Hope you had a very merry Christmas!

 I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! =)

It was another week of working a lot and knitting very little. I did cast on for a hat this week for a knit-a-long and I'm nearly finished:

Could have been done days ago, but after work, I've been choosing my pillow over the needles. Hard to believe that I was working 14-hr days on a regular basis this time last year with two full-time jobs. Guess I'm getting old... lol
(project details on Ravelry)

Oh! I did finish the pair of slippers for my friend in time for Christmas:

Not sure they went over that well, but they were done in time at least. I'm determined to finish up these skeins of acrylic if it kills me. lol
(project details on Ravelry)

I did take Christmas off and spent the day with my friend's family. We opened gifts in the morning then headed to her husband's parents place in northern Idaho for the afternoon/evening. I wish I could say it was drama-free, but it was much more like being with my own crazy family than I'd have preferred. The holidays seem to bring out the best and, sadly, the worst in people. At least this wasn't my family drama and Reilly got to have some fun!

This was just before he let loose with a barrage of barks letting those deer know he was in charge... or at least thought he was. heh Not sure what he would've done had there not been a window in between him and those 10 deer! These were young... maybe most will be pulling Santa's sleigh next year? =)

HO, HO, HO

Well, maybe just HO. =)

What have I done this week? Other than lots of OT for work, not a heck of a lot. I do have one HO (half-finished object):

The first of a pair of slippers for my friend. These are made with 3 strands of worsted weight yarn held together so they're quick... quick enough to actually be completed for Christmas morning. lol This is my second pair from this pattern - the first having been knit several years ago for my mom. This pair is being made from acrylic so they'll be easily washable, but and I can honestly say, I much prefer the wool version. I knit the first up Friday night after a long work day and plan to do #2 later tonight... plenty of time! =)
(yarn & pattern details on my Ravelry project page)

I did start a pair of fingerless mitts for her too, but the yarn choice was an unfortunate one. I'd picked up some inexpensive sport weight yarn from Big Lots (In the Loop) with the intention of make a few knitted Christmas ball ornaments. The deep red would have gone nicely with her off-white coat, but the yarn was crap. Not only did it knot up like that was it's job, but the yarn broke while I was trying to untangle it... then I discovered the yarn stained my bamboo needles after only a few rows. grr The yarn went back to the store. I swear, the more I've used it, the less I like any acrylic. I'm okay with acrylic blends, but straight acrylic? I'll be avoiding that in the future! Life is too short to knit with crap yarn. I'll be sticking to natural fibers from here out. I have a few acrylic skeins left in my stash, but no more will be coming in! :-/ Yep, I'm a yarn snob...

This past Tuesday, I was gifted a couple of patterns by designer Kimberly Gintar of The Giving Flower podcast in memory of podcaster Karrie Steinmetz who recently passed away. I received her Melting Snowman and Shawn the Shelf Elf. My friend collects snowmen and I plan to make the melting snowman for her once I have some actual free time again. lol I think I might need to make the elf for my sister's kids for next year though they might be getting too old for that. I picked up white and black fingering weight yarn and buttons yesterday for the snowman, but I wasn't able to find anything for the elf's skin. I might just end up with a really tanned elf! =) More likely though, I'll dye up a bit of my own...

Oh! My niece is officially "knit-worthy"!!!

I hear she LOVES her hat! No word on any of the others I sent, but at least one is being appropriately appreciated. =)

This OT hasn't been great for my knitting, but it has been great for the bank account! I had some OT on my last check and was happily able to make a double payment on my rv loan and even put some money in my savings account as well. =) The plan was to get my loan paid up at least through Spring when work tends to get a little (or a lot) slow and I'm now paid up until AUGUST! =D

save on shipping!

I tend to think everyone knows about this already, but I discovered this week that that isn't so. It's a little late for holiday shipping for this year, but good info to have for later!

If you go to the post office's official website, you can set up an account and print your own postage. The advantage? No lines! Oh, and you save some money too. =) I have a small digital scale and can weigh my packages, but if you use the flat rate priority boxes (free from the post office), you don't even need the scale. I used to keep a few boxes on hand when I had more space. I shipped 4 packages Monday and 3 of the 4 were cheaper to ship flat rate than by weight - it doesn't take much to add up! When printing the postage online, they give you a small discount (up to 15%) on shipping and they also give you free delivery confirmation (a savings of $.75 per package). The best part? You can also schedule a pick-up and you won't even have to go to the post office to drop them off no matter how big the package or how many you have. The only down side is that you can't print first class postage on the site. I have heard you can print these through PayPal's website though so if you're mailing lighter items, be sure and check that out!

The other alternative? If you're not making the gifts yourself, purchase gifts from companies that offer free shipping (gotta love Amazon!) and have the item sent directly to the recipient. No, you won't be able to wrap it yourself, but a lot of companies offer gift-wrapping services now. Amazon has been offering a lot of $5 credits lately too so keep an eye out for those! I purchased an item for $25, got free shipping and used my $5 credit so it only cost $20 + tax shipped. Not a bad deal!

little time for yarny fun

You're expecting a lot, aren't you? I know I was! After the past couple weeks, I expected at least a couple finished objects, but that was not to be. Why? One word... overtime. Yes, it's that time of year. It seems to always hit around the holidays and it hit hard this week. I'm thankful for the opportunity to earn a bigger paycheck especially with the slow time of year quickly approaching, but 12-hr work days sure do cut into the knitting time! =)

I stayed up late last night and I did finish this:

That's the last hat that needed to go into the mail for Christmas! =) I finally settled on a pattern for this hat. I've made this pattern once before and really liked it the first time around. I really like it in this less-contrasting color combo as well and can definitely see knitting this up again in the future. This one turned out a bit large. I'm usually a tight knitter, but apparently I knit more loosely in acrylic... no time to reknit it so I'll just include a note for him to let me know if it's too big and I'll make another out of the leftovers.

(pattern and yarn details on my Ravelry project page)

I started this:

a few days ago, then switched to the hat since it had to go in the mail. This should be a wide headband by now... but it's not. The original pattern is written for bulky yarn, but it came out super wide in that and I switched to fingering weight yarn held double - much better! I don't really like how the increases look on the right though. Yes, this part will be under her hair, but still. With all the OT, I'm doubtful this will be finished for Christmas anyway, so I'm thinking of frogging it and starting over. Good thing I have something else for this kid! =)
(yarn and pattern details on my Ravelry project page)

I've spent a lot of time working the past several days, but I did take a break Friday night for a Christmas party. I can't believe Christmas is so close! Everything is going in the mail tomorrow, but I still have a project in the beginning stages that I haven't had a chance to work on much and still need to make something for my friend who's letting me park in her yard... the same friend who decided I needed to finish up one of her intended Christmas presents and finally handed it to me as I walked out the door yesterday so now it's in my rv. *sigh* I can't say I have any urge to work on it though. I'd rather rip it out and start fresh rather than try to fix what's already done, but as long as the OT holds out, I'll barely have time to mess with it at all if I want to finish my own projects.

I think she'd maybe be more understanding if she had a job, but she seems to think everyone has as much down time as she does. She might just be getting a ball of yarn and an IOU for her gift this year so I can finish that blanket for her. lol

getting a yarny (or other crafty) deal...

Yes, still knitting away, but I wanted to share something I've figured out recently...

Jo Ann Fabric has been putting out a lot of good coupons lately and it used to be, you were limited to using one 40% (or 50% or whatever) off coupon per purchase. Not anymore! Last time I was in there, I bought 4 items that were not on sale and got 50% off on each... just wish I'd figured this out when they had the 60% off coupon!

Here's how:

1. Use the paper coupon from the ad flyer.
2. Sign up for the emails from Jo Ann's and you'll get coupons in your inbox - print those.
3. Go back to that email and click "send to phone" - this will come as a text message and has a different number on it than the one you printed above.
4. Download the Jo Ann Fabric app on your smartphone and log in with your email then go to "coupons" and pull up the current coupon - this will have yet a different number on it.

Now you have four coupons - two digital, two on paper. Jo Ann's will let you use as many coupons as you have on the same order (one per non-sale-priced-item, of course) as long as they have different numbers below the scan bar. This is a great way to buy multiples of, say, yarn in the same dye lot that's not currently on sale or just multiple skeins of the same type of yarn for a colorwork project in just one trip. =) I got four skeins for a sweater, all at 50% off and saved about $22.

Now, you know too. =)

a day late... with more FOs!

I've been trying to stick to posting once a week on Sundays, but I didn't have a pic of the project I finished yesterday so you had to wait. =) Still working on Christmas projects, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel! This weekend, I finished up two more projects.

First up:

A cowl for my mother. I bought the yarn for this four years ago while working in Seattle, but then my mother actually requested something and it did not fit with this yarn. At long last, she's getting it this year... and it's out of my stash! It's a nice, cushy, long cowl that can be looped around twice for a snugger fit. She loves purple so I'm hoping she likes this. =)
(pattern & yarn details on my Ravelry project page)


And, no surprise:

 Another hat! I still have one more to go for Christmas but am having a hard time settling on a pattern. lol
(pattern and yarn details on my Ravelry project page)

Here's the stack heading to my sister's for Christmas:

Not too bad, huh? I do need to do a quick blocking on the two wool hats, but otherwise everything is ready to ship which is really good news since in this small of a space, three boxes of gifts really cuts down on the already limited free space around here! =)

Next week, you should get to see my last two planned projects... one more hat and a headband. There might even be a third, though I haven't yet decided on what that will be. lol

another week... FOUR more hats!

Yep, still knitting away!

 

I continued my knitting by knitting a slouchy hat for my niece:

I used some more of my overdyed yarn. It still needs to be blocked, but from what I hear, she really likes hats so it should be a hit, esp in her favorite colors!
(details on my Ravelry project page)

Then I knit up a hat for my middle nephew:

(details on my Ravelry project page)

 

My friend wanted a hat for a friend's baby shower, so I knit this quick one up:

It was an owl pattern, but after getting the eyes and tassels on, I think it looks more like a monster so I skipped adding the beak.

(details on my Ravelry project page)

 

Then back to Christmas knitting with a hat for my brother-in-law:

I figured I should go as basic as possible for his or he wouldn't wear it. 

(details on my Ravelry project page)

 

I can see the end in sight! Only two more nephews to go and the family is done. =) I'm planning a cowl for my mother and that's the last one that needs to be mailed. I'd originally knit a hat for my friend and was planning ones for her family, but was informed yesterday that none of them wear hats... So, the hat for her is going to my sister. I might end up making her a cowl and possibly a headband or something for her daughter. I'll have to figure out something else for the guys. I'm truly at the point that I don't ever want to go to another store though! It's online shopping all the way from here.

 

I did have to go back to Jo Ann's for thread for a sewing project and since I had a few 60% off coupons, I finally picked up needle felting supplies: 

=) The little packages of roving are way too expensive, but with the coupon, now SO bad. I have some roving I picked up at a wool fest but it's all in storage. This will work for now.

And now... back to knitting!

Christmas crafting!

This year, I got the wild idea of making several gifts for Christmas. Of course, I didn't decide this until it was almost Thanksgiving. lol Yeah, gave myself plenty of time. I am making some progress though!

 

First up:

 

A slouchy, cabled hat for the friend who's letting me park in her backyard right now. =)

 

I'm not big on wearing hats, but after trying this one on, I might just have to make myself one... after Christmas, of course!
(Ravelry link for details)
 

Then:

 

A cabled hat for my 7yo nephew. This one was my first shot at cabling without a cable needle - definitely quicker!
(Ravelry link for details)

I'm still planning something for my niece and three other nephews and possibly a few more items, time permitting. =)

The past few days have involved a LOT of family time between Thanksgiving, shopping and decorating. We hit a few stores Friday (no, I didn't get up at 4a!) and I spent time yesterday helping my friend decorate. Let's just say, that experience reminded my why I got rid of all but a single bin of Christmas decor...

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! =)

feeling a little crafty... and froggy

Last week, a friend asked if I'd be interested in testing her new pattern and of course, I said yes! I was especially interested once I saw what I'd agreed to knit. lol

Isn't it cute? I jut love the little cabled owl that has been popping up everywhere the past couple years.

With my limited stash in the rv, I didn't have the super bulky yarn she used for hers, but I did dig around and came across some Jo Ann Sensations Caribbean in a sparkly variegated green and held that double. I wasn't quite thick enough, but made a nice little sleeve for my iPad. After the photo shoot, I decided a handle would be useful so I single crocheted around the top and added slit handles to turn mine into a bag.

Details and a link to the pattern page can be found here.

I also finally pulled the crochet purse/bag out and finished it!

It became a nice little basket for the bathroom cabinet to keep items organized. I love how the variegated yarn flashed on this! I think I'm going to use more of this yarn to knit or crochet a net bag to tote my shower items to/from the shower building at the rv parks.

I also have been working a bit on my alpaca blanket and was working on block #4:

I kept feeling like I was wasting my time though. An alpaca blanket in a household with critters? Not very practical. Add that to the fact that the yarn is so thin it's knit up on US6 so the progress is going at a snail's pace? Yeah, not so excited. I love the yarn though so a couple days ago... I frogged it! 

At this moment I have exactly ZERO items in progress. lol Deciding what's next. I have yarn for 2 sweaters and some miscellaneous yarn as well. Decisions, decisions...

if I could...

I was asked if I'd do anything differently in regard to the rv and thought I'd address it here so it's easier to find. I was a total newb when I bought this rv... still am actually. I didn't grow up rving; I barely camped as a kid outside of summer camp where they handled everything. lol

The view out the back window where I'm currently parked:

I bought a 28' class C that's about 10 years old. Would I buy a class C again? Absolutely! This rig is easy to handle, much easier to move around than a travel trailer. I can tow a vehicle for getting around without being stuck driving a huge truck around on a daily basis. This is a huge bonus to me. While I'd rather not tow anything, having a small vehicle to get around in is pretty much a necessity in some places - it all depends where you're parking.

As for particulars about the rv itself... I'd probably look for one with a better temperature control for the a/c if I had it to do over again. It's a pain having just a knob that adjusts up and down on days when I have to leave at 6:30 in the morning and can't get back until after 6p. It was still chilly when I left, but I had to turn on the a/c so it would be on for the afternoon when the temps soared to keep the critters comfy. Day 1, I turned it up too high and it froze over. Thankfully, it wasn't too awful hot that day so it was warm in the rv when I got back, but not unbearably so. Now, it's staying fairly cool most of the day but heating up dramatically around 3p so I'm only running the a/c a few hrs a day since I'm back working remotely and can better control the temperature myself. I'm really thankful I brought a small fan with me too. The a/c has a fan setting, but it's super loud - a good thing when the pup's here all day without me since it helps drown out outside noises... not so great when I'm here working.

I'm finding it's plenty of space for me, even without a slide like so many others here have. The tt next to me actually has THREE slides... and it's just a guy in there. lol I'm actually discovering that I have more than I need packed in here. Isn't that always the case? We always seem to have too much stuff! lol I also quickly discovered the need to keep things tidy. I packed up so quickly at the end, drove down to Oregon and then was so busy between work and play =) that things weren't as well-organized as they should have been. Once everyone left, I had time to finally really clean and organize things and it felt 100% better in here. I just have to keep things put away and it keeps its spacious feel. =) I've been trying to get a tv since a lot of the parks have cable access, but my timing is off. Too many college kids also looking for smaller tvs. lol And they're apparently quicker than I am! I'm also still looking for a good deal on a laptop so I can download the pics from my nicer camera. Again, no luck yet.

The critters are adjusting to the smaller space pretty well. It helps greatly that my youngest cat is 9 yrs old. Reilly loves having so many new places to sniff and trees to pee on. lol He's not so fond of so many other dogs having access to what he has decided is all "his" space. Xander got a new harness and leash and is enjoying his outdoor time too. =) Xander is still a brat, but that's no different than before. heh



The park I'm currently staying in has wifi, but it's spotty when the park is full and during peak times of the day. I can usually work all day using the park's wifi, but it comes to a screeching halt around 6p... then again around 9p. lol I did finally go upgrade my phone and got a mifi (Verizon) last week as back-up. I have to have reliable internet access for work. I've used it a few times, but mostly I'm still using the park's wifi and I do avoid streaming video with my mifi since that gobbles up the bandwidth. I am falling behind on my podcast-watching! lol I need to remember to stream those during the day while I'm working and the wifi is stronger and should probably weed out the ones I don't love. Mostly, I fell behind though because I was in offices all day. I listened to audio podcasts, but obviously couldn't watch the video ones. heh If I knew I was going to be in one place long-term, I could get a regular internet connection, but I'm still undecided at this point. I like where I am now, but I have to go back to Spokane to sell my Jeep. Not sure if I'll head back down here after or not. I did get an offer from a friend in Spokane to park at her house while I sell my Jeep. They even have an rv dump station. lol That's another thing I wish I'd done... sell my Jeep before I left!

my oh my

Hmm, it's been awhile, huh? Sorry for the radio silence since I got the rv. What's been going on the last month or so? A lot! Let me tell you...

I'd had this great plan of selling my mobile home, moving into the rv and hanging out in Spokane while I worked on selling my Jeep. That didn't happen. Work, as usual, had other plans. lol The day I brought the rv home, a manager called asking if I could go to Oregon for a project. Why yes, that actually was a possibility! So, a little over 3 weeks ago, I handed over the keys to my mobile home (good riddance!), pared down my belongings to what I thought I couldn't live without (I need less than I thought, it turns out), packed the rest into storage, put my Jeep in storage and headed south in the rv.

Reilly rode very well in the rv. I put his bed between the front seats and he slept through most of the trip.

Still in Washington here, but Oregon is right across the river!

Dinner time in the rv. =^..^=

It's been a blast! I'm so glad things worked out they way they did, even if they did create a detour in my plan. I pulled myself off the road a year ago when I moved back to Spokane so adjusting to going to an office again every day was certainly a big adjustment. Ugh! The alarm clock is not my friend. lol But adjust, I did. And it was certainly worth the adjustment. There ended up being only five of us here including a lead who was here to train us on inpatient coding. It was such an amazing group. We all worked the same hospital the first week and I've never laughed so much at a job ever! The 2nd week, we split up to do reviews at smaller hospitals, but since we all had internet access, we all kept in touch throughout the day. Yes, this was an unusual group! It turned out to be only 2 and a half weeks of work and now everyone has flown home, leaving me alone here in Oregon. I can honestly say I've never been so sad to see a project come to an end.

We were all staying about an hour from the coast and took day trips out both weekends. If you're ever near Corvallis, OR, be sure to check out Depoe Bay. It's a beautiful drive from Corvallis and a lovely little town. We hit the beach and walked through town, checking out plenty of the little shops along the way. A couple of the others took a whale-watching boat ride. I stayed on dry land with the rest of the group since I had the munchkin pup with me. Yes, Reilly got to see the ocean! He had a ball on the beach checking out the driftwood and piles of kelp washed up on shore. He's not a fan of getting wet so he stayed out of the water, but he came home a tired out pup. =)

 

It's been a busy few weeks between work, fun and more work. I managed to put in some overtime along with having a ton of fun. The rv has been an adjustment too, of course... for all of us. I learned not to crank the a/c all day (it freezes over!) and the critters worked out an issue the first day I was gone all day (the cats won, evidenced by the bloody spot on Reilly's muzzle). Leaving the a/c on low and playing a radio helped, but Reilly is definitely happier now that I'm back working remotely again. He has a blanket on the seat next to me to curl up in and of course he insists on lots of breaks throughout the day to go sniff among the oak trees just outside our door. Corvallis is a beautiful place and the people seem very nice. While not as busy as Portland, there are still plenty of things to do as long as you're not expecting a big city. Along with our trips to the coast, we also went blueberry picking! And I discovered I'm less into the sweeter berries and prefer the ones with a bit more kick - Liberties rock! I haven't yet made it to the alpaca farm a few miles away or any of the local yarn shops. I brought yarn with me, but have been too busy to even pull it out. lol Now that things have slowed down, I expect I'll be starting a new project soon.

With everyone gone, I finally had some time this weekend to really clean and start organizing things better in my rig. It's so much better now that it's not so cluttered. My first rv adventure has not been entirely without issues. I did discover (with some help from the park host) that my black water tank has TWO valves that must be opened in order to be drained - something the tech at the dealership didn't know apparently. And I have a cracked battery cable connection that needs to be fixed. Thankfully I discovered that when I had to move this weekend to make room for the football fans. Started up fine... then dead when I tried to start it again. The neighbor found the problem and temporarily fixed it with some tin foil. Really glad that didn't happen on the road somewhere. I do have roadside assistance, but really, this was a much better way to find out.=)

So how is rv life? I love it so far! It was a pleasant change having my own space while working on the road. The others may have had more space, but I had a full kitchen and my furry kids. =) I love the flexibility this set of wheels brings me. I haven't yet decided where I'm headed next. So many possibilities... =)

The countdown has begun...

Boy, am I glad I've gotten rid of so much stuff over the past 9 mos or so! Packing/moving is so tiring, but definitely less so with less stuff to move! Yesterday, I started hauling stuff to storage:

This is my storage unit (5x10... well, almost) after three trips with my Jeep. =) Still room on those shelves for the stuff I'm still working on here. The third trip was basically the chair and those two wire shelves. I actually made one more trip with my rocking chair and a few other oddly shaped items. It's looking like it'll be a perfect fit with the addition of my washer and dryer, antique trunk and the mattress that's currently in the rv. The storage space always looks so small until you start loading things in and realize just how much fits in there if you pack well! This morning, I loaded the Jeep with the two plastic dressers from my closet and two suitcases with clothes I'm just not ready to part with, but that didn't make the extreme cut to going in the rv closet/cabinets. Some are sentimental - yes, I still have my band jacket from high school. Others I really like but don't want to squeeze into the rv - that lovely chocolate brown wool pea coat! I've also packed a small suitcase with winter items, but that will be going in one of the lower storage compartments in the rv for when the temps dip. Amazing how little you really need even when planning for office wear and casual items.

Yes, I said office wear. Now that I'll be mobile, I can actually start working offices again... which nicely coincides with my employer's need for someone in Oregon. On the downside, that means I need office-appropriate clothes, will have to be gone all day working rather than working from "home" and I won't get to choose where I go. On the up side, I make more money when working offices than I do when I work remotely, they'll be paying for my rv parking whenever I'm working somewhere for them and I'll get per diem. They'll also provide me with a rental car so I won't have to tow anything (and they cover gas for that car). Big bonus there! I haven't yet sold my Jeep thanks to someone at the licensing branch messing up my title. grr I've pretty much come to the conclusion though that I'll be putting it in storage while I head to Oregon for work since I really do need transportation this week, getting the last things into storage and getting things settled to leave. When I finish in OR, I can drive the rv to wherever I plan to hang out for the winter and then fly back and retrieve my Jeep when I can. That way I'll be able to take a bit more time selling it and hopefully get a decent amount for it. I still plan to take it to a dealer though and see what they'd give me. Might be worth getting rid of it quickly and avoiding that hassle. We'll see.

Home Sweet Home!

I'm a little scared...

but also SO very excited!

I was happy to discover it felt just as roomy inside as it did last weekend when I first saw it. I was actually afraid I'd be disappointed. lol

Looking forward from the bedroom:

The cats are going to LOVE that loft above the cab!

Looking toward the bedroom from the front:

Reilly got the grand tour and seemed pleased. I definitely need to put a stool at the foot of the bed though for him.

The bathroom:

is across from the shower:

where the kitty box will live. =)

I know it's going to be a huge adjustment, but I know I can do it!

a little slower now

Well, the craftiness has slowed a bit the past week. Other things have taken priority lately - things like showing my trailer, packing up and shopping for an rv. I bought an rv this past weekend! It's a 28' class c and I really, really like it. I can't wait to get in there (and out of here) and start personalizing it a bit and getting the critters adjusted to the space. I have a feeling the cats will LOVE the loft above the cab. Thankfully, it's new enough that the decor is not hideous so I get to work around neutrals. =) Pics will come soon. I pick it up on Friday!

Craftiness has not completely come to a screeching halt. I've been working a bit here and there on my crochet bag and made some progress:

I love how the yarn is flashing. =) I just started the 3rd ball last night. I'd originally thought this yarn would make a good summer purse, but things have changed in the year since I started this. lol I'm considering tossing out that idea and instead turning it into a basket/bag for the rv - bathroom maybe? I'll make it a bit taller and work in some slit handles so it can be folded over for sturdier sides or left tall and carried by the handles.

MORE socks?!

Seriously? The last ones sat on the needles hibernating for over a year. These? Four days start to finish. =)

 

Okay, sure, they're knit on much larger needles (US sz6 rather than sz2), but still. Working them two-at-a-time was definitely the right idea and I have every intention of doing socks in this manner in the future. 

Love finishing one sock only to have a finished pair! The self-striping was fun too.

I love the afterthought heel with self-striping. My heel needs a bit of fine tuning, but these are meant as slipper socks so it's all good. =)
(Ravelry project link)

So... what's next? The crochet bag I haven't really touched since March! I've been working on it a bit since finished those socks and am nearly done with the 2nd skein now.
(Ravelry project link)

That leaves only one other project on the needles and that's going to have to wait until it cools down... a LOT. Alpaca and 95+ temps? Not gonna happen!

an afterthought

This morning, I set up my little loom as a 7" square to make some dish/wash cloths:

I used a strand of Lily Sugar 'n Cream in "country stripes" along with a strand of white. I really like how they turned out! Super quick, super easy... and a great way to use up some of my dishcloth cotton. =) I could easily get 5 of these from one skein of the stripes held along with a solid and have extra for another project.

(Ravelry project page)

The project I mentioned winding yarn for in my last post? I started these on Friday and they're coming right along!

These are my first socks done two-at-a-time... also my first afterthought heels... AND my first time working with my own hand-dyed self-striping yarn! =)

(Ravelry project page)