Dyeing, dyeing, dyeing and some knitting. . .

The shop is down due to the fact that i am having it completely redone and customized. I have hired a professional group to redo and gut the website. it will be fresh, original, easy to get around and just plain beautiful. I hope everyone likes it when it is done. I expect it to be done by the middle of July. =)

I would also like to introduce you to my new shoe. . . yes, it's a hard soled shoe for my broken toe. It was horrible standing and dyeing yarn for hours with a broken toe. I am very glad to say that with this new shoe, the pain is down to a minimum. Yes, it does cause my legs to be different lengths when not wearing another shoe, but whatever, it helps! I have been dyeing quite a bit of yarn and spinning fiber. I will be introducing four new yarn bases at Sock Summit. I really hope everyone likes them.

ONTO KNITTING CONTENT!
These are a random pair of house socks I knit for 52ppIII.
Details:
Pair #3 for 52ppIII:
started: June 2nd, 2009
finished: June 12th, 2009
Yarn Jojoland Rhythm 2 skeins
Pattern: my own (24 stitches toe up)
needle: US 3

Below are a pair of socks I knit out of yarn that my very dear friend Karen (Lykkefanten) sent me as a graduation gift. She also sent me some Drops alpaca yarn and a Danish shetland/wool blend. Yes, she is the sock club designer. I will be taking her patterns with me to both Sock Summit and Stitches Midwest.
Details:
Pair #4 for 52ppIII
started: 8 June 2009
finished: 19 June 2009
yarn: Hjertegarn Strømpegarn Jacquard Print
colourway: 4499
pattern: Sock Recipe: A Good, Plain Sock done toe up with short row heal
needle: US 1 1/2 2.5mm

Thee are part of my never ending destash. I just want the yarn to be gone!
WIP plain vanilla socks with 64 stitches toe up
yarn: Spunky Eclectic Panda
colourway: Raisin Wannabe
needle: 1 1/2 2.5mm

More destashing, but I LOVE Kirsten's yarn bases. i really want to track down her supplier. . .
WIP plain ribbed socks with 64 stitches toe up
yarn: handgefaerbt.com Nature Pure Merino Medium
colourway: army of orcs
needle: 1 1/2 2.5mm


Boy is coming to my brother's wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =) <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

A broken toe and knitting. . .

Sooo, yesterday morning after I fed the three dogs, I stubbed my toe extremely hard in the frame of a door. Afterwards, I literally passed out from the pain and slept half the day. When I woke up, my dad was home from helping pack my sister in Iowa. (That's a 2 1/2 drive mind you). So, I've been having great fun wobbling all over and trying to keep Mac from stepping on my left foot too often. Ugh.

Anyways, despite the set back I have been knitting. I finished these simple garter rib socks for myself, but I lost one of the socks. AAAAHHHH!!!! That didn't make me happy either. The yarn is yarn workshop's footscray that I randomly dyed. The yarn is kind of rough and not my favourite base. These are my first finished pair of socks for 52 pair plunge III.

These are a finished pair of Tadpoles in my Skye Sock Yarn in the colourway "Emerald Serpent." They're a little tight due to the fact that I continued the pattern on the back of the leg. This is pair #2 for 52ppIII.

Below are two pictures of my current and temporary workshop for the summer. I took over my dad's workroom under the garage. This may look like a lot of yarn, but it is nothing compared to what I'll be taking to Sock Summit in August or Stitches Midwest in September.

OOOO below is my new toy, next to my old toy. YES! That is my beautiful 6 skein winder!!! It'll pay for itself in the end.


BTW, 5 weeks until my brother's wedding! Scary, he's growing up! They're also buying a house. Very scary. . .

Four Days until Graduation

I have four more days until my undergraduate college career is over. Five years of my life and countless hours and dollars later, I am finally graduating.
To keep my mind off of the fact that i will actually need to make a living after Saturday, I have been knitting and concentrating on holiday gifts, etc.
My diagonal socks are coming along. i did need to frog back the second sock down to the beginning of the 6th repeat on the foot because i kept screwing it up. I redid the heel 3 times, but the only solution was to rip it back even more. I have finally caught up with the first sock and am hopefully going to finish them this week.

I also started my dad's holiday gift after much contemplation. I finally decided to use up the rest of my Paton's Kroy Sock yarn and make the socks striped. My grandpa's socks will be made out of Paton's Kroy also, but plain black maybe with a pattern, we'll see.

Boy and I were in Rockford this weekend. I studied most of the time, while boy slept, he's been sick. I did get to see my mom's face when she received the flowers I ordered her for Mother's Day. She REALLY liked them. I also helped my dad pick out a gift of his own for her.

Spring is definitely here. This is a photo of the pond in my parent's backyard. They just had it redone. There was a rip in the liner and the pond kept losing water. Not a good thing when they have fish in there.

Back to knitting since I'm done studying for the day.
Please remember! Everything in the shop will be on sale starting the 15th in honor of my graduation! It will continue until the 21st!!

Knitting and shop update. . .

I did a shop update last week. I added several skeins of Chubby Sock Yarn, Skye Sock Yarn, and various fibers, including a new 100% Superwash Wool.

I've been knitting! I swear I have! I finished boy's socks last Thursday at 2am. He likes them even though they're green. They fit perfectly, which is awesome and the weather turned cold so maybe he'll ear them in the dorm. This is a horrible picture because he wouldn't cooperate and not cover his face! Blah!

My day yesterday started with all of these WIPs, including my dad's second pair of socks that I started last November. I actually thought that I had lost the first sock i finished. it showed up in my dad's car on the front seat. In order to finish the socks I had my mom measure the leg for me. I FINALLY finished them and am sooo happy they're off my needles.

Here's a pic of the second and lonely finished sock.

I also started a pair of socks for my future SIL, Alicia. This is also part of my destash. This is Knitterly Things 400 sw merino/nylon base. I'm not a huge fan of the base yarn. it is very splitty and dry when knitting with. The colourway is Dragon's Blood.

Gotta Love the cold and snow

As you probably know, I love the cold and adore snow. I wish we had gotten the large amounts of snow that went just slightly north of us. My parents and Boy got that and I was slightly disappointed it missed IC. So, plans have been changing quite a bit lately. My Valentine's Day was kind of boring. I watched movies all day. Boy was in upstate NY attending a memorial for his cousin who was killed on the 6th. And we're not going down to visit my brother for spring break, we're probably just gonna go to my parents condo in Chicago. It should be fun though.

I had to stop knitting my shawl because I finished the first skein and hit a snag. . . all of the other skeins I bought were an off white cream colour and not the white of the first skein. I just happened to use the only white skein for the beginning of the project. Soo, I need to go an buy some more of the white before I can continue.
I have been knitting though. I have finished a couple of projects below. I finally finished my dad's hat last night while watching the Oscars. Yay! It's soft, thick and beautiful. I hope it fits!

I also did some destashing and knit a slouch out of some Misti Alpaca Sport Weight yarn that I have had for years! It's a forest green colour and neither pictures show it very well. I have 2 more skeins left I believe and need to figure out what to do with them.

Mac was very reluctant to model it for me, but I managed to get a cute picture!

I also started another slouch based on one that Scarlett Johansson was wearing in a picture I saw. The first one is being knit out of Cascade Eco Wool, same as my first Ailidh hat. I'm hoping to make adjustments with Malabrigo for the second one before I write the pattern down.

Well, I need to finish going through my Marketing notes, because I have an exam in less than 2 hours. Ugh!
There was also an update in the shop on Saturday. Enjoy!

Rain??

Today is a beautiful gloomy Monday. I love two kinds of days, gloomy rainy ones and crisp white snowy ones. I love over cast skies and cooler to cold weather. Those are both ideal to me. The snow is melting and it feels like spring, even though it's only February. Quaint eh?

I have been slowly but surely been working on my wedding shawl.
Details:
Pattern: Shetland Triangle
Yarn: Baby Cashmerino
Color: white
Needle: US 5 24" and 32"

Apparently the orange beanie That I knit a while ago doesn't fit my dad's head properly. Sooo, while I was home over the weekend I picked up some Debbie Bliss Como in grey and a set of US 13 circulars and cast on. The hat is 52 stitches and will be a basic beanie. The yarn is awesome and soft to work with, if only the skeins had more yardage.

Of course this post would not be a proper post unless I had a photo of my beautiful baby boy. He's enjoying the cooler/warmer weather, but not the rain.. This dog hates rain, baths and any other source of water that gets on him, except snow. odd dog.


For spring break I'm going to down to Austin to visit my brother and his fiance for a few days. it should be fun. =) Boy was supposed to come with but he never gave me an answer and I said screw it I'll go alone. Life does go on.

Ugh. . . stress. . .

It's almost been a week since I had my surgery to remove my wisdom teeth. I have been surviving on vicodin for most of the week. My jaw still hurts, mainly in the evenings. So, boy forgot his coat at my parents condo and had to borrow one of my dad's until he could get his coat back. BUT, it turns out that his own coat doesn't really fit anymore. No idea why he didn't get a new one for the holidays because he needs it in the Iowa weather. Oh well, my dad said that he could borrow his coat until winter is over, but he wants it back afterwards. I did retrieve his coat this weekend when my parents and I went into Chicago for 2 nights. It's funny, he left it hanging in the coat closet. . . . yeah. My mom is a selfless person, she let him borrow my dads coat, paid for his way back to school, and gave him $100 for a taxi and food. Yeah, nice woman. He had to spend some of the money paying his roommate back though because he left his wallet at school and had to have it sent to my parents house before he went to O'Hare Airport, which wasn't what the money was for, but whatever. Oh well. Gotta love stress eh?

Soo, classes begin Tuesday for me and I'm hoping my last semester in college is umm relaxing? Heh, with two marketing classes I want it to be relaxing, we shall see. I haven't really been knitting lately due to my procedures and just lack of energy. I'm starting to feel better, but still have a long way to go. My mouth will probably be sore for eh another few weeks and my body is completely out of wack. Kind of wish i had another 2 weeks off to lay around on vicodin. Luckily I have tomorrow off. Yay I get to straighten up my apartment! Ugh. . .

Okay, some GOOD news! My brother Mike got engaged to his gf Alicia! They've been together for over two years. he bought her a beautiful .66 carat Tiffany & Co. engagement ring! Nice $5K ring right there! It's a classic 6 prong, platinum setting. They are planning a wedding for this fall. I can't wait! I'm dragging boy with me, because he still hasn't met my brother. Sigh. . . . Anyways, here are some pics of the ring below:



Btw, I guess I should start referring to boy as FH (future husband). Hmm I'll think about it.
Almost forgot, some of my wedding details:

Time: Winter (I'm looking into Dec 17th 2011)
Where: Chicago (looking into Navy Pier Lakeview Terrace)
# Guests: 50 (25 each side)
Colour Scheme: blue, white, silver
Announcements: sent out Spring 2010
wedding bands: Boys: titanium with silver inlays and engraved Mine: umm we'll see

More details as it gets closer. . . . <3

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's been an interesting week for me. I have gotten most of my homework and projects done, only a few left to finish. I also went to the gastroenterologist to figure out what's wrong with me. The doctor believes that it is IBS, but to make sure it's not IBD, I have to have a colonoscopy. . . yeah I shouldn't need one until I'm 50. . . I'm getting it done at the beginning of January. Tomorrow however I will be getting a lactose intolerance test done at 7am. . . joy. Gotta love this ugh. . .

I hope you guys are having a great holiday!! <3

Tis the season. . .

Okay, I am holding a contest and the prize is this beautiful skein of MacKintosh Yarns Mey Seacell in the colourway Victoria. The contest is to help me come up with a new name for my World of Warcraft mage Lyxi. Please leave your choices (up to 5) in a comment. You have until December 1st. Please tell your friends, I need as many options as possible. Thanks!


BTW all Celtic Sock Yarns are on sale for $18 from now through Black Friday.

On another note, I'm sick, I've been sick and I'm not getting better. For the past several (since March really) I've been having problems that could be IBS or could be IBD. My stomach is more sensitive and so is my bowel. My lactose intolerance has gotten worse and it's just not fun being me. Next Wednesday I will be seeing a gastroenterologist, aka a bowel specialist to see what's wrong. I hope it's not IBD, I have an uncle with it and it's a rather frightening thought.

As I was saying in the header, tis the season. . . .for cowls. . .LoL
Below is a plain stockinette cowl that I am working on for myself. The yarn is MacKintosh Yarns Iona Sport Weight in the colourway Mulled Wine. I love this yarn!!! Sooo soft!

Here is a cowl I knit for my mom. It's the birthday cowl again, but in a yarn she chose while we visited Loopy Yarns in downtown Chicago several weeks ago. The yarn is Sublime Aran Merino Silk Cashmere blend. it's sooooooooooooooooooooooooo soft!!! Light, but also warm. Love it!


I also need some ideas on what to get boy for Christmas. . . yes, we're back together. . . .okay, I'm a sucker and I love him. It's kind of hard not to love him, he has the most adorable blue eyes. . . .damn him. . .

BTW bundle up!! It's getting cold!

New Website!!

MacYarns.com is now open for business! I hope you guys like the website. i tried to keep it very simple and clean. I love the green in the background.

Here is a mosaic of some of the products in the shop right now. Lots of new colourways!!

I am currently working on another Old Shale Scarf in Woodland Sock Yarn in the colourway Jasmine. The sock below is probably going to my dad, with a mate of course. The yarn is Paton's Kroy Sock. I hope I have enough yarn, these new skeins only have 166 yards, which sucks.

The leaves are all falling and the trees are becoming bare. I love autumn and winter, so the transition is gorgeous to me. The weather is also turning colder now. It's supposed to snow Saturday. Yay snow!!!

Here is a picture of a sunny (70 degree) day on the way back to my moped after my production class. Pretty eh?


Update: Boy and I are talking. You see, love was never the problem with us, an online game is, among some other things. We'll see what happens. When we're good, we're really good, when we fight, we really fight. Unfortunately he's going home for Thanksgiving, his mom jumped right on it and bought plane tickets the moment she heard we broke up. Yeah, bitch. Anyways, I still need to fix my door. Luckily the jam is perfectly fine.

It's over.

Boy and I broke up for good today.  He did something that I request he not do at all this weekend. it resulted in me breaking the jam of my computer room door. Now I have to replace the door. He won't ever admit that he's wrong and he has a sickness and unhealthy obsession with the online game of World of Warcraft. I feel and my family feels that it is more important to him than I ever was. He told me to go fuck myself several times today. I even called the police at one point. He stormed out before that and walked around for hours before coming back, gathering his possessions and telling me to go fuck myself once more and leaving.

Great day.  BTW Michigan lost to Purdue.

Hanging on. . .

My sanity is hanging on by a thread. Lately I've been depressed, not wanting to get out of bed or do anything. Not a great thing when I've suffered from depression in the past and it almost ruined my life. I'm also constantly crying over things. I seriously need this horrible feeling to go away. My relationship is also hanging on by a thread. I try and try and try and I feel empty, used, and thrown out at times. Kind of like right now. This really needs to turn around or I'm going to lose my mind.
I get to retake my finance midterm next Monday, thankfully. I was gone on the day of the review due to Yom Kippur and was excused. But I didn't really receive any notes about the review until Tuesday, the day before the exam. So, my professor is allowing me to take it again.
This image from a few days ago looks how I feel right now.

I have been doing some knitting here and there. Right now I'm really working on a Old Shale Scarf in Mamablue's troika sock in Little Wing. Yes, it's kind of soft and I like it, but I think the colour is horrible for socks. I think it's better for a scarf.

Here's a close-up of the pattern.

I also have 3 new colourways to put up and one of them is below. it's all Faiye (well, new and improved Faiye that is). it's one of my old colourways and I spruced it up to my liking.


I also took 5 large bags of yarn to Crazy Girl Yarns in Coralville to destash. It was a long time coming. I feel better after that.
Have a great week! <3 <3

Week of studying

Sooo, I went home last Wednesday to study for my three midterms this week. I was actually supposed to go to Blizzcon in Anaheim, California, but because of my exams, i stayed and studied most of the weekend. I got a couple of breaks, but most of it was spent grinding entrepreneur finance into my brain. Yes, very fun. I have a midterm tonight, tomorrow and Thursday. I can't wait for the weekend to get here.
I did get some knitting done while I was home. I finished my dad's socks, finally. Here he is wearing them below. He likes them and will hopefully wear them. I did the garter rib from sensational Socks and knit them in Trekking XXL, forget the colour though, sorry.

I also finished my Corazon Mittens. These are a project for my production class, so thankfully those are done also. The yarn used is Nashua Julia. it's a great yarn and very soft. I'm quite proud of these.

My Sundara sock club shipment arrived today. While I like the name, I'm not fond of the colour. I'm not a huge purple fan, if you hadn't noticed. I'm willing to part with this one heh. I'll sell it for the normal price of Sundara sock yarn $23 plus shipping.

Last week Mac and I also had a photoshoot while he was laying on his bed outside. This was one of the cuter ones.

I am also in the process of destashing some yarns. These will included some Wollmeise, Hazel Knits, Plucky Knitter, etc. The images will be posted in my next post if you're interested.

Knitting and shop update soon. . .

Here are two new colourways that will be in the update on the 19th. We have Lich and Crystal Flowers. These are both in the woodland base and each has 1 knot in them so they will be placed in the sale category.

I also dyed some roving a while back and will be putting it up also on the 19th. We have Pop Rock, Autumn in Door County, Blue Jay, Sacred Grove (Shetland) and Eire.

I have been working on holiday knits. I have a little more of the month to finish them. Yay. . . This hat is for my brother's girlfriend Alicia. The yarn is Cloud 9, a merino/angora blend.

These mittens are for my mom. They are Ohio State colours and will say OSU and the year she graduated.

This may sound odd for a lot of people, but this is a great source of fiber. . . my dog. Yes, this is Mac fiber. It is as soft as cashmere and I am trying to "harvest" enough for some handspun yarn. This way I will have him with me forever. This is quite a bit of fiber and it's only .65 oz!! Yeah, it's gonna take quite a bit.

Also, just to show you guys how part of my apartment looked before it was cleaned. This is my computer room and this was midway through cleaning. . . .yeah pitiful. Gotta love Mac's look there. . .it's clean now though. boy has also challenged me into keeping my apartment clean. . . oh this should be fun. . .!