Mermaid socks

I began knitting myself a pair of socks sometime in April. Typically it doesn't take me this long to knit a pair...but I had several projects that superseded these. After all, this was a pair of socks for myself, and projects for myself get put off if something else comes up. The photos don't do the color justice (they are sitting on a black mat if that gives you an idea as to how off the color is on my camera right now...soon I will have a new one so hopefully the picture quality gets better...).

The yarn color is "Mermaid Lagoon". I believe the brand is Phydeaux (I hope it was, I've lost the paper that went with it...but I'm kind of obsessed with Phydeaux at the moment so I wouldn't be surprised if it is)...I found it at a really great yarn store in Burbank called Unwind one of my first weeks in CA. Sadly I have not been back to the yarn store since about a week after the LA Yarn Crawl...and according to the newsletter, I believe they are closing or may have already closed. Which is unfortunate, but the last time I was in the store, there wasn't much of a yarn selection. It looked like they were becoming more focused on sewing, which is great, just not something I'm interested in most of the time.

I don't remember the knitting pattern I used (something I found online...but have misplaced the link). The socks ended up being short top socks, based on the simple fact, that the stitch pattern was making my fingers cramp. Normally I would have carried the pattern down the top of the foot, but it's an odd pattern and I didn't have it in me to figure out the exact mechanics of the slipping of a stitch at the beginning and the end...I was paranoid if I continued it down the top of the foot it would end up twirling down the foot instead of staying on top (The pattern is meant for something flat like a scarf...not a knitted in the round type of pattern- I had to improvise)...so at the ankle it just goes to a stockinette stitch down to the toe, which worked up quickly.  

Yes, I do knit my socks 2-at-a-time...if I didn't, the second sock would never get made, or it would look completely different than the first. If I can find the pattern I used, I'll update this post and link you to it. The book I use for most of my socks knitting is this one. But I'm sure you can find something online or on Ravelry if you wanted to learn how to knit socks 2-at-a-time. 

DQ Baby

Once upon a time there was a contest. In a galaxy not so far away...but my memory, it's not so good. So I don't remember the contest, what it was for, who set it up, if it ever really existed or not....(kidding, I remember the winner, just not the contest)

Anyway, my friend Daniel from college won the contest, and finally (this could have been over 7 years ago for all I remember) decided to cash in on the drawing he was owed.

This is his niece, who I've dubbed "DQ Baby". As soon as I saw the photo, I knew it was right up my alley.

The expression on her face is hilarious- those eyes! How awesome is she?

On a side note, for those of you visiting my blog who have not eaten at a DQ in Texas, you don't know what you are missing...unfortunately for me, I do. Dairy Queen, outside of the state of Texas, is a sad beast. They all still have blizzards, but they are severely lacking in all of the other fantastic menu items that make going to DQ a meal. I miss the Chicken Strip basket with fries and Texas Toast...dipping sauce, gravy. Yeah, completely not healthy- but freakin' delicious. My face would look something like "DQ Baby" if I ever get back to a Texas DQ.

Wisconsin meet California

A fun thing happened this past week, my friend Jess came to visit!!! Her first time in California; First time on the West Coast; and first time seeing the Pacific Ocean.

She brought alcohol...from Wisconsin...because there's no comparison in any other state. The alcohol from Wisconsin is amazing!

I believe there are a total of 8 wines from 3 different Wisconsin wineries; 2 bottles of brandy; one bottle of apple brandy; one bottle of absinthe and a bottle of horchatta (from 2 different distilleries in Wisconsin). It was like Christmas! A very inebriated Christmas!

Shockingly we only managed to open one of these bottles in the week that she was here...it was the absinthe, which proceeded to burn a hole in my esophagus...I guess 180 proof will do that (Don't worry, there was plenty of other alcohol consumed).

I won't recount in detail everything that we did, but some of the highlights included seeing a real life bum fight in the middle of an entrance ramp to the 101 on the first full day of her visit; TMZ Tour; Wax Museum; Temecula wine country; Pacific Ocean; Malibu; Exploding Kittens (the card game, nothing malicious); drinking and getting to hang out with one of the best friends this gal could ask for. It was a great time.

Some of the wax figures, at Madame Tussauds Hollywood, looked fairly believable while most did not. It was a little disappointing. I'm not sure it was worth the price of admission. But I think we were still in a fairly jolly mood from the TMZ Tour to make up for it. (Seriously, if you are in Hollywood and haven't gone on the TMZ Tour, just go...it's hilarious.)

We each downed a tropical drink while enjoying the Pacific Ocean view from Duke's in Malibu. Very little talking this day, I think we were both just too enamored with the ocean to communicate.

The very last day of her visit involved eating at a Shakey's Pizza for lunch (Wisconsin should not have let these leave the state...SO GOOD!)
It also included one of the best experiences I have had in California. One of my co-workers gave us tickets to the Zac Brown Band on Friday...At the Hollywood Bowl. Doesn't get much more touristy.

While I learned that the people of Los Angeles are all out of their minds (which I already suspected), I also learned that Zac Brown Band puts on a pretty spectacular concert. The fact that they played Bohemian Rhapsody might have been my favorite...that and Chicken Fried (of course).

The only thing that really topped the alcohol from Wisconsin might have been the size of the beers at the venue:
Exhibit A:

That's basically a 32 oz. beer...and no I wasn't drinking a Heinie...Dos Equis....but was it worth $16? I haven't decided.

Anyway, I had a blast, and I hope Jess had an equally good time (We can just forget about the Malibu wineries that sucked and remember the awesome time in Temecula).

(Photo Credit: Jess...the one on the left)

I can't wait for her to come back to visit...or for me to go back to Wisconsin...

Moral of this post...Wisconsin still has the best alcohol. Plan your trip accordingly...
Wollersheim Winery: http://www.wollersheim.com/
Fawn Creek Winery: http://www.fawncreekwinery.com/
Spurgeon Vineyard: http://spurgeonvineyards.com/
Wollersheim Distillery: http://www.wollersheim.com/wineryvisit/distillery
Minhas Distillery: http://minhasdistillery.com/