Bet you thought this post would be

about Angie didn't you?  Actually I'm trying to get a hold of some pics because I didn't take a whole lot.

So today's post will actually be about knitting! Yes! Knitting!

I finally finished my socks:



I finally seamed and wove in the ends of my spring bag.  Not sure what I'll do with it - totally not my colors.  I made it for a KAL (knit a long for you non-knitters) out of yarn left over from various dish cloth swaps.



I also knocked out a peach washcloth - because it's August - peach time ya' know? 



I also made a few more squares for my Victory Junction Afghan









 

Expressive

hey Gracie!!! More knitting/crochet content!! LOL!

Some of you may know that I make afghans with a bunch of my NASCAR knitting friends for Victory Junction Camp, a free camp for kids with medical issues that would otherwise prohibit them from going to summer camp, in North Carolina.  At the camp each campers bed is covered by a handmade  quilt and an afghan.  At the end of the session the camper gets to take the afghan home, so they are always in need of afghans.  WE turn it into a friendly competition, scoring points either by square or by afghan.  You get more points for your driver if you send in a completed afghan, so for Tony ( you were surprised I'm on Team Tony??) I am willing to suck it up and seam up the squares.

This year, during the off season we had the option of getting "starter squares" from orphan squares from last year.  This way the orphan squares have the opportunity to get  into an afghan.  I received my squares in I think February.  But have not even thought about the afghan since.  I think I was a bit burned out on afghans after the rush to finish last year.  These are the squares I received.

 

The square in the middle is the difficult one, it is a much brighter and shinier turquiose than is shown in the picture.  

So this past week I knit these three "almost squares"  My row gauge was off and I didn't realize until I had knit the border on top, so I made 2 more so they can be the top or bottom row and line up.



And during today's race, I made up a granny square.



This is a much brighter pink than what is showing up in the picture.  Since I have no bright turquiose yarn, my plan is a few squares that are bright to balance it out.

This quiz is almost good - the second section is pretty inaccurate, I made a note about it. 

You Are Expressive

During your downtime, you like to develop ideas and work on creative projects. You secretly wish that you could be a more successful person. Being rich is a dream of yours.Seriously - not really true. I can pay my bills, buy my yarn, go to the races - I'm good. You are realistic about the world. You may have challenges that come your way, but you can overcome them. You are inspired by your own thoughts and observations. You don't need much outside influence in order to feel inspired.

The Cafe Test

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

   

Exploding muppet guts

First another big THANK YOU to Thom from Thoms Place for well whatever  a few weeks ago, I won a gift card to Knit Picks from him.  So I finally decided on a 7 skein sock kit with patterns for 7 socks.  It came last week - 





And since I was treating my tootsies , I got myself a second 4 sock kit as well.



My toes are wiggling in anticipation!

I went through a  lot of my yarn-

Curt came home and asked what was up with the "exploding muppet guts" sounds like a comment in my friend Jen's blog ( see sarah winchester on the sidebar) She actually sort of inspired me - because I thought her method of sorting by yarn weight was better than my failed method of by color. ( I own way to much of some colors - not red , can't own enough red! and just one green skein.)  I also had to figure out, what to part with as I was in a side bet for the NASCAR All Star race and needed to send 2 people a skein out of stash.  And I was in a stash swap that I had to send a skein for.( The disaster you see above is about 1/3 of my yarn)





This is 12 pounds of yarn I decided I didn't want and wouldn't ever knit with ( most bought when I was first teaching myself to knit - I've grown out of it) and sent it to a teacher in Jersey City who works with kids after school teaching them to knit and looks for yarn donations. There are also a bunch of plastic knitting needles that I don't use anymore.  I realize school gets out this or next week, but hopefully she can use it next year.


Oh I also have a king size plastic comforter case, and half a twin sized one filled with acrylic yarn designated for afghans that will be sent to my friend Min, to consolidate a bunch of my Ravelry friends' afghans to be donated to Victory Junction Camp in NC.

 

You Are True

You make everyone around you relax. You just have a naturally easygoing vibe. You are completely genuine, and you appreciate every person's unique gifts. You love life, and you are quite content. When you smile or laugh, you mean it! Friends consider you to have a good heart, and for you, there is no higher complement.

The Happy Smiley Test

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

       

Pre Race Pic's

Angie in the target cart



If you wonder why there is sketchy Sprint coverage in the area on a non-race weekend, but thousands of people can use Sprint on a race weekend, they have a whole shitload of temporary mobile tower things.



Curt



Angie has less of a neck than Ryan



Check out the bike that is being raffled for Victory Junction Camp.

Angie and I


More tomorrow!

Quick Knitting Updates

I finally finished sock 1 of my Kaffe fasset ribbed socks. They look kind of funny w/o a foot in them. Kind of like clown socks long and skinny. They look better with a foot in them, but I don't want to take a pic with a foot and stretch it out, this way I can make sure the socks end up matching. So for now here is the pic:



I don't think I will get to start sock 2 until the end of the month or beginning of July. The "bonus points" deadline for my next VJGC afghan is 6.22, Monday. Not really sure if this is going to happen. I need 12 squares. I have 7 finished squares, 1 partial. So I need 4 1/2 squares. I need to crochet a border around all the squares and then seam them together. I'm not sure if I'll be able to accomplish this, but for now, I'm going to try. I'm going to bring the partial square to work tomorrow to work on at lunch. I have to hit the laundromat after work so I'll get some in there. Tomorrow night is my daughter's spring track banquet. I don't think I'll get anything done there. Wednesday, if I get my carpet truck early enough, is knit group at Mara's, so if I'm not sure if I'll bring a mindless square or a hook to work on the borders.

Once I get this 'ghan either mailed off or come to the realization that it won't happen , I am in a swap on Ravelry. It is the beach square swap I mentioned last week. I have to make a beach bag and 3 beach themed squares to mail out by June 30th. SO starting Monday, i'll bring the bag to work, to work on during lunch because it's quick and mindless. Then I can knock out the squares, 2 nites per square and have plenty of time.

Until these 2 get sent out, I won't be casting on my second sock. I am also waiting for my stuff to start my rain drop (blood drop) shawl. I'm really excited about that, but thatis it's own post

here's 4 more squares:

Knitting Updates

I did get some knitting done in the last week. I recently joined a group on Ravelry called Squares Squared. They are a fun group, most of whom are using the weekly patterns for dishcloths. Now as the group's name implies the squares have squares on them kinda like stylized checkerboards. So I have been bumping up the needle size to 9 or 10 and am adding a repeat if necessary to get a roughly 10 by 10 out of red heart soft, super saver or vanna's choice yarns. I will add these squares to squares with the 39 and 14 on them to make a red white and black stewart afghan for Victory Junction Gang camp.



red checkers





Hip to be Square


7 ridges

I work on my sock about 20 min a weekday during my lunch break. Here is how far I've come on the regia kaffe fasset sock.



Hopefully, I'll get my carpet truck on time for a change on Friday and I'll be able to make it to Mara's for knitting group!! Knit picks shipped my yarn swift yesterday- I can't wait to get it! I haven't received my Scab yet :( And I'm waiting for my 14 yarn from an Etsy shop I'll write about it as soon as I have pictures to post.

Knitting Updates

Started balling my hank of deep bruise yesterday. I'm going to have fresh bruises by the time I'm done. I really need to get a swift, ASAP. Curt has been my human swift since I discovered yummier yarns that come in hanks. He told me I was pulling from the wrong end so I switched. He was apparently wrong. It keeps getting horrible tangled. Horribly. Curt spent a good couple hours last night, we then wound some more this morning. I'll be too arthritic to knit before this thing gets wound. Don't have a picture.

Here's my completed (except for weaving the ends) right sock



Here's where I'm at on the left sock



Here's the red/white/blue tea cozy base. working on the blingy part.



And I've sorta started fooling with a concept for a new afghan




I'm less cranky and grouchy than yesterday. Much more depressed. Don't know why. Don't know how to fix it, just hate life - mostly mine, hate being me (never really hated being me before- usually like me, hate everyone else) Then I hate feeling like this - so it makes me feel even worse.

cozy's done!!

Ok, I finished my cozy, finally! I couldn't find any pattern I liked for the flowers on top. Could not find the two books I thought could help me in any bookstores or libraries in the county. SO since I decided this must be finished today, we went with a giant yellow mum. I know mum's are a fall colorm but it was big enough and the right color and I like it so there!!



You can see the cable in this picture, but the color is off.



Here the cable disappears but the color is good.



The other side - no cable

I also finished one of my evil sockies and started the second. I'll post pictures of the sockie next week. I am debating what to do for my next afghan for VJGC. Tony is in second place right now.

Knitting Updates

Sorry, I haven't updated my projects for a while. I finished seaming and bordering and weaving the afghan for VJGC. Good thing I got a kick in the ass... I had forgotten there are bonus points for 'ghans postmarked by tomorrow. But as the Taco Bell chihuahua said "I'm gonna need a bigger box!" I REALLY SHOULD HAVE MEASURED BEFORE I DID THE BORDER! It measures out at 36x50. Th acceptable measurements are 35-40x45-50. If I realized how close the length would be I'd have single crocheted the 2 short ends. But fortunately it does meet the specs.



I have also been working on the spring tea cozy - I am determined to finish by next weekend so I can start pondering a red/white/blue themed one for memorial day- july 4th. One side is done- I have started the second side. The first side is on stitch holders because once I seam the 2 pieces together I am going to crochet a circle to finish the top. I am then going to crochet some little yellow flowers for the top. Because I dropped a sharpie and there is a black spot right under where the stitch marker is, and unlike the blingy shamrocks I don't think I have any yellow bling for this cozy.



Now that the afghan is done, (yes time to start something else!) I've had some more time to work on my evil stepmom socks on lunch so here is where I'm at now:





Today's Sunday and NASCAR is at 'dega- so we all know where I'll be this asfternoon -GO SMOKE!! I forgot all about a NFL draft party yesterday, so to make ammends and since I'm grilling for a bunch anyway, I invited a Jeffie fan to come watch. ugh.

Wordy Wednesday?

here's the new shirt I got on my little shopping expedition to Montclair last week, such a shame they are closing. I also got 2 hanks of MMMalabrigo Superwash Merino sock yarn in stonechat and velvet grapes:





I did finish my smoke cowl as I mentioned in a previous post. Here's the finished picture- but it still needs the ends woven and it meeds to be blocked.



I also frogged the breeze socks in the Evil Stepmother yarn. The yarn and the pattern did not complement each other at all. I re cast on and am making a basic anklet with a picot edge ( I must be into picots)



I haven't gotten too far on the cozy - here's the update/ Hopefully I'll get done before spring is actually over.



I only have one more square, which is currently halfway done, before I can seam up my lates Victory Junction Gang Camp Afghan. Here's the lates square: I really really want to maybe finish the square on lunch tomorrow and seam it up tomorrow night. I really want it done this week - reasons to be revealed next week ( sorry - only 2 people who may be reading this may have a clue as to why, and if they put it in their comments I'm not going to approve them!)

And finally I'll leave you with a pick of ANgie fooling around with my scarf on Easter - I call this pic - Angijemima!