New Yarn Toys and Shopping Trip to LYS

Here they are, my "tools", not "toys"...as they are for my knitting. :)
A large Royal winder and a Swedish swift from Aspen-Ridge, an ebay store. The photo isn't well lit, but the yarn I wound was "Duck Season" by Fearless Fibers, an Etsy site. This is the color chosen by my 8 yr old son for his socks...which I've promised to cast on...on Monday. They're camouflage colors, or "army socks", as he says.
I went on a girl's day with Chris, and we went...to 2 local beading stores, a quilt shop, and 2 yarn shops....my favorite being Ewe'll Love It. I bought yarn for various secret pals, baby yarn for newborn socks (a youth leader's wife at church is expecting her first child in May), some extra bamboo needles, and sock yarn for my sister's birthday. Yes, I "got the hint", Karin! :) We ended the fiber/craft expedition day with lunch at La Carreta, a favorite Mexican restaurant. Now, of course, I did NOT accomplish the following today: wash the upstairs rugs, clean our bathroom, vacuum, do the bills, finish the wash, or any such household thing!!! Hubby worked on spring maintenance on his motorcycle, and the sons played football/wrestling outside, avoiding all chores.
I love these spontaneous Saturdays!

Favorite Yarn and Least Favorite Yarn...so far

No, this picture IS not my least favorite yarn...read further on...
I've been asked by our awesome Secret Pal 10 coordinators to blog about my yarn experiences with favorites and their nemesis...my nightmare yarn.
My nightmare yarn is this unbecoming yet nasty and splitty yarn... It is acrylic, no warmth to it when knitting, nor personality. Yikes, and it was in a toddler's dinosaur sweater pattern...a yellow with a red dinosaur on the front....about 12 years ago. Equally nasty was this...Lion's Homespun. Enough said. It's not nice to whine, so if I can't say something nice, I won't say anything at all. :)
My favorite...sigh...is it cashmere? alpaca? homespun? a wool? quivit? Nope, it's a handpainted 100% Superwash Merino yarn...by Perchance to Knit. Yes, it's lovely, and I'm making socks with them. Luscious colors, warmth, and a nice overall "isn't this lovely" feeling. It might be awhile till I actually finish them, since I have other WIPs on the dpns. Equally lovely to me...Blue Moon Fiber Arts (Socks that Rock) (in any of their weights or colorways) and Lorna's Laces.
If you take a look at my stash search list on the sidebar, you can see the yarns I really like so far, or that I'd like to try if they're in my "search" list. Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn is shown above...I received it from a sock yarn swap earlier in the year. Gotta love it!

Finally It's Friday!

I love to say that!..."It's Friday!"...that means the weekend is here. Waking up at 5:20 (usual time for me), I packed hubby's lunch, fed the pets, and poured mugs of coffee for hubby and I...his in his GWBush 2004 mug, and mine in my favorite mug of all time...the Longaberger mug. It's warm to hold, and comforting, if you can say that about a mug. After my Bible time and prayer, after reading the morning paper (no news, but the "Zits" comic strip reminded me of my teens), I was able to knit a few rows on my socks. Now, I can start the day. Grocery shopping, homeschooling, preparing for Master Clubs (gr 1-6 group at church) tonight, and life in general. IF I'm a "good girl" and get some housework and laundry done, put a meal in the crockpot, and keep the kiddos from arguing, etc...I might be able to sit and knit for an hour this afternoon! Perhaps...

A surprise from a Secret Pal

Thank you to my secret pal in Georgia...I think for Secret Pal 10...all I know is that the box says she's from Georgia...so I think it's for SP10!
I thank you for the lovely skeins of Kroy sock yarn in the paintbox colorway, the stretchy circular needles and a sock pattern to go with them, the Lucy Neatby sock toe chimney tips and techniques sheet...and the cutest handcrafted stitchmarkers! I'll be using them today on the second Monkey Sock. I only need one marker for this particular sock, but it's nice to look at a beautiful stitch marker than an ugly plastic one...IMHO. Oh, and the box came with....Knitting On the Road by Nancy Bush. Thank you , thank you!!!
Update on Toby, for the dog lovers: Toby is stable, walking slowly on his own without assistance, taking aspirin twice daily, eating lots of carrots and measured weight control dog food (looks nasty to me, give me carrots anytime!) We've moved his bed (a baby mattress with a nice, warm, soft quilt on it) downstairs to a sunny corner...he prefers the cold, hard tile by the door...go figure.
Last night a friend and I met at Panera's for hot chai and knitting. C is doing well on her cashmere shawl/blanket, and starting her first pair of socks...I'm so proud of her! She surprised me (shouldn't have) with a box of See's gourmet lollypops and a cute card: see picture on the blog noted at the itty bitty witty knitties.
Someone asked about my Knitty secret pal...go to knittyboard.com, and join...it's every and anything to do with knitting...one forum is for secret pals and RAK (random acts of kindness)...I've participated in a few secret pal rounds, and have enjoyed each person I've met, and spoiling them as well. SP 10 is another knitting secret pal round, not associated with the Knitty Coffeeshop (aka "knittyboard"). I have a blast gathering goodies and yarns for other knitters...besides, I always seem to get a wee bit more for my own stash, too. Sometimes.

Waiting for Summer and a trip to the Lake House

Hannah is waiting on the pontoon boat for SUMMER!!!! Looking at the dreary skies, when will nice weather arrive??? My weather whine/blurb for the day.
Really..."This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it" as the Psalmist David wrote. True, true. April (March) showers DO bring May flowers, right?

Monkey Socks and Toby's Vet Visit

These are my Monkey Socks as I work on the foot...they are Lorna's Laces sportweight in Purple Iris. The yarn was from an Ugly Yarn swap...I think it's a gorgeous colorway! My photos are dark, the colors are much prettier in person. Perhaps I should put my socks on my azalea bush outside to get a better color to post. I would like to knit these next in a fingering weight, though. It is a fun and easy pattern.
I took Toby to the vets today for his annual physical...He's up to 127 lb at 11 yrs old...He's a fat German Shepherd mix, and needs to lose weight, but he's losing use of his back legs, and he fell out of the Suburban at the vet's office...I think the trauma was the straw that broke the camel's back..we're waiting to see if he can use his back legs, or if this problem will progress...time for puppy heaven. He's a good pup...and hubby's buddy. We're using a towel to help support his hind legs while going up and down the two steps outside, and moved his bed downstairs. We'll see how things go over the next few days.
Back to my sock knitting! Kiddos are in bed.

New Sock Patterns I've Found, and "THE DENTIST"

This is DH (Dear Hubby) and our soon to be 12 year old, Toby

More on Toby below...
OK, I've been blog surfing, and catching up on email for the . A post by Adrienne in California showed me the most wonderful sock patterns!!! And better yet, they're free, designed by her, and on her site. Sigh...do I have enough time in the day to start another pair of socks? I really need to finish my Monkey Socks...but take a look at these menehune cobblestone socks...gorgeous. :)
I had some minor dental surgery this am, and on the Vicodin post-procedure...and feeling a bit TOO good to even knit...I don't want to mess up the Monkey Socks! So...once this good feeling wears off, I'll knit.
I also have to take Toby, my 120+ pound soon to be 12 yr old pup to the Vet in an hour...I'll see if I need to cancel it due to um...my medicated state. I may have to reschedule for Toby. He has his annual physical, but also needs his rabies update, and his nails clipped...Toby doesn't do well on stairs anymore, and I think he'll be in the pearly gates of Doggy heaven before the year is over.
After reading my ramblings, I've noted that I'd best quit my blogging for now.
P.S. My guess for my Knitty SP...is...I think...perhaps...MRS. MUNCH!!! Maybe? :) I"ll wait and find out....