Is it Groundhog day?

Remember the movie with Bill Murray where he relives the same day over and over again? Well I feel like I'm living that movie! Guess why....

As tired as I am of whinging about my computers I feel the need to continue my documentation because frankly if I wasn't living it I would never believe it myself! Not one but BOTH computers bit the dust in the last 10 days!! I shudder to think what bad karma I'm working off from a past life to deserve all this! :)

The six year old laptop had a brand new hard drive that died one month and one day after purchase. Turns out good old Gateway sold me a hard drive that was incompatible with this older laptop so it worked for a while then crashed. The replacement they sent was so incompatible the motherboard couldn't even read it at all! I know this now because a wonderful NON-GATEWAY computer genius came over yesterday to figure this out! He popped in the right hard drive and voila, FKD returns to the fold! Luckily it was NOT the $700 motherboard repair the geniuses at Gateway claimed was needed! Do you know how a technician earns the status of "senior technician" at Gateway? He finishes his new-hire probationary month!!! Sheesh!

As for computer #2, that one just died completely yet again! It's back to Gateway for yet another "complete diagnostic overhaul" since it has been a mere 50 days since it's last one! I've come to find out that Gateway won't completely replace my system until they've attempted to repair it three times....unfortunately this small fact was withheld from me until now because altho this system has crashed four times already, two of those times I allowed them to send me a new hard drive which I then installed myself so technically this is only the "second" repair. Actually Gateway has already replaced my whole system twice...yes, this is my third "new" computer since January 2005! Unbelievable, isn't it? I can't wait to see what they discover this time!

On to less upsetting topics...my annual gyn exam! Just kidding, hehe....bring on the knitting content!

Here's the first four pattern repeats of the Lotus Blossom tank

Personally I think the motifs look more like thistle than lotus blossoms but I'm loving how this is coming along! I love the way the yarn works with the pattern and it is so soft and drapey! The pattern calls for 5 pattern repeats but I'm doing at least 6, possibly 7 so I have a way to go. Luckily it's still hotter than Hades here in sunny SoFla so I'm sure I'll be able to wear it this season. Considering I was a this point before I frogged the first incarnation, I'm eager to finish and start something new!

Speaking of something new, unfortunately the green cashmere of my last post met an untimely demise! The yarn was a gift so I don't know much about it but it turned out to be far too fragile to knit with! The yarn kept breaking as I knit with it and I finally had enough! Even cashmere isn't worth it if it makes you miserable, right!

I did however, start a new sock for Socktoberfest and I am completely THRILLED with my new sock....I give you Hedera from Knitty

I'm using Fleece Artist merino sock yarn (my first experience!) and let me tell you this is YARN!! Sooo soft, perfect stitch definition and such gorgeous color! This is the Melon colorway and it just gleams with soft yellows, pinks and oranges! What a splendid yarn and a fun pattern, everything a socknitter wants! Now if I could just find a computer to make me as happy...at least I have the P-Man to cheer me!

What a stud muffin, right?

No matter how frustrating life can get, how could anyone resist that face?

T is for TMI

Well maybe not too much info but since the "10 knitterly things" meme is making the rounds and Lolly has put out the call for us to share our sock knitting histories I thought I'd use this post to fill in some of the potholes in the FKD information highway!

10 Knitterly Things about Me
1- I’m a 2 project knitter – a sock and a larger project are my WIP’s ONLY, no exceptions. More and I get very anxious and it’s just not worth it.

2- I have been a knitting instructor on a few different occasions so I can throw and knit left handed but my method of choice is continental, right hand dominant knitting.

3- I never purchase yarn “just because”… all the yarn in my stash is earmarked for specific projects although I reserve the right to change my project queue if I so choose by subbing said yarn for a new project.

4- I knit every single day even if it’s just a row or two. I feel like something’s “not right” if I don’t.

5- I have no desire to own a LYS unless I were wealthy enough to hire someone to run it for me and I could just be there, hang out and knit. I think turning my hobby into a job would completely kill it for me.

6- I think have a genetic defect in I that I absolutely DO NOT get the whole spinning thing. The process leaves me cold and quite frankly very little of the handspun yarn I see has any personal appeal for me at all! It’s just too rustic for my taste.

7- The only pattern I ever knit without making one single change was my Pomatomus sock. Mostly I see patterns as my palette to customize as it pleases me but Pomatomus was perfect right out of the gate! (well done Cookie!)

8- I almost never knit for babies. I just think my knitting time is better spent on a garment that can be worn indefinitely and I’ll gladly purchase a store bought baby gift instead.

9- Sometimes I intentionally close my eyes and knit…I have a (irrational) fear of losing my sight and sometimes I’ll knit “blindly” just to make sure I can if I ever had to!

10- When I first came back to knitting after a 15 year hiatus, I was so eager for knitting companionship I purchased only “see thru” knitting bags in the hope someone one would notice and say “is that your knitting, I knit too!” It worked a few times too :)

Now, in honor of Socktoberfest, here's the FKD sock saga :)

I learned to crochet and knit when I was eight but honestly I did more crocheting than knitting. I did the occasional sweater but mostly I was the lime green crochet poncho queen! After all it was the 70's!

When I was about 12 I found a booklet on sock knitting at a yard sale and I thought "wow, I didn't know you could knit socks too!".

The next week my Mom took me to Woolworth's to get the supplies that the sock booklet described. This included a few sizes of Marcia Lynn double pointed needles ...these came in sets of four, were shiny pastel aluminium and the "bargain" line put out by Susan Bates. (I still have them, 30 years later!) Unfortunately there was a very poor selection of fingering weight yarn so I came home with six skeins (2 each) of white, hunter orange and electric pink ACRYLIC yarn.

I came home and followed all the steps in the booklet and taught myself how to use DPN's...I was quite the fearless knitter in my youth! I whipped up three pairs of socks for my Mom that she actually loved and wore forever! She made them her bedsocks and believe me they came in handy for cold New York winter nights!

Surprisingly tho, after I knit those three pair, altho I kept knitting, I didn't knit socks again until 2002. I was about to purchase my first home and the process was stressing me out big time! I hadn't picked up a knitting needle in 15 years because once I moved to Florida there were NO LYS and I wasn't into the Big Box store offerings because if you think it's bad now, you can imagine what was available before knitting became "hip"....yikes!!

Of course in my 15 year knitting absence, the Internet had been born! I was sitting in my living room thinking I HAD to find something to keep my mind occupied while I was coping with home loans, inspections, ect. So I typed "hobby" into my browser and one of the hobbies that popped up was "knitting"!! I got this really warm feeling remembering how much I had loved to knit 15 years earlier and I thought it would be the perfect diversionary activity!! So I typed in "knitting" and my laptop practically exploded!! So many knitting sites, so many choices!!!

I clicked on site after site and I noticed a common thread, they were all promoting SOCK KNITTING!! This was around the time the first self striping sock yarns were being released so sock knitting had come into vogue! And so many gorgeous yarns...a far cry from my electric pink acrylic! Oh I thought, I could get into this in a big way {big foreshadowing moment!} So I placed an order for some lovely autumn colored DK weight wool, dug out my old trusty Marcia Lynn DPNs and the rest is history. My first socks in 30 years are still in play, keeping a friends toes warm in th UK.

Now, 4 years, many needles of all types and many many skeins of gorgeous sock yarn later, here I am celebrating another Socktoberfest and the companionship of sock knitters from every corner of the world and every walk of life :)

Now more of Lolly's Socktoberfest survey ....

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

There are so many stunning sock yarns available that I love. The short list would include Lorna's Laces, both Shepherd Sock and Sport because the colors are rich and glorious and the yarn is soooo soft as well as Trekking, Fleece Artist and Cherry Tree Hill! In fact it would be easier to document the ONLY (to date) sock yarn I hate and will NEVER use again.....Brown Sheep WILDFOOTE! It's splitty, twisty and just nasty in general and life's too short to knit with miserable yarn! Now the Wildfoote handpaint isn't so bad and I would use it altho I wish whatever is done to the handpaint to make it worth knitting with would carry over to the "luxury {ha!!} sock yarn" line! And "inexpensive" doesnt mean crap yarn to me because Paton's Kroy is super cheap and one of my favorites as is Plymouth Sockotta! And let me just say right here, to me, there is no such thing as bad pooling!! I love love love handpainted sock yarns and love it when the colors flash and pool! Isn't it great that there's something for every knitter!

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

I've never crocheted socks, in fact I thought they would look horrible and feel all bumpy BUT to my surprise, done well, they are quite beautiful! My knitting group coordinator, Kim, is an expert crocheter and she crochets socks that will knock your...well, socks off! I might even try it myself someday under Kim's expert guidance!

I tried 2 circs briefly and LOATHED it! I use magic loop when it suits the yarn I'm using (the 2.5 mm vs a true US #1 that is 2.25mm) but honestly I hate the dragging of the cables around and feel like I spend more time dragging than knitting so gimme my DPN's every time! I love the flow of using them and they just feel so good in my hands. I personally own the following brands of DPN is sock knitting sizes .....Brittany Birch, Pony Pearl, Bryspun, Comfort Needles (hate these, too bendy) Skacel bamboo, Plymouth bamboo, Skacel metal, Regia metal, Clover bamboo and my two favorites...Cryrstal Palace bamboo and Aero teflon coated metal!

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

I was a diehard heel flap girl cause I hated the fit of short rows....too short in the heel cup and kept slipping into the shoes even tho I love the look and the less bulky heel. Flap heels are usually 2 -3 inches "tall" where short rows are usually less than 2! So I thought, "how do I make a short row heel tall enough to cup my heel like a flap heel?" and the mini-flap with gusset heel was born! It's the best of both types of heels and provides a perfect fit every time! There is a tutorial on this on my side bar and the Lizzie's Lacy Ribs pattern utilizes this method as well for those that are interested. Now the mini flap and gusset combined with the Priscilla Gibson-Roberts yarn over short row heel is now my default heel for all socks!

How many pairs have you made?

In the last 4 years I've knit about 100 pairs for friends, family and charity, I've also knit 2 pair for myself. Wanna see my favorite?

I knit these for Mom a few years ago and she loves em! Yes La, they are entreLACK but they were so fun to do and I think this is the perfect marriage of yarn and pattern (Lorna's Laces shepherd sock in daffodil and A Step Above Socks from Knitter's magazine)

So thanks for listening to the Fluffy Knitter Tales! The P-Man says have a good weekend, see ya next week!

S is for socks, slippers, and so far so good among other things

So far so good on the computer/broadband front! Even tho I still await the replacement hard drive there's just too much stuff to catch up on (like the ABC Along for one) so I'm forging ahead! Thanks for all the support and empathy for the fact that I live in the Computa Triangle (hee!) Best comment from the last entry? Dorothy who asked if I had seen Jimmy Hoffa! Thanks for the best giggle in a long time D!

I've been meaning to ask this for a long time and in my many absences it's fallen by the wayside for too long so here goes...

Why don't bloggers make pictures able to embiggen?

Now my eyesight is pretty good but often when I surf around Knitbloglandia I see such pretty sights that I want to take a closer look. I click on the picture and nothing happens and I gotta wonder WHY? Is it hard with some blogging services to do? More expensive for those that don't use free blogging services? My plea to fellow knit bloggers, please enable embiggen capabilities cause isn't seeing all the juicy stuff on everyone else's blog one of the reasons we visit? Aside from the humor, companionship, friendship of course :)

Now for some long awaited knitting content!

First up we have Rob's Twined Rib Redux with a lil sprout to donate to CIC

Specs:

Adult sock: Rob's Twined Rib (free pattern on side bar >>) using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Cedar and Camouflage, size #2 (2.75 mm) Crystal Palace bamboo DPN

Mods to pattern: changed from flap heel to yo short row heel with mini flap and gusset and used a standard wedge toe instead of the star toe used in the original pattern.

Child's sock: 2 x 2 rib, toe up, using the Turkish Cast-On. YO short row heel.

I adore this soft, richly colored yarn cause it makes the coziest, quick, handsome socks and the pattern is fun and easy!

Next, the Lotus Blossom tank makes her actual debut:


This is one and a half pattern repeats post frog pond visit. As many of you complimented when I posted her as the mystery birthday contest project, I LOVE how this yarn is working up in this pattern! It's Needful Yarn's Kelly in colorway #100. It's a soft, cabled cotton acrylic blend that knits up beautifully with fabulous stitch definition, comes in lovely colorways (and in solids too, called Kim) stands up well to frogging *blush* and is totally cheap with good yardage!!

I'm very happy with this pattern so far altho I'm planning lots of mods but I'll share those when I have more progress to show!

Now I bring you the felted slipper parade! First we have FK Dad's in Admiral and Turquoise Elann Peruvian Highland wool:


The over felted pair that became Brittany's on the left and FK Mom's on the right, both in Grape Harvest and Antique Violet Elann Peruvian Highland wool. (I ran out for Mom's soles)


And here's the bottom of Dad's showing of the Fiber Trend Suede Slipper bottoms which are on all three pairs:


I like how these slippers came out altho I found the felting a bit tricky. It was very hard to get just the right size and work out all the unwanted lumps and bumps which matter much more in a slipper than a felted bag.

The construction of these clogs is completely brilliant and a quick, fun knit that makes up a sturdy attractive slipper. My only complaint was that the suede bottoms were VERY hard to sew on and made me feel like my hands were bleeding while I did it! I'm not kidding, it was so painful to do I almost cried! If I ever make these again, I will get the paint on stuff for slipper bottoms and give the sew on ones a miss! Otherwise I heartily recommend this pattern!

Here it is, October so what does that mean here at Chez FKD? Why it's


of course!!
Lolly has been kind enough to coordinate this fabulous event again this year!

Here's my first entry:


It's a cashmere merino blend sport/DK weight footie of my own design. I figure it was only proper for cashmere to kick off the Socktoberfest festivities and this is some very nice yarn! It's supposed to be a gift but it's so soft and such a lovely green, it's gonna be hard to give away, especially since Pumpkin's already in love with it!

Whew! What a post, so much catching up! One last note....I've mentioned that I have no LYS so I do all my shopping thru Internet vendors. My favorites have a special place on my side bar and when I find a vendor that makes me happy I want to share it with my fellow knitters!

If you want amazing, exemplary customer service, a real attention to detail, a great selection and prices, fast service and a professional who does everything with a vitual smile on her face head over to The Loopy Ewe and give Sherri a shout and you wont be sorry! She's simply GREAT!! She offers discounts, free shipping over $50 and lovely little gifts in appreciation of her customers and makes you feel like your business is her #1 priority unlike some other Net vendors! Plus she's got Claudia's Handpaint, woot! Go on, show Sherri the love!

It's cooling off, the humidity is down, (AND NO "H"'s, WOO HOO!!) the sun is shining and the P-Man can't get enough of the glorious Florida weather!

He's glad to be back and hope your week is full of sunshine and lots of knitting!

Here we go again!!

So I haven't posted since the birthday contest winner....bet you can't guess why?
Believe it or not, I had yet another hard drive bite the dust!! I purchased it on August 20, it died on Sept. 21!!! The good news is, it's the hard drive I purchased for my old "backup" laptop because of all the trouble I've been having SINCE JUNE 2005 with my "new" Gateways.

And why didn't I use the hard drive intact, new Gateway (that finally is working, praise all things holy!!) to do a little posting you ask? Because of course, my broadband connection is a complete dud! I drop the signal every few minutes and I can't get anything done, including blog posts! The computer finally works and the connection sucks, I can't win! Apparently I live in the Bermuda Triangle for computers! Look there goes Big Foot, he's got Nessie in tow and I buried Paul....sheesh!

I've had four service men out here and so far the broadband seems to be working. They discovered the coding had mistakes in it for my modem and router. At this point I'm thinking 2 cans and a string might be more productive!

I'm not gonna post my knitting updates cause I don't wanna push my luck til I'm sure the fix is working but I will share this beautiful Saturday Sky I took this evening just at twilight....

That's a wicked rain shower off in the distance with the last of the sundown above it. Florida isn't particularly scenic. In fact it's flat and brown for the most part but we do have us some awesome skies!

Of course I can't post without a P-Man pic for his adoring fans....

I'll be back early next week to post lots of knitting stuff so til then enjoy your weekend and knit on!

And the winner is.....

Thank you for all the kind birthday wishes! I had a great birthday and it ain't over yet! Dontcha just love birthday MONTH?

Let me show you some of my favorite yarny gifts....

On the left we have 500+ yards of super soft sock yarn expertly handpainted by yarn dyer extraordinaire, La of JenLa fame.

On the right we have 2 stunning skeins of Handmaiden Sea Silk from yarn enabler and friend Karen of Yarn is My Metier

Pumpkin has a special interest in these prezzies, can you guess why?


See? He's cracking open an eye to peek because the name of the yarn on the left is called "It's the Great PLUMPKIN Charlie Brown"....get it? Plum + pumpkin = Plumpkin and the yarn on the right is 2 skeins in the colorway....wait for it.....PUMPKIN !

Auntie La also sent these along for you-know-who...


I'm beginning to think I should change the name of the blog to

PUMPKIN THE WONDER CAT ....oh yeah, and the knitter he let's bask in the glory that is P-Man cause she can type!

Now on to the great and wonderful BIRTHDAY PRIZE!!


How's that for some serious sock knitting booty? That's 2 skeins (clockwise) of Elann Sock It To Me, a skein of Meilenweit, 2 skeins of Wildfoote Handpaint, a skein of Trekking XXL, 4 skeins of Koigu KPM soild in two colors, a skein of Sockotta and a skein of Opal Petticoat. And the winner is.....

Holly of Woolly Mutts!!!

Congrats Holly and thanks to everyone for playing along and making my birthday even more enjoyable!

Of course most of you knew that the mystery project was the Lotus Blossom Tank from Interweave Knits, Summer 2006 but that's ok, I wanted it to be easy :)

Next year I'll make it much harder, maybe!

As I mentioned in my last post the bit of the tank you saw in the original mystery post has splashed into the frog pond - boy ripping out almost 20,000 stitches really made me wanna weep but that's the good thing about knitting - you get as many "do overs" as you need when you don't listen to that nagging voice inside your head!

I've restarted the tank and have completed one pattern repeat. I've also finished re-knitting (and re-knitting and re-knitting) Mom's clogs and they are about to be tossed into the wash for a successful felting, fingers crossed. I'll update you on both of these projects in my next post when there's more to see.

I was lamenting the dearth of birthday chocolate yesterday afternoon when there was a knock on my door....Hark! It was a delivery man bearing a lovely gift bag with a big birthday balloon tied to it.

Inside the bag was a big golden box with 12 of the biggest, juciest, yummiest dark chocolate hand dipped strawberries from my good friend Shawna! O baybee are those things dee-lish! Thanks for saving the day, girlfriend! I'd show you how gorgeous these are were but I can't find my camera I'm too lazy to get the box strawberries are not at all photogenic I don't want to torture you unnecessarily...yeah that's it!

Of course the P-Man enjoyed this present too. Here he is warily contemplating this weird thing now tied to his scratching post....

Hey!! I may have finally found a way to get him to use his scratching post without the bribe of 1000's of treats!



Happy Humpday and may there be lots of good friends, good wishes and chocolate covered strawberries in your week!

It finally stopped raining but I've misplaced my knitting mojo!

It's been raining here almost constantly for the last three days....I'm not complaining mind you, rain is MUCH better than the dreaded "H" and I read somewhere that since those "H" things occur to dissipate the heat, the more rain you have, the less likely you are to have an "H" in your area. So of course I say, bring on the rain!! :)

The rain did let up for a bit just at twilight so I snapped this pic for my first

Isn't it a beauty?

This is the view from the catwalk in front of my condo, looking south.

At least the evensong sky is beautiful cause my knitting is giving me fits....I'm finally happy with my Dad's felted clogs after many trips thru the wash, now if they would just dry.

I re-started the pair for my Mom because if you recall, the pillowcase zipper broke on the first attempt and that pair was TOO felted and now will fit my seven year old neighbor Brittany! I knit the first of the new pair, no problem....then knit the second...and when I went to compare them, one was MUCH bigger than the other!! The pattern has you use a second smaller circ to pick up the stitches for the "collar" and sole and of course you know the punchline....I picked up the size 11 addi instead of the size 13 and knit happily away....D'OH!!!! So rip, re-knit redux......REdiculous!

In addition, the "secret birthday" project is now one big ball of yarn! You know that knitting denial that grabs you when you love how a pattern is turning out and you don't want to listen to that inner voice that says, "you'll be sorry"? Well after FOUR pattern repeats (um, that's 74 rows on 220 stitches!!!) I had to listen to that voice because the "secret birthday" project was gonna be too small :(

I've already re-cast on (are you sensing a theme here? sheesh!) so the P-Man wants me to remind you that you still have 24 hours to leave your guess as to what I'm knitting in my comments to win the wonderful yarny GRAND FKD BIRTHDAY PRIZE!!

This picture came out dark but I love the placid look on Pumpkin's face and the cute way his little feet are tucked under him. He's leaning against his scratching post that we are painstakingly trying to learn to use!

And just for some Saturday yuks, I'll leave you with this lil guy I found while surfing.....


Monday is the big day so I'll be back Tuesday or Wednesday to announce the winner and show off some of the birthday spoils! Have a great weekend and good luck!!

It's my birthday and I'll have a contest if I want to!

Well, another year older *sigh*, it's almost the FK birthday so......

Let the festivities begin!

Before we get to the fun stuff, I'll get you up to date on the knitting front.

First a big thanks for all the lovely compliments on my AV shell, it's become a real favorite in the FKD wardrobe!

I finished knitting and felting the clogs for the FK 'rents but you wont see them just yet because they are taking FOREVER to dry plus I got a bit over zealous on the felting for Mom. The good news is I now have a Christmas present for Pumpkin's favorite buddy, my 7 year old neighbor, Brittany...oops...the bad news is, I'm knitting another pair for FK Mom and I'll pray the zipper on the pillowcase doesn't break this time and felting can be a bit less vigorous :)

A reader asked what I'm doing for the bottom of the clogs so they wont be so slippery. I purchased the Fiber Trends Suede Slipper Bottoms and I'll show you how they look once the clogs dry and I can attach them.

You know there's always a sock OTH here at Chez FKD and here's my current toe warmer wannabe --


If these look a bit familiar it's probably because the FREE pattern has been sitting over there>>> on my side bar for all to enjoy! I'm revisiting these for a special friend (not Rob, hehe) because it's such a cool, manly pattern and because Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport is my very favorite sportweight sock yarn! It's sooooooo soft, it makes knitting a complete pleasure! Of course I'm doing my *patented* mini-flap and gusset short row heel instead of the flap heel the patten was written for but it's still a great sock....you know you have some men in your lives who need a he-man sock and the holidays are just around the corner...just sayin'!

Now for the good stuff....

The First Ever FKD Birthday Contest

It's an easy contest....all you have to do is look at this pic of my current project....

And try to guess what pattern I'm working on!
It's a pattern I've seen on a few blogs, in fact there's a Knit-a-Long in progress (altho I'm not participating because I'm kinda late to the game cough:::hint:::cough!)

All you have to do is leave your guess in my comments and you'll be eligible for the amazing FKD Birthday Prize!!! I'll use a random number generator to select the grand prize winner.

You have until midnight EST next Sunday night, September 17, the eve of my actual birthday to leave me a guess to be entered in the contest!

Easy peasy, right? Oh what's the PRIZE you ask? Well.....

Being an avid sock knitter I'm alway eager to enable another member into joining the club so I've put together a very juicy (if I do say so myself) sock yarn bonanza prize package....it will be a wonderful surprise but think a little Koigu, maybe some Cherry Tree Hill or some Opal, some Miellenweit, some handpainted Wildfoote (the good stuff!), a bit of Trekking XXL.... a very well rounded sock knitting sampler will be had by the winner!

So come celebrate my birthday with me and YOU could get the present!

The P-Man wishes you all GOOD LUCK at guessing the project

And says his lips are sealed but any and all *donations* of chicken, salmon or sausage and artichoke pizza will be greatfully accepted and not be considered a bribe in any way!

Happy guessing!!

United We Stand....

WE REMEMBER.....

Sometimes ya just gotta say WTF (even if it isn't Wednesday!)

So, WTF, I'm posting even tho I'm still getting weird error messages cause I miss you guys!!

In case you were wondering, here's a brief summary of "The Tales Of Gateway or How My Computer Ate My Brain!"

This is my THIRD new computer in 18 months, my third new hard drive and my second new fan....and I'm now getting "Fatal Error - fan malfunction" messages again! Also this will be my FOURTH letter to the CEO! The good news is everytime I write Mr. CEO I get an upgrade so my current "Media Center" laptop has a ginormous hard drive, a 4 year total replacement/accident warranty, tons of memory and a 17 inch sony monitor that I could use as my TV! But what good is a kickass computer that doesn't work for more than a week? *sigh* So I'm waiting for a senior technician to call me back yet again, and see where we go from here *sigh redux* My geriatric but trusty other laptop also bit the dust recently but it simply needed a new hard drive....it's my third for that one too, except that one is six years old!! I suppose I should be grateful nothing has burst into flames yet! So the saga continues.....

On to more interesting subjects....

Pumpkin says thanks for reading all about him and he hopes you enjoyed his quirks...See? All that typing tired him out!

After much ado, I bring you my latest FO....

The Adrienne Vittadini Cabled Shell

The money shot...

And a close up of all those neverending beautiful cables...

Specs:

Cabled Shell from Adrienne Vittadini Spring/Summer 2006

11 Skeins Rowan All Seasons Cotton in Framboise

Addi Turbo US #6 (4 mm)

Mods: I was unable to get gauge substituting the ASC for the recommended yarn so I actually knit the medium size to achieve the 48" finished measurement of the 1X size. I added 1.5 inches to the suggested length and used short rows and a 3 needle bind off for the shoulders.

This was my first time using the "cabling without a cable needle" technique and I love it! I had played around with the technique before but it never "took". With every other stitch being cabled every 4th row on this shell I figured I'd give it another try and I'm sure glad I did! If I had to use a cable needle I'm sure I would still be knitting this! Once I started I had that AH HA! moment and off I went and I never dropped a stitch! For anyone planning to make this shell I strongly suggest you learn to cable without a cable needle too!

I'm really happy with the finished product....it was fun to knit and the fit is great! The pattern, like most AV patterns is kind of "do it yourself" in that they give you the basic pattern repeats and you work out the incorporation of the decreases while keeping the cables twisting as they should. For that reason I wouldn't recommend it to a beginning knitter. I also would knit this in a light cotton/microfiber blend like All Seasons Cotton because with all the cabling this could be one HEAVY shell without the microfiber to lighten it up.

Of course what would FKD be without some socks to show off?

Specs:

Lovely Lace socks - Interweave Knits Spring 2006

US #1 (2.25 mm) Aero Teflon DPNs

Louet Gems Pearl in Fern

These were a fast, fun knit....I especially love the dainty picot edge altho I did mine with a provisional cast on rather than the sewn method suggested in the pattern. I also changed the heel to my standard yo short row with mini gusset. The yarn is wonderful to work with and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this color! As an aside, a commenter asked what needles I used for the Pomatomus socks from an earlier post....I've been told that the Cherry Tree Hill I used for my Pomatomus socks starts its life as undyed Gems Pearl so I use a #1 (2.25 mm) for both the Pearl and the CTH.

From the ridiculous to the sublime....from teenie #1 needle to ginormous #13's for these beauties....

These are the Felted Clogs from Fiber Trends for Mom and Dad

Pumpkin even agreed to wake up from his nap to give you some perspective on the size of these pre felted whoppers....


Dontcha love this pic? The P-Man looks so regimental :)

I had a lot of catching up to do so this was a lengthy entry! Next post I'll share the slippers post felting, my current socks OTN and a new project which brings me to the last bit of exciting news....

September is my birthday month so to celebrate I'm holding my first contest!! So stay tuned for info because it involves my new project and a nice yarny prize for MY birthday!

It's good to "see" you all again....the P-Man and I have really been missing you!

Knit lots everyone!

Cats of Knitbloglandia, UNITE!

Hey there, it's me, the P-Man....

My buddy Meezer over at Knit Nana tagged me for a meme. I'm supposed to tell you five weird things about me.....

Of course being as devastatingly handsome and cute as I am, there IS nothing weird about me...well ok maybe I do have a quirk or two (or five!)

Ok here goes....

1- Whenever I see my Mom, I chirrrp with happiness! I rarely meow but when I'm happy or excited I trill and chirp and whenever people come to visit I greet them with a welcome chirrrp....that's hardly weird right?

2- Every chance I get, I wedge myself between my Mom's ample butt and whatever chair she's sitting in...it's so warm and cozy, it's the best place to sleep! And it makes me laugh because it freaks Mom out when she thinks she's squishing me with her big butt, haha!

3- My favorite food is sausage and artichoke pizza! I know I'm not supposed to eat it but whenever my Mom gets some I make my cutest begging face and she always gives me a bite! Ha, what a softie!!

4- I love trying new things...once when I was a tiny kitten my Mom made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on some whole wheat bread....she left it on the coffee table while she went to answer the door and I ate the whole thing! It was soooo good but she never gives me PB & J sandwiches anymore!

5- When people see me for the first time they all think I'm so cute because of my flat, round face and huge orange eyes but they can never guess my breed....that's because I'm an EXOTIC SHORTHAIR! I'm not just a stocky "regular" cat, in fact my vet says I'm on the petite side for my breed! I have all the characteristics of a Persian cat except I have a short, very dense thick coat that never mats! Kinda the best of both worlds if I do say so myself!

So there you have it, a little glimpse into the life of a stud muffin Exotic Pumpkin :)

I'm gonna use this opportunity to score some points with the hotties I see around my Mom's favorite blogs so I'm tagging Lucy, Sassy, and Miss LuLu Kitty....meeeeow ladies, I can't wait to hear all about you!!

PS - Mom told me to tell you that she got her POS computer back but she's getting weird "fatal error" messages again! You should have heard the words she was saying...my fur was standing on end!! And her other computer, the old laptop, died too! She told me she's working on fixing them both this weekend so she hopes to be back posting soon.....and she told me to tell everyone to enjoy their holiday weekend and save a hot dog and some knitting water for her!

What I did on my blog, err... Summer vacation

I'm finally back, did y'all miss me?

I don't want to jinx anything but I'm hoping the computer issues are ironed out and trust me, I have the gray hairs to prove it! I've already had 2 hard drives (in a brand new computer) die and I've had to reinstall Windows twice on hard drive #3...I wonder if the domain is still available for www.ihategatewaywiththefireof1000suns.com? Serenity now!! :)
**ETA - luckily, I typed up this post and uploaded the pics yesterday BEFORE my computer crashed AGAIN!!! Rather than installing yet another hard drive it's going in for a complete diagnostic eval and servicing so needless to say I'll be out of blog comission again! I do have my well loved and trusty but geriatric laptop but I can't upload pics or visit/comment as I'd like so please bear with yet another absence and I promise TONS of P-Man beefcake when we return, heheh...Enjoy the pics, feel free to comment or email me and again, I'll be back when I can......can I change that domain to www.IREALLYhateGATEWAYwiththefireof1000suns.com ? .......sigh.....

So what did I do during my Evil Gateway imposed hiatus? Well, I knit of course.....Socks, socks and more socks!

First up we have the Lozenge Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks

This was my first time knitting with the exact yarn, color and all, that the pattern called for thanks to a cool trade with my buddy, Dorothy. Thanks again, D!

The yarn is St. Ives in the Grouse colorway. Not the softest yarn but a solid, sturdy "man" yarn and very well suited for this "manly" pattern.


Next I present Fascine Braid in Mountain Colors Weavers Wool. I LOVE this sportweight yarn and I LOVE this pattern!

The adult sized pair is for a very generous blog friend, Karen. She's always sending me beautiful yarn as she lives in the land of 1000 LYS, Chicago!

Since I have no local LYS I coerced her into letting me knit her a pair of socks....can you believe yet another knitting friend who's NEVER had someone handknit something for her? I'm glad to be her first cause she loves the socks so much she even wore them already despite this heatwave!

The teenie socks will eventually go to CIC to warm the toes of a child in need!

Both socks are knit in the Huckleberry and Deep Blue colorways and the adult pattern is a Mountain Colors design called Fascine Braid knit top down. The teenie sock was knit toe up so I could use my favorite Turkish Cast On and use every inch of the yarn!

I love how they both turned out and I hope they bring warmth and joy to the feet they adorn!


My brother and his family were in from California in July so I let my 17 year old niece shop my stash for some new socks....

From the hundreds many skeins of sock yarn I possess she honed right in on this -- lightweight Socks That Rock in the Hot Flash colorway.

The pic is pretty close but in person they are even more retina-searingly pink! I used a simple stockinette sock and let the vibrant colorway give it all the glam any 17 year old needs. As an aside, I showed her another pair of socks made with STR in another colorway that flashed and pooled a lot - she LOVED the flashing and thought it looked like bolts of lightening! She really wanted her socks to have that look too....and of course when ya want flashing, ya get perfect stripes, hehe....Oh well, I'll just have to knit more socks til I get it right!


Last but not least, I give you Pomatomus!

These were quite fun to knit and the pattern is intuitive but keeps you on your toes! I've pretty much become a tried and true YO short row heel with mini flap and gusset convert because I love the fit and the look of this heel vs. the flap heel. For my Pomatomus I decided to follow the pattern to the letter and I'm glad I did because the heel is SO PRETTY on this sock! Yes, it's a flap heel but the ktbl makes it quite unique and kept the "flavor" of the sock consistent.


I used Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in the Dusk colorway. I love CTH and I think this colorway is perfect for these socks! These will be a holiday gift for someone special so ssssshhhh, it's a secret but I will definitely make these again someday!

During my blog vacation I've also-

*crocheted a few more medallions for the Carnival Afghan

*started a very pretty new sock (actually I've finished sock one and am just past the heel on sock two)

*finished the back of the Vittadini Cabled Top and am about 5 inches into the front

But I'll save those for another day!

I know that my absence has been very difficult on my readers but I know the real reason why.....so I give you..........

THE RETURN OF P-MAN!

He knows he's the real reason y'all come around but he missed you too! See? he's so happy to be back, he's smiling!

Thanks for hanging in there, I pray wish hope to be back soon!

Still here, still limping along.....

Pumpkin and I are still here and computer woes continue! I thought the situation was under control when the new hard drive died AGAIN this weekend!

So back to square one....I'm limping along on a 7 year old laptop which was a kick ass computer for it's time but now it's a bit of a dinosaur!

So you don't forget us, I thought I'd post a little something....I found this life experiences meme a while ago and I was actually surprised by how many on the list I've actually done! I hope it's a least a little interesting and if you like it, consider yourself tagged cause I'd love to know about YOUR life experiences!

Life Experiences Meme

Bold = experiences I've had

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said 'I love you' and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer (make that 200!!!)
40. Visited all 10 provinces
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

Have fun and knit lots, the P-Man and I will be back as soon as we can!

They say it's his birthday.....

He hardly looks a day over 1, right?

Happy 2nd Birthday Sweet P-Man!!
You're the Pumpkin of my eye!
** I'm still having computer issues but I couldn't let my P-Man's birthday go by without sharing it with all his internet friends! I think the issues will be resolved soon so Pumpkin and I will be back shortly! Pumpkin sends fond chirrrrps and says he misses all his fans :)

M is for did ya Miss Me?

Did ya miss me while I was gone?

My brother and his family were visiting and I was spending time with my 17 year old neice, Nicole. There was some knitting (mine) and even some of that "C" word (Nicole's) going on but alas no pics because we're having some major computer woes again here at Casa de FKD!

I managed to save these great pics before the "Big Computer Crash of '06" so they'll have to hold y'all over until I get my life finances computer back on track :)

Here's the P-Man showing off his gorgeous tail

And getting ready to do some paperwork :)

Isn't he the handsomest kitty?
So the P-Man and I will be back when we can...try to think of us fondly once in a while.....and knit a few for me :)

L is for Linen

As much as I love knitting with wool it's fun to knit with "exotic" fibers and I don't mean shredded muppet! Beautiful linen fits the bill perfectly!

Altho not the easiest fiber to knit with, linen produces a super strong, hardwearing, light, soft fabric that is super easy to care for and actually improves with age! In addition, to me, the only thing cooler than linen in the heat of summer is well, naked! I have many linen blouses in my closet and I'm thrilled that I can knit with it too!

Linen is a cellulose fiber, meaning it is derived from plant matter.

Linen comes from the Flax Plant

Almost every part of the plant can be utilized.....

Various parts of the plant are used to make fabric, dye, paper, medicines, fishing nets and soap and because the flower of the flax plant is one of the few true BLUE flowers occurring in nature, flax is often used as ornamental shrubbery.


Even the seeds are utilized! The seeds can be processed with a solvent to produce Linseed or Flaxseed Oil which is commonly used in painting and varnishing.

Linseed oil can also be cold pressed for human consumption (ask Barry Bonds, hee!) and is one of the most concentrated plant sources of the omega-3 alpha linolenic acid which is thought to have qualities to prevent heart disease!

Flax fiber is amongst the oldest fiber crops in the world. The use of flax for the production of linen goes back 5000 years. There are pictures on tombs and temple walls from ancient Egypt that depict flowering flax plants!

To make linen, flax fiber is extracted from the skin of the stem of the flax plant. The plant is pulled from the root to maximize long fiber length which produces much higher quality linen. Once harvested the stems are immersed in water in a process, called retting, which causes the non-fibrous material to rot off, leaving only the long fibrous strands. The fibers are then refined and spun into linen that can then be woven into cloth or used to knit with!

Knitting with linen can be a bit tricky because it has a rope like, slippery nature. Once knit, linen is softer than cotton but even less elastic which is why it is suggested that linen be be knit in lace patterns rather than ribbing or plain stockinette.

Linen is perfectly suited for lacy shawls. Here is my first foray into linen knitting....it's my Shaped Triangle from A Gathering of Lace. It's made with black laceweight Euroflax Linen from Louet.


It was a bit of a bear to knit especially since much of it was knit during the 5 day power outage Katrina brought to South Florida before she moved on to New Orleans! Fractious, yes, but worth every stitch because it is soft, light and delicious to wear and I must say it once again.....LINEN REQUIRES NO BLOCKING!!! One of the best properties of the lovely linen is when you're done knitting, you wash it on the delicate cycle, you TOSS IT IN THE DRYER and out comes a soft, cushy, comfortable fabric!! And it gets softer and stronger each time you wash it....BRILLIANT!!!

Here's my curious supermodel again, to show you my linen stash!


The black and red (laceweight) are earmarked for a shell, the orange and pink (sportweight), another shell with matching wrap and the sage (laceweight) will become a shawl.

So thus ends "Linen brought to you by the letter L". Now go out and spice up your knitting life and give linen a try because L is not only for linen, L is for LOVE!

ETA: I've been asked where I get my linen. Go visit Nancy at Handknitting, she'll hook you up! Great prices, great customer service and Nancy is a doll!!

Let me bring you up to date.....

Whew!! I've been trying to post for days and Blogger was just not cooperating!

Anyway, if my last post had plenty of knothing, this one has plenty of something :)

I finished the teal socks and ain't they a beauty?

Specs:

Child's French Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush

Louet Gems Merino Pearl In Teal, US #1 (2.25mm) DPNs

Mods: My gauge of 8 sts/inch was spot on for the pattern but the suggested cast on of 72 stitches seemed huge so I went down to a cast on of 64. I then did a 2 x 2 rib instead of the 1 x 1/2 x 2 combo suggested by the pattern and increased to 66 stitches for the leg. I made the leg much shorter (6 inches vs. 8 inches) and I added my *patented* mini-flap and gusset yo short row heel.

I ADORE the Gems Pearl!! It's so soft and just dreamy to knit with! I also LOVE the pattern....it was fun, well written (of course!) and produced a really classy sock! If there is a knitter out there that doesn't own this amazing book yet....what the heck are ya waiting for??? :)

Remember this?

It's the button (and link to the website) for the Red Scarf Project. This very noble charity collects red scarves for foster kids/orphans who are in college and struggling to make their way in this tough world without family support! The Orphan Foundation of America will be collecting scarves again this year so here's the humble beginnings of my first scarf!


It's gonna be a seaman's scarf someday real soon! It's Knitpicks Suri Dreams in "Woodlands" and I'm just doing a seed stitch for the "tails" and will do a 2 x 2 rib for the neck section. Why not go ahead and make a scarf or two for these very worthy kids and get a head start on the JANUARY 2007 deadline? Plenty of time so no excuses, right? :)

Also on the needles (surprise, surprise!) another sock!! Yet another pattern from the prolific and illustrious Ms. Bush! This is the Gentleman's Sock with Lozenge Pattern from, you guessed it, Knitting Vintage Socks! hehe.....


Thanks to a yarn swap with my bud Dorothy, I'm actually making this sock in *exactly* the yarn used in the pattern which is a first for me! It's Sunbeam St. Ives in the Grouse colorway. It's a pretty heathered plum that's pretty soft. The pattern calls for 8.5 sts /inch on a US #0 needle and these socks are gonna be bulletproof when I'm done! I think they'll last longer than the feet that will own them someday but I love how the pattern is knitting up so far!

On Saturday I'll be breaking into my All Seasons Cotton for my Adrienne Vittadini Cabled Shell because it's finally here....Saturday June 10th is WORLD WIDE KNIT IN PUBLIC DAY!!!


June 10, 2006
So get out there and Show Your Sticks!! Pumpkin will be waiting on his favorite windowsill wishing he could join you!


Enjoy your weekend and your WW KIP DAY!!!