Blank Stare Productions

I've had this idea in my head for awhile and the Dye For Glory contest has inspired me to go ahead and give it a shot. (For those of you not on Ravelry, the Dye For Glory contest is a contest exclusively for dyers who will be selling their wares at the Sock Summit.)

I present to you, Dear Readers, my Blank Stare Productions yarn....

I'm getting sock blanks and staring at them until I see what I want to paint. I bought one blank a few months ago and have been trying to decide which of the ideas I want to try first. Then one morning I was in that half awake state and the picture formed in my head. I shot upright in bed and said, "BACON!"

The contest has been the catalyst for me to make bacon. This is the my entry for the Out of the Box category...

Colorway: Better 'n Bacon

I love this colorway. It makes me laugh every time I see it! Better 'n Bacon as in, "The Sock summit 2009 is gonna be better then bacon."

This yarn, like all my blanks, is 462 yards of double knit 75% Superwash Merino/25% Nylon. You unravel the two strands and, using your favorite two at a time sock knitting technique, end up with super matchy-matchy socks!

My next entry is for the Predictable Striping category and goes a little something like this....

Colorway: Crater Lake

If you ever in your life get the chance to see it, Crater Lake in Oregon is one of the most beautiful bodies of water available. I've tried to capture some of that beauty here. I've made the deep swirling waves of water surrounded by the pine trees. The cool thing about this one is that the tips and toes will be the dark green, complimenting the deep water blue in the middle of your socks!

If you're on Ravelry, don't forget to go vote for you favorites, whatever they may be! You have until August 1st and you can place your votes here.

mm

mmmBaconmmmmm, Ruth!

P. S. Both colorways are available in my Etsy store.

With Bullets

• The winners of my last contest are: Nake-id Knits for her button (the only entry) and Needlegrrl is the other winner.

• I have found that four year olds and 80 year olds take the same amount of time to tell a story. They also use the same half sentences where you have to fill in the blanks and guess what they are talking about.

• I hate my garage and am about 1000 away from being done making the hooks. I'm about 2000 away from having them all put together.

• I want to ship them all next Tuesday.

• My bench grinder died on Saturday. (Best $5 I ever spent, though! Got it off Craigs list and it made it through sanding about 2500 hooks.)

• The new one I ordered won't be here until tomorrow (Thursday).

• Next Tuesday is not looking good.

• SciFi channel changed it's name to SyFy. I'm pronouncing it Sih-Fee. I'm also pronouncing it stupid.

• My friend, neighbor and boothmate for Sock Summit (booth #200) is making some really gorgeous yarn! Her store is Skeindalous.etsy.com - go say hi!

Drive by blogging, Ruth

Secret Pal 14 Questionnaire

This seems to be the same Questionnaire as SP13 but it's an excuse to have a new post so I'll try to update...

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I like natural fibers. I don't like acrylics and I loathe novelty stuff. I don't like itchy or mohairy or spiderweb lacey stuff. I guess natural fibers still leaves it pretty wide open, right?

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a cardboard wine tube for my straights (which I almost never use anymore), a CD case thing for my circulars and the day-planner-looking-book-thingy for my KnitPicks Options. All set here!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? My friend (and midwife) taught me to knit in Summer 2003 - I've been obsessed ever since! I guess I'm advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Amazon wish list
Etsy wish list

5. What's your favorite scent? I don't use candles or home fragrance things. I love good bath stuff! I'm a big fan of light fragrance - pink grapefruit is a favorite. I like citrusy, or light floral, sandalwood is nice. Anything not too overpowering.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I'm still a sugar fiend! I don't like white chocolate or super-dark chocolate. Other then that, if it's sweet, I will eat.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I only knit. I don't spin (no desire to!). I have a dusty bin of cross-stitch stuff that I should really just get rid of as I haven't touched it since I learned to knit.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I'm all over the place here - blues, classic rock, country, alternative, bluegrass. I think the only thing I can't bear is techno or new age stuff - both genres grate on me as too boring and repetitive. I have an ipod. I discovered audiobooks last year and am a big fan!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Another wide open venue. I'm not a fan of purple, orange or yellow but I'm not completely opposed to them either. I don't like pastels or white/cream yarn. I tend toward rich, deep tones (hues?).

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Husband I adore, 2 boys (8 and 6) who crack me up and a cat.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? All but ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I don't really have a favorite thing to knit. I try it all. I found out I don't want to knit laceweight shawl things. I mostly knit things I'll wear (sweaters, socks, scarves, hats, mittens, etc.)

13. What are you knitting right now? How much time do you have? I generally have at least 15 things on needles but usually btw 3-5 active. Right now, I'm working on some socks for the Sock Summit.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Absolutely!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I'd be lost without my metal KnitPicks Options. I wish they made a set of small, sock sized Options! I'm all set with needles.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes, I have both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? 4 years?

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe? My favorite holiday is Halloween. We celebrate a commercial xmas. We are not christians and I really don't want any religious stuff.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Yarn.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I just had a little fall down at the KnitPicks 40% off summer book sale! I keep meaning to get a subscription to Interweave Knits and Vogue Knitting but haven't as of yet. I love the Ysolda Teague Vivian pattern. Also, I know my Rav queue is crazy long but I'm in the process of adding the WANT tag to the patterns I really crave!

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'm going to try to better my Fair Isle skills this year.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I am!
Toe to heel - 10"; Ball of foot - 8"; Ankle (just above ankle bone)- 8.5"

23. When is your birthday? 4/13

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? yes - 5elementknitr

Still buried in hooks, Ruth!

Days I Want vs. Days I Have

My Perfect Day:
Sleep in until 8:30a.
Read my book until about 9a.
Eat breakfast (I love cereal, particularly Cocoa Puffs or Raisin Bran)
Watch a movie and knit.
Spend about an hour online catching up on emails and blogs.
Eat lunch.
Go swim for an hour (in my indoor pool, money being no object).
Get a massage (again, money's no object).
Knit some more.
Play a board game with Dave and the boys (who, up until this point, have been discreetly absent).
Eat dinner.
Watch TV/hangout with the family.
Put the boys to bed.
Sit out back with Dave while reading our books.
Long bath.
Bed at 10p.

My Actual Day:
Wake at 6a.
Go to basement and label bags for an hour (while playing some movie in the background on my laptop).
Put together hooks.
Come up at 8a and eat breakfast/make breakfast for the kids (at least I get my cereal!).
Go back to basement and work my "real" job while putting hooks together and doing laundry (and sneaking in some blog reads here and there).
Come up around noon and make lunch for me and the boys.
Go back to basement for more of the same.
Around 2p I run errands (coupla times a week) or work out for 20 minutes (loving the Gold's Gym Cardio Workout with the Wii!).
Go to garage and make hooks (drilling, cutting, sanding) until dinnertime. (So roughly 3p-6p).
Shower.
Make/eat dinner.
Watch some TV with the family while putting together more hooks.
Put the boys to bed.
Put more hooks together.
Bed somewhere btw 10p-11p.

I did take the boys to the public pool for an hour and a half yesterday!

I know I've been blogless for awhile but it's pretty boring around here with all the hook making. I have 2 FO's to share and hope to be able to share soon.

What's your perfect day?

Le sigh, Ruth!

P.S. Only 3 more days to enter my contests!