Holidays

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday season and will continue the good times into the new year. I had a wonderful Christmas filled with family, food, fun, and a lot of laughter. All my secret Christmas knitting got finished in time. I'll share those projects with you tomorrow. There is one that is especially epic in nature that ended up being finished just in the nick of time.

I got a lot of wonderful gifts this year: a trashcan, some new slippers, a beautiful sweater, new shoes, several cozy blankets (including one that was made by my very talented sister-in-law), some home decorating items, a good book, and...

a photo box! This will really help in photographing finished objects and items for my store. I plan to begin taking pictures of the yarn that I have in stock tomorrow so that I can begin updates before the end of the week. I tested it on some socks that I (finally) finished.

The Ron Weasley Banana Holder socks (a.k.a. the Skew socks). I had to rip back to the heel on the right sock twice before I figured out where I was going wrong (the beginning of the round started on the back side instead of the front). Thankfully it no longer has the weird, sharp turn like they used to. I also took a picture of the mittens in progress.

The color is finally right in this picture! Almost ready to start the thumb gussets. These should be clipping along now even though I'm already wanting to start another pair of socks since I finished the Skew socks.

Two Days

Could have gotten me a hat.
But instead I spent the night reskeining yarn for the shop.
Which shouldn't have taken 2 hours but every single skein was tangled.

P.S. Tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day. Treat yourself to something nice from Vivid Creation Fibers for 25% off. Just type in "Saint Pat" (without the quotation marks) when you checkout. If you are in the Atlanta area, and don't mind meeting up, contact me and I'll also get you free shipping. Sale is on everything in stock and will last until Sunday.

P.P.S. New yarn will be listed tomorrow. Sorry for the wait but it will be worth it.

Snow? Or No?

Here's the funny thing about weather: you can predict and watch and say this or that but in the end it just goes and does what it wants to. The early predictions were saying that Atlanta and the metro areas might get as much as 2 inches of snowfall tonight. Now they are saying a light dusting. Which means I probably won't get my snow day tomorrow. :::frown::: Maybe there will be some ice... It was kind of cool to come home this afternoon and see the lake in front of my complex frozen over with the "light dusting" of snow on it.


Knitting guild was canceled for tonight which means I had time to update my stores. I added 2 new yarns that I'm in love with.
Cedar Key and
Blueberry Chill. And I think the story behind the names is kind of cool too, but you'll have to check out the websites for that :) Both are listed at Vivid Creation Fibers and on Etsy. I also changed my shipping prices on Etsy because I hadn't calculated them correctly.

I should spend some time tonight on packing up my Christmas decorations (don't judge, it's not yet 2 weeks), washing dishes, and doing laundry. Instead I'm thinking of knitting on some projects. The baby blanket and also a set of gloves for charity.
This will go with the hat and slippers I've already knit to H 2 H International. I took some time the other night to start a new group on Ravelry for charity knitting. Our focus will be on making items for distribution in Eastern European and Russian orphanages. I'm really excited that we already have 15 members and seem to be growing! Our first KAL is socks for Global Knit. Each month I'll pick a new charity for us to focus our efforts on.

I also took a few pics tonight of the yarn that I picked up at Knitch.
Some grey nylon and acrylic yarn that I'm planning on making some Bella's mitts from. Even though it's acrylic this some super soft yarn. I'm pretty impressed so we'll see how it knits up.
I also nabbed some Socks that Rock heavyweight sock yarn in the colorway Lucy. I like the earthy tones and this yarn will make some nice thick socks. I may need to knit them now since ice and snow may be on my horizon (:::crosses fingers:::).

In With the New

I hope everyone had a good time last night with friends and loved ones as you celebrated the New Year. I had an early dinner with some friends (where my friend Mark proposed to his girlfriend!) and then came home to watch a movie, knit, and snuggle with my cat. A relaxing end to a crazy year.

I've been thinking about my 2010 goals for a few weeks now and I think that these are actually things I will see success with. In no particular order, here are my 2010 New Year's Goals:

1. Have 3 things on my needles at a time: something for myself, something for a friend or family member, and something for charity. I tend to knit a lot for other people but I've found my own knitted items to be few and far between. I think it would be nice to have a few more hand made things for myself.
2. Dedicate 2 nights a week to working on my shop(s). Whether that's dyeing, skeining, re-skeining, labeling, shipping, updating, promoting, or whatever. I did some bookkeeping this morning and I'm ready to move Vivid Creation Fibers forward in 2010.
3. Vend at 3 fiber festivals/fairs. This is part of growing VCF. I know I will be at Stitches South and I hope to do SAFF. I need to pick another, relatively close one.
4. Do more local missions work. In the past I have opted out of events because they weren't really "my thing" but I've found that the more I go to, the more ways I find to serve others.
5. To buy organic cleaners. A few weeks ago I was cleaning my tub and I happened to read the warning labels on the bottle. It kind of scared me that the chemicals I was using to clean my tub were dangerous to have in contact with my skin. I thought about how we spray down every surface and then we touch, cook on, or bathe in them. I would feel better knowing that the cleaning products I'm using aren't going to eat my skin off if I accidentally come into contact with them.
6. Find a workout plan that works for me and stick to it. I've given up on trying to change my eating habits, I love food too much! And I'm tired of saying I will do x number of minutes of exercise x times a week because I always find some excuse to not do it. I need to find something that fits my life. Which means it will more than likely incorporate some outside walking (because I do like to get out in the fresh air and walking is low impact) and some kind of video taped workout for the days I don't want to leave the house (I am a hermit after all).

And that's it! 6 goals for the year. Since I completed 5 goals for 2009 I would love to see all of these meet in 2010. I've already started some of them. I've spent a few days working on some yarns for the shop (one of which was posted yesterday) and I've been knitting up a storm.

This hat and pair of slippers were started and finished in 2009. These are a charity knit for H 2 H International. I will also knit a pair of mittens and send this in as a set. I'm challenging myself to knit a set a month for this group.

This roll brim hat is still on the needles and is also a charity knit. Helen from the blog Golden Apples is collecting hats for a school in New York that works with autistic children (read all about her campaign here). At the last minute the school enrollment increased by 20 kids so she is trying to get 20 more hats together before Jan. 6th. This is a quick knit using chunky yarn and a simple pattern so I may try and eek out 2 in the next few days and then ship them off to her. If you have time (or an extra knitted hat laying around) please think about helping her meet her goal.

This white blob is my "Friends or Family" knit. It's going to be a christening blanket for my good friends Cliff and Jennifer. They are expecting their first child, Sophia, is February and Jenn asked if I would knit a special blanket for her. It's a simple feather and fan pattern that I think will be delicate enough for a christening but sturdy enough for everyday use.

And finally, something for me! A pair of toe up socks in my own Trick or Treat colorway. I got a pair of clear clogs for Christmas and now I want to wear hand knit socks all the time! Unfortunately I only have about 5 pairs so I need to make some more. These will also serve the duel purpose of showing one of the colors I'm going to carry in my store. A store sample if you will.

I hope that 2010 will be a time of excitement and prosperity for you. Happy New Year!

Where Have All the Pharmacies Gone?

I went on a little excursion tonight in search of some medicine. My trip kind of got me thinking, what happened to all the pharmacies? I tried to think of any that were in the vicinity of my apartment and could only come up with one. Which is, thankfully all I need. They gladly fill all my prescriptions for me. I guess people are getting their medicines filled at their local grocery store or mega mart and don't have a need for the stand alone pharmacy any more. I was looking for some motion sickness medicine as I've had some bad bouts of vertigo lately. About 4 or 5 years ago I went to see my doctor because I was having vertigo so bad the only "cure" was to lie on my side until the feeling passed (sometimes a few hours later). He told me I probably had calcium deposits in my ear (a.k.a. Benign Positional Vertigo). I've had about an episode a year since then. The problem is that there isn't really a way to get rid of them. You have to wait for your body to absorb them or for them to get knocked out. Unfortunately, that can take up to 10 weeks. Thanks, but no thanks. I did read that ginger can help dizziness. Which pretty much gives me free range to eat as many gingerbread cookies as I can during the upcoming holiday season.

Bet you didn't know you were getting a medical lesson tonight did you?

Before I came home to rest to my swimming head I did hang out with my friend Heidi and we carded the destroyed superwash roving.

Yum...batts in a box.

They turned out really well. These will probably be going in the shop soon as a OOK (one of a kind) product. Since I don't own a drum carder (and I do not need one...) there is little chance there will be batts on a regular basis. It was still fun to get to play with fiber.
Penelope thinks they turned out nicely.

What is This?

Looks like a little sweater. For someone special. My cousin, Jake, in fact. This summer he saw me knitting and wanted to learn. As soon as he had proven to himself that he could do it, he was off to something else. But not before he asked me to make him 15 sweaters in various colors. And 15 for his younger brother, Harrison, as well. I probably would have just dismissed it but a few months ago he asked me how his sweater was coming along. Hmmm...guess I should get started on that. So, 2 weeks ago I cast on for the Sailor's Rib Sweater from weekend knits. It's the perfect pattern and a fairly quick knit, as you can see. Hopefully I will finish it up by the end of the weekend. Then I need to start on Harrison's. If there's time, I might try and work the sizing for a wee little one for my newest cousin, Britt, who's only 3 months old.

I've also got a few things to throw in the shop once I get some better pictures taken.
Superwash BFL sock yarn in Hawaiian Hibiscus and
a new Aran weight BFL in Day at the Beach (multi) and Buttercup (solid).

A note about the shop: this weekend will be the last time that you can get my rovings for only $10! No coupon or codes needed. After Sunday afternoon (as long as remember to change the prices back) this sale will end.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Time

Time is a funny thing. Suddenly you find that one week has turned into two weeks and then it turns into three and before you know it a whole month is past. And then one day suddenly turns into two...and then three...And a whole day turns into just a few hours.

I wanted to break my blog silence exactly one month after I had last posted. I hadn't originally planned to be gone for so long but then, after thinking on it, it seemed like something I needed to do. So I took a month. And then I had planned to come back on Friday with a little catch up article of the (few) things I have been doing while I was away. I was out with a friend but managed to make it home with moments to spare to tell you I was making a comeback. The comeback has been slow in coming though. I've thought of great posts all weekend but the time to actually put them down has skillfully eluded me. No longer! Where to begin...

Socially:
I've been hanging out with my friends a lot this past month. One of my best friends, Brittany, got married a few weeks ago which was pretty awesome.
Hope for single girls everywhere.

There were a few movie nights and an '80's themed game night in there too. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of those things.

Knitting:
I finished the secret project I've been working on for awhile. All that needs to be done is to sew in the ends and give it a little washing but I still consider it "finished" for all intents and purposes.

I finally have gotten around to starting the arm on my final item for Warm Woolies.
Notice I have started but not gotten a lot done on it. I did a count of items and this is my 10th piece. I just have to finish it!

I started (and finished) a sock.
This is some of my own hand-dyed yarn! My first sock from my own hand-dyed. I loved working with this yarn. It's BFL and it is super soft and silky and has a great sheen to it. The colorway is Raspberry and it's available from my shop. The pattern is the Japanese Feather Socks (free Rav download). Knit on US size 2 DPNs.

Dyeing:
There's been a lot going on with my dyeing. I just finished skeining some yarn I dyed last month.
I dyed more this weekend (since I had Friday *and* Monday off from work). My friend Stephanie even came over to get a crash course in yarn dyeing.
From left to right: Hayride, Hawaiian Hibiscus, First Buds, Edelweiss, and Unmasked

More from this weekend: Day at the Beach and Buttercup

I still have more colors to skein. Of course I have to label and post all these in the shop. The Unmasked roving are 4 oz. portions of some samples I sent into the Phat Fiber box this month.
I'm excited to be a contributor for October!

So there has been quite a bit going on for the past month but I'm going to (try) and set aside time at least 2-3 times a week to post. If nothing else than to help me remember everything I've been up to.

Penelope helping Stephanie by keeping watch over her bag of yarn labels.

I Blame Work

I blame work for...

1. Not getting to go to Sock Summit.

2. Having to get up early.
This is what Penelope does while I have to get ready to go to work.

3. Lack of real knitting progress.
Charity sock. Second of the pair. Not even to the heel turn.
Rivulets sock #1. Not fully past the heel.
Charity sweater. Still working on the collar. Pretty much looks the same as the last picture.

4. No pictures posted of Peru nor put in a photo album (they have been printed though).

5. Dyeing? Ok, work isn't to blame for this. Lack of work is the reason to celebrate these 2 rovings that will go in my shop soon.
Jillian's Razzmatazz
Dwain's Mango Tango

I asked my friends to come up with good color names and these two where the ones I liked best. I dyed the roving after they'd given me suggestions.

6. Lack of shop updating.

7. Making chefs knit on the back stoop.
This is the chef of the restaurant next door to Rare Purls. He just learned to knit. I know he'd be a full on knitterly type if he didn't have to cook all the time. Poor guy.

(For the record, school officially starts back Monday for the kids. I was scheduled to go back to work this Monday but due to state budget cuts I was on furlough for 2 days. This means we crammed 5 days of faculty meetings, planning, registration, open house, and room set up into 3 days. I think that's the definition of fun.)

New Orleans: Day 2

Buckle up, it's going to be a long, bumpy ride.

This is a typical shot of my family in action while in NOLA. 3 people with cameras all taking pictures of the same thing and my brother standing around.
Sunday was a visit to the zoo. The first thing we saw was an elephant exhibit. I was about 20 feet away from the paddock so I had a great view. They did demonstrations of how elephants are trained and used in India and other parts of Asia. And yes, that is a guy on the back of the elephant in the picture below.
The zookeeper doing the presentation at the elephant exhibit sounded and looked like a totally stereotypical California surfer and by the end of the talk had wandered off into talking about tortoises. Classic.

We saw some camels which my aunt and I decided were pretty much the perfect pet.
They can store 40 gallons of water in their body, go up to a week without having to drink again, withstand extreme and sudden changes in temperature, lose up to 25% of their body weight in sweat without dying, are excellent transportation devices, and, most importantly, you can spin their fur into yarn. I think I may get a couple.

My brother did his best impression of being a statuary.
Boy with Turtle next to Boy with Water Bottle.

Brandi climbed on stuff she wasn't supposed to...again.
I saw a bear swimming (and some dumb a$$ redneck try and spit on him. I would have loved to have seen the bear scale that wall and maul the guy to death...but I'm evil and vengeful like that.)
Got up close and personal with some baby crocs, and I don't mean the shoes.
This guy was just hanging out in the gift shop.

Saw a loose interpretation of the fabled "Swamp Monster."
He kind of looks like the Chupacabra (ugh, I hope I don't have nightmares from looking at those pictures...).

Got to see the famous white alligators.
These are not albino alligators. They are leucistic which means they lack the pigment in their skin that produces the traditional camouflage coloring. They don't have red eyes like albinos do but blue. There are only 2 examples of white alligators being found in the wild and they both occurred in Louisiana. The first time was in 1986 (or '87 depending on your source) and there were 18 hatchlings found in a nest with other, normal colored, alligators. Scientists speculate that the reason why they are so rare is that, because of their color, they are easy targets as infants to be eaten by prey.

Hmmm...this trip is turning very educational.

Brandi climbed on some more stuff...
We almost got sprayed by some bobcats (there is a reason those fences are 4 feet away from the cages).
My mom communicated with some gazelles (it's a loooooong story...).
Brandi and my brother climbed on things they weren't supposed to.
Brandi is definitely about to be eaten.

Saw some warthog love which was actually pretty cute. The male had wandered off from the female (a total of maybe 30 feet) and she came running over. They embraced in this kind of head butting/rubbing. They seemed totally elated to be reunited even though they'd been apart for less than a minute.
True examples of love can be found in the strangest of places.

Brandi laid on stuff she wasn't supposed to.
And then that night we rode the trolley to Canal Street and back just to say that we'd done it.
Thus ended my 1st trip of the summer to Louisiana. I'll be back there in a few weeks with Brandi again to visit my brother. Brother working in a different state=instant vacation destination.

Knitting wise I've been working on the following, some of which saw a little face time on the way to and from NOLA (I was too busy while I was there to do much knitting).

Test knit sweater
I've actually finished the 3 inches of garter edging and I'm about 1.5 inches into the body.

Britt's baby blanket
Half way through with this. Which is good because my aunt's already having contractions. He better stay in there until the 17th.

Pair of BIG socks for Warm Woolies
The pattern is the Perfect Fit Hiking Socks. I didn't do the stripes or the ribbing all the way up the leg (just at the top). Yarn was Cascade 220 tweed for the main color and Cascade 220 for the toes, heel flap, and ribbing at the top. My friend Carolyn graciously modeled one of the socks a few weeks ago at knit night.
Not for the normal sized foot.
But perfect for a 16 year old boy.

Big 10 socks which were a test knit for a friend on Ravelry.
These are the ones where I got to try out an afterthought heel. Turned out well. Blocking didn't totally fix the pointy toes but I think it did help. Both these pairs of socks are now dry and ready to send off.

In other knitting news I'm working on some job opportunities with my shop and getting ready to dye some more. I'll keep you posted on how all that is going :)