my socks!!!!!

Lovely blue, isn't it. Shakespeare from Artful Yarns. Never heard of it, but I will buy it again. Made in Italy. Yummy. Soft and a little fragile. But not as bad to work with as the yarn shop lady warned. It is getting a little hard to deal with because it's hot in here and my hands are getting a little sweaty. Actually it's not hot, but my hands are getting a little sweaty.

I feel quite virtuous because I passed on Alchemy silk and wool yarn at 50% off. Or maybe I am lightheaded because I just lost my mind. 50% off!!!! Sheesh! What was I thinking!!!

banned books

In celebration of banned books week, I think I will read one. Looking at the list I realize I have missed a lot of them and the books I have read I read in jr high, but it's never too late to start! Books I have read in bold or italics.

Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
Daddy's Roommate by Michael Willhoite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
Forever by Judy Blume
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Giver by Lois Lowry
It's Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Sex by Madonna
Earth's Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
The Witches by Roald Dahl
The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
The Goats by Brock Cole
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
Blubber by Judy Blume
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Final Exit by Derek Humphry
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
What's Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Pigman by Paul Zindel
Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
Deenie by Judy Blume
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
Cujo by Stephen King
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
Ordinary People by Judith Guest
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
What's Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
Fade by Robert Cormier
Guess What? by Mem Fox
The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Native Son by Richard Wright
Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Fantasies by Nancy Friday
Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
Jack by A.M. Homes
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Carrie by Stephen King
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
Family Secrets by Norma Klein
Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
Private Parts by Howard Stern
Where's Waldo? by Martin Hanford
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

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sock!!!!!

yea!!! I started my new socks. Just the way I like 'em, big needles, toe-up, nice weight yarn. Don't know the exact weight, but it's moderate thickness. Anyway, pics to come. Halfway through the first sock. Next time I think I will try two socks on circulars, seems like a plan to me.

the garden flower shawl

Okay, now I think I am stuck. I followed the pattern, I checked my guage, I forgot what type of yarn I bought, I think I may be about to run out, I am not sure what the pattern means, I am way confused *sigh* I think I am going to frog 8 rows. Or maybe I'll just stop where I am and have the pattern do it's thing, letting the stitches fall where they may. Or maybe I'll just hit Stitch DC tomorrow afternoon for some advice. It's not like anyone will notice, except me. Plus I think Mom was staring covetously at my shawl. She asked who it was for. Now it may have been an idle question, but I think she would like it. Maybe she will get it for Christmas.
I am trying to work on it everyday. So far very sucessful.
Found some great yarn at Temptations Yarn Shop in Dublin Ohio. Their second floor holds the sale yarns!!! I didn't notice it the first time I went there. It's a lovely shade of blue and it's going to be socks. Starting a pair of toe-up socks, no particular pattern decided yet. I am determined to finish a pair. I have four pairs under my belt, but I plan to complete more by christmas. I think they will be great gifts.

4 more inches!!!

I have finally made it to the 4 inch point on the shawl. I am so excited, and nervous about finishing up the sides. I was thumbing through a shawl book and saw examples of overblocked lace work. I hope to avoid that, but it may necessitate a trip to the lys. Just have to figure out which one to visit. Maybe I can finish the final 4 today! One can dream.

home at last.

Well, just returned from a 7 hour concert at Nissan Pavillion. 10 bands, 7 hours, lots of drunk people and a carload of teenage girls. We had a great time. Heard some good music, and some bad. Will have to research some of the groups I heard tonight. Also got an autograph from Fieldy of Korn! Great fun.
They wouldn't let me take my knitting in. That's okay, I'm down another 2 inches on the shawl. I have also decided the teal and black cotton I have is going to turn into a tank top and socks.

Secret Pal 9

Okay, just signed up for secret pal. Can't wait to see how this works. I have been toying with the idea of joining for a while, and the one has opened so I finally did it. Very excited.
Beach camping. It was the camping story from hell and I loved it. Our dining tent was overrun by wild horses! See, it has two new doors :-)



Ahhh, knittng. Made some progress on the shawl and the cable sweater. About 4 inches of sweater and a lot of shawl, only 10 inches left of that and then it's on to the border. The lace is fun. I feel more confident as I go along, and almost ready to tackle another one. I am getting used to the color and I think I may keep it. I mean, I have considered giving it to mom, but I think she would like a nice bold, solid color (or a nice plain black or white), plus she's making her own. Granny squares. Teeny, tiny granny squares.





I do have to go see mom soon because we are going to do the caps to the capitol project ( savethechildren.org or warmupamerica.org ). It seems like a really cool thing to do, and a great way to get rid of 6 skeins of pale green fingering yarn that has been sitting in my stash for years and years and years. Got it from my sister. It's a very pretty green, but it's so darn thin! Probably going to double strand it.

Also working on a differnt pair of socks and having difficulty. I do not like little needles. Hate 'em. I think the needles are too small. Actually they probably aren't, I'm just not used to them and too impatient to work them properly. I am determined to finishe these socks though. I should have done them as toe-up. It seems to go much faster that way.