Guess who what I've been sleeping with?

Now, now, get your minds out of the gutter - I only wish I had some juicy bedmate to reveal, besides the P-Man of course, heh!

I do have something else pretty juicy to reveal tho...

Remember these?

After more than a year (a fact which totally freaks me out, btw!) I give you this.....

A finished Carnival Throw!

Isn't it pretty? I am CRAZY about it!!

Specs:

Adaptation of the Carnival Shawl from Rowan RYC Classic Holiday

Knitpicks Shine Sport in Grass, Apricot, Cream, Green Apple and Sand, approximately 6 skeins of each color - I totally LOVE this yarn! Machine washable and dry-able, very very soft and a pleasure to knit OR crochet with!!

#4, size "E" metal crochet hook

Finished measurements: 52" x 65"

Started February 2006 (!!!!)

Mods: When I began this project I had been searching for an afghan/throw pattern so I could make a cotton afghan. Being primarily Fluffy KNITTER Deb I never really considered crocheting one. Then I saw the Carnival Shawl!! I loved the swirly medallions and thought they would be perfectly adaptable to a throw. I wasn't so hot on the crochet** aspect but it's a very easy pattern and I figured it could be some mindless TV crochet and I could knock out a medallion or two each evening and still have time for knitting. Ah the best laid plans, right? I'm not really sure what caused this WIP to languish for so long except that I can unequivocally say I much prefer to knit than to crochet.

After waking up many times in the last month freezing because I had kicked off my heavier blanket during the night and saying to myself "I wish I had a lighter throw that would keep me just warm enough all night long" the D'OH! moment struck and I remembered my Carnival throw!

So I buckled down and gave her my monogamous attention until she was done! Yes, I am having serious knitting withdrawal but I think my new throw was worth it, don't you?

The pattern gave no direction as to how to connect all the medallions so I crocheted my 68 medallions together. I then put a few extra rows of single crochet around the whole throw for a more finished edge.

I am really pleased with how this foray into the "wild side" turned out and would heartily recommend this pattern for any "non-crocheting knitters" who want a bit of variety in their crafting lives!

I also promised to share a GREAT new knitting gadget I discovered....One thing that made joining 68 medallions together much less of a chore than it could have been was these:

These are Knit Klips and they are WONDERFUL! They are smooth and wont snag your knitting and make lining up pieces for joining together a BREEZE! Truly!!

Here is a pic using them for my throw:

I've also used them for sweater finishing and they ROCK!! Try em, you won't be sorry!

I know that blogging has been scarce but with Spring Fever, knitting ennui and 2 really long term projects on the needles (My Forest Path Stole and the Carnival Throw) it makes for poor knitting blog fodder. To appease you and since everyone seemed to really love the P-Man tongue action shots I offer you another....

Isn't he just so freakin' CUTE? :)

Have a wonderful weekend and I promise to be back soon with actual KNITTING content! TTFN!

**I can crochet really well and altho I think it is a wonderful craft, especially as an adjunct to knitting, I honestly do prefer to knit. You can't beat the ease of using single crochet to put in a set in sleeve, and crocheted embellishments are always pretty but my heart belongs to knitting :)

Just a little late to the dance

I'm **this close** to finishing my UFO which I hope to share later this week plus I have a GREAT new knitting product I found that I want to review here because it's THAT GOOD! :)

Until then I give you.....

Six weird things about me

1- I'm a pretty down to earth thinker, not much into fantasy and such yet I am VERY superstitious! One of my daily superstitions is that I always put on my right shoe first, no matter what, for good luck. I have a large collection of good luck charms and I'm especially fond of "ethnic" good luck charms like the Hamsa (Hebrew and Islamic) the Evil Eye (Greek and Turkish) and the Azabache (Cuban) . Got any favorites you'd like to share?

2- I've never tasted pecan pie! I love pecans, I most definitely have a sweet tooth and the pie looks good but I've just never had the occasion to try it. I always think "I should try that" when I see it but I never do, heh!

3- My family tells me that when I was 3 years old at a wedding I walked up to the band and asked them to "play the Pachanga" so I could dance!! Today, I wouldn't know a Pachanga if it bit me on the heiney.

4- I was born without tear ducts. When I was a baby I cried but never shed an actual tear. When my Mom mentioned this my pediatrician noticed that my tear ducts were completely closed and he had to surgically open them. Oh, what a floodgate he opened :)

5- I absolutely HATE having my feet touched! I had one professional pedicure in my life and was "chemically" prepared for that one (god bless xanax!) The thought of having someone suck on my toes gives me the uber screaming meemies just THINKING about it!

6- Growing up I wanted to be an ichthyologist. I have no idea where I heard about this as a career choice but it's what I wanted until about age 13. I feel very connected to all things oceanic and believe I might have been a fish in a past life.

So there you have it, a little gilmpse into the weirdness of this fluffy knitter.
Have fun and I'll be back really soon with my UFO!

Ok, for those in P-Man withdrawl, here ya go!

See ya soon!

No Nittin' Here

Truth be told I haven't touched a knitting needle in about a week!!! EEK!

It's not that my ennui has made me anti-craft, it's just that I realized it was far past time to finish my one and only UFO!! When I looked back in my archives, I was shocked to realize that I started this UFO more than a YEAR ago!

Now anyone who knows me for more than about 3 minutes KNOWS that is just not me! So I'm buckling down and finishing this much needed and anticipated UFO and I'll share it's completion very soon! Until then I bring you.....a Movie Meme!

Check off the the ones you've seen and bold the ones you recommend!

(X) As Good As It Gets
(X) Good Will Hunting
(X) The Sixth Sense
(X) Home Alone
(X) Jaws
(X) Men In Black
(X) Men In Black 2
(X) Cast Away
(X) Mrs. Doubtfire
(X) Ghost
(X) A Beautiful Mind
(X) Jurassic Park
( ) Passion of the Christ
(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean
( ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
( ) Fight Club
(X) The Exorcist
( ) Starsky and Hutch
( ) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
( ) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
(X) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
(X) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(X) Anger Management
(X) 50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
(X) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie
(X) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
( ) Harry Potter 1
( ) Harry Potter 2
( ) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
(X) Little Black Book
(X) The Village
( ) Lilo & Stitch
(X) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
(X) Signs
(X) The Grinch
(X) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
(X) White Chicks
( )Butterfly Effect
(X) 13 Going on 30
(X) I, Robot
( ) Robots
( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( )Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(X) Along Came Polly
(X) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
( )Meet the Fockers
( )Eight Crazy Nights
(X) Joe Dirt
(X) King Kong
( ) A Cinderella Story
(X) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(X) Final Destination
(X) Final Destination 2
(X) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(X) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
(X) Surviving Christmas
( ) Flubber
(X) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(X) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
(X) Ghost Ship
(X) From Hell
(X) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
(X) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
(X) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(X) Ten Things I Hate About You
(X) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
(X) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
( ) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Sleven
( ) Ocean’s Eleven
( ) Ocean’s Twelve
( ) Bourne Identity
( ) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(X) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
(X) Independence Day
(X) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
(X) Christine
(X) E.T.
(X) Children of the Corn
(X) My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
(X) War of the Worlds
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(X) She’s All That - the Fatboy Slim dance is so worth it!
(X) Calendar Girls
(X) Sideways
(X) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(X) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
( ) The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
( ) X-Men
( ) X-2
( ) X3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
(X) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
( ) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
(X) The Skulls
(X) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
(X) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
(X) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
(X) The Notebook
(X) K-Pax
(X) Krippendorf’s Tribe
(X) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(X) The 40-year-old Virgin
( ) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
( ) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
( ) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
( ) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
( ) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
( ) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
( ) Base-ketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects( ) Elf
( ) Highlander
(X) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
( ) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
( ) Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
(X) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 1
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
( ) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
( ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
( ) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
( ) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
( ) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks: Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks: The Battle For Endor
( ) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix: Reloaded
( ) The Matrix: Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
(X) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
(X) Hannibal

The P-Man and I will see you soon, have fun!!

Oh the abuse!

Clearly Beth has Photoshop and some actual skillz to go with it :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Take 2

I can't turn down a dare!

Beth dared me to dress Pumpkin up as a Leprechaun for St. Patrick's Day but I was unsuccessful in finding suitable Leprechaun clip art so instead I give you this!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Giving praise where praise is due

Or sometimes threats make good things happen!

Hopefully this will be my last blog conversation regarding the evil minions Gateway. Now I hate to jinx anything but after another million phone calls, threats to involve the South Dakota DA, much crying and follicular ripping I finally unearthed the ONE Tech who actually knows what he's doing! YAY!! My new BFF Dustin found a hidden virus that was booting up the computer rather than allowing the hard drive to do it thus wreaking all sorts of havoc. He also unearthed (and repaired!) a battery glitch and....dare I say it? It's been smooth sailing! YAY x2!! Now I'm praying I haven't taunted the computer gods and life can move forward once and for all!!

Moving on to actual knitting content there's been a pitiful showing, truth be told. For the first time in a really long time I really haven't felt like knitting so much and I'm not sure why. I have noticed a similar ennui on many blogs, so at least I have good company :)

I've barely touched the Forest Path Stole but I do have an FO!

What else? Socks!!
Here's my first pair with the new Panda Cotton from Crystal Palace --- I LOVE IT!!

Specs:

Essence of Elfine footies - Just over one skein of the Panda Cotton, Fern Colorway

US #1 (2.25 mm) Aero DPNs

Knit toe up with a Turkish Cast On

And check out that bee-you-tee-full tubular bind off, baybee!!

Mods: I converted Anna's original Elfine to footies and added a yo short row heel.
I really love the Panda Cotton - it's very soft and kinda squishy. It's comprised of 4 elastic strands so it can be a bit splitty but not horribly so. It stood up well to being frogged a few times (until I found the right pattern) The yarn *seems* a bit thicker than most fingering weight yarns but once knit and stretched a bit, it was quite fine and fit comfortably into shoes.
I will most certainly being using it again and I definitely recommend it!

Now some pretty knitting accoutrements.....

I love wearing shawls/stoles but don't like wadding them up in a knot and hate fussing with them to keep them in place so I went looking for some shawl pins and look at the beauties I found!!

These are hand made by the very sweet and talented Chris who sells her lovely wares here. Chris' original designs are stunning, functional and won't snag your beautiful knits! Plus Chris is very helpful and accommodating in helping you get exactly the knitting bling you dream of :)

Now P-Man does a little Vogue, and strikes a pose!

What a stud muffin!

Now if that doesn't cure the ennui, nothin' will!

Have a great week!

Miscellaneous fun or there is occasionally life besides knitting or bitching at computer techs!

Since the knitting around Chez FKD has been less than stellar because of interminable hours of Gateway grief yet again** I thought I would share one of my favorite vids of all time.

I am completely in love with this man....great sense of humor, totally HOT! completely endearing boyish smile and a COOL SCOTTISH ACCENT!! ::::SWOON:::: And he's talking about my beloved (!!) Florida. Have a gander and a good laugh....



Hottie Scottie, right? I love me some Craig, baybee!

And now for you La, the ecstasy of the feets...

Have a little fun and hopefully I'll be back soon with some actually knitting!

** so yes, things are working again (for now - no jinx, please!) but I have actually contacted the Consumer Protection Dept. of the Attorney General of South Dakota to file a formal complaint cause more than a year of this %^&*$% is more anyone should have to bear!!

When something is right, you know it

When something is wrong, it slaps you in the face like a dead flounder! Much like my Forest Path Stole in the *wrong* yarn slapped me.

I've been mourning the untimely demise of my FPS so I haven't blogged plus as an aside, Comcast (my ISP) has upgraded their McAfee Security Suite and it caused all sorts of mischief on my computer which left me unable to blog/comment as freely as I usually do. I think these issues have been resolved so I'm baaaaaaack :)

Anyway, thanks for all the imput (and sympathy) on the ill-fated Handmaiden Lace Silk and my FPS.

As gorgeous as the Lace Silk is, the minute I saw the yarn in person I knew it wasn't right for the Forest Path Stole....it's the dreaded brown! The brown was just too stripe-y and really competed with the lace! I knew it and I should have listened to that "little voice" once again but alas, stubborn - FKD is thy name! Without the brown, I think the lovely pink with subtle shots of green would have worked but who knows? I know someday I'll want to make the FPS again so I'll continue my quest for the perfect "rose garden" yarn that I see in my head....subtle cream laceweight merino with shades of pink and soft spring green - oh yeah! Hey at least now I have a *mission* !

The good news is I think the Lace Silk will make a lovely, simple shell or a very simple shawl/stole. A commenter mentioned the Fiber Trends Landscape Shawl and I think this simple yet attractive shawl might be the perfect showcase for the amazing Handmaiden Lace Silk.*** Something to comtimplate for the future but for now, my thoughts have turned back to the FPS!

Yes, I've chosen yet another yarn! Third time's the charm, n'est ce pas? God, I *hope* so, my knitting psyche can't take much more!

For take 3, I went with safe and time tested reliable yet equally lovely....meet Mr. Juniper Zephyr.....

Isn't he handsome? It's a lovely bluish green color that reminds me of blue spruce Christmas trees. The zephyr is wonderful to knit with and shows off the lace really well. My only surprise was I found my *usual* favorite lace needles, Aero Teflon/Inox Gray, really sticky and grabby but once I switched to Addi Natura bamboo, everything was smooth sailing. I realize I'm just starting out (tier 2 of 23!!) but I'm having a good feeling, finally!

Maybe now I can resume my KFYS 2007 as long as it doesn't include the glorious ORANGE Trekking I got as a Valentine's Day present from my good friend Judy or the amazingly soft and beautiful ORANGE cashmere/merino blend sock yarns I got as a *just because* present from my generous friend Emma....am I a lucky ORANGE lovin' gal or what? Just look....

Must be because of reading Claudia since I discovered blogs, all the ORANGE love has rubbed off in a big way....or it could be my resident ORANGE....


Some ORANGE love for all the Florida Orange fans since I know you guys miss him when Mom doesn't post! Now if I could just find a Florida GREEN with a pink nose and pink jelly bean feet, all three of my very favorite colors would be covered, hee!

On a much more sobering note, one of our own and a "neighbor" (she's close to Orlando) has had a serious medical crisis befall her so please send Catherine good healing vibes and virtual hugs!

Happy Monday, hope your week is full of your favorite colors too!

***I have listed the Lace Silk yarn for sale here if you're interested!

In the harsh light of day

Reality is a bitter mistress.

Curses, foiled again! :)

You help me, I'll help you

Citizens of Knitbloglandia, I need your help!

Remember that beautiful Handmaiden Lace Silk I broke my KFYS 2007 to buy? Remember the glory of that stunning new yarn and the promise of a breathtaking Forest Path Stole? The anticipation of a long planned project in the *perfect* yarn?

In reality....perfect? Not so much......

I've knit thru the border plus two tiers of the entrelac and I'm not sure how I feel about the results which is why I need the help of the collective consciousness that is Knitbloglandia! Tell me what you think.....

Under an Ott Light, completely unretouched

Unaltered, in daylight

as always, click to embiggen for a closer look
I didn't choose a "pretty" black background to highlight the lace nor did I block out the lace to it's best advantage for these pics because I wanted an ordinary representation. Also because the yarn is pure silk, even finished it will not block as dramatically as wool does.

So my friends, tell me what you think and please feel free to be brutally honest!


For the part where I return the help favor, I've found two great products I simply must share!

It's finally back to sock knitting here at Chez FKD after knitting TWO pair of the orange cabled wristers in the yummy Cashsoft DK. Here's my current sock in progress....

This is the new Panda Cotton from Crystal Palace and I think it's a WINNER!! It's a super soft bamboo/cotton/elastic blend that is very bouncy and pleasant to knit with. It's composed of four strands plied together so it can be a bit splitty but not enough to make for a bad knitting experience. I'm using the colorway Fern, the color is anything but subtle but I love *assertive* footwear :)

I want to see just how far the yarn will take me so I'm knitting toe up socks (plus I get to use the Turkish cast on, woot!)

I'm using the Elfine Socks pattern designed by Anna Bell which is think suits the colorway perfectly.

I'm doing Magic Loop on a 40 inch US#1 (2.25mm) which brings me to my next great find!! Magic Loop, while not being my favorite method for sock knitting, does have it's selling points (Turkish cast-on!) especially when executed with a smooth needle with a flawless join like an Addi Turbo. Unfortunately, Addi doesn't manufacture a *true* size #1 needle, their "1" is 2.5mm, not 2.25mm and the resultant fabric is just too loose for my taste. Enter the Hiya Hiya Needle! Pointy tip, smooth nickel finish, slick joins that don't snag yarn, 40 inch length, VERY flexible cables, about half the price of Addi's and a true size US#1. This sock knitter is a happy camper and now you can be too :)

The P-Man thinks all this helping is exhausting but he wants to know.....

If you'll be his Valentine? Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Saturday sky

Ask and ye shall receive

I usually don't post all the specs/info on a project until it's an FO but I had so many compliments on my cabled wristers in my email and comments, ALL clamoring for the pattern!

So I hurried up and have a FO just for your viewing pleasure :)

with flash
sans flash - the actual color is somewhere in the middle

Specs:

Fingerless Mitts (thanks Petra!)

Just over 1 skein of RYC Cashsoft DK in Clementine (uber yummy yarn, thanks Rowan!)

US #2 (2.75 mm) Aero Teflon DPNs

Mods: I had this pattern in my files but I really took notice when I saw them in all their tweedy goodness over at Dave's In fact, I liked em so much I *borrowed* his mods and modified them even more! (thanks Dave!)

The original pattern has the cabled motif over the wrist but I preferred Dave's idea of having the cables on the back of the hand instead. Instead of starting the thumb gusset 15 rows into the motif, I knit an additional 10 rows of the 2x2 rib (40 total) then worked the thumb gusset as written when I began the cables

When the cable motif was complete I knit an additional 15 rows in 2x2 rib and then one additional decrease row where I k2tog 8 times evenly spaced to prevent flaring of the bind off. I then bound off in knit which I prefer to binding off in ribbing.

I picked up 2 additional stitches for the thumb (19 stitches total) and knit 14 rows of stockinette before binding off.

I also slightly upsized the wristers for fluffy hands by using DK weight yarn rather than the sportweight the pattern suggests.

Clearly, it takes a village to knit *perfect* wristers! :)

F to the O and new beginnings

Sorry to have stayed away so long, did ya miss me? I've been down with the bug that seems to be going around. Never fear, even tho activities other than sleeping and taking Nyquil have been minimal, there has been knitting!

Add to sickness the omnipresent cloudy, gray skies we've been having and photo ops have been few but we persevere here at Casa de FKD.

Without further ado, my first finished sock of 2007!

Specs:

Oblique Openwork from Sentsational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch

Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Evergreen, US #1 (2.25mm) Aero DPNs

Mini-gusset yo short row heel

Bearfoot is one of my very favorite sock yarns! It's supersoft, the colors are glorious and it makes some of the warmest socks you'll ever wear! Plus it's superwash! I love the slightly beefier heft of Bearfoot too, the only drawback being the mohair content doesn't give the fabric much sproing...but a nice rib like the Oblique Openwork saves the day! I hope these socks like their new home in a much chillier climate!

ETA: Speaking of socks, if anyone has unsuccessfully tried to obtain my free sock patterns, the links are now fixed, help yourself!

February heralded the start of the Forest Path Stole-a-Long and here are my humble beginnings...

I've never knit with pure silk before and this Handmaiden Lace Silk is just dreamy! It's a challenge to knit because it is very slippery but the color, soft smoothness and drape are pure heaven, no crunchy silk here! I'm using Aero Teflon circs, size 3.0mm (a US 2.5) which I found the easiest to tame the slick factor after swatching with Crystal Palace bamboo, Bryspuns, Addi's turbos and Addi naturas - thank god for needle obsessivness, right ? :)

I love how this is starting out I can't wait to get to the actual entrelac!

The FPS has absolutely NO portability at the moment (will it ever? hee!) so the on-the-go project is of course, wristers! (bet you thought I was gonna say socks!)

I'm using RYC Cashsoft DK in Clementine and US #2 (2.75mm) DPNs. OMG, if I ever entertain the notion to knit underwear, THIS is the stuff I'm doing it with! Don't worry I'll spare you that FO but this yarn is so so soft with such fabulous stitch definition it's hard to resist! YUM!! A most hearty thumbs up!

I leave you with a "sort of" action shot of the P-Man enjoying one of his favorite activities....our roof is finally being repaired a mere 16 months post Wilma (you know we don't say the H word around here. Ever.) and the construction has disrupted what is apparently an entire pigeon village! Pumpkin loves to watch the pigeons land on my balcony and window sills all day. When he spots one his tail swishes furiously and he runs to the window, leaps straight up almost 5 feet to the sill and paces back and forth wishing he could join in the pigeon fun.

I took this pic just as he was about to leap for the sill -- P-Man the flying wonder cat!

Hope your week is full of comparable fun! :)

Confession is good for the soul, right?

Or..... In the interest of full disclosure, part 2!

Yep, it's true, I caved AGAIN but I have another really good reason :)


As you know, the Forest Path Stole-a-Long starts on February 1, less than a week away.

Being the co-host, I've been very organized....

I wound my ginormous 1 pound hank of yarn into center pull balls.

I looked thru all my needles to pick what I thought would best suit the yarn.

I swatched with different needles and practiced the lace stitches.

And I washed and blocked my swatch to see what the finished product would look like.

I was organized and ready!! But the little voice inside my head was making quite a bit of noise! In fact she was screaming....

After almost 2 years of denial I finally admitted to myself, that I HATE the yarn I was planning to use for the FPS!

When I ordered it to be custom dyed, I sent a pic of some yarn that was cream, rosy pink and spring green. What I got was perfect except the spring green was actually a neon yellow with a bare tint of green. TOTALLY NOT THE ROSE GARDEN I ENVISIONED!!

Unfortunately, the yellow parts couldn't even be overdyed because the skein came to me with the color already scattered all over (rather than the chunks of color that appear when the hank is freshly dyed and unskeined)

So I kept telling my little voice to shut up and telling myself it looked fine....til 3 days ago when I finally let my inner voice speak her mind.... and tell me it HATES THAT YARN!!!! She (and I) longed for the vision of a rose garden I had in my head.

In light of this sudden ephiphany, I'm not interested in knitting a complicated heirloom quality shawl in a colorway I loathe!! Don't get me wrong, the yarn is lovely and soft by itself and the colorway is beautiful - especially the pink and cream parts. Just not what I've been dreaming of for the shawl that's been on my mind for almost 2 years!

So I was forced (hee!) to purchase four skeins of Handmaiden Lace Silk in the Rose Garden colorway!! Actually I was kinda forced cause I have absolutely no laceweight yarn in my stash! Being fluffy, often knitting with fingering weight rather than laceweight offers enough "upsizing" to spare me any major construction changes so knitting the FPS will be my first journey into laceweight knitting! Here's a pic of the object of my weakness...

Beautiful, isn't it? Even this isn't *perfect* (I don't love the brown in the colorway) but it is stunning and the shawl will be lovely in this shiny, luminous silk! Plus it's a lot closer to my vision than pink and neon yellow!!

The moral of the story? Always listen to that little voice cause she's pretty much always right!

Now Pumpkin says......

Is it any wonder my Mom is fluffy? She has no willpower at all!!! :)

Have a great weekend!

In the interest of full disclosure

I bought yarn! Yes, it's true, I caved!

Now before you get all judgy here's the facts....

I live in a semi-tropical climate (Semi? I dunno, it's pretty damn tropical 51 weeks a year!)

I love to knit socks!

Many of the feet I knit for live in the same semi-tropical climate and/or have enough wool socks.

Many of said feet have requested cotton sockage but as we obsessed avid socknitters know the choices among cotton sock yarns leave something to be desired. Oh some are pretty indeed but since cotton has no memory there's a high incidence of Floppy Stretched Out Sock Syndrome (FSOSS), even if the sock has some wool/nylon content.

Enter the addition of some sort of "elastic" to conquer FSOSS, socknitters rejoice! But....and there's always a but, right?.....But, the cotton/elastic yarns are all on the somewhat *fluffy* side being of at least a sportweight density. Cascade Fixation and Socks That Rock Sock Candy are two that come readily to mind - both lovely yarns but of a thickness that can make any shoe a tight squeeze!

Where oh where are the soft, thin, pretty, STRETCHY fingering weight cotton yarns of a socknitters dreams??

When I decided that 2007 was to be my year of knitting from the stash, I made my rules short and sweet...don't by yarn and sock yarns DO VERY MUCH COUNT!! In fact, without sock yarns I would have a pretty anemic stash and as the sockyarn stash stands now, I believe I could cover a good many of the feet in Ft. Lauderdale and still have leftovers :)

The one caveat I did not disclose was that I had heard a rumor....yes, there was a long awaited STRETCHY fingering weight cotton sock yarn on the horizon and I knew that I would be indulging.

And so I have.....

Rosewater, Fall Herbs and Painted Iris

This is Panda Cotton from Crystal Palace. It's a bamboo, cotton and elastic blend and it's as soft as a baby's bottom! And it's fingering weight! And it's light and comes in lots of dreamy colors, both variegated and solid! Woo hoo, I'm bending my Brittany's with joy!

I haven't swatched yet but when I do I'll give y'all a full review.

So what can I say, the flesh is weak but isn't it a woman's perrogative to change her mind? :)

What have I been doing since my last post? Well, lots of knitting has occurred but not lots of picture taking. I knit a second pair the Wine and Roses Mitts because my sis-in-law fell in love with them when she was here for Dad's funeral. I also knit my big footed brother as well as a friend some felted clogs that look very much like these....his in a dark aubergine Galway and hers in a funky grass green heather with bright tangerine trim Cascade 220.

I'm eagerly awaiting the start of the Forest Path Stole-a-long that starts on Feb. 1. We're up to 40 participants now, woot!! So while I wait it's more of the little projects for me. I cast these on this morning:


It's my first green sock for the Green Sock unKAL!!

It's the Oblique Openwork pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I'm using Mountain Colors Bearfoot in the Evergreen colorway. It's hard to capture the color but it's a rich blend of spruce, olive, teal, navy and a bit of burgundy. So soft and pretty! I adore knitting with Bearfoot!

Since the knitting pics are skimpy I aim to appease with two beautiful non-knitting pics here at Chez FKD so I give you....

My first Saturday Sky of 2007

It was such a clear, glorious day with cool ocean breezes and warm, golden sunshine...it's days like these that make me realize how lucky I am to live in a place where cotton socks rule :)

As always, my handsome Florida Orange bids you adieu

(I just love it when he tucks his little feet in like this!)
and says have a great week with lots of even stitches!

It's the little things...

Wow!! We have 20 participants for the Forest Path Stole Along! I'm totally tickled!

I think it's gonna be a great KAL because so many knitter's have had this project in the queue since the pattern came out in the Summer 2003 issue of IK and you know they say misery loves company :)

For anyone else considering joining, first let me say entrelac LOOKS much harder than it is! If you can pick up stitches, entrelac is easy!! The FPS is a perfect intro to entrelac as well because you have fairly large blocks and so don't have to worry about the constant flipping, flipping, flipping (because the knitting is directional) that can be a tad annoying when you're doing entrelac with smaller blocks.

The stole looks impressive and "complicated" as a whole but in reality there are only three lace patterns throughout and they are pretty basic, easy lace patterns. These three patterns also have the benefit of being really intuitive which makes the occasional screw up easy to recognize and fix before you've knit another 100 rows!

So if you are still on the fence about joining, be like Nike and "just do it"! It will stretch your knitting horizons and be lots of fun!

I finally wound my ginormous hank of yarn, it took me 90 minutes to do and that was with a ball winder and swift! It is a full pound of yarn so it's about 3000 yards but still...But here is the fruits of my labor - I swatched!!

The color on my monitor is a little bright but it's pretty close and I LOVE it!! It's just what I wanted for my FPS stole!

I swatched with #3 (3.25 mm) in both a Crystal Palace bamboo DPN and a Bryspun DPN. I like the feel of both so I'll decide which I prefer as February 1 draws closer. I washed and blocked my swatch and I'm very happy with the fabric and the openness of the lace....I can't wait to get started!!

Now for the part everyone's been waiting for....the contest!

Of course the quote is from Dirty Dancing...I really thought the movie quote was an obscure one - apparently not for those hard core Patrick Swayze lovers and brilliant residents of Knitbloglandia! Alas there can be but one winner to whom go the spoils so :::drumroll please::: the winner selected by random number generator is Kristyn of Crazy Knitting Fool!! Your crimson laceweight merino will be on it's way this week with a couple of extra surprises too -- -- congrats grrlfriend!

Since I'm eagerly awaiting the start of the FPS KAL I've been working on assorted little things and short term projects. My first FO of 2007 were my two scarves for the Red Scarf Project but alas I sent them off with no pictures.

Then I jumped back on the wristers frenzy for these Koigu cuties...

About 2/3 of a skein of Koigu PPPM #450, size #1 (2.25mm) DPNs, my own basic pattern.

And these...

More beaded wristers from Regia Silk 6 ply, size #1 (2.25mm) DPNs, about 50 amethyst rainbow 6/0 seed beads per wrister, #11 crochet hook same basic pattern, less stitches. I just love making these - they're so easy and so cute and everyone in my family wants a pair so more will be coming :)

On the needles now is a pair of extra large felted clogs. Sashquatch my brother liked the clogs I had made for my Dad but they were too small for him so my tiny footed sis-in-law appropriated those and I'm making a giant pair for FKBro -- in dark aubergine, bless him - at least he didn't choose black :)

Anyone who's visited FKD for more than a minute knows I love green!! I can't wear it near my face (I look ill when I do) but I love to look at it! I also love to knit with it for those that can wear it, like the recipient of Ruben (who was blown away I might add - woot!!) But it's my opinion EVERYONE can wear green on their feet!

Now, I love green and I love to knit socks so when I saw this button, I had to have it! Isn't it the cutest button? It's not a KAL** so there is no link, it's just for folks who love green, love to knit socks and love to knit green socks!

So yoink this cute button (on your own server please!) and knit up some pretty green socks too! **I cannot for the life of me remember where I found this button so if you are or know the artist please leave a comment so I can give you credit!!
ETA: the artiste is Maritza of Knotty Bits...well done Maritza!

I leave you with the face of absolute innocence....




Would you buy some used catnip from that face? I know I would :)
Happy Monday!!

Quite the little joiner, aren't we?

ETA: OMG! OMG! I just found out I won the Heifer International Drive grand prize over at Wendy's, WOWIE, WOW, WOW!!!! Thank you and happy birthday, my friend!!!!

Ok, now back to our regularly scheduled programming :)

Everyone have a great New Year? Good!! Now lets get the real party started!!

First, thank you so much for the compliments on Ruben. I'm very proud of him too and I think his new owner will be thrilled! I can't wait til Ruben reaches his final destination - there's nothing like the feeling of having your handknit gifts truly loved and appreciated!

Next, let's usher in the new beginnings with a little contest!!

The title of this post is a movie quote. Leave a comment with your best guess and I'll use a random number generator to see who wins this: (plus knowing me, I might just toss in an extra surprise or two, hee!)

880 yards of oh so soft, handpainted, almost solid laceweight merino in a gorgeous crimson colorway!! Now put your thinking caps on cause you know you want it (and remember all you KFYS 2007ers, GIFT yarn doesn't count!)

So why all the post holiday glee and movie quotes about joiners you ask? Well, we here at Casa de Fluffy Knitter Deb are co-hosting our first knit-a-long!! WOOT!!!

My good bud Agnes and I have been admiring this stunning creation:

It's the amazing Forest Path Stole! Isn't she lovely?

And we thought, hey there must be other knitters out there having nightmares dreaming thinking about this challenging creation so misery loves company the more the merrier, let's have a knit-a-long!

So we created a Blog

And Agnes made some beautiful buttons {that you can save to your own server please}

And now we are extending an invitation - if you're interested in a challenge, love (or want to fine tune) your entrelac and lace skill set, and play well with others this is the KAL for you!

We plan to start the KAL on February 1** so those of you who are interested have a month to obtain the pattern (information on obtaining the pattern is on the FPS blog!) and choose a yarn that makes your knitting heart flutter with joy!

Head on over to the FPS blog, look around and leave us a comment if you're interested in joining us cause I predict a fun time will be had by all! Support, camaraderie, someone who understands the urge to toss your needles across the room while a blood curdling scream escapes from your lips....what more could a knitter ask for? :)

What will I be knitting with you ask? This:

I purchased this on my birthday before last (!) specifically for the Forest Path Stole so it's been crying from the stash for far too long. (The green isn't quite as neon as it looks, it's a very hard color to capture!) I haven't swatched yet so I have no idea what size or type of needle I will use. Actually I'm kinda scared about winding that giant hank...I usually use a nostepine to wind my skeins but I think even my ball winder may spontaneously combust on this one!

So come join Agnes and me and have some fun!! Don't forget to leave your contest guesses here in the comments, and your interest in the KAL over at the FPS blog! I'm so excited!! :)

** latecomers are welcome if you can't make the Feb. 1 start date and you don't need a blog to join, we will post pics at the FPS blog if you like.

The end is near....

Not Armageddon, just the end of 2006 -- bring on the new beginnings!

Thanks for the compliments on my Scale Skin socks! I'm glad my unnatural love for them has been validated :)

A lot of commenters asked for the pattern and it's readily available at the Six_Sock_Knitalong yahoo group. It's called "Michelle's SSS pattern" listed under August 2006 in the file section BUT you must be a member to get the pattern.

That being said, I know my readers are so smart and the pattern is honestly so EASY, it's ridiculous! So for all you smarties, here's the stitch pattern:

Cast on an even # of stitches divisible by 4 (52, 56, 60, 64, ect.) I used 64 for my picot edge, then decreased to 60 for the leg and 56 for the foot. I feel the scales do run a bit big because I usually use 64 as my "standard" for a woman's medium.

Round 1 and 3: Knit
Round 2: *K2, yo K2, pass the yo over the 2 stitches just knit*repeat from * to end
Round 4: *yo K2, pass the yo over the 2 stitches just knit, K2* repeat from * to end

That's it, I swear!

So you can plug this stitch pattern into your standard sock formula and you can have a love affair with your socks too! :) And for those more adventuresome among you, why not give beaded knitting a go in 2007? It's so much fun and really enhances the finished object AND there just happens to be a nifty tutorial on my very own side bar!

Now for some more knit love, I give you Ruben!

Specs:

Ruben designed by Elsebeth Lavold in Designer's Choice, The Sentimental Journey Colllection, Book Two

7.5 skeins Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Verdigris (subbed for the cotton patine suggested in the pattern)

US #3 (3.25 mm) addi turbo for ribbing and US #5 (3.75 mm) for the body

Mods: NONE! :)



I love this design and I LOVE Silky Wool!! It's become one of my favorite yarns as it knits like a dream and just flows over the needles plus it's sooo soft.
On the downside, altho it was a simple cable, the pattern is pretty organic in that it leaves quite a bit up to the experience of the knitter. Plus, there are no schematics so size is kinda based on getting gauge and trust! Lining up the cables to "flow" into the ribbing was quite hair raising too so I'm pretty proud it only took me two tries :)



The Silky Wool is pretty fragile, you can pull it apart quite easily and I was concerned about using it for the sweater finishing. Being unable to find a suitable colored yarn to seam with I did use the Silky Wool but *very* carefully and did tear the working yarn in mid-seam a few times.



In the end, it's a gorgeous, classic, manly sweater that I would knit again keeping in mind the caveats I mentioned!

There's been a lot of buzz around Knitbloglandia about paring down for 2007. In other words it's cool to.....



And here at Chez FKD, we will be jumping on this bandwagon! And we'll even be paring down the rules......

The Rules:

1- knit from stash for the entire year, 2007
2- sock yarn DOES count (boy oh boy, does it!)
3- yarn purchases can be made for gifts but only after all possible stash options have been exhausted
4- Gifts of yarn and yarn swaps don't count - especially birthdays (hint, hint!)
5- I'm on the fence about the one "free" day...I would really like to try to make it thru 2007 with no yarn purchases at all! It's not so much that I have this ginormous stash, but that I have yarn for so many projects already that I really want to knit, it just seems a shame for them to be languishng in the stash!

ETA: The showing of the stash will NOT be happening, never ever, no way, no how, nein, neit, nunca, nuh uh so I'll just pretend we never had this conversation :)

That's it! So good luck to me and all the other knitters taking the plunge!

To all my friends in Knitbloglandia who've shared a little bit of our lives here at FKD in 2006, Pumpkin and I want to thank you for your friendship, kindness and support and wish you a

Happy, Healthy 2007!!