Well, College Guy is happily back in his dorm room, sharing space with the room-mates. This is the first year that the guys and dads did not have to completely assemble a 3-person loft on move-in day. New “modular”, “stackable” furniture this year was supposed to make it all easier. We had no idea that they’d spend even more time contemplating the best room arrangement for a triple bunk bed, 3 desks, 3 dressers, 3 closets, 3 shelves, couch, refrigerator and tv. None of these large, heavy pieces of furniture were moved any less than 3 times each, in an attempt to find the perfect solution. All three boys and all three dads were glad when the final arrangements had been settled upon and we could actually move them in, lock, stock and barrel. We all left around dinnertime and they finished the unpacking and settling in. (Yep. I’m sad today. But College Guy is happy and that does help. You know, if your kids are happy, you can deal with your own sadness.) I would venture to guess that he’s the only College Guy who went to college with his stuff packed in a big box that said ShibuiKnits on it, and another that said Regia Kaffe Fassett. But that’s just a guess. Now I’m back in the Loopy mode, and catching up on emails and orders from the weekend.
I did get some knitting done in the car, up and back. Look at these little Baby Monkey Socks I made. (They really are exactly the same size – one is back further on the branch than the other!) A friend of mine just had a little boy and I wanted to make something for her. It was fun to make these up as I went along (using Cookie A’s Monkey pattern on the top of the sock.) I emailed to ask her if I could share the pattern on our Free Patterns page, but she’s on vacation until September 7th. I’ll let you know. I really have no idea how that whole thing works. I know people take things from stitch dictionaries and construct their own socks around them and publish them, but this is different because Monkey is just Cookie’s, in my mind. So I’ll keep you posted. But I had a lot of fun knitting them up and I hope the mom and new baby like them! This was made from 1 ball of a new line that just arrived – Crystal Palace’s Merino 5. (Very squishy yarn base – I love it.)
Fun stuff going up in this week’s Sneak Up. Finally, all of that All Things Heather you all have been waiting for, plus Trekking, Sockina Cotton, Austermann Step, Crystal Palace Merino 5, Regia’s Kaffe Fassett, ShibuiKnits, and more Fleece Artist Somoko and Merino. Maybe more Seacoast Panda (the other half of our order) and Zen String Bambewe. We’ll see how far we get. Plus Wendy’s patterns, Addi Turbos, and a new DPI WIP tube that I know you’ll like.
Anyone do anything fun this weekend while I was gone? Any knitting accomplished?
Sheri didyouknowthatPumpkinSpiceLatteswillreturnfortheseasontomorrowatStarbucks?Yum!
Okay, so if I’d seen a guy carrying a box that advertised knitting yarn, I’d have followed him into the dorm, up the stairs, into the room and had a date with him within the hour.
Just sayin’.
But that was a long time ago. I ‘ll be following the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte aroma this week!
Don’t forget chocolate in addition to Pumpkin Spice Lattes to help ease the back to school sadness.
And men like to think women can’t make up their minds! I love the imagine of those 6 guys trying to get the furniture jjjuuuusssst right. What a hoot!
Can’t wait for the All Things Heather! My husband was watching me open one of my orders from the last sneak up (yes, one of, don’t tell) and says, quite seriously, “You better knit faster.”
I am CRAZY for the pumpkin stuff! Too bad it is still 110 degrees here – I’ll have to stick with my iced tea for a while yet!
My College Guy went back to IU Bloomington last Wednesday. He is all settled in, and the first day of classes is today. I just got back from the Post Office, where I mailed a big batch of chocolate chip cookies, the four T-shirts he forgot but can’t live without, and a box of Earl Grey tea (how many of you have CG’s who drink tea???).
I finished my stripey socks, and spent a couple of days winding and winding and winding skeins into nice cakes, and trying to keep James from going nuts and buying a spinning wheel! The winding was a smashing success…if I knit all those balls I’ll be busy for a year…but James should be getting home from teaching school soon so I can find out if he pushed the “Add to Cart” button or not.
I have a couple of questions:
1) Is there anything wrong with keeping my little wound cakes in ziplock baggies? Are plastic bags bad for yarn?
2) Do you use your wound up balls from the inside or outside? I see good and bad in either method…
I can’t wait for some of the Regia Kaffe Fassett…I’ve been eyeing it online for a while. That “Fire” colorway has me hooked!
See you tomorrow…James and I have a “sneak-up” for you!!
When my youngest son went to college, I just sort of fell apart. I was working at
the time for a doctor. I went to work, but I erased all the letters he had dictated the
night before; therefore I couldn’t get them typed. I went into the hallway and sat
on the step and cried because Ricky went to college and I erased all the letters.
My boss came out (who I liked very much) and said ” for goodness sakes Barbara,
he’s only going to college, not to war.” That sort of made everything better even
though he was my youngest that I had to let go and move on with his life. Due
to many things that I cannot control, I have not been knitting too much lately.
Hope to get back to it soon as things settle down. Comfort yourself, you deserve it.
We all do.
Glad the move back to college went well ( if strenuous) .little monkeys look fab-need to knit some for my new nephew!!! Spent weekend messing around with my 2 boys-but managed to sneak in some time on my Thelonius sock-another of Cookie’s fab patterns. It is looking brill in my Dream in Colour!!!! Looking forward to the sneak up!
I don’t drink coffee anymore…but I make an exception for (decaf) Pumpkin Spice Lattes! Those things are delicious.
The baby monkeys are adorable, and I love the color as well.
I’m anxiously awaiting this weeks’ Sneak Up. I want Wendy’s patterns!
I love the Loopy pattern that Wendy is working on now. I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to try toe up on dpns (I’ve only done it on 2 circs before) and that may be it.
This past weekend I started a baby surprise jacket out of some stash sock yarn (pre my Loopy Ewe days). I think this may be a great pattern to use up some of my extra yarn (which allows me to buy new yarn) and stash up baby presents for the next last minute shower I’m invited to. Can’t wait for this week’s sneakup! Have a great day!
Not a lot of knitting. Went shopping for clothes with a dear friend and about did me in! I am not a mall shopper anymore. I hate pants. To be more specific, I hate all the pants that did not fit me in one spot or the other.
I did manage to knit a little more on the left front of the sweater that will not end. I hope to finish the one front this evening and cast on for the other. I would love to have this sweater done before the first week on October!
The baby Monkey socks are really cute!
I thought the Pumpkin Spice would be coming soon – at my local Starbucks I saw a “pumpkin spice” jar along with the nutmeg, vanilla, choc & cinnamon. I wonder what makes it different (would you ask the Starbucks-Knitting Daughter if you think of it?) – I always just put the cinnamon & nutmeg together in a regular – pumpkin spice, year round!
I’m so happy my college days weren’t fraught with such move-in dilemmas – my dad would have been out of control!!
And as always, Sheri, you’re reading my mind. I was wondering about ShiBui Knits yarns recently. I’ve seen some around and it looks gorgeous!
I knitted a sock and a half for my dad’s birthday on the tenth of September. I’ve never made him anything before, so it will be interesting to see the reaction. I did all that knitting becuse my weekend was really quiet after taking my College Guy back to Salisbury for his junior year. I hear you loud and clear about missing him. I am delighted that he was so happy to go back…but did he have to make me know it so clearly?! But it does make it easier knowing that he goes back so happily.
I giggled at the boxes. When my kids were in college, I send them stuff in Baker and Taylor boxes. B&T was the vendor my library used, so everyone on the staff would grab boxes when they could. My kids always knew who sent them stuff.
Yay! for getting College guy moved back to college. I have two in college and the moving is always an ordeal. Then the let down comes when they aren’t around the house *sigh*.
I learned to knit entrelac this weekend! Yay for me. I’m working on an entrelac scarf which will be very lovely when I finish. I’m also trying to finish a pair of socks for my oldest daughter. (I’m a slow knitter)
I Love the baby monkeys. They are great. Too cute!
We, too, brought our son back to college this weekend (600 miles away). It was a
whirlwind of boxes, furniture moving, and shopping for everything that couldn’t fit in
a suitcase, so I can definitely relate to your same experience. I must admit, I cried a
little yesterday morning after dropping our son off late Sat night, but he happy and
ready to start a new year. I agree that their happiness helps us deal with our sadness., and
the year will surely fly by!! Now onto the sock yarn previously ordered from you!
There is ALWAYS a positive thing to look forward to.
This weekend I got henna tatoos with a friend and her mom. No religious reason, we’re just geeky š Oh, and I knit a sock! Now I just need to cast on for sock #2…
And I have a VERY long bus ride to school. I need to remember to stick my chevron scarf in my backpack tomorrow.
Oh yeah…I forgot…I need to pick a couple of skeins for a Chevron Scarf too!
Ooh, the Baby Monkeys are great. I hope she says yes–they’d be great in a pumpkin-y colorway for my nephew!
New to Loopy Ewe blog. What is a sneak up? Sounds like fun. thanks
You are so right about being able to deal with our sadness as long as the kiddos are happy. How in the world do parents cope when their darlings are unhappy with their college choice? My daughter is 8 hours away in Ohio but sooooo happy to be starting her junior year at Kenyon College, the school that fits her like a hand-knit sock! I do miss her, but that’s balanced by the joy of knowing that she is “following her Bliss.” The question is, will I be able to maintain that frame of mind when she travels abroad to India and Bhutan next semester for four months?! …
Whoo-hoo pumpkin spice! My favorite!!! š I hope College Guy is all settled in. I miss the dorms so much. College is such a great time in one’s life. Try to keep your chin up! Get youself a latte! š
This morning I finished up The Most Beautiful Monkey Socks (made with Woolly Boully Red Robin, of course), and now I find out that pumpkin spice lattes will be at Starbucks tomorrow? Best Day Ever.
Almost finished 12:01 from MagKnits archives, and cranked on my sock-in-progress.
Ahhh, the days of being able to move in a vehicle you can drive yourself. I hired folks to move to Cali 8 years ago because of the distance (and I only had a little furniture then). Moving back this past summer? Fuggedaboudit!
I’m happy I was able to get to/from college in our family’s Suburban for my entire college career. I think dad would have popped a gasket if I’d had to ship anything b/c I was out of car room back then. š
Hey—We moved our son back to college this weekend too!! I did better this time and only cried part way home (I think my fear that he will not complete his summer internship papers in time overshadowed some of the grief!! He may be back home sooner than we all thought!). The only good thing about moving day was…..you get to visit with the NICEST people!!! š The picture is great!
When I say my prayers at night, I will be including your College Boy getting up in that top bunk (I’m not joking). Hope all the college guys have a super year!
Those are SO cute! And in our new Merino 5, too!
Let me know if you post the pattern and we’ll link to it from our Socks&More Blog!
Susan at Crystal Palace
Hello!
those M-5 socks are adorable! would you permit me to post your pic and link
to your blog from our cpy blog?
thanks, laura
Knitting…I finished some socks, and started new ones. I can’t wait for the shibui!
Hi Sheri, You may have noticed in the apothecary drawer picture that I finished the Eat Your Vegies socks. I’ve just finished a prototype of a sport sock, which my granddaughters, the runner and the tennis player, are going to prefer over anklets, I predict. They are rarely out of their running shoes. Our newest collegegirl has just checked into UCBerkeley – today was first day of classes, but she’s been working out with cross-country team all week after moving into dorm with other athletes a week ago Sunday. She’s settling in, too, now that she’s finding her niche – barbecues, parties, etc. with team members…and a get together with other Regent’s Scholars. She’s doing much better than her mother. (Sadness reigns yet in that household! I prescribed chocolate chip cookies, too.)
Eagerly awaiting Wollmeise…
Joan
Cute Monkeys! And I just had a pumpkin cream cheese muffin. MMMMMmmmmmmmm.
Back to work without college boy/web guy. A few things that will be different in the Loopy room. a. fewer sarcastic remards š b. web problems resolved a bit slower c. back to carrying mega boxes upstairs and downstairs d. chalkboard will have days until Danny is home. e. peanut m&m’s will last a bit longer f. laughter from college when the next sneak up occurs!
Must hit Starbucks in my travels this afternoon! We’re going to meet the newest baby in our lives today, and she gets a blankie and wee socks I knitted for her. I’m hoping you can share the pattern for those Baby Monkey Socks… I think little Grace wants a pair!
I remember having one roommate and feeling like the room was cramped- can’t imagine 3 people sharing a dorm room! My senior year of college my dad built me a loft so I would have more space on my side… we got it all up and put together only to find that our floor had lower ceilings than the other floors (have no idea why), so my dad had to go out to the truck, get his chainsaw, and perform major surgery. People moving in at the same time must have thought we were totally cracked!
Love the baby Monkeys… so adorable!
My college guy is in his second week of sophmore year. He’s happy and very busy. He and his roomie got a loft from some other dorm guys last year (free.) Son brought home the loft to store, roomie took home the nuts and bolts. Son also only hinted that the loft was designed for a double (regular sized) room, that they had a corner (larger) room for this year and that the loft spent last year “leaning against the walls a bit.” Dad and son spent many hours re-assembling said loft on our driveway, making trips to town for nuts and bolts, and cutting cross supports so that it would stand on its own, without leaning on a wall.
I guess it all worked. We sent him back with his Escape loaded and he’s not mentioned the loft in any calls or e-mails home. Just how swamped he is. I think he needs some nice gold and black socks.
I have knitted the adult Monkeys a couple of times but those baby monkeys are just too darn CUTE!!!! š
I took me 5 yes F I V E YEARSs to get over my son going off to collage. He stayed with a friend as we were Army and all over. He came for short visits but then he worked in the Summer. I use to cry every time he came home and then when he left………………………….poor kid it is a wonder he ever came home. š
I’m halfway through the heels on my Cider Moon Glacier socks, and nearly to the heels on my OnLine Cool socks. (Once the Cool socks are done, there’s just one more pair of skeins to go, and I’ll have knitted everything from my first Loopy order! Of course, there’s still all the OTHER Loopy orders to work through….) I’m also getting close to finished with a shawl.
Yeah for college guy back in school. Glad he likes it. Hope knitting DD likes her school classes this year as well.
Our youngest DD is in her junior year at high school. She loves band and math (if I had not been there I would’ve thought she wasn’t my kid, math is not my thing). Vet girl is headed off to another state for classes and the 2 sons are already through and gainfully employed…………YEAH for that!
I have managed to fill my days in a busy manner so that’s a good thing. But it gets quiet around here with the exception of Mr. Bettis, the DH’s 105 pound puppy. He seems to keep me busy.
Your little Monkey booties are adorable! Keep on knitting. I’m off here to bake some cookies, I need a pick-me-up and cookies are just the thing. …….knitting too of course.
Hahahaha, oh those dorm days. Some of my best memories of school.
I did get a lot of knitting done this weekend. I am almost done with my clapotis, and I am absolutely in love with the pattern. I think I am going to do another in sock yarn. š
I loooooove those baby Monkey socks. Hope Cookie A says yes.