It's the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World...

Ok it's not the eighth wonder it's just one of the world's prettiest socks! Just look....

It's the Caramel Apple Twisted Flower Socks!

A closer look

Which side do you think is more photogenic? :)

One last peek...

Now this, my friends, is a serious pair of socks!!

Specs:

Pattern: Twisted Flower Socks by the amazing Cookie A

Size: M

Magic loop, US #1.5 (2.5 mm) 32" addi turbo

Dream in Color Smooshy, Chinatown Apple colorway

Mods: NOT A SINGLE ONE!!!

Cookie A is a designing goddess so why mess with perfection altho I confess I tried to! (apparently I am genetically unable to knit a pattern unaltered)

The pattern calls for a US #1.5 for the medium size but it "seemed" a bit too big because of the stretchiness of the lace (we'll just ignore how much cables, even tiny ones, pull in the fabric for now...) So I went down to a US#1 and ended up with a too small sock! Of course I didn't listen to that nag inside my head until I was past the gusset on sock #1...D'OH!! So I am once again back to the school of WWCAD - what would Cookie A do! hehe!

The pattern is immaculate and easy to follow altho the teenie cables really slow down the knitting flow even when cabling without a cable needle. These are definitely not mindless TV time socks. I moaned about the fussy cables while I was knitting the sock but truth be told now that I'm finished, I really miss them!

I think the yarn I chose is perfect and I'm so completely happy that I broke out of my color rut and got acquainted with brown!! The color is so rich and full of depth yet it enhances the texture rather than detracts from it.

These will be leaving Casa de Fluffy soon as they are a holiday gift. I hope the new owner loves them as much as I do and to ease my pain, I KNOW I'll be knitting these again!

I think Pumpkin looks like he'll miss them too, doesn't he?

Actually I think he looks like he just got caught with his paw in the wild salmon jar, doesn't he?

Have a great weekend!!

To those that celebrate...

Happy Thanksgiving

Florida Style!!!
Have a wonderful day and enjoy your blessings!!!

Random Friday

Thanks for all the compliments on La Dolce Vita!

I'm hoping my SIL likes it as much as everyone here! I'll try to get some modeling pics once it's gifted so you can see it on a real body cause it sure is pretty and will look stunning with her olive-toned beauty!

Regarding my Veteran's Day post...I know lots of us have seen the familiar poppy boutonniere but I'm guessing many of us didn't know the origin of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance, me included.

The poem I posted In Flander's Fields, written by Canadian field doctor John McCrae during World War I is the inspiration for using poppies for remembering and honoring our veterans. He wrote it after presiding, in lieu of having no Chaplain, over the funeral of a close friend and comrade and was touched by the poppies growing amid the headstones in a small cemetery in Belgium. I think the poem is just as touching and important 93 years later...sadly.

Now for some less sobering randomness, look what I got in the mail.....

How cool is this??
Anyone who's ever gotten an email from me knows my address is CherryRipeGirl@comcast.net. Altho many of the online losers are sure that has some deviant meaning, the origin of the name is simply that an ex-boyfriend who was an Aussie ex-pat from Perth gave it to me. Cherry Ripes are a very popular candy Down Under and it was his Aussie way of calling me his sweetie (awwww!)

Donna, knitter extraordinaire and owner of the cutest whisk broom lovin' bunny ever was sweet enough to think that I should taste my namesake and so she sent me a bag of Cherry Ripes straight from Oz!! So YUMMY!! And that purple-y black something else peeking from behind the candy is a really yummy, gorgeous skein of cashmere sock yarn from The Knittery in the colorway, Midnight! (no Beth, you can't have it!) Thank you so much Donna, both your gifts were totally wonderful!

Because I had a few requests I've added new pattern to my side bar - my
Extra Warm Kureyon Wristers in two sizes! Enjoy!

One last bit of random before I go, heh...

On Ravelry, I belong to the Sock Knitters Anonymous Group (as an aside, a very fun, active group with a cool Sockdown Challenge every month - come and join us!)

I posted this to the group and the subject still intrigues me so I'm posting it again here....

In one of the Ravelry forums there is thread titled "Not feeling the sock love?" or something to that affect...

It was a thread for people who don't knit socks and don't get sock knitting (Imagine that???? Hehe)

Some of the comments really surprised me tho -- many posters responded that they don't knit socks because "they don't wear socks" or they "don't wear handknit socks".

This indicated to me that unless the knitter is wearing the socks herself, she's not knitting them! This concept really surprised me cause here at Chez Fluffy, 90% of the socks I knit are for someone else. I would also say that at least 50% of the other items I knit are for someone else too.

So what do you all think, are most knitters "selfish"? ***

***I used the word selfish in quotes because I don't think knitting for one's self is a bad thing, it was just a surprising observation as a reason not to knit socks.

Lastly, a random pic of my favorite kitty man

Getting a random and much appreciated head scratch!

Have a wonderful week, see you before Turkey Day!!

Thank You

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Thank you, dear soldier, your honor and bravery is remembered...

Busy, busy, busy!!

Why is it, despite planning and executing holiday knitting year round, I always feel sorta *crunched* this time of year?

The good news is I've been a busy knitter and that puts me in the homestretch for meeting holiday knitting goals!

I don't mean to imply that I don't love holiday knitting, I do!! And my recipients love my handknits just as enthusiastically which thrills me to no end! There is nothing better than seeing someone truly happy to receive a handknit and love it so much that they put it on immediately and wear it with a huge smile on their face!

I do however confess I have weeded out the less than enthusiastic from my list, I wouldn't want you to think it's all knitting Utopia here at blog de fluffy :)

I have so much to show you so I'll jump right in!

Here's a pair of Kureyon Wristers I whipped up...

I'm not the biggest Kureyon fan cause despite it's glorious color I find it horribly scratchy and I hate pulling extraneous crap out of my yarn! But I had this pretty colorway in my stash and I wanted some really warm wristers - and believe me, Kureyon knit at 7 sts/inch makes for a dense, toasty wrister!

Specs:

Exactly one skein of Kureyon, colorway #150

My own pattern

Magic loop, US#4 (3.5mm)

I literally used every inch of the skein for these. Once knit I washed them in baby shampoo and then while still wet massaged some Redken "Soft" hair conditioner into them and rinsed very well. Now they are super soft and super cuddly!

Next up, I give you La Dolce Vita!

Here she is lying down after a bath...

(The color is kinda off here, it's not quite so orange)

And the money shot...

This color is spot on on my monitor - it's a vibrant, sunny coral

Specs:

La Dolce Vita Tank by Dipsy Doodle

9 skeins Knitpicks Shine Worsted in Coral

US# 3 (3.25mm) Addi Lace needle

I totally LOVE how this tank came out!! I think it is truly lovely!

It's an original design by Angela of Dipsy Doodle and as soon as I saw it I knew it would be perfect for the person I plan to give it to. The pattern is not for the feint of heart tho!

Altho the lace isn't really difficult, there is no guidance for maintaining the decreases in pattern so a knitter has to "knit on her feet" - not at all mindless but not terribly difficult if you pay attention.

Mods: I felt the armscythe as written was too deep and the V-Neck, too shallow, so I redesigned both to suit my needs. I added an extra inch to the body length. I did short row shoulders and used a 3 needle bind off for the shoulder seams. The pattern calls for a crochet edging to the neck and armscythe but I wanted a more finished look so after sewing the tank together I picked up stitches around the neck and arms and did 3 row garter stitch neck and arm bands to match the garter ridges in the pattern.

All in all, I'm very pleased with this top and despite all the mods I think it's a wonderful design (thanks Angela!) and will probably knit it again, albeit not too soon!

Wait, there's even more - I told you I was busy, busy, busy! I'm still working on my Caramel Apple Twisted Flower socks but since that was my only WIP, I cast on for a new pair of socks - check off another holiday gift, woot!

Here's my Marigold Sock...

I'm using Opal Petticoat #1290 which I think is *perfect* for this pattern! Isn't it pretty?

I'm loving this pattern cause it's really cute yet super easy! It's become my "mindless" sock when I need a respite from teenie cables and because it's such an easy pattern it's infinitely more portable than the Caramel Apples! BTW, this would be a GREAT pattern for those toe-up sock virgins out there - if you're looking for the perfect pattern to get your feet wet with, imo, this is the one! I subbed the Turkish Cast-on (of course!) for the short row toe as written so that makes it even easier.

Whew, that was a busy post! I leave you with this cute pic of the P-man...I love it because it appears as if you are looking directly into his eyes, especially if you click to embiggen...

You're getting sleepy...you're being hypnotized...send organic wild salmon treats...hehehe...

Have a great weekend/week and don't stress about holiday knitting too much - it's still early :)

Can it really be November already?

Sheesh time sure does fly, doesn't it? Wasn't it just Independence Day?

At least it's gotten a bit cooler here and we managed not to meet Mr. Noel so a girl's gotta be grateful for the little things! (one more month to avoid the big "H", doo dah, doo dah!!)

I've been knitting A LOT or should I say re-knitting :(

I completed the first sock of the gorgeous Caramel Apple Twisted Flower sock past the gusset and once again I failed to heed that nagging little voice in my head telling me the socks were too snug! So of course the little voice bitch slapped me and I had to rip out all those annoying tedious pretty little cables! You would think she would speak up sooner, wouldn't you? heh...

But the Smooshy yarn is beyond stunning and sooo delightful to knit with I almost didn't mind a second take, almost! I switched to the #1.5 needles the pattern recommends (duh! but it *seemed* too big with a gauge of 8 sts/in on 72 sts cause the cables aren't all over the sock!!) and all is well!

So now I'm about an inch away from starting the toe decreases on the first sock but I wanted to show you this gorgeous heel...

Isn't that a thing of beauty?** You can really see the subtle nuances of color in this amazing yarn and the pattern is just breathtaking! It's about as far from "mindless knitting" as it gets and as I alluded to before the tiny cables are really tedious, even without using a cable needle but the end result will be so worth it! No more pics til a finished pair tho!

** the "beautiful" knails are shockingly NOT OPI, they are OPI's edgy little sister Nicole (the line is named after OPI's founder's daughter) I was sneaking in one last summery mani with the lovely shimmery pink called Provocative Pink

I got so embroiled in the Caramel Apple socks I neglected my Dolce Vita tank a bit but I'm on the home stretch now. I should finish the knitting this weekend and will give it a wash and a block and then seaming town, here I come! So in other words those pics will be coming soon too.

We may be low on the knitting pics here at Blog de Fluffy but I do have something spectacular to show you. Check these goodies out...

This is a slightly belated birthday gift all the way from England thanks to the kind and generous Emma! That's cashmere and silk bay-bee!!

The plump skeins on top are Posh Lucia sock yarn and the stunning purple shaded skeins are about 1200 yards of laceweight silk from Fyberspates - aren't I the luckiest knitter?? Thank you SO MUCH sweet Emma! I see some yummy socks and a killer shawl in my future thanks to you!

Look! Even the nosey P-Man is in love...

I guess he's just doing his job, he is my knitting supervisor after all!

On a side note, Michaela, a good friend of Emma, is raising some much needed funds for Emma's son Oliver. Oliver should be the poster child for making the most of every single day despite disability but unfortunately his winning "getter done" attitude doesn't pay for the VERY expensive adaptive equipment Oliver needs. Michaela is sewing together a cozy, colorful blanket that will be raffled off with the proceeds going to Oliver's Fund. If you can help either with a donation, a few knitted squares or buying a raffle ticket or two (a mere $2 each!) wont you go pay Michaela a visit and do what you can? You can even get an early start on Knit Unto Others 2007!

What we lack in knitting here at Blog de Fluffy, we make up for in handsome kitty man pics so here's another for the P-Man fans...

Kitty Dude is so photogentic, isn't he? :)

Enjoy your weekend and your extra hour of sleep! (YAY!)

Breakout!....well sorta

When situations never change
Tomorrow looks unsure
Don't leave your destiny to chance
What are you waiting for
The time has come to make your break
Breakout!
~~ Swing Out Sister

I just loved this song when it came out...so positive and powerful about seizing the day and breaking out of the ruts we all fall into, the too comfortable and familiar patterns we fall back on again and again.

Do you find yourself in a knitting rut? Do you need to breakout too?

Of course change is scary so sometimes we fall back on what we know best and pink is most often my fall back color when I knit. Yes, green is my favorite color but not everyone loves it as I do. Orange is my current heartthrob but even more so than green, orange isn't for everyone and often something of an acquired taste.

Pink seems to be universally pleasing...sweet and girly, hot and passionate.

Pink can even be a neutral...pink blends beautifully with browns, blacks, blues, greens, even orange!

Ok even I can see thru all this sugary prose so I'll just come clean....

I knit another pair of pink socks :)

Exhibit A:

Specs:

Basic Garter Rib socks

Toe- up with a Turkish cast-on

My first toe-up mini flap and gusset, yo short row heel (woot!!)

2 skeins Lorna's Laces shepherd sock, Flamingo Stripe colorway (a lovely birthday gift from Jes, thanx hunny!)

Magic loop, size #1 (2.25mm) 32" circ

Tubular bind off (I LOVE this bind off for toe up socks, so stretchy and pretty and easy to do!)

I wasn't sure I would love the stripes of the colorway as I'm not much of a stripe girl but it's such a juicy, lively pink and it looks nice and tweedy in the garter rib. Knitting with the Lorna's Laces was pure pleasure too - so soft yet crisp, tidy stitch definition - just a perfect sock yarn.

Now for the breakout portion of our broadcast. I give you my new sock -

It's Cookie A's Twisted Flower pattern. It's brilliant and it's BROWN!!!

How's that for breaking out? This is the first time I've EVER knit with brown yarn...whoo hoo!!

I must say, if I had to lose my brown virginity, this is the yarn to do it with! It's Dream in Color Smooshy in the Chinatown Apple colorway and it's delicious! (get it? Apple, delicious? yuk yuk yuk) The depth of color of this yarn is a marvel! Brick, warm rusty brown, greenish brown - glorious! A knitter girl could get used to this brown thing.

Of course brown is so scarce around Casa de Fluffy, the P-Man doesn't quite know what to make of it...

I'll be back next week with an update on the Dolce Vita tank. Enjoy your weekend and breakout a little too, ok?

It's raining, it's pouring...still

I'm not complaining mind you, I realize there are lots of places suffering with terrible drought right now and rain is certainly WAY preferable to the big "H"!

During the rainy season, it does rain here every day but it's usually just a brief sprinkle (most often during rush hour traffic, of course!) For the last month we've had torrential rain for a good portion of every day.

While rain can be an inconvenience, it's beauty and it's usefulness is unquestionable.

I love to watch the storms rolling in from my balcony....I can see the thunderheads and watch the rain falling in thick grey curtains in the distance...

Isn't it beautiful?

Onto the knitting...

Since holiday time draws near, thoughts turn to gift knitting and one of my favorite knitted gifts is fingerless mitts or wristers.

To that end I've posted a link on my sidebar that is super easy, super cute, easy to size up or down, unisex and takes less than one skein of koigu! I did post about it once before but it was way at the bottom of a very long post so I thought I'd be a sport and chat it up again :)

In addition, if you're into mitts, there's a great new KAL in town!


It's the Fall Fingerless Mitts KAL and Keri is the lovely hostess!

There's lots of pretty mitt eye candy, lots of free patterns and lots of sharing and companionship - the things knitters do best!

So if you have chilly hands or know anyone that does, come join us and knit some fall mitts!

As for me, I'm still working on my Flamingo Stripe socks but there's nothing exciting to see. It's my "grab and go - hurry up and wait" project so I'm not knitting on it all that much.

I am excited about this new WIP tho, look....

It's a new cotton tank I'm making as a gift...isn't the color yummy? At least something around here is bright and sunny!

I'm only showing this little bit because altho it is a gift and the recipient doesn't read FKD, I'm actually finished with the back and well into the front so I'll have an FO soon and I'll show y'all the whole enchilada then :)

Remember that big, fluffy, luxurious bed the P-Man has been enjoying? Well as we all know, explaining why a cat does what he does is an exercise in futility!

I had my blocking board on my bed to block the Esprit Tank and seems my P-Man likes a firm "mattress" too!

I can't get him off the thing and when I fold it up to put away, he meows and paces until I bring it out again! Silly kitty man!

To those that are off to Rhinebeck this weekend once again, bite me have a wonderful time! To my hapless fellow non-attendees, have a great weekend and knit lots!

Wanna see something REALLY beautiful???

This is my good friend Shawna...WEARING HER NEW ESPRIT TANK!!

Doesn't she look lovely and isn't it a PERFECT fit? I'm so happy :):)

Happy Birthday, My Friend!!

I have so much to show (and tell) you!

The good thing about non-stop rain for over 3 weeks is when the heavens finally decide to shine a little light on this fluffy knitter's lowly existence, I have LOTS of FOs and other good stuff to share so get ready for a picture *fluffy* post, heh!

Since my birthday was 3 weeks ago it's about time I showed you two of my favorite knitting related pressies...

This was hand made for me by the talented and generous Sallee aka Nana Sadie Rose...

needle case front
needle case inside
Isn't this adorable? I LOVE the fabric! In fact, I told Sallee I wish I had jammie bottoms made out of it too cause it's warm cozy flannel!

Now we all know FKD is of the ahem, hoarder persuasion so thinking my DPNs will fit in this beautiful case is laughable BUT my crochet hook collection will fit perfectly and it will be a very welcome improvement over their current residence of a ziploc sandwich bag!

If you want a needle holder of your own or one of Sallee's gorgeous original bags, go click on the link and pay her a visit!

Thanks Sallee, I love my new kitty needle holder!

The reason I don't own one of Sallee's amazing bags is I'm not much of a bag person! Shocking, I know...the one obsession I don't have, right? :)

When I started back to knitting 5 years ago I was desperate to find other knitters so I found a clear vinyl knitting bag, thinking if people could see my knitting while I was out and about, they might ask me about it. And they did!

But despite all the amazing knitting bags out there, I've stuck with my clear vinyl...until now....

Look what I got for my birthday!!

Isn't this a hoot?

It's made by a company called Angry Little Girls and it was a gift from my good bud Laura!
It's such a fun bag in my favorite color! I especially love all the little pockets and compartments for every notion you can think of! I don't think I'll be wearing it to church but it is certainly a conversation piece! Thanks Auntie La!

Now for some knitting...I finally finished the albatross Esprit Tank!!

This project has been on my needles longer than any other since I learned to knit!! Miles and miles of sportweight garter stitch, I thought I'd never get thru it! In fact I came *this close* to abandoning it quite a few times but I'm glad I didn't! Have a look at why...

pretty collar

border close up

the money shot!

folded border

Specs:

Elann Esprit Tank (free pattern from Elann.com)

size #6 addi turbo 32" circular needle

size D crochet hook

10 skeins Elann Esprit cotton/elastic yarn, colorway Capri Blue

2 skeins Elann Sonata for trim, colorway Indigo Gold

Mods: The largest size this pattern was written for was 36". I upsized this to a 56". I continued the drop stitch pattern over the whole tank rather than over just the midriff as the pattern suggested. The crochet border as written was WAY too big and came out like a giant ruffle - not the look I was going for! - So I kinda redneck engineered (a phrase and action coined by Kris!) the crochet motifs and decreased half the stitches in between each motif to have the border lay flat. I also used a smaller crochet hook.

In the end, altho the knitting was quite a slog, I'm very happy with the final product. It's winging it's way to it's recipient as I write this and I think she'll love it too! At least I hope so!

It's an easy, easy knit with some very basic crochet added in and in a "regular" size it would be a fun and fast knit. I'm very glad I made it but I'm sticking to smaller projects for a while...

I took the tank outside to get a decent pic (it's hanging from my porch light in the "money shot" pic, heh) and Pumpkin was bereft that he couldn't join in the fun too!

what a sad, lonely face

But wait! there's more!

I finished my Vog On footies!

Specs:

'Vog On socks by Aleta Fera for Knitty

2 skeins Crystal Palace Panda Cotton, colorway Blueberries and Grapes

Size US#1 (2.25) Knitpicks 32" circular needle, magic loop

Toe up using a Turkish Cast-On

Tubular bind-off

Mods: I made these more of a footie than the anklet the pattern suggests. I changed the eye of partridge heel to a yo short row heel and I eliminated the picot bind off as I didn't think FK Mom would appreciate it so much.

My love of Panda Cotton is well documented, especially this delicious colorway! These socks are so soft plus the pattern is super easy and so pretty. I think FK Mom will love them!

Now you'll note those socks are blue. Guess what color my new socks are? PINK, what else? Sheesh, maybe I do need to knit some brown socks to break this color rut I'm in! Here's the new socks on the block with some Knails thrown in for good measure...

Just a simple toe-up, magic loop, garter rib sock in some pretty Lorna's Laces, another birthday pressie, this time from Jessica. The juicy nails are OPI Brights Collection, Goldilocks Rocks! I went for extreme contrast vs. matching this time - isn't it pretty? :)

As your reward for reading ALL of this, you get a second P-Man pic - cause there's never enough P-Man, right?

The handsome boy makes everything he sits on look comfy, doesn't he?

Have a good week...I'll be back soon with my new WIP, weather/pic taking permitting!

OOPS!! One more thing...I added a new free pattern on my sidebar if you're interested. Just a simple wrister pattern written for koigu or any sock yarn, enjoy!

Remember me?

Oh Hi! Remember me? I used to blog here at FKD pretty regularly!

The good news is I finally finished the Esprit Tank!! Hallelujah!!

The bad news is it's been raining here for 40 days and 40 nights, or at least it feels that way! And you know how long cotton takes to dry when it's rainy and wet! Plus grey, dank and cloudy makes for crappy photo ops.

So...I'll try to get some decent pics soon, plus I have a new WIP and some favorite birthday prezzies to share.

To tide you over til then so you don't forget us, here's another pic of the P-Man enjoying his new giant bed (taken pre-deluge)...

Don't you wish you could relax like that?

Be back soon!!

After the party's over....

So another birthday's come and gone...good thing I'm perpetually 29! :)

Thank you one and all for all the wonderful birthday wishes, between here and Ravelry I've never gotten so many "happy birthdays" in my life!

But enough rambling on and on, I know what y'all *really* want...the answer to the mystery of the universe, just how many OPI lacquers does obsessive FKD have?

Well first, here are the birthday knails holding the current SIP, 'Vog On...

Virgin Island Velvet...and to the commenter(s) who asked, if you keep the caps on tightly and store the OPI in a cool, dark place (my closet, my dresser) they can last a LONG time. I have some that are well over 5 years old, maybe closer to 10! (Virgin Island Velvet being one!) and they are just like the day I opened them. Gotta love the OPI huh?

Isn't that a festive birthday color even tho I trimmed my knails a bit?

So now that you know I've been collecting OPI for more than 10 years, you know how some of your weenie guesses just cracked me right up, heh!

Now for some more birthday eye candy, here's a bouquet from the FK Mom...

Isn't she the best Mom?
Now where was I? Oh yes....birthday contest!!

OK, enough teasing...the total mumber of OPI lacquers I posess is....

~~TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO ~~
That means if I was so inclined I could change my polish every week (I'm not) and have no repeats for FIVE YEARS!!

And the winners of the contest...the guess that came closest with their FIRST guesses was TRISH with 243 and the runner up was MEL with 275.

So ladies if you will email me with your addresses, and Trish you get to decide which gift you prefer, I'll get your FKD birthday gifts right off to you!

Now wasn't that fun? Thanks for playing, everyone!

There's been precious little actual knitting content here lately cause I am still slogging thru the Esprit tank but I am just about at the armscythe for the back so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I so want to finish this thing, I won't even *allow* myself to knit on my socks until I do, which is making me a bit nuts, I admit!

I did get a little respite from the tank tho...I signed up for Dish Rag Tag a couple of months ago and despite the fact that I think my team is in last place, I finally got the box! Here's what I got from my upstream tagger...

Of course Mr. Nosey had to check every thing out! Thank you Karen, Pumpkin and I love our surprises and my dishy new dishrag! :)

I'm the last stop for my team so I get to send a dishrag to Emily, the coordinator of DRT. I wanted something different so here's my welcome respite from the Esprit tank...

Say what you will about "warshrag" knitting, but I think they are a fun way to try out different stitch patterns and they make splendid, extra soft and soapy washcloths!

So it's back to the albatross Esprit tank for me, and birthday week is almost over :::sigh:::

I hope to have a finished tank soon and then I promise to lay off the giant projects for a while cause they sure make for boring blogging! (btw, the tank is actually a gift but it's a secret, don't tell, k?)

I'll leave you with another lucky gift recipient and it wasn't even his birthday....

I decided the the P-Man needed a bed of his very own** so I got him one made for up to a 75 pound dog!! (He's about SEVEN pounds) He LOVES it...see?

Granted, it's a bit roomy but I can't get him out of it! I think he looks so cute kinda swimming in the thing :)

I'll share a couple of my most favorite birthday gifts with y'all next time and hopefully have a finished tank too! Til then, have fun and knit lots!

** he's rejected a kitty pi and his previous preferred place of slumber was in my closet on my shoes! Crazy kitty man!

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Yes, the big day is here! So if you haven't made a guess (or wished me a happy birthday) you have til midnight to do so and maybe win those yummy prizes -- Good Luck!!

PS - No one has guessed yet :)

Let the celebration begin and other random stuff

As I've said many times, I try to keep FKD about the strings and sticks but occasionally there is a subject which isn't about the knitting that reminds me why I'm glad I have my blog where I CAN have my say even if it has nothing to do with yarn...so here's something that I feel compelled to discuss...

This may be a sad performance, this may be a poor wardrobe choice, this may be a cry for help, this may even be a whole lot of crazy but.....

THIS IS NOT FAT!!!!!!
I fear for the message the media continues to send to healthy sized, impressionable young girls who look at this and think, "If she's fat, I'm a whale!!!" Is it any wonder eating disorders are so prevalent? /end rant.

~~~~

Kristi, designer extraordinaire of Fiber Fool fame recently wrote an interesting post about color and how we choose color in our knitting lives. She's even developed a color meme. Here's mine...

1. What is your current favorite color? Green and orange to look at, pink to wear

2. Had your favorite color changed over the years? Orange has very dramatically leapt into my preferred spectrum where is had not been before

3. Is your current favorite color one that is currently trendy? (Do you see it in the fashion rags or on the clothes rack or in the linen aisle right now? How about 5 years ago?) Trendy schmendy - I wear what I like and what looks well on me (never brown or beige no matter how *chic*)

4. What is your favorite color combination? Black and pink or red, pink and green

5. Is that combination a popular one? (Is it use in prints you see in the stores and catalogs and magazines now? How about 5 years ago?) I don't know about popularity in stores now or 5 years ago but the black/brights combo is very popular in professional settings. There were many days in my office where every single one of us (more than 20) were wearing black and red or pink!

6. What is your favorite way of using color in your knitting? (Are you a stranded knitter? Do you prefer simple stripes? Do you prefer just accents at the hems/collars?) I haven't done stranded knitting since I moved to Florida - too hot! I love knitting with rich, bright saturated color and not just for socks! I'm not really big on stripes but once in a while they are fine - I usually prefer a more muted variegation tho. I think color accents in small touches on a knitted item look very sharp without being garish or gaudy

7. What colors look good on you? Any pink, any blue or any gray except the darkest values of each. I had my colors analyzed back in the early 90's and those colors became my mantra - and they work really well for me!

8. What colors look bad on you? Green, brown, beige

9. Do you wear colors that don’t look good on you just because you like them? Very, very rarely and only if they are not close to my face - people ask if I'm feeling sick when I wear colors I shouldn't :)

10. What is your favorite neutral color? black/white/ivory/tan/brown/gray – if brown or gray do you prefer cool or warm versions of those or does it matter? And, how dark? Black or gray - Not too dark on the gray - flannel, not charcoal

11. Is there a sweater pattern that uses more than one color that you’d like to make, but you wish to change the colors from what is published? If yes, which one? What do you not like about the published colors? Living in Florida and having most of my knitting recipients living in warmer climates I don't even think about knitting something like Oregon by Alice Starmore or a Dale of Norway sweater but if I did, I think there are enough patterns like those around that I could find a color palette that pleased me. If not, I wouldn't hesitate to change the colors.

Feel free to yoink this meme and post it on your blog (with a link back to Kristi!) cause I for one, am very interested to hear the color perspective of my blogging buds!

Now for the really important stuff...THE BIRTHDAY CONTEST!!!!!

Next Tuesday is my birthday so of course that means it's a perfect time for ME to give YOU, my faithful and supportive readers, a gift!!

As y'all have come to know, I have a bit of a *thing* when it comes to Knails! In fact, my OPI stash rivals my yarn stash....hey, I wonder if OPI will do "The Fiber Collection" - knitting themed colors!? Ok, I digress...

Anyway, I have 2 lovely prizes to give away...

A sock yarn grab bag with Lorna's Laces, Mountain Colors, Opal, Sockotta, ect.

And a shawl kit from Blackberry Ridge, The Legend of the Shetland Seas Stole.

Here's a close up of the lovely yarn - you could even dye it if you choose!

So how do you win one of these lovely prizes? Simple! Just guess the number of OPI Knail Lacquers I currently possess!! Easy Peasy!

Wish me a happy birthday and leave your best guess in the comments between now and midnight September 18th and you'll be eligible for one of these yummy prizes! I'll pick the two winners closet to the actual number and one closest will have their choice of sock yarn or stole! YAY, I love birthdays!! :)

Here's the P-Man primping for the upcoming festivities...

He says, "Good luck everyone and happy birthday Mom!!"

I don't 'poo, do you?

Got your attention, didn't I? :)

Yes, it's true but not in the way you think...

Thanks to Wendy, via Sandy I've gone shamPOO free!!

For the last few months Wendy has mentioned going 'poo free and how nice it was making her hair...I was intrigued! You see, since my hair is just shy of waist length and I have the MOST sensitive skin on the planet the thought of adding less chemicals to the equation sounded like a good thing so I went here to check it out!

No chemicals? No unnecessary foam? Gorgeous hair? I dunno, sounded too good to be true, plus it was pretty spendy!* I didn't want yet another disappointing product gathering dust in my linen closet. What sold me? Well, if skeptical L-B can do without the 'poo, so can I! :) Plus she has longer hair like me!

It's an odd feeling, not to have a head full of foam but my hair is GORGEOUS! Smooth, no frizz (remember I live in the humidity capitol of America!) super soft and silky and SHINY! Plus it did not irritate my skin at all! (Most shampoos do!)

By popular request, ETA.....

MY HAIR!! :)
I used the Cucumber Aloe Cleansing Conditioner and used 18 pumps (I am using less each time til I find what is right for me!) The only complaint? I *hate* the smell...it smells musty and old to me, not fresh like I hoped it would. I also bought the Tea Tree and I love that smell so I plan to alternate with every washing.

I heartily recommend these products, especially if you have sensitive skin issues. I got mine here and I'm really happy I did! Thanks L-B, Wendy, Sandy and Chaz :)

** It's not spendy if it works and doesn't make my scalp bleed! Plus it's a bit cheaper on QVC than from Chaz Dean directly.

On to the knitting! After all this is FluffyKnitterDeb, not FluffyShoweringDeb! (there's your scary visual for the week, heh!)

First we have...wait for it...PINK SOCKS....

Here's the finished "Everybody into the Pool" socks...

Aren't they great? They are just so juicy! I actually took this pic in my bathroom because it was the only place I could photograph even close to the true color including inside under an Ott light and outside...it's really a deep, saturated hot pink rather than a purple. This pic isn't perfect but very close - I love 'em!

Specs:

Tausendschon Sockenwolle, colorway Schlangengift (I tried to translate this and it kept coming up as queue poison, wtf? My kind reader Batty set me straight, it means Snake Poison! How cool is that?) I really like this yarn, it's so soft and nice to knit with!

Size #0 (2.0 mm) 32" circular needle, magic loop

Just simple stockinette and a yo short row heel with the yarn doing all the talking...I love em and I'm sure my niece will too!

Next up, new socks in....wait for it.....BLUE....

I was trying to get out of my green knitting rut and now I'm firmly ensconced in a pink and blue rut :::sigh::: maybe I need some brown and yellow yarn? ( j/k!!)

Here's a new footie I started for Mom

Toe up 'Vog On socks from Knitty in Panda Cotton, colorway Blueberries and Grapes.
I LOVE this colorway, the combo of blues and purples is very striking. Panda Cotton is one of my favorite sock yarns! It's so soft and squishy (ok, and a little splitty, just pay attention!) I just love the sproing it has too!

The pattern is very cool too but I'm not gonna do the picot bind off. It's just a bit too "cutesie" for the FKMom so I'll finish with a tubular bind off.


I got a lovely present in the mail, look....

why yes, it's some new knails too. OPI brights, "Do you need Sunglasses?" :)

It's another beautiful darning egg!! My very talented wood crafter friend Phil of Custom Wood Design sent it to me, isn't it lovely?

I use my darning eggs all the time, for grafting sock toes but it's also very handy for making any knitted fabric more visible for weaving in ends. Go pay Phil a visit and get yourself something lovely too! (he has breathtaking niddy noddies, spindles, wip tools and nostipinde too!)

ETA: If you go to Phil's website, ignore the "SOLD" signs. If there is something you especially like, Phil will make it for you as long as the wood is available - just email him to discuss it.

Speaking of presents, next week is the FKD birthday once again! So what does that mean to you? Why, it's time for a groovy contest of course! Yeah, I know it's weird to give presents away on MY birthday but I march to a different drummer like that :)

So the P-Man is chillaxin' this week, see?

Don't ya just love the little crossed feet? :)

He's says to come back soon for birthday festivities! Til then he hopes you can chillax some too! Have fun!