Pout Out Loud

Well, now Knitpicks has failed me too. The 2.25 mm circs are back ordered. I was going to order another book or two, just because I'm ticked and shopping, but that won't happen either.

On an almost happy note, do any of you own this? It's called Total Tote and I can see myself carrying the brown or green one year-round, and NEVER being without at least a sock to knit in public (or at work when the inlaws aren't there) again. Unfortunately, Knitpicks is now on my pooooooo list - did I mention my Cotlin was back ordered and the date kept slipping closer to fall? - so unless someone lets me know that this is available and as wonderful as it looks, I won't buy that either.

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me.

Guess I'll go knit socks.

(Picture me with my full anyway bottom lip poked WAY out, stomping back to the living room. I'll be pulling out the August Tofutsies Sock of the Month yarn and pattern, cuz I have #2 circs.)

Red and Read

It's really a true red, but that's indoor photography for you. The boys - Mugsy, Fred and the Knitter's Knight - are all sound asleep, so it doesn't seem right to go out to snap a picture for my blog. (Mugsy would pop up and follow me, which would cause Fred to cry, which would wake KK, which would make us all grumpy!) Sorry. ;) I can tell you that I've found a cotton albeit blend to be gushy about, and Cascade Cotton Rich is it. It's about triple the price of a similar quantity of whatever and cream brands, but it's also triple the pleasure to knit with. All those patterns I've seen for clothing made of "dishcloth cotton"? I'd make 'em with this stuff. My pal will have to let us know how it washes and holds up, but it's pure knitter's joy on the needles.

Obviously, it's for my KVVS pal. I'm happy to announce that my pal's package, along with my Dog Days package, which should still make its way on time, will ship out on Monday. I have to give a shout-out to Willis (the owner) and the gals at the Charlottesville branch of The Virginia Store for the big assist in shopping for my VVS pal and more. (I've purchase my first Christmas gift!) You know I love good service, and that store never fails me. I hope my pal likes her virtual vacation too. (Hint - note that I did NOT venture to Monticello's gift shop for museum type gifts.) The lady waiting on me was very curious about knitting and swaps, so maybe next time I go in, she'll be knitting!

The same sales lady recommended the Debbie Macomber books. Sadly, my lame-0 Barnes and Noble doesn't carry them in stock, so that helped me just spend my gift card and NOT renew my membership thingee there, which I never really earn back, because of Amazon and Borders. So, I'll be leaving here and going to trusty Amazon and my prime shipping, and I'll have the book for less, probably before I'm ready to read it anyway. Now, please scoot on over to Debbie's site. There's a free pattern, which will change on August 18th, and Mary, this one is for crocheters! She has a blog too, which lacks photos, but does mention a new knitter in the family.

I'm more of a non-fiction type of girl, but I do enjoy a good what my family calls a "beach" read, so if you've read the Knitting Series, let me know what you think, but no spoilers, okay? There's also content on the site I linked above for Debbie's new inspirational book, which I did buy at B&N, along with another sock book, Vogue Knitting Socks Two. I love those little books, although I've yet to actually knit anything from one. Sigh. So many books, yarns and patterns, and so little time!

I also hit It's a Stitch for some personal and swap stuff. Sigh. The lady I like best wasn't working. I want to love that store and say great things about it, but instead, I'll tell you that I very nearly paid for two Addi circs. I already own, because the sales lady wasn't listening. She sold me 2 - US #1/2.5mm circs., when I very clearly explained that I have those and NEED the 2.25mm size for my socks. BIG SIGH. She says Addi doesn't make them, but I bet they do. However, since I'm having trouble finding them, good ol' Knitpicks (books in stock, 40% off through August 17th) will get my order, because I *KNOW* they have the 2.25 mm size, and their website always seems to "listen."

THEN, the same lady insisted she'd never heard of a sock pattern calling for two different sized needles. Now, I know I'm no expert, but I'm positive I've seen other patterns that do indeed call for different sized needles for the same sock! Hello? Am I wrong? Then, she told me to just knit the whole thing on the #2s called for in the bulk of the pattern... And what does one do when the said professional tries to tell her she's wrong? I can tell you what I do. I decide that if I can't make a mini road trip to Carodan or Limerick Fibers (no website yet, but oh, I hope it will be up in time for Christmas!), I'll just order online. I hate that, I really do, because as part of a local small business, I *WANT* to shop locally and support small businesses, but geeze folks, can you meet me half way and provide a modicum of customer service?!

Whew. I think some tea and stick therapy is in order. Why is it so hard to run a decent yarn shop?

Vegan 2 Swap Questionnaire

What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?

Knitting. I really just began at the end of 2006, despite a brief introduction or two in my teens.

Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?

Other, or maybe veg-friendly. I was a vegetarian in my 20s, but...

Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?

No, this isn't my first swap. I enjoy meeting new people, and if a friendship blooms, that's all the better. I also enjoy shopping for my pals, because they always like different things than I'd normally buy, so it allows me to see different yarns, scents, etc.

What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?

My favorite colors change constantly, but have never included orange or bright yellow. Reds, pinks, blues, greens, browns... They're always good.

Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?

Not that would matter here.

Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*

Yes! Mugsy has his wee noggin against my hip right now, and Fred is snoring a few feet away. Mugsy is a Jack Russell Terror, and he believes that no knitted item is complete without little white hairs. Fred is an aging, arthritic Basset Hound, whose only thoughts on knitting are that it keeps me out of the kitchen and that sucks.

Do you collect anything?

Roosters. Cookbooks. Heck, I'm a pack rat, so I have or do collect all sorts of things, but I'm trying to declutter...

Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)

Almost any kind of bean or anything pumpkin. Can't go wrong there, but hummus is a clear favorite. Add extra garlic and it's all good.

What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)

Oops - see above. Thai is awesome. Coconut milk and peanut sauce will make me happy! Tofu is a problem. I'd love for someone to give me a recipe that would make me like the stuff. (I'm all about soy, so this is a personal affront my tastebuds continue to commit against the rest of my body.) Chocolate should be dark. As a small child, I preferred baking chocolate to a Hershey bar. Tart has its place, but in general, not a favorite. With the exception of nuts (raw is good), I'll choose chewy over crunchy every time. Did I mention that fall is coming and I love a bowl of beans or anything pumpkiny?

What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)

I don't have enough tiny sized circular needles. I have at least one set of dpns in sizes 000-5, but I'm leaning towards saying two circs. are my favorite method for sock knitting. I like Knitpicks, and I have the Options set too. I have one pair of Addis, and will likely add another pair tomorrow.

Any lace-related tools would be nice, as I do believe I want to try that next, and don't even know what I might need or want.

Too much of? Needles that aren't metal. If it they aren't metal, I don't want them.

Honestly, my pals have surprised me with some wonderful tools and accessories I didn't even know existed, so aside from non-metal needles, there's no anti-list at all!

Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?

Gee, thanks for asking, but for roughly three more weeks, I'll be waiting for my invitation. When that changes, you'll know; I'll announce it on my blog and then get lost in all that organizational goodness.

Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?

I don't know... If you have a question, ask!

What scents do you like/dislike?

I like soft florals. Lily of the valley. Rose. Magnolia. Gardenia. Green tea.

Dislike? Musks, spicy perfumes.

Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?

I love fall. I love the changing leaves and there, orange is beautiful. Halloween isn't on my radar.

Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.

When I was a young child, the weekend closest to "peak" leaf turning would find us loaded into the station wagon, headed to Sugar Tree Mountain, for a cool picnic and the best views in the state. Teaberries. I'd forgotten about them. Yum.

Food for my Feet

My Knitter's Knight is a funny man. This afternoon, he provided a cute title for this post while trying to understand my glee. Yarn Market joins the ranks of the happy knitter-makers. It arrived quickly, and all the yarn was sealed in plastic. Good thing, because the box looked very much like the UPS folks played soccer with it...

Anyhow, there's the August Tofutsies Sock of the Month yarn. Very colorful, and guess what?! A toe up pattern called "Summer Daze" came with it, so since I need to frog the June Tofutsies I started anyway... Stay tuned. They'll both be knitted up soon enough, but one definitely will be the next on the needles.

There was more Wick, which was what I went after in the first place. (I had planned to order my Tofutsies from Carodan, but they're on vacation, and...) There will be lots of Wick socks and footies received by my relations for Christmas! It was at this point in the yarn petting that Mark noted that he didn't like any of the colors in this order. So, it seems he expects not only his blankie, but socks too. Dang. I guess that's what I'll do with the Scarlet Fleece I purchased during our VA yarn crawl.

Still more Wick. What can I say?! I'm in love. I think Wick and Tofutsies are the two yarns I seem to buy almost indiscriminately. I'm sure Wick is good for more than socks, but that purpose suits me well enough. I've explained why I love soy, or at least offered my rationalization for it. So, go me, I'm pretending I'm supporting Virginia farmers with my Wick fascination and acquisitions.

I'm not ready to send my KVVS package just yet, but we'll continue the local agricultural lesson anyway. (Cass, there are plenty of pictures, so keep reading!) That's my Maizy. I couldn't wait, couldn't help myself! Corn is the bomb. My dogs even eat corn on the cob, although Fred has issues and tries to eat cob and all. I'll have to scan photos of Mugsy chowing down at the firehouse, when he was a youngster and stopped in to visit me at work. But I digress. Corn sock yarn. How cool is that?! And that my friends, is what prompted Mark to note that I seemed to want to put food on my feet. Which reminds me, I gotta' go get him moving so we're not late to dinner.

Dinner was great, and since I hadn't posted this, I can give a shout-out to Anne's Virginia corn thing. Corncakes. They're like pancakes, but they're made with cornmeal. YUM. IHOP has them, as does Bob Evans, but at Bob's they're not on the menu, but if you ask for them, they will come. Just be sure to tell 'em to hold the sour cream. I don't know about Anne, but I eat mine with real butter and maple syrup.

Don't worry. If you ever come to visit, I won't drag you around to farms and agricultural centers unless you're into that thing, but I might insist that you pet the corn and soy yarns.

Color Me Surprised!

I know the folks at my Fed Ex store wonder about all of the yarn and goodies I'm always mailing out. I suspect my own delivery people have questions too. Today, another package surprised me. See, Mark gets the mail. We have a rather average sized mailbox, so Priority Mail boxes, UPS and Fed Ex all end up on the front porch, where I either see them as I come down the drive on my way home, or Fred lumbers through them on his way out. For two days in a row, the knitterly goodness has been in soft pack envelopes, sent via the Postal Service.

Today's special delivery was from the Pink Yarn Junkies Swap. It arrived as I was shutting everything down and unplugging things (we live in the woods; surge protectors are merely a stop-gap for when we aren't home), because there was a confirmed tornado sighting just a few miles away near my childhood home, headed somewhat in our general direction. It was a nice distraction, as I tried to decide if I could hear the tell-tale "train" sound in between the rumbles of thunder. Nope. The wind barely blew.

Anyhow, I stuck my nose and fingers into the It's a Girl Thing body butter, which hails from a company out of Chesapeake, VA. Who knew?! Now, a local goats milk lotion company can be boycotted appropriately. (They very abruptly left the City for a much cheaper locale, leaving dozens suddenly jobless. Not cool.) Between Sharon and this new find, I can ditch the old favorite, be sanctimonious and still smell sweet! (Hrmph. Googling It's a Girl Thing isn't helpful. But you will know where I can find it. I know you will!)

Books are always good, and I'll read this one pronto, so I can pass it along to my sister and then she'll pass it to our cousin... But the yarn is the stuff I really have to tell you about. Just LOOK at it. Oh, how I wish they had that touch and feel option the two year old boys in my life are really into right now. Trust me, you'd wear a hole in your monitor. The good news is, I know where you can get some of your own. You see, my spoiler in the swap was none other than Lu of LuLu's Yarns. It's the Merino Lace in Rosa. (Sue? I'm gonna do lace now. I have 1900 yards of this I must be lace and lovely yarn. Suggestions?)

I've yet to shop Etsy, only because Jessi accepts desperate email requests, from desperate friends anyway. But this... I just might console myself over my unbelievably long wait for that Ravelry invite by creating an Etsy account and...

Did I mention Mark had to go to the firehouse? The storms and all... a couple of serious house fires in the City and on the west side of our county...

Okay, I can take a hint. Seriously y'all, as I typed that, the thunder rolled. God is telling me to go work on my dishcloth and behave. Got it. That also means the gushing about Cascade's Cotton Rich will have to wait. Sorry.

If I turn up missing, check in the master bath's tub. Mugsy, the Cotton Rich and I will be in there. The boys had another little squabble this evening, so Fred will have to brave it alone in the hallway bath, if it comes to that.

Thank you again, Lu. I am truly humbled by the generousity of strangers, strangers whom twice have failed to even give me their blog sites. If you know Lu or Jamie, tell them I said thanks again.

Shadow on Thursday

You asked for more Shadow II. Here he is, as a very little pup, helping at the office. (And no, that is NOT my desk!) I considered posting more of my boys today, but you see, Shadow had a rough day. He went to the groomer's, and then, Pop got tired of waiting on his dog, so Shadow was picked up from the groomer's by my father inlaw, and is spending the night at my inlaws', with their dog. He'll be reunited with Pop in the morning.

I know Cass loves dogs, so I'll slip my request in here for you to scoot over and wish her a happy 222nd post. She's having a most awesome contest, so tell her I sent you and maybe we'll both win!

Soy, Sharps and Swag

Once upon a time, a new swapper signed up for something called the No Sheep swap. She was contacted immediately by her spoiler, and laughed every time she got an email from said mystery pal. In June, a pretty ball of red luciousness arrived from the anonymous source, and the swapper was delighted. More humorous emails arrived from the secret pal, including a very clever email, describing a shopping trip two friends had taken, ending with the assurance that the friend's purchases were in the mail, since she couldn't carry them all back with her on the plane. The very next day, a cute (see the blue peeking out on the bottom right?) package arrived in the swapper's mailbox! Within was a plethora of knitterly goodness.

A roll call:

The current issue of Knitsimple

A large, gold bag to hold large projects (and vast amounts of swapping treats)

A teeny weeny little project bag for wee little projects, complete with a cute zipper pull with doggy footprints on the charm at the bottom

Addi short dpns (coated metal!)

A Lush bath bomb (the pretty pink and blue flower) and a Lush catalog

Two yummy treats (one with cranberries, sis!)

A knitter's dream of a travel kit (more later)

Knitters Little Helper hand balm

Here's a close-up of the outside of the wee bag. I love it! It's actually a pale, pale celery green, with three shades of pink/red flowers, green and more. There's a little pocket on the outside. (Begins at the black vine-looking print.) It will be great for my cell phone or keys, so that when Mark and I go on a little trip, I needn't take my whole purse AND a knitting bag.

If you're a regular reader, you know I'm not a great photographer, but here's the inside. There are little pockets in there too! The hand balm fits nicely in one, and the little needles stood up so nicely in a corner pocket than I nearly missed them. There's plenty of room for the little kit I'll show you in a minute and a ball of yarn. One ball of the Wick and a folded copy of a pattern will fit in there just fine.

Without further ado, the adorable little kit! It has a tape measurer, a wee little needle sizer, the sweetest, smallest snips you've ever seen, some of those coiled needle holders, and a plastic gripper clip that could hold a seam together or mark a place on a pattern, or...

I realise you're probably tired of this Wick, but I'm not. Not now, not ever. Below the Wick is the very cute polka dotted mailer it all arrived in. (Polka dots! Jamie whose blog link I hope to add soon so you can all visit her and tell her how much she rocks) obviously reads my blog, huh?) The darlin' scissors are on the left, and the I'll never use the wrong US #1s, even when on vacation again tool is on the right. (I want to buy one for every swap and prize I ever send! Am I nuts or do you want one too?)

I'll never fumble for scissors again. The ones on the left are the regular ol' cut the tags off of whatever scissors in my stationery basket. Next, is the super-sharp weapon my Knitter's Knight purchase for me because I couldn't find the trusty pair I'd used for cross stitch (they're in my old needlework bag, and can live there, just in case). Third from the left is the cute little pair my Hogwarts Sock Kit pal sent me, which can now live in my larger red tote or that lovely sock bag my Sock it to Me pal just sent. On the far right are the bitty baby snips Jamie sent in the kit that could stand alone as a cool knitting gift.

Last, but not least, is the needle shot. On the top, the new ittle, bittle Addis, in US#2/3.0 mm. In the middle, the fragile Sox Stix, size #1/2.25mm. Note how much shorter the ittle Addi is! On the bottom is a Knitpicks #3. Look at the sharp tip on that thing. I like 'em that way, but they do lead to splitting if I'm not careful.

Seriously folks, those three Sox Stix would love to come live with one of you, if you have use for them. And I'd like to know what other metal and/or coated metal dpns I'm missing. I have Inox coated and Susan Bates colored aluminum dpns, but they didn't make the photo. I was trying to get the photos taken before the meeting, and the Knight thought I was getting snap-happy as it was.

Thanks again, Jamie. It has been a great month for swapperly sweetness already, and there's still more to come...

More thanks to the ever-dear Jessi, for the date changing info. Lo and behold, despite being unable to see this post last night, I logged in a few minutes ago, and here it is, complete with the labels and everything. Go figure. I'm still mad at you though, Blogger.