Good stuff!

Well, this was a banner weekend for Good Stuff! On Saturday, we headed south to Eugene for the Prefontaine Classic. It rained off and on on the drive down, and then poured once we got there. However, the events that Bill wanted to see were all in the 2nd half of the race, so we went up the hill to the Rhododendron Garden and sat under the huge trees, listening to the rain fall on the car. When it was time to catch the women's 1500m, we headed down the hill. Miraculously, it stopped raining right as we were parking. We had great seats in the 3rd row.



The races Bill was really interested in were the 2-mile and the mile. Here are the 2-mile runners (great seats, huh?) whose names I can't remember...



The guy who's third from the left is the one Bill was rooting for. He had a great kick at the end, but couldn't quite pull it off. They finished in just over 8 minutes. Yup, that's fast for two miles.

Here are the milers:



The guy who is in fourth place is Alan Webb, who is some famous miler (Bill will be disgusted that I can't remember all these stats, even when he tells them to me over and over again). He ended up slowing down and limping a little bit in the final turn, but he still finished in just over 4 minutes. All in all, there were 9 runners who finished under 4 minutes. Um, can you say fast?

We were on the opposite side of the track from the finish line, so we didn't have a very good view of the men's 100m. However, we could see enough to watch Justin Gatlin (who you all may remember as the gold medalist from Athens) kick the *#$& out of the other runners. That dude is fast! We also had a great view of the men's triple jump and the pole vault. I was expecting it to be pretty cool, but I didn't know what a great time I'd have. It's impossible not to be inspired watching world-class athletes do their thing, especially when you're right up close! We also found out that the next Olympic Trials are going to be held in Eugene. We are so there!

Since the car ride down and back is 2 hours each way, and Bill is a driver's seat hog, I had plenty of knitting time. I managed to finish up the Spring Feet Sock Swap socks (which I can't show you since I'm submitting the design somewhere), along with my long-suffering Mama-E socks (which have been my car project for a couple months).



The yarn is Mama E's C*eye*ber Fiber in the Knittin' Mom colorway. The pattern is my own and has been sold to Blue Moon. It looks great in Socks That Rock, too!

I also knitted up the pieces of my Knitting Vacation Swap project, which is now blocking and should hopefully be done in time to send on Thursday (although looking at it, I'm thinking I may have to rethink the seams). I'm hoping to submit it somewhere also.

To add to the fun, when I got home, I found this waiting for me in the mailbox:



That is my Knitting Vacation Swap package from Crazy Cat Lady Mel. What a haul! There are Knit Girl mints, stitch markers, soap, a lovely graph paper journal for my designs with a felt cover, and a gorgeous dpn case. The knitted item is a sweet red dishcloth from Mason Dixon Knitting. Thanks a million! She has a great Etsy shop chock full of neato stitch markers and needle cases. Go check it out!

I'm about to take my mom to the airport, and I'm so sad. The kids both adore having her around, and I'm loving the break. I got so much knitting done! But, all good things must come to an end, I guess. I'm going to go play in the backyard with the family now - it has finally stopped raining! Get those May socks in by tomorrow's deadline - I'll do the drawing this weekend!

Socks, socks, socks!

As promised, today is all about the socks. We've got a bunch!

First are a pair of baby booties from Yvonne. I know, I know, babie booties aren't allowed, but these are actually made in the round with a short-row heel and toe. So, even though they don't look exactly like socks, they're made with sock construction and so they qualify for her first brownie point. Plus they are pretty darn cute!

Carry finished a pair of awesome Gryffindor socks.

Helene gets two brownie points for two pairs of Jaywalkers - one big and one very, very small! And she gets a third brownie point for these extremely cool Soxies Sandal Socks.

Cece finished her "carry along" socks while at bluegrass camp learning to play the banjo. How cool is that?

Sheri gets yet another brownie point for her beautiful Yukon Leaves.

Stariel finished up and sent off a pair of Dublin Bay socks for some lucky swap partner.

Tara knit up a pair of Fuzzy Feet for her sister.

Tonia gets a brownie point for some Simply Lovely Lace Socks. I'll let the name speak for itself!

Julia has two pairs of socks this month - some Regia Nation Color "Fun" socks and some Regia Alberta socks.

Ragan's got green brownie point socks!

Helga finished some lovely pink Maisocken.

Jen has two pairs of socks for us - one Simply Lovely Lace and one Magic Stripes that DON'T MATCH. What, you say? The Knitting Spaz has made socks that don't match? And they weren't immediately frogged? It's true! Go see for yourself.

Karen finished a pair of Flamingo Sixth Sense Socks. Very nice!

Ann finished another pair of Simple Stripes socks. She promises to find a new pattern for June, but we don't mind, do we?



Christine finished some Regia cotton socks for her sister.

Lisa finished a second pair of Unity socks.

Zonda finished her first pair of 2-circ socks. Congrats! Once you go circular, it's hard to go back!

Jennifer finished a pair of Simply Lovely Lace Socks which she found to be quite slow due to the k-tbl. Um, she's not gonna like my Big Girl Knits 2 sock pattern! That's all I have to say about that!

Quikeye has yet another pair of May socks - some Hederas from the Knitty pattern.

Wendy's got two pairs - a big one and a little one - that she finished in the car during a long, hot trip to Tucson.

Kristy in NC cranked out these brownie point socks for her 15-year-old son, who actually requested more hand-knit socks! She's done something right...



Kat felted some bags and finished some Happy Socks.

Sonya gets a brownie point for blue rib and cable socks.

Linda knit up some Bubble Wrap Socks for her lucky friend Miss B.

Abigail finished two pairs of socks so far this month - some Margaritaville lace socks and some simple anklets for a sock swap.

Siri made some Elfines for a very lucky friend's birthday.

Hege made a pair Hiiumaas from Knitting On The Road for her hubby.

That's it for the socks! And I just want to say, please don't be offended if I don't come up with any description for your socks. Sometimes it's just hard for me to be creative and I feel like I waaaay overuse the adjectives "lovely", "awesome" and "gorgeous" already. I love all the socks you guys make and lack of wordiness in your little blurb is just a reflection of my writer's block, not that your socks are less exciting than any of the others...

I also want to put in a little plug for my blog bud Karen's budding blog-related business (how's that for alliteration?).



Karen was my very first commenter (we started our blogs at just about the same time), and we instantly struck up an online friendship. For a long time, we'd comment on each other's every post and even though we've both gotten busier and busier in this craziness called blogging and don't comment as obsessively as we used to, I still love to see her blog light up in Bloglines. It has been really fun to watch her grow as a knitter, and now, after quitting a soul-sucking job last fall, she is starting up a fledgling blog-related graphics business.

So, if you're graphics-challenged (or time-challenged, like I am), go check out her stuff!

Knittin' Mom, out!

Il Postino

The mailman was my best friend again yesterday. I got a few work things, including my contract from Interweave for the Winter socks, my yarn from Lorna's Laces for those socks, and five copies of the summer Knitter's with this in it:



There it is! French Lilac (their name, not mine!), designed by yours truly. Not sure what copyrights I'm violating by posting a picture of that picture, but I got the idea from Amy who just posted a pic of her latest Creative Knitting design.

I also got my first package from my One Skein SP!



A skein of Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Fantasy sock yarn. Now, how did she know I like socks? I can't quite figure it out. She also threw in an adorable little crocheted pouch stuffed with a purple bracelet and a whole slew of stitch markers. I immediately put them to use since the ones I was using were annoying me for one reason or another. Thanks, OSSP!!!

I'm busily knitting away on my Vacation Swap project, my Spring Feet Socks (the toe decreases are only a couple inches away on the second sock!), and the Blue Moon design. Thankfully, the Blue Moon sweater is going faster than I thought. I was convinced it was going to take me months since it's knit on size 4 needles at 7 sts/inch. But it's rocking along at a good clip, thanks to my Addi Turbos. We're heading to Eugene tomorrow for the Prefontaine Classic where if the weather cooperates, we'll get to see some of the best runners in the country/world compete. I'm looking forward to all the good knitting I'll get done in the car on the drive down and back. Those socks are toast!

I also managed to finish the felted clogs for my grandmother. Now I just need to get them dry by the time my mom leaves on Tuesday. For those of you who haven't yet seen the miracle of the Fiber Trends felted clogs, here is a before pic:



I should've put my feet in them for scale, but to give you an idea, they are about as long as my forearm before felting. They look like huge, ridiculous clown shoes. When I showed them to my mom, she gave them a look like "um, don't you think they're a little big?" She was impressed with the felting process...



Here they are, nice and firm and normal foot sized. I can't tell you how much I love this pattern. Now mom and Bill both want a pair, and I've had the yarn in the old stash to make myself some for six months now. One of these days!

Mom is having a blast with the kids. Owen demonstrated his newfound climbing ability yesterday and just about scared us both out of our wits. What a little daredevil!



Hope you all are having a great Memorial Day weekend that's less rainy than ours is so far! Tomorrow, it's all about the socks!

Thanks, guys!

I feel much better now. Thanks for all your kind comments about my design work and my Knitty rejection. It definitely helps me gain a little perspective! I'm just such a baby about rejection. Not a good trait to have in an industry with a 10% acceptance rate! Anyway, thanks for your support - you guys are the best! And I wanted to mention that our own sock-a-monther Quikeye got one of those elusive Knitty acceptances, so now there really is something to look forward to in the summer issue. Yay! Congrats to you!!!

I've been busily knitting away on my next Blue Moon design, which I of course can't show you. I will tell you that it's knit in their Bambu yarn (which, if you can't guess from the name, is 100% Bamboo), and it's so yummy! I really love bamboo yarn, and it will be interesting to see how the finished product looks and wears. I know it will feel amazing...

I've been waiting to get a little box in the mail with the yarn for my Interweave design, so I was sure that it had arrived yesterday when the mailman left a little package on my porch. I looked at the return label, and it said Classic Elite. I thought that was strange, since they don't have much sock yarn (and the Interweave design is going to use Lorna's Laces), but I knew I hadn't ordered anything from Classic Elite and wasn't using any of their yarn for upcoming designs. So I still had it in my head that they were sending me sock yarn for whatever reason.

I picked up the box, and it had a pretty good heft to it - much more than you'd expect for a few hanks of LL. I immediately ran inside and ripped the box open (after shuttling the kids through the door, of course). What did I find? Eleven (11!) balls/hanks of Classic Elite yarns along with their designer guidelines for spring/summer '07. Talk about a prize package! I sent them an e-mail a few months ago asking for their designer guidelines and to get on their call-for-submissions list. I didn't expect a box of swatching yarn in the mail!

I'm running at or over capacity right now for my designs (my sample knitters are going to be getting busy soon), but how can I resist swatching with some of this yarn? One good thing about summer designs - they're much faster than long sleeved winter sweaters, etc.! My only complaint is that they sent a bunch of lavender, which wouldn't be my first color choice. I love purple, and I don't hate lavender, but a whole box of it? I'll need to be inspired by the yarn itself rather than the color. They threw in a skein of Bam Boo, which I'm loving, of course...

My mom is coming for a long weekend, and she gets here today! I can't wait to see her! She hasn't seen the kids since January, and they've changed so much. Especially Owen, who is a big, bad walking machine now and wasn't even really standing without holding onto something back in January. I hate living so far away from her, but I'm not moving back to Minnesota and so far I haven't convinced her to move out here. Thank goodness for Northwest Airlines and their MSP to PDX direct flights!

I have been horribly neglectful of my blog commenting lately, and I'm sorry. I have been lurking, but for some reason commenting has been too much pressure. I will get back on the comment horse soon, but for now, know that I'm out there stalking you if you're in the sock-along or have left comments recently. Yup! I'm creepy blog stalker girl!

Isn't it ironic?

Yesterday I got two e-mails - one from Amy Singer and one from Jillian Moreno. For those of you who don't recognize these names (I won't make any comments about living in a box), they are the brain children behind Knitty and the recent Big Girl Knits book. The first (from Amy) was rejecting my recent Knitty submission. This is my third straight rejection, and I figure third time's the charm. I give up! The next e-mail I click on is Jillian's. I submitted three designs to Big Girl Knits 2, which will be coming out next year, and heard back about a month ago that two of them were on the short list. Well, she wants them both! I'm making a Scooby sound right now. Rrrr?

Obviously the selection criteria is different for Knitty than for the book. And I'm sure there are different people submitting to Knitty as opposed to the book. And the publishers have something to do with selecting designs for the book. And I have a feeling that Jillian may have something to do with it...perhaps she likes my designs whereas for some reason, Amy hates them all? Or it could be that the designs I submitted to Big Girl Knits would've been accepted had I submitted them to Knitty. Who knows?

On the flip side, I made a second trip out to Blue Moon Fiber Arts yesterday afternoon and they were delighted that Knitty rejected my design. They went crazy for it when I first showed it to them and had actually asked if I could withdraw it from consideration for Knitty so they could have it. They're going to have me do it (it's a sock design) in three different yarns and three different lengths. So, it didn't stay rejected for long.

While I still reserve the right to change my mind (and god knows I do that a lot), I'm officially throwing in the towel on Knitty. My obsession with getting published there is done. Over. Finito. I've got more than enough work to keep me busy for the rest of the year, so I don't need to keep coming up with these patterns that just get bounced back to me. Plus one of the things I really don't like about Knitty is that you have to have the entire pattern written before you send it in for consideration. I much prefer working on speculation like you do with most other publications (i.e. send in a sketch and swatch, and if they like it they have you do the complete pattern). I don't want to go to all the trouble of working up an entire pattern just to find that there's no market for it. And I like having people send me yarn, too, and that ain't gonna happen with Knitty unless you've got an in.

So now I'm back to work on my uncool, un-Knitty designs. Not to sound too much like sour grapes, but I will be VERY interested to see what's in the summer issue!

What a slacker!

I just realized I haven't blogged in almost a week! I'm not sure what happened. I have been busy, but no more than usual... I guess sometimes I just need a little break.

I have been working furiously on the Y2Knit pattern which was supposed to be sent in by the 15th, but due to the barf-o-rama I was given a week-long extension. I finally got the shoulders right after reknitting them a couple times (first time, the neckline was too low and then I overcompensated and made it too high). After getting the sample shaped to my satisfaction, I had fits with the pattern for awhile and at one point didn't see how I could write it without writing out complete instructions for every single size individually. It seems like every pattern goes through a stage like that (or, I should say, sweater pattern since things like socks and felted stuff don't usually give me much trouble), and then all of a sudden things just magically come together. Today I'm going to be triple-checking all the math and getting the pattern ready to send off.

I've also been working furiously on my Spring Feet Sock Swap socks and have just turned the heel on the second. I did go with Fixation and I'm loving it because it knits up so darn fast! I also did five swatches for the Great Wall of Yarn, which is a big display at the big TNNA trade show where yarn companies show off their stuff. Members of PKDG get to make the swatches for each show, and it's great because you request the number of balls of yarn you want, and you get a box in the mail a couple weeks later. They were all yarns I hadn't used before, with a couple bulky yarns, a novelty yarn, a super soft alpaca and merino blend with hardly any twist, and (my absolute favorite) a hank of sport weight alpaca from Blue Sky Alpacas. Yummy!

I also made a little sumpin' sumpin' yesterday:



That is yet another felted clog (obviously not felted yet). My Christmas present to my grandmother last Christmas was a pair of these, and I've been a slacker getting them done because of all the work knitting, Olympic knitting, etc. etc. My mom mentioned them the last time she called, and I've decided it's time to stop procrastinating and just git 'er done. I'll be well on my way to finishing the pair today, barring unforseen disasters. The kids are both kind of sick (and I thought I was going to be, but it seems to have passed me over) so we'll probably be sticking close to home for the most part. We do need to go get some new sand for the kids' sandbox. We keep forgetting to cover it, and the second we leave it unattended the neighborhood cats descend upon it. It's so irritating that the neighbors let their cats roam free and they use our yard as one giant litter box. I love cats, but come on! It's quite disgusting.

On Thursday night, I joined the Tigard Knitting Guild and attended my first meeting, where I finally met the delightful Amanda and hooked up with my Shop Hop partner in crime Katrina again. It was so much fun! The first half of the meeting was a little talk by sock guru Betsy McCarthy, author of Knit Socks!



Hmm, do you think I bought an autographed copy to put in the Sock-A-Month grand prize basket? I guess you'll have to just wait and see! She showed us all the sample socks from the book and talked a lot about the process of putting together a knitting book. She also told us that for each copy that sells at full price (not the discounted copies on Amazon or Knit Picks) she makes like 47 cents. So, unless you sell a gazillion copies, it's not a very good way to make any money! It's a great book, though, and I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who is looking to get into sock knitting or even veteran sock knitters who are looking to learn some new techniques. She uses all different kinds of techniques so I of course got my own copy to use as a reference.

The second half of the meeting was a show and tell, where a bunch of people brought their FOs to show off to the group. What a bunch of talented knitters! I was more than a little bit intimidated, but everyone was extremely welcoming and I can't wait to go back. It was so much fun to sit in a room for 2 hours with a group of 30-odd people who are just as obsessed with knitting as I am.

And now, back to the socks. It's that time again...sock updates, here we come!

Jessica finished some Cedar Ridge Socks from the Blue Moon Rockin' Sock Club. Sock Club members, your next installment is on its way! I know this because I had yet another meeting with Tina and Kaci of BMFA delayed due to the craziness they go through trying to get the socks out. Jessica also talks about the runaway knit-along success of the summer, The Amazing Lace. I am sitting on my hands trying SO hard not to sign up for it. I am dying to, but I just can't do it. I will show some self-control! I will! (Okay, don't be surprised if you see the button in my sidebar in the next couple weeks. Judging from the box of Entenmann's donuts sitting next to my computer, self-control is not my strong suit...)

JessaLu finished a pair of Jaywalkers, also in Socks That Rock. Are we loving this yarn or what? You'll have to scroll down a bit, but I didn't want to link directly to the post because JessaLu just got a haircut, and it is so cute! You'll have to check it out, since I'm forcing you to scroll past it to see her socks...

And congrats to Erin, who finally gets her first letter in the sock-a-month knit-along for a gorgeous blue striped pair. And she has started another pair in, you guessed it, Socks That Rock!

Roberta knit up a lovely pair of Lana Grossa striped socks as a thank you gift. She also has some Socks That Rock that's waiting to be knit. Is this yarn taking over the world or what?

Christy has some Survivor Socks done along with lots of cute kiddo pics.

Dave finished some totally gorgeous Denmarks from Knitting On The Road.

Crazy Basket Lady Karen gets a brownie point for some lovely Opal socks.

Michelle finished up a couple pairs of kid socks that she's donating to CIC. I love all this charity knitting!

Jill finished up a long-suffering pair of solid pink socks which will now be a Mother's Day gift. She also flashes her considerable sock yarn stash.

Tonia gets a brownie point for these Bubble Wrap socks that she made for her mom.

Ragan gets another brownie point for some luscious pastel socks.

Yvonne knit up a spectacular pair of Aktiv Effekt socks.

Lauren gets another brownie point for her Basket Weave Rib Socks. Mmm, Koigu!

Kristy knit up a pair of Cabled Footies (which in her case are really Cabled Socks since she went crazy on the leg) for another brownie point:



Kelly is another first letter getter with a finished pair of Jaywalkers for her Y. Yay!

Elizabeth finished some May socks in Mama E's Lollygirl colorway. Sweet!

Brianne finished some Sockotta socks for her mom's birthday.

That's all the socks for now, folks! I am amazed at all the brownie point socks coming in until I realize that May is winding down very quickly. How the heck did that happen? The good thing is that my mom is going to be here in less than a week. She hasn't seen the kids since we were in MN in January and they have changed so much since then. Owen wasn't walking yet, and Sydney was much less of the mature little lady she is now. It's amazing what a difference four months can make at their age.

Just to give you a taste of what's coming, Mom, here are the kiddos in all their glory.



No, that's not a giant slug eating Owen's face... I was innocently reading a book while he was in his high chair feeding himself breakfast, and I looked over to see him wearing his banana. Although he has had stuff that looks like that come out of his nose on more than one occasion (and I'm sure that for those of you without small children that is TMI).

Sydney likes to wear her food as well:



I mainly took this picture to capture the cuteness of her new hairdo (and because she was getting jealous of me taking so many pictures of her banana-faced brother), but if you look at the front of her shirt you will see many, many pieces of spaghetti stuck to it.

Finally, this is what happens when your boy is ridiculously crabby all day and refuses to go to sleep before 11 pm.



He finally passes out on the floor with his foot in a toy bin. He has been SO crabby lately. Last night he was in one of those moods where he'd cry for you to pick him up, and once he was up, he'd cry and squirm to get down. Nothing was satisfactory. He'd better be getting some teeth, and they'd better come in soon! He is driving me crazy with all his crank!

Happy Mother's Day, All!

I know I'm a day late, but Bill insisted I take the day totally off yesterday. He bought me a dozen yellow roses, had Sydney color a card for me, and got me Annie's donuts for breakfast. Yum! What a guy. In the afternoon, we went to Target and got the first part of my mother's day present - a gazebo for the back yard.



One of my friends got one of these and had it up in her yard last summer, and it was so nice. Our backyard is kind of unfriendly in general, and this really helps to soften it up and gives me a nice place to sit and knit while the kids run around eating dirt and spraying each other with the hose (well, okay, Owen's not old enough to work the hose yet, so it's pretty much Sydney doing the spraying). My next goal (besides getting some cushy patio furniture to go inside the tent) is to get the patio resurfaced so that it's nice to walk on in bare feet and looks a little less institutional. The concrete is old and rotten, so walking on it is like stepping on shards of broken glass. Not pleasant!

Saturday we got the beds in the front yard filled up with dirt and planted a bunch of vegetables.



Tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini and, of course, pumpkins. I can't wait to start getting some fresh produce! Hopefully this summer we'll remember to pick it before it gets all old and rubbery (unlike our ill-fated peas and beans from last year).

Next, on to the sock updates! First, I'm happy to say that my Sockapaloooza socks finally arrived in Paris. Yay! So much for Global Priority fast service, but at least they got there and made their new owner happy. I have to say this Sockapaloooza has been a rousing success in my book! Next up on my swap knitting list? My Knitting Vacation Swap project, and my Spring Feet Sock Swap socks (which I'm well on my way with, but I'm going to be submitting the design so you can't see them).

Sonya finished some Jaywalkers (one day late for her A).

Emily finished her Sockapaloooza socks, and got some in the mail!

Khris finished the second father-in-law sock and is currently in Canada presenting them to him in person.

Crazy Basket Lady Karen finished her black-and-blueberry socks for her Sockapaloooza pal.

I swear I posted these earlier, but perhaps I just commented on them and forgot to post them. Anyway, Laura made up some lovely Eyelet Diamond socks for her Sockapaloooza pal.

Kris finished some awesome Log Cabin socks.

Adrienne knit up some Pomatomi:



Lisa finished up her Unity socks and wrote a lovely mother's day post about her daughters' arrival.

Virtuella knit up some Sixth Sense socks.

Sara salvaged some LLSS from a failed pair of Jaywalkers and made some Rainbow Brite socks.

Jenn finished some Sockotta summer socks.

Kristy in NC knit some Simple Stripes socks for her mom:



Notice anything odd about them? ;-)

Stariel finished her Famous Socks.

Sillyewe finished some Embossed Leaves for her first brownie point.

Sheri finished some Mother's Day socks for her mom, on Mother's Day.

Monica finished some Baby Cable socks (scroll down past all the hand-dyed yarn p*rn to see them).

Karen finished some gorgeous Denmarks.

That's it for this week's sock update, folks! Keep 'em coming!

I'll leave you with some cute kid pictures. Here are the adventures of Snack Boy and Napper Girl.



I swear, we aren't a white trash family, despite the fact that my kids aren't wearing clothes! It's like 97 degrees outside today and they were out in the pool, and I haven't managed to dig clean clothes for them out of the laundry yet. Gimme a break, a'ight?

Sydney got ahold of the camera today, and took a bunch of artsy pictures. Most of them I'm too embarassed to post here since they're off the hideous mess in my office, but I'll show you a couple that don't totally betray me as the heinous housekeeper I am... Do we have a budding Ansel Adams on our hands?

This first one is the view from under our kitchen table.





Please ignore the disgusting carpet in that second picture. It seems pointless to have it cleaned since it will immediately be peppered with ground-up bunny crackers and spilled chocolate milk. We are having it replaced the second the kids are old enough to know better.

When it rains, it pours!

Holy mail day, Batman! I got not one, not two, but THREE exciting knitting-related pieces of mail today. First and foremost, I got my Sockapaloooza socks. Check it out!




And check out these adorable little picot cuffs (which apparently gave their maker fits and delayed the socks being sent off a bit...):



Along with the socks (which, as you can see below, were torn out of their wrapper and put on my feet immediately), my awesome sock pal sent two huge chocolate bars, a postcard from her home state of Colorado, some extra darning yarn and some gorgeous beaded stitch markers.



Thank you so much, Leisel! You totally rock as a sock pal!!! Apparently my preferences caused her a bit of stress, though. I said that I wasn't picky and I'd be happy with whatever, and that was a little bit vague for her taste. And here I thought I was being helpful! Hee hee! I'll have to remember that for next time. Be more specific.

I'm getting more and more stressed out about the socks I sent. They seem to have vanished, and I haven't heard back from my sock pal when I wrote her to ask about them. Hopefully she's got them and just hasn't gotten around to posting/e-mailing about them. I will be ticked if they don't show up! I'm also wondering if I should've stressed out about them a bit more. There are some SERIOUS sock pals out there. I mean, people are knitting multiple pairs of socks, and totally stressing out about what their sock pal will like... I was kind of like, well, if she doesn't like something made for her by a complete stranger out of the goodness of their heart, then that's just too bad. I mean, I want her to like them and get good use out of them, of course, but it's hard enough to knit for people you know!

That's part of the reason why I was so non-specific with my sock preferences. The really cool thing is just having socks knit for you by someone who has no other connection to you than being a knitter. I mean, that's a lot of work to do for a stranger. I am really blown away by how cool the whole Sockapaloooza phenomenon is, and I really hope Alison keeps doing them. They've got to be tons of work, but what a neat concept! I should also say that I'm not picky about socks because I truly love all different types of handknit socks and will definitely wear socks in colors and styles that I wouldn't wear anyplace else. Crazy orange and yellow stripes? Um, not so much in a sweater, but I'd be delighted to put them on my feet. I can't really think of a handknitted sock that I wouldn't like, unless it was really uncomfortable or didn't fit or something.

Okay, enough with the sock talk. Back to what came in the mail. The second little goodie was this:



A big fat ball of Trekking XXL from Zonda to throw into the Sock-A-Month prize basket. Thanks so much!

The final thing would've been my absolute favorite (if not for the socks showing up on the same day), and it's still pretty darn neat. I got a little priority mail envelope with two issues of the Summer Cast-On magazine, in which you'll find a little article and pattern by yours truly on knitting socks on two circulars (here is the preview - #37)! My first published design in a print magazine, and my first published writing piece, too. So check out the new issue of Cast-On when it comes out! I was a little worried that the article & pattern weren't going to be in there, because I've heard that Cast-On designs get moved around a lot. And they never sent me anything to proof, so I wasn't sure what was going on. They did send me a check, so I figured I didn't have anything to complain too loud about... I was delighted to see that it's in, and it looks great! Yay!

Tomorrow we are kicking off the Nippers with an inaugural meeting at my house. We've had over 50 people join the group since I set it up last week, which is an amazing response. I guess we really struck a nerve! We are planning to do some legislative action (with the ultimate goal being national legislation that will protect all nursing moms from harrassment wherever they go), some advocacy (which will include educating business owners and the general public about Oregon law) and some nurse-outs which are ultimately designed to get people comfortable around nursing moms. I really think that most people freak out because they don't know where to look or what to do when they're confronted with a nursing mom, but if they saw it every day, it would quickly become something they wouldn't even notice. I won't get into this whole thing again, because I know I've beat this horse to death already, but I'm really excited that we've got such a big group together. Here's to doing some good!

While we are inside plotting world domination, Bill is going to be dealing with this:



Yup, that's five yards of dirt in our driveway! It's Scottish blend, which apparently has a little fertilizer mixed in because it does not smell great. I'm sure our neighbors are loving us, as usual. We'll see what they do when the pile's still there in three months. Ha, ha, just kidding! We've got to fill these up:



Bill and his dad built these last weekend in our front yard. Our ultimate goal is to get rid of all of our grass, and putting raised beds in the front yard seems like a logical first step. Plus this is the part of the yard that gets the most sun, so it's where we'll get the best vegetables.

Sydney and I got a little head start on some planting today out on the front porch.



We sowed Black Eyed Susans (my very favorite flower ever) in the dishpan and some sunflowers and pumpkins in the peat pots. Although we really don't need more pumpkins - we've got about 20 little seedlings sprouting up from where Bill buried The Pumpkin last fall. Did I say last fall? I meant mid-January... And really, how many pumpkins does one family need?

As Good As It Gets

For those of you playing along with my little movie line contest, the winner was Susan for being the first person to guess Life of Brian and As Good As It Gets as the two movies I was quoting from in yesterday's post. I hadn't realized that there were so many movies that used that song! Thanks for playing along, everyone. It's making me want to start my own Movie Line contest ala Katrina. Maybe I will! Maybe I will... I love her contest, but I want people to guess my favorite lines! Is that wrong?

I don't have any knitting to talk about today. You know, I'm always thinking of blog posts while I'm driving Sydney to school and back. Then I get back to the computer and can't remember any of the great things I thought of to write about. I need to buy one of those little voice-activated tape recorders to talk into while I drive. Never mind that most of what I would get would be Sydney/Owen yelling in the background.

Poor Owen. Our dining room table is right at head height for him right now, and it's nice wood so we're loathe to stick any of those padded corners on it. So he walks into it several times a day (not a fast learner, this one) and gets really mad. When he gets mad, he'll close his eyes and scream, and in doing that he'll inevitably hit his head again. I feel so bad when I hear that little clunk. He has permanent bruises on both temples from this stupid table. I really am a bad mom, aren't I?

Speaking of the boy, I'm just got a whiff of something unpleasant as he toddled by... The barfing seems to be over for the moment, but the poop never stops. How I love parenthood!

Community Knitting Project - please help!

Jamie over at Still Stranded In Iowa is starting up a knitted quilt project for her friend's Papa who is soon going into hospice care. She's looking for 8x8 knitted green squares. Please go help out if you can!

I am living in the house of barf.

You know how I was feeling a little sick to my stomach this weekend? Well, Bill got whatever I had but a gazillion times worse. He spend ALL DAY yesterday throwing up. It was quite horrifying. I don't have much of a stomach for barf, and I still wasn't 100% myself yet. It was quite the unpleasant day.

Adding to my misery is the fact that the Y2Knit sample, which I bound off on Sunday night, turned out all wonky. So I had to frog back to the underarms and am frantically trying to reknit it so it looks like something someone would actually want to wear. I managed to get the neckline too low, the armholes too short, and the shoulders too wide. And the buttonholes crooked. What the heck? Who am I to think I can be a knit designer?

On top of all that, Sydney is in the foulest mood I've ever seen on her. And that's saying something! It's getting so that if I see her in a room, I try to sneak back out before she spots me. Was I crazy to think I'd be able to raise decent human beings? I have enough trouble raising myself!

I'm also in a bit of a knitting slump, even besides the disasterous aforementioned sample sweater. I'm trying to get some more Blue Moon swatches done, but I just don't want to. All I want to do is curl up on the sofa, pop in Napoleon Dynamite (without hearing Sydney start to scream because she wants to watch Madagascar for the five millionth time) and knit on my long-neglected New England socks. How it would be nice to knit someone else's pattern for a change! I need that summer Knitter's to come out so I can feel a little bit better about my chosen profession.

I just tried to track my Sockapaloooza socks on-line. They're being sent overseas, and they were supposed to have arrived in 4-6 days. I sent them last Tuesday, so they should be arriving any time now. When I typed in the tracking number, however, it wasn't found in the system. Super! Just what I need - lost socks. My sock pal is apparently still working on mine, and I am dying to see them. Is it time to start stalking the mailman yet?

After all that complaining, let's put a positive spin on things. The Y2Knit sample is looking much better on the reknit. Bill has stopped throwing up every two hours and looks to be on the mend. Sydney is asleep, and I'm hoping a nap will improve her mood. The kitchen is clean, Owen is entertaining himself, and the weather outside is fine. To quote from two of my favorite movies (can you guess what they are? there might be a little prize in it for the first person who can name them both...) "Always look on the bright side of life."

And let the May sock craziness begin...

But first, I'm going to complain a little bit about my weekend. Yesterday I woke up with an upset stomach, and could barely move all day for fear of becoming something out of the Exorcist. I could barely even knit (that's how bad it was)! It feels a little bit better this morning, but it's still not great. I find it so unfair when I'm sick on the weekend, although with the kids it's actually the best time to be sick (otherwise I have to deal with them alone, which isn't always easy even when in perfect health).

Sydney is currently going through an awful phase. Everything that comes out of her mouth is either screamed or whined. I'm ready to kill her by 11 am most days. I'm hoping she grows out of it soon - Bill keeps reassuring me that it's just another developmental stage, but I'm half convinced that we're raising a horrible brat. And Owen's not much better - he wanders around the house, keeping an eye out for anything that he's not supposed to have. Knitting needles, scissors, soda cans...if he spots something, he immediately grabs it and is IRATE when I take it away. He won't play with toys - he just walks around the house grumbling like a little bear (or screaming like a little pterodactyl) if he can't have something extremely dangerous in his little mitts. Where did my sweet children go? I want them back!

Okay. I feel better now. We've got some socks, folks! Check it out!

Let's start out with Julie, who is a late April entry with her sockapaloooza socks.

And another late April entry from Christine (aka pointy sticks podcast goddess). When's that new episode coming out, chica?

Monica finished up a pair of Cable & Rib socks out of Mt. Colors Mt. Goat. I'm so curious about that yarn - good to hear that it was great to knit with!

New knit-alonger Bee starts off strong with a pair of Elfine's socks.

Adelle finished her Cedar Creek socks from the Blue Moon sock club.

Siri has yet another brownie point for her Sockapaloooza socks (yet another late April entry).

Rachel finished some lovely Pomatomi for her Sockapaloooza pal.

Elspeth's Sockapaloooza socks spilled into May, but they're done and she's included the pattern for them as well!

Nelda has some Baby Cable Rib socks done for May. Hmm...those look exactly like my Twisted Socks from the Knit Picks pattern. Just goes to show, there isn't much new in knitting, something I learned yet again when the Mag Knits Milanese Lace Sock pattern came out (I swatched this stitch pattern for socks two months ago but didn't ever take it to the next step - lucky for me!).

Ragan finished some Jaywalkers for her mom. I love how the simple stripes yarn looks in that pattern! I think I'm going to have to try that, someday, when I actually have time to knit something for myself again...

Sillyewe finished her Sockapalooza socks and snapped a pic of a very bizarre car accident...

Tonia finished a nice pair of stripey socks.

Stariel has some Sixth Sense Socks and Ladybug Socks done already this month!

Helene finished some amazing Norwegian Socks for her luckier-than-lucky Sockapaloooza pal.

Quikeye finished some striped Basketcase Socks and has a little sock yarn contest going on her blog...

Jill finished her green green green Sockapaloooza socks.

Karen got some Fields of Gold socks done.

Sheri's got two pairs of socks done for May already!

Lara finished some Hedera socks.

And Lauren finished up some Pomatomuseseseses.

That's all, folks!

Secret Pal 8 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like pretty much anything other than nasty acrylic. A few favorites are anything bamboo, Manos, Kidsilk Haze and almost any kind of nice sock yarn.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
A shoebox. Pathetic, I know.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Since I was 10. Advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have an Amazon wishlist.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Citrus, cucumber, melon, vanilla.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes!!! I love anything chocolate (pref. milk chocolate).

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I dabble a bit in crochet, but don't really have time for anything else with all the knitting.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Pretty much anything but country. MP3s are great!

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
Crazy as it sounds, I like just about any color except lemon yellow.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Married w/ 2 kids - Sydney is 3, Owen is 1. No pets.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Not a huge poncho person, but I wear the rest.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Do you even have to ask? (Hint: it's socks!)

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks, and a design sample (tank top).

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Sure!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Right now I'm pretty attached to my circulars. I love my Denises and my Addis.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes

17. How did you learn to knit?
Grandma taught me.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
Almost a year

19. What is your favorite holiday?
Hmm...it's neck and neck between Christmas and Easter.

20. Is there anything that you collect?
Simpsons chotchkes

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Hmm... I would love some Japanese stitch pattern books, and some Rowan mags (I don't have any). I subscribe to IK, Knitter's, Creative Knitting, Vogue Knitting and Cast-On.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Magic loop!

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Um, what do you think? Foot is 9" long, 8" around.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
8/11

Yesterday was haircut day

After a session of hysterical crying and carrying on before school yesterday morning, I was convinced that it was time for Sydney's beautiful long hair to go. It was a terrifying process, let me tell you! But, since we don't need a little dreadlocked Crystal Gayle on our hands, I took the scissors in hand and snipped away.

Before:



After:



I was so happy how her haircut turned out! She's just adorable - I think it's actually a lot cuter than her old hairstyle, although her hair was absolutely gorgeous. Brushing her hair before school this morning was an absolute dream.

It's pretty funny, because Sydney looks exactly like I did at that age. And now she really looks like me, since I had a very similar haircut back then. My mom is going to freak out when she sees her in a couple weeks (she's flying out for Memorial Day weekend).

Owen is currently obsessed with toilet paper. We usually have a gate across the bathroom door, but every once in awhile I forget and leave it open. When I don't see him for awhile, I can be pretty sure of where to find him (if he's not climbing up the stairs because I accidentally left THAT gate open).



I love that second picture because it looks like he's wiping himself since his diaper is completely hidden. I think that he actually was running around with a poopy diaper at the time, so it was definitely a little bit of wishful thinking. He doesn't usually run around without clothes, but we'd spent the afternoon in the back yard, playing in the water table and he got absolutely soaked.

It's exhausting letting him play outside because he is just enamored with trying to eat rocks. We've got some rocks in our basement window wells which are mostly river rock and too large to fit in his mouth (although he does try). However, there are also a bunch of quartz pieces scattered in there and they fit in his little maw just perfectly. I can always tell when he's got something in there that he shouldn't, because he gets this smug little expression on his face. And as soon as I get up and go in his direction, he tries to run away from me. So far he hasn't swallowed/choked on anything, but it gives me a shot of adrenaline every single time. Ah, the joys of being a parent!

I have been feeling the podcast love this week. I finally got through the entire Moll Flanders audiobook (the whole 17 hours, which I was listening to for Knit the Classics), so I'm catching up on all the podcasts I missed while my iPod was totally occupied with Moll. Of course I love Cast On. Who doesn't? But I've also just finished listening to the first four episodes of Pointy Sticks and I'm totally enamored. I adore the theme song and the Jonathan Coulton songs she plays have nearly had me peeing my pants a couple times. "Come on baby, put the rock in the house" (from his song Curl)? Who could not love a song about curling? Or maybe it's just me, since I've actually curled. But anyway, it's a great podcast.

Listening to Christine made me actually consider starting my own podcast. I even came up with a name - Knittin' Mom's Coffee House. But, in addition to the fact that I absolutely cannot stand the sound of my own voice and don't know how anyone can listen to me talk, ever, I need to realize that I just don't have the time. I am still swatching like crazy, I'm going to be swamped with designs that need to be written up at any moment (or perhaps that's just wishful thinking, since it has yet to happen, although I do have designs that are on the short list at Big Girl Knits 2, Lace Style, Just Socks and Just Gifts as well as a bunch of things in the works for Blue Moon and some subs I just sent off for the upcoming Mag Knits book (which will focus on handpainted yarn and promises to be VERY cool), so my pool of knitters may be quite busy very soon - or not, since even when things seem like they're just about to happen, the end up being delayed somehow). Okay, I think that last sentence was about the worst the English language has ever seen.

Before I wrap this up and get back to work (Bill's sister-in-law is here watching the kids, and I don't need to be paying her to babysit so I can blog, for goodness sake), I wanted to mention that one of our knit-alongers (who I was reading back when the sock-a-month KAL was just a twinkle in my eye) just had her own design published! We commiserated with each other when we both had designs rejected from the Winter '05 Knitty, but Jennifer has since taken The Anticraft by storm with her awesome Henry VIII necklace. You go, girl! Unfortunately her happiness has been tempered by the fact that her poor kitty cat Ashe is in kidney failure. Stop by and show her some love, y'all!

Another knitty get-together

Last night I had a great time hooking up with Shetha down at Abundant Yarn and Dyeworks. You all might know Shetha as the designer of the awesome Alien Illusion Scarf from the first Stitch N' Bitch book. She also has her own Knitty Gritty episode and designed one of the inaugural Knitty patterns. I was totally flattered when she asked my advice as to what bind-off to use for the toe-up socks she just made. I of course recommended EZ's sewn bind-off, which I just used with such success for my Sockapaloooza socks. Anyway, it was really fun to meet and KIP with her. She also showed me a bunch of spreadsheets that she uses to design with, and I'm definitely going to have to rig some up for myself. I still do everything with a plain old-fashioned calculator.

I got a nice e-mail from Tara, editor of Spun, today telling me how much everyone is loving Cleo! Can you see me giggling like a little girl? She also asked for a correction on row 9 of the written directions. It is missing the last few stitches, so if you're working from the written directions, you should substitute this for row 9: k3 p3 k4 p5 TB4 TF4 p4 TB4 TF4 p5 k4 p3 k3. The chart is correct (but the chart has different row numbers, so this is actually row 13 on the chart - don't look at row 9 on the chart and substitute it for row 9 of the written directions...).

I also finally got the Mag Knits June design photographed and sent off. It gave me fits getting the sizing correct (there's bizarro shaping in the midst of a lace pattern and some short rows thrown in, just for fun), but I really think it turned out nice. I just wish I was a little more photogenic - I hate modeling!

I'm still in yarn shock from the weekend, but I don't want to write another long post with no pictures. So I took a little camera tour of the house today. Here is what Bill has to put up with around here.

My Blue Moon stash has come back out of the yarn closet.



I'm going to meet with them again soon, so I'm swatching like crazy. First I had to wind up a bunch of balls.



Sydney likes to help, and I really want to let her since I love her enthusiasm for yarn, but she has a tendency to get the swift going REALLY fast and then stopping the ball winder so the yarn goes winding around the bottom of the swift and has to be untangled. Even when she does a good job of winding continuously, she's less than smooth and the ball she winds is all floopy. I'll let her wind my smooth, worsted-weight wool but draw the line at the lace weight mohair or the raw silk...

Here is my workspace on the futon, squarely in front of the television.



I've got my remote, the phone, and EZ's Knitting Workshop (which is peeking out there from under the pillow). What else could I possibly need, other than a little peace and quiet? "I'll be quiet." "I'll be peace!" Who knows what movie that line's from? The purple swatch is for my upcoming Y2Knit design (which is coming along much more easily than the Mag Knits June design, thank goodness!), and the yarn is Blue Moon Bambu. I absolutely adore this yarn. It is smooth, cool, light - just a delight to work with. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't work well with the Addis. Slippery yarn plus slippery needles equals Chrissy knitting with her shoulders hunched and teeth gritted. I really need to switch to bamboo to knit the Bambu!

That's about all the news for today. I'll leave you with a pic of the boy with his new Beatle 'do. This is what happens when you try to cut the hair of a toddler who is determined to get his hands on those scissors. Could he be any cuter?

Nursing In Public Is Not A Crime!

For those of you who are tired of hearing all the talk about breastfeeding here, you're in luck. I've created a new blog - Nursing In Public Is Not A Crime!

Anyone who is still on the rampage about the whole Fred Meyer thing, check out the news on Reluctant Lactivist re Fred Meyer's new written policy. Also, please check out my new blog for exciting news about what we're going to do next and how you can help (esp. if you are in the Portland area!).

Nurse on!

End of April sock update

Here are the last socks from April. I will be announcing our lucky winner of some gorgeous Wildefoote (generously donated by Jill) at the end of the post. Let's roll!

Michelle finished up a nice pair of grey basketweavy socks with a cool garter stitch (or is that rev. stockinette? I can't quite tell...) short row heel and star toe.

Adrienne gives us a very cool pair of twisty Socks That Rock socks. With a so-so review of the yarn. Wha? Doesn't like STR? Well, Adrienne, if you have any more of it that you want taken off your hands, I'd be happy to relieve you of it (insert evil laugh here)!

StarzAbove presents a kicky little pair of Miss Em's Jelly Bean Socks. She's also got some spinning wheel p*rn on there, too, for all you spinners (or, for those of you like me who are spinner wanna-be's).

Eva shows off her first pair for the sock-a-month knitalong - Ribble socks!

Okay, stupid Blogger isn't letting me load pictures, so you'll just have to trust me that these are cool socks, and I'll try to update them later. I just don't have the patience right now to try a gazillion different things to get a picture in here. Bleah!

Sock dying genius Wendy finished some lacy socks knit out of yarn from another sock dying goddess - Mama E's Lollygirl!

Tara finished some April Lovely Lace socks and has an excellent (IMHO) diatribe on why Americans should stop whining about high gas prices. Right on!

Kathleen managed to finish those Sockapaloooza socks, just in time. She only has one pictured since she is just too exhausted to post a finished pair right now.

Tiffany finished some gorgeous pink Jaywalkers! Yahoo!

Erica finished a pair of Happy Cotton socks AND had a baby this month! Congrats on your beautiful baby boy! He is just darling.

Roberta did some inter-continental knitting and got two pairs of brownie point socks done while on her European tour.

Emily finished a pair of Norwegian Stockings from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks. YOU HAVE TO GO SEE THESE SOCKS!!! They are absolutely stunning. Wow!

Shelley finished some Feather and Fan socks. Fantastic! She's got a cute kitty pic in there, too.

Carry finished some lovely cable & rib socks for her Sockapaloooza pal. Lucky!

Mary Beth gets a BP for a pair of cabled footies from my new favorite pattern book, One Skein!

Kat finished up some Jaywalkers for her first pair of sock-a-month socks. Yay!

Linda finished up some Sherbert socks. She needs some help figuring out who to knit for next.

Tonia finished some pastel socks that also look pretty sherberty, apart from a little extra purple. Pretty!

Julia finished a pair of Mata Hari socks for her lucky ducky Sockapaloooza pal.

Persnickety Knitter finished some uber-cool Red Sox socks for her hubby.

Ginger gets an A for a lovely little pair of toddler socks for Children In Common, and a * for these French Silk socks for her daughter.

Yvonne shows off her mad skillz with this pair of Sockapaloooza socks. Wow! I bow down to your creativity!

Johanna finished a pair of st st A socks which let the lovely Lang JaWool speak for itself. Yummy!

Jessica has two pairs of BP socks (and yes, the second of the Ottawa socks now has a toe).

Christine finished her first pair of socks ever! Yay! They even match, apart from the toes (which she blames on her cat).

Courtney finished up her Yukon Leaves Sockapaloooza socks.

Kristy finished some rockin' Fixation socks. Again, due to Blogger's refusal to load pictures today, I can't show them to you. Sigh.

And last but not least, Crazy Basket Lady finished up some nice stripey socks out of some mystery yarn.

Whew! That's a whole lotta socks! And now for our winner - drumroll please - it is...

Lauren! Congrats, and e-mail me your addy so I can get that yarn out! Of course, I just got poor Persnickety Knitter's prize yarn for March packaged up today, but I will try to be better with the April prize. Promise!

Thanks for all your heavy duty socking this month, and I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with for May! Sock on!