Some Actual Knitting!

On Sunday I said that I would share some actual knitting with you tomorrow. And then... SHAZAM! The next thing I know, it's Thursday already!  Crazy!

Anyway, I finished a pair of socks at the end of April and just kept forgetting to post them.  This pattern is Ernie which was one of the patterns from the February Cookie A Club.  I used the club yarn for these which is Indigodragonfly MCN Sock, color way E Pluribus Nom Nom Nom.  This was the first time I had used it and I loved it.  It is crazy soft, has a beautiful loft and wonderful stitch definition.  If you get the opportunity to try this yarn, do it!  You won't be disappointed!

I've also been working on one of the April patterns from Cookie's Club. This is Tulip Socks.  I decided to use Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in the color Pink Ribbon, because to me, pink and tulips just go together.  I'm going to use the club yarn with the other pattern for April which I'll show you once I cast them on.  Truth be told though, I'm stalled on these right now.  I discovered that I dropped a stitch and need to fix that.  It's only a few rows back but I just haven't taken the time yet to fix it.

These socks have been getting my attention the most right now.  This pattern is Petrosinella from the March Rockin Sock Club kit.  I'm using the club yarn for these.  I love the look of the pattern, but this particular cable makes my hands tired so I have to take frequent breaks :-(  I've not had this problem before and I'm looking forward to these being done, and soon!

The last thing I'm knitting on is my Irish Coffee sweater.  Love love love this!  My LYS is having a UFO contest for May and I'm using that encouragement to get this finished!  I'm making mine hip length instead of tunic length.  I'm at the point where I need to try it on to see if I need one more set of increases or not before I start the ribbing.  Then it's on to the sleeves.  I still need to decide on sleeve length.  It was designed to be short sleeve, but I've always planned to do 3/4 length sleeves.  After reading through Fit to Flatter though I'm reconsidering and thinking maybe I should do elbow length.

I've always thought of this as a 3 season sweater which is why I've planned to make the sleeves longer. Tell me what you think though.  What's your favorite sleeve length?

Happy Thursday!  If I don't get back here before the weekend, I hope you have an enjoyable one :-)

My Handsome Boy

This weekend was Prom for my youngest son, Chandler.  He invited his friend Emma to be his guest.  They both looked fabulous and they had a great time :-)  We had a great day weather-wise too and got some beautiful pictures.

Here's a peek into his sense of humor too.  He'd had quite enough of the picture taking and decided he'd be goofy when I wanted a couple pictures of just him.  I'm not sure if I should title this The Jolie Leg, or I'm Too Sexy for this Tux!

And honestly, what's the point of having a fun car like this if you can't torture your kids with it and only let them drive it for something really special, like Prom!

I hope you had a great weekend too!  Tomorrow I have actual knitting to share!

Ten on Tuesday

Since Sunday was Mother's Day it is pretty fun to think about some of the TV mothers that I love.  When Carole sent this topic for today I thought it would be easy because it seems like we watch so much television, and there are so many channels to choose from, but...... how many of these shows have great mother figures?  I wish I was more like some of these characters, some are great examples of the mother I don't want to be, and some just plain make me laugh. So in no particular order, here are

10 Favorite TV Moms

1. Marion Cunningham - she was fun, witty, caring, and seriously... who doesn't love Mrs. C? (Happy Days)
2. Carol Brady - she was a hip mom. (The Brady Bunch)
3. Caroline Ingalls - a strong woman who was the true foundation of her family. (Little House on the Prairie)
4. Peg Bundy - she just made me laugh. (Married with Children)
5. Angela Rizzoli - Building a new life for herself and yet always there for her kids, even when they wish she wasn't! (Rizzoli & Isles)
6. Claire Dunphy - a modern mom if ever there was one. (Modern Family)
7. Claire Huxtable - she had it all and did it well. (The Cosby Show)
8. Jill Taylor - I admit that I identify with her.  3 sons who are all so different and a husband who is a little too handy around the house, although mine's not that bad :-) (Home Improvement)
9. Marie Barone - She is a god-awful mother-in-law and I thank my lucky stars every day that my own MIL is nothing like her! (Everybody Loves Raymond)
10. Evelyn Harper - She and her sons are so judgmental of each other!  So funny because there is definitely some truth in there :-) (Two and a Half Men)

Who is your favorite TV Mom?

Happy Tuesday!

NH Sheep & Wool Festival

The NH Sheep & Wool Festival was this weekend and I got to go this year for the first time! I really wasn't sure what to expect but I have to say that I had a great time.

I saw some Llamas....

I saw some Alpacas too, but I forgot to take a picture.

I saw some knitted items.  I particularly loved this grouping.  These were all knit from raised, hand-spun and dyed wool.

I saw Angora bunnies.  This one is shedding her coat right now so her person was picking her coat and spinning it directly.  Now, I will admit that I have not ever had the spinning bug bite me (and as a knitter I know I am supposed to add "yet" to the end of that statement) but this handspun angora could possibly tempt me.

Especially when you add in these little cuties who are 5 weeks old.  She was taking deposits for them.  This black one in the front was super adorable!

I saw lots of different sheep too.  This group made me laugh.  They looked like they were waiting for me to tell them something incredibly important.

The best thing I saw though was a demonstration of Border Collies working a flock of sheep.  It was amazing!  The farmer could place the entire group of sheep anywhere he wanted in the pen by giving the dogs individual commands.  The farmer never moved from the fence where he was explaining to the crowd what he was doing.  It was truly fascinating!

I also bought some yarn.  I was on a mission NOT to add to my stash, but sometimes a girl just comes across something she cannot pass up.  Let me show you what I bought!

This is Glissade by Ball and Skein from Barton, VT.  It's a hand washable, fingering weight 50/50 Merino/Silk.  They have gorgeous colors and a lot of beautiful samples in their booth.  Rose Beck's Sugared Violets shawl was knit up in this yarn and I loved it.

This is the softest alpaca I have ever felt! This is from Snowfield Alpacas and is a sport weight with about 150yds per skein.  I'm thinking a color work hat for this.  I don't have a pattern in mind yet, but I'm sure I'll find something fabulous, or maybe even design my own.

The last thing I bought is a skein of worsted 50/50 merino/silk by Jan Marek Raczkowski Studio, also from VT.  I've been looking for something that would have a beautiful drape to use for a Merrily Cowl.  This skein has 520 yds, so I'll have plenty for an infinity cowl and a regular cowl.

I'm so glad I went!  I'm looking forward to next year!

After I got home form that, it was family night.  All my boys are home right now so we went into town for appetizers and drinks at Longhorn and then we went to the movies to see The Great Gatsby.  All 5 of us enjoyed it which is pretty amazing because we all have different tastes in movies.  It was a great day :-)

What did you do this weekend?

Vacation!

I can't believe I've been home from my vacation for a week already! We had a wonderful time and actually left the resort to do some sightseeing.

The island of St Kitts is in the West Indies.  The east coast is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (on the left in this picture) and the west coast is bordered by the Caribbean Sea (which is on the right).  The Atlantic is very active with a crazy undertow and you can only safely swim on the Atlantic side if there is a man made reef/breakwater.  The Caribbean side is very calm and tranquil.

This is Black Rock Beach and the rocks are black because they were formed from volcanic lava.  The landscape is so beautiful and dramatic all over this small island!

This tree is in the Botanical Garden and is estimated to be 450 years old.  There was no way to get the entire tree in one picture.  It was amazing to see.

We took the Water Taxi to the sister island, Nevis.  St Kitts is in the background of this picture.

And since this is a knitting blog, I just had to share these cuties with you.  These are sheep. Yes, they look just like goats and they wander freely all over the place.  Their owners tag them or mark them so they can be identified, but they wander the roadsides during the day and find their way home in the evening.  Due to the climate of St Kitts and Nevis, they have adapted their coats and do not grow wool that needs to be sheared.  Our tour guide told us that the way you can tell the sheep and goats apart is that if the tail is up it is a goat, but if the tail is down it is a sheep.  Crazy, huh?

After a couple days of sight seeing we spent a full day on the beach. It was some much needed relaxation, reading, snorkeling, and napping.

I miss the view from our cabana and I'm ready to plan another vacation!