I’ve been staring at this skein of bulky, hot pink, ridiculously soft wool/mohair blend yarn that I got in a yarn swap for about 3 months now wondering what the heck I was going to do with it.  I saw this pattern on Ravelry and, well I couldn’t help myself.  All of the other hats people had done with this pattern were in Shrek green, but I decided we needed to step out of the box.

Pattern:  Ogre, My Ogre by Gunilla Levitt

Materials: 1 Skein Brown Sheep Lambs Pride Bulky in Hot Pink (I only used about half the skein)

Size US 15 16″ circular needle

Claire’s reaction is that the hat is “soft, fuzzy and has really silly ears on top”.  Works for me.  It has enough stretch to it that it fits well on her head, and on mine too!  Maybe I’ll be a pink Shrek for Halloween

….you drive 100 miles (one way) to see someone who writes about knitting talk about writing about knitting, and then wait in line to get a book signed by said person.

But it was REALLY REALLY worth it. She is hysterical. Even non-knitters (like Jonathan) find her writing funny.

Marianna had a good time too, which makes it even better.

Ann, sorry I mistook Oak Lawn for Oak Park. Too many damn suburbs in Chicago.

I found out yesterday that I do indeed have tickets to go see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka the brilliant and hilarious blogger and author Yarn Harlot) in Chicago on June 20th. I got so excited. Never mind gas is $4 a gallon and it’s a 90 mile+ drive. I enjoy her books SO much and love her blog as well. I

Here’s the thing. I have 2 tickets. And no one to take. I don’t know a single person who shares the yarn obsession that I have. I only have 3 friends that knit and two live too far away to come, and I think I would scare the other one. Sigh.

Should I go alone? Should I grab my sister and take her with me, just because i know she’s sort of crafty and would laugh?

I have a problem.  A yarn problem.  A SERIOUS yarn problem.  I didn’t realize how bad it actually was until I was this weekend when we were looking for the freaking B&BW bag (15% off) and my mother in law opened my yarn closet which immediately exploded on her.  (I found the bag by the way honey…it was in the yarn closet…behind a bunch of yarn).

Anyway, during Madeline’s naptime this morning, Claire and I took everything out of the closet and sorted it.  One giant tub and 4 giant plastic bags later, the bulk of it is stored in the basement.  The only thing left upstairs is the stuff earmarked for my upcoming projects.  I figure I have enough yarn to last me for the next 4 years.  Seriously.

I know I resolved not to buy any more yarn before, but really this time, I’m going to do it.  I’m going to make a few stash buster baby blankets for a certain person who’s having twins…and cough cough it would be really nice to to know if at least one was a girl cough cough.  I’m going to see how much I can use up before the end of the year.

I finished my first sock that could reasonably fit a human adult today.  I’ve made baby socks galore, but not one that would successfully fit on an adult.  The only adult sock before this one that I made was so tight it wouldn’t go up my leg, so I frogged it.

Anyway, I digress….Isn’t it pretty?

I need to make the leg part longer next time, but these will work my first pair.

The basic pattern is Fine Socks from Briggs & Little, but I substituted 9 inches of ribbing with only about 5 inches of the the slip rib stitch that I made up. It goes something like this

Row 1: *slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, k1* repeat to end
Row 2: Knit

Row 3: *k1, slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front*, repeat to end

Row 4-5: Knit

Now on to sock #2

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Thank you to everyone who participated in my little contest. Together we donated
72 hats to cancer centers for children and adults undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

The winners of the contest are as follows:

• SARAH: 1 skein, Malabrigo Worsted in your choice of color (color choice subject to availability from my Local Yarn Store)
• YVETTE: 8 oz Custom Hand Dyed Merino from Jenny at the Bare Sheep Yarn Company
• MARCI: Stitch Marker Sets offered by Kat of Sweetie Peas Boutique
• BECKY: Stitch Marker Sets offered by Kat of Sweetie Peas Boutique
• MARSHA: One Skein of Handspun yarn from Sarah of They Told Me Sew
• KELLY G: *new prize just added* A skein of gorgeous sock yarn donated by Jo!

Winners, I will be contacting you individually to get your prize information. Thanks again for your participation!!!

Ok Mom’s of boys out there…I need some help! I’m currently making this sweater for a baby shower that I have upcoming:

(picture courtesy of : http://www.flickr.com/photos/11215979@N02/1932020543/sizes/o/in/photostream/)

The problem is that I used a heavier weight yarn than the pattern called for thinking the finished size would be just a teensy bit bigger than if I used the lighter weight. Well, instead of a 3-6 month size sweater, I have something that will easily fit 12-18 months or even larger. I’m going to try it on Madeline when I’m totally finished to see the exact size, but the initial sizing it up against one of her shirts indicates 12-18 months.

Now, I don’t know if this baby that I knit for is going to be a boy or a girl. The baby is due in May, so likely won’t get to wear this sweater until winter. Do you think this sweater is too girly for a little boy? I’m wondering if I should just save it for another friend who is definitely having a girl in May and see if I can finish a different sweater in the 6 days before the shower.

Thoughts? I need to decide today so I can either just finish it and suck it up or else go to the yarn store and get some more yarn.

I saw this posted in the Random Acts of Kindness group on Ravelry and decided it would be fun.

The idea is based of the concept of the movie “Pay it Forward” where acts or deeds of kindness are done without expecting something in return, just passing it on, with hope that the recipients of the acts of kindness are passed on.

So here’s how it works. I will make and send a knit gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment to this post on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I do not know what that gift will be yet, and it won’t be sent this month, probably not next month, but it will be sent (within 6 months) and that’s a promise! What YOU have to do in return, then, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

I will now Pay It Forward to you THREE, I wonder who you will be?!

And, remember…you have 6 months to get your gifts done! Come on, you know you would love to be one of my angels. Then, one day, but you don’t know when….you will get a gift that I have made especially for YOU!

Please remember, you don’t have to knit or crochet to participate, anyone who can make a nice handmade gift is welcome to join

And here are the three lucky ones…….
1. Shaina is #1
2. Linda (aka Spinderella) is #2
3. Maryland Emily