I Make Yarn

Here is my new skein of yarn that I spun and plied.  I took my lovely batts and spun them seperately and then I plied them together.  I love this skein.  I call it Ebb and Flow.  I can't wait to knit with this skein of yarn...something pretty for me. 

Spinning Makes the Bobbin Go Around

Last night after getting home from dinner and the viewing at the funeral home...my cousin had passed on after 5 and 1/2 years of pure living hell.  She was paralyzed after back surgery and then she had MRSA.  Which if you don't know what it is...Medically Resistant Staph.  Yep, that nasty stuff is rearing it's head everywhere. 
She had seized and was hospitalized.  She had a lot of brain damage and her wish was that if she had a choice of being resuscitated or not, she chose not. 

So, Melinda and I headed over to the funeral home to see her for a final time and to speak with family members.  We came back this way and we were both starving so, she called home to see if Mikey wanted to go to dinner with us.  Maribeth pops up with..."Japanese!"  She loves Japanese food.  So, we headed down to the Hibachi grill and had Japanese.  It was so good! 

I came home and let the boys out for their evening constitutional and then I started to look for my knitting, it was upstairs and I didn't feel like crawling up the stairs just yet so, I sat and started to spin with one of my spindles.  I had a lot of yarn spun and the spindle was filling up fast so, I transfered my new yarn to a bobbin and broke out the wheel.  I oiled up Beatrice (my spinning wheel) and started to work on a glorious fiber I bought from Artemis Artemis on ETSY.  She has beautiful batts.  They spin like butter. 

I relaxed and I spun one batt completely up and I have one more to go.  I have yarn already from my last purchase with her.  I just need to ply them together when I finish the second batt.  I think it is going to be beautiful stuff when it is completed. 

If you have never taken the time to learn to spin...it is very relaxing and it will change the way you see life.  Spinning is very peaceful and amazing.  :) 

Ahem...I Do Knit

Well, I finally picked the mitt back up and started working on it, again.  I finished the first one and I did cast on for the second one.  I am currently working on the second mitt, palm.  I even found my camera and snapped some pics of my first mitt. 

I just have a few things to say...this mitt brought me out of a deep funk.  I didn't have any desire to knit which is very unusual for me.  Then I decided to pick it back up and work on it.  Do you know that stitch by stitch it helped me back to my usual happy place?  Knitting will change your life for the better, I think everyone should learn. 

I was watching tv and knitting along.  I was in progress of writing the pattern.  I created the pattern and I went back to write down my pattern and check on measurements.  Always fun to write patterns and knit them.  I am to the point where I really enjoy writing patterns and knitting them.  It is a nice challenge to my knitting. 

I am using my Shetland wool...Drowning in Brown.  It is a special yarn and I pull it out for special projects.  Not much left of it these days.  I might have to see if I can get more of it.  Most Shetland wool I have come across has been super scratchy...not this one.  It is soft and it has a beautiful hand.  I am using small needles for this particular set of mitts because I wanted the yarn to be thicker than normal for the person who is going to receive these.  It is very hard for me to part with them because the yarn is so special.

It is one of my first yarns that I ever painted.  I find myself smiling when I use it.  I have had more people compliment me on it and several dyers have tried to copy it.  I guess I should be smiling about this but, it just tells me that they have no originality in their lives.  No one will ever get it right...it is truly one of a kind.  If you don't see it in person, you will miss every color in it. 

And How Does Your Garden Grow?

Today I walked outside to water my garden, again.  I am keeping it alive by watering every other day or in this case, every day.  I decided today I needed to do some fertilizing on the bell pepper plants..I used rose fertilizer after reading about how the plants love epsom salt due to the high magnesium content.  So, I decided to try out the rose stuff and see how it is going to do for the little plants.  I have yellow bell peppers planted.  I also decided to go ahead and give the new mystery tomato a fertilizing. 

Mystery tomato?  Yep, we have a mystery tomato plant that we bought for 50 cents yesterday.  I planted it along with my okra seedlings and my okra plant from inside.  I had it in my aerogarden and it had a nice bunch of roots.  :)  It is planted next to my strawberries in the big pot.  Not sure if they like one another or not but, I guess we will find out. 

What really had my attention today was the fact that I realized I do have a female persimmon and a male.  I knew that their leaves were different.  The female is blooming right now and the male is not.  I was much struck by this.  The trees need to be planted in the ground next year.  I have them in huge pots right now to help them grow before we plant them permanently. My next door neighbor can't wait until we have fruit, she is biding her time.  She mentioned to me something about persimmon preserves.  I know this year, the tree is too small to fruit and I would love to see it fruit but, it needs some much needed growing time.  I am going to let it bloom out and see what happens.  If it blasts...oh well, I am not worried. 

I am hoping my lemon tree will produce again this year.  It only had one lemon this past year...due to nearly dying from the frost.  We have learned a much needed valuable lesson about covering it now.  We put in a drop light while it is covered and it helps the tree stay warm. 

The fig tree is coming back and I am hoping this year we will get fruit.  I need to see what it needs for fertilizer so, we can get it strong and ready for fruiting.  Exciting.  I am so looking forward to fig preserves...ah, heavenly. 

The black berries are fruiting right now and they are small but, it is still a sight to behold since we have fruit.  Not much to start with but, it is something.  I hope I will have enough for some blackberry kolaches.  Oh yes, the good stuff.  :) 

Another Funeral

Well...I received the news tonight, my cousin passed away.  The funeral is on Thursday and I will be attending the rosary on Wednesday night with Melinda.  I have to go tomorrow and order the funeral spray from the whole family.  That florist down at the Kroger already knows me and this will make me one of her favorite people.  I spend more money on funeral flowers these days than on regular flowers.  sigh! 

Today I slept.  I had many naps and I am still worn out which means that either the staph is kicking back in or I am coming down with something.  I do have an infected gum but, I am dealing with it.  Peroxide is my friend right now.  I have been cleaning the gum out with it.  I also have beens swishing with good old Listerine.  It works.  It is nasty stuff but, it works..

I am currently knitting on a charity mitt out of my special skein of Shetland wool.  It is called drowning in brown and I pull it out for special items.  I had about 1000 yards of it at one point in time, now I am down to about 400 yards.  I chose to use it for someone who needs a pair of mitts that are soft yet warm.  I had it on my right hand and I can say...it is very soft and it isn't hot like some wools.  I am hoping the new owner will adore them.  This yarn was a labor of love and I hope the new owner will enjoy them for many years to come.  :) 

One great thing about hand knit items...they last and last if properly cared for.  Unless...you have that cat that chews the crap out of everything.  Then forget it, it won't last.  sigh! 

I am staring at my shop tote and I really want to dig into it and have at my spring palette of yarns.  It is so hard sometimes to part with this beautiful stuff.  sigh! 

Hotter Than What I Imagine Hell Would Be Like

Today, we headed out to the park...after getting there and realizing the place was packed with no parking, we left and went to another one.  I should have realized it would have ended in disaster...needless to say, I no longer have a pop up shelter, it was eaten by the wind.  It was in pieces by the time the wind finished with it.  So, we loaded up and did the half mile walk, or so it seemed, to the car.  I had a wooden chair this time around instead of two coolers.  I had a bag of food and my baseball cap on.  I was the one in the back of the line of people headed to the cars.  It was 90F according to the temp gauge on the car.  The weather people said that we should have a high of 87F, they lied, like usual.  It was miserable out there.  The ground was even cracking because we have had no rain at all. 

Generally, when we have no rain, it is going to be a hurricane year.  Great.  I guess it is time for us to start buying hurricane supplies. 

We came home and I sat down on the couch.  Gary went and took a nap.  I went outside to swing.  It was nice.  I came back inside. 

Gary went outside after dinner and took apart the pool pump.  It wasn't working...well, now we know why...the motor is gone.  I am sick of replacing these things.  I have to wonder why they keep going out.  sigh!  So, Monday, I will be calling the pool people and having them come out to put in a new one. 

Happy Easter

I hope everyone has a blessed and safe Easter.  We received some very sad news about one of my cousins...she has been paralyzed for 5.5 years from head to toe.  She recently was rushed to the hospital for being non-responsive.  We found out today from her daughter that on Sunday at 1pm...her family will be unplugging all life support systems.  The really sad thing about all of this is that Sunday is her 35th wedding anniversary. 

The doctors have ran all manner of tests and her brain has suffered major damage. 

Taking Some Much Needed Time Off

Today I have to take Bootsy to the vet, he is overdue.  Vet bills aren't cheap and well, we have been saving up for the right time to take him.  I dread that bill.  It is up there with car repair.  The magic number always seems to be $400.  Scary. 

Yesterday was a truly horrible day for me and well...I am taking time away from certain areas of my life for a while.  I need some peace in my life right now.  No more drama.  I am sick of fighting with a group of people.  The two bimbos in question need to back off or they are going to get more than they can handle.  I am sick of their stupidity.  So, I will be taking time away from there antics for a while.  I don't need them in my life.  Honestly, if I never talk to either one again, it will be too soon.  I am very good at ignoring people I don't like.  They are completely TOXIC! 

Now, for what happened last night.  As everyone knows, my left knee was finally healing.  I was doing so well, I was walking without my brace...hot thing that it is.  Then last night was walking into my bedroom when it happened.  Ody had drug another thing into the bedroom and I didn't see it until it was too late...I slid and there went the knee again.  So, for my little doggie, he has to quit dragging his junk around.  I have never seen such a dog, he drags crap all over this house.  The other two boys have never done this...maybe it is a corgi thing.  I don't know.  I had to have Gary go and get my ice and I am in the short brace right now.  It has always been too big...not anymore, it fits.  Great! 

I am in a funk where knitting is concerned.  I will be working on a mitt for charity, my friend needs them badly for her cause.  I have been in a funk since my friend's mom had passed...I was about to start her a new prayer shawl when I got the news...it really threw me off.  Here I had the yarn picked out and everything.  I was going to make her a lace shawl with one of my hand painted lace weight yarns.  Now, I am working on a pink cotton shawl for my friend because I think she needs it.  Something to help her out of her grief. 

It is such a horrible feeling to lose your mom.  It is worse to lose both parents.  I know, my parents are both gone and a day doesn't go by that I don't miss either one of them.  I have my niece, Maribeth who reminds me so much of my mom.  That girl is a hoot but, she isn't my mom. 

Then I found out one of my cousin's is in the hospital, she is unresponsive and her doctor has put her in a medical induced coma for 24 hours to see if that will bring her around.  She has no brain activity and her eyes are rolled back into her eye sockets...it doesn't look good.  I am asking for prayers to help her out.  If you could spare a few, it would be greatly appreciated. 

Now, I am going to get myself dressed and put my knee back into the big brace and go from there.  I hope ya'll have a wonderful and safe Easter.  I have chocolates galore for my niece, Maribeth.  Her Easter basket is purple...what other color would it be? 

It's On It's Way!

My birthday present is on it's way here from Germany.  What am I getting?  Are you ready?  I am getting a gorgeous painting for my birthday.  Yep, I found the artist on ETSY and she does simply gorgeous work.  Gary even said he will be building a frame for it.  Yay!  It is going to be hanging over our bed.  I am so excited! 

I have the tracking numbers and it is still in Germany right now but, it is coming. 

A Bubble Bath Wouldn't Be Amiss About Now

I would absolutely kill for a bubble bath about now.  Unfortunately, it isn't going to happen anytime soon.  I am so ready for my Japanese soaking tub to be installed so, I can have a nice bubble bath.  :) 

Tonight I started working on a shawl.  I am using one of my hand painted lace yarns for it.  So far, it is pretty good looking.  It is a work in progress. 

I should be working on the second garter stitch heel sock but, I am bored with it.  It might be a one sock wonder for a while until I can get the gumption up to work on the thing. 

I am mentally and physically worn out.  I wish I could sleep but, my brain is in overactive mode.  Grrr!  Maybe a game of electronic Yahtzee will make me fall asleep.  One can hope. 

Garage Sale

This morning Gary and I loaded up the car and went to Melinda's for her community garage sale.  We managed to sell all but three items and we made $23. It payed for lunch so, we were happy. 

I noticed a lot of people were seriously looking for bargains.  I think my sister, Cheryl made more money than the rest of us because she had a serious load of junk.  Most of the stuff was hers to sell.


Gary and I came home and we both fell asleep in front of the tv on the couch.  I cooked dinner and then I went outside to water everything.  I noticed that my strawberries are producing.  I had given each of the plants a tomato spike since tomatoes and strawberries are related.  My persimmon trees seem to be doing really well with the strawberries at their feet.  I am hoping we will be able to plant the persimmons in the ground soon.  I would love to use the pots for something else. 

I need to plant my basil and my okra tomorrow.  We have to go buy tomato cages and some garden dirt for the blue pot that Melinda had given me one year for my birthday.  It is a very nice blue pot. 

We ended up throwing out our old deck box and the wood rack.  Not a problem for me since we did get our money's worth out of each item.  I have to clean up the back porch tomorrow.  I think it will be garden day and back yard cleaning day. 

I also want to make meatloaf and au gratin potatoes tomorrow night for dinner.  I think fresh green beans with bacon will accompany this with some corn on the cob.  I have a huge bag of frozen corn on the cob.  It was on sale and like I told him, it is much cheaper to boil it and eat at home than going out.  I love corn on the cob fresh out of the garden.  Fabulous stuff. 

Please God, Send Us Some Rain

Right now it is so incredibly dry here that my plants are all wilting and we have to water constantly to keep everything green.  This is Spring or so we thought, it is more like summer and we are in a complete drought.  It is terrible. 

I am asking for rain...I could care less about anything else right now...just pure sweet smelling rain.  It would be so lovely to see three days of a slow soaking rain, that would help things out around here immensely. 

Today I am cleaning out cabinets since we have a garage sale this weekend at Melinda's house.  It is their community garage sale and it sells at her house.  The customers come out in droves and help unpack cars to get at the items before their competitors. They are extremely helpful.  I am cleaning out dishes.  If I haven't used it in the past year, it is gone.  Yep, gone.  It is time to declutter the place. 

Pray for rain for us here in South East Texas, please. 

All About the Texture

I finished one sock in my Garter Stitch Heel Socks.  This yarn is merino/tencel and it is silky smooth to knit with.  This particular colorway is cartwheel.  At first I wasn't enamored of it but, the more I knit with it, the more I began to like it.  I think all of the orange was putting me off.  I love how well it striped up.  :)  I decided that I wanted to knit a smooth sock but, wanted something of interest on the heel.  I chose to do a complete garter stitch heel and it actually gives it a small amount of texture. 

If you want to knit this sock...

you will need merino/tencel sock yarn in fingering weight, two pairs of US 3 circs with a 24 inch cable, and time. 

Cast on 56 stitches, start K1, P1 ribbing for 1 inch.  Make sure not to twist your stitches for the join.  You should have 28 stitches on each needle.  Knit plainly after you have achieved 1 inch of cuff.  I knit for 4 inches and with my 1 inch of cuff, I had 5 inches on the needles before I started my heel. 

Heel:  Knit off of needle 1 and only needle 1.  Knit, turn work, and knit until you have 2 inches on the heel flap.  Now for the heel turn.

Heel turn:  Knit 16 stitches, ssk, k1, turn. 
slip 1 purl 5, p2tog, p1, turn. 
slip 1, knit 6, ssk, k1, turn. 
When you go back to do your purl row...you will notice a space after the last stitch on your decreasing, this is your p2 tog, stitch and it will also be your k2 tog stitch on your knit row.  Continue in this way and eventually, you will run out of stitches.  When this occurs, it is time to pick up gusset stitches. 

If you end with a purl row, then knit across the row.  Now pick up 15 stitches on the left side of the heel, knit across needle 2, pick up 15 stitches on the right side, knit across needle one.  I usually knit across both needles twice after a pick up and then start my decreasing because this gives the heel more stability. 

Now, for the gusset stitches:

K1, ssk knit to three stitches before the end of the row, know K2tog, K1.
Knit across needle 2.
Knit across needle one and two. 
Then do a decrease row.  You will be knitting between decrease rows to make the gusset turn out.  When you have 28 stitches left on your number 1 needle, then continue knitting for the foot portion of the sock. 

Foot:
Knit plainly across both needles. 

Toe: 

Try the sock on....when you feel you have reached your shoe size...I gauge this by where my toes are.  I generally start the decreasing for the toe when I see the beginning of my pinky toe where it attaches to the ball of the foot. 

K1, ssk, knit to three stitches before the end of the row, k2tog, k1. on both needles.
Knit across on round two. 
Alternate these two rows and then when you have about 16 stitches total on both needles, then do only the decreasing round.  When you end up with 4 stitches total on your needles, then cut yarn, and graft the last 4 stitches and weave in all ends. 

Start sock 2. 

If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask.  No question is considered a dumb one.  Everyone needs help at some point in their lives. 

Enjoy the socks. 

Chlorine and Lizards

Yesterday, I had to deal with my pool and I positively hate chlorine.  I get stuck dealing with it since Gary refuses to deal with it.  I had to load the in line chlorinator because for 2 weeks, I have to run my pool with a free chlorine rate of 2.  This will help set the Nature2 cartridge and make it work efficiently since I have to keep the pool in oxidize mode.  After two weeks, the free chlorine level can drop down to .5 ppm.  Which is happiness in itself since I will be using less chlorine and my water is going to be silky.  Woohoo! 

The lizards were out in force yesterday.  Nasty things, that one is a jumper and it jumped near me.  I was off like a shot.  Ewww! 

Today I have to go chop the lettuce in the soil, it is about to bolt and I need the space for my okra plant.  I want to plant another one just in case.  My pepper plants are in the ground.  I want to plant some other things if I can find the space.  Not much space in that little garden.  If I had my way, I would have a larger one.  I don't think that will happen here in the suburbs.  It won't happen as long as we have Ody, the digging little corgi. 

News

I took my hubby out for his birthday.  We hit the Chinese place we both love.  It was a nice lunch out.  I bought new batteries for two laptops and one power cord for his laptop.  That thing has been replaced many times.  Ebay is the place to go for cheap computer hardware. 


A quote of mine is being published in a UK magazine.  Awesome.  My yarn snobbery has been quoted, now.  Funny, huh? 

The party was fun and nothing went right but, everyone had a good time and we all ate like piggies.  I am on my 2nd dishwasher load and there is still more to go.  The pool was cold but, after 90F temps, it felt fabulous.  Maribeth is like a little monkey in the water. 

I am still working on a sock and I don't know if I will be knitting on it today.  I might just take my kindle and go read on the porch swing on the back porch.  If I turn on the fans...it should be really nice to just relax. 

My friend was able to sell her item and both parties are completely happy.  This is wonderful news.  I am so glad that both ladies were able to take care of business.  I just know where to put the right words out to the right people.  :) 

Spinning Wheel Repair

Tonight I was spinning some fiber into yarn and then I decided to go ahead and ply the two yarns together.  I was in the middle of plying when the leather cord that holds one of my treadles, literally, ripped apart.  Oh no!  I was in a panic...I ran into the garage and found the flax twine and repaired my wheel.  I am beginning to wonder about the quality of the cords on my wheel.  I had to replace the flax twine with a cotton cord, aka cooking cotton twine and now this leather cord died.  Pretty soon, I will have replaced all strings and cords on this thing.  I am thinking the other leather cord is going to be replaced by the flax twine as well.  I will save myself the agony of it breaking in the middle of plying or spinning. 

What was I plying..I know you are asking this...some long wool with a merino wool.  Gorgeous fibers.  I took Walden pond and spun it into a thick and thin yarn and then plyed it with Peacock that was spun into a fingering weight yarn.  I love these two colors together.  The picture does not do the new yarn justice. 

Helping Out a Friend

I helped out a friend today.  I hope the transaction will go through for her and the other lady involved in the deal.  She had an item for sale and needed to move it as soon as possible.  Well, I was contacted about it today.  I just let people know what is available and sure enough someone wanted this item. 

I have a talent finding things people want on the internet.  Right now, I have a trellis that I found for cheap on the internet that I am thinking I might keep and put a beautiful vine in it.  Gary will have to put it together for me and I will have to go find the perfect vine for it.  I am thinking a clematis in a beautiful red to grace it. 

Next weekend is my sister's communty garage sale and I think I have an item that needs to be picked up this weekend and taken over there.  We were going to toss it but, if I can get some cash for it, well, I am going to sell it.  Someone might want it.  :) 
 
Today I will be making the cupcakes and cake for the party.  I am currently washing towels and listening to ELO.  :) 

Doing Better and a Little Bit Calmer

I am doing better right now.  I had to go dig in the trash outside because I was throwing away one of my plastic feet.  I went digging and there it was...my plastic foot for sock displaying.  I brought it back inside with me. 

I am busy working on another sock.  I finished my swinger merino/silk socks...Melinda and I figured out that they are size 7 women's socks.  I don't have a foot that small, she does.  I have a 8.5 foot.  You know...the most popular shoe size out there and the one that always sells out at shoe sales leaving only the hideous ones that no one wants.  Those are the ones.  Never fails.  The ugly shoes aren't going home with me.  Nope, not happening. 

The current sock is called garter stitch heel sock. I know it sounds really plain but, for some reason it works out with my current yarn, Cartwheel.  Cartwheel is a merino/tencel sock yarn and if you have never had the pleasure of working with this yarn blend...it is a dream and it knits super fast. 

Finished!

On the gusset!

At first I was a little disappointed in Cartwheel, I thought it was hideous when I first cast on but, this sock has changed my mind.  I think it is turning out to be pretty cool looking.  The garter stitch heel is unusual.  I confess I was feeling lazy at the time and didn't want to deal with a heel stitch but, I find I like the uniqueness of the heel.  It gives this sock character. 

I am writing a pattern for it as we speak.  I have written down what I have knitted up so far and it is a on the fly kinda sock. 

I like the way it is striping down the leg and the garter heel is funky...it gives the sock some much needed texture. 

It is way different from Swinger.  I let the yarn show off itself on Swinger.  It worked out.  A pattern wouldn't have worked with Swinger.  Okay, I might have used the circle socks pattern if I were giving the socks away but, since I am selling them...I couldn't use the pattern.  I need to put them together, laminate their tags for washing instructions, etc and move on.  :) 

I Let the Bitch Out of Her Cage

After last week, you would think people would know not to mess with me.  I let my bitch out yesterday...I let her run free.  I am sick of people blaming for me crap.  Yep, I push back.  Deal with it. 

Today I am ready to go shopping for some lavender plants for the back yard.  I had a dream about bugs, tons of bugs.  Lavender works to rid us of bugs.  I am thinking two plants would do the trick for me.  I have the buds from a Texas lavender farm in Austin.  They sell it by the bulk weight so, I am able to get my sachets sewn.  I have more to do for an order.  I just have to get working on them. 

Saturday is Gary's party I am throwing for him.  He will be 41 on Sunday.  I decided to do a little party for him and he keeps telling me I am the party person, not him.  It is small and this should work out.  It is more of a dinner party and swimming.  We are serving brisket, German style potatoes, salad, corn on the cob, baked beans and a homemade chocolate cake.  I am making the cake for him with a killer recipe.  :)  He wants raspberry sauce between the layers and I am going to top it with chocolate ganache.  Yay! 

I haven't baked in years...I don't have the time these days. 

Currently, I am working on another pair of socks for RHF.  I finished the first pair.  I cast on for the second pair with more ugly yarn.  I swear, I have ugly yarn coming out of the wood works over here. 

Last Week and Why I Refuse to Go There

I had an awful week.  I was stabbed repeatedly in the back by several people and I tore myself in knots over it.  Realization hit...I shouldn't care what people do, they are responsible for their own actions, they are big girls and can reap what they sow.  They aren't my problem. 

Then today, I got a message from one of the back stabbers wanting to take over the group I started...the nerve.  I am not going to get upset.  I have no reply for the cow in question, other than, start your own group. 

Moving on...

I went ahead and placed my entry for the RHF booths and since I am a business I wasn't able to get the cheap booths.  I know my MIL is pissed off but, what she fails to realize is that I can't mix and match booths, I can only get the one price that my business license allows.  The more expensive booth.  I suggested that she enter herself next year because she can then get the cheap booth.  I will have to take the brunt of a loss for the other half of her booth, which isn't fair to me or my business.  Melinda did suggest that she could take the other booth and pay the fee and I could share with my MIL.  I am not sure she would want to do this since she wanted her own booth this year. 

For next year, I am paying for my booth and no one else's. 

One Ugly Sock

Here is my sock...the really ugly one that I am basing the contest on.  If your socks can beat this one...then you really deserve to get eye candy yarn for free.  I am knitting the second one and I am still uninspired about it.  It is just a practice knit at this point.  I can sit and watch tv and just mindlessly knit along. 

The second pic shows my cheap chair cushions.  Can you believe that Wally world had something so tasteful for so cheap?  Yep, they were the cheapest I could find and yet they are stylish. 

Ugly Sock Knitting Contest

I decided to cheer myself up with a contest...if you can prove that your socks are uglier than the ones I am currently knitting then, you can win a free skein of custom painted merino/silk sock yarn hand painted by me. 

Only one winner. 

The rules of the contest...

Submit photos of your ugly sock to me, and it must be your own work, no one else's. 

If you are serious and want to enter, comment on here and I will send you my e-mail address. 

The sock you are comparing to...I will submit pictures of it, I am currently working on it and it is so uninspiring. 

Let the contest begin. 

Where is Superman When You Need Him? A Kling On Would Even Do in a Pinch!

I have reached the end of my rope, or so I thought and then I saw it, one of the ladies on my sock knitting group sent me a picture of a shawl she knit with my hand painted yarn.  It made my day because I realized that this lady loves her shawl because of my yarn.  It really brought me back.

I think I need a weekend away to help me out.  I would board the boys, have someone watch the house for me and I would go.  Of course, I would let my hubby come along since he is such a nice guy.  He does take good care of me even thought he won't let me have a roll-y ladder.  I want one of those for my next house, he keeps telling me I will kill myself.  I am a big girl I can handle myself. 

I am knitting on a sock with one of my hand painted yarns and I realized something yesterday, it isn't attractive.  It is downright ugly but, I am going to finish it because my luck...it will be the only socks to sell at RHF.  Never fails the one item we swear that will not sell...sells because let's just say it, people have hideous taste. 

I have to take care of the pool today and get it vacuumed and I have filter grids to wash.  They are ghastly right now.  Totally loaded with crud and crap.  The sad thing is that the winter grids are in the filter while the summer grids are soaking in the huge trash can.  I waited too long this past year to change the filter. 

I am listening to my hound dog snore.  He is so cute.