Oh! Has someone been knitting?

Why yes. Yes, i have. Thanks for asking!!

LOL!

Here we have the finished and worn - "Vineyard" socks that were worked on during Socktoberfest. If anyone out there has even the smidgiest bit of this yarn: KnitPicks - Simple Stripes in "Vineyard" would ya be willing to send it to me? I'll pay the shipping! Deb wants a pair in this colorway and KnitPicks is discontinuing it, i guess...it's no longer available for sale on their website. I used a ball and a bit for my socks so i'd need to replace "the bit" of the ball i used in order to make her a pair. I quite literally used only about two color repeats out of the second ball.

And here we have my latest sock cast on. The yarn i won from Lesa in a contest she had a while back, it's Bernat Sox in "Jazz Hot". Quite wild! I'm not sure it's the best choice for this pattern but i felt the need to branch out and away from the "basic" sock pattern that i learned more than a year ago on Felicia's "FirstTimeSockKnittersKAL". It's about time, no? These are supposed to be knit on US Size 1 DPN's but i don't own any and my #2's will be casted on for ummm, let's just say, "for an elf project" - any day now. So i had to use my Size 3's. Needless to say, the socks are coming out much larger than they should, so instead of making "socklettes" for myself, i'm going to work the whole pattern and see if i can get it up and over my lower lymphedema filled calf. Here's hoping.

I have a few WIPs that need finishing up....ya know, like the Cobweb shawl that i was hoping to have had done in July. The very one that had to visit the frog pond and found me saying, "rippit, rippit, rippit" for about 50 rows. And then there's the MD - baby kimono that i whipped up really quickly and have yet to block, seam, finish or ship off to AZ. Sigh. I'm a bum. I also have another WIP, however...i can't disclose it here. Muhahahahaha!!!

In other news...


We managed to luck out and stumble onto a 2-day sale at Best Buy and got this for $42. We used $10 worth of McDonalds's "Best Buy Bucks" from the Monopoly game...so that was cool! This video card was super easy to install and both of our games now work. The graphics on Call of Duty are amazing - as far as i can tell from my view across the room while Deb has been playing it. I'm telling you though, i need to put a "curse jar" on the desk because the language out of her mouth, it's horrible! She plays with headphones on so i can watch TV, all i hear is her filthy mouth...nothing like a former truck driver, i tell ya!


Come to figure out that SIMS2 with University Expansion was not working because i had some kind of naughty hack i'd downloaded and apparently it wasn't compatible with the expansion. Well, ya know, i had some not naughty - 3rd party - downloaded stuff too...gobs of it. Thankfully i spent a few hours reading through the message forums here and found the answers i needed to fix the game. However, even after all of that, my Sims still would not properly leave the lot to go shopping. I ended up actually uninstalling everything (having saved my downloads folder to the desktop, and purposfully NOT saving my "saved games" folder!), then i cleaned the registry and reinstalled everything. I've yet to try to send a SIM shopping...so we'll see.


Anywhoooo, i actually have been spending some time online and not playing around. I'm working on DanTheMan's mailing list database for his annual Holiday Mailing. While living in Indiana, i used to process the whole mailing, he's a realtor and he sends out those little magnetic calendars with his face slapped on it. My job: update database, pick up boxes of calendars, punch out inner portion of magnet (to make item weigh less), slap business card onto left-over magnet border, shove calendar into envelope, wait patiently for DanTheMan to print out X# of copies of insert, tri-fold inserts, shove inserts into envelope, seal envelope, stamp envelope with postal permit, bundle & sort mailing by postal code, return items to DanTheMan, stick out hand. Grin. In recent years, the mailing has been as many as 2700 pieces and as few as 500. Ummm, so since i'm living 700+ miles from DanTheMan now, he's taken on some new help for the calendar section of the job. I'm still doing the database. And if i can ever figure out how to add extra columns to the database without messing it up as it stands (it's an excel format that's online, but supposedly i can download it to my PC and fiddle with it???)...DanTheMan would love to send Birthday, Anniversary, etc. cards to his friends and clients. But, ya know...i've yet to figure it out.


I better stop rambling and get back to work! Happy Knitting!!

~Suz~

Anni Part Too - Finding Camp David

Ok. Ok. I'm here. Sheesh! Nothing else to do out there??

I won't bore you with another photo of me actually opening the gift, but i'll tell you what it was. It was the newest expansion pack for The Sims 2...Pets. Which i took back to Target and exchanged for the first expansion for The Sims 2...University. Why? Because if it's like The Sims, you're supposed to install the expansions in the order they are released and University was the first one and we didn't have it yet, that's why! Deb didn't realize that. She's not so savvy about such tech issues....and apparently i thought our PC was "Super PC" because it does not run either game. It seems that we need a better video card. So, now we are saving up for that...should be able to get it in a week or two.

Thursday we left camp, which is rare for us. We usually just hang out, read, knit, relax...whatever we feel like doing. On this trip though, i had promised Deb that i would push myself to walk (with use of my cane), along the handicapped accessible boardwalk to Cunningham Falls. I must say that i am so pleased that this type of a walk is available at all, so kudos to Maryland DNR - and Thanks! We borrowed a handicapped placard (but i just applied for one today) and we parked in the lot that accesses the boardwalk. We made our way to the falls...


Cunningham Falls. Deb and a few other visitors that same day, seem to recall much more water falling in years gone by, they also remember that you used to be able to swim in the flow at the bottom, it was larger and much deeper than it is now. It's all posted to stay on the boardwalk and not go on the rocks or in the water but we did see a woman who had climbed to the top of the falls. I noticed her sitting there, crouched down. About the time that i noticed her, she stood up and started making her way down the rocks and to the main boardwalk on the other side from where we were. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Rule breaker!!


The flow off of the bottom of the falls. There's a big trout run in this area.



Me posing while resting on one of the benches along the way.



Here's our self portrait with the falls sort of visible in the background...ya know, to prove we were really there.

After the falls, we drove up - or was it down? - the mountain to look at the campgrounds on that side and we noticed that along with Cunningham Falls State Park, on the other side of the road, there is also Catoctin Mountain Park, it's a National Forest area and we had never been in there. Me never for sure. And Deb never - even as resident of Maryland for most of her life.

Now, let me preface this part by telling you that we often joke, when we go on drives, about "finding Camp David"...well, this time, we did!! It's in that National Forest! I'm not kidding! As we drove past the Welcome Center, we noticed a sign that listed three "camps" and then a "campground". The camps are used by groups and the campgrounds, ya know...individuals/the public. The first camp we passed was "Camp Misty Mount" which was first used by the Maryland League for Crippled Children in 1937 but they moved that event to the third camp, Camp Greentop because the terrain at Misty Mount was not great for wheelchairs. Notice how i've mentioned a first camp and a third camp? Both of these camps have little signs with their names and then they have notices that read, "Camping by permit only", which basically means you need to make a reservation for the area.

As we passed the first camp and drove on, i started noticing wired fencing back in the woods. The wired fencing had signs hanging off of it and all i could read was "Restricted Area" and then there was smaller print that i joked either read, "Trespassers will be shot on sight." or "Dick Cheney - Target practice area - enter at your own peril". Oh. Haha! When we got to the entrance for this camp, it was not named. Instead, the HUGE sign at the front of the camp read, "STOP! This camp NOT open to the public." And then there were several other, smaller stop signs on the road. I turned to Deb and i said, "This HAS to be it! It's Camp David!!"

We continued on our drive to check out the campground at the top of the mountain. Here are two more pics we took along the way...


On our way up, a swatch cut out of the forest so that electrical and phone lines could be strung up the mountian side. Wish it was a bit clearer there so that the colors stood out better on the photo, it was much better in person.



This was taken as we were coming out of the campground and were getting ready to turn and head back down. On our way back down the mountain, off in the woods leading to the second camp...guard towers!! Camp David!

Needless to say, when we got home, i googled "Camp David" and indeed found what we already knew. "We found Camp David". When i wrote that in an email to my Dad and told him about our little trip, his response back was..."Sue: great find! Bush probably couldn't find it on his own!" ROFL!!

How's the knitting going out there??

~Suz~

Anniversary Camping Trip

We're home.

Deb and i celebrated our 4th Anniversary on a little camping trip to Cunningham Falls State Park, MD. It was good to be away from the Nut Farm that we live in and to have some time to ourselves...out in the fresh air and nature. The colors were just beautiful and we had one whole day of nice weather. We bailed for home on Thursday evening as a cold front was coming in with rain. We had sat in the van - me knitting and Deb playing on her cell phone - for an hour an a half, our camp fire burning outside as the rain came in to stay. It was while there was a bit of a lull that we decided to pack it in because the morning was due to be worse and windy as hell (and it has been!)...so good choice to come home last night!

But before we left to come home, we had some fun. Here's the view from our camp site...




Two silly, happy campers.


We decided to open our anniversary gifts the night before our actual anniversary. Here's how it went...




Here's Deb opening her gift from me. She'd already opened and read the card. Look at her, she's totally excited and pumped up about her gift...that there is a genuine - happy smile! I bought her a PC game that i know she's been wanting: Call of Duty - it's a WWII game...she's totally into history and stuff. The downfall? Apparently our video card is not up to snuff. Our PC will run The SIMS 2, but not Call of Duty??? Hmmm. I spent hours today downloading drivers and stuff to try to upgrade them...still, no go. Bummer!!




I got a two pack of Halloween tissues??? No. Really. Can you sense my confusion from there?


She told me to open them, that i would need them. Ok. I did.

Then she handed me a card...



And she was right. I needed them. Couldn'thave read past the 5th line if i hadn't have had them. It was a sweet, gushy, romantic card. I love this woman!


Also inside the card was what i thought was a tiny card...it has a really cool tree frog on it. I opened it. There was nothing inside but a magnet. It's a bookmark.

I got some tissues, a lovely card and a bookmark. Hmmm.


And then she handed me a wrapped gift.



So here, i'm opening the gift while i'm crying from the sappy card and laughing at how she got me. She was enjoying the looks on my face as i was thinking that i was getting some cool tissues, a lovely card and an adorable frog bookmark and nothing else.

Wanna know what's under the wrapping paper? I'll bet you do! You'll have to return for part two, tomorrow!!


~Suz~

May be off to camp?

Deb is snoring away in bed right now, suffereing from a horrible headache. She rarely gets headaches, but when she does they are usually bad ones. I gave her the excedrin and told her to sleep.

We're supposed to be loading the van today and doing grocery shopping for our anniversary camping trip...it can wait. It's been horrible today with rain storms, raining steady all day. Who wants to pack a van in that?! Most of our camping gear lives in the van so it's just clothing, pillows and cooler that must be added...i think. All of that can wait until tomorrow when the rain should be gone and Deb will hopefully be feeling better.

If i don't post until Friday or Saturday, then we've gone camping. Ahhhhh!!! Here's hoping!

The second mitten was finished last night while watching the Bears game. WooHoo!

~Suz~

Ooooh...It's a mitten!!

I have to say, that i absolutely love the Checks and Charms Hat and Mitten Set pattern...well ok, the mitten part anyway, i've yet to make the hat. Many thanks to Kathleen Taylor for writing the pattern and allowing KnitPicks to sell it. The pattern has been very easy to follow and the colorwork chart is clear and easy too. I've had a better time with this chart than with a certain lace chart i've encountered, but i'll perservere over that "Adamas Shawl" chart one day.

Anywhooooo, i know the six of you are dying to see a photo of the finished mitten, so here it is...



I am so giddy over the colors i chose to use. I chose the main color because i was trying to come as close as possible to a scarf i had made with yarn from the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival back in May. Then i chose the other colors because they are autumnal in shade and i love this time of year. Knowing that i would be wearing these in the Winter...duh!...i made the red color more of the secondary color so it would tie in with the traditional Yule Time/Christmas colors. See? There was a method to my scattered maddess!

The KnitPicks Telemark yarn is very soft and nice to work with. I know that it is not superwash, i decided that since i needed 5 colors and a total of 8 balls of yarn, that i would buy the Telemark as it was $1/ball less than the prescribed yarn. I'll just have to wash the mitts in cold and lay them flat to dry or handwash them...it's no biggie, really.

Ok, i'm off to go work on the second mitten so that my left hand can be warm too.

Happy knitting ;)

~Suz~

Happy 200th Post!!

Wow! Can't believe i've finally made it to my 200th post. Does that mean i'm overly chatty or not posting enough? Hmm.

And now, because i couldn't wait until Socktoberfest was over...(shhhh, don't tell Lolly!!)

Tada!!

I actually started on my "Checks & Charms" - Mitten #1 for my Warm Hands project.

Not too bad for a first go at color work, eh? I'm hoping that i've not made the gauge too tight where the multi-colors are...that would sux!!

I'm so very sure that i've not got my knitting quite organized. It's a tangled mess. I'm still only knitting it one handed, i don't know if i'm coordinated enough to use both hands or not. It might help at some point if i could take a class or watch someone else as they work on something. But, since i'm an isolated knitter, i'm around no other knitters...right, duh!

Ok well, this is quite addicting so i'm going back to it...

Knit On!!

~Suz~

Box Of Goodness

Mmmmm. My latest KnitPicks order arrived today. And in case it wasn't clear before...

YES! I am insane!

I ordered this pattern. And the yarn to make the mittens...well, and the hat too. But i'm more focused on the mittens because they are for my Warm Hands project. Now, you may be asking yourself why this is particularly "insane", right? What if i told you i'd never done any knitting with colorwork? No Fair Isle. No Intarsia. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Until i start these babies! I'm altering the colors a bit and the yarn...who doesn't? I'll be using KnitPicks Telemark yarns in these colors...



Pesto-Main Color & Bayberry

Chestnut


Curry & Lichen
(all photo credits to KnitPicks.com)


Also in the box was some Essential Sock yarn in a solid color, of which i am not disclosing in case Deb should happen to read this :)

As well as, dare i say it, 4 more hanks of Shadow-Lace Weight. GASP!! I swear i am eventually going to conquer that "Adamas Shawl" chart, if it's the last thing i do!! And then i'll femme-handle some other lacey shawl chart and an additional lacey scarf pattern as well...so there!

Ok, last but certainly not least, this item was in the bottom of the box.

Ok, i'm off to work on Socktober Fest knitting. Enjoy your evening!!

~Suz~

Swap Anyone?

I have this whole ball of Sockotta. I bought two balls and only needed one for my socks, so it's sitting here all lonely and shoved under some other yarn in the yarn basket.

Anyone for a swap?? I'd love to have someone elses extra or neglected sock yarn in trade.

Here's my mug-shot photo of the Sockotta...


it's 414 yds. 45% Cotton, 40% Superwash Wool 15% Nylon. The colorway is #11 on this website.

Here's what one of the socks i made with it, looks like...



Drop me a comment. :)

~Suz~

Wandering Maryland...Rippit Real Good!

As promised earlier today, here are some pictures that we took yesterday while wandering Maryland. These pictures are taken in the Thurmont & Emittsburg areas...


Heading toward the mountain.


See the color of the dry soy bean plants? That's Deb's favorite color.


Going down the mountain.


Red topped trees in Pennsylvania.

And now, on to the knitting...

Ok, so i'm making the Cobweb Shawl by Emma Crew, i've posted about it several times already. I'm not using a lace weight yarn, i'm using KnitPicks - Memories instead. Ok, soooo maybe for thicker yarn i should have used larger needles, eh? My shawl does not look as airy and loose as the original, which is fine! Because my shawl is not as airy and loose, it's also not as long as it should be. I do know that it will be longer after blocking, but how much longer? I need at least six more inches. Here's a picture of what it looked like yesterday before i ripped it back 40+ rows!!! GASP!!!


Ok. See how toward the bottom it sort of looks ruffled? Well, that's where i added an exta set of the increase part of the pattern to make the shawl wider...because i'm wider. The shawl as a whole only came halfway down my back. I'm not at my widest halfway down my back, i'm at my widest in the arse/hip area. That's why i needed to rip all of those rows out. I'm planning to work the remaining 4 repeats of the main part of the pattern as written and then add 2-3 more repeats, THEN do an extra set of the increase and go from there. Wish me luck!


Here is a closeup of the alternate edging from the pattern. It's a crocheted chain type deal. It seems wussy to me, but the knitted edging from the pattern seemed heavy and ugly to me so i chucked it.

Any suggestions for a different finishing edge?? HELP!!!

~Suz~

Happy Thanksgiving

To my Canadian Friends out there!!

Enjoy your day!!

I'm thankful to have such nice neighbors!!

~Suz~

and later today, some pics from yesterday's "wander Maryland" episode as well as some shawl pics before i rip it back about 24-32 rows, because it's too short...i know, that sounds backwards, but you'll see!!

Since someone asked...

My beloved digi-cam...

It would take about $150 to fix it.

We paid less than that when we bought it, it was on sale and we had a coupon.

So, digi-cam now sits right next to the keyboard with it's very own set of batteries. I put them in to take pics and dump them onto the PC and then i take them right back out so they won't drain. Kind of annoying, but it's better than having NO camera.

And, for those interested...the batteries from the questionable source...they went back to that source and there they sit! ;)

The baby Kimono is 3/4 finished, i'm hoping to finish it up today and get back to my sock!

Happy knitting!!

~Suz~

Socktoberfest MeMe

Zoinked from Felicia:

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

I grew to have a burning desire to knit socks in May of 2005. I'd been browsing knitting blogs for only about a month, had dropped the crochet hooks, picked up the dusty knitting needles and started my own knitting blog. I stumbled upon Felicia's blog and found the button for the "First Time Sock Knitter's KAL". When i joined, the KAL (my very first!) had a wonderful tutorial from "Bella Online", which i thankfully printed out, many pages worth...and that tutorial, sadly, is no longer there.

What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?

My first pair of socks were actually made with some Red Heart Kids - Happy Ombre, which i had on hand to make my youngest niece a poncho. The socks were too small for me, so i gave them to Deb. The socks were a bit too short in the toe for Deb so she gave them to her niece. Katies Mom swiped them. I'll have to ask her if they are still holding up.

What would you have done differently?

Nothing!

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

My absolute favorite sock yarn, so far, is the Artyarn Superwash Merino that i won in a contest that Michelle - Formerly of "Plush Knits", held on her belated blog. I've also enjoyed KnitPicks - Parade, Simple Stripes and Dancing as well as Sockotta. I'm dying to try Trekking!!

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

I'm with Felicia here...My all-time favorite sock knitting dpn is the Susan Bates Silvalume size 2, which is actually 2.75 mm. I have two sets. I also have some "Knitting On The Go" - Comfort point dpn's in sizes 3 and 4. I've broken some of the tips, but they come in a set of 6, so it's really not a problem.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

I only know the heel flap at this point. I might try short-rows one day?

How many pairs have you made?

Since May of 2005 i've made six pairs of socks. Sock number one of pair seven is on the needles! I'm planning at least four pair for Soctoberfest!!
*****

I have to admit, i've only made plain ole vanilla type socks so far...ribbed cuff, st st. For Socktoberfest, i'm branching out...stay tuned!!

Knit on!!

~Suz~

Knittus Interruptus

Ahem, we interrupt this amazing event called Socktoberfest, to bring you this...



Wait. No. That's my lunch.

This...



Yes! Helen brought me my very own, fresh copy of "Mason*Dixon Knitting". I read some of it, looked at all of the patterns and immediately dug out some Sugar 'n Cream and cast on for the "Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono". I happen to know a brand new little boy who would look smashing in a Hunter Green version of the Kimono, come the holidays!!

But hey, don't tell the wife i've cast on another project before i've finished up the Cobwebs shawl, MmmK? Thanks!!

Knit on. Sock on. Cast on!

~Suz~

Socktoberfest, Spaghetti and Sting

Don't ask me why i remember this, but today is Sting's Birthday. It's also the Birthday of Bob & Steve Gustafson, long ago friends from High School (and after) theater, whom i've not seen in forever. So, Happy Birthday guys!! Funny the things we remember.

Socktoberfest started off with a wonderful day. Deb and i headed over to CUU for the Sunday service. Service started off with the very small choir singing a lovely version of Woody Guthrie's - "I've Got to Know", another selection in their theme of PEACE, it almost made me cry. There was a guest speaker who educated us a bit about Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur, so that was cool. Then we decided to stay away from the loony bin a little longer and we went for a drive. We drove up north through Gettysburg and i nearly wet my pants as a musket or something was shot off next to the van while we sat in traffic. Gettysburg was crazy with tourists and reenactment type stuff going on. (Funny, if you google "reenactment" the first thing that comes up is this.) We then traveled west to Chambersburg, PA. And from there, back down to Hagerstown and back home to Westminster, riding along through all of the rolling hills, drolling over barns and commenting on how cool the clouds were.

Once we were home, Deb had to go to the grocery to finish up the weekly shopping for her Mom, because her Mom was in the midst of finishing up the home made grape juice from the boxes of grapes Deb's brother Gil had given to her. Shopping was also a must because some of the things needed for making dinner had not been bought yet and Deb and i were making the little bit belated birthday dinner for Deb's Dad...his birthday had been on September 15th. I won't go into why dinner was delayed...

Deb went off to the store, Helen was straining grape juice through cheese cloth and i made the salad and started cutting up the green pepper, onion and garlic for the spaghetti sauce...Deb still was not back an hour later. I went ahead and started sauteing the green peppers in a little olive oil and when they were half-way tender i added in the onion and once they were soft i added the garlic (i usually add the fresh mushrooms before the garlic, but that was one of the missing items)...sauted all of that for about 1-2 minutes and then lowered the heat and added the one jar of sauce that was on hand (the other jar and the crushed tomatoes to be added upon Deb's return...if she returned?), i also added in some garlic powder, italian seasoning, two bay leaves and could not find the oregano nor the basil so left that for Deb to do. Mixed that all together, put a lid on it and set it on low.

Deb was still not home.

So, i decided to retreat to the sanctuary of our room and set myself up to watch "Elizabethtown", got curled up on the bed with my KnitPicks - Simple Stripes in "Vinyard" (how fitting), my size 2 dpn's and the cast on and join that i had done before church. It took Luna about half a second before she curled up in my lap and settled in for a little nap. Deb finally returned, finished up the dinner and this is what i was able to get done before the yummy food was ready...



And then the first Socktoberfest delight sat there a while, waiting...



And now, it's moved...it's sitting an inch from my hand with my cup of coffee and a CD jacket. Here, i'll show you. This pretty much sums me up...the computer mouse, a cup of coffee, knitting and James Taylor's "October Road"...yup, that's very me!! I adore James Taylor. The sight of him or hearing one note of one of his songs makes me smile, weep and laugh all at the same time. So many memories over so many years...but that's certainly a story for another post!



Socktoberfest is off and running all over the knitting world...you can see it here, here, here and here!! C'mon, join the fun, you know you want to!!

Sock on!!

~Suz~