Ladybug's Sit n' Knit

I am actually still here

2010-02-09T08:32:00.003-05:00

I fell off the face of the earth ... but I have found my way back :)

I have not stopped knitting, if anything, I knitted more and more. I have been traveling quite a bit, both for work and for our business.

While I was away, I discovered Ravelry and knitting podcasts. Are you a Raveler? What podcasts are on your iPod?

Sock-It-To-Me Questionnaire

2007-07-10T20:49:00.001-04:00

What are your foot measurements? (Please give shoe size, length and circumference.)
I wear a size 9 1/2 US women's shoe, and my foot is 10 inches long and 10 inches around. Big feet ... sorry!

How long have you been knitting? How would you rate your experience? (Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced.)
I have been knitting for almost 2 years. I would rate my experience as an adventurous intermediate.

What is your favorite color? Your least favorite color?
My favorite colors are the colors of water - blue, green, grey and any combination. I really don't have a least favorite color I like all colors.

Do you have a favorite fiber? What type?
For socks, superwash is key! I normally use regular wool superwash, but I just got some Tofutsies to try out.

Do you have any allergies to certain fibers?
Nope, unless you count cat fur ...

Do you have an Amazon, or other type of, wishlist? (If so, provide the link.)
No.

What techniques, if any, would you like to learn?
I would like to learn fair isle, and work more on intarsia.

Do you have a sweet tooth? What are your favorite snacks?
Chocolate! The darker, the better ... of course, it is really hot right now, so that is not very practical for shipping.

What is your family situation? (Children, Husband, Pets...etc.)
I live with my boyfriend, Mike, and have 2 grown children. He has 2 teenaged sons that we spend time with on the weekend.

Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Metal, plastic or wood?
Yes. *grin* For socks, DPNs, for everything else, it depends on what I am knitting.

Besides socks, what are your favorite items to knit?
Baby items for charity.

Is there a pattern, (sock or otherwise), that you are dying to try?
I love socks with an interesting texture. There isn't a specific pattern I am looking for, but I always keep an eye out for different socks.

Do you like to read? What are you reading currently?
I do like to read, but I haven't been reading very much lately. The only reading I have been doing lately is knitting patterns, lol!

Do you collect music? (On an iPod or MP3 player.)
I don't have an iPod, but I can play MP3s on my CD player.

What kind of music do you listen to?
I like Blues and Jazz - especially BB King and Diana Krall. I listen to lots of different music, just about everything except heavy metal.

Is there anything you collect?
I collect ladybugs.

What are your hobbies, aside from knitting?
Sewing, counted cross stitch, needle tatting, crochet, quilting.

Are you participating in any other swaps or knit alongs?
Ummm ... a couple ... see the sidebar

Do you have a favorite scent?
Vanilla (yes, I am boring that way)

When is your birthday? (You don't have to add the year if you don't want to, LOL.)
Last Friday :) I was 43 years old.

Pies, Cobblers, Slumps and Buckles

2007-06-28T17:13:00.000-04:00

I have had a lot of questions about the difference between pies, cobblers, slumps and buckles. Here are definitions, as I understand them:

Pies: one or two thin crusts with the fruit in between
Cobblers: one thick crust, then the fruit filling, then dollops of biscuit-like batter on top
Slumps: may not have a bottom crust, fruit filling with crumble topping
Buckles: cake with fruit mixed into the batter with a struesel topping

Then there are Pandowdies, Brown Betties, Crisps, and Sonkers.

Of course, my sister is the one with the degree in Culinary Arts, not me, so I could be wrong. It has been known to happen. Either way, there will be some blueberry yumminess at my house on Sunday afternoon! Bring a spoon and come on over!

They're MINE, MINE, ALL MINE!!!

2007-06-28T08:57:00.000-04:00

I got my Harry Potter Sock Swap package last night, and when I opened it, look what I found! Yipee!!! The beautious Horcrux socks are MINE!!! And they fit perfectly! My feet were doing the happy dance until they remembered that although it is a nice cool 70 degrees inside, it is 148 degrees and 284 percent humidity outside. Tonight, when they are all icey because TRHM has the air conditioner turned on, they will be doing the toasty happy dance, again :)

Do you remember these socks, and how Rebecca was worried about them? Well, they showed up at my house *grin*. I didn't get home until late, so I had to steal her pic, I'll post a pic of the whole goodie box later tonight. I am so thrilled with my socks - they are lovely - the color is wonderful, and the pattern is beautiful! In the box were beautiful black and gold stitch markers - the perfect size for socks, a new set of Crystal Palace DPNs, gummy slugs (YUM!) and Bertie Bott's Beans! There is also the cutest ladybug and ladybug charms. Thank you, Rebecca - you totally spoiled me! Thank you for knitting for my big fat feet, I know it was a lot of work!

Which Lesser HP Character am I?

2007-06-27T11:18:00.000-04:00

...and which lesser Harry Potter character are you?

Another Pair of Socks!

2007-06-26T16:19:00.000-04:00

I finished these socks in the car this weekend. I started them last year - one of my first pair, and my first pair made with hand-painted yarn. The yarn was a gift from Jenn, and I absolutely love the colorway. The picture doesn't really show it very well, but the colors range from pale grey to deep raspberry with little bits of coral here and there.

The stitch pattern is Waterfal Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks. The close-up shows the stitch a little better, it is a 3x3 rib so the socks are very comfy.

SP10 Package!!

2007-06-26T09:50:00.000-04:00

I have two of the most awesome SP10 angels! Two sisters - double the fun! Roni and Teri put together a wonderful package! They took the time to scour my blog and then "got to gettin'" (do you know the reference? TRHM's most HATED show ... with Niecy Nash ...)! The box arrived just before I left for the Buffalo farm, and I didn't want to open it and run, but I just couldn't stand the thought of it waiting for me in the living room, lol! I just had to tear into it, besides, there might be something in there that I needed for my trip!

Holy Macaroni!! It was stuffed!! There were very cute 4th of July goodies - a door hanger, a blue tin bucket filed with Tootsie Rolls and flags! This Sunday is the Blueberry Festival, and I am having a BBQ, so I will enjoy showing these goodies off! There was CHOCOLATE! Very dark - my fave, and a Cadbury bar. I have to admit that the Cadbury bar got polished off last night as TRHM and I watched Big Love on HBO. Yarn galore! Two skeins of beautiful recycled silk, two skeins of Cotton classic - one red, and one black, and two skeins of green Panda Wool. Two patterns - a sock pattern that I can't wait to try, and the cutest ladybug accessories pattern! I love the handcrafted needle case - denim on the outside, watermelon fabric on the inside! Note cards and a big fat chocolate recipe cookbook! WOW! When we are all tired of blueberries, I will definately be whipping up some of those chocolate goodies!

Thank you, thank you Teri and Roni!! You totally started my weekend on an up note! You are definately angels in every sense of the word :)

O, Give Me a Home ...

2007-06-26T09:26:00.000-04:00

... Where the Buffalo Roam ....

Oh, wait, that is a Llama ... and a knitter .... hee hee! We just returned from a weekend at The Tuscarora Bison Farm. What a wonderful time we had! Joan and Mark are wonderful hosts, and their family farm is lovely. They have converted the summer kitchen into a guest house, and we took TRHM's younger son, Daniel, and my nephew, Tommy with us. The weather could not have been better, and everyone had a wonderful time. Especially me, because I got to knit on my socks, and win at cribbage :)

On Saturday, we went to Reptile Land where they have the most wonderful soft and squishy yarns. Oh, wait, no, that is where they have the lizards and snakes, ewwww!! It would have been much more fun if they had soft and squishy yarn ... Here, the boys are feeding turtles. They had a great time, and got to pet a baby alligator and a huge snake.

Saturday night, we had a secret treat planned for them - we went to the Drive In!! Yep, an honest to goodness kids-in-pajamas-on-the-playground drive-in movie theater. We saw Surf's Up and Rise of the Silver Surfer. They thought it was very cool.

Sunday was pack-up and go home day. We drove north to Penn's Cave for a picnic lunch and cave exploring. It was a lot of fun.

Virtual Vacation Questionnaire

2007-06-21T14:41:00.000-04:00

1. If you could visit any state in the US, which would it be and why?
I've visited most of the states in the US, except the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii. I would like to go on an Alaskan cruise to see the glaciers.

2. If you could visit any country in the world, other than your own, which would it be and why?
I've traveled to several European countries, but I have always wanted to go to Prague in the Czech Republic. It looks like an interesting city to visit - romantic in a mysterious sort of way. I would also love to visit Italy, especially Venice. The concept of a city built on canals just fascinates me.

3. Have you ever driven across several states/providence/countries?
HA! What a FUNNY question!! I am an Army brat, so I have driven up and down the Atlantic seaboard more times than you can shake a stick at! And, with our comic business, TRHM and I drive hither and yon to all these shows we go to. I also drove from NJ to San Francisco when I was just barely preggers with my daughter. We drove back to San Francisco 2 months later ... my husband learned the hard way that when I said "Stop the car!" I meant now. We stopped at lots of car washes on the way ...

4. Have you ever visited someplace you consider exotic? Where was it?
When my daughter was a senior in high school, she and I took a sailing cruise along the Costa del Sol. One stop was Morrocco. We were looking forward to visiting Tangiers, but we hated being assaulted by the begging children.

5. What was your favorite "travel" vacation? Why?
My favorite travel vacation was the cruise with my daughter. We had a wonderful time, and I feel very blessed to have a daughter who would choose to spend a week in a little shipboard cabin with her Mom. It was very luxurious, and a wonderful time together. We sailed from Lisbon to Barcelona, and spent 3 days in Barcelona before returning home.

6. Have you ever played tourist in your own home city/state (if international, country)? Explain.
I lived in San Franciso for 5 years, and whenever family came to town, we would show them the sights. Later, after I had moved back to NJ, a friend from CA came to visit me, and I took her to the Jersey Shore, the Amish Country, and Philadelphia. I love to play tourguide, especially when it involves "off the beaten path" activities!

7. Are you a museum visitor, beach comer or an amusement seeker?
All of the above. Mostly a museum visitor, though. I love the water, and I like to walk on the beach. I am a big time people watcher, and there is always interesting people watching at the beach, lol!

8. What's your favorite type of yarn?
My favorite type of yarn is sock yarn - superwash is KEY! Everything ends up in the washer and dryer. I prefer wool, and am not particularly fond of silk.

9. What's your least favorite type of yarn?
Most novelty yarns. I like a little bling now and then, but not the hairy/furry type.

10. What items do you like to knit/crochet?
Socks, socks, socks :) I also knit a lot of baby items and I really like to make felted bags.

11. What do you pack, knit/crochet wise when you go on vacation?
I am more of a weekend jaunt person than a long vacation person, even when I go to Europe, I hit fast - fly in on Fri, go home on Mon. Socks travel very well. When TRHM and I drive to shows, I usually bring a couple of pair of socks and a large project like a sweater or a felted bag.

12. What other crafts do you do/would like to do other than Knit/Crochet?
I love counted cross-stitch, needle tatting, quilting and sewing.

13. Are you allergic to anything? (Yarn wise or treat wise)
I am highly allergic to cats, but that is it.

14. What is your favorite color? Least Favorite?
My favorite colors are blue and green and any combination thereof - think ocean, and you will be fine. There really isn't a color that I dislike. I like all colors.

15. Sweet or Savory (Treat not personality)?
Sweet - chocolate, the darker the better! And now, it's good for you :)

16. Anything else we are forgetting to ask that you think your partner desperately needs to know?
Nope. I'm a good traveler - my Grandma always called me "The Merry Wonderer" (she was a Hummel collector). I am always ready to pack up my kit and go to the next place :) I've never known a stranger - they are only friends I haven't met, yet. I can't wait to see all the fun places we get to go on this virtual vacation!

Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap 2!!!

2007-06-21T11:39:00.000-04:00

Did you miss out on round 1?? Well, Round 2 is about to start. Today is the last day to sign up! This swap was so much fun - and EASY!! You make a bag in the house colors of your pal, and send them a kit to make their own HP socks - yarn in their house colors, new sock needles, a pattern and stitch markers in their house colors. Any other treats are at the discretion of the spoiler ... I'm sending Bertie Bott's Beans in mine because who doesn't love a jelly bean that tastes like vomit?

In case you missed the link, CLICK HERE .... CLIQUEZ ICI ... HAGA CLIC AQUI ... KLICKEN SIE HIER ... KLIKK HER ... and fill out the form.

The Invasion of the Stitch Markers

2007-06-21T10:15:00.001-04:00

The Stitch Markers are here!! So far, I have received 3 sets of stitch markers:

These lovelies arrived first. I love the blue and green beads, and they are made with copper wire. They were sent to me by Jessica. She's in Alabama, and has an online shop. Thank you, Jessica!!

These were next - They are beautiful! I love the hearts and the milky white swirls above them. I've been lusting after some heart stitch markers I saw on Etsy, and these are even prettier. Thank you, Brenda!!

Yesterday, the most unusual stitchmarkers arrived. They are the lovliest puffy stars, and light as a feather! They are the most beautiful metallic colors, and I just love them! There were made by Barbara. There is also a really cool red beaded triangle stitch marker. I like it because it is on a larger tigertail loop, so it will fit on all of my knitting needles. Thank you, Barbara!!

Knee High on Tall Indians

2007-06-21T09:59:00.000-04:00

When I was a kid, one of my Grampa's favorite expressions was "Knee high on tall indians". Well, I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Every day I commute 62 miles to work. One way. It leaves lots of time for reflection. I drive past acres and acres of blueberry bushes, after all, I do live in The Blueberry Capital of the WORLD - did you read that in your best Ringmaster voice? I hope so. After the blueberry bushes I drive through acres and acres of the beautiful Wharton State Forest, then comes the corn. Last week, it was just starting to poke through the ground, and I thought to myself "There is no way we are going to get fresh corn by the 4th of July!". Then it started growing ... and growing ... and growing ... it seems that every night, on my way home, the corn is taller than it was that morning! Some if it is waist-high on tall indians, and some of it is knee-high. That means that there will be corn all summer long!

The blueberries are getting fat and juicy. I can tell that the farmers are getting ready to pick because there is a new feature among the blueberries this week - porta-potties. When they start to deliver the Mr. Bobs you know the pickers are on their way! Next weekend is the Red White and Blueberry Festival. Guess where it is held? Right across the street from our condo complex!! Oh yeah! There will be blueberry pies, blueberry cobbler, blueberry buckle, blueberry slump, blueberry jam, blueberry syrup on blueberry pancakes, blueberry coffee cake, and fresh blueberries in cereal and on ice cream. And that's just at our house ...

I have been knitting!

2007-06-18T17:32:00.000-04:00

I know you all think I have been slacking because I haven't been posting - well, not quite so. I have lots of FOs and Near-FOs to show you. First up, Ravenclaw socks for the Hogwarts Sock Swap.

Sorry for the blurry photo - I'm still working on the "macro" setting ... But this does show the stitch detail of the design. I really liked this pattern - it is called Diamonds In the Rough by Dawn Friske (KalamazooKnits Pattern #13). It is a very easy to follow lace pattern with a 16 row repeat. These socks were knit with KnitPicks 100% Merino Superwash that I dyed myself using Wilton food colors.

Second up, Tiger Socks. I bought this skein of Opal Rainforest yarn last year, and I am just now getting around to knitting it up. This will be a pair of socks for me. I normally do not like plain/ribbed socks, but I decided the pattern of this colorway really needed to be highlighted, and not hidden with a stitch pattern.

I've also been busy with the Hogwart's Sock Kit Swap, and have my bag ready to go. I am almost finished with my Felted Bag Swap, and will have progress pics by the end of the week :)

See ... I have been knitting ... Oh, and eating DimSum with my daughter, The Uber-Talented Jenn, and her two favorite fellas.

Blogoversary Contest Winners

2007-06-16T13:22:00.000-04:00

Here are the answers to the questions:

1. What sports car am I? Mazda Miata

2. What is my favorite holiday? Tie between Halloween and 4th of July

3. We often travel to Rhode Island. Why? To visit TRHM's family

4. Name two other needle crafts I enjoy besides knitting. Crochet, counted Cross-stitch, quilting, tatting, sewing, embroidery

5. Who is TRHM, and what does TRHM stand for? TRHM stands for The Red-Haired Man, who is my boyfriend, Mike.

6. Where did I go to college? Drexel University

7. How many kids do I have? 2, a daughter and a son, TRHM also has 2 sons

8. What is my favorite thing to knit? socks or baby items

9. The town I live in has a special nickname based on local agriculture. What is it? The Blueberry Capital of The World

10. Who taught me to knit? Jenn (a co-worker)

11. What is my favorite color? Blue, green, colors of water

12. What kind of music do I like? Jazz or Blues are my faves, but I listen to just about everything except Heavy Metal.

For a special PowerBall question, answer this one for bonus goodies ...

We often play cards after dinner. What is the game that we play? Cribbage

Everyone who entered answered all of the questions correctly :) TRHM selected a winner from the hat, and the winner is ... drumroll, please ... Marsha!! I met Marsha through the Stitch Marker Exchange, she was the creator of these beauties. But, everyone knows that EVERYONE is a winner at Chez Ladybug, so Kim and Robyn will be receiving consolation prizes :)

Come Along with me on a Virtual Vacation!!!

2007-06-05T16:35:00.000-04:00

Okay, you've all been shopping vicariously through me last month (and believe me, I accumulated enough Stash-Along strikes to get us all kicked out, lol!). Now let's go on a virtual vacation together. This is a really cool swap - the idea is to put together a goodie box for your pal that reflects where you live. There are only 150 seats available in our virtual tour-plane, and it is getting full. If you want to come on a virtual vacation with us, CLICK HERE!

Felted Bag Package

2007-06-03T08:47:00.000-04:00

I received the most awesome box o' swag from my Felted Bag Swap Partner, Jane. It was filled with all sorts of lovely, lovely handcrafted gifts. There was a spa packet with a wonderful scrubby mit, a facial masque, and some yummy smelling soaps. Candles and moisturizing lotion topped it off. There are 2 gorgeous embroidered tea towels - lovely! When I first "set up housekeeping", my grandmother sent me a set of embroidered tea towels that I loved. They are long gone, and these beautiful tea towels from Jane brought back that sweet memory. Thank you! There was a totally awesome felted needle case - I absolutely love it! It is so cool - very pretty, and at the same time very avant garde - I whipped out the knitting needles, parrying TRHM menacingly, and growled "Be on the lookout - I am armed with superior pointy weapons", LOL! He got a big kick out of it. There were all sorts of wonderful scrapbooking accessories that I will use when we go on vacations this year - 3-D flowers, pretty paper, jeweled paper studs, and cool puffy letters.

I love the pack of "Footnotes" - sticky notes in the shape of a foot! As a Business Analyst, one of my main responsibilities is to generate reams of documentation, and these are so cute, I can't wait to take them to work! There was a lovely black and turquiose felted pouch (perhaps a hint of what is to come??) with the prettiest beads. Two skeins of navy blue wool yarn and a pattern for Noni felted camilla embellishments. Very cool. For my viewing pleasure, she also include 8 issues of Knitty Gritty on DVD - I know I will enjoy watching that, as I always miss that show (gotta get a Tivo, huh?).

But I think the cutest of all was this little gal - a ladybug pin cushion! She is so cute, and has the sweetest little face! I sew and quilt, so I will definately use her!

Thank you, Jane!! I am most spoiled!!

Blogoversary Contest

2007-05-31T09:07:00.000-04:00

Today is my Blogoversary! I am having a how-well-do-you-know-me contest. Listed below are 12 trivia questions. Email me at shieldlm AT hotmail DOT com with your answers. Whoever has the most correct answers will received an extra special goody bag that I assembled on my recent shopping expeditions. There will also be runner-up prizes. All of the answers can be found on my blog. Some questions could have more than one answer, only one answer is required. If you cannot find the answer, but can write a convincing work of fiction, based on how well you know me, give it a try - convince me and I'll go for it :)

1. What sports car am I?
2. What is my favorite holiday?
3. We often travel to Rhode Island. Why?
4. Name two other needle crafts I enjoy besides knitting.
5. Who is TRHM, and what does TRHM stand for?
6. Where did I go to college?
7. How many kids do I have?
8. What is my favorite thing to knit?
9. The town I live in has a special nickname based on local agriculture. What is it?
10. Who taught me to knit?
11. What is my favorite color?
12. What kind of music do I like?

For a special PowerBall question, answer this one for bonus goodies ...

We often play cards after dinner. What is the game that we play?

Edit: Please e-mail your answers to me by June 15, and I'll announce a winner on June 16th!

Huntsville, AL AKA Rocket City

2007-05-25T14:57:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, we went to the US Space & Rocket Center here in Huntsville. Did you know that the Saturn V rocket was designed and built here? They have a wonderful museum, with lots of cool displays and interactive space stuff! Here TRHM gives landing the space shuttle a try. He was doing a GREAT job, until I pushed the button for "expert" ... let's just say that he should not be landing the space shuttle in high winds ...

They had a really cool display of a motorcycle made by Ocean County Choppers with a Statue of Liberty theme - it was plated with the copper recovered when the Statue of Liberty was re-furbished. It was awesome! The spokes of the wheels were carved to look like her face, and there was a torch attached to the side of the bike.

And we saw Spiderman 3 in the IMAX theater - sweet!! I *heart* Spidey! The coolest thing of all - you could see into the projection room and see the IMAX projector - I have never seen anything like it! The movie was on a huge horizontal platter, and the film is taken up from the center, threaded through a series of pins, through the projector, and taken up on a second platter that is below the first one. It was really neat to see it.

Tuesday: More yarn shopping!

2007-05-25T14:18:00.000-04:00

While we were in Louisville, we went to a shop called Carma Needlework. The ladies at this cozy little shop were so sweet! They have a large collection of basic yarns, luxury fibers, cotton yarn and sock yarn. The pattern collection is very large - with a long shelf filled with binders of patterns. They also have binders of color cards for every brand of yarn you can imagine! This shop is dedicated to knitting/crochet and needlepoint. They had gorgeous hand-painted canvases in all sizes and guages, from small petit-point to the largest needlepoint. TRHM got a lesson on needlepoint canvas and the ladies showed him the difference between a hand-painted canvas and a mass-produced screened canvas. I found a book that is on the list for one of my swap pals, and an adorable mini-sewing machine for my dollhouse.

We hit the road and headed for Nashville. The first stop was Haus of Yarn. It was my first encounter of a Koigu kind on this road trip. They had several cubbies filled with different colorways. One of the most interesting things was a display for socks - it was a wooden peacock, and the "tail feathers" were shaped like sock blockers. I bought some sock yarn and a few other goodies. I was looking for "Amaizing", the new corn fiber yarn from South West Trading Co, but they don't carry it. They said that they felt it, and didn't find it to be "Amaizing", so they passed on it. Bummer.

The next stop was Angel Hair Yarn Company. The parking lot was jammed, so TRHM dropped me off and went in search of parking. It was really funny because there was a large group of women at the work table, knitting away, and when he came in, everyone stopped chatting and looked - I guess men don't often frequent knitting shops in TN, lol! And guess what? They think "Amaizing" is!! They had lots of colors to choose from, and had a swatch knit with it. It felt very soft!
When I explained that I was shopping for my swap partners on this trip, and I have a partner that wanted to try some non-wool natural fibers, the sales lady pointed out some pineapple yarn - can you imagine, yarn made from pineapple?? Well, I bought some. It is the beige fiber next to the two balls of Amaizing. It feels kind of stiff and scratchy, but it is one of those fibers that softens with use and washing. I'm not sure if my pal will actually use it, but I thought that the novelty of pineapple was worth the purchase. I hope she finds it as cool as I do!
I also bought some Wendy Peter Pan yarn in lavender varigated for my baby knitting. I love this yarn - it is so soft and pretty! Perfect for delicate little preemies!

We made it to Huntsville, and I didn't even blow up my debit card, yet :)

Louisville

2007-05-25T14:10:00.000-04:00

Monday night, we stayed at The Rocking Horse Manor, an historic B&B in Louisville, KY. TRHM did not know where we were staying - there are advantages to being the one who coordinates all of the hotels, you know! We stayed in the Victorian Suite - a luxurious room with a jacuzzi tub and two-head walk in shower. The food was wonderful - we had a served breakfast - the first course was a yogurt parfait with blackberries, raspberries and blueberries with granola topping and danish; the second course was a cheese souffle, ham and breakfast potatoes. The hosts, John and Ricardo were very helpful and provided a lovely tour of this magnificent house.

San Francisco - a well deserved vacation!

2007-05-24T20:08:00.000-04:00

Cassie and her boyfriend, Joe, went to San Francisco this week. They took a short vacation back to the city where Cassie was born. Joe has a friend from school who lives in SF, so he was totally on board with a little vacation. As usual, Cassie has been working very hard lately. She is a supervisor at Border's Books, and she is attending college full-time. I treated them to a suite at a bed and breakfast. They called to let me know that it was a great vacation. I can't wait to see all of her vacation pictures.

Sunday: Shopping our way to Louisville!

2007-05-24T14:32:00.001-04:00

The first stop was The Yarn Basket. I was so disappointed to see that they were closed! I was really looking forward to meeting a knitter whose hubby converted their garage into a yarn shop for her! Oh, well, maybe next year.

We forged ahead to Dayton, and arrived at our first destination, a comic shop, a little bit earlier than planned, and they weren't quite open. We sat at an outside cafe and enjoyed a cappucino and some gelato while we waited. This shop was a bookstore with the most interesting stuff! They had lots of little toys all over the place, and rows and rows of bookshelves filled with all sorts of interesting titles. TRHM looked through the limited comic collection, but did not find anything of interest. So we went to the next stop - a comic shop. There we found a couple of books, but that was it.

The next stop was a lovely yarn shop called Fiberge'. They have FIVE rooms of knitty goodness! The shop is so cute - it looks like a little cottage in the woods. Upon entering the shop, I found myself in a large spacious room with cubbies full of colorful yarn. There was a wall of Cascade, and a wall of Noro. The sales counter was opposite the wall of Cascade, and there were all sorts of beautiful handcrafted knitting notions on the counter. One of the things that I really liked about this shop was that they carry lots of goodies to include in my swap packages!

Passing through the main room, the first thing that caught my eye was this gorgeous lavender display. This room held all sorts of goodies - tea, candles, bubble bath, beautiful handcrafted buttons - all sorts of little luxuries. On the other side of the room are shelves of luxury fibers.

Through this room, to the left, is a room full of knitting needles, notions, sock yarn, Euroflax, baby yarn and patterns. There was a small room behind this, as well, with sale bins! My favorite! Gotta love a good sale :) I picked up some Regia Silk in Gryffindor colors for the second round of Hogwarts swaps - you never know when you are going to get a Gryffindor swap pal, and girl has to be prepared for all possibilities, you know! They also had lovely handpainted pillows with wonderful sayings on them.

I bought goodies for my swap packages and sock yarn.

Saturday - Yarn shopping in Columbus, OH

2007-05-20T16:10:00.000-04:00

Saturday afternoon, I left TRHM in charge of the comic books, and headed off to Temptations. This is an amazing shop - FIVE rooms of knitting goodness! And a Sale ROOM! That's right, an entire ROOM filled with sale goodies! This charming shop is located in an older home converted to a shop in the Village of Dublin, OH, just outside of Columbus. I entered and the first thing that I saw was the wall-o-Noro. Yes, Jenn, an entire WALL of Noro goodness! There were white cubbys from the ceiling to the floor. Each column of cubbys contained a different type of Noro yarn. It was amazing. There was a work table with baskets filled with notions - just in case you were working on a project at the table and forgot something at home. The other wall held various other wools and luxury fibers. Through that room was a small hallway; going straight through the hallway there was another room filled with felting yarns of every imaginable color, two comfy wing chairs, a table, and the sales desk. When I went back to the hallway and went to the left, there was a room filled will luxury fibers, novelty yarn, non-wool natural fibers, and beautiful handcrafted jewelry. There was another work table, again with baskets of notions.

Off this room was a room dedicated to needles, notions and patterns. There were shelves of books, binders of patterns, and all sorts of interesting notions. Adjacent to this room was the sale room. There were all sorts of interesting balls of yarn at 35% off.

There was a separate room dedicated to sock yarns and baby yarn. I bought two skeins of new sock yarn from Trekking - 75% superwash and 25% bamboo! Very cool! The colorways are really pretty, too. I also bought a set of size 1.5US rosewood DPNs. I've been wanting a set of 1.5's and I've admired the beauty of the rosewood, so I splurged and bought a set. I also picked up two beautiful sock patterns.

I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed yarn shopping in Columbus - the shops are amazing and the people are very friendly. I had a wonderful time, and will definately be back to these shops when were in Columbus next year.

Friday: Shopping in Columbus, OH

2007-05-20T15:50:00.001-04:00

The first stop was Knitter's Merchantile. I think that is a great name for a yarn shop! And let me tell you, this shop was FULL of temptations! I know I promised shop photos, but I didn't bring the digi-cam ... sorry! This shop was in a new shopping center, and had two large windows. Entering the shop, the first thing encountered was the sales counter. There were all sorts of interesting goodies on the counter. The walls were lined with white bookshelves overflowing with yarn. Down the center of the shop, were two aisles formed by rows of white bookshelves back-to-back. To the right was a cozy seating area with a very comfy chocolate brown couch. Several racks of knit design booklets, two bookcases of knitting books and stacks of binders of pattern were available for perusal. As I walked along the right hand side of the shop, the shelves to the right were filled with all sorts of sock weight yarn. There were lots of handpainted skeins and balls of sock yarn of all kinds. One of the things I really liked about this shop is that all of the shelves of yarn had little signs indicating machine washable yarn. There were so many different kinds of superwash yarn - lots of colors and lots of different fibers. At the very back of the shop was a large display of knitting needles and notions. There were all sorts of needles - Addi Turbo, Inox, Lantern Moon, Colonial, Clover, etc. There was also a work table in the back of the room. There were two other aisles - each brimming with wonderful yarns. There were luxury fibers like cashmere and mohair, as well as novelty yarn and acrylics. The selection was amazing. I had a hard time deciding what to get. I decided that most of the shopping would be for my various swap projects, but I had left my list at the hotel! I picked up some notions, a hank of gorgeous handpainted merino and a ball of Lana Grossa superwash sock yarn.

Ravenclaw Yarn

2007-05-20T15:43:00.001-04:00

I decided to give dyeing yarn another try. I dyed some KnitPicks 100% merino superwash yarn with Wilton food coloring paste. It was very easy, but very messy! I am going to use this for my Ravenclaw socks for the Hogwarts Sock Swap.

Stitch Marker Exchange

2007-05-16T16:54:00.000-04:00

Do you like to make stitch markers? Do you like to get handmade stitch markers from pals? Then the Stitch Marker Exchange is for you! Sign-ups are until May 31st, with a due date of June 15th. You can sign up for up to 5 pals, international or US. It is a lot of fun to get a puffy in the mail :) This is a really easy exchange - nothing is required but the stitch markers, and you can mail them in a little bubble envelope. I *heart* this swap! Come and join the fun!

Vacation and Blogoversary

2007-05-16T11:26:00.000-04:00

I am leaving on vacation tomorrow. (Note to any would be burglars - all the yarn has been secured off-site) This is an ultra-fun vacation - we are driving out to Columbus, OH for a comic convention. While TRHM sells comics, I will be shop-hopping in the Columbus area. After the show, we are heading south through Dayton and Cincinnati to Louisville, KY. There are lots of cool yarn shops between Columbus and Louisville, and a few comic shops, too. After spending the night in Louisville, we will continue south, through Nashville to Huntsville AL. We'll have a couple of days to see the sights in Huntsville (you'd be amazed at how many things there are to see and do in Huntsville!) before the show over Memorial Day weekend. On Memorial Day, while you are all barbequeing and watching parades, TRHM and I will be driving through the night to get home in time for work on Tuesday. Eat an extra burger for me, okay?

While I am on this journey, I will be blogging about the various sights we've seen, and of course the yarn shops, so stay tuned to shop vicariously! I promise to post picture of the shops.

I am also counting down to my blogoversary. It has been almost an entire year! I will have a contest - trivia questions about me. You will send your answers to me in an e-mail, and the person with the most correct answers will win a groovy prize obtained on my road trip. There will be more details to follow ...

Life is Good!

2007-05-15T07:16:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, my daughter, Cassie, came over and we spent the day together. We watched The Break Up with Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn - that is a funny movie. Then we went down to Atlantic City and walked on the boardwalk. We had lunch at The Mediterranean Cafe. It was so nice to sit outside and sip martinis and chat. We also saw the fountain show at The Pier at Ceasar's. It was a great time, and we couldn't have asked for better weather!

HSKS Trivia!

2007-05-14T12:14:00.000-04:00

It is Trivia Time for the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap. Here are my answers:

#1What's the name of this potion?This potion has the colour of molten gold, and while exposed to the air, large drops will leap like goldfish above the surface without spilling.

The is Felix Felicis potion.

#2Which book is this line from?"Harry and Cho were now too embarrassed to look at each other, let alone talk to each other; what if Ron and Hermione started going out together, then split up? Could their friendship survive it? Harry remembered the few weeks when they had not been talking to each other in third year; he had not enjoyed trying to bridge the distance between them. And then, what if they didn't split up? What if they became like Bill and Fleur, and it became excrutiatingly embarrassing to be in their presence, so that he was shut out for good?"

This Quote appears in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

#3Who utters these words?"Oh I am glad I'm not on duty. I wouldn't fancy having to go and tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating."

This quote also appears in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Go Hufflepuff!!

Fashionable (??) Knitting

2007-05-10T14:07:00.000-04:00

Okay, the hat is bad enough, but what is up with these legwarmers?? Why would anyone want to make their legs look three times their normal size?? And if she is so cold that she needs the hat and legwarmers in the first place, why not try a SWEATER??? Just sayin' ...

This pattern is available here, in case your legs are super skinny and need a little "fluffing" up.

Breaking News!!!

2007-05-09T14:33:00.000-04:00

Dee-deet ... dee ... dee ... and now we interrupt your knitting for breaking news just in from Japan ....

"My poodle refuses to bark and won't eat dog food!"

Well, why not, you ask???? Because it is a LAMB, you idiot!!!!

We now return you to your regulary scheduled knitting .... dee-deet ... dee ... dee

Spring is in the air!!

2007-05-09T12:05:00.000-04:00

I've been driving to work past acres and acres of blueberry bushes, inhaling the heady scent of the white blooms (and sneezing out the pollen, lol) and I've been thinking "I've GOT to remember my digicam tomorrow so I can blog about this!" and, of course, forgetting the digicam every single day! So it was really serendipity that I went to the Spring Felted Bag Swap blog and found this question:

Where you live, what signifies the beginning of Spring? A favorite flower blooming? Snowmelt? Pollen (Cough cough, gak, here in ATL, thanks) Post something up describing how you knew 'Spring had Sprung' for you!

There are so many things that remind me it is spring!

Kids playing baseball at the middle school across the street from our condo.
Baseball season! Go Phils!
Sleeping with the bedroom window open.
Flowering trees looking like cotton candy as they bloom.
Free water ice day at Rita's!
The Stewart's drive in is open.
Eating outside on the patio.
The smell of fresh mulch.
The smell of the first lawn mowing.
The sound of the first lawn mowing :)
My white car turns yellowish-green.
Bugs on the windshield - ewwwww!

Remember when you were a kid, and it was the day the pool opened? The water was crystal clear, and you felt hot, but the water was ICY???!!! If you had a backyard pool, remember the day you drained out all the icky winter water, and refilled it?

Spring is just a reminder that summer is coming, and soon, there will be fireflies and lemonade, and chicken on the grill!

Attention all Hogwart's Sock Knitters!!!

2007-05-08T09:10:00.000-04:00

If you have been looking for sock yarn in house colors, I have the place for you!! Amanda Perkins, owner of Natural Dye Studios, has custom dyed sock yarn just for us! It is available in her eBay store. don't be put off by the fact that the price in in British Pounds Sterling - she takes PayPal, and they will handle all the currency exchange stuff. Her yarn is GORGEOUS, of the highest quality, and is dyed with all natural plant dyes - no chemicals. Service is outstanding, and shipping is very fast. This yarn is sure to sell quickly, so get some while the getting is good! I have knit socks with her yarn and it is a joy to work with, and oh-so-comfy on your feet.

Natural Dye Studios Hogwarts Sock Yarn!

International Tote Exchange IV has begun!

2007-05-03T10:39:00.000-04:00

You’re invited to join International Tote Exchange IV. We hope you will decide to participate. So how does it work? You will make a tote/purse/handbag for your Secret Pal and a different Secret Pal will make a tote for you. The "totes" can be big or small, knit or crochet, felted or not - whatever you want to make. If you are interested please go to the blog and read the rules. If still interested, send an e-mail as described below. Hurry! Sign-ups close 05/15/2007.

The Sign-up Process:
Send an email to ToteExchangeHostesses gmail com Please include:
Your full name
Email address
Blog address (if applicable)
Blog Signature (e.g. lia is how my blog posts appear)
Street address
Phone number

This information will only be available to the Hostesses and your Secret Pal.

We will send you an invitation to join the blog.
Join the blog.
Complete the questionnaire and post your responses to the blog no later than 05/15/2007Sit back and wait for partner assignment!

Help with the healing

2007-05-02T15:30:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about the Virginia Tech tragedy - having a daughter in college will do that to you. I've read lots of posts on various blogs expressing sympathy for the families of the victims, the shooter's family, and the survivors who are left to pick up the pieces and finish out the school year. This is an opportunity to help. There is a yarn shop in Blacksburg, Virginia named Mosaic Yarns. They are collecting 8x8 squares, knitted or crocheted, that will be put together in afghans for the victim's families. If you are able to help, click here to go to their blog and send in a square or two. They are asking for squares in the school colors of maroon, orange, black and white.

HSKS Trivia

2007-05-01T16:14:00.000-04:00

For the Hogwarts Sock Kit Sock Swap, there is a weekly trivia question. This week's question is:

"You will have your reward, Wormtail. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform..."

Who is speaking?

The answer, of course, is Voldemort!

No real progress to report

2007-04-29T22:49:00.000-04:00

I've been sort of floundering in the knitting department. Nothing has been holding my interest this week.

I managed to get my Nantucket Jacket finished up to the armpits. So I am now ready to divide the fronts and back to work on each individually.

I started working on a layette sac from Phildar's website. This has been an interesting project because the pattern is in French. I started it, then frogged it and started again. The directions weren't making any sense at all, and then I noticed at the top, it said "chat". Um, yeah, that does mean "cat", not sac. That would be why I kept ending up with a long skinny tube. When I went back to the Phildar site, I realized what happened. I printed the WRONG pattern ...duh! I printed the correct pattern and started over. It's very boring - all stockinette. Maybe another day.

So I decided to put down my knitting needles and do a little crocheting. I got out a couple of pattern booklets, and chose a baby blanket. I started it 14 times. I gave up and took a nap.

My dyeable superwash sock yarn arrived, and I am ready to give dyeing my own sock yarn a try. I have Wilton icing coloring paste, and I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do. I had great success with Kool-aid dyeing earlier this year, so I feel pretty confident that it will turn out wonderfully. Now I just have to get past sitting at the table looking at the colors and trying to decide how to mix them. Wish me luck!

I'm Potty for Harry ...

2007-04-29T22:41:00.000-04:00

I know that there is no way I will get another pair of socks finished for a second sock swap, but I can mange to put a kit together! :) I joined the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap, and it looks like a lot of fun! We will be making a project bag and stocking it with the goodies needed to make a pair of socks. Of course, there is yet another questionnaire ...

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?
Hufflepuff

2. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.
Crystal Palace 6 inch - size 1 or 2 depending on the weight of the yarn.

3. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?
Sure! Anything but Brittany birch - they always break on me.

4. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?

5. If your pal decides to send candies or chocolates are there any that you don't like?
I can hoestly say that other than vomit flavored Bertie Bot's, I haven't met many goodies I don't like ...

6. What are your favorite scents?
vanilla, cinammon

7. Do you have any allergies?
Highly allergic to cats!

Felted Bag Swap Questionnaire

2007-04-18T10:45:00.000-04:00

I joined another swap - The Felted Bag Swap. We are going to swap socks. Oh, no, wait, what are we swapping again??? Oh, yeah! A felted bag ... *grin*

1. How long have you been knitting or crochetting? How did you learn?

I have been knitting for almost 2 years, and I have been crochetting for ...GULP... 30 years. I learned to crochet by looking at pictures in a crochet pattern book. When I was about 13, one of the big fads was a doll with long curly legs and arms. I loved them and made a zillion of them. They looked kind of like the M&M guys in drag. I learned to knit when Jenn brought in her unbelievabley gorgeous Fair Isle sweaters that she was making as gifts in to work one day. She taught me - she is the bestest knitting teacher in the world :)

2. What are your favorite yarns to knit\crochet felted bags with?

I have felted with Woolbearer's Handpainted, Cascade 220, KnitPicks Wool of the Andes, Lamb's Pride, and Jamieson's. All have felted well, and I really don't have a favorite. The color is the most important thing - it has to be the right color for the project.

3. What are your favorite needles to knit\crochet with?

It depends on what I am knitting - I like DPNs for socks, and KnitPicks Options for other items. I have a large selection of straights and circs, and it really just depends on the projects. I use Boyle crochet hooks.

4. What are the last 3 bags you knitted\crochetted (include URL for Yahoo! or flickr album or your blog if you have them!)? You can also link to patterns if you don't have pictures of your finished objects!

a) a green cabled bag with bamboo handles for my Knitted Purse Swap 2 partner
b) a burgundy/green felted purse for my International Tote Swap partner
c) a beige messenger bag for my Knitted Purse Swap partner

5. Do you carry the bags that you make, give them as gifts, or both?

I usually give them in swaps. I have also knitted a couple for charity fundraisers. I usually carry the bag that I receive in a swap :)

6. What is your favorite felted bag that you have made for yourself?

I have only made one bag for myself - it was my first one. It is okay, but nothing to write home about. It is too shallow, but I use it sometimes for carrying a small project.

7. What are your favorite colors? Do you like bags in these colors or choose other colors?

My favorite colors are blue and green, but I love all colors, and there is not a single color that I dislike.

8. Chocolate: White, Milk, Dark, or not so much?

Dark, baby - it's good for your heart ;) or milk chocolate with Hazelnut.

9. Coffee, Tea, or Milk?

Coffee - preferably european style - very strong with cream. I don't do the brown water coffee served at most places in the US. Iced tea, especially sweet tea. Milk with hot out of the oven brownies.

10. Do you prefer sweet or salty treats? What kinds?

I prefer sweet over salty. Chocolate.

11. If you went into Bath and Body Works and could only come out with one item, what would it be and what would it smell like?

Brown sugar vanilla bubble bath. I also like their aromatherapy Sensual Jasmine stuff.

12. Do you enjoy any other crafts or hobbies? Do you collect anything?

I also cross stitch, quilt, and sew. I collect small glass ladybugs.

13. Are there any bag patterns you have not yet knit, but hope to someday?

I saw a really cool pattern for a grey felted cabled hobo bag in one of the knitting magazines at Borders last year, and have been kicking myself for not buying it ever since!! One day, that pattern and I will meet again, and it will be MINE, I say, MINE!!

14. What is currently OTN (on the needles) for you?

a) Natural Dye Studios Sock Club socks
b) Circle of Friendship socks
c) Nantucket Jacket
d) Baby Sac (a Phildar pattern - I am learning to knit in French)

15. What is your most recent finished object before that?

The green cabled purse for my Knitted Purse Swap 2 partner.

16. What's cutest: Puppies, Piggies or Pixies?

Puppies are very cute - I just love the way they romp and play and who doesn't love "puppy breath"?? Pixies are very cute as well, and I have a couple of pixie candle holders that I really like. Piggies ... well, piggies are good for breakfast. Let's just leave it at that.

17. Do you enjoy reading? Books, Magazines, or both?

Yes, I do enjoy reading, but I am kind of picky about my books. I like most magazines. I subscribe to Golf for Women, Interweave Knits, and Better Homes & Gardens.

18. Do you have any children? (kid-kind or pet-kind apply!)

I have 2 children who are grown and live independently. I live with my boyfriend, and he has two teenage sons that we spend time with on the weekends.

19. What are some of your favorite yarns for other projects?

It really depends on the project. Color, hand and drape are the most important factors. For baby items, I like to use Snuggly DK or Plymouth Cherub. For socks, I like superwash wool/nylon blend. For everything else, it depends on the look I am trying to achieve.

20. And for the final question, one I see debated all over: Novelty Yarn: Love it! Hate it! or It depends!

I really don't like novelty yarn scarves. I can't stand anything fuzzy near my face. I have seen some interesting bags with some novelty yarn carried along, and I would like to try that. So I guess I am in the "It depends" group.

About allergies and smoke:
I am highly allergic to cats, and the smell of cigarette smoke makes me nauseous.

An FO!!

2007-04-13T18:16:00.000-04:00

I finished my Purse for The Knitted Purse Swap 2. I am very pleased with it, and think it came out pretty good. I couldn't believe how incredibly soft the yarn is - it is Royal Bamboo by Plymouth. I hope that it is durable. One thing that I did not like about working with this yarn is that it splits like crazy! There are about 692 strands, and some always want to stay behind when you try to knit ... ugh! What a pain! But the fabric has a lovely drape, and I can see that it would make a wonderful summer sweater. I might have to bite the bullet and use it again!

I am in the process of packing the box of goodies to go into the mail tomorrow!

I received my first set of stitch markers!

2007-04-13T18:13:00.000-04:00

Aren't they beautiful? They were made for me by Marsha, in Rochester, NY. I love the colors - especially the faceted cat's eye beads - very pretty! She included a tin of cinnamon heart - YUM! Thank you Marsha!!

And the Winner Is ....

2007-04-13T08:08:00.000-04:00

EVERYONE!! That's right, everyone is a winner at Chez Ladybug this morning :)

Lisa, Cheryl and my SP10 pal answered the question I asked on March 30th correctly. Lisa and Cheryl, drop me an e-mail with your snail mail addy, and I will get your book out to you right away. SP10 pal, TRHM has been sworn to secrecy, so he will e-mail you for your addy, send out your book, and promises not to reveal your identity to me. Or, you can wait until after SP10, and when your identity is revealed, I will send your book. Which ever you prefer.

Stay tuned for pics later today - I have an FO!! and I received the most beautiful stitch markers in the mail!

Vexed by Harry Potter

2007-04-12T11:53:00.000-04:00

I have enjoyed the HP movies just as much as the next gal, but I am not really a hardcore HP fan. But lately, every since joining the Hoqwarts Sock Swap, I have been immersed in all things Potter. This link was posted by Becky on the HSS blog, and I couldn't resist trying it. It is a name generator to find your HP name.

I typed in my name, and it came up with Phyllida Kwikspell. Very cool. There is also a male version, and I couldn't help it, I just had to know what TRHM's HP name would be. He always uses his full name, Michael, not Mike for anything official and his middle initial, "C", even though he HATES his middle name. One of the first things he did when we started dating was swear me to secrecy regarding his middle name, so I can't tell you that it is .... HA - I can't tell! Well, guess what his HP name is?? Sirius Butterbeer - I laughed so hard I almost fell off the chair!!

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

2007-04-11T13:48:00.000-04:00

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?

The Sorting Hat was placed upon my head,
It whispered to me, then it said,
“You are hard working, friendly, and fair,
Hufflepuff will welcome you there!”

2. Shoe size?

My shoes are a size nine,
But make them wide to fit fine.

3. Foot Length? Foot Circumference?

I measured my foot and found it is square,
It is 10 inches here and 10 inches there!
Short socks are best,
To fit all the rest!

4. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.

For sock knitting, DPNs are the best
Believe me, I’ve tried all the rest!
About the Magic Loop everyone raves,
All the time and energy it saves!
I’ve tried the Loop, and it left me flat,
Again, I won’t be doing that!
On two circs, the socks, they soar,
So I tried two circs, but nevermore!
Once my faves were Brittany Birch,
They snapped in half, leaving me in a lurch!
Crystal Palace, six inches long, in size two
Are for sock knitting, the only DPNs that will do!

5. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?

I am adventurous, that much is true,
I will try anything, chosen by you.

6. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?

My friends at Ravenclaw, with beauty fair,
Look lovely in any color they wear!

7. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?

Wizards are found all over the World,
Socks will be knitted, socks will be purled.
They will be packaged, and by swift owl delivered,

No matter where you are, your location can be conjured!

By the hair of my chinny-chin-chin!

2007-04-11T11:08:00.000-04:00

I made it into the Hogwarts Sock Swap! Whew! I was #92, and the cut off is 100! I put on the sorting hat, and was sorted into Hufflepuff. Guess who else is in Hufflepuff? My International Tote Swap partner, and the creator of that gorgeous ladybug bag, Cheryl!

For this swap, we are assigned a partner. We make a pair of socks in their house color (the sorting hat has been very busy!!) and send them to our secret pal with a new pair of sock knitting needles and a stitch marker, also in their house color.

I am working on my questionnaire answers, and will post then very soon.

Row counters

2007-04-11T08:49:00.000-04:00

I've received some questions on the row counters, so let me explain ...

Many of you know that I am a no-rules kinda gal - I believe in doing what works for you, not necessarily what the directions or pattern says to do. I guess that is the rebel in me that I inherited from my mother, lol! The row counter is sort of like that - use them the way they work for you!

I use the row counter to keep track of repeats in a pattern. You will notice that one end has one bead between the rings. That is the "start" end. You slip the first ring onto the needle. As you complete the row, you move to the next ring, letting both ends dangle down. I only advance mine on the right side rows, and find them especially useful for keeping track of cables - they are an easy way to keep track of when it is time to cable.

For those of you interested in making them, they are really easy to make. The first thing I do is make a bunch of jump rings (I wrap wire around a large knitting needle), you can also use ready made jump rings available at your local craft store (Michael's Craft, A.C. Moore, Hobby Lobby, etc). Then I make the bead units to go in between the rings. I use sterling silver findings for mine because it is pretty. I purchase packages of eye pins, so I don't have to make both loops :) I use a small seed bead then a larger bead, then another seed bead and use my round nosed pliers to make a loop on the other end. Then it is just a matter of putting together the sequence - ring, bead unit, ring, 2 bead units, ring, 3 bead units ... you get the picture ... You can make these as long as you wish. I find that they are most practical with 5 rings. But hey, no rules, right? So make them as long as you wish!

Stitch Markers

2007-04-06T09:25:00.000-04:00

I participated in my first ever Stitch Marker Exchange. I've made earrings, but haven't tried stitch markers. I was feeling adventurous, so I signed up for 3 international partners. Robyn worked really hard, and matched all of us to the number of partners we requested. For this exchange, we are supposed to make 5 markers for each of our partners. I made 5 markers and a matching row counter. One set is mauve and white, one set is green and orange, and the last set is blue and white. I made my own jumprings by wrapping sterling silver wire around a size 11 knitting needle. It was a lot of fun, and I think I will make these sets to send out in all of my various swap packages. They are going in the mail today to Canada, Ireland and Hungary - how cool is that??

The Great Turtle Race

2007-04-05T16:03:00.000-04:00

Did you know that leatherback turtles are over 100 million years old?

There is a website that is dedicated to tracking the journey 11 leatherback turtles are making from Costa Rico to The Galapagos Islands. They are calling it The Great Turtle Race. You can go to the website and choose a turtle to cheer on in the race to The Galapagos. You can also make a donation to leatherback turtle conservation through the site.

Of course, as a Drexel University alumna, I had to choose Drexelina.

My favorite knitting accessory

2007-03-30T16:34:00.000-04:00

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.

Purse Swap

2007-03-15T12:11:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-15T11:15:00.000-04:00

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!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jig!

2007-03-15T09:05:00.000-04:00

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.

Down Day

2007-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-08T08:53:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

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.

Vacation!

2007-03-06T09:53:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-06T08:55:00.000-05:00

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.

SP10

2007-02-27T14:40:00.000-05:00

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 :)

Lint for Lent

2007-02-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

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 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.

A whole boxful of Ladybug Goodness!!!

2007-02-26T23:01:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-26T22:48:00.000-05:00

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!

International Tote Swap

2007-02-11T11:03:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-11T10:47:00.000-05:00

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!

Shhhhh!! It's a SECRET!!

2007-02-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

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

SKS* Question of the Week

2007-02-05T15:10:00.000-05:00

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 ...

Transcribing Patterns

2007-01-31T13:57:00.000-05:00

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!

You see funny things when driving in NJ

2007-01-30T15:16:00.000-05:00

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.

Progress!

2007-01-28T11:38:00.000-05:00

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!

A new blog feature

2007-01-24T12:07:00.000-05:00

I added a new page to the blog - there is a link on the right for Socks. This link will take you to a page dedicated to the socks I knit. You can find photos of the socks, and information about the pattern. Give it a click, and let me know what you think!

Kool-aid Yarn Dyeing

2007-01-24T11:19:00.000-05:00

I tried dyeing yarn with Kool-Aid for the first time this weekend. It was so Kool!! I couldn't believe how easy it was. First, I put chairs as far apart as possible, and wound skeins of white yarn into the longest loops possible. After tying the strands at strategic locations with kitchen string, I mixed up the Kool-aid in large plastic containers while the yarn soaked in warm water. I placed sections of the yarn into each container, and popped the whole thing into the microwave. I zapped for 2 minutes, waited for 5, and repeated until all of the color was absorbed by the yarn, and the water was colorless. I was surprised at how vibrant the colors were! I used 2 or 3 packets of Kool-aid per container, and the skeins of yarn were 3.5 to 4 ozs, so there was about a 3:1 ratio of Kool-aid /oz of yarn.

Once it cooled, I hung the yarn on plastic hangers in the bathroom. TRHM proclaimed "It smells like a box of Fruit Loops in here!"

After they dried, I put the giant hanks back onto the chairs, and wound into small skeins. The colors are a little blotchy, but I think it will be fine once the yarn is knitted up. These skeins are destined to be hats for teenagers in a group home in Atlantic City. I think the teens will like the funky colors.

Santa Came to Town!

2007-01-21T11:06:00.000-05:00

This year, just after Christmas, TRHM, my Mom, and I went to Elaine and Carrie's house to see the Johnston Christmas Trees. No, that is not a typo, I did mean plural - it is an amazing display! Those Christmas shops that sell Holiday Cheer all year long don't have as much Christmas yumminess as Elaine and Carrie (and Elaine's husband and Carrie's Dad, Bob)! Well, while we were there, Elaine showed TRHM a singing Santa. She pushed the button and he started swaying his hips, and singing TRHM's favorite Christmas song - The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! TRHM jumped off the sofa and started singing and dancing with Santa. In that moment, I knew that he had to have one.

What is in the box?

OH boy! I can't believe it! It is one of those Santas that Elaine has !

It really is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

Knitted Purse Swap 2!

2007-01-21T10:41:00.000-05:00

Becky has started the Knitted Purse Swap 2! I can't wait to start. The last swap was wonderful - I made a messenger bag for Mel, and she loved it. She sent me a beautiful purse lined with ladybugs! It was so much fun, that I immediately signed up for the second swap. This one is a secret swap, so I don't know who my pal is, and my pal doesn't know it is me :)

We were asked to post the answers to some questions to help our pal out with making our purse.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I prefer natural fibers for my own knitting, but I do a lot of charity knitting with acrylic. I knit for The Preemie Project, and the skin of the babies is so delecate that even the softest wool can irritate it. I also do some charity knitting that requires that the objects are easy to care for, and are machine washable and dryable. So I use acrylic for that, as well. I am not fond of most novelty yarns, especially anything "furry".

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I store my crochet hooks, straights and most of my DPNs in a tall coffee mug on my dresser. I also have a nifty binder with clear zipper pages that I use for my circs and some of the other DPNs.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I consider myself to be an adventurous intermediate knitter. I had the bestest knitting teacher in the world, and she taught me to knit in 2004. The most important thing that she taught me was that just because the pattern says to do it that way doesn't mean that is the only way. You don't have to follow the pattern! What a concept! Amazing.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

No.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)

Vanilla (yes, I know, b-o-r-i-n-g!!)

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Chocolate, dark chocolate. Is there any other kind of candy?

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I haven't tried spinning. I do lots of other needlecrafts - I quilt, sew, cross-stitch and crochet.

8. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

My favorite colors are the color of the sea - grey, blue and green, and any combination thereof. There really aren't any colors that I can't stand.

9. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

My kids are grown up, I live with my boyfriend, and he has 2 teen-aged sons that we spend time with on the weekends. They live in the same town, so sometimes we do things with them during the week, especially in the summer.

I can't even talk TRHM into a ChiaPet...

10. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

For myself - socks! I love knitting baby items for The Preemie Project.

11. What are you knitting right now?

A Nantucket Jacket from IK Winter 2006 (for me), socks (for me), a baby sweater (for TPP) and finishing a Christmas present

12. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Yes. It depends on what I am knitting. I love KP Options, and I have lots of Addi Turbos. I also have aluminum straights in just about every size. I like bamboo, especially for socks, and I have DPNs in bamboo in all sizes for that.

13. Is there anything that you collect?

Ladybugs. Especially glass ladybugs.

Great idea for the Phillies

2007-01-15T17:19:00.000-05:00

The Dodgers are trying a new angle - All You Can Eat Seats. That's right, they are converting some of the "cheap seats" into not-so-cheap seats, unless you can eat a lotta hot dogs and peanuts ...

The right field pavillion is being converted into a bleacher section with unlimited hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, nachos and soda for $35 a seat in advance, and $40 on game day. Beer, ice cream and candy are not included in the deal. The left field pavillion is still selling for $10 a seat.

Better than Dollar Dog Night? Maybe not.

Started the Nantucket Jacket

2007-01-15T14:36:00.001-05:00

I knit my swatch, but I didn't wash/block it. My guage is a little off - I am getting 4.25 stitches/inch. This will work out fine because the largest size of the pattern is just a teeny bit too small. I frogged my swatch and cast on - then realized I should have taken a pic of the swatch ... oh well. I decided to knit the two front pieces and the back together - this way the only seaming I will have to do is the shoulder and arm. I am planning to knit the arm in the round, so that will elimate that seam, as well. I would take a progress pic, but it isn't so exciting with just 4 rows ... hopefully next week there will be enough to be camera worthy!

Another Sock Knitter!!

2007-01-15T08:21:00.000-05:00

This year, for Christmas, I gave my daughter, Cassie, a sock kit. I bought her four balls of superwash merino in a dk weight, Crystal Palace DPN's, Knit Socks! and Sensational Knitted Socks. I went with DPNs because I really don't think socks soar on 2 circulars, and there really isn't anything magical about The Loop. And, I think that knitting with DPNs is a key skill. A week ago, I gave her a sock lesson. This was really new, because Cassie was taught to knit English, and the only cast on she has ever used is knitting on. I taught her to knit Continental, and the long-tail cast on. I also taught her to cast onto four needles, not cast onto 1 needle and shift stitches.

She practiced and practiced, and yesterday, showed me her efforts. I think it is awesome! That is her boyfriend, Joe. He is an art student at Rutger's University.

Notice that the front door is open - and yes, that is a Christmas wreath on the door. The kitchen windows were open, too. This weather is just too weird!!

Nantucket Jacket KAL

2007-01-11T10:18:00.000-05:00

My yarn arrived last yesterday! I ordered KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in the Maple Syrup colorway. It is exactly what I wanted - coppery and cinnamony - yum! I can't wait to start my swatches. Jenn started her swatches already, and we will be working on the jacket together.

In addition to the yarn, I ordered some points and cable for the KP Options needles. I *heart* them! I also got color cards for some of the yarn I have considered for other projects.

Just for the record - this yarn was ordered before I even knew about Stash-Along, and before I made my commitment not to buy more yarn.

Stashing right along!

2007-01-11T10:14:00.000-05:00

When I joined Stash-along, I started a baby sweater out of some mint green Jaime that I have in my stash. So far, I have the back finished and the left front. I cast on for the right front last night, and should have it finished by the end of this evening. This weekend, I'll do the sleeves, border bands and put it all together. Hopefully, it will be an FO by Sunday night :)

I really like the pattern - it is a Sirdar pattern that I bought on eBay last year. It has pretty lacy panels with seed stitch in between. The ruffled bottom is adorable and so easy to do!

TRHM is the best!!

2007-01-11T10:11:00.000-05:00

Lately the weather has been really weird - last Saturday it was 70 degrees! This morning, it was 29 brrrrrrrr! On frosty mornings, TRHM warms up my car and scrapes the windows for me. He's the best!

Natural Dye Studio Sock Club

2007-01-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Just about every sock knitter knows about Socks That Rock, the fabulous sock club from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I joined this year, and I can't wait for my first shipment!!

Well, Natural Dye Studio also has a sock club. The owner, Amanda, is a very charming English woman. I found her when I was looking for some mohair on that oh-so-famous auction site. She does lovely work!! Her yarns are the finest fibers, and they are dyed using all natural dyes - no chemicals. The colorways are stunning; I just love her yarn! In addition to the sock club, she has some wonderful blue-faced leicester, alpaca and alpaca blends. Shipping from the UK is fast, and the service is friendly - Amanda makes everything so easy! As soon as I get my first pair finished, there will be pictures!

Stash busting

2007-01-05T14:17:00.000-05:00

So I'm at Knit Chicks last week, and the uber-talented Jenn says that she is going to join the Stash-Along, and asked if I was going to do it. I said "Nah. My stash sucks. I don't have enough yarn to make anything that I want to make." She just about fell of the chair laughing, and said "Um. Yeah. Your stash has a STORAGE UNIT!! What do you mean you don't have enough yarn to make anything??" So I started thinking about it, and you know what? She's right. I have a TON of yarn, and I really need to get busy.

I signed up for Stash-Along, and started rummaging through the knitting bags I have piled in the guest room closet. I found a couple of skeins of mint green fingering weight acrylic to start a baby sweater. I'll have pictures posted by the end of the weekend.

The Stash-Along has three options, and I am combining the first and last option. I committed for 6 months, and during that time, I will not buy any yarn. The exception is the Socks That Rock Club that I signed up for last fall. There is no way I am giving up my coveted spot!! But I'm not sure that should count as my "free" day every month that I received a shipment, because I paid for my membership today, so technically, I am not "buying" yarn when I receive a shipment ... This is going to be hard, because I am going to Altanta in Feb, Jacksonville in March, and Columbus, OH and Huntsville, AL in May. You may recall that Columbus has a FABULOUS yarn shop ... I might have to use that for my free day. I am also making a list of my UFOs, and the things I want to make from the stash, and I am going to finish everything on the UFO list, and try to knock out as many "from the stash" projects as possible.

Wish me luck!!

A New Project

2006-12-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

Have you all seen the Winter Issue of IK?? Isn't that Nantucket Jacket on the cover gorgeous? Did you know that there is a KAL for it? And that many of the ladies knitting this jacket are making modifications to the pattern, so there will be lots of interesting things to learn, and lots of experienced knitters to help you if you want modifications? Yeah, it is so awesome that I decided to choose this pattern for my first me-sized sweater! I am so excited!

I ordered some Wool of the Andes from KnitPicks, so if I decided to say something-that-rhymes-with-Nantucket, and chuck it, I won't be out a bucket (of cash).

How many steps did you take today?

2006-12-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

I got a pedometer for Christmas - it is very cool, it even talks to me. All it is lacking is Anne Robinson's sarcastic voice to tell me "You could have walked 10,000 steps. Instead, you completed an appalling, dismal, disgraceful 1438 steps." I need to start walking more because in March, TRHM and I are going to The Mouse House with my sister and her family. They'll leave me in the dust to be sure! How many steps do you walk in a day?

Filling in the Blanks

2006-12-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

In October, I posted about something I was making, and said I would fill in the blanks. I was making a felted messenger bag for my Knitted Purse Swap partner, Mel. I was thrilled with the way it came out.

I learned a lot of new techniques/stitches in making it. The bag is knit from the top down, with 2 inches of linen stitch, then twisted stockinette. The "edges" are done by slipping a stitch every other row. The bottom is mitered and cast off with a three needle cast off. The flap is knitted seperately, then sewn on. I decided that stripes would be nice on the flap. The strap is knit using a slip stitch with 2 rows of solid followed by 2 rows of varigated. This technique resulted in a cool almost houndstooth pattern. When the yarn arrived, I was a little nervous about the varigated not matching with the solid, but after felting, I think it looks great! One of the coolest things about this pattern was that the swatch became a pocket! How cool is that?? I really liked the way that the twisted stockinette resulted in a corduroy-ish fabric. Mel liked it a lot, and I am really glad. This was a fun swap, and I am signed up for the next one. Come and join the fun!!

Did you finish your Christmas Knitting??

2006-12-22T18:16:00.000-05:00

Well, 5 out of 7 isn't too bad ... I was planning to knit 6 *** for ***, but I only got 5 finished. But they are wrapped and ready to go.

The *** I was knitting for *** is about 2/3 finished, and there is no hope of it getting finished for Christmas. But that is okay, because there are other goodies under the tree for that person.

Almost all of the other presents are wrapped and in boxes, ready to go out to the car. We are leaving at "early-thirty" (as TRHM says) to go to Rhode Island to spend the weekend with Mom and Dad and the rest of the family.

Did you get your Christmas knitting finished? Are you ready? Santa is on his way, you know!

A Visit to The Mouse House

2006-12-15T20:09:00.000-05:00

I just returned from a long weekend in Florida. I went to Orlando with my sister, Heidi, and my Mom. We went to see the Christmas lights and also to celebrate Mom's birthday. The first stop was Animal Kingdom. I was working on my socks - you know, the Trekking socks that I was planning to have done LAST July 4th ... the red, white and blue ones ... mm-hmm those. We saw the Tree of Life - it is a truly amazing site! The animals carved into it are very lifelike. We also saw the "It's Tough to be a Bug" show - it was fantastic!

After Animal Kingdom, we went to MGM. Lunch was at the Sci-Fi Drive-In theater - it was so cool! There is a huge screen, and there are "cars" from the 50's that have tables in them. On the screen, they play clips from old scifi movies. Also at MGM is the Osbourne Lights display. This family had so many lights that their neighbors got an injunction, so they moved the display to Disney World. I couldn't believe how many lights there were! After a quick tour of the lights, we took the boat launch over to The Wilderness Lodge for dinner. Heidi had arranged for a special birthday dessert for Mom, and we had a very nice dinner. I ordered a martini that was blue and had a blue blinking cube in it! At the end of the night, we staggered back to The Swan (our hotel) and fell into a coma until morning.

The second day, we went to Epcot. We rode a new ride, called Soarin'. It is really neat - you sit in a row of seats, and when everyone is buckled in, the row of seats is raised in front of a huge screen. Air blows on you and a movie plays, giving you the sensation of soaring over California. Well worth the 75 min wait! We toured the world, then had dinner in Germany. The food was wonderful and there was a great floor show. After dinner, we went to the Candlelight Processional - it was one of the best Christmas shows I have ever seen! It is the story of the nativity, with a special guest narrator (ours was Stephen Curtis Chapman), an orchestra, a choir of Disney cast members, and several guest choirs from high schools and churches all over the world. After Epcot, we ran over to The Magic Kingdom for Spectromagic. What a neat parade! All of the floats and characters were covered in lights. One of the floats had the Three Pigs on it, and when the pig dipped his paintbrush into the barrel decorated with white lights, all of the float's lights (for every float, not just that one) turned white, and when he dipped the paintbrush into the barrel decorated with colored lights, all of the floats turned colored, again. Very cool.

On the third day, we went to The Magic Kingdom for the day. We rode the Jungle Cruise, the Delta Queen, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Mom had her first smoked turkey leg! We watched the fireworks over Cindarella's castle, then buzzed over to MGM for Fantasmic. That is an awesome show! There were fireworks, pyrotechnics, water spraying, and all sorts of wonderful effects!

Tuesday was my last day, but Heidi and Mom stayed one more night, to return home on Wednesday. Tuesday morning, we got up and took the monorail over to The Grand Floridian to see the huge gingerbread house. We had a fun breakfast with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Alice, The Mad Hatter, and Mary Poppins. The gingerbread house was incredible! The decorations were very elaborate - with each window box filled with red and white sugar pointsettias. After we saw the gingerbread house, we took the boat launch over to the Beach Resort to see the chocolate carousel. It smelled sooooooo good!!!! Each horse was sculpted of chocolate with chocolate curls for a mane, and was decorated with a different motif. One horse was decorated with a red blanket and a bridle of sugar pointsettias, another with a green blanket with holly, and a third with a blue blanket covered with sugar snowflakes.

We had such a great trip - lots of fun and laughter all weekend long!

Light a Candle

2006-12-02T08:02:00.000-05:00

When my son was born (more than 19 years ago), I was living in San Francisco, and a new epidemic was sweeping the city - AIDS. I was managing a large apartment complex of 3 buildings and 108 units on Lombard Street just three blocks from the famous zig-zag block. My assistant manager, Ginger, was a very interesting woman who was very active in the gay community. Her mother was a costumer on Broadway, and had come to San Francisco to visit for a couple of months. She was making a Maleficent costume for a man Ginger knew who was dying of AIDS. One of his last wishes was to dress as Maleficent for a costume ball that he had attended every year for many years. He knew this year would be his last, and Ginger wanted it to be the best ever for him. One night, he was at Ginger's apartment for a costume fitting, when I brought my brand new baby over to see Ginger. My 3 year old daughter used to call Ginger "Girlfriend" and they got along famously. He was oohhhing and aahhhing over the baby, and I held the baby out to him and asked if he wanted to hold him. He took the baby gently, rocked him and sang to him. There were tears in his eyes as he handed the baby back to me and told me that ever since he had gotten sick, his family had shunned him. They were afraid that if they touched him or were in the room with him, they would catch "The Gay Plague". He thanked me for making him feel like a normal person and letting him hold my baby. He said it was the kindest thing anyone had done for him in a very long time.

Later, Ginger told me that when the night of the costume ball came, he was too sick and weak to wear the magnificent costume her mother made. She also told me that the night I let him hold my baby was one of the last things he talked about before he slipped away. I do not know his name, but it is in his memory that I lit a candle. Bristol Meyers Squibb is donating $1 to The National AIDS Fund for every candle that is lit at their website. It doesn't cost you anything, just a moment of your time. Light a candle, spread the word.

I Heart the Mailman ...

2006-12-01T10:06:00.000-05:00

The mailman brought me a lovely box all the way from Alameda, CA. It was from my purse swap partner. I wanted to open it, but I hadn't mailed mine yet, so I e-mailed Mel to tell her that I got her box and was dying to open it, but decided that the least I could do was get hers in the mail, first. She promptly replied - open it, open it!!!! So I happily obliged. She told me that it was the best FO she ever made, and she hoped I loved it as much as she did.

Well, guess what?? It is PERFECT in every way!!!! Thank you, Mel!! I love love LOVE my perfect purse!! Yours is on it's way ;)

The color is a really pretty soft grey, and the cables are beautiful. When I looked inside, there were LADYBUGS!! How awesome is that??? And it was filled with goodies - an album, candles and the cutest ladybug buttons I've ever seen!. There were even goodies under the purse ... how did she know that KitKats are my fave??

It's Beginning to look like Christmas!!

2006-12-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

Wow - everyone is getting their decorations out, and at night, the twinkling lights are lovely! My neighbor's all have their wreathes on their doors, and many of the condos are sporting lighted windows.

But I think someone needs to tell the geranium that it is time to go to sleep until next year.

And they might want to consider having the landscapers cut the grass again.

What the heck is going on???

I am pretty sure that today is the first day of December ... that is what the calendar says ...

Knittin' with Roadkill!!!

2006-10-15T11:27:00.000-04:00

This summer, I was reading Bekka's blog, and she was starting a gift for a family member with possum yarn. I couldn't believe it! She said that it was very soft and warm, so I was on a mission to find some. I check my favorite LYS's and found some at Woolbearers. I love this LYS because they have the most gorgeous wool that they spin and dye on the premises. So I am working on more Christmas knitting - neckwarmers!
I love the pattern - it knits up really fast, and it is so pretty. The yarn is soft! It's a little fuzzy, too. Before you say "Ee-www!!" let me tell you, it is fun to joke about knitting roadkill, but this yarn is a merino-possum mix from Down Under, and should not really be confused with that piney delicacy, opossum. From what I understand they are a completely different animal. But this is really nice yarn! I can't believe that Cherry Tree Hill has discontinued it! The colorways are little on the expensive side ($15.95 for a 50 g skein), but the solids are about half that price. I think it is worth it for a little something special.

Still alive!

2006-10-15T11:16:00.000-04:00

Still no socks in the mail for me! I guess my assassin is still putting the finishing touches on her dissertation, LOL!

I mailed my second target her socks, but haven't heard that she received them, and haven't seen her posting her death on the Sock Wars forum. She should be dead by now, though!

I've been busy working on projects for other people. I am working on a *** for ***. I'll fill in the blanks later, after I give it to her ;) This will be felted, and it will be interesting to see how the linen stitch felts. The pattern calls for every other row to be twisted, and I kinda like the texture. I think it would be fun to have something knit like this that wasn't being felted. I have some bulky blue and green wool that I was thinking about using for a cardie, maybe I'll give this a try!

I'm also working on a *** for *** for Christmas. I'm using Takhi Donegal Tweed, and the color is gorgeous! It is a little washed out in the photo, because it is really sunny today. The pips of turquoise and lavendar are really pretty, and the yarn shows off the cables nicely.

Foiled by Columbus Day!!!

2006-10-10T07:08:00.000-04:00

My Box o' Death was ready to be mailed! Filled with black tissue paper, some yummy green socks, a note, the leftover yarn with the ball band, and some Perugina chocolate to comfort the mourners, my Priority box sat happily on the passenger seat as I zoomed toward the post office yesterday morning. I zipped into the post office parking lot, turning on two wheels, ala Cruela DeVil, and screeched to a halt only to find a "Closed for Columbus Day" sign on the door. NNnnoooooooooooo!! It can't be!!!!

But wait ... that means no mailman for me today! YES!!! I will live to fight another day!

It's beginning to look like Halloween!!

2006-10-09T20:42:00.000-04:00

When I got home Friday night, TRHM told me he bought me a surprise. He handed me a box of pumpkin stake lights. I grinned and told him that I bought him a surprise, too, and handed him a light-up witch decoration. It was pretty funny because we have been doing this sort of thing since we first met, and often will surprise each other with a similar thing on the same day.

This weekend I took a little break from knitting to do some decorating. My 6 year old nephew came over to spend the night, and Saturday morning, we got out the bins of decorations. He put together some edging that looks like a gothic fence with spiders. We put orange and purple lights on the bushes, then covered the whole thing with cobwebs. He put togther the pumpkin stake lights that TRHM bought for me, and pushed them into the ground. He helped me put all of the other decorations together and found a place for them. He even helped me make a wreath for the front door.

Socktober Fest

2006-10-08T09:16:00.000-04:00

Well, you all know by now that I am a joiner. Not necessarily a finisher ... but I'll join in on the fun any day of the week! LOL!! Well, after I assassinated Lisa in the Sock Wars, I read her blog and saw the cutest button for Socktoberfest. And I have lots of socks to knit, so I decided to join. I love, love, love Halloween! It is my favorite holiday of the year, and symbolizes the start of the holiday season for me. So the halloweeny witch button really got me! The first week is an introduction, and there are a few questions to be answered:

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

I was taught to knit by the uber-talented Jenn. We worked together at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. She made the most amazing Fair Isle sweaters as bridesmaid gifts, and brought one in to show me. I was completely in awe, and decided to learn to knit. Jenn is a wonderful teacher, and embraces my "jump in with both feet" attitude. Lesson one was a scarf that I made for my daughter for Christmas. Lesson two was a hat on DPNs. From there it was easy to go on to socks.

What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?

My first pair was a pair of house socks made with Red Heart varigated yarn in worsted weight. They were featured on my blog here. They have held up wonderfully, possibly because I haven't worn them. I remember being completely amazed that they actually fit me, and it was fun to watch them materialize.

What would you have done differently?

Absolutely nothing. They fit, and I will use them this winter.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

I have used Trekking, Cascade Fixation, Bollicino (100% superwash merino), and Cotton Comfort. I really like the Trekking, even though it can be tricky to match the stripes. I really like identical socks, and I'm not so crazy about fraternals, unless the striping pattern changes so frequently that it isn't that noticible. I really like self-striping sock yarn. I didn't like the Cascade socks that much. The Bollicino made wonderfully soft socks, that is what I used to assassinate Lisa. I am going to knit a pair for myself. The Cotton Comfort was the yarn she was using to make the socks for her target, and I finished them. I liked the colorway a lot, and I think they would wear really well.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

I knit my socks. Up until I took over Lisa's socks, I had only used DPNs to knit them. She was using the Magic Loop, and so I gave it a try. I liked it a lot, and I'll use it again. I want to try the 2 socks on 2 circs method. I recently read an article on Knitty about using a double knitting method to knit two socks at the same time - one inside the other. How cool is that??

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

Hands down - heel flap! I especially like the eye of the partridge heel. I think it gives the sock a lot of character. I was never a clog wearer, until I knitted my socks and wanted to show them off! I think that an attactive heel is key.

How many pairs have you made?

I have made three pairs for myself, one pair for Cindy,one of the Knit Chicks, for pollyana last year, a pair for Lisa, and a third of a pair for Lisa's target, also named Lisa. I currently have two pair on the needles - my red white and blue trekking socks that I started for Trek Along With Me, and a gorgeous pair of mauve varigated. TRHM's oldest requested a pair of socks after he saw my Sock Wars socks, so I will have to start a pair for him, too.

How much do you pay for gas??

2006-10-08T08:47:00.000-04:00

Recently, I've noticed a big difference in gas prices between where I live and where I work. As you know, I live in The Blueberry Capitol of THE WORLD!!!!!!! (you have to read that in the Ringmaster Voice). And gas has been dropping like a rock! We paid $1.94 at the WaWa gas station. I drive about an hour and 15 minutes to work, and I noticed that gas prices slowly increase as I approach the Princeton area. I go over the Scudder Falls Bridge into Pennsylvania, and gas skyrockets - it is still about $2.25 there, and you have to pump it yourself! In NJ, it is illegal to pump your own gas, and I kinda like that. TRHM reported that he paid $1.89 for gas on his way to work in Atlantic City last week! So leave me a comment, and tell me what you are paying for gas.

Sore hands

2006-09-28T17:32:00.000-04:00

I knitted so much this weekend that by Sunday night, my hands were sore. I got some hand lotion, and TRHM gave me a nice hand massage while we watched a movie. I am working on my Knitted Purse Swap project and a Christmas present, since they are both surprises, I can't post progress pics. I am also working on my sock for my second Sock Wars target - I got down to the heel flap, and saw that I purled when I should have knitted in a couple of spots. I tried dropping the stitch and picking it back up, again, but it looked messy. So I ripped back to my boo-boo and fixed it. I love the color of this yarn, but I am not so crazy about the texture - it is Green Mountain Spinnery Cotton Comfort. Lisa said that it will soften up once it is washed, so a nice Euclan bath should take care of it. I only have about 1 1/2 inches to go on the sock and they are finished and I can assassinate my next target. But I have a little problem - I ran out of yarn!! YIKES!! Fortunately, Lisa bought it at a shop in Princeton, so I can just buzz over there and pick up another skein.

My knitted purse is coming along well. I really like the color of the yarn, and I think my swap partner will like it, as well. The pattern calls for some linen stitch at the edge, and that turned out really nice. I can see where it will add a lot of support to the upper edge.

The Christmas gift is coming out really well - I like the yarn, and when I washed my swatch in Woolite, it came out so cuddly soft! I am using Tahki Donegal Tweed that I bought in the market at KDO. The 2x2 ribbed edging seemed much narrower than the pattern measurements, but once I got past the edging, things are going according to the pattern. I did two swatches, one with size 8 but I didn't get gauge, and had to go down one needle size. With the size 7, I got both row and stitch gauge. I am using the new options needles from Knit Picks, and so far, I really like them a lot! They are pointier than other needles, which I like, because I normally knit a little on the loose side, and if the needles are too blunt, then I knit really loose!! The best part - when it was time to switch to the larger needles, I just unscrewed the tips and screwed on the next size! How easy is that?? I wasn't sure if I would like them, so I only ordered a couple of sizes of tips and cables, but I will probably buy some more.

I also have some other Christmas knitting that I will be starting this week. I am pretty sure that none of the recipients read my blog, but I'll be cautious with my progress pics, just in case! I am using a pattern that I bought at KDO, and I have some fab yarn in the stash. I need to use up some of my stash, and have decided to refrain from yarn buying this month. We are going to CT for a comic book show in three weeks, but I am pretty sure that there aren't any LYS near the show. And no, I'm not even going to check ;-) Next month, though, we will be in the suburbs of Chicago, in Shaumburg, so I will definately have to shop hop! I'll be ready for some more yarn by then, I'm sure of it!

When I get all of my Christmas knitting finished up, I will knit myself some socks. I bought a pair of purple slacks, and I don't have any purple socks to wear with them. I saw a very very interesting technique online today that I will have to try out. More on that later!

BANG - You're Dead!

2006-09-24T21:04:00.000-04:00

There's nothing but bad news for my target. The bad news is that I am finished. The worse news is that I drive right past her town on my way to work :) When I saw where she lived, I just about fell off the chair! I am planning to leave them on her doorstep.

This photo isn't a very accurate color either, they really are a lovely wine color.

Sock Wars

2006-09-24T08:23:00.000-04:00

Friday was an exciting day. I checked my e-mail about a zillion times looking for my dossier (with the info about my target) and pattern, but nothing. I checked the Sock Wars Forum, and saw a post about bad storms over Northern Ireland (that's where Yarn Monkey lives, and she is sending out the dossiers), lots of folks without power, blah blah blah. When I got home on Sunday, I double checked, and Yarn Monkey had managed to post the pattern on her blog. I got busy, and had my sock 1/2 finished before bedtime. I guess I'm not really hardcore, because I didn't stay up all night to finish.

I didn't have my target, so I turned the heel and knit a bit, then put the first one on stitch holders and started the second one. The color isn't very good in this photo - these socks are a gorgeous wine color, the yarn is a new yarn from Cascade - 100% merino superwash.

Gotta go - TRHM says I'm wasting knitting time, LOL! Socks will be in the mail on Monday. Check out the forum - lots of warriors have ALREADY MAILED their socks - YIKES!!!!!!

LYS Alert!!!

2006-09-21T13:51:00.000-04:00

This new job ROCKS!! The work is entertaining, the pay is decent, and best of all - there is a fab LYS within walking distance!! Yes!! Okay, it is a long walk, but it isn't to the ends of the earth.

When I first started this job, I was knitting in the cafeteria, and met a "closet" knitter. She carefully looked around before asking me what I was knitting, and then looked around again before she whispered "I'll show you my socks the next time I see you." Yesterday, as I was heating up my lunch, she came over (and of course, looked around to make sure no one would see) and quickly flashed me her socks. They were gorgeous - I am in awe. I didn't get to touch them, they disappeared into her bag faster than St. Nick flies up the chimney, but they looked very soft, and had little cables all over them. I asked her if there was a yarn shop anywhere near here, and she said that there was a really nice one not too far away. Well, today, I went out on a mission at lunchtime, and found it.

Y Knot Knit ( is that a cute name, or what?) is a real find! The owner (she told me her name, but I don't remember) was really really sweet. The shop is located in a very old house (I mean colonial days old). There is a small parking lot in the rear, and the entrance to the shop faces the parking lot. There is a large banner with the shop name and phone number hanging over the porch. If you go there, be sure to check out the cute cement sheep hanging out in the flower bed. I entered the shop, and found a small room with a wicker loveseat, and what looked like a reception desk. I was greeting in a warm and friendly manner, and invited to look around. Downstairs, there were bins of Noro. I went upstairs and found three rooms filled with knitty goodness.

The first room had novelty yarns of every imaginable kind - there was fluff, there was ribbon, there was glitz - it was pretty wild! The yarn was arranged in color groups. There were also two large bookcases with pattern books, magazines, and binders of pattern leaflets.

The second room was filled with Cascade - all different kinds, everything neatly arranged. There was also a small alcove with Crystal Palace DPNs and all sorts of knitting notions. Near the alcove, there was a small set of bins with some sock yarn. In addition to the wool Cascade, there was a great selection of cotton yarns (no kitchen cotton).

The third room was filled with other natural fibers - alpaca, silk, merino, and shelving unit full of baby yarn. One of the things I really liked was a display of combinations of yarn. There was a large hank of worsted weight in a solid color with two balls of coordinating varigated or novelty yarns slipped over it. It was a great way to see how the basic yarn could be dressed up a little with coordinating fibers. There was also a large work table for classes or knitting groups.

Throughout the shop, there were lots of lovely models, and patterns. There were the most adorable decorative sheep made from balls of yarn - very cute, I might have to make some. When I went back downstairs, I noticed a large basket full of Addi Turbos, and a large selection of Crystal Palace and Lantern Moon straight needles. There were also some funky handcrafted shawl pins and polymer clay buttons.

I bought some of the baby yarn, and some DK sock yarn for Sock Wars. While I was checking out, the owner invited me to come to the shop for Sit n' Knit on Tues and Thurs nights. She said that the group of knitters is really nice, and she always puts out some snacks. I asked her if the yarn I had chosen would be good for socks, and she said that she loves socks made from it - that it is wonderful sock yarn. I told her about Sock Wars, and she thought it sounded like such fun!

If you get to the Newtown area, I highly recommend this shop. They will have a website soon, it is under construction. I know I will be a frequent visitor!

KDO

2006-09-19T14:39:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, all of the Knit Chicks (well, nearly all) caravaned out to Harrisburg for Knitter's Day Out. This is the one trip that almost everyone makes - a few go to Stitches, and Jenn and I went to TKGA in Fort Washington, but everyone goes to KDO. We had a great time! We took over the hotel lobby, and knitted with some of the other guests. That is always fun because there are actually guests at the hotel that are not attending KDO, and are not even knitters! *gasp* They find it very amusing that the lobby is full of ladies knitting.

I took the Knitted Lace class with Jan Rienhardt. It was terrific - she had some lovely examples, and everyone was trying different stitch combinations, helping each other out, and having fun. Jan is terrific teacher, and has a great straightforward manner. For my first real lace project, I wanted to make the Shetland Tea Shawl from A Gathering of Lace. I was getting frustrated with it. The pattern is not difficult, but reading my work was tricky, and when I made a mistake, it was really hard to find and correct. When I showed it to Jan, she just said "Well, I think you are starting in Graduate School, when you might want to try Freshman Year." And guess what? She was right! I put it away, and pulled out a ball of KP Shine Sport, and had no problems at all! Her advice was to work my way up to laceweight yarn, using lighter yarn with each project. And I had a revelation - one of the reasons I was having problems was that I am really not in love with STS - don't get me wrong - it is a gorgeous shawl. But when I really thought about why I was knitting it, the answer was to prove that I can, not that I really wanted one. So why am I making myself nuts over it?? I will probably never use a gossamer lace shawl, but I would love to have one in heavier yarn - THAT I would use! I might even make a STS with fingering weight instead of laceweight.

My afternoon class was very challenging - it was called Sit n' Knit. I sat outside with Elaine and Carrie and knitted! Elaine is working diligently on a beautiful baby blanket, and Carrie is working (not so diligently) on her baby blanket. Carrie decided to go for instant gratification, and bought a Schoeller & Stahl "Big Ball" of yarn in pastel varigated and a hugeungous pair of knitting needles and started a new baby blanket. Lots of babies coming along in their family!

I bought a fabulous pattern for my knitted purse swap - I think it is just right for my swap partner. But don't look for progress pics - I want it to be a surprise!! I also found the perfect **** for it (can't tell what the **** means - might be handles, might be yarn, might be zipper ... hee hee). After she receives it, I will post a FO pic. I also got the perfect yarn for a Christmas present I am making, and a cashmere/merino blend for another Christmas present. I did my part to support the KDO Market.

After breakfast on Sunday, I zipped home to TRHM. He was at work, so I took advantage of the time to myself and took a little nap - we were up so late on Friday and Saturday night that I was really wiped by Sunday afternoon. When I woke up from my nap, he was home. I showed him all my loot, and he thoroughly approved of my purchases. He agrees that the yarn I got was perfect, and the cashmere/merino blend was very soft.

Knitting Content!

2006-09-10T22:05:00.000-04:00

Friday night, I finished a sweater for The Preemie Project. I used the Twist and Turns pattern with Softee Baby yarn. I still need to choose the buttons. Here in The Blueberry Capitol of the World, we have many shopping options - Wal-Mart, and ummm, oh yeah, Wal-Mart. I really wanted some lavendar buttons, but they only had one style of pink, and the little white hearts. The white heart buttons are pretty because they have a little bit of a silver sheen to them. I cast on for the hat, and there is a pair of booties to be made as well.

Last weekend, I sewed the flannel linings into three funeral buntings, also for The Preemie Project. I added ribbons, and they are ready to go. The one in the middle is mint green with a pink and green polka dotted lining. I hope having these cuddly buntings for their sweet baby will bring some comfort to the families who will use them.