Mitts/Mittens I want to Knit ... 10 of them!

Hello Blogworld, it's been a while! Today's "Ten on Tuesday" topic is the 10 Mitts or Mittens I Want To Knit. I haven't been knitting in what seems like forever, so I didn't think I could come up with 10 patterns ... but lo and behold, here they are ...

1.)  Aino the classic simplicity of these strike me as beautiful.
2.)  Belle Ruffle Gloves these speak to my feminine and girlie side.
3.)  Fable Fingerless Mitts love the button and strap detail.
4.)  Kanagawa Mittens not sure I'll ever have the courage to actually knit these, but I love the pattern!
5.)  Lacy Fingerless Gloves another flirty feminine look.
6.)  Mitaines Nuit Dhiver the pattern on these mittens reminds me of the lake house.
7.)  Knit Night Gloves a simple and quick pattern, perfect for some gifting.
8.)  Daisy Mittens my favorite flower!
9.)  Susies Reading Mitts these have been in my queue forever!
10.) I couldn't decide on the last pair, so I am doing two ... Winter Buzz and Peekaboo Mitts.

And there you have it, my top ten (actually eleven) mitt/mitten patterns that I want to knit :) Have a happy Tuesday!!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite Mail-Order Catalogs

I used to love flipping through the pages of catalogs, earmarking this-or-that "must have" item that would turn my home and/or yard into a Home Beautiful spread. Fast forward a hundred years (or so it seems) and most of my catalogs get pitched into the trash before the cover is turned. There are a few that still make the cut, and here they are ...

1. WEBS - I confess to drooling over the yarn.

2. Patternworks - see above.

3. Duluth Trading Company - this is my stand-by catalog for buying hubby presents. Everything is superb quality, and they get things to you quickly!

4. Herrington - another stand-by. The items may be on the expensive side, but if you're looking for a gift for that person who is very hard to buy for, this is your catalog!

5. Lakeside Collection - they always have a great selection of reasonably priced items from all categories. Clothing, toys, home decorations, etc. Lots to choose from!

6. Catalog Favorites - love looking through this one! From t-shirts and sweatshirts to jewelry, this catalog never disappoints with selection.

7. Improvements - so many great items for the lawn & garden!

8. Breck's - I love to look at all the gorgeous flowers that I'm not able to nurture and grow ;)

9. L.L. Bean - ahhh, the old stand-by! I don't order from them often, but I'm always tempted. The girls received dresses from Bean for Christmas last year & they are the best wearing dresses E.V.E.R.

10. Knit-Picks - not sure why this one wasn't up top with WEBS and Patternworks?! Maybe I felt the need to surround my others in yarn? Hehe, yeah, that's it!

Confession of envy ...

Ok, so I am admitting that I've had a serious case of envy toward a good friend for quite a while. I'm not envious of her job (although she has a kick-*ss job) and I'm not envious of her husband or family (while both are quite awesome). I've had clog envy!

My friend Carole has a couple pairs of Dansko clogs. Every time she wears them I get a little bit greener. Last time I think I may have drooled on one, just a little bit.

I've been saving my money to buy a pair of my own. I got $100 from a bank meeting that I attended at the beginning of this month and told my hubby that once I had enough, I was buying my clogs. Imagine my surprise when, on Mother's Day, I got a coupon for my clogs!! Yippee!

I immediately scoured the internet for the best deal and ordered them. Each time I'd receive an update from the website, I'd jump for joy! 'Your order has been processed' ... OMG, my clogs are ordered!! 'Your order has been shipped' ... OMG, they're on their way!! I checked the tracking information daily (ok, sometimes more than once) and was entirely frustrated that it took so long for them to travel from Oregon to Massachusetts.

Yesterday morning I checked the tracking info and saw "OUT FOR DELIVERY!" I squealed so loudly that the dog thought I was in trouble. I haunted the windows all day, waiting for that distinctive brown truck to roll down the street. Imagine my dismay when it came time to leave for league bowling and my clogs hadn't arrived. I was one sad, shoeless woman. I think the UPS man was waiting to see our car leave before he delivered my package!!

The package did arrive, and I ripped the box open upon arrival at home last night. Ahhhhh, true clog love!! Of course I'm wearing them today, but I refuse to go outside in them since it's yucky out. Here they are, in all their cloggy glory :)

I think I've satisfied my clog envy. At least for now.

Short and Sweet Socks

Most sock patterns are too long for my liking. I like socks that are just above my ankle. I came up with a pattern for myself, and thought I'd share it for anyone else who likes short socks :)

I use fingering or sock yarn and US2 needles. Directions are for magic loop, but could easily be adjusted for dpn's or 2 circs.

Using long-tail cast on, CO 64 stitches, placing marker after32 stitches to make it easier to separate the stitches on the needles. K2P2 rib for 10 rows. Do next 20 or 25 rows (depending on how short you like your socks) in stockinette stitch.

Turn Heel:
Turn work so you are working on wrong side ... S1, P16, P2tog, P1
Row 1: S1, K3, SSK, K1
Row 2: S1, P4, P2tog, P1
 Continue working in this manner by K or P to the stitch before the gap and either SSK, K1 or P2tog, P1 - you will have 18 stitches left when you are finished.
Rearrange stitches so that the beginning of the round starts in the middle of the heel.

Pick up and knit 18 stitches along the side of the heel flap. (My friend Carole taught me to knit into the back loop on each of these stitches to give a pretty twist to the stitch.) Place marker. Knit across the top of the sock, place marker, and then pick up and knit 18 stitches on the other side of the heel flap. Knit the last 9 stitches of the heel flap.

Gusset Decreases:
Row 1: Knit the 9 stitches of the heel flap, knit to the last 3 gusset stitches, K2tog, K1. Knit across instep stitches, K1, SSK, knit the rest of the gusset stitches and the last 9 stitches of the heel.
Row 2: Knit all stitches.
Repeat these 2 rows until you are left with 64 stitches. Knit next 40 - 50 rows in stockinette (depending on the length of your foot - you should be approx. 2 inches from finished length).

Toe Decreases:
Rearrange stitches so beginning of round starts at the edge of the foot.
Row 1: 1st needle: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1
2nd needle: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1.
Row 2: Knit all stitches.
Repeat these 2 rows until you are left with 36 stitches, then repeat just row 1 (decrease round) until there are 20 stitches left.
Kitchener toes together.

On the needles ...

I realized that I haven't been blogging as much as I'd hoped ... maybe because we recently adopted a new family member & we've been b.u.s.y. with her! Before I get to my knitting, let me introduce the newest member of the Coles family, Daisy ...

Daisy is a purebred yellow lab and is almost 4 months old. She's growing by leaps and bounds, and everyone loves her beyond belief!

Back to the knitting ...

I finished knitting the body of Shawn's sweater & the sleeves, got the whole thing sewn together & tried to do the collar. Yeah, not so much. I have way too many stitches according to the pattern. It is now sitting in a tote bag until I gather the strength to tackle it again. I have to block the sweater again and then figure out what I can do to finish the collar. I may bring it along to the next spin night for some professional assistance!

I finished my emotion socks ...

I cast on for another pair of socks, using some 100PureWool yarn that I got from my yarn coop. I am using the Show Off Stranded Sock and the yarn colorway is Maceio.

 I decided I had to share a shot of my new JessaLu bag as well. Isn't it cute???

I also have a 'potato chip scarf' on the needles that I started during Lent ... sounded like a great pattern since I'd given up chips for Lent! It's in a lovely Noro Taiyo

and I peck away at it here and there. Won't be needing it anytime soon (thinking positive), so I know it's not crucial to finish it quickly.

I only got 2 takers in my Craft It Forward challenge, but I already have a pattern picked out for one & waiting on a color for the 2nd.

My Bad Moon Rising socks are languishing in a tote bag.

I don't love the pattern, but can't bear to frog them just yet. I may end up frogging them and doing plain socks that will really show off the wonderful colors in the yarn.

Have picked out the pattern for man socks. Will most likely do a pair for him & a pair for James in the same pattern. Might even make a pair for Shawn. Good thing I have 'til Christmas for those!!

I'm also itching to cast on for another shawl. It's like Lay's potato chips ... once you start, you just can't stop, LOL!

I think I'll close with a non-knitting photo :)
Jake's girlfriend went down to South Africa to visit him a few weeks ago & shared this wonderful photo of the two of them ...

I miss my son!!!

Craft It Forward 2011

A new crafty friend posted this on her blog yesterday and I thought it was a grand idea! The premise is that you promise to send something hand-crafted by you to the first five people who comment on your blog and they must also promise to do the same! The hand-crafted item simply needs to be made by you and sent sometime in 2011 (which is pretty good for those who are busy). Just think of the wonderful stuff you might receive if you participate in this!! There is no limit to what you can hand-craft ... you can knit, crochet, draw, take a photograph, do macrame, whatever! How wonderfully exciting this could be ...

I did a google search and came up with the facebook page where I believe it all started ... Craft It Foward

So, hey all you crafty friends ... are you game?? I know that I am ... so here goes ...

I hereby promise to send a hand-crafted item to the first five people who comment on this blog post ... and in turn, they must promise to either post on their own blog (or on the facebook Craft it Forward page) that they will also participate.

How fun!!

Ten on Tuesday - 10 Favorite one-hit wonders!

What a great theme for this week! Music does an awful lot of things ... makes you feel happy, makes you feel sad, brings out the pain so you can move on, whatever ... music really makes the world a better place. Without further ado, here are my favorite 1-hit wonders (in random order) ...

1. Tainted Love (Soft Cell) - gotta love the 80's baby!

2. Puttin' on the Ritz (Taco) - didn't everyone want a top hat & cane after this one?

3. Relax (Frankie Goes to Hollywood) - get to it!

4. Miami Vice Theme (Jan Hammer) - admit it, you watched too!

5. She's Like The Wind (Patrick Swayze) - yeah, maybe he wasn't the best vocalist in the world, but hey, he sure looked good without a shirt on!

6. Hey There Lonely Girl (Eddie Holman) - my brothers were children of the 70's, I heard ALOT of 70's music growing up!

7. The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia (Vicki Lawrence) - we used to get dressed up in dancing school costumes & perform to this one and 'Delta Dawn!'

8. Playground In My Mind (Clint Holmes) - everyone can relate to this one, right?

9. Afternoon Delight (Starland Vocal Band) - just the title is cool ;)

10. Just When I Needed You Most (Randy VanWarmer) - perhaps he'd have had more than one hit if someone had mentioned that his name was really weird? Just stayin'!

Can't wait to read everyone else's lists ... nothing brings you back to a certain moment in time like a good song, especially a one-hit wonder!