Weekend Update! and some Fiber in the Mail! an FO and a WIP!

This weekend was a whirlwind of activity! Friday night, my friend Carrie had her 30th birthday party at a local Bingo joint! Yes, Bingo! We all realized pretty fast that your money goes fast! I only managed to spend about $3 but others spent more. One friend of hers managed to win about $100...but he was the only one winning. :)

Here's me and Carrie with our Bingo cards! ahaha

Then here's Darci and Crystal with theirs. :)

Saturday, I had to wake up at about 4:30 to take Kenny to the airport. A very special woman, Grandma Pat passed away last week and he flew up for the funeral. It was a quick trip as he was back here by 5:30 on Sunday. It was good that he went though, because his sister ended up in the hospital on Friday through today with some stomach issues. She is finally home and hopefully better.

The rest of Saturday, I spent with my sisters and then that night my cousin Nathan and I went to the Rays game and Big n Rich played afterwords! It was tons of fun!! We met up with Carrie, a friend Kim and their boyfriends to watch the concert. They played until after midnight! I was exhausted the next day!

Sunday, the dogs and I headed over to Manda's Fiber Fun House and the pups swam even while it was raining! You'll have to wait until tomorrow for those pictures! We had a great day hanging out. Abby and her dog Nala had a bit of a riff, but they were both find after. It freaked me and Manda out more than the dogs.

This weekend was also a great mail weekend! I got some fiber that I had swapped for. In the Spin or Dye Swapping Group on Ravelry, I swapped some of my raw fiber for some others. :)

I claimed the following Romeldale from Sockpr0n. It's a beautiful oatmeal color!

Along with her package, she sent me some beautiful stitch markers! I love purple!I also did a side trade with another Ravelry from Ohio! Hoping to meet her when I'm up there sometime! She sent me some BEAUTIFUL Corriedale for some of my cormo. Can I tell you I just drooled over this stuff! It's a beautiful gray color and it's got very little VM in it! I want to get my hands on some combs for this! I think it would comb up so nicely!!
She also sent me some goodies along with my swap package! She was great to swap with! Here's a close up of the fiber! YUMMY!!
I finished my step-sister Luz's Morning Surf Scarf this weekend. It is not as long as I had hoped but I'm going to see if I can massively block it out to get a few extra inches. We'll see how that goes. The yarn is my handspun Ramboillet, which I LOVED working with and the pattern is Morning Surf Scarf by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer. I also loved this pattern. It's quick and easy and pretty!! Well...my model here is pretty lovely too so I how can it not be just perfect. :)
I also cast on for a gift for a friend. It kind of looks like a scarf but it's actually a lovely lace table runner! I made it longer than the pattern suggested and it's coming out beautifully. The pattern is Jenny’s Tansu Table Runner by Mel Clark Craft Knitting and the yarn is Arucania Ranco in color 105.

Hope you are having a great week!! I have lots going on but will catch you guys up one step at a time! :)

Happy Spinning, Knitting, and Dog walking!!

I've been tagged!!

Today I came home to the box!!! Oh yes. There sat the box for our Dish Rag Tag!
I quickly entered the house and carefully opened the box and found yarn, measuring cups, a great recipe, the instructions and a pattern. Also some melty chocolate. :) I spent time sewing bags tonight for the store and a custom order but now I'm off to get ready for bed and cast on. Since the pending weather, work was canceled tomorrow so I have the day to knit and spin!! I'll keep you posted.

Hope you guys have a great night and a good day and I'll keep safe.

Happy Knitting!! GO TEAM DISHPAW RAGGERS!!

Dogs on Thursday!!

I have been a horrible Blogger lately. A lot has been going on and I will probably be really busy in the next couple weeks. Please forgive me and I hope you don't forget me. :)

First big news is that I got a new job. My last day teaching is May 28th and my new job starts on June 2nd. Even though, I've already started training for my new job. I'm so excited about this new job and I can't wait to start. I didn't even think this job existed, especially in St. Pete, FL but it does and I got the job!! For now, I'll just tell you that I'll be working at a web company creating online communities for schools, alumni groups, and companies. I will be launching my own site in the next couple weeks and if you want you can join in. I'll tell you more about it when I do. :)

So, that's been a big part of what's been keeping me busy lately. The next thing is that I'll be in DC next week so I've been preparing for that and we've been having meetings and a lot of planning. My planning has been my travel knitting...no but I have been planning for it. I decided not to take the two things I was going to take but am planning on casting on for a new sock after I get through security. I got yarn in my DOT package that will be perfect to make a pair of 9-5 socks. Since I'm going to be actually working a 9-5ish job and ending my 8:15-3:15 job I figured it's time to knit them. I also want a pair of socks to be my DC socks.

Speaking of my DOT package...it was the GREATEST. GMarie spoiled me!! She was great. She posted on her blog about the package but I took pictures too...so here they are.

Where do I start with this package?? She sent me all of this. Abigail LOVES the teddy bear. She sleeps on it and is so darn cute. I have those on a different camera so will have to post them later. Jackjack is fond of this little squeaky toy. For some reason that has been his. He likes to play with us on the handmade pull toy though. :)She also made these towels for them. They are so adorable. One for each of them with their names on it.
She sent some Pet shampoo, a bucket, and some dryer sheets, which in my house have multiple uses.
My treats were this wonderful chocolate which Special K has been enjoying. :) The treats on the side, Abigail can't have but that's ok...Jackjack will enjoy every single one. :)
The sock yarn...oh yes...the sock yarn. Pretty Shuibuiknits in the color Breeze. These will hopefully by the end of next week be the 9-5 socks. She also sent two mugs that Special K has already decided which one is his and which one is mine. He's silly. :) The bad that she sent is also awesome. It's very pretty.

So, that is my Dogs on Thursday Swap Package. I love it all. I've been trying desperately to finish up mine this week. I finished the sewing this weekend but just still need to pick of some stuff.

I hope everyone is doing well. There has been so much going on lately that I've missed a lot of regularly scheduled posts. I had a Thankful Tuesday all planned to thank God for helping me fine and get my new job. Wedding Wednesday was going to be about our wedding plans, which aren't much right now with all the job finding and trip planning. So...I guess DOT post was it this week. I put up a podcast this weekend and am hoping to get another one up before I go but we'll see. Laundry, house cleaning, dog bathing, packing, package sending, and knitting...have kept and will keep me busy.

Happy Knitting and Dogs on Thursday!!

PS...I borrowed a ball winder from my friend Sheryl last night and had to make due with what I had.

Thankful Tuesday!

Thank the Lord for SPRING BREAK!!! The only reason I like teaching is for the time off. That is sad I know but it is nice to know I don't have to go back to work until Monday!! I am thankful that I have a week off!!

This was my set up today in the sun!! My ipod and my socks!
They released the Sock Madness round 2 pattern on Monday as a pre-April Fool's Joke since they had been saying they were going to release it on Tuesday. They are evil but it worked out perfect because my plans fell through and I got to spend time casting on. I decided to do them 2 at a time and since it was my first time doing it this way I used instructions. I love it.

This was my cast on and a couple rows. I'm way past the ribbing and half way through the repeat.
I also sent out my Wee Tiny Sock yesterd. It's cute. I had to knit it twice. I hope my pal likes it.
Well...please everyone pray for my brother, Roro who is driving across the country with his dog Apollo. He's moving from Manassas, VA to San Diego, CA to live near my sister Cris. Please keep him in your prayers as he travels alone with his dog.

Happy Knitting, Spring Breaking, Swapping!!

Sock Madness and DoT swap Questionnare.

So, I've been knitting away and this is as far as I've gotten. There are 5 people who have knit both socks!! OMG. At least only 1 has finished in my division and the first 40 people in my division moves on.

Jackjack is so patient with me shoving my foot in his face. His snout is so cute!!

Spring Secret Swap Questionnaire:
How many dogs do you have? 2 dogs
What are her/his/their names? Jackjack and Abigail Grace
What are her/his/their favorite toys? Jackjack likes ropes and Abigail Grace likes stuffed animals or balls
What are your favorite treats? Anything yarn related. Sock yarn is my favorite. I'm learning to spin on a spindle so fiber is fun.
What are her/his/their favorite treats? They both like bones!! Love them. Abigail is allergic to chicken, turkey, and rice so that limits the type she can have.
What are her/his/their/persons favorite colors? Jackjack likes anything blue and Abigail is pink. :) And mine is red.
What allergies do you and/or your dog(s) have? Abigail is allergic to chicken, turkey, rice, a cotton.

I am excited this swap has started!! Yeah for doggie swaps!!

Ok...back to knitting and resting and getting better. (tonsils still a bit sore) May need to take break for dinner..oh I mean supper.

Happy knitting!!

PS. Ok...I wasn't done.

Sorry...today I just seem to have a lot to say.

My brother and I bought Special K a tennis racket for Christmas. We've gone twice now and last night we took Surfer Girl with us. Now...Special K decided to dress in all black...not sure what he was thinking but it was funny. He also had on his blue headband which you can't really see in the picture...again from my cellphone. Hope you enjoy. :)
I also wanted to say Thank you to my book swap pal. It was really late but that's ok. Life happens. It's a great package though. I got three books and some chocolate covered pistachios, which Special K has eaten most of.
I also wanted to include some puppy pictures since I missed DOT last week. Here's sleepy Jackjack.
And Abigail chewing her bone on our tree skirt, her favorite place to hang out lately.
Ok...that's it for sure!! Happy New Year!!

Christmas Decorations, Dogs on Thursday, and Backyard Fun...

Please keep Sharimom, Special K's mother in your prayers. Her father's funeral was today and I know it's not an easy day for Special K's family. Also..Happy Birthday to Sharimom as well. Her birthday was yesterday.

I promised Sharimom pictures of our house a LONG time ago. So...finally here they are.

Our lights outside.

Our pretty Christmas Tree!! We got a fake tree this year from Special K's boss. I miss the pine scent but I love my tree. The crucifix that is hanging next to the tree was my grandmother's and has been in our family for a long time. She passed it down to my father and I asked him for it and thankfully he gave it to me. I've never been too fond of crucifixes but this one has a lot of meaning.

Dogs on Thursday post is a BIG thank you to my DOT Ornament Swap Pal, Vivian. She did a great job on my package. She sent Jack and Abby toys and treats. This picture was great but notice they won't even look at the treats because they were told to leave it. :) I'm actually pretty proud of both of them for not stealing it early.
I was really proud of these pictures too. They sat there until I was done taking the pictures and then when I said "ok." They looked at me like are you sure and then both separated and chowed down.

Again Thank you so much Vivian....from Jackjack and Abigail.

Last but not least our weekend outdoor fun... our sod....And yes, we laid sod in December....only in Florida can you do that. :) Special K's dad, Coach Dad, promised it should turn green in a week if we water it every day. I've been diligently watering and hoping to come home to green where our sand pit used to be.

Also we have this shed in our backyard that holds our washer and dryer and it must be the oldest shed that was not put together well. The door has been driving Special K and I crazy for months. This weekend Special K, as I was laying the sod, decided to rehang the door and replace the latch so it will stay closed. Kind of a bad picture but the latch totally works and is great!!! GO Special K and his handy work!!!

Well, I hope everyone is having a great holiday season. Today was technically my last day at work but since I'm saving up to pay for the rest of my dress I decided to work extra-care at school for the break so I can make some extra money. That means I'll be back here really early tomorrow to take care of the elementary school kids...and a couple times over the break. I don't mind extra-care on most day so we'll see. I'm going to bring my knitting so I can finish up on my Christmas knits.

Happy Knitting/Dogs on Thursday!!!

PS....Our St. Pete Stitch n Bitch is going great. We had so much fun last night. I organized a small holiday gift exchange and it went well. I'm so glad I started this group and have met such great people!!!

Knitting...actual knitting!!

Ok. Yes, I do realize that this happens to be a knitting blog...hence the knit in Bark n Knit. :) So, I figured I'd have a post with actual knitting in it. Wow...what a concept. :) I have been using knitting needles and creating stuff. First off here's the first project I'm working on. Which is a Christmas present for Surfer Girl. I've had a bit of trouble with this hat. NOT because of the pattern but first off I took it to Wed SnB and had to rip back a couple rows...I was not paying attention. Then for some reason Jack and Abby have discovered my ziploc bags which contain yarn and knitting and have decided to open them up with their teeth and find out what's inside. I spend quite a bit of time yesterday untangling the yarn. Ye.s, they are still alive. :) The pattern is Utopia Hat from Smariek Knits. It's been an easy knit and for my second cable project a fun one.

To update those of you not following along on my ravelry projects. :) Here is the finished Fawkes Sock number 1. I've cast on for the the second one but slow progress.



I also wanted to share with you a Thank you gift from my Dishcloth swap pal Heathir. What's horrible is that I guess I never even noticed that she posted on her blog about my package. I had been checked when I sent it but totally missed it. You have to admit November was a strange month but I'm slacking. Well..if you want to check out the package I sent her, which I'm so glad she liked, go check out her blog. She is also the first person in a swap who sent a Thank you gift. Which by the way is a great idea that I need to think of doing and her gift was even greater. She sent me a needle roll and an awesome keychain sock blocker sock. :) AWESOME!!!

There's some knitting....finally. I have a couple of catch up post to come too.

This weekend we spent a lot of time working on the house and our yard, very little knitting got done. Today Special K's dad showed up with a ton of sod and we laid it in the backyard where all the sand is now. We also went to Home Depot, one of my favorite stores, and bought a new hose, sprinkler, hose nozzle(I LOVE IT) and some fertilizer. I never knew how fun spreading fertilizer with a spreader was either. :) FUN!!!

So...I'm sleepy now and I'm planning on curling up in bed and watching the Iron Chef America's Holiday Dessert battle. OH What fun it is to watch people cook!! If only the TV could let us taste the food too. :)

Have a great night and hope everyone had a good weekend.

My first swap package and a FO sock!!

First off I got my first swap package ever from Beth from the Football-a-long swap. The goodies she sent me were perfect. She sent I can't believe I'm knitting socks, 2 skeins of Volcano Twist Knit Picks Essentials yarn, 2 circular needles size 2 from knit picks, a skien of Sugar n Cream in Holiday Stripes, a pencil holder, a glue stick, pencil sharpener, and the cutest little football bag.
She did a great job with the package and Thank you again Beth!!


Second I finished my first sock!!! I had some trouble with the yarn, a dropped stitch, and some trouble with the grafting of the toe but I finished and it looks great. It's a tad bit too small but it fits ok. I love the way the color knit up. I'm off to cast on for the pair.



Happy Knitting!! and Football watching!!

GO BUCS!!! Did you see my Bulls friday night?? OH YEAH!!!

"Fall into Autumn" Dishcloth - Monday Topic #2

"FIA" Dishcloth Swap Monday Topic #2 When you knit or crochet dishclothes, washclothes or face clothes, what do you use? What size needle or hook? Wood? what type? Metal? Plastic? A specific Brand? Why do you love that needle or hook so much? Is there one you are dying to try? Is there a particular yarn you love and use all the time for clothes? What is so special about it?

I just started making dishcloths and I've used Cascade Luna and Sugar n Cream. I really liked the Luna because it was nice and soft. I gave the only dishcloth I've made with it to my sister and haven't actually used it so not sure how it feels when wet and in use. I have only kept one dishcloth and I knit it using Sugar n Cream and really like it. Sugar n Cream is special because I can find it most places for cheap and it comes in tons of pretty colors. I've begun a pretty large collection of it so for now any dishcloth for my gifts and me are knit with my stash. Mainly i use Clover bamboo needles in size 6 and 7. I've also used some cheap metal ones that I got for fun and did not like using them at all. I'd really like to try some wood or nice metal needles.

Swap topic.

"FIA" Dishcloth Swap Monday Topic #1 Now that in some geographic locations the weather is starting to turn cooler, do you change the type of yarn(s) you knit/crochet with? If so, what do you now knit/crochet with instead and why? If not, why do you not switch and what do you knit/crochet with?

I live in Central Florida. It's not really going to get that cold here but it will get a whole lot cooler. :) I haven't worked with too much wool so I don't think I'll start now. I have used some washable wool from Cascade to make a hat for Special K but that's about it so far. I will probably try some more wool blends and washable wools for a scarf and hats but nothing too hot. I'm really into making dishcloths using cotton but I'd like to try linen, corn, or bamboo. I also starting socks so not sure where that will take me in the yarn world. :)

I bought some pretty Sock yarn this weekend and new needles and plan on casting on for them this afternoon. I still need to develop the pictures of our Yarn Crawl but I have to take a couple more pictures to do that. I'll get that up soon.

"Fall Into Autumn" Dishcloth Swap Questionare

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been doing it? I started knitting this year in July and have been obsessed ever since.

2. Have you made dishcloths before? Do you use them yourself, give them as gifts, or both? I've only made three so far. One I have kept for myself and two have been gifts.

3. What's your favorite cotton to make cloths from? What cotton would you like to try that you haven't before ? So far my favorite has been Sugar n Cream. I've heard lots of good things about Peaches n Cream. I'm open to trying any new type of yarn since I'm still new to the wonders and beauty of YARN.

4. If you knit, do you prefer circular or straight needles? For all, do you prefer wooden, metal, or plastic needles? So far I've used mostly straight bamboo. I'd like to try some nice wooden ones. I have one pair of circular Addi's and they are nice so metal is not out of the question either.

5. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you don't like much? My favorite colors are maroon, pink, blue, and purple. (not necessarily together) I'm not a fan of pukey greens. I like green but not the brownish green that makes me think of gross stuff. hehe

6. What do you like best about Autumn? I live in Florida so it's the start of relief from the heat. I like hurricane days when we don't have school but it doesn't rain a drop. :)

7. Pies: Pumpkin? Apple? Pecan? All of em? or No Thanks! I love Pecan pie...after all the years of telling my father that it's GROSS!! I now am a big fan. I also like pumpkin pie and cherry. I should just say all of them.

8. When you were a kid, were you the one who couldn't wait to get started with school , or the one who overslept on the 1st day? I couldn't wait to get started with school. As a teacher I still get that way. I like getting back to a routine. It's more the second month where I end up sleeping in.

9. Do you celebrate Halloween? (The real key here guys is especially knowing if you have an aversion to the holiday or little goodies/decorations associated with it, given the timeframe of the swap) I'm not a huge fan of Halloween but that doesn't mean I don't like it. I mainly don't like dressing up. I love candy though especially A Bit of Honey's!!

10. If you had to choose just 3 edible 'goodies' to eat for a full year, what 3 would you choose? Chocolate, Chicken, and Pineapple. There's a variety. But candy related Twix, Bit of Honey's, and Rolos. YUMMY!!

11. Do you have any pets? Kids? Husbands who seem like kids? ;) I have a live in boyfriend and a golden retriever and a black lab, which are our kids.

12. If you were to describe a particular yarn that shares traits of your personality, what would it be and why? A flexible, dependable, sturdy yarn that feels soft once you start using it.

13. Do you use your cloths mostly for dishcloths, or as facecloths? I have only started using the one I knit up as a dishcloth. I'd like to use them for both when I get some more around my house.

14. Favorite Fall Holiday: Halloween or Thanksgiving and why? (Feel free to share another fall memory if you do not celebrate either of these holidays) Thanksgiving because I love when the family gets together and eats, plays games, and watches some football. The food is always the best too. Can't beat a turkey dinner.

15. Do you have any allergies or aversions your pal should know about? I'm allergic to cats, rabbits, and small animal dander.

Another Contest

So I'm getting into a bunch of swaps and contest. Please go over to schrodinger's blog and comment and tell her I sent you. Please please please. You should see the cool bags she's giving away and you'll know why!!

I also joined my second swap today. HSKS 3!! I'm super excited about this one too. I love Harry Potter so it's going to be FUN FUN FUN!!

I've also gotten into some Knit A-Longs. KAL You can check out the links from the buttons on the side. Stay tuned for my KAL projects.

I'm still trying to knit my co-workers a little back to school gift even though we are on the second week of school. I've changed it from the candy bags to Paw Print Dishcloths. I'm almost done with my first one and they knit up fast. This decision was made when I decided to give the bags to my niece and nephews. :)

Happy Knitting!!!