They are done!!

Oh yippeee skippee the pair of birthin' socks is done AND the matching baby booties too! I purchased this yarn last Saturday, Cast on on Sunday, Made the silly mistakes you will see in the pictures below and then on Wednesday morning cast on for the final time for the adult socks. I am modeling them in the picture but they are a bit too long for me. They are very very comfy! Momma and baby should feel good in them. And now the part we all wait for!!!! the pictures!

This is a bunch of cast ons in progress as I worked through the size needles and gauge and number of stitches and yarn combo. the yarn is NOT orange. for some reason the flash was giving me a red creepiness to it. grrr expensive camera and it takes a college course to get it right sometimes!

Top: The first ones cast on using the print off from sock wizard from the LYS. VERY confusing to me and in the size 6 needles which met gauge (at this point I had cast on 3 swatches for gauge) they were too tiny for a mouse! Certainly they were not going to fit the momma to be who's foot is larger than mine

Bottom left: 41 sts cast on with Fizz yarn carried with the Kordall Fancy on size 8 needles. HUGE .... STOP..... REJECT

Bottom Right: size 7 needles 41 sts no open fold over cuff still not what i wanted but getting closer.

FINAL specs
Yarn Kordall Fancy by Laines du Nord in color 1212
needles: size 7 dpns
37 sts
6 rows = 1 "
4.5 sts = 1"
closed cuff

socks are a total combination of the sock wizard pattern printed off for me at the LYS, Fiber Trends house socks pattern by Evelyn A. Clark, and good ole fashion knitting make-it-work-edness! hope you enjoy the pics. I ahve to say this yarn knit up so quickly that I did not mind all the cast ons to get what I wanted. That included 3 cast ons for gauge three additional cast ons for sts count and yarn combination before the 7th cast on resulted in a finished sock! Each sock was knit up through the body of the ankle and some through the heel flap before they were rejected.

Enjoy the pictures! Off to teach quilting class today. Turning 20.

This is a picture of the version with the FIZZ worked along with the Kordall Fancy in the fold over cuff. Someone at knitting group had an apt description for it... looks like you haev not shaved your legs! ugh! glad I did not go with the funky version originally planned for.

In this picture I'm just goofing around. Without the heel shaping yet. The heel flap is under my hand and I'm really considering making these for my hands to drive with in winter! The yarn knits up so fast!

On my feet! Hard to get a in-use picture these days the quilting studio is sooo messy. maybe tomorrow needs to be clean up day, a-gain. but aren't they soooo cute and comfy looking? And trust me they ARE comfy! I plan to make some for myself! Now that I have all the cast on numbers right teehee

To my viewer they look more mauvey then the peachy tones they truly are. But here are both socks all done! The mommy socks have a semi right and left toe shaping to them. Can't wait to hear from the intendee if it really worked for her feet. they are too long on mine. Good thing too because I might have had to go buy her some pampers or something instead of giving them up!

just the booties snuggling close to their mommy socks :)

Close up of the tiny bootie in my hand. This yarn has been on my hands/wrists alot in this process, hasn't it?

And here are the adoreable baby socks exerting their independence already and posing all alone! The yarn again, Laines Du Nord Kordall Fancy 1212 885 color/lot

How to say this.....

How should I say this? Recently I purchased some Cascade Fixation yarn. I spent quite a bit of knitting time on a Cabled Tube top (pattern by Cascade for Fixation yarn). I just thought you should know, the pattern is not properly written and the yarn did NOT bounce back after being put on. Obviously I cannot send my SP5 the absolutely gorgeous with tons of cables tube top to wear of this as it may be an embarrassment to her in public, IF she even made it out of the house.

So buyer beware of Cascade Fixation Cabled Tube Top pattern and Cascade Fixation yarn.

Yes, I did contact my LYS and no offering was forthcoming to replace the yarn or pattern. I wrote to Cascade and they have not had the courtesy to even acknowledge my complaint.

So now I am feverishly knitting a different giftie for my SP5 and looking at the other project I had cast on for myself and not wanting to put anymore time into that one to have it respond in the same manner as the gift one did--not bouncing back that is.

So now off you go to have a wonderful day. Mine has to go up from here... I've just had a root canal done and that was not fun. Now for a nap so the pain killers can kick in.

knitting forth more cautiously,
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be She's PINK!

Later on more July 8th musings

So I have picked up one of those "gifties" for someone I am making and it dawns on me that I can "air" my feelings regarding this project online here! After all it is MY blog, eh?

I am making the Opera Scarf http://www.blueskyalpacas.com/freepatterns/operascarf.html

I happen to be making it out of Lion Brand's Homespun in sort of a mix of Oatmeal colors as it was clearanced and fit my mood recently. First I made this friend a new purse from it and some Moda Dea. Lovely. I'll post some pictures of it flat later on. Now I am making her a stole to wear when she travels next wednesday to Finland. I figure a Florida gal might need a stole on her shoulders to ward off the weather in Finland which is a wee bit more north than us on the hot weather/globe thingie.

well I cast on 31 stitches. I remember this because I cast on the same number as her age. Got to use every trick you can when knitting with changes so you can recall correctly. Well I started with 31 stitches and nearly 4 feet later I still have 31 stitches. but somewhere along the line I wound up with two of the "gathering areas" not really cables joining and becoming just one gathering area. perhaps in later pics this will make more sense. So how does one start with and still have the same number of pics but wind up with one less gathering area? Now that is a topic of serious contemplation for so late on a Friday night. Good thing I have all weekend to puzzle on it in my mind. Alas, I have only all weekend to get the other 2 feet or so knit on this thing.

How is it that when we have a project on the needles in our hands with a deadline all we can think of is the new projects i want to cast on for? I can't wait to cast on for my knit exchange Bag ( I got a guy!) later on this weekend. But first I need to finish this stole.
work a swatch from the sugar n cream and test kool aid dye it.
work on my secret pal 5 giftie for july so it can mail sometime in this month.

Around that I should be working on my eldest son's b'day quilt. But it has been a work in progress for several years now. I am onto the applique part and I just don't love applique at all.

well i have traveled to quilting so it must be time to get off of here.

now to go and post some pics!

more hugs all
denise

A close up of all the cabling. I guess that is why it took so long. It took less time to straight knit 3 rows than to do one row of cables. lovely to look at delightful to hold but it won't hold up so to the ripping back pile it goes!

Here it is being worked up in the neon green cascade fixation yarn. Guess what? it does NOT hold its form and it stretched all out after I knit it! 10 days of knitting on it and it cannot be worn. more sighing....

the pattern i'm making as a gift which did NOT work out. sigh....

in its fake done looking mode. flap folded over.

The purse for JoAnna all knitted and waiting to be kitchenered to itself! then I lined it too. It looks really hip? Is it okay for a late 40's to use that word? Anyway I really like it. It will look cool with the stole if I can just get it done in time for her trip.

Confused musings...

Today I made a trip to the LYS. I had a lovely time fondling yarns, some multiple times and finally a few decided to come home with me. It dawns on me that I can't post here what I bought as I purchased for:

~my secret pal 5 (my first time in the group and loving it!)

~something to make for someone in my knitting group and she reads this occasionally i think

~something to make for my sister-in-law because it was such a huge splurge it HAS to be a gift for her LOL

~some more little things for my secret pal 5

~one thing for me that is the same as for my sp5 so I can't say I finally even found one of these

~something for my middle son's gf, Ashley and she just might read this. I know the eldest son's gf, Jen reads this.

So what to write about?

The pending hurricane dennis? It will miss us here in the tampa bay area but we will get wet for a few days starting today. I don't think so it is depressing to think of all the stress I was under last year during Hurricane Season. Like it is a fruit and you can pick it teehee

Should I write about the number things I have OTN? well most are gifties.

How about I tell you about our Tuesday knitting group? We meet at a library that is brand new and we just made a donation to the library and our name, Blooming Knitters 2005 will be on the gorgeous heart that will hang in the lobby. I'll try to remember to bring my camera and take a picture of the wall and later of "our" heart hanging there.

This group is also working on a baby afghan to be donated. we will be using sugar n cream yarn and making 9" blocks. If we each make 3 of them we will have enough for a blanket about 40" x 60".

I can tell you I had a chiropractic adjustment today and one of my muscles is protesting big times. So I am in a lot of pain. hoping to be able to sleep tonight and let the muscle get some "down" time.

I found an odd looking spider on my car cover the other day. It's head looks like it is of silver foil, or more like the tin man's head in Wizard of Oz. its body portion is black and silver striped which go "off" of its head not around its body. hmmmm making sense? i could not find it anywhere on line and I am only reminded of it when I look down at the keyboard because it is in a plastic ziplock baggie sitting on the keyboard! I do NOT like spiders and this one was gratefully already dead when I found it on the car cover. I would have smooshed it too hard to be recognizable if it had not been already deceased!


gosh this is so boring without pictures! okay I'm off to watch Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind while i attempt to download a BUNCH of pics from the camera.

thanks for putting up with my drivel. leave a comment and let me know you read this junk? I'm going to come up with some kind of contest but need to come up with the particulars first.

'til later
knit on!
hugs
denise/deBrat

July 3rd ... musing again

Hey all

Today is Sunday, July 3rd. I managed to have a productive and yet relaxing day today. I caught up on some of my email digests this morning. Then I went to my gf's to use her Stretch sewing machine on a Grace table to quilt a quilt for a quilt student turned friend. all went surprisingly well for the first quilt on the machine and I'm maybe going to fall in love with this thing afterall.

Today is the 2nd anniversary of her father's death and they will remember him tonight by dining on lobster. Poppy LOVED lobster so I told her "nice touch" and then proceded to make sure she had some of that bubbly grape stuff from Sam's Club he liked too. Non-alcoholic. I toasted him with his family on the last b'day he celebrated in December of 2002.

I came home soooo hungry. I had only had 3 peanut butter cookies (store bought of course) this morning and so we had a nice chicken dinner dh had cooked. That is why it was nice, because I did not cook it. I'm a terrible cook. I have burned water! And that is the least harmful and smelling thing I've managed to ruin.

After dinner I went outside to make a cell phone call hoping to chat with my sister in upstate NY but alas they were not home yet. So I went floating in the pool. Well the float is busted so I hugged the pillow insert from the float and sort of ran around the perimeter of the pool chasing whatever bugs managed to kamakazie (sp?) in to making them go into the skimmer. We have an above ground 24 foot across pool. It has served us well.

The neighbor is putting up a screen room on his back cement patio. Perhaps he finds he needs a screen room to PROTECT his patio from my dh and ds as they spent about 1/2 an hour standing there last week when they got caught in the pouring down rain while replacing the fencing between our two yards. Now there is only a small section that has not been replaced yet. Just in time for the Hurricane season to come and try to ripped it all down again.

And now I am sitting here watching some dumb movie requiring no thought processes and updating my blog and knitting on a test bag for the August laptop bag pattern at bag_a_holics@yahoogroups.com this will be really really cute. It is for Jen, my eldest ds's gf. Her b'day is August 1st and I hope to finish it early enough to mail it to her. She loves pink and orange so it is just that LOTS of pink with orange accents.

well again i have no pictures so this is going to bore you to death. I have a LOT of pictures in the digital but that will take me a long long time to download and rename and file appropriately. Maybe tomorrow. we don't leave for the BBQ at Gary's until 3:30pm Sounds like a plan.

Have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July!
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be who found out on Thursday there is a possiblity of twins!

Blog frustrations....

So here I sit surfing the list of blog sites of the secret pal 5 participants and occassionally I come across a blog I'd like to visit again. But alas, I do not know how to put a link on the side bar of my blog like I see at other blogs. See then this old brain would only have to remember how to get to my own blog and could click on the link.

You may laugh but ummmm it is true. Sometimes in order to view my blog I have to go to my email signature block and click on the link there! Sad sad sad.

I highly doubt anyone actually reads this thing but if you do and you know how to add my blog links I want to keep to the side bar please feel free to speak up. Remember to use not-too-brilliant-at-blogging and been-a-long-time-since-I-wrote-any-coding language, okay?

Well back to the laptop bag testing for Chappy who will be posting her free bag pattern at bag_a_holic@yahoogroups.com in the month of August. So far I have 6 1/2 rows done. Got a lot of knitting to do yet if it will fit the standard laptop after felting.

It would help if I did not get sidetracked by signing up for a knittting exchange bag at knitexchange@yahoogroups.com and work on my first ever lace project at the mysterystolealong@yahoogroups.com and try to finish the winter white stole for my eldest son's gf for their caribbean cruise end of July and have to ready several class samples for the quilt shop where I work two days a week and teach as often as possible...... you get the idea.

I tried not to allow happen to my knitting what happened with my quilting.... I refer to how it took over the house! But alas, after only knitting since November/Dec of 2004 I have already amassed quite the stash of yarns. And HOW is it that each time I think of something new to make late at night, I do not have the proper yarn? Must work on the stash.

I do have some lovely yarns in my stash already but really and truly they are meant for specific projects and all I have is some leftovers in the felting type yarn department that count as stash. And I have a couple of skeins of Magic Stripes yarn that I bought before I discovered Opal yarn for socks! www.ptyarns.com
go there and take a gander at yarns that will make you drool! at the home page you can click on the preview button and see the collection coming out this Fall..... dah rule dah rule in my best daffy duck voice.

Well there are no pictures for loading today so I best get outta here before I bore you to sleep!

have a knitty day and lacking that have a good non-knitty day

denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be

Sunday Morning Musings..or lazy lazy morning

how is it that I manage to find myself with nothing to watch on tv on a consistent basis? Here it is Sunday morning and I am reading emails and visiting various spinning sites and I had to settle for Red Water on TBS. Well, actually I settled for Red Water because following that one is Deep Blue Sea and as stupid as that movie was when I first saw it I can watch Deep Blue Sea over and over and over again. And No, I have not succumbed to actually purchasing the video or the DVD of it yet. But perhaps Santa will tuck it in my stocking for me.

I own very few VHS tapes and even Fewer DVDs of movies. I'm not sure why. Could be the expense. Could be the commitment I'll feel to watch something over and over again. Could be the money involved. Oh, I said that already LOL

Currently in the collection that I watch over and over again:
Jurassic Park (I love that one)
Jurassic Park III (taped from tv)
MIB
Home Alone (taped from tv)
Armededdon

and the ones i watch rarely:
Face/Off
The mummy
You've got mail
Sliding Doors (interestingly weird by the way)
Deep Impact
Airforce One
Twilight
The Mask of Zorro
My best Friend's Wedding (had real issues with that one the first time I saw it)
Forces of Nature
Wizard of Oz (rarely watched anymore sigh)
Mission Impossible
Hope Floats
Titanic (waste of money, without the big screen effect this one I don't care for)
How To Make an American Quilt (courtesy of my last secret pal on the dj retreats list a yahoo groups list an off-shoot of the dear jane quilt ( www.dearjane.com )

DVD's in no particular order
MIBII
Godzilla
An american President (free with laptop years ago)
Castaway
MI:2
City of Angels
The Perfect Storm
The Sixth Sense
Mona Lisa Smile
Die Hard
Die Hard 2
Die Hard 3
8 Heads in a Duffel Bag (Easter basket present for my son but I watch it more)

These do not include the VHS or DVD's that my husband and son have and combined they may have as many as i just listed. i guess it is a lot but does not feel like it.

I don't even know if you can see a "trend" in the listings provided.

Well enough ramblings on that.

We returned home from a vacation late Friday Afternoon. I'll post just a couple of pics on this blog but the rest will go on the family blog. someone mentioned I have a lot of blogs. Well I have a lot of things going in my life and I like to categorize things. So thus I have a knitting blog (the start of blogging!) a quilting blog (non-existent right now as I have a website for professional things on quilting www.debratdesigns.com still under construction) and a family blog, created so the family members can read all about the happenings in our household complete with tons of pictures but not get lost in all my crafty ramblings. They are, of course, invited to view the crafty blogs too.

hmmm started to give the whole vacation "thing" here so I am going to cut and paste it on the family blog.... see you there :)
denise/debrat aka grandma brattie-to-be