Just One More Row

We are Amused

2007-01-11T07:32:00.000-08:00

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Entirely Miss Reverend Lady Cindi the Simple of Puddleston St Droop
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Not sure I want my Dean to see the Simple bit. But I may ask my students to call me Lady Cindi this semester.

F.O.'s believe it or not

2007-01-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

Yes indeed, folks, step right up and see the most amazing sight! I have actually finished a couple of things. Here's proof:

and more proof:

O.K., so the socks are knit from worsted weight yarn and the pincushion is just a wee thing, but they are, technically, finished objects. The pincushion is a practice piece for the Gansey workshop being put on by Elizabeth Lovick through the EZasPi Yahoo group. I've already taken a Gansey workshop, from Beth Brown Reinsel herself no less, but this one will be great, too. Liz Lovick knows so much about traditional knitting from England and Scotland, and given my obsession with all things Scottish, you just know I'm going to soak up all of the information I can get.

I'm still blogging from my office. Wanna see? Here's part of my bookcase, on which sits (sit? not sure about the grammar on that one) my GOP elephant and Democratic donkey. These come in handy as props during my boring lectures about political parties.

Here's the top of my filing cabinet:

For those of you who aren't from Sacramento, Heather Fargo is our mayor. I used to work for her, and the mug is from her first campaign. I haven't worked for her for a few years, but I still consider her one of the finest people I've ever had the privilege to know. I'd show you the top of my desk, but the messiness of it would scandalize my mom, should she ever get a computer and actually see this blog.

Still waiting!

2007-01-08T12:12:00.000-08:00

I'm still waiting to find out what's keeping me from being able to blog from home, so I'm writing again from campus. I came in today to finish up the spring syllabi and start on the course calendars. Classes start next week, so I've got to get organized.

I recently bought a digital camera of my very own, and I've been taking a few pictures. Here's one of my friend Laura's dog, Rascal. You'll notice that I didn't capture Laura and Emmy knitting, which shows you what my priorities are when there's a dog in the room. I probably should have been focusing on my own project (the never-ending Feather and Fan shawl from GOL), but Rascal's just so blasted cute that I couldn't resist snapping a shot of him in his cool pimp jacket.

It's Not My Fault!!!

2007-01-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post, and I even have pics, but for some reason, I can't get into this blog from my home computer. I'm writing this from my office at work, so it must be something wrong with the settings on my home computer. When I get it fixed, I'll post pics of our great Christmas in North Carolina. Happy New Year!

Christmas Cheer

2006-12-15T08:36:00.000-08:00

I've found a group of friends through knitting. They're wonderful women, every one. We meet once or twice a week to knit, talk and laugh together. We might never have met save for our love of knitting; we don't run in the same circles, so to speak. We each have different sorts of jobs, we're a range of ages, and while we all live in Sacramento, we're not neighbors. But we certainly have a lot of fun together. Last weekend, we decided to have a holiday dinner together after our usual afternoon of knitting. Here we are, fed and happy:

And here's a picture of the absolutely adorable bag Beth made for me!

How cute is this??? She made one for each of us. Mine's a dog theme, because Beth knows I love dogs. Emmy collects pears, so hers is made of material patterned with pears. And so on. Honestly, I don't think I've ever met anyone as kind as Beth in all my life. It's the perfect size to hold a ball of yarn, and the stuff coming out of it is my first effort at dyeing.

Well, back to the facecloths. 2 down, 2 to go.

A letter to my Sockret Pal

2006-12-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Sockret Pal:

I must apologize to you for neglecting this sad little blog for so long. I realize that it must not be much fun for you to visit me and find the same old post every time. So I am turing over a new leaf and promising to update more often. Today I thought I'd post on my Christmas knitting. Not much this year, but enough to keep me busy. First, there's this:

I'm making my mom a hat. She wants a red hat to wear when she goes on her daily walk. A bright red hat. Fine. Mom wants a screaming red hat, mom gets a screaming red hat. I was thinking maybe Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. But it doesn't come in bright enough red. In fact, in my search I found no decent yarn in the right color. So I settled on an acrylic/wool blend. Now, I fully admit that I'm a yarn snob. I like merino and cashmere and silk. But I love mom more, so I'm being a martyr and knitting away with yarn that makes my hands feel oogy. I swear, this stuff squeaks. But the color is great (for mom anyway). I plan to offer the hat to Santa, just in case Rudolph isn't available on Christmas Eve. It's a cool pattern: knit a cabled band then pick up stitches along the edge and knit the body of the hat. I have about 7 repeats to go on the band, then mindless knitting from there.

I'm also making these:

My sister lost a bet to me and had to buy me yarn as payment. She picked out this, and told me it was for ankle socks for her. Yeah, I won the bet, she gets the socks. She also got the blond hair and blue eyes, but that's another story. I'm making up the pattern for the anklets as I go. Unfortunately, I didn't write down anything for this first one, so I'll have to guess on the second sock.

I'm also making a couple of face cloths for my cousins, which will go into their stockings with some great soap. But they are extremely boring (the washcloths, not the cousins, who are quite charming), and not worthy of a photo. Even Cooper thinks the washcloths are boring.

An abundance of riches

2006-11-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

Now that the weather is changing, I've been able to wear my handknit socks, and I'm enjoying putting some of the things I've made to use. But I've also been wrapping a beautiful scarf around my neck, and it's one I didn't knit for myself. It was made by Amber, my International Scarf Exchange pal, and it's beautiful! I'm sure this photo doesn't do it justice, but it's lovely and soft and many shades of blue. Absolutely perfect with jeans. I'm very sorry I didn't get a photo of it posted sooner! We're having camera issues.

As many of you (who am I kidding?) know, I am a bit of a sucker for secret pal type exchanges. I was drawn to Sockret Pal because I love knitting socks, and because I like the idea of being able to send someone enough yarn to make a whole project. Well, the other day I got my first package from my Sockret Pal, and I love it! She's done some research on me, because it included two Harry Potter-related patches, one for Gryffindor and one for Slytherin (boo, hiss!!). There is also the book Knitting Goddess, 4 beautiful and unique stitch markers and some lovely hand cream that I've already used a couple of times. Here's a photo:

While I'm not the sappy sort, I like knowing that all across the world, knitters are thinking about other knitters, picking out goodies they hope will make someone else happy.

I think this may be a first

2006-11-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure I've never done one of these before, but I've been too busy to think of anything creative to say, and I haven't quite figured out the new camera, so this works for me!

Meme

1. Flip to page 18, paragraph 4 in the book closest to you right now, what does it say?

"Are you sure you're from the Outland?", he asked suspiciously. "Then tell me this: why is there no singluar for scampi"? (From The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde)

2. If you stretch out your left arm - as far as possible, what are you touching?
The iron.

3. What’s the last program you watched on tv?
Top Chef, last night.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
1:15 p.m. (O.K., I've obviously got my head in the clouds, it's not even noon!)

5. Except the computer, what can you hear right now?
The radio. Dave's listening to the 49ers game.

6. When was the last time you were outside and what did you do?
This morning - I went to my office for an hour or so, then to Trader Joes.

7. What are you wearing?
Jeans and a sweater, and a pair of hand-knit socks, as usual.

8. Did you dream last night? If you did, what about?
I dreamt, but I can't remember what about. I have really vivid dreams, but they don't stick in my head for very long.

9. When was the last time you laughed?
A few minutes ago, listening to Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me on the radio in my car.

10. What’s on the walls, in the room you’re in right now?
A bulletin board, and a picture of our dogs that our next door neighbor painted. I'm in our office.

11. Have you seen anything strange lately?
I think I saw someone vote Republican on Tuesday, which is strange in my town.

12. What do you think about this meme?
I'd give it a 7/10

13. What’s the last film you saw?
Little Miss Sunshine

14. If you became a multimillionaire, what would you do with the money?
Buy a big house and tons of yarn, sort all my family and friends out, and start a charitable foundation. Travel a lot.

15. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
I've never been skiing (that's for Donni: don't faint!!)

16. If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regarding politics or bad guilt - what would it be?
I hate it that we're mortal.

17. Do you like dancing?
Only when I'm drunk. (I left this answer from the cut-and-paste, because it's perfect!)

18. George Bush?
The lamest of lame ducks. 2008 can't come soon enough for me!

19. What do you want your children’s names to be, girl/boy?
Not gonna have kids, but my next puppy will be Dillon. Does that count?

20. Would you ever consider living abroad?
I did live in England for a year while I was working on my M.A. I'd move to Scotland in a heartbeat!

21. What do you want God to tell you, when you come to heaven?
I told you so.

22. Who should do this meme?
Anyone who wants to.

Baby's got a brand new scarf!

2006-10-30T18:39:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the cooler weather, my ISE pal Amber sent me a gorgeous scarf! Unfortunately, Blogger is not cooperating tonight, so I can't post a picture of it, or of the yummy Misti Alpaca laceweight yarn and darling knitting cards she included in the package. But I'm determined to post more regularly, so I'll just mention the scarf then try to post a picture later.

I've been really busy over the last couple of weeks. Dave and I went to Ashland for our anniversary, and I've been giving, and grading, midterms. Next post, I'll try to include some pics from Ashland and relate our misadventures. Stay tuned. I'll be back when Blogger decides to cooperate again.

Finally finished

2006-10-30T18:23:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the scarf for my International Scarf Exchange pal. It's knitted from Artyarns Merino, in a very pretty blue colorway. I used the "tilting blocks" pattern from one of the Barbara Walker treasuries. As usual, I've taken a lousy picture of it.

Thanks, Ceris!!!

2006-10-23T15:17:00.000-07:00

I received the loveliest package from Ceris today, all the way from England! Ceris was my Hot Socks swap partner, and she sent me the most gorgeous sock yarn from Curious Yarns! I've not heard of this company, so I'm doubly happy with my pressie. It's so nice to "discover" a new source for beautiful yarn. The picture doesn't do it justice; it's very autumny, and the colors are deep and lush.
There were also two tins of tea in the package: one for morning and one for afternoon. It's about 3:20 in the afternoon right now, so you can guess which one I'm enjoying. (It's delicious!)

I love this teacup. I collect vintage tea things, and this was the first one I bought when I started my collection. Ceris also included a tea ball and some Burt's Bees lip balm. How did you know I always have chapped lips? Thanks so much, Ceris!!

In which I have an epiphany!

2006-10-09T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well, shoot. I'm crap at photography, but at least I'm usually able to take a few photos when I go on a knitting jaunt. I was out of town with friends this past weekend, knitting my little heart out. Unfortunately, my camera batteries were dead, so no pics of knitting by a lake.

As to the epiphany, here goes: I bought some heavy sport-weight (maybe DK, I don't know) yarn, and decided to use it for thicker socks to wear with my Tevas in the fall and winter. What joy! What instant gratification! What a blast to be able to knit an entire sock in about 6 hours!!! Here's a photo that I took once I got home and changed the batteries. I've already gotten to the gusset decreases on sock #2 and should have the pair complete by tomorrow. Notice the lovely polish on my toes? The result of my first ever pedicure. My friend Laura, a pedicure afficionado, set up the appointment, and it sure was fun. I love the massaging chair! Seems a shame to cover my toes with socks. Maybe I'll make a pair of open toe socks to show them off!

Sockret Pal Starts

2006-09-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

I like the idea of this exchange: a secret pal for sock addicts like me!

I emailed this to my Sockret Pal already, but Rachel says to post it here, so here it is!

Sock-ret Pal Questionnaire
The basics:
How long have you been knitting?
I’ve been knitting for almost 3 years.

Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep?
I’ve knit a dozen or so pair, so I’d say I’m intermediate. Nothing scares me, tho, knitting-wise.

The measurements:
While your pal may ask for some additional info to ensure a great fit, please provide your shoe size, or any other fitting related info you think is pertinent.
I wear a size 8.5 shoe.

(fiber related) Favorites:
What colors do you love?
Dark green, black, purples, blues, sage green, cream, burgundy
Do you prefer solids or variegated?
Depends on the pattern: lace and cables, I usually use solids, but some patterns, like feather and fan, look great with variegated.
What fibers do you most love to knit with?
I like natural fibers, and rarely if ever knit with acrylics. I’m not keen on novelty yarns or solid cotton yarns.
Who do you consider your favorite yarn vendors?
Jaggerspun, for their Zephyr laceweight, Ornaghi Filati for their merino oro laceweight, Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Cherry Tree Hill, Nature’s Pallet, Artyarns and Koigu for their sock yarns.
What projects (other than socks, of course*S*) do you most enjoy knitting? Lace shawls and stoles. I like to felt stuff, too. Bags, clogs and slippers.

(fiber related) Dislikes:
What fibers can you not stand to knit with? Novelty yarns, 100% cotton, itchy-scratchy yarn. To wear? Same, really.
What colors would you never wear? Yellow, orange. Not for socks, tho. I’ll wear just about any color socks!

The Tools:
Plastic or Metal? Bamboo or wood? Addi or knitpicks circs, magic loop.
Are there any knitting accessories you don't have in your collection but would like? One can really never have too many doo-dads.

The Extras:
Do you have a wish list? If so, please share the link!
No wish list.
Do you like sweet, sour or salty? (or all of the above? *S*)
Salty, and sweet. Not a big sourpuss (although I do like pickled things!)
Do you have any allergies your pal should know about? (Certain foods, smoke, pet hair, etc)
No allergies, except my horrendous housework allergy.
Favorite scents? Scents you can't stand?
I like non-sweet scents: lavendar, rosemary, clove, sandalwood, musk, tea tree, patchouli, that sort of thing.
Do you collect anything (other than yarn and knitting toys of course)?
I collect old tea things.
When is your birthday? (month and day is fine!)
January 25
Do you spin? Dye your own yarn?
I don’t spin, but I just started dyeing. Or I should admit, I’ve just dyed my first skein. Not a pretty sight.
Your favorite author/band/vacation spot, anything you think will help your pal know you better...
I love to read. Barbara Kingsolver, lots of mystery writers, Jane Austen, Jasper FForde, John Steinbeck

I’m a scarey-obsessed Harry Potter fan.

Music: Dave Matthews, Norah Jones, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, Dixie Chicks, Allison Kraus, Tom Petty. I have fairly pedestrian tastes, I guess. I love celtic music.

Fav vacation spot: anyplace with a beach, mountains, Scotland (that’s my latest obsession. I just discovered that my family is from the Shetland Islands and now I’m aching to go back to Scotland).

Long time gone

2006-09-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

When school starts back up, I find myself with lots less time to knit, let alone blog about knitting. But I'm home sick today, so I thought I'd post an update. But first, a question. "What's in your wallet"? I just cleaned mine out, and I'm obviously a knitter. I had three dimes, a quarter, two pennies, and 2 stitch markers in my change purse!

I just got back from answering the door. I had to sign for a package. For me! The beautiful cobweb weight yarn I ordered has arrived from Ukraine. 3400 yards of black loveliness! Disgustingly low price: about $12.00 for the yarn and shipping. It will have to wait in the stash until I've finished at least a couple of the 5 shawls I'm currently working on, but at some point it will become either the Gladys Amedro Sheelagh Shawl or Heirloom Knitting's Spring Shawl. Here it is, with my new best friend.

As some of you know, I can rarely resist a swap of any kind, so I signed up for the International Scarf Exchange. I'm using the pattern Tilting Blocks from one of the Barbara Walker treasuries, and it's a fun pattern to knit. I love the yarn; it's an oh-so-slightly variegated fingering weight merino. The woman I'm making it for likes jewel tones, and this certainly fits the bill. The pattern is reversible, so I think it will make a nice scarf. Here's what it looks like after 5 pattern repeats.

Lastly, I can hardly do a knitting update without mentioning socks. Here's a pic of the most recent completed pairs. I really did finish both socks of each pair!

Back to the kleenex and my knitting!

Secret Swag

2006-09-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Secret Pal 8 is over, and I recently received my package. My Secret pal decided to wait til the end and send one package. Here's a pic of the swag. It includes a book that was on my wish list, 2 skeins of really pretty yarn from Classic Elite and a skein of Knitpicks Shadow in the color Redwood Forest. If you look closely, you can see the cute stitch markers, including one with my name! And see the gift card from Michaels? I'll certainly be checking out Michaels real soon.
School started a couple of weeks ago, which is cutting into my knitting time, but I am managing to make progress on a couple of pairs of socks and my self-designed Shetland stole. Pics soon, but I have some grading to do today!

Taking a Stand

2006-08-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, in a fit of angst about the yarn piling up all over the place, I joined Summer of Stash. The idea of this project is to go on a yarn diet and knit only from the stash all summer long. At the time, I thought it was a good idea. After all, I thought, I have so much yarn already. Enought to knit for several summers, and a few falls, winters and springs, too. I was determined to stick to the rules and buy no new yarn.

But you know what? I've changed my mind. I love my stash, and I love buying beautiful yarn. My stash yarn evokes fond memories every time I look at it. There's the Lorna's Laces I bought at the end of our fun trip to Truckee, and the Zephyr that I bought during a wonderful knitting retreat in Bodega Bay. It was this Zephyr, so soft and beautiful, that started me on the road to lace-knitting obsession. I've got sock yarn from a trip to my parent's in North Carolina, and lace yarn from one of our trips to Ashland, where we celebrate our anniversary every year.

Of course, I have a lot of "what was I thinking?" yarn, too, but for the most part, I'm happy with my stash. It pleases me, and I'm sorry I dissed it. Most of my stash will eventually be knit into something useful, so I don't really feel conspicuously consumptuous about adding this on my last trip to North Carolina:

Some people have a closet full of shoes, or shelf after shelf of trinkets and collectables. I have yarn. Lots and lots of beautiful yarn. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to fondle some cashmere.

Amazing Lace Challenge #4

2006-07-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

The 4th challenge in the Amazing Lace is to post a photo of what my lace project could be if I had to bind off right now. Given that it's a rectangle, I suppose it could be lots of things: a really holey dish or face cloth, or a placemat. But to me, its most appropriate use would be as a flying carpet for very small travellers! Of course, as any Harry Potter fan knows, such carpets are illegal: they are "defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects". But if I COULD charm my lace into being a magic carpet without risking a stretch in Azkaban, it would look like this:

Berry Cobbler for Breakfast

2006-07-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

I've been ignoring this blog, but I figure it's O.K. since most everyone else does, too. But I've been having fun, knitting the summer away. Last weekend a group of us knitting maniacs spent two glorious days knitting, chatting and escaping the Sacramento heat. And yes, eating Beth's fabulous berry cobbler for breakfast. It's fun being a grown-up!

Everyone accomplished a lot. Laura, whose knitting always amazes me in its utter perfection, finished a gorgeous cabled cardigan.

Betsy made good progress on her hoodie. It's a beautiful light sagey green color and the yarn is really soft.

Emmy made 2 scarves for her neice! The red one is done in Touch Me, which is such a luxurious yarn.

And Beth and I worked on socks. Beth's are adorable watermelon socks!

Good times with good friends!

Amazing Lace Challenge #3

2006-06-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

It is #3 right? The poetry one? O.K., here's my entry, in haiku and prose.

Start to Finish

When starting a new project, you will likely be told: "Gauge is X stitches and Y rows per 4"". The only way to find out if your sweater, tank, etc. will fit is to...swatch. (There, I said the horrible word. Bleah. Ick.) This is why I love knitting lace shawls. Often, there is a notation that "Gauge is not really important for this project". How I love those words!

8 stitches per inch
We don't need no stinking swatch!
My socks fit Hagrid

Once we choose our pattern and yarn, it's time to cast on...

Circular cast on
Emily Ocker mocks me
Sigh and try again

We face many obstacles in our journey from start to finish. Sometimes people just don't understand...

Did you make dinner?
Poke him with my pointy sticks!
What row was I on?

Sometimes we have to take measures to prevent our lace from coming under attack from those who would do it harm...

Cindi is knitting
I would like to chew that yarn
Curse this sturdy cage

And once in a great while, those who love us will understand, and help us on our journey...

Going on a trip
"Did you pack enough knitting?"
How I love this man
At long last, after all obstacles have been met, with perhaps several trips to the frog pond, and much cursing and gnashing of teeth, you'll come to the end of your journey, and then begin another.

Weave in the last end
Bitter sweet is the finish
Cast on another

So enjoy the race, everyone, and remember, it's the journey that matters. Oh, who are they kidding: there's nothing like a finished project!

Debut of a Finished Object

2006-06-24T19:54:00.000-07:00

I started the Shetland tea Shawl from A Gathering of Lace way back in January, as part of the EZasPi Yahoo group's first anniversary celebration. I work on lots of projects at once (but not at exactly the same time, of course; that would just be weird, and very confusing)so it took me a long time to finish. Most of the other folks in the groups have already done another group project. But me, I was plugging away at the edging forever.

But it's finished now, and I am pleased with it, mistakes and all. I learned a lot: Emily Ocker's circular cast-on, that I can in fact knit lace every row, that you can block the snot out of merino, and that knitting 115 repeats of a 10-row edging makes me want to poke my eyes out with my size 4 addi. Apparently, I did NOT learn to graft properly, but we'll just keep that part hidden. Here are a few pictures:

Here she is blocking...

A close-up of some of the patterns...

more detail...

and the obligatory outdoor-while-wearing-it-even-tho-it's-105-degrees-outside...
Now, back to the Feather and Fan shawl, also from A Gathering of Lace!

Stashbusting

2006-06-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

I have made a vow not to buy any more yarn until Labor Day. I've allowed some exceptions (Secret Pal, undyed yarn for learning to dye, yarn bought as a souveneir while on vacation). I will fail, no doubt about it, but in the meantime I'm actually finishing some projects. Like these:
Three pair of socks. I'm really on a sock kick right now, and have already cast on another 2 pair. Here's a blurry semi-close-up of the Birch Leaf socks from A Gathering of Lace.

And here's a funky bag I made using yarn from the stash. The jury's still out on the flower. I'm not really a "felted flower on the purse" person, so I may rip it off. Instead of i-cord for the handle, I just braided the yarn and felted it. I like how it looks and braiding took a fraction of the time it would have taken to knit i-cord.

15 more repeats of the border on the Shetland Tea Shawl and I'll have another FO to brag about!

Saturday, in the Park (cue music)

2006-06-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

June 10 was WorldWide Knit in Public Day, so that's what we did. Sacramento is beautiful this time of year; it's no longer cold (well, cold-ish anyway), and the scorching days of July and August are a few weeks away. We met in Capitol Park, which is, as you might have guessed, the gorgeous park surrounding our state capitol building. I had a blast, knitting, making new friends and catching up with some people I haven't seen in a while. If you look closely at the photo, you can see that there's even a crocheter in our midst! If only the Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature could get along as well as the knitters and crocheters, we'd be a better state. As it was, it was nice to know that at least for this one day, someone got something done at the Capitol!

At one point in the festivities, Theresa and I decided to take our socks for a walk around the park. Here's Theresa holding up mine, ala Yarn Harlot. By the way, I finished that sock, thankyouverymuch!

I hope everyone who knit in public on Saturday had a wonderful time!

Needles and Yarn and WIPs, Oh My!

2006-06-05T07:35:00.000-07:00

Needles: I love to knit. I'm not especially talented, my stitches aren't always perfectly formed, and I have a very wonky way of holding the yarn, but I have genuine love for this craft. This means I start a lot of projetcs, often (read: always) while other projects are still, as the say, OTN. I seem to collect needles the way the NSA collects phone records, which helps explain this:

Yes, there are a lot of circs there, all in a big pile. Did I mention that I'm a terrible slob? Actually, I suppose I'm a very good slob, given my elevated level of slobbiness. Instead of putting a label on this mess and calling it modern art, I decided to do something more practical. Ta-Da It's a bait bag that I ordered from a store here in Sacramento called Broadway Bait and Gun. Being neither a fisherperson nor a hunter, I never in my wildest dreams thought I would go into a store that sells nothing but fishing equipment, bait (which is very smelly, and not in a good way), and guns. When I went in to pick it up, the salesperson looked at me kinda funny. Apparently I don't look like your typical fisherperson/hunter. The conversation went thusly:
Me:"It's for knitting needles."
Him: But the bags are too small."
Me (a bit shocked): "No, it's for circular needles."
Him: "Oh, you mean for hats and socks and stuff."
Me: "Exactly!"
I'm sure other bloggers could make this exchange sound funnier: it just struck me as odd that a man in a bait and gun shop would be able to speak intelligently about circular v. straight knitting needles. I thought maybe I'd found the rare male knitter/fisherman/hunter combo, but no. Turns out, his girlfriend knits.

Needles and WIPs: I joined Summer of Stash, which means I have pledged not to buy any more yarn until Labor Day. I'm going to try very hard to keep this pledge. So far, so good: no new yarn in over a week. Probably some sort of record. But I digress. Part of my summer resolution is also to finish some WIPs. I should be able to get some of these things done, what with all the free time I'll have now that I'm not shopping for yarn. Here's a picture of some of my WIPs. I post it because

Donni

dared me to flash my WIPs. I believe she even called me a wimp. This after I accused her of being a WIP amateur, what with only 4 or 5 projects going at a time. This picture represents projects that I intend to finish. It doesn't include the few things I've started but will never finish because I can't for the life of me remember what posessed me to match that particular yarn to that particular pattern.

Well, I'm off to finish ANOTHER pair of socks. I'm on a project-finishing roll!

Showdown at the Not-So-OK Corral

2006-05-29T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's Day 1 of Amazing Lace, and things are not going smoothly at team Holier Than No One. I knew early this morning that Prissy Miss Doily was not happy. At first I thought she might be angry that I've been working on The Socks rather than her. I tried to explain that the Summer of Socks knit along starts on June 21st, so I have to finish my WIP socks in time to cast on new projects. Then I thought the Ott light might be in her eyes, so I made some adjustments. Still, she was not happy. "Great", I thought. "Just what this team needs, a Prima Dona." I could hear the unfinished STS sniggering in the background.

Knowing as I do that the key to a winning team is communication, I asked her what she needed to make her happy.

"Well, you could stop calling me Prissy Miss Doily, for a start."

"Fine. What shall I call you then?"

"Hank."

After that, I didn't have the heart to tell him he's being knit out of yarn called "Sissy."

Ready, Set, Go!

2006-05-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

As I posted final grades yesterday, my heart give a little leap. O.K., a big leap. A leap of enormous height. I wonder if students have any idea that their profs look forward to summer break as much as they do? 2.5 glorious months off. It's like being a stay at home mom, only without the kids. My biggest challenge will be remembering what day of the week it is. Last night Dave and I saw The Da Vinci Code. Maybe I'm just too easy to please, but I liked it. Not as much as the book, but then I never expect movies to live up to books. Unless John Cusack is in them.

The theater is next to a B&N, so part of our movie-going ritual is a pre-flick trip to look at books. I came home with this one. As you can see, part of the stash came out of storage to pay homage:

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Why I love Summer Vacation

2006-05-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

I gave my last final exam of the semester yesterday, so although I have some grading to do, I consider this to be the first official day of summer vacation. And it's turning out to be a pretty darn good day. Dave and I went out to breakfast this morning, which is one of my favorite things to do. Then I knit for a while. I'm plugging away on the border of the Shetland Tea shawl. I also did a few rows of Prissy Miss Doily and a few rounds on the generic sock. I listened to some Harry Potter on tape (Chamber of Secrets, for about the ninety-eleventh time. We have all of them and I listen to them over and over.) The Giants lost, but you can't have everything, right? And tonight I get to have dinner and sit and knit with Beth, one of my most favorite knitting buds. And while I'm feeling pretty good about working on my WIPs today, I'm hearing the siren song of this:
Sock yarn. Lovely, lovely sock yarn, just waiting to be needle-bound. I have the attention span of a gnat. But it's been a really good day.

Trouble in Paradise

2006-05-21T07:23:00.000-07:00

Amazing Lace Captain's Log May 21, 2006

I thought I had everyting under control. The 3 rejected projects, while disappointed at being left off the team, agreed to serve as support staff, as long as I agreed to work on them in the time remaining before Amazing Lace actually starts.

Cooper is enthusiastic about being team mascot. So important to have a team mascot, and Cooper is a licker, so I'll never have to worry when it comes time to spit-splice! :-)

The rest of the support staff -- Otto the Ott light, the Pile-'O-Stitch Markers, the needles (Prissy Miss Doily requires 000!), tea -- are all ready to go.

So, what's the trouble in the little slice of paradise that is Team Holier-Than-No-One?

It's the crochet cotton. Prissy Miss Doily requires #20 crochet cotton, and I've been practicing the cast-on. But cotton is tense, it's unyielding, it has no give. Not good signs for a teammate. I'm used to Zephyr. Zephyr makes a fine teammate. Always willing to stretch that extra centimeter. Always happy to make room for the needle for those K2Tog.

I can see that cotton is going to require a firm hand. We'll see how we get along as time goes by.

Captain My Captain

2006-05-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

Captain's Amazing Lace Log: May 19, 2006

I have decided on my team for Amazing Lace. The decisions required of me have taxed my negotiating skills almost to the breaking point, but I am happy with my team.

Choosing my pattern was a difficult task. There were several contenders: partially completed Feather and Fan and Shetland Tea shawls, and a pair of Birch Leaf socks. These 3 made the argument that since they were all from A Gathering of Lace they are natural teammates. They lobbied hard for a team of WIPs. They claimed this would give me the incentive I need to actually finish a project or 2. I gave careful consideration ot this argument, but I REALLY want to knit a doily!

In the end, it was the Shetland Tea Shawl that spoiled things for the group. She took umbrage at my consideration of a doily.

STS: "A doily? That puny thing? And she'll be made of cotton! She'll be, why she'll be CHEAP!"

DOILY: "Cheap? Cheap? Who are you calling cheap? You're made of Knitpicks, you hussy!"

And so it went. In the end, it got ugly, and I feared that the patterns would tear each other apart and the yarn would get hopelessly tangled. I decided that if STS and Doily couldn't get along, I'd have to choose, so I chose Doily. I also decided to make this a multi-project endeavor, and added the Lacy Lattice Stole (from Fiddlesticks). Really, it was the Lacy Lattice Stole's yarn that tipped the scales. She'll be made of Indigo Zephyr and she had no problem working alongside the crochet cotton that will be Doily.

Zephyr: "No problem, Dude. I can get along with anyone."

Must be the 50% silk that makes her so smooth and easy-going.

Tomorrow I'll tell you about the support staff that will be joining me on the race.

Maybe it's something in the water

2006-05-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

I'm a modern woman. At least I think I am. I have short, spikey hair with a stripe in front. I have an i-pod. I listen to reasonably hip music (Dave Matthews is sort of hip, right?). I knit in public, which is VERY hip these days. I drink soy milk (in my lattes). I can program a VCR. OK, that last one is a big fat lie. I don't like knick-knacks (aside from the "shabby-chic" vintage tea things I collect).

So how come I have this unstoppable desire, yen, hankering, longing even, to knit........a doily. An old-fashined, made-out-of crochet-cotton, put-it-on-your-grandma's-table doily. Heck, I don't even really know what crochet cotton is. I don't crochet, nor do I often knit with cotton yarn. I just know that I want to use my size 0 needles for something other than socks.

I've been feeling this way for a while now, so I recently did what I always do when I want to try something new; I bought some books. Doily pattern books. And I've been looking through them. I'm pretty sure I want to start with this one.

I may choose this as my Amazing Lace teammate. Or maybe tomorrow I'll wake up and decide on this instead.

Of course, everyone who knows me knows I will almost certainly cast on both. And finish neither. Sigh.

A pair of socks

2006-05-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. As you can see from the photo, I finished a pair of socks. See? Aren't they cool?
I never said both socks were part of the same pair. Actually, this photo is for Donni, who shaved her head to raise money for cancer research. I wanted her to see that I have really short hair, too. On purpose, but without such a noble purpose.

2006-05-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Well, here are my answers, Secret Pal. As I mentioned in my email to you, I do plan to start blogging regularly again soon. Thanks for being my Secret Pal!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love to knit with merino wool, wool silk blends, and of course any sock yarn. I’m not really into the novelty yarns, but they do have their place in those twirly Stitch Diva scarves. I like texture (cables, lace, etc.) so I usually use smooth yarns.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
You mean besides "strewn all over the house?" I keep my straights in a tall box and my circs are in a big plastic bag. I also have a zippered fishing tackle thingy with a bunch of big plastic sleeves that I plan to put my circs in one of these days.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I’ve been knitting for about 2.5 years. I consider myself an intermediate knitter, but I’m not afraid to try patterns that are labeled for experienced knitters. I feel I’ve learned a lot in the short time I’ve been at this obsession.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I love the earthy/herbal scents: rosemary, sage, thyme, patchouli, ylang-ylang, musk, vanilla, clove. I also like lavender a lot, and grapefruit. I don’t really care for flowery scents or non-citrus fruity stuff.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?I like candy. I like all sorts of candy. I am not a candy snob (although I do like really good chocolates). I like caramel and licorice very much, too. And English toffee. And fruit slices. And Violet Crumble.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?I don’t spin, but I do cross-stitch. I used to cross-stitch a lot, until I got obsessed with knitting. I plan to learn to crochet one of these days.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)Right now I’m listening to a lot of Dixie Chicks, Dave Matthews, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello. I also like Sheryl Crow and other women like her. I like Norah Jones. I like show tunes, too. My computer plays MP3’s and I have an ipod that I listen to at the gym.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?I love sage green, dark green, purples, purple/blues, black, grey. The only colors I really don’t wear are yellow and orange. Not a real neon sort of gal for tops and such, but I love wild, bright sock yarns in any colors.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?I have a husband (Dave), 2 dogs (Cooper and Jake) and two rats (Fred and George). No kids.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?I wear all of those things. Sometimes all at once. Actually, that’s a lie; I don’t have any ponchos. But I’m not opposed to them. I do like shrugs and plan to make some for myself once my sock and lace knitting obsession dies down a bit.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?Socks and lace shawls. Which is strange since I love going bearfoot and don’t actually wear my shawls much.

13. What are you knitting right now?Socks and lace shawls. To be more specific, I have 4 pair of socks on the needles (a plain pair, and 3 with lace). I’m also working on the border of the Shetland Tea Shawl and the body of the Feather and Fan Shawl, both from A Gathering of Lace. I’m also working on a stole of my own design (probably going to be a disaster), using patterns from Sharon Miller’s Heirloom Knitting.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?I like addi turbo circs. I just haven’t found others with joins I can live with. I do have some Inox circs that I use for socks (addis are so expensive and I work on lots of socks at a time, on 2 circs instead of double-points). But I use straights if I’m making something without a lot of stitches, just to avoid the join.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?Yes, I have both.

17. How did you learn to knit?I took a class at my LYS, Rumplestiltskin.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?I started a sweater right when I learned to knit, and it’s still not done (almost tho). So about 2.5 years old. I’m most definitely a process knitter; I enjoy the journey and don’t get all that stressed about finishing.

19. What is your favorite holiday?Thanksgiving and Christmas. They’re for family and I especially love our Christmas traditions.

20. Is there anything that you collect?Antique/old tea things.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?Fiddlesticks: Tina and the Lacy Lattice Stole. I’ve been eyeing those patterns for a while.
I subscribe to Interweave, Knitters and Vogue.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?I’d like to learn to knit and purl backwards.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes. I wear a size 8.5 shoe.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
January 25th.

FO!

2005-12-03T12:47:00.000-08:00

Gotcha! You think that means Finished Object, don't you? Well, not in this house, it doesn't. Not today, anyway. I did actually finish a felted hat and 2 pairs of felted slippers a week or so ago, which proves that I can finish knitting items; I just don't finish very many! No, today FO means Fun Objects. Check out the very cute point protectors my SP6 sent me. They're little stockings, and perfect during the holidays. Thanks, SP! OTN is the shetland stole I'm working on.

That's Cooper's leg in the photo. I'm without a doubt the world's worst photographer. I took loads of photos at our Christmas party yesterday, and most of them are pathetic. Here's one that turned out OK. It's Tressa, a fellow Political Science professor, and Kamau, who teaches Economics.

Thanks for the tag, Donni!

2005-11-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

What is your all time favourite yarn to knit with?
Right now, today, this minute? Zephyr. I am going through a lace, lace and more lace phase (interspersed with a socks, socks and more socks phase), and I just love the Zephyr yarn. I ordered some from the yarn coop but it's taking forever to get here, so I'm currently working with some laceweight merino, which I also like very much. I am an admitted yarn snob; I like the good stuff!

Your favourite needles? Depends on what I'm knitting. For general knitting, I love addi turbos. But for lace, I use Inox or other pointier needles.

The worse thing you've ever knit? I made a black felted hat, felted it with a white towel and ended up with a black hat covered in white specks of terrycloth. Not a good look. I'm knitting a new black hat now, and will felt it properly, sans towels, this time!

Your most favourite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it but it was the most fun to knit) I seem to love every pattern. Right now I'm knitting a stole using patterns from Heirloom knitting and I'm enjoying it a lot. I've only done 50 rows, but here's a picture of the pattern from the book

Most valuable knitting technique? Not sure about this one. Kitchener stitch?

Best knitting book or magazine? I love Interweave Knits. It's by far my favorite magazine. But I can't list just one favorite book. There are so many that I love: the Barbara Walker Treasuries are, well, treasures. And you can't beat Vogue Knitting for sheer volume of info. I love the patterns in A Gathering of Lace, and I find so much inspiration in Heirloom Knitting. Fortunately, there are books for every mood and flight of fancy!

Your favourite knit-along? I'm currently in the sixsocks and mysteryshawl KALs and I like both of them. I love the comeraderie of the KALs, even if I don't finish the projects (I haven't gotten past clue 3 of the Mystery Shawl KAL) .

Favourite knitblogs? Like most people, I love the Yarn Harlot and read her every day, but I also enjoy many others. Donni, yours remains one of my faves (I don't know how to make your name into a link. Will have to work on that).

Favourite knitwear designer? I'd say Elizabeth Zimmerman, but more for her practical approach and humor than for the specific designs. I'm really too new to knitting to have a favorite, tho.

The knit item that you wear the most. (how 'bout a picture of it?) I wear my socks more than any other things I've made. Dave loves his felted clogs and felted boots and wears them a lot, which is gratifying. I sometimes wear my felted hat, but it's red, and people keep mentioning the Red Hat Society. I'm knitting a black one now.

Such a Surprise!

2005-11-09T17:14:00.000-08:00

I've been having a hectic week. Exams to prep, grading to be done, blah blah blah, the usual BS. I got home today to a wonderful surprise. Jane, my super SP from SP 5 had sent me a big box of knitpicks Wool of the Andes yarn and the new Sally Melville book on color knitting. Wow! How did she know that I'm currently making lots of felted slippers? Won't the red and green make a great pair of Christmas slippers? Maybe I'll add grey snowflakes on the tops for a bit of extra pizazz!

Here's a picture of one of the slippers I've already made. It hasn't been felted yet. Right now it looks like a dinosaur slipper. Once it's felted it will fit me. Hey, no comments about how a dinosaur sized slipper WOULD fit my giant feet! I heard that!

'Tis (almost) the season

2005-11-04T16:43:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's November already. Christmas is just around the corner if you're a knitter who wants to give handmade gifts. I've got Kathy's second sock done to the heel turn. Once the gusset is done it's mindless knitting to the toe, which will give me something to work on Sunday at my knitting group. I'm also working on felted slippers for mom. Just have to seam the first one. The pattern is written for 2 straights and for circs, so I made the first on straights because I didn't have the right size circ. I made the second on a circular needle and am most pleased. No seams to sew! I plan to make more pairs of these, and will use circs from now on. It's such an easy pattern. I'd show a pre-felted picture, but we left the camera in Ashland (Oregon) and the B&B owner is sending it to us. Will post again when the camera returns and I can show pics.

Someone stop me, please!

2005-10-25T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's a sickness, I tell ya! I couldn't help myself and have started yet another pair of socks. These are feather and fan, using the Sunshine Yarns yarn Donni sent me. I love the way it's striping. The pattern is so easy, too, that it's the kind of mindless knitting I can do anywhere. Thanks again for the great yarn, Donni!

Lookie, lookie what I got

2005-10-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

>Two luscious, gorgeous skeins of Koigu! Don't you love the color? Won't it make a great pair of socks to wear with jeans? Isn't my Secret Pal wonderful? I haven't been able to find Koigu at any of the many yarn shops here in Sacramento, so I was thrilled to receive this yarn. My knitting pals will be jealous when I show up tomorrow with my yummy new yarn. Yes, I know I have several projects going already, and I do seem to have knitting ADD, but I want to knit with this yarn! Now.

Of course, this is my dilemma.
The first photo is a pic of my stack-o-grading. The other picture shows my pile-o-projects. So, knit? grade? The devil on my shoulder says to knit ("Screw the students! They never read your comments, anyway, so make 'em wait!"). The angel on my other shoulder says to grade ("You owe it to your students to return their work in a timely manner"). Angels are annoying.

One too many secrets

2005-10-17T04:06:00.000-07:00

Ya know, the only reason I started this blog was to participate in SP5. And I loved it. The woman I spoiled is a gem. Donni is funny, interesting, and talented. Like me, she seems to flit from one knitting project to another. We both seem to think the perfect thing to work on is the one in our knitting bag or that new magazine or book. I have had a ton of fun reading her blog and getting to know her a bit through the magic of cyberspace. So imagine my shock and horror when I discovered that the package I described earlier was from her, and not from my new secret pal! Not only was my new SP a bit confused, but Donni didn't get credit for her thoughtfulness and generosity. But I think it's all straightened out now. Thank you, Donni, for the yarn, candy, stitch markers and notecards. I love them. The color of the yarn reminds me of you: sunny and bright!

WOW! Just WOW!

2005-10-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a good day. A very good day. I got a decent haircut, which hasn't happened lately for some reason, and a great package from my secret pal. As you can see from the photo, there's a skein of handpainted fingering weight yarn that is already tapped to be the feather and fan socks from Socks, Socks, Socks. There's also some adorable note cards with knitting-related sayings. My favorite is "knit yourself silly". Well, OK, if you insist! There are also 2 really cute stitch markers that don't show up well in the photo. I'm no Ansel Adams, that's for sure. The Starburst were gone way before the photo was taken! Thanks, SP, I love each and every thing. I'm in grading hell right now, but will try to be interesting next time.

Fini, finally

2005-10-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

The Kiri shawl is done! It turned out somewhat smaller than I'd hoped, but I'm pleased with it. I love the yarn and the color: Zephyr in color Basil. The picture shows Kiri with Fred, who is a bit disappointed that I won't let him eat Kiri. The other picture is of a simple scarf that I knit out of Emerald green Douceur and Soir, or however it's spelled. Not a big fan of mohair, even this fancy schmancy silk mohair blend. Guess I need to learn how to rotate photos! In progress: Kathy's Christmas socks, Birch Leaf socks from GOL, Gothic Lace socks from Hand Jive Knits, and I just cast on for the Mysteryshawl2 KAL. That, and I have to finish my "self-study" for second-year tenure review. Whew!

Sweet justice

2005-10-02T07:15:00.000-07:00

Beware, almost nothing about knitting here. But I have to share with the few people who visit me here, my happy story. On Friday, I was driving to work when a guy in a giant SUV passed me going at least 15 MPH over the speed limit. He gave me one of those "get out of my way, person in tiny little Civic, or I'll run you over with my manly SUV" looks (you know the one)and then proceeded down the freeway like a bat out of hell. "Gee Whiz" thought I, "he must be in a mighty big hurry to have put so many of us in danger with his reckless driving. Tsk, tsk." (or something like that). About 30 seconds later, there he was, pulled over to the side of the road, with a police officer approaching, ticket book in hand. Oh, yes, Virginia, sometimes there is a cop around when you need one! 6 more rows to go and Kiri is fini. I messed up the first 2 rows of edging but since I wasn't using a lifeline (I know, cocky, cocky fool), I'm going to have to live with it. No way am I tinking 2400 stitches to get back to the correct part. If you are truly my friends, you will pretend you don't notice.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel, or...

2005-09-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

this is now so boring I will die if I have to do one more pattern repeat! I have a love/hate thing going with my Kiri shawl. I love the color, the yarn and the pattern, but I'm SO very bored now. I did 14 repeats of the pattern, which is all I can stand. I know it's not going to block as big as I'd like, and I don't really like triangle shawls as much as stoles. But having come this far, I am determined to finish. I've done the first 2 rows of the border, so just 10 more rows to go and I can block it and be done with it! Since it now takes about 30 minutes or so to do each row, I've got a few hours of work left. I'll post a pic when it's blocking. What I really want to do is start working on something else. Anything else.

Score!

2005-09-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

Sadly, a LYS near the college is closing after several years of operation. I feel bad for the woman who put so much effort into her store, only to see it fail in the end. That said, at 60% off all yarn, I can set aside my grief. Check out my new sock yarn! Good thing I waited too long and all the laceweight was picked over!

That picture thing

2005-09-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

O.K., I'm ready to post some actual pictures of actual knitting. But first, a pic of Cooper, our very old yellow lab. I remember when she was a puppy and running and jumping, and chewing the legs of the dining room table, and eating my shoes (she had a fetish for black pumps and destroyed three pair). Now she's slowed down and is content to sit and sleep and get loves and cookies. A more loved dog you'll never find, unless you count our other dog, Jake, who eats paper and is also very old. She loves her bandana!

So, here's a picture of my in-progress birch leaf socks, and one of a sock I finished on a knitting retreat with my pals. We had such a great time in Bodega Bay! The socks are for my sister for Christmas, and since she wouldn't know a blog from a yarn over, I'm pretty sure she won't see the picture.

Why Is It...

2005-09-23T04:19:00.000-07:00

that some people just feel the need to suck the fun out of everything? My blog, my rant. I'm forming a knitting group on campus, for friendship and charity knitting. I sent an email to everyone letting them know about the group and asking them to contact me if they want to join. Several people joined, some just wrote back to say they think it's a good idea. So I'm getting a nice warm, fuzzy feeling that this is going to be really fun. Then one woman, just one, sent an email telling me to stop spamming her. Wow. Took the wind right out of my sails. Now, I dislike spam as much as the next person, but since this is a club for members of the American River College campus, and I did make it clear in the title that the message was about knitting, I didn't see it as spam. Dave is very practical; he says just forget it and think about the nice things most people said, but for some reason her comment is the one I keep thinking about. Oh well. Pictures of actual finished knitting pieces coming as soon as Dave shows me, again, how to add them.

My Giant Feet

2005-09-12T04:24:00.000-07:00

The SP 6 hostesses have added another question to their questionnaire. My feet are size 8 1/2. About 9 inches long. I like socks with lace, socks with cables, plain socks, soft socks, funky socks, you name it. I love knitting socks, too, so I hope my SP target likes socks, too. Although why I think I might be able to actually finish a pair of socks for her is beyond me.

SP 6 Questionnaire, part 3

2005-09-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

21. Are you a sock knitter? Yes!!!
22. How did you learn to knit? I took lessons at a LYS and I've learned tons from friends.
23. How old is your oldest UFO? About 1.5 years, which is how long I've been knitting. It's a very warm sweater and it's almost done.
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? I like Pepi le pew, dogs, dragonflies, Winnie the Pooh. Wallace and Grommit.
25. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas, because the whole family is together.
26. Is there anything that you collect? Antique tea things, dust bunnies, ufos.
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Interweave, Knitters, Vogue
28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? There's a new sock book by Nancy Bush coming out soon. I dream of finding a copy of A. Starmore's Pacific Coast Highway at a garage sale for a dollar.
29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another?? There are several from Heirloom Knitting (Angela, Lavender something, lots of others) and I like the Peacock Feathers from Fiddlesticks.

SP Questionnaire, part 2

2005-09-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I tend to lean toward the greeen family, although I love lavender and blues. I don't care for orange.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have one husband, 2 dogs, and as of yesterday, the 2 most adorable pet rats you've ever seen. I know some people thinks rats are icky, but honestly, they make the best pets. So sweet and affectionate.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) I am basically very happy with my life right now. I would like to travel more, make more friends, learn new things. I love my job, so wouldn't change that. I'd like to be able to look back on my life and say I did good things for others.
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Right now I'm on a lace and socks kick, which shows no sign of easing, so I'm loving Zephyr, Cherry Tree Hill and Nature's Palette sock yarns.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I don't like mohair, unless it's mixed with silk (like Douceuer SP et Soir and Kid Silk Haze), and I'm not crazy for acrylics.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Socks and lace. I've got 4 pair of socks going, and 2 lace projects.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Sounding a bit repetitive here. Socks. I also like lace stoles.
17. What are you knitting right now? Gothic Lace socks: Hand Jive pattern; Birch Leaf socks from A gathering of Lace; some self-striping yarn socks; and a pair of purple anklets for my mom. I'm also working on a kiri shawl and a lace scarf. I've signed up for the Mysteryshawl2 knit along and the Frost Flowers and Leaves knit along.
18. What do you think about ponchos? I like capelets and shrugs better.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I use the needle that's best for the project. I knit my socks on 2 addi turbo circulars.
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I have all types in my collection. I like the Bryspun for lace, if I can fit the project on straight needles.

SP 6 Questionnaire, part 1

2005-09-07T04:22:00.000-07:00

Here are my answers for SP 6 . I don't think I'm really as boring as these answers make it seem!
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I think I am a yarn snob. I like merino wools and wool/silk blends like Zephyr. I do use wool/nylon blends for socks, and I'm not a PRICE yarn snob. I like Knitpicks's natural fiber yarns.
2. Do you spin? Crochet? I don't spin or crochet.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) No allergies, except my very terrible housework allergy. Very debilitating.
4. I have been knitting for about a year and a half.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Not yet, but I could make one.
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)I like herbal scents, patchouli, lavendar, grapefruit. Not crazy about flowery scents, or the "apple pie" type scents.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes. I love caramel especially.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I make my own bead stitch markers, but that's about it. I really am seriously addicted to knitting.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) My computer plays MP3s. I have wide-ranging tastes, from Norah Jones to the Dixie Chicks, Dave Matthews to Elvis Costello, Simon and Garfunkle to Tom Petty to REM. I don't like rap and hip-hop.

My First Post

2005-09-05T10:02:00.000-07:00

Since I did not do a very good job with my previous blog, I decided to start from scratch and vow to do better this time.