Again?

I know I sound like a broken record, but it seems I lost a month again: where did April go?

One, two, three baby hats, three socks, one baby sweater, and one scarf - I am sure I am missing something ..... oh, yeah, Principessa has been un-available for a photo shoot, but I did finished Mia, look! only 5 objects left from my January 2007 UFOs list.

Charmed Stash?

I knit, knit, and knit, and my stash stays the same. Can it be that it is magical?
To break the spell I have decided a different strategy, I actually bought yarn:



After all, it is for Charmed Knits.

What's wrong with this picture?

Once again, on Thursday I went to FTA to have lunch with Hollis and drop these:



After lunch I wondered around the store knitting one of the many socks on the needles, and I was so mesmerized by all the new yarns, especially the table covered with Sea Wool, that look what I did:

Spring Break is over

Spring Break is over, the kids are back to school, and nobody looked at me this morning and asked: "What are we going to do today?". Somehow, the fact that I am responsible for their entertainment during breaks has not sunk in yet. Ten years of working mom habits are hard to break.
But break was fun. We went bowling, and swimming (want more knitting time? get the kids on a swim team and you get about 6 hours of interrupted knitting time per week). We visit Hollis, and that was especially delightful. When I used to work there, we never got to have lunches together, or just hang out; usually she was running in while she was running out.
I brought her some of my yarns, so if you are in the Bay Area, stop by and take a look!
And since we are talking business, I have update my shop and I still have this bag



to wind and put up there. If you happen to be a store owner, I do wholesale orders, just let me know if you are interested.
After long consideration, I have decided to put patterns for sale on my patterns page. The first one up is a pattern that was available on Chiagu until now:



Payment by paypal, pattern emailed to you as a pdf file. Next pattern up will be something I have designed for One Planet Yarn and Fiber - not saying anything more.

Now that I am done with the self-promoting, back to the knitting.
Mia is done! All done, seams and all. the only thing that is missing a kilt pin to close it. See how the list for the UFO Resurrection 2007 is getting shorter? The list of things on the needles is NOT getting any shorter, but at least I won't have any project from 2006 soon. Or by the end of 2007, I will settle for that.

I should be working on my Snap Cardigan, but last night the only project I had in the basket near my bed I was inspired to knit on my Sugar Maple Shawl in cashmere. I have used 200 of the 800 yards of yarn I plan to use, so I am 25% done!

A hat, a sock, and some more

I have knitting, and I can actually show some of it!

First of all, a baby hat:



I have been playing with making self-striping yarn for my Etsy shop, and this is my very first experiment. I think I'll keep playing, and maybe dye some in the Hogwarts House colors.

Then, one sock:



Yup, just one because it is for my LYS - Hollis asked me if I would knit her a sock with JoJoLand Melody. Me? Knitting a sock? Of course! We chose one of JoJoLand pattern, but I felt it was not showing off this gorgeous yarn very well, so I ripped back and decided to go with another pattern (now that I think about it, Hollis does not know this yet), the Lichen Ribbed Sock by Nancy Bush from Knitting Vintage Socks. I think that the 3x1 rib really shows off the yarn. And the heel was pretty interesting too - not sure I liked it, but hey, something new.

For more in the "I can show you this" category, it looks like both Principessa and I will have a new cardi soon:



Snap Cardigan, pattern by Leslie Scanlon, yarn: Pakucho Organic Cotton, for me and



Mia, pattern by Debbie Bliss from the book "Junior Knits", yarn: Cascade Sierra, for Principessa; and it is actually done, I just have to sew up the sides. AND, it counts for my UFO Resurrection 2007, because it was there, in the photo, number 7.

What else? I have been dyeing up a storm, new yarns, like this merino and tencel blend:



or this Blue Faced Leicester:



A lot of it is going to Foreign Strand, all the way to the UK.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?




Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?



2. Shoe size? 8.5
   


3. Foot Length? 9.5
   


4. Foot Circumference? 8
   


5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.
a. Clover Bamboo 7" 2.5 mm (US #1.5)
b. Brittany 5" 2.25 mm (US #1)
c. Bryspun 7.5" 2.75 mm (US #2)


6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?
   I would love to try the Crystal Palace or the Lantern Moon needles, any size between US #1 and #3 is fine.


7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?
   I am Gryffindor.


8. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?
   Yes

Visual DNA

I saw this on Nathania's blog and here I am:

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

April?

Seriuosly? And where did March go? And if someone finds it, can they check for February too?
This past week has been especially blurry because I fell sick on Sunday night and I slept until Thursday morning. HWME needed to be the "mom" for few days, and he is still shell shocked. I do not think he realized what a number 10 years of full time working mom guilt had done on me, and so how complicated the kids' schedule has gotten this year that I am their full time driver.

There was some knitting while I was sick (not much, HWME was very worried), it's time for the monthly check on my knit-along.

My March projects were:
- Reynolds Dover Pullover
- Debbie Bliss' Mia from the book "Junior Knits"
- Jaywalker
I finished the sleeves of the pullover, I just have to finish the edging of Mia (already picked up the gazilion stitches), and I finish my Jaywalkers:



They have been renamed "the ugly Jaywalker" - have you ever seen more hideous pooling? Knit Picks Sock Garden. So appaling I like them.

The plan for April? Keep working on Mia and finish the Simple Knitted Bodice. The list is getting shorter!

Well, the ugly Jaywalkers are for me - I can't certainly give them to someone else!

Green, pink, and yellow? I am still working on two of my blue projects. Green and yellow are not really my colors, but I have sign-up for the ISE again and I making a scarf with this: