Excuses, excuses, E is for EXCUSES

Hi everyone, remember me? I'm the girl from Florida with the really cute cat who used to post regularly.....does it ring a bell? :)

I really do have a good excuse tho.

As tired as I am of dancing this dance yet again I'm still having those pesky lil computer problems....it's no biggie really, I'm just awaiting the third motherboard replacement in a 15 month old computer!!! Good old Gateway - I guess I was lucky to have a 9 month reprieve from their shenanigans.

So my beloved old Bessie (my 8 year old laptop) and I are limping along but she has this little flaw that makes typing up a post a long and arduous task......her cursor jumps all over without warning and deletes entire sentences paragraphs posts just as fast as I can type them! It's a nightmare!

So that's my Excuse and I'm stickin' to it!

I have been knitting so I'll muddle thru to fill you in on what's doing here at Chez Fluffy...

First up.....Socks - shocking, I know :)

I call these my Remembering Gigi socks

Some of you might know that the knitting community lost one of it's own a few weeks ago. Gigi Silva, aka Momma Monkey sadly lost her battle with Lupus.

Gigi was a generous, talented and prolific sock knitter and shared many beautiful sock patterns thru her Socktopia site. As a tribute to this wonderful women the Sock Knitters Anonymous Group on Ravelry added her patterns for our February Sockdown Challenge.

I chose to honor Gigi's memory by knitting her Fawkes pattern in her favorite color, orange.

Specs:

pattern: Fawkes by Gigi Silva

yarn: 2 skeins Claudia's Handpainted in Blue Terra Cotta

Magic Loop, 32" Harmony Circ, US#1.5 (2.5 mm)

Mods: The February Sockdown Challenge was to knit a heel that was "new to me". This sock had a band heel which was new to me but in addition I carried the pattern down the heel flap so the sock will look extra snazzy with clogs!

These were a fun yet bittersweet knit. I highly recommend any of Gigi's patterns but haven't linked to them because while her family grieves for their enormous loss, they have shut down her website. They are working with some of Gigi's friends to make all her patterns available at no cost to the knitters Gigi loved so look for that in the future...and knit an orange (or purple, the color for Lupus support) sock and raise a needle for Gigi.

And now for something completely different - orange socks!!

Posh Monkeys with Garter Stitch Heel


A few years back, this amazing yarn was a gift all the way from England from my sweet friend Emma. My Mom happened to be visiting when the package arrived and claimed this stunning yarn for her own! Who could blame her? It's a rich, juicy coral, orange and red with a touch of violet and it's cashmere!

Specs:

pattern: Monkeys by Cookie A.

yarn: Posh Lucia in the Enchanting colorway

Magic Loop, 32" US #0 (2.0mm) nickel circ

mods: The cashmere in the yarn made for less stretch and memory than plain merino so I opted for a 2x2 rib rather than the twisted rib suggested in the pattern. I had always wanted to try a garter stitch heel and the time finally arrived. Here's the close-up complete with previously unnoticed giant Pumpkin hair!


I added my standard mini-flap and gusset and the heel was so fun to do. Plus it makes a very cushy fabric. The yarn bloomed wonderfully when washed and is so so soft.

In truth, I gave these to my Mom yesterday cause she's off to visit the bro in chilly San Francisco and she says these are the best fitting socks she's ever had - woot!

I've been working on the Teal Lindissima Vest and it's coming out really pretty but I'll save that for next time, plus I need y'all to help me choose some buttons!

I of course, started some new socks....

The tried and true, old standby Pretty Comfy Socks


My non-knitter cousin went into her LYS and asked for "sock yarn" as a gift for me and the owner handed her 2 balls of Cascade Fixation and told her "this is the most popular sock yarn, everyone is using it!" Um, really?? So I'm knitting my cousin some socks from this most popular sock yarn*snark* They are kinda cute tho :)

Speaking of cute, how's this....


Is that the look of pure bliss or what? :)

Now I'm not making Excuses but I have an appt. for the mother board installation next Wednesday so I'll be back as soon as I can.

Til then, knit on!

D is for Destiny and....

I was beyond sad and I thought my tears would never stop but three years ago today this krusty, easygoing, lovable lil guy came into my life....

It was Destiny and I fell hard. Thanks for always being Delightful my Darling Kitty Man...and thanks for filling my life with a million smiles when I thought there were none! Happy Anniversary my sweet little Bubba!!

Chips, Cast-ons, Completions and Cardigans

The astute among you will guess today's post is all about the letter C

First I give you CHIPS...COLOR CHIPS that is. Guess what we
are planning here at Chez Blog de Fluffy?

Yup, we're painting the cave as soon as we can decide on what color. So many choices! Plus it's truly amazing how different the colors look in different light - what looks green in daylight looks brown under fluorescents! But the P-Man and I are having fun thinking about the possibilities!

I finally tamed the fractious beast that is the Lindissama Lace Vest.

A while back FKMom asked me for a vest "with holes like a shawl but with buttons". So I searched for the perfect lace vest and found the Lindissima. I believe it's just what Mom is looking for!

I CAST ON and then I CAST ON and then I CAST ON some more. Finally after the fifth CAST ON success was mine! You see, it's knit all in one piece so casting on 200 odd stitches and working 6 - 8 rows was no bowl of cherries...I couldn't get the gauge/fabric I preferred to coincide with a wearable size without enough math to make my brain fall out but eventually the stars aligned and the moon was in the seventh house and all is well! Have a gander....

ooo pretty!
It's a fussy pattern in that the lace is on every row for the border so there is a ton of centered double decreases thru the back loops! Oh my aching wrists (x SIX, ack!) Thank goodness for addi lace needles!

I'm using Louet Sport in Teal, a colorway Mom has drooled over admired many times before and a yarn I love knitting with. I'm really loving how it looks, I even picked out stunning silver buttons for it already :)

Now y'all know about me and socks...besides always having a sock on the needles I'm pretty adventurous and varied in what I like to knit and have knit many different patterns, both my own and others' designs.

I've got well over 100 pairs of socks under my belt but this week's COMPLETION has helped me realize MY. FAVORITE. SOCKS. EVER.

I give you the CARDIGAN Socks...

Handsome, yes?

Will ya look at that gorgeous heel? (and ignore the long overdue mani!)

Striking in any pose!

Specs:

Pattern: Cardigan Socks by Anne Hanson

Yarn: 2 skeins Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Harvest

Size US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Knitpicks Harmony Wood needles

Mods: NOT A SINGLE ONE, WHY MESS WITH PERFECTION? :)

I loved every single stitch of knitting these socks! The menage a trois of the perfect pattern with the perfect yarn (I ♥ ♥ ♥ LL shepherd sport!!) with those amazing needles made for a heavenly knit!

The sock is so cleverly designed, the charts are immaculate, the pattern is easy yet has lots of visual punch...can you tell I'm having separation anxiety?

If you want great sock, here it is my friends!

I leave you with this pic of my lil guy...

P-Man feigns disinterest but he's really jazzed about Mellow Meadow and Shady Grove :)

Have a great week!

Who're you calling a Blimp?

As you might have guessed, today's post is brought to you by the letter B!

One of my very favorite things is knowing that, depending where it's headed or returning from, I live directly in the flight path of the celebrated Goodyear Blimp!

This is the sight I see off my Back Balcony just at nightfall many an evening...This is what I saw last Friday at about 6:15 pm...

There are only three Blimps in the fleet these days and this is the Spirit of Innovation that's based in Pompano Beach, Florida, a town about 15 minutes north of me.

I'm not sure why but no matter how many times I've seen it, it still gives me a little thrill every time I do :)

You can read all about the history of the Goodyear Blimps here


Now for some Beauty--

Knitting and Knails!
Here's my latest sock and my latest mani...

Aren't they Both Beautemous? The sock is the Cardigan Sock by Ann Hanson and the knails are Kinky in Helsinki by OPI, of course. It was really hard to capture this rich, decadent color - it's a deep shimmering magenta and so so so pretty!

I am absolutely LOVING every stitch of this sock! I'm using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in the Harvest colorway and it's knitting up like a dream! The Shepherd Sport is one of my very favorite yarns anyway but combined with this clever, stunning pattern it's knitting perfection, I tell ya!

The astute among you will also notice the amazing needles I'm using...yep, those are some Knitpicks Harmony fixed circs and I am completely ♥ smitten ♥. I'm not a die hard knitpicks fan, in fact I really don't care for their yarns very much and I find their other products just ok.

I purchased my Options fixed circ cause addi doesn't make a 2.25 mm which is my "go to" needle for socks and while I'll never give up my addi's, it do like the Options for magic loop. But I had a gift certificate for KP and I figured I'd give the Harmony a try, also for magic loop and I'm so glad I did! They are smooth and strong with just the right amount of grab, have a soft, malleable cable perfect for ML and they're beautiful. What's not to love? I have no plans to purchase sizes other than for socks but having them sure makes my sock knitting even more enjoyable - imagine that! :)

I know I promised a new non-sock project but that's just gonna have to wait til next time cause I didn't think Bullocks was an appropriate B post, heh... It's a beautiful vest for my Mom but I'm having lots of gauge issues and I've frogged the bloody thing five times now. It's a really fussy pattern as well and it's getting on my last nerve! So next time, I hope.

Here's my last B....but as they say, I've saved the best for last!

Bubba sleeps
But why a B you ask? Well, I confess I've taken to calling my boy Bubba!
I'm not sure why but it's true, I've nicknamed him Bubba and I think it's kinda cute. Well we do live in SOUTH Florida after all :)

See ya next week, happy weekend!

Joined again!

The human race that is! Thanks for all the well wishes, this crud that's going around is brutal!! Achy, feverish, sore throat and the worst dizziness I've ever experienced! And I actually got a flu shot!! Oh well, at least it's in the past and the P-Man was the perfect, attentive nurse :)

I'm not that much of a joiner but I did have fun with the ABC-along of 2006. So I thought about joining the 2008 version but I wasn't sure I had another 26 interesting tidbits to share.

Then my feverish brain came up with what I think could be a cool idea...
I had such a great response to my Favorite Things post when I thought about what I wanted to say over the next year, I thought y'all might enjoy a year long "favorite things". So join I did!

To start things off, A is for Apple.....

Not just any apple here at Chez Blog de Fluffy, oh no! I give you the HONEY CRISP apple!


Developed as a hybrid between the Macoun and the Honeygold apples at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this delectable treat has only been available since 1991.

It is a slightly tart, deliciously sweet, firm apple and frankly I think it's the perfect apple! It's so crispy and wonderful to eat even people who aren't apple lovers are converted forever.

Look for Honey Crisps in your local markets or ask your green grocer to get them in next fall, you won't be sorry!

Since I'm just back from a icky flu bug interlude blog hiatus, I'll start back slowly but next week I'll reveal the Mystery Socks, show off some amazing new socks, some new knails and in an unprecedented departure from the usual, some actual non-sock knitting - imagine that! I mean, even the Queen of Socks needs a little variety, right?

Now for all of you who are suffering from P-Man withdrawal, I give you the world's best nurse...


Poor little guy's exhausted from taking care of his Mom!

Have a great weekend, see ya next week!
ETA: Drats! I forgot to measure his bunny thumper when I had the chance :(

EATA:(edited again to add) 4.75 inches! What a he man :)