New Beginnings

With Phyllo off the needles, and a trip to Webs under my belt, and a vacation rapidly approaching, it was only right to cast on a few new things.

The one thing I wanted at Webs was a skein of the Noro Sock yarn. I had been browsing both Flickr and Ravelry to see what the colors knit up like. I finally decided on color 185. I'm hoping with 462 yards in the skein, I have enough for knee highs. I can get a pair out of a skein of Cherry Tree Hill, which has 420, so I'm hopeful. Just in case, I'm knitting them toe up. I'm also knitting from each end of the skein for those always amazing Noro stripes. (thanks to my sister Naomi for making her awesome center pull balls for me!)

The color is kind of off on this picture - the green towards the toe is really a nice lime green. I'm happy with the striping so far and I am just about to the heel.

The other yarn I picked up at Webs was a bag of their Northampton yarn. It's very Cascade 220 like - same gauge, same feel (almost a bit softer) and a huge range of colors. It is less expensive though. $5 a ball for 247 yards!

This will eventually turn into the Brick Pullover from the Summer 2008 Interweave. Hubby liked it when I first showed it to him when I got the magazine, and I think this yarn will work very nicely for it. I do have to do some re-calculating though - the gauge is a bit different. The pattern calls for 6 sts/4" and I am getting about 5.25 sts/". Using my gauge, I figured out the cast on number based on the chest measurement I want. That number, luckily, is within one stitch of the medium sized pullover. That means I can just cast on and use that size pattern at my bigger gauge - does that sound right? (it's still early and I have yet to have coffee!)

Now, I will have two new projects to take with me on vacation today! The best part, is look what I can transport my projects in!

Sarah made me THREE amazing box bags! They are already loaded with stuff. One for my sock and one for the sweater. They are the perfect size, and I love the fabrics!!! Thank you Sarah!!!! She is the box bag queen!

So, we leave this afternoon for Baltimore to stay with my cousins. Tomorrow is shopping and packing day, then Saturday we leave for our annual trip to the Outer Banks!! This will be our fifth year going, and it just gets better and better. We drive to Baltimore first to break up the very, very long trip for us. Plus, it lets us figure out what everyone else is bringing so we can coordinate food, etc. It's always an adventure!

I will have internet access on vacation, so you may get a post, but don't count on it! Have a wonderful week!!!!!

8 Crazy Nights!

First off, Boston was so much fun. Tucker did wonderful with the big crowds and all the noise (they have a big PA system and music blaring). Ace was a star. Walking around amongst all the crowds and the strange dogs - nothing phased him. I took him back into the grooming area for the breed dogs where there is tons of activity and he seemed to love it. Next year is the last year for this show. They are tearing down the Bayside Expo Center and we aren't sure where they are moving the show to. It's always fun because you get to run on grass in the middle of December.

They truck in loads of sod and dirt. What a treat! You can see the crowds in the pictures - this was around 9am. You can imagine how packed it was by the afternoon!
Zeke and Ace enjoyed watching all the people and activity. We had to cover their crate to get them to nap.

As you can tell, it didn't work too well....Ace's half brother was showing this weekend as well (same dad as Ace, different mom). I have known him since he was a puppy, and he turned out beautiful!

All in all it was a great four days - it was a bit cold, but not the blizzard we had a few years back. It was hard going back to work and not being with my boys all day!

Hannukah started while I was at the Boston trial, but both my family and Hubby and I postponed it so we could celebrate together. Hannukah is always fun with my family. Since I was little my parents have always made it festive and all about being together. For each of the eight nights, my sister and I would have eight gifts each laid out on the living room floor. All wrapped in newspaper (my parents were all for reusable wrapping!). They were numbered 1 to 8. Each night my sister and I would take a turn picking a number. If I thought her number 5 gift looked neat, I picked the number 5 and we both had to open that number. The added twist - no touching of the gifts! I had to hand my sister her gift, and she would hand me mine. Sometimes it was something small - like new mittens or socks (because I go through them like water!) or other times it was something unexpected, but it was always fun.

Not living with my folks anymore, we compress Hannukah into one or maybe two days - we do a present every couple of hours and spread it out. Not quite as suspenseful as staring at them all week, but still a great time. Hubby and I exchanged some gifts this week. Shipping has been rather slow, so both of us have gifts for the other that have not arrived (thank goodness Hannukah is 8 nights!) so giving will continue as long as gifts keep arriving at the door!

I have to say, Hubby is always an amazing gift giver. He is generous beyond belief and always wants to get me something I want that I would not buy for myself. Being the keeper of the bills, I am more stingy with the cash flow, and tend not to really spend on myself. This year, he got me some amazing gifts.

A box bag from Japanese Handmade. This picture does no justice to the colors - they are so much brighter in person! You can never have too many of these bags.

Books! One for Ace on developing a puppy for competition, and a couple of knitting books I've been wanting for a while. I have been wanting to make Gathering Intentions from Inspired Cable Knits ever since I saw this one. Me and cables. Love. There have to be about five things in this book I'd love to make. A few for hubby too! The Cat Bordhi book is brand new and has been getting a lot of blog time around the net. What fascinates me is how she has developed a whole new construction for socks. That gusset decrease - not in the same place any more. I have only had a chance to flip through it, but it looks really interesting. Just the thing to juice up my sock knitting!

He also got me a new winter jacket. Mine has seen better days and is probably 8 years old. I wear it to the kennel, to work and pretty much everywhere once the weather turns cold. It's not as warm as it used to be.

Poofy down! I've been wearing it every day since he got it for me. It's warm and cozy and I love it!

Last but not least (though non knitting related) is a set of thinning shears. Ace is going to have tons of coat, and even now, he needs regular trimming to keep him looking all spiffy and neat!

I can use these on his feet, tail and ears. Now, I've been having to take him to the kennel and wait for Terri to be around to do it. I also picked up a stripping knife at the show in Boston to keep the really fine, downy fur under his ears in check. From now on, he'll be one well kept boy!

He says there "isn't much more" left for gifts. I can't imagine what else he has up his sleeve!!!

Afflicted

Seems like after doing the Single Sock Swap, and seeing many other very happy single sockkers, I seem to have been infected. After making my single sock for the swap, it felt a little liberating. While waiting for my single sock to come, I started a simple top down stockinette sock from the much coveted Sock Hop Yarn. The colorway is Crazy Love and I fell Crazy in Love with it for sure. Soft, springy and the colors....

It made perfect plane knitting and I got the entire leg done on the flight out to Arizona. I should also mention that this ENTIRE sock was knit Continental style!! I am normally an English knitter - I carry the yarn in my right hand, but when I do stranded colorwork, I knit with both hands. A plain stockinette sock I thought was a great place to practice some left handed carrying. Now, I am much more comfortable with it and my gauge is a bit looser as well. I am kind of disappointed I didn't do it toe up. There is quite a bit of yarn left - I bet I could have made them knee socks! I do have something in mind for the leftovers though....

I did make good progress on it this weekend. (I'm getting much better at juggling the puppy/knitting balance...)

So, with my single sock received, and my first sock hop sock done, what is a girl to do? So, in a leap to the dark side I cast on for the second New England sock. Leaving the Sock Hop Sock alone for now. Yes, a single sock resides with me now. And I don't feel a lick of angst or guilt.

While I was taking up Continental knitting and watching hundreds of dogs do agility, hubby was quite busy as well. My van is now a fully fashioned doggie mobile.

The pups now ride in style! There is plenty of room for my big ol' zero gravity chair as well as water and anything else I may need for a weekend of trialing. He did such a great job. The platform is really sturdy, and it is in two pieces so I can remove it easily if I want. Otis especially likes traveling in a crate much more so than riding loose. He has so far willingly jumped into the crate in the van versus me chasing him around the house to get him into it! Much less stressful!

That wasn't the end of it. Hubby has a great love of doing projects or getting things to surprise me while I'm gone. One year he built me a garden, one year he put in a brick front walkway. He not only built the platform for the van, but we got this!

A new kitchen table! It's huge! A large, square, maple barstool height with eight different color microsuede seats on the stools. Love it. We had looked at this one eons ago, but it just wasn't a good fit at the time. I still can't believe we have it! I spent quite a bit of time at it this weekend. The stools are super comfy and perfect for doing some knitting while sipping my new favorite weekend morning brew.

Mount Hagen Instant Organic Decaf Coffee! I found this while wandering around the Sprouts store that was down the street from the hotel in Scottsdale. I got it then as we had no coffee maker. Before we left I went and got another jar so I could take it home. It makes quite a great cuppa joe.

Since I haven't put any puppy pictures up in a while, I figured I was due - Ace turned 12 weeks old on Sunday and is growing like crazy.

He can now jump into the van by himself and is doing very well with his training. We started puppy kindergarten class last week and will also be doing breed handling to practice when he goes into the show ring. Tucker and Otis seem to have adjusted - Otis has even started playing with him! A little rough, but they seem to have become buddies.

We are all headed down to Maryland later this week for our annual "Faux Thanksgiving". Since nobody likes to drive on Thanksgiving weekend, we celebrate it the weekend before! Plus, it coincides with the Sugarloaf Craft Festival and I've also entered Tucker in one day of agility trials in the area. Busy Busy!

Pretty in Pink

I was going to post about my trip to Arizona, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. Much more important things came up to be posted about today! My Single Sock Swap package came!

It was sitting on the counter when I got home from the airport on Monday. The contents - perfect! The funniest thing is, when I opened it and found out who my pal was, I was so excited. Jessica and I have been blog buddies for quite a while now. Coming from her, this sock is all the more special!

I'll give the details of the sock after, but the rest of the package contained some dark chocolate squares, a skein of very sunny, soft, happy yarn from Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm and a great big sheepy toy for the dogs! It's hilarious - around it's collar it says "Sheep on the Lamb". Very cute.

The sock. I can't say enough about this sock. The yarn - one of my all time favorites. Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in a great Hot Pink. It is the same yarn and color I used for the Turkish Stockings. Jessica was worried about giving me a yarn and color I've already used, but like I said - the yarn is pretty much my all time favorite and I think it does the pattern well. The pattern - she picked a winner. The New England Socks by Nancy Bush from Knitting on the Road. I have had this sock in my queue for a very long time. Turns out she checked out my queue on Ravelry and saw these as #1 on my list! The fit - couldn't be better!

They are incredible. I love how she tied them up with the rest of the yarn. A neat little bundle of sock joy.

She also included really great notes as to any modifications she made so I can duplicate the pattern in the second sock. I can't wait to start! Thank you Jessica!!

Generosity

Knitbloggers continue to be one of the most supportive, helpful, friendly and generous group of people I have ever met. (the dog agility community comes in a very, very close second! Knitting Dog people are definitely the tops!)

Kimberly was here in the States on Cape Cod on vacation from Germany. Exchanging comments on our blogs, and emailing for quite a while now, we tried to schedule a meet up, but it was just not meant to be. Both of our schedules were crazy, and the planets just didn't align for us. Hopefully another time! She did, however, send me a little German care package.

Some orange Trekking (this will make some killer textured socks in one of my favorite colors!), a yummy (ask me how I know) chocolate hazelnut bar and some absolutely adorable stitch markers! They came in the little tin - she said they are the closest thing to Altoids that they have in Germany. They look yummy - cherry! Thank you so much Kimberly! One day we will meet in person!

A few weeks back, I got a mysterious email from Kristy. Turns out I was the 1000th commenter on her blog! She sent me some incredible yarn.

Silk! I have never even really touched silk yarn, now I have some! And the color - it's like lavender with a touch of gray. Beautiful. Don't let the picture fool you - she sent me not one skein, but TWO! As I oogled over the skeins, I went to pull the rest of the tissue paper (purple also!) out of the box. Low and behold another goodie!

A zip bag! As we all know, you can never have enough project bags (or bags in general!). This one is stunning. The fabrics are so pretty.....

I already have a project in mind for the silk. A little something for my mom.

The Montego Bay Scarf from the Summer '07 Interweave Knits. I think she'd really like it, and I haven't knit much other than a few pair of house socks for her, so more mom-knitting is in order.

Thanks so much Kristy!!!! Another great blogger who I hope to be able to hang out with a bit more in person one of these days! (and check out her newest addition - how cute!)

And, lastly, Jillian selected me for a Rockin' Girl Blogger award!

According to the rules, you nominate 5 other female bloggers and they in turn nominate 5 more and so on, and so on. (somehow I'm thinking of an old I think Breck shampoo commercial.....) So, my nominees are:

• Elinor for her ability to find the time to knit, sew and do other crafty things even with having an adorable little girl to take care of!
• Jessica for her unbelievable organization of both Summer of Socks '06 and '07! Plus, she knits some really amazing stuff and now spins too!
• Terhi for what else - all her amazing creations - especially socks.
• Sarah for many reasons. She knits, she sews, she spins, she has an ultra cute doggie. She's just the best.
• Aija because she is one of the first knitbloggers I ever really had a "non-comment" blog relationship with. We emailed, discussed sock yarns - now she's a star with her rocking Etsy shop.

I really had a hard time narrowing it down to five. There are so many wonderful girl bloggers out there....

In knitting news, Licorice Whip progresses. I still think I may run out of yarn though. The scale may need to come out to get some general ideas as to where I am and how much I have left. The yarn is recycled, so I was never truly sure as to how much I had yardage wise to begin with. It finally feels like I'm getting somewhere though. The sleeve stitches are now on holders and I'm starting to do the little bit above the waist.

I'm thinking (and hoping!) it will go quick from here. Ashley is already on the waist shaping for her fourth incantation of the sweater....looks like that center lace panel will need a little blocking.

I think I have a decent amount of knitting time this week. I'm working on hubby's second Lichen Rib Sock and have started (ribbing only) my sister's colorwork sock. I think we finally decided on a pattern.

Fall Previews and Stuff

Previews for both Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting are up for the fall issues!

Interweave Preview
Vogue Preview

The Vogue one is interesting in that they have put all the cover sweaters on the website for free download! Some are definitely not my style, but many have interesting elements! (love the pattern in the colorwork dress!)

Knitting continues here, and not to leave the sock needles naked for too long, I have cast on for a pair for hubby.

Only ribbing so far. Still deciding on a pattern. The yarn is Interlacements Tiny Toes in color #220. Nice, bright, rich colors.

Marjan has knit some amazing socks (check them out here). When I heard her plight that she still had not received her Ravelry invite, I sent her off one of the two I had. With those beautiful designs, she should be there! In return, she sent me some wonderful new sock yarn!

I hadn't seen this yarn in person yet - it's the new Regia Kaffe Fassett yarn. Very nice colors and it stripes! This will be great for a pair of basic stripey socks. Maybe one of those fancy picot edges too...

The Spoils

A while back, Christy had a little contest to see which of her single socks she would make a mate for first. Out of all the choices she gave, I commented that she would knit the Koigu mate first, because, well, it's Koigu! Turns out, I was right! She sent me this wonderful, amazing skein of Socks That Rock and the funniest sock knitter card EVER (you have to click for a close up to read it!)

The color of the yarn is so amazing (the colorway is called "Mustang Sally"). Right up my alley - rich, red and not so variegated. And, evidently, someone else's also. I was sitting on the couch after I got home from work unwrapping the package. Hubby and I were talking about our day and as I pulled the skein out of the envelope, he stopped talking mid-sentence and just looked at it. He looked at me, looked at the yarn and said, "Oooohhh". Looks like these may turn into hubby socks....

Pink Pink Pink!

Pattern: Whitby from Knitting on the Road by (who else but) Nancy Bush
Yarn: Louet Gems Opal in Pink Panther
Needle: #2 KnitPicks circulars
Mods: Made the leg about 1.5" longer than specified.

Overall, the socks are too snug for me. Luckily I have a few friends and family with smaller feet, so they are to be gifted. I easily could have used size #3 needles (if I did maybe they would have fit) and they are a bit dense, but the cables are nice and tight and really pop. The really interesting part is how much yarn these took. I got through the entire first sock and down the leg, through the heel and gusset of sock #2 before I needed to break into the second skein. Crazy!

This pattern was as addictive as the Monkey socks. I really loved every minute knitting them. They only took 10 days to knit, and that was with a few days of no knitting at all. Quick, fun and Pink!!!

A big, huge, ginormous thank you goes out to Esther. She read my comments about lusting after Wollmeise sock yarn after seeing it everywhere. She was nice enough to send me the leftovers from these colorful socks.

I was just expecting some yarn in an envelope. Did she deliver or what!!??!! I'm not sure how she knew my undying love of everything gummy, but these grape ones were amazing. If there was an Asian market anywhere near me, I'd be in trouble. (anyone know where I can get some on-line maybe??) The cookies are still in their box, but not for long. Swatching has commenced and I must say, I really like this yarn so far. The colors are so saturated. The twist is nice and tight (but in a different way - not in a Louet tight, but more a Lornas style), and it is sooooffft! Now I know what everyone is talking about - when I have a yarn budget again, some will be going to Germany.

Tucker, Ravin and I are off to a trial this weekend. Our last of the season! I guess I'll also have to find a sock to knit on - quick!

Purgatory, Pesto and Piddleloop!

What a wonderful weekend. I got to spend lots of time with hubby (a rare occasion with both of our hectic schedules), got to be outdoors in the perfect weather, cooked a little and got some great gifties in the mail!

Our hike to Purgatory Chasm was interesting. We should have known by the sign.

Otis didn't read the sign. He didn't read that there were lots of deceptive and slippery rocks. Not being the most sure-footed of my canine crew, he managed to slip and fall into a "pit" of sorts. Both hubby and I aged about 20 years when it happened. It was one of those slow motion moments. He was walking on the rock, and the next thing I knew, his little face disappeared beyond the rock. When I went to peer over to see if he was ok, I was terrified as to what I might see. I had no idea how long of a drop or to where he did fall. I scrambled down, checked him over and helped him out. Luckily, he was unhurt. Tucker whined the entire time he was stuck down there. What a caring brother.

After regaining our breath and letting our heartbeats return to a normal rhythm, we decided on a less harrowing trail.

The park was a lot smaller than we thought. On the map, the trails looked pretty long. We misjudged where we were (thinking we didn't get to the far end of the trail already) so we just kept walking. We managed to cover the longest trail in a little over an hour. It was a nice walk - nice breeze, perfect temperature. I'd like to go back to explore the chasm itself another time. We did manage to see it from above on the trail though.

See those people down there on the left? That was one deep chasm.

After the excitement of the morning hike (and fall) I turned to a little cooking to further soothe my nerves. With the last CSA delivery we got a bunch of kale. Not quite sure I wanted more steamed or sauteed kale as I just finished a bunch of chard, I got a great idea from Jess to try some Pesto. I gathered up garlic, lemon juice, steamed kale, fresh grated Parmesan and some basil. All went for a spin in the food processor and I streamed in some olive oil.

Yum. It has such a great flavor! You would never know there was kale in it. I think it will be dinner with pasta tonight. Garlic and Parmesan? Can't get much better.

I didn't manage to do much knitting this weekend. Between the hike, working at the kennel and doing those fun household chores like laundry there wasn't much time left. Something knitting related did cross my doorstep though - my new bag from Jen and Wendy! (and here as well)

I saw this fabric on Jen's blog a while back and commented on how much I loved it. They then went and made a great project bag and matching little zip pouch for me! Now I will have a bag for every project - perfect for my vacation coming up in a few weeks - keep everything organized! They included loads of little extras too. Pins, notecards with quite the adorable monkey on them and some knitting sheep, hair pins - it seemed endless when I was pulling it out of the bag. Thanks girls!!!!!

Another whirlwind weekend has come to an end. I hope you got out to enjoy it!

Bad A$$ Knitter

Or so Sarah says. She sent me this amazing box bag as the ultimate knitty birthday gift.

Pretty amazing, huh? Check out that lining! All cute and mellow and flowery on the outside - totally biker chick/pirate on the inside.

It is the perfect size - holds a ball of sock yarn, my little notions bag and pattern comfortably and cozily (is that a word??). She rocks.

Seems like my birthday went extra long this year. I got some great books in the mail from my aunt (also a knitter) and uncle the other day.

The Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Two - Cables and Knitting Stitches are both nice, thick books packed with patterns. Stitch pattern books to me are like the novels of the knitting world. I start flipping through, my mind races with all the possibilities and then I look up and it's 3 hours later. They suck you in. The Trianglepoint book (I can't even find it on line to link to!) is one my dad picked up for me at a used book store. He travels a lot for business, and loves to have little missions to go on. Like me, he loves books and sending him off with a list of knitting books to hunt for is not as much of a chore as it is an adventure. This is a needlepoint book, but has some wonderful graphic ideas for patterns. Lots of new reading and browsing material. I love it.

Hubby has found a new source for his sugar rush. Jones Soda. The flavors are anything but typical. The colors - inspiring. (and this is only a few)

Our local warehouse club recently started selling it and the last time we went, I actually had a coupon. So two cases found themselves into our cart pretty quick. The flavors are really intense. The green apple is a wonderful tart, sweet flavor. Berry Lemonade is just that - no artificial soda flavor is covering or altering them. Yum.

With the Heart Crook socks complete, you didn't think I'd waste any time in getting a new sock on the needles, right? This skein of sock yarn was purchased at the 2006 Maryland festival. I had spotted a few skeins that Lolly purchased when we sat down and chatted at the knitblogger meet up. I immediately went back into the main building and grabbed some for me. It has marinated in the stash until now. Avid readers will know I am not a fan of variegated yarns. Heart Crook definitely changed my mind, but after two pairs of fair isle socks done, I was ready for a "regular" pattern.

After seeing all the cute Monkey socks pop up all over Flickr and the net, I knew the pattern worked well with variegated yarn. Then, enter the picot hem. Kristy, Sarah and Cara had such cute pairs I had to knit one as well.

These will be for my sister. An interim pair as her fair isle pair is still on paper at this point! After some struggling with the picot hem, after one night of knitting I am three repeats into the leg. Everyone is right - this pattern just flies!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. The boys and I are off to another agility trial this Sunday and Monday. The weather is supposed to be beautiful and hopefully we'll have good news to report! You know my Bad A$$ bag is going along!

Snow Day

We've actually had a few small bursts of snow over the past few days - only about 4" total, but enough to make everything pretty and white again. (grass was starting to show through!) Hubby and I took the boys over to the Dam to have a good romp in the snow and burn off some energy.

The lake is frozen through - there were people ice fishing and snowmobiling across it. So, we figured it was thick enough to hold us.

It was nice in that there was no one else there and the boys could just run and play. We did run into one Basset hound towards the end of the visit, but he was very friendly and eager to join in.

We all had a great time - needless to say, the boys pretty much slept the rest of the day away! It's hard work running through all that snow!

The good vibes for the day continued when I got home and started a new sock. Using the purple yarn from Aldebaran, I cast on for the Child's First Socks from the ever inspiring Knitting Vintage Socks. I had to add in one pattern repeat as it is sized for a much smaller foot. So far, so good.

But, my only question is why aren't there any charts in this book??? I got so frustrated trying to read out the instructions I just made my own charts. I used Excel and a knitting font I downloaded from here. Now, I have pretty charts to work from.

The mail yielded a great surprise from none other than Sachi! She had mentioned on her blog a while back that she had chapter excerpts from The Friday Night Knitting Club if anyone wanted a preview. Always up for a new book, I was in. When my envelope arrived yesterday, it had so much more than just the excerpts!

Not only did she send some absolutely stunning stitch markers in a beautiful iridescent green, but two skeins of Silk Garden! I have never even touched the stuff, and seeing all the beautiful Lady Eleanor's I have been tempted to seek some out. Not sure what to do with the two skeins - for now they will marinate in the stash....Thanks so much Sachi!!!

Show offs

Thanks for all the well wishes! I'm feeling a bit better, though this lingering cough is getting really annoying! I'm drinking lots of tea (yay for my ingenuiTEA!) and resting up. Turns out Jessica (Deuce's handler) also has it. We must have picked it up at Westminster.

When I arrived home on Wednesday to the pile of sleeping beings, it was also Valentines Day. Usually hubby and I don't do a lot on V-Day - some cards, maybe dinner, but just being together in our hectic schedules is the simple thing that I always want. This year, there was a box waiting for me in the bedroom when I went to unpack. What could it be?

Clear clogs! (from here) - how great is he!!! Only a truly wonderful knitty husband would even think of these! I know I had mentioned them in passing, but it's nice to know he actually pays attention! Don't they look great with my nice bright socks?

Yay! Thank you so much!! How better to show off my hand knit socks! (and they're really comfy too!)

The knitting continues - Broken Cable Rib sock #2 is complete for Ivy.

Pattern: Broken Cable Rib from Summer 2005 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Tess Supersock
Needle: #2 KnitPicks 32" circular done Magic Loop style
Mods: Made the same "mistake" in both socks (the crossed cable near the bottom) and made the cable crossings going left on one sock, right on the other.

Made it with only a few days to spare for the February SAM3 entry. This Tess yarn is great - I'm glad I have a few skeins stashed away for knee highs for me at some point! If she is at MD Sheep & Wool again this year, I will be getting more for sure! The sock is now on it's way up to Vermont to be with the other one.

I've started the back for the Street Smart Hoodie. I've been kind of distracted by socks and being sick, but it's time to get this one back on track! I think it will make a great sweater to bring along to the Outer Banks this summer for the cool nights! The yarn is really soft, and not too dense. I still haven't decided how I'm going to do the front (full cardi, half zip or v-neck or just a pullover) so I figured I'd work on the back next and leave the front for last. Both sleeves are done and blocked.

Have you seen some of the sock designs that Cookie has been coming up with for Stitches West? They are amazing - the colors, the textures - truly inspiring! They make me want to get out the stitch dictionary and start a new pair of socks! But, I still have Aldebaran on the needles and have to decide what I'd like to do with the sole of the foot - to strand and pattern, or leave plain? If I do pattern it, I have to figure out how to work it into the heel turn. I'll consult my sister to see how thick she wants these - only stranding the instep would make them a bit thinner than doing both the sole and instep.

We got another light snowfall last night - a few inches of fluffy stuff that stuck to everything. Otis sure enjoyed himself!