I have been incredibly lame. No, I’m not talking about the injured knee that I’ve been sqawking about all summer - I’m talking about how delinquent I’ve been with keeping  up this blog and my quilting blog.

It’s been ages….But, hey, I’ve got places to go, things to do, people to see…..yadda yadda yadda.

So, instead of one big gigantico blog entry, I’ll ease into things…And, like a Seinfeld episode, I’ll slowly work my way backwards.

So…today…well, today I am at work, crunching numbers and getting very frustrated with numbers that are not adding up. At lunchtime I had  yummy Vietnamese.

Last night I finished these socks:

Primavera knit in Indigo Moon Yarns "indigo"

They are a knitalong (KAL) that the Ravelry group “socks squared” sponsored for the month of September. The pattern is Primavera, by Natalja, and I used 100% merino wool Indigo Moon Yarns colourway indigo. I can’t wait to wear these!

Last night I went to the very first ever meeting for a new knitting guild that’s starting up in Lanark. About 20 or so of us met at the Almonte Public Library and signed up for membership. I think that it is going to be a fun guild, and it will be very interesting to see it evolve.

Yes, it’s been a long, long time…A long, long time since I’ve posted that is. Too much to do, too little time. Plus, my knee troubles have worsened and I’m pretty miserable most of the time.

Since I last posted, I received the June shipment from Woolgirl - the theme for June 2009 is It’s Raining Cats & Dogs:

Lovely package from Woolgirl

Dream In Color Smooshy

The contents of the June sock kit are awesome, so much swag:

Dream in Color Smooshy yarn in “It’s Raining Cats & Dogs” colorway

A bone calculator

Cute cat & dog notecards

Cute cat & dog stitch markers

Cute animal theme pattern tamers

Bunch of cute little cat/dog pendants

Stickers

Umbrella tape measure

Wooden “paw” needle size gauge thingy

Two patterns (sock & shawl)The yarn is super soft, the colours so look like a brindle dog coat — not a colour I’d specifically would go out and buy, but, hey…that’s what sock clubs are for…to break out of the box a little. Great thing about it is that I  see a pair of socks for Erwin in the future with this yarn. It’s perfect for him!

Speaking of Erwin, I finished his summer weight cotton blend socks

Lana Grossa Cotton blend yarn

And, I’ve already started a new pair for him using some handpainted Opal

Opal Handpainted yarn

Talking about cotton, I also finished my pair of Flame Wave socks done in Cascade Fixation cotton in the olive colourway

Flame Wave socks in Cascade Fixation

I really didn’t like this yarn. It was supposed to knit up very quickly, because it is thicker and the pattern called for 3.5 & 4.0 needles, but with the slight amount of elastic in it, I really struggled with the yarn. It just wouldn’t slide on the bamboo needles…Note to self: why didn’t you try your nickel plated needles duh?

I also finished up a pair of Monkey socks - yes “the” Monkey sock design by Cookie A using super smooshy Indigo Moon yarn

Monkey socks knit in Indigo Moon Yarn - Wine Country

As June wrapped up, and July came barrelling in, the July sock kit from Blue Moon Fiber Arts (Rockin’ Sock Club) arrivedI love the sticker that I got….sorta sums me up pretty well “I like poetry, long walks on the beach and poking dead things with a stick”…

The colourway is called “Garden Daze” and the colours represent those found in heritage tomatoes

BMFA Socks That Rock "Garden Daze"

I really love this colourway, and can’t wait to cast on. The pattern is for a shortie sock — anklets — but I’m not sure if I want to use that pattern for these socks.

What else have I been up to? Our weather in Ontario has been total pits….Bummer Summer as I call it.  But, thank goodness most of the gardening was done before I busted up my knee, everything is blooming away without very little intervention from me….

Asiatic Lily

Except for having to control these bugs….

Asiatic Lily Beetle

Asiatic Lily Beetle Larvae

Which means squishing their larvae by hand….encrusted in the parent’s feces….yummy…..I’m on a mission now…and you don’t need knees to do this!! Like, my sticker says, I like poking dead things with sticks - this is even better, squishing crap-encrusted larvae by hand - no stick between me & the poop covered babies…

Yes, it has been a long, long time…I’m happy to catch up. I leave you now with my bone calculator - forget about diamonds being a girl’s best friend…(the buttons are little paws LOL!!)

It’s only Tuesday - not even hump day - just a day of schlepping off to work and back. So nice though, to take that noon hour walk  at  nearby Stoney Creek trails.The usual suspects were hanging around: male mallards fighting over the birdseed we brought,  a deer in the rushes — too fast for our camera and the usual assortment of crazy squirrels.  We saw a scarlet tananger, but it was too high up in the treetop to take a decent photo.  And, we saw a raccoon, who froze and pretended to be part of the tree as we went by. The mama duck with her ducklings was nowhere to be seen today.

Back at the office, the mail brought a package of books from Amazon: a knitting book and a quilting book.

SPOILER ALERT for Indigo Moon Yarn and BMFA Rockin’ Sock clubs:

I had already received the BMFA May yarn - Pepe la Plume last Friday:

We had gotten hints about the yarn & pattern, all centering around Fraggle Rock - so most, including myself - was expecting a crazy, multi-coloured skein of yarn.But, the depraved dyer, Tina, played a little joke on us, and dyed up this lovely melange of dark purples, plums and lavender. The accompanying pattern is the Fraggle Rock connection, and it looks ……well…pretty crazy. All bubbly and stuff. If I ever attempt this pattern, I think that I’ll use a solid colour, or a semi-solid.

And, today,  keeping with the purple theme, a wonderful surprise from the Indigo Moon yarn club:

Apple Blossoms and Flowering Plum colourway…Yummmy…I absolutely LOVE this colour. It is as dusky and washed out as the photo. It  doesn’t scream “I’m purple”, which I really am happy about. It is so subtle as compared to Pepe la Plume. And, you know what? I love them both. Go figure.

And, finally (not the day…it’s still early and I’ve got things a happening….), got home to discover this in one of my flower gardens:I swear, this was not in the garden when I weeded there over the weekend. How can such an appendage grow in such a short period of time?

The "thing" growing in our flower garden

Have you ever knit with Indigo Moon yarns? If you haven’t and are looking to treat yourself with some luxurious yarn, check out IM’s website: www.indigomoonyarns.com . I just love this yarn. The colours are to die for and it is so soft and luxurious, and comes in various weights making it great for socks & everything else!

And, now, Indigo Moon’s first ever yarn club starting in May 2009:

So here we are…the first Indigo Moon Yarn Club!!!!

How Long?

Subscriptions will run for 3 months with shipments in May, June and July 2009.

What colour?

All colourways will be dyed specifically for the yarn club. If a colourway seems the same as another colourway you’ve seen, please be assured that I did not repeat it. I am very particular about my colourways and feel that not everything works…or more correctly, it all works but I may not like it. And if I don’t like a colourway I won’t sell it…even if it is a never-before-done colourway (eg yellow and red).

All colourways are limited editions - I only paint/dye what has been ordered and are “Dyer’s Choice” at this time.

These colourways will be available only to IM Yarn Club subscribers.

What yarn?

The Yarn will be your ever favorite superwash merino in fingering wt. I will consider other base yarns in the future.

What is the cost?

$90 Canadian Subscription includes shipping of 1 skein per month.

$130 US Subscription (paid in Canadian funds) shipping of 1 skein per month.

Please contact me for international orders.

Gift Giving?

If you would like to purchase a subscription for a friend or family member, I am happy to bill the gift giver, and ship to the gift recipient. Please make a note on your order (there is a box to write “notes”) and whether it is a surprise or not.

Refunds

No refunds available once subscription buy-ins are finished on the April 15th.

When and how to order?

April 1, 2009 9am PST subscriptions will open and close April 15, 2009 or sooner if the maximum number of subscriptions have been reached. Payment will be due upon order (though it may not be billed till the 15th…if you need me to hold off for a day or two because your statement is due, just let me know). This will be going through my website.

Click here to choose a Canadian or US membership (payable in Canadian funds):

What if lost?info@indigomoonyarns.com.

I will hold back some skeins each month in case of loss in shipping. Each package will have a tracking number so if it doesn’t arrive we’ll find out why, and a replacement will be sent. These skeins will be available at the end of the 3 month subscription period to IM Yarn Club members only (how or when to be decided).

Next time?

All signees of this term will have first choice to sign up for the next term which has a planned start date of Sept 2009.

All the above information applies to this first Indigo Moon Yarn Club and may be revised for future yarn clubs. If you have any questions or comments, or if anything has been missed, please contact me at

Enjoy!!!

This club promises to be exciting!!