Bloomin Sock Has Arrived!!

IT'S HERE!!!






Oh...I have been so excited to receive my socks from my Bloomin Feet Sock Pal!!

This is my first sock swap and the anticipation for my very first sock swap package has been INCREDIBLE!! So much so that I would like to apologize to my mail lady for SNATCHING the box from her hand....I knew it was my sock swap package and I truly didn't mean to "snatch and run"....I'm usually not so rude....but what can I say.....It was my VERY FIRST SOCK SWAP PACKAGE!!!! I can only imagine what she was thinking as I was running through the yard screaming..."It's Here, It's Here, It's Here"!! LOL!!!!!

Upon opening the box I saw yarn.....peeking out from the tissue paper....(what a tease!)....the CUTEST hand crafted card (I am not talented at all in this department and I love and appreciate so much when folks take the time to create something such as this)!!! Is this stamp not THE cutest thing you have EVER seen???!!! Oh...I have SOOOO got to get one of these!!!


There is another stamp but I wasn't able to get a pic of it but it says "Ewe Hoo"!! TOO CUTE!!!!!

My sock swap pal is Kaki!!! Who by the way is a FABULOUS sock knitter!!! Oh boy.....am I the lucky one!! Check THESE out!!

They fit PERFECTLY!!!! The yarn is Colinette-Jitterbug-Florentina colorway Lagoon..... such vibrant, happy colors!!!

But WAIT....that's not ALL!!




This is the MOTHER LODE!!!

1. I have not seen the Dark Chocolate Raspberry kisses.....you would have thought it was Christmas morning when I saw them....I will confess to screams...and I even called my sister at work to tell her about them.....(haven't seen these ANYWHERE and she is as big a fan of the chocolate/raspberry combo as I am)!! LOL!!

AND.....if that weren't enough....there is a bag of Ghirardelli dark chocolate squares with a raspberry filling....can you say MAJOR YUMMY INDULGENCE?????

2. I have been wanting the Knit Socks book for SOOO long, but kept putting off buying it!!!

I have a friend that has this book and it is full of really great socks for "newbie" sock knitters like me!! I love it Kaki and can't tell you how excited I am to receive it!!

3. Also included is one of the wee tiny sock blocker keychains!! These are SOOO cute!!

4. A Susan Bates circular needle....which I have never used this brand and I am looking forward to using them as I have only used the KnitPicks brand needles!!!

5. Last but not least.....as if ALL this wasn't enough.....I received 2 balls of
Sockotta, color number 20......which, oddly enough I recently received a card with a small sample of this yarn from a shop I had placed an order with and had decided to give it a try as it is 45% cotton and thought it would be good for the summer......and the clor sample that I received? You got it.....Number 20!!!
(insert theme music from twilight zone here!) LOL!!!

Kaki, I just don't know how to thank you enough for such a gracious gift box!!! I felt like it was Christmas....everything individually wrapped.....the hand made card and the AWESOME socks and yarn!!!

I know from reading your blog that you have had a rough time lately with your mom, your knee injury, not to mention all the other ups and downs of life and yet you had time to do so much for me!! I just can't express my thanks enough!!!!

The quality of your sock knitting has inspired me to work harder!! You truly are a GREAT sock knitter!!!!

Thanks so much for making my very first sock swap such a grand experience!!!!!!

I've Finally Bloomed!!

LET ME CLARIFY:

My Bloomin SOCKS have finally bloomed!! LOL!!

This was my first swap of any kind and despite the stress of knitting socks without having an actual foot to try them on.....a somewhat disapointment in the yarn color as well as that unfortunate incident with the yarn running out and having to splice in extra yarn from the first sock.....it has been fun!!!

I have been searching for several weeks to find some extras that I think my sock pal will enjoy and I hope the goodies I will be including will make up for my lack of knitting skills!!!

It has been fun finding new bloggers through this swap that I otherwise would not have found! What a big undertaking to host this swap and a VERY BIG thanks to Amanda for such a wonderful swap and for allowing this "newbie" sock knitter to join in!!!!!

I have been inspired to join the Hurricane Sock Swap Party 2007!!

I will be putting my pkg. in the mail middle of next week.

To My Pal: I hope you enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Bella Kitty

We adopted Bella from the Humane Society through PetSmart (a great company!!)....Petsmart accepts animals from the various Humane Societies and will foster them until they are adopted, without charge to the people that adopt the pets!

As best as the vet can determine, Bella is approximately 1 year old. She had an injury roughly 4 months ago that resulted in her back leg being broken. Without the care of a vet the leg healed badly and Bella has a pronounced limp, with atrophy of the hip muscles.

Bella had been at Petsmart for over a month, unlike most who are adopted within days. She has the sweetest personality....but looked so sad, as if she had given up and was resigned to the fact that she would be forever passed over......she was so incredibly loving when removed from the cage, not wanting to run around like the other cats, rather immediately choosing to rub furiously on DH legs as if to mark him as hers.....which sealed the deal for us!!!!

As you can see she is fitting in rather nicely.....she already appreciates the finer points of cooking. (And yes mother, I wiped down the stove!) LOL!!

She is really good to help out with the laundry.

Of course all that housework calls for a nap in the sunshine!!

She has discovered my knitting basket...

She seems to truly enjoy a good "yarn" too! LOL!!

And has had no trouble calling it a day!!!

I couldn't ask for a sweeter kitty!!!

Despite her disability she gets around fine. She will have to remain an indoor cat....which is fine with us!!!

Bloomin Sock Update and A New Kitty

As promised, a Bloomin Update!!

What in this picture doesn't look quite right??? Would you guess the ball of yarn that is NOT connected to the working yarn????

I can't figure out what has happened. This sock is the SAME length as the finished sock....yet I have run out of yarn. The ball of yarn shown is what was left over from the first sock!! I have started the toe decreases and I am VERY hesitant to add in a new yarn for the toe!! I am afraid it won't hold up! I have only joined in new yarn while knitting scarves.....and it didn't intimidate me because I knew the "wear and tear" factor for a scarf would be minimal....but THIS.....I am REALLY nervous!!! I don't have time to order more of this yarn and make another sock before the deadline to mail!! UGH!!! I'll have to confer with my sock guru's to see what is the best thing to do!!

AND........

A sneak peek at Bella Kitty!!

Will post more later!!

Bloomin Feet Update, Hurricane Sock Swap Yarn and MAMA MIA!!

Working on finishing my second sock for the Bloomin Feet Sock Swap.....hopefully I can get this sock finished by the weekend.....will be glad to know that I am finished with these socks on time!!

This is NOT a great pic of the the yarn I purchased for the Hurricane Sock Party, but it is raining today and lighting isn't very good!

Since the yarn has so many colors I will most likely go with a simple pattern.....still considering my options.

Stay Tuned!!

My dear friend Ginger

invited myself and a few other friends to attend Mama Mia last night and it was AWESOME!!!! I had no idea it would be so funny!! The music was just perfect, the audience participation was great and I could not have asked for a better evening!!!!

If you have an opportunity to see this play....even if you are in the "nose-bleed" section you MUST go see this!!!!! Can't help but have a good time and laugh yourself silly!!!!!

Favorite Socks and Hurricane Sock Swap Update

My Favorite Socks book came yesterday and I have joined the Favorite Socks KAL. It looks like a great blog, although I haven't had time to do more than a quick glance!! Can't wait to decide on the sock pattern I am going to make!!

Oh my....I have joined so many things lately....and interestingly enough I have no more time than I did BEFORE I joined all thes KAL's and Sock Swaps!! Must be the time change!! LOL!!

I did decide on a sock yarn for my Hurricane Sock Mate. She sounds like me, easy to please.

I have a love for STR yarn....which was the first sock yarn ever gifted to me and I absolutely ADORE this yarn........so I decided to use STR and ordered a skein just this morning!!

2007 Hurricane Sock Party Questionaire

1. Repeat after me "no hurricanes, no hurricanes, no hurricanes" . Okay we just had to get that one out of the way first. We needed to created a bit of "good weather karma"! Last year, I swear it was due to all the good knitting vibes that we didn't have any hurricanes hit Florida.

2. If your pet(s) wrote a paragraph about you to describe you to us what would they say? (If you have no pets then just pretend you husband or best friend wrote it! This is a 3rd person writing exercise that is always fun.)

Hi, My name is Max (short for Max-A-Million, because that is about what my parents have spent on me since they got me 8 years ago!). I seem to have a lot of "health issues" but my mom and dad take EXCELLENT care of me.....she would even sell her yarn stash if she had to she loves me so much!!! In a nutshell....I am SPOILED!! They put MY comfort before theirs!! Ahhh....It's ALL ABOUT ME!!!! Hee! Hee!

Of course I sleep with my folks.....my mom especially is good about half hanging off the bed just so I can spread out and have all the space I want!!!

The only thing bad about my mom is that she won't let me in her yarn closet.....which I do NOT understand......she shares her yarn with other people!!!! There are zillions of skeins of yarn in there....she can't POSSIBLY use it all in this lifetime and WHY she won't let me have even ONE skein is beyond me considering how I get my way on everything else....but I am STUBBORN (as miniature Schnauzers are!)......and every time my mom leaves yarn out I of course think she has come to her senses and decided to share with me......but so far it hasn't worked out to my benefit!! BUT....I do get to model mom's creations from time to time....as humiliating as that can be!!! My mom also sneaks me extra biscuits in the day time and ALWAYS gives me one when we go to bed!!! I did have a kitty companion but she isn't with us anymore and I sure do miss her!!!! I'm trying to talk my folks into getting another one.....maybe it won't be too much longer!!!

3. What is your favorite hurricane snacks? Oh My....what's NOT to like??!! I think anything that would hold up during the lack of A/C and the high humidity. So far I haven't met a snack I DIDN'T like!! LOL!!! I do like chocolate......dark chocolate especially....but then you must have something salty....Ahhh....it's a viscious cycle.....all washed down with a Diet Coke of course!! LOL!!

4. Do sock patterns normally fit you "as written" or do you usually modify them for size in any way? WELL....I have a very wide foot and a narrow heel....BUT.....I have found that if I use yarn that has nylon in it then the typical 64 cast on, plain ribbed socks work fine on me. The yarns without nylon have been giving me fits lately in trying to figure out how make them work. I would say as long as it is 75 wool/25 nylon it should be fine!!

4a. What are your foot measurements, not just shoe size? Shoe size is an 8-8.5. When tracing off my foot and measuring the length is 10 inches X 4.25 inches wide, with 9 inches all the way around the ball of the foot.

5. What one city abroad would you visit and why if money was no object? Oh my...there are so many here in the states I would love to visit.....but I GUESS.....it would be the Fiji Islands

6. Do you wear socks all year round or just during the winter? Prefer tall or short? I wear socks all winter, night and day. In the Summer I will sometimes wear socks, mainly Winter wear. I generally make mine about 5.5 to 6" tall.

7. The last time the power was out during hurricane season (or bad weather of any kind) did you knit by lantern or were you lucky enough to knit to the humm of a generator? Or did you knit at all? If there is any kind of light I'll be knitting!!! We have a great fluorescent lantern that will light up a room and that is what I knit by.

8. Make a wish for your favorite sock yarn that you've already used once. What would it be? ? Dont be shy about listing an exact colorway or two if you'd like.

WELL.....I love STR, can NEVER go wrong with that one!! Other than that....as long as it contains 25% nylon to get over my big foot....I'm good!!! Surprise me!!

9. What is it about sock knitting that keeps you wanting to knit more and more socks? Oh the thousands of colors!!!! I love hand painted yarns......just nothing like them!!!!! You never know what the socks will look like when looking at a ball or skein of yarn....it's a mystery that unfolds as you knit the pattern!!! LOVE IT!!

10. Make a wish for a sock yarn that you are dying to try but haven't bought for yourself yet. (be specific,even colorway if you'd like) Claudia's Handpainted, Cider Moon, I love fall colors.

11. What size needles do you knit socks for yourself with the most? I use size 1 circulars from Knitpicks....I have about 6 sets!! If the yarn is a bit thicker I'll use their size 2's. I really like using circulars. These are the only circs I have used.

12. If you could only take 3 yarn related books and one previously knitted project that you love with you when you evacuated what would they be? How terrible to choose what to have to leave behind!! I think the Charlene Schurch Sensational Knitted Socks, Scarf Style and I have Interweave Favorite Socks on order and think without even seeing I would have to take it with me too!!

13. What knitting notion do you wish you had that you just keep putting off getting for yourself? Hmmm......I think a good pair of small, cute scissors would be nice!

14. What is your favorite tv show? Can't choose one, Grey's Anatomy, Medium, Friday Night Lights.

15. Do you want a lacey sock or a "solid fabric" sock from your hurricane sister? I have never knit anything other than just a K2,P2 rib or some variation on that....so I am open to any pattern since mine are generally of the "vanilla" flavor!! Surprise me!!

16. It's midnight and the power has been off for two days, its hot, and you have a craving for something sweet! What would it be? DEBBIE CAKE!!!

17. Tell us a story about any of your hurricane weather related experiences.
SEVERAL years ago......I am sorry that I can't remember which hurricane, but it was a very real threat to the central Alabama area......predictions were for 50+ mph winds with gusts even higher.....around here it was pretty much like the day before a predicted snowstorm.....MASS CHAOS......we gathered all the food supplies, flashlights, etc, gathered my sister and my husband's nephew and hunkered down to wait it out.....THANKFULLY, we weren't out of power very long and had no damage to our house.....but I WELL remember standing at the window listening to the winds increase and literally whistle....it was very strange.....it just had a "different" sound to it!.....by the next day everyone was tired of so much "together" time and everyone left.

18. What was the one thing you wish you had remembered to get last year for hurricane supplies that you swore you wouldn't forget this year? Hmmmm......I guess more snacks....because when bored we always "think" we are hungry.

19. What color sock would you like to recieve from your sock sister? (if you don't have a pref just say so otherwise give us a hint!) I think fall colors are my first choice, I do like bright colors too, I don't like neon colors or very light pastel colors.

Future WIP

Yarn Haul from Saturday's trip to HEAVEN....otherwise known as The Knitting Zone and Yarn Expressions.

Exhibit A:
Koigu for socks

Great Adirondack for sock

Noro for scarf (from One Skein Wonder)

Schaefer Ann for Thistle Scarf (pattern from The Knitting Zone)

Koigu for Clapotis (Knitty.com)








Ultra Alpaca for scarf: To be determined later

Jo Sharp for scarf, Possibly Irish Hiking Scarf

Mountain Colors for scarf but only bought one skein so most likely this will be a pair of socks.

Cascade 220 Tweed for a scarf (Spiral Cable Scarf from Scarf Style)

Carmen sock yarn (gift from Cindy).....I'd had my eye on it in her basket and A.L.M.O.S.T. went back for a skein!!! LOVE the colors!!!!!

Super Wild pencil roving to try my hand and using a drop spindle.

Paint Box for Herringbone Scarf from Life's A Stitch, you can send an email and receive the pattern for free, check out all the various options posted on her blog.