Meet Charlie!

Well, I said we weren't getting another dog...and I really did mean it...but, then we met Charlie... Kait & I went to the Humane Society Saturday afternoon and met this little guy...


We didn't bring him home Saturday, but we went and saw him again Monday... and...

We brought him home today. So now we have puppy kisses again...

While we know that no dog will ever replace Benny, I think Charlie will be a good addition to our family... He is sweet and amazingly calm for a baby... (5 months)...More soon....

Is it Wednesday yet?

Ok, I know that for most people Wednesday is hump day and the half way point of the week, but for me it is always a day off...and this week, it's my only day off. I just want it to get here...to wake up on my own, go workout, then go spend the afternoon at the fiber shop spinning, chatting, eating lunch & drinking tea...then to come home, finish the last of the "puppy-proofing" and go get Charlie...so, I repeat, is it Wednesday yet?

Happy Monday

Well, as of last night I have heard from all of my pals in my current exchanges! I am excitedly packing a small box to send for my sp10 downstream pal...haven't decided if I'm going to do multiple small boxes or one big one, but she has a birthday coming up soon so she will most definitely be getting goodies for that!
I am still in aww of the beautiful fibers I got last week...I want to get some pics of them up here but I can't find my camera (ugh) I know it's here somewhere but it is hiding pretty well...I also got the Superwash Merino/nylon blend roving I ordered from Leah (http://www.freewebs.com/yarnortale/ ) in the mail today, it is great!!! I am going to be doing my first dyeing workshop in May and I think I am going to use this fiber...maybe dye half as roving and half as spun yarn...I think it will be fun to play with!
And in other news, i think we are going to be getting a new puppy...I said i wasn't going to get another dog but Kait and i went to the Humane Society Saturday on our way home from the fiber shop and while we were there we met Charlie...he is a 6 month old black lab mix...he looks like a lab only he's a bit smaller and softer....if we can get things together, we're going to bring him home on Wednesday when I have the evening off...I'll have to find the camera for that!

Catching up...

Wow, the last few weeks have just flown by...guess that's what happens when you are working 60+ hours a week tho...so tonight, I'm relaxing and catching up on a couple things...I just sorted all the roving I got this week, there was a special sale at my local shop and I got some great stuff!!! The shop is now carrying Ashland Bay fibers and I just love them!!! I bought more of the fawn corridale and midnight merino that I have been working on...and I got some white merino and then I got my favorite...the teal multi colonial!!! I need to take a pic of it but I can't find my camera right now...the pic on the web site just does not do it justice at all!!! I don't know yet what it will become, but i do know it will be something for me....

I did get quite a bit of spinning done this week too...trying to finish up the yarn for the Sheep-thrills "Yarn Thing" making up my mini-skeins tonight to see how much I have done and then I'll finish spinning the rest tomorrow tomorrow...I'm going to do some knitting tonight too, I need to get my purse for the Knitted Purse Swap done and I really need to start knitting on the pocket shawl...LOL so much for my idea of doing one Christmas present a month, I'm already 3 months behind!!!

And on to updates on my exchanges...I have heard from my new upstream pal for the spinners exchange (she seems really fun!) and have emailed my downstream person...I have picked what I will be spinning for her and hope to get it sent out by the end of next week...and I have also been in contact with my downstream pal for sp10 (it's amazing how alike we seem!)... I have also been keeping in contact with Mary (my downstream pal from ITE3) and I'm hoping we're going to get to meet up next time I go visit my family! I am so excited about the people I am meeting with the exchanges...it amazes me how much the internet can shrink the world....

SP10 and stuff...

Wow...the last week has just been crazy...I have been working so much that I am behind on everything and Kait's surprise 16th b-day party was Sunday...it went off great and she is no longer angry at the world over everybody "forgetting" her birthday. I got my assignment for SP10 today and i am so excited!!! From reading her blog and questionnaire we seems to have alot in common...I am glad I got another spinner and have what I think are some great ideas!!!

Secret Pal 10: The Questionnaire

Ok, I started this once (over a month ago) and never finished it...but now SP10 is actually here so I figured I better get it done... In other news around here, still working on spinning up enough of the Corridale/Merino yarn for it's intended project, need to get some spinning done in the next couple weeks for a swap I signed up for and need to get my bag for the knitted purse exchange done...guess I better get busy!

And here is the questionnaire
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like soft natural fibers...if a fiber doesn't feel good in my hands, I have a hard time forcing myself to work with it...I don't like acrylics...

2. What do you use to store your needles in?
My straight needles are in a vase...circs and dps and in ziplocks...

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? A friend taught me 3 or 4 years ago... What do you consider your skill level? Intermediate

4. Do you have an Amazon or other wish list?
Yep...see the right column of my blog...

5. What is your favorite scent?
I have a few...coconut & lilac are my absolute favorites...then grapefruit & lavender

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes, I do have a sweet tooth...my favorites are dark chocolate & red swedish fish...

7. What other crafts or do-it-yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I love to spin...I also do cake decorating and a little felting

8. What kind of music do you like?
I like just about everything except hip-hop...I like instrumental stuff & audio books when I am knitting or spinning...I love classical guitar but don't have any...

9. What are your favorite colors? Any colors you can't stand?
I like natural undyed fiber colors and jewel tones, teals & blues...I'm not fond if greens, yellows & oranges...

10. What is your family situation? Do you have pets?
Right now it's just me and my 16 year old daughter at home...we lost Benny, our golden retriever, last month so the only pet is Bean, our angora bunny

11. Do you wear scarfs, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes to everything except hats...it has to be awful outside for me to wear one...

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I like having socks & mittens to take with me to work on when I am out...and bigger or more complex projects for when I am at home...shawls are probably my favorite big projects...

13. What are you knitting right now?
Ummm...let's see...there are baby socks in my purse...a bag for the knitted purse exchange is in the living room and the Aran Pocket Shawl from Folk shawls is up in my room....

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes!

15. Do you like straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum or plastic?
I like circulars and dps...I have the knit picks options set and love it...I prefer wood for my dps tho and I am trying to gradually replace my metal dps with them...I love the little short sock dp sets but I only have one set...size 4...

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

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
About a year old...

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving

19. Is there anything you collect?
You mean besides fiber? I'm starting to collect drop spindles...and I also collect polar bear stuff and sea turtle stuff...

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you get?
The stuff on my wish list and the short wood dp needle sets...I don't get any mags now...

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Yes, I really want to learn stranded knitting and Continental knitting. And I really want to start learning to weave.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, and I wear a woman's size 8 US

23. When is your birthday?
December 30th


If you are reading this and want to know anything else just ask!

Spring?????

I think spring may be upon us up here...it was a weird winter with not nearly enough good skiing and then our only real storm (lightning, thunder, wind and about 2ft of snow) last week and now this is the 4th day in a row of bright, sunny, blue sky days with temp into the 40's...I'm actually motivated to get going with spring cleaning (which is going to be major this year) but today I worked day shift and have to go back in a couple hours to work the closing shift and I have a sick kid...hopefully tomorrow I can get some stuff done before work...

Great day...

Well, my baby girl turned 16 today...I can't believe how quickly she is growing up! It was a beautiful sunny, clear day and we went out after school to the tea room in town (a special "girly" place to us) and spent a couple hours together before she went to teach karate...she got to open her presents, and I got to open mine! I got my package for ITE3, it came all the way from Japan! Rikako did a great job of spoiling me!!! the bag is beautiful and I can't wait to start a pair of socks for myself with the great sock yarn she sent me!!! The Kit-Kat bars are cool too! Flavors that I've never even heard of!!!
Ok, I'm going to cose this for now and catch up on a few other things...

Motivation...

I don't know why, but I am having the most horrible time getting motivated today...and it's Wednesday, my spinning shop day!. I am usually out there by now but haven't made it out the door yet...ugh...and it actually looks pretty outside today...bright blue skies & bright white snow :)
Tomorrow is my baby girl's 16th birthday, I can't believe how fast she has grown up...I have been sitting here all morning thinking about how far she has come...from a sick little preemie ( I can't even talk about everything they told us about what would be wrong with her IF she survived) to a beautiful, smart, capable young woman....I am so amazed by and proud of her...We're going to dinner for her birthday tonight, she doesn't have time tomorrow...she has to teach a karate class then has one herself...going for her blue belt in May :)
My bag for ITE3 should be getting to it's new owner today or tomorrow...I hope she likes it!!! I am always so nervous when I give gifts that I have made to people...she did comment on the pic I posted on the ITE3 blog which is a good sign I think! I also got an email and tracking number for the bag I have coming- from Japan(!)- I hope it gets here soon!!!
Well, on that note, I'm going to actually start my day...spinning shop, quick shopping stop, pick up the kid, dinner, then 90 (yes, 90) cupcakes for her to take to school tomorrow...I need to learn to say no more often!

Swaps, Exchanges and KALs and Spinning

My Merino & Corridale yarn...
(one of these days I'll figure out how to get the pics where I want them....maybe....)



Just an update on my progress on the swaps, exchanges and KAL I have signed up for...I just finished packing up boxes for my pals in the Spin-to-Knit Handspun Exchange and the International Tote Exchange 3...I am happy with and proud of what I am sending and I'll post a pic of the tote after it has been recieved. I still haven't recieved anything from either exchange but i am hoping to soon! :)
I have picked the pattern and have the yarn (and some goodies) for the Knitted Purse Swap, that project will be started this week...and I need to get back to work on my Mystery Shawl, I am still on clue 3...I am also signed up for Secret Pal 10 and am waiting for my pal assignment on that so i can start planning :)

On the spinning front, I have been spinning Merino and Corridale and I am plying them together into yarn for a shawl...planning for the Aran Pocket Shawl from Folk Shawls...I am in love with both fibers and am so happy with how they are plying together... it is amazing how the colors are changing as it plys...the Corridale is a honey color and the Merino is black with reds and blues...together beautiful burgundies and deep navy blues appear...not what i expected, but i love it...