Contest to check out!

Rachel over at Yarn Over is having a Blogiversary Contest!! She's giving away some beautiful stitch markers in honor of her 1st Blogiversary!! Check it out!!!!

Felix . . not too shabby!

I'm about 70% done with Felix. Not too shabby actually. I think it's going to turn out to be a great sweater for S. He should fit nicely into it for 3K this year. Not sure if I'll allow him to wear it to school. It might only be for days with Mom & Dad so I can monitor what ends up on it!!!

















The Svale is knitting up wonderfully after looking back 3-4 rows, but the actual motion of making a stitch sucks. It splits worse than any other yarn I've used, even the cheap stuff! I'm very disappointed in the yarn itself although one can't ignore how pretty it knits up. I just hope that it has some good structure to it. I can see S brushing up against something that's not 100% smooth and getting a nasty pull in the sweater.

Only time will tell. I'm on track to finish next week. I'm making one adjustment to the pattern since Knitty Lynn recommended it. I think it'll be great. I'm going to make the collar black instead of the main Oatmeal color. So I'm done with the front and back piece and 50% done with 1 sleeve. So I think I can finish the 1st sleeve tonight. Then I have Thursday with the girls so I can get most of sleeve 2 done. So we'll see.

The next project is my Labor Project . . .the Chevron Scarf. I'll start it and hopefully finish it as Baby E is making his way into the world. My hypnotherapist/doula thinks I'm hilarious for using knitting as part of my relaxation/no meds path to delivering little man. Little does she know that knitting is my Nirvana!! My Chevron Scarf and a little ocean wave music, the baby will just pop right out!!!

Rockin' Girl Bloggers

Thanks to Lynn for making me a Rockin' Girl Blogger!! She's the main reason I turned to the dark side (knitting!). There are 5 victims . . . um, I mean bloggers that I'm going to send emails too. All these folks have great sites b/c they're funny, wonderfully skilled knitters, and many are moms like me!!!

Here's my list of my Rockin' Girl Bloggers!!!!

Wendy at Knit and Tonic

Michelle at Michelle Can Knit

AJ at Down with the Knitty Gritty

Smariek Knits

Curly Purly

Stitches Recap! - LOTS of Pictures

Stitches is the best thing in the whole world. That is my professional opinion!!!!!

We had a great time! I took two 3 hour classes. One on Fair Isle knitting and the other on the Joy of Finishing. I'm hooked on Fair Isle and already have identified a hat/scarf pattern I love. I feel more confident in my finishing now for sweaters. I can't wait to finish S's sweater to use the new techniques I learned!!!

So what did I buy . . too freakin' much. A bunch of sock yarn, yarn for a purse, alpaca for a sweater for DH, and a few patterns!! I'm in love with Stitches and I won't ever miss one again!! I've already started saving for next year!!!!

Here's the lowdown!!

I'm searching for just the right patterns for these 2! I love the Foo-Foo so much. I can't wait to use it. The Space Dust is gorgeous!!! I'm so excited about these two yarns!!!

Foo-Foo - BMFA Silkie

Space Dust - BMFA Lightweight


I'm using this new STR in Silkie - Sherbert along with my Wild Tide from the Sock Club to make the Chevron Scarf.



Next I got some wonderful sock yarn from Tess' Designer Yarns. Look at these colors!!!





Then I got some Regia to make S a pair of socks. I made him some last year that were BAD, I want him to have mommy's newest refined skills!!



Then there's 2600 yards of undyed Alpaca for sweater for R. He was very excited about the yarn!!!



Finally, some Black Water Abbey Yarn for a beautiful Cable purse. I got the pattern there too!! The color is Quartz!! Look how beautiful it is!!!!



Finally a sock pattern!!



I could have bought more and more, but I swore that I wouldn't use the debit card. I held firm!!!!

I'm waiting on pictures from the girls to show you the crazy folks I hang out with! We stayed at the Embassy Suites for free on Hilton Points. There were 2 beds, a pull-out and 2 air mattresses for the 5 of us. 3 knitters, 1 scraper/knitter and 1 die hard non-knitter. We arrived on Friday afternoon. Non-knitter spent the afternoon at the Sofitel Hotel Bar. The Scraper/Knitter took an hour class, and us die hards hit the Market. That night we ordered Gino East pizza!!! Saturday, the Die Hards were up early and took classes in the morning, had lunch and hit the Market AGAIN!!! The other 2 gals hit Old Orchard Mall. That night we went to Tuscany in Wheeling, IL. A delightful and FUNNY time. Sunday we took classes again and the other 2 left for Wisconsin.

All in all, I had the best time and the entire weekend exceeded my expectations. I can't wait for another girls' weekend and Stitches! It's in Schamburg next year . . . wonder how early I can make hotel reservations!!!!

Guess who got the invite!!??!!

Got my Ravelry invite on Thursday night!! S and I had a BAD day due to some pooping/potty issues (him, not me!!LOL) and it was a delight to log onto Ravelry after such a long day!!

I've put a few of my favorite Podcast-ers as my friends to keep up with them. I need to add more people, so please share your Raverly Names and let's start sharing.

My name is: CatSaysKnit

I did have enough room to put my whole title!! =(

I'm so excited to get started on Ravelry.

Oh, STITCHES update VERY soon!!!!

State Fair = Yummy Yarn Dreams

We hit the WI State Fair yesterday. Little S and I are such city folk it's not even funny. From the smell of the livestock to the poopy on the floor S and I were just mesmerized. Kelly and Jodi kept laughing at us. S wouldn't get out of his stroller b/c of the poop. I was so worried about my stroller wheels. Yes, they got the poop, but I'll clean it off later today.



Anyway, all of that went away when I saw the bunny house. . . MUST FIND ANGORAS.



Well I did and saw this little guy giving me his fur. I could knit something magical up with this guy. He was so purrty!!!! I was disappointed though. There were only 3 Angora Rabbits entered. What is wrong with these people . . .they are the prettiest little bunnies!!!!

PS . . .only 66 people in front of me on Ravelry!!! WOOHOO!!!!

So Close now . . .

Hopefully I'll have my invite when I get home from STITCHES. That way I can post all my new yarn!!!!

Found you!
You signed up on June 11, 2007
You are #8286 on the list.
598 people are ahead of you in line.
14426 people are behind you in line.
33% of the list has been invited so far

Casted On Felix from Rowan Jr.

I casted on S's sweater just Wednesday and I'm already working on the armhole shaping. It's going VERY fast. I'm using Dale of Norway Svale and I'm holding back judgement for a little while on this one. Not sure I like it right now. I'm using my Addi Turbos so it's a little easier to work with then if I were using bamboo needles. I'll give my final review at a later date!

The pattern is Felix from Rowan Junior.

I'm using a beautiful "oatmeal-y" for the main color and black for the ribbing bottom. I think it's going to be wonderful. I just hope the yarn holds up. I've read reviews and Svale is supposed to be good for children's clothes . . . . Like I said, I won't make any comments just yet!

This is what I had at 4pm this afternoon. I'm almost done the armhole shaping and it's the same night. It's a really fast knit!

*** The color is VERY true in the bottom photo!

A statistical look at my life . . ..

Only 8 days until Stitches Midwest starts!!! I can't wait 9 days until I get there! My friend Kelly, who is a non-knitter has agreed to go straight to the yarn market with me and veg out. She'll read her new People Magazine and wait for me!!! True friendship!!!!

And as for Ravelry . . .

You signed up on June 11, 2007
You are #8286 on the list.
816 people are ahead of you in line.
13627 people are behind you in line.
33% of the list has been invited so far

Yeah, I'm so close now!!!!! Knitty Lynn gave me a sneak peek and I'm hooked!!

For some reason I can't get the theme song to The Jefferson's out of my head!!!!! Does that age me???