the end of sp9 and the beginning of a new project... or three

I found out who my pal was... a wonderfully sweet woman named Dorene, from Nevada.

This is the latest (and last) goodie box... erm, the chocolates suddenly disappeared and were never heard from again, but they were sure tasty!

The shawl is the Swallowtail shawl, knit in a cotton/silk blend in the most glorious shade of russet? persimmon? Trust me, it' s fantastic!

Some yummy tropical smelling bath salts... just the thing for a snowbound Nebraskan!

Some really beautiful votive candles that look just like tropical flowers... very beautiful... too pretty to burn.

And a beautiful card to tie it all together.

Dorene, thank you so much!

Now I need to get on the stick and get my last package sent off to my Pal.

As for projects... the book project is crawling along... by the end of the day, I don't feel like writing, I'd much rather knit, and that is what I do.

The house decluttering project goes in fits and starts - it's actually limited to my garbage can space. We keep so much crap that we don't really need... really, who needs piles upon piles of credit card applications?

On the knitting front, I have great plans for this year. I am two sleeves, a button band and a shawl collar short of completing the Sienna Cardigan that was in the fall 2006 IK. Then the next sweater on deck is the Telemark Sweater from Knit Picks then the Rogue (both courtesy my dear Secret Pal). Then I'm going to tackle the Stitch Diva Simple Knitted Bodice, sans Tilli Tomas yarn and the lace sweater that I talked about earlier in my blog. There will always be a sock on the sticks and a small project or two.
That should keep me busy for the next six months or so. Further out than that, I don't want to plan. I have such project ADD that it's going to be a challenge to stick to what I have planned.

Of course that doesn't even take into account my various and sundry sewing projects, reading list and yarn painting exploits... let alone sleeping/eating/cleaning. Who really sleeps anyway?

Details of SP9 care package

Last week, I received my second package from my secret pal, One Skein Wonder.

When it arrived, I'm not sure who was more excited to see what was inside: the kids or me.
When I first opened the box, there was the secret pal requisite cloud of tissue paper-- a brilliant addition that increases the anticipation...

There was the beautiful notecard and a lovely lavender sachet (that is currently living in my basket o' wool),

and a trio of lovely Filatura de Crosa mohair blend yarn in the prettiest sky blue.



Then came the patterns... oh, the patterns: The famous Rogue, which I've been salivating over for at least a year but never felt accomplished or cool enough to even buy, let alone knit*; the cabled cap that matches Rogue, and a fun fingerless mit/glove pattern from Rosie knits.
Finally, there was this darling German "Smoker". My pal celebrates a German heritage, and introduced me to one of their Christmas traditions. The kiddos and I had to immediately light his little incense cone and let him smoke away for the better part of the afternoon.

What a fun package... what a wonderful secret pal!



*After reading the 12+ pages of instructions and charts, I still don't feel accomplished enough to attempt this beautiful work of art. I think I'm going to get another sweater or two under my belt before I tackle this one. Maybe later this winter... after the Christmas craziness is done.

Secret Pal Prizes!

WooHoo! I got a box, I got a box. I got a box, hey hey hey hey!

My dear, sweet, wonderful Secret Pal "OneSkeinWonder" has gifted me with the Telemark pattern from knitpicks, along with all of the yummy yarn to make it. I'd have taken a picture of all the wonderful swag, but I started swatching with it immediately. Thank you so much! I love this colorway... I even happen to have a pewter clasp I harvested from a shirt that I used to wear in college and have since outgrown.

Thank you thank you thankyou!

*hugs*

In other news, I finished this: It's a sweet little facecloth for my Secret Pal who shall remain nameless at the moment. It's Knitpicks Crayon yarn, held double. My own pattern.
Takes exactly one skein of yarn, measures about the size of a standard washcloth.

(now I wish I had measured this before I packed it up and sent it away)
Cast on 36 sts.
*Knit garter stitch for 6 rows
Knit seed stitch for 6 rows*
repeat * to * 6 times
finish with 6 rows of garter stitch
Bind off
If there's any yarn left, make a 3-stitch I-cord loop
weave in ends
wash yo' face!

Spanked!

I've been a naughty blogger, and I have been graciously reminded of that. Thank you.

Fiber-y postage to come...

Hi Secret Pal!

I received emails from both my assigned secret pal and the name of the secret pal that I'm assigned to... is there terminology for this? Pal-or? Pal-ee? ANYway, OneSkeinWonder... welcome!

This is such a fun project... how do you spoil someone you hardly know? Fortunately, this is just the kind of challenge that I love to have.

There has been some knitting accomplished, believe it or not. Baby manages to sleep for a couple hours at a time when she decides to sleep, and I've managed to finish both hers and Miz Izzy's sweaters. Now that I've figured out this picture posting thing (so much easier than Livejournal), I'll show them off when the light is better. Our changeable Nebraska weather has seen fit to grace us with a bit of a cold snap complete with cloudy skies and the incessant wind that goes along with it. Needless to say I've been baking. Cinnamon rolls were the order of the day yesterday, brownies will be this afternoon's project along with decorating the house for Fall/Halloween.

Now that the girls' sweaters are done, I've really got to get crackin' on the christmas gifties. I have one of Clayton's glittens done except for the flap and I have the cuff started on the second. I think he, Jackson, MacZilla and SisterSarah will be the only ones getting hand-knit stuff this year. I'd like to do something for Daddy and KingZach, but since Dad's in Arizona and knitwear is not really needed there and Zach is Hagrid-sized and therefore impossible to fit (and suprise)... alas.

Since Miz Izzy's climbing on my lap, asking for breakfast, I'd better get going on my day... much as I'd like to keep sitting here and typing and reading about knitting stuff.

sp9 questionnaire

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

I've not really tried many different types of fiber... so I don't have any absolute dislikes yet, so no problems there... I do enjoy knitting with alpaca and merino. I'm not terribly fond of super-bulky yarns, however. I'd like to try some of the "alternative" yarns: soy silk, ingeo, you know the drill.

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

I use a florist's frog to store my straight needles, a basket for the circs (not my favorite method, but it works for the time being), a needle roll for the dpn's.

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

I taught myself to knit about three years ago, from a Martha Stewart: Baby magazine and then graduated to the internet and library. No one in my circle of acquaintance knows how to knit, so I'm primarily self-taught. I'd consider myself to be an advanced beginner.

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

Yep. If you wanna know how to find me, email me.

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

spicy smells (cinnamon, bay rum, white pepper), vanilla, citrus

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

Do I have a sweet tooth? Heck yes! I love black licorice, cinnamon, and chocolate!

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

See my 100 things list for the entire list... I do some house remodeling stuff, sewing stuff, gardening stuff, and I'm starting the hand spinning thing.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I can tolerate all kinds of music for the most part, I prefer music that I can understand the words and/or sing along. I love 80's synth-pop, 70's folk, Big Band, and Baroque chamber music. I am always open to what other people listen to, I think it affords a nice insight into someone's personality.

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

I mostly wear black or brown with a judicious amount of reds and pinks and the occasional baby blue. I don't particularly like yellow or orange colors.

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

No pets, but I have three kids (1 boy, 2 girls), and a goofy husband.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Scarves- yes
Hats- occasionally
Mittens- yes
Ponchos- no

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

Right now it's glittens/mittens and socks

13. What are you knitting right now?

one pair of glittens
three pairs of socks
1 baby sweater
2 adult sweaters
2 not-yet-fulled purses

I also have the icarus shawl back burnered until after Christmas.

did I mention that I had knitter's ADD?

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Absolutely!

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

I prefer circular needles and dpn's, I don't really have a preference on materials.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

*sigh* no, but I'd love to get my hands on one (or both)

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

I started a cabled sweater for myself about 6 months ago. I'm still working on the first sleeve. I try not to have something sit on the needles for a long time... I'm very forgetful, and fickle. If it sits around in the UFO pile for more than a year, it is evicted to the frog pond and reincarnated at a later date.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas, followed very closely by Valentine's Day.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

I collect vintage housekeeping manuals. There's a wealth of information in there, and it's extremely entertaining to see how our grandmothers and great-grandmothers kept the house. I also have a penchant for cool baskets, bud vases and vintage lab equipment (I was a biology major in college).

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'd love to get the Rogue sweater pattern or the Telemark sweater pattern, the 2nd treasury of knitting patterns book, or some "Socks that Rock" lightweight sock yarn in the Apple Valley or Scottish Highlands colorways.
I don't have any subscriptions right now. I tend to pick up an Interweave Knits issue if there's something in it that strikes my fancy....
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I'd like to try fair isle and give toe-up socks a try

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes, I knit socks (constantly), but hardly ever for myself.
My foot measurements are:
top of sock to floor-6.5 inches (16.5cm)
ankle circ. -10 inches (25.5 cm)
Heel flap length 3.25 inches (8.5 cm)
Foot length (including toes) 10 inches (25.5 cm)
Foot length (excluding toes) 8 inches (20.5 cm)
foot circ (at ball of foot) 9.5 inches (24.25 cm)

They really don't look that big/chunky in real life... I (hope) promise.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

My birthday is June 5.

If you want to know more about me, take a gander at the 100 things entries previously posted in this blog.

100 Things, the second half

49. I learned to knit from a Martha Stewart: Baby magazine when I was pregnant with my second child.

48. It was 18 months before I realized that I purled “backwards”.

47. A year ago I discovered the wide world of knitblogs and my knitting technique has been much improved.

46. I love to knit socks, especially little ones for my kids. (They go faster and it’s easy to try out new patterns/techniques on a smaller scale.

45. I have just discovered the magic of felting.

44. I have never completed a sweater, but I have a goal to finish at least one in the next year. I have 2 on the needles: one for Miz Izzy and one for me.

43. I have an irrational fear of intarsia and entrelac.

42. I am really drawn to lace, cables, and Fair Isle.

41. I have a classic/retro sense of style.

40. I have a secret fun fur/novelty yarn stash that I’m trying to forget about. If I let it sit in the stash long enough, will it turn into cashmere?

39. I started teaching myself to spin this summer. I succeed in fits and starts.

38. I love to make things with my hands, but I rarely get time to do anything but knit (it’s portable and quiet and I can follow my kids around the house instead of be chained to the craft table or sewing machine or kitchen.

37. I have made my first foray into dyeing my own yarn. It’s been really fun (and messy).

36. I have knit 6 pairs of socks, not one pair has been for me.

35. Actually, out of all of the finished knit projects, only one has been for me: a cherry-red bouclé scarf - the third item I knit.

34. I am not so selfless with my other crafts.

33. I have an obsession with those black and white hard cover composition notebooks. It stems from my college days when I lived in the science lab.

32. I use them for everything but science projects now. My favorite thing to do with them craft-wise is decoupage the covers. The other ones I use to write my stories and journal design ideas.

31. They have to be the black and white covers. The ones that are different colors are just not right. Those books go to the kids for their writing and drawing practice.

30. When I’m designing or thinking about a project, I have a difficult time thinking in color. I tend to think in black and white.

29. I dream in color, though.

28. I’m inspired by various things: knitbloggers, American popular culture during and after the WWII era, Victorian England, the United Kingdom in general.

27. I rarely follow the directions on any project or recipe.

26. I’m beginning to understand the reasoning behind the general obsession with Japanese craft books.

25. I decorate my house with a Pottery Barn sensibility, on a Wal-Mart budget.

24. I love to go to estate auctions. Especially ones with good junk… rusty, unloved, chipped, peeling junky junk. For example: my favorite candlesticks are really just rusty old bedsprings that kind of support the candles from falling over.

23. When I’m being especially creative, I tend to wear silly hats (like Jo March in Little Women), and make huge messes.

22. My idea of a perfect afternoon would be a tea party with my Mom: complete with dressy dress, the good china, tea party hat, crustless sandwiches, tiny cakes, jam tarts, clotted cream and lemon curd, and plenty of silly giggling.

21. I plan to fully do this for my 30^th birthday next year. Hats and all.

20. I would love to have a cat, but I’m terribly allergic to them. I love dogs too, but they’re too rambunctious.

19. My favorite pets are little birds. I love the little finches and budgies and canaries. They always sound so happy.

18. My favorite animals in general are birds. I love robins, cardinals, chickadees. I dream of having a Peregrine or Merlin falcon someday. If I could be any animal, I’d be an owl or a raven.

17. I’m fascinated by butterflies as well.

16. I enjoy many types of music, thanks to a well-rounded musical childhood, courtesy my parents. I have little tolerance for country-western, rap, and acid jazz. I don’t discount them completely; they’re just not the first things I seek out when I want to listen to something.

15. I’m particular to baroque music (Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli, Handel), acoustic (The Beatles, James Taylor, Ron Sexmith, Jack Johnson), jazz standards (Billie Holliday, Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick, Jr.), musicals (Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein), 80’s alternative (The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Blondie, INXS, Duran Duran), and a smattering of Ska, Punk, Reggae, Techno, Classic Rock, American Pop and Alternative, and British Pop.

14. I love to watch Romantic Comedies and Science-Fiction movies.

13. I read practically everything, but I love literary thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, literature classics, latin-american literature, british literature, and historical fiction.

12. I love chocolate (isn’t that a requirement to be a “real” knitter?) Dove promises are my poison of choice, but mostly because better/different chocolate isn’t widely available around here.

11. I also love coffee, but coffee doesn’t love me. It makes me crazy, well, crazier than usual.

10. I am getting an impressive candle collection… I like food/spice smells, but not so much with the flower-y smells. My current favorite is the White Pepper from White Barn Candle Company. I loved it in the store in the Mall of America, and thought I’d be able to get here at my local Bath and Body Works, but no dice. I wish I’d bought it when I was there. I also like pink grapefruit and cucumber (no melon) and vanilla.

9. I love office supplies. Just the smell of paper and wood pencils instantly decrease my blood pressure.

8. Besides chocolate, I love black licorice and “interesting” mustards. When I was a kid, and my dad would go on a business trip, he would bring home a locally made mustard from wherever he went and we’d have a tasting party. The best one that I remember was from the Two Virgins in San Francisco.

7. I could eat Italian food every day and not complain.

6. The same with peanut butter and honey sandwiches.

5. I still have my blankie and my first doll.

4. When I’m sick, I sleep with my blankie. It’s magic, you know.

3. My first doll looks just like my Dad did when I was a kid, right down to the bell bottom pants and longish brown hair and moustache.

2. Yes, I’m a Daddy’s Girl.

1. Family is the most important thing in the world to me. Knitting for that family is a close second.

100 Things: the first half

In anticipation of SP9, and the fact that I want to be as cool as the others (I'm really not much of a follower), I think I'll join the 100 Things Meme love-in... here you go.

100. I am the oldest (and only girl) of 4 kids (age range: not quite 30 to not quite 16).
99. As a direct result of the above, as friendships go, I'm generally more comfortable with the males of the species. As I get older and (hopefully) more mature, I'm getting better at being friends with women too.
98. My mom and I are really close. I realize how lucky I am for that at least once every day.
97. I met my husband on a blind date set up by his sister and my brother, around Christmas 1999.
96. We became engaged on President's day, 2000 (It was a Valentine's day pre-emptive strike).
95. We were married on Good Friday, 2000.
94. I always said it would be cool to be a "millennium bride", if only for the fact that my (future) husband would always remember how many years we've been married.
93. The brother and sister-in-law that set us up on that fateful blind date got married to each other last summer.
92. Yup, that means double cousins.
91. I am a notorious procrastinator
90. I tend to do my best work under a swift-approaching deadline, thereby reinforcing #91.
89. I learned to read when I was 18 months old.
88. I read my first "real" book when I was just a bit shy of 2.
87. It was The Hobbit
86. I haven't stopped reading since.
85. As a kid, I used to compulsively count things. My brain is too full now to do much of that anymore.
84. I have a semi-photographic memory
83. Because of #84, I am a really good speller
82. My almost-finished Bachelor's degree is in Biological Sciences
81. My true love is English Literature
80. I have an unhealthy obsession with semicolons and parenthesis.

79. The majority of my jobs have been medical related.
78. I wanted desperately to go to Medical School, but Organic Chemistry and getting too involved with patients pretty much deterred any further progress.
77. I started writing children's stories when I was in the 2nd grade.
76. I am having two stories published this year, and a series in development with my artsy fartsy graphic designer brother. (He's the coolest!)
75. I am an idea person. Not a detail person.
74. I had a very creative childhood.
73. My parents were and are extremely supportive of everything I do. They never told me that I couldn't do anything I set my mind to. Again, I realize how lucky I am to have had this growing up.
72. I hope I can instill the same mindset in my kids.
71. I can sew, quilt, knit, paint, collage, bead, sing, play the cello, put up drywall, tile a shower, lay hardwood/tile/laminate/vinyl flooring, shingle, cook, bake (not the same thing), frame, and "fix" things.
70. I despise cleaning with every fiber of my being.
69. I love to travel. I don't get to do this very often, but I love it.
68. I hope to go to the UK someday.
67. I spent most of my formative years learning how to do household-y things (except clean... yrch), like make great food, decorate, sew, etc. to "impress" my future husband and he really doesn't give a rat's behind if I can do those things, except make chocolate chip cookies.
66. If there was something in my repertoire I wish I could do better, it would be make better chocolate chip cookies. I have a curse. I can bake anything else to perfection. Just not those. Not for lack of trying, mind you.
65. I think I look my best while pregnant.
64. I'm pregnant right now. Baby's due the middle of September. This is #3 (and most likely the last one) for us.
63. I would seriously consider being a surrogate for any of my family members.
62. I am truly amazed at the capability of my own body to grow and nurture another person. This humbles me in more ways that I can imagine.
61. My religious faith has a definite grounding aspect for me and gives me a great deal of comfort in my life.
60. My political faith does not.
59. I spent most of my adolescence being labeled a "liberal", when in actuality; I was just about as conservative as they come.
58. I am a pragmatic idealist
57. I believe in responsible conservation, but not to the point of impeding human progress
56. If they took volunteers for the Mars colony today, I'd be one of the first to sign up... family in tow.
55. I have a very strange sense of humor. Must have been all of those BBC shows I used to watch on Public Television as a kid.
54. I write a mean (often dirty) limerick... just try me!
53. My favorite color is red, though I've been going through a brown phase for the last couple years.
52. 60% of the clothes in my closet are black
51. I have very dark brown (almost black) hair, but 2 of my soon to be 3 kids have blonde hair. I'll report back if baby #3 is different.
50. In case you were wondering, my husband has blonde hair. I was counting on the dark to be dominant... no such luck.