It's been awhile...

Since I last posted, wow well over a month. Time flies and certainly gets away from a person. So what have I been up to?

I finished the monkey Socks for my Monkey Pal 4. I've just been waiting for some of the goodies to come in the mail so I can put them in the post. They should be going out sometime either this weekend or next.

I also finished the scarf for my ISE6 pal. That has been in the upstairs bedroom drying. I have also just about finished gathering everything for that package to be sent out.

I am working on a secret project for my Loopy Swap 2 pal. She knows who I am so I have been keeping that project a secret. I am almost finished and have been gathering goodies for that package as well. That should be going out in the next week or two.

So what am going to knit next? Well, with Mother's Day only a couple of weeks away, I was thinking about knitting my Mom the pair of socks that I had promised her. She had picked the pattern Go With The Flow from the Favorite Socks book. I have some yummy Panda Cotton yarn that I can use for them.

I've also been attending a Becker CPA review class. I finished the Financial section a couple of weeks ago and am now working on the Auditing section. I finally got my creditentials back from the Illinois State Board. I squeeked by with 151 credits, 150 was what I had needed. So now I need to send in the application fee and pay the required amounts for each section. With the rate that I am going, I'll be done with all the review classes before I even sit for one section of the exam.

Monkeying Around

I'm still waiting for the yarn to arrive so I can start my ISE6 project. The UPS website hasn't updated as to when my yarn will be delivered.

So I started my Monkey Pal Swap Four socks. I decided to do four repeats instead of the six so it will be more of an ankle sock. I am liking the Tofutsies yarn that I have chosen to knit the sock with. Here's a picture of my progress so far.

Here's the socks that I finished on March 20th. These are Triple Twist by Monica Jines. The yarn is from vanCalCar Acres in the Something for Slytherin. These are made for my Hogwarts Sock Swap 3 pal. I absolutely love the heels on these socks.

Snow, Snow, Snow and More Snow

It's Snowing yet again. The news is reporting that this is the second snowiest winter ever. Wasn't spring yesterday? Today we are getting more than 10 inches of snow. It took me an hour and a half to get home from work (construction season all ready)

I went on a sock hunt this afternoon for the perfect yarn for my Monkey Swap Four Pal. Since it is spring, I had decided that I wanted to use a lighter weight yarn. The yarn that came to mind was Tofutsies colorway 740 which is part of the Limited Edition Collection. Ravelry is an excellent place to see how the yarn looks. I checked out the three colorways I had in mind and that's how I decided on 740 along with DD's help.

Last night, I finished the Triple Twist Socks for my HSS3 partner. I have almost everything together for the package but I need to check the blog to see the detail that needs to be sent with the package.

I can't believe that I signed up to do Monkey Swap Four, ISE6 and The Loopy Swap 2 while studying for the CPA exam, am I nuts or what? Yep, I agree I'm totally nuts. I figure for The Loopy Swap 2 I will knit the Dreamswatch. Should be a nice and easy quick knit.

For ISE6, my daughter helped me to decide to do Grumperina's Shifting Sands Scarf. I had ordered some Malabrigo Silky Merino in the Viena colorway. She also helped me pick the color. That's what happens when one can't decide between two patterns.

For Monkey Swap Four, I am knitting of course Cookie A's infamous Monkeys using Tofutsies colorway 740 which is part of the Limited Edition Collection.

Monkey Swap Four Questionnaire

The Measurements Shoe size: 6 1/2 or 7 US Foot length in inches: 9 1/2 inches Circumference: 8 1/2 Inches

Yarn Preferences What are your favorite colors? Jewel Tones What color clashes with your wardrobe? None Do you prefer solids or variegated yarns? Variegated What are your favorite brand sock yarns? Scoks That Rock, Wollmeise, Yarn Pirate, Is there a new sock yarn you really would like to try? Sock Pixie, Sunshine Yarns

Cookie A. Patterns List the patterns you do not have but would like to receive: Red Thread Sock, Mona

Allergies Do you have any allergies that your pal needs to know about? (animals, fiber, sensitivity to smoke etc.) None Will you knitting be exposed to animals? No, Will you knitting be exposed to cigarette smoke? No

Shipping What country do you live in? United States Are you willing to ship outside your country? Not at this time.

I'm Still Alive...Barely

It's been a busy week. Saturday, I started the Becker Review classes to sit for the CPA exam. I am still waiting to hear from the Illinois board if I have enough credentials to sit for the exam. I've been spending anywhere from 2 to 3 hours a night studying. I have four more classes left for this section. I've been done with school for two years so this is serving as a nice review.

On the knitting front, I've been knitting away on my Triple Twist Socks for my HSS3 pal. I did manage to finish the first sock before class started and have been working on the second one. I knit a few rows in the morning before I go to work and knit during my lunch hour. I am almost to the heel flap.

I am anxious to get started on my Cardigan for Arwen. I have the yarn sitting on my diningroom table (I'm surprised hubby hasn't complained about that yet) waiting to be wound up. One of these days I am going to have to find the time to get them wound up.

Tomorrow night DD and I are going to go see the Student edition of rent at the high school. She got mad at me because we didn't go last weekend. She really enjoys mother/daughter time together and complains when we don't spend enough time together (I hope that doesn't change.)

Embossed Leaves

Embossed Leaves finished for my SITM2 pal. These will be mailed off to her on Friday. These were knitted with Schaefer Anne.

Tired of Winter

Another day of bitter cold temperatures are called for today. I will be so happy when warmer temperatures come our way. Sunday it rained and along with the rain came some flooding. I now have a mini lake at the end of my drive way. At the moment it's a skating pond, it's not very suitable for skating, need to get the Zamboni out.

On my needles now, is the start of the Triple Twist Socks pattern is from Monica Jines of Monica Knits... A Lot! The pattern is only available from the Loopy Ewe. Monica has been so very helpful. I didn't know how to do a 2TR and she explained it to me and has also offered assistance if I should require any more. I'm working on the leg and the pattern is very simple. My thoughts are that these socks should be a quick knit. Lately for me it seems that I can knit up a pair of socks in about two weeks time.

I'm in the process right now of getting together my sock swap packages for HSKS4 and Sock It To Me Twice. I should be able to put those in the mail this weekend. The only swap that I have left is the HSS3 and ISE6 should be coming up very shortly.

Sock It To Me Twice Contest

Contest Number 1- Simple enough post - You will post, on your blog, about a memorable Valentine's day you've had. Could be from when you were a child or now. I really don't have any memorable Valentine's Days that I could post about. My birthday is so close to Valentine's Day that everything gets lumped together. My husband is not a very romantic guy, so about the most I get is a card.

Contest Number 2- Spring Knitting Plans- I signed up for Hogwarts Sock Swap 3, so I'll be knitting a pair of socks for that. Probably more socks will be on the needles. Eventually I need to knit my Central Park Hoodie. I try not to plan too many projects ahead of time. Although my ravelry queue has 11 projects, so I'll start knocking them off one by one.

Contest Number 3- My ten favorite yarns: Yarn Pirate KPPMKoigu Socks That Rock Lightweight Lorna's Laces Cherry Tree Hill Wollmeise Handmaiden Sea Silk Fiesta Baby Boomerang Duet Sock Yarns ShiBuiKnits

I'm Ernie

You Are Ernie

Playful and childlike, you are everyone's favorite friend - even if your goofy antics get annoying at times. You are usually feeling: Amused - you are very easily entertained You are famous for: Always making people smile. From your silly songs to your wild pranks, you keep things fun. How you life your life: With ease. Life is only difficult when your friends won't play with you!

The'>http://www.blogthings.com/thesesamestreetpersonalityquiz/">The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Monkeys Have Landed!

It's been an interesting week, first this package came from AnaMarie. The package contained an adoreable stuffed monkey, some stitch keepers, a monkey bag, some monkey fabric, a Cookie A pattern and two skeins of Apple Laine yarn. Also this adoreable handmade card.

Then this gorgeous ball of hand-dyed yarn from Jane arrived. Jane dyed this yarn especially for me. She dyed some Jaggerspun sport weight yarn. Now to find the perfect sock pattern for this awesome yarn. Any ideas? Thanks Jane very much. Jane was assigned my angel since we hadn't heard anything from my pal in a long time. She's been an awesome angel.

Then another package came and they contained the most comfortable awesome pair of Monkeys ever. The socks fit like a dream and came at the most perfect time. I have worn them two of three times all ready and I just got them. Also in the package was some Mike & Ike candy, a cute sock bag, a monkey key chain and another Cookie A pattern. I don't know who this angel is quite yet because I also found out that she is Sock It To Me Twice pal. She is an awesome angel. I wonder what her thoughts were when she found out that she was to be my Monkey Pal angel also? Thank you Secret Pal for a gorgeous pair of socks and the awesome package that you put together.