Too Much Yarn

I'm back!

<< SPOILER warning!! If you are a Notorious Sock Knitter from the Socks That Rock Sock Club - you may want to avoid this post until you received your September shipment! >>

Wow!  I didn't realize that I haven't updated my blog for over 2 weeks.  The good news is that I haven't memorized my new credit card number, thus, I haven't purchased any new yarn in the last 2 weeks.  I have received my last order (before I lost my card) from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.  Here they are:

From left to right:  Mochaberry, Space Dusk, Spniel, Jade, and Lettuce Knit - all are Socks That Rock Lightweight.

Two days later, I received the September Sock Club shipment.  I cast on and found that I suck at doing cables without a cable needle.  And you have to do this for every 2 stitches in the row (64 stitches total) and you have to repeat this every 4 rows!  I think I'll be looking for a different pattern for this gorgeous yarn.

Anyway, in the last 2 weeks, I've diligently been working on my socks.  This is the progress of the socks I'm knitting for the September Sockdown.  This should yield 4 socks - if I finish them all.  Coincidentally, this is the first time I'm knitting 2 socks with complicated charts (Mystery Sock and Marilinda) but are they pretty!!

Here are some closeups:

It's hard to take photos of completed socks on my feet. I'm too short.  I need another person around to be the photographer or model!

Last but not least,   I was honored with the Arte y Pico award by Senja of Imagine Knit. I don't know who reads my blogs - I know Senja does, because she's right on when she described me as the queen of many socks and has a serious sock yarn obsession...  How true!  Thank you Senja!

Here are the rules that I pasted from Senja's blog.

1.) Show the award. Link back to the blog that gave you the award.

2) Pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award because of creativity, design, interesting material, and contributions to the blogger community, no matter of language, and link to them.3) Leave comments on the blogs to let them know you've given them an award.

4) Show the link to the Arte y Pico blog , so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) Show these rules.

There are many blogs I read, but here are some that I truly enjoy.  They make me laugh, they make me envy their talent:

Carrie of We Do Not Have A Knitting Problem is constantly traveling to gorgeous places and she has some "IN" with Tina of Blue Moon Fiber Arts, I think...  she has more Socks That Rock yarn than I do (and for all I know, her stash is much, much, bigger than mine!).

Maria of Passing Down Crazy has the best sense in color of anyone I know.  I have enjoyed the beauty of anything she's produced - from socks to sweaters, and her latest craze - lace shawls!

Linda of Linda's Knitting Blog is a new sock designer. She has a good sense of pattern and yarn color.  She's a super fast knitter and it's amazing that she's only learned to knit in February of 2007.  She is a prodigy!  (can a prodigy be discovered after 20 - I think she's 29).

Ruth of The Yarnarian is a retired librarian (thus, Yarnanian - cute!!) who is making a hobby of dying yarn into a business on etsy.  We met when she came to visit her family in Minnesota.  I have some of her yarn, but I have yet to use them. I just like to admire and touch them!

and finally, my Loopy Swap pal, froggiegirl who is

Heather of The Crafty Frog.  It is through her blog that I learned about WoolGirl Sock Club - which I couldn't join because it was full, but I discovered another online store...  (I know, BAD NEWS!).  Heather knitted me a beautiful pair of socks that I finally wore for the first time last week.  It was very comfy!

Enjoy your weekend...  and the cool weather (so you can wear your handknit socks!)

The credit card story continues...

I received my replacement credit card today.  Yikes!!  All 16 digits are completely different from my old one.  I've had my old number for 8 years!!  This is going to take me a while to memorize!  I activated it, I used it for the first time at the grocery store.  As I load the groceries on to my back seat, guess what I found?  Yes!  My lost credit card!

I called the bank and asked if I can get my old account number back because I can memorize it and buy yarn easily I have so many updates I need to make with companies where I do autopay.  The customer rep says, "Sorry..."

The new number is hard to memorize.  This should help me with my yarn diet!

Socks In Progress

I literally am knitting 5 socks at this time.  I am knitting what suits my mood.  September started the a new Sockdown KAL.  I already have this from the July Sockdown that I haven't finished, but I will, because I just love the texture and the colors:  (these are the Scroll Socks - notice that I'm barely 1/2 way done with the second sock!!)

So, the first sock I cast on for the September Sockdown is the Marilinda by Cookie A.  I learned that it's hard to take photos of orange socks!

Then, I saw some pictures of the Mystery Sock, so I have to jump onto the bandwagon as well: (Emily is modeling for me and these are too big for her!)

Then, I got tired of knitting orange socks, so I cast on these: (Beadalaire by Cookie A)

Then, I got tired of looking at charts since I can knit Monkey almost by memory... so I cast on these Monkeys.  These will be my 7th pair of Monkeys.

Am I crazy or what?  At least I have until end of October to complete them.  Sock Club yarns will be coming in this month from the LYS, Rockin' Sock Club, and the first shipment from Knit Purl Sock Club:

I've run out of needles (surprise! surprise!) and I will not buy more!  So I will have to finish/frog the ones I've been working on to start any new socks.

New credit card will be delivered today.... but I have not bought any yarn for the last FOUR days!  I did return 2 skeins to Woolgirl. I told Jen to give me a store credit...

Getting a new Credit Card

In my head, I'm hoping for a number I can easily memorize.  Being it's from the same bank, I may get the same numbers except for the last 4 or 8 digits.  You know why I want to memorize the number, don't you?

OK - I have to show you that I resisted tonight.  I clicked a link from Ravelry to HazelKnits (I have 4 skeins from HazelKnits plus one from Froggiegirl) at etsy.  I so RESISTED!  But I have to show you what I resisted and maybe when I'm off my yarn diet, I'll look for these:

Chuckanut Drive

Euphorbia

Daphne, and

Greenlake.

I have to return a couple of skeins to Woolgirl... maybe I can exchange them for some of the above! Or maybe I should knit High OcTang first to see if I even like to knit this yarn!

Speaking of diets, I was doing well today until my work pals did a double celebration of birthdays.  Rootbeer Floats and Boston Cream Pie!  Argh!  Resisting yarn is easier than resisting sweets!

Good News & Bad News

Bad news first... I may have lost my Visa card as in I got the card back from the cashier at the Grocery Store and I can't find it 2 hours later when I need it at another store(I won't tell you what store I was in!!!).  I'm waiting for the branch bank at the grocery store to open to see if anyone turned it in.  No one turned it in to the grocery store.  My Visa has the bank name on it...

Good news... It's a card that I can memorize the numbers so it was very easy to order yarn from online stores.  So now, I have to go downstairs to get the replacement card if I place an order... I think that may stop me from ordering more yarn.

Bad News... It's a card that is attached to many online transactions - eBay, utility companies, Norton Antivirus subscription, Typepad so I have to go to all these places to update my Account.

Good News... I put a hold on all transactions yesterday afternoon so no one is going to be able to use it...

Today, I start a challenge with my sisters to lose 15 lbs in 10 weeks and try to walk 10,000 steps at least 3 times a day.  That means, knitting time may be taken away from my "free" time.  But hockey season is back so I have time to knit during the "waiting" during practices...

I need help!

My name is Christine and I'm a Yarnoholic!

Please help me!  I've placed orders at the Loopy Ewe, Woolgirl, and Blue Moon Fiber Arts this week.  I dared not stop at my LSS on my way home from work.  I don't need any more yarn (but I'm not in debt... so that part is OK, BUT!!!)

Please comment on how do you handle a yarn diet?  Do you just not go to the online yarn shop websites?  Do you just avoid Ravelry totally?  Do you just not get online???  That's my problem!  Getting online and then get enabled to get pretty yarn!

Oh other knitting news, I'm working on my second Scroll Socks, I'm getting addicted to the pattern as I can memorize it.  This will be a pretty pair of socks.  I also started on Marilinda by Cookie A and the SKA Mystery Sock.  I will post photos antoehr time.

Thanks in advance for any advice you have for me!