Sockret Pal Questionnaire!

Oh, how I do loves me a good swappin'...

The basics:
How long have you been knitting?Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep?

I've been knitting for just under a year now. My learning curve is pretty steep, though, so I'd say I'm intermediate. I've finished three pairs of socks, plus a few baby booties here & there (do they count?), and have three more pairs on the needles right now. It's probably my favorite thing to knit, though I'll knit darn near anything I can get my hands on. Oh, and I've got Christmas stockings on the needles, which have the same cuff-down, heel flap construction as a standard sock. I *want* to be good enough to knit in my sleep, though!

The measurements:
While your pal may ask for some additional info to ensure a great fit, please provide your shoe size, or any other fitting related info you think is pertinent.

I wear a 6 1/2 shoe or so, once in a while a size 7, depending on the manufacturer. The ball of my foot is about 8 1/2 inches around, and it's about 9 inches long, toe to heel. My feets are pretty narrow, and I have no arch whatsoever. Y'know how when you walk with wet feet on concrete, it leaves footprints? My footprints look like duck feets. That's how flat my arches are.

(fiber related) Favorites:
What colors do you love?

Ooooh, I love all kinds of colours!! There's previous questionnaires on this blog where I go bonkers describing all my favorite colours, so please feel free to refer back if you wanna. My favorites are olive greens (well, most any shade of green except lime is awesome), deep reds, and jewel-toned blues. I also love neutrals, chocolate browns & tans & creams look nice on me. Pretty much anything except neons...I really don't care for neons (hot pink, electric orange, bleah! I had enough of those in the 80s). Most shades of yellow don't flatter me...I've got yellow skin, so yellow on yellow makes me look sorta dead. In socks, however, I don't think yellow would be a problem...it's far enough away from my face, and next to blue jeans, so it could be doable.

Do you prefer solids or variegated?

Either one. For my own personal use, I like solids for complicated patterns, like lace or something, and variegateds for simpler patterns. I'm *really* fond of nearly solids...the kind that stick to one colour, but vary from lighter to darker shades of it. So pretty! And I'm SUPER weak for handpaints. My stash is full of 'em.

What fibers do you most love to knit with?

Natural fibers, to be sure. I'm a huge fan of wool, alpaca, silk, and the like. I also really like blends, like when a wool sock yarn has a bit of nylon or tencel or something in it...I hear it helps with durability. Softness is a main qualification, of course.

Who do you consider your favorite yarn vendors?

Oh my, this list could go on for days! I love Webs, KnitPicks, LittleKnits, The Loopy Ewe, my local yarn stores (the Fold, Wool & Co, & Yarn Exchange), Simply Socks Yarn Co, Blue Moon Fiber Arts, among others, and a buncha smaller outfits, like Fearless Fibers, Lisa Souza, that sort of thing. I like to support small businesses, of course, but I tend to go wherever I can get the best deal. I have very very few extra dollars to put towards my knitting habits, so I have to get the most out of them that I can.

What projects (other than socks, of course*S*) do you most enjoy knitting?

Socks!! Heh...well, I'm really enjoying a couple sweaters that I'm working on right now. I like lace a lot, though I don't have much time to work on it (I tend to knit in front of the tv, and I just can't pay attention to anything else while knitting lace. Once I'm done with the few shows on dvd that I'm into, I hope to get back into the lace more often). I like smallish projects, because lord knows the instant gratification thing is nice. I love anything with cables...my beloved is Irish, and I've been dying to make a beautiful cabled Aran for him. He'd look gorgeous in one! And, um, socks. Yes.

(fiber related) Dislikes:
What fibers can you not stand to knit with? To wear?

Not much, really. I'm pretty easy. I don't care for squeaky acrylics, though there are a few acrylics that are actually pretty decent (though they are few & far between...Plymouth Encore comes to mind as a good one). I really don't like novelty yarns...fun fur, laddered yarn, that sort of thing. I tend to lean towards smoother yarns, rather than hairier, though I'm not against mohair-y type things. Aside from novelty yarns & squeaky acrylics, I think I'd knit with pretty much anything!

What colors would you never wear?

Like I mentioned, yellow makes me look sorta deceased. Neons are just unpleasant on me...I've dark hair & dark eyes, with the yellow skin, and I feel like I'm supposed to glow in the dark in neons. I have a tendency to stick to earth tones, generally speaking.

The Tools:
Plastic or Metal? Bamboo or wood?

Metal, if they're the KnitPicks ones!! Ooooh, I luuuurves me some KP needles! I've got a buncha dpns, and one circ, and I'm just smitten with them. I'd like to get the Options set one of these days, but I'll probably wind up buying one or two bits at a time, & slowly building up a set that way. I like bamboo an awful lot too, and it's all I used before discovering the KP dpns. Wood is fine, and I'd really love to try some of those rosewood & ebony needles, the ones that were reclaimed from musical instruments. How cool is that?? I really can't stand plastic, though, and pretty much all the aluminum needles I've had (not counting KP) sucked. They were long, heavy & unwieldy...and now I can't get rid of 'em.

Circs or Straights?

Both! I like straights if they suit the project, and aren't too long. Anything longer than my arm (about 12-13 inches) is too long & awkward, though, so I love circs for those sorts of things. The big black cable-y sweater that I'm making for dh would kill me if it were on straights. And, I'm *really* fond of knitting in the round...one day, I hope to be skilled enough to convert all my sweater patterns to in the round, rather than pieced together. Round is fun.

DPNs or Magic Loop?

Dpns, absolutely!! I've not tried magic loop or 2circs, and frankly, I don't have a huge amount of interest. I love dpns, and the KP ones make sock knitting very fast & fluid. Yeah!

Are there any knitting accessories you don't have in your collection but would like?

Not too many...I'd sure like some Smokey Joe kitty sock blockers & lace blocking wires. I have a sock bag by Trek that I really like, and it'd be nice to have a second since I like to have multiple pairs of socks on the needles at one time. A big pile o' time would sure be nice! That's the one thing I'm lacking most...time to knit.

The Extras:
Do you have a wish list? If so, please share the link!

Heck yeah! The Lust List, on the sidebar over there, and one on Amazon. The amazon one is about a mile long, but there's lots of good knitting books & things there.

Do you like sweet, sour or salty? (or all of the above? *S*)

I love sweet, almost to a fault, and I love salty. Sour, however, is NOT my friend.

Do you have any allergies your pal should know about? (Certain foods, smoke, pet hair, etc)

Nope, no allergies. I *hate* the smell of cigarette smoke, though, being an ex-smoker. Pet hair is not a problem...Crazy Kitty keeps me in good supply of it.

Favorite scents? Scents you can't stand?

I love fall/spicy scents! Yankee candle has a few fall fragrances that I just love...sadly, they discontinued the Brown Sugar & Cinnamon that I adored a few years back. Bastards. Anyway, fall scents are wonderful, and anything spicy/homey is nice. I like very light florals, but not heavy ones. I really can't stand heavy florals, or heavy sandalwood...I make soaps & toiletries, and one of my most popular scents (Vanilla Sandalwood) makes me gag. There's irony for ya, huh?

Do you collect anything (other than yarn and knitting toys of course)?

Mostly just yarn! Especially sock yarn...yum! I do collect books, though...mysteries, history books, and knitting books. Antique books as well, but those are hard to come by. I also cross stitch, and sampler patterns (especially antique samplers!) are really cool. I'm just getting into collecting antique maps, but again, they're hard to come by. I have a really cool map of England & Wales that was printed in 1903 that I just love. But I'm weird like that. But yeah, my sock yarn collection is my prized jewel.

When is your birthday? (month and day is fine!)

August 31st.

Do you spin? Dye your own yarn?

I've just barely started spinning. I've been given this stunningly beautiful drop spindle, and I have a bit of roving, but I'm not particularly good at it yet. Sadly, I've had to set it aside in favor of all the Christmas knitting I'm doing. I'm really looking forward to January, when I'll have time to pick it up again, and really figure out how to do it well. I don't dye my own, because frankly, I've got enough irons in the fire. I don't need another addiction! Maybe someday I will, though. In the meantime, I lust like crazy after other people's hand-dyed yarns...they're sooo pretty!

Your favorite author/band/vacation spot, anything you think will help your pal know you better...

Gracious, I dunno...My pal mentioned that she's already a reader of this blog (it blows my mind that I have readers at all, y'know!), so she probably knows plenty already. Feel free to ask questions, though! Oooh, here's something important for you to know...my memory is crap, and I frequently *think* I've answered an email/post/comment/question, when really I've only thought about it in my head, and not actually typed it out. I never mean to ignore anybody, I just don't realize that I never actually spoke my answers out loud. I'm kind of a dolt that way. Feel free to remind me/holler/poke at me with knitting needles till I do cough up a response. I don't mean to be a twit, it's just a sorta natural default position for me. Oy!

I'm really looking forward to this swap, though...y'all know how I love swaps, and how I love socks, and honestly, what could be better than putting the two together? Throw in chocolate, and my head just might burst from the joy of it all. Yay!

Random Monday, yet again

Evidently, randomness works for me. First up, thanks for all the kind birthday wishes, y'all! I am now officially older & a wee bit more crotchety. And that's okay. My birthday was a quiet affair, which is just fine & dandy with me, that involved much lazing about in the sun at a park (while weasels played on the playground, and I knit, of course), and my beloved husband gifting me with this book. I've been eyeballing it for quite a while, and I'm really excited to have fifty billion different cast-ons available to me now.

Fall is a season of change, and just as the summer ends & autumn begins, so endeth & beginneth the summer & fall swaps. Over the summer, I was really pleased to be involved in the One Skein Secret Pal, the blogosphere Secret Pal 8, and the knittyboard CheapAss Secret Pal 2. I had an absolute blast in these, and met several really interesting people to boot. I absolutely adore my upstream SP8, Suzanne. She's brilliant, funny, and flipping psychic. She always knew *exactly* what to send, and she really made my summer special. And, check out her blog...she also has gorgeous daughters who knit as well! (And, there's a picture of that drop-dead gorgeous drop spindle she sent to me...my blog somehow refuses to post pics of it here, which honks me off tremendously, but hers doesn't seem to be quite so snarky.) My One Skein upstream is also a wonderful, interesting person, not to mention a member of my much-loved knittyboard! Cindi is a regular contributor on the boards, and I've noticed that I'm also following her all over the knit swap world. Who knows, maybe next time I'll get to be her upstream! I really had a grand time in these swaps, but all good things must come to an end, and so I'm on to new, exciting swaps. And yeah, I'm a confirmed swap ho, and dang, but I love it that way! This fall, I'm involved in the Sockret Pal swap (a secret swap that involves knitting a pair of socks for your downstream...I'm *so* looking forward to this!! I'm dying to get my hands on socks someone else has knit...I really want to compare technique & styles & fit & such!), the Chocolate Swap (oh, be still my beating heart...yarn and chocolate...heavens...), the knittyboard October Knitted Thing swap, the knittyboard Spooky Swap, and the Favourite Colour Swap. Before y'all start to thinking about how insane I am, do realize that all but one of these swaps are one-month, one-package commitments, so it's not really all *that* much. And, the Sockret Pal swap goes bi-monthly for six months, thus stretching my time in which to knit the socks considerably, which is good, because pretty much all my knitting hours until December 24th are booked solid.

Speaking of the Favourite Colour Swap, I received my box the other day!! In retrospect, I don't suppose I was very nice when I filled out my questionnaire...the main point to the questionnaire was to state my favourite colour, but being the indecisive type I am, I more or less stated why I liked all the colors. Oy. I didn't even realize I did that until after I'd sent the thing in. Fortunately, my upstream is a doll who was patient enough to read through my ramblings, and she went with blues & greens, which are right up there with my all-time favorite shades (especially green...and the bonus is, it looks good on me, too!).

Check it out...Patons Classic Wool in a lovely shade of green (dh says I need to fish up some chocolate brown to match it, and make a stripey sweater...that could actually look really cool!), a pretty green photo album (it's hiding, because it was hard to squish everything into the photo), green point protectors in just the right size for all my sock knitting (thank you! It sucks getting stabbed!), green tic-tacs & Mentos sours (you can't tell, but the Mentos things are half gone already...dh stole them straight outta the box), some gorgeous merino sock yarn that she dyed herself (omg, I'm SO saving this for those awful grey days in February!! It's so bright & happy, and really just beautiful...perfect for the colourless days of mid-winter), and an absolute treasure--Interlacements Toasty Toes in Irish. 'Scuse me whilst I pass out from the stunning colors. I mean dayum, I could sit here & gaze at the subtle gradations in the greens, blues & purples for hours, I kid you not. And, I've been coveting Interlacements for ages! Truly, this was a fabulous box. Thank you so much, Nicole!!!

Elsewhere in my little knittyworld, I've actually finished something... Half finished something else...

And started some other things too...Yes indeedy, it's the WIP Parade! Clockwise from top left, we have the Noro Booga Bag, body of bag completed, nine miles of i-cord begun; the first of four Christmas stockings for my family in Lopi Fire Tweed & Spruce Tweed, pattern compliments of this book; the fluffy green scarf for my friend Brandie (that I must admit I set down over the summer & didn't work on much...it's a warm scarf, and it's not much fun to knit warm stuff in warm weather, but I've recently picked it up again & hope to finish it before our next meeting); the beginnings of the pretty camel-colored alpaca sweater for my Ma, not yet cast on, but ready to go now that my kickass KnitPicks circs are in; two sock cuffs (cursed 1x1 ribbing!) in Lorna's Laces Camouflage, using a basketweave pattern from this book; the second of two adorable little baby hats in KP Crayon for my friend who is going to cough up twins in the next couple months; the lace scarf I started a coon's age ago in Misti Alpaca (I adore lace, but I really need to be able to focus on just that while I'm doing it, lest I lose my place in the chart, and quiet time has been hard to come by around here lately); and finally, the giant cabley sweater for my beloved, which is actually really cute, even though it's enormous & black & hard to see. So yeah, I've got a lot of knitting to do. It doesn't help that I keep coming up with more cool ideas for Christmas presents for my Ma, either...

Remember I mentioned a visit from my cool pal Shanelle? Did I happen to mention the incredibly awesome needle case set she gave me??? I kid you not, this is one of my most favorite knitting items ever (all three of 'em!). See, we'd made a swap of some yarn for some needle cases, and LORDY, did I get the good end of the bargain!! There's a notions bag (big enough for all my goofy bits & bobs), a dpn case that's longer than my arm & holds every darn dpn I have, which is no small feat, and a kickass circ case that not only holds every circular needle I own, but has plenty of room for many more (that I will undoubtedly collect in the next year or two)!! Check 'em out... The fabric is beautiful, the braided ties have little wooden beads at the end, and the sewing is perfectly professional (which is amazing, because if I remember correctly, she didn't even use a pattern!!). The circ case has sixteen pockets, very generously sized, and I can even keep 'em in there in their little envelopes if I want (helps to keep tabs on what size they all are, especially if the darn needles aren't marked--the only downside to the new KP needles, imo). This is a close-up of the interior of the dpn case. I'd show you the whole thing, but I couldn't fit it all in the shot. That's how long it is. Not cumbersome-long, by any means, just perfect. There's about a million pockets, and they're just a touch wider than usual dpn case pockets, which is great because I can again fit the envelope/sleeves in them (oh, how I wish KP would brand their needles with the sizes!). Freaking awesome, I tell you. Y'all, you too can get your hands on kickass cases like these...Shanelle is working on opening an Etsy store!!! Please be patient, though, she's a busy girl with a demanding job, so I'm not sure exactly when it'll be open for business, but feel free to drop her a comment on her blog & encourage her to cough up some cases! They're really wonderful, and I fully plan on sending some as secret pal presents this winter! (And thanks again for the incredible trade, Shanelle!!)

Meme-O-Matic

If you're reading this, you're tagged. So there.

1. Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 123. Find the fifth sentence.Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.

The ensuing sock knitting craze gripped the state and assured that no Alabama soldier would lack warm socks even though he suffered from other shortages. Attached to a shipment of 1,200 pairs went this note from knitters: "{M}any willing fingers are diligently plying their needles to furnish much more of the needed socks." Those fingers continued until Alabama's heavy casualties compelled them to produce linen and bandages for hospitals.

This is taken from No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting. Damned interesting book, and though I have a copy from the library, I really wish I owned it. The passage in question is speaking of knitting during the Civil War.

2.stretch your left arm out as far as you can...what do you touch first?

Um, air? Well, the couch is over there, but I'd be more likely to whack the stack of papers & stuff-to-be-filed on the end of the desk.

3. what was the last thing you watched on tv?

Oz, the first season (again). I don't actually have cable tv (or any tv reception, for that matter), so everything I watch is on dvd or tape. I love my Netflix, lemme tell ya.

4. without looking, what time is it?

Noonish?

5. what is the actual time?

12:39

6. with the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

The neighbors banging around upstairs, the kids little pencil scratches (they're working on math & writing right now). Not much else, as the windows are closed right now, due to insane amounts of humidity.

7. when did you last step outside?

An hour or two ago, to check & see if the humidity had gone down enough to open the windows back up again. Sadly, it's still sticky as heck. NOT good for even tension on your knitting, ya know.

8. what are you wearing?

A chocolate brown scoopneck t-shirt, jeans shorts, and flip flops. Standard uniform for the summer for me.

9. when did you last laugh?

This morning, at my demented kitty.

10. seen something weird lately?

My cat carries her kitty cookie jar around in her teeth. It's just a small plastic container that holds kitty treats, and I only put in a few at a time, because she likes to take it down & open it up & eat the contents. It's really entertaining to watch her get into it.

11. what did you dream last night?

I can't remember for certain, but I know it involved my husband somehow.

12. what's on the walls of the room you're in?

A bulletin board, an Ansel Adams print, several Art Nouveau advertisements, the family coat of arms, photos of my kids & my wedding, an antique map of England & Wales, a couple mountain bikes, huge amounts of books on the bookshelves, and more music/drum gear than you can shake a stick at.

14. what was the last film you saw?

Well, lately it's been more about the tv series on dvd & the documentaries than actual movies...we watched an interesting documentary on Theremin the other day, and I watched a few silly Learn To Knit videos (sadly, I already knew everything she taught, though I can see how it'd be a good dvd for a brand-newbie). The last movie I saw in the theater was Monster House.

15.do you like to dance?

Um, not really...I'm terrible at it, so I don't really have any fun because I'm too self-conscious.

16. would you ever consider living abroad?

Heck yeah! I'd love to live in Ireland or England somewheres. Especially the Yorkshire countryside. Of course, I'd probably only live there for a limited time before I came home to the midwest, but I'd sure love to try it for a few years!

17. if you became a multi-millionaire overnight what would you buy first?

A home! Actually, what I'd buy *first* would probably be a nice dinner out. I've been dying for a really good steak for months, but can't cough up the dough for a decent steakhouse. Wildfire in Chicago calls to me. I tell ya, the filet mignon there will just about change your religion. But I digress. I'd definitely buy my cute little farm in the cornfields somewhere, and pay off my car. I'd take dh on a shopping spree at Interstate Music, just to watch him go crazy. Then I'd go on a major yarn binge, and get all the pretty colors I've ever drooled over. Heh.

18.tell me something about you that i don't know.

I've never broken a single bone in my life.

19. what would you change about the world?

Good heavens, where does one start? Well, I think the first thing I'd do is give every person an acute awareness of how their actions affect others. Just think how different our world would be if Hitler had had a conscience.

*Now* will it work?

The aforementioned loot pictures...

Isn't it wonderful?? Lessee here, we have on the top row, starting from the left, two skeins Lorna's Laces Sock in Camouflage, two skeins Lorna's Laces Sock in Tuscany, Mountain Colors Bearfoot in ??(can't remember...I want to say Wild Cherry, or something like that), Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Obsidian, six beautiful skeins Socks That Rock (scroll down for color names), Koigu KPPPM (dunno the color, but it's purty...looks like clouds on a summer day), Koigu KPM (again, dunno the color...bright red, though, and not as brick-like as I'd thought. Oh well.), and my first skein of Opal, color unknown. Bottom row, from left, begins with some gorgeous Claudia's Hand Paints in Chocolate Covered Cherry, six skeins Malabrigo in Olive (sweater for meeeee!!), two honkin huge skeins of a squishysoft 100% alpaca 3ply that's being swatched up & blocked (sweater for my ma, who hopefully never reads this blog), three skeins Noro Kureyon, rather unfortunately purchased *before* I saw the sale table at Webs, selling the exact same thing for three bucks less per skein, and one skein Transitions by Noro. The Kureyon is already on the needles, working towards becoming a Booga Bag, and the Transitions will sooner or later become a scarf. Isn't this just the most gawjus stuff EVER?? Here we have the much-coveted Socks that Rock, in colorways Fred Flinstone, Lagoon, Ruby Slippers, Highway 30, Metamorphosis, and Terra somethingerother. Soooo pretty! Honestly, the Highway 30 is incredibly pink for me (really, when was the last time you saw something pink on this blog?), but it's just so pretty, I couldn't leave it behind. Besides, maybe it can become socks for someone else for Christmas or something. Or maybe I'll just pet it a lot. I'm such a sock ho.

And, because I am so very much in love with my sock yarn collection, I pulled the whole darn thing out & rearranged it several times, just for fun. I do have a picture of the whole beautimous thing, but of course, it refuses to post. Sigh.

I'm not dead, I swear!

I am, however, massively behind in the whole posting thing. Good lord, where to begin?? Okay then, random & barely coherent it is...

First of all, I had a lovely visit from my pal Shanelle, who is an extremely talented knitter, and a fabulous seamstress as well. She's incredibly nice & interesting on the boards where we met, and REALLY nice, interesting, and damn funny in person. And, she brought me fudge, which always wins my heart. I'm cheap that way. She went with my parents, my boys & I to an old-timey steam engine show, where we went half-deaf from the engines, ate corn dogs, gawked at the awesome antique cars & tractors, and just generally had a grand 'ol time. I just love events like this...the whole thing is held in the back 40 of some old farmer guy, and there's huge trees everywhere, and old men in overalls & seed caps, and farm kids learning to run the hundred year old machinery, and fried food, and such an air of history! These are the machines that created America as we know it, and being so close to the country's history like that is just amazing to me.

Shanelle also accompanied me to that wonderous mecca of all things fiber, that black hole of finances, that paragon of yarny goodness...Stitches!!! Oh my good lord, I thought I'd died & gone to heaven. The only way it could have possibly been any better is if I'd had a special card that assured me that every skein would cost only a dollar for me that day. Hey, a girl can dream! It was soooo much fun, though. Shanelle & I were lucky enough to be at the very front of the line to get in, though we were beaten to the door by a *really* determined older woman, who got us laughing so hard that I almost couldn't walk properly. (Seriously, this lady raced us up the stairs! It was a good way to start the day, laughing & running like crazy people. Which we are.) I, of course, immediately made a beeline for Blue Moon Fiber Arts, home of the much-coveted Socks That Rock. I reeeeaaaalllly wish they'd get around to finishing the updating/upgrading of their website. Many of the colors that they had aren't listed there, and dangit, I may want some more lightweight soon! I did, however, come out of there with six skeins of the gorgeous stuff, which pleased me immensely. After we managed to pry ourselves out of that booth (omg, it was packed! I'm really glad I chose to go there first), Shanelle & I started a methodical, don't-want-to-miss-a-single-thing pattern around the room. Truly, it's the only way to do it...there's just SO much fiber, SO many beautiful colors, that you'll get completely overwhelmed & scatterbrained otherwise. I still can't believe all the fibers...it was so amazing just to touch them all! Silk & quiviut blends (oooooh my!), finest merinos, bamboo, buffalo (!!).... Endless amounts of fibers & yarns. Honestly, I just wanted to hop on the tables & roll around in it. There were gorgeous orenburg lace shawls that were so beautiful it almost made you weep, socks in every color known to man (and a few previously unknown), sweaters of every skill level imagineable. Let me tell you, quiviut lace is something everyone must feel before they die, in my opinion. It's so light, so feather-soft, you almost can't feel it as you hold it. Becoming skilled enough as to be worthy of a skein of quiviut laceweight is one of my loftiest goals.

Of course, I was a complete dolt & forgot my camera at home. You do, however, get pics of the spoils! Now, see, this is where my single-mindedness & planning really pays off...I'm really rather poor, financially speaking. Putting a day like Stitches on a credit card is just shockingly unwise, and having much extra money at any given point is highly unlikely, especially since we just bought a car. Knowing all this, I started saving money for Stitches back in May, setting a little bit aside every week, and earning small amounts here & there that also got socked away (like the stupid pun there?). I'm incredibly proud of myself for that, I'll have you know. It was WONDERFUL to be able to buy all the pretty yarns I coveted that day!! Granted, given the opportunity, I could have spent ten times what I did, but I'm still quite pleased with what I brought home.

*SIGH* It seems Blogger doesn't care to post my pictures right now. I took pics of the whole sock stash, too...grrrr. I'll try that part again another time, I suppose. My Stitches loot amounts to 14 pairs of socks, two sweaters, a Booga bag, and a scarf. Yeah!!

More at a later, more cooperative (in the Blogger sense) time...

Yarn & oddments for swap/sale!

Help me clear up some space in my stash for Stitches! (Have I mentioned, by the way, how BLOODY EXCITED I AM about Stitches??) Okay, here's what I've got....

This is a sweater's worth of Hayfield Vintage DK (60% wool, 40% nylon, machine washable). There's 10 50gm balls, which adds up to about 1230 yards or so. Some have been frogged, most are in yarny cakes (I do so love having a ball winder!), but ball bands are (obviously) there. This is a really nice, soft yarn...I just don't do pink, generally speaking. This is four balls purple boucle (I think that's what you'd call it), and four balls blue boucle. I have no idea what fiber, probably acrylic, but there's no ball band. Each ball is about four ounces, so there's a pound of purple and a pound of blue (And fyi, they aren't *together* or anything...if you just want the purple and not the blue, or vice versa, that's totally okay. I just took the picture like that to save photo space.). This is all a VERY soft, fleecy chenille sort of yarn...I have no idea what it's called, but it's really soft (and likely acrylic, I'd think). There's 2.5oz of each color--blue, pink/purple/blue, and white with pastel flecks. This would make terrific baby hats, or something of that nature. This particular yarn is really neat...I'm guessing it's mohair, as it's got a pretty halo-like quality to it, and is very light & fluffy. There's 4.5oz of the natural/cream color, and half an ounce each of the grey & moss green ones (I'll just throw those two in with the cream). The pretty multicolor at the top is 13.5oz of the same fiber.These also would make great baby yarns...each ball is 1.5oz, and the two on the left are pink & yellow, the two in the middle are muted rainbow colors with a neat plied stripey effect, and the two on the right are more pastel versions of the two in the middle. Again, all wound into nice yarny cakes for you. These three are all random balls of off-white cotton. There's about 4ish ounces total. These would make good dishcloths, I think, or scrubby things.

I also have a few more things not pictured...

1lb white Red Heart (y'know those ginormous One Pound skeins? Yeah, that.)

1lb off-white Red Heart (same thing, slightly different color)

2.2oz Caron Jewel Box chenille yarn in a really pretty cream color

1/2oz Berroco Quest in Ruby Red. There's only a small amount, but maybe somebody can do something neat with it. It's really pretty!

1sk black Caron Wintuk

3sk TLC Macaroon super bulky, moss color

6oz cream/off-white cotton chenille--really nice yarn, perfect for those flower facecloths from Weekend Knitting

Interweave Knits-Spring 06 (I wound up with two of them)

Fiber Trends pattern in page protector sleeve-Chained Melody (vest)

Fiber Trends pattern in page protector sleeve-Easy Hat & Mittens

Crocheters Value Pack crochet hooks (comes with size 5, 7, & 10 steel hooks and size G, H, & I aluminum hooks, plus basic instructions)

Pile of Random Crochet Hooks (size D, H, J, E, E, I, & H)

Package of four Button Clams (weird little plastic doodads that you can place over ceramic/decorative buttons to protect them in the laundry)

And these aren't knitting-related, but they're in great shape and awfully darn cute, so it's a shame to let them go to waste, simply because my kids have huge feets...

Buzz Lightyear slippers! These are size 11-12, and they're in darn-near-new condition. The cool thing is, when the kid steps down, the buttons on Buzz's chest light up. And Mickey, too! Mickey Mouse in a car slippers, size 7-8, and like the Buzz Lightyear ones, when the kid takes a step, the headlights on Mickey's car light up. Very cute.

All of these things are up for sale or swap. I'm interested in Paypal, all kinds of sock yarns (Lorna's, CTH, Mountain Colors, STR, etc. etc), dpn cases (my sewing skills still aren't up to par yet), sock bags, gift cards, natural fibers, knitting books, whatever! Drop a line in the comments here, or over at the boards, and help me clear up some storage space for my trip to Stitches!!

I am so very blessed

Y'know, I have no idea what cosmic good I've done to deserve my lot in life, but it must have been spectacular. I have the BEST swap pals right now!! Y'all know I'm in the One Skein swap, and this is the first time the organizers have done anything like this. I'm really hoping they decide to do another one over the fall/winter season, because I'm having a blast! My downstream girl is absolutely adorable, and just so much fun to shop for, and my upstream is wonderfully generous & has fabulous taste! I recently received the July box from her, and oooh my! She chose sock yarn (and heavens, how I do loves me some sock yarn) in a beautiful green/blue/purple colourway. I'd tell you the name of the maker, but it's really German, and I don't know if I'd be copying the name of the company, or simply the german words for "sock yarn". It's beautiful, though, and even comes with a really generous skein of matching reinforcement thread! Not only that, but she also sent along a Chibi, which I've been wanting for quite some time (how did you know?). It's a clear case, with blue caps, and it's perfect to toss in the pocket of my knitting bag. Thanks so much, One Skein Honey!! You rock!

I'm also really enjoying my time in the Blogosphere SP8. It's absolutely HUGE, and just way too much fun! There's about a million people involved, so it's really fun to go blogstalking & see who else is playing too. My downstream is really interesting here too, and again, it's just *so* much fun to shop for people! My upstream, though...oh my. My upstream has this weird mind-reading thing going on, and I absolutely worship at her feet. She's got a real gift for choosing the *perfect* things, and she's totally topped herself this time. I've been wanting to learn to spin for some time now, pretty much since I started knitting. I've always loved the idea of a spinning wheel, especially the classic ones that you see in museums, but I *know* that even if I could afford to buy such a thing, I'd never be able to keep it in my home! Space is soooo at a premium around here. I live in a small two bedroom apartment with my cat, two boys, all their billions of toys (omg, the legos!!), my beloved husband, and his DRUMS. There's very few musical instruments that use up more space. Fully half of what would actually be a fairly generous living room is taken up by my sweetie's drums & electronics & random gear. Long story short, there's zero room for a spinning wheel, and I don't expect to be able to get one for at least five to ten years or so. I've been eyeballing drop spindles, though I'm pretty clueless yet about the pros & cons of each. Anyway, I open up the mailbox the other day, and omg!!! The most beautiful drop spindle EVER, custom painted for ME!! My all-time favorite flower is painted on the whorl, and wow, you can almost smell the lilacs. And, it even came with some beautiful wool roving started on it, spun into the finest laceweight. I'm sure I'll goober it up when I start to spin it, but no biggie, beginners always start sorta sloppy. I'm just SO excited about this!!! Having a spindle just opens up sooo many possibilities, and I'm incredibly fortunate to live within reasonable driving distance of The Fold, which is a spinner's wet dream. I blame that store for really making me want to spin...she has these huge sacks full of rovings of all kinds, and you can stick your hand in & grope them to your hearts content. The alpaca roving is so soft it kills me, and omg, the Blue Moon Fiber Arts roving has the most incredible colors!! Of course, I'll be starting with less amazing wools, because I want to be *worthy* of the really fine stuff before I go winding it into a wad, but someday, I *will* be skilled enough to make beautiful yarns out of that stuff. Thank you thank you thank you, SP8!!! I'm just so excited about all the incredible options that are open to me now, and I can't wait to get started!

*Wanders off to roll in fiber-induced bliss coma...*

I is for Infuriating

Also irritating & inconceivable. So y'all know I've been working on this pair of socks for Eldest Boy forever now. I'd finished sock #1, and Eldest Boy *loved* it. I'd gotten all the way to the toe decreases on sock #2 when something really didn't seem right...it seems I'd managed to foob up the sock all the way back at the freaking gussets. I was SO pissed. The pattern was written for four needles, but I'm definitely a five needle girl, so when I went to place the markers next to the heel flap, I clearly didn't pay enough attention. The gusset was off by a full INCH.
You can see where I've sewn a lifeline, and how the gusset mistakenly starts about seven or eight stitches away from the heel flap. Oy freakin vey! *That* is how close I was to finishing when I figured it out. Considering how bloody long it took me to get there, I was less than amused, to say the least. Here we have the lovely Tipsy, modeling the frogged sock with yarn ramen. She even looks as pissed about the whole thing as I am. She's a great cat. This was my first experience with sewing in a lifeline, and I have to say, I LOVE the thing!! Good lord, how screwed would I have been without it?? I'm afraid to contemplate. Fortunately, though, both socks are now completed, and Eldest Boy is quite pleased.

The rugrat in question modeling the socks. Note the slight bagginess around the ankles...yes, I did make them a little large, partly because it's flaming hot here right now, and I expect his feets will grow a bit by winter, when he'll want to wear them. The bagginess, however, I think is due to him having the skinniest legs ever. He's a very stringy, narrow little boy, and lordy, that makes buying pants for him tricky! Whenever I find a pair that are the right length, they're so wide around the waist that he can't keep 'em up. This is why I love summer...I can just put him in little bitty shorts, and not worry about the length. Anyway, he's thrilled to pieces that the socks are done, and now Boy the Younger is beginning to make noise about when *he'll* get socks, too. I just love children who openly encourage the knitting habit.

As for now, I'm working on my Very First Toe-Up sock, using Plymouth Sockotta (neato blue color), my kickass brand new KnitPicks dpns, and the pattern in Wendy Knits. I've just gotten past the toe on the first one, and so far, I'm loving the yarn & the fabric it creates, I'm LOVING the needles, and I'm learning to like the pattern. I really really like the idea of toe-up, especially for sizing & fit & maximum yarn usage, but holy cow, picking up wrapped stitches (especially with this yarn!) is tricksy! I'm hoping it'll feel easier on sock #2, which I'll probably cast on today. I also cast on for my husband's huge cabled sweater the other day. This thing may take all year...my beloved is a big man, 6'3", and he wants it in black (of course) with a grey stripe, so not only will it take forever to knit, but I'll need perfect lighting to do it, lest I go blind from the blackness of it. Granted, it will certainly look good on him, but oy...it's hard to see black stitches unless you've got surgical lamps over your shoulder! I'm using Wool of the Andes, because frankly, a sweater big enough to fit my sweetie would cost a bloody fortune if I used anything pricier.

And speaking of KnitPicks again, have you SEEN their new yarns?! Oooooh, I'm excited! I love the idea of a WotA Bulky...chunky sweaters in the winter just seem so cozy. The Swish Superwash is nice to have, too, for kid sweaters & such. And, most interesting, imo...the Gloss sock yarn!! A merino/silk blend (!!) in the most beautiful colors...I simply *have* to get my hands on some of that soon! Of course, all yarn shopping has been put on hold for me until Stitches. Bummer, yes, but I really want to save my pennies for the major haul that day. Yay!

I'm a swap ho

Whee! More swap fun! The latest in my growing series of swaps is the Favourite Colour Swap, generously hosted by Nichole. I'm having minor issues in the whole joining-of-the-blog thing, but it'll get sorted out sooner or later, I'm sure. In the meantime, here's the 'ol questionnaire...

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

1. What are your top three favorite colors?

Oooh, greens (especially olive & earth toned greens...purty! But no neon or lime...they make me look like I've been dead for three days), reds, & blues. I like deep, rich colors...pastels are nice, but not my favorite. I have very yellow-olive skin, so yellow or orange tones don't work on me well...warm colors look fabulous though (think red with a hint of brown). Ooh, or maybe warm neutrals...like warm shades of brown--chocolate & coffee & camel & all kinds of things that start with c. I recently received some cream & camel colored alpaca in a trade that are just lovely! Overall, earth/warm tones are best. I'm pretty darn easy to please, though. It doesn't take much to thrill me.

2. What crafts do you really enjoy?

Knitting!!! I also crochet, though nowhere near as much since I discovered knitting. I also like cross-stitch (though I'm sort of particular about the patterns...my favorites are old samplers, especially historical ones), embroidery, a bit of sewing (I'm *really* new to it, but I'm learning!), and a little bit of paper crafts (mail art & the like). Mostly though, I adore knitting.

3. What products do you really covet?

Oh my...sock yarn is my most dearly beloved these days! Aija keeps talking about these gorgeous ebony needles that are made of reclaimed musical instruments, and that is just incredibly intriguing. I love pretty much all natural fibers, most notably merino, silk, & alpaca. Yum. I'd really really like a nice needle case--especially one with lots of pockets for the billions of circulars I have. I've been wanting to figure out how to make a dpn case for myself for a while, but since the sewing thing moves rather slowly around here, I'd certainly be happy to have one that I didn't make myself (besides, I kind of want to see a nice one, so I can try to deconstruct it in my head & figure out how to make my own!). But yeah, mostly sock yarn...all kinds, all colors. Socks That Rock, Mountain Colors Bearfoot, Koigu, Lorna's Laces, Cherry Tree Hill...they're all my soft, fluffy little friends. Good lord, I sound warped.

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?

I love to cook & bake, I'm a rabid book addict, I really love being outside-whether it's hiking, mountain biking, or just plopped in a chair in the park (knitting, natch), just being outside amongst green living things thrills me. I'm a farm girl, born & bred, and this apartment life is HARD.

5. Is there anything you collect?

Um, sock yarn? Heh. I collect books--knitting books, certainly, cookbooks, and I really like mysteries-especially the cozy mysteries that run in a series. Yeah, they're fairly light & fluffy, but that's half the appeal. I collect antique photographs--the older, the better. I really really covet the ones that aren't posed, but they're hard to come by. I also collect antiques, anything from the first half of the century or older is wonderful. I generally only spend money on things that are still useful, but I've been known to buy things simply because they're pretty and/or they call to me.

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol?

Um, I'm a Virgo, and I'm pretty sure I was born in the year of the horse, but I don't honestly put much stock into such things.

7.What are your favorite……

scents/smells?… I like fresh, green scents for personal fragrance (soap & body care), and also cinnamon-y, Christmassy fragrances (if we're talking candles & room scenting). I wear Vera Wang Sheer Veil, DKNY Be Delicious (STUPID name, really great fragrance), and Calvin Klein's Euphoria.
types of music and/or bands?…Old jazz!! I LOVE the music from the 20s & 30s, and the big band/swing of the 40s. I also like the brit bands of the 80s & 90s, like Depeche Mode, Information Society, Tears for Fears, The Smiths, etc. Actually, I like most anything, but those are my favorites.
authors?…Well, I like fluffy mystery novels, so Diane Mott Davidson, Tamar Myers, Ayelet Waldman, that sort of thing. I also really like Stephen King, Ann Rule, David McCullough, and just about anybody who can write about history, and still be interesting & maybe a little funny. I LOVE history (non-fiction, not historical novels). The only thing I really don't like is romance.
animals?…I'm a Crazy Cat Lady, without a doubt. I'm also fond of dogs & horses (my mom's a trainer, and I was heavily into horses when I was younger), but cats are my favorites by far. Especially my own demented feline.
places to shop?…Yarn stores!! Also bookstores, Amazon.com, that sort of thing. Good antique shops are soooo fun to poke around in, though I only buy once in a great while.
season?…Summer/spring. I love the renewal, the fresh warm breezes, and the way everything is so green.
yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies?…Oh lordy...sock yarn is my favorite! Like I mentioned above, Socks that Rock, Lorna's Laces, Cherry Tree Hill, Koigu, Mountain Colors...they're *all* my favorites. I'm awfully fond of natural fibers, but it's also nice when there's a little nylon or something in certain yarns, to keep them from wearing out quite so quickly.
candies or goodies? . . . Oooh, hard one. I'm a chocolate addict, but it's virtually impossible to ship chocolate this time of year. I like an awful lot of junk food...I've got a serious sweet tooth. There's very little that I *don't* like!

8. Do you have any wish lists?

Yep, on Amazon.com. I used to have one on KnitPicks, but they've since done away with that option, which is a bummer.

9. Are you allergic to anything?

Chlorophyll, if you can imagine. It's the stuff that makes grass & plants green, so it's pretty much EVERYWHERE. It's not a respiratory allergy, but a skin one, so when I come into contact with grass (or whatever), my elbows & knees break out. It's itchy as heck, and a little bit weird looking, but frankly, I just ignore it. I'd much rather be a little itchy than not sit on the lawn! Oh, I'm not exactly allergic to cigarette smoke, but I'm an ex-smoker, and I HATE the smell now!

10. Do you have any pets? What are they?

My beloved Crazy Kitty, Tipsy. Um, her picture is all over this blog, so I'm sure you know what she looks like by now. She's my shelter baby, and we've had her for about a year & a half. She is truly the most wonderful, patient, gorgeous cat I've ever had the privledge of knowing. And she's completely off her rocker, which is a great bonus.

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy.

Gee, I dunno...I'm drawing a blank! I'm a stay-at-home homeschooling mom, I'm married to an incredible man (who is also an incredible musician...there are drums everywhere in my house!), I adore my demented kitty, I LOVE to knit, crochet, cross stitch, embroider, a little bit of sewing, read, write a little, cook, bake, dream about my someday house, I love history, especially anything from the first half of the century, Prohibition & the Depression intrigue me to no end, and I have a really warped sense of humour. I can't really think of much else right now, but if I do, I'll be sure to let y'all know!

I'm a boring sort

Life experiences meme courtesy of JenLa...


Life Experiences Meme
Bold = experiences I've had
1. Bought everyone in the bar (pub) a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said 'I love you' and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music (I help my husband sometimes...does that count?)
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived (not an illness, but an injury)
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours (well, I WAS a teenager, after all)
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

FYSS, part deux

And again, we try...

Ooookay, so it seems we have a four-pics-per-post rule on this particular blog. Alrighty then. Anyway, to continue with the Flash Your Sock Stash, here we have the most recent aquisition, four (!!) skeins of Mountain Colors Bearfoot, colorways Moose Creek, Yellowstone, Red Tail Hawk, and Wilderness. I can't tell you how much I adore the Mountain Colors colorways...they're just so me! And sooooft, too. These were all on sale at The Fold, which helped the whole spending money thing tremendously. I'm hoping to not buy anything else, though, until Stitches, at which time I plan to go completely apeshit with the shopping & the stash enhancement. After all, I've only been saving & waiting for this event for eight freaking months, by the time it happens, and that's pretty much my whole knitting life, so there. I'm such a pathetic schlub, I even printed out a copy of the floorplan & highlighted my most important shops to hit. Heh.

Because honestly...doesn't this yarn need more friends to keep it company??

Flash Your Sock Stash!

Oooh baby...

First off, we have some Regia 4 Ply, can't remember the name of the color...Patch Antik or something like that. Next to it is a skein of that weird Austermann Step, the yarn "mit Jojoba und Aloe" built in to soften your hands as you knit. I'm really curious to try it out, but I'm waiting until winter, when my hands will benefit the most. Next to that is another skein of Regia 4 Ply, again in a color I can't remember, and yet another of same, in yet another nameless color. I'm not *usually* quite so brainless, I swear! Below those, we have four skeins of KnitPicks Sock Garden in the Hollyberry colorway, and two skeins of Ruby Red Wildfoote. Here we have two skeins of KnitPicks Essentials in Cocoa, two in Fawn, and three skeins of Nature Spun to make two pairs of socks with contrasting heels and toes (or at least I will, as soon as I figure out how). Below those, there's two skeins of KP Dancing Two Step (to be sockies for my Ma), two skeins of KP Parade Forest, and two more skeins Regia 4 Ply...I believe it's called Sand. Or something like that. Now we begin to get into the really pretty stuff, the prized bits of my collection...the handpaints. Lordy, how I do love the handpaints! First up are two skeins of KP Landscapes in Cape Cod (a very Eddie Bauer colorway, imo), two Landscapes in Mesa, which I think is just purty (and I've got a third skein just waiting to become fingerless mitts, too...how very matchy-poo of me), two skeins of Koigu in God only knows what colorway (but it's purty!), and two lovely skeins of Lorna's Laces in Blackwatch. The first two skeins are from my much-adored SP8! They're the incredibly soft Sheldridge Farms yarn, and I'm (again) not sure of the colorway name. I call 'em Atlantic Tide Pool, but that's jus' me. Next is Lorna's Laces Gold Hill...not my usual color scheme, but I love it anyway, and am pleased to try something new. Beyond that, I have four skeins of Cherry Tree Hill Possum, which has been discontinued, which is a bummer, because it's really quite soft & nice, if a bit hairy. It grosses the living heck out of my mother, who thinks all possums are like American possums, and wants to whack 'em with a shovel just on principle. Here we have some loooovely Mountain Colors Bearfoot, Rosehip on the top, and Sierra underneath it. Aren't they gorgeous?? Below that is my one lonely little skein of Socks That Rock, colorway Sapphire. My STR definitely needs some friends, don't you think? I'm really looking forward to finding some new friends for it at Stitches this August. Specifically, Sapphire's good buddies Emerald City & Ruby, among many, many others. Heh. Below Sapphire is Cherry Tree Hill Potluck Blues/Purples. It's a lot more purple in real life, but I love it anyway. Below that is Fleece Artist nameless pretty blue sock yarn. It even comes with a pattern on the band...how cool is that? In the second column, we have three random skeins of Cascade Fixation. I'm not sure if I'll actually make socks out of this. I originally bought it to make a Ben & Jerry's cozy for my mom, and maybe a couple others (I believe I got it all on sale). The stretchyness really threw me off...maybe I'll try to make socks out of it later, when I'm a bit more skilled. Below the Fixation lies my sock-yarn-that-shall-become-fingerless-mitts stash...KP Garden Daffodil, KP Garden Hollyberry (Christmas mitts!! heehee), KP Sock Memories Fly Fishing, and KP Landscape New England Foliage. The last one isn't a favorite of mine, so feel free to offer a trade, folks.

There are, in fact, two more pictures yet to post. They refuse to post here, however, so we'll have to try again in a *new* post. Ask me how I feel about this non-posting of the pictures, I dare you.

In a funk

Not of the George Clinton variety, however. I've just been terribly down lately, and I'm getting tired of it. I'm one of those people who is totally understanding when others have this problem, but I have absolutely no patience for my own frailties. Bleah. The dishes haven't been done, the laundry is piling up, there are tumbleweeds in the corners in the kitchen, I haven't baked anything in ages, and I'm tired all the time. Food doesn't even taste right, which is really irritating. I've been skipping meals, though not necessarily on purpose, because nothing sounds good, and when I do make myself eat something, nothing tastes good either. One would hope that this would help me on the whole weight loss thing, which would be a major bonus & darn near worth the crappy attitude, but sadly, it's not to be. I even blew off cleaning the cat box for nearly a week, and let me tell you just how dangerous THAT can be. It's like a kitty version of Russian Roulette. (Gotta love my Stripes, though...she never did a thing to chastise me for it. Or at least if she did, she hid it so well that I still haven't found it yet...eeg...)

Anyway, suffice to say that I'm not feeling myself lately, and I'm fed up with it. In perkier news, however, my much adored SP8 sent the most lovely thinking-of-you gift a while back--a cute little notebook (I truly do have a weakness for such things, which would make a bit more sense if I wrote more, but hey, we cannot control our loves) & an awesome lotion bar in a tin. The lotion bar is wonderful--it smells incredible, and is the *perfect* size for popping into my knitting bag. I tend to have dry skin, especially if I've been working a lot, and I hate the way my hands feel on my knitting when they get that way. A couple rubs with this lotion bar, and I'm good to go! Thanks so much, SP8!! Oh yeah, and she also sent a kickass postcard that says "Friends Don't Let Friends Knit Drunk". Major wisdom right there, my friends. I *have* knit while drinking (though never fully drunk...I don't drink enough to get that far), and lemme tell ya, the stitches, they do get wonky.

And speaking of drinking, and my lovely SP8, I hereby present the very simple, yet damn tasty, aforementioned Apple Martini recipe. Shake equal parts green apple vodka & green apple Pucker (stupid name, tasty liquor) with a splash of Sweet & Sour mix & cracked ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into giant freaking martini glass, add a maraschino cherry, sip, and holler "dayum, that's good likker!". Or, of course, you could always just be like my not-so-much-a-drinker-yet-still-Irish husband & forego the booze & just eat the stupid cherries. He's a little weird sometimes.

Before I go attempt to tackle the huge pile o' laundry, monster stack of dishes, and vacuum up an entire colony of dustbunnies, I leave you with this parting shot. We've been getting a ton of rain around here, which seems like a pain in the arse, until you remember that last year at this time we were dealing with such an awful drought that half our farmers couldn't even break even for the year (and then you sorta shut up & qwitcherbitchin). It's really slowed down the playground time for the boys, and the lack of sunshine is hard on me, but sometimes, it's all worth it in the end.... Well, there WAS going to be a pretty shot of the view from my living room window, with stormy clouds & gorgeous lighting & a pretty rainbow, but NO, Blogger REFUSES to freaking post it! Omg, I'm really getting irritated with this! I try to upload the picture, and it even goes so far as to show me the blue "done" button, but no picture ever appears!! Grrrrrrrrrr!!!

Stitch markers for swap, part two

A couple more photos of stitch markers available... (For more information on the swapping of the stitch markers, refer to the original post down below this one.)

Top row, starting at the left--These first two are honey/topaz colored sets, very warm & pretty. The next two are very much like the amber/tiger's eye sets in the previous post. The fifth set in the top row is a mix of translucent & opaque blues--very nice! The second row begins with two colorful sets that remind me of aliens. The beads have tiny little bumps on them--very cute, but rather alien-y. Or maybe I'm just weird. The middle set in the second row is light blue & pink, variegated like polished gemstones. Next is a pretty blue set with tiny silver accents, and the last set is a red, blue & green & crystal set with beautiful swirls of colorswapped. In the bottom row, we have first another colorful alien set, then a GORGEOUS pink/crystal set (the large bottom beads have tiny roses painted inside them--how cool is that?!), and finally threetwo colorful sets with a sparkly gold accent swirl. The top two rows of this picture are the bottom two rows of the last. The bottom row here starts with a green/crystal set with blue accents. Next is a pretty translucent blue set swapped, then a pink/opaque crystal set, another lovely blue set with blue flowers & butterflies, and finally a green/crystal set with red accents. The first & last ones are personal favorites of Eldest Boy, who picked the beads out himself.

Let the swapping begin!

Rubber kitty not included.

Stitch markers for swap!

Up for swap--billions and billions of stitch markers! I started making a set or two for my secret pals, and then I figured I oughta use up the leftovers, and then things really got out of hand. Heh. These are all hand crafted by moi, and each set has five stitch markers included. Each set is unique, uses only glass beads (don't much care for plastic), and each set is valued at roughly $10 (US currency, and I honestly have no clue what that's worth anywhere else in the world). Some sets are identical, some are fraternal, and some even have one that's just different enough from the others to be a great end-of-round marker. Each set also comes packaged in a cute little organza drawstring bag (not pictured). And, because I'm cool like that, I'm more than happy to ship directly to your Secret Pal, with a note in the package & everything. Yay!

I'd love to swap for all kinds of yarn, especially sock yarns (Socks That Rock, Lorna's Laces, Mountain Colors, Koigu KPPPM, etc. etc.), knitting books, or make a suggestion! Just leave a comment & we'll see what we can do! First come first served, of course, since each set is unique. I'll do my best to update this post regularly, too.

And on to the sparkly little jewels themselves...


From left to right, top to bottom--The top four are very similar sets, and I really wish my camera could show you just how beautiful they are! These are probably my favorites, as they're a very warm, amber/tiger's eye color, and have tiny flecks of gold & green in them. Just beautiful! The second row starts with a funky multicolored set, followed by a sparkly pink set, a pink/crystal/purple set swapped, and a pink/crystal set with tiny silver flowers. The bottom row has two sets of very bright, happy stitch markers, with neato little polka dots all over. Up next, we have a gorgeous blue & bottle green set, with gold embellishments (the beads are beautifully painted with gold swirlys & tiny pink accents--just beautiful!), a cobalt blue set, and two more amber/tiger's eye sets. Second row holds a lovely red/crystal set, a stunning red/white/black set, and two very colorful sets that remind me of fruity frozen cocktails. Bottom row starts with two colorful sets with tiny silver butterflies, and two pretty dark red/silvery black (like malachite) sets. The top two rows of this photo are the bottom two rows of the last, but the bottom row starts out with a pretty purple/crystal set with tiny silver dragonflies, a purple set, and then two more of the dark red/malachite sets.

I survived my HS reunion, and all I got was this kickass knitted shirt

So I made it through my high school reunion! It was the most surreal night ever...all these people I'd grown up with, but hadn't seen in a decade. They all looked like grownups, for the most part, and that was really bizarre. Most everyone is doing pretty darn well for themselves, which is good to hear, though it was sad to note just how many people have been divorced already.

I'm glad I went...all horrible nervousness aside, I'm glad I got the opportunity to see what everyone's been up to, and to show them all that I didn't go & self-destruct or anything weird like that. It was also good to realize how much *I've* grown up since then, too. I've put on a large amount of weight, which is especially awkward because I was always the really skinny one, and while I don't look bad or anything, I do feel pretty unhappy about it. I'm also really short, so the weight doesn't get distributed nearly as well as on taller people. I have to admit, for a time there I was feeling like the squat little troll next to everyone, but I'm glad that I was able to shake that off, more or less. It was also hard going in there without a fabulous career. Several of my friends are doing incredible things, and are really successful in their respective careers, and I am SO happy for them for that! Unfortunately, saying "yeah, I'm a mom" doesn't get quite the wow effect that most jobs get. It was interesting to see what others expected of me, too. One guy was absolutely certain I'd be a vet by now! I have to admit, that's really flattering, in a weird sort of way.

It's good to know that I have done a few things right since high school. I've got two adorable, frightfully intelligent little boys, and I've got the ability & skill to homeschool the little weasels. I've got a gorgeous husband who truly loves me (and it's painfully obvious to anyone around that he does...which is SO cool!), a successful marriage, and a happy home life. I can pretty much guarantee that if I did have the cool career, these are the things that I'd be longing for & wishing I had. The grass is always greener, eh?

I am bummed that I missed out on meeting Aidan at the World Wide Knit In Public Day in Chicago, though. Personally, I love to knit in public, and do it as often as I can. You can elicit some really strange looks from people that way. Most recently, I knit at a vintage baseball game, in the rain, no less (fortunately, we were under a park shelter, so my sock didn't get wet, but it sure was humid! Made the needles feel sticky.). I figured since they're playing by 1859 rules & everyone's in (semi) period attire, me & my sock knitting should fit in just fine. Eldest Boy was pleased, too, because it's *his* sock that I'm working on right now. I promised myself that I'd finish his socks (top down, basic stockinette with heel flap) before I'd allow myself to cast on any more socks and/or boy items. I've actually had these socks on the needles for a month or two now, and I feel awful for it. I don't generally mind letting a WIP languish, except that he's so excited about them, and gets these big hopeful eyes every time I sit down to knit. I'm determined to finish them this week, mostly so I can make him happy, but also so I can cast on a couple more pairs of socks. I'm such a junkie. Anyway, I'm dying to try Wendy's Toe Up socks, from Wendy Knits, and I'm also just giddy with excitement over receiving Sensational Knitted Socks, and can't WAIT to pick a pair to work on from there. There's literally hundreds of options, once you take into account all the pattern variations, and the fact that she works each pattern on 4 dpns, 5 dpns, AND 2 circs. I mean, dayum! How can I choose??

I'd also like to cast on for a boy sweater sometime soon, too. I've got everything I need, but again, I promised myself I'd finish the socks first. I like to have a nice variety of things on the needles, so I can work on complicated things when I've got time, and simpler things when I'm watching a really interesting movie, etc. I've got the pattern all picked out--just a very simple rollneck sweater, but one that promises to look really cute on my weasels. My only concern is even if I make it huge right now, will they have grown out of it already by fall? They're such stretchy little people...Boy the Younger has recently had a bizarre arm growing incident that has me thoroughly baffled. He tried on a long sleeved shirt from last fall, and while the body of the shirt fits just fine, the sleeves are about 3/4 of the length down his arms now. HOW can just his arms grow?? He doesn't look like a disproportionate gorilla or anything...what the heck happened there?! I know the shirt didn't shrink somehow, either, because we tried on three or four, all with the same effect. Sheesh. So yeah, I'm a bit nervous about knitting sweaters for those two.

Speaking of knitting shirt-like garments, I did finish my Picovoli!! I didn't get to wear it to the reunion, but that's okay, because it was surprisingly cold & rainy that day. It's not yet blocked, but it is finished otherwise. Blocking will involve setting up my ironing board in my kitchen, which is a big 'ol in-my-way pain in the rear, so I've been sort of putting it off a bit. I really do want to get on that, though, so I can wear the darn thing in public. It's SO snug right now! I've heard good things about blocking this particular shirt, though, so I'm hopeful. Sadly, I'm completely picture-less today, but I hope to remedy that soon.

Other things that I need to take pictures of--my One Skein Secret Pal sent me the most GORGEOUS skein of Malabrigo!!! The color is called Hollyhock, and it's absolutely beautiful...shades of violet & purple that almost glow. I'm going to have a tough time deciding what to make with it. I suspect I'll spend a good deal of time just petting it for a while. Malabrigo is just the softest thing EVER, imo. Thanks, OSH!!!