Baby, I'm a Winner!

I've been out of town for a few days, but now I am back...

So, a few weeks ago, Berroco had a contest in its weekly newsletter, KnitBits.  They were giving away copies of one of their new books - Comfort Knitting & Crochet: Babies & Toddlers. There are many cute patterns in it.  I entered, as I do many such contests.  While I was on vacay, I found out that I had won.



So, I came back from out of town, and my house sitter informed me that a package had come for me and she knew that it was probably yarn...because apparently, I have a reputation for buying yarn on-line.

"No," I told her.  "I recently entered a contest and won a knitting book."

She watched me open the package and, much to my surprise, the book was in there, but so was yarn!



Interestingly, I was just the other day lamenting the fact that I have so much yarn, but not the right yarn for a Christmas present I am planning to make. And look what happened!  The more I thought about it though, the more I started feeling that I really need to pay it forward; so, I have a little plan in mind.  Stay tuned in the coming weeks...

Then, last night, I read a post on Facebook. Iris Schreier, founder and designer of a yarn company with really yummy yarn (Artyarns) that I like, was giving away a pattern.  It is called Sandy's Fury.  All one had to do was to add the pattern to his/her Ravelry queue on yesterday and she would then pick a winner from the group of people who did so.

This morning, I woke up and had an email waiting in my inbox informing me that I had won the pattern!  I was so excited!!!

I guess I can no longer say, "I never win anything!"

Since I've been neglectful of my blog lately, I think I will show you the two additional pairs of socks that I did finish in October instead of waiting until Friday.  First, here's Tara.  This pair of socks has been OTN since April:



I knittied them with two 2.25mm circular needles and used Lucy Neatby's Celestial Merino in Hot Pink.  I really like how they turned out after all that.

The October Socks were also completed: 



I used Wullenstudio Superwash Sock Yarn in Monster Mash and two 2.0mm circular needles.  The pattern is Autumn Harvest Toe Up Socks.  I like the yarn and I like the pattern, but I don't think it was the best yarn to use to show off the pattern.  However, they were my official Socktober/Halloween socks and they served their purpose well. 

I finished the October socks before the April socks.  The pattern suggested using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off; so, I did, and it was my first time.  I really like it.

I like it so much, that when the Tara instructions suggested to use that bind off, I did not hesitate.

Oh yeah, remember that big test that I took a couple of weeks ago?  I passed.

I think everyone should be caught up with my doings for the last little while now.  Let me hear from you.

MK out.

FO Friday - 10/12/2012

Bear with me folks...my big test is next Thursday, and then I can get back to living la vida loca and documenting some of it here...

Today is a super day!  It is FO Friday...

AND

...it is I Love Yarn Day!!! 

Go to The Loopy Ewe and order something today and Sheri will send you a bottle of Wollmeise Wool Wash to celebrate.  Now, that's a pretty good deal. 

Speaking of TLE...I participated in Camp Loopy this summer and completed projects in all three sessions, on time and everything.  That entitled me to a skein of Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere.  I chose the Sleeping Under the Stars colorway.



Isn't it dreamy?

In other news, I finished my September 2012 socks!!! 



I used my beloved size 2.0mm needles and some lovely Malabrigo Sock in Ravelry Red.  The pattern is Pillars by Lisa Stichweh.



I just love them!



The April, August and October ones are still OTN, but coming along people...(That test...remember?)  Really, I have been working on the others, and there is still time to finish at least two of them by the end of the month.

Oh...Oh...Oh!!!

Did I tell y'all that the Yarn Harlot came to Madtosh Crafts last month?!?



Yep, she was there and so was I. 



MK out.

FO Friday - 10/05/2012

It's Friday and I have an FO to share!

I finished this cowl on the way to Nova Scotia, but silly me, I didn't take a picture before I gave it to the recipient:



And - I spent six days with the recipient and I didn't take a picture despite the proximity of said cowl with said recipient.  (Doh!)

I used the Spiral Cowl pattern and yummy Pura Mongolian Cashmere DK by Pura Bella Yarns.  It was a truly wonderful tactile experience and an overall enjoyable knit.

MK out.

WIP Wednesday - 10/3/2012

It's the first Wednesday of the month...It's time to show what's currently OTN!

There are two pair of socks that are currently on the front burner - First, I present the October 2012 socks - Autumn Harvest in Monster Mash on Wullenstudio Superwash Sock Yarn.  It is the yarn I won for one of the Sock Knitter's Anonymous challenges back in June. 



The socks are a twofer - I am entering them in one of October's SKA challenges - seasonal pattern AND they are my official Socktober socks.

Next, I still have Pillars OTN in Ravelry Red on Malabrigo Sock Yarn. 



They are my September SKA challenge entry and should be finished before the end of this month to qualify. 

I have two pair of socks on the relative back burner - I am still working on the Tara socks from April. 



A lot of concentration is needed to sit down and work on these socks, and I seem to be in short supply these days.  They will get done eventually.  I promise.

Finally, I have given up waiting to finish Tara in order to use those needles (2.25mm) for the August 2012 socks. 



I bit the bullet and am making them on 2.5mm.  I prefer 2.0mm needles for my socks - and the first two are being made on 2.0s - but I figured I could get these done faster.  You may think that there is not much difference between 2.0mm and 2.5mm, but in the sock knitting world, there really is.

My goal is to finish all four pair this month.

MK out.

Knitting on the Wild Side...

So, I got to go to a knitting retreat with Lucy Neatby and a few other folks.  The setting was a little island off the coast of Nova Scotia called Big Tancook Island.  The big is relative, and is used to differentiate it from Little Tancook Island.

The Husb and I drove there, making a couple of important stops along the way...

 


We went to WEBS...and I didn't buy yarn!!!  

I know, right?

 



We took the factory tour at Ben & Jerry's...and we got to taste the flavor that they were packaging up that day.  Yum!





We watched the marine layer roll in at Acadia National Park near Bar Harbor....
 
 


....and watched the action at Thunder Hole.  It was pretty impressive.

 


Finally, the husb dropped me off and I boarded a ferry to Big Tancook with a group of eager knitters.

 

We were treated to a nice mixer and dinner the night before classes started. 

 














Lucy brought Fiona over for a visit.

 

The cottage where I stayed had a great view.

 


There was no shortage of food...

 

 ...or drink.

 

In fact, it seems that we were always eating.

 

Like - all the time!

 

There was a girly fort...

 


...complete with chandelier.

 

We even became honorary Tancookers.

 

We really did have classes and we learned quite a bit. Lucy is a wonderful teacher, and if you ever have the chance to take a class from her - do it!!!  

The retreat was more than knitting though and I have many great memories that I will always cherish.

MK out.

FO Friday - 9/28/2012

My bloggy hiatus is still in effect, but I have some things to share; so, I thought I'd put them out there.

I recently returned from a little trip that involved knitting.  I will tell y'all all about it very soon.  Monday's picture had something to do with it. I will not be giving specifics about the picture, though, because what happens on Tancook Island, stays on Tancook Island...sorry.

While on said adventure, I made three hats.

The Tancook Hat - a Lucy Neatby pattern, using Kauni yarn and 8mm circulars:



A hat for Barrie - an improvised pattern using MacAusland's Woollen Mills 3-ply medium naturals yarn and 4.5mm needles:



A hat for Patsy - another improvised pattern, using Briggs & Little Softspun yarn and 4.5mm needles:



Barrie and Patsy owned the cottage where I stayed during my adventure.  They are marvelous people who happen to be from Massachusetts and they happen to spend several months of the year at their cottage in Nova Scotia.

I finished a gift except for grafting the toes.  (Hence the not-so-artistic, artistic shot...)  I used Froehlich Wolle Special Blauband and two 2.25mm circular needles:



I did finish another project, but I don't have a picture of it, and it is currently residing in Nova Scotia.  I hope to be receiving a shot of it soon, at which time, I will share it with y'all.

Since I didn't do a WIP Wednesday post this week, I am going to go ahead and show two partially completed projects.  First, I am so close and yet so far away from finishing the Tara socks. 



They are my April 2012 socks...so what's a few more weeks?  I think I have about forty rounds left to go...

And then, there are the September 2012 socks, aka Pillars.  The heel flap is next:



Don't ask me about the August 2012 socks.  They've been banished to the corner like a naughty school child.  I don't really know why, except that I do not like the needles they are on and need to finish the Tara socks to use those.

So, that's me...How about you?

MK out.

Yes Virginia...

...there really are Knitting Police.



MK out.