Knitting

Thanks for all your wonderful comments, prayers and wishes for BigDaddy. He gets a little stronger everyday, and in classic recovery mode, he has up days and down days. Mostly up though, and I’m amazed at his strength. As long as we have two steps forward to each one backward, we’ll eventually get there. Patience is a virtue!

In the meantime, as I said in my last post, there’s been hospital knitting. Just a few days before all the excitement, I purchased some Halloween yarn from Simply Socks Yarn Company. It’s funny, at the time, I was worried that I wouldn’t get the socks done in time for this Halloween.

I had envisioned taking some fun pictures outdoors in all the fall leaves, but a) there’s no time to be outside right now and, b) it’s ugly, ugly, ugly weather out there this week. (Sending big hugs to everyone in the path of Sandy, btw.)

So, I took a few pumpkins to BigDaddy and we had a little hospital room photo fun.

I used my favorite Ann Norling pattern and followed the sock tips that I wrote up in this post.

I know it’s kind of weird to take your sock photos in a hospital room.  But hey — I think it was meant to be.  Did you know hospital rooms have automatic sock dryers???

I was thinking they might be a good addition to my laundry room. ;-P

Happy Halloween Everyone!
XOXO,
Anna

Sheesh! I meant to post yesterday, but by the time I got home from work, ate dinner, and went to visit MeMum and BigDaddy, the evening was over.  Then tonight, we went to a movie (Trouble with the Curve — cute movie!) and when we got home we had to deal with a little credit card fraud.  (Apparently, I’ve lost my card and whoever found it went on a little 5 digit spending spree.)

Anyway, there’s been actual knitting around here! With the help of a little airplane time on the recent Scotland trip, I managed to finish my Flock Socks. Or, as I call them, my Sheepie Socks. They’re a little loose, but I love them.

I knit them so that the sheepies would show through the “window” of my shoes.  (Pardon those need-to-be-polished scruffy shoes.)

I purchased the yarn at our fab local yarn shop, which has a website.  They also have the link to the pattern.  The sheepies had fun strolling through the grass.

Too bad I didn’t finish them up on the trip, they could have had a little stroll with real sheepies.

And just because, I’ll leave you with a Zinnia shot. My inaugural zinnias have been beautiful and I’ll definitely be growing them again.

Have a great weekend! I’ll be back…oh, probably Monday with the winner of the Brit Bunny Pincushion. (There’s still time to enter the drawing if you’re interested.)
XOXO,
Anna

I’m a lucky girl and I have some really good friends. Some are even invisible. One of my oldest (as in longest known) invisible friends is the famous Ms. Brigette (aka SpiderWoman). Brigette leaves fabulous comments, aids and abets my fabric obsession, and sends me sock yarn gifts. Some time ago, she sent this pretty pink and green sock yarn and I’ve just now finished these socks. (I know, I should be knitting pretty fall colors, but I’m always a season behind.)

I’m not sure what kind of yarn it is. It’s so soft and comfy though, and it behaves just like Lorna’s Laces (note the pooling), so I’m guessing it’s a Lorna’s Lace Sock Yarn.

The pattern on the main part of the sock is actually from a man’s sock pattern in the book Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. I chose it because it reminded me of half-square triangles. Can you see them if I zoom in on the sock?

The half square triangle look is pretty much lost with this yarn, but that’s ok. I still think they’re pretty. I’m hoarding a piece of Meadow from the Children at Play fabric line so that I can make a matching shirt next spring.

Dear Brigette,

Thank you for the beautiful yarn! But Really. You didn’t need to go and get that spider to bite for us all to call your SpiderWoman. I’ve always thought you are AMAZING and I’m REALLY glad you’re finally feeling better. So, no more death-defying acts — ok? We’re perfectly happy with your awesome recipes and beautiful quilts!

XOXO,
Anna

I’ve been to sock yarn heaven and lived to post about it! Oh. My. Gosh. Our little hometown is on the sock knitting map! Look at this adorable storefront:

Have any of you ever heard of Simply Socks Yarn Company? It’s a BIG on-line sock yarn company and she is local. Who knew? Two weeks ago, my quilty friend Gurney sent us peeps an e-mail to let us know that the on-line company would be opening a real-life store front. (Thanks for the awesome tip Gurney!) Allison is the owner and she had her grand opening on Saturday. All week long, that’s all I could think about (well, that and the Children LOL) ! This is the view just as you enter the front door. I LOVE that checkered floor. Not to mention ALL that sock yarn!  (Please ignore the finger — I was too excited to pay any attention to the location of my appendages.)

I’ve never seen so much sock yarn in one place.  Holy. Cow.  Just look at all the solid colors.

I was particularly interested in the solid colors ’cause I’ll admit it.  I saw these socks on Allison’s blog and they’re what drew me in (among other things).

ANNE!!!  LOOK!!!  IT’S SHEEPIES!!!!  I’m sorry.  I AM screaming!  It’s SHEEPIES!  How perfect for a pair of socks.  The pattern is free on Allison’s blog and you know that yarn had to come home with me.  I would have been haunted for weeks if I’d left it there at the shop.  (Oooh, I got a color card too — I forgot to take a picture of it.)

The grand opening was really fun.  Allison was just as sweet and helpful as could be.  She greeted me when I entered the shop (in spite of many other customers) and helped me find those sheepies right away.  After that, I took a look around.  Look at this awesome idea — a table where you can try several different yarns and see if you like them.  (Or maybe Allison is brilliant and this is a way to get some socks knitted LOL!)

There was so much yarn everywhere and there are several pictures that I didn’t get.  I missed the food tables.  Lots of yummy looking cakes and cookies.  But really.  Who can think about food when faced with such a fab selection of yarn?  Look at these cute things.  You buy the gradiated (methinks that’s not a word) yarn in groups…

so you can knit something like this.  Yummmmmy.

Lots more yarn that caught my eye.  I’m looking forward to visiting the shop again.

Simply Sock Yarn Company is still primarily an internet business and she has pretty limited store hours, so if you decide you need a little road trip, be sure and check the hours on her blog.  It’s WELLLLL worth the trip. (Plus there’s a bakery and chocolate shop in the same neighborhood and two other yarn shops in town.  And, well, Jenny and I are here — what more could you ask for???   If only we had a quilt shop, we’d be THE destination!!!)

Ok, one last thing — I suppose you’d like to know who won the Children at Play giveaway??? I made TheRandomManoftheHouseGenerator a good dinner tonight, so he faithfully performed his duties and burped up 27.

WooHoo — Ms. Periwinkle, Come On Down!!!! (Haha, maybe it was the dinner that made him pick a number from the UK.)
Have a good week!
XOXO,
Anna