WIP Wednesday - Monkeys and this month's challenge!

I cast on my first pair of Monkeys over the weekend. I had attempted this pattern once before, back in the early days of my knitting. It was a disaster. Before trying Cookie A's most famous creation, I had only made one pair of socks (and those had some pretty funky heels!). First, I read the chart in the wrong direction, then I cast on one too few repeats, and the third time I lost a lot of stitches throughout the repeats. Each time I didn't catch the mistake until I got to the heel flap.

Lets hope that after over a dozen pair of socks I can finally make these ! I've always adored them, and after having evaded this pattern for almost two years, I knew this yarn was perfect for it.  Everyone tells me how addicting they are. I'm ready for another try!

Today is also the first day of Andi's craft photo challenge month.  Today's prompt  is "You in Action":

I'm especially proud of this one because I figured out how to use the timer on my new camera.

To see more beautiful works-in-progress, make sure to check out Tami's Amis and for more photos from the "A Month of Craft Photos" go see Andi at Untangling-Knots.

A February Challenge

Andi from Untangling-Knots issued a great challenge on her blog today and I knew that it just had to be fate.  I just purchased a new camera to work on my photography for the blog, and her photography is always so pretty. I always feel like I'm trying to find enough light in the house or angling it so yall don't see how messy my house is!

Each day for the month of February, I'll be tagging along with Andi and posting a photo everyday based on the prompt. I'm really hoping that this will be just the to improve my photos and make them more appealing to look at. Heck! I might even attempt being "artsy"!

So check back February 1st for not only my regular WIP Wedneday, but also my first photo of this challange!

Puppy Playdate

An exciting day, I purchased a camera for my blog. (There was a great sale at Best Buy.)  Most of the pictures I've posted so far have been taken using my phone.  So, having a new toy, I just had to taken some pictures of my favorite models.  

Visiting my folks, we took both my dogs and theirs to the dog park. And did they have a lot of fun!

Kali mostly played fetch. With anyone willing to throw a ball!

Kera enjoyed a different park from her normal romping ground..

And ran..

And ran...

And ran...

 Tippy, the newest member of my family, was a little unsure. She mostly stayed by me.

She still looked like she was having a good time.

 And got a little bit of courage near the end!

Then we drove back home. 

And finally, it was naptime!

Sweet Love....

On Christmas Day, the daily dizzy deal was Dream in Color Smooshy with Cashmere.  It being Christmas, I really didn't check the deal until late in the day. 





Everything was sold out but a single colorway: Fresh Mint. I instantly fell in love with it. It was a Christmas miracle! Not only was there yarn with cashmere still on the site so late in the day, but the perfect color was still there. Waiting for me!!

Yup, completely and totally in love. I think I finally found the perfect yarn to make my Monkey socks. :)

FO Friday - The Thuja Edition

I'm going to be a little bit of a cheater and show yall some FOs that I finished right before Christmas.  My super secret gift to my SO this year was a pair of handknit socks.  I knit these men's size 11 socks in two days. Really, two days! Thuja is a great pattern for a quick pair of socks, its amazing to just watch them grow.

The SO loved them so much, he even let me take pictures of his new socks on his feet! I made his pair out of two skeins of Berraco Vintage I had leftover in the stash. The SO has declared them super comfy.

I loved making his pair so much, that I could stop and cast on a pair for myself. First time using Malabrigo Rios. *Gush* It's SO CUSHIE!!! These are my new favorite house socks and they were done so fast!

Want more beautiful finished knitted and crocheted items? Make sure to check out Tamis Amis!

WIP Wednesday

First WIP Wednesday in almost three months! I feel like I should have something incredible to show, but in all my shame I have only one WIP. Count 'em: ONE! I feel like I should be ashamed... The socks in progress are very wonderful though.  It's a simple 2x2 ribbed sock pattern using String Theory Colorwork's Cherenkov Radiation. Hopefully by next week I'll have something more interesting on the needles. I've had a hard time focusing lately.

In a complete aside, I simply ADORE this indie dyer. Not only are the stripes fun, and in great color combos, but every single colorway is named using a scientific term. What fun!

Happy Wednesday, and remember to check out the other WIPs on Tami's Amis.

Christmas Moose

Rewinding a little bit, I wanted to share some of my knits from the Christmas season.  A lot of my gifts this year were the recipeints who read the blog, so I had to keep a lot of work on the down low. First I wanted to The Christmas Moose hat that I made for my mom.

 The pattern and yarn are from a Knitpicks kit I purchased almost a year ago. Honestly, I purchased the kit because the other hat included had an uber adorable skunk on it. As I looking through my stash and trying to come up with ideas for Christmas, I realized that the Moose hat was perfect! Mom just loves moose.



A few rough months

Followers of this blog have probably noticed that I haven't been posting for about three months. In a nutshell, the past few months have been incredibly tough for me. I hope they can forgive me for having a post that deviates from knitting before I begin really posting again.

About two weeks ago, I was hopitialized for depression and spent four days in a psychiatric ward.  During this time, and afterward, I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and a very high likelyhood of Asperger's syndrome.  From my understanding, depression and anxiety have a high comorbidity (or often occur with) Asperger's.

Now I'm under the care of several doctors and am slowly recovering from my time in the hospital.  There is still a large amount of stigma in society when it comes to mental illness, and I thought sharing my diagnosis might help encourage others to seek help.  I know that I should have sought help earlier for my mental problems, and waiting so long probably contributed to my stay at the hospital.

I want to give back, and to help people understand Asperger's syndrome, a part of the autism disorders spectrum.  I know knitter's are some of the most generous people out there, and I'm the asking the next time you're thinking about giving to charity, think of Austim Speaks. Autism Speaks is an incredible charity that is "dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families." I'll also be putting a permanent link on the blog.

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