Friday, November 30, 2007

Holiday Swap Package



I shipped off my Holiday Swap package this morning. I had alot of fun picking yarns from the stash and buying goodies for my pal. This is the first time I've ever put together a swap package, so I'm hoping she likes everything. It is alot of fun to learn everyone's likes/dislikes. I also found a couple patterns on her Ravelry site that I liked as well. So much knitting, so little time......

On another note, the holiday knitting is in full swing, and here is Pile o' Presents Part I.


These are the chunky wristwarmers we have on display in the store and they are so much fun to knit (and fast too)! They are much cuter on than off.....


Now working on the matching beret to go with the warmers (nice gift, eh?). Two down, four to go. Will post pics when they are all done. Then it is on with the remaining 4 scarves, 1 hat, and one pair of socks til Christmas. I should be okay, right??





Friday, November 9, 2007

Happy Birthday Stacey!!!!

Today is my sister Stacey's birthday, and today she is receiving nothing in the mail from me. This is not from lack of knitting planning, but due to lack of knitting compliance. Stacey lives in AZ... yes I realize that it is hot there (Hell on earth to be precise, of course, that's just MY opinion). Stacey has voiced her concerns of receiving knitted items due to the heat, believing that knitting = wool. While visiting in August to help with her brand new baby Bobby, we took a trip to the LYS. Sure enough, she saw something she liked (as well as her daughter THE BOSS). Hallelujah, I get to knit for her (knitting = love in my world)! Unfortunately, it was a shawl and she wanted a poncho, but at least I knew what she liked, yay!

Upon returning home, I embarked on what I thought would be the fairly easy task of finding said poncho pattern - no dice. She wanted it in black as well. After digging through my stash, I found some eggplant colored Cotton Twist with a ribbed poncho pattern purchased at Stitches East a few years ago - perfect! The eggplant would look great on her and match her fave colors (khaki, black, neutral, etc). I picked up the phone and proceeded to tell her how great this would look on her with her coloring, etc. She agreed that would be okay, so I then cast on.

I HATE COTTON TWIST!!!! I worked on this never-ending monotonous piece of crap for God knows how long, only to find a huge mistake in the ribbing towards the bottom. I painstakingly let each offending stitch unravel and re-worked them back to the top, only to find it still looked like shi*! It just glared at me. This was miserable, the yarn was a splitting mess, so guess what I did?

I chucked it! Literally threw it in the trash without even a glance back. I had to call Stacey today with a funny story (thank God she thought so) and a new plan. She is headed to her LYS to get the pattern for the original shawl so I can modify it to the poncho she originally wanted, and guess what? She's getting it in black because that's what she wanted.

Lesson learned - I will listen to my knitting recipients and not try to sway them to choose what "I" think they will like. The knitting gods do not like this, apparently.

Well Stac, Happy Birthday! Sorry I stink, but you'll be getting what you want as soon as I get the pattern ;)

Pics of current WIPs (not including poncho from hell in the trash) are forthcoming. Took some, but they look like caca, so maybe by the end of the weekend.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

And so it begins.....

Here I am. No one will probably ever read this, but due to my need to join more sock swaps, I am starting a blog. At the least, it will help keep track and organize my ever-growing pile of WIPs (still on waiting list to access Ravelry). At best, I may make a few new friends!

Just joined my first swap ever at my new favorite store, The Loopy Ewe. I am waiting for my 6th order which should be arriving tomorrow, making me an official Loopy Groupie (yay!). I just started my "downstream" partner's socks, yet I am already trolling the internet for more swaps. My kind "upstream" partner clued me in that I'm not going to get very far in my swap search without a blog so.... here I am!

Will post current WIPs next post, need to figure out some technical stuff first. Really want the Loopy Ewe button on my site, but can't get it to work (ugh!). Any help out there, anyone? Anyone?