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Remember when I showed you the yarn from RubySapphire? Well there was something I didn’t mention. Not because I’m keeping anything from you, Dear Readers, but becuase I wasn’t sure if it was a secret or not. Turns out, it’s not a secret. I am writing patterns for their sock club!

It’s not blocked, but you get the idea.

The club is going to be sort of a sample pack of all their fiber options and I am writing patterns for the tencel/superwash blend (Luster) and the superwash/nylon (Sapphire Sock). I am planning a more manly sock for the Sapphire. With an interesting heel.

This would have been just another post about socks, but I got the loveliest treats in the mail the other day! The first is from Darlene. This next part is a secret: I think Darlene is the Yarn Fairy. Seriously.

Jo Sharp alpaca silk (my first Jo Sharp yarn if you can believe that) and Cascading Leaves sock pattern!

This is a sock kit from TheKnitter, and the alpaca is just as lovely and soft as it looks.

There was also some Unexpected Joy from a new friend of mine, Wen of Slow Knitter.

Ohohohohoh! That’s Panda Cotton!

How cute it that take-out bag? And just loaded with fun stuff: sock monkey flip book (if you watch closely, you can see him wink at you), candy necklace (my jewelry of choice), pirate bandaids (yar) and rock ‘em sock ‘em robots on rings (so they are portable) among other stuff! I giggled the entire time I was unpacking. I also giggled the entire time I was taking the above picture because it was a struggle to take one that didn’t look like this:

That is Lucy. Well. Part of her.

Many many Thank Yous to Darlene and Wen - this is Proof Positive that it’s OK to give your address to strangers you meet on the internet! Or maybe it’s just knitters you meet on the internet…

PS I moved my side bar back over to the right. I just couldn’t get used to it.
PPS I finished the back of the polo shirt, but I’m not going to show a picture because it isn’t pink. I like it when things match (everything else is pink). I’ll show you next time.

My cousin’s (the one who graduated this week) Senior Ballet Recital was last night. What follows is the traditional ballerina and sock-in-progress camera phone shot.

The sock is in her right hand. Use your imagination.

I didn’t knit during the recital, but I did knit all the way there, in the parking lot, at intermission and while waiting for our table to be ready for supper. I’ve got a little straw purse that I use as my incognito summer knitting bag. Of course, pulling a sock out of it at every opportunity sort of negates the incognito part.

Don’t mock. I got to the heel.

You can blame Elizabeth and Darlene for this next bit.

7 Random Facts

1. All the cats are named after First Ladies. Or in the case of William Henry, a president.
2. I hate asparagus with a passion that rivals the heat of a thousand suns.
3. I don’t like to order pizza on the phone. Or any kind of take-out. Someone else has to do it.
4. In my life, I have lived in five places. I am counting college in this total.
5. My house has 7 fireplaces. None of them work as fireplaces.
6. My current bedtime reading is The Island of Dr. Moreau. I realized that I hadn’t read it (in spite of knowing the story) and went to the library specifically.
7. I keep what is known as “farmer’s hours*.” That’s just how I roll.

As far as tagging 7 more people, I am going to be creative (my list of Untagged Imaginary Friends is rapidly dwindling): I tag those of you who are readers but have never left a comment. You know who you are. Go forth and participate in the meme on your own blog! Then leave a comment to let us know where you are so that we can visit.

*Early To Bed Early To Rise

Glad y’all made it!

I’ve owned yarnmiracle.com for about a year now but due to circumstances beyond my control (laziness/change makes me queasy), it has been a redirect until now. It’s the same old blog, just shinier*. And I think my sideblog has an RSS feed now. Don’t quote me on that**. Don’t forget to update your bloglines and feed readers.

Hang on a second while I figure out how to put in pictures…

There we go. Don’t you love it when your knitting bag matches your work in progress?

That is my current progress on the polo shirt. I love the Shine, it’s pleasant to work with and has a great drape.

I also finished up the Hurricane Sock that will be mailed at the end of May.

Everyone needs a pair of red socks.

It’s a Best Foot Forward sock from Knit Socks! Since my pal has to make the second one, she gets a copy of the book. Which (and I know I have said this before) is a great book in spite of being shaped like a sock. It is worth noting that I only started over once on this particular sock.

I also found out who my Special Swap Partner is for June: Kathy! She is expecting 17 Year Cicadas as we speak. This has nothing to do with the swap, I just want everyone thinking about cicadas bursting out of the ground after 17 years as much as I will. Don’t leave me alone with this. I hope she takes pictures.

*This is only the third look for Yarn Miracle in almost four years of blogging. I said I was not good with change.
**I may be a Complete Liar about that, turns out. I’ll get back to you.

Alice has a new family! There was an adoption day yesterday where all parties involved were struck with love at first sight. We talked to them this morning and Alice is adapting very well to her new home. One more doggy to go!

I finished these on the way home from adoption day:

CannahgettaWOOHOO?

Which means that I finally get to start something new. Something that isn’t a sock. After a fair amount of deliberation, I’ve decided to make the polo shirt before the lacy top in the Nashua book. Mostly because I find the idea of several feet of stockinette very appealing right now. I don’t know why.

Lime! It’ll match my very loud butterfly skirt.

I have discovered a new yarn store. Or rather, Darleen pointed it out to me. RubySapphire Yarns is a mother-daughter dyeing team - they really have a knack for color combinations.

I could look at them all day.

They carry several different types and weights of yarn all hand painted or hand dyed. The two above are Luster (50% Merino/50% Tencel) and Sapphire Sock (75% Merino/25% Nylon). Both are machine-washable (Yay!) and the colors are simply lovely. The Luster (in case you’re wondering about the Tencel) has a sheen and is cool to the touch - I’m hoping it will be a great yarn for spring (nearly summer) socks. The best part is that RubySapphire is putting together a sock of the month club! A girl can never have too much sock yarn…

One of my cousin’s graduation socks is finished!

mmmm neapolitan ice cream

One more and I can finally start something new.

My Bloomin’ Feet have arrived!

Please focus on the beautiful stitches and ignore the un-mown grass.

When I got the box out of the mailbox and saw that the return address was Simply Socks Yarn Company I got excited because I figured it was yarn I had forgotten that I ordered. But I discovered something even better: Allison is my Bloomin’ Feet Pal! The socks above are Koigu and fit like a dream. I thought that particular pleasure was forever lost to me, but many Kind Readers have told both Allison and I that machine wash cold (no dryer, of course) will not do them any harm. I am thrilled with this news because (as I have just now discovered) Koigu really is All That. I am especially fond of the subtle variegations in the yarn - you can have both a multi-colored yarn and complicated stitch patterns in one sock! Who knew?

Allison also enclosed some Lorna’s Laces Nearly Solid in Margarita, Simply Socks special Lorna’s color and some cookies.

Again, your attention should be focused anywhere but the grass.

I love the Margarita (for one thing: it’s green, for another: it’s Lorna’s Laces) and I have already planned the finished socks: they will have a white edging - for the salt. In a miraculous collaboration between the Alabama sun and my black mail box, the cookies arrived in fresh-out-of-the-oven condition. I ate the warm and gooey chocolate chip immediately. The box in the picture contains half a sugar cookie. I have no self control.

Since there are no cookie pictures, here is one of Betty and William Henry attempting to develop similar fresh-out-of-the-oven goodness.

Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.