I WON!!!! and I finished TWO christmas presents!!!

I won the Great Canadian Pie Off!! WHoHoo!

I suppose I should explain. Every year, my place of Employment has a season kick off party around this time of year. The highlight of the event - other than the drinking (smile), is the Pie COntest. It is called the "Great Canadian Pie Off" because our former Managing Director was Canadian and loved pie. The award for first place is braging rights for the year, a small trophy and a big cooking item of some sort. I got third two years ago ( a candle and a pie server), honorable mention last year ( I would have had first, except I DROPPED my PIE! at least according to the judges), and I nailed it this year!!

I made my own recipe:
Apple Raspberry Pie

Crust - make your own, enough for two crusts

Mix together: 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 5 cups of peeled sliced tart apples, 2 cups red raspberries.

Place filling in unbaked crust. Squirt in about 1 Tbl of Lemon Juice. Dust top of filling with more flour. Dot with 2Tbls of Butter.

Cover with second crust, cut slits to vent steam. Wet top and sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges with foil. Bake at 425 f for 50min. Remove foil when 15min left to bake.

On judge hates raspberries and couldn't stop eating. Just saying.

Here are my awards:

7 piece baking set. Kick ass!

The coveted Golden server - just for display, not for use. DH hung it above my kitchen door.

So now I get to brag all year, and judge the pie contest next year. sweet.

I also found time to knit, even while staring at my "major award" and giving interviews. (ha)

I got two Christmas Presents finished!

The First is Dayflower Lace Scarf, knit in Classic Elite, Montera ( I think) This was stash yarn that I wound a long time ago. It is so pretty and soft. I know it has mostly alpaca in it.

Shiny.


I have no idea what size needles I used. I actually finished knitting this in April (?) I just NOW blocked it. But that counts as finishing!!

Second is Leisel, knit in SWTC soysilk. Another stash yarn. The color # is blacked out, along with the yarn name. It looks like Oasis to me. This was knit with size 5 inox needles.
When I put it in to soak, the water turned PURPLE. I couldn't even see the scarf through the dye. I hope it is finished leaking dye...


Both of these scarves were fun to knit, but neither had true "rest rows". Dayflower has two rows that require you to "think" on the purl back row, and Leisel has knitting and purling combinations on the returns. Neither are hard, they just require more attention. The end results are worth it.

Tonight's SnB. I hope to get a few repeats into the second leg of the socks I've been working on. I won't get much knitting done this weekend. I have TWO weddings to attend. Both are all day style functions. The second goes from Sunday into Monday. I think I will need monday to recover from the sheer amount of liquer I will consume...

I got another SP Gift!!

Neener neener! My SP is the best! Check out all of my goodies!

My Little sheepy card is on the left! CUteness!
Let's look closer...

Mary Schiffman's Lace knitting book - has been on my wish list for a long time.



Check out the little punk in front! He is named Sid - as in Vicious. He has a yarn ball head, an earring, a pocket chain, and a red mohawk! He is keeping me company at my desk.
Two skein of beeautiful Blue Catalina! That's alpaca and silk lovelyness for all of you who have never felt it. This is the kind of yarn you want to create a ball pit out of. *roll, roll, roll*

Lastly, 9 balls of a new yarn, to me - but with which I am already anamored - Fare Baruffa, Peru. It is a mushroom/tan tweedy color. EEE!


If I was a poet, I'd write an "Ode to my Secret Pal". I'm not. SO I'll just have to say thank you!

Half of Mystery Sock, Pair #2!

I finished the first sock I am knitting in exchange for hand forged needles from Celtic Swan Forge. I used to knitting long footed socks for DH, but not such long cuffs.
http://www.woolworks.org/patterns/ruthsocks.txt

These are Ruth Gerstner's Smocked socks. (Although she calls them the "sock pattern, sort of") I have decided that since she recommends choosing your favorite foot, heel, and toe method, that I would choose toe up. The recipient of these lovelies want them as long as possible, so toe up is the way to go! I am using Addi size 2 needles, and Gedifra Fashion Trend Sportivo, color 5769. It is a varigated yarn that has two khaki strands twisted with a varigated strand that goes from blue to green to grey, to purple - very slowly. It's like a "fade in and out" - as my husband said.

The Mystery Socks are a mystery no more!

I seem to be on a roll this week! I finished yet another UFO! Granted, I only started these socks a few weeks ago, but usually work pretty solid on a project before I start another. It feels so good to have these completed!

Stats: Viv's Lacey Socks from Knitlist
Knit for the Mystery Sock KAL
Wildefoot yarn, Addi size 1 needles.
Size 6.5 us foot - 25 repeats of the lace pattern from cuff to toe - 12 on leg, 13 on foot.

Wow. My pictures of the first sock are better than these. oh well. Overcast day and quick pics before a meeting get you crappy photos.

These were a lot of fun to knit. I think I might do another Mystery Pair before the KAL is over!

Next on the needles:
Finish up my Soy silk scarf - Christmas present, 3/4 finished
Socks for the lovely woman at Celtic Swan Forge - which I am trading her for some hand forged sock needles.
The Elvis Wig!!!
A Shawl for Vangi - maybe Kiri?

swallowtail pictures!

Yea! I go the pics to load!
Without further ado..... Rebecca's Wedding Swallowtail!
Designed by Evellyn Clark
Pattern found in Interweave Knits Fall '06
Yarn is Knitpicks Bare, lace weight Merino
Needles are knitpicks Options, size us4

blocking...
Detail of the main body
Detail of the Lilly of the Valley border and Peaked edging. Those nups are a little PITA.
And finally, the Bride at her dress fitting. Not the est pic of the shawl, but she was trying to see the total effect, while we were holding the bodice together. It was like a circus.

Hopefully tomorrow the Mystery socks will be complete!

Mystery Stole and Swallowtail are complete!

I was a knitting machine this weekend! I finished Swallowtail - the main goal. I snagged a few pictures after I set it out to block. I hope to grab a picture of the bride with it at her fitting this afternoon.

I also finally finished the last little bit of my Mystery Stole 2 - now named "Scherazade" I know I am spelling it incorrectly - I just don't feel like looking it uip right now. I am currently blocking it also. I don't know how the other MS2's are getting pics of the whole stole all at once. I had no luck at that what so ever. SO my pics are in pieces.
The edging.I tried to get up high enough to take a picture of the whole thing....
My table wasn't long enought either. I used my sleeve board to Jerry rig an extension. Ghetto, I know.

I think I will use this when I go to Frank's wedding in two weeks. A fitting debut!

Last, but not least, I cast on for my second Mystery Sock. I went to the beach on Saturday with Lesley. I didn't want to get the Swallowtail sandy, and the MS2 is too big for the beach. So Mystery Sock to the rescue. I didn't even bother with the picture. I am still on the ribbing. Quite frankly, I was talking more than I was knitting. Surprise.

Saturday was a crazy day. Lesley was staying at my place for the weekend. (There is a whole subletting from a crazy person story there, but we won't go into that. ) So we went to the beach, dyed streaks in our hair fire engine red, went out for tai food, went to the bar, then went Dancing until 3am. We drank "red deaths" in honor of our new hair, and picked up boys - which is funny because we went to the gay bar. So, as you can guess, we didn't do much of anything on Sunday. We watched 3 bad movies and ate pizza. Hence the great amount of knitting on my part. Next weekend will be much the same - as we are taking rebecca out for a bachlorette drunken dance fest. Fun with booze.

Chug Chug Chug

CHug CHug CHuging along on My Swallowtail! I am now firmly into Chart 3! Only 4 more rows to go! (Then to more charts...) I hope to get a lot done this weekend. Maybe Rebecca will have a finished shawl early next week! To help keep me motivated, I've joined the Swallowtail KAL. Most people seem to be finishing up this bad boy really quickly.

I really like the way the "nups" look. They are a little fiddely, as you have to Purl 5 together to create them, but I perservere. I am so glad I got the new KP's options needles. I LOVE them. Granted, I only got this size, as to try them, but I will definately get more. The P5 tog's would SUCK with any other needle. It looks more like a surgical instrument than a knitting needle.

Well, I must get back to work. It's time for lunch!

the Rest of the PrOn and some Swallowtail Action!

Here are the rejected photos from earlier.






ahh. so much yarn. I need to stop by Ikea tonight to pick up a new container to hold all of my new yarn. I was already overflowing! I think it might be time for a yarn diet....


How about some actual knitting?
I didn't *quite* finish my Mystery Stole. I am 4 edging repeats from being finished. But, my yarn arrived for the swallowtail shawl, and since that has to be completed for a dedline, I had to stop and work on that. Also on hold until the swallowtial is completed :the mystery socks. Must finish something! Too many projects! ALL LACE ! Must stop dreaming of lace! I am through 12 reps of Chart 2. Only 2 to go before I switch to the Lilly of the Valley Section!
And with a little tug.

I was concerned that it wasn't looking delicate enough for a wedding, but then I gave it a little tug and a little stretch. I think it will open up nicely. (Keep you fingers crossed! And don't tell the bride I said that.)

S.E.X. and the PrOn to prove it!

WOw. Oh WOW! I went the Farmhouse yarns open house sale! Oh DEAR GOD! iF YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH HER YARN YOU ARE SO MISSING OUT! Now that I am finished shouting...

Carol Maritn has a sale a few times a year at her house, where she sells off back stock and discontinued yarn. TWO TENTS filled with rubbermaid bins of yarn at the wholesale price - $9 per skein (retail $18). Also, she has sweater hanks for $50 (retail $120!!) The best part is the garage. In there are all the test runs and discontinued yarns. They are fill a bag for $79. I came away with........ $750 worth of yarn for $136!!!!!!!! I filled a bag and bought a sweater hank. On with the PrON!
My bags...
The sweater hank- yep one giant hank of bright teal wool single ply yarn.

One lone hank of autum spun - destined to be a scarf for Christmas present.
3 hanks of Summer spun. I have three hanks of this in a dark green from previous S.E.X. . They might be combined into a garment....
3 hanks of this multi colored wool. Light WOrsted weight,I think. SHe had lots of this. I don't have a clue what this will be. Maybe a stole.
4 hanks of really soft merino. SO soft. SO soft...
SO this is my picture limit, evidently, according to blogger. this is what you are missing...

8 hanks of orangy wooly fun. DH will be the recipient of this future something.

8 hanks of Rosey wooly fun. Maybe a sweater? Maybe a felted bag with felted accessories?

4 hanks of teal / blue vaigated wool. Felting? Don't know.

I'm going to post them later....

A little update on my mystery Sock

As you can imagine, I get a little nervous and twitchy when I have too much going on at the same time, so I am trying to wrap up a few WIP's before I start the wedding shawl for Rebecca. I've been mainly working on the Mystery Stole, and am done with side one, and cranking through side two. I would post a pic, but I kind of want to have it blocking so the real look of the piece is apparent. You'll just have to wait. It is a mystery, after all. he he.

But, I did finish sock #1 of my Mystery Socks on Thursday, at Stitch and Bitch. I am not having second sock syndrome, I am just focusing on Mystery Stole. I probably will cast on my second sock soon. I like to work on socks as a break from "big lace" projects. To the pics!


I really like this pattern. It is super easy to memorize, and quite attractive. The heel is different than any I have wortked, thus far. The flap is in stockingette, and the turn is a "v" shape - which you can see in the last pic. It fits well, and I like it, I just had to pay attention to the turn. How dare I be forced to think!

Also, a quick shout out to my SP! Hey! I still haven't guessed! Thanks for everything! You are awsome!

Mom's Vintage Gloves

With all of this Holiday knitting to do, what do I do? Plan to give away a pair of gloves that could make a really nice Christmas Present. They are still a present, but now thay are a "You claimed them at the beach, so they are a thank you for taking me with you on vacation" present. :)

Some specs:
These are my Vintage Knit Along Gloves, adapted from a Vintage 1950's pattern by The Kitchnerbitch. They are knit in Artyarns Utramerino, size 0 (2 mm) needles. It took me just over 1 ball of yarn.

The top picture is the closest representation of the color. The second shows the pretty little hem and the lace pattern on the back of the hand, and the third is a view of the palm of the hand - not terribly exciting, but you can see the row of yo's that increase the thumb gusset. It think it is nice, delicate detail.

I really like these. I think I will make another pair for myself, after I get my Mystery Stole 2 Completed, my Mystery Socks Completed, and My Friends wedding shawl completed. So, in like... the end of September?

New Projects abound!

This blurry picture is the start of my Mystery Sock. I finished the kntting on my Vintage gloves last night, and was bored, so the Mystery Socks got their start! Maybe my blurry pic keeps it a mystery still for others considering this pattern...? Yeah. That's the ticket....







The other new project - or I couldn't have said "projectS" in my title - http://www.interweave.com/knit/interweave_knits/Galleries/bonus/fall_2006/swallowtail.asp

From the new IN - Fall '06 the swallowtail shawl. I am making it for my friend who is getting married in SEPTEMBER (EEEP!) and didn't think about the fact that she might not be warm enough at an outdoor wedding in a sleeveless dress. I didn't get to go to her shower, so I am making her a shawl. I will be a kntting fool. I ordered the yarn today from Knitpicks. It is the laceweight Bare - paint your own. The color should be really close to the color of her dress - and if not - it's dyable! I will hopefully have all other projects OTN when I get the yarn so I don't feel tempted to work on something else. DH, luckily will be going back to work next week - he is off this week - so I will have my evenings free of "entertainment".

I suppose this means I am buying her wedding present.....

Clue #5 finished! One more to go!

By this time next week, I will (knock on wood) be very close to, or finished with, my Mystery Stole 2! I do think I am going to keep it for me, but you never know. Sometimes I realize I need a gift for a friend and something I've made would be "perfect". We'll see. Now to the pics!

This is just a slight stretch to see the pattern more clearly. It is going to go really big when I wet block this thing! The second pic is a close up of just clue #5.

On the Vintage KAL gloves... I've made progress this weekend. I ended up being 4 fingers short of two gloves. hmmph. So off to the yarn store I go! poor me. Anywhoo... I got my yarn, and am nearly finished with glove #2. I have the pinky finger and the thumb left to knit, then block, then turn under the hem. Not too bad! No pics. It looks the same as the other glove, only with no thumb and half a pinkie.

Did I get out of the yarn store with just my needed yarn? heck no. I bought two skeins of Misti Alpaca in a lovely celedon. The second pic is a better reperesentation of the color.

Every time I've gone in this store for the past 3 months I look at this yarn. I finally bought it. Frankly, I could never wear this color. I'd look soooo I'll. But, I have a friend to knit for for Christmas that would love it. I think I am going to wait to cast on for it until we start to turn fall around here. A nice springy green thing to work on in the beginning of the blustery brown-ness of fall will be nice. Now if I can only resist...

Oh! I also found a pattern that I will be knitting for my youngest brother for Christmas. It is a knit elvis wig. I bought the brown sheep yarn for it on Saturday!!! He will die when he gets it. He LOVES Elvis, and regularly does an Elvis impression on his radio show - as well as birthday appearences. Granted, he is not a profesional by any means, he just likes to have fun. ( I should say he loves to torture his friends and relatives) This wig will be a proud part of his Elvis collection.
http://www.theshed.co.uk/elviswig.html#patternurl

That's it for now. I'll see if I can't finish up the knitting on those Vintage gloves tonight!

Mystery Socks!

My name is costumechick. I'm a KAL - aholic. At least I am becoming one. I am currently in two, but have just joined a third. The new one is the Mystery Sock KAL. The premis is that you pick a sock pattern with no picture. Since you don't know what the finished sock will look like, it is a mystery. I think I have decided on Viv's lacey socks from www.knitlist.com I swatched last night with my new Wildefoot yarn. Now just to wait for the KAL to begin!

Mystery Stole Clue #4!

So I finished Clue #4 on Monday Night. I got a slow start, since I was away until Saturday Evening, but Dave printed out the clue at work so I could start it when he got home. Such a nice husband. I pinned the increasingly giant stole to my bulliten board at work. So, no natural lighting, and the one side is squished because the needle is too short to stretch the piece flat - BUT you get the idea.



As far as an estimate of size, I'd say it is about 50" x 24", unstretched. I do love this yarn and the pattern thus far. Dealing with two balls of yarn is a little irritating at times, but I haven't let it get me down!

Now on to the yarn....

The Trekking is from the begiing of my Vacation. I went to A little Yarn Shop in Ocean City New Jersey called the Knitting Niche. The owner was very nice and she had quite a selectuion for as tiny as the store was. She was out of size one needles, but offered to lend me her personal pair if I needed them. I didn't really, I was just going to pick up another pair. My Youngest Brother rode bikes with me to the shop. He was totally bored waiting for me to look around -but he did enjoy the rocking chair he was sitting in. The owner even comented about how nice he wasto come with me and wait for me. Yea. He's a sweet kid.
The Wildefoot is from Knotty Girl in Fairfield, CT. I stoped there on my way home. Traffic was SO backed up on the highway that I decided to call information for the # of Knotty Girl. They were open, so I swung by. The store is a little far from my home, but it is a good stop to make if I am that direction. Knotty Girl is truely a great store. Lots of different kinds of yarn, and lots of different $$ of yarn. I've never tried Wildefoot, so I bought some!

Well, I am too hot to continue, so that is all for now.