I turned a heel. Pretty nifty, right? I always experience a little thrill when I turn a heel, like I just performed a trick, magic of the knitting sort. I have written about this before, but I cannot help it. Turning a heel has the power to turn my mood around, gives me a mental giggle every.single.time.
As if the sock knitting and heel turning aren't enough, I wish you could just look at that yarn in person. These days there are "indie" dyers on every corner of the internet. I mean, there are a lot of "hand dyed" and "hand painted" yarns being peddled and a lot of it is good. Unfortunately, anybody that can purchase some blank yarn and a few bottles of acid dyes, throw them in water together and hang them to dry thinks themselves a yarn artiste. What that means for knitters? We have to sift through some crap to find the gems. Many of us have experienced the disappointment that comes, knitting colors that looked so beautiful in the skein, but so icky or pooly in the garment or sock.
None of these are the case with the yarn I am knitting with now. Named "Lady Sings the Blues" it is a rich blend of blues and greens that, for me, is reminiscent of a Blue Spruce. The yarns dyed by Kim of Woolen Rabbit are rich and luscious and while they compliment even the simplest garter stitch knitting are not overwhelming in lace or cables. Kim's color sense is such that she has me loving colors I usually dislike. Have you seen that Tupelo Honey? Mmmm, I can just about taste it. I have recently had the privilege of knitting with her newer Opulence yarn, a squooshy lace to fingering weight that reflects light brilliantly.
Why am I going on like this about Kim's yarn when I promised to announce winners to last month's contests? There is some method to my ravings. I introduced the prize in a way and the two winners are to hop, skip and jump over to Woolen Rabbit and choose one skein of sock or lace yarn as their gift! How awesome is that?
The first contest of this year was my Blog Birthday contest. All you had to do was say some little nice thing to me and I'd pick a winner. Lori G. had some purty words to send my way and she gets to shope for yarn!
The next contest was the How Many Emails Did I Delete? contest. You people started slow. That, of course, made me realize what a LOOSAH! I am at decluttering my computer life. Guesses in the hundreds and thousands. They probably sounded like reasonably large numbers of emails to you all. But in the few weeks that have passed I already have over 2500 emails in my Inbox and Deleted Files. Already!! That is after going no email on all of my yahoogroups. (I know you guys get a lot of email too. It's your dirty little secret that I am letting out of the closet.) Wondering just what that number is? Ready for it? I'll spell it out for ya. Twenty-five thousand, eight hundred twenty-four. It just seems easier to take in letters, doesn't it? This seems harder: 25,824. "Hi, my name is Terry and I'm an email hoarder." Jenny! (without a blog), you are the winner with your guess of 25,678! So.Close!
Congratulations, ladies. And happy shopping!
Okay, I realize this post is getting long, but I have two things. First: Is the music too annoying? It came along with the clock in my sidebar. I got that here after I saw it here. You can always silence it while you are here, or I can dump it. Let me know. (After two days it finally dawns on me that Uniqlock is Unique Clock. This deserves a DUH!) Edited to add: Never mind. I figured out that I can keep the sound off, so no more music. Now if you want it, you'll have to turn it on.
Second: I've been counting down the posting days at the bottom of each post in teeny tiny italics, usually with a little something extra. Can you all see it? I can leave it bigger if that is better. Tell me.
Three hundred thirty days to go. Plugging my ears and squinting on my own blog.
Such lucky grrls to win Kim's yarn. She does do color well...I want one of each! I like the little words at the bottom. I can 'just' see them.
Posted by: margene | February 05, 2008 at 07:41 AM
I have to make my screen HUGE in order to see them, and I do, because they are worth it. So it would be nice if you made them bigger. :)
Posted by: Norma | February 05, 2008 at 08:00 AM
Love you Hate the music! :-)
Posted by: Carla | February 05, 2008 at 08:20 AM
what sock pattern is that?? i looooooooooove it!
Posted by: laura | February 05, 2008 at 08:37 AM
I love your little notes in italics. Keep 'em coming! I especially loved your question about Belichek yesterday - what was he thinking with the red???
The sock is gorgeous. Please tell us what pattern you're using!
Posted by: kathleen | February 05, 2008 at 08:53 AM
I think turning a heel is magic every single time too. The socks are lovely.
Posted by: Karen | February 05, 2008 at 08:56 AM
I love how he pattern divides at the heel! Those socks (and the yarn) are simply delicious.
Posted by: Emily | February 05, 2008 at 09:06 AM
Terry those socks are beautiful!!
Posted by: Kim | February 05, 2008 at 12:07 PM
and yes......my first thought when I saw Belicheck in a red hoodie was.....WHAT THE HULL???
Posted by: Kim | February 05, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Heel turns are my favorite part of knitting...its amazes me every time I make a sock. Your sock is beautiful.
Posted by: Debbie | February 05, 2008 at 06:44 PM
Add me to the list of people who are amused and amazed by turning heels. Shoot, I even liked turning the heel on the pair of Fuzzy Feet that I am making (on US size 10 needles, no less). Thank you for the wonderful prize! I am delighted and feeling very, very lucky!
Posted by: LoriG | February 05, 2008 at 11:00 PM
That shawl is so pretty Terri!!
Posted by: Debi | February 06, 2008 at 02:29 AM
I do, like I told you have trouble reading the itty notes at the bottom. But don't change a thing. For one, it's good to make my eyes see something. And it 2. It's always worth the squint! It's special.
:D
xo
Posted by: sandy | February 07, 2008 at 06:00 AM
Ooohh, that shawl is GORGEOUS!!
Posted by: Kim | February 07, 2008 at 06:14 PM