~ [Shadkitty Knitty] ~

Nov 6, 2007

Magical Trevor

I don't know why that song is stuck in my head. But it's a much better title than "I'm a lazy bum and don't want to do anything, including update my blog". Right?

We are going back to mostly pictures again. Sorry. There hasn't been much knitting. Even the second pedicure sock isn't done. Still 12 rounds from finishing. Actually, I did turn the heel on the Nermal socks. No pictures of that though. I did take a picture of Kyle and Emily, figured that I talk about them so much, might as well get a picture, right? See Heather there? That was before we went on a hair cutting rampage. Yes. Everyone has short hair now, except Nolan, who didn't have much to start with. So we left him alone. Kyran looks so much like my brother now that it's a little disturbing. I even called him Daniel once last night. Heather looks SO adorable! Not that she wasn't cute before, just that she looks much better now. You can see her adorable little face.

Now, for the best part of my day. Er. Yester-day. lol First, actually, a bit of background on how that day went. Heather had been up and down all night, we didn't get to sleep until 3am, and she didn't wake up until nearly 11 btw. I spent the morning paying bills and balancing the checkbook. Always fun. Not to mention I was missing Mr. Shad particularly badly. *sigh* Anyways, I was in a mood. Enter Super Pal! AKA Dawn. She is really a great pal, and this box couldn't have been more perfect unless she had found a way to put my hubby in there! It made me so happy that I teared up, actually. Anyone who knows me will know just how fitting these gifts were for me. Oh, and Dawn, it's okay you couldn't find the Turquoise Jeans. I love the Ingrid's Blues, the Claudia Handpainted is so soft and squooshy! Had to resist temptation to cast on! Must finish current projects! Here, have lots of delicious pictures. I didn't want to make a mosiac because then you couldn't see anything.

What you are seeing here is: a skein of Universal Deluxe Chunky Tweed in Ocean, some yummy-licious sounding hot cocoa mix (Green & Black's Maya Gold), a mug/cup in which to put that cocoa, a PotC loofah/squirter, a journal (ps, have I ever described my affinity for journals on here? I'll go find some of the ones I have...just you wait), a cheshire cat keychain (CUTE!), Claudia Handpainted in Ingrid's Blues, there was a cute little bag thing that mug was cozied into it is adorable, some iron-on patches, and temporary tattoos. I assume those last are for the crazies. If not, it's too late, I already said they could have them. :) Seriously Dawn, you rock. Thank you SOOOOOOO much!

Labels: babies, hair, kids, pictures, PRGE, rambling, socks

11:20 | |

Oct 1, 2007

It's Here!

My first PRGE package arrived today!! This is going to be a long post. So hold on!

This box reminded me of Rennfest. It was so bittersweet, I probably won't get to Rennfest this year. Anyways, I opened it and the smell floated up and sent me into a momentary flashback. I had to recover quickly though because my boys were desperate to get a peek into the box! The first discovery was a super cute card. My pal turned out to be Dawn of Wild Yarn!! She is really stellar! The package was so me.

Next I found the source of the lovely smell! A cute little purple bag (with feathers!) full of purple candles and some scented oil!!! Oh yeah, did I mention that the package had a purple theme to it? Oops. lol It does. On with the show. The candles were just perfect. Candles are a...guilty pleasure of mine. Because of the kids I can't usually burn them. My room is full of candles though, and I love them! I love going to stores and smelling them all, trying to find the best ever scent. When I was pregnant with Nolan (I don't remember if I ever posted about this) I set up a mirrored candle display over my bed. It's really pretty, and I just recently burned the last of my tea lights. I immediately set all of these up for ~~myself~~ you guys.

You can see my (husband's) Ramone's t-shirt in the mirror! Next up there is some yummy purple Cascade 220! I *heart* Cascade 220. Who doesn't? It is for the Wavy scarf from Knitty. But I might use it for something else. Only because I don't seem to actually wear scarves. Even when I have them. The color is gorgeous though.

We also have a copy of Rowan: Beach Cool. Okay, the patterns in here are super cute. And my LYS has lots of yarn that I think would work beautifully in them. The Family Fun has cute homemade costume ideas. One is an ice cream cone, which is what I am gonna make Nolan!! Except a little different. His hair always has a little curl on the top which makes him look like a Dairy Queen ice cream, so I will just get some white hair gel and slick it up. Plus lots of other cool stuff that I can look through and that will come in handy since the buget is so tight right now.

I'm almost done now. :) Though I am far from ogling and touching everything in the box. So, last up we have some LOVEPAPER and a super cute notions type bag!! Okay, so the LOVEPAPER is super cute!! You use it to make decisions "of the heart". Each side represents a choice. You tear the paper in half, et voila! The bigger piece is the winner. :) Too cute, n'est pas? How about that bag? Isn't it me? I love purple and chocolate brown together. I want to make a cute chocolate brown skirt to go with my Skating Sweater. (tangent) As I was saying, the bag is just adorable and I think it would nicely for my socks in progress. Since I usually use DPNs, they would fit right in there. Don't you think?

Labels: gifts, happiness, PRGE, yarn

13:12 | |

Sep 27, 2007

Up To?

Sorry. I'm here. I've been knitting. Babies are all sickies. And I am sooo tired because I have to be up with them when they wake up in the middle of the night crying.

This is a short post with lots of pics cuz my head hurts.

FO: Moss Stitch Beret

FO: Twin Booties

Spun:
This is Serendipity Fibers in Beaten. I donated it to the PRGE for pal prizes and stuffs. Navajo-plied, I got two skeins at about 110 yds each, with approximately 10wpi. Being handspun though, it's not perfect. And the second skein is a bit finer in places than the first. Actually, I was pretty proud of it, and almost tempted to keep it for myself. It should stripe pretty nicely, maybe make a cute felted bowl, or some gauntlets.

Day in the life of a bored girl with knitting needles and make-up:

Labels: booties, finished object, hat, pictures, PRGE, slouchy hat, spinning, updating, yarn

15:24 | |

Aug 20, 2007

PRGE Questionnaire

Is it questionairre? Or questionnaire? Nvm. That's what spellcheck is for.

1. Why are you punk?

What? Who told you that? lol Um, I don't know. I like punk and rock music. So, logically, I would be interested in things that are associated with them. Like...being totally weird. Knitting. Dyeing my hair fun colors. Wearing interesting clothes. And so on. Plus, like everyone else, my favorite colors include purple and black. (but not red, I skipped that cliche)

2. What are your five favorite things? (these don't have to be knit related)

Oh, I love lists.

Cats, especially of the Cheshire variety
Books, especially scary ones, or thrilling ones
Vintage items: clothes, movies, books, buttons -- you name it
Socks
DPNs (told you I was weird)

3. What are your three favorite things that you have made with knitting/crochet?

You want me to choose?

Thelonious socks
Wicked
Endpaper Mitts

4. What five things would you love to see in a swap box someday?

Yarn. Seriously, I want a swap box full of yarn. lol
Cool knitting swag. Stuff that proclaims my knitterly awesomeness.
One of those little Chibi things for your tapestry needles.
CDs, Okay, I know it's a knitting swap. But isn't it about the music too?
Patterns. There are lots I want. My printer is totally worthless. :(

5. What are your three favorite yarns? What are your three least favorite yarns?

Love

Wollmeise!
SWTC Bamboo
Cascade 220

Hate

Berroco Gem
Acrylics
Lopi

6. What are your five favorite delicacies?

Oh, I love lists.

Ferrero Rocher (er, I think that's how you spell it. They are gooddddd)
Chocolate chip cookies
Reese's Pieces
Bread, freshly baked mmmm
Hot chocolate

7. What are your three favorite guilty pleasures?

Dexter. It's on Showtime. Seriously.
Anime, especially ones featuring people with kitty ears. :D
Hats. I love them and collect them, but hardly wear them.

8. What are the five things you look forward to every week?

Friday nights. The weekend has arrive and Mr. Shad and I watch Psych.
Going to the knitting shop.
Nap time.
Dinner, I love to eat, especially with the family.
Phone calls from my mom.

9. What do you collect?

Cows, cheshire cat stuff, DPNs, sock yarn, buttons, and blank cards

10. When is your birthday?

December 9th

11. Do you have any wishlists?

Um...sure. I've got one on Amazon.com, search my first and last name, I'll link it later. Also on Etsy.

12. What would you like your pal to know that is not covered here?

I really hope to create a friendship from this swap. Also, I am really random and weird. I appreciate a good sense of humor. Um, if you ask, I will tell you. If you've been reading my blog you know I have 3 ~~critters~~ kids. I don't wear jewelry. And...have fun!

Labels: PRGE, questionnaire

12:11 | |

Jun 3, 2007

Here I Am!

No. I didn't disappear. Every day my computer works less. And I am also trying to keep busy, lest I notice Mr. Shad is not here. Since my last post I have finished My So-Called Scarf, worked 22 rows of the leg of the poor Twisted Flower sock, and received LOTS of packages! We've been to the beach, and the movies twice; but I only sat through one. I learned to play Bunco and saw Pirates of the Caribbean 3. A friend of mine is pregnant, so I get to knit more little baby hats. They're so freakin cute. :) Alright, now pictures. There won't be any links in this post though, it takes longer than I probably have to do that. The computer usually crashes about an hour after logging on, and I have already been on for about 20-30 minutes.

Wollmeise! From left to right: Rhabarber worsted, Mitternacht, and Gewitterhimmel. The camera doesn't show you how gorgeous these really are. And they smell soooo good.

Turns out I am Knitter one for one of the two pairs of Truly International socks. In this picture you see the pattern, needles, notepad (with instructions), and leftover yarn I have chosen to knit my bit. What you don't see is the yummy-licious chocolate Heidi sent with it! I had to put that up and away from little hands before I had time to take pictures.

Wow! Sunne is fantastic! This package made me SOOO happy! I've seen and fondled cashmere at my LYS, but never owned/knitted with any. Two skeins of Mongolian Cashmere in Jade, and four balls of a Cotton/Cashmere blend. And I have no idea what it is. But it's pretty and I've already found what I will make with it. :D The Craft magazine is PHENOMENAL! Seriously, I browsed through it before opening anything else, and I couldn't believe all of the awesome things in it. Thanks again Sunne! You really know me. :) What else? Some sparkly handmade tiger soap (random fact #3: My high school mascot was a tiger RAWR! Go Tigers!), a yummy smelling candle, blinging Hello Kitty stitch markers, other cute stitch markers that I had favorited on Sunne's Etsy shop, a purse made of paper bags (it appears), and some mystery thing that hasn't arrived yet?

Random Fact #4: I shave my arm hair.

Random Fact #5: Even though I own many pairs of shoes, only two pairs really get used. My sneakers and my sandals. Sneakers when it is cold, and sandals when it's hot. As a kid I only had two pairs of shoes (usually from Payless) at any given time. A pair of sneakers, and a pair of "dress" shoes. Most of the shoes I own now were bought because I had forgotten to bring a pair of dress shoes with me somewhere that I would need them.

Labels: lists/surveys, memes/blogthings, pictures, PRGE, scarf, swaps, Truly International Sock KAL, updating, Wollmeise, yarn

12:47 | |

May 2, 2007

Before Bed

Okay, I am aware of what time it is.

Anyways, I just wanted to note that I finally updated my sidebar. Scroll down, see whose blogs I read, where I buy yarn, what projects I have in mind...and so on. It's still not 100%, but I am tired.

Also, PRGE reveals are happening! My pal (the one I am spoiling) is KnitKat, who totally rocks. This whole swap is awesome. Anyways, you'll see her over in the links now. Apparently she has been lurking. :) lol Alright folks, I'm off to pillowland!

Night

Labels: blogging, PRGE, sleep, updating

00:56 | |

Apr 23, 2007

You Spin Me Right Round

Baby, right round!

Thanks everyone for all of the love! I'm feeling much better today. There will be no talk of the weekend, as I've decided it's in the past. I've moved on and so will my blog post. This post has a lot of info too! So pay attention. :) The goal was to saturate it with lots of happy, exciting pictures. I think I can do that.

First things first, my post title is not only a great song, but one I've been saving for the introduction of my wheel! She is (mostly) finished! Only a few things still need attaching, and the Mother-of-All is drying. I wanted to put the finish on it while it was on the wheel so that it didn't stick to the plastic. Let me introduce you, formally, to The Lady Amalthea (henceforth to be referred to as Lady A or just Amalthea). What do you all think of her? Kyran thinks she is just fantastic, of course, he also thought the rubber mallet I used on some of the more stubborn bits was fantastic.... lol

Next up, we have a mail call! Three packages today! Isn't that just wonderful? Now, in the spirit of spreading joy, and just plain fun, I'm having a blog contest. Contest closes at midnight

(EST) on Wednesday. Email me with the answers by that time. The question was inspired by the objects I used to hide personal information. No, it has nothing to do with Spider-man. Thought you had that one, huh? Can you tell me who is on that baseball card? Need a better look? Click on either picture for a (slightly) closer view. Packages were from (in the order I opened them) The Loopy Ewe, MeanBean, and Sunne. Sunne's package had something in it that is for my PRGE pal, so I can't really show you what was in it. Besides, the webcam wasn't having any part in taking pictures of something so small. *sigh* I definitely need a new cam. Something compact and all my own.

The package from The Loopy Ewe contained the Cherry Tree Hill yarn I ordered. I was

kind of...gun-shy about ordering it. Some of my blogging buddies had had bad experiences. But everyone seemed so in love with it, so I had to give it a try. It's funny, I still have not tried Lorna's Laces. I'm not really all that impressed with it. It's strange though, how some yarns seem to be right for certain patterns. Others are just pretty, and don't tell you anything specific. Like all of those yarns I was having trouble with, most of which I've had for awhile. Then today I get the CTH (Northern Lights) in the mail and immediately know that it was meant to be Anastasia.

My next package was some socks from the MeanBean, ! We participated in a sock swap.

Remember the Hederas and my last blog contest? She may have taken awhile to knit these, but it was worth the wait. They are gorgeous! The funny thing? The right sock will fit both feet, but the left sock will fit only the left foot. Isn't that funny? I was worried at first because I put the peculiar sock on first, and was panicked that the socks did not fit! Then I switched the foot it was on and things were fine. lol The cuff is FANTASTIC, not sure how she did it but it's super cute. For the life of me I can't figure out how she did the toe. What kind of toe is that? Can you see Kyran's face? It made me laugh SO hard that I almost couldn't take the picture. How perfect. You would think he'd just unwrapped candy. I mean, I think they are great but he's two, normally socks don't excite a two year old.

Actually, one thing from this weekend. On Saturday night, maybe it was whatever I

had, or the stress of the weekend, but I really wanted to spin. So I grabbed up my drop spindle and the bit of purple merino that Sunne sent to me in my last PRGE package. It's not enough to make anything with, but more than enough to sate the spinning bug. I took the sample and separated it into thirds and then each of those into half. Then, to help control the even-ness of the yarn, I predrafted each piece nice and thin. Really, it helped.

P.S. Could I have possibly used more labels for this?

Labels: babies, blogging, contest, gratitude, happiness, Lady A, PRGE, purchases, socks, spinning, wheel, yarn

16:20 | |

Apr 19, 2007

Let's Breathe

Yesterday I tried my hardest to maintain the calm. I didn't yell at Kyran for going

outside when I told him not to. When the laptop's power cord slid out and I had to reboot and find where I was...I didn't get upset. Even though Kyran wouldn't take a nap, I told myself that he'd go to bed early. Heather spilled milk all over the kitchen counter, floor, and me. Still, I didn't get angry at her, I calmly asked her to wait in her room while I cleaned up the mess. I almost lost my cool when I asked Mr. Shad (at 7:30pm) to pick up a couple things from the grocery store on his way home, and he said no. Not only did he say no, but he asked if he could just come home and I could go. Despite the fact that I had gone the night before and could not start dinner until he picked these things up.

I'm not the greatest mother or wife. But I do my best. I am an emotional person, it happens. Still, I never really go overboard and I apologize for being irrational when I am. So I cleaned up the house and waited for him. At 9 o'clock I went to the

grocery store and McDonald's. Cooking pork chops, peas, and mac&cheese seemed a bit silly now. On the way, my Ipod broke, but I was okay. Mr. Shad would fix it. So, I pick up what I need, grab the food, and go home. It's then that I realize that my order had been screwed up. Normally I'd have gone home and dealt with it. The number of little things that had happened seemed to weigh on me though, so I came home crying. And I refused to tell Mr. Shad why, because I knew that if I just mentioned the burgers from McD's he would not be helpful. Instead he was very understanding, and went back to get the order right. He knows that I am already beginning to deal with the fact that he will be deploying in September, and that he will not be here this weekend.

Today I got my second PRGE package! It's a much better day today! I feel good.

First, I'll let you all in on the secret of who my pal is! None other than the hostess herself, Sunne. Thanks Sunne, you've been fantastic so far, and the whole exchange has been running smoothly it seems. Ky was very excited about this whole thing, he was dancing around the table singing "whatcha got, watcha got, watcha got?!" What a haul! Handpainted Tussah Silk, a smidgen of purple merino, DPNs from size 1US - 6US, a needlecase, handmade soap, scissors, a catnip toy, a cute necklace and a little metal heart. The little metal heart made me think of this worry stone my mother used to have. Forgive the crappy pictures, as you remember, my camera died. *sniffle* I think I have a set of each of the DPNs, well except for the 4s and 5s, but you all know how rough I am on those! lol They will definitely come in handy.

Also, I forgot, I think, to share this package with you. It came in the mail almost

right after I got back. Fantastic. It was an order on Etsy from Traveling Rhinos. I think the roving was like five bucks. Who can pass that up?? Also grabbed a pocky button, man do I love that stuff. It's a priority one! The stuff on the top also came in this package. She was making up for sending it a bit late since they were traveling. Which was actually fine because I was gone. So it arrived as a bit of a surprise!

Labels: life, PRGE, procrastinating, purchases, wool/fleece/roving

13:58 | |

Mar 26, 2007

Monday, Which was Never Good Anyway

Actually, it is a good Monday so far. The weekend wasn't great. Had some stressful and unhappy things happen. Some of which were my fault. None of which I feel like talking about really. So I'll sum it up for you.
Friday: got new glasses, waited for Mr. Shad to come back from Hampstead and went to knitting shop
Saturday: took kids to park (hot), waited at tattoo shop, argued with Mr. Shad at Wal-mart, waited at tattoo shop more, did NOT go to knitting shop, wound Poison Nr. 5 into a ball by hand (hmmm 520yds by hand? bad idea)
Sunday: cast-on Thelonious, realized Mr. Shad had taken camera to work with him!

Well, there is obviously more, but these things are all I'm really covering at the moment. We've been working on my tattoo design but so far it's just not working for

me. I have to be really happy with it, I mean, it's going to be on my body forever. Gotta take some pics of Justin's tats to share with you guys. This time I'll remember to take my cam with me, they totally lost the pics they took. lol Thelonious has made some serious headway, I've already started the heel flap. I don't know if it was the quiet day yesterday, the yarn, or the pattern; I just can't put it down. Speaking of the pattern, seriously, click on the picture and take a peek at that chart. Trust me, you won't be able to read it, I can't even read it. lol I mean not when it's printed out, it had to be on the screen. My printer didn't print that page out correctly, and it's SUPER tiny. I need a magnifying glass.

Today is exciting though because of the mail!! My PRGE package came

today! It's awesome. Mr. Shad walks through the door with an armload of mail and says "Well this is a new one...." and tossed me a 2 liter soda bottle. Yep, it was stuffed with gifts! Ah the cleverness of Una! I of course took pictures and then went about opening the package, er cutting the bottle open. Had to be careful though as I didn't want to damage any of the goodies. :) The bottle contained EZ's Knitter's Almanac (YAY!), Ruby Sapphire superwash sock yarn in Trudi, Caramel filled Hershey's kisses, some cute mini-nail files (which got hidden in the picture), awesome stitch markers, a keychain, a pencil topper and sunflower seeds. :) My garden will be pretty this year.

Even the little card was cute! And the ribbon was all turquoisey and brown,

which I have a thing for right now. Everything in the package was great! There is 550yds of the sock yarn, that's enough for some knee-higs for me! I can't manage to get a good pic of the yarn, it's all dark tealy and lavender like. It's very pretty. Kyran has already claimed the pencil topper, he's walking around with it on his finger. hehe My CafePress.com order came in today too! All you see today will be the penguin magnet, I didn't want to overload you guys on pics. Isn't he cute?

**** Oh I'm a dolt****
I forgot to mention that I finished my Endpaper Mitts. Around Thursday evening I belive? But I didn't want to write up another post and then other things got in the way of my posting until now. Got them done in time for the last stretch of Project Spectrum.

Labels: endpaper mitts, finished object, PRGE, project spectrum, socks, Thelonious, yarn

13:57 | |