Sweet Swap Success!

Before I get to the swag, there's some good news and bad news....the good news is the Gateway Dude showed up. The bad news is the motherboard is "DOA" and a new one is being sent, scheduled to be installed next week. I can't wait. The good news is I still have my much loved old laptop with the bouncing cursor. The bad news is it only takes me about four hours to type and retype and retype and retype yet again each post :)

So don't expect lots of posts but I'm trying - I know the P-Man fans need an occasional fix!

On to the knitting and the swag!!

My longtime readers know I haven't had much success with swaps and secret pals and such - either I got a box full of re-gifted dreck or I got nothing at all. And of course who can forget the world's most expensive skein of sock yarn? So I was a bit reluctant to join any more swaps as you might imagine.

About a year ago I met Kimberly - somehow I linked to her blog or she to mine but we had a lot in common, hit it off and became friends.

Kim's an ex-pat living in Berlin, teaching Spanish (the irony of that never fails to crack me up!) and so we got to chatting about her missing some American goodies and me wanting to be introduced to some German goodies, especially of the Wollmeise kind! Plus her experiences with swaps weren't so hot either.

So we decided a swap with someone we already knew (and liked a lot!) couldn't fail and boy were we right! That Kim sure does know her swag.....have a peek.....

(as always, click to embiggen)

The bag in the back is a typical Berlin "tourist" bag and has pics of the city's sights on it. Inside were an adorable green zippered bag Kim made for me (she's a sewing goddess!) a wooden shawl pin with a kitty carved on top, a lavender sachet, a sheep cookie cutter, a vintage German crochet mag (so cool!!) some adorable stitch markers she and her sweet daughter Alida made for me (there's a beer stein and a hamburger in there, hee!), a sheepy game, a postcard of a typical Berlin curry shop (what is it with Europeans and curry??) 2 beautiful skeins of Trekking that a special visitor snatched immediately and last but surely not least, a beautiful skein of Wollmeise!

You can see what I sent to Kim here

Thank you so much Kimberly, you have restored my faith in swaps, at least with you :)

Now if that wasn't enough, look what else came in the mail.....

I've never been to any type of yarn, sheep or wool festival but lucky for me, my knitting friends got my back!

My sweet buddy Agnes always thinks of me when she goes to Stitches West. Look what goodies just arrived....

Yep, those are Cookie A's brilliant new sock patterns!! They are all stunning but Stricken (right) is calling my name very loudly! (the new patterns aren't on her site yet but should be soon) Plus she sent that oh so soft and beautiful skein of Lisa Souza Merino in the Goldilocks colorway because she said it reminded her of Pumpkin! It's a huge skein so rather than socks, I'm thinking shawl...oh the possibilities - I am such a lucky woman! Thank you again Agnes, you're the best knitting "connection" a girl could have :)

For some actual knitting, I finished my *best sock yarn* socks (snark)

Specs:

pattern: Pretty Comfy Sock by Debbi Young

2 skeins Cascade Fixation, Burgundy

Magic Loop, 32" addi turbo size US #3 (3.25 mm)

Mods: I changed the wrapped short row heel as specified in the pattern to my usual yo short row heel but because of the stretch in the yarn, I omitted the mini flap and gusset.

Cascade is hardly the "it" yarn for socks as my cousin was led to believe but it does have it's place. The socks are very soft and stretchy and they knit up into a very cute sock that i'm sure my cousin will love.

Y'all know me, one sock finished, another one begun....the March SKA challenge is an Ann Budd sock or entrelac. Guess which I chose :)

This is the Annetrelac sock from IK in some delicious Bearfoot.

Also note the perfectly coordinated knails! The mani is done with OPI "Red-y to Help", a lacquer developed to help the American Red Cross with a percentage of the sales going to support this very worthy charity. Now that's my kinda mani - beautiful knails and doing a good deed too! :)

I didn't touch my Mom's vest since my last post - I was busy with a very special visitor last week but I'll tell you all about that next time.

Til then the P-Man will keep you smiling....

Doesn't he look like he just heard a really funny joke?

Keep on knitting lots and I'll be back when I can, Gateway willing!

Excuses, excuses, E is for EXCUSES

Hi everyone, remember me? I'm the girl from Florida with the really cute cat who used to post regularly.....does it ring a bell? :)

I really do have a good excuse tho.

As tired as I am of dancing this dance yet again I'm still having those pesky lil computer problems....it's no biggie really, I'm just awaiting the third motherboard replacement in a 15 month old computer!!! Good old Gateway - I guess I was lucky to have a 9 month reprieve from their shenanigans.

So my beloved old Bessie (my 8 year old laptop) and I are limping along but she has this little flaw that makes typing up a post a long and arduous task......her cursor jumps all over without warning and deletes entire sentences paragraphs posts just as fast as I can type them! It's a nightmare!

So that's my Excuse and I'm stickin' to it!

I have been knitting so I'll muddle thru to fill you in on what's doing here at Chez Fluffy...

First up.....Socks - shocking, I know :)

I call these my Remembering Gigi socks

Some of you might know that the knitting community lost one of it's own a few weeks ago. Gigi Silva, aka Momma Monkey sadly lost her battle with Lupus.

Gigi was a generous, talented and prolific sock knitter and shared many beautiful sock patterns thru her Socktopia site. As a tribute to this wonderful women the Sock Knitters Anonymous Group on Ravelry added her patterns for our February Sockdown Challenge.

I chose to honor Gigi's memory by knitting her Fawkes pattern in her favorite color, orange.

Specs:

pattern: Fawkes by Gigi Silva

yarn: 2 skeins Claudia's Handpainted in Blue Terra Cotta

Magic Loop, 32" Harmony Circ, US#1.5 (2.5 mm)

Mods: The February Sockdown Challenge was to knit a heel that was "new to me". This sock had a band heel which was new to me but in addition I carried the pattern down the heel flap so the sock will look extra snazzy with clogs!

These were a fun yet bittersweet knit. I highly recommend any of Gigi's patterns but haven't linked to them because while her family grieves for their enormous loss, they have shut down her website. They are working with some of Gigi's friends to make all her patterns available at no cost to the knitters Gigi loved so look for that in the future...and knit an orange (or purple, the color for Lupus support) sock and raise a needle for Gigi.

And now for something completely different - orange socks!!

Posh Monkeys with Garter Stitch Heel


A few years back, this amazing yarn was a gift all the way from England from my sweet friend Emma. My Mom happened to be visiting when the package arrived and claimed this stunning yarn for her own! Who could blame her? It's a rich, juicy coral, orange and red with a touch of violet and it's cashmere!

Specs:

pattern: Monkeys by Cookie A.

yarn: Posh Lucia in the Enchanting colorway

Magic Loop, 32" US #0 (2.0mm) nickel circ

mods: The cashmere in the yarn made for less stretch and memory than plain merino so I opted for a 2x2 rib rather than the twisted rib suggested in the pattern. I had always wanted to try a garter stitch heel and the time finally arrived. Here's the close-up complete with previously unnoticed giant Pumpkin hair!


I added my standard mini-flap and gusset and the heel was so fun to do. Plus it makes a very cushy fabric. The yarn bloomed wonderfully when washed and is so so soft.

In truth, I gave these to my Mom yesterday cause she's off to visit the bro in chilly San Francisco and she says these are the best fitting socks she's ever had - woot!

I've been working on the Teal Lindissima Vest and it's coming out really pretty but I'll save that for next time, plus I need y'all to help me choose some buttons!

I of course, started some new socks....

The tried and true, old standby Pretty Comfy Socks


My non-knitter cousin went into her LYS and asked for "sock yarn" as a gift for me and the owner handed her 2 balls of Cascade Fixation and told her "this is the most popular sock yarn, everyone is using it!" Um, really?? So I'm knitting my cousin some socks from this most popular sock yarn*snark* They are kinda cute tho :)

Speaking of cute, how's this....


Is that the look of pure bliss or what? :)

Now I'm not making Excuses but I have an appt. for the mother board installation next Wednesday so I'll be back as soon as I can.

Til then, knit on!

D is for Destiny and....

I was beyond sad and I thought my tears would never stop but three years ago today this krusty, easygoing, lovable lil guy came into my life....

It was Destiny and I fell hard. Thanks for always being Delightful my Darling Kitty Man...and thanks for filling my life with a million smiles when I thought there were none! Happy Anniversary my sweet little Bubba!!

Chips, Cast-ons, Completions and Cardigans

The astute among you will guess today's post is all about the letter C

First I give you CHIPS...COLOR CHIPS that is. Guess what we
are planning here at Chez Blog de Fluffy?

Yup, we're painting the cave as soon as we can decide on what color. So many choices! Plus it's truly amazing how different the colors look in different light - what looks green in daylight looks brown under fluorescents! But the P-Man and I are having fun thinking about the possibilities!

I finally tamed the fractious beast that is the Lindissama Lace Vest.

A while back FKMom asked me for a vest "with holes like a shawl but with buttons". So I searched for the perfect lace vest and found the Lindissima. I believe it's just what Mom is looking for!

I CAST ON and then I CAST ON and then I CAST ON some more. Finally after the fifth CAST ON success was mine! You see, it's knit all in one piece so casting on 200 odd stitches and working 6 - 8 rows was no bowl of cherries...I couldn't get the gauge/fabric I preferred to coincide with a wearable size without enough math to make my brain fall out but eventually the stars aligned and the moon was in the seventh house and all is well! Have a gander....

ooo pretty!
It's a fussy pattern in that the lace is on every row for the border so there is a ton of centered double decreases thru the back loops! Oh my aching wrists (x SIX, ack!) Thank goodness for addi lace needles!

I'm using Louet Sport in Teal, a colorway Mom has drooled over admired many times before and a yarn I love knitting with. I'm really loving how it looks, I even picked out stunning silver buttons for it already :)

Now y'all know about me and socks...besides always having a sock on the needles I'm pretty adventurous and varied in what I like to knit and have knit many different patterns, both my own and others' designs.

I've got well over 100 pairs of socks under my belt but this week's COMPLETION has helped me realize MY. FAVORITE. SOCKS. EVER.

I give you the CARDIGAN Socks...

Handsome, yes?

Will ya look at that gorgeous heel? (and ignore the long overdue mani!)

Striking in any pose!

Specs:

Pattern: Cardigan Socks by Anne Hanson

Yarn: 2 skeins Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Harvest

Size US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Knitpicks Harmony Wood needles

Mods: NOT A SINGLE ONE, WHY MESS WITH PERFECTION? :)

I loved every single stitch of knitting these socks! The menage a trois of the perfect pattern with the perfect yarn (I ♥ ♥ ♥ LL shepherd sport!!) with those amazing needles made for a heavenly knit!

The sock is so cleverly designed, the charts are immaculate, the pattern is easy yet has lots of visual punch...can you tell I'm having separation anxiety?

If you want great sock, here it is my friends!

I leave you with this pic of my lil guy...

P-Man feigns disinterest but he's really jazzed about Mellow Meadow and Shady Grove :)

Have a great week!

Who're you calling a Blimp?

As you might have guessed, today's post is brought to you by the letter B!

One of my very favorite things is knowing that, depending where it's headed or returning from, I live directly in the flight path of the celebrated Goodyear Blimp!

This is the sight I see off my Back Balcony just at nightfall many an evening...This is what I saw last Friday at about 6:15 pm...

There are only three Blimps in the fleet these days and this is the Spirit of Innovation that's based in Pompano Beach, Florida, a town about 15 minutes north of me.

I'm not sure why but no matter how many times I've seen it, it still gives me a little thrill every time I do :)

You can read all about the history of the Goodyear Blimps here


Now for some Beauty--

Knitting and Knails!
Here's my latest sock and my latest mani...

Aren't they Both Beautemous? The sock is the Cardigan Sock by Ann Hanson and the knails are Kinky in Helsinki by OPI, of course. It was really hard to capture this rich, decadent color - it's a deep shimmering magenta and so so so pretty!

I am absolutely LOVING every stitch of this sock! I'm using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in the Harvest colorway and it's knitting up like a dream! The Shepherd Sport is one of my very favorite yarns anyway but combined with this clever, stunning pattern it's knitting perfection, I tell ya!

The astute among you will also notice the amazing needles I'm using...yep, those are some Knitpicks Harmony fixed circs and I am completely ♥ smitten ♥. I'm not a die hard knitpicks fan, in fact I really don't care for their yarns very much and I find their other products just ok.

I purchased my Options fixed circ cause addi doesn't make a 2.25 mm which is my "go to" needle for socks and while I'll never give up my addi's, it do like the Options for magic loop. But I had a gift certificate for KP and I figured I'd give the Harmony a try, also for magic loop and I'm so glad I did! They are smooth and strong with just the right amount of grab, have a soft, malleable cable perfect for ML and they're beautiful. What's not to love? I have no plans to purchase sizes other than for socks but having them sure makes my sock knitting even more enjoyable - imagine that! :)

I know I promised a new non-sock project but that's just gonna have to wait til next time cause I didn't think Bullocks was an appropriate B post, heh... It's a beautiful vest for my Mom but I'm having lots of gauge issues and I've frogged the bloody thing five times now. It's a really fussy pattern as well and it's getting on my last nerve! So next time, I hope.

Here's my last B....but as they say, I've saved the best for last!

Bubba sleeps
But why a B you ask? Well, I confess I've taken to calling my boy Bubba!
I'm not sure why but it's true, I've nicknamed him Bubba and I think it's kinda cute. Well we do live in SOUTH Florida after all :)

See ya next week, happy weekend!

Mystery - Revealed!

Apropos of the symbolic newness a New Year brings knitting the January Mystery Sock was a new and very rewarding experience for me!

When I joined the Sock Knitters Anonymous Group on Ravelry, to further expand my knitting horizons I volunteered to be a test knitter for one of the months with a Mystery Sock.

Now anyone who's read this here Blog de Fluffy for more than about 3 minutes knows I've got a bit of an *ahem* controlling compulsive personality :)

Knitting a sock blindly without knowing what the final product would be was definitely a step outside my knitting comfort zone plus said sock included the dreaded intarsia!! EEK!!

But I joined the SKA to spread my sock knitting wings and I am so glad I did!!

Sara, aka Fyberduck, designer extraordinaire and Grand Poobah ( founder and administrator) of the SKA group chose a Valentine-ish theme and came up with a really clever and adorable sock. Every week during the month of January a new clue was released....

Here's clue #1

This was my first experience with Shibui and I totally ♥ this yarn! It's super soft with a nice firm twist and delicious, rich color!

Next, clues # 2 and #3

Despite my fear of the dreaded intarsia, I ADORE this part of the sock!! I got myself all bunched up needlessly cause intarsia is easy!!! Yep, I said it, it's easy! :)

I don't think there will be tons of intarsia in my knitting future cause it does interrupt the "flow" of the knitting but I definitely see some argyles down the road in juicy bright colors!

What I love best about the design is that the pair isn't complete unless it's together. Now if that isn't all mushy and valentine-y, I don't know what is!

Finally the last clue brings this charming design together...

Aren't they adorable?

Mine will be a gift for a special friend, I hope she likes them as much as I do!

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to knit these wonderful socks despite my unfounded fears and to work with Sara...it's also been beyond cool to see the other members of SKA knit the very same sock but interpret it in their own way and make it their own.

Plus there's still a bit of Mystery to come...since January has five weeks, Sara won't be revealing the design name and significance until next Tuesday and it will be a surprise, even to me!

There's plenty of room in the SKA for those that want to join us and even plenty of time to knit a January sock, whether you choose your own Mystery or our other January option, a Cookie A design. Come on, you know you wanna...we have so much fun! :)

Of course it no mystery that a certain someone is a bit of a ham...

Here he is doing his "Aren't I beyond cute?" interpretive wiggle dance which actually means Happy Tuesday, see ya soon! (he told me to tell y'all that!)

Joined again!

The human race that is! Thanks for all the well wishes, this crud that's going around is brutal!! Achy, feverish, sore throat and the worst dizziness I've ever experienced! And I actually got a flu shot!! Oh well, at least it's in the past and the P-Man was the perfect, attentive nurse :)

I'm not that much of a joiner but I did have fun with the ABC-along of 2006. So I thought about joining the 2008 version but I wasn't sure I had another 26 interesting tidbits to share.

Then my feverish brain came up with what I think could be a cool idea...
I had such a great response to my Favorite Things post when I thought about what I wanted to say over the next year, I thought y'all might enjoy a year long "favorite things". So join I did!

To start things off, A is for Apple.....

Not just any apple here at Chez Blog de Fluffy, oh no! I give you the HONEY CRISP apple!


Developed as a hybrid between the Macoun and the Honeygold apples at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities this delectable treat has only been available since 1991.

It is a slightly tart, deliciously sweet, firm apple and frankly I think it's the perfect apple! It's so crispy and wonderful to eat even people who aren't apple lovers are converted forever.

Look for Honey Crisps in your local markets or ask your green grocer to get them in next fall, you won't be sorry!

Since I'm just back from a icky flu bug interlude blog hiatus, I'll start back slowly but next week I'll reveal the Mystery Socks, show off some amazing new socks, some new knails and in an unprecedented departure from the usual, some actual non-sock knitting - imagine that! I mean, even the Queen of Socks needs a little variety, right?

Now for all of you who are suffering from P-Man withdrawal, I give you the world's best nurse...


Poor little guy's exhausted from taking care of his Mom!

Have a great weekend, see ya next week!
ETA: Drats! I forgot to measure his bunny thumper when I had the chance :(

EATA:(edited again to add) 4.75 inches! What a he man :)

Down for the count....

The P-Man is taking good care of me and I'll be back when I feel human again! Til then try to miss us :)

It's all a mystery

So my friends, another year comes to an end.

It's been a year for healing and changes, both good and bad....but a new tomorrow is on the horizon and I'm excited!

For every new beginning something must end and I thought this beautiful picture I took tonight was a fitting last sky of 2007.....It's the last few minutes of tonight's sundown, a glorious last hurrah....symbolism, anyone? :)


Now I'd like to invite you to an exciting new beginning - I've been really enjoying participating in the monthly Sockdown over at the Sock Knitters Anonymous Group over on Ravelry.

Every month we have a different sock "challenge" to help us learn new skills and expand our sock knitting horizons. We now number over 2600 members (!!) and every month we all knit a variation on two different themes. It's been really amazing to see how differently each knitter interprets the challenge yet makes customizations to make the finished sock their own.

We have 2 months to complete each challenge and all that do are entered into a drawing for some really juicy prizes!

January's Sockdown challenge is a "Mystery Sock- Intarsia" or any pattern by Cookie A, brilliant designer of Monkey Sock fame!

Well, yours truly was asked to test knit the Mystery sock! Never having attempted intarsia, I accepted with much trepidation (and the caveat that if it looked like ass, I was cutting and running! LOL) But I wanted a challenge when I signed on so I plunged in.....and I'm really glad I did!!

Now I can't give away the mystery but I can give you a tiny peek in the guise of showing off my latest mani and some spiffy new knails! Have a peek......

Just look at those pretty stitches knails!

Here's another view
This is OPI Brights, "Bright Lights, Big Color" - it's a really pretty, bright coral with a subtle golden shimmer. It's so bright and happy, just right for those grey winter days!

Now about the sock, it's a wonderful design by our SKA administrator Sara, aka Fyberduck. It has a February 14 theme but it's not really a "holiday" sock ie: it can be worn at any time and not look odd or out of place. As you can see there is a bit of beautiful lace and a very clever (and very small!) intarsia design that I actually executed without invoking Armageddon! It's also a design that would look very cool in a plethora of colors......black and red for you gothy types or juicy brights like hot pink with lime or tangerine and turquoise come to mind.

So why not make 2008 the year you accept the challenge and join us over at Ravelry?

This is not a new pic but it's one of my favorites of my Best Boy, my P-Man....

He kinda looks like he's peepin' out in excitement wondering what new experiences 2008 will bring....more chicken and organic salmon perhaps? :)

No matter what 2008 brings here at Chez Blog de Fluffy we hope it brings you, all my wonderful readers along with it! Y'all have given Pumpkin and I so very much and we are very grateful!

The P-Man and I wish you a happy, healthy New Year with lots of love! See ya in 2008!!

Today and everyday

No matter what you celebrate, we are ALL God's children and my wish for all of us today and everyday is

Peace On Earth

Enjoy an angel's voice singing my favorite carol and have a



Happy Healthy Holiday!

And don't forget to burn your bayberry candles tonight for good luck!

Down to the wire...

Nothing like taking it to the last minute but I finally finished my last hand knit gift! With 3 days to spare, go me! Never mind that it still has to get wrapped, taken to the post office and travel many miles before it finds a home but my loved ones are used to Christmas in January :)

I give you the much loved and ubiquitous Monkey Socks!

Specs:

Monkey Socks by the brilliant and prolific Cookie A.

Dream in Color Smooshy in the Wisterious colorway

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

Mods: I upsized these quite a bit because they are for a fluffy friend. I went with a simple 2x2 rib because I was afraid the twisted rib suggested would be binding. I added pattern repeats to the leg and then added a mini flap and gusset plus a short row heel for better fit and more depth in the heel. If anyone is interested in modifying Monkeys for the ample leg/foot I'll be glad to share more specific mods, just send me an email!

These were a fun knit and relatively fast considering I used almost an entire skein of Smooshy! As an aside, I have sung the praises of this wonderful yarn many times however the weight is not very consistent...the gauge can vary from fingering weight to sport weight! For these socks I got a gauge of 7.5 - 8 sts/inch where I got a gauge of 9 sts/inch on the very same needles for my Caramel Apple Twisted Flower socks. (Ravelry link) so be careful!

Having said all that, the Smooshy is soft, lofty...smooshy and just a pleasure to knit! The color is glorious, deep and rich...Did you know the new 400 color series is due out in January? w00t!! I can't wait! (like I need another skein of sock yarn in this millennium, hee!)

Even my knitting supervisor and sock protector loves these socks too...

I know Pumpkin will be sorry to see them go but he'll make the sacrifice for anyone who appreciates a handknit :)

I'm glad everyone enjoyed my "favorite things" post and it's been really cool to see my readers making their own lists. Unfortunately one of my not so favorite things has again become a reality...two nights ago my computer completely died again. I suppose I should be grateful, it's been 10 months since I had the motherboard, video card, hard drive and memory replaced and I believe that's a record for crapway Gateway! Anyway I'm back on my well love but 10 months more elderly 8+ year old laptop so posting may be spotty.

The P-Man and I will be thinking of y'all and wishing you a happy holiday and we'll see you when we can!

My favorite things....

Since I'm doing a bit of clandestine knitting these days I thought I would share some of the things in my life that make me happy.

Oprah's got her favorites, here are some of mine....(and you can actually afford them! woot!)

This amazing soap


I read about this wonderful product on a message board and being in possession of extremely sensitive skin I thought it might be worth a try.

IT. IS. PHENOMENAL.

It is not truly a soap as it has none of the harsh additives of soaps. It is made to restore the skin's natural pH and protective "mantle". I dunno know about all that but I will say it is the ONLY soap I will use. I recommended it to my Mom who has very troublesome Rosacea....cleared it up in less than a week! Recommended it to a friend with an acne problem, he saw improvement after ONE use and now you'd never know he had a single blemish in his life!

You can get it here and trust me, you'll be very glad you did!


Florida's beautiful skies...

And her beaches at night...



Seche Vite!!

This topcoat makes your nails strong but flexible so they can survive life's daily assaults. Seche Vite literally translates to "Dry Quick" in French and it lives up to it's name...by the time you finish your last nail, your first is dry! Plus, this topcoat keeps my manicure looking fresh *at least* two weeks, often three! (and yes, I do my own housework and everything!) Good stuff and the only topcoat I'll use! Go here if you crave perfect knails!


Best hand and body cream EVER!

Delicious fresh, clean scent. Lovely, rich, creamy and not greasy and makes your skin so so so soft! Get some here.


Sunflower Sprouts!!!!

I admit, I'm a sprout lover but these are the BEST!! Delicious flavor and a nice chewy leaf at the end...I adore these on a nice crusty whole wheat bread sammie with a bit of cream cheese, some roasted garlic and a sprinkle of green jalepeno sauce...mmmm.....

Who would have thought a fat girl could wax so poetic about sprouts? So you know they must be extra yummy! :)


My all time favorite book...


Get a copy here and have a peek at this book too...another amazing book by this brilliant author.



Bayberry candles - they always smell like Christmas to me!


I love the warm, inviting scent of bayberry and it is tradition to burn them as well as gift them during the yuletide season.

Legend has it that the Bay Tree gave shelter to the Holy Family during a storm. Sweethearts who light bayberry candles when they are separated during the holidays will be united by the bayberry's gentle scent. According to tradition, a bayberry candle lit on Christmas Eve and allowed to burn down to the nub will bring good luck, health and wealth for the coming year. Being very much a woman on the superstitious side, the scent of bayberry is thick and heady around Casa de Fluffy on Christmas Eve, rest assured :)

Since it is a knitting blog, you know knitting and knails are some of my favorite things. Here's my latest...


A color you rarely see here at FKD, in my knitting or my knails -- PURPLE!!

I don't dislike purple, it's just not one of my favorites but I'm loving these!

The yarn is more Smooshy sock yarn in the Wisterious colorway,and my knails are OPI Designer Series "Original" (the designer series is great cause they have a special brush that makes the perfect mani even easier!)

Both have a lot more richness and depth than my photos can convey - the yarn has so many shades of lavender, violet and pink and is really beautiful and the knails are a kind of holographic glittery warm violet. More branching out colorwise, this is becoming a very fun habit!

Of course my very favorite thing is this little cutie...

Wanna share some of your favorite things?

WTF Wednesday returns and a hard act to follow

Random wtf things that have made me go hmmmm lately or You too can crawl inside FKDeb's head :)

1a - Does Beyonce looking like she's starring in a porn flick make YOU want digital TV?

1b - Can Beyonce BE in any more endorsements?

2- My guilty pleasure shame... I LOVE the Spice Girls and I'm so glad they're back. I even endured that vapid Victoria's Secret Special just to see them. Now that's love, baybee!! Look at how cool they look:

Now and Then
Doesn't it really, really, really make you wanna zigazig ha?

3- This:

That King Herod, always after me Lucky Charms! :)
Shamelessly nicked from this hilarious website
So what random wtf thing makes you go hmm these days??


Onto a bit of the knit....

Thank you all for the rousing response to the Caramel Apple Twisted Flower Socks. Your compliments really made my week! Y'all should knit a pair, they are really fun and I miss them!

The Caramel Apples are a hard act to follow but...cute in their own right, I give you my latest pair...

These are my penultimate pair of gift socks for this year...aren't they a breath of spring to come?

Specs:

Marigold Socks by Pamela Wynne

Opal Petticoat #1290

Toe-up, Magic Loop 32" circ, US#1 (2.25)

Mods: The socks are written for a wrapped short row toe and heel. I switched to the Turkish cast-on for the toe and a yo short row heel. I also eliminated the ribbed cuff and just did a 5 row garter stitch edge which I feel blends in well with the look of the sock.

This was a very easy and very fun knit. The pattern is impeccable and it produces a really good looking sock. The lace is way simple yet attractive and as I mentioned before, this would be a perfect first toe-up sock adventure for you toe-up virgins out there!

Pumpkin wants to wish everyone a Happy Chanukah and a week that's full of latkes and dreidels (and knitting of course!)



See ya!