Bored, bored, BORED

With my first Camp Loopy project done and still a few days until I can start the second, my knitting has become extremely boring. I should be finishing WIPs for Stash Dash, but it's starting to feel insurmountable, so I've turned to plain knitting. So I haven't been working on them. The purl side insarsia still has be down on the Mangyle and I haven't felt like working on the sleeves of the other two yet. So I worked a little on my Sock Yarn Blanket since I got a shipment of the Gnome Acres Mini Skein Club. I'll get some pictures and post them next week.

I started another Sockhead hat in Stray Cat Socks in her Blue Moon colorway. This one is for my 12 year old son. He picked out the yarn from my stash and asked for a hat. I was in the mood to do another Sockhead and wanted to see how a self striping yarn would do with the pattern. Glad to say that we are both pleased with the results.

The only WIP I've been working on is my Carson Shawl. And it was barely a WIP before Stash Dash started, I was only 10-20 lines in. But it is a fairly easy pattern, though the rows are pretty long now and will only get longer. 

I did finish my Watercolor Memories Socks in Lollipop Yarn. They were vanilla socks and were plain but fun to knit. I have started another pair for my niece with the left overs.

 

I've been reading too.  In the last week I finished :

I really enjoyed both books!

Right now I'm about to finish:

Next up:

Summer Reading Bingo

My oldest son and I are having a competition. I heard about Summer Reading Bingo on the Books of the Nightstand podcast. They have their own bingo cards but we are using the Random House version for 2014 because they have a adult and a YA version. The challenge goes from Memorial Day to Labor Day and so far I am WAY ahead. That is my card to the right. I'm working on my 8th book today. It's a combo of audio and kindle books, but I started with the shorter ones first. My son is starting on his second one and he's already lost his card! Now I may have had an unfair advantage so far because he has been so busy since school got out. He spent a week at soccer camp. That's him sleeping on the way to camp one morning. And then went camping for Father's Day weekend.

I was able to finish my Camp Loopy socks last weekend and blocked them. They still don't fit, so they will be going to my friend's daughter. I also bought my yarn for Project 2. The prompt for this month is to use 600 yards and for the project to remind you of your favorite location to vacation or relax. I am going to make myself a Low Tide Cardigan by tincanknits in Sweet Georgia Tough Love Sock in the colorway Mist. Low Tide is representing the beachy family vacation that we are taking at the end of July. The color Mist is representing my summer mission trips to Guatemala during the rainy season. My husband and I were dating the first year, decided to get married on the second, and were married and pregnant with our first child on the third. So of course it is a special place to me. The yarn is below on the right.

Since my Camp Loopy project is done, I am focusing on Stash Dash this week. I should be working on my husband's birthday sweater vest. But I'm not. I picked up the Carson shawl that I started back in the spring. It's by Romi Hill and it my second one so far. The first one was given to my mom for Christmas. It's a really relaxing knit and looks way more complecated than it really is. I am using Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in the Summer Blooms and Thunderhead colorways. I love this combo! I also started (and have almost finished) some Vanilla Socks using Lollipop Yarns self striping in Watercolor Memories.

 

I also got my last package from Desert Vista Dyeworks. This was a last minute buy with the coupon code from the Stockinette Zombies in May. I got a kit with 2 half skiens that is Pink Inspired and I'll use for Stitch Surfers. Then I got two of her Zombie inspired colorways Zombody Doodle Dandy and Chocolate Something?? Zombunny. 

I finished:

 

Right now I am working on:

Becoming a Problem

I seem to still be stashing. Apparently I have a deep seeded fear that there will be a knitting apocalypse and all the sheep will die out. I am slowing though and plan to stop for a while, except for the few clubs that I am in. I am also getting the summer renovating bug. We live in a house that is about 50 years old. It's been redone over and over again and a bit of a hodge-podge. So we are replacing and re-working it as we go. Last summer we painted the outside of the house and re-did the living room. It involved some demo (fun!), texturing the walls, new flooring, and my husband built some new steps. It's still a work in process, too. This weekend the sink in our tiny bathroom started leaking. We took this as a sign to start re-doing the bathroom. New vanity and faucet, check! This room needs to be completely demo-ed so we can upgrade the plumbing. We're not quite ready for that yet so the vanity is not permanently placed yet. But it's no longer leaking! 

I got a package from The Cyborgs Craft Room. This was a total impulse buy and really because I loved to colorway names. I got a skein of Impromptu Dance Party (on the right) in her Softwear base which is 80/20 Merino/Nylon and super yummy! The other is Unicorn Rainbow Fight! (on the left) in her Assockilate base which is 75/25 Merino/Nylon. It's not quite as soft but still nice. I think these will be Sock Head hats. I love my Technicolor Dreamcoat one and it's such a great travel project. I'll keep one for myself and the other 2 will be gifts.

 

Next I got a long awaited shipment from Fish Knits. I think I ordered while she was out of town, so it took a while to get. But I have been stalking the skein on the left for quite a while. It is on her Strong Heart base which is 80/20 Merino/Nylon. But it's the colorway that I love. It's called Fuji: Fight Like a Girl. Fuji is the beloved pet and mascot of the Wolfe Farms video cast, run by Dawn and James. They are a super sweet couple and I love their podcast, especially their love of animals. Fuji was diagnosed with Lymphoma back in August and went through chemo and just finished a month or so ago and is in remission. The purchase of this skein helps support her hospital bills and travel expenses for the Wolfe's. The other 2 skeins are on the Boot Strap base which is 80/20 BFL/Nylon. The left is called Sunny Days and the center is Jacob's Onesie. All of these are self striping and will probably be socks. The Fuji colorway I plan to copy Step of the Must Stash Podcast's Celtic Socks. These are Socks on a Plane but use the Murphy's Knot instead of the included cable.

The last package (can you see my husband's eyes rolling) was from my fav! Desert Vista Dyeworks has such great colorways. And I may have one more package coming from her! This week I got Happy Birthday Cupcake on the left and Tiptoe Through the Tulips with Zombody on the right. Both are self striping and have some stripes that are speckled.

Last I have an update of my Camp Loopy project. I've finished the first sock and I'm almost to the heel of the second as of today. I went ahead and blocked the first one and I can't get my foot into it! So they may not be for my best friend anymore, but maybe for her daughter?!? I still love doing color work and I think these are beautiful!

And what I'm reading right now:



I finished in the last week or so, went on a bit of a book binge too!:

Out of this set my favorite was Storm Front, but I will be reading on in each series.

Busy and Loopy

We had a crazy busy weekend. Preschool graduation, a family baby shower, and church picnic. Some where in there I hurt my back and it's still shooting pain up my neck and giving me head aches. I just barely finished my Stitch Surfers and got my Camp Loopy Project started on Sunday. I needed sleep, heck, I still need sleep. And my kids have not been cooperating. But I did get my Water for the Elephants socks started. Ok it was just the cuff but it's something. I'm about half way through the leg today, so I'm making good time. I always really love color work. For some reason it seems almost magical to me. I do two handed color work, so it goes fast. But these needles seem really tiny, so that's slowing me down. I usually knit socks on DPNs but this pattern calls for 2 circs, so I thought I'd try it. I really don't hate it at all, in fact I don't worry about my stitches slipping off as much as with the DPNs. But I sure am not moving as fast as with DPNs.  

I got snagged some more Gnome Acres in her update on Friday and it came in the mail on Monday. I love her super quick shipping. This first one is Gnome of the Lake. I seem to be really attracted to blues and greens lately. Not sure what I'll do with it yet. The second is a Doppelganger Set in Bertie Bott's with a matching Berry color short skein. This will be another pair of Stitch Surfers, some day!