Crafty Pancakes

More arms = more knitting .. in theory

I need to sprout a few more arms. I know it wouldn't look great and it would definitely make buying shirts a bitch.. but maybe if I had them I'd start getting more socks knit. (Maybe that's wishful thinking and I'd just end up with more arms to hold cans of Diet Mt. Dew while I spend hours on Ravelry... which wouldn't be so shabby either) Back on track.. I had to go out and buy more plastic tubs for yarn that keeps showing up. I say 'showing up' like I didn't order it or something. I have half a dozen beauties to share today.

I'm now absolutely in love with Hazel Knits. I can't believe I didn't have any in my stash until last week. That should be a crime!

From left to right - High ocTang, Lime Granita, Tulip and Chocolatier...

They look so good it seems like they should have a smell. Ok, maybe scent is a better word. As crazy as that sounds I totally expect the Chocolatier to smell like chocolate.. the High ocTang to smell like those orange slice gumdrop thingies.. the Lime Granita to smell like mint chocolate chip ice cream and the Tulip to smell like bubblegum. No, I'm not relating it to food because of my diet! It's just delicious yarn is all.

I also tried a new, to me, dyer that I saw on Ravelry. There is no way I could pass up a yarn called Sea Turtle...

 

Handspun And Dyed Too wrapped my two favorite things, sock yarn and sea turtles, into one! The Ho (go here if you have no idea what I'm referring to and are a little freaked out) even sports a sea turtle hitch cover, sea turtle license plate frame and even a sea turtle inspired personalized license plate. Maybe one day I'll flash my sea turtle tattoo. So, you see why this Sea Turtle yarn was a must.

The clubs are also still rolling in. As usual, Roxanne did an outstanding job. The March Harmony Semi-Solid club shipment featured Sun Kiss...

Truly the best semi-solid dyer I've ever seen. I'm sure I've said that before. It doesn't even matter what color palette she works with.. I always love it.

I'm hoping to get a box from BMFA very soon. I ordered some great new colors the day the new site went up. I can't wait. Just what I need.. more STR.

I have been doing some knitting but 'in progress' pics are pretty boring. I'll have something to show off in a couple of days. And can you believe that it's green? I'm on a green kick that just won't stop. All I have to say about that is.. Green, if loving you is wrong.. I don't want to be right.

Back to my arm sprouting research and mentally preparing for the family road trip that starts on Saturday.

Wishing you......

a happy colored eggs and candy basket day!

From spoiled to spoiler

I can hardly contain myself about the March shipment from the Rockin' Sock Club! If you are waiting for yours and you hate spoilers then go read a different blog right now! I mean it. This is your last chance. Any disappointment you experience because of continuing to read this is not my responsibility! I'll give you a couple more seconds just in case you are stalling........

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Now for those of you who aren't babies about spoilers.. here's Lucky...

Those of you who know me.. I'm sure you are imagining my freak out when I saw this colorway slide out of the bag. It's only my favorite colorway of.. all.. time! I am going to have to buy a few more skeins, just because. In fact my best bud, Gaby, called me before it showed up and asked if I had seen the spoilers because I was going to love it. That is what friends are for! Love her!

I also received the March shipment from the Chewy Spaghetti Blue Plate Special Sock Club. It's called Ludicrous and the pattern she included with looks really fun. It even came with stickers and a darling sock DPN wallet by Blue Kitty Designs...

 

Yes, I forgot to throw the pattern into the picture... and it would take me a whole 10 seconds to do it over.. and that would be time I'd never get back.

Yay for sock clubs!   

Lucky me.. literally

You know when you sign up for a swap and you aren't quite sure what to expect?  When I signed up for the Loopy Ewe Spring Fling Swap I was pretty sure everything was going to be really fun and let me tell you.. wait.. let me show you how right I was...

Yes, I am feeling totally spoiled! My swap partner, Dawne, did an amazing job of putting together a box full of fantastic things! She was super thoughtful and had a green theme going since that is my favorite color. Here are all of the wonderful things she included...

1) Postcard, with a lovely note written on it, from where she lives. Canada looks beautiful.

2) Perfect little box of Lindor chocolates. I will be treating myself to those on Sunday. Goodbye Skinny Cow.

3) Lorna's Laces Green River Socks pattern. I can't wait to knit it.

4) Bottle of Aquae Soak. The exact one I had been wanting to buy.

5) Sheep tissues. Way too cute to use :)

6) Gorgeous card with a yarn photo on it.

7) Burt's Bees hand care kit.

(These next three need pictures)

8) Spritely Goods handblended batt in Bursage...

9) Sundara sock yarn in Evergreen Over Lime...

and.....I saved my favorite thing for last. Don't get me wrong.. I LOVE everything! Dawne really put a ton of effort into creating the best swap package ever.. but check these out...

 

She had pancake stitch markers made for me by WeeOnes! Pancake stitch markers!! I still can't get over how cool they are!

Dawne totally spoiled me with her thoughtfulness and generosity. I am very lucky to have had her a swap partner and it will be so fun to meet her in person in St. Louis at the Spring Fling next month. I am waiting for one final thing to show up in the mail so that I can get her package shipped off to her. I have had a great time getting things for it so I hope she likes it!

It's fun being spoiled.

Three week reduced calorie coma?

I've heard that as you get older time seems to go by faster. I never realized just how fast until this year. I feel like the past three weeks has only been a couple of days. I saw how long it had been since I last posted and I tried to convince myself that was a big lie. I swear tomorrow I will wake up and be 50.

I'd like to start off today by asking you to please visit my dear friend Cayli's blog and consider donating to her fund raising efforts for the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk that she is participating in. She even has a fabulous contest going for the people who donate. She knows how to motivate us! And speaking of prizes.. Cayli is nothing short of an amazing person, spinner, dyer and knitter so if you are lucky enough to win one of the prizes I absolutely guarantee you are getting a treasure! So please hop over there and help her to raise funds for such a worthy cause. Then we will need to collect money to hire someone to rub her feet for an entire week after it's over :) 

Back to someone who couldn't walk 60 miles in three day unless there was a mountain of calorie-less ice cream bars she could throw herself upon at the end... I feel like I should have done so much more in the past three weeks than I actually did. I think my favorite thing I did was go to L.A and see Linkin Park in concert at the Staples Center. I bought tickets for my son as a birthday present and we had soooo much fun. I could gush for hours about how amazing that concert was but I will spare you lengthy details. But if you get a chance to see them.. DO IT!

I also managed to do some knitting...

Yarn: STR lightweight in Rhodonite (color no longer available)

Pattern: Monkey (modified to knit the purls)

I am officially over the No-Purl Monkeys. This was my last pair! The yarn was cursed from trying to knit the Jaywalkers with it in January. You saw what a nightmare that was. The sock color reminds me of Peeps. I used to hate those animal shaped sugar coated creepy things but now I love them.. but not as much as Cadbury Creme Eggs! If I wasn't dieting I would have my heart set on a huge Easter basket full of them. Actually I would want this!!

Notice how everything keeps coming back to food. Can you tell that I am feeling the pinch of restricted caloric intake? 1200 a day sounds like a lot but it doesn't feel like much. I finally decided that in order to keep up my diet and exercise routine, that will hopefully end up in me prancing around in a bikini this summer, I had to find a way to work in dessert. There was just no way around it. I am a sugar craver. After some time in front of the ice cream section I ended up leaving with something so fabulous but disturbing at the same time. I love the 97% fat free part. I even love the 140 calories and 3 grams of fiber. Can you see what I don't love?...

Every time I take a bite of mint ice cream sandwich deliciousness I don't want to have the word cow in my face. I know Skinny Cow refers to low fat dairy.. but there's something unsettling about diet food with word cow printed right on it. It won't stop me from eating them, of course. In fact don't think I didn't do the math and realize that I could hog down an entire box of them and have it add up to only 840 calories. In fact I could almost eat a box and a half! Maybe one day I will do just that.. eat a box and a half of Skinny (you're a) Cow mint ice cream sandwiches and call it good. No.. I will certainly do that.

And as not to stray from my food obsessed post.. anyone shop at Trader Joe's? That is only the best grocery store ever. I wanted to share this with any of you out there who shop there but are on the lower end of the totem pole when it comes to cooking skills, like me...

When I am back to eating a normal amount of calories again I am so going to try out some of the recipes in it. You can buy the cookbook here.

Obviously I'm in a bit of a low calorie lull and that means I sometimes need to do things to perk myself up. Now I know that sometimes what I do isn't what's best. I know that my actions have consequences. I know that I don't need more yarn...... That being said. I joined two more sock clubs. <ducking> I know, I know. I can't really defend myself but they were too tempting.. and they did wonders for my mood. The first one is All Raveled Up by Blue Hands Fibers.  She is going to be dyeing Ravelry themed colorways and is donating half of the profits to Casey and Jess! So really, it's charity. The second one is Scout's Swag Sock Club. She did a lottery for the spots so I consider it winning a prize. A prize that cost me money but a prize none the less. Oh how I make such wonderful excuses for joining more sock clubs.

Alright.. time for my protein bar. You go about your happy hamburger eating day. No, I'm not bitter at all.. not even a little bit..