I've been a bad bad blogger

I've been a bad blogger. I just been real busy recently and haven't gotten much uninterrupted computer time. I sent out my 3rd and final SP10 "reveal" package to Vange, and here it is.

A little angel ornament, Lavender scented car freshener, and in the tin is a row counter on a bracelet that has little Celtic Knot beads on it.

A total of 1770 yds of Merino Lace yarn, plenty for a shawl or multiple smaller projects.
An Irish angel pin, Irish creme chocolate and the row counter out of its tin.
A couple goodies for her kitty cat.
A Fabri Knit Kit for a Denim Hobo Bag.

And a hand knit wash cloth that I made her with a 4 leaf clover in the center.

Enjoy Vange!

A Christmas Niece or Nephew is on the way!

We have some exciting news in the family, my SIL is pregnant with baby #2 and due right before Christmas! Her first baby born last year was a summer baby, but this one is a winter baby in need of lots of knitted things to keep him/her toasty and warm :) We're talking sweaters, hats booties, and of course a nice thick crib blanket for those chilly winter nights. Having 2 babies born at the end of October, I know how to dress a winter baby. I've actually already picked out a layette set and CO for the sweater yesterday. I think I may try a log cabin pattern for the blanket, I know there is one in my "Mason Dixon Knitting" book. If I double the yarn it should make a nice thick crib blanket that a little bugger wouldn't wiggle off in the middle of the night.

On other knitting news I finished the Diamond Shawl from the Alpaca yarn that my secret pal spoiled me with. I'll get some pics up along with the baby sweater later on tonight when River isn't sitting on my lap :) I loved working with that yarn, my first time working with Alpaca. I made it a shoulder shawl so I even have enough left over for a scarf!

SP spoilee package # 2 on its way!

The top picture has the non knitting things that go with this package:

Party Girl Pink nail polish
heart shaped toe separators
A double sided foot scrubber
And a Yankee candle car air freshener

This is a themed package, we're talk'n socks here:

1 Ball Sockotta yarn in a new color

Sz 2 Bamboo DPN's

A sock and wristlet pattern for this yarn

Sock shaped point protectors

And the round tin has teeny tiny stitch markers perfect for knitting socks. The pic on the left has one of the stitch markers on the ball of yarn

Enjoy Vange!

Gift # 2 going out and more Secret Pal Knitting

During the over 7 hour drive to North Carolina I finally got a chance to work on my socks. Its the Chevron pattern from the "Sensational Knitted Socks" book.

As for the gift for my cousin in Florida who had a baby girl named Sabrina, instead of doing one of my bear blankets I wanted to try the one from Lion brand that was a Bunny, here's a close up and Gage will show you the body shot.

My Secret Pal Has Struck Again

I received this package last Thursday but have not been able to give it its proper adue since I left that night for an out of state weekend wedding and then returned home with a sick kid who eventually passed it to me in the form of laryngitis. its the first time I ever lost my voice because I got sick, but it is quite similar to when I had my tonsils removed just 6 years ago. The one upside, as you can tell by the following pic is that it in now way affects my knitting :)

This package was a great surprise as I was packing for my trip. With a card it included a hand knit pot holder in a drop dead gorgeous teal color with a little matching pot, a sheep pez dispenser, two peach scented tea lights, two little rubber fish toys for each of the boys that they have already played with in the tub, a 32 in. sz. 3 Bamboo Cir'sand 4 balls of Mystic Alpaca in a beautiful purple that I would call a true Grape Bubblegum color. You can see how much I love it already in the pic above, 3 days of knitting so far. I am using the diamond fantasy shawl pattern. Thank you thank you Secret Pal you are the best!

1 down 1 to go!

I finished Al's hat, almost. It still needs to be blocked and Don wants a pompom on the top in mixed purple & yellow. Obviously I decided against lettering because I really wanted it to be a good hat, so I needed a rib all over and the lettering and 1x1 rib just wasn't cuttin it.

Tonight I will CO the bear blankie because I need to knit up to a point after the pattern in order to take it to my knittogether tomorrow. Although I did swatch up that sock yarn, and I can CO both to bring....we'll see :)

FYI: Last night I discovered that in a pinch a sz 1 DPN can double as the key to unlock our bathroom door ;)

I also got a post card in yesterday's mail from my SP giving me the clue that she lives in Toronto, Canada. I've been to Canada once...to elope! It was a cute surprise.

2 gifts OTN

Originally I was working on these for my secret pal spoilee, but then once I started them and tried it on they seem pretty snug, and perfectly fit for me which made me wonder how it would fit her if I have no idea what she looks like much less the size of her fingers. So I decided to keep these for myself and made her something from the book I gave her instead, a muffler scarf in which size didn't matter. But its mate has to be put on hold while I knit up a couple gifts.

The first of which is a hat with the team name "Vikings" on it. Our neighbor was recently diagnosed with cancer...thank God a very treatable kind. He is a Football Minnesota Vikings fanatic so I picked up some Red Heart wool in purple and some yellow for the letters and started to think out how to graph the lettering. I think I'll do just a basic 1x1 rib with a flipped up brim where I can have the Vikings name. I suppose the brim will have to be st st to look right for the lettering. I'm going to swatch that up tonight.

The second is one of my own Blanket Bears for my Cousin Dawn in Florida who had her second baby girl yesterday. For the longest time I have been meaning to actually write this pattern out and put it up on my blog to share with anyone who wants it so I think I may actually do that this time. Now that I finally finalized and perfected the pattern....it only took me 2 years, and everyone I know who had a baby getting a different prototype. Its a great stash buster and cute gift. Usually I give this along with a full size blanket but I know my Grandmother has already taken care of that for all her grandchildren!

Sending Out My First Spoilee Package

This is going out a litter later than I was hoping, but with Don's ear injury lots of stuff got pushed back...but here it is!

Book- "One Skein" by Leigh Radford
From the book I knit her the Triple Cable Muffler in black using KnitPicks Gloss in black and included "one skein" in Burgundy for herself.

Clover No. 8 DPN's

A cable needle

Grandma's Secret Spot Remover

A jar of raspberry chocolate pretzel dip

A Ghiradel chocolate carmel square

Magnetic memo pad

An Americana style bear and heart decoration tucked in a little mesh gift box

And a cat bungee toy for her fur baby

Along with a card it will be in tomorrow's mail off to Vange somewhere in Connecticut :)

Some Excitement

We've had some excitement in the Stiles household this week. My husband was injured at work and part of his ear was amputated! It had to be surgically reattached. With the help of some good pain meds he is doing pretty well. On the whole he is fine, nothing with his hearing was effected. He does have a small fracture in his cheek bone also. He is an elevator mechanic and was trapped between the wall and an elevator and when he tried to get free his ear was ripped by the ear lobe.

I'll post more on knitting notes later with some pics. I have a secret pal package that I want to get out by the end of the week. I need to check up on my patient now :)

Secret Pal Birthday Surprise!

I got an email B-day card from my secret Pal that had a pic of Dr. Jack from LOST on it :) It also told me to keep an eye out for this little goodie package. Along with the card came the SnB ca lander...I love those rip away daily calenders and I usually get one over Christmas but didn't this year :) There was also a fabric zippered gadget bag that had an Ice cream Cone lolly pop in it, Sz 9 Clover needles in 9 inch length, A Margarita Fruit Dip mix, AND a ball of Lana Grossa Sock yarn in an awsome multi reds & blacks!!! OTN I have those fingerless gloves for my Secret Pal Spoilee and when those are done I am ready to make my 3rd pair of socks! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You to my Secret Pal! You Rock :)