Planned Obsolescence...

Is my new nickname :(

Did ya miss me, wondered where I've been? Well guess what? BOTH my computers crashed yet again!!! ACKKKKKKK!

I'm back and the good news is I have found a local computer guy who is a complete genius (love you Eric, you ROCK!!) albeit a spendy one...but worth his weight in gold!

I'm coming to you via my much beloved 7.5 year old Gateway Solo that needed a new hard drive which I installed last Monday and which died last Tuesday! Eric tells me that nowadays most of the computer companies put crap hard drives in their products that you have to have to replace within 6 - 12 months cause that's how they make their $$! Hence the planned obsolescence - Splendid! When did shoddy American "craftsmanship" become an acceptable standard? Ok, that's a whole different rant :)

And what of my other computer, you say? You mean the very expensive, still under warranty, been serviced at the evil mother ship (Gateway) and in my home five times and been thru the same # of hard drives in 18 months as well as having the processor and memory replaced twice computer? Well aside from the fact that all the Media Center software components are missing, the screen is completely black altho the lights flash, nothing comes up on the screen and the freakin thing turns itself on at off at will! Eric is sure it's the motherboard, the ONLY component that hasn't been replaced! And so the battle royale # 667 with Gateway begins only this time if I don't get a brand new computer I am filing a complaint with the South Dakota Atty. General (last time I only threatened) OK, OK this is a knitting blog so moving on....

The other good news is no computer = lots of knitting so I have 1 new FO and 1 new WIP to show you but since I only got back on line late yesterday I think I'll hold off a day or so before posting new pics.... I hope y'all understand!

I will post a pic of my studly P-Man cause at least that will make y'all smile til I'm back, right?


Aside from chicken, this is probably the P-Man's favorite thing...he loves to snuggle up next to me and have me scratch his head and nose really hard - then he opens his mouth and makes a snorgle-snuffle noise of pure pleasure. It's really cute but very hard to capture but capture it I did! Isn't he cute? :)

Ok wish me luck, I'll be back with actual knitting in a day or too! Tah!

So much love!

I never realized how many grit lovers there are in Knitbloglandia :)

So now that you all know that there actually IS a World Grits Day, make sure y'all mark your calendars for next year and join Kris for Grits n' Sticks next April 14th!

Thanks for the Blogiversary love too, your comments were all great, heartwarming and quite a giggle! I know, I know, enough small talk....you want to know who won the second annual FKD blogiversary prize!

The winner of the Knit Socks! book and STR yarn, chosen by random number generator, is Suzanne of Knitzanity! Yay Suzanne, the prize is actually winging it's way to your door step already. Hope you enjoy it!

Now for proof of the serendipity that exsists in this wonderful knitblog community, Suzanne was my Sockee for Sockapalooza 2! That's how I knew her address before I even announced the winner -- I'm not stalkin' you Suz, I promise :)

On the knitting front, I finished my "Blackberry Waffle" socks.


Aren't they pretty?

Specs:

Upsized version of Bluberry Waffle Socks

One ENTIRE skein Trekking XXL, colorway #78

US #1(2.25mm) Aero DPNs

Mods: Upsized for fluffy feet, original pattern changed to my standard yo short row heel with mini flap and gusset

These socks came out exactly as I hoped! I think the pattern is well suited to the random striping/marl of the Trekking without either competing in a garish way. The pattern was very easy to upsize. They are VERY stretchy to accomodate the fluffiest of feet as well as anyone who might have special needs because of swelling, diabetes, ect. If they were made in a manly color, they could be equally handsome for the male feet in your life.

I didn't carry the waffle pattern down the instep because I didn't want the "bumps" to cause any potential irritation inside a shoe. I did add a 5x2 rib over the instep for a more forgiving yet snug fit. All in all, I heartily recommend both the pattern and the yarn for any feet you may want to knit for of ANY size!

My Forest Path Stole and I are taking a time out. I've made it to tier 5 but I'm just not feeling the FPS love right now. Agnes, my KAL cohost finished hers (lucky girl!!) and it's stunning -- go have a peek!

I'll definately go back to my FPS soon and I know once I finish I will have a stunning stole of heirloom quality but or right now we need some time apart. Sooo.....

Still being a two project only knitter and having finished my socks, I started a new WIP while I muster up the FPS love again. Here's a lil glimpse...

I'm using a wonderful new to me yarn called Nostalgia by Berroco. It's a cable constructed, very soft, cushy cotton/microfiber blend with a very pretty and very subtle nylon filament running thru it. I'm really enjoying the yarn and this new WIP, any guesses what it is?

Here's a close up so you can see the shiny nylon filament.

I'll save the answer for my next post and I'll leave you with the mighty P-Man hanging out on his favorite window sill...kitty Tivo, dontcha know? :)

Have a great week knit buds!!

You know you might be a redneck if.....

World Grits Day is your favorite holiday!!

Well, maybe not a redneck but a southern girl for sure!

So in honor of World Grits Day Kris came up with Grits n' Sticks, an annual celebration for those of us with a love of sticks (knit or crochet) and a hankerin' for a big bowl of grits!
Check these babies out....

Cheese grits baybee!! YUM! And my current almost finished Trekking socks.

Kits also like grits....

The P-Man's a southern man, born and bred and he loves him some cheesy grits! He's getting ready to lick the bowl in this pic :)

Happy World Grits Day!!!

They say fluffy women age very well.....

And I believe it cause I know FKD hardly looks a day over 1. Be that as it may, it's true - today, April 10, Fluffy Knitter Deb is 2 years old!!

So in celebration of two wonderful years let's have another giveaway! Wait, you say, what about the last giveaway, who won?

The winner of the delicious Shine is ......

Susan Ginter of Bixby, Oklahoma!!! Susan is blogless but she promises to send me a pic of what she makes with the Shine and I'll post it for her.

So congrats Susan, I'll get your new yarn off to you lickety split! Enjoy every yard grrlfriend!!

Now back to the Blogiversary spoils :)

Giving away yarn is kinda fun, almost as much fun as getting it - almost! So here's what you can win....

First this wonderful little book with lots of nice sock patterns in it, both for the beginner and the more advanced sock knitter.

These socks were made from a pattern in this book!
It's a great book to add to any knitter's library! But wait, there's more...


400 yards of Socks That Rock medium weight in the Moss Agate colorway -- tres yummy!!

Now to win these exciting prizes, you just have to do one thing.

We all talk about the friendships we've made and the great shared resource knit bloggers are but to enter the Second Annual FKD Blogiversary Contest leave a comment in which you share your funniest, saddest, strangest, most unique or most significant experience that happened to you because you are a knit blogger. And if you're not a blogger, you can share what unique something reading knit blogs has brought to your life. And if you have nothing significant to share, wish me a happy blogiversary - come on everybody, wang chung tonight! :)

So join me in the celebration and lets hear what blogging means to you!

The official FKD mascot is waiting with bated breath, see?

He says you have til midnight Friday April 13 (ooo spooky!!) to leave your comment and win a prize so everybody dish, mmmkay? :)

They say it's your birthday, it's my birthday too, yeah.....

Test

Hi there! :)

Finally some knitting and a freebie

Thanks for all the compliments on my Carnival Throw! I'm very very happy with it and I'm glad you like it too!

Now for the good news....I have 10 assorted skeins of this wonderful Shine left over so I thought, why not share this yummy yarn with someone who's never tried Shine before? So that's exactly what I'm gonna do!


There is more than enough for a tank top, baby items, a mini blanket or even the start of a bigger blanket so if you're interested in trying out one of my favorite yarns drop me an email at FluffyKnitterDeb@comcast.net before midnight Sunday April 8th. I'll use a number generator to pick a winner and announce the lucky recipient next week! Good luck everyone!

Now for some actual knitting! YAY! I wasn't knitting at all while I was finishing up the crocheted Carnival Throw and boy did I miss it!

First up, here's the progress on my Forest Path Stole. I'm on tier #3 and I'm really enjoying it! I LOVE the color I chose (Juniper) and the Zephyr is just so nice to work with.

I do wish I was finished already just cause it's spring and there are so many spring/summer things I want to knit but I'll get there! I'm probably gonna shorten the number of tiers I do because other members of the KAL are finding the stole as written is very long. My recipient is on the petite side and I don't want the stole to wear her instead of her wearing the stole! Alas, that decision is still a long way off tho so we'll see!

On Tuesday my blogging friend Carole posted about sock knitting addiction and I confess I too have a sock knitting *problem* I had to go for my yearly check up last week and I sat in the doctor's off FOR THREE HOURS before I was seen!!! (That's a whole 'nother rant!) and I was without ANY knitting! Oh the humanity!! Oh the abject rage :)

The FPS certainly isn't portable knitting and the Carnival Throw was to big to be carting around! It was the first time I wished I was a more polygamous knitter because I NEEDED A SOCK TO KNIT!! I missed socknitting so much, I was having the ST's (sockphoria tremens) and socknitting withdrawal is not pretty!!

Thankfully all is again right with my world because of this little beauty:

She's knit with the fabulous Trekking XXL #78. I'm using the nice and stretchy Blueberry Waffle pattern for the leg and I'm winging the rest cause this is a gift for a very fluffy footed friend. I just love the vibrant color changes and altho purple is not one of my favorite colors I *really* want to keep this sock! I'm calling it my Blackberry Waffle sock and I just may have to make another for me someday cause the Trekking is just so pretty!

I found something kinda funny the other day. Remember this tank from last year? I got a new knitting book as a gift, the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume One, Knit and Purl. It's a great book with lots of cool patterns that I will definitely use for designing in the future (socks!! I just cannot help myself! heh) As I was browsing thru the pages, I spied this on page 90.....

And then this:
See? I TOLD you it was a Thistle Flower and NOT a Lotus Blossom :)

My adorable P-Man wants you all to have a great weekend and reminds you to send those emails if you want that pretty Shine yarn.

He also wants you to come back next week for yet another giveaway cause his Mom is just full of surprises! Hope your weekend is full of lots of Spring knitting!!