01. Seen the Grand Canyon Yes
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain Yes, I went up Mt Tom in 86. It was hell.
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive.
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath . Absolutely.
08. Said I love you and meant it Daily
09. Hugged a tree Yep
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris.
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea No,
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise Yeah
14. Seen the Northern Lights Sadly no
15. Gone to a huge sports game: Baseball
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa Not yet.
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables Yes!
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars In a cabin and a tent
20. Changed a baby's diaper: too many times.
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon Nope
22. Watched a meteor shower No
23. Eaten alligator Tastes lchicken. NokeNo But I ate frogs legs- yep taste like chicken but I kept memory whiffing formaldehyde from high school Bio
24. Given more than you can afford to charity- No but I do give regularly to the food bank
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope: at home.
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment: of course.
27. Had a food fight- yes, with hubby and whip cream- you do the math
28. Bet on a winning horse- no but I love the ponies and the track
29. Asked out a stranger-- yep
30. Had a snowball fight Yep
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can Yep
32. Held a lamb - no
33. Seen a total eclipse I think so as a kid.
34. Ridden a roller coaster - yes and hubby proposed about 15 minutes after we rode Space Mountain- lucky I didn't puke
35. Hit a home run- No
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking Yep
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day - No
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment - Yes
39. Had two hard drives for your computer Yes.
40. Visited all 50 states- I have been to about half.
41. Been to Austria Not yet
42. Had amazing friends Yes
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country Yes.
44. Watched whales - Went whale watching but saw none
45. Stolen a sign No.
46. Backpacked in Europe No
47. Taken a road-trip Yes
48. Gone rock climbing No
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach Yes
50. Gone sky diving No
51. Visited Ireland - No but I really want to
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love Yes!- what do you think High School was?
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them- No
54. Visited Japan Not yet
55. Milked a cow No
56. Alphabetized your CDs No
57. Pretended to be a superhero - as a kid
58. Sang karaoke No
59. Lounged around in bed all day Definitely.
60. Played touch football - yep- got in trouble in catholic school for organizing girls against boys during recess
61. Gone scuba diving Nope but have snorkeled
62. Kissed in the rain Yes
63. Played in the mud Yes
64. Played in the rain YES
65. Gone to a drive-in theater Yes
66. Visited the Great Wall of China Not Yet
67. Started a business Three times- if you count the home businesses
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken YesÂ…like right now!
69. Toured ancient sites No
70. Taken a martial arts class- no but I've watched many of my daughter's
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight- just sold hubby's d&d books on eBay
72. Gotten married Yep.
73. Been in a movie - no
74. Crashed a party Yes
75. Gotten divorced No
76. Gone without food for 5 days- no I do not choose to be on Survivior
77. Made cookies from scratch Yes
78. Won first prize in a costume contest No
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice No but really want to
80. Gotten a tattoo no
81. Rafted the Snake River no
82. Been on television news programs as an expert- not really but was on local news demonstrating scrapbooking
83. Gotten flowers for no reason - no but hubby gets them for me for Valentines and anniversary
84. Performed on stage Yep
85. Been to Las Vegas No
86. Recorded music No
87. Eaten shark No
88. Kissed on the first date Yes
89. Gone to Thailand No
90. Bought a house Yes, bought 2
91. Been in a combat zone - Yep Boston's- that should trigger memories for some!
92. Been in a marching band No
93. Been on a cruise ship Yep- honeymoon
94. Spoken more than one language fluently no
95. Performed in Rocky Horror - well not the movie but yes at showings
96. Raised children In progress.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour- no but my brother in law and sister in law follwed Phish
98. Passed out cold Yes- I hate fainting
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country Yep- down Blue Mountain in Jamaica at breakneck speed on rickety bikes- Is it exotic if a guy jumps out of a bush offering weed and coffee beans to you?
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over. Navy does it to us all the time!
101. Driven on the Golden Gate Bridge No but have been to San Francisco
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didnÂ’t stop when you knew someone was looking DoesnÂ’t everyone?
103. Had plastic surgery Never
104. Survived an accident that you shouldnÂ’t have survived: came close
105. Wrote articles for a large publication - does the Flagship count (newspaper for Norfolk navy base)
106. Lost over 100 pounds No, I have lost a total of about 60 and am about to try to do it again- uggh
107. Ridden on a boat down the Danube River No
108. Piloted an airplane No
109. Touched a stingray yes at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
110. Broken someone's heart I am sure I have.
111. Helped an animal give birth NO
112. Won money on a T.V. game show No
113. Broken a bone Yep
114. Dyed your hair Never no really that's my natural color and highlights- honest!
115. Shaved your head Never
116. Caused a car accident Yes.
117. Been elected to public office- does student senate in college count?
118. Skipped all your school reunions- High School
119. Built your own PC from parts no way
120. Gone back to school - I'm about to in January
121. Read the Iliad and the Odyssey - No but I've translated parts of the Aeneid
122. Ridden a horse couple of times
123. Eaten Kangaroo meat No
124. Had stitches No
125. Toured castles in Europe - vicariously through my best friend
126. Had your picture in the newspaper Yes
127. Eaten sushi Yes
128. Sold your own artwork to someone you didnÂ’t know No
129. Published a book No
130. Written poetry No
131. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears No
132. Fired a rifle, shot gun or pistol- No
133. Had major surgery No
134. Had a snake as a pet No
135. Gone on an African safari Not yet
136. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild No
137. Visited more foreign countries than US states Nope
138. Visited all 7 continents no
139. Lived in a foreign country for more than a year - The navy has not deigned to allow this yet
140. Been swimming in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Atalantic yes, waded in the Pacific- to damed cold to swim in!
141. Been to Niagara Falls yes
142. Lived on both sides of the Mississippi river Yes and I live less than 15 miles from it now
143. Sang in a foreign language in front of an audience . No
144. Been to the Berlin Wall No
145. Taught a child to read Yes
146. Been a DJ Yes in College

My Fortune Cookie told me: Your reasoning is excellent -- it's only your basic assumptions that are wrong. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune

Pal Packages and Woad

Do you want the good news or the bad news??

The bad news....in order to dye with woad, you need about 1/2 a pound of leaves or 32 ounces. How much did I have? 2 ounces, obviously not even close enough. But all is not lost, I had ordered a pile of dye-your-own yarn from Knitpicks in lace/sock weight and worsted weight. Once I pried Zoe off of the yarn, the girls and I did some dyeing with Wilton's frosting dyes and Kool Aid but more on that later,

The good news...In the space of 4 days, I received packages from my August Birthday Pal, Eva, and my SP8 pal (Ok who are you, I am clueless!!). Here's my birthday pal package... Dontcha just love Lorna's Laces sock yarn? Those delicious skeins on the right are Valentine. Eva lives in Slovakia and that reddish skein is Sockenwolle Unipo which is made where she lives. More sock needles are always welcome since I leave a trail of them everywhere. Poncho's and Wraps: A Knitter's Dozen has been on my Amazon wishlist for a while so now that's taken care of! The green floral tote is just darling! Ironically the card comes from Ikea. I sent my August birthday pal a set of floral boxes from Ikea! And I love the little lady ornament. Thanks again birthday pal!

My sp8 pal also sent an awesome package. Look how beautiful everything was wrapped...and here's the loot.... As Jenny says to Clare in Dragonfly in Amber, un embarrasement de richesse!! More Lorna's!!! 2 skeins each of Sand Ridge in Lion and Lamb (Which I am LOVING in my clapotis!!!)and a teal and cream blend in shepherd sock!! I've been lusting after some light-up needles and my SP8 pal provides with a set of Knit Lite #8's, a great new way to embarrass my family! She probably doesn't know it but the I heart NY mug is great for my hubby since he's from Long Island (Bellport). I love the pen, my girls are NOT appropriating it! The zephyr stitch markers are, to quote my knitting friend, Mary, just great knitting jewelry. Ummm, the chocolate is almost 1/2 gone, how shocking after the crushing woad disappointment. And finally, more needles, are always welcome so I can keep knitting along and leave my trail! SP8

In knitting news... I made a blue and white ball band dishcloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting (It's turning out to be one of my favorite books) and I also tested the felted boxes as a possibility for Christmas presents. That's the box in it's prefelted state. I used some leftover Noro Kureyon doubled and some leftover red Brown Sheep Bulky also doubled. The Noro was thinner than the Brown Sheep, not surprisingly so I'll be curious to see how they felt out.

Well I still have a lot to tell about my dyeing and the holiday grand plan but I'll wait on those for a post later this week. Don't forget to bid on my lot of Lion Brand- 34 skeins!! TTFN!

A quick post...

This is a quick posting. Tomorrow is my great woad dyeing experiment. Wish me luck. I'll have pics of that and of my gifties from my August Birthday pal swap on Sunday.

If anyone's interested, I listed a LARGE lot of Lion Brand yarn at my store, so go check it out.

I'm also prepping for Christmas so I'll try to put up pics of my recent yarn orders!
TTFN!

Lookee Pictures!!

Well I'm sorry I've held off between posts but I have a surprise! I am now the proud owner of an Olympus digital camera!! It's a simple point and shoot that I got off of eBay from a certain store that I know well.

First. I finished the Trekking socks for my friend, Kris...
. I used the basic sock recipe from Yarn Harlot's latest book-Thanks again SP for that giftie!

I've also made some more progress on the clapotis. We were at another Redbird's game on Friday,
so of course the Clapotis came along to the game! We sat behind the Redbirds dugout and my youngest caught a ball at the top of the 9th inning. Well, the minor league player threw the ball to her so well that it bounced off the dugout and hit her in the mouth!! She's OK but not a way to end the night. Here's a progress pic of the clapotis...
So I'm now up to 4 sections of dropped stitches, only 8 more to go .
Anyhow, I am now excited that I can finally take part in most knitalong challenges that require pictures in a timely manner. So now when I don't put up pics, I'll have no excuse but laziness!!

Meme and a Laugh

Accent--Used to be very Boston but I've lost it over the years and the frequent Navy moves
Book I like--anything by Diana Gabaldon, Janet Evanovich, Nora Roberts classics-Gone With The Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird
Chore I don't care for--Most of them.
Dog or cat--one black and white old girl cat.
Essential electronics--Computer and TV
Favorite movie--Princess Bride, Gone With the Wind, Harry Potters, all Star Wars, Romancing the Stone
Gold or silver--Gold
Handbag I carry most often--Right now it's the buttonhole bag
Insomnia--nope
Job title--???eBay lister??
Kids--2 daughters 14 & 10 1/2
Living arrangements--House.
Most memorable moment/time--College
Naughtiest childhood behavior--Lying through my teeth
Overnight hospital stay--5 different ones
Phobias--heights, snakes
Quote--Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "Holy shit - what
a ride!"
Religion--Roman Catholic
Siblings--only child
Time I wake up--school starts next week so 6:45
Unusual talent--I got nothing....
Vegetable I refuse to eat--acorn squash, olives
Worst habit--needing to talk all the time-can't enjoy the silence
Xrays--Teeth and a few broken/sprained bones.
Yummy stuff I cook(or make)--Lasagna, Christmas cookies, bread
Zoo animals I like most--Pandas, big cats

Consider yourself tagged if you wanna play!

Now for the laugh for those who know me... I'm going to try this. Ok I should start a pool as to what week I forget and/or ditch this plan. But in all honesty the last 2 years for the holidays have just not meant a lot for assorted reasons. So I'm hoping by playing along with this plan, even if I ditch it, I get way into the spirit this year.

SHHHH- don't tell my hubby...

I am a lame blogger! But my 5-10 readers (I'm being optimistic) know that already. What have I been so busy at that I don't have time to post??? Well work has been busy. For the last 2 weeks I've been working almost double, but now that school starts next Monday (!!!) I'm back to normal. But that means I'll be a walking zombie next week adjusting to an earlier schedule. Shall I post a picture of what I look like when I wake up?? Yikes!!!

The Trekking socks are progressing nicely. I've turned the heel and picked up foot stitches on the second sock. The clapotis is currently stalled over a fit of guilt. I picked up my ruffles scarf and I'm going to try to finish it before I finish the clapotis. I'm going to get rid of 1 UFO this year.

So what am I shhhhushhhing you about?? Well, some of you might already know and others may throw things at me for not sharing this info, but last week was Interweave's Hurt book sale! I loaded up like I was heading to a desert island! I got:

Domino Knitting by Vivian Hoxbro

Folk Knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush

Folk Mittens by Marcia Lewandowski
Folk Vests by Cheryl Oberle

Interweave’s Compendium of Finishing Techniques by Naomi K. McEneely

Knitter's Stash Edited by Barbara Albright

Knitting On The Road by Nancy Bush

Knitting Ganseys by Beth Brown-Reinsel

All of that for...$91!!!! And I was pleasantly surprised that all of the books are like new. I can't figure out why they were designated as hurt books.

I've also been to Rainbow Fibers and loaded up for my SP, my birthday pal, and myself but that's another post when I mail out boxes. And I eventually want to make a log cabin blanket a la Mason-Dixon knitting, so I've been loading up on Tahki classic cotton on eBay. My knitting shopping is out of hand!!!

My friend, Tanya, asked about a KnitPicks substitution for Lorna's Laces, Lion and Lamb. She's thinking about a clapotis. I was thinking maybe Andean Silk since it is a silk and wool blend like Lion and Lamb and same weight. Any other ideas?

Crazy Week/Blog Stuff

Work has been nuts. Go to my store and you'll get an idea of how busy we are. So knitting has fallen by the wayside a bit but I did finish my Trekking sock and have started the second! Yay.

So for today I have some random blog stuff...enjoy!

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Shetland Wool. You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a little on the harsh side. Though you look delicate you are tough as nails and prone to intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are widely respected and even revered.
Take this quiz!








Quizilla
Join

Make A Quiz More Quizzes Grab Code

And check out this, this, and this. I may not knit the first or the second but I probably would the third! How about you?

Hello all!

Hi everyone! You know how I don't have a digital camera? Well, I've been neglectful of the fact that my daughter is now in possession of a camera phone!! So pictures will be more frequent if I remember this concept! To start off,
here is the fair isle purse I knitted for my daughter. The pattern is Cabin Fever's Blue Jeans purse and I knitted in yarn from Knit Pick's. See my post from June 24th fore more info.

For Trek with Me, I started a sock for my friend we visited in Atlanta over 4th of July. Here is my progress on that...


Here is my progress on my Clapotis through all the increases and 1 repeat of the middle section



I never showed my buttonhole bag in its finished state...

It's working well as my summer purse. Very sturdy.

A garden update...

Here are some current pics of the cotton



and woad.

Thank you so much SP8! I love my latest package...
I wish that computers had smellovision so I could share how beautifully fragrant the soaps and candle are. And I know you must like me since you sent me the BLACK lantern moon sheep tape measure. They are very popular. The Lamb's Pride will probably go to either another buttonhole bag or felted slippers. Many thanks again.

TA TA all!!

She's Back!

Great trip to Atlanta! I got to go to Ikea for the first time. That was such a great experience. I also dragged our hostess, Kris Woods, along to The Purly Gates in Marietta Square. Do you think I bought anything?? Well of course I did, silly . I got some TrekkingXXL in 100 & 36, Great Adirondack Soxie in Amazon, and Blue Heron Rayon Metallic in Mossy Place. A great couple of days in Atlanta!

I'm doing the August Birthday Swap and here's the questionnaire...

What day is your birthday? August 23rd

Are you crafty? I can be but I once glued my glue gun to the counter

Would you enjoy things like: Buttons, ribbons and embellishments? I like them but I have little use for them

Do you dye your own wool? I never have but I am growing woad and planning on dyeing some this summer.

Do you like to scrapbook or make homemade cards? I used to sell Creative Memories but I haven't seriously scrapbooked in over a year.

What small project would you be interested in making? Socks, mittens, scarf, hat, baby items, wash cloths, doilies, shrugs etc. I make all of those

What are your favorite scents?Vanilla, berries, jasmine, lavender, almost any food scent

Do you like stationary and cards? Yes

Do you like hand lotions or soaps?Yes for lotions, I buy way too much of lotions. I'm picky about soap.

Do you like to sew or embroider items? HAHAHA! That's a funny question. Next question...

Do you like beads?Beaded jewelry, actually making some...See above.

What kind of mail-able snacks do you like to eat?Chocolate is my first choice, but it's meltable in summer postal service...microwavable popcorn is good.

Do you like to wear costume jewelry? Necklace, earrings, bracelets etc. Call me, "the Earring Whore." Can't resist an earring sale.

Do you like to play cards or board games?Yep, just about any will do.

What are your favorite colors of yarn? I tend toward bright, jewel colors but I might be leaning towards some Autumn ones with fall projects.

Do you like solid, variegated, heathers, or self striping yarns? Love all of them.

Do you like kitchen magnets or key rings? I do but I collect specifically so I'd avoid this. I love floatie pens, however.

Do you like picture frames? Yes, any size over 4x6

Do you like to make/or use stitch markers? Don't make them but I like them.

Do you collect anything?Ok if I put down all I collect, I'd have my longest post. I go for just about anything except for coffee mugs-have too many of those.

Do you have any allergies? Smoke, food, fiber, pets, etc.. Morphine is real bad for me, so's smoke. Not a big nut fan, don't like acorn squash or brussel sprouts.

Do you have any hobbies? Knitting (duhhh), photography, reading, cooking

Do you like scented or unscented candles? I like Yankee candles except for Midsummer's night- I'm sorry, but to me, it smells like sweaty gym men.

Are you a fiber snob? It pains me but, when I look at my purchases, yes, I am a yarn snob.

Birthday pal, if you don't have enough ideas, go look at my May postings for my SP8 questionnaire for more ideas. This, however, will give my SP8 pal so more info about me!

I have finished the increase section of the clapotis and I started my Trekking sock in Atlanta. Using Yarn Harlot's sock recipe (thanks again for the book, SP!), I'm up to the foot decreases on the first sock.

Have a great weekend all. TTFN!

July/August Knitting to do List

Well, after my last post, I figure I should reset my knitting to do list.

1. Finish Clapotis for Amazing Lace
2. Start Trekking socks for Trek Along with Me
3. Felted purse for friend
4. Start 1 sweater/gauge swatch
5. Start Adamas/Candle Flame/Faroese Peaks shawl from Knitpicks- someone choose which shawl for me. I have the pattern and the yarn for any of these.

The sweater is also a toss up. I originally thought of making a summer sweater from Yarn Girls' Guide to Beyond the Basics in [shocker] Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece in Prairie Lupine. But yesterday, I was a very bad girl. I had a credit at Yarniverse and bought this and this in 602 for a fall sweater and still spent $100.00. So now I have to decide which to do. Again I'll take suggestions.

BTW, for any eBayers out there, the store I work at just took in some amazing shoes, starting at $9.99. Go here if you're interested.

To close, here's a picture of me knitting the clapotis at last Sunday's Memphis Redbirds game.


I'll be in Atlanta for most of the next week for the 4th so Happy 4th of July America!

My Knitting Progress and Garden

Ok be prepared. This post has............Pictures!! It's a rarity, I know but now you can see what I've been up to.

Garden first...


This is the cotton so far. Does anyone know if this is progress? It looks fine to me but I'm not sure when it gets the cotton buds.


Here's the woad. It looks like I'll be doing some dyeing later this summer. The indigo is a bust. The squirrels, I believe, have eaten the seeds. I may try one more time. Has anyone grown indigo from seed? I'd love any input.

Remember my knitting to do list? I've actually made progress and may have to start another.

1. Finish gull wing socks for Sockapalooza-u finished heel on 2nd sock, currently turning.

Those have been done-

2. Finish jaywalkers- on 2nd leg OK these need to become UFO's
3. Hat & Booties for navy friends' new baby -Done
4. Felted slippers- for sister in law's birthday -Done
Ok I never showed these before but they are done
5. Felted slippers for another friend She's moving to Florida so I'm changing this to a felted purse
6. Baby blanket for navy friends (different from others)Voila!This is for Jamie Hager. I hope she likes it. It's the pattern from Stitch 'n Bitch and it was done with Knit Picks Shine Twist in seaside. I think this color has been discontinued.
7. My sweater- Eventually I'll start this
8. Panta - more for the winter so maybe sometime in August
9. Purse for oldest daughter-Cabin Fever Blue Jean's PurseMy first fair isle project since the knitted felted slippers. I just finished it last night so no pictures yet. I used Knit Picks, Wool of the Andes, in Snickerdoodle, Tan, Chambray, Stream and Winter Night. Pictures to come soon!
10. Crayon box jacket and ruffles scarf to be worked on in between so as not to be UFOs
11. Start clapotisStarted already for Amazing Lace
12. Helen's lace shawleventually

So not too shabby I'm thinking. I'll come up with a revised to do list this week.

Meanwhile...

For fun I made a Button hole bag from Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky in Brite Blue and Sun Yellow. Here is the pre-felted bag...

I am actually using as my summer purse. So the next set of pics will be in it's current state.

I've never shown my beautiful socks from my Sockapalooza pal. Here they finally are...

I can't wait for some cool weather to show them off but that won't be until maybe October around here in Memphis!

Finally a pic of my loot from my SP8 pal. At least this one is up before the exchange is over!


Those chocolates didn't last a week!

And lastly a picture of my summer roses in bloom!



I hope you enjoyed my picture show. Please deposit all trash in the containers at the exit before leaving...Thank You

Under a Rock

I am so sorry, especially to my SP, that I have not been posting much. BTW thank you so much for the kind comments about my very public pity party about my job. Things are gong much better in work in general and I'm learning what I need to improve and what is really not my problem. So thanks again.

Knitting has been going well. Such a great therapy and something to do during the endless softball games for the girls!. I finished the baby blanket. I also finished a buttonhole bag from Mason-Dixon Knittingin Lamb's Pride Bulky in Sun Yellow and Brite Blue, I think. I finally started my clapotis for The Amazing Lace. I went with Lorna's Lace Seaside in Lion and Lamb. It is a DREAM to knit with.

I've been shopping lately too. I picked up this and this. I got Dale of Norway's Norge 2000 pattern book off of eBay. I also got Rogue for myself and my secret pal. And then throw in an order to KnitPicks where I got wayyy too much.

I will hopefully have some pics later this week since I have rolls of film from Frank's (not my) trip to Monterey, knitting, my oldest's graduation, confirmation and birthday, and loads of softball pics.

TTFN!!

Thank You Thank You Secret Pal!!

Secret Pal you are wonderful in my book. Your package came with perfect timing!! I shall have pics up soon to display my wealth. Alas, I do not own a digital camera so please bear with me. I adore the Burt's Bee's hand pack. And I love Yarn Harlot so I am sure to love her new book. I know there are some who do not,but I really love to knit with Noro Kureyon so thank you for the 2 beautiful skeins. And the bag of Dove chocolates was the piece de resistance. I had a particularly bad day at work. Without getting into details, I had a day where I felt completely inept and out of my milieu as it were. Almost complete with public tears...almost. I started this new job, which I love, but it's been fourteen years since I've been in the workplace. I am really putting my all into this and I feel that I'm falling on my face. It's really small detail stuff overall (well minus shattering the glass on a framed print in front of a customer today but that's beside the point), but I still feel that I am the weak link in the chain. I really loathe that feeling and when I try to correct it by making an effort to check my work, put that extra push in, I screw up. Basically today I hit my point of being (very publicly) embarrassed by my mistakes and the package was a real pick me up. So secret pal, thank you so much and know that you gave me a much needed feeling of warmth today.

On a very good note totally unrelated, my navy friends in Washington (Mr Hager, Tanya) had a baby girl, Jamie, on Tuesday and I finished the baby blanket for her that very afternoon. So along with SP package pics, I will have pics of the blanket as well. TTFN!

Knitalongs

Hello dear 5-10 readers!

Sorry it has been hellaciously busy around here. Oldest's confirmation was May 18th and all the grandparents were here. They left last Tuesday and her graduation was the 25th. Plus hubby went to Monterey on a conference from Tuesday to Thursday (Brownell Circle as we knew it doesn't exist, Tanya! Sad but appropriate in the end.) Add in my job and end of school for the kids and its chaos.

The baby blanket has only 9 more rows!! I got a lot done today on our car trip to Corinth, MS to check out Civil War sites in the area. We went to Corinth, Brices Crossroads and Tupelo battlefields all in one day. That's a lot of Mississippi!!

I want to do a knitalong this summer but there's too many to choose from. So due to deadlines and the joy of overcommitting, I've joined the Trek Along With Me and The Amazing Lace. My LYS in Germantown, Rainbow Yarn and Fibers, is finally stocking Trekking and Opal. So I think this pair maybe a Christmas present for someone. For the Amazing Lace, I'm finally going to knit a a clapotis. Now I just need to figure out which of my Lorna's Lace Lion and Lamb yarn that I've had marinating is going to be the winner. I have Seaside and Watercolor. What do you think??

Top 100 Movies Meme

Today is totally unrelated to knitting. Just a check in and a meme for my SP to get to know me better. If you have a blog I tag you! For my Va Beach knitting buddies, post under our group!

Take this list of the top 100 movies from the IMDB and bold the movies you have seen, italicize the ones you own. This list is from May 2004.



Godfather, The (1972)

Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)

Godfather: Part II, The (1974)

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002)

Schindler's List (1993)

Shichinin no samurai (1954)

Casablanca (1942)

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)

Star Wars (1977)

Citizen Kane (1941)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Rear Window (1954) -a damn shame since I adore Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Pulp Fiction (1994) - I couldn't make it through the first 5 minutes of this-uggh!

Usual Suspects, The (1995)

Memento (2000)

North by Northwest (1959)

12 Angry Men (1957)

Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)another shame of mine

Psycho (1960)

Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)

Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Goodfellas (1990)

American Beauty (1999)

Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Vertigo (1958)

Matrix, The (1999)

Cidade de Deus (2002)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

C'era una volta il West (1968)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Pianist, The (2002)

Third Man, The (1949)

Paths of Glory (1957)

Taxi Driver (1976)

Fight Club (1999)

Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Double Indemnity (1944)

Boot, Das (1981) had to watch this in college or a Soviet Economics class, rather boring

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Chinatown (1974)

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Maltese Falcon, The (1941)I also adore Bogie so this si also pathetic

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

All About Eve (1950)

M (1931)

Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)

Se7en (1995)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) A classic- The Holy Hand Grenade!!

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Rashômon (1950)

Raging Bull (1980)

Wizard of Oz, The (1939)

Alien (1979)

American History X (1998)

Sting, The (1973)

Léon (1994)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)another Jimmy Stewart that I've missed

Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)

Vita è bella, La (1997)

Touch of Evil (1958)

Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)

Finding Nemo (2003)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) I always catch 2010 but never this one

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Great Escape, The (1963)

Modern Times (1936)

Clockwork Orange, A (1971)

Amadeus (1984)

On the Waterfront (1954) I had to watch this one in college for an American studies class

Ran (1985)

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

Annie Hall (1977)

Wo hu cang long (2000)

Jaws (1975)

Apartment, The (1960)

Braveheart (1995)

High Noon (1952)

Aliens (1986)

Fargo (1996)

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Shining, The (1980)

Metropolis (1927)

Blade Runner (1982)

Sixth Sense, The (1999)

City Lights (1931)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Duck Soup (1933)

Great Dictator, The (1940)

General, The (1927)

Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)

Princess Bride, The (1987)The entire movie is quotable...Oh, what I wouldn't give for a holocaust cloak.


Dogville (2003)

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all!! I got breakfast in bed, French Toast and turkey bacon, YUMMY!!! My mom flew in from Boston yesterday. She'll be here until a week from Tuesday. We are going out to dinner tonight to Amerigo's and then coming home and watching the final episode of West Wing. I'm so bummed over that. My in laws are arriving on Tuesday because Thursday is my oldest daughter's confirmation. So dear 5 readers, (and SP-you make my 6th!!), I may be out of touch until the 23rd or 24th. I've also started a part time job at Imagine This Sold,a service where you can bring in items to be sold on eBay. So I am a busy beaver these days.

Knitting

The baby blanket is making great progress. I'm about 2/3rds done, about 18 inches completed and I've reversed the pattern .

Look I finally have pictures of other projects!! Here are a few shots of the baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting: The Curious Knitters' Guide




This was done in Lily Sugar 'n Cream Cool Breeze Ombre I highly recommend this project for a quick and easy baby gift. I also made Bev's Stay On Knit Booties - newborn sized in Dale of Norway Baby Ull #8523,a leaf green shade.

And lastly for this baby gift I made a hat of my own pattern. Using the same yarn from the booties, I used guidelines from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. I cast on 54 stitches for a newborn size hat, K2P2 rib for about 1 inch and then used the seaweed pattern from Barbara Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns I repeated the pattern 3 times, used the decrease recommended by Handy Book of Patterns and added a tassel. Not bad for first pattern, right??



Next post I'll have pics from the latest intarsia slippers and update the garden status after the Memphis floodwaters recede!!

SP 8 Questionaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?I have many I love to knit with:Noro Kureyon, any Lorna's Laces, any Brown Sheep, especially bulky, Koigu, and Lily Sugar and Cream cotton. I'm way over fun furs of most types.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?I have separate cases for my DPNs, straights and circs.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?I've been knitting regularly for 3 years now. I'm an intermediate level knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?Yes, under castelfam.

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

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?HUGE sweet tooth!!! LOve choclate, not a nut or coconut fan. Favorites are Cadbury Flake bars, Hershey's plain and smores and Dove milk chocolates

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?I don't spin, didn't like it. I read, do photography, and cook.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)I don't have an iPod but I can play MP3 on my computer. I like classic rock, 80's and pop mostly.

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 prefer jewel tones and brights. Not much I don't like

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?I'm married to a really cute Naval officer, have 2 daughters ages almost 14 and 10. We have 1 cat.

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

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?Hats, socks, mittens...the smaller,quicker projects.

13. What are you knitting right now?A baby blanket for a friend who's baby is due any minute!

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?Yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?Circs and either Addis or bamboo

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?No but those are on my wish list for my birthday.

17. How did you learn to knit?Originally, I took a class at a store in Virginia Beach calledThe Knitting Corner with the owner, Carole, back in 1995. I retook that beginning class, with Carole, in 2003.

18. How old is your oldest UFO? 10 years, since it was a baby blanket for my youngest daughter that I've never finished.

19. What is your favorite holiday?From fall to just after the New Year, I love all the holidays, plus it's my anniversary in October nad my youngest's birthday is in ealy January.

20. Is there anything that you collect?Junk (tee hee!!), No I really collect, early Blue Willow china, Canton china, pineapple and floral depression glass and Smith College (my alma mater) memoribilia.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
The Holy Grail of knitting books-Alice Starmore's Aran Knitting or Fair Isle knitting, anything on my Amazon wishlist, and the Princess Leia lighted knitting needles on Ebay. My magazine subscriptions are extensive: Interweave, Creative Knitting, & Vogue Knitting mainly.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I really need to sharpen my finishing skills.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes. I'll edit the measurements later

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

My confession

Bless me readers(all 5 of you) for I have sinned, it has been about 3 weeks (or more) since my last entry...

Here's my excuse if you care to read it. I came down with some very nasty viral thing that lasted from Holy Thursday until the Thursday 2 weeks later. Big yuck! Maybe it was the flu, in which case the money I spent on the flu shot was a big waste. The last few days have been spent reorganizing my life, the family and the disaster that was my home. So now that I'm as back on track as I'll ever be (and that's not saying much)...

Knitting
I've mailed my sockapalooza's pal socks and I really hope she likes them. It's the first pair that I've ever knit for anyone outside of the family and without the chance to test them on the recipient. Keep your fingers crossed . I also finished a pair of intarsia knit slippers from Knit One, Felt Too for my other sister in law that I still have to mail. And lastly the baby blanket is up to about 14 inches, so about half way done.

Garden
All planted finally. Tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers got planted on Monday. Corn and zucchini got planted on April 23rd. The cotton is doing great. The woad finally appeared and is growing. The indigo tanked and I had to replant, which I did on May 1st, so the verdict is still out on that. So hopefully the summer natural dyeing may still occur.

Pictures of my recent projects and the garden will hopefully be up soon. So dear (5) readers, I ma back. Please tell me where you're from on my nifty map to the left . Ta Ta!!