We have a button and a debut!

Not much knitting to show here, I'm working on my Thelonious and shockingly I've done a bit on my Forest Path Stole altho I'm not sharing it cause I'm really trying to decide if I am gonna continue to knit it or "know when to fold em"! So pics next time....maybe, heh!

But....

I wanted to share a few things at least.

Here's a button for World Wide Knit In Public Day if anyone is interested. This is the same button from last year and the year before so if some generous soul with photoshop skillz was inclined to make a new one, I'm sure no one would object! Click on the button for a link to the WWKIP Day page....

And now to make up for the lack of knitting, I give you the world wide premiere of the fabulous....the glamorous....the ever adorable....

P-Man LIVE!!


Hope you enjoy it (despite the crap video skills and the FKD voice of silliness!) Be back with some actual knitting soon! Gotta go see if Steven Speilberg is ready to take a meeting....

Blue Wednesday

Nah, I'm not sad, it's just that blue seems to be the color of the moment :)

Case in point, meet Audrey....

She's periwinkle blue and ain't she sweet?
(As always, click to embiggen and note kitty with ever present tongue sticking out, stage left)

Here's a detail shot of her ribbing and lace
(kitty still hamming it up in the background)

The lace is ready for it's close up, Mr. De Mille!

Specs:

Audrey from Elsebeth Lavold Designer's Choice, Book Four The Sophisticated Lady Collection

Size Small (33 1/2 inches) - I'll try to get a modeled shot once it's gifted

Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in color # 27, Periwinkle - Just under 3 skeins - I LOVE this yarn!!

Addi Turbos US #4 and #6

Mods: The only mods I made was to shorten the body by one inch (I thought it would be a bit more youthful in the slightly shorter length.)

This was a fast, fun knit with lots of va-va-va- voom! I just think it's so pretty and feminine!

As with most Lavold patterns, it's pretty organic...kinda the bare minimum as patterns go. For example, altho the lace is easy enough for a beginner, it never says in the pattern to reverse the charts so the left and right patterns mirror each other. Obvious to most experienced knitters but not to a newbie. Personally I think guidance like that should be in every book, some knitters can be very literal when following a pattern! In addition, I was unable to find an errata page but there is an error in the chart - it was an easy fix, and pretty obvious once you're into the pattern.

I also wish Ms. Lavold would learn to do schematics! There's nary a one in any of the books I've looked at and altho they are not necessary I find they are very nice to refer to when blocking.

Despite those minor whinges, it's a lovely knit and I'm very happy with the finished product.

I also started some new socks....guess what color?


Why, blue of course!
This is some Louet Gems Pearl in the color Neptune and the beginnings of Thelonius by Cookie A.

The astute among you will also note that this week's manicure is brought to you by the color blue! This is another by OPI, the Brights Collection called Can't You Sea? I don't often knit with blue but I've had the colorway and pattern for these socks dancing in my head for a few weeks and I guess that fact subconsciously influenced my manicure color choice. I never even noticed til I started the socks today, d'oh!! :)

The pattern calls for a gauge of 8 inches/inch on 1.5 US (2.5 mm) so I decided to try my Knitpicks DPNs for the first time. I'm spot on for gauge but may I say...MEH! I don't get all the hoopla - they are very slick and pointy but they are HEAVY and too short for me! They may be cheap but so are my beloved Aeros
and my Aeros aren't too slippery, are also nice and pointy and a much better length. I do like many of the Knitpicks products but I'm not jumping on the "I heart options needles!" bandwagon! Gimme my Aeros or addi turbos any day!

Speaking of which, you may wonder what has become of the Forest Path Stole....
Well, I'm just not feeling the love. Yes, I'm co-hosting the KAL but knitting should be fun and never a chore. The truth is I LOATHE knitting with laceweight yarn!! I have used bamboo, addi turbos, teflon and nothing makes the knitting more fun but.....:::drumroll::: enter the new Addi Lace Needles. Now this is a needle I could fall in love with and marry, heh! Seriously, these are the BEST. NEEDLES. EVER! I used a pair to knit one lace unit of the FPS (I'm just finishing tier 5). They are super light, nice grab without any drag and oh so pointy!

Now I won't say that they worked miracles and made me have a burning desire to start knitting the FPS again but they sure did help! I have a new project all picked out for WWKIP Day (I always like to start something new) so from now until June 9th I am gonna use my addi lace needles and try to find that FPS feeling again. At least I'll have my blue socks to keep me from going crazy because yes Alison, I really am a 2 project knitter :)

Lastly, as blog mascot and knitting supervisor (see the where's Waldo Pumpkin pics above) the P-Man wants to remind you, if you ask a question in the comments, please leave an address where I can respond OR check back and I'll respond in the comments! Neither the P-Man or I ever want to ignore our fans :)


Happy Wednesday whatever color yours may be!

Didnae turn owt a wee stoater?

That's Scottish slang for didn't they turn out really attractive?

Dead brilliant, they sure did!! :)

I give you the Clan Tartan Socks!

Heel-n-toe
pretty sharp, huh?
so manly!


can you hear the pipes and smell the heather?

Specs:

Clan Tartan Socks

Pattern: my own, top down mistake stitch rib on 72 stitches, reduced to 68 for the foot

YO short row heel with mini flap and gusset

US #1 (2.25mm) Aero teflon DPNs

Custom dyed superwash merino in Tartan from Cherry Blossom Fibers

I totally love how these turned out. The color is rich, warm and saturated and the yarn nice and soft. My only complaint is the yarn "tore" in a few places....it just sort of fell apart. This was my first experience with this vendor and I'm not sure what the base yarn is but I admit with the added ends to weave in because of the contrasting ribbing, heels and toes I was NOT at all thrilled to have an additional eight ends to weave in (the yarn broke 4 times!)

In the end, I love them and they are winging their way to Glasgow even as I write this!

I've finished the Lavold tank and it's blocking so I'll have a FO to show off next week and some new projects on the drawing board!

Now I leave you with the P-Man doing a Highland Fling! :)

Have a great weekend!!

A personal knitting history and it's baaaaaack!!!

Hello my cheeky monkeys :)

I totally nicked this from Sallee by way of Margene and if the other kewl kids are doing it, who am I to argue?

Actually, it was pretty eye-opening to see all the different aspects of knitting I've done, will do and those few "not unless hell freezes over" techniques, heh.

Consider yourself tagged if you so desire.

Bold for stuff you've done, italics for stuff you plan to do eventually and normal for stuff you don't intend to do (this is the category those "frozen hades" techniques fall under too!)

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn - nah, I think not :)
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn - does K1C2 Secondtime Cotton count?
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with bananafiber yarn - hey, I could grow my own source!
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with Bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/Doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn - um, see category 3 above :)
Slippers
Graffitti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental Knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book - why not? everybody else is :::snark:::
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with Alpaca
Fair Isle Knitting - again, category 3, remember I live in a place where it's HOT!
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding - maybe :)
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies...)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn - maybe redux :)
Knitting with dpns - yay for DPNs!!!!
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks - I would but I don't see steeking my kinda knits, really
Knitting art
Knitting two socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars simultaneously - I can and have but ICK! I'd much rather magic loop
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured Knitting
Kitchener Bind Off
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and Purling Backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with selfpatterning/selfstriping/variegating yarn
Stuffed Toys
Baby items - but rarely, I'd rather buy a gift and knit for adults
Knitting with Cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn - shocking, isn't it? heh!
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia - this too is a category 3 as in, no thanks!
Knitting with Linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting - about as useful as tits on a bull here in the Sunshine State
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/Bolero/Poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public - OH YEAH!!!!

Speaking of KIPing, it's that time of year again!! June 9th is WORLD WIDE KNIT IN PUBLIC DAY!!!!

If you check the link, there are lots of WWKIP Day groups from all around the globe getting their needles ready to knit in public! One thing I haven't seen is a button for this year's WWKIP Day so maybe some photoshop owning, talented knitter would be willing to volunteer their button making skills and come up with a cool button we can all put on our blogs?

Let's all get those needles ready and mark your calendars for June 9th and let's ALL KIP from every corner of the globe!!

I'll leave you with a favorite Pumpkin pic....

Don't ya just love that lil P-Man tongue sticking out?

Plans for the summer and other bits and pieces

I can't believe it's already May and thoughts of summer are foremost in my head....wasn't it *just* Christmas?? Sheesh!

Of course my summer plans include knitting and for me, knitting always includes socknitting so fittingly I joined....

Summer of Socks 2007
I love knitting with people of like minds and this is a pretty low key KAL with lots of return - vendor discounts, prizes, lots of cool socks to see and good company to hang with so what could be bad? Click on the button and come on down and join us, won't you? :)

Speaking of socks, here are my latest -

A Scottish** friend of mine loves knitting and I thought some socks in the colors of his Clan Tartan would make him happy. When I googled "tartan yarn" I found this superwash merino called Tartan (what else) in his exact Clan Tartan colors (navy, green, red with a touch of white.)

I thought adding the green for the ribbing, heels and toes would really make a sharp looking pair of socks and make the Tartan colorway pop. I love how these socks are coming along, don't you?

Now you may ask why I took two separate pics with my very bright orange manicure prominently featured. Well, I have always been fascinated with Koi and all things Koi. I always dreamed of a home with a Koi pond in the back yard, unfortunately my condo association doesn't share my dream, heh.

I found this polish by a company called OPI that I just had to have because it is the exact color of Koi! (and I love funky manicures!) Anyone that knows OPI, knows that they have the greatest punny names for all of their colors. Names like Cha-ching Cherry, Toron-toes, Teal the Cows Come Home and I'm Not Really a Waitress Red. This polish is called Going Ape-ricot but I think they should have called it Don't Be Koi :) These bits are for you, Karen!!

I'm still ignoring my FPS but I'm getting pretty close to finishing the Lavold tank Audrey so I should have that on the blocking board shortly.

I managed to catch another tongue pic of the P-Man!

He's really a pretty small kitty man but the way he licks his chops all time you would think he's a 100 pound cat! I guess he dreams of chicken like his Mom dreams of Koi.
Have a dreamy, knitty week!

** no, I'm not mailing them to my boyfriend Craig altho of course I would knit anything he asked for..... anything :::sigh:::

I got ya knittin', right here I got ya knittin'

Thanks for all the computer woe commiseration, your empathy is much appreciated!

Just a brief update and then hopefully no more computer talk for a great while....I'm coming to you via my "vintage" (I try not to hurt her feelings with ageist remarks, heh) 8 year old Gateway laptop - a FABULOUS piece of equipment and I'm not just buttering her up! As an aside, it astounds me that this laptop was made wireless ready in the days when you were state of the art if you had a 56K modem! Unfortunately, Gateway lost that kind of forward thinking and commitment to being the benchmark for quality shortly thereafter.

The "new" Gateway has another appointment for a "house call" to have a new video card, new hard drive and new mother board installed. That makes hard drive #6, video card #3, processor #2, memory #2 and mother board #2 in 18 months! basically the only original equipment is the on/off button.....so well see what happens this time!

On to some knitting!

First up, here's the FO I promised. Those of you that guessed that I was knitting a shrug were kee-rekt! Here's the front....

And because for every action there is and equal and opposite reaction - the back!

Specs:

Pattern: Retro Redux Shrug from INTERWEAVE KNITS LACE STYLE

Yarn: just over 3 skeins of Berroco Nostalgia, color #6634 for the smallest (38") size

Addi turbo circs size US 8, 9, 10 and 10 1/2

Mods: Except for subbing the yarn, not a single mod!! Imagine that? I'm shocked myself :)

This was a very quick and very fun knit! The pattern was very easy lace and instead of messing with incorporating increases/decreases into the brioche lace pattern, you simply increase needle size as you knit the first half of the shrug, and decrease on the second half - super easy peasy! The only downside is, if you don't love picking up stitches this may not be the project for you cause I had to pick up about 200 stitches for the edging on the smallest size. There is also a very interesting use of short rows to form the shawl collar.

I absolutely LOVE the yarn I used! The Nostalgia is a cotton/microfiber blend that is a pure joy to knit with! It has amazing stitch definition, is very soft and easy on the hands while being light and airy for year round wear - and if you follow the link, it's on sale til the end of May, woot!

All in all, I heartily recommend both the yarn and this pattern for a quick knit with lots of pizazz!

Currently on the needles, meet Audrey.....

She's a pretty tank from Elsebeth Lavold's Designer's Choice, Book Four

I'm using Silky Wool in color #27, Periwinkle.

Here's a close up of her beautiful leafy lace straps...

The pattern is easy but quite striking - in person i think it's one of the prettiest garments I've ever knit! Silky Wool is one of my favorite yarns, I love the color and the pattern has the right balance of soothing stockinette with the interesting rib and lace. I'm really enjoying this knit and the FO will be a winner! I'm about six inches into the front so I should have an FO to show off very soon.

I also have a new sock OTN but I'll save that for next time!

I leave you with a pic of my knitting supervisor hard at work...

You can see the P-Man loves Silky Wool too! And all your compliments on how cute he looked in his last pic plain wore the kitty man out!

Have a great week full of even stitches and MDS&W dreams - don't forget those of us that don't go live vicariously thru those that do :)

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