Sunday, Rainy Sunday.

I finished my SecretPal's Monkey socks on Tues... or Wed? Either way they are done and ready to be mailed as part of her 3rd package. I'm just waiting for a book I ordered from my work to arrive and the last package is complete :) I mailed her second package out today, but I'm worried that the sewing box won't arrive exactly together. I suspect it will be opened and the content strewn throughout the box, but if that's what happens I'll simply send her the before and after pictures of what it should look like :)

I've also made some great progress on Greg's jacket. I'm excited to be done the majority of the stockinette and start on the sleeves... I dread the yoke, but oh well, it must be done.

What else am I working on... oh Socks for my co-worker Beth! These are fun. Although I still haven't found a cable needle small enough for sock yarn, and cabling without a cable needle drives me bananas! Beth actually made a joke about knitting her socks with toothpicks. At the time it was funny, but I tried it out, for the cabling part anyways, and wouldn't you know it? It works like a hot damn!

I finally got the book I've been waiting for at the library and suspect a lot of it will be read today as it's wet and cold outside. Although climbing is calling and I may end up at CragX all day again. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, mostly because this blog is about my knitting, but I climb. I started climbing at the age of 8. My dad climbed SO much and of course got me into it quite young. He had these grandeur dreams of me becoming the next Lynne Hill. As such he pushed me quite hard and by the age of about 15 I decided I couldn't take it anymore and quit, much to my fathers dissapointment. To be fair, he had it coming... and that's all I'm gonna say. Moving right along, about 3 years ago I decided I'd take it up again on my own and even convinced my husband to join with me (he loves it!). We are now established annual pass holders each year and go at least 2-3 times a week for a duration anywhere from 1.5 hrs to 4hrs. I enjoy it immensely, more than words can really express. I heart rock climbing :) So there is another peice of the Kristy puzzle for you, enjoy!

The definition of tedious

Working along long edge of cabled band with RS facing, pick up and k 4 sts for every 5 rows along edge of band. 221 sts on needle.

But at least it's done. Now the mountain of never ending stockinette begins. Which is good, I agree with Grumperina that the amount and difficulty of project on the go is a delicate balance.

• I personally always need one pair of socks, at least, on the go for easily portable knitting. It gets me through my commute to and from work, through my lunch break and occasionally through line-ups or some sort of event I'm attending (football for example).



• I then need something easy that isn't really meant to be portable... although it could be I suppose. Something like Avast where, other than the cable band I just finished, it's mindless knitting I can do in front of the tv in the evenings. Something I don't really have to think about, I just do.



• And last I always need something challenging, something that really needs my full attention when knitting. Right now this is the Double Bordered Scarf with Diamond borders adapted from Weldon's 1904, from Victorian Lace Today.

There has also been some progress on the second Monkey sock for my Secret Pal, I'm almost finished the gussett now and imagine the pair will be complete before the week is over. Yay! The rest of my weekend was spent watching my cousin #66 at his Rebels football game (which included a streaker at half-time eek!) and making these:

It was a good weekend.

Secret Pal YOU ROCK!

I received a package from my Secret Pal today. I was so excited that I opened it at the Post Office :) After seeing what was inside I practically ran home so that I could take pictures. The pictures explain so much:

Do you see those Lornas Laces?! My mind is racing with potential patterns, oh and it's in my most favorite colours... Those swedish Fish candies... yes, those are all gone. If you look closely you can see I had already opened the bag before getting home. Coconut foot creme, Photo Book, Hand-made bracelet (which is fabulous btw), pretty paper with matching envelopes. All I have to say is Secret Pal, if I could reach through this monitor and hug you right now, I would. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In my life there is knitting, and it makes me happy.

In one word my weekend was wonderful.

Friday my credit card went into the freezer and I finished working out a budget plan which I've actually been working on for two months and it's really working, really! It made me feel good, although this means limited yarn purchases in the near future... I think my stash should keep me going though.

Saturday I went, with mom, up island to my cousins first football game of the season. It was entertaining, not only the game, but also watching all the girls giggle and swoon over my cousin, the quarter-back. Since it's 4 hours drive round trip and 4 hours of game, that's 8 hours total knittting time people!!! wahoo! I finished the first Monkey sock! When I had to frog the Jaywalker I went back to my old standby, I love Monkeys. Anyways, 1 down and the other started. Shouldn't be long now.

Sunday it rained. We stayed indoors. I was going to knit, BUT I got my invitation to Ravelry! I can't even begin to explain how happy this makes me. So Sunday was spent Ravelry-ing, I did knit 2 more repeats of the cable band for Greg's Avast Jacket, and then 3 hours at a rock climbing girls endurance training. If I'm not knitting, I'm rock climbing. They are pretty even competitors for my time...

Yes, it was a great weekend. And then this morning I woke up and it was weigh in day (yes, I'm trying to lose that 20lbs I gained back over last winter) and I was down another lb. Yay for me! Then when I got to work... Charmed Knits was sitting on my desk. Remember that Gryfindor Scarf I knit for my coworker? Well he bought me this book as a thank you. awwww, isn't that sweet? Now if only we can get this wonderfulness streak to last a little bit longer... for no reason in particular, it's just nice :)

Too Tight

The Jaywalkers for my secret pal... they are too tight. Apparently I'm not the only one with this problem... arg!

Little progress

So far this week there has been little progress on the knitting. I have been sick with a cold and sleeping pretty much every spare minute I find. I'm feeling much better today and suspect there will be something to show you after the comming weekend. For now I have pictures of my second Secret Pal package ready to be shipped out to my lovely pal in New York.

And also a picture of the progress to date on her Jaywalkers, which will be part of the 3rd and final package.

Best Husband Ever!

Friday night I asked my husband for help winding the yarn for his sweater... and my dad's sweater, oh and the fleece artist for Grama. Side note: All of which are Christmas gifts - yay! He protested after only two skiens - agast!

Last night he came home from work and promptly handed me my new swift. Hahahahahaha. Ok, so the gift was almost completely self-centered on his part, which he admitted to when handing me the beautiful contraption. But still, a swift! I could hardly contain myself and smothered him appropriately. I then spent some of the evening and an hour this morning finishing up winding all my yarn - yes, yes that would be the highlight of my weekend :)

So everyone knows how Stephanie has a squirrel in her area with an affliction for brown fleece, right? Well he loves it. And this morning I discovered first hand how cute, but annoying it really can be. Think gray cat, gray yarn... See below for mugshots:

Ta Da!

Yay, it's finished AND it fits!

Back and Busy

I'm baaaaaack! And man was that fun :)

A whirlwind trip through through the rockies. We came, we saw, we went home. Even though it was fast (4days) it was enough to see what we wanted and stop when we wanted. The husband did most of the driving, which left loads of time for knitting!!!! Yay! I was able to finish of the knitting on my Wheat-ear Cable Yoke and am now doing all the sewing up of seams this week (I will post pics as soon as it's done).


Secret Pal updates: My downstream Pal recieved her first package on Tuesday and loved it - wahoo! Her Second package is almost ready, although it seems there is a shortage of bamboo needles at the LYS sooooo we'll see how that progresses. I received another email from my upstream SecretPal - Hello! I'm having a blast with this whole thing and highly recommend it to anyone thinking of giving it a try.



And now, I leave you with a few pictures from an amazing trip: