Planned Obsolescence...

Is my new nickname :(

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

So much love!

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

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

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

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

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

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


Aren't they pretty?

Specs:

Upsized version of Bluberry Waffle Socks

One ENTIRE skein Trekking XXL, colorway #78

US #1(2.25mm) Aero DPNs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week knit buds!!

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

World Grits Day is your favorite holiday!!

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

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

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

Kits also like grits....

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

Happy World Grits Day!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now back to the Blogiversary spoils :)

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Test

Hi there! :)

Finally some knitting and a freebie

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!