Summer Reading

There's been a lot of writing going on out there in blogland about summer knitting to-do lists and whatnot, how about some summer reading lists?
I can recommend what's on my list (see sidebar) and how about a few additional (I'm going to try and read these too).

Listed in no particular order:

• Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
• all previous six Harry Potter books
• the DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
• More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch (I know a knitting book, but I like to read them before I plan any projects)
• Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis

I'll probably have to add more later when my brain clears up in the morning.

Feel free to add any recommendations.

Oh, and by the way, I did turn the heel (why do I always spell hell when I try to write heel?) on the cable and rib sock(the one in the middle of the pictures) and am doing the gusset. I'll try them on again when I get a little further into the instep and see if they're still too tight (I'm hoping it was just because of the dp's and I didn't want to loose any stitches off the ends).

Yarn For Thought Wednesday

Yarn For Thought

When you get stuck on a project do you--

1. put it down for a few days to a week?
2. put it down for a week to a months?
3. put it down for a month to many, many months?

And then, only then do you--

1. finish the project?
2. leave the project on needles or a holder for ever and ever until forced to remove from said needles or holder?
3. frog the entire thing and re-use the yarn?

Hmm...just curious...

Weekend Doing and Goings On

Well, I'm back. I took the weekend off from the computer. We didn't turn it on at all this weekend. No checking e-mail. No reading of my blog friends. No work. Nothing. Nada. It was great. We got a lot accomplished this weekend. Went to Home Depot, picked up a new ceiling fan for the Munchkin's room and put it in (well I didn't my hubby did). Put up blinds on my French doors so the glare won't kill me when I'm sitting in my living room. Hmm...what else, oh yeah. Cleaned out the garage ( no small feat in itself). Got rid of old furniture and moved in some new (my parents are downsizing).

On Sunday we went over to a friend's house (the Munchkin's baseball coach's house) and stayed for six hours never intending to do so, but the kids (who were in the same class this year and the same class next year) were playing and having a great time and the couple and their friends were great. I took my chocolate chip rum cake (recipe to follow) and it was a great afternoon (to early evening).

How's the knitting going you wonder? Well, as I went to finish the heel flap on the cable and rib socks, I messed up somewhere, had to go back, frog out to the top and re-do. Then, when I went to turn the heel, messed up again. Frogged again and then just put the whole entire thing aside and haven't knit anything since. This was on Saturday. So...when I get a free moment tonight (after the kids are asleep) I'll see if I can figure out what I did wrong and correct it. I just need a little quiet time to figure it out. But, I did try on the sock and it's a little tight. I may have to frog the whole thing, but we'll see. I want to turn the heel and then I'll try it on again. I'll, of course, let you all know.

So, that's been my weekend.

And the start of summer here. The Munchkin's done with school, and several of you left comments about getting out early, but they go back (both) on August 9th. I'm already counting the days!!! Not really, but you know...

Chocolate Chip Rum Cake Recipe:

1 package chocolate cake mix

1 package instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup rum (light or dark whatever you have works)

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs

3/4 cup water

about 1 cup chocolate chips (add just before pouring batter in pan)

Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased (I flour it) Bundt Pan

Bake at 350 deg. for 35 to 40 minutes or until cake tester clean. Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes and turn out onto plate. When completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Trust me, this does not need frosting.

Oh, and don't eat the batter at 7:00 in the morning! Enjoy. Let me know if anyone makes this!!!

Blue Socks Are Done!

The basic Magic Stripe Yarn Socks are done. Finished. Over. They were a good starting point for me, as the pattern was pretty straightforward and easy to follow. I think, though, that I need some practice on the Kitchener stitching. I had to think about it while I was doing it and followed the directions in the IK issue (their directions are the easiest for me to follow -- they have a picture).

I think I got the stripes matched up pretty good.

I used Lion Brand Magic Stripe Yarn in the Sea Blue (I think that's what it's called--lost the ball band, but I also noticed that it's no longer on their color list); and #2 (2.75 mm) Brittany bamboo dpn, set of 5.

Of course Ella had to help hold up my feet!

Today's the first day of summer for the munchkin. He made it to third grade (not that I thought he would have a problem) and he got the teacher he wants for next year. The little one will be a kinder and she got a great teacher too. So all in all, I'm very happy with how the school year went. Now, on to summer!!

On another note, I hope all out there have a grand and great Memorial Day!

Posting Yet Again Today

It seems like when I created my blogger account I (stupid me) mis-spelled cactusneedles. I spelled it cactusneedlles. Two L's. How dumb can I get. Anyway, I realized that there is actually a cactusneedles (spelled correctly) out there and she's also in the desert SW, surprise, surprise. So, does anybody know how this can be fixed? I hate to ask her to change, but what can be done? Ideas anyone?

My Summer Knitting Goals

I stumbled across the Skeins Her Way blog and she's having a contest. Now, I'm not one for contests (I never seem to win) but I liked the idea of this one. So here goes:
My summer knitting goals:

• finish the cable/rib socks
• design a pair of socks
• use, via knitting, the three sock yarns I have in my stash before I am tempted to buy more
• knit something I've never knitted before, ie gloves or mittens
• finish ALL unfinished projects

If you enter, be sure to mention my name (see her rule number 3).

Senior Discount !

Okay. Get this--I went to Kohl's today. Walked the entire store with small one and all I left with was a pair of $4.00 earrings. But wait, it gets better. The cashier (who was not much older than me) gave me the senior discount. The SENIOR discount!!! Mind you, I'm not a senior yet, give me about thirty years or so. But it was great. I've never gotten a senior discount before. I got those earrings for under $3.00. (And if you read my tag meme list, number 4 pops out real fast at you.)
I wish I could have found something more...but oh, well. It was fun.

Reflections on...

Okay. So, I've been out of touch for a few days and after catching up on most of my regular blog reads, I feel just want to say that I'm glad you all had great weekends, either of knitting or not, and those I tagged, again, I really, really hate doing stuff like that. I feel like I'm imposing. So, if it happens again, I'll be glad to answer the tag meme, but I'm not sure I'll pass it along, so to speak.
But as I was typing that, it seems to me that the tag meme is a way to get other people to read your blog and get a little different view of who you are outside of the knitting and possibly family (if you write of that) aspect of your life.
So, I think that it places us all outside of our comfort zone and makes us step outside of our regular thought processes, if even for a minute or two.
Enough of that. Have a great day everyone.

What I Did Over the Weekend

This statue and pond is outside a restaurant my hubby and I had lunch at on Sat. in Scottsdale called Chelsea's Kitchen (40th Street and Camelback Road). The food was great and it was all locals, so the prices weren't too steep.
We both thought this looked exactly like Ella the dog (see sidebar for photo). I think it was pretty close. If you look close, they have the dog/wolf looking down into the fountain. At first I thought it was a bear, but still had to take a picture to show you all!


Then, yesterday (Mon.) I had to play catch up. You know, when you're gone for a weekend and then you come home to piles of laundry and no food in the house for two growing munchkins. Not to mention that it was time to clean up a little bit.
But I was able to finish the blue hat while watching Heroes last night. Not a bad picture if I do say so myself (took it myself backwards in the mirror!).

(Lily, Sugar 'n Cream, 100% cotton; 70.9 g; Hot Blue; I used about one and a half balls.)
Does my hat look like the one from the mag? I think so. I think I like it better in the blue than the cream. Oh, it's from Vogue Knitting, knit.1, the Spring '07 issue. I have a whole ball and about a half leftover so I might make another one for a friend in Colorado who loves all the hats I make for her.
Slow progress on the socks, it's almost too hot, well not almost is, to think about wool socks, but I swear, this morning my feet were cold, so...I want to finish the basic Magic Stripe yarn socks and the Nancy Bush Cabled Rib socks before I dive into my IK Sock book.
Today it's the last early out Tues. for the munchkin at school, they're out on Thurs for the summer (sigh). But I signed both up for swimming lessons that start on Monday and then school starts for both in August, not too, too far away.
Hope all had a great week, and for those that I tagged, I'm sorry I really hate doing that sort of thing, but when I actually had to think about what I wrote, it was difficult.
Anyway, I hope all had a great weekend and a great start to the week. Keep knitting and showing the pictures, you all inspire me to finish my projects.

Tag, I guess I'm It

Here's the deal: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog. I've been tagged by Amanda. Okay here goes. My 7 are:

1. My grandmother taught me to knit blankets for my Barbie dolls when I was seven or eight and then I didn't start again until my son was born and I needed something to do while he slept, so I re-taught myself from many, many books.
2. I've lived in four different states since I was born (Maine, Florida, Louisiana and now Arizona).
3. I love to read and will read pretty much anything.
4. I get a kick out of getting a bargain on something, i.e. clipping coupons, sales, etc.
5. I love the fact that I don't have to cook dinner most nights (my hubby loves and is an awesome cook).
6. The smell of petunias and pipe tobacco immediately take me back to when I was a kid and visiting my great-aunt and my grandfather.
7. I love baseball. It's my all time favorite sport, but I don't really play it all that well.

So there you have it, my 7 random facts about myself. It was a lot more difficult than I would have expected, but thanks to Amanda for tagging me.

Now the hard part, whom to tag next: Knittinggal, Knit 1-Pugs 2, The Knitting Librarian, Baseball Knitter, Dipsy, Brown Berry and Tabitha Knits.

I really hate choosing people to tag and feel really dumb doing it, but when I think about what I wrote, it makes you look inside yourself for something you sometimes don't know or realize is there. Does that make sense or is it the heat talking?

Yarn for Thought

Posting a question for all of you out there.
When you knit, whatever it may be, socks, hats, mittens, gloves, sweaters, whatever -- what do you do with your yarn ball?
Do you toss it on the floor and have a long trail of yarn?
Or do you tuck it neatly next to you on the chair or couch?

This just popped in my mind last night as I was laying on the bed knitting the blue hat and just carelessly tossed the ball of yarn on the floor.
I tend to do both depending on the yarn and what I'm knitting, but just a . . .

Yarn for thought today.

Birthday Roses

Aren't they gorgeous?
I got these too on Friday. Yellow, cream, pink and light purple roses.
And a super, duper chocolate bar---yummy---it's gone already (I did share).

My Birthday Book

This is what I picked up today for my birthday (which was last Fri.) present from my hubby!!!

I want to thank all who gave me ideas on which sock book to buy. I went with this one because I thought I liked the varying patterns.

The Green Bag

Just and FYI on the pattern I used for the bag (see previous post). It's just a large rectangle, you cut out four of them (2 for the bag and 2 for the lining). I also did a light weight iron-on fusible interfacing to give a little structure. Cut the handles and sew them (like bias tape) you fold and then stitch along the edge. Sew along the side edges of the lining and partway on the bottom. If you want pockets on the inside, add them to the lining now and then you'll have whatever size to put stuff in (I usually use the leftover scraps). Then sew the side and bottom of the bag. Pin and baste the handles on the right side of the bag then put the right sides together, confusing but you put the bag, with the handles attached and tucked to the inside, in the lining right sides together (I'm stressing this because the first time I did this I got it backward) and then stitch along the top making sure you sew through the handles. Then you have to turn the bag right side out through that little opening in the lining and the tuck the lining inside the bag and then sew that opening closed. A little confusing, but if you follow the basic bag directions here or here you can make just about any size. (A google search on tote bag sewing patterns turns up a lot of different ones, too.)
If you don't understand this, then let me know and I'll try to help and make it a little clearer.
Hope all had a great Mother's Day and a grand weekend!!!!

What I did on Thursday

This great, giantic, green (enough g's for you?) fabric...

...cut out and laid out...
...into this cool, oversized, green tote bag.

That's what I did on Thursday (oh, yeah, that was yesterday) seems like so, so long ago.

Thanks to All... (and a Happy Mother'sDay)

A great big thanks to all who've left comments about which books I should treat myself to.
The main ones in the running are:

1. Sensational Knitted Socks (the copy I have right now is from the library and I like it)
2. Favorite Socks from IK
3. Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush (or any other Nancy Bush sock knitting book)

Those are the three I'm going to consider and I'll let you all know what I get.
Thanks again for taking time to answer my question. You all gave me some great ideas of what to look for.

And lastly, I hope all those of us who are mothers (to child or beastie) have a great and Happy Mother's Day.

Any Ideas Out There?

My birthday's coming up and I would like to know who recommends which sock book to buy myself for a present (I always buy myself something). I guess what I really want to know is what sock knitting books do you guys like and why would you recommend me buying it. It would be helpful as there are so many of them out there in the world to get some knitter's opinions on some of them. I know that I like the Nancy Bush socks, but which book there are so many. And I know there are many, many more out there.

Thanks for the help.

Books, books, books

Oh, I forgot. My library came through. Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan and Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. These will surely keep me busy this week. I glanced through while eating my lunch. Great books.

Blue Sock (and Hat) Monday

See the pattern? I must be liking the blues right now.
The top pict is a hat from the knit.1 magazine (Spring '07). I'm doing it in Sugar 'n Cream hot blue.
The middle pict is a sock pattern from Interweave Knits (Fall '05) called Rib and Cable Socks. It's a Nancy Bush pattern and may or may not be in the book. I don't know, I haven't had a chance to look yet. I kept all my back issues and went through them and liked this pattern the best. I'm using Brown Sheep Company Luxury Sock Yarn in Temple Turquoise.
The bottom sock is the second of the pair of Lion Brand Magic Stripe in Sea Blue Pattern.
I think after these are completed I need a new color!
What do you think?
(Oh, I don't know if you noticed, but there are a lot of links today.)
I don't know why I started the second pair of socks except that I think I was getting bored with the st st of the magic stripe sock. It's a great pattern, very easy and basic, but I needed (and my hands) a change of pattern. However, if you noticed, the rib and cable sock and the hat have a lot in common. Both I'm doing in blue (I don't know if you noticed) and both have ribbing and simple cable patterns. But the sock pattern has a good flow to it where I find myself getting lost in the rhythm of the ribbing. (It's great, as that hasn't happened to me in a long, long time.)
Hope all have a great week. Do you ever notice that all your projects are in the same color family? Does that happen to you too?

May Day...Cinco de Mayo...Kentucky Derby Day

Wow. I can't believe it's May all ready. What happened to Jan., Feb., March and April? Zoom. Zoom. Fast. That being said, I've had a weird couple of weeks. I think my job (if you can call it that) is over. I was working freelance/part time transcription and the lady who provided the work is, how shall I say this politely...gone completely crazy. So.....I think I'm done with that. But it's okay. The hubby needs lots of help in his business, so I'm just going to transition over to that. It leaves me more free time to be with the kids this summer and to do some of my blissful things, aka follow your bliss.

My blissful things list:

1. My Kids (spending time with as they grow up)
2. Reading (pretty much anything that catches my attention)
3. Knitting (well you know)

There's probably a lot more to add to this list, but these are the first three that comes to mind right now.
Anyway, enough of that.
Out here in the desert U.S., Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May) is a big day and since it falls on a Saturday...well you know, there will be lots of parties with good Mexican food.
But also on Saturday, it's Kentucky Derby day. Three minutes of the horses running. All those mint juleps. Yum.
So if I don't get back to you all this week, hope all had a Happy May Day, a great Cinco de Mayo and an awesome Kentucky Derby Day.