oh Yes! This is where you must pay attention.

In order to participate in the contest you must leave a comment.
Your comment must include, but is not limited to the following:
1.) what your favorite colors are
2.) whether you are entering the contest as a spinner or a knitter
3.) and your e-mail for notification, if you are the winner (so that I may get information for shipping)

The winner of each category (Fiber and Yarn) will be announced on Monday, here at Knitting Misadventures. Each winner will also be notified via email so that I can get their snail mail address in order to ship their goodies. Each winner will receive either custom blended fiber for spinning or a hand painted yarn with the colors of their choosing. Other goodies tend to want to travel with item such as these, so be forewarned....you might end up with more than you anticipated.

Thank you to everyone for your support and encouragement. This ones for you!

New Line of Goodies.....Politically Incorrect Yarns and Fibers!!!!!!

2008-02-19T16:42:00.000-08:00

Hello! Hello! I have been busy, busy, busy since I got back from my dear sweet friend Suzanne's. I had such a wonderful time with her and "the Girls" (Dawn,Terry and Irene). As always, the time there flew by. I am already looking forward to next year's annual visit. But now that I am back, it is time to put all that creatively recharged umph back in swing. So here is a peak at what I've been doing over the last couple of days.

"Fiber Floozy"
Hand Dyed
125 Yards/50 Grams
5.5sts= 1-inch
US6/ UK8-DK weight
70% Merino/ 20% Alpaca/ 10% Silk
This is not a yarn for those faint of heart. "Fiber Flozzy" is a hand dyed yarn created by me for my line of Politically Incorrect Yarns and Fibers (everything you've ever thought but never said). Vibrant shades of yellows, greens and blues make this a bright bundle of fiber naughtiness.

"Candy Ass"
Hand Dyed
125 Yards/50 Grams
5.5sts= 1-inch
US6/ UK8-DK weight
70% Merino/ 20% Alpaca/ 10% Silk

Half of the fun for me has been coming up with names for these babies. Everyone always has sweet, cute names for their goods......well it ain't happenin' here. The names are not meant to offend anyone. They are to make you laugh out loud and not take life so seriously. After all, isn't fiber supposed to be fun? Politically Incorrect is definitely not your great grandmother's Red Heart Yarn.

Politically Incorrect Yarns and Fibers are currently for sale at my Etsy shop and will soon be at my local yarn shop Knit Witz.

I Love ETSY!!!!!!!!

2008-02-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

Fiber School with Dear Sweet Suzanne

2008-02-09T06:31:00.000-08:00

I am currently in Plainwell, Michigan with my dear sweet friend Suzanne of Hooked On Felt. Miss Suzanne is actually the wonderful person that taught me how to spin almost 3 years. I have been making an annual trip up ever since. On this trip we have been having more fun with fiber than should be allowed! I have learned to make the most amazing hats for starters (that's the hat I made pictured above!), and that's just for starters! We have been making self striping sock yarn (YUM!), Hand dyed roving (ultra soft merino....does it get any better than that, I mean really!) a little spinning, and just a ton of other amazingly wonderful things! I am just tickled pink (can you tell with all the !!!!!!!!!!).

I will be leaving here in just a few days, and whereas it has been a week that I have been able to spend with my "Fiber Mom" it never seems that there is enough time to learn all she has to teach. What a stupendous woman, artist, teacher, and friend she is. I will return home with new knowledge and look forward to my trip next year to be in her presence. Thank you Suzanne! You are much loved.

Green With Envy

2008-01-31T19:11:00.000-08:00

Another new handspun called Green with Envy. This is a combination of cream and green shades of merino wool (4.7 ounces) spun into singles then plied. The total length is 352 yards.

More Yummy Handspun!

2008-01-30T21:50:00.000-08:00

My Valentine

2008-01-30T21:21:00.001-08:00

IMG_1133, originally uploaded by sugarbeestudios.

This is a merino handspun yarn that I just finished up. It's plied and measures 213 Yards when finished. The total weight was 3.3 oz of fiber.

Valentine Yarn

2008-01-30T21:18:00.001-08:00

IMG_1127, originally uploaded by sugarbeestudios.

Here is a little goodie that I just spun up called "My Valentine"

Some New Handspun Yarns!

2008-01-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

Spring has Sprung

2008-01-24T22:23:00.000-08:00

I've been cleaning my studio this past week and came across this needle felted/ fulled piece I did a while back. It was made with corridale wool that I laid out in thin layers then needle felted. Once I had the back ground fabric made, I added small wisps of fiber to paint with, so to speak. Once everything was needle felted in place, I fulled (felted) it with hot soapy water and a bamboo mat. I let it dry overnight and used my sewing machine to add some decorative stitching in a bright pink thread, then hand stitched on some sequins and beads to add just a bit more fun to the piece.

My Louet S17

2008-01-24T16:59:00.000-08:00

There is this wonderful book written and illustrated by Rob Scotton called Russell the Sheep. I found it a few years ago at a local book store and have read it about half a million times to my 2 kiddies. The illustrations are just amazing.

Anyway, I purchased a Louet S17 spinning wheel about 2 years ago and always thought it very plain. I had thought about painting it several times but just couldn't think of what was worthy of being painted on my beloved spinning wheel......until recently!

So here it is....my very own Russell the Sheep spinning wheel! I drew it out in pencil first, then used a variety of paints, water color pencils and pens to complete the project. I am still thinking about what I should paint on the back at the moment.

I have actually taken this wheel with us on a few road trips, and the kids just seem to love it.

It tends to make approaching someone with a bunch of questions such as.... what are you doing? what is that? can I feel it? is it hard?....... a little easier when they have a sheep with a stocking cap , a frog and a ant spinning around in front of them:o)

Half Way There!

2008-01-23T07:12:00.000-08:00

Well, here is that Noro scarf I've been working on. I wasn't sure about how the colors would look at first. It's hard to say what the striping will turn out like, but I'm really pleased with the results. I just started on the next two skeins of Noro to finish up the scarf. I think that will make it a nice length.

The single rib pattern really does make it nice. There is no curling of the edges and it makes for a nice thickness of fabric. I think this scarf will be making a treck up to Canada to one of our cousins, so it should help to keep them nice and warm. I really want to keep it for myself, but there isn't a huge need for thick knitted scarves in Florida:o)

If you like Enchiladas, and getting caught in the rain...

2008-01-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

I took my kids to a little mexican restaurant the other night. They are 8 and 10 years old. We were going over the menu and I asked my son (8) what he was interested in getting and he said the tacos where good to him. I then asked my daughter (10) if she had figured out what she wanted to eat. She replied that she was wanting to get some enchiladas. At this, my son breaks out into song....if you like enchiladas, and getting caught in the rain, if you're not into yoga, if you have half of a brain, if you like making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape......well needless to say my daughter and I start laughing hysterically. All this time he thought that it was ENCHILADAS instead of PINA COLADAS! Definetly puts a spin on the song, just a wee bit:o)

Yay! Socks!

2008-01-18T17:43:00.000-08:00

Just finished these little...(well maybe not so little) socks. They are just too comfy for words.

The start of something new!

2008-01-18T17:38:00.000-08:00

So here is my newest project, a striped scarf made with 2 different Noro yarns. I saw this on another website... Yarn Loopie and absolutely loved it. Can't wait to see how it turns out! I was having some dificulty with the edges at first. This pattern is worked in a single or double rib (I chose a single) so in order to get a clean finished edge you are supposed to slip the 1st stitch of every row. I started on the scarf and got about an inch or 2 into it and something didn't look quite right, so I ripped it back and made a quick call to my trusty local yarn shop Knit Witz to get some instruction as to what I should be doing in order to fix my dilema. Evidently I misunderstood the concept of slipping the first stitch in that I was slipping it knit wise when I should have been doing it purl wise. So again I started and what a big difference that made on the edges. The trials and tribulations of a not so novice knitter. Thank goodness for knitting shops! I'd be lost without ya Knit Witz!

Just amazing!

2008-01-16T22:38:00.000-08:00

Merino Wool/ Silk Felted Flower

2008-01-15T08:27:00.001-08:00

Merino Wool/ Silk Felted Flower, originally uploaded by sugarbeestudios.

I have been making these wonderful Merino wool and silk blend flowers. They can be added to your knitted projects or a pin back can be applied to where on clothing. These little goodies are perfect for spring.
I will be teaching some classes locally on this particular felting technique within the next month or so. I'll post the dates, times and fees just as soon as I have my calendar updated.

Some of My Fiber Stash

2008-01-15T08:14:00.001-08:00

My Stash, originally uploaded by sugarbeestudios.

I can't help but smile when I see all these yummy colors!

Knitting Misadentures

2008-01-14T18:29:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to start a blog for my fiber goodies, so here it is! I will be putting some of my misadventures as I muttle through the wide world of knitting, spinning, felting and everything else fiber. Let the misadventures begin!