what i did with my winnings

i went to the zoo today with family.  as you can see, our zoo lets you get really close to the giraffes.  it was a fun afternoon, although slightly warm.  after the zoo i went to my lys to pick up a few things.  i am able to do this because last night i happened to be the winner in a poker game i attend every now and then!  i was completely shocked that i won, but happy to have a little extra cash to spend.  one of the things i got was this

it is "happy choices" by plymouth yarn.  it is a length of sock yarn knit up (by a machine from what i can tell), which is then hand dyed by plymouth yarns.  you take out what appears to me to be a provisional cast on at the bottom and knit socks directly from the length of yarn.  i thought it would be really fun to see how the colors come out.  i also got some addi turbo lace needles to knit my icarus shawl with for the ravelympics.  that's really all that is new.  i have some major knitting to get done tomorrow, but other than church and family dinner i don't have anything planned, so it should be a relaxing day.

an overly verbose description of knitting progress

here are the finished results for the first of the tea dyed dishcloths.  i think it came out pretty.  i also found a great tea cup at the thrift store yesterday afternoon.  major progress was made on the baby cardigan, and the other dyed yarn is now dry and waiting to be wound into a ball.  i should have the body of the cardigan  ready to block tonight while i begin the sleeves, which gives me all next week to finish the other two dishcloths before i have to package them up on the 1st and mail them off.    sighhhh...... that is my knitting progress............

photo fun

courtesy of mason-dixon knitting i found this really fun web site photofunia!  i made this one last night, and had to upload it to share with everyone.  go check it out, it's a blast.  all the yarns for the dishcloth swap are officially dyed and are hanging to dry.  so i cast on for that baby shower gift last night, and it is coming along swimmingly.  here is what the yarn dyed with red zinger tea looks like:

warning: knitting content in full force

well, i am finally caught up on sleep and knitting!  last night i finished my charade socks, and here are the finished products:

the pattern was great.  turned out pretty, and was easy to knit.   they were given to the recipient this morning, upon the condition that she model them for me.  

i have been working as well on the three dishcloths for the swap i am in on ravelry.  i have changed my game plan a bit, and am dyeing all three skeins of yarn with tea.  the first with black tea, the second ball with red zinger tea, and the third with green tea.  i am going to include the unused tea bags in the care package as well as a tea cup from a thrift store.  it will be a totally tea themed care package.  i  am almost finished knitting the first dishcloth:

the second skein of yarn is dyed, and the third pot of tea is brewing now.  thank goodness this swap only involves dishcloths, which take little time because i was just invited to a baby shower of a friend from church.  she is having a little girl and i am planning on knitting her a sweet little cardigan in yellow, and putting bumble bee buttons on it!

desperate for rest!

matthew and i are currently in recovery from the desperation conference.  we took the high school youth group from our church this past weekend, and had a blast.  however, now into our thirties, we forgot how little sleep teenagers require.  so today we are in recovery.   tomorrow, knitting updates and pics.

summer madness

you may remember the post where i talked about my new knitting rock star?  well here she is again, having almost completed her first knitted item ever!  (i forced her to pose for this)

my knitting on the other hand is moving along, but being hindered by some summer business.  i am three quarters done with the charade socks, having turned the heel on the second sock this morning.  i really need to finish it this week, because i just found out today that i have been invited to a baby shower and i want to knit something for it.  i also have the dishcloths to knit for the swap i am in, then olympic knitting..... sigh

july has turned out to be a very busy month.  this next week i have vacation bible school to help out at, and this weekend matthew and i are taking the high school youth group to the desperation conference.   it should be a really great weekend with them.

during august i plan to do virtually nothing!

i hope everyone had a fantastic fourth.  matthew and i grilled out, then went and saw the pictured above fireworks.  the nice thing this year is that we live close enough to the park where the display is that we can walk, thus avoiding traffic and parking.

in knitting news i am plugging away on a pair of socks, and then i am knitting up the dishcloths for the swap i am in.  when those are done, it is time for olympic knitting!  i cannot believe august is so close already.

i finally finished the vest i have been knitting for matthew last week, and i have to say, i am pretty happy with it.  i used a pattern found in the magazine, "knit it!" (spring 2007).  it was knit with lamb's pride cotton fleece in pine green that i bought from the second's shop at the mill when i went about a year ago.

in other show and tell news,  jen knit me these socks as a gift!

i really like them.  they are perfectly simple with pretty lace in the back.  the pattern is called "apple harvest sock" and can be found on ravelry.  she used sock yarn she also got at the brown sheep mill, and i love the color!  thanks jen!