A new baby!!!

I got my Christmas present early! His name is Toby. The vet says that he is a Doxie and Corgi mix. The pound said Doxie and Beagal mix. I believe the vet, as I have a Beagal mix and they don't look anything alike! Ditto (Blue collar) is being the "mom" with him also. Katie (black coat with green collar) is so big now. She is 40-45lbs now! So, much for my lapdog. Well, Toby is only 10lbs now and he is 6months already, so hopefully he will only get to maybe 20lbs. Still lap size then.
























Here is just a cute pic of all the girls trying to sleep on the same cushion that I put on the floor for them to use as a bed.






Still knitting. And crocheting. R's Christmas present is almost done. Uncle C's isn't started yet, but I am thinking a beanine hat. Easy but warm! Started crocheting Toby a coat to wear. Will post pics of everything after Christmas with who got what.

Happy Knitting and Merry Christmas!

p.s. Have a safe and happy trip Anne!

Hello

Well, I have most of my Christmas knitting done, just R's left to do. I know, the man that I love and adore is left to last. But really it is because I can't decide what to make him. I decided to make a scarf and he picked out the yarn. I think that I have started that project so many time that I will have to cut off the first few yards because it is unraveling. I still have to think of something for one of my uncles as he lives in the desert like me and really doesn't need any handknits but it supposed to be low 50's to high 40's tonight. I know, I know, it is snowing in other parts of the country right now, but when the rest of the year is 90 - 120 degrees here, 50 is cold!

Final is tomorrow so I am supposedly studying! I feel confident in myself though.

A lady that I met on Ravelry and I met for our first knitting group. It was so cool! Apparently, there is another lady in town that would like to knit with us. This is way cool! I haven't ever gone to a knit group before.

Oh! I may have an interview for a job that I really, really want!!!! Please keep your fingers crossed for me. Thank you, but I don't want to say anything more until after the interview!

Have a Question for you

Good Morning!

I have a question for you that read this. I have been haunting Etsy lately and have seen some wonderful things! I started thinking, I am crafty and such, so why not start an Etsy store? Ok, this is where I would like your input, what are you looking for when you go to Etsy? Now, I am talking knitting and spinnning things. Here are some of the things that I know how to do:

Spinning
Dying fiber
Knitting
Beading (Jewelry)
Sewing
Quilting
Wire wrapping
Crochet

So, what do you think? I would really appricate any comments.

Happy Knitting!

I am Licensed!

Sorry that it has been so long for the next post. Been lazy. I got my license in the mail a few weeks ago and have been kinda looking for a job. The place I really wanted to go isn't hiring full time right now. I may put in an application in for PRN (as needed) work for them.

While I was testing, R took a walk down to the cliffs and took some pictures.


















Cats.

Aww. This is my two cats Iris and Motor. Usually they just tolerate each other even though they are litter mates. But every once in awhile...



Happy Knitting!

I PASSED!!!!!

I passed the boards for LPN!!! That was super quick as I took the boards on Saturday and I got the results today. Now, I just have to wait for my fingerprints to clear and I get my license. I am sooooo excited!

Happy Knitting!

Please go look at this!!

This is so cool!!! Go check it out! Please.

Free Rice started early last month. It is a game that increases your vocabulary and for every right answer, they will donate 10 grains of rice to help relieve hunger. Cool or what!!

I take my boards for LPN TOMORROW!!!! I have to go to San Diego though, as there isn't a testing center in my town. Ah shucks - I have to go to San Diego ;) I will go see my mom today after we get there as she is still in the hospital. She got an infection in her foot and the doc had to remove part of her fifth metatarsol. 2.5"!! So, Uncle D will take R and I to go see her theis afternoon. Going over today as the test is at 8am in the am. I just hope that my dogs don't bark all night as they will have to stay outside since we won't be here. Can't leave them inside for 24+ hours.

Knitting. I have been knitting. Just not very much. Blocked some pieces but no pics yet. I will be taking some mindless knitting with me on the trip. I am finding that I really like stockingnet. I don't have to pay attention to it too much and it is very relaxing to me. I realized that if I have something that I have to pay a lot of attention to, then I get frustrated with it in a matter of minutes. But if I have stockingnet, it relaxes me instead of adding to the stress that I already have! So, no lace knitting for me right now even though I am in two KALs.

Until next time - Have a wondeful knitting weekend!

Waiting and Christmas

I am still here. I am. Just not been in the mood to blog, or do much of anything else. Have been plugging away at knitting. Got some Christmas knitting done. Uncle D's and Poppa R's are both done. Mimi's is about 30% done, and Uncle C's - well - I have 2 rows done. I have been working on the Secret of the Stole some, I'm into hint two. I am waiting for the MysticWater? secret KAL to start. And, I cast on for a scarf for myself! I need to finish one project then go onto another, but I get bored with only one project, or I'm just not in the mood to work on a certain project. So, I work on another or I start one. I am running out of needles!!!

Oh! I sent in my application to take the LPN boards on Saturday. Hopefully I will hear back soon. I want to take the boards so I can go to work. Unfortunately, money makes the world go around. Well, off to read for class on Thursday.

Happy Knitting!!!

It's Wednesday

Ok, I couldn't think of anything else to put as the title. I have been knitting, and I have pictures of most of it. They are still on the camera though. I haven't been feeling good lately, I think I slept 36 hours out of the last 48. Don't know what it is, just feel crappy. Thank you Anne for the kind comment about KittyBoy. School is going well, at clinical on Monday, I started FOUR IVs, out of 5 tries. I am so proud of myself!!!! I have always had a hard time with starting IVs. And, someone said that I look like I was 19. I'm 29! Other than feeling crappy, I am on cloud 9! Anne may be sending me some roving to spin for her, so I am excited about that. I am get some other that I have spun up and sent off to some friends. I have about 1/3 of the Alpaca washed, but hardly any of it combed. I am hoping that I get a drum carder for Christmas. We will see. If you hear me squeal back East, Chan and Anne, that means I got one! Well, I have to get ready for a SNA (student nurses association) meeting, so I have to go fight the parking crowds. Happy Knitting!!!

The Old Man

Our old man passed away this morning. He was R's cat and companion for the past 14-15 years. He was found on the Marine base here in town as a kitten and R brought him home. The last few days have been rough, KittyBoy hasn't been eating or drinking, not even wet food. He was also acting funny. No purring or talking to us. KittyBoy, you will be missed. You were the ultimate gentleman.

a FO and decisions!

I finished Uncle M's Christmas present today. Here is R modeling it for me.









Meme's triangle shawl is about half done. It is hard to guess because it keeps getting bigger, but about half of the yarn is gone. It is turning out very nice. No pictures yet.

I took the first test of the semester, and I got a 83!!!! I am so proud of myself. Now, I just need to keep doing what I have been and keep getting 80's and over. I am very happy with a "B" grade.

That is all for today. Now, I just need to figure out if I want to cast on another project or finish Uncle D's sox. Decisions, decisions.

Busy, busy

I have been so busy! I had almost forgotten how much reading nursing school required. Ah well. I am still knitting away on Christmas presents. Got two finished yesterday and one blocked yesterday. The other one is being blocked now. The lavender/purple one is for my grandmother's sister.








DeeOGee is modeling it for me.








I decreased somewhere in the middle by 6 stitches, so I free form knitted the end and put a tassel on the end. Came out cute and I think that she will like it. I based it on this pattern. I put a lavender triangle in the middle of the purple as I didn't have enough of either color to make it all that color. I love buying single balls of yarn for some reason. It gets me out of my comfort zone and do something really cool. I also threw in some stockinette triangles to play with texture.

The other scarf is for one of my aunts. It is a cable with a braid on each side. I over dyed it with koolaid to make the cable and braids stand out better. The long shot of it is truer to color than the closeup.








It isn't quite as long as she asked but I can wrap it twice on me, so it should be ok.

I got yarn!!! Chan sent me this yarn. She is so wonderful! Thank you Chan!!!








R has already claimed it, so it will be something for him. I don't know what yet. It is sock yarn, but you can use sock yarn for other things than sox. The colors are pretty true.

Katie has gotten so big! Here she is when we got her:








Here she is now.








Both are in comparison to one of the big dogs. She is 30 pounds and only 6 months old! I hope that she doesn't get much bigger than that.

I was making a sock. I had to frog it totally because I didn't like the ladder and I made a mistake about 2 inches back. I have more circulars coming in this week. I will try again then with two instead of one circular.

I have started the second of the big blue sox. The toe is done, but that is about it. I have started a Christmas hat for another uncle. Using Paton's SWS yarn. I really like the yarn, I just have to be careful because it likes to make ladders. No pictures yet.

Have to go read for class. Take care!

Hello

Haven't really been able to chat. Getting ready for school that started yesterday (yeah!!). I did finish a sock but am going to have to frog some if not all. I am NOT happy about that. Why is it that you can follow the same instructions for the second sock and it comes out smaller!!!! I don't have enough yarn, so it probably will sit. I did work on a shrug and got it almost finished for class. My classroom is almost always too cold. So, four days before class started, I started a shrug. Really cute, basically a rectangle with cuffs on it. Used alpaca, and didn't have enough gray, so I used lavendar with it. Came out very cute. I think that I will frog the one completed cuff because I think that the gauge is too small for the item. Pictures will come later, I have to go read for class. Take care!!

not so arugh!

My last post was about a sock that didn't want to grow anymore. I did rip back the heel stitches a few rows and tried to complete it with the yarn I did have. As I am on a strick yarn diet, I knew that I couldn't just go and buy another skein of yarn. Good thing that I like anklets. The first one is finished. This is how much yarn I had left:








This is the sock on my foot. The front is rolled down because it is longer than the back. And the toe to the mate is also pictured.



I really, really like this yarn. I just now know to buy three skeins of it when making sox for me.



I did finish half a Christmas present. It is for someone in my family with really large feet. I hope that the sox fit, as I am guessing at the shoe size. The yarn is Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted. It is being knit on Brittany's sz4.








I did start the other sock but had to frog it because I started the toe too narrow. I guess that is what I get for not taking notes.

I didn't knit any today because of this:
It started out that R and I were at HomeDepot, and they had some faucets on clearance. I saw one that had all the things on it that I wanted. So, we got it. Along with the rain showerhead that was also on clearance. (why is it that we never can seem to leave with only what is on the list?) I tried to take the faucet off the kitchen sink. And found out that someone had glued the last faucet to the sink!!! So, the sink that has been lying around to be put in got put in. And new lines and P trap and such. So, nine hours later I have this:


The blocks are to hold the sink down while the caulk sets.




So much for only replacing the faucet!

I forgot to show you! I spun up some yarn last week. Take a look at my new pretty:








And a close up:







It is wool samples that I get from the Bellwether. For I think $16 a year, they will send you samples of their rovings 4 times a year I think. Wonderful stuff, I didn't know what to do with it. The samples sat around until I had 3 envelopes full, and decided I was going to spin it up. The cream is merino. The colors are wool. Some of the samples have silk blended in them. I have found that I really don't care for silk noils in my yarn. I like a smooth yarn. The cream spun up beautifully. And the hank was a balanced ply! That makes me really happy, becuase I am not very good at plying. This is going to be a gift. I am going to smooze and give it to one of my professors at school that knits. I hope that she likes it. No, I don't know the twist or anything like that. I just spin the singles and then ply. So far, it has worked out.

Until next time, Take care!!

Arugh!!!

I was working on my sox, and I was just about to turn the heel when I pulled on the yarn to see how much I had left. I have 18'' left!!! For the rest of the heel and the anklet top!!! I don't know what to do. First I think that I am going to rip back the heel a few rows and try that. The yarn is really squishy and elastic, I might be able to make that work. If not, I am going to have to wait until new job starts (no new job yet) and so money comes back my way. So it will hiebrnate if I can't fix it. Poo!!!!!!

I got a BOX!!!

My Sock4 box arrived today!!!!!!!!!!!!







(note - major pic intensive)



I was winding up some yarn when the mailman came and handed me a box with my name on it. Now, I usually don't receive boxes unless I order something, so I was really, really excited!!


Really pretty wrapping! I love the pink and green together.





An overview of everything. (please excuse the mess on the kitchen table, was winding yarn!)






A set of pretty glass frog stitch markers







Rinse - free wool wash. I can't wait to try out the different scents!






Sox and leftover yarn! Looks like there was quite a bit left. Her blog says that the yarn is Knitpicks sock memories in "Spring Prarie". The pattern is "Cafe Curtains". Very pretty combo. The fit is perfect!




A Lantern Moon lamb tape measure, a cute knitting card, and a steel crochet hook






Sock blockers that she made herself to block my sox







Yarn! It is Lily Pad Love hand dyed yarn. 100% Peruvian Wool. So very soft!!!






The back







The sox on my feet!






Thank you, thank you, thank you Frenchy!!! You went above and beyond.

WIPs and Life

Been lazy lately. But I did get my resume typed up. That will help when I go job hunting starting on Monday. Monday I also go and hopefully pay for next semester's class. It is going to feel very weird going back to school after being off a semester. I also have to ask the Nursing secretary about the board application. I have found several different instructions on how much and when to pay for my boards. I don't know. So, on Monday, I will ask someone. Onto knitting. Have some wips.

The blue is a Christmas present for someone on my list. It is Malabrigo in "Azul bolita". It is knitting up on sz4 needles to 6 stitches to the inch. Wonderful stuff to work with. Nice stitch definition. Then I lost one of the needles last night. In the middle of a movie (the Chronicles of Riddick) when I got back from a bathroom break, needle was nowhere to be found! Yeah, I can finish this and the mate on four needles, but I really like to use five.

The other sock is for me. All the other sox were for others, in fact this is the first thing that I have ever made for me since I started knitting. They are Claudia Hand Painted in "Blue TerraCotta". Note to self, buy this yarn again! Using size 1 needles. So soft and squishy and just glides through my fingers.

You probably have seen this as this:

But no more. It sat around too long and I forgot where I was in the pattern. So, I ripped it out and started new. Same pattern but written by a different person, I seem to be able to understand it better. I also decreased it by one repeat, and sofar, I really like it compared to "let's just get this over with" type of project.

And this is Motor helping me take pictures. He really likes having his picture taken. He also really likes my knitting. He won't chew on my yarn, but he will try to chew on my circular needle cables. So. he isn't allowed on my lap when I am knitting with those. I am usually knitting sox, hats, or scarves anyway. So, until next time, happy knitting, 'cause Christmas is around the corner!!!!!!!!

A FO!!!

I finished something! They are the sox for my sock4 pal. I really hope that she likes them.







They are made with CiderMoon HandDyed in SeaGrass. Size 0's for the foot and Size 1's for the leg. I did a simple pattern to show off the yarn. R likes them and wants them for himself. Just a short one today, not feeling the greatest. Oh, this counts as a pair for the summer of sox KAL! I just remembered. haha. Off to start a Christmas present and rest. Later.

I'm Home!!!!!

It feels so good to be home. We got home Sunday around midnight, after starting at 4 that morning. Came home to heat and humidity. YUCK!!!

Ok, pics. Here are the pics from my spoiler for theSuperSoxBoxSwap. I have already eaten the chocolate covered macadamin nuts. The dogs loved the carob and mint treats! The pattern that is hiding is the next picture.

Thank you, thank you again to Gina! You really spoiled me!!!!

Finished a project! A Christmas present for someone on my list.

Have to go and rest from all the travel and unpacking, so until next time, pick up those needles and knit!!!