Dimples for Everyone!

Okay, okay. I know, you are all quite sick of the Dimple sock progress reports. Well, I am anyway. This is the LAST time I knit two pairs of the same sock in rapid succession. Gah! Boring! I know you also saw more or less this same shot in the other yarn previously as well. Though I do have to say what a difference a yarn makes. You can *see* the pattern so much clearer in this solid colored yarn.

I know many are bored with solid color sock yarn. I tend in that general directions myself, often going for at least a heathered or more kettle dyed solid when possible. But I have enjoyed this yarn and have no doubt I would have enjoyed it to the bitter end if this wasn’t sock number FOUR! :-) If now has me obsessed with having orange socks of my own, but I suspect I’ll hold off and knit one of my hand dyed varieties for myself first.

I’m roughly half way. I’m pretty sure if I put my mind to it and my butt to my chair with my iPod and my line up of saved television shows on the DVR from last week that I’ll be set. I do have to run an errand and I have a lunch date today. But it can be done. I get an inch completed in about 30 minutes when determined so definitely doable.

I’m so excited! I have TWO lunch dates this week with knitterly peeps! Wheee! You don’t know how exciting that is for someone who works from home and whose husband is trying to work ten hour days on top of a fair commute time.

Though today is pretty good day to be mostly at home knitting like mad because DH made Havarti cheese last night while I was at SnB. I have to remove it from the brine (which isn’t a big deal and I do that many times when he makes Gouda as well), but the Havarti has to dry at room temp and because it has to dry and it is so fresh yet I have to turn it every two hours! All day! Someone, please remind me of this fact when I am complaining next Christmas about not having anything to do with the holiday gifts we are giving, okay?? Between turning cheese every two hours and designing the labels for the cheese and liqueuer I think I’ve had a significant impact on the output, dont’ you???

Okay, I gotta go run to Target. I have only an hour before I have to remove cheese from the brine and then it’ll need turned right as I leave for lunch. Can’t get off the schedule..

For Paper Crafty Knitters and Spinners…

Have you seen the fun fibery rubber stamps from Kaspareks? I haven’t bought rubber stamps in at least a few years, but I may just have to order some…

If you aren’t into paper art, you can get a few of their designs on T-shirts, mugs, tote bags and more as well! The selection is of the cutesy variety for my tastes, but still unique for the knitting related cafepress stuff I’ve seen available.

On Dimple: I *have* cast on and I *think* I can be done for DH’s birthday on Wednesday (it might take until that evening when we have a casual get together with a torte from a local Bavarian bakery) but I did finally cast on. But this weekend has been a rough one and energy very low so progress has been slow. If is funny, I don’t think of knitting as taking much in the way of energy/effort but if I’m exhausted that’s what I am and I may think about knitting, but rarely actually do so. *sigh*

For those asking, the pattern should be released early next week, Feb 1 at the latest.

Off to water aerobics. I have to say I’m proud of myself for still dragging myself to class even though what I’d really like to do is crawl back into bed and sleep some more… That is how I felt all last week too and I didn’t miss a day!

Sharp Needles Ahead!

Okay, I may end up having to admit defeat before long. I’m sooooo sick of the dimple socks. I’ve never knit more than one pair of socks of any one pattern let alone to knit THREE socks in quick succession. I haven’t been able to get myself to even cast on DH Dimple #2.

So, I cheated somewhat. I say somewhat because I said I wouldn’t *cast on* for anything new and I haven’t done that. Instead I dusted off something old and got to the finishing of it. Okay, well according to the pattern it was completed, but it seemed like a wonderful canvas for some artistic embellishing. So it never made it to the side bar FOs like it’s mates who were felted at the same time. So, I pulled out Lucy and the roving and I had picked up to embellish her and got to work yesterday afternoon.

This is only the beginning. I think the needle felting *may* be about done, but I intend to also do some embroidery and beading to add the more detailed elements to the paisley on the bag. I do have a tip to share with you though. Those who are familiar with needle felting know that you need to have some foam or that on the back side to absorb the needle after it passes through the wool. With this bag I thought it would be troublesome to try hold it flat over a hunk of foam so I used this…

It’s a foam soccer ball. Like the former “Nerf” balls. Though in my quest to find one I discovered that Nerf doesn’t really make those anymore. This is made by Poof and was still kind of hard to find but you can order direct from them (just follow the link). But, one day during Christmas shopping season my local grocery store had a two-ball box with this ball and a football in it. I think the football will be great if I wish to embellish a Squatty or similarly shaped purse sometime. The soccer ball is a touch smaller than I was aiming for, but it works just fine and actually probably is easier to get inside the bag than if I had found a ball that was bigger because I forgot about the opening being smaller than the actual bag.

Have a great weekend everyone! And send me vibes to get me casting on and knitting DH Dimple 2! ;-)

I’m a Winner?

I won my first contest at age two and really haven’t won anything since. That was until Christmas this year. The multi-fiber-talented Cece held a contest for new to her Christmas cookie recipes. I was selected as one of two winners because my Peperkakor recipe is Swedish and her heritage is 1/2 Swedish. I swear I didn’t know that when I joined the contest! But I’ll take my win any way I can :-)

I got a kit to knit Branching Out which I’ve been contemplating knitting for a long while now. She even printed off the directions and put them in a page protector! The EL Silky Wool is Color 005, one of my favorite shades of purply goodness (though don’t judge by this terrible photo taken on this very overcast morning)! Thank you so much, Cece!

I suspect most of the recipes are not exclusive to holiday baking so check out the comments here for more great cookie recipes!

Orange You Glad…

I’m not talking about PodCasts again today??? LOL!

Check out all this orange in our closet… It isn’t even all of it as there are least a few pieces I can think of that are currently in the laundry hamper.

I’ve been asked the intelligence of knitting orange socks for DH. Does this explain that it is indeed A-OKAY to be knitting him orange socks??? Yes, some of that stuff in the photo is mine. But, that only means that if he ends up not wearing them I can obscond with them, take back the toe a titch and wear them myself. So, no matter what they will get worn with love!

Notice the sock on the top? I finished that last night. I was lazy over the weekend until Sunday when I knit almost the entire leg. Well, I knit from the beginning of the leg pattern through half of the heel flap. I’m thinking I should have #2 done sometime this weekend so we can do a photo shoot. That of course means I won’t quite make the FO Friday, but I guess this is 1/2 FO Wednesday which isn’t too bad!

Tonight is DH’s writing group so I’ll be going to TAM this evening after supper! Well, that is if I don’t fall over dead before then. I’ve been terribly, terribly exhausted. To the point that I’m getting a little concerned and will want to keep an eye on it. But, nothing gives me a little more energy than socializing with witty and intelligent knitters.