The Good, The sad and the downright ugly.

I have been so taken with Ravelry, that I haven't spent much time reading or writing my own blog. So sad. I have had a rough couple of weeks. I have had a few very sad days indeed. I did finish my Dad's sweater but my dh ruined the 3rd cast of the Leaf and Acorn scarf, so I'm on round 4. I am debating whether or not to actually write out what happened to it, because its just too sad and awful to put out there. Let's just say that anger of a spouse can work its way into your knitting stash and current projects if they are angry enough. I don't want to talk about any of it... I do, but ick...who wants to read that?

He did say that I could purchase what I needed to replace it and have a day to get it back to where it was, (a day which he said would be without kids)...it did not happen this weekend, which is what I thought the plan was. I am wondering if it will ever happen. I will however, buy some more yarn because I damn well deserve it.

I am Hinklebell on Ravelry, and have posted all my photos up there, but I can add some here as well.

Here's my Dad in his sweater. He's happy, but I just made him stop making the goofy faces.

Now I just need to figure out how to add my Flickr account here and i'm all set.

I've started another old pattern of an Icelandic Knit Sweater for my Mom which will be a cardigan. I'm looking forward to finishing that soon as well. They go so fast and always end up looking quite nice.

It's a short post, but its a post. Ah well... better than nothing.

Ravelry - YAYYY!

I'm in! I'm in!!.... Now I just need time and more photos, and I think this calls for photos of my stash. I really do. I have an over sized trunk which is our coffee table, and a LARGE knitting basket, and about 3 bags in the back of my closet. God knows what's in there. I keep dropping projects, frogging them and then trying to find new patterns for the yarn. It's sad really. I have numerous amounts of some weird green tweed color, which I thought would be so pretty, for Alice Starmore's Caledonia Sweater, but it looks eeeeeawful! So bad. Really yucky. Should I finish it anyway? Maybe i need another yarn? I don't know. The chances of me buying more yarn right now are slim to none. Maybe frog it and start it again. At the least I'll have to make it a size larger...god I hope I have enough yarn now. I'm Hinklebell on Ravelry. Looking so forward to more and more of it.
Oh - what I'm up to. I put down the lace for a while. I pick it up and do about 4 rows each time. i think I'm better off that way. I've been working on a cable scarf and finally finally cleaned up the dreaded stash a bit and pulled out my Dad's old Reynolds Lopi Icelandic sweater that I started for him..hmmm before I was married? Definitely before kids. Anyway, it's old. I finished the unfinished sleeve. Tinked back the one that was too long - joined in the round to the body and I'm up to the 3rd pattern repeat for the Yoke. Hurrah. I've forgotten how easy and fun and fast these are. No wonder it was my first sweater. Tonight no knitting - I'm working, but I thought I'd post my thanks to Ravelry for inviting me at long last!
Cheers -

I killed it! Yup. I did.

The very first sweater I wanted to knit. I will do it. I will!
The one I just bought yarn for.

I'll tell you what I killed but first...some pictures. I've shown these before. These are my two favorite Kristin Nicholas sweaters that I am determined to knit. I figured I'd better get some images on this blog soon. I've been so lazy I haven't taken any photos of the scarf. (Which is what I killed today, by the way).

I did. I ripped that baby out. This is the second time I've ripped it all the way out now...what is it they say? Third time's a charm? Here's hoping. I have ripped it all the way out and I'm going to cast on again. I even printed out a brand new copy of the pattern so I can start fresh. With no errors this time. Here's hoping! I had to, I really did. I was completely lost and no matter what I did, that next row I knit didn't seem to be the right one. Bad Bad me for not ticking off my rows on my pattern. I must have thought - "Oh, I'll remember!" BAH. I had completed the first 60 rounds, and had only to repeat those rounds, ohhhh 5 times more to finish it. Ok, so I wasn't really that far along, but you know I was reading that even amazing knitters only tend to do a couple rows on a lace project daily, because like me, they need silence and concentration. I am NOT alone!! Wheeee! I think it was the Yarn Harlot that wrote that. Oh actually now that I look again, it was her guest blogger that wrote that but still... she's gotta be a good knitter, if she's writing with Stephanie right? I have a lot of work to do. Yeah, not just on my knitting real work-work. So I'll just finish ripping out the scarf, and then I'll work. Or... maybe I'll just cast on and do the garter stitch edging...and maybe 1 or two rows so I don't feel so bad. Either way I have a lot to do. And did I mention I'm about 3 days behind in dishes and laundry? Sigh. The world is calling - better get back to it.

October Sales!!

I can't beleive it's October already! Fall is really here, and it makes me want to knit so many new projects! But if I start something new and don't finish stuff I'll never finish this scarf and I have to finish this scarf! I can only bore you so many times with my scarf saga, which I had picked up and fixed and put down again, and now... I picked it up and I hadn't marked off the last row that I did correctly, because I'm on a right side row and the next unchecked row is a wrong side row. Oopsy Daisy. I know I didn't do it last night because I went to bed early in a bad state. And I know I didn't do it Saturday night because Saturday night is the reason I was in a bad state yesterday. We went to dinner, and to the Boston Red Sox game, and then went to our local place afterwords, the Red Rock Bistro for drinks. That was a mistake. The wine at dinner, fine. The beer at the game, fine. The drinks at RedRocks baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad idea. My husband and I were like zombies all day yesterday. It felt like we were moving in slow motion while the kids buzzed around us like hummingbirds 120 miles an hour. I went to bed at 9:00. I couldn't even read. My brain was making cracking noises - or at least it felt like it. So now I'll get to work, and once again the next time I pick up my knitting I will have to sort it out. I just put it down mid row again. I think I'm going to have to rip out this last row.
I went to my local yarn shop this Saturday afternoon. There were sidewalk sales throughout Marblehead all day on Saturday. Unfortunately I had no cash with me, and it was cash or check only outside, so what did I do? I went inside. She's closing her shop, permanently on the 10th of this month, so she's selling everything anyway. I knew I wouldn't find anything for projects on my list because it was slim pickings. But I cruised around trying to find something. I found this beautiful lavender cotton silk blend - two skeins of 190 yards each. I have no idea what I thought I could make with it, but I picked out some purple fish buttons that matched nicely to use for decorative purposes if I had the right pattern for it. The only problem was this took me about 45 minutes while my kids were tearing through the shop creating havoc. Ok - it wasn't that bad, but when Laurie (one of the women who works there) started keeping an eye on them for me I got both flustered and embarrassed and so I was just trying to find something to buy - it didn't matter what. But, by the time I got to the counter I realized I was having a mild anxiety attack about buying this stuff. I was just buying for the intent of buying and don't I have a huge stash already of stuff I don't know what to do with? I told her forget it and I'll come back later and dragged my kids out of there. Oddly, I left feeling a bit better than I went in. I'd rather spend my money buying for the projects I really want to make, rather than adding to a stash that I am unsure how to use. I'm pretty proud of myself actually. Now if I can just get that same willpower to work for food.

How Knitting is like Marriage or Am I Addicted to Television

We're having a rough patch - this scarf and I. I've turned to Oreos and Wine to make myself feel better - which is not a good combination by the way, in case you're thinking about it now. Oh its great while you're in the middle of it, but suddenly you're one oreo and one glass too many and boy do you feel snoodgy. I don't know what snoodgy means, but think about how you'd feel with too much red wine and oreos, and therein lies the definition of snoodgy.

So we're sailing along, knitting happily. My stitches appear to be making a pattern, I get to the end of the row and its the right number of stitches, and I count them and they are correct for the next row. Then suddenly my knitting bad fairy takes advantage of a bathroom break, or somehow sneaks her paws in there while I glance momentarily at "McDreamy" from Grey's Anatomy on the television and look back and... what happened?? Something is wrong. There are too many stitches, I'm not purling where I think I should be purling. Am I too tired again? Probably. This time I put down my knitting while mid-row. I just couldn't get a handle on it. Will I ever ever get this scarf finished? Or will I set it down with the multitudes of other projects I have set aside only to start something new. I think what I need is a 'TV-watching' knit project. Something I can knit, without having to check, and count, and cross off instructions every 5 minutes. Ok, some of you - or maybe a lot of you are saying, "Just turn off the stupid TV". Yeah, I hear ya. Right. But nope - I'm brain dead - it's the end of the day and really I want to knit, but I also just want to absorb myself in the misery of the life of characters on a TV show. I don't want to think about the fact that I haven't bought my four year old an outfit for school pictures tomorrow and nothing is clean and I'm going to have to do some serious rummaging for something for her to wear come 6:30 am. I don't want to think about the fact that I haven't done dishes or cleaned out the lunch boxes and I'm going to have to find something to put drinks in tomorrow. And I really don't want to think about the fact that everything I put off tonight will be doubled tomorrow night when I'm thinking about zoning out instead of dealing with it. So there.
All I'm saying is - this scarf (we'll set the TV stuff aside for now, because I often knit without it on), - we have our good days and we have our bad days. Today is a bad day, but maybe tomorrow things will get better. I just need to take a deep breath, and try to solve the problems at hand and move on with it. Maybe if I paid a little more attention to my knitting and less on the TV, or on other things - it would get the attention it deserves and be sweet to me. Maybe I need to grasp the understanding that I've set a lot of things aside to be with my knitting, but I'm still not doing everything I can do to be there for it. I need to love my knitting, and my knitting alone. Turn off the TV and turn off the podcasts, (Sorry David Reidy and Brenda Dayne) and just listen to my knitting for a change. Tomorrow is another day.

Knitting Fairy

It's true. I have one in my house. I have been visited twice now by the knitting fairy. Or maybe it's a gnome. I just love the word fairy and all it's connotations, so I have to say fairy. Maybe it's an umbrella term for all things good and fun and sometimes sneaky.
At any rate, a couple of times now I've gotten exasperated with my knitting. Where I am hopelessly tangled with messy messes and have far too many stitches on my needles and have to rip out several rows and the whole thing is so bloody horrible to think about, I sometimes just set it down thinking, "Is it really likely I'm ever going to have the energy to deal with this?". And then I step away. I wash dishes or put the kids to bed, or whatever, and I come back and take a deep breath, and sit down to deal with the ...wait a minute. WHERE is the big mess? (Re-count stitches...) Oh my god...the right amount - the pattern seems to match...um...guess I'll keep going. Thus...the knitting fairy. She clearly fixed it while I was gone!!
I guess I gave up on my scarf too quickly last night. I wrote a letter to ELANN swearing up, down and sideways that they had forgotten to post a corrections note on this pattern. Hmmm. looks like it was me after all. I'm sorry ELANN people!! Good thing I'm not famous or I'd have to print an apology and correction! They wrote back an email and offered to help. For the fifth time I sat and looked at the pattern, and counted out all the stitches as I would knit them if I were following the pattern and NOW it matches. Wait a minute - last night I got the wrong number of stitches 3 times!!! That knitting fairy - she not only fixed my knitting but she fixed my pattern as well! She is so incredible and amazing. I love her.
That's all. And now I'm too tired to knit. Too bad I didn't realize that last night.

Antique Ivory Swift

Will you JUST look at how beautiful this is?? Um anyone have $26,000 to spare? I'll pay ya back - I promise!

It is a very old, antique hand-carved swift of ivory from a website that shows antiques from the old scrimshaw and whaling days. You can't see at the bottom, but that is a little carved hand holding the stem.

Can you imagine the face of the wife of this whaler that presented this to her as a gift after being away sailing and whaling for god knows how long? So amazing! Back in those days these guys would carve ivory gifts for their wives while they were away - usually hair combs, or sometimes little toys for their children. But THIS is really something - and practical! She must have used it - oh would I love to be a fly on the wall back in those days just to see the kinds of things people used, and how they used them. But I'm off on another tangent.

There are more detailed pictures on the website, including some of the the gorgeous inlaid wooden box it comes in/with. Look at this link to the site and you can click on photos to enlarge them.

OK back to the knitting now. About that Leaf and Acorn scarf I've started; I ripped it out and started again because I ran into some mistakes and I wanted it to be perfect. So I started again, and once more I've run into a road block. And I even went so far in effort as to contact the owner of the ranch in Texas where the Mohair was made (her goats), hand-spun and dyed, to be sure I could get a second skein, so I can finish it. By the way, I may as well plug her. She has beautiful stuff and so far it's only available in Texas, but I called one of the shops (in Dallas) and they are willing to ship. In fact they are calling me when my yarn is in. It's http://www.elcoyoteranch.homestead.com/ . Check it out and tell her the woman who called this week about the avocado mohair sent you!

The mohair I received is in a color called Avocado, but I think it's more of a dark mint/something else. It's very pretty! And I don't like the standard pastel mint color in general. Oh I think I have a photo of it:

Unfortunately this picture doesn't do it justice. It's quite a different color than this...darker and richer - both. And it has a twang of lime or olive to it, that you can't see here.

The texture is gorgeous and the woman at the shop in Dallas said she does really really well with El Coyote Ranch's yarns.

So there's my plug - ok and once again. Now back to the errors in the Leaf and Acorn Scarf. I don't understand it, I've tried counting them out in the pattern, but the stitches are wrong. It seems to start around row 8. They claim you should have 76 stitches and I keep ending up with 75. Then on the next row I somehow ended up with 77 stitches, and I'm supposed to have 76. The following row is supposed to have 83 and I'm such a mess I'm back to 76? SO CONFUSED I don't know if i should keep following the pattern and ignore how many stitches they say I should have and see if it works out, or if I should somehow self-edit my stitches to match theirs. HELP HELP HELP!!! Someone please tell me what to do!! I posted the link to the pattern on the previous site. If anyone reads this please let me know what you think. I hope someone reads this and can help me.

Knitting Lace

So, I am back and in full force now. I have decided to try knitting Lace. I went to my LKS, and wound up some beautiful Avocado Mohair that my Secret Pal gave me, from TEXAS. (With some guilt, even though I just finished the socks for my Secret pal's baby that i was supposed to send her in May, I haven't sent her what was due). Anyway, I decided at first to do this shawl - a one skein shawl that looked really really easy. It is the secret of the "One Skein Shawl" - Looks nice and easy doesn't it. Especially on those huge needles. Guess what i lowered the size of the needles to 11, so I could wear it as a neck scarf. It was probably going to still be way to big. I'll never know. I got to about 70+ stitches on the needles and I frogged it. I just didn't like it. I wanted something that looked amazing. This "fishing net" looking thing, did not do my beautiful green hand-spun mohair justice. So I picked out a new pattern and started over. First I picked something else simple with little kitty paws on it - a scarf. Then I still said, "No!" It needed to be better than that. So I picked this gorgeous thing: The Leaf and Acorn Scarf at Elann.com. It's so gorgeous I can't stand it. So I cast on and began. I got lost around row 12. Yikes. I ripped it out and began again this morning. I am bad about photos but I will get one on of the yarn and my beginnings. And maybe a photo of the baby socks as well. As soon as I block and do the final finishing work on them. I'm currently listening to Brenda Dayne of 'Cast On' while I work. My other favorite is David Reidy from 'Sticks and String'. I've been catching up on their earlier posts and I'm finally getting to the current stuff - thank goodness. Oh and for any of you Mom's out there. I'm from the Boston area and love love LOVE the podcast "Manic Mommies". I listen to it while I do dishes and laundry and ignoring my whining children who want snacks and dinner. It's the perfect thing. Makes me feel like I'm not alone.
- Have a great day all!

It's Been a long long long long Summer

I haven't dropped of the face of the Earth. I only slipped off the Knitting planet for a short while. I failed miserably at my attempts to keep up with the Secret Pal stuff. I just was way too busy. I had better not sign up for another one, unless I promise to keep on top of it.
Now that Fall is here, I'm going to make an effort to return. I really want to join Ravelry, and hope that that will boost my incentive to finish stuff.
Life has been full of so many things that have nothing to do with knitting. I haven't worked on my socks, or sweaters in well...about 3 months. I know - it's horrible - I know. But here I am, and i have been listening to David Reidy's Podcast, "Sticks and Strings" all summer, catching up on old ones and working my way into the current ones. I think I like him more than Cast On now - nearly.
I've gotten into this horrible habit of either working or playing computer games while i listen instead of any actual knitting. Probably the worst habit I could pick up, and so I must force myself to only listen when I knit. Yeah, OK...well I'll try anyway.

I'm done, and I'm BAAAACK!!

Where to start ...I have so much to write that I can't even get to the opening paragraph. First and foremost, I finished the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer - 40 miles BABY and I did em' all! I have an excuse to sit now. You'd never believe it but I sat all day on Monday, and I looked at my yarn and my roving, and my spinning and spent some time reading my new book, "Yarn Harlot" from my SP, but actually did NOT knit or work on anything! 'HOOWHat'? , You say. I know sounds strange but I think I just DID SO much over the weekend, what with walking forty miles in the rain and sleeping out in a tent in between, I was juust a teeeny weeny bit exhausted. Just so you know, the walk is really AMAZING, and if you train well and keep hydrated and stay slow and patient you can do it! I recommend it to anyone. Men included - by the way there were several on this walk - many of them husbands of women they lost, or son's of women they lost to breast cancer, or just guys who can appreciate doing something for a cause. One of my friends, Robin, was doing it because his wife did it last year and didn't feel like she could do it this year. He also lost both his mom and his step-mom to breast cancer. Anyway, GET OUT THERE AND DO IT!!! It is a wonderful, and empowering experience.
Below is the beginning of a segment I wrote BEFORE I actually completed the walk:

Oh My... All I can say is my Secret Pal is soooo wonderful!! I just got such a lovely package and it brought me right back down to earth. She sent a sweet card with sheep on it, which reminds me I missed the NE Sheep to Shawl last weekend. O well. Next year I guess. She also sent some beautiful green Texas yarn, and some roving and a cute hand-painted spindle. And a book, and some note cards and some hand-painted sticky notes! I'm going to hop right on that spinning if I can do it sitting down on Monday, since I will be recuperating from my 40 - mile 2-day Avon Walk. I'm doing my Walk to raise money for Breast Cancer this coming weekend, and soon will be able to return to my normal couch-potato life of knitting and blogging again! Hooray! Odd that all this walking, has strengthened my legs and made me more energized, and yet... I've gained 5 pounds. People keep telling me it's muscle weight, - yeah..in my belly? I don't think so. I think exercise has made me more hungry and I'm eating more. So that poses an interesting question... if I stop exercising and go back to sitting on the couch and eating the way I used to will I lose weight? Hmmm, my sources say no.

OK, so I thought I would be spinning, but as you can see...nope. Too tired. I'm still too tired. Plus I took my spinning class over 5 years ago, and I've kinda forgotten how to hold the thread to add in the first piece of puff. I have to do some reading first to be sure I remember how. OOOh I will be posting pictures too, of all the things in my package! I would love suggestions for the gorgeous skein of Avocado colored Mohair (360 yards) she gave me. I'm thinking, obviously something lacy, but what? Socks? A small scarf? Patterns? Ideas? I need em'!
Oh back to spinning for a second - I've only taken one class using spindles, and have never even finished a a full spindle of single strand, tried a spinnning wheel, or plying, or anything else, and yet... my thought process goes wild instantly. First I think about spinning up some single strand yarn using the spindle, and plying it into a two ply or maybe a three ply. Then I start imagining getting a wheel almost right away so I can do more faster. Then I start envisioning maybe getting a bunny or a goat, and learning how to sheer/pull , and wash and card and die the raw wool. Then I imagine myself owning a ...now this is MY idea so don't steal it... A Working Wool - Bed and Breakfast! Fun for the whole family! WHEEEE. Ok, then I crash very fast down to earth since I live close to the city, can barely take care of myself and my family, and dogs and cat, much less more animals, land large enough to house them, and visiting guests!!!! Has this happened to anyone else? That's about all I have to say on that subject until I post my next post with pictures, hopefully of all my goodies and the beginnings of probably very lumpy spinning!

FINALLY!!

Yeah, yeah...it's about time - I know. My life has gotten to the point where finding time to get anything done is tough! So, it's a rainy yucky day here in New England so I'm not doing my long training walk today. EEEK... I'm already a bit behind in my training for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I did do 7 miles yesterday, buttt that's neither here nor there. I was supposed to do 12-15 miles yesterday.

Ok, onto the good stuff. I've got pictures of lots of things!! Only...I've discovered my once talent for photography has left me. I've no patience for the right lighting anymore, or the timing or focus for that matter. So for my terrible pictures - we must use our wonderful imaginations!

First my Secret Pal Package!!! It is yummy! 4 skeins of Laines Du Nord Guinco Marino Yarn in a gorgeous color - I would say it's very close to the color of Key Lime pie! MMMM. Those half shaded shots I put in hoping the sunlight would give a better version of the color, and I'd say they do! She gave me a link to a wonderful pattern for an Irish Hiking Scarf (a beautiful and simple cabled scarf) to make with it here. Also, she wrote me a lovely note card, and that green mesh-wrapped box was stock full of chocolate goodies - A BIG bar of Dark Godiva chocolate and multiple mini Milky Ways and Three Muskateers and Caramel chocolates, which didn't last as long as they should have...ummm I think I ate literally half of them right after I took the picture and my girls only received a couple of pieces. Mine, Mine all mine!!!!

Here is what I'm currently working on I ripped out a sweater I had on needles for about ohh I don't know...let's say several years and started this one instead.-- It's a Kristin Nicholas design from Knitting Today's Classics from a section of the book called "Trout Fry", it's the "Travelling Cable Pullover". I'm using up that Classic Elite Montera I bought years and years ago. I wish I could find a photo of it, but can't seem to find one available online and I think taking a photo from the book, wouldn't do it justice.

and a detail shot:

ok, it's a bit wonky right now, but when it is blocked and finished it will look much better. uh...i hope.

Oh and here are some of the stitch markers I made: This first set is with iredescent glass beads in pale greens and blues.

Oh bother...I shouldn't have bothered with some of the rest of these: these below are a really light pale green glass that's crackled and they are made with plated silver rings. They really are pretty, but I'll have to re-take the photos.

Here's a slightly different set made like the first ones.

And the worst shot of all does these no justice at all: They are an olive green glass bead with cranberry fleur designs on them and beads above them are cranberry centered glass. The bottom beads are gold irredescant beads.

And just for fun if you can even see them - these arephotos of an egg my husband made for Easter. I hope you can see the detial, but it looks a bit fuzzy. Now I've got a sense of humor, but my husband is uh...well... like a boy in his sense of humor.

The egg below has drawings of members of our family on it, and on the back is a pic of Finnegan (our dog)...squatting (to put it nicely).

The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

Believe it or not, I am knitting something new, and I have a lot to share. My Secret Pal package arrived with lots of goodies and I finally got mine sent out to my pal. I will post pictures of the beautiful green yarn she sent, and the goodies. I have so many pictures to share I'm a bit overwhelmed. Between work, and Easter and training and fundraising for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer I've practically been struck frozen! Every time I start to do one thing, my mind nags me about getting the other things done, so I switch and switch and switch again, and thus, I am feeling like I'm actually accomplishing nothing. When I'm totally overwhelmed I'll take a few moments to knit a row or too on an old sweater design from this book. Kristin Nicolas is my new favorite designer. Well...kinda always has been actually. There is a design under the "Trout Fry" section on page 36, that has a "Travelling Cable" pullover, and that is what I'm working on.
Someone has written to see my new beaded stitch markers, and I haven't taken photos of them or posted them yet. I will - very soon. They came out nicely and I hope someone is interested in purchasing them.
The only other thing that is on my mind is training training training. I have done a total of 16 miles so far in my training and need to do much much more. Oh and anyone who is willing to help me make my goal - PLEASE DO!

Templates, beads and knitting blocks

You may notice I've changed how this blog looks again. Spring is coming, and I really need changes. All kinds of changes. And what am I knitting now, that should be one of the various sweaters I need to finish, but instead I've started a new scarf for my daughter! It seems ridiculous - even as I work on it - I feel like by the time I'm done, she'll no longer need it. But then again, I live in New England... We could have snow in May! For some reason knitting is not 'hitting that spot' for me of relaxation and happiness and motivation. Maybe it's the weather change - I don't know. So, I've set my scarf down and I've turned to beading instead.

I have been working on my beaded markers and I love how they are coming out. I'll post pictures soon , and then maybe open an Etsy shop? I'm so new at this, I'm not sure how to go about it, but I figured I'd create first - work on the rest later. If anyone has some helpful information I'd appreciate it.

I need sunshine and warmth and joy! Right NOW! Winter has drained me down to nothing but a nub of unshaven frumpy misery. Of course it doesn't help that I had a close friend pass away. I need a spark of new life - some brightness. I need a project that brings back my inner glow and giddy childlike wonder! Suggestions?? Anyone??

Secret Pals

I found the missing email from SP10 that told me who my secret pal is. Phew - I feel better now. I can't wait to get started. I feel like I'm studying her blog like I'm having a final exam on it next week. I just hope I can find nice enough stuff to rival her last SP! It pretty much looks like no one sticks to the suggested spending amount. I mean - how could they with all the stuff they put in each package? And multiple packages in the same month on some sites? Uh oh... What have I gotten myself into? Perhaps I can take out a second mortgage on the house?
I need to think about what my next project is going to be as well. I've decided I'm going to tackle something deep in my knitting basket - something old maybe. I just have to decide whether or not to rip it and maybe soak the yarn and dry it and start over, or to just continue. Wow, that was some long run-on sentence! I wonder how different the yarn will look if my knitting tension has changed drastically over the years. God, how I can't wait to get this ancient stuff out of my way so I can do something new, and exciting! I think if I had a bottomless pit of a bank account, I would just drop the work I need to get done today, and run out to WEBS and buy enough to fill my car. I have a Saab station wagon, so I'm not kidding around here. Maybe I'd even buy a floor loom and start a weaving project. I love the sound of someone weaving. Squeak Squeak squeak thump thump thump. My fantasy life is short lived. Work is needling me I have software testing to be done. Yup, I've just admitted it - I'm a bit of a computer geek. Although - who out there reading and writing blogs is NOT? Calvin is snoring beside me on the couch and serving up ripe reminders of his breakfast just under my nose. Perhaps the methane is making me delirious but oddly, I'm hungry. OK that's just plain disgusting. I'd better just leave now before I say something really odd.

Weariness and Wine

Well...it's official - I'm in a slump. I'm hoping this week will slide back into it's normal pattern of avoiding housework and knitting and reading, and playing on the computer. Right now, nothing seems to cheer me. I've even considered ripping one of my ancient projects and turning it into something completely new instead of completing the initial pattern. Even that doesn't cheer me much, since some of these patterns have so many years on them, I may only have enough yarn for a smaller size. Actually - reality is setting in now. I may only have enough yarn for a smaller size no matter WHAT pattern I choose!

So, I'm sipping wine and doing dishes and laundry in between reading some 80 blogs - and hoping for some cheer and inspiration.

It looks like I may have received a message from my Secret Pal, only I haven't received anything with information about them and I'm not sure how this works, so I've launched into some kind of passive aggressive worry thing. Deeeep Breath, let it go. Worry? Who me? If I somehow missed an email, someone will let me know. Right?

After our friend's Memorial service we couldn't sit around the house on Sunday, so we took off and hiked a bit. (That's an understatement). I found this site about Letterboxing. And actually this one too. I really like it. I dragged along the rest of the family (the dh-'architect', and the 4 and 7 year old) with bright enthusiasm that really didn't exist inside me, and basically had the attitude that we were going to love it - dammit, even if I had to drag them kicking and screaming to get there!

The first two boxes we hit were great! We stamped our little book and stamped their little book and moved on to the next. Then we went to find the third one which I did not have enough information about. The hike was about an hour longer than I expected and we were exhausted - and then on top of that we had to make our way back!

Ok - let me back up a minute. Unless you followed my links you may be confused. Letterboxing is sort of combination hiking, and a treasure hunt of sorts. Maybe a scavenger hunt better describes it. You basically find the clues and locations online and then you head out with a stamp and a book. You follow the clues to a buried Tupperware box (generally) that contains a little notebook and it's own interesting hand-carved stamp. The boxes are usually hidden really well and the clues will help you to find and uncover their locations. Then when you find it, you take your hand carved (or not) stamper and put your stamp with some notes in their notebook. And you take their stamp and stamp your own book. I don't have a book yet so I stamped some fine handmade paper and made notes, to place in a journal when I purchase one.

I never posted the pictures of the knitting I finished so I'll do it now:

This is Emma's Sweater. Yeah, I know horrible picture. I have to work a bit more at the visuals on this blog.

dh's socks:

Emma's Hat and Booties

And the Lake Park Hat!

Bittersweet

Its a dark rainy day and fitting to what has been going on. First the bitter: A close friend of ours "E" passed away suddenly the night before last in his sleep. He'd had high blood pressure and was changing his diet and taking medication, but I don't think anyone realized just how bad things were. We're stunned and sad and and I can't quite wrap my head around all the things I'm in the middle of.
Here's the sweet: I'm planning a HUGE Birthday party on Sunday, for my daughter who is four years old today . I'm tired and I'm weepy and I don't feel like cleaning the house or cooking anything. Tonight after celebrating very very briefly our daughter's birthday with my parents who are driving in from several states away, we must go to a gathering of friends to remember E. It will be a long night for me, and then I must get up again tomorrow and clean and decorate and bake and cry some more.
On a slightly brighter note: I have accomplished some knitting over the last few weeks: the socks for dh who may not appreciate them as much as I'd hoped. They are a tiny bit too small. The hat and booties for my sister's baby and using some old yarn, I knit up Marnie MacLean's Lake Park Hat only I changed the way it was ribbed, twice actually. It called for a rolled edge and then a couple rounds of single ribbing. I did a very short edge of single ribbing instead. It was too short, so I had to pick up stiches and I added a much longer double ribbed section over it, leaving the smaller one on the inside. This will all make more sense when you see the photos. This hat took me some time! I had about 3 false starts first knitting it flat, and then when I got the hang of the pattern I knit it in the round, so I had to rip it several times before I got the result I wanted. Yeah it has a couple of mistakes, but thanks to this weird dk yarn I used, you can 't really tell and I was damned if I was going to rip it one more time! So I've started a matching scarf adapting the pattern to a long skinny one to use up the rest of that icky yarn that is in a nice colorway.
And the only good news this week: My LYS has GIVEN me some of the extra yarn I needed to finish Emma's Sweater. It was either that or I buy another 30.00 skein just for the neck! Argh! So she was nice enough to give me some from a similar sweater to mine that she was finishing for someone.
Whoops I'm having trouble uploading the pics. I may have to edit them a bit to make them smaller. They'll be on the next post.
Until then... la vie peut être triste.

Well I did it. I joined the SP! I'm looking forward to making a connection. So onto the questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I'm easygoing, and have so many I'd like to try that I haven't yet. Some that I'd love to try are
Lorna's Laces, Fleece Artist Merino, Koigu, Blue Moon Fiber Arts or Noro Kureyon yarn, for socks, and any brand of mohair yarn or anything really yummy that you think others should try for small projects! I'm not a fan of acrylic - though I have been known to use some blends...ahem..
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a beautiful case that I bought myself years ago. It's great for straight needles, but not too great for my circulars. I need an alternative for them, which I haven't found yet.
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 since 1990ish. My friend Betsy taught me and started me on a scarf. I gave up for a while and then picked it up after a bad breakup. I've been knitting ever since, with a few breaks here and there. I think I'm intermediate. Only my finishing techniques are more like beginner.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I do have an Amazon list, but it doesn't contain much at this point.
5. What's your favorite scent?
I love clean smelling things with bright happy tones. I wear Guerlain's 'Champs Elysee's' and sometimes 'Shalimar'. Clean Laundry, Grass and the Beach are my favorite 'in the air' scents.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I love dark chocolate and mint or dark chocolate and anything. I also love fruity candy - especially when I'm pregnant. I ate Starburst nearly every other day with my first baby.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I took a class for Spinning and never got myself any spinning stuff years ago. I would love to try again. I also like to make homemade soaps, and dabble - very lightly in crochet. I love to cook nice meals. I'd consider that a craft if you try interesting recipes often enough.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I do like music and I do have an MP3 player. I listen to Alternative music, and some folk music. I also love old rock, and blues. My favorites are Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Dido, Ben Taylor, kd lang, Van Morrison, ...I could go on.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
If its not obvious by this site, I love Greens...everything except Kelly Green practically - and teal blues, or turquoise blues, and various shades of purple and cream colors.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm married to an architect and have two girls 7 and soon to be 4. I have two dogs and a cat.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves, mittens and hats and not really ponchos... The last poncho I owned was sewed out of wool by my mother in pink and purple checks when I was in second grade and lived in NYC.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I really like sweaters except for finishing. I need to take a finishing class. My skills are lacking -most of which was self taught over the last 15 years. I've recently gotten back into making socks since I taught myself to Magic Loop them! I'm planning to make a hat for myself; I've mostly made children's hats to date. I've never made mittens, and want to.
13. What are you knitting right now?
A sweater for my niece from a "Yarn Girls" pattern, socks for my husband, sweaters for each of my girls, an Icelandic Knit for my Dad, and two sweaters for me, which I started about 8 years ago and keep putting down. I just finished a hat and booties for my sisters newborn.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Absolutely!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I have straight needles in all of the above, but I'm saving my pennies for the Denise Interchangeable set or the Knit Picks Options. someday...
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I do not own a swift or a winder, and would love the latter. I learned to self-roll center feed balls, but they often fall apart... icky.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Umm over 10 years I think. Eeep.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
I think it's Christmas might be my favorite, but the whole holiday season is so nice... i love any holiday that's filled with lots of family and guests. I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner for lots of guests.
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Besides yarn and animals.. I currently collect cooking magazines, and I need to weed them out and trash them. It's more of a bad habit than anything else. The other thing I collect is silver earrings. I think I would like to start collecting some of those cute stitch markers I see all over online. I'm going to attempt to make some interesting glass bead ones.
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 don't have any subscriptions right now, but I'm thinking about Interweave Knits.
Yarns, Needles, patterns...Let's see... Well the circular needle interchangeables, so I can magic loop sweater sleeves is high on my list! And probably a REALLY nice sock yarn. I have been kind of infatuated with Kristin Nicholas patterns lately, but I just got a book, and it's missing just one other pattern I've been trying to find. It was originally published in Vogue Knitting Winter 2003 - called "Our Family Pullover" It has some really funky looking cables that seem like they would be fun to make.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Intarsia, the better finishing skills, I mentioned earlier, and I want to improve my Fair Isle skills. 22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, I wear a size 8 woman's shoe. I'm not sure of my exact measurements I usually eyeball it when I'm knitting for myself.
23. When is your birthday?
June 14

To SP or not to SP

My new favorite hobby has admittedly become reading other knitting blogs. I'm adding new ones to my list daily. Meanwhile the leaning tower of books next to my bed sit there sadly...and rarely opened. I'm still reading a book, "Saving Fish from Drowning"; Amy Tan which I cracked open months ago. That's not normal book-reading speed for me. I generally finish what I start within a week. But that's neither here nor there and not what I wanted to write about today. My 2nd and 3rd current obsessions are finding a copy of Kristin Nicholas' pattern for her "Our Family" pullover. I saw it on her website. It was originally published in Vogue Knitting Winter, 2003. I cannot find a back issue. Not even on eBay. UG. I'm still working on it.
Now onto the big question: Should I join the Secret Pal 10?? I'm hung up on it because of the spending involved, but honestly it really isn't that much, and I'll get packages and presents!! WHEEEE! I'm like a kid on Christmas day just getting letters! I got a treat on Valentines Day when I was heading upstairs to find some red socks, to wear and lo and behold there was the FED EX guy on my doorstep! I thought it would be my book : Knitting Beautiful Classics and it was, but there was also a package from my mother and what was inside you ask? RED SOCKS! Nice. Surprise packages are even better than regular packages, which are pretty exciting to me. Gee it doesn't take much to please me does it? So I think I will join... If I'm buying little things for others it won't seem nearly so decadent as it would to buy them for myself especially when I have two girls and a husband in need of things as well. But my husband can say nothing to me receiving little gifties in the mail!! Here I go!
Pictures to follow soon of the nearly finished socks for the aforementioned husband. I'm going to finish them today. I think I'm keeping them for myself, since i knit them a little too small for him. He does have small feet, but I guess I underestimated the size a bit. Oh well - more for me!

Another Day and More Money Spent

Well... I have been a naughty naughty girl. I ordered some patterns from the back issue of Interweave Knits Fall 2004 issue...which in itself doesn't seem too bad, since they were relatively inexpensive - but I'm not supposed to be spending any money for more than one reason. Mostly because I have unfinished projects I promised myself I would start working on before I bought anything new. Oh yeah, and then there are things like...bills to be paid.

Oops... I also ordered the Kristin Nicolas book, Knitting Beautiful Classics - also known as "Knitting the New Classics" because it has the pattern that really got me hooked to begin with. "The Native American Aran". There it is on the left - The woman next to the horse in hot pink, with a large fair isle band- only I'm planning to do it in Gold or an Olive/Lime color. As soon as I saw it I wanted to do it. Let's keep in mind this was 1991 and I'd only knit a scarf and one Icelandic Sweater. It was way over my head. It might still be way over my head, but it is a future goal for me. Several years ago, I walked into a knit shop with money in hand, and was prepared to start buying all the yarn for it, and the $#!&* lady talked me out of it!! WHY? I have no idea. She kept trying to convince me to do something else. Sure it's complicated, but why talk me OUT of a sale? Silly lady. I was prepared to spend major bucks... oh well for her. Oh well for me too, because I listened to her and chickened out!! So here I am some 16 years later with several more projects under my belt, and the yarn it calls for - Classic Elite Tapestry yarn, they don't even make anymore. However, I have faith I can find a similar yarn and use that instead. Maybe I'll ask Kristen Nicolas herself! Or not. I sent her an email to ask her about this pattern. (The reason I ordered the book was I lost the front page of the pattern. It was due to years of moving stuff around from home to home...it was inevitable I guess). Anyway she answered right away and although she couldn't help me, I ended up finding it on Amazon.

Knitting update: I frogged the watermelon socks because they were going to be too big, and I may have even decided to put that sock pattern aside for some other yarn. And I wasn't supposed to start them anyway!! I am putting aside that stuff for a hat and scarf AFTER I finish some other stuff. In the meantime I have started Bob's second sock, and I've been learning a ton. I taught myself invisible cast on and I'm going to try a tubular cast on and try some toe up socks. OK so socks are not illegal according to my rules as long as I use up stash yarn. So not only have I learned how to Magic Loop my socks but I'm learning even more on top of it! YAY.

Progress! I finished the little bear baby hat and booties which have been hanging over my head and I even embellished a bit and made a little pink star for her as well. It's a little wonky looking but oh well... at least I finished it. Luckily for me it was mostly sewing and embroidery, so my arm wasn't affected ... much. Sorry about the pictures - the light was bad.

The latest on my little sweater for her sister is that I RAN OUT OF YARN! Ok so I hemmed and hawed for some reason about buying the expensive GIANT roll of yarn again, because I would have so much leftover - but I finally gave in and went to go buy it and lo and behold it was gone. EEEK. But lovely gal that she is -Jean, the owner of the shop said she would try to order it and get it here fairly soon, so I've set it down, and will wait.
In the meantime, I wanted to get comfortable with magic looping socks before I tried to do my second sock with it so I started the Yukon Leaves sock, with some weird yarn I found in my stash (I'm afraid it's acrylic.) but I like the colorway, and the sock actually is coming along nicely. Well...sort of. It s the wrong yarn for a lace pattern - the holes are not visable. It would work much better with a sock yarn. Also, I'm not using a really nice set of circulars and they are coiling up on me and driving me a little crazy everytime they get tangled in my working yarn. BUT I still like it better than DP's!

The last problem is I followed instructions for a larger sock and cast on 64 - however... I'm using 3's instead of 1's...so it's large enough for my calves but too large ultimately as a sock for me, so I'm frogging them, and getting back to my original plan of NOTHING new until I finish all my other projects.

Off to make a big breakfast for my family now... or maybe I'll just frog that sock first. Ooh here's a question: If you have a center hole self-feeding ball of yarn and you frog your project - what do you do with yarn? Stuff it back in the center?

My Zoo...

I have nothing to report on the knitting /crochet front, so I thought I'd post pics of the animals hogging my work spot. Meet Calvin. He sleeps with his tongue hanging out. The *Ping* of my camera woke him - hence the one hairy eyeball!



This is Finnegan. He is a big sleeper. We fight each other for space on the couch. Right now I'm sitting with only my right cheek on, and my left hanging off, because he has wormed his way behind me and has pushed me half off. He is part we don't know mixed with part we don't know that either. We've decided the breed is called (affectionately) - "Chicken-Cow". Cow for his resemblance to a dairy cow, and chicken, because, well... he has some urmmm ... issues. He's afraid of many many things. The kitchen floor, for example. Stopping while walking on the leash causes him to howl and jump, although after 8 years he's getting a bit better at this. There's more I won't go into detail. I could write a whole blog about him.

This is Rudy welcoming, or maybe just tolerating Calvin. Calvin is now 4times this size and Rudy only lays next to him when Calvin is sound asleep.
Now I'm off to attempt to finish my already late booties and hat for my neice...and maybe finish her sister's sweater which is now a few weeks past her birthday. Oh well...blame the arm.

What was once lost...

You'll be happy to know - I haven't given up completely. This Tendonitis will not beat me! I thought maybe I could try crochet to see if it bothers my arm - so instead of trying to complete something of my massive collection - I have again, started something new. It's a small crochet headband for my daughter. I can hold my arm in a fashion in which it doesn't move very much and then I'm ok for a bit. How silly is that.? You'd think I would just stop and not cause myself any pain, but I'm stuck now in a pattern (ha ha...little fiber joke) that I can't remove myself from. I need the knitting as an outlet, or stress remover, and now that I'm committed to accomplishing things instead of letting them go; I know I can't stop completely or everything may end up in the attic again. I haven't told that story completely. In short - I'd had a bad bought of mistake after mistake years ago and looked at what I'd finished and liked nothing, and thought - UGH - why bother? I packed it all away for 4 years and haven't touched it since. Recently I'd remembered the calm it brought me and realized why I enjoyed it to begin with. It wasn't the result - the finished product - as I'd initially thought. It was the process.
If anyone has had a similar problem with Tendonitis, write me and let me know what you did about it, and if you got past it. I'd appreciate the idea that there is hope.

Wizard of Blogz

I feel a little bit like the Scarecrow today - you know from the Wizard of Oz? I'm falling to pieces - little bits are dropping off here and there. I've just returned from a visit to the Orthopedic specialist and confirmed my worst fears. I have a combination of an Ulnar neuritis (otherwise known as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome as well as Tendonitus in my elbow. He told me to lay off the knitting for a bit. Just when I was really getting into my New Years resolution of finishing all those old projects I started and dropped when I found something more exciting to make! I think I will listen to the doctor and take it easy...but I'm not stopping all together - otherwise this blog is all for naught.
So sad...
What is a poor knitter girl to do? Big SIGH...

Yarn for Years Past

The other night I was driving home from my favorite wool shop of 15 years ago, and it struck me. The magic was gone. I used to get a feeling there, of comfort and I don't know if it was because I brought my hubby and kids with me (which were somewhat of a distraction), or the bland unwelcoming of the people minding the shop. There was a man in the shop , which was nice, but he was rude to a customer. Overall, I felt let down. It was sad, but it was also a lesson learned for me. I don't need to hang onto it anymore. Weird or not, I felt like going there was going to change me back to what I used to be. Whoops it sounds like I'm getting a little melodramatic here...
I had all these hysterically funny ideas for things I wanted to write about the experience, but now...after the lovely buzz of margarita has worn off...the ideas slid away.
I did manage to come home and finish the hat, but still have to finish the booties. I embroidered a little bear face that came out OK. I'm hoping it will all look much better once I block it.
I received a little gift package in the mail today, a copy of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitters Almanac, and "Socks Soar on two Circular Needles". I've read good things about both. I would also like to see the other Elizabeth Zimmerman book - Knitting Without Tears.
I found my wonderful hand spun wool from Utah!!! I wrote about it the other night, and then I had to go on a huge hunt for it. Now I just need a plan for it for after I'm finished with the rest of the stuff that needs finishing.
It's late I'm tired. No knitting done tonight. Except a small star from the Zimmerman book. I need sleeeeep.

Unfinished Projects; The Giant Knitting Basket

The first issue is an old sweater I knit years ago...you'll recognize the fishy buttons from this project. Both color and buttons were something my Mom tried to talk me out of. I LOVE it. It's me. Only one problem. This was early still in my knitting history and I misjudged the size of the sleeves and made them the next size up because I (DUH) did not realize it was a drop shoulder sweater and those little short sleeves would have been juuuust right. But no, I ripped them and went for the LARGEST size. So they are HUGE. My job- to repair the problem. No small task. Especially when I was too excited to finish and (perish the thought) knotted my loose ends in instead of weaving them! Yikes. I don't think I left enough free yarn to weave them in later. Icky.

Item number two are socks I was knitting for my hubby for Christmas that I never got around to finishing. Well to put the record straight - I was knitting him two pairs. One he received the other he did not. So, this is sock one of the second pair. Knit in Lions Brand Magic Stripes. One pair in Sea Blue this pair in Brown/Blue pattern. Overall I'm not fond of the texture, but I'm glad they are washable.

The third- fifth items. Hats and booties for my new niece. Done from a kit - eh... well it was a bargain I tell you! They are not finished. The booties need their ears and they all need embroidered faces. You'll see. They'll be good, er great, er ok maybe.

And last but not least this nastyish looking thing. It's a sweater from one of The Yarn Girls many books, and my choice of yarn wasn't supreme. It's hard to tell but its a block pattern of knit and purl. Maybe that's why it looks a little inside out right now. Plus it has a roll effect on the bottom and I haven't added the neck yet. Maybe a patterned yarn wasn't the best choice for this, but it's for my other niece and I've got to get it done. The other problem I ran out of the yarn. I'm attempting to use the pink as a neck and binding off inthe original. Not sure how that will look til' I do it I guess.

Oops i have two more sweaters in my basket which I didn't photograph. So next time. Over and out.

So Far so... Okay...

Here it is the next morning. I only got a few rows done on my socks last night after my first post, and today so far, I'm spending my time editing the site. Hubby is already complaining - because there is housework to be done and he is sick of doing it alone. But HEY... he's the one who wants to have people over for some football related thing tomorrow! Anyway- my newest time consuming projects always take precedence over cleaning!
I've got things I want to do here...like get my pics posted! Unfortunately I can't put any of my images up yet because I have to recharge my camera battery first. I'm planning to add in shots of the schnoggie doggies, and a section for my currently unfinished projects, what's in my basket at the moment, and things that have been retired to the attic (ahhh unfinished projects of years ago) which I have made a resolution to finish this year. Oh yeah and a closeted stash that contains yarn I bought to make a woven Navajo rug that I bought in Utah. And a lovely Patons pattern for a Navajo style sweater - intarsia ,I think it was. Way over my head. I'm still scared to start it. Right. Yeah. Oh youth and all the big projects I envisioned for myself -before marriage and kids and general lazyness set in. Sigh.
Even though I discovered a knitting shop I hadn't been to in nearby Marblehead-I need to work with what I have first and clear out some stuff before adding to my stash. Alas - there is only one thing between me and some speedy knitting progress. I have discovered I have a pinched nerve in my right elbow. Sort-of like Carpal Tunnel only in the whole arm. UG. Lots of numb fingers and aches and arm shaking. Ok I'm only (eek) 41, but I'm feeling older by the minute as I discover my body is failing me all over the place.
Enough for now. I can't feel some of my fingers and I have to drink more coffee, take a shower and help my husband clean house. PSTHTHTHTHT! ( a big raspberry on my puppies nose makes him go nutty!) Wheee!

First Attempt Friday

I want to start off by saying I've read so many great blogs in the past few months that I could nearly quit before I begin.
But I'm spurred on by the many options for involvement with other knitters that exist in a place other than the local coffee shop or knitting shop.
I'm currently sitting in my usual spot: my kitchen/family room. On my big green couch on which there are permanent bottom marks from myself and my dogs. To my left my giant basket full of bags of unfinished knitting projects, and dh curled in a chair watching some football thing with Calvin (8 month old Lab mix puppy) while Finnegan (9 year old mutty mix we affectionately termed a "chicken cow" you'll see why as pictures are added) szchnoozes next to me, while emitting noxious gasses. The kids are in bed, and we're debating whether or not we can both stay up late enough to watch an entire movie, or not. If we do I might be able to sum up the energy to continue adding ears to my little teddy bear booties for my niece to match the hat and add the facial details via embroidery. That should be fun. I haven't embroidered anything since uh... I don't know - 1970 something? Maybe? Or finish dh's Christmas socks - one of two pair that I haven't completed. But first let's start with this as an interesting project- something I discovered rather by chance one afternoon called "The Proust Questionnaire". There are actually two of them. One filled out when he was 13 and the other when he was 20.
You can read more about it here
I would like to fill it out as it pertains to me, but this is how Marcel Proust filled out the first in 1884 - I believe. Don't quote me on that one. The second one, shown below was 7 years later.

See below:

Your most marked characteristic?
A craving to be loved, or, to be more precise, to be caressed and spoiled rather than to be admired
The quality you most like in a man?
Feminine charm
The quality you most like in a woman?
A man's virtues, and frankness in friendship
What do you most value in your friends?
Tenderness - provided they possess a physical charm which makes their tenderness worth having
What is your principle defect?
Lack of understanding; weakness of will
What is your favorite occupation?
Loving
What is your dream of happiness?
Not, I fear, a very elevated one. I really haven't the courage to say what it is, and if I did I should probably destroy it by the mere fact of putting it into words.
What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
Never to have known my mother or my grandmother
What would you like to be?
Myself - as those whom I admire would like me to be
In what country would you like to live?
One where certain things that I want would be realized - and where feelings of tenderness would always be reciprocated. [Proust's underlining]
What is your favorite color?
Beauty lies not in colors but in thier harmony
What is your favorite flower?
Hers - but apart from that, all
What is your favorite bird?
The swallow
Who are your favorite prose writers?
At the moment, Anatole France and Pierre Loti
Who are your favoite poets?
Baudelaire and Alfred de Vigny
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Hamlet
Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
Phedre (crossed out) Berenice
Who are your favorite composers?
Beethoven, Wagner, Shuhmann
Who are your favorite painters?
Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt
Who are your heroes in real life?
Monsieur Darlu, Monsieur Boutroux (professors)
Who are your favorite heroines of history?
Cleopatra
What are your favorite names?
I only have one at a time
What is it you most dislike?
My own worst qualities
What historical figures do you most despise?
I am not sufficiently educated to say
What event in military history do you most admire?
My own enlistment as a volunteer!
What reform do you most admire?
(no response)
What natural gift would you most like to possess?
Will power and irresistible charm
How would you like to die?
A better man than I am, and much beloved
What is your present state of mind?
Annoyance at having to think about myself in order to answer these questions
To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
Those that I understand
What is your motto?
I prefer not to say, for fear it might bring me bad luck.


That is it for one night. I have so much more to think about adding here - images, etc. and I'm already fretting what I might be *not* doing when working on this.