Wips
Juego MKAL by Laura Nelkin
Dream in Color Smooshy in Bermuda Teal
Storybook Art & Fiber in Mist
3.75mm KP Nickel interchangeables

Rescue Me, Chin Boy, and Show Me the Stars by C.C. Almon
Crazy Zauberball
2.5mm KP Nickel Circs

Plain PenguinSoup Socks
KirbyWirby's Witches Be Trippin'
2.5mm Karbonz

Fos

Spinning

Review Something
Knitting Mochimochi by Anna Hrachovec


What's in the Mail
MarigoldJen Purple Finch
Little Skein stitch markers
Mad Colour Dr. Who shipment: Life is short and you are hot


Cool Stuff
Not cool: Mailed the st markers and they were sent back


Contests
amcgarrah is donating one of her awesome patterns to a lucky winner.
1. Must be a member of the group
2. Post with your favourite PenguinSoup moment or quote
3. In the same post, mention which pattern of hers you want.

I've probably already said this, but there's never enough time. I have to fit food, shower, work, knitting, cooking, chores, hubby time, and sometimes video games into a day. It's just not possible. And the chores, cooking, and knitting have been suffering because of this lack of time. The knitting is tempting me to sit down, relax, and enjoy myself for a little while. But I just can't give in to the knitting because the dishes are starting to turn into muppets and my stomach is growing at me and telling me to go to the store and but it some food.

Thankfully, I have about five days off in a row. And they're going to be the busiest five days ever since I have to get my house in order before the next spurt of work/eat/sleep starts. And I mean total house clean which includes the floor, baseboards, and windows. The whole thing. And I know you're probably sitting there, in disbelief or possibly yelling "but what about the knitting?!?!?!," never fear, dear knitters, never fear. I have all Friday to myself. I plan to get my knit on, dye my hair, and attend the two Virtual Knit Night events that I have set up in the group. I really really hope that my 9" circulars will arrive tomorrow so I can work on my Witches' be Trippin socks without haveing the little laddering nonsense going on. (You know, the annoying line that runs up your sock where your needles meet so you have to keep moving your needles back and fourth a few stitches to avoid it)

No pic today. :(

Wips:
Rescue Me, Chin Boy, and Show Me the Stars by C.C. Almon of Geeky Girls Knit
Crazy Zauberball
2.5mm KP nickel circs

Vanilla Sock
Witches Be Trippin' from Kirby Wirby
2.5mm needles (will be 9" circs when they arrive)

Juego MKAL by Laura Nelkin
Dream in Color Smooshy in Bermuda Teal
Storybook Art & Fiber in Mist
Amethyst beads

FOs:

Spinning:
Haunted Vinyard from Cloudlover

Review Something!
Knitters Pride Karbonz double pointed needles

What's in the mail?
Witches Be Trippin', Skating Rink 1987 w/ strobe light sparkle and Sassy Kaleidoscope from KirbyWirby
Witches is the new base. Tighter Twist, super soft and a joy to work with.

Cool Stuff:
Two Tangled Skeins mentioned me in Episode 35
Geeky Girls mentioned me in Episode 34

Contests:
The winner of the KirbyWirby Yarn Giveaway is #26 lemknitcrochet! Who said, "I like Skating Rink 1987! Especially the sparkly base :)"



If we get to 100 members on Ravelry, there will be a pattern giveaway from amcgarrah!

I feel like I have somehow fallin into The Song of Ice and Fire series, and I now reside in Westeros. You see, in Westeros their summers can last for years. From as little as 1 or 2 and all the way up to 10. Now this sounds fantastic, but there is a downside. The downside if they have a few months, or maybe a year of falls, and then their winters are as long as their summers. Imagine 10 years of winter. Cold, dark, blustery winters. That sounds like hell on earth to me, but thankfully I'm a knitter. I'm sure a lot more people would learn to knit if the winters lasted that long.

Up here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we're sitting at six months of winter so far. The rest of Canada (specifically Ontario) has had warmer days and a lighter winter. They even hard grass around Christmas time. But in good ole Winterpeg, we've had snow on the group (and a good amount of it) since around the end of October. The past two weeks have given us more snow. Some has melted a little, but then the snow would come back and replace it. We actually had a snow storm where there was very little visibility.

Now it's really hard to keep your spirits up when the rest of the internet is posting about the pretty flowers, the blooming trees and starting their gardens. I haven't seen grass since the end of October! I'm doing everything I can to keep my spirits up. I've put away the hats, mittens and scarves with the hopes that we wouldn't need them again this year. I did leave the coats and boots out though. I guess I need to get my hat back out. I've also tried to spring clean my house (I can usually do this with the windows open every other year). It's cleaner, but the stale air is still floating about since there's no fresh spring air to let in.

What else can I do besides pack up and move? I can try to make the best of it. I can grab my pretty spring coloured yarns, a cup of blueberry pie tea, and sit myself in front of the fireplace (yes, it's that cold) and try to trick myself into believing that it's November and that the snow is normal. And as we knitters know, November is just one month away from being December. So I'll knit like mad until I finish everything or until Spring decides to show up. Whichever comes first.

I finished almost all of my works in progress last week, save for the Portulaca sweater I've been working on. I did this so I could free up some space for my next round of projects. It seems that I tend to work on waves. I cast on like mad, I knit on a few projects, the I become more monogamous and then comes the bought of finishing.

Due to my lack of projects, I was starting to get the cast on itch and it was driving me nuts. I really wanted to cast on my "Rescue me, chin boy, and show me the stars," socks by C.C. Almon, but I had to wait for Katie to get her yarn. Once it finally arrived, I eagerly cast on and knit like I had someone chasing me. But of course something had to go wrong with so much enthusiasm involved. And just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong.

I cast on with Hiwasse Creek Dyeworks BFL Self Striping Twist. It stripes blue, black, dark grey, black. It is the most beautiful shade of blue I've ever seen and the darker colours really makes it pop. Apparently, this yarn is a tad bit leaky and leaked all over my hands while I was trying to work with it.
This really should have been my first clue that this yarn didn't want to be this pattern at all.
*I contacted the seller and she immediately said that shouldn't be happening and she offered to replace the skein for me. Talk about wonderful customer service!*
























Then I realized that I dropped a stitch and the whole thing had to be frogged. So I started again, getting bluer by the second, and hit the ground running. This time, I got all the way past the toe and into the pattern design. After I had almost finished the first pattern repeat I then realized that the pattern was actually detracting from the yarn and vice versa. So I frogged the whole thing yet again.

The I cast on with Knit Picks Stroll Handpaint in the Nevermore colourway. I knit the toe in a sitting and a few rows into the pattern. It was looking ok, but not what I really envisioned for the pattern. But I ignored my knitters intuition and just kept going, and going, and going. I finished the first pattern repeat with that nagging feeling the whole time.




















I left this one as is because it was ok, even though it is a bit too dark to show of the wondrous pattern. I cast on a third (really more like a 5th time with the fiddling with the Black Ice) with one of my Zauberballs and I've finished the toe now and have just started the patterned part. When I first cast on I hated what it looked like but kept going anyways. I'm really starting to like it now and think that the pattern could look really really nice in this yarn, as long as it doesn't seem too busy, which it might.



















I really really hope that this one will work out because I think that this one might be the winner and I really want it to be. I've got my Juego to work on and hope that these socks figure themselves out so I can move onto a few other projects.



Happy Crafting,

Episode 8: BLUE! from PenguinSoup on Vimeo.

Wips also a FO
Clue 1 of Juego MKAL by Laura Nelkin
Dream in Color Smooshy in Bermuda Teal
Storybook Art & Fiber in Mist
Amethyst beads
3.75mm needles

FO
So Square Socks by Anne Hanson
Malabrigo Sock in Alucaucil
2.5mm Karbonz

Monkey by Cookie A.
Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Make Believe
2.5mm KP nickel plated needles

Hexipuff of the Week
BCY in Sea Glass

What's Next?
Rescue me, chin boy, and show me the stars by C.C. Almon
Hiwasse Creek Dyeworks in Black Ice
2.5mm

Portulaca by Carol Feller through Celtic Cables Craftsy class
Patons Classic in Jade Heather

Review Something!
Knit. Sock. Love. by Cookie A.

Cool Stuff
Geeky Girls Knit Podcast!
C.C. aka JavaPurl and Damaris aka damaris-abitweird
UFO-along. Check it out!

Ordered some new pretties and some 9" circs for sock knitting. Can't wait to show you my pretties.

Contests
KirbyWirby yarn giveaway will be closed before I record next Monday, April 22.

As the Pandarens in World of Warcraft are quick to tell you, slow down. These past two weeks have been a constant stream of work, eat, sleep. I haven't even had time to stop and smell the coffee because if I had taken the time to make a coffee, the I would have been late. I have been running myself ragged and it's not healthy nor is it enjoyable and it needs to change.



I've only been living in Manitoba for about three years now. I went to school for two of those, but I was never quick to make friends. I even tried going to knitting groups to make a few friends in the province who shared the same interests as me, but that never happened either. So I started spending more time on Craftster and Ravelry and made some friends there. I met Laura on the Tiny Owl Knits Ravelry group and we've been chatting for a bit over a year now. This whole long explanation is going somewhere, just hold on. This past week Laura has been running around like crazy as well. She tried messaging me a few times, but we kept responding when we could and it took forever for the other to answer. Totally understandable and crazy and I hope her baby's fever goes away and the new puppy behaves!

Thursday and Friday I had to stay home with a hurt foot. I had been working and running around so much that one of my toes went numb. I went to see a doctor and he said I needed a support bar for my shoe, some anti inflammatory drugs and some rest. I had to stay home. I even tried to put my shoes on and walk around for a bit but my foot wasn't having any of it.

Segway again, last year, I saw in Let's Knit! magazine that someone was looking for a pen pal. I decided to write to her, and that's how I met Katie. We chatted back and fourth for a bit and realized we both love knitting, video games, and nerdy culture. Life got busy and I wasn't able to respond as much and kind of forgot for a while. I started talking to her again and we spent a lot of time chatting these past two days. She has helped me to realize that I need to rest, slow down, and enjoy doing the thing I want to do. We've even spent a bit of time browsing yarns together, which I realized is actually ok. You don't have to browse with the intent to buy, sometimes it's alright to just enjoy the beautiful fibres from afar. And sometimes, you just can't help yourself.



This rest and relaxing has really helped to put me into a spring like spirit. I want to knit light and airy pieces with bright and beautiful colours. I want my house to be clean and the fresh air to run through it. There's only one problem with that though. I live in Manitoba. While most of the world has grass and has maybe had a nice day to sit out side or two. We're just starting to hit positive degrees and there are only a few patches of grass here or there. The rest of the grass is buried beneath almost a foot of snow still. This officially marks the 6th month of winter and I want it gone! I want to stay relaxed and comfortable, but outside and not by the fireside!



I'm hoping to get back to blogging about three times a week. The reason I haven't been is I was so busy so I didn't have time for crafting and therefore, had nothing to say. I'm working on hanging this.

Until next time,

Episode 7: Not Eleven from PenguinSoup on Vimeo.


Wips:
So Square by Anne Hanson
Malabrigo Sock in Alucaucil
2.5mm Karbonz

Fos/Hexipuff of the week:
One made from Knit Picks Felici in Hummingbird
Other made from Storybook Art & Fiber Luxury Sock in Sunset

Spinning

What's Next?
Laura Nelkin's Juego MKAL Starting April 12

Review Something:
Charmed Knits by Alison Hansel

Cool Stuff!
New Camera used for the first time

Knitsinsanity gifted me "Rescue me, chin boy, and show me the stars" socks. Hoping to finish hubby's socks asap so I can work on those in the Hiawassi Dyeworks Black Ice bfl sock.


Contests:
Stitch markers are done and being mailed out this weekend! Sorry for the wait!
~Going to make some more markers and put them on etsy. Watch for a discount code next week~

The winner of the Tardis through the ages bag is:
#19 dptemple

Kirby Wirby Contest!

KirbyWirby Interview:
Q. When and how did you start knitting?

A: I’ve been knitting since around 2006(I think)I was single at the time and bored one day and said “im going to learn how to knit today” so I went and bought one of those starter kits with plastic needles and a pamphlet. That’s like learning to ballroom dance from a leaflet. I needed to see the motion to I went to YouTube! I have always longed for a creative outlet but I can’t sing, can’t dance, can’t draw- but when I made that first stitch and realized I had it- I knew I had found MY craft. I just felt right in my hands and I fell in love with it.

Q: How/why did you start dying?

A: I started dyeing just for myself for fun. Last September I was in the yard and sweating to death( i live n South Carolina) walking around 2 chairs 14 ft apart to make a huge loop so I could dye it in long sections. Someone saw my stripey FO socks on Ravelry and asked if I was going to sell my yarn because she would buy it. My ears perked up. I bought the proper equipment so I could section the yarn off inside without having to walk around chairs. Opened my Etsy shop and to my surprise people bought it. I’m having so much fun!

Q: Where do you get the inspiration for your colours?

A: Sometimes I will come up with a color combo I like first, sometimes a name. I usually dye whatever pops into my mind. i look online at photos of everything under the sun looking for colors that pop together. My favorite combinations are colors that usually would not go together but contrast highly in a sock. Like bright orange and baby blue.

Q: How do you come up with the awesome names for your colourways?

A: Some colorways practically name themselves. One example is my Skating Rink1987 with strobe light sparkle. It screams 80s. Others, not so much. If I hear something funny, ill try to make a mental note to use it for a colorway name. I was watching Downton Abbey and sir Antony said ” have you done something jolly with your hair?” I knew it was a colorway. If I can think of something funny for a colorway, that’s the way I want to go. “OrangeCounty:Sippin on Hatorade” now those are fun socks to knit :)


How To Win It:
1. You must be a member of the group
2. Check out her etsy shop, ravelry featured yarns, or The KnitGirllls pimp yourself thread in their group.
3. Post in the thread with your favourite colourway of hers OR name up to four of your favourite colours and come up with a colourway name for it and post that. Which ever you post with will be what you could win.

Coupon Code: PenguinSoup1

I know this has been said about a billion times, but it's so true. There really aren't enough hours in a day. I also realize that this is kind of a stupid thing because if you were up longer then you would lose out on sleep and be more miserable the next day. I get it. I just really wish I had more time for knitting and spinning. I want these socks finished!!

If you haven't gathered by now, I'm working 8 days in a row, have one day off and then probably do it all over again. I think my schedule will let me record on Monday like I usually do, but it might not be edited and uploaded until Tuesday. Sorry it might be a bit late. And I'm sorry I probably won't have much to talk about.

To make it up to you, I've got another sponsored giveaway and this time it's yarny!!! I know you'll forgive me :)

Not even time for a picture. Sorry :(

Episode 6: Love You Long Time from PenguinSoup on Vimeo.

Wips:
Portulaca Sweater by Carol Feller. Taking the Celtic Cables Craftsy class.
Patons Classic in the Jade Heather colourway.
Knit Picks harmony wood 5.0mm interchangeable needles

So Square Socks by Anne Hanson
Malabrigo Sock in Alucauil colourway
2.5mm Knitter's Pride Karbonz needles

FOs:
Hopsalots by Stephanie Dosen aka Tiny Owl Knits
Cascade 220
Knit Picks Harmony interchangeable 8.0mm needle

Clarus (large) by Laura Nelkin took the Knit This: Mastering Lace Shawls class
Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in the Canopy colourway
Knit Picks interchangeable 4.0mm nickel plated needle
(not blocked yet)

Spinning

What's Next?
Juego MKAL by Laura Nelkin
Hexipuffs (Beekeepers Quilt) by Stephanie Dosen aka Tiny Owl Knits

Review Something!
Socktopus by Alice Yu

Cool Stuff
Soak Wash in the Unleash (Ravelry) scent!

The Knit Girllls
Leslie aka udontcallmeles
Laura aka Lala

Single Handed Knits
Mel aka MSkiKnits

An iTunes review would be super cool!