ARDIRI

Fiber is Good for You...

I participated in the Wee Tiny Sock Swap and received this cutie from Eileen of the blog Running Knitter.  I pinned it up with two of my favorite bookmarks--the one with Plato's "quote" is from the Santa Cruz independent bookstore The Literary Guillotine where I bought the majority of my books for my philosophy classes at UC Santa Cruz; and the other was made by one of my favorite third grade students (Oh my, I have favorites!  Who could've imagined?!).

The same week, I also received an unexpected package from my friend B. who is now in Portland (and I miss her dearly!).  She knitted me a gorgeous earwarmer (which I am using as a neckwarmer); included some chocolate; organic, fair-trade Earl Grey tea (my fave); Burt's Bees Hand Salve (much needed); and some small things.  Thank you, B., you're too sweet!

Having filled up my frequent customer card at Imagiknit, I bought some more Addi Turbo circular needles (size 0 as I tend to knit loosely; 16 and 24 inches) and indulged myself with some Misti Alpaca sock yarn, which I am using to make an airy cowl.  Speaking of cowls, you should get yourself straightaway over to Fricknits to check out all the lovely cowls Julia  made!  While you're there, you should definitely donate $10 for her Ravelraiser which has some seriously amazing prizes.

(Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Sock Yarn Fingering, Color 08)

Spoiled!

I've been spoiled by my pal, Debbie of the Well-Tempered Knitter blog, for the Longing for Spring Swap.  Look!

Lavender, a mini-sock blocker, Socks That Rock Lightweight in the color Highway 30, a Cookie A. sock pattern, bath truffles, Hershey Kisses in a "lamb" container, Soak samples, the latest Interweave Knits, and a kit to make felted mice with catnip and bells for my cats!!!  By gods, I have been SPOILED!  Thank you so much, Debbie! 

"Longing for Spring Swap Questionnaire"

In the mood for spring?  I am and so I signed up for a swap that is aptly titled "Longing for Spring".

Here's my answers for the questionnaire:

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft?  I knit and have been so for about 8 or so years.
2. What are your favorite yarns/fibers? I love Koigu KPPPM and Socks that Rock (MEDIUM Weight). What are your least favorite yarns/fibers?  I loathe acrylic and ribbon yarns.
3. What are your favorite colors?  Black, blues, greens, and teals. 
4.  What 'warm weather’ project are you looking forward to making this year?  Socks!  I live in San Francisco and there should be--every week, year around--an opportunity to wear pants and socks.
5. What are you favorite scents?  Vanilla, lavender, chocolate chip cookies, dark chocolate-y smells.  Least favorite?  Dog poo and dirty bathrooms.
6. What is your favorite flower?  I like Iceland Poppies, roses with good scents, Stargazer Lilies.
7. What are you favorite spring time hobbies/activities?  Getting outside and enjoying the sun.  
8. Do you have a garden? If you do, tell us a little about it. Do you like to plant flowers or vegetables?  I live in San Francisco on the fourth floor of an old Victorian--no porch, no patio, no garden.   OK, perhaps there is room on my fire escape (scroll down for pic) for a bit of basil and other kitchen herbs, but not always the best sun exposure.
9. What are your favorite sweets?  Dark chocolate.
10. Do you collect anything?  Books, but I try not to anymore.  They  are heavy and take up way too much space.  Thus it is that I shall not collect books again till I have my own office space.
11. Do you have any allergies?   Just cigarette smoke.
12. Do you  have any pets?  Two fat, lazy cats.

A Tardy Destash Contest #2 & a (Very!) Belated Post on My Dishrag Tag Package

This week's Destash Contest's Prizes are 1 Skein of Manos Cotton Stria in a gorgeous turquoise and a hardly-used DPN needle holder that I made (I store my DPNs in a Mason jar):

To enter this contest, leave me a comment about a pattern that you have knit more than once and the reason as to why you have knit it multiple times.*  Again--same rules apply as before--mention the contest on your blog and if someone else mentions that they came to my blog via your mentioning it, BAMM!, another entry for you.**  Deadline is Friday, September 14, by midnight!

*Why this specific question?  Because my brain is too fried for complicated knitting this week (due to work and school) and I have returned to a favorite, comforting, mostly-brainless knit: the multi-directional Noro scarf.

**I will not be able to respond to every entry, but I certainly will read all of the responses!

As for the Dishrag Tag Package, look at the lovely items sent to me by Gaylen of G Marie Sews:

Isn't that dishrag--ahem, dishcloth is more like it!--cute!  I have been quite hesitant to actually use it because it is so nice! 

I also l-o-v-e the stitch markers she made for me:

Thanks so much, Gaylen of G Marie Sews!

Yay! My pal's socks have arrived!

Yippee!  My pal, Jaime of A Notion to Knit, got her Sockpalooza package.  Go check out her site!

Secret Pal 11 Swap Questionnaire

My questionnaire is here!

May I pretty-please marry my Sockpalooza Socks?

I am SO in L-O-V-E  with the Sockpalooza Socks my pal, Jane of OzKnitter, made for me.  They are perfect, perfect, oh-so-perfect!  Fit, style, coloring, lace--everything is just wondermous when it comes to these socks.  Even Zoe likes them!

They are made with hand-dyed Australian yarn (Live 2 Knit's Smoke colorway) and Jane wrote that the pattern is inspired by the "Padded Footlets" from Favorite Socks.

Jane of OzKnitter also included the leftover yarn, some Patonyle sock yarn in color 4310, a lovely smelling "Botanical Bug Buster Moth Ball," and a s-s-sweet card of yarn and a postcard of Melbourne.

Thank you so much Ms. Jane of OzKnitter!  I absolutely am enamored with the socks you made for me and am quite certain that I shall wear them soon with this absolutely chilly weather here in San Francisco.

*DSL Update: Blog posting, comment-replying, emailing, and all-things-internet-related shall be pretty much lacking until at least the 17th of August when the DSL-person comes by our complex to work his or her magic on the switchboard.  So until then I shall be dearly jonesing for the spectacular world of the internet.*

Prodotto Finito: Sockapalooza 4 Socks!

At last, the socks for my Sockapalooza 4 Pal are finito!

Hopefully she will like them and that they'll fit her well! 

Details, details:

• Yarn: Koigu Color P206, Dye Lot 39.  I used two skeins of the same dye lot, but the socks look a little off colorwise in person--bah!  I used a little less than a skein for each sock.
• Size 2 needles, Susan Bates Aluminum DPNs.
• Cast on 50 stitches and worked in a pattern of my own devising (k5, p5; k1rd stockinette; p5, k5).

SPOILED AGAIN by My Sockret Pal!

As an apology (and a totally unnecessary one!) for sending out my socks late, my sockret pal sent me MORE KOIGU!  I may just be koigu crazy and she is feeding my addiction.  Here's a pic of the latest treat (Colorway P206):

Thank you a gazillion-million-squared times, my dear Sockret Pal!

Sockret Pal Socks--Done!

Finally finished my Sockret Pal Socks last night while watching some of Season 1 of Lost (I just have to say that I LOVE that Jack uses a metal knitting needle to release pressure in Boone's lung in episode 20--"Do No Harm".  Knitting needles as surgical tools--who would of figured?!).  I am actually completely loving this show despite the fact that I figured it'd be pretty lame.  It has such a Twilight Zone feeling to it; scaring me almost sleepless at times with the best fear--the fear of the unknown.

Here's my Sockret Pal's Socks--they are a little bit wet from blocking and so will go out in a few days or so.  I used my own handpainted yarn--colorway "Elle Woods" and did the contrast toe with Knitpicks Ambrosia in Lavender on size 2 needles.