Curiosity that DIDN'T kill the cat..........

I finished another SSS. This pair is for one of my granddaughter's for this Christmas. It is a basic flap sock pattern of my own according to individual foot measurements. The yarn is Claudia Handpainted Yarn in the Red Wagon colorway. I really like this yarn a lot. I used 3.25 mm needles.

The socks on the right are knit with Patons Kroy Sock yarn in the Paint Box colorway #54567 with the solids Louet Gems in the Black colorway. Same type original pattern for a grandson this Christmas. Another SSS hits the dust!

I got curious so I dug through my knitting books and this is what I found.

I got the following at Half Price Books:

Title List Price HPB Price
Knitting Hand-Dyed Yarns(Burns,Blaydes/Kaisler, Tosten)28.95 5.98

Kids*Kids*Kids (by Knitters Mag) 19.95 3.00

Vintage Knits (30 from Rowan) 25.00 9.98

Knitted Toys (Mc Tague) Have 2 of these 18.95 7.98

Design &Knit the Sweater of your Dreams (Michler) 21.95 3.00

Beyond Wool (Strick) 34.95 7.98

Paintbox Knits 29.95 9.98

More Paintbox Knits 31.95 5.98

A Garden Stroll Knits Inspired By Nature (Ihnen) 34.95 7.98

Knitting in the Round (Stauffer) have 2 of these 24.95 5.98

Party Knits (Griffiths/Stanfield) 19.95 9.98

Knitting Stitch & Motif Directory (Pearce) not listed 12.95

Knitted Babies(Those skinny legs and arm dolls)Garland 15.95 7.98

Knitting for Babies & Kids (Stauffer) 24.95 5.98

New Knits on the Block (Howell-Knitty Gritty) 14.95 5.98

Kids'Knits for Heads, Hands&Toes (Bliss) 17.95 8.98

Teach Yourself Visually Knitting (Turner) 24.99 12.48

Handknits for Kids (Lucinda Guy) 23.00 7.98

A Treasury of Rowan Knits (80 patterns) (Sheard) 39.95 9.98

Glorious Color for Needlepoint&Knitting (Kaffe Fassett) 19.95 4.98

Family Albumn (More Glorious Knits for Children
and Adults (Kaffe Fassett and Zoe Hunt) 24.95 3.60

Country Knits (Bliss and Giona McTague) 19.95 7.98

1000 Great Knitting Motifs (Luise Roberts) 19.95 6.98

Totals (Saved $156.62) $268.43 111.81

I also discovered that these represent about 1/2 of my total books.
I didn't realize there were that many. I will buy more than one copy to use in swaps.

Sure looks like it is worth while to check Half Price Books once in a while. I check everytime I am out 'just' shopping.

Oh yes, of course I have nothing financial to gain and not connection to this store or any other. I just like a bargain!!! Got to feed the cats and buy yarn!

Mock Cable Socks OTN

Finished the pair of Mock Cable Socks from Knitting on the Net. This is my favorite sock pattern to knit. I can do it without the pattern now so it makes for great TV knitting. It makes the cable stitch by K3 and then bringing the first of the three knitted stitches over the other two and off the needle. NO CABLE NEEDLE NEEDED! It also has an YO in a previous row that creates a lacey opening inside the cable. This pair is done with Trekking XXL 78 colorway. I used 2.75mm needles for a ladies size 5 sock. Well, now on to start the next SSS sock.....next up-Christmas socks for the grandkids.

Don't tell Always Alice........

I belong to Long Star State Knitters, a great yahoo group of Texas knitters. You join this group and you have sooooo much fun. It feels like being adopted into a great big family...I mean HUGE! And everyone has such huge hearts of gold. Your first day of lurking will show you how much everyone cares about each other....encouraging....enabling....sharing hurts and fears and the loving responses..............it just warms your heart.

Then..............................................................................................................................................there's Alice.................................................................................................................................Always Alice as she calls herself (no, I don't know why)................................................................................loving, big hearted, FUNNY, Always Alice. ALICE OF THE:

"Ok, it's time for a FO update. You shared what you are working on, now own up..................where do those OTN things stand???? Hum, Hum, Hum..........own up."

Tongue in cheek of course and you gotta love her, bless her heart. I'd never get anything done if I didn't know AA was going to check in soon with 'Report'.

So this post is all about my reading a post from my For_The_Love_OF_Socks group. They were talking about SSS and someone wrote in "What is SSS?" For those of you who knit socks, you know this person hasn't been knitting socks for long, lol. Those who think knitting socks is silly as long as there is WALMART won't understand but I'll tell you anyway. Knitting socks is like eating chocolate Hershey's kisses, or Lay's potato chips........................you can't just do one (well, sort of, but let me explain).

Knitting socks is soooo addicting. The fun of choosing the yarn and the excitement, really excitement, of how it looks knitting that stockinette swatch for gauge, then choosing the perfect pattern to show off the yarn...........aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh, better than sex (well, maybe not). Knitting that first sock is such a pleasure.

Now the second sock, that's a problem! I don't know why really. Socks are small, don't take that long, portable so good for 'waiting for soccer practice to be over' or 'I just love sitting in the doctor's office!' times. I think it is just because sock knitting also has another problem. Socks only take one 100 g ball for a pair of average socks and the variety of sock yarn and colorways out there is astonishing. Sock knitting is getting so popular that the yarn companies are constantly expanding their NEW lines knowing we just can't resist seeing what 'that yarn will look like knitted' since I only need one ball and I can always afford to spend that much!!! (Famous last words, just ask my daughters....8(.......) Ah hum, anyway...............so you finish the first sock and by then (2 days for me) you have already seen someone's sock they knit with THAT yarn in THAT pattern and you think you can JUST cast on and knit a little..........for fun..............and a little more to see what the heel will look best in....sl1, k1 ribbed heel or maybe the partridge (my fav). And once that is done........will you are almost finished.

Sigh....

That is why I say "Don't tell Always Alice! Please...."

I know she would just smile and be encouraging........more like an adoring favorite aunt than good 'ole Mom but if Alice knew that I am the Queen of SSS, oh, heaven help me! I might have to start on those 7......or 9............well, would you believe 12?............na, me either..............I stopped looking at 15!!! first socks started and 9 single socks (yes, those completed socks in the photos are all singles except for one) grieving for a mate. (Hey, I haven't had a mate for 20 years...so pull up your big girl panties..oh, wait a minute! That's what my friend Kathie keeps saying..........oh, where was I?)

I crammed as many of the unfinished first socks onto the scanner as I could. (Forgive me Father for I have sinned....). And I did just make a pair for a swap, does that count? no.........................

Well, I am not moving to Tyler for another 3 months so in between sorting and packing I will finish socks.

Promise......just don't tell Always Alice..................

Just incase!

Laters,

Barb

PS. You know I luv ya, AA!

Moving right along........

My socks for the Saucy Sock Swap and packaged and ready to mail. Joni's April 13 birthday package is ready to mail. Finished som easy knitting making mini socks for sock keychains for future swaps and a preemie hat for LSSK group.

So wish I could just knit....and knit....and knit.......but I am supposed to be moving the first week in June! I HATE MOVING!!! So, how does someone without a car and a phobia about leaving the house move? VERY SLOWLY! Any suggestions would be welcome..lol. Gas is so high that the girls need me to send money so they can make the trip.....I am so paranoid about the little money I have that I am holding on to every cent. I am sorting and getting rid of as much as I can. Was going to save some things for a garage sale after I move but I got to thinking I probably would have to pay more to move them then I would get in a garage sale. I have NEVER made any money at garage sales!!! My daughters can but not me! Looks like the only answer for me would be to just pay to have a movers pack and move. I HATE MOVING!!! Have you ever Priced! moving boxes? I never had a clue how expensive they are and it costs more to purchase them from the mover, have them delivered and pack myself than the bid they gave me. Problem is, I don't think I will have enough $ to cover everything to get into a rent home with June's check sooooooooo everything is going into storage in Tyler and I will stay with my daughters for a month or two while I 'shop' for a rental. Have I said how much I HATE MOVING! And the really crazy thing is everytime I move I swear it will be the last. I moved 13 times the 5 yrs after I divorced..20 yrs ago. I think I have moved 7 times since 1993. Geez, that's 20 times in the last 20 yrs!!! ROFLMAO...it just dawned on me! I have fears about leaving the house so I guess I just MOVE THE HOUSE!!!! ((((((((((((going to schedule a therpy session.......)))))))))))))))))

laters,

Barb

out of the mouths of babes..................

Sunshine, (daughter #4) called last night.
Tator, 4 1/2, came to her and said

she was 'hurt....... ..down there'

Of course, you can imagine the thoughts racing through Mommy's head about then but this is my calm daughter.... ......... ......... ......... .........

"Where, Tator?" (You know, just in case she is misunderstanding. ....)

"You know, down there", she replies.

"Tator, how did that happen?", Mommy says...chanting to herself..calm....calm....calm.....

Tator tilts her head to the side and looks at the floor."Well, it really was the egg....." her voice trails off.........

"AN EGG?" (I would imagine about now Mommy is starting to lose it.)

"yes........ I was trying to lay it and it cracked open and cranked me!!!!(a plastic easter egg, of course) She has her own special words!!

I can soooo see Sunshine. STRAINING not to laugh while she comforts Tator
as if everyone tries to lay eggs....hehe.

My first thought at this point was to ask her if she laughed.
I would have been rolling on the floor laughing so hard I cried!!!!!
Mommy says, 'no'........ ......... ......... ..but then we both crack up!!!!!!!

I can hear Tator in the background.. ......... ......... ......... ......... ......... .....

WELL, YOU ARE NOW!!!!!!!

You are now!!!!

Just had to publish this to go with the last post..........don't you think?

Life, AGAIN.............

This is my Daffodil dishcloth for a swap. It is from my Monthly Dishclot swap but an old pattern from before I joined.
© Copyright April 2, 2006
Designed, knit & scanned by Melissa Bergland Burnham
Oscarsdotter@earthlink.net
2007 May KAL - Garden Daffodils Knitted Dishcloth Now that I have seen the picture I see I made a mistake in the border...........and I need to get it in the mail today so I guess this just proves I'm not perfect, lol.

Isn't this the prettiest afghan. It is a pattern for a knit a long from Lion Brand. The pattern is free for another week and you get a discount on the yarn. Don't tell Sunshine, I order too much yarn, but I ordered 10 skeins of Blue Heather to make it for my sofa throw. Can't wait to get started but I am going to take my time knitting it since it is going to be really hot soon here in Texas. I also finished some more dishcloths. These are to be sent for a swap today. It was for 2 cloths with realistic flower motifs. I reallly like the rose the best and will do it again. Here is the pattern creator...I forgot to save the link when I made a word doc with the pattern but I am sure you can google it. Rose Dishcloth
Designed by Amy-lynne Mitchell
©Copyright 2007

The absolute worst thing happened yesterday. I decided to take a chance and talked myself into going to meet an online knitting friend. (You know how hard it is for me to do things!) We were to meet around noon at the Plano train station. Now I live in Irving and don't drive sooooo..........

8:00am 4 hours...ok that should be plenty of time...it usually takes 2 to 2 1/2 hrs to do the same trip to get to the next station in the ride which is where my daughter picks me up. Plenty of time!!! So I leave at 8am to go to the bus stop to wait for the bus. Get on the bus at about 8:15 and as I ride I knit, of course. After about 15 min. I realize I am going the wrong way...this means I will be riding for an hour to the other end of this bus' route to get on the train. I start to get off and go the other way but with bus waits that can be an hour it seems just as good to just ride it out. I get off an 35 min. later the bus pulls into the north Irving train station and the driver informs me that she doesn't go any further because she is going to the bus garage so I have to get off and get on another bus that will take me to the train station. As I am sitting there watching bus after bus pull in only for them to say 'garage' also so I ask the station attendant when there will be bus running again and he tells me not for another 30 minutes!!!! Ok, be patient.....that will be 10:35, still have time. So I knit some more. 10:40 I get on the bus that will take me to South Irving and the Trinity Express train to downtown Dallas and the DART Red Line train to Plano. It takes 39 mins to ride to my transfer point. I get over to the train station and low and behold the train isn't coming for another 30 MINUTES.....Long story shorter... at noon I am on the Red line train to the Plano station but I am still 30 minutes away....still in downtown Dallas. I arrive FINALLY at downtown Plano at 12:40 but I don't see anyone knitting???? Oh crap! Now, I don't have a cell phone so there is no way to call her........so I sit down and knit.

We never did meet up. I took the train back at 2:30 and got home at 5pm. At least there were no delays on the way back. I was sooo disappointed and feeling bad for Hedy. Of course, my crazy brain in going 90 to nothing telling me how stupid I am and 'see, this is why you don't leave home...EVER'. I have the worst time doing things. Seems like something ALWAYS happens that leaves me feeling like I can't do anything right. Don't worry about me..I won't quit trying. It will be a while before I try again but I will try. I am determined to be 'normal' like everyone else. Just wish life could be more simple once in a while. sigh..........................