Summer of Socks 2008 - My Thoughts

Today is the end of the first 2-week installment of Summer of Socks. I am making my Nutkins and here is my progress.

I have a few words to say about this knitalong.

Initially, it was meant to be a slight "push" to get the socks going in preparation for the cold winter day in the not-so-distant future when we will really need it. I have decided to use my stash yarn as a way to save money, as well as make room in my closet. This has encouraged me and given me some realistic goals. I decided to try to make 1 sock every 2 weeks. I have found new interesting patterns, and am making use of the 2 at a time magic loop technique that I love so much.

However, I am a little hurt by some of the things that I see other people in the blogosphere are doing when there is something called a PRIZE at stake. I have seen people finish socks on the first day, and hooray for the speedy knitters. but on the flip side, I have seen people make 2 inch cuff socks because that is the minimum suggested for contest entry. I feel sorry for their poor ankles when the temperature drops. My beautiful knitters, please remember that even though it is a contest, it is still your socks. Or will be the socks of the loved one that you give it to. Don't do the injustice of making something that is not totally fulfilling just for the sake of a contest. You are making people lose their mojo here.

Well, even though I am not complete with my first pair in 2 weeks, I am super excited that I found a pattern I love, and even more excited that I managed to make the short-row heel look much better on my second try. Good thing I only had to frog that portion once. My socks will be ready whenever they are ready, no pressure. And if I feel so inclined, I will add them to the PRIZE entry for next 2-week interval. But I will tell you one thing, my socks will rock. They will be super gorgeous things that I have put love and time into, and they will be absolutely beautiful. I also want to give praise to a dear friend of mine, Deb, who is a serious knitting motivator, for finishing within 8 days. Way to go!!!

Where has Shameka been???

It has been 3 weeks since I last blogged. What took me so long? Well, it really has been an eventful 3 weeks. Where do I start??

First of all, I modeled in a photoshoot for my hair salon House of Hair. They needed someone really daring to do a drastic change, so here are some of the "candid" shots on the day of the shoot.

I also went on a frenzy making a bunch of stitch markers. I have already updated my ETSY site with blog-button stitch markers for customization, so if you would like something made please don't hesitate to send me a message. I will make more updates soon, I promise.

These are for Carrie. They will be in the mail shortly. She was the only one to respond to THE CHALLENGE. She didn't have a blog button, so I created an image for her to use on her stitch markers. I also made them in her favorite color of blue. They can be used on worsted weight and chunky needles.

These are for Tawana. She was kind enough to gift me some Lorna's Laces sock yarn in Bittersweet. So, this is my way of saying "Thanks". These are for my Sit N' Knit Group. They were raffle prizes for our Worldwide Knit in Public Day event. It was so much fun. Congratulations to the five lucky people who won stitch marker prizes!!! These stitch markers are Limited Edition.

These were made especially for Me!!!

I also had a performance at a fairly new club in Brooklyn called LIME. The vibe was really nice, and we had a lot of fun. I am singing alongside the one and only Dane Gulston. I admire him as a musician so much. This man can play ANYTHING on that Steelpan!!! He had the crowd jammin' all night. And guess what?? He saw me knitting, and admires all of my various talents, including my knitting skills. He has already requested a hat from me. Not sure if I can make anything to surpass that Kangol hat that he is wearing, but I can surely try.

I went to see Sex And The City with my girls Tawana, Chante, and Saunielle. Afterwards we had sushi, and I thought this cup was so cute. We had a lot of fun, and I even got some knitting done.

Here is the knitting update!!!

While I was at the hair salon (all day), I started this Top-Down Raglan Cardigan . I am almost complete with the yoke. I am using Manos del Uruguay in color #118, Mulled Wine on size 9 needles. I love this color. The yarn smells a little like vinegar, but I can deal with it. I will use some Citrus flavored SOAK to make the foul smell go away when I am blocking.

I also made some progress on my Jaywalkers.

I started a new pair of socks for my Summer of Socks Knitalong. These are my Nutkins that I started this past Sunday. I am using Socks that Rock Mediumweight in "Mustang Sally" from my stash, and size 2.5mm Knitpicks 40 inch needles. I acquired it at Rhinebeck. I first fell in love with this color when I saw it on Deb's blog. I don't know what took me so long to make something with it. I LOVE THIS YARN!!! It feels so nice. I feel so happy that I matched the perfect pattern with the perfect yarn. The pattern is very easy to follow and remember, which makes it even nicer. I am currently on the third repeat of the pattern. I have to complete 8 repeats before I turn the heel. Once again, magic loop is my friend. I am afraid that I will never go back to double points. This 2-at-a-time technique is a winner!!! Now I just hope I can finish in 2 weeks to be eligible for that raffle prize. I already started a day late... Darn!! Wish me luck!!!

Also, in response to the comments in my last blog post, I will be making earrings to match the stitch markers for all of the Mekamika admirers out there. Thank you for all of the feedback, input and well wishes. Having good people like you to help guide my creativity is priceless.

The Etsy Site Has Been Launched!!!

I just wanted everyone to know that I finally have my Etsy shop up and running. I am specializing in Stitch Markers and Jewelry for now. Who knows what my creative mind will come up with in the future???

I also created a new blog in addition to this one called MekaMika, which will focus mainly on my beading and jewelry escapades. Please feel free to check it out.

Here is some eye candy for you.

I Have Been Tagged!!!

By...... Janet in this Meme.
So, here goes.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was just finishing my very first year of college. I got 8 credits for AP Biology in High School, and was so happy that I didn't have to take general Biology all over again in College. I flew straight into the Chemistry. I was on the Dean's List the first semester, and kept the same grades going into the second.... only to find out that at the end of my real Freshman year, I was already a Sophomore based on credits, and the Dean's list was missed by 1 point. Arrgghh!!! Welcome to the real world.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):
1. Go to the Central Park for Sit N' Knit.
2. Get a microdermabrasion/peel kit. Need to look my best in a photoshoot that is scheduled for next sunday.
3. Knit my Central Park Hoodie. It has been sitting idle for way too long.
4. Make some stitch markers
5. Find someone to see Sex And the City with me, AND find a show that isn't already sold out.

3) Snacks I enjoy:
Crackers and Cheese (from Trinidad)
Rice Krispie Treats
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Terra Chips
Pinkberry with Mango, Coconut, and Pineapple

White Chocolate Raspberry Mousse cake from Financiar (French Patisserie in the Financial District)

Haagen Dazs Ice Cream - Dulce de Leche, Caramel Waffle Cone, White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle

4)Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Pay off my house and car. Buy houses for all of my cousins and their kids. Put away a college fund for all off the little cousins under 18, since I don't have any children yet. Buy another house with a storefront that I can use to sell Jewelry and Knitting Crapaphenilia. Adopt a child. Have some of my own kids. Donate money to scholarships for creative-minded people like me who get stuck in practical jobs, so that they can go back to school and change their careers, and have a lifetime of happiness. Buy a guesthouse in Tobago, and give some unemployed people and their families a chance to work in paradise. Give each employee a house of their own too. Go to the beach and get a serious tan. .. I am talking golden dipped chocolate baby!!! Finally pay for a year of Krav Maga classes, so noone can try to beat me up to steal my billion dollars. I may have to dismantle their family jewels with my foot first. Hehe!!! A girl's gotta protect herself.

5) Places I have lived.
Brooklyn, New York - Crown Heights, East New York, Flatbush, Canarsie
Hempstead, New York - for College

Six people I would like to tag are: NessaRenee, Chante, Tawana, Sauniell, Jane, and Penelope. Yes ladies, I am giving you a reason to update your blogs one more time.

So, I am on my self-imposed yarn buying ban.... and I decided to go to Michaels to buy this.

I will use it to wrap up Jewelry boxes for my up-and-coming custom jewelry design business, so they are really pretty. More details to follow.

I decided to peruse the yarn section, just because. I know I wasn't going to buy any yarn, but there was something else that made me weak. Have you heard of Knitpickers??? I am instantly in love. I think that it is better than the Total Tote that I bought before, because it is way more comfortable to carry on my shoulder. Also, I got a 25% off coupon in my email, so I definately made good use of it.

Have a knitterly wonderful day!!!

Mothkiller Extraordinaire!!!

So, I was just about to close my eyes, and go to bed. I went to take off the light, and I see this thing fluttering around. Oh my God, it is a moth!!! I am in my bedroom, and the closet (where my yarn cubbie is) has the door wide open. What if it flies in there and starts to eat my precious Cascade Magnum, Socks that Rock, and Manos? I instantly get this burst of energy, and rush to get the broom, to wack the thing against a wall or something.

Sidenote - I am not afraid of bugs, but I must kill them before I go to sleep. I fear that they will fly into my nose or ears when I am sleeping. Did I just say that I am not scared of bugs? Yes, but I am afraid of what they can do when I am not watching.

OK. Back to our regularly scheduled programming.....
So, I am trying to wack this thing with a broom, and there is dust flying everywhere, and I realize that the ceiling fan is where this thing is headed, because of the lights. If I wack the ceiling fan by accident, I will have some serious broken glass and trouble falling all over my bed. Not to mention the possibility of loose electric wires. So, I have to come up with a different tactic. How do I get this thing to stop flying, so that I can kill it???

The answer... Super holding spritz for long-lasting curls. I used non-aerosol hairspray. I kept spraying that sucker until his wings got stuck, and he fell right onto my bed. Ewwwww.... now I have to wash the sheets ... AGAIN!!!! (Dust plus moth). I proceeded to pick it up with a tissue, and trash the disgusting yarn-critter. I feel so accomplished now. Changing top sheet that the moth fell on... Laundry day tomorrow. Sleepytime.

Sock Mojo!!!

So, I was happily knitting along with my Jaywalkers and then a problem occured. I tried them on, and they were not snug around my skinny ankles. I was so annoyed. I used a size 1 knitpicks needles, so what was the problem??? Well, knitpicks size 1 needles come in 2.25mm and 2.50mm sizes. Apparently, I have been knitting the smaller version of the pattern with the 2.50mm size. On Ravelry, everyone else knitting with KP Felici is using the 2.25mm size. And, their results look nice and snug, and great. So, to the frog pond I must go. AArrgghh!!!.... there goes 1 week of travel knitting down the drain. Look at how far I got? Well, at least I remember the pattern offhand. Hey, at least trying again is better than droopy socks. Who wants elephant ankles??

On another note, I have been preparing for the Summer of Socks. I have also been practicing using my camera along with my budget lightbox that I created from the Strobist's blog. I actually like the picture results. Hey, it sure beats spending $100 on photography equipment.

So, in order to get myself ready for the Summer of Socks, I decided to split my skeins down the middle to make knitting 2 at a time possible. Did I say that I am loving the 2 at a time Magic Loop technique? Pictures below are the Sit N Knit limited edition colorway from the Plucky knitter. I won it during the SNK raffle at the logo party a while back. Next to that is Lorna's Laces in Bittersweet. In the front is Socks That Rock in the Mustang Sally colorway. I plan to make Nutkins with those. Also, I must add that STR has a lot of weight to it. 81 grams per sock, as opposed to 50 grams for other sock yarns. Hmmm... I may be able to get some baby socks out of it too. We will see.

This bittersweet treat was a gift from Tawana. As a token of my gratitude, I started to make some personalized stitch markers for her. I will take pics of those tomorrow.
It has been 41 days since my self-imposed ban on buying yarn. I am still getting tempted. WEBS tent sale is this weekend, my car is tuned up and running like new, and the GPS is all ready to go. Too bad I already made plans for the weekend. I have a lot of friends visiting from out of town. But if you can get to Massachusetts, by all means, enjoy yourself. I promise, I won't stalk you with jealous hissing.

A Wonderful Knitting Weekend!!!

This is my recap of my past weekend, where I knitted more than I ever imagined I would, but have always wanted to.

I decided to spend Saturday with Tawana, because I haven't seen her in ages, and I miss my friend. So, I walk in and what do I see? Look at this beautiful blessing from God, Karen Joi. Isn't she adorable? Look at those cheeks!! Oh, I held her and she was just smiling and laughing the whole time. So, now I officially have "the touch". Hehe!! She is also wearing the Peapod Baby set that I made for her. It is so wonderful to see the children in the clothes that you make for them. I was overjoyed.
So, my knitting project of the moment was the Bittersweet Climbing Lace Socks. But on Saturday, I was under the gun. I was on a deadline to finish it by 2 PM the next day for the Sit N Knit Sock Exchange. I was having issues that I was not supposed to be having at the eleventh hour. The pattern has lace going up the middle of the sock as well as the sides, but somehow I kept losing stitches.

Hmm.. maybe they went to stitch heaven, but I couldn't find them. So, instead of going crazy, I decided to omit them.

And the socks came out lovely... ahem... at 10:30 AM the next morning. I knit on Saturday until I was knitting with my eyes closed, then I managed to really sleep in my bed and wake up at 8 AM on Sunday to complete it.

My sock exchange recipient Meghan was happy, so I was happy. Plus, she really liked the orange Nail Polish that I got for her as well.
I also received a pair of socks from Ileana, and I love them. The pattern is called BroadRipple. I think it looks amazing in the Fire Colorway of Colinette Jitterbug.

Who says Jitterbug has no yardage? Look at how high these babies are up on my leg!!!

Here is a birdseye view of everyone's socks. How cool is that??

And, this guy was checking us out the whole time. He was so busy staring at us, and wouldn't even say hello. How rude!!!

So, I started immediately to make a pair of Jaywalkers. I needed something portable to take on the train with me. So, I grabbed my Felici yarn from my last Knitpicks purchase, and got crackin'. I found that not all skeins are wound in the same direction, as I have opposite stripe patterning going on.

I figured I could live with it, but by the time I got off of the train, I was going nuts, so I decided to rip it out and start again. This is where I left off after my commute home from work. I can't really see the pattern yet, but it will appear soon enough.

I also decided to make some stitch markers that don't dangle, to make sock knitting much easier.

So, that was my lovely weekend. More surprises later on this week!!!