Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

My little Popeye

Well, I hope you all had/are still having a lovely holiday.  Mine was nice with lots of family time with Joe and James, plenty of cookies, and some very nice gifts.  Joe drew a beautiful picture of James, and built a frame and matted it.  It was quite cool.  James?  He got spinach.  Mmmmmm. I think we're going to have to get a little more creative for Christmas next year.

Lots of tasty fibery goodness is on the horizon- the new Dream in Color 400 series is one that I know many of you are anticipating.  I'll be carrying these new colors in both the Smooshy and the new Baby yarn.  Baby is between lace and sock weight yarn.  If you're a fan of Smooshy, you've noticed that it's on the thicker side of fingering weight.  Baby is on the lighter side of fingering weight- it would be perfect for lace work, or thinner socks that would fit nicely in shoes.  I'm knitting it the same way I do Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, with a US 0.  Shown at right with US 1 Rosewood needles (for size comparison)- the color is 130-Strange Harvest.

It's shameful, but true.

I Photoshopped my kid.  Seriously.  I did it.  I took a perfectly nice picture of my sweet baby boy, and digitally enhanced it before printing it out for my Christmas cards.  I'm like the Vogue and Victoria Secret of the infant world - I impose high expectations on other babies who look at the picture of my son and think they must starve themselves or otherwise enhance their visage to look as good.  Those poor babies don't know that those rosy cheeks are not always so perfectly rosy.  In fact, they are quite often blisteringly red.  And that forehead?  I totally blotted out some VERY noticeable scratches.  And I overall made his skin more even.  Hell, I might as well have gone ahead and added a full head of hair and some teeth!  And biceps!  *Do note that James' eyes really are that blue.  I did NOT enhance those.  Not that you'll believe me now!*

Thank you for sharing all of your lovely traditions with me!  I really think I've found at least a dozen to incorporate into our Christmas.  I really love celebrating Christmas and the new year, and I know that having James is going to make it more fun, especially as he gets older.

Since I really don't think I'll be posting again before Christmas, I just want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays all around!  This year started out not being so swell, what with my mother's health in question (she's still in remission and doing wonderfully!), but with the addition of James, the continued support of my wonderful husband, and all of YOU, it's turned into a damn great year.  I'm really enjoying life, as hectic as it is... but it seems that every day brings a bit more wonder and surprise, and I hope it never ends.  Now, if only I could find a way to make every day 26 hours, I'd really be having some fun!

Whew. What a week!

Wow.  You all like the Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn.  I'm still packing up orders from late last week!  I've sold out of almost half the colors, but more will arrive when the distributor gets more in. I started knitting a bit of it myself!  I wasn't too thrilled when I cast on though.  It's not what I would describe as "soft."  At. All.  But once I got past that and knit a few rounds, I really liked knitting it.  I haven't really gotten over the feel yet, but the color progressions are worth it to me.  And the buzz is that it gets softer after a wash.  And, yes, I will be washing these in a mesh bag in my machine like I do all my socks.  Even though the label reads "hand wash."  All my socks get put in the wash (but not the dryer) even if the yarn label says otherwise.  I don't dry my socks b/c long ago I accidentally felted a pair of socks.  I've never gotten over that!

Once in a blue moon I check the stats of my blog to see how people found me.  Most of you surf here from the Simply Socks homepage, and some of you have my in your bloglines or Google reader.  But one very special person actually found my blog by searching for the term "eating raw broccoli causes belly swelling." Seriously?  I have a feeling that person didn't stick around long, and the only time broccoli was mentioned on my blog was when many of you responded to questions I had about my diet affecting James through nursing.  Weird stuff, eh?  Have you all ever noticed funny terms coming up in yoru stats too?  If so, do share!

Now that Christmas is approaching, Joe and I (well, mostly just me) are trying to think of things that we want to become Christmas traditions in our house.  Other than decorating a tree, Joe and I didn't really have many traditions before James. And now that James is here, I'm thinking it would be nice to start some traditions that will make great memories for us all.  Any of you have any holiday traditions that you like to repeat year after year?  And it doesn't have to just be Christmas traditions- Joe and I want to incorporate other holidays into ours, so do tell.

Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn Now Available!

I'm so happy to tell you that the spankin' new Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn is now available at SSYC!  I'm completely psyched (yeah, I said it) about this new yarn.  The colors are gorgeous, the price is nice, it's going to be a really fun knit.  I can't decide which color I want to start with.  We are still waiting on one color to arrive, number 150, but everything else is available.  As usual, colors will disappear from the website as they sell out.  Unlike the yarn I carry that is hand dyed by one person (such as sKNITches, Sleeping Dragon and Seacoast), I was able to order lots of this.  So I really don't think this will sell out immediately.  But you never know.  And I have more on order, so should you see things disappear, just know they will be back as soon as I can get them.

If you're an Opal fan, and I know lots of you are, you'll see all the new 6-ply colors in stock now!  These colors/patterns are the nicest ones I have seen Opal produce for their 6-ply line.  And the skein is a very generous 150 grams for only $21.50- that's 2 bucks cheaper than the last 6 ply collection!

And if all that isn't enough for you, check out the Sale Section, b/c Cheryl at Cherry Tree Hill has sent even more Supersock at discounted prices.  All the remaining 40% off Opal yarn has now been moved to the sale section as well. 

Noro Sock Yarn.... almost here!

I'm SO looking forward to SSYC's newest arrival- Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn!  It left the Noro distributor last week, and I'm hoping it arrives today or tomorrow b/c I can't wait to start knitting!  I'm knitting a pair of socks for Joe right now for Christmas, but I have a feeling those are going to be put on hold for a lovely pair of Noro socks for me.  I'm selfish, I know.  But some things just can't wait.

So, are many of you knitting socks for gifts for others this holiday season?  If so, leave me a link below b/c I'd love to see what everyone else is doing/has done.

As you know, our Christmas will be a little more interesting this year, what with the addition of James.  While he's definitely not old enough to realize the concept of celebration, tradition, and opening gifts.  But  I'm thinking that he may at least be able to tear at some gift paper, if this past week's action is any indicator.  Last week he started doing some cool things- eating rice cereal, obsessing with his toes, and really using his hands to explore and eventually bring things to his mouth.  It seems everything eventually makes its way there- my fingers, teething toys, stuffed animals.  Last weekend, while having coffee at our usual haunt, we forgot to pack things to keep James occupied, and he turned out being quite happy with a simple paper coffee cup.  He looks kinda like Mama when I discover new yarn- scrutinizing it, rubbing it on my cheek, grabbing and holding it close so others can't get at it.  Maybe I should introduce him to a skein of the new Noro?

Cherry Tree Hill Sale Yarn

As if there wasn't enough yarn in the sale section of the store right now, I've just added more. I got a great deal on some Supersock, so take a look at the 20% off Heathered Solids and 25% of Multicolors. Yes, I did say "heathered solids." I ordered a huge amount of this yarn and got to choose the colors. So you'll find some solids that aren't Cherry Tree Hill's typical solids. They dyed them using a different method that creates a nearly-solid or a heathered effect, rather than their normal solid colors. If you've used their solids before, you've noticed that they are uniform throughout. These are different- see what I mean in the examples of Slate and Teal below?  Very cool.

Holiday Cards

I love that many of you are as twisted as Joe and I are.  Just the fact that many of you think the same thing about the Tur-duck-en as me, and that many of you sent me links to the Easter candy version... well, I just *heart* you all.

So in keeping with wickedness, I'm going to show you one of my new favorite Etsy sites.  I'm only showing you this b/c I have already purchased my holiday cards, so I know that by passing along the link I'm not going to lengthen my wait.  Yes, I'm that selfish.  Hey, I have a 4 month old baby and a business to run!  Time is of the essence!  So check this out.  You may be slightly horrified, and you may be in love.  Either way, it's worth a look.  And yes, I did buy these as my holiday cards this year.  But I also bought these for the people I don't want to offend.  Like my in-laws and grand parents.  I know, I'm totally chicken for just not being myself and sending out the cards I like, but some people just don't have the same sense of humor that I have, and I have to respect that, right?  RIGHT?  sigh.

I'm slightly disappointed in myself that I'm not making my cards for the second year in a row.  I usually really enjoy making my own holiday cards, but I just don't have the time.  More and more, it seems that I don't have the time to enjoy the things I like to do.  I don't cook as much, I definitely don't clean as much (not that I enjoy doing it- I just enjoy a clean home) and I only canned tomatoes this year, and no jam.  I guess that comes with being a working mom.  I like working, and I definitely like being a mom, so something's got to give for a few years, I guess.  How to you reconcile this as a mother and a woman with your own wants and needs?  I mean, I'm looking forward to the time when things are less complicated (please tell me that happens!), but then I feel guilty for not enjoying every little moment that happens right now.  Motherhood guilt.  There's nothing like it.  **He's enthralled with the "Fish TV" in his crib.  If you don't have one, GET ONE.  It gives me time to acutally put on make-up in the morning.