Bellatrix Socks

Finally finished these!





Just started these:



They're Log Cabin Socks from Handknit Holidays and I'm knitting them for a friend from my last job. I'm using Bernat Alpaca in the Peony colorway. They'll be very cuddly and warm this winter!

I Feel the Harmony

Since I haven't any finished projects, or even recent stash to show you, I've decided to tell you why I love Knit Picks.
Recently, I splurged and purchased the new Harmony Wood dpn set. They're gorgeous, warm in the hand, and have just the right amount of slip. One of my size 0 needles, however, had the tiniest split in it. It was catching on stitches, and scratching my wrist. So, I emailed Knit Picks to ask if there was some way I could repair it (I had clear nailpolish at the ready). You know what the reply was? They're sending a replacement! How awesome is that?



So, with these needles, the newer yarns (I highly reccomend Risata ), and the unbelieveable customer service, I am a loyal Knit Picks fan for good.
The End.

What a Difference a Needle Makes

I started the awesome Bellatrix socks by Gigi Silva in my own Merino Monkey "Bela Lugosi's Dead" yarn last week. The pattern calls for size 2 needles, but I thought that would make too a loose fabric. So I went down to a size 1. Here's what I got:



It just wasn't working for me. It made the yarn look ugly and the sock all baggy. I wasn't happy. So I ripped back to the cuff and started over with size 0 needles( I prefer 0's for socks anyhow). Here's what I got:


How much better is that? The ridges stand out. There's structure. I don't even care that I had to rip out 50 rows of knitting. Here's where I am now:



Ahhhh. These will be for my sister-in-law who, as far as I know, doesn't know I have a blog. She's a recovering goth chic, and a Harry Potter fan, so I thought the combination would be perfect for her!

Monkeys at My Door!

My package arrived from my Monkey Swap 3 pal, Mary!



(I could barely wait through the time it took to photograph this)


Yarn, stitch markers, beads, Pez Monkey, Mona by Cookie A., Pine linen spray(one of my favorite holiday scents), and a monkey stationery set with a yo-yo(my husband will be all over that).


Feast your eyes on the beauty!


They really are very bright! I love them, and so does my kitty!



Here's a "wobbly " monkey with some gorgeous yarn hand dyed by Mary herself in the foreground. The shiney yarn behind the monkey is from Wind Dance Ranch in Wyoming and is spun from Angora goat mohair and corriedale wool. The tag even mentions the goats names(so, here's a shout out to Tinker, Peanut, and Olive.)



Just look at the little monkey PEZ dispenser!


Here are the gorgeous stitch markers(with tiny blue flowers on them) and awesome pink beads with another shot of Mary's beautiful dye work.

I am so spoiled.
Thank you Mary! You rock the Casbah!

Artist of the Month

My little interview and pile of yarn are on display at yarn4socks.com. A sock was knit in the Rich Earth colorway and can be seen here!
Besides my stuff, they've got lots of tempting goodies. You've been warned!

Hallo-weeners!

I hope everyone had a happy Halloween! My husband and I carved pumpkins, got spooky, and gave out 5 pounds of candy. It was awesome!






My doggie even got dressed up!



I made the most awesome baked pumpkin seeds too. Usually I use Worcestershire Sauce, but we were out. So I did this:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Clean "guts" off of the seeds and let them sit in cool water for 30 minutes(I did this because I had 5 things going at once. It may not be integral to finished snack). Melt 2 Tablespoons of margarine or butter and add 3 shakes of salt. Drain the seeds and coat them with margarine mixture. Spread them onto a cookie sheet and try to keep them from overlapping too much. I know it's hard because they're slippery little devils at this point. Shake Parmesan cheese over seeds and bake in the middle of the oven. Flip seeds at the 30 minute mark. They should be toasty brown in about 1 hour. Cool and eat!

I'm glad I improvised! They're yummy!

Happy Halloween!