i got prezzies!

i got some prizes in the mail. on the left is a skein of sol joy from kerry. isn't it gorgeous? i have been wanting to try this yarn since kerry blogged about it. i looked for it at stitches west (and apparently there was some there) but i obviously looked in all the wrong places because I couldn't find any. now i have my very own!

and on the right is a pretty skein of trekking in one of my favorite colors. this is from p-la because she is one of the most generous people in the whole wide world (and because we made a "deal" - **wink, wink**). i love trekking.

thank you, kerry & p-la! i am one happy girl!

i've finished knitting the sideways sweater but have not finished sewing the TWO seams. i have this aversion to finishing. don't make me tell you how many pairs of socks i have that just need the ends sewn in. yes, i am THAT bad. what do you hate to do? maybe that would be a good question for my next give-away!

"lilacs in burgundy"

i've finally finished my "lilac" socks. wanna see? i wear clogs a lot so really like socks with details on the heel.

"lilacs" designed by jeanie townsend
knitpicks gloss in burgundy
2.25mm circulars/gauge 8.5 sts/inch
modifications: hemmed picot cast-on instead of ribbing, carried pattern down heel flap, instep, and toe

close-up
i really like the heels and toes

i am almost done with the sideways baby sweater. the gauge at 7 sts/inch seems so loose to me since i knit socks more than anything else but the sweater is looking very cute.

i am almost done with the 2nd sock for south west trading company. the pattern is written so i will be able to send everything off very soon!

there is a mistake on the "fly away home" pattern. susan should have the corrected instructions posted soon.
round 3 should read: *yo, k3; repeat to end.

edited to add: click on jeanie townsend to link to her blog. if you email her, she will send the pattern to you.

not socks!

i thought that i would show you that i do knit things other than socks; although i do admit that socks are currently my favorite! this is the sideways baby sweater from the ptyarn website. this may be a sweater BUT i am knitting it in a vintage opal SOCK yarn!! i'm using the mexiko colorway #17. this was one of those "i gotta have it cuz everyone else wants it" yarns that i knew i would never make socks from. i know you all have yarn like that! don't try denying it! it will make a cute sweater.

oh! you didn't come here to read about my knitting?! you want the "BOTTLE"?! okay, i'll give you ...

"THE BOTTLE"

winner of panda cotton in rosewater is:

who didn't give me a last inital or where she is from

winner of panda wool is:

i decided to put the names of people not from the us in a special drawing
(because yvonnep did point out that she would not get to try this yarn otherwise)

winner of panda wool is:

and the final winner from combining all the names together so everyone had two chances to win is:

congrats to the winners. i haven't gotten the extra panda wool from susan yet so don't know that colors she is sending. i will give tracy first pick of "lacquer red", surprise #1, or surprise #2. i know that all the colors will be solids. fiadhnat will get 2nd pick. and barbara will get the lovely color remaining. please email me at ajmcfong at yahoo dot com with your snail mail addy and i will get these babies out to their new homes asap.

i may have to learn how to use a random number generator or have my family start picking a number between one and a hundred and... there are a LOT of little pieces of paper in that bottle!

stick around. i have some tofutsies looking for a new home.

to answer some questions

for amy: re: "oh! my! gecko eyes!" would best be knit in a solid color yarn, especially if you are planning on knitting with beads. a very subtle variegated or a single color variegated would probably also work.

for rachael in germany: the bellybutton is about 2 hours away from sacramento. i don't go there much at all; although i know there are several yarn stores in the area. i have been to one in davis. i think it's called "in sheep's clothing". it's been several years since i've been there but they did have a nice variety of sock yarn.

for tabitha: who asked for a hint about the june sotm club kit for the knitter. i've finally finished writing up the pattern. that makes judy a very happy person. so, here is a sneak peek...

of the heel flap
(my bad! my bad!)

there is a new yahoo group for people who are knitting the knitter's sotm club patterns. you can chat and get help with the club patterns. you can join here.

dang it all anyways! i may as well show you what i am knitting for swtc. i am writing up the pattern and then knitting the mate as a check. i hate to admit it, but i am a very bad test knitter, especially of my own patterns. i do try hard though! here is TOFUtsies #793...

toe!
(my REALLY BAD!!!!)
the colors are very pretty together and this is from a person who is so not into golds and yellows

keep those comments coming. it's funny. i have some of the same patterns on my "to-do" list. and i have already knit several of the other ones. susan at crystal palace yarns is sending me more yarn so there will be more than 2 winners! isn't she wonderful? i plan on drawing one name from those who preferred panda cotton, one from all the others who didn't care or wanted panda wool, and then i am going to mix all the remaining names and continue drawing!

edited to add: click here to see all the new colors of tofutsies. (the new ones don't have funny names yet and i do so like the funny names)

another free sock pattern ...AND A CONTEST

my pattern for "fly away home" is now available at the crystal palace yarns website. i love the panda wool more than the panda cotton; but i am partial to wool anyway.

"fly away home"
panda wool in lacquer red colorway
2.25mm needles/gauge 9 sts/inch

close-up so you can "see" the ladybugs (which my co-worker could never see-sigh)

i really love knitting with panda wool. i love that little shiny thread of bamboo. my only complaint is the yardage. this is the second pair (well, technically one and a half pairs since i only knit one sock for a sample and sent that to susan ;o} ) of socks i have made with panda wool and i always get to the end wondering if i am going to get one sock out of the skein. this is how much i had left this time. i, of course, keep insisting on knitting with a tight gauge which uses more yarn.

the good news is that, in the future, the yarn is going to be spun just a tad thinner and will gain about 20(?) yards. anyway, there will be less stress in this household.

i have been itching to have another contest. i had so much fun reading your answers to my last question. this time, i am giving away 2 skeins of panda wool in the lacquer red colorway so you can knit your own pair of "fly away home".

lisa never claimed the panda cotton (rosewater) from my last contest so i am also throwing that back into the contest. in case you were wondering, karen is now playing with the panda cotton in the beautiful "seascape" colorway.

leave me a comment. i would love to know what sock pattern you are absolutely dying to knit but have never gotten around to. tell me if you want the panda wool or panda cotton as a first choice. and if you could just add a last initial, state, or something so i can tell your first names apart, please. i will draw two names this weekend.