I finished the Gull Wing socks from Socks, Socks, Socks. I'm not in love with the pointy heels - they're not noticeable in this scan but are easier to see in the original pattern photo in the book. These socks are also a gift for a girlfriend's daughter. I used Froehlich Blauband for these socks in a lovely lilac color.

Now I'm back to the Aran Island Mittens from Folk Mittens. I hope I can concentrate on the socks because I'm worrying that the Red Sox will trade Manny before the trade deadline today.

Remember when I was so amazed at the enormous size of my sock yarn stash? Well then it may surprise you to learn I've recently added to it.







This is Knitpicks' new solid-colored sock yarn, Essential. I love the price and I have a few projects in mind. The lighter green on the top will become the Leaf Socks from Socks X3 and the orange on the bottom will become the Tiger's Eye socks from the same book. Then I will have knit all the socks in the lace section of the book. I may also use the burgundy to do a cabled pair from one of the little VK socks books.

The feather and fan sock pattern from Socks, Socks, Socks is a lot like potato chips. You just can't knit just one pair. I hope to make a pair for myself some day. This pair is knit in Regia for a friend's 8 year old daughter. I hope they fit.

I should have both the Aran Island mittens (wonderful, wonderful pattern!) and the second pair of feather and fan socks to show you this week. In the meantime, here are a few more garden photos. Keep in mind that I live in a dry and hot climate.

First here is my rather pathetic herb garden. The baby squirrels ate some of the dill but the rest is intact.




Some sort of sedum that survives really well without getting watered regularly.




Finally, here are the red hot poker plants that remained after a gopher sucked a few plants underground. Look near the barrel. Those are the Sandia Mountains (named because they turn the color of watermelon in dusk) in the background.

I've been wondering for a while why I haven't been challenging myself with my knitting. I thought for a while it was because I crashed and burned with my Level III submission and then I thought maybe it was because it is getting more difficult to see charts well late at night.

I've finally figured it out. It is because I'm such a product-oriented knitter. So far in 2005 my production has been way down and I didn't want to start a project that took more time. Lately it is so hot hot hot that all I can do here is knit and watch cooking shows on tv. I'm now finishing more projects therefore I'm more interested in doing some complicated projects.

I'm almost finished with my 2nd pair of feather and fan socks and am halfway through the Vine Lace socks both from the Socks X3 book. I have also started on the Girly-Girl socks from the Spin-Off book. All three pairs are going to the same girlfriend so I am working on them simultaneously.

To challenge myself a bit, I'm planning on starting the Aran Mittens from Folk Mittens as soon as I can work out the gauge. There's no way I'm knitting them in worsted weight on size 3 dpns - I'm going to either use sport or fingering weight Cormo. I also just ordered some of the new Knitpicks solid-colored sock yarn for the fancy Leaf socks in Socks X3.

The baby rock squirrels are finally out and about. One hangs out by the back door and one hangs out by the front door. They are so adorable! Here's a photo of one of the nests. Look for all the twigs stuffed in the rock wall behind the white chair.




If it ever cools off I can sit out here and knit.

The scanner didn't do justice to this baby hat. The colors are off and you can't really tell that it is a mushroom cap or toque that puffs out in the center. It was knit in Nylamb on size 2 dpns. The curlicues on top are done by casting on 20 stitches, knitting in the front and back of each stitch then binding off purlwise.




The hat is from a set including a dress and cardigan from Dale of Norway's baby book #124 which is amazingly still in print and available for sale from HERE.

It is the same pattern book I used for the bunnies and ducks and garden tools cardigan seen below . If I have time before the baby is born I may make the bunnies and ducks hat from pattern book 124 but use different colors.

Several weeks ago I attended a really sad baby shower at DH's office. He works in treatment foster care with some really sad kids. If I had his job I'd be crying all the time.

I've started knitting a few Dale of Norway baby items for the mom-to-be I met. I'm aware a few stupid knitted items aren't going to matter if you're alone and pregnant and dirt poor but I've always been a bleeding heart. I'm finishing a cute Dale baby girl hat I'll show you tomorrow.

I need to take some photos of Peaches enjoying her new dog beds. I actually bought one for each of the pets but Peaches feels they should all be hers alone. Here she is modeling one of her baskets of bunny toys. She likes to overturn them and eat the basket as well as you can see.

Life goes on here at Wild Kingdom. Last night Jack the cat spent several hours staring at the washer/dryer and then a few more staring at the stove. I checked and the vent on the trombe wall (which we screened last week) was opened again. DH checked this a.m. and found that a screened vent to the dryer had been opened as well. He gets to move the washer and dryer this weekend see how to make it more secure. I am now changing the sheets on the bed every other day but I still find dead bugs every time. This afternoon I plan to clear everything off the floors in the closets.

Our friend Rod came over last night to watch the game with us. He brought me tons of sweet corn from his garden and asked if I want a few of his chickens so I can have fresh eggs. I would love some hens but this isn't the place for chickens - too many coyotes. I see them often when I'm out in the yard and hear them most evenings.

Peaches is pretty mellow these days. I think the heat affects her more intensely than the cats. I bought her two big fleece dog beds from Petsmart and put them near the air conditioners. She stretches out on them every day and tries to keep cool.

Here are the feather and fan socks from Socks X3 done in Lorna's Lace's Shepherd sport given to me by Lisa. I will probably do another pair soon.

This is going to be a great baseball weekend with 4 games between the ever-dramatic Red Sox & Yankees starting tonight. DH keeps predicting the Yankees will come back with a vengeance and it is now or never time.

I've almost finished a feather and fan pair of socks I'll show you tomorrow and I plan to start a third pair (the pink girly-girl socks) tonight during the game. I've had several requests for lacy socks so I'm doing my best to get those finished and sent off while it is still hot.

I have the best driveway in the world. Really. This is just 1/4 of it but it is steep and hilly and the perfect driveway for privacy from the world. Friends think of it as some sort of theme park ride and the satellite dish guy even got stuck here once. I don't even bother with home UPS deliveries - they all go to DH's office.




And here is a view from the other direction. I promise I don't normally have entrelac socks hanging from the pinon trees.

On my birthday a friend told me to make a wish because it will come true. I was greedy and made about ten wishes but it looks like one is already coming true. The monsoons are here!

Imagine you are burning in that hot place where Lucifer lives. You can't sleep at night because it is too hot. You can't walk outside barefoot or wearing socks on any surface because you'll burn the bottom of your feet. All the plants is your garden look like they have been fried crispy in the oven even though you water them every day.

Then along comes a wonderful respite - the monsoons. They happen every year in the desert and last for at least a week. Every day in the late afternoon it clouds up and rain comes pouring down. The whole brown dried landscape suddently becomes transformed into a green wonderland. You don't have to change clothes ten times a day and no longer need to take cold showers. I love the monsoons!

Here are the two rejects I told you about. I quit knitting the colorwork socks (pattern from Katherine Pence's Tongue River Farm Sock Collection) because of lack of interest. The other was an attempt at a feather and fan sock in my last 2 skeins of multi-colored sock yarn. I couldn't see the lace so decided to do them plain. Then I decided I didn't like the yarn at all so they're history.

I know you're familiar with birthday cake but this year I also was visited at home by the birthday snake. As a result we spent most of the weekend duct taping and screening and steel wooling and improving the door seals. DH had to escort the slithery one out the back door with a broom which impressed upon him the need for tightening up the borders. (This house is a passive-solar home with more air vents and ducts than usual.) I hope our efforts pay off in fewer bugs as well.

The highlight of my weekend was a trip to Talin International Market for their anniversary festivities. We saw some beautiful Middle Eastern belly dancers and a life-size Hello Kitty and Chococat but unfortunately we missed the dragon dances again.

Inside Talin we got a passport that needed to get stamped by "ambassadors" for the various countries. In searching for the ambassadors in their traditional clothing we visited many tasting booths. We had chipotle hot sauce, green chile stew, Italian fennel cookies, cucumber rolls with wasabi and pickled ginger, Scottish butter cookies, Indian pea and potato samosas, several servings of a delicious kimchi, mango milkshakes, Chinese potstickers, Vietnamese spring rolls, and Chinese coconut cookies in the shape of cow's tongues. The strangest thing I tried was french fries with banana sauce and DH was nearly killed by some hot hot hot Laotian chile paste mixed with sticky rice.

At the end of the tour we got a free gift after presenting the fully stamped passport. I chose some coffee flavored cookie rolls from Malaysia for DH. I think he's afraid to try them! It is always so fun to hear so many different languages in one place. Talin Market is truly one of the best things about Albuquerque. I bought some inexpensive ancho chiles, Japanese eggplant, Italian olive paste, wasabi peas (my favorite snack) and Mexican soda for DH.

I did manage my first nose kiss ever from Miss Peaches. I had to put some peanut butter on my nose but I wasn't going to take no for an answer.

My thoughts go out to all Londoners. My British friend Diane is on vacation in Canada so I can't find out how her parents are doing in London. She has the most wonderful mom who vividly describes being bombed in WWII as a kid. I doubt you can ever forget events like that.

I have two abandoned sock projects to show you when I drag the scanner out again. I'm currently knitting two lace sock projects and will probably start two more today. I'm doing the feather and fan and gull wings socks from Socks X3 and plan to start the Girly Girl socks from the Spin-Off book and a kid's pair from a Stahl sock book. Ever since I counted all my sock yarn I am in a big hurry to use it up.

Tomorrow is my birthday and I am trying not to focus on how old I'll be. I was originally hoping to get a digital camera to use for this blog but then I burnt some brown rice in my beloved Le Creuset Dutch oven and ruined the interior finish. So that will be replaced and DH is getting me some organic soaps and shampoos that I love. It is too hot to go out so I'm going to try THIS recipe from Crescent Dragonwagon.

I've requested that Peaches give me a nose kiss for my birthday. She is not sure I deserve it because I clipped a few of her claws yesterday. Oh the trials and tribulations of being a larger-than-normal house rabbit.

I know you don't want to hear it. I know you'll curse me. You may even hate me but really - it is now officially time to begin your holiday knitting. Yikes!

I want to accomplish more holiday knitting than usual this year. My college girlfriend and fellow Illinois State University French major Gracie is making me a beautiful quilt. I plan to hang it on the bedroom wall and decorate the whole bedroom around it. I've sent Gracie knitted items before but I know I will need a lot more to properly thank her for such an incredible gift. She has 3 kids so I can make things of varying sizes for her family.

My best friend from childhood Cindy has requested more socks. She has a fashionista daughter who likes fancy scarves.

I also want to make something for my brother-in-law Dave and his partner Matt. I'm not sure what though - I previously knit Matt some high boot socks which he requested. I'm currently thinking fingerless gloves or Dale of Norway ski hats since they are both skiiers.

I also want to make something for my mother - probably a lace scarf she can wear inside and show off to everyone.

I've been meaning to make something with a horse on it for my friend Joelle to wear while competing in dressage. Bea Ellis has a hat with a horse on it I might use.

DH has asked for a plain gray stockinette vest although he's more likely to get some thick socks.

That should keep me busy for a while! Thankfully here is the final pair of multi-colored socks. The yarn is some very old Wildfoote. I have no clue why I kept it so long as it splits terribly.

Here are the Tipsy Knitter socks from Socks X3 done in some Nylamb from the stash. It was a very fun-to-knit pattern contributed by Katherine. I plan to wear these with shoes so I didn't extend the pattern down the foot of the sock.

I'm off to make dinner. Tonight we're having Hawaiian Sticky Tofu.