Not much, but some.  And it's a project that's moving so quickly that it will definitely be finished soon.  But first, some business type stuff to attend to.

I really didn't want to have to do this but it's gotten to the point where it's necessary.  I'm going to have to stop taking special orders for just a little while.  I'm hoping no more than a month or so.  I have pages of orders that I need to catch up on (and really want to work on) and this is the only way I can think of to do it.  Any orders that have been placed will be dyed asap, including those that I have not been able to resond to yet.  There will be yarn available in the mean time.  First up is the first sock club shipment followed by batches of variegateds and semi-solids that I will be sending to pureknits, The Loopy Ewe, and The Sweet Sheep.  I sincerely apologize to those waiting for special orders, I promise I am working as hard as possible to get them out.  Thank you for your patience!!!

I recently found out that a really good friend is pregnant with her first baby.  Crazy exciting!!! The first thing I thought of was "What to knit?"!  I've cast on for the crossover jacket from Simply Baby by Debbie Bliss.  It's knitting up super quick so hopefully I'll have a FO to show soon.

Something big came in the mail that although it won't help much with the self-striping should help lots with all my other yarn.  Can you guess what it is? 

Oh, and to everyone that asked about the JT concert... It was freaking awesome!!!  Oh my gosh, he is amazing in person!  I even managed to convert my husband into a Justin fan.  I couldn't take my camera and I just had my dinky camera phone, so no pics.  The prices on the tshirts and stuff were insane so I only picked up coffee mug and a button.  My only regret was not getting better seats.  But there's always next time!

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Oy, if it's not one thing, it's another.  I've tried for days to get these pictures loaded and they just did not want to show.  So I said screw it, and created a Flickr account.  Check out a couple of freaking aweome kick-ass socks here.  So much easier!

Happy hump day!  I know where I'll be at 10:00 tonight, do you? :) 

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Finally winter has actually turned into winter and it's snowing! Being from Florida, I never thought I would say that but after the seemingly weeks and weeks of rain, snow is a really nice change. Hopefully a little bit of sun will soon follow!

And finally my computer woes are over! Atleast for now... god, I am such a pessimist :(. Thanks to a goddess named Tira, I have a brand new computer in my possesion! Brand new, I can't believe it! It was a bit of a fight, but totally worth it if this one is ANY better than the old one. And when I say "old", I had purchased it (new) only about six months ago so therein lies my frustration. But thankfully I found a wonderful person to help and now it's business as usual.

We have a winner! Two, actually! I felt so bad about postponing the contest and I had so many great comments that I went ahead and picked two people to get some fun after-holiday goodies. Andrea and Melissa should be getting their packages very soon. I hope you like them! Thank you so so much to everyone that left me a comment. It was really great reading about what y'all made (or didn't make ;))!

I don't have much knitting to show. I've been dyeing like crazy trying to catch up from the holidays and I have one of those "secret projects" that I've seen mentioned so many times on other blogs. I've started a sweater from Vogue Knitting Fall 2006. The cabled cardigan that you may have seen at cosmicpluto. Hers is amaing and although mine has been toseed aside for the moment I can't wait to pick it up again. I'm using a fabulous 100% merino from laines du nord that I got from pureknits. Since I don't have anything new, I'll show you a couple of my favorite gifts that I made for Christmas. Both hats, hats were the name of the game for my holiday knitting!

This was a simple top-down hat that I made for a friend obsessed with monkeys. It's extra large cause he complained about never being able to find a hat that fit his big melon. Funny thing is, I think it ended up too big! The yarn is also Laines du Nord from pureknits, the chunky weight. I managed to get two hats out of three balls. knit on size 9 needles. The fabric was nice and dense and super warm. After I knit it, I stitched on a felt sock monkey. Just simple shapes with a little puffy paint for the eyes. I love how it turned out!

As soon as Yahaira put up the yak yarn at pureknits, I was totally lusting after it. The price threw me but I finally caved and couldn't be happier. You get amazing yardage and the quality is unbelievable. I have yet to knit with 100% cashmere, but after knitting with the yak I don't feel like I'm missing out. I finished my husband's hat with plenty to spare and as soon as I get a chance I'm definitely making a beanie for myself! I haven't checked recently but if Y gets in any more of the earth color, I might have to get another skein to make some matching mitts!

Ooh, I can finally show you something else! Jo at misocrafty made me this amazing pouch to give to a friend. I told her that I wanted a piratey-type fabric and the next thing I know she's emailed me dozens to choose from! I love love love how it came out! Sometimes getting the perfect present can be stressful but this was NOT one of those times! Thank you, Jo!

You may have noticed that I have no links in this post, so I have a question for all the computer savvy-type readers. Usually there is a bar where I write my posts that has the link icon and a couple others for simple formatting (I think that's the right word). Well, it's not there and I have no idea how I can link. I use Movable Type and if anyone has any idea, I would really appreciate the help. My husband has no clue and I've looked everywhere I can think of. Please help! Thanks!!

One last thing... please check out Stacey's blog, www.peaknit.blogspot.com if you haven't already. I sent her a skein of my semi-solid colorway, port, and asked if she could knit up a little something for a sample. Well, I expected a simple pair of socks or mitts, and she ended up going way above and beyond and made an absolutely gorgeous swallowtail shawl. It's amazing!!!

Posted by jessie at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

I wasn't planning on posting until January, at least. Wow, have things been crazy! I would totally postpone Christmas for a few weeks, if I could. Does anyone know where this year has gone?!

In the spirit of the season, there's something that I really want to share. My personal life is filled with ups and downs, but I have been so lucky since starting my business to meet some really fabulous people. People that will give with out expecting anything in return, whether it be gifts or just a much needed word of advice and support. I am so thankful for the friendships that I have built, and am still building. Since I started knitting, I've had plenty of people ask me why I do it. I realize now that it's not just about having one more sweater to wear or scarf to keep me warm. Even if I never have another successful project under my belt, I will continue knitting for the experience and the community and friends that come along with it. Thank you so much Yahaira, Stacey, Jo, Georgia, Brenda (yes, you're a knitter now!) and many, many others who have touched my life and made it better.

I don't have any pictures to show right now, all my knitting has been present-related and has to be kept under wraps. Look for another contest in January and lots of FOs! And yarn! I'll be sending off a few wholesale orders in the next couple of months and I'll be sure to let you know when each one goes out.

Happy Holidays, everyone! Stay safe and warm and be sure to enjoy your family and friends! I'm off to North Carolina next week to spend Christmas with my husband, in-laws and doggies. I can't wait!

Posted by jessie at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

Holy cow, that took FOREVER! It seems like everything is running slow today, Etsy.... Moveable Type.... me.... Anyway, the shop is updated with lots of new goodies. I had wanted to post on here before doing the update but that just wasn't happening. In the shop you'll find a bunch of variegateds and new semi-solids, along with a couple of new base yarns. There are two skeins of worsted weight that would be great for last minute quick scarves and hat sets. And I finally found a merino/tencel blend fingering weight that I LOVE! It shimmers like silk and knits up sooooo soft. I've started a sock in the cherry cordial colorway but I think it would love amazing as a lacy scarf.

A sample of what you'll find in the shop...

If you are interested in any of our self-striping colorways, please let me know. I will mostly be doing those as special orders for the moment since it's been impossible to keep the shop stocked with them . The dyeing process is fairly time consuming and doing it this way will allow everyone to get exactly what they want. With the holidays coming (QUICKLY! AAH!) the turnaround time may be a little longer than usual but normally a special order will take about two weeks to ship. There are a few retail shops that will have the self-striping in stock between December and February and I'll be sure to keep you updated on that.

Please check out the shop! Thank you and Happy Holidays!

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Thank you so much to everyone for their kind words regarding the SnB calendar, our goofy Halloween pictures and the new colorways. I appreciate the support so much and definitely would not be able to do any of this without it. Thank you!!!

With everything going on I haven't really had too much time to knit. I got a chance this past weekend though and was able to make some progress on Glee.

I'm almost finished with the body. It's been super easy, no shaping at all. Just a little mind-numbing with all the SS. There's only about an inch or so to go with the ribbing on the bottom, and then just the sleeves and picking up stitches for the front opening. I ordered more yarn through yarnmarket so I think I have plenty to do long sleeves, but I may end up with 3/4 length. We'll see... I'm just happy that I was able to get a chance to work on it!

Here it is on top of one of my bought sweaters. It's pretty close. It may be a little big around the middle since there is no shaping, but for my first sweater, I'm okay with it.

On a completely different note, has anyone knit while at a professional hockey game? We got there pretty early and I had Glee with me, and maybe it had to do with where our seats were (towards the ice with A LOT of people around), but I wasn't able to get up the nerve to pull it out and work on it. I thought I would be way too conspicuous. I know knitting takes balls :) and maybe I just don't have them.

Three of the most promising young stars in the NHL. Crosby, Malkin and Staal. None of whom scored last night.

Go Marty! Go LIghtning!

Posted by jessie at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

oh.my.god.i.love.LOST! That episode last night was amazing!!! Sayid is a total bad-ass and I wouldn't want it any other way! I've been dying to know if Sun and her english tutor did the dirty, and although I'm not completely convinced that they went all the way, I loved seeing more of that backstory. The shizz is totally gonna hit the fan if the chick Sun shot on the boat dies. Don't think Zeke or crazy Ben will like that too much. Speaking of crazy Ben, showing the Red Sox World Series clip... HOLY CRAP! And you know I can't wait until next week when we get to find out what happened to the boys in the hatch! And just for the hubby's sake... it's not just because the blast blew off Desmond's skivvies :).

Not only was Lost on, but I got my PR fix too! Team Laura all the way! I love that she had the balls to call out Jeffrey on his finishing techniques (or his lack thereof). I know that some might disagree, but I find it pretty odd that out of three seasons, he's the only one with absolutely no work left to do when they arrive in NY. Very fishy.... They showed a clip of him crying after talking to Tim in the preview for next week, but I'm thinking it's just because they couldn't confirm anything and he will be able to show at Fashion Week (of course, even if they do find out that he cheated he'd still get to show since this is airing way after Fashion week actually happened). We'll see... I hope they don't spend too much time on the drama next week and we get to see plenty of the collections!

Okay, just so this isn't completely about tv stuff...

My birthday was last month, and even though I had a terrible head cold, I stil managed to score some awesome gifts!

The dogs we already had :) but the bag is from pureknits, the namaste Executive Handbag in Dusty Rose (I'm pretty sure that's the color name). It's so big! I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but I know I could fit at east two decent size projects inside along with books and my regular purse stuff.

Also from pureknits... an amazing gift from Yahaira!

I'm a "real" lace newbie, so if anyone has recommendations that are worthy of this beautiful bamboo yarn, please let me know! The color that's showing probably doesn't give this yarn justice, I swear it's actually glowing. I love it!

And on one last pureknits note... a peek at what should be there soon...

Posted by jessie at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

WOOOOO HOOOOO! Wednesday's here!!!! Finally Lost is back! I don't want to spoil it for anyone who may still be catching up, but if this season is anything like the last, we're in for some crazy stuff! I can't wait to check out the newest cast members, but what I really want to see is more Desmond! And Sawyer.... and Sayid.....

Speaking of Lost....

I don't think I need to tell you what pattern this is, but I started it last night with some 4-8-15-16-23-42 variegated in the sport weight. I may have found the perfect combo of stitch count and needle size, because there's absolutely no pooling. It's done on US size 2 with 60 stitches and it's fitting like a glove. Well...a sock actually :).

In shop news....

A peek at what I'll be adding to the shop today at 5:00pm est. Clockwise from the top left.... "mimosa", "tequila sunrise", "4-8-15-16-23-42", and brand new is the Project Runway set, "Carry on" (solid blue half-skein for cuffs/heels/toes) and "Make it work" (full skein). They're all variegated, except for the solid blue. For now there will only be one PR set available but if there's interest I'll definitely dye some more up asap.

Happy hump day everyone! Don't forget to watch Lost!!

Posted by jessie at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

As my dogs and cats are my witnesses, these projects will be finished by the end of the month! With the help of a kick-ass Law & Order:SVU marathon on yesterday, I was able to get a pretty good start!

Pretty pink pomatomus socks! I know I'm way late coming to this party, but hey, better late than never! I had started it in a variegated but quickly realized that I wanted to showcase the pattern as much as possible. This is RYC cashcotton and should keep the socks light but still comfy. Socktoberfest, here I come!

Gray blob.

An attempt to make the gray blob look like Glee. This is oh, the fifth start of this sweater. I decided that the hand-dyed yarn was a little too bright for this and I had some RYC Cashsoft in my (miniscule) stash that I've been dying to use. I love how it's turning out but it's been a struggle to get it the right size. After finding out that the original cast-on numbers were incorrect in the pattern, I started over with the small size. That ended up being too big and since this is my first sweater I really want it to fit great. So, now I'm working the x-small and after a couple more rows I'll try it on and see how it fits. I think once it's done, instead of the hook and eyes I'm gonna see if I can find some small toggle buttons and use those for the front closure. I actually started this in the gray before I found the Grey's Anatomy KAL and it's working perfectly to knit during the show. With so much stockinette and the increases being almost done, it's pretty mindless, perfect for keeping your eyes on McDreamy!

In shop news....If you're a Lost and/or Project Runway fan, be sure to check back on Wednesday!

Posted by jessie at 01:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I wasn't planning on having any knitting projects on the needles for a while, but what can I say... I found a great pattern! The girls over at zephyr style are fantastic. As soon as I saw Glee I bought it and had yarn in the dyepot within an hour. I've been dying (dyeing, ha!) to dye my own yarn for a sweater project and I love that this is done in sport weight. So many patterns I find use worsted/aran weight and I've been wanting something lighter that I can wear in the fall and on vaca.

I think this is the largest yarn cake I've ever seen! Before I started it weighed in at about 12 oz. I dyed up almost a pound but had some problems when it came to winding it up. My ball winder and I already had a love/hate relationship and I don't think this helped much. I'm sure it will ask for a trial separation soon :).

Oh, and another weekend project...

Just a smallish envelope pilllow for an Ikea chair that I wanted to soften up a bit.

Cushiness approved!

Posted by jessie at 02:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

I've been wanting to show off this yarn for a while now. Being the computer-idiot that I am, I just could not figure out how to post pictures on the Dye-o-rama website so I wasn't able to let everyone see the great yarn that I received. My pal was Anne and she was just fantastic. I really love how the colors came out. They definitely brought me out of my color comfort zone, which is great!

I started the heelless sleeping socks from Knitting Vintage Socks as soon as i got my package in the mail, but I don't think it's really working so the yarn may be destined to become something else.

This is most likely my next small project... I originally purchased this cashcotton for Glampyre's Orangina and then it was going to be the Lucky Clover Wrap from S & B Nation. Now I'm thinking socks. I can't promise that won't change but for now I'd like to turn the Child's First Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks into an ankle length. If I can manage that, the only other alteration to the pattern will probably be doing short row heels. Ever since I discovered them, I hate hate hate doing flaps!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Posted by jessie at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

hey there! happy monday! Hope everyone's staying out of the heat. I guess I have something that may encourage you to stay inside so on to business..

TAKEN!

Crank up the ac and turn on the stove! If you're interested, the first person to comment and leave me their email address will get this package of goodies. The Wilton dyes are slightly used but there is more than enough to play around with. And it's not in the pic but I'll also throw in a skein of KnitPicks undyed merino wool.

This is possibly the billionth warshcloth you've seen but around here ANY finished project is something to celebrate! These are from the totally fab Mason-Dixon Knitting and the pattern is super easy and quick. I used Sugar & Cream cotton with US size 6 needles and each one took less than a couple hours from start to finish. There's only one silly error in the instructions and that's a psso in the second to last row, not a big deal, if I can figure out it's a mistake anyone can! I'd definitely recommend these as a great simple gift, I also made one in a solid red but it's already been given away!

Posted by jessie at 04:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)