Monthly Archives: January 2006

Spoiled (with socks)

Yesterday was my birthday and I was spoiled with lots of knitting goodies and other things too!

My mother-in-law (who is probably the most avid reader of my blog) sent me the Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles set AND two books – Sensational Knitted Socks and Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. Thank you so much, Viv!!! (I’ve already been playing with the needles and they are soooo nice!)

And The Boy got me Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. I’m pretty excited to get started. My SweetGeorgia yarn is just waiting.

And on the sock front, my fabulous Mom – in her own fabulous style – bought me a pair of gorgeous Oilily boot socks. (Thank goodness – I love boot socks and I’m not prepared to knit for that long.)

I’ve also got a super nice secret pal – she’s e’d me a bunch and sent a cool postcard from artist Andrew Bell.

Joining the sock train – and maybe the Olympics

Even though I have my own store on Etsy (cafecrafty.etsy.com) I had never bought anything – until last week. I bought some hand dyed yarn from SweetGeorgia (sweetgeorgia.etsy.com).

I purchased the Speed Demon Superwash Merino in the River colourway.


The yarn arrived yesterday. It’s so beautiful I can’t wait to start – once I get my act together to buy a book on how to knit socks and maybe some needles for knitting socks. And if I can pull all that together in the next week then just maybe I’ll join Stephanie’s Olympics.

200″


The Boy was up first thing this morning (first chair on the lift) to get ‘first track’ shots of the foot of snow we got overnight for the SkiCo website. This was one of his 8am pics.

Then later in the day the skiing company sent out a national press release announcing that we already hit 200″ of snow for the season. The press release included 2 photos by The Boy – I’m so excited!

Check out the SkiCo website for a bunch of photos he’s taken. Something like the first 20 shots are his – yea!

My Princess


So the crown from Alterknits isn’t done – but it is wearable. I have to get some ribbon to replace the waste yarn on the bottom I used to cast on. (The dark green wool kind of throws the whole thing off, don’t you think?) I’d like to add some beads to it also for a little sparkle.

Baby Girl was pretty excited to wear it though. She had me wrap her in the left over crepe paper like a dress, then find her tutu and turn on the classical music so she could dance. The whole scene was pretty fabulous.

I have to say that I never expected this – after having been a bit of a tomboy growing up – I never thought my life would be so pink and purple. She does it with such style that I’ve never had!

Knitting note: Baby Girl picked out pink and purple crepe paper for the crown so I had to increase to size 15 needles to accomodate the extra bulk. I also decreased the number of stitches around from the pattern to fit her head. It’s a little bulky so it would be fun to try again closer to the original pattern, but it’s pretty durable for knit paper which is great for an almost 3-year-old.

My only knitted Christmas/Channukah present – complete


Squarey loves playing bingo! Who knew – maybe it’s because he looks so good while doing it.

So a couple weeks later then planned (as most knitting projects go), but completed.I’d like to think that I could knit more gifts, but with a project a month that’s tough. Some parts worked out better then others, but The Boy and Baby Girl both love him already so that’s whats important. He was already upstairs for nap time today. (He had to be stolen from the babe’s arms to get his picture taken.)

Another Jess Hutch object complete. I’d still like to make Spherey and the little odd fellow. It’s just too fun to make little creatures. I’ve started the crown from Alterknits though which I’m really excited about – maybe I’ll even finish this week – that would be some sort of record.

Another Creature

So when I made the dog/aardvark for Baby Girl the stuffing package had an elephant on it. So she decided I needed to knit her an elephant. I found this pattern and I had this yarn so I did.


I didn’t swatch it or really pay attention (typical) so it has crazy funny long skinny legs. He reminds me of a creature from the Yellow Submarine.

I also figured out which book the dog/aardvark pattern came from – it was Animal Knits by Zoe Mellor.

And in the world of blogging my Secret Pal wrote me to say Hi – so much fun!

My SP7 Questionnaire

I’m so excited to be a part of Secret Pal 7 – how fun! So here’s my questionnaire (that’s a lot of text!)

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?
I think I am a yarn snob, but sometimes if something is just the right color at the right time anything is OK. (Like this really funny yarn Baby Girl and I picked out at Michael’s one day.)

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
 I learned to crochet before I learned to knit, but now I haven’t crocheted in a year. I have never spun anything.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
 They’re on my desk or in the bag with what I’m knitting. “Store” might be an overstatement.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
 I have been knitting for one year. I think I’m an advanced beginner. ( I just learned to knit small rounds last week. I was so excited! I had been fighting with DPN’s and then I watched this video on using two circulars – genius!)

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
 I do – at Amazon.

6. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
 I’m pretty fussy. I don’t like things overly scented. My mom did just get me a pear candle from L’Occitane for Channukah though and I love it.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
 Dark (dark, dark) chocolate

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
 I make books – www.cafecrafty.etsy.com. When in the mood I also sew, bead, embroider (I’m not saying well, I’m just capable.)

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
 I have an iPod Shuffle I listen to while snowboarding. I listen to a lot of – maybe it’s adult alternative – Barenaked Ladies, American Graffiti, Matchbox 20

10. What’s your favorite color? Or–do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can’t stand?
 I love limey, pukey greens (see Oilily bag below) and of course light blue/brown and pink/brown and light blue/red. I’m not a huge fan of purple although when Baby Girl chose purples for the Jess Hutch robot I was pretty happy with the end result.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
 I’m married with one daughter and two cats.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
 I live in the mountains of Colorado so I wear all of the above for large chunks of the year.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
 I don’t know yet…

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
 I’m pretty over the eyelash and fake furry things (unless it’s used just right).

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Jess Hutch

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
 Creatures of any sort

17. What are you knitting right now?
 Squarey the pillow, Girlfriend Swing Coat from Wendy at Knit and Tonic and the bunny from Kate Gilbert.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
 Absolutley

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
 Circular

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
 I’m not that fussy.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
 No

22. How did you learn to knit?
 Through books and by a friend.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Knitting wise not bad – I started the Kate Gilbert bunny about three months ago and ran out of yarn about halfway and we live about 2 1/2 hours from the nearest Michael’s. (I keep saying – maybe we’ll get there next weekend.) The worst thing though is two blank baby books and a tub full of Baby Girl’s stuff for the day I start…She’ll be 3 in May.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
I love Hello Kitty stuff and those characters – like Chococat.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
I like them all really – we like making cupcakes and getting candy for any holiday that gives us a chance.

26. Is there anything that you collect?
I buy lots of stuff for my hobbies – yarn, pretty papers, etc… Whenever we run across a ‘flatten penny’ machine I always get one.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
 none (I subscribe to about ten magazines including Ready Made)

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
A good beginning sock pattern, cool sock yarn, anything I can’t get here because I live so far from a city – we don’t really have a yarn store with an extensive collection to play with.

29. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
Sticking with a theme – maybe knitting socks on two circulars, and maybe spinning with one of those little hand things…

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
 I have never knit a sock, but now through blogging since I’ve seen the sock yarn that Sweet Georgia is dyeing I’m ‘dying’ to learn (figuring out that circle thing the other night was a huge step in the right direction!)

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

January 29.