A Cool Rain Surprise

Finally, I can show you something else that I was working on just before coming to the States.

Remember the Cool Rain that I spun up a while ago? This is what happened to it:



I gave this to my friend Sarah for her baby, VJ, earlier this week.

Daisy turned 4 months old and got her ears pierced.

My beautiful girl!

I got my sockapalooza socks and they're fabulous! Can't take a picture at the moment, but they're beautiful and fit me perfectly. They were knit by the lovely Domesticat!

I'll post more details about the above sweater and the socks later this week. For now, it's off to the beach for a few days!

Meds and some handspun

(So yesterday, I finally decided I'd had enough of being sick. Normally, my body fights sickness just fine, and nothing lasts more than a few days, but this was just getting way too frustrating. A full week of fever is just not normal. My mom took me to the Dr, and she prescribed some Amoxicillan (sp?!), which is safe for use while nursing a baby, and I started the meds last night. I still feel like I got run over by a truck, but at least I'm not as stuffy. I just keep hoping that when I wake up from one of my many naps, I'm going to suddenly feel all awesome and ready to take on the world. Still waiting, I'll keep you posted on that one.

In other more fun and fibery news, I can finally blog about something that I was working on in the last week or two that I was in Germany. When Mouse won first place in the Find Me A Shoe contest, I knew that I wanted to send her some really special handspun. We both happen to like purple, and I didn't have any on hand that I was willing to give up. I had a bunch of pewter Merino roving in my stash, so with the help of Kool-Aid, I overdyed to make this:


I wanted it to match her blog, and it actually almost does.

I then spun some pretty fine singles for the end result of this two-ply:

If I remember correctly, there's over 400 yards of fingering weight-ish Purple Popsicle Twist.

During the wet-finishing it I roughed it up a little so that the fibers would bloom and felt ever so slightly, making a tougher and bouncier yarn. It should be a little more resistant to pilling than it might otherwise be.

It was really fun to be able to send something to Mouse, because I've been reading her blog since the beginning of my blogging days, and there was a whole year where we even lived pretty close to each-other. Somehow, we've still never managed to meet in person, so Mouse, consider this our little visit, and my thank-you to you for being a good online friend who took the time to comment on my blog even when I sucked beyond all sucking at the blog-thing back in the beginning.

Completely unrelated, but there's a stash sale going on over at Yarn Ball Boogie. It's good stuff too (lots of Manos, and other!). Go run over there and buy everything before I do.

All the good mail (and I know someone you might know...)

About a week before I flew back to NY, I had one of my favorite kinds of playdates. It's the kind that combines good pizza and quality spinning time.

Do you know the spinner on the right? It's fellow blogger Rachel (of the Whisper Lace sock pattern). Pretty strange knowing a blogging friend in real life. We don't live too far from each other in Germany, so we get together twice a month or so for knitting and spinning. We also happen to have some little people who match up pretty well age-wise.

A good time was had by all.

A while back, I had mentioned some really good stuff that I'd been getting in the mail. I did take pictures like the good little blogger I am, but never got around to posting. Something about suddenly being thrust into the role of Single Mom knocked the wind right out of me. Anyway, here are some highlights:

A package from my husband's cousin Jessica, blog reader and podcast listener. It was she who won the Name That Baby contest with the entry "Daisy".

The package from her included candy for the boys, a card featuring her scarf in progress (knit from the handspun I sent her!), and most excitingly the book Braids & Bows.

She remembered from months ago when I mentioned that if my baby was a girl I'd have to buy this book for her. I used to have it when I was little, and learned to do many fantastic hairstyles in my younger sister's hair, as well as my own.

I highly recommend it for anyone wondering what to do with longer hair. I got the warm fuzzies when I sat down to flip through it. I can't wait for Daisy's hair to grow long enough!

Jessica used new kitchen towels as padding, because they were approximately the same as paper packing material, but they have the benefit of being reusable. I love it!

Next up is a little package from blog reader Faith. (I have a special place in my heart for anyone named Faith. It's not a common name, so it's always kind of a thrill to meet someone I share the name with.)

Faith won "second place" in the Find My Shoes contest, and before I could even get her package out the door, she had sent me this! I'd never felt Malabrigo in person, and I have to tell you that it's definitely all it's cracked up to be and more.

I don't think I'd ever knit a sweater out of it because of the pilling factor (it's a worsted weight singles yarn of pure Merino, so the soft fibers will eventually start to drift out), but it is fabulously suited to accessories like scarves and hats. This perfect shade of blue will probably be a nice cushy scarf for fall.

And then came the shoes!

I forgot to take a picture of the third pair, which followed these by a week, but I love them all!

The bronze ones came in their very own sock knitting bags.

I wonder if the Earth company realizes this?

And then, just because I'm sure that I didn't post enough Daisy pictures yesterday, I leave you with this one:

(Jillian couldn't resist the swimming goggles when she found them on my living room floor!)

Small-fry pics and socks in progress

Daisy is getting so big! I just realized that I haven't taken pictures in a while, so here's a little shoot that I did today. (Click for the gallery if you wish.)

(As you can see, the boys were less than pleased to pose in the bottom row there.)

Thank you for all of your well wishes. I'm still feeling pretty sick, but I'm drinking lots of water, taking vitamin C, and drinking immunity booster tea. My mom made chicken soup last night too, which has been wonderful.

I haven't managed to knit at all in the past week. I've been feeling so weak, but finally I was able to pick up the needles today and work on my Sockapalooza socks a little today. I feel so terrible that they're not done yet, but hopefully I'll be able to work on them in ernest soon; it shouldn't take too long to finish the second sock up.



I love the way the stockinette panels wave back and forth between the twisted stitch patterned parts.


Pattern: Marina Piccola by Kate Gilbert