Happy Blog Anniversary

It's so hard to believe that this is my 2 year blog anniversary. This has been a great journey documenting my new love of knitting. I continue to grow and look forward to many more years of blogging.

Summer of Socks

I have joined the Summer of Socks KAL and I'm so excited. Who would have thought that I could participate in a group like this. It starts in June, so I need to practice, right? So I ordered sock yarn from the Loopy Ewe. The yarn is (from left to right), Fiesta Boomerang in Madrid, Paca Peds in Frosty Nite and Carribean Chocolate. I also had to buy the cedar balls to keep the moths away from my yarn.

I finished up my monkey socks and I love how they turned out. I'm really pleased with this pattern. For my first patterned sock, it was really not a bad experience and I know I will make more. I believe I even have one picked out, but will knit it later. Right now I'm back to the basic sock pattern. But, in the meantime, here is a picture of my monkey socks. I used Dream in Color Smooshy in Happy Forest with size 2 needles.

I finished up two more comfortghan squares. That makes a total of 8 finished and 16 more to go. This one is called Little Fountains by Mary Dixon. I used TLC Essentials yarn in the color Falling Leaves with size 8 needles. This was a fun pattern to knit.

I really liked the mid-month dishcloth KAL this month. It's called Every Day, Any Day by Sue Schaefer from Harvest Moon Designs. I used Peaches and Creme yarn in Shades of Pastels with a size 7 needle. Sue is a great designer.

I'm also looking forward to making a sock monkey. I heard about these kits from the STR Ravelry group and just had to have one. The colorways I got are Rhodonoite and Purple Rain.

Well, I'm off to knit more socks. Practice, Practice, Practice.

Reading is so relaxing

I have been catching up on reading, which is a good thing since I have a goal to reach by the end of the year and it helps that it is so relaxing. You can disappear into the story and forget everything else. Sometimes, all I want to do is read and not do anything else.

I read the following books:

K is for Killer - Sue Grafton

L is for Lawless - Sue Grafton

Fourth of July - James Patterson

Fifth Horseman - James Patterson

Sixth Target - James Patterson

Seventh Heaven - James Patterson

Nells Cowboy - Debbie Macomber

Lone Star Baby - Debbie Macomber

The Cowboys Lady - Debbie Macomber

The Sheriff Takes a Wife - Debbie Macomber

Things I Learned from Knitting - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

The Shopaholic and the Sister - Sophie Kinsella

I enjoyed all of these books and do recommend them.

Of course, I've also been on a yarn buying binge.

I got Fortissima Socka - Mexiko Color from Kraemers. One of my knitting friends was knitting a sock with this yarn and I really like how it turned out.

I couldn't pass up Dream in Color Smooshy yarn in Punky Fushia.

I love this Lornas Laces Shepherd sock in Grumperia colorway that I got from Birds-N-Yarn.

I got my first shipment from the Plucky Knitter sock club. It's the Classic sock in Captain Wentworth colorway.

And finally, I have been drooling over Sweet Georgia yarn. I discovered her right around the time she decided to take a break from dyeing yarn. I waited over a whole year and she finally came back, but I could only get laceweight yarn in the Logwood colorway. It was worth it, but I still want to get at least one skein of her sock yarn.

Haven't done much knitting this week. I have been catching up on housework and reading Barbara Walters book: Audition. It's page turner.

My Local Yarn Shop: Kraemer Yarn

Here are pictures of the newly renovated Kraemer Yarn Shop in Nazareth.

Walking in the door:

To the right of the door:

In the back of the store. The wall has Dream in Color, Farmhouse Yarns and Summit Hill:

My Friday knitting group:

Linda's log cabin lap blanket. The pattern is Valley Log Cabin blanket from Webs using Plymouth Encore Yarn. I am going to make one of these. She did make some modifications by doing the same pattern in each square and bordering each square with a dark grey. The photo is exactly how this lap blanket looks.

Mandy's almost completed vest for her husband:

Lois's prayer shawl:

Beautiful Eileen who is the sock lady. She is holding two sock puppets that they are selling in kits with the yarn and the pattern. Although, they are sold out right now. They are really cute.

This is Char with her completed baby sweater. Several members are making this baby sweater. Isn't it cute.

Our wonderful teacher, Pat:

I love my Friday knitting group!

Wonderful Weather makes for great knitting

What great weather we had the last two days! It's been beautiful enough to sit out on my back porch and knit away. I also started listening to my ipod while I knit. I belong to Audible books and have enough books to catch up on over the summer. It was great; however, today is overcast and it is going to rain. Oh well, you have to take what you can get and enjoy it while you can.

I have been knitting my socks. I am finally getting over the fear of knitting the Monkey socks. I finished one sock and started on the other. I am really enjoying this pattern.

I have also been working on my Flat Feet socks. I have gotten further with these, but I am still on the first sock. I like how this is striping and the colors are wonderful.

Finally, I am back to knitting comfortghan squares for my dishcloth group. I knitted two of the Basket Welt Square by Mary Dixon. I used TLC Essentials in Falling Leaves with size 8 needles.

I also finished my May KAL with my dishcloth group. It's called Wedding Rings. I used Peaches and Creme yarn in Lt Grape with size 7 needles.

I dug out the Chevron Scarf that I started in March 2007 and was able to knit quite a bit on that this last week. I really like this scarf. It uses Socks that Rock in Watermelon Tourmaline and Farmhouse yarn with size 5 needles. The pattern is from Last Minute Knitted Gifts book.

So, I have been busy knitting. What are you knitting?