Thursday, June 28, 2007

Are these me?

You Are A Green Girl

You feel most at home in a world of ideas.
You're curious and logical - and enjoy a good intellectual challenge.
You're super cool, calm, and collected. Very little tries your patience.
Your only fear? People not realizing how smart and able you are!


Your Birth Month is September

Tolerant and inspirational, you are wise beyond your years.
You are universally sympathetic and a great humanitarian.

Your soul reflects: Devotion, light, and love

Your gemstone: Sapphire

Your flower: Morning Glory

Your colors: Brown and deep blue


Your Attitude is Better than 30% of the Population

You have an average attitude. You take the good and bad in life as they come. Though sometimes you could use a little more good.


You Are 50% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side.
Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.


Your True Love Is a Gemini

Why you'll love a Gemini:

Witty and sharp, a Gemini can keep up with your fast (and ever changing) mind.
You're both fun loving and free spirits. You and a Gemini can enjoy each other without expectations.

Why a Gemini will love you:

Not only can you keep up with a Gemini's sharp tongue, you can introduce a challenge or two...
You're appetite for fun and novelty will keep a Gemini interested - at least for a bit longer than usual!


You Are a Mac

You are creative, stylish, and super trendy.
You demand the best - even if it costs an arm and a leg.


Your Political Profile:

Overall: 60% Conservative, 40% Liberal

Social Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal


You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you'll only drink the best beers in the world.
Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them.
When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all - especially about subjects you don't know well.
But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Spinning round and round and round. . .

Sooo these past two days I've mainly been spinning wool with my spinning wheel. Yep, I finally figured the sucker out. I just needle to figure out how to ply now. . . help? Below is 96 yards of bulky camo coloured merino I spun yesterday. I have a whole nother bag of it to spin up. I got this for free when my mom bought the wheel. I like it. Maybe a hat? Hope there's enough. Fun eh?

Below is some thinner yarn I spun today after I bought this at around noon here in IC. I woke up at 11:50 if that gives you any idea of my spinning time. . . .It's thinner and I'm getting better at spinning thinner yarn. =) Pretty isn't it?

I didn't take the two days off completely from knitting. I knit my first of two footies in some hand-dyed yarn I bought off ebay. I am going to start the second one tonight. I just took a break from my sockapalooza socks. That's all.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Sockapalooza Sock update. . .

Here is an update on my sockapalooza socks. The Genevieve sock is coming along really well. The yarn shows off the cables beautifully. I did put a longer leg on these and what's funny is I still have a ton of yarn left for the foot. Weird eh? I have turned the heel and finished the gusset on the first socks. Below is a pic of it on my sock blocker. I am in love with this yarn!! It is "Spring Breeze" in classic merino by Fearless Fiber. her yarn is amazing! Her superwash sock yarn comes with 550 yards and is $16! The classica merino is also $16 and has 410 yards. I highly suggest you try her yarn, it's wonderful! She also has beautiful colourways!


Okay, I'm done. hahahahaha

UPDATED POST!!!!

Okay, so I've updated this post with more pics. Today mac & I went to the IC Dog Park at 1pm.. It was sunny & warm, so we didn't stay too long. Here is a wonderful pic of Mac looking around. Sorry, it was too cute not to post.

Below are pics of the sock on my foot. Yes, I have big ankles. . . .thanks for pointing that out. Anyways. I'm loving how the colour compliments the cables. I think it's beautiful. =) My pal has feet that are slightly shorter than mine, so I hope they'll fit her fine. =) What do you guys think of the progress so far? Pretty, eh?

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Finished Socks! Again. . . Socks For Soldiers

Below is a pic of my newly finished Hawkeye Socks. I finished them on Friday night when I was in Rockford. I love how they pooled. I like hand-painted yarn because of how it pools. You never know what you're going to get with it. I think that's the actual point. If you want to know exactly how the yarn is going to come out, DON'T bye hand-painted yarn and then bitch about it. Blah!!!


I am about to turn the heel on my first Sockapalooza Sock and am about to do the heel on my sister's second Badger sock. Yay!

I have also joined Socks for Soldiers
I'm from a military family and believe my sock knitting skills are good enough to donate some hand-knit socks for our soldiers over seas. They also except dishcloths and beanies. I suggest you join and help! Thanks!

Friday, June 22, 2007

Genevieve Pattern

Here is the pattern for the Genevieve socks. If you find a problem with it, please leave a comment or e-mail me at gbutlernet@yahoo.co.uk. Thanks!

Genevieves (In this pattern i am assuming you know how to knit a standard heel flap and gusset and also know how to reduce for the toe and graft it)

Materials:

4 US 2 needles
440 Yards of Fingering Weight/Sock Weight Yarn
Tapestry Needle
Cabling Needle or 5th US 2 needle (I used the 5th needle)

Gauge: 8 Stitches per Inch

Finished Dimentions: Will fit a US Womens Size 9 to 10 (Reduce the number of cables on the foot to achieve a smaller size)

Pattern Notes:

Abbreviations:

K knit
p purl
p2tog purl 2 stitches together
SKP slip a stitch, knit a stitch, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch
C4B Cable 4 stitches back
C2B Cable 2 stitches back
Sl 1 Slip 1 Stitch

Leg Pattern Stitch:

Row 1: *K8, P4, K8, P4, K8, K4, P2, K4, P2, K4* Repeat * to * 4 times
Row 5: K8, P4, C4B, P4, K8, *K4, P2, C2B, P2, K4* Repeat * to * Once more
Repeat Rows 1 through 5

Foot Pattern Stitch:

(Top of foot)
Row 1: *K4, P2, K4, P2, K8, P2, K4, P2, K4, K16, K16* Repeat * to * 4 more times
Row 5: K4, P2, C4B, P2, K8, P2, C4B, P2, K4, K16, K16
Repeat Rows 1 through 5

Instructions:

Cast on 64 stitches (32 on needle 1, 16 on needles 2 & 3)
Work 2x2 ribbing for 1 inch
Begin leg pattern stitch
Work 13 rounds of pattern stitch
Turn to needle 1 for working the heel

Heel Flap:

Sl 1 knit entire row
Turn work and Sl 1 purl rest of the row
Work this until heel flap measures 1 1/2 inches

Turning the Heel:

Knit side facing you
Sl 1 and knit 17 stitches, SKP, K1
Turn work, Sl 1, p6, P2Tog, p1
Continue this, slipping first stitch & working until 1 stitch before the gap, knit/purl 2 stitches together until all stitches have been worked
18 stitches remain
Pick up about 15 stitches on the side of the heel
Work gusset until back to 64 stitches

Begin working the foot pattern
Work foot pattern for 13 rounds or until an inch away from the tip of your longest toe
Begin decreases for the toe
Decrease in stockinette stitch
Decrease until 8 stitches remain on needle 1 and 4 on both needle 2 and needle 3
Graft the 16 stitches together and weave in the ends



Thursday, June 21, 2007

Happy Summer Solstice!!!

Today is actually a minor holiday in the Pagan year. If you didn't know, I'm a Pagan and very proud of it. I was raised Jewish and I still carry that with me everywhere I go. Because Judaism is also a culture and a way of life as much as it is a religion, I call myself a Jewish Pagan. Faith wise I'm pagan, lifestyle wise, I'm still a Jew. I don't eat certain things because that is how I was raised, I celebrate certain things also. If that makes sense to you. Below is a picture of my altar from this evening. Pretty isn't it? I have collected things over the years for it. When I finally moved into my apartment my parents, yep my parents, helped me set it up. My mom thinks it's a phase (life long phase) and my dad just accepts it as it is, only cares if I graduate college, get a job, pay the bills, and am a good person. That's not too much to ask is it?

Onto my sockapalooza socks. . . .OMFG THEY'RE STARTED!!!!! Yep, I finally chose a yarn, spring something by Fearless Fibers. Beautiful yarn!!!!! It's soft and the pattern of the Genevieves look great. The first picture below is of the sock earlier today while I was out waiting with Mac for a FedEx package. The one below that is a picture from about 8:30 this evening. I sat in my bedroom with Mac with the window open listening to the thunderstorm outside. I LOVE thunderstorms. . .and snow. =)



OOOOO and by the way, these new socks count for Summer of Socks! It's started!!!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

First Ever Finished Project

Okay, soooo Lotus Knits is holding a contest for yarn and of course I had to enter it. I am supposed to post a picture of my first finished project. Behold my 6 stitch on size 15 needle scarf (below). My friend Anna can verify that it was in fact knit on size 15's. . . . those needles are fucking logs!!!!! I have no idea how I did it. I now have trouble with size 6's. . . .


Anyways, The contest is for a skein of her hand-painted sock yarn. Please enter, it's fun! Plus. . . .I wanna see the embarressing moments in knitting! =P

Next up for me is a pair of Genevieves for my sockpal using a new skein from Fearless Fibers. (Genevieves below)

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Sock Club, Finished Washcloth and a new scarf

Sunday was the first sockclub I attended at Crazy Girl Yarns in IC. It was a lot of fun! I FINALLY met Chelsea of Very Voluble. It was funny because neither of us would shut up. hehehehe the other ladies in the "club" were sitting there listening to our very umm random ADD/ADHD conversation. We have a lot in common which is awesome and scary =P I had a great time during the 2 hours. I gave Chelsea some of my gypsy girl Hawkeye yarn because she mentioned how much her mom would like some socks and also some Koigu I handpainted. I return she brought me 2 bottles of her and her boyfriends homemade ale. It's good shit, let me tell you. I had it when I went back to Rockford (I came back today because like a dumbass I forgot my contacts and had to suffer, also got blood drawn etc.). I really hope the store gets a larger variety of hand-dyed yarns in, I hate the processed stuff, it dries out my hands. Anyways, the night before (Saturday) I finished something that has nothing to do with socks! (Can I get an oooooo and an ahhhhh?) Yep, a dishrag. Shut up! It's a soft dishrag made out of Cottontots. It's a great yarn for dishrags and I'll be making a baby blanket out of it soon also. It'll be much easier than the one I'm currently and forever will be working on. The one out of the cottontots will probably be basketweave like the dishrag.

I have also started a scarf out of Debbie Bliss soHo that has been sitting in my stash since November. I decided to finally bring it out & knit it. I made the pattern up myself. It's really easy, quick to knit and makes a great gift. The Pattern is below:

Cedar Scarf

Materials:

US 10 1/2 Straight Needles
Tapestry Needle
201 Yards of Thick Thin or Worsted Weight Yarn (shown in Debbie Bliss soHo)

Guage: 4 Stitches per inch

Cast on 18 (or any multiple of 18) stitches

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit 3 *Yo, K2Tog* Repeat * to * until 3 stitches remain Knit last 3 stitches
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: Purl
Row 7: Knit 3 *K2Tog, Yo* Repeat * to* until 3 stitches remain Knit last 3 stitches
Row 8: Purl
Row 9: Knit
Row 10: Purl
Repeat Rows 3 through 10 until desired length of scarf
When desired length Knit and Purl last two Rows, then bind off and weave in ends.
(Option to soak and block scarf, may reduce curling effect)



Below are the three pictures I took during the sock club. The one on the far left is of Chelsea & I. I kept it small because it was humid out and I look horrible!!!!! eeewww!!!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Knitter's Tea Swap Package!!!

My package from Cindy came today! She sent some awesome stuff! Three boxes of tea: Masala Chai, Earl Grey Black Tea, and English Breakfast Black Tea, alpaca roving and mystery wool roving, Barley Soup Mix (made in Rhode Island), a die-cut notebook and four stitchmarkers by Cindy. =) She also sent me a beautiful skein of handpainted Opal and the pattern to Cookie A's Twisted Flower Sock Pattern, a pattern I've been admiring myself. =)

Below is a picture of the Opal she sent me.


And it's John's 24th Birthday today! I'll be in Madison next week, swweeeeetttttttt!!!! Can't wait!

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Finished Genevieves. . . .

I finished these lastnight while watching more of the original Star Tek series, season 2. I hate the fact that they stopped it after 3 seasons. =( Anyways, the yarn used in the socks is Gypsy Girl Yarns in colourway "Winter Solstice." I really love the pattern, but am thinking of making it taller on the calves. I'll post the pattern soon. =)


I also have one of the Hawkeye socks done and the second one is almost to turning the heel. Yay!!!!
I also bought Lana Grossa in a blueish colourway.

Yep, this is a short entry. . . .

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Finished Socks, Birthday gift & Jitterbug. . .

Sooo. . . .people have noticed I haven't posted in over a week. . . .I have a good excuse! Somehow I was talked into staying this past week. . . the ENTIRE week in Rockford, a city I hate, to help my dad with the animals. . . .2 dogs, 2 parrots, 8 koi, & numerous fish inside and Mac, my dog. So that's why I haven't posted. A lot happened over the past week. Before my mom left for Spain to visit my sister, she & I went to The Fold in Merango. This was my second time being there. Toni wasn't there the first time. All 3 of us chatted for over an hour, I bought more yarn & my mom somehow came to the conclusion I NEEDED a spinning wheel. . . .so for my 22 birthday (which isn't until September 9th) I recieved a folding spinning wheel from Canada. It is BEAUTIFUL! Toni was sooo awesome! She gave me TWO skeins of STR for free! I painted the limestone lightweight & am going to keep the olive/forest green one the way it is.
But before I went home, I went & visited Edie over at The Knitting Shoppe in IC. SHE CARRIES JITTERBUG NOW!!!!!!!!! Below are pics of the 2 skeins I bought, Mardis Gras & Popsicle!

Below is a picture of my spinning wheel. . . .do I know how to use it? Umm. . . I can thread it, does that count? I need to take lessons. .

Over the week I also finished a pair of socks in Mountain Colours colourway "Meadow." The yarn is HEAVEN to knit with. I have 3 more skeins just waiting to be knit. The pattern is my own 2x2 rib pattern with 64 stitches. These were supposed to be mine. . . but now they belong to my mom. Oh well. I forgot to take a pic of both socks when they were done. =/ This was taken Monday when I was working on the second one in front of my apartment building. Looks great in the sun eh?

Below are two pairs of socks I also started in the past few days. The Black & Gold is Gypsy Girl Yarn in "Swarm," the colourway she dyed for me with my school colours. GO HAWKS!

These are going to be footies for my mom for around the house in the winter. I hope she doesn't felt these by accident. . . .Anyways, the yarn is Oldfield Creek Socks & Yarn off eBay. It's sport weight.

I also have Sleeping Dragon's colourway "Mossy Frog" for my Sockapalooza pal. . . may just do ribbed socks. . .she wants simple. BLAH!

And no, John still doesn't have a job. . . .he needs to go up to Canada like Drew did. . .grr!


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