LONG OVERDUE THANK YOU

Knitty Secret Pal Swap 9 has been over for quite a while now and I am just now getting around to posting pictures of what I received. Bad Me

My Secret Pal is PixieRiot http://pixieriot.net/ She is cool, in fact I think she is one of the cool kids [you know the kind I never quite was ----and that is NOT meant as a jab at Pixie---I'm just abit envious]. At any rate she dyes yarns and creates what she calls Yarn Oddities, what I call beautiful work!!!!


The above picture is my second gift - the first one was a subscription to Interweave Knitting [something I have wanted for quite a while]. She sent me some funky socks -- I LOVE funky socks!!!!, some roving she dyed -- check out this colorway. [I'm really going to have to get with the spinning; I do have a wonderful drop spindle that I got from knittingKitty]; some chocolate, which of course is LONG gone; some wonderful hand lotion that makes my hands soooooo nice and soft and it is unscented -- a BIG plus to me.



Then she sent me my third package. WOW, I mean WOW Check out the colors in the yarns she sent! and see that fabric patterned thing in the background [yes I know it is hard to see - I am a BAD photographer] - that my friends is a sock project bag she had made just for ME.


You see [or you can't quite see but trust me it is real] the fabric is old cookbooks and the like. I am a collector of OLD Cookbooks!! And she sent dpn and stitch markers and oh my.

So MANY MANY THANKS TO MS PIXIE RIOT!!!!!

BlogStalker 2 - and I am cheating

O.K. Blog Stalker has been going on for awhile and I am going back and changing the post date [cause I'm evil like that]. But I figure I might as well look like I am participating.

Week 2 - Purse Guts.
I must admit I have a pretty boring purse.

your very basic black purse that I bought secondhand [I don't even remember where]. In this purse [and all purses that I have ever had] everything has it's place and THAT IS WHERE IT BELONGS!!! [naw I'm not anal or anything] So here it is. Main pocket - wallet, hairbrush, palmpilot, lipstick [althought I don't know why as I do NOT wear lipstick], dental picks, carmex lipbalm, neighbor/friends keys and MOST importantly my Swiss Army Knife - it goes everywhere with me!

And this is the front pocket - checkbook, pens, business card holder, thumbdrive [better know as NerdStick], chewing gum, mints and more lipbalm

then there is the misc stuff in the little side pockets; glasses case, cellphone handsfree kit, office keys, car & house keys.

See I told you, a very boring purse!!!

So....should I join the BlogStalking???

Knittyboard, which I belong to and regularly read [too much at work], is having another round of blogStalking. I have read a couple of the entries and I'm thinking this might be the PUSH I need to post more often.

Well the first assignment is WHO AM I????

Like everyone else has noted - that is quite a question.

Who am I? I often say that I could take many different sections of my life describe them and one would be convinced that I was referring to completely different people!!! So here is a brief decade by decade synopsis

Kid to teenager: - skinny, knobbly kneed, buckteeth, straight blah colored hair 2nd daughter [of 6 kids]. Shy and not many friends. I grew up in a small town [you know the one where everyone knows everyone - well at least the School Principal knew all us kids - couldn't get away with anything]. Thing is with this small town was that it was also a major Navy town....so...any friends I did make would move away every 2 years or so.

Ah my twenties: well that was the free love 60's [actually the early 70's - cause most of that stuff really happened in the 70's]. Left home, moved a lot - California to Oregon and back again [twice]. Hung out with hippies, worked at a food co-op [actually I was the Produce Buyer], had my own pottery studio, walked or biked everywhere, when through vegetarian phases. Finally got evicted from my home [with long gone worthless bf] and spent about a year living in a camper on the streets.

Thirties: Went to college, got my degree. Ran two interior design business with my [now] husband. Life was good, we actually had money to spend, treat our friends and take vacations. Only problem was is that the pressures of living in a big city were starting to mount up. We dealt with bums at our business and bums around where we lived [I know there are people that are truly down and out....but when you live in a big city with fine weather---well mostly they are BUMS]

Forties: Gave up the interior design business [in fact my husband retired]. Bought a home in a rural neighborhood. Left the city behind [my nerves were about shot]. I continued working - now doing administrative work. We now have dogs and cats and fresh clean air to breath. I walk about 3 miles 3-4 times a week and don't have to get on a paved road or deal with other people.

I often say that I can't stand people....but really I like people one on one - but a crowd and I go nuts [or go hide somewhere].

Mystery Stole 3 - finished

Well here is my version of the Mystery Stole. I love it, and I loved every part of knitting it. The mystery, following other knitters progress, learning new processes, challenging myself with a complex lace pattern and mostly sticking to it and finishing!!!

I had a chance to wear it at the CAL_NEV_HA Kiwanis Conventions this past week even. I felt so elegant!

I love Secret Pal Exchanges on Knittyboard

Yeah I'm in for another round SP9 - so here are my answers to the SP questions [probably more boring info than anyone wants]

Knittyboard user name : MaddogKnitting
The Knitty Gritty:
All about you:
1. Do you have skillz? (beginner/adv. beginner/intermediate, etc): intermediate
2. How long have you been knitting?: 2.5 years [not counting waaaayyyyy back in High School, when we used needles made out of stones and yarn from mastodons]
3. What are your favorite fiber colors?: purples, burgandy, dark blues, dark greens - muted tones
4. Are there any fiber colors that make you want to hurl? If so which?: not hurl but I can’t wear yellow or yellow tones
5. Other than bran, what are your favorite fibers?: kind of new at fibers - would love to try more animal fibers like alpaca....and ahhh I keep hearing about silk, sounds sooooooo exotic. I guess since I live in So. Cal I can’t really use heavy wools, I have been using cotton lately, but it sure isn’t very forgiving to knit with.
6. We all know you love your stash children equally but, what is your favorite yarn to knit with and why? : light weight wool/lama blends [nothing too fuzzy though] cause they feel so nice while knitting them up.
7. Do you prefer stripes, solids, heathered, or some other kind of color combo (or lack thereof) that I didn’t think of?: solids and heathered. Not too fond of self striping [seems kind of contrived]
8. Other than fiber glass, do you have any unwelcome fibers (stuff you just don't need more of or like?): like most everyone else I probably have enough acrylic yarn....although I do like Carrons Simply Soft yarns
9a. What is your Dream Yarn, the yarn you would marry if only the government would approve of your love?: I’m still pretty much a exotic yarn virgin.....haven’t dated enough to discuss marriage to anyone [um er any yarn]
9b. Is there a yarn that you loathe and despise so much that the very earth may open up and swallow the place where it’s produced? If so by all means, warn us! : naw
10. Novelty yarns: super cool or blight on the earth? How about the stuff made with them?: not to keen on novelty yarns...seems like too much bother. I’m not into fru-fru stuff
11. Do you prefer straight or circular needles (are there any sizes you really need)? How about DPNs?: Circular needles [I could use some in longer cord lengths] I do have the Boyd needle set and most sizes of straight needles. I also enjoy using DPN’s but I don’t have very many sets [I have a set with 00, 0, 1's] and can alway use more. Lately I have been using circular needles for magic loop, really enjoying that but I don’t have many circular needs with longer cords [ie. 29" or longer]
12. Bamboo, aluminum, nickel-plated, plastic, or birch? Have you perhaps found some new needle material to covet?: Most of my needles are either aluminum or plastic [casin], I prefer the plastic for DPN’s. I hear the birch or bamboo needles are wonderful and I would LOVE to try bamboo or birch
13a. Do you spin and/or crochet?: I know how to crochet, but I haven’t done it in years. I did receive the most wonderful spindle and beautiful roving from my last sp. I have been practicing....but I need MUCH more practice. I have been told that one of my neighbors is planning to give me ½ the fleece from his lama when he sheers it .... guess I will have to learn how to deal with that, cause I sure ain’t going to turn down free fiber. Also, I keep threatening to get a wheel; well someday
13b. If you crochet, do actually enjoy it or is it a means to an end (like for finishing)?: pretty much a means to an end.
13c. If you spin do you use a wheel or spindle?: just learning the spindle and no wheel YET - see answer 13a
14. What is the next thing you want to learn (techniques etc)?: knitting backwards and improve on my lace skills, toe-up socks and turning a heel
15a. What item(s) do you knit the most?: sweaters, hats, felted items
15b. Anything you’ll never knit again?: naw
16. What are your favorite items to knit?: something new and different. I am more into techniques and new stitch patterns
17. What are you knitting right now?: shidar hat from knitty- love the pattern and the work up of the cables
18. Any projects you haven’t gotten to yet? Stop laughing, regain composure, we’ll wait. Okay seriously, what are you dying to knit that you haven’t gotten to yet?: oh about 1000000+ patterns I keep downloading from the internet and filing away....like the sweater pattern I just printed out today
Wants and Nots:
19a. Do you have any food, fiber, smoke, pet allergies your SP should be aware of?: allergy to citrus [yah it sucks...I can’t eat oranges or drink lemonade] also VERY sensitive to perfumes [just say NO] and basicly anti-smoking
19b. Do you smoke, have pets, or process peanuts where you store your yarn? If so, please declare them here: We have two dogs and two cats. However, if that is a problem for my downstream I can alway keep whatever I am sending at my office where there are no pets.
20. Do you have an Amazon.com or knitpicks.com wishlist you'd like to share with your SP (please add URL if applicable)?: no, I’m not that organized
21. Anything you’ve been longing for or would really love to get (knitting or not)?: Fiber to continue learning spinning. Oh well a wheel would be nice...but I dream. Books on spinning
22. What about stuff you don't need at all?: can’t think of anything
23. What about knitting accessories?: stitch markers, cable needles, knitting needle holder
24. Do you have hobbies other than knitting (tv, sports, collectibles, favorite things)?: I collect OLD Cookbooks [pre-1960's] & vintage green-handled kitchen ware.
25. Carpe bibliotheca! Uh, any books you would like (knitting or not)?: Knitting books - most any but more along the vintage pattern type [not into "hip" stuff]. I am more into techniques so I really enjoy stitch pattern books. - I did check out the Nicky Epiesten (sp) pattern books Kintting on the Edge and Over the Edge that series- loved them
26. Any magazines you would like (knitting or not)?: Would love some issues of IK and I have never seen Rowan but I hear it is beautiful oh and stuff from other countries [but I only understand english so they would have to be in english]
27. For those of you who live outside the US, is there anything you'd like that you can't get your hands on? n/a
28. In the event your SP lives outside the US, is there a particular yarn ,etc. you can't find in the US?: don’t know of any - suprise me
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things:
29. Who/What is your favorite...
a. Chocolate: DARK Chocolate
b. Muppet: Grover
c. Cartoon Character: Yogi-Bear’s buddy Boo-Boo
d. Flower: Calla Lily
e. Ice Cream flavor: mint chocolate chip [I know old stand-by]
f. Fragrance: NONE
g. Shoes to wear: hiking boots
h. Type of garden: random wildflowers with a few rose bushes thrown in
i. Animal: I love my dogs & cats
j. Beverage: coffee [well also a good stout dark beer...but I am low-carb so I’m not suppose to drink beer - too many carbs]
k. Author: Anne McCaffrey
l. Musician: Janis Joplin
m. Holiday: I don’t really like Holidays - except that getting off work part
n. Time of Day: early Morning
o. Bath or Shower: Shower
p. Country: Mexico
q. Number: 13
r. Card game: not a card game, but I love dominos - especially a game called Mexican Train
s. Candy: don’t like candy all that much - maybe IceCubes [a solid chocolate candy]
Getting to know you, getting to know ALL about you:
30 What is the most exciting this that happened to you this month, year?: nothing exciting - G*d I lead a boring life [but I like it that way]
a. How did you learn to knit?: Learn as a teenager [probably in Home-Ec class], didn’t knit for maybe 30 years took it up again about 2.5 years ago - mostly re-learned using the internet
30b. What made you into a Knitter?
Well everyone else in my community [it seemes] was into crocheting and I always have to be different .... so I re-learned knitting
31 If you were candy would you be sweet, sour, or cinnamon?: cinnamon
32. If you were a fruit which would you be?: If I could I would be an Orange
33. Are you a Java Junkie? How about a Tea-totaler?: Java all the way
34. Your birthday, in case it falls during the swap and your SP wants to send you a card: 9/13 Yea haw and Happy Birthday to me this time
35. How do you feel about holidays? Will you be celebrating any during the SP round?: not fond of holidays except all that getting time off part. I will be celebrating July 4th, & Labor day - oh and of course my birth day
36. How do you really feel about socks?: They are kind of boring to knit, love to wear them, love funky ones - but I am thinking of trying them again now that I am a better knitter
37. What is your shoe size? More specifically, if your SP were to make you some socks, what is your ankle circumference and foot length?: Shoe size US 8.5 Wide, ankle circumference 9.5"; foot length left foot 9.25", right foot 8.5" — [yeah, yeah yeah I’m weird different size feet oh and I am right handed so "science" says that should be the larger size....but it ain’t]
38. What kind of music (and/or which artists) do you listen to when you are happy?: Country - preferably old-time country
39. Rate yourself on a girly/fruh fruh factor from 1 - 10: 4
40. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?: Husband & I, two lab [mutt] dogs, two cats
41. How frequently would you like to hear from your SP, and what kind of contact would you prefer?: Two or three times a month would be o.k., more if it worked on their schedule [just so I know they are still alive] . E-mail or snail mail either is fine.

Way overdue THANK YOU to my Knitty SP8

Yarnnut - she's my very own special pal from the knittyhead coffeeshop....and it is her job to spoil me. Dang she is doing a GREAT job. Look what was in my second package.

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Yup that is 2 skeins of Zepher laceweight [I have already cast on for a lace shawl -- put on hold for a bit, cause right now I need mindless knitting -- but I hope to get back to it this weekend] And see that white bear. It is just the cutest tape measure and she didn't even know that I am t.bear in a former life [nickname from college days - and that t didn't stand for teddy either]. Very nice stitch markers, which I used right away on the cast-on shawl. Now I just need the RIGHT home for the "Knitting is Knotty" bumper sticker.

So once more Yarnnut -THANKS. you are the bestest

Yarn Picnic at the Homestead

Tis "Flash your Stash" time and I realize that I actually have a small stash. I thought, since it was such a beautiful day, that nice outdoor shots would be best. In addition to my knitting I have my antique tractors. What better place to show off the yarn than on my favorite Cub Tractor. -------
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Hope you enjoyed my little day at the homestead

edited to add - No yarn was harmed during the picnic. I have well behaved tractors

My first yarn - from a drop spindle

My first drop spindle yarn
From my wonderful Secret Pal 8 Yarnnut I received a VERY nice drop spindle and some white roving to learn on [see previous post]. Well it has taken me a while, but I did finish the yarn spining and even plyed it - here it is still on the spindle and a little bit closer""

Since it is not very even I just knit it up in a swatch. It was very nice to knit, soft soft yarn.



I sure had fun working on it, and hope to get brave enough soon to spin the hand dyed roving Yarnnut sent me.

SP8 Yippeee

Look what I got [I actually received this last week, but due to my hectic schedule this is the first opportunity I have had to blog it]

Check out the cool stuff from Yarnnut [my Knitty SP8 special pal]. A beautiful drop spindle, notebook to record my spinning experiences, a wonderfully delicious chocolate bar, really cool erasers that look like little chocolates and....... roving. Roving for me to learn how to use the beautiful spindle [I am a complete novice on spinning.

Notice the blue/purple roving YES, gorgeous isn't it....she dyed it just for me. I am going to do my learning/practice with the white. I sure want to know, at least a little, what I am doing before I try my special roving.

I played a bit with the white the night I received this. Obviously I need a LOT of practice. I am also going to look to see if there are any classes I can take. I think this maybe something that can't really be learned just from reading and the Internet. I will play more [that is if I EVER get a free moment]. I can't wait to get comfortable with the spindle, cause I really want to spin up my special roving. I just know it will be the most beautiful yarn.

YARNNUT you are the bestest!!!!!!!

Well it is about TIME

Months, I mean months have passed since I last blogged anything. My most common used excuse....I want to put pictures with whatever I am going to post ...and I haven't taken the pictures or I don't have them accessable on this computer. Pretty lame excuse huh.

Well I do have one picture that I really like. Believe it or not we actually had quite a freeze here in So. Ca. Over the New Year's holiday we took a quick drive thru the mountains and I got this shot. Ice crystals on a simple roadside weed. Cool huh. Well we were sure impressed. The light was just right as we drove, sun shining on everything making it look like a crazed elf had covered the mountain in glitter and tinsel. I never really understood tinsel on christmas trees [loved the look, but didn't see where the idea came from], now I do. It was absolutely beautiful, we took more pictures...but you know...I don't have them on this computer.

I swear I'm going to get my picture taking done and uploaded [I really need to do it cause I want to show you what I got from my SP8 Yarnnut!!!!]