Heart, Sock & Brain in a Coil

Well, I finally finished the sock. Yes, just one. I searched campus for some juicy red & yellow leaves and set them up around this space for some photography of my sock. Unfortunately, I will be severely reprimanded (again) for showing you any more pictures of my sock...so this orange *blob* will have to do (for now). Now that the sock and the pattern is officially finished, I can get back to my academics.

I already went through "Doom's Day Tuesday:" 5 hours worth of classes, plus a paper, a speech and a quiz due in the same discussion class!... plus catch-up reading and knitting!

I probably will be taking a leave of absence from the blog for several days, to focus on my assigned readings & study like crazy all week for my Botany exam that is coming up soon (which will run me over and leave me plastered to the "leafy" ground until the public works can come and scrape me off with a shovel and stamp "road kill" will a scarlet "F" on my forehead.)

Anyways, it's been a little quiet here in blogland. Although I haven't been posting an incredible amount of actual knitting, I do hope that in time that we can get the lurkers out and see if we can make this into a "learning community," one with comments, suggestions, and feedback. That's really the purpose for my blog (not just me giving out patterns or providing pretty pictures to just look at.) To those who comment regularly, I give you much thanks and hugs! I appreciate your feedback greatly!! I value opinions (and constructive criticism, as long as it has "sensitive" consideration)

BUT... Fall is here, so the bulk of the knitting will commence! Get ready for it! It's going to be good!!!

Lightning-Fast Slippers (KUAS Original Pattern)

Designed by Anna Peck-Maliszewski

This free pattern has been removed 10/17/12. It may or may not return, but if it does, it will be tweaked and pdf’ed and available for an inexpensive $1.99 price.

Materials:
Needles: Size 13 US --Straight Needles Size 11 DPNS (pack of 4)
Darning Needle
Crochet Hook: just to pick up stitches. (I used “ I ”)
Fabric: Any Kind—Just keep in mind that different colors & stripes will show more than pictures! For slippers without lining, use fleece or silk (silk needs 1 ½ inch cut strips)

Shown in shoe size 8 (US)

Gauge:
1’’ wide cut strips (using the “Maze Method”) & size 13’s : 3 sts= 1’’ 3 rows= 1’’

"Maze Method" Note: Keep cutting around edges of the fabric, maintaining a 1'' width. You should NOT have have to tie any edges, because it should all be one continuous strip of fabric. The corner edges will stick out a little bit, but don't fret too much about that. When you knit it up, the edges get tucked in. After you have finished cutting, roll the fabric into a ball.

The morning after...

This had my heart from the very first page. If you like suspense, mystery & romance...I would highly recommend checking this book out! I seriously couldn't put the book down. Please remember that it's a fiction book.

Random Friday #1

I very well will be knitting this WIP for the rest of my life, but I thought that this view was pretty interesting, and definitely a photo-taking chance that I couldn't pass up under any circumstances. Cries for more battery juice just had to wait.

Although my empty battery really did shut the camera off right after this shot, I walked home as happy as a drunk, with a nice comparison of my colorway to this seasoning tree.
You can almost hear my sigh of knitterly pleasure...
But, I've got to get a grip of reality. Seriously.
I need to work more diligently on this WIP, so I can finish it before Winter! Part of the whole problem revolves around my insistance on knitting a shawl with small needles. Now, if I were a normal person, which I'm not (lol), I would be knitting this shawl on size 7's or such.
Nope, I'm knitting the dang thing up on size 4's. Tisk Tisk. It better keep me warm.

~the dreaded "senior's project~
As a Religious Studies Major, I'm required to do my "senior's thesis" project (research paper) on a subject of my own particular liking that relates to my professor's theme, "the part and the whole." You can almost laugh at the dramatics of the theme. As you can see, I've already snatched several books at the library. I've decided to do something related to desert fathers or other such persons who seclude themself from society to inhance their spirituality. As you can see, they generally are more in the "part" category, but I've got to somehow figure out to incorporate how their search for salvation through seclusion & feirce deprevational practices connects them to the whole. The quest is on. (later.)

Good thing it's due at the end of the semester. I've got time to procrastinate.

~me writing??~
Speaking of books, I've decided to work more on my own knitting mystery book.
I'm beginning to realize why I insist on reading mystery books lately: I'm in love with good "cozy" mystery books. I don't like the gore, I love the spice of romance, and a dash of supense within...kind of like a "Ross & Rachel" relationship on Friends, and how everything isn't too intense. So, last night, I decided to look up the criteria for a cozy mystery book.
So ok, don't get me wrong, I realize that my book may never actually be published, but I feel this urge to get my "creative writing" tingle out. I may stink at writing clear and concise essays, but I've always had a nack for writing good fiction snipits. Remember, creativity first, grammer later. lol.

Foliage, cozy & murder.

Alas, after much frogging and diverse designs for the sock club, we have a winner! It tingles my heart that it's 100% better than my first version, as it also captures the real quality of the cables. You're looking a sneak peek at my "Coiled Cables & Ribs" cabin sock pattern, before I move on to the heel. (it's useless to take pictures any further, since the beginning of gusset-work looks like poo on the camera.) I've got to finish these socks, finalize the written pattern, take an awesome fall snap outside modeling them, and send them in to the yarn queen by the end of this month. That gives me about a week and a half to finish the socks.



I'm quite in love with the pattern. It's my personal favorite, and I wish that this camera could capture the true beauty. Maybe you can really see how cool the cables work in conjunction with the Fall colorway once they are on the footsies. (I hope really so.)
If You're interesting in joining the "Cuaran Sock Club," go to Liz's etsy shop, where she handles the membership. I think she only has the year-round sock club left, but If you want to do it the month-to-month way, I'll ask her to add more on etsy. Just let me know first.


I'm am so into the mystery & thriller genre right now! This is my 5th mystery book this summer. I've read all of Meggie Stefton's knitting mystery books (which I love, by the way), and decided to venture off to Mary Kruger's knitting mystery books. This one is the first in the series, and has a slightly different style than Stefton. It's really interesting seeing how they both go about mystery books. They both go about characterization in totally different ways, but equally hook you to the plot, credible characters & slight romance...


I have been busy this weekend knitting up this whole pile, "weeding" & "re-templating" my blog. You've probably already noticed though. I think the sidebar is more condensed and manageable. I really love the colors, and the new title photo. Change is good. Honk if you like it.
P.S-The cute small square is actually for me. I've got an interesting afghan idea brewing in my head. My lips are sealed for now.

"All good things"

I've been a little busy knitting. I've been a little busy designing. I've been a little busy watching Friends. ...But, I would definitely say that I spent more time *writing up sock patterns, changing them, knitting it up, and frogging it again* (rep. *to* several times)....more than anything else!

I'm also working on squares myself. It's a shame that I didn't really bring any Red Heart with me to school. I'm using the yarn from my own aghan... because that's the only bit of Red Heart I packed with me! (...and to think that I have bins full at home...I'm such a dummy.)

I was knitting at Liz's apartment last night, and I forced her to dye up the colorway for the club, since we changed it. See my point, the club starts in a couple of weeks....and I've got nothing knit up yet! lol. Anyways, I did more teaching (her sister) to knit, than actually knitting myself. But, I did get to take home one of my favorite colorways of hers, "Japanese Maple." Yummy.

...and I was already thinking of what to knit my own grandparents soon. This one would be perfect for both of my grandpas. Do you think I have the patience and endurence to knit two of these?

And of course, as soon as you got some inches done on your own fir cone shawl, you see a cooler one on the web. Oi.

An afternoon stroll.

P.S- Look at the post below for the "Gracie" pattern I just posted! :)

~Intricate details~





~"Easily passed up" simple beauty~




~When trees are characters...~

...I swear, this one is creaping me out. It's clawing the ground and has two eyes.

Gracie. (KUAS Original Pattern)

Reversible Beret and Fingerless Gloves  
Pattern By: Anna Maliszewski
Download PDF  

Sometimes, women just need instant gratification (and chocolate). Gracie was a highly satisfying and fun project that I did freehand as my first knitted beret. I was amazed on how fast this knit up. Use bulky yarn, and you'll have your holiday gifts knit up in a flash--in under a weekend!! Never grump again about all that extra yarn you have left after the project is done...make matching fingerless gloves!

MATERIALS:
Yarn: Bulky soft wool or alpaca (hat: approx. 200-250 yards)
Needles: set of 4 dpns, size US8 & Size US9 circular needles (24'') and a darning needle.
SIZES: S/M & L/XL

MEASUREMENTS:
Ribbing: 19.5 inches diameter for the small/medium, unstretched. This will fit a decently big head. If you are worried, bump up to size 9 US needles on the ribbing, or dare to knit the XL size.
Height: about 9 inches.
GAUGE: 4.5 stitches= 1," & 5 rows= 1'' on size 9 US.






(stockinette side)........(garter side/original intent side)

Gracie. Gratias. Nature.

Sometimes, a woman needs some instant gratification.
(and chocolate.)
This weekend, I had just that while working on my first Beret. Because I had leftover yarn, I even made matching fingerless gloves. It was quick. A little too quick. These are the sort of knits that you would do for last minute gifts, or holiday gifts for your female relatives.

I present "Gracie," a reversible & chunky beret that knits up lightening quick. I couldn't really ask for more in a beret. It has spunk, a soft fluffy quality, and most importantly...a slouch. The yarn is some sort of wool or alpaca blend. I got it from the thrift-store, so I can't tell you what brand, type, yardage or colorway. lol. I can tell you that it's incredibly soft, it's bulky, and has little animal fibers in it. Voila! I'll assume it's not acrylic.
(Don't spoil my assumptions, please.)

"My Side (mostly purled)"......"Inside out (mostly knit side)"

Yeah, you heard me right...I said that the RS was the purled one. I originally designed the hat to have a mostly garter look. It really has a flower-like quality to the tip, don't you think?

Oh, and recently....I actually won a contest!!! I never win!
Liz was destashing, and did a "which Hawkeye football player is the hottest?"contest. Here's the catch, she made it clear that we had to pick someone that she would sleep withthinks is hot. I picked Adam. So did others. But I won the "three" way coin toss. I asked her how that's possible, racking my brains on how such feat could be achieved. It's possible.

Merci beaucoup for all of the yarn! And Happy 22nd Birthday! Apparently, 22 is "ancient" and she feels "old." Someone please bonk her on the head! I can't wait until she is over the hill. Since i'm a night owl, I can officially give you the good b-day tidings since it's 12:30 am. Old habits die hard.

A tingle of anticipation for Fall

There is no doubt that Fall is my favorite season.

I love the way that the air turns crisp. After a hot season of Summer, your skin gets a tingle of chill underneath your bones, and you just want to cuddle up...whether underneath your fleece blanket, or with your partner. You finally can wrap that warm knitted scarf around your neck.

I love the way that the air smells of burning wood. The instant that smell reaches my nose, I think of the old-fashioned Halloween "trick-or-treating" at night, or memories of camping...and roasting marshmallows over a campfire.

I love the way that in Fall, the leaves turn gold, maroon, and many other shades of colors...and drop to the ground, for you to trample through, or fall in.

I love the way that in Fall, you can finally cozy up on the couch with a good book, and sip on hot chocolate by the fire.

Finally, I love that in Fall, you can pick apples and pumpkins in an orchard or farm, drink steamy hot apple cider with fingerless gloves, take long hay rides, and stumble through corn mazes, or eat apple turnovers and pumkin spice icecream...

Therefore, I dedicate the premier of my Fall knitting this year to the "Cabin Shawl." That way, I can wrap myself up in the natural glory of Fall itself, the colorful spectrum of leaves, and cozy up with that good novel on a comfy couch and finally wear my warm woolen socks that I knit in the summer.

I love how it's all nubbly on the backside. It's all the little things that make life great.

The "120 S.H Requirement" Woes

Here's a tale of a senior college student who now greatly appreciates the nagging of a mother. Really.

It was a normal first-week Thursday. Nothing special, besides the first ever "one-class-only-not-on-Friday" for me. It should have been bliss-my one and only Thursday class was at 4:00. What, sleep in, relax and eat some scones & tea until then, right?
Wrong!

Ok, so I finally got ahold my mom after much phone-tag. It's a good thing too. What was the constant nag again? Oh yeah, "Anna, can you please find out how many semester hours you have accumulated...right now."
"Come on mom, all I have left this whole YEAR is electives...my advisor told me I was right on schedule....plus having to do my "senior seminar" (that 'ol Thesis paper) requirement. Anyways, I've been taking 15-ish hours every semester...I'm FINE. But oh well, i'll go online and check for you."

"Holy ****." Was my response as I glanced at my undergraduate requirement analysis online. What was that in RED, among all that other confusing crap? "You are currently at 48 S.H out of 50 S.H that will count toward your 120 S.H requirement." Normally, that would be blessing...but not for me. What was my schedule?? Um, FOUR 3 S.H classes that have been undergoing for a week already. So, in layman's term, they would only take 2 hours from that 12 hours of courses. The rest would be "one that house" on my part.
Frick.

Ok, so to put it lightly, I "panicked." The only class that would really count is my Intro to Botany class. Even my Senior Seminar wouldn't completely count toward my 120 total, and that was required! Who would have known that you can only take 50 S.H of courses in YOUR MAJOR??? Not me!

During what should be my "tea and crumpets" time, I headed straight towards the office of the College of Liberal Arts, a 7 minute walk. Who would have known that I would be waiting anxiously for 30 minutes waiting to talk to one of those councilors. Stupid mass lunch breaks.

Basically, here's the verdict. I'm SOL, unless I do this (which I am doing):
I've got only 2 S.H to burn on my major's courses. (48 accumulated already.)
At the end of your senior year, you can head toward the graduate analysis office and have them "cross-list" up to 6 S.H of courses. Ok, so that's two courses that I can keep from my schedule so far. I found two courses that they can "drop" and reenter them as "history" or something related. However, not all classes are "cross-listed." I was lucky to have two of them that don't interfer with S.H's required for my major. (I took a lot of extra courses in my major, which is "rare," supposedly. Weird, huh?)
Anyways, I'm still up to 48 S.H's since I did the "swapperoo." I have 2 courses to hash out still.
Well, I have to take my senior seminar still...so I'll burn that 1 S.H (since I went over to 51 S.H's total, when then only count 50 S.H's.) However, I went to a convention a couple summers ago and earned 1 S.H that I haven't turned in yet (procrastination of ordering a transcript from them). Now I've just earned 50 S.H's without wasting any.
But what about that fourth class? I'll drop it. It didn't seem that good anyways. How can I do this? Well, I only have 28 more hours that I need to graduate. I can take 13 hours this semester and 15 hours on my final semester.

Pheuf.... confusing huh?
What's the moral of the story???
1.) Listen to the nagging of your mama... she knows her crap.
2.) Don't listen to your advisor! Go through your S.H evaluation YOURSELF online with a "fine-tooth comb."

**********************************************************
UPDATE: ha ha-- this was later Thursday!!
...Basically, here's your sock designer & yarn vendor for the sock club!

...only just slightly intoxicated.
No more worries. "Acuna Matata."

Sip. Knit. Chat.

Wednesday evenings 8-9 pm...Sip. Knit. Chat.
If you're a little bored of knitting by yourself, and of getting the silent treatment from just looking at pictures on blogs... get interactive! I'll post up our cool "chatroom" on the top of my sidebar, and we all can talk about our current projects, or what's going to be knit up later on, what's the hottest new pattern, or what's lurking in the deepest recess of our closets....ah!

So, bring out they ol' ball and sticks, pour yourself a drink, and chat!

"Simply Ginny" Sock! (KUAS Original Pattern)

"Simply Ginny" Sock! (KUAS Original Pattern)

Designed by Anna Peck
Note: This free pattern has been removed 10/17/12. It may not return, but if it does, it will be available for an inexpensive $1.99 price.
 
Whether or not you are a Harry Potter fan, "Simply Ginny" is a fun and easy sock pattern that will result in instant gratification. Mucha mucha gratification. So, find yourself some type of pink/orange blend and crack out those dpn's. Let the comfy reading sock extravaganza begin!

MATERIALS:Yarn: Fingering weight yarn, 100% (soft) wool (under 400 yards)
Needles: Set of 4: size 2&3 US double pointed needles
Measurements: Shoe size: 7 1/2-8 1/2 US for women. However, you can easily make it longer by doing more cable repeats, or shorter by doing less.
Gauge: 7sts=1'' 12 rows=1'' (size 2 US)

The Calm Before the Storm (a.k.a "filler")

Knitters beware! Knitting related info on the bottom of post...lol.

Hey everyone! As you can see from the change in scenery, i've already moved back to Iowa to finish up my last year at school! Of course, my room was organized and put completely together upon the day of arrival! Not to gross anyone out, but I think I sweated buckets of water! It's just soo darn hot here!
Anyways, I had the freetime to do a few things for myself. I read "Without Sin" within 2 days! It was such a good page-turner! I'm noticing a change in my reading...i've been clinging to mystery/fiction/thriller lately! Yikes! I usually read a mixture of fantasy/fiction and religions genres...
Because i've been soo into books lately (so much that I visited the thrift store again and got a whole bag of books for the price of one retail price!!!), I decided to officially make a "bookworm club" blog, so I can have an outlet to discuss good-reads, instead of boring you all on a knitting blog! HA HA--suckers!! Did you really believe I would stop giving you all non-knitting junk?? lol. In reality...less non-knitting junk will be on the blog then! Hee hee. Are you a bookworm?

Take a look-see. If you wanna join, you know what to do! :)

I'm hoping it will be a great place to discuss books and recommendations!

I finally cracked open into the Kinder Surprise eggs that Joe gave to me, from Paris! The thin layers were quite a "surprise" in itself.

Before I left, my mom went to our "World Market" store by our house and found this wonderful bottle of wine! Isn't it just too pretty to crack open? I even have a plastic cup with a picture of a sheep on it!

---"Baa," it says! However, in english, he's really saying "fill me, damn it!"

This bottle is a reminder that I still need to read the book "Dyed in the wool," that our library ordered for me! (yippie!)

--Ok, onto the good stuff!--

Can anyone take a gander at what this is?

If you look closely, you'll notice that i'm not bonkers, and that this really isn't lace-work, or knitting at all!

My thought, "holy flying monkeys"....

I've been taking a peak at my Botany book before class starts on this Monday, and was amazed to find a thin section of Magnolia wood looking like a piece of lace work.

Ok, well I was designing all day long...but you've gotta give me credit...were you surprised that this photo was in fact, wood?

The whole plant aspect of biology really intrigues me...which is probably a "duh" factor that I changed the look of my blog into something naturey. Plant life is soo interesting.

Anyways, I've been designing these past couple of days (...when not reading. I'm such a geek.)

Today, I spent the majority of the day starting & finishing from scratch my sock design for the premier (or so to say) of the sock club that I mentioned in the last post. It's called "Dobby Socks!"...or something to that effect. It has mucha mucha ribbing, eyelets, bobbles and cables! I'm just waiting for the sock yarn that i'm supposed to knit it with! I'm so proud of myself!

Yesterday, I designed "The Cabin Shawl," using my "September" colorway that I dyed up this summer. I'll take an action snap of later on. It's much to early to take one now. Let me get some more inches done first.

It's truly an amazing colorway...and goes great with the Fir Cone pattern going on in the shawl. The leaves really remind me of fall. (*sigh...ahh...*)

I've gotta get some major work on it soon, so it can coincide with the "September" and "Cabin" and "Fall" categories.

Irony Without Humor

...Or things you should have used your nogin on (or been sober for...):


So, ok. I admit it. I had a couple of Mike Hard's while starting this sock at the family reunion. Everyone was drinking...why not? And of course, after 6 inches, or when my system digested the booze, I did realize that I was being a jack-A and started the heel at the END of the round, not the middle, thus creating a hideous line running down the front of the foot. Yes, this wasn't the normal Anna knitting. (I dear hope so.) However, when you have frickin' gaps running along all directions like fugin' extra-wide ladders....it's time to put your foot down. And I don't mean on those "steps." What's that???.... I hear a nasty 'frog' approaching from the murky distance. Crud. At least now I can add watery-looking cables to the next attempt. I shall have my "secret waterfall," I promise you all.

...Of course, I would be ripping it right before the toe decreases. How nice, eh? Doesn't that just give you warm fuzzies??

OH, and a nice little piece of advice for anyone moving to a temporary location: when someone helps you pack up your desktop computer....make sure before you've arrived at a different state that the POWER cord was packed... and not lying on the floor of your room, under your desk, plugged into the wall. Forlorn. Useless.
...AND WHILE I'M ON A ROLE....bring a frickin' fan, for goodness sakes! Your room doens't have air conditioning, and it's about 100 degrees during the day in your room!
(Thanks 'Gramps' for the turbo fan from Walmart! You're a life saver! It's a shame that it was repacked from a return, because it looks used and the tilting adjustments don't hold....)

On a lighter note, (SMILE! Shake off the narcistic gloominess of this post....)I finished reading a couple more books this week, before I headed back for school (and I still have a couple more days to start a new one!..."geeky me," the corny equivalence of "magical me"from H.P:



The sock club i'm designing patterns for is ready for joining! It's set up to be purchased through Etsy. It has a huge sum price for the fierce-hearted sock knitters, but per-month billing can be set up through Liz, which I think is a better option for the common person's pocketbook. The sock club has new innovatory every other month. That means, if you are part of the club, you recieve in the MAIL:
1 skein of yarn & 1 printed off sock pattern (themed with the sock yarn colorway) in each shipment. (The yarns will vary between Celtic, Woodland, and Chubby yarn.)
Please Note (and I quote Liz): Each shipment will be sent out every other month. The first shipment will be sent out in early October.There will be contests and prizes every month. The club is limited to 30 individuals. Months for shipments: October,December,February,April,June


...So i'm guessing "Sock it to me!" sock club was vetoed, then? I guess?
Aie-ya-ya.
...Knew in my heart I never really had a say in it....
Stubborn ass.

Sleep tight.

Bat Story #1 (as promised):

It was 3:30am, I was disturbingly awoken by the presence of something flapping across my right cheek & eyes. Was it a moth?

Shit, I thought... It was too dark to see, and the two girls rooming with me were fast asleep. I really didn't want to wake them up....but Oh well, I thought, they might not wake up if I turn on the light.

*Light clicks on*

"Oh--my--gosh!!!" I screamed, in a very weird and high pitched way. The two girls groggily sat up and wondered what the commotion was.

A vicious, foaming-mouthed brown bat circled around the ceiling and swooped in around me, and then back by the door again. The two girls let out a nice yelp too. There might have been a curse word in between this point. The covers were over my head faster than "911."

Peering out of the covers, the bat was still making his swoops around the room.

"Who's going to get someone?" was the next question. Um.....I guess I'll do it.

I pulled the covers off the bed, and covered it over me as I crawled across the floor.

[yes, we were all out-of-it, and didn't know if it would bite, and especially didn't know if it had rabies or not.]

Once I got to the door, I flung the covers off and quickly exited the room. They thought it wise to "contain" the beast in our room, lest it be harder to capture it in the house. Adios, chicas.

Ok, so I ranwalked down the stairs and knocked on Joe's uncles' room and told him calmly, "Um, sorry to wake you up....but there's a ....bat.....in our room!" Whaaaa??

Ok, so at THIS point, I'd like to say I went up there with him to see his bravery at capturing the dang thing...and the hillarity of it, but no. I stayed downstairs and explained to everyone that there was a bat in our room. Whaa?!? was everyone's response (Hey, they are Mal's. They all speak the same from birth.)

Apparently, after Uncle Jim's failed attempt to scoop the bat in the bucket, in the air, he hit it with a straw hat...and (thank God) a spare pillow on my bed (not my own).

Bat Story #2

One of Joe's cousins went upstairs to her room (across from mine). Her scream told us that the darn flying rat was back again! This time, I was ready with a camera I had (luckily) on hand.

The picture is bad. The ending goes a little black.... but the dialogue is hillarious. I almost peed my pants.

.....This is my future family-in-law. lol.

--Before you click on the video, make sure your volume is UP....the dialogue is the funniest part---

"I Run on Dunkin' Donuts Caribou Coffee"

Yowzah.... It's really just sinking in that i've got 2 months to come up with a variety of original, interesting and appealing sock patterns by October.... for the sock club me and Liz are getting our necks so deep in the water ourselves into. Maybe It's just me being tired or maybe haven taken a bang-to-the-head a couple times (too many) during childhood, or thinking too hard...but my brain feels like it's being fried like a frickin' rack of lamb over a fire pit. on hilatus at the moment.

Eh, give me a cup of Joe-Schmoe coffee hazelnut latte coffee from Caribou...and i'll get right back on track.

What Did I Do All WEEK?!?

Hey Everyone! I'm back from an entire week of my fioncée's family reunion....that's right....from Saturday to Saturday of, ummmm: fun, silly & confinement with Maliszewski "strangers." lol. I actually was proud of myself...I had everyone's (roughly 28 new peeps) name down by the first day. I actually had a lot of fun. We were up in MadisonGreenbay (oops!), Wisconsin, bunking in two large cabins. We basically didn't have an organized agenda, which allowed me to get a lot of knitting & reading done, as well as swimming, rowing, and corn hole/bags playing. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that the Mal's are crazy for games? We played a card game called "99" almost every night. If you think you've had crazy card nights with your pals....think again! Take almost 30 players-most being of drinking age or a lot OLDER-plus the rowdiness of normal people times a gazillion! You could almost pee your pants during those games, dying of laughter! The only things we didn't do were hike & tubing.

PAST WEEK:

...and yes fellas, that Aqua Float does actually flip over! "I told you so."

...A common Mal' salutation. No questions, please.

Paddle-boating along an inlet. (Ok, paddling AND reading AND knitting.)

...Proof of "knitting in nature." Ahhhh.

...Proof of reading H.P 7, AND knitting.

OH.... I have a "nighty night" story to tell you all later....plus a video to go along with it....DON'T let me forget to post it later on this week. Just remind me if I forget. ;)

Finished Reading during my vacation:

Harry Potter 6 &7, plus C'est La Vie (a very interesting book about a woman starting life over in Paris, after her husband dies. I recommend it to anyone interested in abroad.)

FO:

"Simply Ginny."

WIP:

The first sock in the pair, from my colorway: The Secret Waterfall.

NEW STUFF:

Dyeing! This completes my "summer dyes 2007." These were the last 3 skeins of my bulk. I can anticipate me being too busy to do more dyeing on my last week of summer vacation, before I leave to start my Senior year... whoot whoot!
Top: "Rain Forest"
Middle: Rockin' (my own take of a skein already created. I just loved the colors. However, the grey is lighter than the original.)
Bottom: "Starry Night"

FYI: My blog should be fully updated after this post. I'm taking down the poll, adding skeins to my sidebar and updating my completed reading list. Thanks for your patience. ;)

Debear62, I'll mail your skein out to you sometime this week, now that I'm back. :)

Work tomorrow, plus Cubs game! It's my first baseball outing...ever! (Can you tell i'm not into sports, lol.)

"Simply Ginny" Sock

UPDATE: Congrats Debear62 on winning my first annual "Name That Colorway" contest! This skein is officially called "Tutti Frutti!" I want to thank everyone for participating! It was a really close one...which is reasonable, since all of your ideas were awesome! You all have made this week really fun for blogging! Debear62, please email me your shipping info (angelgirl_22@msn.com) so I can send you the skein as soon as I get back from my camping trip with my fioncée's family.

Huzzah! She's finished! (Thanks to Mr. "Paci"...right?)
This knit was soo fun! I love trying to capture book-movie elements.

On this heel is ribbing. Nope, your eyes are fine...it's really hard to see in the picture. Don't call the eye-doc yet.

Almost the same view, right? That's probably because I can't decide on things lately...first yarn colorways, and now picture views. It's probably because I can't quite capture what it fully looks like in real life (and what the heck is that supposed to mean anyways, "real life?" It's not like this is fake. lol. Ok, that's enough philosophical thinking for tonight.)

There will be a pattern up on this one soon.

I used 100% merino fingering-weight wool on this sock, using my colorway: Ginny Weasley.

On a funnier note, my blog friend Kate was right. We definitely have seen it all now.
BTW- this is post 101!