Video killed the radio star....

And Ravelry killed the Blogger? hhhhhmmmm, maybe....

Well, hello FKD readers and concerned fans! Yes, I'm still alive and so is the P-Man.

We appreciate all your concerned email and posts so let me 'splain....

I have not been feeling too well, I'm on my second course of antibiotics for a sinus infection that just won't quit so I'm crabby and miserable and my new super heroine name is Yeast Woman!!! (just kidding, all the yogurt and acidophilis is doing it's job!)

I've been having a bit of an existential blog crisis - after three years, do I want to subject you, my much appreciated (and missed!) readers to another pair of socks? hehe... Have I said all I need to say?

Truth is, I don't know...I miss you guys A LOT and I miss all the great things blogging has brought to my life but I confess, blogging doesn't come easy right now and if blogging becomes a chore rather than a labor of love, is it time to go or just time for a long little blog vacay?

While I don't think Ravelry takes the place of blogging, it does vie for it's time.

Maybe it's true, absence does make the heart grow fonder cause now that I'm writing this, it feels like I never left....anyone else feeling the ambivalence? Got a cure for blogger's ennui?

I leave you with this very cute picture of my kitty man...

while I further contemplate my blogging life. Any and all tips for combating the ennui will be appreciated!

I'll be back cause I have so many finished socks to show you, I need your help picking out buttons for Mom's lace vest and I miss you all!

Knit lots, hugs to most and thanks for all the love ;)

What's going on at Blog de Fluffy?

Hi everyone, Pumpkin here...

Mom asked me to come on her blog today to let you know that she's been really sick for the last week. So sick that she missed her own Blogiversary on April 10 and still so sick that she's gonna miss World Grits Day tomorrow and the Great Grits -n- Sticks Contest :(

She's even stopped doing that thing she usually does all the time with those shiny connected sticks and pretty string, can you believe it?

Anyway, she said to tell you she'll be back as soon as she feels human better and she told me I could show you how I amuse myself for hours when I'm not taking care of her....

It's better watching than American Idol, I tell ya!

See ya!

G is for .......

Good knits gone bad... but I'll get to that...

I hope you all enjoyed the movie quotes...that last one was a stumper but Melanie finally got it! If you haven't already, visit my last post for all the answers - thanks for playing!

Now back to the good knits gone bad...

Remember this?
That's Mom and Dad in their His n Hers Ribby Cardis taken in 2005, just about a year before my Dad passed away.

They both wore their sweaters very often and my Mom still wore hers a lot.

Despite having donated all my Dad's clothes to Goodwill she saved his sweater and it was the only thing left in his "side" of the armoire.

Prior to this, my Mom brought the sweaters over here for me to wash when they needed it. They are not superwash but I washed them in cold water in the gentle cycle and blocked them on my blocking board with no problem.

This time around my Mom decided that she could wash it just as easily ::::cue scary impending doom music:::: so she put it in her washer on the delicate cycle and this is what she pulled out....(smallish 7 pound kitty for scale)

as always, click to embiggen if you can stand it :)

Yep, it's an unwearable felted dickie! Even if she could get it on, it is barely long enough to cover Mom's bust now.

Turns out her machine agitates a lot more than mine plus we figured out now (d'oh!) that her "cold cycle" groundwater is probably a lot warmer then mine since mine has to come up to the fifth floor and she lives in a one story home.

Mom was just devastated and upset that all my hard work had been ruined but....there is some good news even when good knits go bad....

As bittersweet as it is, my Mom is glad to have a reason to wear my Dad's sweater. She's glad that it won't just be sitting in the closet looking lonely anymore and it gives her some comfort to "feel" my Dad's sweater giving her a hug.

Plus a certain someone seems to have found a new object of his affection......

From the minute I put it down to take a picture, Pumpkin's interest was most definitely piqued!

He kneads it constantly while purring like a motorboat and he bunny kicks it when he wants to play and he's even made it his new bed...

And even when he's not sleeping on it, he's defending his turf!
So in the end, good knits gone bad aint so bad afterall -- Mom's happy, the P-Man is happy and I have great blog fodder even tho it cost me a sweater! :)


On to the knits that survived the carnage, heh.

Annetrelac Socks!

The Sock Knitters Anonymous Challenge for March was entrelac and despite having knit entrelac a few times before I couldn't think of a pattern to show of this gorgeous Bearfoot yarn any better!

Specs:

Annetrelac socks by Sandy Beadle, Interweave Knits, Holiday 2007

1 skein Mountain Colors Bearfoot, Goldrush colorway

Mods: Bearfoot is a "beefy" fingering weight yarn with little memory because of the mohair content. I cast on 64 stitches (instead of 72) with a 2.5 mm 32” circ. Because entrelac is knit on the bias it often swatches out with a much higher gauge than regular circular knitting. To compensate for that I switched to a 2.0 mm when I started the entrelac and decreased to 36 stitches so I had six “squares” in each round rather than the 8 the pattern had.

After 9 rounds of the entrelac I returned to the 2.5mm needle and increased back 64 stitches.

I added a mini flap of 8 garter rows and then worked a garter stitch short row heel over 32 stitches.

I then decreased the gusset down to 60 total stitches for the foot. (32 for the instep/28 for the sole)

I also added a 6x2 rib to the instep for a snug fit.

I knit for a size 10.5 mens shoe and I had a tiny bit of yarn left over.

Here's a close up of the wonderful heel

As an aside, this was my second garter stitch short row heel and I totally ♥ it!! It's a great fit, looks sharp and despite having to double wrap the short rows, you don't have to pick up the wraps because of the texture of the garter stitch hides them and best of all - NO HOLES!! :)

All in all, an easy knit with a jazzy end product - I give the yarn and pattern two thumbs up!

Speaking of thumbs....and the rest of my knails, yuk yuk yuk...

Here's my latest sock with my latest knails...

The sock is called "Pink Blossom" and I'm test knitting it so no links (but it's WAY cute!) the yarn is Panda Cotton in the Ember Glow colorway, and the knails are OPI Brights Collection in "Color Me Blue"....I've been noticing a lack of blue in my color palate of late so I thought I'd rectify that in a big way :)

Also please note what the sock is leaning on....yep, it's baaaaaack!!!

Keep your fingers crossed that she keeps working and the P-Man and I will be back soon. Have a great weekend and knit lots!

Still waiting.....

I still await my computer's return to it's usual spot so when all else fails, meme right? Plus I have an important announcement to make at the end of this post :)

I've seen this meme on lots of blogs but it appears not many bloggers love the movies I do so I thought I'd give you the Chez FKD version....

The rules:

• Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
• Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
• Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
• Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
• Looking them up is cheating. Please don’t.

1- I won't love you for the rest of your life, I'll love you for the rest of mine - Phenomenon - Katy delurks to answer this one

2- If you don't tell me what's on your mind, I'm afraid I'll have to smother you with a pillow - The Green Mile - good job, Stephanie

3- What do we do now? It'll come to us - Meet Joe Black - spot on danagirl

4- Something's happened to me since I met you that I wasn't expecting... And I wasn't... expecting -- heh, repetition of 'expecting' I must buy a thesaurus-- anyway... - Sliding Doors - Jana got this one and I'm totally impressed :)

5- Do you believe in pre-marital sax? - St. Elmo's Fire - way to go becky c

6- Yo Osama. Plan the Jihad on your own time. - Crash - yay! Kelley got it!

7- Miguel....I'm ready... - Philadelphia - Jana got this one too!

8- The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return - Moulin Rouge - icesk8ie knows her musicals! (mmm Ewan!)

9- You once wrote, there comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place and the universe opens it’s self up for a few seconds to show you what’s possible - from Field of Dreams - Desert Rat got it!

10- Don't bark at me! I didn't name you! - As Good As It Gets - I can't believe this one took so long but Melanie finally got it!

Have fun!!

Y'all yelled at me last year for not alerting you in advance so this year I'm giving y'all two weeks notice.....

April 14 is once again WORLD GRITS DAY!!!
So get you some butter, some cheese, some salt and pepper, a bit of tabasco (I like mine green!), even some red eye gravy if you're so inclined and have yourself a big, yummy bowl of grits!

And once again Kris of The Knitting Wannabe and Sonny and Shear is sponsoring her annual Sticks -n- Grits event! Woo Hoo!!!

Just whip up a bowl of the good stuff, let it pose with your sticks and whatever WIP you've got on em, take a pic and post it to your blog....then let Kris know by leaving a comment on her blog and you could win some groovy prizes!


Pumpkin says, you've been officially notified!

I'll be back in a few days with a finished pair of socks that are really wonderful, vest progress and whatever new socks I start and a fixed computer, I hope!....see ya soon!

Better late than never!

Did you know that tomorrow night at 8pm is

EARTH HOUR?

The P-Man and I will be doing our part, won't you join us please?