Sock Clubs....

This past year I had the excitement of being in the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rocking sock club.
I was so looking forward to it having heard so much about the yarn and the club..I decided to find out more.
I received the first shipment and was really happy - but then I started to knit it. Okay - the pattern was not bad but the way it looked being knit - lets just not visit that again shall we?
Not being put off I looked forward to the rest of the shipments... Here are a few of the yarns:
The last one I really liked:
I can't wait to knit that up. However, I am not going to do it next year for a few reasons. One is the price. It went up again, and while the yarn is great - I would much rather spend 222.00 on yarn itself - or fiber- than on something I may or may not like.
That is not to say I won't keep up with a different sock club....
I am getting the Pedicures Sock Club -I really love the colors and the yarn.
The yarns are currently in my stash waiting for me to make them into socks. I did manage to get a bit of stuff done this past year - in between all the spinning I did - as you can see from this list:
2007 finished objects
1. clapotis
2. Scarf from stash
3. shawlette in green
4. Monkey socks
5. 5 hour baby sweater - white
6. 5 hour baby sweater - wool in the woods
7. 5 hour baby sweater - Crayola colored
8. Bonnet to match baby sweater
9. Christening dress
10. Roy's black socks
11. Mock turtleneck shell - yellow
12. mock turtleneck shell - birch tatamy tweed
13. Pomatomus socks - Silky STR
14. Fawkes socks - STR firebird
15. Shawlette
16. Pink Waffle socks - for kait
17. pomatomus socks - lagoon STR
18. Moorish Lattice socks - for Janet in brown
19. sheep - felted
20. sheep - felted
21. sheep - felted
22. scarf - charity
23. hat - charity
24. mittens - charity
25. Grammy's gauntlet's- Dad
26. Rococo socks - cotton candy STR for Kait
27. Christmas colored socks - SIL - JO
28. Candy Cane hat - red/white
29. Candy Cane hat - green/white
30. Candy Cane hat - green/white
31. Olive you Hat
32. Black Fetchings
33. Ornament cover (red/green)
34. Ornament cover
35. Ornament cover
36. Bills toe socks
37. Reindeer gloves - Karen
38. Royce's twin rib socks
39. Rochelle's red heart socks
40. Roy's moss cable socks- in Beaver Dam Pedicure yarn
41. Fingerless mittens

I also wanted to show you something else I hope to be working on in the new year - I hope Hanne Falkenburg Plisse' kit.

Hope you all have a safe and happy New Year!

Tired of Red --- and rambles..

So I have been working on gloves.. and for some reason I have been on a red and white kick - but I think its it fianally catching up to me. I am stalled at this point on both of these gloves at moment:Now this wouldn't be a problem - but I am doing these for a customer. The issue I am having is the face that the pattern is to have a white background or lighter color - and I am doing the red as the background. That shouldn't be a problem - but I keep messing the whole thing up. Irritating as ever. Especially as I have already knit this pattern once - its the Cunningham star patterns from Knitting Fair Isle Mittens and Gloves.
So they need to get done - just to give myself a break from the red issue- I did make these on Christmas day:
These are fast and easy to do! Pattern: Fingerless Mittens by Knitting at noon
Yarn: Poems from Universal yarns
Needles - size 6 DPNS
These will be a model for the shop.
Fast and easy. Satisfied with those - I went to go back to the gloves-- but ummm - well I had to frog a whole 2 inches..
So I started another model for the shop (as I am giving a class on the cast on this session for) the Lace Moebius Scarf from Fibertrends:
Wish me luck - I am going to try to finish it before New Years... Ahem - yes I do know that it is less than 48 hours away.. leave me to my delusions please.
I am going to try to have it at the shop for the New Years Day Sale. It will be a draw your own discount - anywhere from 20 - 50 % off! Don't miss it! 12- 5 New Years Day!
Then we decided to go see National Treasure 2 yesterday. Being a Knitting Addict- I could not go without something to work on. Having nothing on the needles - I quickly cast on a pair of socks:
On the Ott lite saga - I finally got the 2 40.00 gift cards from JoAnn's. Now I will take some time and get a new light. I don't think I will go with a Ott-Lite again- their customer service leaves much to be desired. So I am leaning more towards the Daylight lamps.
Any suggestions?

Okay- off to knit if I am going to hit my deadline!

Christmas - and the ott-lite saga continues

Wow this week flew.....
I got a call from the manager at JoAnn's here in town - seems they sent the gift card to some strange address here - it was the right town - but other than that - even the zip was wrong .... hrm.....
For some reason I am doubting that they ever sent it.
Supposedly they are to send it out again this week to the correct address..... only time will tell.

On the Christmas front - I am getting my knitting goals accomplished--- I am down to one sock-- Only 1 to go!
So I am somewhat more relaxed now - and even hope to get cookies made today. I have the tree decorated - and everything else is wrapped and under it.
So I am just about ready.
Last weekend I had fun giving out some hand knitted gifts. My Baby Bro now has a 2nd pair of toe socks-- I am hoping that they will send me some of the pictures they took so I can post them here. (hint hint) I managed to get alot of knitting done for the Family Christmas at my Parents. The list of items accomplished -
1 pair of toe socks size 12-- Don't even ask how long they took.
1 pair of socks for his wife - Jo
1 pair of socks for Jan
1 pair of fetchings (fingerless gloves for those who don't knit) for Mary ( some how I forgot to take a picture of the ones I gave her - they were green - the ones below are black - but I will replace the picture if she sends me one of them - maybe even on her hands???)
1 pair of Reindeer gloves for Karen

The only sibling I didn't make anything for was Anna - as she has a wonderful Mother in Law who does knitting that puts mine to such shame-- but I am going to do something for her soon - I just need ideas...(hint hint!)

I so enjoy giving gifts - much better than getting in my estimation. However - this year I am planning on starting some of them in January so I do not have to be sleepless for a month prior to Christmas.

The Ott Lite Saga....

Last year my Darling Husband was wonderful to purchase for me the one Item I really wanted.

An Ott-Lite to help me when I am doing all the colorful knitting. I was excited as we had decided to only get each other one thing. Now this wasn't a big one - but a small table top one. This was such a wonderful and thoughtful gift! I was excited and happy to use it - so much so I went on line at 9 am Christmas morning and did the online warranty CARD!
Now you know I had to be excited. I rarely ever fill out those things.
So I patted myself on the back and happily began to use the light. I was so excited I cast on a pair of Black socks! On size 0's never the less ( ok-- so I need my head examined to taunt the universe this way - but I was excited....).

So everything worked great till the end of March and then one day in the middle of the row - BAM!

The light went out!
Okay - I thought - its the bulb. I must have used it way to much - so I merrily went back to Jo Ann's and purchased a new bulb immediately. Ran back home and quickly replaced the bulb so as not to stop my knitting or spinning.
Then ---- NOTHING
Okay - don't freak - take deep breaths - check to make sure it is plugged in and try again.
Still Nothing.
I was devastated.
So I was talking to Carla - and she said to check the Ott-lite site. It could be the black balast box. So I did. Yep that is what seemed to be happening. They even had a blurb about it on the site. So I contacted them.
Did I fill out the warranty card? Check!
Did I have a copy of the receipt? Ummm no.
Dang. So I call Jo Ann's and talk to the manager.
Then I call the Corporate Office and get a hard copy sent to me.
This takes a few weeks. Contacted Ott-lite - have to explain myself again and yes this time I have a receipt. I mail a copy of it to Ott-Lite. They are to call upon receipt.
3 weeks go by. No call. So I call them again.
Same questions.
This time I get asked if I have the proof of purchase. ( Oh yeah - by this time - we are in August!)
Proof of Purchase??? What? Are You Kidding ME?????
Okay no I threw away the box in January. Silly me.
After several tense contacts...(including one where I asked if they wanted my arm too - I was frustrated by this time and my patience is running thin...but I think after 4 mos it might be acceptable...don't you agree?)

After many more contacts Ott-Lite finally decided to send me a number to send it back. Oh yeah - include a check please for them to look at it - 9.60 please.
So I did.

4 weeks later - the box - totally destroyed returns -- it was refused by Ott-lite!!

Now I am no expert on things - but at this point - I was totally upset with Ott-lite. I called them again - and was asked (after giving them the silly number that I had been given -- which was even written on the outside of the box) What was this concerning??

When I explained - I got the same questions again.

UGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Bangs Head on Desk!!

Okay - So I go to Jo Ann's to talk to the manager - and she is nice - gives me the number for Jo Ann corporate and tells me to call them.
So I do.
I finally get ahold of them after playing phone tag for a week or so on November 2nd. I was relieved to hear that I would be receiving a gift card for 75.00 to replace it.

Finally! I was relieved. I would at least be able to get another light. Finally!! And - It would be here before Thanksgiving! I "could" use it on Black Friday - and even get a floor lamp maybe....

Yeah well it never showed.

Called them on November 30th. - Apparently they had to wait for the finance dept to send down the gift card. It would be mailed that day.
So I wait.

December 10th I called again as it has not yet showed up. Oh the gal has it but hadn't mailed it yet. WHAT????
Okay - everyone is busy I understand. (trying to be patient here)
It was now being mailed today.
So I wait again.

Friday was Dec. 14. Almost a full year has passed since the purchase of the lamp.
I called the manager at the store here in town again and expressed my frustrations - still being nice. ( I have not begun to yell yet - I think that means I get a medal)

The Manager is to call them and speak to the gal who is supposedly taking care of this on Monday.

So I am still without a Ott- lite. At this point I am thinking they may owe me more than just the money. After all it has been over a year now.

Maybe we should all write Ott- lite and Jo Ann's about this?

After all their customer service is just excellent don't you think?