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).

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!