Our SP10 Hostess is having a contest, and wants us all to blog about our favorite knitting accessory. This has been a really hard post for me to do, I've been thinking about this for almost 2 weeks. The truth is, I have tons of knitting accessories, but don't have a fave ... I have a WONDERFUL knitting needle case for DPNs that my International Tote Swap pal, Cheryl, sent me. I really like that a lot :) It keeps all my DPNs organized into little sections. I have some beautiful handmade stitch markers that The Uber-Talented Jenn made me, as well as those funky lime and violet rubber markers and those peach and aqua moveable markers. I have needle gauges, scissors, blocking pins, all sorts of knitting accoutrement ...
But I have to say that my absolute favorite "knitting accessory" is my computer. I know that most people don't think of it as a knitting accessory, but I use it for most of the things I knit. When I want a cool pattern, or some cool yarn that I cannot find in any of the many yarn shops I visit, I can always find it online. When I find a pattern, and there is a technique that I have not used, and need some help in figuring it out, I check the internets. Amazing what you can find on those internets, isn't it?? If I am still stumped, I zip off an e-mail to one of my wonderful knitting friends. When I need a little lift, I can always count on the many talented knitters out there and their blogs. When no part of my tri-focals will read a chart, there is always the trusty scanner/copier/printer and the enlarge button :) When I want to share my latest project, I snap a few digi-pics, and upload them to the computer for posting.
One of my favorite songs has the lyric "This old guitar gave me my life, my living, all the things I love to do ... "** It might sound silly, or geeky, but my computer has given me so many of the things I love to do - TRHM (we met online), all kinds of knitty goodness (and all my other crafts, too!), and all of my wonderful knitty friends! I have been blessed to meet some really wonderful people through blogging and all of the knitting groups, KALs and swaps I enjoy! So I have to say that the computer is definitely my favorite knitting accessory!
** Do you know the reference? If you can name the artist and the title of the song, post a comment. I'll put all of the correct answers into a hat, and TRHM will draw a name for a copy of The Yarn Harlot's latest book - The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Purse Swap
I have finally gathered all of the perfect materials for my Purse Swap project. I have found a stitch pattern that I like, and designed a purse using it. This fabric will be the inner lining, and there will be pockets and a zipper compartment. I think it might turn out to be my best FO ever!
Vicarious Yarn Shopping
Jenn requested that I share photos of the goodies I picked up on my vacation, so this morning, I did a little photoshoot on my dining room table.
The first shop I went to was KnitWitz. There were two ladies knitting, and a little boy, about 9, in the shop. The little fella was home sick from school, sort of. He had broken his arm, and was having a rough day, so he went to work at the knitting shop with his Mom. One of the things I really liked about this shop was the play area they had for kids. A lot of shops have a basket of toys, mostly for toddlers, but this shop had a good sized play area, with two of those low to the ground video-game raocker chairs, a cozy plush rug, and a TV with a VCR. It was tucked away in the corner so that the kids could have thier own space while still being supervised. They could watch a video (Star Wars was the flick du jour that day), and lounge. There were also knitting needles and yarn for those kids who are interested in giving it a go.
The shop had a nice selection of yarn and patterns. There were baboos, mohairs and silks along one wall, a cabinet full of baby yarn, and another wall of merinos, alpacas, and wool. I started chatting with one of the ladies who was working on socks. She expressed a concern that the toe would be too pointey for her because her foot is square. I told her that was the best thing about knitting your own socks, you can make the toe fit your foot! I saw the lightbulb come on as she realized that she didn't have to follow the pattern exactly! It was really fun! Well, at this shop, I got some baby yarn, and the perfect yarn for an exchange I am doing. I bought 2 skeinseach of Sirdar Tiny Tots in baby blue with dark blue and white pips, Plymouth Dream Baby in blue white and yellow, Wendy Velvet Touch in pink, white and spring green, and Wildfoote sock yarn. I also got 4 skeins of bamboo in a dark lime green.
I got this great pattern for a tube top made from 2 skeins of Cascade Fixation and the yarn to make it. Of course, this is not a pattern for me, but something for someone else.
These patterns are for me. Yet another sweater that I will probably never get to, LOL, and a pair of socks. They had this adorable scarf pin, and I just had to have it because it has a ladybug on it :)
This little fella was too cute to pass up! He is made from real alpaca, and although it looks like hide with fur, I have been assured that is not the case.
The second shop was A Stitch In Time. As I entered the shop, I realized that I had been here several years ago, before I learned to knit. They have a huge selection of counted-cross-stitch and needlepoint patterns, canvases, threads, wools and accessories in addition to an impressive yarn selection in the back. Even though the yarn section is very small, they manage to have lots of variety neatly organized and arranged. I purchased a cross-stitch pattern.
During our week in Orlando, I went to Sip & Knit. This was a very nice shop, with three large rooms filled with knitterly goodness! In addition to the three rooms, there were lots of accessories, buttons and bags in the foyer area near the cash register. Although I was tempted to buy all sorts of wonderful things, I was mindful of my commitment to Stash Along, and only purchased two skeins of Wildfoote sock yarn and two patterns. I really like these patterns - they are Danish patterns, and I don't often see European patterns in my LYS.
So I used my free day for March early on, then took a strike in Stash Along just a couple of days later. YIKES! I'd better stay out of the yarn shops for a while!
The first shop I went to was KnitWitz. There were two ladies knitting, and a little boy, about 9, in the shop. The little fella was home sick from school, sort of. He had broken his arm, and was having a rough day, so he went to work at the knitting shop with his Mom. One of the things I really liked about this shop was the play area they had for kids. A lot of shops have a basket of toys, mostly for toddlers, but this shop had a good sized play area, with two of those low to the ground video-game raocker chairs, a cozy plush rug, and a TV with a VCR. It was tucked away in the corner so that the kids could have thier own space while still being supervised. They could watch a video (Star Wars was the flick du jour that day), and lounge. There were also knitting needles and yarn for those kids who are interested in giving it a go.
The shop had a nice selection of yarn and patterns. There were baboos, mohairs and silks along one wall, a cabinet full of baby yarn, and another wall of merinos, alpacas, and wool. I started chatting with one of the ladies who was working on socks. She expressed a concern that the toe would be too pointey for her because her foot is square. I told her that was the best thing about knitting your own socks, you can make the toe fit your foot! I saw the lightbulb come on as she realized that she didn't have to follow the pattern exactly! It was really fun! Well, at this shop, I got some baby yarn, and the perfect yarn for an exchange I am doing. I bought 2 skeinseach of Sirdar Tiny Tots in baby blue with dark blue and white pips, Plymouth Dream Baby in blue white and yellow, Wendy Velvet Touch in pink, white and spring green, and Wildfoote sock yarn. I also got 4 skeins of bamboo in a dark lime green.
I got this great pattern for a tube top made from 2 skeins of Cascade Fixation and the yarn to make it. Of course, this is not a pattern for me, but something for someone else.
These patterns are for me. Yet another sweater that I will probably never get to, LOL, and a pair of socks. They had this adorable scarf pin, and I just had to have it because it has a ladybug on it :)
This little fella was too cute to pass up! He is made from real alpaca, and although it looks like hide with fur, I have been assured that is not the case.
The second shop was A Stitch In Time. As I entered the shop, I realized that I had been here several years ago, before I learned to knit. They have a huge selection of counted-cross-stitch and needlepoint patterns, canvases, threads, wools and accessories in addition to an impressive yarn selection in the back. Even though the yarn section is very small, they manage to have lots of variety neatly organized and arranged. I purchased a cross-stitch pattern.
During our week in Orlando, I went to Sip & Knit. This was a very nice shop, with three large rooms filled with knitterly goodness! In addition to the three rooms, there were lots of accessories, buttons and bags in the foyer area near the cash register. Although I was tempted to buy all sorts of wonderful things, I was mindful of my commitment to Stash Along, and only purchased two skeins of Wildfoote sock yarn and two patterns. I really like these patterns - they are Danish patterns, and I don't often see European patterns in my LYS.
So I used my free day for March early on, then took a strike in Stash Along just a couple of days later. YIKES! I'd better stay out of the yarn shops for a while!
Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jig!
I can't believe we have been home for almost a week. Well, I have. TRHM left for Colorado at Oh-God-Thirty Monday morning. He is at school learning to fix a new model of self-checkout lane.
We got home Saturday at lunchtime, and had a couple of errands to take care of, including a visit to the ER. As a retired service member, his "primary provider" is Maguire Air Force Base's medical clinic. Unfortunately, they do not have weekend hours, and it takes weeks to get an appointment. They do not have "walk-in" hours, and if you are sick and need to see a doctor right away, they tell him to go to the local ER. Nice. Your tax dollars hard at work ... errrrrrr... So, we headed off to our local ER, and waited for 2 hours. TRHM has a sinus infection. He was feeling crappy, and he was very cranky, having been in the car for the past 18 hours. The nurse practitioner who saw him was very sweet, and guess what? She is a knitter!! Yep, we talked about knitting, and I gave her my phone number and e-mail.
On Sunday, I did the laundry, ironed TRHM's shirts, and packed his suitcase for his trip. We got up in the middle of the night on Monday, and I took him to the airport. It has been a busy week without him! I took his youngest, Daniel, for a haircut on Monday, and to the Yu-Gi-Oh tournament at the local comic shop on Tuesday. I have been knitting away ... and frogging ... and will post progress pics later today.
We got home Saturday at lunchtime, and had a couple of errands to take care of, including a visit to the ER. As a retired service member, his "primary provider" is Maguire Air Force Base's medical clinic. Unfortunately, they do not have weekend hours, and it takes weeks to get an appointment. They do not have "walk-in" hours, and if you are sick and need to see a doctor right away, they tell him to go to the local ER. Nice. Your tax dollars hard at work ... errrrrrr... So, we headed off to our local ER, and waited for 2 hours. TRHM has a sinus infection. He was feeling crappy, and he was very cranky, having been in the car for the past 18 hours. The nurse practitioner who saw him was very sweet, and guess what? She is a knitter!! Yep, we talked about knitting, and I gave her my phone number and e-mail.
On Sunday, I did the laundry, ironed TRHM's shirts, and packed his suitcase for his trip. We got up in the middle of the night on Monday, and I took him to the airport. It has been a busy week without him! I took his youngest, Daniel, for a haircut on Monday, and to the Yu-Gi-Oh tournament at the local comic shop on Tuesday. I have been knitting away ... and frogging ... and will post progress pics later today.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Down Day
Day Three was a down day. We planned to do some shopping for the business, and some yarn shopping. It was a bit of a disappointment, we went to 5 comic shops, and only 1 had any furry material. But we did find a couple of books that we needed.
We also went to a lovely yarn shop called Sip & Knit. They had lots of wonderful fiber goodness! There were three rooms - the first room had all sorts of wonderful alpacas, merinos, and wools. The woman from the shop sat at the table knitting and chatting with TRHM while I shopped. He told her all about Sock Wars and the purse swaps I've done, and it was so fun to listen to him be enthusiastic about my knitting. The second room was filled with every imaginable felting yarn, and lots and lots of beautiful felted bags. The third room was mostly pattern books. They had the usual patterns, Fiber Trends, Oat Couture, Ann Norling, etc, but also binders filled with European patterns. I bought two Danish sweater patterns - one a beautiful lacy shell and the other was a pretty twin set. I also bought two skeins of yarn for someone else, so I don't think they should count in my Stash-Along ...
Epcot
Day two of our vacation - we all went to Epcot. We had a great time touring all of the countries, and had some terrific meals. Lunch was at The Marrekesh Cafe - complete with belly dancer. It was great fun!
We went to The Biergarten in Germany for dinner. The show was terrific, and the kids really enjoyed dancing to the Oom-Pa-Pa band. My sister and The Birthday Boy did the chicken dance.
He misses his birdies
TRHM feeds the birds at home every day. The first thing he does every morning is look out the window at the birdfeeders. He loves the birdies, and has been worried that they haven't had any food since we have been gone. Before we left, he filled all three feeders to the very top, and filled a bowl with seed, and put 1/2 a loaf of bread out for them.
Everywhere we go he shares his stash of chocolate chip cookies with the birds and ducks.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Vacation!
After the show, we headed down to Orlando for a vacation. The first day, TRHM and I went to Universal. We had a wonderful time, and went on all the attractions.
We walked through the retail/restaurant district called City Walk, and went right into the WRONG gate ... oops! We ended up in Islands of Adventure. It was really cool, we went through the Dr. Seuss-land through to the Neptune attraction. TRHM was really impressed with special effects, and we had a lot of fun. We came out of Neptune, and I was looking on the map for Amity and the Jaws ride, and couldn't find it. That is when I realized we were not actually in Universal Studios ... so we headed to Guest Relations at the main gate, and they were very accommodating. In fact, they said that it happens all the time, and another couple came in behind us with the same problem. We chatted with the fellow who was greeting people and directing them to the correct customer service lane, and he gave us some free Express Lane passes. Normally you can buy these "add-ons" (as if $65/person isn't enough and you need to spend more), and you can get into the Express Lane at the attractions. We went into Universal, and managed to get into all of the attractions. We had a great day, and ended with some time in the hot tub at the house.
Today is Epcot with my family. FUN!!
MegaPlex
This weekend was MegaPlex in Jacksonville. It was more like MiniPlex. There were very few attendees, and we were the only dealer. You would think that as the only dealer, we would do a landslide business. Not so. The website described this show as sci-fi, fantasy and anthro. Yeah, RIGHT! We had 16 feet of goodies, toys, rare action figures, Yu-Gi-Oh playing cards, all sorts of goodies. We were looking forward to selling some of this inventory, as we do not normally have an outlet for it. There was some interest, but no one was buying. Sales were very light and there was not much in the way of other activities.
One of the fun things about this weekend was that my sister and her kids arrived Saturday evening. The kids spent the night at the hotel with us. It was the first time they had ever seen "furries". They were well prepared, though. I gave them these plush half masks that I sell on the table, and they watched the fursuit parade.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
SP10
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I prefer natural fibers, but I do use a lot of acrylic baby yarn for my Preemie Project knitting. I'm not too big on novelty yarns, especially anything "furry".
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a wonderful tube needle case for my DPNs, and a binder/organizer for my circs. I usually store my straights in a large snowman mug on my dresser.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting for about 2 years. A co-worker made an amazing Fair Isle sweater, and she taught me. I also learn a lot of things by just trying them on my own. I would consider myself an adventurous intermediate knitter.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No.
5. What's your favorite scent?
I like vanilla and cinnamon scents, florals are nice but a lot of them make me sneeze.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Hand over the chocolate and no one will get hurt .... ;) The darker, the better :)
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I do lots of different needlecrafts - counted cross stitch, embroidery, sewing, crochet. I don't spin.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like lots of different music, but especially like blues and jazz. I listen to just about everything except heavy metal and rap/hip hop. Yes, I can play MP3s.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favorite colors are watery colors - blues greens and greys in all shades from pastels to bright vibrant colors. There really aren't any colors that I dislike.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
My kids are grown, and I live with my boyfriend. We don't have any pets, and are allergic to cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
It it is really really cold, I will wear a winter scarf, as long as it is not furry. I like wraps, but haven't worn a poncho since I was a kid in the late 60's.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks, socks, socks!! I always have a couple of pair OTN, and belong to a British sock club from Natural Dye Studios. I also like to knit baby items for charity.
13. What are you knitting right now?
3 pair of socks (for me)
Nantucket Jacket (for me)
baby sweater (for The Preemie Project)
burial wrap (for The Preemie Project)
hats (for a homeless shelter for teens)
a tote bag (for the International Tote Exchange 3)
a purse (for the Knitted Purse Swap 2)
Central Park Hoodie (for someone else - late Christmas present)
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
They are the best!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
It depends on the project. I like DPNs for socks, straights for baby items, and circs for larger items. Definately bamboo for the DPNs, metal for the circs. My straights are a combination.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Nope, I have TRHM to hold yarn for me and help me wind it into balls. He loves to do that, and felt a little put out when he was busy one night and I used the back of a chair. So much so that he stopped what he was doing and sat on the couch to hold the yarn for me.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
4 months - an overdue Christmas present
18. What is your favorite holiday?
That is a tough question - I would say it is a tie between Halloween and 4th of July. I love Halloween because it is the start of the holiday party season for me. Since I grew up on an Army base, I love 4th of July because we are all very patriotic in our family.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Ladybugs, and frogs, but only if they are NOT eating ladybugs ...
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I subscribe to Interweave Knits. I would love to have Early Arrivals 2 from Sirdar. I am always on the lookout for cool sock patterns (I have Sensational Knitted Socks, but would really love the second book), and sweet baby patterns. I wear a large size, so most patterns have to be altered.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I would like to learn Fair Isle knitting. I knit Continental, so I need to get better at English knitting so I can go on to Fair Isle.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I wear a size 9 1/2 shoe.
23. When is your birthday?
July 6th. Same day as my sister, but she is not my twin :)
I prefer natural fibers, but I do use a lot of acrylic baby yarn for my Preemie Project knitting. I'm not too big on novelty yarns, especially anything "furry".
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a wonderful tube needle case for my DPNs, and a binder/organizer for my circs. I usually store my straights in a large snowman mug on my dresser.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting for about 2 years. A co-worker made an amazing Fair Isle sweater, and she taught me. I also learn a lot of things by just trying them on my own. I would consider myself an adventurous intermediate knitter.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No.
5. What's your favorite scent?
I like vanilla and cinnamon scents, florals are nice but a lot of them make me sneeze.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Hand over the chocolate and no one will get hurt .... ;) The darker, the better :)
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I do lots of different needlecrafts - counted cross stitch, embroidery, sewing, crochet. I don't spin.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like lots of different music, but especially like blues and jazz. I listen to just about everything except heavy metal and rap/hip hop. Yes, I can play MP3s.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favorite colors are watery colors - blues greens and greys in all shades from pastels to bright vibrant colors. There really aren't any colors that I dislike.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
My kids are grown, and I live with my boyfriend. We don't have any pets, and are allergic to cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
It it is really really cold, I will wear a winter scarf, as long as it is not furry. I like wraps, but haven't worn a poncho since I was a kid in the late 60's.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks, socks, socks!! I always have a couple of pair OTN, and belong to a British sock club from Natural Dye Studios. I also like to knit baby items for charity.
13. What are you knitting right now?
3 pair of socks (for me)
Nantucket Jacket (for me)
baby sweater (for The Preemie Project)
burial wrap (for The Preemie Project)
hats (for a homeless shelter for teens)
a tote bag (for the International Tote Exchange 3)
a purse (for the Knitted Purse Swap 2)
Central Park Hoodie (for someone else - late Christmas present)
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
They are the best!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
It depends on the project. I like DPNs for socks, straights for baby items, and circs for larger items. Definately bamboo for the DPNs, metal for the circs. My straights are a combination.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Nope, I have TRHM to hold yarn for me and help me wind it into balls. He loves to do that, and felt a little put out when he was busy one night and I used the back of a chair. So much so that he stopped what he was doing and sat on the couch to hold the yarn for me.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
4 months - an overdue Christmas present
18. What is your favorite holiday?
That is a tough question - I would say it is a tie between Halloween and 4th of July. I love Halloween because it is the start of the holiday party season for me. Since I grew up on an Army base, I love 4th of July because we are all very patriotic in our family.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Ladybugs, and frogs, but only if they are NOT eating ladybugs ...
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I subscribe to Interweave Knits. I would love to have Early Arrivals 2 from Sirdar. I am always on the lookout for cool sock patterns (I have Sensational Knitted Socks, but would really love the second book), and sweet baby patterns. I wear a large size, so most patterns have to be altered.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I would like to learn Fair Isle knitting. I knit Continental, so I need to get better at English knitting so I can go on to Fair Isle.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I wear a size 9 1/2 shoe.
23. When is your birthday?
July 6th. Same day as my sister, but she is not my twin :)
Lint for Lent
I joined another KAL - Lint for Lent. The idea is that you commit to 30 minutes of charity knitting every day during the Lenten season. I normally do some charity knitting every week, and I made the commitment to knit a little more for others. I have three projects I am currently working on. These projects are also Stash-Along projects, so I am getting double the knitty goodness from them :)
The first project is a mint green baby sweater. I got the back finished, and one side of the front. But I don't like how the pattern is working out at the shoulders, so I am going to frog a couple of inches and try again.
The second project is a blue burial wrap for The Preemie Project. I haven't tried this pattern before, but it is really easy. I think they also call this Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth. You start at the corner, and increase one stitch on each side every other row with a YO, creating an eyelet edge. With this pattern, the square is worked, then a triangle is joined to the square by running ribbon through the eyelet edge. This forms a pouch for the baby and the sides are wrapped around. This one is almost finished. I just have a couple of inches to go on the triangle, then I need to put it all together.
The first project is a mint green baby sweater. I got the back finished, and one side of the front. But I don't like how the pattern is working out at the shoulders, so I am going to frog a couple of inches and try again.
The second project is a blue burial wrap for The Preemie Project. I haven't tried this pattern before, but it is really easy. I think they also call this Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth. You start at the corner, and increase one stitch on each side every other row with a YO, creating an eyelet edge. With this pattern, the square is worked, then a triangle is joined to the square by running ribbon through the eyelet edge. This forms a pouch for the baby and the sides are wrapped around. This one is almost finished. I just have a couple of inches to go on the triangle, then I need to put it all together.
The third project is hats for homeless teenagers in a group home in Atlantic City called Covenant House. I have several balls of miscellaneous yarn that I have accummulated - you know, that yarn you see in the yarn shop and just have to have a couple of balls of it ... The green hat is made from Cascade 220 in lime green (remember when this color was called "acid" green??), navy blue, and a lime/navy/teal varigated. The light blue-teal varigated hat is made with 50:50 wool and soy silk. It feels very soft, and I think it would make a great hat for a girl.
Monday, February 26, 2007
A whole boxful of Ladybug Goodness!!!
Sat afternoon, TRHM came in with a big box, "Hey, you have a package. It's a pretty big box, must be a LOT of yarn!" I opened it up, and it was my tote from my International Tote Exchange 3 partner!! I was so thrilled! I had seen a photo of the ladybug bag on Cheryl's website, and was coveting it madly! When I saw it, I was so jealous, because I had no clue that Cheryl was my secret swap partner, and someone else was getting a ladybug bag! Cheryl was so sneaky - she sent me e-mails anonymously, AND then she commented on my blog as Cheryl. Competely threw me off.
So - back to the goodies ... I opened the box and clutched the bag to my chest shrieking "It's mine!! It's mine!! The ladybug bag was for ME!!!!" TRHM just laughed. I pet it and hugged it, then dug into all the other goodies in the box. Let me tell you - this was a very full box!
There were lots of ladybug goodies - a package of ladybug buttons, a very cute notepad with a glittery ladybug on the cover and each sheet of paper with a clip to keep it from getting lost, and the cutest ladybug chocolates that came all the way from Ireland! Very very cute!
There were all sorts of awesome sock knitting goodies, too! A big fat cake of red and black yarn, a pattern for Circle of Friendship socks, and this really cool needle case to hold my DPNs. There was a roll of hightlighter tape - I've never seen that before. You can use it to keep track of where you are in the pattern, and it is removable.
There was also a skein of red Cascade 220 (how did you know I needed a skein of red, Cheryl??). I'm going to use it to make a red/yellow/blue beach bag. And a package of my favorite chocolate of all time - Lindt truffles. TRHM was amazed because I like Lindt truffles better than Godiva.
An extra special bookmark was included, too! It is a handcrafted beaded book thong with red raspberry beads and a heart at one end and an Eiffel Tower at the other end. It is absolutely precious, and I really do *heart* Paris and the Eiffel Tower. "Paris is always a good idea" - do you know the reference??
Cheryl, thank you so much for such a lovely box, my beautiful bag, and most of all, your great sense of humor and friendship. As wonderful as all of the goodies are, the best thing is a new friend :)
The Weekend in Atlanta
We had a wonderful trip to Atlanta to start our comic show season. It was our first year attending Furry Weekend Atlanta, and we had a great time!
One of the best fursuits there was The Pink Panther. He was really great! The fursuit fit him perfectly, and he had all the Pink Panther moves down. He posed for a picture with me in the Dealer's Room.
For all of you who know I am stashing-along. I did not buy any yarn :) I am so proud of myself!! I didn't even go look. I spent the weekend hanging out, chatting with the furries, and working on my knitting projects. Progress pics to come ...
This weekend, we are off to Jacksonville for MegaPlex, followed by a week long vacation in Orlando with my Dad, my sister and her family. We are celebrating my nephew's 7th birthday at Disney - what fun!
Sunday, February 11, 2007
International Tote Swap
Could this be coming your way? I am working on my tote for my International Tote Swap III pal. She has no idea who I am, and I am enjoying teasing her! Could it be you? Do these colors interest you? I think you will like them. I have the perfect handles for it, and I am on a mission to find the perfect lining. I completely dig this pattern - it is a really cool modular pattern, made of blocks that build on each other. Stay tuned for additional progress pics, and then the final unveiling.
Quilting weekend
On Thursday, instead of going to Knit Chicks, I took a machine quilting class at The Village Quilter. It was a wonderful class! The instructor was very knowledgeable, and I loved her "ignore the rules, do what works for you" attitude. I learned that adjusting the tension on my machine is key to attractive quilting. When she first mentioned adjusting the tension, I thought, "Oh no! I'm not touching that. If I touch the tension, Mom will be cranky and I will lose my sewing machine privileges! Uh-uh. Not me!" but I did it anyway! And guess what? She was right! Adjusting the tension was a snap, and the stitch quality improved quite a bit! So this weekend, I washed and ironed a bunch of fabric and got ready to start my quilts. I have a couple of floral twin-sized quilts planned for The Children's Fresh Air Home. They are local charity that provides 2 week vacations at the Jersey Shore for disadvantaged children. They have 60 beds in their home, and each bed has a handmade quilt on it. Some of the quilts are sorely in need of replacing, so I am going to make a couple of quilts for them.
Are you a pirate? Do you need a new blankie? I'm making this special quilt for a special person ... Aarrrrgggh!
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Shhhhh!! It's a SECRET!!
I was tagged by Cheryl for a MEME. I am supposed to tell 5 secrets that I have not revealed on my blog, then tag 5 other people. This is not an easy thing. Why, you ask? Well, because I AM A BLABBER-MOUTH!! Yep, that's right. Secrets are not generally safe with me, and more than one person has held up their hand and said "TMI!!" I've already blabbed most of my secrets all over the internets. So now, I have to think of 5 things that I haven't blabbed. Well, here goes:
Secret #1:
I was almost eaten by a dog when I was 4 years old. It was a dog I knew, and played with. He was eating a piece of meat, and saw me outside and decided I would make a tasty snack. I lowered my head and covered my face with my hands, so he got a good chunk of my hair and scalp. I had over 100 stitches on the top of my head, and wore a lovely white gauze turban for a while. Fortunately, this did not interfere with my hair growth. But every once in a while, a new hairdresser will feel the scar and exclaim "Oh my gosh! You have a huge scar on your head!!" To which, I usually reply "I do???? What are you talking about? I don't have a scar!"
Secret #2:
When I was 16, I wanted to go to seminary. I was very active in my church, and felt strongly about it. Every once in a while, I still feel regret that I did not do that, and contemplate doing it now. I am an Episcopalian, and we ordain women.
Secret #3:
I have a Master of Science in Chemistry (Stereospecific Organic Synthesis), and finished all of my coursework, but did not do my dissertation for my PhD in Environmental Policy Analysis. I am a total Chemistry geek, and have loved Chemistry since I was a little kid.
Secret #4:
When I was in elementary school, I skipped a grade. I finished one marking period of 2nd grade, and they moved me up to 3rd grade. Gifted programs have come a long way since then, haven't they??
Secret #5:
When I was in 6th grade, I designed my own embroidery project. I used a piece of a pillowcase and my grandmother's colored sewing threads to detail, in teeny little stitches, the guts of an earthworm. She thought it was gross, but well executed. Grampa thought it was wonderful. He helped me dissect the earthworm. I think that was because the idea of cutting up earthworms in the garage totally grossed Grandma out.
Okay, so now you know 5 things about me that you didn't know before. So now I have to find 5 people to tag. Don't worry, Jenn. I'm not tagging you - you just started your blog, and so it will be too easy for you to find 5 things that you have not yet blogged about!
EDIT:
I tagged:
Claudia
Betsy
Mel
Terri
and
Libby
Secret #1:
I was almost eaten by a dog when I was 4 years old. It was a dog I knew, and played with. He was eating a piece of meat, and saw me outside and decided I would make a tasty snack. I lowered my head and covered my face with my hands, so he got a good chunk of my hair and scalp. I had over 100 stitches on the top of my head, and wore a lovely white gauze turban for a while. Fortunately, this did not interfere with my hair growth. But every once in a while, a new hairdresser will feel the scar and exclaim "Oh my gosh! You have a huge scar on your head!!" To which, I usually reply "I do???? What are you talking about? I don't have a scar!"
Secret #2:
When I was 16, I wanted to go to seminary. I was very active in my church, and felt strongly about it. Every once in a while, I still feel regret that I did not do that, and contemplate doing it now. I am an Episcopalian, and we ordain women.
Secret #3:
I have a Master of Science in Chemistry (Stereospecific Organic Synthesis), and finished all of my coursework, but did not do my dissertation for my PhD in Environmental Policy Analysis. I am a total Chemistry geek, and have loved Chemistry since I was a little kid.
Secret #4:
When I was in elementary school, I skipped a grade. I finished one marking period of 2nd grade, and they moved me up to 3rd grade. Gifted programs have come a long way since then, haven't they??
Secret #5:
When I was in 6th grade, I designed my own embroidery project. I used a piece of a pillowcase and my grandmother's colored sewing threads to detail, in teeny little stitches, the guts of an earthworm. She thought it was gross, but well executed. Grampa thought it was wonderful. He helped me dissect the earthworm. I think that was because the idea of cutting up earthworms in the garage totally grossed Grandma out.
Okay, so now you know 5 things about me that you didn't know before. So now I have to find 5 people to tag. Don't worry, Jenn. I'm not tagging you - you just started your blog, and so it will be too easy for you to find 5 things that you have not yet blogged about!
EDIT:
I tagged:
Claudia
Betsy
Mel
Terri
and
Libby
Monday, February 05, 2007
SKS* Question of the Week
SKS - Sensational Knitted Socks, a book of sock patterns.
I signed up for the SKS KAL, as this is my favorite source of sock patterns. This week's question is ....
How did you start making socks?
I started making socks because lots of The Knit Chicks make socks, and I didn't want to be one of those knitters who only wears "crappy store-bought socks", in the profound words of Jenn ... I used another sock book, "Knit Socks!" because I liked the can-do-ness of the title. And the book is shaped like a cute little sock. A picture of my first pair can be found here. After my first pair, I was hooked! I love hand-knitted socks, and my goal is to one day have a sock drawer filled with them! So far, I have 3 pair. One of these days, I'll get around to Kitchnering those red-white-blue ones, and I'll have 4 pair ...
I signed up for the SKS KAL, as this is my favorite source of sock patterns. This week's question is ....
How did you start making socks?
I started making socks because lots of The Knit Chicks make socks, and I didn't want to be one of those knitters who only wears "crappy store-bought socks", in the profound words of Jenn ... I used another sock book, "Knit Socks!" because I liked the can-do-ness of the title. And the book is shaped like a cute little sock. A picture of my first pair can be found here. After my first pair, I was hooked! I love hand-knitted socks, and my goal is to one day have a sock drawer filled with them! So far, I have 3 pair. One of these days, I'll get around to Kitchnering those red-white-blue ones, and I'll have 4 pair ...
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Transcribing Patterns
A few days ago, I posted about my progress on my Nantucket Jacket. I mentioned that I transcribed the pattern into a spreadsheet and I am working it all in one piece so that I don't have to seam the sides. I've had a couple of questions about how exactly this works, so I will explain ...
The first thing that I do is read the pattern, and decide if I want to knit the front and back in one piece. For this project, I do. My spreadsheet will have four columns - row number, right, back, and left. The written pattern has the instructions in blocks - one block of text for each front side and the back. I just transcribe that information into the appropriate column in my spreadsheet. First, I did the column for the right front. the first line in the spreadsheet has the number of stitches to cast on for that section. The second line is Row 1 - the directions say to purl the first row, so that block just says "purl". The third line is Row 2. I have a little note in the block where I have the row number that this is a "rs" row. The fourth line is Row 3. I read the directions for Row 2, and write in what I would do if I were actually knitting. Since this pattern says to continue in pattern until you get to a decrease row, I just copy and paste the Row 2 and Row 3 directions until I get to the decrease row, in this case, Row 8. I put a notation in the block where I have the row number that this is a "dec" row, then put the instructions. I continue through the entire pattern in this manner, filling out each column in turn. I also note the number of stitches that should be on the needles for that section when I finish a section of the pattern. When I get to a part of the pattern that says "work in pattern until the piece measures 8 inches", then that row gets copied across all four columns of the spreadsheet, and I highlight it. Then the next row is the 1st row of the next section, and again, I note if it is a rs or ws row.
Some of you are probably thinking that it is a lot of work and might not be worth it. Well, it is a little bit of work, but it really forces me to read the pattern carefully - like I always tell TRHM - read ALL the words ... lol! I just find this kind of pattern easier to follow, and I have a nifty little row-by-row set of directions that I can check off as I complete the row. As a bonus, since this pattern has cables, I can just circle the row number for the rows where I cable, and now I don't have to count them! I am also not that experienced with knitting sweaters, so this helps me to have confidence that I am following the diretions correctly.
If anyone is interested in learning more about this method, or needs help doing it, just drop me a line at shieldlm AT hotmail DOT com. I'll be happy to help you!
The first thing that I do is read the pattern, and decide if I want to knit the front and back in one piece. For this project, I do. My spreadsheet will have four columns - row number, right, back, and left. The written pattern has the instructions in blocks - one block of text for each front side and the back. I just transcribe that information into the appropriate column in my spreadsheet. First, I did the column for the right front. the first line in the spreadsheet has the number of stitches to cast on for that section. The second line is Row 1 - the directions say to purl the first row, so that block just says "purl". The third line is Row 2. I have a little note in the block where I have the row number that this is a "rs" row. The fourth line is Row 3. I read the directions for Row 2, and write in what I would do if I were actually knitting. Since this pattern says to continue in pattern until you get to a decrease row, I just copy and paste the Row 2 and Row 3 directions until I get to the decrease row, in this case, Row 8. I put a notation in the block where I have the row number that this is a "dec" row, then put the instructions. I continue through the entire pattern in this manner, filling out each column in turn. I also note the number of stitches that should be on the needles for that section when I finish a section of the pattern. When I get to a part of the pattern that says "work in pattern until the piece measures 8 inches", then that row gets copied across all four columns of the spreadsheet, and I highlight it. Then the next row is the 1st row of the next section, and again, I note if it is a rs or ws row.
Some of you are probably thinking that it is a lot of work and might not be worth it. Well, it is a little bit of work, but it really forces me to read the pattern carefully - like I always tell TRHM - read ALL the words ... lol! I just find this kind of pattern easier to follow, and I have a nifty little row-by-row set of directions that I can check off as I complete the row. As a bonus, since this pattern has cables, I can just circle the row number for the rows where I cable, and now I don't have to count them! I am also not that experienced with knitting sweaters, so this helps me to have confidence that I am following the diretions correctly.
If anyone is interested in learning more about this method, or needs help doing it, just drop me a line at shieldlm AT hotmail DOT com. I'll be happy to help you!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
You see funny things when driving in NJ
So I'm on my way to work this morning, and I pass a van for a one-man-does-it-all remodeling business. How do I know that it is one-man-does-it-all?? Well, because the name of his business and the phone number were spray-painted on the side of his van. Yes. I'm serious. If I had figured out how to use the new phone TRHM got me, I might have been able to whip that baby out and snap a photo. But as I was putt-putting along at 80 MPH, that just wasn't happening. I'm sure the bimbo putting on mascara in the BMW behind me wouldn't have appreciated a sudden decrease in my speed. Although it might have cranked up the entertainment value of the commute a bit.
The lettering on the van was classic - you know, that military-esque block lettering that evokes memories of carboard templates? And it was crooked. And there was overspray around the square edges of the template. So I guess the bigger question is, if you had a remodeling project, and needed some help, would you call an idiot who can't even manage a can of spray paint? Possibly not.
The lettering on the van was classic - you know, that military-esque block lettering that evokes memories of carboard templates? And it was crooked. And there was overspray around the square edges of the template. So I guess the bigger question is, if you had a remodeling project, and needed some help, would you call an idiot who can't even manage a can of spray paint? Possibly not.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Progress!
I've been working on my jacket. Since I was taught to knit by a brilliant woman, I reviewed the pattern and transcribed it into an Excel spreadsheet to easily knit from front edge to front edge - no side seams! :)
The pattern was super easy to learn, and I am really happy with the way it is coming out.
Later today - more fun with Kool-Aid!
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