Once again I don't have any excuse for not blogging. Life is my only reason...

As you can see from my previous post, I HAVE been knitting. Alot!

Work has been a little slow, but seems to be picking up a bit. DD's and my dance classes are over now until September. I am looking forward to returning to class. I enjoy it quite a bit. We laugh alot.

Both DS and DD have been working this summer. DD in her coop as credit for school and DS in a full time summer job. Both have been getting up at the proper time by themselves, in order to get to work on time. Funny thing is that they can NEVER do that when it involves getting to school. I have to wake them in the morning and if they were up late the night before, they are really ugly! DS will hopefully be able to wake himself in September when he is a way at University. Speaking of University...I am taking him out to Newfoundland in September to get him settled at Memorial University. He has decided to take Oceanography. I don't know who is more excited about going...him or me!

I know I am going to miss him, but ever since DD & DS were little they would go away in the summer for a month and visit their father. He lives in the Caribbean. They used to go down to see him every summer from the time they were like 5 and 6. I had a hard time the first time they went, but each time got a little easier. I enjoyed MY freedom. It was nice to go to the grocery store and not have to take little kids with me.

But I digress.... If you take into account the length of time University students are away from home at one time, it is only like 3 months. With computers, cell phones, email, MSN and video calling, I don't think I will have a chance to miss him, or for him to miss me! Hopefully he will be busy with classes and new friends and all the other activities that go along with being at university.

I will be there for 4 days with him. We arrive on Friday and Sunday he can get into the dorm. Monday and Tuesday is the students orientation, and Monday there is one for the parents! I leave to come home on Tuesday afternoon. Hopefully we will get to do a little sightseeing on the Saturday...

We have been picking up some of the things that he will need...bed linens, towels, etc. Because of the flight there we are limited to what he can bring...we will have to get the bulk of the stuff there in St. John's...thank God for Walmart and Zellers! I can't justify spending alot of money on things when we can get them at those stores.

This weekend I will be attending a meeting with our (DH and my) hunting group, to make some decisions for our hunting trip in September. We are going moose hunting again and I am very much looking forward to getting away from the hustle and bustle of my store. I love the customer service aspect of my store, but it does get a little tiring...

Sunday is the PakMail Annual Golf Tournament. Last year was the first time I was able to attend and DH and I had fun. I am NOT a golfer, in fact last year was the first time I had ever golfed. I have been a few times to the driving range but never on a golf course. This year we are attending again, but my father will be joining us. It hopefully will be a good day. I will let you know how we did. Last year DH and I won the Horse's Ass trophy...in other words we came in DEAD LAST!!! BUT in my world the main thing was to have a good time and we did...this year should be about the same!!

That's it for now....I will try not to be so long between posts...

Happy Knitting!!!

I Have Been Busy...

May Baby Sweater

Baby Sophisticate

Sally, the Eco Fairy

Sock Giraffe

Gnome

Sock Giraffe & Sock Hippo

Gnome

Elijah

Hippo

Gnome

Vanilla Jim

Telemark Pullover

Nutkins

Jim's Ribs

Keep on Knitting....

Catch Up Photos

OK I should probably start at the beginning. Life again has gotten busy...again... but I still have time to knit. I knit when DH drives us around and I have 1 1/2 each morning before I start work. Did I mention that I LOVE to knit!

I decided to knit myself the Ribby Shell tank top. I used El. D. Mousakis Butterfly Super 10 cotton. I am really happy with how it turned out. There is a shine to the yarn that makes the top look great.

DS asked me for another pair of socks so I bought some Paton Kroy FX yarn and knit up a plain vanilla pair. I know Kroy is a cheaper yarn but it knits up well and wears like iron. DS Loves his socks.

My next venture was to try carrying colour. It turns out that it is easier than I thought. I have been afraid of trying it for years but my knitting group was knitting squares for a charity blanket. Each month there was a different design square, each with a different technique. As a result of these 12 squares that I knit. I have learned a few new technques. I learned to read a chart, to knit cables (with and without a cable needle) and now to carry colour.

DH started to hint that he wanted another pair of socks...So I knit him these...

The pattern is Dusk and has a cable design that runs down both sides of the sock. These are knit using Dream in Colour Smooshy. Black Parade is the colourway. They are perfect for DH. Very dark with subtle shades of blue, purple, green. It reminds me of a Black Watch tartan. They are now DH's favourite socks.

I started a pair of Nutkin socks for me using Dream in Colour Knitosophy in the colourway Strength. I enjoyed knitting DH's socks with it that I decided that I should have a pair as well. The picture colour is a bit off. They are a bit more burgundy than they appear.

Now that my Nutkin's are done DH feels that he needs more socks . I pointed out to him that he had 7 pairs and that he should be happy with that. He then asked me how many I had.... I told him that I knit my own and that maybe he would like to try...No, was the answer I got! I have over 2 weeks worth of socks that I love and wear all the time. I will continue to knit myself socks but, to keep the peace I think I will have to rotate between knitting for me and knitting for DH, DD and DS. I figure that as long as I knit one of them a pair in between knitting for me I should be OK! *LOL*

Last week I had a little visitor come to see me at my store. N was walking and playing in the store for a little while when he decided that he wanted to have a little lay down with Tiger in the store window. I managed to snap a photo. Which is pretty good for me as I usually don't think about the pictures till after the moment has passed. I thought this was a great
picture!

And finally my Knitting Group had our Sketchy Dying Day. We all got together and dyed some yarn. It was a blast. All of the skeins were different and all were very creative. Each person dyed their skein in the colours that they liked. Mine are below. The yarn is Knit Pick Superwash Bare sock yarn. We also used acid dyes.

I decided to dye a skein for DH. It is a combination of blues, greens and black. The colour reminds me of the Nova Scotia tartan.

The next one I dyed was a combination of yellow and red, making a gorgeous skein of orange, red, and yellow. I love this bright colourway. I am not sure what I want to knit with this skein yet but I will definately love it!

I had a skein of Fiesta Baby Boom yarn that was called Snow. It was a white/cream colour that was not very exciting so I brought it to dye as well. I love the blues, purples, reds and black that it now is. This is a much more appropriate colour for me now. It will make a beautiful scarf or socks.

Since all of my newly dyed yarn is still wet, I started another pair of vanilla (basic/plain) socks for DH...hopefully I get them done quick so that I can start knitting my "NEW" yarn!

Well, that about catches me up. I am hoping that I won't be away so long next time...

Next weekend is Victoria Day Long Weekend, which is the start of the summer. I have alot or work to get done around our yard but I will try to post the progress on my knitting.

A Short One!

This is just a short post.

I have recently discovered the TV show Army Wives and have been watching it online each morning. I think it is a great show. In Canada, it is just new to the airwaves and they are starting it at the beginning. But once I saw the first episode last Sunday, I had to watch more. So I found it online and found out there is 4 seasons of it. Needless to say I am now on Season 2...I HIGHLY recommend it.

I finished these beautiful socks. They are knit using Yarn Love Juliet in the Sugared Grapefruit colourway. The colour is an exclusive WoolGirl Sock Club colour. The pattern is Laeticia. I used 2 .75 mm needles and knit them 2 at a time with Magic loop.

I changed the cuff to be a picot edge instead of the rolled cuff that the pattern had stated, and am really happy I did so. The design starts in the back and travels down and around the leg to the instep.

I really enjoyed knitting these socks and I especially Love the yarn. It has a great stitch defination. I will definately use it again.
Happy Knitting!

Best Friends....

This is a wonderful video....it made me cry!

It is Definately worth watching...

Photo Catch up...

Here are the photos of the projects that I completed during Ravelympics, Sock Wars and Test Knitting...


My Ravelympics projects were of the Shawl kind. I was part of Team Sketchy.

I knit The Shawl of Cables using Berroccos Ultra Alpaca in a purple heather colourway. I LOVE this shawl. It was a challenge since the chart was confusing, but I persevered and completed it.

I also managed to finish my La Cumparsita Shawl that I started back in October....This is an elegant shawl that I think will look stunning with a little black dress. Now I just need to go out somewhere so I can wear it! *LOL*

For SockWars, I ended up knitting 2 complete from scratch pairs of socks in the "Don't Box Me In" pattern.

And in return I received a pair of Death Socks knit in the same pattern...They were dyed just for me. The colour is perfect!

I also knit DH a pair of basic ribbed socks because I was knitting for me. This way it keeps him happy and me too!

I also Test Knit a pattern for a pair of socks for a designer on Ravelry. I used Fiesta Baby Boom yarn in the Snow colourway. I really like this yarn.

That about brings you all up to date on my knitting habit!
Happy Days...

I'm Dead!

Ok...for the past month I have been waiting for the Socks in Progress for Sock Wars. I have been reading the forums for Sock Wars on Ravelry and trashtalking with the best of them. Well today they FINALLY arrived...along with my Death Socks! UGH!!!

I knew as soon as I saw my mailman coning into my store with 2 packages that they were for me and not my mailbox customers. I don't know how I knew, but I just knew.

The socks are lovely. They were dyed a beautiful purple colour for me by Wonderrachel on Ravelry. She managed to get 1 sock knit before she was taken out...She then sent them off to eberkey, who in turned finished the other sock. They both did a wonderful job. I will always treasure my Death socks! To ease the blow I also received some candy 'Peeps' and a skein of Wendy Happy bamboo sock yarn. Thank you both.

So now I have to forward the SIP's onto the next assassin in line so that they can finish them and kill the recipient.

At least my knitting is now for my family and I and the time constraint is DEFINATELY not there anymore.

Rest in Peace and Keep on knitting!