Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Work in Progress Wednesday 202

Hi everyone! I must start off with an apology. I'm sorry I disappeared for a few weeks unexpectedly. I just realized I needed to step away for a week, and a week turned into more. As a few of you know, I've been doing this a LONG time, 202 weeks which is pretty insane (and almost 4 years!). It's almost 4 years! Wow! I love doing WIPW and FO Friday, but needed a break to realize that. It had become a chore. Sure, it only takes a few minutes, but I would put it off later and later each Tuesday night, until I was already asleep and would sit bolt upright in a panic that I didn't schedule a post. I've had a lot going on the past few weeks with Candy Skein, a new exciting side branch off of Candy Skein that I hope to tell you about soon, my husband not feeling well and home from work for a few days and company in town. Enough with excuses! I just want to say thank you for sticking around if you have and I hope I haven't lost too many of you. I will continue to publish posts for WIPW and FO Friday, but please understand if it's not there as soon as you wake up on Wednesday and Friday mornings. I also hope to post more about other things, as I've gotten away from that as my love for posting diminished.

Enough of that. Now to WIPW!

This is August '14 colorway, Prickly Pear Margarita. I have to admit, it wasn't what I was going for when I first set out to dye August, but sometimes you have to go with the flow. I adore it, but I had no clue how it would knit up. Of course, every skein is extremely different when kettle dyed, but I at least needed an idea before I put it up for sale!



 Do you adore it as much as I do!? It's so different than anything I think I've released before. I love how the colors are completely random and it works amazing with this pattern. This is Ruth Garcia-Alcantud's pattern, Sinuous. You all may know her by her company, Rock & Purl! She's amazing, and a good friend of mine. In fact, we'll both be at a retreat starting tomorrow! If you're looking for a pattern that looks amazing and hard, but is really easy to knit and remember, this is the pattern for you!


That's it for me today. I've been working on my Sock Blanket, but want to wait to show it to you until I have a little more progress. I've also been working on cross stitch which I hope to share with you soon!

Have a great rest of your week!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Work in Progress Wednesday 201 and a Raffle!

Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday and 4th July/Canada Day week! I hope you all had a great weekend. We worked around the house the whole weekend, but it was awesome. Sometimes those are the best weekends.

Before I get into WIPW, I wanted to let you guys know that I've teamed up with Meaghan from The Apologetic Knitter (@socalmeaghan), Rijel from Black Market Wool (rijelviolet), Alicia from Sea and Lake (@seaandlake) and Stephanie (who makes awesome project bags and will be selling them soon, @befadee) to bring you a raffle!


Unfortunately we can't share the entire details with you yet, but we CAN provide you with a teaser AND a chance to win socks made by the wonderful and fantastic @socalmeaghan.

If you're fortunate enough to win, you will receive a pair of socks out of the colorway Emerald Bay dyed by Black Market Wool.





 We've decided that instead of a giveaway where you post to win and gain us more followers, we're going to do a raffle. Do you love animals? Do you want socks that will fit your feet so perfectly you'll never want to take them off? Do you want to know how to enter to win??!?!??! Well, here are the deetz:

To get in on this and win a pair of socks, it's $5 per entry. I know what you're thinking, what the heck? You guys just want my money! Well, we do...but we won't be getting it $5 at a time!

Your $5 will be going to RedRover. They are a nonprofit in Sacramento, CA that rescues and helps animals in need. They help with natural disaster relief for pets and even provide grants for people who are no-income or low-income to help cover costs of seriously injured pets.

So, if you want to participate AND help some unfortunate pets, head on over to http://www.redrover.org/, hover on "donate" at the top of the page and click "make a donation." Here you'll be able to make your donation. As it was said before, it's $5 per donation, so if you feel like donating $10, your name will be entered 2 times, $15 - 3 times, $20 - 4 times, $25...you get it, right? Yep, FIVE times your name would be entered for the raffle.

Now, the important part: Once you've donated, you will receive an email back. The email will have your address (which Megs will need to be able to ship the winner beautiful socks), and the amount donated (which will be needed to put your name in the raffle). Forward this email to: pick.throw@gmail.com Stephanie and Rijel will be monitoring this email and adding your names to the list for the raffle. 

Stay tuned for that something amazing and fantastic that was mentioned earlier!

Thanks for reading and for those who donate! Now onto WIPW!


 I've caught the cross stitch bug again!!! It's been taking up most of my crafting time. I started this cute little cross stitch this weekend and it's flying by. I'm hoping to have it finished in time for the 4th and it looks like I'll make the deadline. It's a Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery design, who I adore. Their patterns are so clear, and fun.




 Here is the start of the pattern for my Dad's sock. I love the way it looks but man is it slow going. I'm not sure I'm going to stick with the pattern as it's a 16 row....SIXTEEEN ROW repeat. Dear god. LOL Anyway, I'll get a little further and see if I can take it. If not, I'll pull it out and do something that will go a little faster or that I can at least not having to carry the pattern around with me every single row. I'm using Candy Skein Yummy in Midnight Mousse.



That's it for me today. I hope you all have a great rest of your week and have a safe 4th of July!