silent night my foot.........................

Well, just getting over a WICKED migraine so I don't have a ton to chat about BUT have no fear..................at night when I could at least open my eyes, I knitted, and knitted, and knitted..........although, I must confess, I did have one night where I couldn't knit anything at all. It just about killed me :(

I have a feeling it is going to be a looooonnngggggg summer for me and migraines. I had a teeny bit of trouble last year but I can kind of tell already, after 3 days of it kicking my tush, I think more is in store *sigh*

For those who have never suffered from migraines, you lucky SOB's *sheepish grin*. Awww I'm kiddin' you know that. I am really happy that alot of the people I care about don't suffer them. There are several people in my family, myself included, that have suffered from them since we were 16 years old. It's a hard dealing with them for so many years when there really is no sure cure. The doctors have messed for YEARS trying to find some sort of a "cure" for mine, no such luck, not even a good bottle of Jack cures them!

Ok, 'nuff of that stuff. I miss all of my friends, I know my blogging has been sporadic and ya'll always know when I seem to need to hear from ya :) Thanks, it makes me smile every time I know someone misses chatting with me:) You are all thought of daily! Now, onto some REAL blogging content. Here are a few things I have finished in the past week and a half or so....readyyyyyyyyy.... I finished AND had a great chilly day which gave me a chance to wear the Back to School U-Neck Vest from Stefanie Japel. I gotta say ya'll, I just love her patterns. They are a PERFECT fit for me. You have to understand though, I have a REALLY odd shape AND odd taste LOL. I am pretty thin yes, BUT I have WIDE,WIDE,WIDE shoulders and then no hips LOL and her patterns seem to fit relatively flatteringly on me. I REALLY like them. Plus, she writes them well and they are fairly easy to understand. The next up if hers for me is either the "Orangina"....ok, I KNOW Miss Anne is over there cracking up at that cuz she KNOWS how I say it *grin* ummmm, use ya'lls imagination LOL and YES, I truly DID think that was the way to pronounce it heehee. Sooooooooooo without further ado, here is the first little goody!!

I LOVE it. The yarn I used is what the pattern called for, Cascade 220 BUT I used the "Heather ed" line and it did seem a teeny bit scratchy at first. I have washed it and it did soften a bit. It isn't that much of a big deal cuz I wear stuff under it anyways. I made the size small and it fit perfectly (in my opinion LOL) I may make another one

This next little beauty is that Anthropology Inspired Wrap that has been floating all over the net. this pattern was ALOT of fun to do. I had it finished in about a week of evenings. Between working on it and a pair of socks for King1 and splitting up knitting time between the two. Can't help it, I get bored FAST! You can find the pattern at Peony Knits. I do recommend it if you want a fast knit that is cute and likable for all. It would make a sweet gift for someone. I doubled my yarn to get gauge and used a hand dyed wool and silk blend that was a real pleasure to work with. I loved it. I have about 500 or so yards left over from it and am looking for something to jump out and say KNIT ME!! I'll let ya know if that happens LOL I am not a lover of worsted weight yarns but this one is a keeper.

Alrighty then, last but not least, I have the "Short Snort Girlfriend Tank" that I made for Miss Priss. It is a free pattern from Wendy Bernard at Knit and Tonic dot com. If you want a fast (and I mean FAST) knit that is cute and knitter friendly, try it. Miss Priss loves it, although the pattern originally calls for the front straps to actually be one of those little wooden rings sewn to the front and then the back straps run through it, well Miss Priss wasn't having ANY of that. She was TOTALLY against it so I opted to just attached the straps so she would have regular shoulder straps. I have to say, I was a bit saddened that little Miss priss had such an aversion to the original idea since I thought that was what was so cute about it BUT, you know how kids can be *sigh*.

I was a little iffy on whether or not I was "into" the top with no ring and then I decided to just pick up and knit a simple crotchet edge around the top raw edges and it finished it off just enough for my taste and seemingly hers too:) here she is sporting it.....next size I will make the 4T-5T as you have already seen with the socks, my kids are how should I say it......not lacking for muscle mass *grin* and the her little rolly poolies are pudgin out around the sides:) sooooo the next size up is a solid vote from me:)

I think I will also make the 2x2 ribbing at the back a little longer, it called for a 1/2 inch and then start the straps but I think it would be a little closer fit with it being an inch to an inch and a half. I really gotta say this is a cutey top. For all that have little ones that can fit this pattern, it is a GREAT stash buster. I used Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece that I let Miss Priss pick out and it was all left overs from the "hat attack" I had over the winter. I gotta say, I like Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece, it feels nice while I knit with it and some of the cottons have really given me the weeby jeebies knitting with it but I think I'll add this one to one of my fav's pile.

Ok, that's all I got for this post. I have put the one tank I started out of the silkience on hold for awhile, I got tremendously bored with it and decided to just let it take a rest for a bit. I am tossing around the Glee from Zephyr or Green Gables also from them. I REALLY wanna make the Green Gables but I want to use the Brown Sheep Cotton fleece it calls for and it calls for 3 for my size, well, I only have TWO of the color I wanna use (It is a navy blue) soooooo I think I'll just try and figure something else out but not right now, my brain is a bit sore still LOL.

I have a few doctor appointments coming up and may not get time to post but have no fear, I will probably be reading YOURS!!! Remember, life's to short to knit with crappy yarn........so true, so true;)

ahhh 30 day respite?

**WARNING., this posting is kind of picture intense:)**

ok, ok, I know, no excuse BUT....ok, no buts, I took a month off. Ya know, tidy things up, take care of some loose ends, that sort of thing.

I would like to thank all of you for thinking of me, and emailing me to make sure I am ok. I have to say, I truly was very touched. I have met some seroiusly GREAT bloggers/knitters/friends and I think of you all and am sooooo lucky to be blessed by all of you. Now I will get things back to normal here. You know, tidy up the knitting ect.

For anyone who doesn't know yet.....and I doubt there is anyone.....if you haven't checked out www.ravelry.com you simply MUST!! I will eventually have it all figured out but what I know so far, it's GREAT!!

Next up on the docket: what have I been knitting.............nothing.............LOL ok, I lied. I have done a few projects since last posting...first, I knit an adorable shrug, modified from the Fiber trends shrug pattern. It was alot of fun and relatively fast. I knit it out of Luna from Cascade. It's 100% cotton and I really like it. I'll let you know more on the wear and tear after I wash it. I am hoping it doesn't do the usual that cotton does, ya know, stretch out and loose shape. Here is a picture...........sorry about the photo, but nobody was here to help take it LOL:

These cutey socks were a gift for my mom on Mother's Day, she really loved them but I have a feeling my mom would like dirt if I wrapped it up and told her I made it LOL. The yarn is Bewitched from www.WhiteWillow.etsy.com if you haven't tried her yarns yet, you really should, you don't know what your missing. PLUS she is a small dyer and you all know how much I like to support the small business man/woman. She really is a sweetie and she does FAB work. Whenever I go on a shopping spree, you can bet my 2 favorite dyers are on the list, www.crashintoewe.etsy.com and willow. I not only adore their personal customer service, but the quality is superb. The sock pattern is just a basic 2x2 cuff and then straight stockinette. I really like that simple patterns. I have JUST now started with some other stitch patterns for socks. I get them from none other than www.knitspot.com and Anne designs stunningly beautiful patterns. PLUS, they are well written for knitters who don't really have a TON of pattern reading experience like me. I have a VERY hard time with that and am a VERY visual person but Anne's really are great. Check it out, maybe you should go buy some yarn and THEN go get some patterns *grin*.

I am such an enabler. OMG, I almost forgot, you also must try Radiant Twists yarns, she is really great and has BFL that she dies for socks. I made a swap with her (Radiant Twist, if your reading this, can you please email me debbiejusi at yahoo dot com) Anyways, Mr. mann absolutely LOVES the yarn and honestly, I kinda think he might bite your head off if you try and talk him out of it for socks LOL believe me, I tried LOL!

Alright, this sock photo is going to require some help from ya'll. If anyone recognizes this yarn can you PLEASE email me. I got this yarn and have NO clue who it is from, I bought it from another knitter. Anyways, I do know it is merino,bamboo and nylon BUT I am in TOTAL love with the yarn. I know for certain it isn't from my other love www.BriarRoseFibers.net I know ALL of her yarns by heart. Chris has a very definitive look to her yarns and actually, I could pick them out with my eyes closed just by touch and smell. *giggle* hmmm, did I earn a safety *to much info* for that one LOL ?! It isn't as gross as it sounds LOL. I love this yarn and these socks. So if you know whose the dyer, please, I beg you, email me :)

Hmmm, oh, I almost forgot, I just am in love with this next pattern. I have recently learned that I happen to be a HUGE Stefanie Japel fan. I know some of the more experienced knitters and lace knitters are not 100% into her things. Some don't care to knit top down so while they admire her work, they probably wouldn't find as much need in purchasing her boo or patterns as I would. I am knitting the "Back To School U-neck Vest and I just LOVE it. I am using Cascade 220 Heathers and the color which I thought was black, is actually a deep green. No matter, I am diggin' it BIG time. I am almost done and have not had one problem yet! Her knitting Errata is absolutely EASY to find and the pattern is as smooth as molasses. I am very pleased. So much so, I just bought the Orangina of hers and will probably have to rename it to PinkGina LOL I am going to use Rowan 4ply in pink for it as soon as I finish the vest. Here is what I have so far.

Isn't it the cutest? I am so excited to finish it. I hope it looks ok on me, I tend to not wear things like this so well but everyone seems to think the color is great for me so we'll see.

Ohhhhhh, I got to go to the Wooster Fiber Fair AND I got to take Mr. Mann (who said and I quote "This is so fun, I can't wait till next year") I was just thrilled to know not only did King1 like it there, Miss Priss and Mr. Mann had a good time too. I ran into 2 of my friends and King1 took a ....well....shall I say ..fiber length measurement photo LOL it was sooooooooo funny and for those who have been victims of a particular spam email, then they know what it REALLY means *giggle*

The first photo from right to left is Anne from www.knitspot.com, my friend Karen (blogless) and of course me LOL...notice my hand span (kinda like wing span LOL) is longer than the others *grin*

Ok, now this one is of Miss Priss being toted when her leggs grew weary, but then I told her we were going to the sheep barns again and she decided to stick her fingers in her nose to cover the scent LOL Oh now c'mon, how many of ya'll wouldn't have taken this photo LOL

And last but not least, just to prove Mr. Mann did enjoy himself, see how cute he looks sitting there eating. THAT is a hard thing for him to do, first he HATES eating anything outside, it REALLY upsets him..not this time ;)

Now this last set of photo's are a MUST. Those who know me are very aware that my older brother moved to Vegas at the end of last year and it devastated me. He was up over Memorial weekend to visit and check on some things here. He spent the day with us at my house and we got some pictures. I am very,very close to my brother and even though he doesn't live here anymore, I talk to him almost EVERY day on the phone. Its hard not having him close, I miss his support and being able to see him anytime I wanted. He is the coolest brother..........so is my other brother Mark LOL but Mark and I are not near as close, although he is the best brother too!! Ok, here we go..........

Miss Priss HAD to get in...isn't she just innocent looking LOL this is me and Jon :)


This is probably one of my favorites. Sorry, I just am NOT photogenic LOL

This is my dad, mom, jon, me and miss priss yelling trying to get Mr. Mann to get in on the action too LOL.

alrighty then, I think that is enough torture for ya'll this posting. I hope to show you a finished vest and started Orangina/PinkGina next LOL.

The socks that are rolling now are some bamboo/wool/nylon from BriarRoseFibers.net and an ABSOLUTE must for every sock knitter, more on that later!

Bubyes all!

Welcome to the world .................

Lily Sayaka Born May 1, 2007 at 2:59 pm *7 lb 11 oz, 21 inches

Check out : http://twoleftneedles.com/
and see her absolutely BEAUTIFUL little addition.....oh, and can I just say OMG she looks AMAZING......doesn't it justmake ya say grrrr LOL...............I tell ya, I didn't look HALF that good after I had my little beanies!!

Please leave her a welcome note and show her how happy we are in the knitting world to welcome yet another new knitter!!! Let's get her some cashmere sleepers gals!


Knit on my friends!

The Fight is not over......

Just the month is. .....APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH..........THANK YOU FOR BEING AWARE!!!



Please visit Anne at http://www.knitspot.com/ for an exclusive interview with Mr. Man!



I would like to take a few minutes and not talk about knitting, not talk about yarn or any fiber related topics *gasp*.........but to say thank you.

Thank you for all you have done for not only my son but others by being aware. The interview says it all. I have read Mason all the comments that were left and well, the following photo says it all.

Thank you all for sharing this month with us, for caring, for wanting to become more aware. Autism comes in varying degrees and on different levels of the spectrum but it shares one common denominator, it steals from our children, it steals from our families and robs us of having the best for our children. With your help and your interest, there will be more research and there will be more knowledge. There will come a day when we can beat this mysterious disorder. One day it will no longer have the power to rob our families and our children. We will one day de-mystify it's mysteries. Thank you again.

For more information on how to become active and more aware, please visit http://www.cureautismnow.org/ we still need you, our children need you.

Together Mason, one family, one day at a time. We WILL do it. I promise you. Mom

ALERT,ALERT!!!

Hey ya'll!! Since this has turned out alot better than expected, thanks to many of my blog friends who have been posting the sale on their blogs.......I will be adding some more of the YUMMY yarns I have secretly hidden in VERY strategic spots through-out my house. *giggle*

I will be posting them this evening, Mr. Mann isn't feeling up to perfect so I kind of have him stuck like glue to me........but I don't mind, he's a cutie *grin* .....so please check back to see what yarny goodness you might want. I am SURE I have SOMETHING that might tickle the needles!!

APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH...............PLEASE...................BE AWARE!!

****On a side note, I want to take a second and thank ALL of you for your questions, comments, concerns, all of it regarding Autism and Autism research. NEVER feel funny about asking me about it.........If I put it out on the blog, I do understand people may wanna know more!! Mr. Mann will be featured on Anne of www.knitspot.com website for April. Please be sure to check it out. Here is a statement out of the mouths of babes so to speak.............

"Mason, what do you think other families want to know about how it feels to be Autistic"

ANSWER---"It feels fine I guess. It doesn't make you sick or anything like that. I think it makes me smart *insert adorable grin from him here*
If I didn't have Autism, then I would not be me, I would be different and I like me the way I am. Other kids should like themselves too. Everyone is different in some way mom, we were made that way. Mom, don't you think it would be gross if we were all alike? "

MOM'S ANSWER- "Yes, Mr. Mann, I do think it would be gross *wink*"

That is just a minor excerpt. I did fix his spelling but this is straight from the horses mouth ya'll!!! Be aware, please, tell others and help our families not to be alone in this fight. Our children need YOU!!!!

Tip toe...through the toe ups or downs............

Ok, ok, ok, now I know I was all about trying a new technique. I know I was all about "I'm not hatin' the toe up thing". I was so totally about trying a new way and liking it. Well, I kind of have some issues with that now :)

I DID try it. I even gave it WAY more of a chance than I normally would. I just couldn't groove on it. I mean, it just wasn't working. The fit bothered me. It continually felt like it was gonna fall off. I couldn't get used to the feel of the sides around my toes. I have VERY sensitive feet and I could feel the short row shaping like nobodies business. It all happened so fast. I at first wanted to just rip back to a spot that looked a bit off to me.....Then it happened, before I knew it, THIS is what was left.

So after that fiasco, I felt REALLY bad about what happened to this poor yarn and well, to be honest, it kind of left a nasty little feel in my hands and to make me feel differently, I knew the only way was to re-skein it, wash it and give it back it's old life. In the meantime, I needed SOMETHING to restore my sock knitting faith. SOMETHING to lead me back to the path of righteousness, the path of certainty, the path of old faithful/familiar so to speak........ladies and gents, meet old faithful *wink*

Not only was the yarn to die for. A luscious blend of merino and bamboo, but it almost knit itself. I soooo wish I knew the brand of this yarn. It came from someone who gave it to me but they lost the ballband and couldn't remember where she got it. She only knew the fiber content because it struck her as odd with the bamboo in the sock yarn. This was also a difficult concept for me to grasp too, I must be honest, BUT, after I got halfway through knitting it, I GET it!!

The mate to it is well on it's way, I am just past the ribbed cuff top and starting the stockinette stitch....................

This sock set was JUST what I needed to make me feel all better. These socks fit like a glove.And well, to be point blank, they make me smile each time I touch them. I can barely knit the mate fast enough. I even put off the Sizzle for just a teeny bit.................a WEE TEENY bit;)

I started knitting the Sizzle...available at http://www.thegarterbelt.com/ and trust me, I am loving each and every stitch, but I HAD to finish or at least get heavily moving on the mate to my little bamboo rendezvous partner!! So, in between knits and purls........... I have been sneaking in this little beauties knits here and a knit2together there:)

I just have to say.............I was a bit up in air about what yarn to use for this. I REALLY wanted to use a yarn I had in my stash. I just did NOT want to go out and buy more yarn for a sweater. I know it sounds silly but sometimes I get to that little point where I look around and say...no way, I cannot buy ANYMORE yarn, I am swimming in it. Well, here it turns out that once I swatched, I had the PERFECT yarn for it. I had some Ella Rae Silkience that I had bought for another pattern that I decided not to knit, well, it was PERRRRFECT. This yarn is so nice to work with. Try it, I highly recommend it. It has a GORGEOUS drape to it, a soft and sexy feel to it and all around beauty!!

Well, that's all for now. I have more in the works but am kind of at a boring stand still as far as photographing it. Hopefully, I'll have more at the start at the weekend.

Please, remember......................APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH............PLEASE................BE AWARE.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.............

I WILL, I WILL have enough yarn to finish WOOOOHOOOO and Debbie Bliss and her excessive amounts of yarn come through again!! I am so happy and so pleased with the results of this Bolero. It is sooo cute on Miss Priss and she is patiently waiting for me to finish.

I am just starting the laced border. I have never knitted a border for anything that the pattern called for to be knit separately and then STITCHED on after everything is sewn together. *shrugging my shoulders* no difference to me, just gives me a little new experience in something. It was explained to me that sometimes a designer will have you knit this way because picking up stitches and adding the border that way may give some excess bulk around edges and stuff........or something to that effect LOL I can't remember 100% WHY but it made sense when I was told LOL.

Ohhhh my gosh, I am using my new Addi Turbo's for the lace border and I LOVE them. I have never used them before, for fear that they would be to slick for me. I was in desperate need of a size 3 without a 24 " cable and I had these Addi's so I thought, well, it's now or never ya know LOL. I am really glad I made the leap. The joins are puuurrrreee heaven!! The joins don't get caught in the yarn or snag it, they just are awsome.

I actually cast on last night for a new project and it calls for size 7's, well, I grabbed my 7 Addi Turbo's. Love,Love,LOVE them. I am even knitting a silk blend that is a bit slick but not a problem yet. Hopefully I will have made some progress over the weekend to take some good pictures and show ya'll.

I will starting my Summer Essentials sweater as soon as my needles come in. I thought I had the right size but when I started to cast on last night, nope!! So I popped onto Ebay, bought some (Destiny's not Turbo's LOL) and am now waiting. I decided to cast on the tank top "SIZZLE" by Knit and Tonic. It is such a cute pattern, very well written and really easy to understand. I decided to knit it out of the Ella Rae Silkience. It's a cotton, silk blend and has such a lovely drape to it, it will be PERFECT for this top. I was a little nervous I wouldn't get gauge with the Silkience and was actually not really wanting to buy anymore sweater yarn for right now. I wanted to knit out of my stash for this and it worked. The gauge for that tank is spot on in case anyone has the Silkience and wants to knit the top. It's available at :http://www.thegarterbelt.com/ and you get the pattern right away. VERY cool. Seriously, when you pay for it, boom, it is sent to your email in a pdf form and you can just zoopppp and it is downloaded :) *sheepish grin* almost makes me feel kinda "Samantha like from Bewitched" LOL. Anyways, I thought I would knit that until my needles get here. It should be a fairly quick knit.

Ok, now for some Eye Candy Friday:

Viola!!! From screen right to left: Yarn Pirate in Neapolitan, 2Vesper's one in Petal and one in Crazy Little Mama and 2 All Things Heather, GrapeVine and Lolli colorways. I have some heavy sock projects starting with these little gems. Although, the Petal from Vesper, I actually will be making Miss Priss this really cute short sleeve shrug out of it, it's a sport weight while the others are in between sock and fingering.

Miss Priss HAD to be in the photo..............she's a bit of a ham ;) She says "Knitting Rocks"!! LOL

Now for a little closing note........................here's a blog and podcast to check out...http://midnight2sticks.blogspot.com/ and http://sharkypurl.blogspot.com/

They are Stephanie and Shannon and they are sooo funny. I just love their podcast. I hope they stay doing it. Maybe if we all show them how much we like it, they will )

I'd also like to give a special thank-you to http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/ for the Autism Awareness side bar link. So pop on over to his blog and check out his knitting porn!!

APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH................ PLEASE.................BE AWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WIill she or won't she....THAT is the question!!!!

For some reason my blogger won't let me drag the photos to the bottom of the page so the order of my blog is a bit jostled. I got 2 questions asking about Miss Priss' hair. They commented that her hair looks so pretty, they have never seen it down out of piggy tails or a pony tail of some sort..........THIS my friends is WHY: Miss Priss has VERY,VERY long and thin hair that gets ALL tangled up when left to roam about LOL. We leave it down and done up when we are going places but for bed time it is in a pony tail and when she is playing ect., it is up or contained LOL. It is gorgeous but can be VERY hard to care for LOL..............and no, I would never DREAM of cutting it short.

The other day Kelly (whose bloggy thing wouldn't work for me, so Kelly, can you please resend it)emailed me and was quite concerned. She was wondering what happened to the other Proudest Monkey sock. She was very worried I had caught "SSS" (second sock syndrome). Well, have no fear Kelly, I avoided it THIS time;) but the socks were adopted by Mr. Mann who liked the cushy feel and the way the stripes were different. They look rather happy on their new owners feet dontcha think??

Ok, First things first. Sorry, ya'll cannot have Mr. Mann's dying expertise, he is gonna do it for us and make us rich.....*insert muuuwwaahhaaa laugh here* rich I tell ya!! Well, ok, maybe that is stretching it a bit *grin* sure...we'll hire him out, what child labor laws?? Oh, one thing though, Miss Priss is his lovely assistant and SHE goes with the deal, keep in mind, she is 3 and her attitude enters the room 15 minutes before SHE does;)

Oh my, I am REALLY nervous ya'll. I was knitting like a mad woman on the bolero for Miss Priss last night when I came to the VERY real possibility that I just may not have enough yarn to finish this YIKES!! I know, I know, ALWAYS buy an extra ball of yarn. THIS is why I didn't do that. The pattern is Debbie Bliss and she is KNOWN for not only having the sizes a little larger than norm (which I like) but also adding in for a very generous amount of yarn. Therefore, with EVERY pattern I have EVER made of hers, if it calls for 4 balls of yarn, then I end up having anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 balls left over. Well, my LYS doesn't carry Debbie Bliss yarn and I found this particular colorway and lot on Ebay for a really good deal. One that I couldn't pass up. I know some people weren't that gung ho on the color but once it was getting knitted up, they really started to like it. Sometimes ya gotta take what ya get when the price is right. The lot was for 4 balls of Cathay, the pattern called for 4 balls of Cathay. I am point on for gauge and have stayed on gauge though the pattern, cool right?! Well, I still have the entire right side and then the laced pointed border thingy that goes all the way around it and THAT is all the yarn I have left. Hmmmm, I am nervous. Part of me says, oh, that's plenty of yarn, then the inexperienced part of me says YIKES! It would figure, the one time when I buy spot on for the yarn, it will take more OY VEY! Stay tuned and see what happens in this thrill-seeking saga *giggle* But ohhhhhh look how cute it is!!

Next up for business is this:My VERY first toe up sock. It is Wendy's generic version from http://www.wendyknits.net/

and I must say, I am not hatin' it LOL. I have this aversion thingy to change, let's just say it takes me awhile to succumb BUT I am learning:) The yarn is Socks That Rock Medium weight, not sure of the colorway, I'll have to dig for the ball band.

Well, that's all for now folks!!!

Remember.....

APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH......................PLEASE...............BE AWARE!!!

Mwwwaaahhhahaha, The Mad Scientist lives HERE!!

***********************Before my post I would like to take a few moments to tell everyone to please remember the families in yesterdays tragedy at Virgina Tech. My heart and prayers go out to the families and everyone involved. What a horrible day for all. Please take a moment to take stock in what you have and how lucky you truly are on a daily basis. Then read about yesterday and try and remember, we have no idea what it is like to be in their shoes. We truly are very, very blessed. Hug you children a little tighter tonight and give an extra kiss on their cheeks when you tuck them in, give an extra hug for the parents who won't have this option anymore.

God Speed. **********************************************************







They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so maybe I should just let the pictures do the talking ;) Mr. Mann soaking his yarn::






The empty dish is what was left of his dye that he used............................his lovely assistant wanted a glory shot too *grin*
This is the green yarn, he just got done nuking it......I was gonna show you a picture of what accidently happened to the micro-wave but King1 hasn't seen it yet and if he did, he didn't think to ask what happened....with now that I think of it, I find it rather creepy he was perfectly content to see a micro-wave that had red and green ooukie stuff staining it...................hmmmm
This is the red after it cooked before he opened up the saran wrap............looks kinda gross LOL
And THIS, is the end results..............he hung them up and dried them and this is what they looked like this morning.
Personally, I think Mr. Mann may be onto to a hot new career here *grin* He used some of my handspun from last year. It wasn't the best handspun I have ever made and had a few areas that were overspun. I wanted him to use this instead of some of my good sock yarn handspun in case he ruined it by felting it or something BUT he didn't and it turned out GREAT.






The red was dyed using a heated dye-bath of roasted and crushed beet powder and dried raspberries that was then ran through the food processor and made into powder form too. He soaked the yarn in a vinegar soak before he mix the powders, it helps the natural powder adhere permanently to the yarns or fabrics. The green is Dried and powdered Kale and spinach greens dried and powdered with just a touch of lime rind for acidity purposes. This is how we dye icings and such that you would normally use ready made or you would be able to use food coloring or other store bought colorings. We can't because of medical reasons so I learned years ago how to get natural dyes. It's fun and the colors are really unpredictable but you can learn alot by doing that.













Now let's take a peek at what the contest was all about....Leah asked if ya'll could see a photo of the sweater so here ya go................. When I bought the "kit" you buy the pattern, in this case it was the Debbie Bliss Summer Essentials book, and you also but the yarn for whatever size you'll be making.

The yarn that came with it is the Debbie Bliss cotton DK. I am sooooo in love with that sweater, I think it is sooooo cute. The only thing I am thinking of changing it how high the collar is. I think I might just make it a ribbed crew neck instead, I dunno yet. I'll have plenty of time to decide since the collar is the last thing you knit. Anyways, I just think it is so feminine and pretty I HAVE to make it.

The Bolero that I was making out of the Cathay yarn a couple of weeks ago is still coming along. I kind of hit a dull spot in the routine of that pesky plain stockinette stitch that sometimes goes on FOREVER!!!! Well, I just decided last night to hunker down and just do it!! I won't start the Ella sweater for me until I finish that one. But, I did make alot of progress on it last night. I was watching the tivo'ed "Knitty Gritty" and I just started groovin' on it LOL. It really went along fast then, I stopped paying attention to how long it seems to be taking to do it and shocked myself when King1 came to bed and I showed him my progress on it. All in all, I am really happy with it. It is a fairly easy pattern and she actually explains the pattern and steps very nicely. That is what I love about her earlier books. She was always explains the directions clearly in them. In some of her new books, the patterns are a bit unclear to the novice knitter and she leaves some things up to the knitter as if they should KNOW how to do it or they should KNOW what comes next. Alot of ruined patterns are knit on assumption;)

I am working on the left front & sleeve as you can tell:)

The yarn is really turning out to be quite nice. I just really am extra cautious to not split it and all is well. I must say, I am pretty pumped to finish it up!!

Well, that's all for today. The website for the day that I think you should all take a gander at is :::::http://www.glioca.org/ Oh your gonna love this blog. She has some lovely sock knitting going on. Well, that's it for the day:)

Remember everyone............APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH.............PLEASE.......................... BE AWARE!!!

If you get a chance to pop onto Ebay, type in Autism and you will have ALOT to choose from, there are many many sellers who are collecting "donations". meaning you buy a magnet, key chain to what ever and they donate a portion of the proceeds to Autism research. What could be better than bidding on something you want, winning the item and then knowing that some of the monies will go to help someones family:)

Knit on my friends!!! I will make sure I answer more questions from emails on my next post. If you have a really important question you need an answer to right away, just put "urgent" in the subject line. Please send mail to debbiejusi at yahoo dot com

I am REALLY enjoying the emails and the questions ya'll ask, it has turned into alot of fun ;)

BY POPULAR DEMAND******

Ok ya'll...because I can't keep a secret ....here are the winners...

1st place is Jennifer from: http://loopyknitter.wordpress.com/-- enjoy the cashmere Jennifer, you deserve it :)

2nd place : Danielle of : http://aknittingmom.blogspot.com/ A winner of lovely cashmere blend from Elann.com ....enjoy

3rd. place : http://spindleknits.blogspot.com/- and some awsome, cool sock yarn to make more of those cute socks.....I tried to find a camo color in my stash because it would soooooo go with those pictures LOL


We have a 4th place winner that I had my daughter help me pick out....and the winner is::::::
Rhonda of:http://mitstitchingnut.blogspot.com/ and she has just won herself a really cool new book by Author Stephanie Pearl McPhee, "Cast Off". Maybe there is a 12 step program in there for the second sock syndrome *wink*

You guys, I had a BLAST running this and I wish I could just give all of you guys a prize. I have made some FANTABULOUS new blog friends in this process and I hope you all know how really special and cool you are :) Thanks for welcoming me into your worlds and also for playing along.

Who knows, maybe I'll run another contest next month...I know King1 loves the depletion in the stash room LOL.....it will be a little easier for me since I kind of have a better idea on how to do it....and let's face it, I have more yarn than one person could EVER knit in a life time....share the wealth right!!

KNIT ON MY FRIENDS>.......please email me your snail mail addys at debbiejusi at yahoo dot com

I'm on a mission *giggle*

a SOCK Mission LOL...... well, I finished ONE of Mr. Mann's socks in his "lunar" colorway.

Now before ANY of you feel the need to clarify that my children have mini tree stumps for feet and legs, well.............*sheepish grin* save it, they get it from Daddy's side ;0

This is the yarn he picked out from Twister. It is a thicker yarn that I dunno if I would have picked it out myself. It's along the lines of a heavy DK weight. It moves quick though, I started these last night around 10 or so and finished this early evening. Size 3 needles and 2x2 ribs . It's my standard sock recipe LOL but he's a boy so he doesn't like all that fancy stuff LOL.

I do have to say though that I like the way the colors messed here. It just blends into one another. I can see the color graduations because of the change of different hues. This yarnseemed to have formed some sort of uniformed pattern even though it isn't a self stripping sock.

The heel is a standard traditional square heel, and I decrease quickly after the heel since Mr. Mann is flat footed (has no arch) he tends to get bothered by the excess fabric rubbing under his foot. I do think I need to decrease more severely because depending on the yarn, it can still leave some bulk. Now the sock yarn I use from www.crashintoewe.etsy.com and www.whitewillow.etsy.com both have a finer gauge yarn that doesn't develop alot of bulk so my decreasing is slight with those two. It has turned out to be a trial and error thing with me. It helps that I am VERY picky and prefer to have my socks knit to perfection *giggle* hmmmm, maybe I have a long way to go to perfection LOL. Actually, I happen to really like the way I have developed my own system and it apparently works for others too.

Ok, Gracie asked how I weave in my ends and I was just getting ready to weave in my sock ends when I thought hmmm, I'll snap a photo of it so maybe ya'll can see. Ok, Where you see the needle is where I stopped my weaving and I "fringed" the ends so that the yarn doesn't slip out.

If you look REALLY close (and I take pride in this LOL)you can see how I have carefully gone in and out of the purl loops and only picking up half of the loop. Basically, I am splitting the purl bumps with my needle so I can slip in each one. I start going up then move over one row and go down and then move over one row and go up again and then snip and fray. This seems to be the best way. Now also when you start to go to another purl row, make sure you kind of tug on the sock to stretch the fabric so it doesn't get all goofy and pull your ends out. I am really glad ya'll are taking an interest in my knitting and asking me questions. I love that and it is really cool to know others like my knitting too. Keep in mind though ya'll, there are knitters out there with FAR more knowledge, my "knowledge" comes from just basically, I like things the way I like them LOL. I tend to piddle with things until it becomes something that is comfortable with ME or my lovable ones;)

Now, before I start on this next topic, I want to first start off by saying that my blog is NOT a blog to come to for bashing others. Even if I personally am NOT a fan of something, you will see that I may SAY I am not a big fan....but you WON'T see anything else. I am not into the hash slinging and to be very honest with all of you, if any of the comments or emails (which I actually think that all of the people who come and read my blog are the most kindest and sweetest I have met) but anyways, if any of the comments ext are nasty or rude, I will delete them immediately. You can TACTFULLY say your not satisfied or you are not a big fan of something or someone without being hurtful. Ya'll know that ;) Ok now......here we go....

For the last several weeks, I have been privy to some pretty sad blogging. By that I mean, MEAN, NASTY and CUT-THROAT blogging. I was shocked and to be honest, I was not only hurt for the people that these topics were about BUT I was truly embarrassed for the people writing the blogs. I mean, as my mother taught me, A TRUE lady NEVER shows her teeth and trust me ya'll, I have seen ALOT of teeth. I am shocked. One of the main topics I am referring to is MYSTICAL CREATIONS. I have chatted back and forth with Danielle for awhile now and she has really gone out of her way to help me with each and every one of my silly little endeavors. Those of you who really KNOW me, know that when I have my mind set on something, I just move heaven and earth to find it, get it and knit it LOL. Poor Danielle has been subject to that MANY times LOL. I feel I know her well enough to know that what is being done to her is cruel and so much unlady like, I mean, geesh, short of mud wrestling, I dunno what else would be left.
She is being called TERRIBLE names, and believe me, I have read these names, she is being downed for her creativity, her knowledge and her all around character. Why you ask, well, the whole scenario stems from someone who received some of her yarn and there was what they felt was an error. Danielle was contacted AFTER the blog slinging had already started and she was TOTALLY unaware of the fact of this until the hash started. Trust me, she would have chopped off her own hair, dyed and spun it to make amends and make someone happy. She LOVES what she does and she is damn good at it. I will not comment further to give negative press to what ACTUALLY was,should have been, or done, to start the feud. I don't think fuel should be added to the fire. What I am asking is that all the hate mail, the negative comments from people who never even BOUGHT her yarn and just the cut throat behavior STOP.
The fiber,yarn and dying community is a LARGE one and there is enough room for ALL of you. All of you will have your own customer base, and so what if you share a customer. Maybe you have one thing they want and another dyer or spinner has another. Don't people shop for groceries at different stores? I mean when I need paper products,I go to the dollar store because the paper products I use are of the inexpensive kind, when I want fish, I go to the fish monger and at no time have I ever seen them dukin' it out on the street over me LOL....although it would be funny LOL.
I am just really upset at how nasty people have become. I have seen on blogs where one dyers is ripped to shreds, a yarn company is ripped on another one, a designer on yet another one and then an author on yet others. Now I will admit, I have my personal favorites in ALL aspects, that's my prerogative, BUT I don't go to someone else's side of the street and say what crappy yarn they have because they are an inferior spinner or things to those extent. I know that deep down, everyone is just trying to grab their corner of the world, but ya'll the world is ROUND, there are NO corners, just spaces for everyone to stand............can't we just stand side by side? Why does everything have to be so hateful, so competitive? Please DO NOT email me and tell me that life is like that and competitiveness is the name of the game, yes, I KNOW that, but grabbin' knives and daggers to toss at the neighbor is NOT!
I know one of the things I admire most of this wonderfully diverse craft is just how truly creative everyone is. I mean, honestly, it is mindblowing to me. I am so impressed but so sad it has been seeping with hatred and nastiness. There is just no reason for it. It's really sad. I think what people don't really realize also, is this...................
behind each of those website, blogs, Etsy stores, Ebay stores, and mom and pop shops, there are people. People like Danielle, like me, like you. All of us are here and all of us love what we do and what we're involved in, but we all feel that knife when it goes into our backs. It hurts. It hurts to have someone claim to be your friend and then take advantage of your generosity and your kindness and then stab you in the back knowingly when you turn around. It hurts when people spread rumours about your craft and your talent and then that effects your bread and butter,and it hurts to know that people are just wanting to say things and do things to hurt you and your business or your love. I will be the first to admit I have been taken advantage of, many times, I know it.....but sometimes, its just easier for me to be on the look-out and to shut myself off to the people that do that to me, but you know what, my other friends, the ones that love my dorkiness and love the fact that I crack up laughing and snort, they miss out on having the real me because of my fear of being hurt again...........this is a circle in life......I am not the only one who feels that way, I am just the only one admitting it right now.
I know that the people who have hopped on the bandwagon of what I have started to call "power bashing", I KNOW you are all good people who wouldn't want that happening to you or anyone you cared about, c'mon people, knitters and crafters have this code of ethics, a code that they step up and help, not hurt. People like Danielle at Mystical Creations, she is just like you and I, she loves what she does. She LOVES hearing how happy her customers are and what beauty they are creating. Email her and chat with her, you will see what I do. Her clientele isn't being hurt by all of this, SHE is. She is more hurt that people are unhappy than anything else. She only wants to just have her space in the world too, she doesn't want to fight for it, she knows there's no reason to. I am asking all of you to not only stop with the nastiness from Mystical but others that I have read too. I have seen this regarding bloggers, podcasters, ect., seriously, we CANNOT let men say they are right about us........oh geesh, can you IMAGINE how huge their ego's would be *giggle*.
I hope that this has set with you. I hope that this touches a spot in your heart. I don't mean to try and start this all out argument over who is right who is wrong or who is better. I just want to see everyone happy and everyone share in others creativity. If you are not a fan of someones blog, then don't read it, I won't. If you don't prefer a dyer, don't shop there. I know sometimes it's easier said then done but please........try.
For those of you who have been upset by your merchandise with Mystical, email her, Danielle is MORE than happy to fix things if you have an issue, but she has to KNOW about them first. Mystical Creations Yarns have closed the Etsy Shoppe, not because of this but because the overflow from Etsy, Ebay and her shop was more than she could comfortably handle. You can still order her stunning yarns at either Ebay or her online shoppe at www.mysticalcreationsyarn.com
Check it out....you'll be happy you did.
Now, For the Contest. The winners have been picked. I will be emailing you all and posting the winners tomorrow. Thanks for helping me destash *giggle*.....The answer was........ SUMMER ESSENTIALS SWEATER.................the actual one is Ella. I bought the kit and it arrived and now I am off to knit LOL.

APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH..............PLEASE................BE AWARE!!

CONTEST ENDING TODAY!!!!

Hi all,

Just a note to let you to know get your enteries in. The contest is closed at 5pm today. I will announce the winners either later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Good Luck and have fun. This has been alot of fun to do and I am so glad I could give some cool gifts away:)

Happy Knitting and Guessing ya'll,

Debbie

Ohhh, a yarn store gone badddd, very badddd *grin*

APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH............PLEASE..............BE AWARE!


Let's start with a clue *sheepish grin* The letter E. I can share with ya'll this.....it could be located on 34 & 35. Now don't email me and ask me what that means *grin* cuz I'm not gonna tell ya!! I will say though that I have decided to extend the winners to 4 instead of 3 :) but nooooo, that does NOT mean you all get cashmere LOL......the 3rd place and 4th place will get what is called pot luck! It will be knitting related!


Now, let's get on to some yarny goodness. I must say that I have some AWSOME friends. I cannot begin to say thank you enough to all of you. First to Brenda who somehow feels that I need to be converted to being a "Socks that Rock" fan LOL.....ok, ok, you win LOL. She has found out that my favorite colorways are reds and pinks and she decided to send me more yarny goodness. Thank you thank you thank you! You TRULY are a gem! Ok, up next, we have the orangey variegated......this is going to be a gift for someone and that's all I can say *sheepish grin* if I say what I am knitting out of it, well, that will give it away. I can't even say when it needs to be done by LOL. BUT, the yarn is so delicious, I HAD to show it off. Beside that is 2 hanks of pure YUMMO! It is Pumpkin Spice and the new and upcoming famous colorway.....drum roll please.............BEWITCHED!!! It is GORGEOUS. Check out www.whitewillow.etsy.com and get your drool on LOL. Don't forget that purple beauty beside the STR hanks. This is the newest colorway from www.crashintoewe.etsy.com called Purple Medley. Now you all know that I am HUGE promoters of these two Indie dyers. I am telling you right now, they are AWSOME. They have a talent that is AMAZING. Both with unique colorway qualities. I HIGHLY recommend them, you WON'T be sorry.


And onto Rowan porn. I know, I know, it looks like a Rowan store blew up over here (remember the cashsoft I just got LOL) well, this is the final in my Rowan spending fury. Here is what I did folks, now remember, I THOUGHT it was a good idea at first....until I ran out of room to store it all.

At the start of this year, I made a list of 2 things. One was a list of yarns I wanted to try (Brenda,Gina and Ryan have pretty much cleared that up LOL) and I also made a list of items I wanted to knit for the year. Ya know, sweaters, socks, hats, scarf's, mitts ect., for birthday's, Christmas, Mother's day, all the gift giving holidays. I also added things I wanted to knit for myself and the kids and King1. Well, I thought that with having that list made up, having all the patterns marked, ect, that I should be on the look-out for the yarns and be looking for the best deals right?! LOL Well, a sweaters work of Cotton glace is not a teeny amount LOL. Actually, this really was the smartest thing for me to do. Now I can knit them at my leisure and just move onto the next instead of waiting for the yarns and then getting way behind blah,blah,blah...you know the routine LOL!! This also helps stop me from senseless splurging believe it or not. I have the yarns for everything I need, including sock yarns and that keeps me out of the heavy buying track. Now when I buy a sock yarn here or a sock yarn there, I can not have the worry of spending the money that was to be for the sweater for Aunt Kimmy for her birthday or King1's birthday sock money. Trust me, there is a complete order to my spending frenzies and I only do it in spurts and when I have what I need already, I tend to be able to say no to senseless spending sprees. PLUS, knowing I am saving up money in case I want to buy a new spinning wheel is also incentive too. I can be incredibly frugal when I want to :)

Ok, now I thought I would do something a little new for me.....hope it doesn't bore everyone LOL....I have been getting a lot of emails asking questions and I thought maybe everyone would like to know. First, thank you all for the emails. I appreciate it and love hearing from all of you. I am so thrilled at the friends I have made through knitting and blogging, it is amazing to me the kindness and the generosity of knitters. For those of you who would like to email me and not sure how or where :debbiejusi at yahoo dot com

Now time for questions and answers: This is the first time I have ever done anything like this so it may take a few times to tweek it LOL.

--Do I have a favorite sock yarn? Well, yes and no. I really like using my handspun but if you don't count that then yes, The above 2 mentioned are the 2 front runners for me:) I may or may not add some more to that when I try some of these new ones that have been sent to me. I'll keep you posted :)

--What is my favorite sock patterns: Well, I am just now starting in the world of patterned socks LOL I normally prefer to do the cuff down 2x2 rib. I have started on a couple of sock patterns from my books and will keep you posted....one being the Nancy Bush Knitting on the Road. So far I really like that one, it is just taking me forever. It is my travel sock.

--Have I ever been to any fiber festivals? Nope, not even one teeny-tiny one LOL I do look forward to going next year.

--What kind of pattern books do I recommend? Well, this one cracked me up....I am REALLY not experienced in this area BUT I can tell you the ones I like. I like Debbie Bliss' older pattern books. She wrote the patterns more thoughtfully than the new ones. Alot of the new ones are left to "just knowing the ropes". I like the Nancy Bush sock books, and Susan Anderson and yes, Zoe Mellor's books LOL if you can find the errata. I also adore alot of the patterns in Interweave Knits books, I have made several items and really like them. There are alot of new and upcoming designers in there and in Knitty. com that are really good.

--Which do I prefer, spinning or knitting? Both. I knit more than I spin but I also go in spurts. I make sure I set aside 1 day a week to just spin and then the rest I knit. Knitting is more portable for me. Maybe when my monkeys are older, things will change.

Ok, there are just a few of the questions I have in email and I will try and answer a little during new posts. If I haven't answered your questions here, then I will email you and try and answer that way.

Thanks everyone for making me feel like I am such a part of a fantastic community. I would also like to thank all of you for your support for Autism Research. You will never know how much that means to me.

Now for a new featured website ;) http://sassykrafty.blogspot.com/ Check out her Chevron scarf, it is soooo cool!!!

Knit On My Friends!!

This little piggy went to the market..........this little piggy....

APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH...............PLEASE...............BE AWARE!

Stayed home and got to wear hand-knit socks WOOHOO. I LOVE these socks. This is the yarn I showed you the other day posing with Tommy Turtle lusting after it. This is the Proudest Monkey sock yarn from http://www.crashintoewe.etsy.com/ I can't even begin to describe how much I love this yarn. This colorway is my favorite. I am not sure what I see is what you see, but with me, if I can see it, I am VERY happy. The color hues in this are not of the same tone so this leaves a step variation that I can see separate. So far, everyone in my household wants a pair in this colorway. The pattern is just my normal basic 2x2 rib and stockinette stitch foot with the square heel. I am finding myself going back to the square heel instead of doing the short row heel. Now personally, I was VERY against learning the short row heel way (I'm funny like that LOL) I learned how to knit socks the traditional heel way and I do NOT adjust well to change...........Maybe all those years of dealing with Mr. Mann has rubbed off on me OR better yet, maybe I rubbed off onto Mr. Mann.........ohhhh no, poor kid *wink*. Anyways, I finally decided to try the short row, I had a bit of a time catching onto it and finally, I did. I started to perfect the gusset holes and adapt my own personal spin onto it and began liking it. I then decided it was faster to knit than traditional heel and guess what I did. Yep, I decided to time it. I made 2 pairs of socks, both with the same stitch, same yarn, same needles, everything the same. I then timed each sock from start to finish of the the heel. Once I finished the decrease stitches in the heel, I then stopped the timer. This is what I came up with. The traditional heel, from start to finish point took 17.5 minutes. The short row heel , from start to finish, took 11.7 minutes. So my thoughts were right, the short row WAS indeed faster. That sealed the deal for me, I started doing ALL my socks that way. After several pairs for each child and several pairs for myself, I started noticing that not only were the kiddies constantly tugging at their socks, so was I. The sock heels were continually slipping down. This was starting to drive me insane. What was the problem, why was this happening? Could it be the sock yarn was not worthy? Could it be that when pulling the socks on over the heel, the yarn stretched and was then unable to gain it's recovery therefore causing poor fit and slippage? That COULDN'T be it. I then made an effort to use some of the sock yarn I have that contained some nylon thinking that the recovery would be better. End result, no different. This was LITERALLY driving me batty. I couldn't stand the sloppiness this was giving my socks that I work so hard to make. So I decided to do yet another study. The fit of both heels. I will spare you the photo intense theory BUT this is the conclusion, the short row heels fit just under the actual heel the fit is shortened and bent to just make it slide off of your heel. The square heel (traditional) actually cupped your heel, causing a little covet for your heel to set into, this is why your sock doesn't slide down, the fit of the heel. So where does that leave me? I went right back to the traditional heel, the time it saves by doing the short row heel gets eaten up by constantly tugging at the socks to pull them up. This makes all the work going into the socks futile at best. This would cause me to slide the socks to the back of the drawer and grab another pair that doesn't fall or slip. That does NOBODY any good. In the weeks to come, I will be trying new techniques for heels. I have been gifted all these new amazing sock yarns (one photo to follow, compliments of my knitter friend Jen) Jen will be making her own blog here shortly and I am soooo happy, she is the one who bugged ME to make a blog and SHE didn't even have one LOL. So, be ready for a link when she is done. She is an AMAZING knitter/sock designer. She has just recently started designing sock patterns and I must say, they are really pretty. Way to go Jen. Look for her work to show up in some (not mentioning any names) online knitting magazines!! I just found this out and I think I am more excited than she is LOL kidding, she is pretty pumped LOL

Ok, onto some more yarny goodness. This next snazzy little number is the ever popular Sahara. I have been eyeing this for a little under a year, never really settling one way or another on should I get the pattern or not. FINALLY I decided to get it. I just couldn't get it out of my head. I think this pattern is so lovely. It is VERY flattering although the top is a little lower than what I would wear, I have the solution for that, a lacy little cami under it. I now need to settle on the yarn to get for it. I have a few in mind but am not 100% sure on any yet. The Tilli Thomas yarn is just a bit to pricey for me and a little impractical. The beads are not important to me, Sometimes that kind of embellishments turn me completely off. So, now my new mission will be to find a yarn for this. This will make my summer knitlist complete. I wanted to knit myself 2 summer garments this year and I finally settled on the two ;) I make socks all year round and of course I knit the kids socks and sweaters and hats,scarfs, and the such but I really don't make

myself alot other than socks. So last year I decided I would make myself 2 items with every season change. It didn't have to be large or overwhelmingly difficult, just something that I like. That is how I came to this conclusion:)

This is the yarn that Jenn sent me. I have not knit with it yet but it feels really soft. The colorway says Militia. I think I am going to make King1 a nice pair of ribbed socks out of it. I'll keep you posted on it's progress:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The following is in regard to Autism Awareness. Feel free to skip if this does not interest you...........but I hope you read it anyways.

Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests
There are three distinctive behaviors that characterize autism. Autistic children have difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors or narrow, obsessive interests. These behaviors can range in impact from mild to disabling.

Autism varies widely in its severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected children or when it is masked by more debilitating handicaps. Doctors rely on a core group of behaviors to alert them to the possibility of a diagnosis of autism.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is one of the federal government’s leading supporters of biomedical research on brain and nervous system disorders. The NINDS conducts research in its laboratories at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland , and also awards grants to support research at universities and other facilities.
As part of the Children’s Health Act of 2000, the NINDS and three sister institutes have formed the NIH Autism Coordinating Committee to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH’s autism research. Eight dedicated research centers across the country have been established as “Centers of Excellence in Autism Research” to bring together researchers and the resources they need. The Centers are conducting basic and clinical research, including investigations into causes, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, and treatment, such as the studies highlighted below:
investigators are using animal models to study how the neurotransmitter serotonin establishes connections between neurons in hopes of discovering why these connections are impaired in autism
researchers are testing a computer-assisted program that would help autistic children interpret facial expressions
a brain imaging study is investigating areas of the brain that are active during obsessive/repetitive behaviors in adults and very young children with autism
other imaging studies are searching for brain abnormalities that could cause impaired social communication in children with autism
clinical studies are testing the effectiveness of a program that combines parent training and medication to reduce the disruptive behavior of children with autism and other ASDs .

The above information is from the website :http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm

Please take a few minutes each time your on the Internet this month and check out some of the sites that are being published this month. This disorder is life changing for the families it touches. If you know someone who has a child that has just been diagnosed, please, don't shy away from them. You may think they need time or their space to deal with this blow. I can tell you from experience, they need friends too. They need some sense of normalcy to stay consistent in their lives. Their lives are being tossed around and upside down, having friends who want to be there, it helps in ways that can't be expressed. It is emotionally, physically and spiritually draining to delve into this disorder. It is hard to accept that the child you love fiercely and the child you want the best for, will not go down some of the same roads that his/her peers will go down. It is hard to hear or watch a child that is neuro-typical playing with the kids next door, when you know that your child is physically unable to interact that way. You cry for all that your child will miss, all that your child will never know, and all that you cannot give your child. Then there comes the point where you stand up, brush yourself off, and look to your friends for support. I know for myself, I know that in time, there WILL be more help available for my son and many like him. I know that in time, there WILL be more research being done. I know this because I promised my son that we will not stop until we make a difference! Help me make a difference, please tag your blog with April is Autism awareness month. Just the fact that people will read it and look into it on their own is like moving mountains. At your next luncheon with your friends, ask them if they have ever heard of Autism. The thing that blows me away the most is that if you look and listen, more people either have someone in their family that has been diagnosed OR they know someone who has been diagnosed. It is frightening to know that this disorder is becoming so prevalent, we have to ask ourselves WHY, what is going on that is attacking these children and their families! When we figure that out, maybe we will figure out a cure!

Thanks for reading and thanks for caring. Mr. Mann and myself are VERY grateful!

We'll do it.....we'll do it together Mr. Mann, remember, even if it takes one family at a time, we WILL do it.
I love you buddy, you truly are my inspiration.