Wednesday wonder

While I was sick with bronchitis, I was supposed to see the dental hygienist & get new x-rays. I cancelled that appt., and called on the 13th to reschedule. The first available spot was 9:45 a.m. on the 14th! So I've already been, got a clean bill of oral health and some samples.
I'm still plugging away on the Moc Croc Mark II second sock, with 4" of the foot done --which means this cuff-down pair is very close to being done! I have been looking at sock yarns online, as if I actually had moola to spare for such luxury as new yarn. I will have to start another pair as soon as MCM-II is done, preferrably in a (mostly) green colorway. I'll go stash-diving this weekend, I'm pretty sure I can find what I need.
The mitered-square Dolly Blankie is coming along rather slowly; it's mostly TV knitting, and I just don't have much time for TV anymore. I've about decided it needs a backing, to help hide all those ends of cotton yarn. It'll have to be thin fleece, but whether a plain pastel, white, or a print? I haven't a clue. Maybe I'll carry the finished blankie to the fabric store.
I haven't started Sis' felted latte cozy yet. She specifically mentioned felted. The only way I can think to get it to fit would be to garter stitch a rectangle, felt the heck out of it, sew some toggle buttons at one end, and cut a few rows of "buttonholes" across the other end. In fact, I'll likely cut slits all the way 'round, make 'em look like a "design feature" -- and I could embroider around a few of them, too. Yeah, there's an idea. Wonder if the toggles would tear up the felt? Only one way to find out!

Do I know what I'm talking about?

Image via Wikipedia

Apparently not! I must stand corrected; Debbie Stoller's line of yarns includes these three so far:
Full O' Sheep, a 100% Peruvian wool, looks like a roving yarn
Bamboo Ewe, 55% bamboo viscose + 45% wool, has a little sheen to it
Alpaca Love, which is an alpaca/wool blend (exact amts?)
Notice that all are derived from all-natural sources--although the bamboo is processed to produce something like a rayon fiber, it did come from a natural source.
Yesterday I got a "care package" from Ms. Stoller, with 3 balls of Full O' Sheep, 2 balls Bamboo Ewe, and 4 balls of Alpaca Love. I've rewound two balls of the Full O' Sheep (let's be careful not to say that aloud too many times), as they were missing their labels and starting to unwind.

The Plaidman was admiring the nice yarn cakes that came off the ball winder he got me for Christmas.
I always make sure to let him know how much I like the yarny tools he's given me. He got a swift for me, which I put away every time because I just love the label on the box. It's Japanese, and the box is labelled "Almighty Reeling Machine"---gives me a giggle every time.

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Soon, my little chickadees, we will be pushing this silly blog into hyperdrive: We're set up to get an upgrade from dial-up (49.2 KBPS) to ACTUAL HIGH SPEED internet! I will actually be able to post pictures without going gray in the process. Which will make this site a heck of a lot more interesting--who wants to read when there are pictures!?!? Sometime ago, I got Zemanta linked into this thing, and that's the source of the picture above. Found another cuter one, alpacas grazing somewhere in the UK, but the stupid Zemanta doesn't want to put more than one pic on the page. You'll just have to use your imagination.

Best wishes

Merry Christmas! or whichever winter solstice holiday you celebrate. Warm regards from the buckle of the Bible Belt, Nashville Tennessee. We're all still in housecoats & slippers here, playing with the gifts we've given each other. No Monet print calendar for me this year; for 2009 I'll be looking at the World Champion (in my mind, at least!) STEELERS! And I got a very nice Steelers logo jacket, too! And absolutely nothing having to do with yarn. Kinda surprising, since the past occasions when yarny goodies were presented were really super. I got gifted with a cute teapot, sugar & creamer set; unfortunately the giver didn't open the box in the store & the sugar bowl's borked. So that part of it will have to go back to the store for a replacement. And I bought myself another cute teapot. I collect 'em. I also like tea, so sometimes I actually use them. I've been meaning to make a few tea cozies; there are some cute patterns out there.

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Well, this was supposed to get some pics & go up before Christmas, but I got busy & the blog fell by the wayside. So! Happy New Year!! Part of the busy-ness I was going through had to do with Plaidman's health: He started having severe pain in his back, and with his history of kidney stones it wasn't too hard to figure what might be happening. Of course, he suffers for two weeks before he decides he's gotta get some medical attention....and pisses & moans the whole damn time. After visits to no less than 4 different medical facilities, his diagnosis is back strain -- he pulled a muscle. I'm about to pull my hair out, over his $*&%^#( pulled muscle. Of course, I carried knitting to every facility, 'coz I'm still working on DiscoDame's lovely alpaca scarf. The plan is to have it for her by 12th Night, and it's 33" long now, and I may be able to get the other 27" from the 2nd skein! Which would leave me two skeins for another (MINE!) use. Yahoo!