2006 in review

2006 was an extremely busy year!

We made a few changes:
-Nathan switched jobs, much closer to home now- 10 minute commute vs. 1 and a half hours each way
-We sold our townhouse
-We bought a single family home

We went on a few trips:
-Nashville for my brother's wedding
-Williamsburg for Thanksgiving
-few trips up to Buffalo to visit family

I went to a few fiber festivals!
-Maryland Sheep and Wool in May
-Rhinebeck in October
-Stitches East in November

I learned a few new techniques
-spinning (bought a wheel!!)
-lace (still working on that one...)
-socks!! I'm hooked!!
-tried dyeing with food coloring- and will take an actual class in January

Met a LOT of fantastic bloggers!!
-I participated in many swaps and met some great people
-I even hostessed SP7, 8, 9...and will hostess 10!
-I was even able to meet some of you in person!

Thanks for a fantastic year everyone! I can't wait to see what 2007 brings! I'm sure I'll be meeting more of you, and having even more fun! See you all in 2007!

Yay!!

Tomorrow morning at 8, our handyman is coming over to paint our living room!! Which is really our entryway, hallway and living room! It's going to be SO pretty, I can hardly wait!! Woo hoo!

Oh, and my mom and step father are coming in tomorrow too so we get to spend some time together! I get to give my mom her Christmas present- some really lovely brooks farm yarn! I can't wait to see the look on her face when she opens it...it's so yummy!

SP9 surprise!

I did end up making it to the mall yesterday. I got there with my husband and daughter, ran into a few stores, grabbed lunch at the food court, and headed home. When we pulled into the driveway, I saw 2 boxes on my stoop! My SP9 had said that she sent something but it probably wouldn't get there before Christmas. So I was thrilled and excited to see that one of the packages was from her!! The other box was some fiber I ordered from Bonkers Fiber for a christmas gift for myself from my dad. ;)

In my SP9 box, was a wonderful treat! First, was a gift for my daugher- a bear and a sheet of stickers. The stickers have been used up and she's been carrying the bear around all over ever since she opened it! Then, I opened the card which had a starbucks gift card in it too and a note to tell me to have a gingerbread latte on her! What a sweetie! I am definitely going to do just that this week! Then came the book- ScarfStyle!! I've been wanting this book for ages, and now I have my very own copy! There are at least 4 scarves I want to make out of it, including the lace shawl. Next, was another great surprise- 2 skeins of Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud (which I've been lusting after for a long time now!) in a lovely blue!! SO beautiful and soft, I'm definitely casting on tonight for the lace shawl. She also included- her favorite needles for lacework in the right size for the shawl! So I'm all set!! My SP put together an absolutely fantastic package for me, and I can't thank her enough!! 1 more month to go and I get to find out who she is!!! The suspense is killing me!

I will post a pic later- I promise! I have to finish getting things ready for tonight!
Ok...I'm finally adding the picture!

Christmas weekend

Celia is SO excited for Christmas, it's way too cute! She keeps saying that Santa is coming Sunday but today isn't sunday yet. She keeps saying she has a present for me too...last night she said it was a car, she's too funny! Somehow I doubt my husband would ever do something like buy me a car (when we can't afford it), just after we paid off our current cars. Silly girl!

Today will be busy!! I've got to take Celia to her gymnastics class this morning, and then head over to Whole Foods to buy the meat for christmas dinner. I'm planning on making a standing rib roast, with a currant gravy, but we'll see what they have that looks good. Definitely buying a dessert, some veggies, and some other random things. It's sad- Whole Foods is about halfway between home and work if I take the back roads, so I could go much more often, but I usually only get there once a month or so. Now if there was a Wegmans closer, I'd be there every week! There are 2 that are about 45 minutes away, but with holiday traffic I don't want to do that. I heard a rumor from a friend who has a relative who works at Wegmans, that they will be building one in Frederick, MD soon. If they do, I will be THE HAPPIEST person in the world!! I realy miss Wegmans. Every time I go home I stop in, and just wander around and buy all my local favorites. By some odd miracle, they actually carry most of the local WNY favorites at the Wegmans at Dulles!

Ok, enough rambling about grocery stores! Now for the knitting content. I have been working on a scarf for Celia's teacher that I"m planning on giving her tomorrow night when we're at her house for Christmas Eve. Which reminds me...I forgot to ask her what we should bring! I guess I will have to call her today. Anyway, I've been working on that, and socks. I did finish Celia's legwarmers for Gymnastics, but of course, the last 2 weeks Nathan took her so I didn't get to see them on her. I'm looking forward to taking her today so I can see them in use. They are way too cute though- I'll have to post a pic.

I may brave the mall this afternoon or tomorrow afternoon to grab a few more things for the husband. I got him mainly PS2 games and books, and he knows what his main gift is (a UPS for his computer). We'll see how it goes. Other than that, I'm looking forward to a nice and quiet weekend!!

Coffee swap package!

Yesterday afternoon I got home and found a package on my doorstep! I knew what it was the second I saw that it was from Chrissy! Inside, I found wonderful treats- coffee, cookies, chocolates, and hot chocolate! Lovely yarn from Chewy Spaghetti in yellows, greens and pinks, a great book with quick gift patterns (even a few of them are Chrissy's own, and cool espresso machine ornament. I'll post a pic as soon as I find my camera! I'm sure it's hiding underneath some wrapping paper on my desk. Thanks for the fantastic package!! I can't wait to make a pot of coffee tomorrow morning!

EDIT: Finally adding a picture! Sorry it took so long! Darn holidays got in the way!!

My AWESOME SP8 CDQ has tagged me...so here goes!! This is a fun one.


"THE RULES:Each player of this game starts with the '6 weird things about you'. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog."

Here goes: 6 Weird things about me:

1. I'm terrified of bees. If I see one, I completely freak out. I can't even be in the same room with one if it gets in the house.

2. I usually don't like fruit in my food. Banana bread is good, banana cream pie is good, but any other type of fruit pie or dessert with fruit in it I really dislike.

3. I don't like to get my feet wet. I don't mind it if it's in my own shower, or a shower of a friend, but public showers and wet cement (like at the pool) really grosses me out.

4. My favorite sandwich is peanut butter with grape jelly and doritos (yes, the doritos actually as a layer in the sandwich. I like to thank my brother for that one. But now I can't eat a PBJ sandwich without the doritos!

5. I've been wearing glasses since I was 3.

6. When I was an undergrad, I was a Resident Advisor in the dorms. One of my residents was Nathan, who I really never saw that sememster. The following year, when he checked in to the dorms at the beginning of the sememster, he was wearing a Barenaked Ladies T-shirt. From then on, we started hanging out as friends. As soon as I broke up with my boyfriend of the time, we started dating. If he wasn't wearing that BNL t-shirt when he moved into the dorms that year, we may never have dated, let alone gotten married. It's fun that I get to say I was my husbands' RA in college. ;)

TAG: Anyone who wants to! Just comment here so I can go find your entry.

wow...

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted here! So much has been going on with holiday prep that I completely forgot post- sorry everyone! Unfortunately my daughter was sick all last week with an ear infection, a sinus infection and bronchitis. After 2 trips to the doctor (and a 3rd today to make sure her lungs were clear- and to get her a flu shot), she's finally doing better. Thankfully as of Sunday, she was herself again! I'm now recovering from too much children's TV- I probably watched about 100 episodes of Little Einsteins, Dora the Explorer, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the Wiggles, and whatever else she wanted to watch while home with her for 4 days. The first few times, the episodes are cute- then the music gets into your head. And you wake up in the middle of the night with a stupid song in your head. Or in the shower, or while making breakfast. Now I'm going through withdrawl. I was actually glad to get back to work this week!

Then there is my car. Yesterday the little engine light went on (the one that's an actual picture of the engine, not the service soon one). I called the dealer (because I was a sucker and got the extended warrenty when I bought it 4 years ago), and took it in. Thankfully, the warrenty actually did some good- we paid the 100$ deductible for 500 in parts/labor to replace the oxygen sensor that was shot. Then they tell me that my breaks also need to be replaced (since it was there, I had them do the service and oil change that was due...1 trip better than 2. And of course, my rotors in the back were rusted so they couldn't be reused, so they had to be replaced too. $1200 later, my car was ready to pick up. Not exactly what I was expecting when I dropped it off yesterday. At least I own the car outright, so I don't have any car payments anymore. Definitely annoying though.

We've been having fun getting ready for Christmas this weekend, AND doing the lights/candles for Hanukkah. She gets one little present each day after we light the Menorah- and she's had fun with that! So far she's gotten a little puzzle, a sheet of stickers, a My Little Pony, and a water book (use water and the picture appears colored in). She's loving the attention. I just love holidays!

crazy weekend!

So this past weekend was our annual "holiday" party, and it was SO much fun!! I think that there were about 30 or so people at different times of the night. The food was great- I was so happy! I started out around 9am, made the stuffing, followed by the ham, followed by the turkey, and the yams simultaneously. Everything turned out great! A few friends didn't end up coming, but overall, everyone made it! It was so much fun to actually entertain without being cramped in our old townhouse. We had space, the kids got to run around like crazy, and the adults got to hang out and chat. I have to say it was by far the best party I've thrown! I did end up having a little too much to drink, but thankfully by about 10AM on Sunday I was feeling much better. The disgruntled elf sure packs a punch! And I seem to remember something about a chocolate martini...

So after a busy but fun weekend, it was back to work. Yesterday was good, and productive. Then last night I got a call from my dad saying that the hotel arrangements for our vegas weekend were changing and that I was going to be an a different hotel (NY, NY) all by myself. I guess there isn't enough room in my cousins' room for me too. In the end, it worked out really well though. My aunt was able to get one more room at a discounted rate at the Bellagio, so I'll have my own room at the same hotel as everyone else! Thankfully my dad is being awesome and splitting the room cost with me. (Thanks Dad, you rock!). Then, last night, darling daughter woke up at 1AM hacking and coughing so hard it freaked me out a bit. She's been doing it on and off for weeks, and has been congested for weeks, but last night the cough changed somehow. So I took her into the doctor, who said she definitely has an ear infection, and her lungs are wheezy. She said the cough has a little bit of a croupy sound to it, but not horribly. Her main concern was that she has had croup recently. Apparently when that happens, and you get sick again with a sinus infection/cold, the likelihood of developing wheezing is pretty high. So, I have to keep her home for a few days and watch to make sure it doesn't get worse (or make sure it gets better). If it's not better by friday, she has to go back agian and they'll treat her with a nebulizer. All freaky stuff, and I was a bit shocked, since I was hoping to hear "you're overreacting, she has a cold and that's it". So she's on antibiotics, and we're taking it easy.

mitten swap package

I had a lovely surprise yesterday when I went outside to grab the mail before guests started arriving! It was my package from the mitten swap I participated in a month ago! I brought in inside and tore into it. What I found inside blew me away! I had heard from my pal Morgan, who let me know that it looked like my original package was lost in the mail between Canada and the US, and that she wanted to make sure I got my package before the holidays. She had someone put a package together for me here, and it was just fabulous! Beyond worth the wait! First, was a lovely pair of fingerless mittens- a lovely red with ladybug buttons on them. They are so warm too! Then came a scarf, which is so soft and warm- I'll be wearing it tomorrow for sure. Then came the hat! A beautiful black and red hat- with a pretty flower embellishment. There was also a sachet with little cards for gauge swatches- what a fantastic idea!! The package was put together by the Knitting Guru. All I can say is Thank you SO much- I really love everything. I'll be nice and warm this winter!!

EDITED to add pictures! I finally found the cord for my camera last night when cleaning off my desk so I could finish the Xmas cards I made.
Here are the fingerless mittens- way too cute! I love the ladybug buttons.

And here are pics of everything else. The scarf is so soft- the funky border around it is just amazingly soft! And I love the hat- it fits perfectly!

success!

I made a trip to the liquor store after work yesterday, and managed to find all that I needed! I did end up getting the Bombay Sapphire Gin, thanks for the advice! I walked in figuring I'd spend $150, since we needed to stock up on the necessities like vodka, rum, tequila, etc, and I really don't like to buy the cheap stuff if I can help it. And why buy a little bottle when we go through it often enough to buy a big one instead?? I'm really not a lush, I just enjoy a margarita, vodka and tea or rum and diet coke every so often. Here's what I picked up:
large bottle of Bacardi Rum
large bottle of Sauza silver tequila
large bottle of Smirnoff vodka
large bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin
bottle of triple sec
bottle of Jack Daniels
large bottle of Yellow Tail cabernet sauvignon
large bottle of Beringer Pinot grigio
large bottle of Fat Bastard Shiraz

And the grand total?? $150.48. I have never gotten that close to a budget without even trying before!! I was so proud of my shopping skills. ;)

Pleasantly toasted

Today, we spent the day shopping and baking. Again. We went to the mall, and Celia got her picture taken with Santa! She was dressed up so adorably, and was such a good girl! We picked up a few gifts, and came home baked the cut-out cookies. Celia helped for the last bit, and she did a great job! When I get the energy to upload the pics, I'll show you her first cut-out cookies.

Since the kitchen was a mess, we went to Red Robin for dinner. They had a pretty green beverage on the special card, that was called the Disgruntled Elf. Let me tell you this drink was FABULOUS! It had Gin, Tequila, Rum, Triple Sec and Granny Smith apple syrup. Needless to say I'll make a pitcher or two for the Potluck on Saturday. It was just that good. Now I've never bought Gin before, any suggestions on a good brand??

all baked out.

I spent most of the day baking, and I don't want to do anymore! I made 3 kinds of cookies: twisted wreathes/candy canes, almond spritz, and mint chocolate chip cookies. The dough for the cut-outs is chilling, and I'll bake them off tomorrow. I'm SO exhausted! Celia was a bit of a help, and made a huge mess all at the same time. It was fun though, and I can't wait for her to help with the cut-out cookies. It will look like a sugar/flour bomb went off in our kitchen tomorrow afternoon!

I started a pair of legwarmers for Celia this morning while at her gymnastics class. She was the only one there, so she had the teacher all to herself! She was really good too, I was proud. The gym is cold though, so I decided legwarmers were a must, since she doesn't want to wear her pants in there. They are purple/silver/navy and out of Tess yarns sock yarn. I'm making the pattern up as I go, so we'll see how they come out.

And, I signed up for a dyeing class in January, which I'm really looking forward to. And the teacher...no other than the talented Mama-E!

Now, I'm off to watch some TV, knit, and down a Vodka and tea or two. ;)

Christmas meme.

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
hot chocolate
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?
Santa wraps them all!
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
colored lights
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
nope
5. When do you put up your decorations?
Day after thanksgiving, or as close to- My daughter loves the tree and lights so we like to get as much use out of them.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
ham with goop (a syrup that tops the ham made from brown sugar, orange juice and mustard...put on top the last half hour of cooking and it's a syrup!).
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
I think my neighbor told me but I didn't really believe her until the next year.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes!!
10. What kind of decorations are on your Christmas tree?
lots of ornaments, from my childhood, my husband's childhood, and ones we've gotten each other each year we've been together
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?
I love it for the first few times, then I'm done with it. Let's just say I grew up in Hamburg, NY, about 20 minutes south of Buffalo, NY...and we always had lots of snow. A foot at a time was normal. I now live in Maryland, where we get very little snow, but enough to get my fill.
12. Can you ice skate?
Not unless you want a trip to the emergency room afterwards.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The Barbie dream house. I was maybe 8, and I woke up to find the house all put together in the living room. My dad had stayed up all night putting it together, and getting all the little pieces apart (food, cups, plates, furniture). I'll never forget that Christmas!
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Seeing the look on my daughter's face when she comes down and sees the tree with lots of presents. It's priceless!
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
cut out cookies
16 What is your favorite holiday tradition?
baking with my mom, now with my daughter
17. What tops your tree?
a star
18. What is your favorite holiday book?
A Christmas Carol
19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
20. Candy canes?
Yum! I like the regular, white and red ones.

Tag!! You're it!

Happy Turkey day!!

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays, and I love spending time with family and friends between now and the new year. This year, the husband and I decided to do things a bit differently. Instead of driving up to spend the holiday with family, we decided to turn it into a little mini-vacation. I'm blogging today from the lovely hotel room in Williamsburg, VA that we are staying at for the next few days. Thanksgiving "dinner" was at 11AM, at one of the taverns in Colonial Williamsburg. The turkey, yams, and stuffing were amazing! I decided to try a differnet dessert, and got the Mincemeat Pie. It was horrible! Too many fruits/raisins/whatever. I now know that I really dislike it. We spent time at the hotel pool, took a nap, and went to TGI Fridays for dinner, and had a few drinks downstairs during the Managers Reception.

I'm thankful for many things this year! I'm thankful that I'm married to a wonderful, and patient man, who is not only a great husband but an amazing father. I'm thankful for my daughter, who is the best little girl I could have ever hoped for. She blows my mind every day, and I'm so lucky to be her mother. I have amazing friends, and family, who I could never thank enough for being so great. I'm thankful that we have a roof over our heads and a fridge full of food. It has been an amazing year and I hope the next one is even better.

Happy thanksgiving everyone!!

sofa/loveseat

Here is a pic of our new sofa/loveseat.
Sofa:


Loveseat:


Big, comfy, and stain resistant. Couldn't be happier!

Wine review

So many of you don't know that I'm really into wine. I'm definitely not a wine snob, I enjoy a $7 bottle of wine as much as a $30 bottle of wine. I'd say it's a little bit of a hobby that my husband and I started together. I was first intereseted in wine in Europe, when I went with Nathan just after we started dating. We did a 18 day whirlwind tour, doing the train/hostel thing, and I loved how you could get a little pot of wine on the table for less than the cost of water. After we got back, we tried a few more, had some wine tasting parties at our apartment, and even went to Ontario's wine country for our honeymoom. We knew we were in trouble when we came back from the honeymoon with 4 cases of wine. Since then, we've pretty much always had at least 5 cases of wine in our house, and finally got a 47 bottle wine chiller last year for christmas. I think I'll start adding in wine reviews here for my benefit, and if I really get into logging, maybe I'll start a wine blog. But that will come in time.

For now, here is my first wine review!
Ever year, the third thursday of November, is the release date of Beaujolais Nouveau. I went to a local wine shop, and they had the Georges Duboeuf, 2006. If you want more info on how Beaujolais Nouveau is produced, go here.



I poured a glass and was immediately hit by the fruity aroma. The first taste was very different from what I expected. It was jammy, bursting with fruitness, and a hint of vanilla, it was almost overwhelming. But after the second taste, I was able to appreciate the wine a bit more. Overall, I enjoyed it! I had expected it to be a lot sweeter, and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. I will definitely buy the 2007 vintage next year to compare.

nice weekend

Friday night we got to go out!! Nathan and I headed down to Montgomery Mall, and did some christmas shopping, and had dinner. It was great to get out and get some of the shopping done without the kid. She's usually really good, but it's still easier without her.

Saturday after gymnastics, we went down to a furniture store in Rockville that is bankrupt and having a huge liquidation sale! We hoped to score some dressers or sofas. Unfortunately the dressers were all part of sets, none of which we could afford. The sofa's were another story! Our consultant helped us find a great sofa/loveseat set, that is made of microfiber, that is basically kid-proof! And it was at a fantastic price, including delivery, tax, and a fabric protection plan! Woo hoo! They were even able to deliver it the same day! So after a quick lunch, we went home and re-arranged our downstairs furniture a bit. The sofabed went into the office, and there was room for the new sofa and loveseat. They had a little trouble getting it in, but thankfully it worked! They look great, and are SO comfortable!

Sunday morning, I got up and headed out to Whole Foods to do some grocery shopping. I try to go there about once a month, to get some produce and meats, and of course hit the bakery! The corn bread is awesome, and I sometimes will splurge and get a little cake- which I did! I picked up the Strawberries and Cream cake, which we had last night for dessert. YUM! I had hoped to see one of my SP9 participants, but she wasn't working until later. After Whole Foods, we stopped at Noodles and Company to grab take-out for lunch. Celia refused to take a nap, so I left to finish up my errands. I ran back into WF, and got to meet up with one of my participants! It was really amazing how busy the place was! I got there, it was dead. Like a minute later, there were like 10 people waiting. So I waved bye, and headed to the wine store. I'm so excited I got to meet her!! (I'm not putting links here in case her SP is reading this and figures it out!) I just had to get a bottle of the Beaujolais Nouveau, that was just released last week. I got the meatloaf in the oven, and cracked open the bottle. I'll give a little review of that later, when I have the bottle in front of me. ;)

auction results

I forgot to mention the results of the silent auction for the cookies/cupcakes I made!

My chocolate chip cookies went for $33, for 3 dozen cookies- AND this was the most money any item went for!
The cupcakes (12 white chocolate, 12 Brooklyn Blackout) went for $25 for 24 cupcakes.

I was one happy camper! My baking day last sunday raised $58 for the local food bank. ;)

Thank you SP!!

I got home last night and noticed a box hanging from my mailbox as I pulled in the driveway! Sometimes the post office does that- will rubberband the box and hang it from the flag if they dont want to get out of the truck and walk it up to the door (no, we aren't far from the mailbox). So I ran down to the mailbox, grabbed the box and the rest of the mail, and ran inside. I tore it open and found some amazing things!! The first thing I did was read the card- a very cute card wishing a happy thanksgiving! then I pulled away the tissue paper to find a beautiful felted pumpkin bag!

It is realy lovely, and my daughter really wanted to grab it and run around with it but I wouldn't let her...this is mine! From there, I opened a bar of dark chocolate, with citrus! I was going to have some last night, but we went to Red Robin for dinner so I was totally stuffed.
Then followed two tins of tea bags, which look yummy! Earl grey and a hot cinnamon tea, I can't wait to try them both! I forgot to grab them on my way out of the house to bring them to work, so tonight when I get home I'll have some of the earl grey. And the sweet tarts...yummy! They are gone. ;)

Then, the yarn!! A beautiful skein of superwash nylon blend for socks. The colors are lovely- a pretty green and blue, and I will save it for a very special pair of socks for me.

Thanks pal, you are the best!! I will post pictures tonight, I promise! I couldn't find the cable to upload the pics off my camera- it always takes a day or two to find everything after the cleaning lady has been there. But truthfully, I would give up buying yarn in order to keep the cleaning lady. Yes, you read that right. ;)
And here is a cute pic of Celia helping me bake last weekend. She was mixing the dry ingredients. I was impressed at how good she was at helping, without being too much in the way. We had a lot of fun!!

Coffee swap answers!

Here are the answers for my coffee swap pal Chrissy!

1. Whole bean or ground?
Either is good! My cuisinart coffeemaker has a grinder in it, but I can override it and turn it off for grounds.
2. Fully-loaded or decaf?
Fully loaded please!
3. Regular or flavored?
Either is good. For flavored I usually like almond, hazlenut/chocolate, but not really fruity ones.
4. How do you drink your coffee?
With milk/cream and splenda
5. Favorite coffee ever?
I've like medium roast, not too bold but still has lots of flavor. I don't really have a favorite.
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?
I'm always willing to try anything!
7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
Cookies
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?
Nope, not really!
9. What treats do you enjoy with your coffee?
cookies, or cake, or pie!
10. Yarn/fiber you love?
Anything soft, in great colors!
11. Yarn/fiber you hate?
acrylic. I use it for some things, but definitely prefer natural fibers
12. What's on your needles?
5 pairs of socks, two or three sweaters, a few scarves, two hats, and other miscellaneous things. I need to have many projects going at different stages.
13. Favorite colors?
Blues, purples and greens
14. Allergies?
Just smoke, anything else is great!
15. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?
Nope! I'm excited to start shopping!

Heaven!!

This is what I look forward to every year! This is the best day- the day when I have my first sip of a Starbucks Gingerbread latte. It doesn't get much better than this! And no, I do not care how many calories it has...when something tastes this good, it doesn't matter.

spinning success!!!

Tuesday night I pulled out the wheel and started playing again. I took out the lovely roving that Susie sent me as a wheel warming gift- black with rainbow colors! It was lovely, soft, superwash merino. I started at around 8, and by 10, I had 2 bobbins with approx. equal amounts.


Then, last night, I pulled the wheel out again, and decided to ply! Here are the results- I'm so impressed with how everything turned out! I definitely had a harder time staying consistent with the merino, but I really love the resulting yarn. It was so soft too, that I didn't bother washing it- I couldn't wait to cast on!

I had so much fun that I pulled out the wool I started off with last week, and did another bobbin with approx. the same amount of yarn. This is how it looks plyed. I think I'm in big trouble here! I am loving spinning more each time I do it, especially now that I have a wheel. It is so much faster, and in 2 nights, I ended up with 2 skeins of yarn I can use! Yummy!!

Stitches East, I will be back next year!!

I left my house at 9AM on friday morning and made the trip over to Baltimore. By some miracle, 270, the beltway, AND 95 were all pretty clear the entire way!! I got up to the convention center, and drove around looking for parking. Finally, I was able to get a spot in a private lot at the cost of $20. I walked over to the Convention Center, and followed the signs. I had my printed out ticket that I had gotten online, so I could have as much time as possible for shopping (since I had to leave Baltimore by 12:15 at the latest, to get home in time to get Celia from daycare, and hit the road up to Buffalo, NY for the weekend. I hit the market, and was just amazed at how low key it was! There were definitely people, but not nearly as many as I've seen at the fiber festivals. Most booths had people in them, but they weren't so crazy. I didn't have to reach or squeeze in, or anything to get what I wanted, it was all right there.

The places I HAD to stop were:

Webs
Brooks Farm
Tess' Designer Yarns
Rosie's Yarn Cellar
Dancing Leaf Farms
Cloverhill
Blue Moon Fiber Arts (who I didn't know was going to be there!)
Here is a pic of nearly all of my purchases. A few are for my SP, and I don't want to give anything away, so I left them out of the picture!

Here are closeups of a few:
Brooks Farm Fourplay

STR!! Lightweight!!

More from Brooks Farm! And all on sale! Gotta love the "orphan" skeins! I even got 2 of the light blue ones!

Tess' sock yarn, which are in some favorite colors!


Let's just say I spent way more than I had planned, and I realized that while it's possible to see a lot of Stitches East in 2 hours, I won't do it again that way. It was too easy to just buy things without thinking about it, and didn't have time to process what I had already spent by the time I went to the next booth. I have already promised my hubby that I will not be buying yarn for a long time, unless there is no way around it (or if it's a gift...but I think I have gotten all the gifts I need to get now!). I managed to leave the convention center around 12:05, with 10 minutes to spare, and got home in plenty of time to get Celia and hit the road! The rest of the weekend was good, got to see some friends and family. The family part led to the spontaneous decision to join them on a trip to Las Vegas in january. Now that I won't be spending money on yarn for the next few months (til Maryland S&W), I get to save my money for the hotel and maybe some Roulette? Poker? Slots? Blackjack? Hmm....the choices!!

Special Offer!

About a month ago, a good friend lost his 14 year old sister to Leukemia. I've been wanting to do something special in her memory, and finally came up with an idea! I've designed three sets of stitch markers, which I will sell here and at my etsy store. For each set that is sold, I will donate $2 to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Each set is $10, plus 1$ for shipping. To create the stitch markers, I used the SP9 signiture colorways for inspiration (with the consent of Susie). Each set represents a different colorway. To order the stitch markers, send me an e-mail! I'll send you an invoice, and will ship the next day!! I have a few of each set made up, so I can start shipping tomorrow!

Here they are!!

Foxtrot: Black and grey glass beads, with pink swarovski crystal accents.

ChaCha: Black, grey and blue glass beads, with blue swarovski crystal accents.

Waltz: Blue glass beads, with fuschia, blue, purple and teal swarovski crystal accents.

Rockin Sock Club!!

I just pre-registered for the 2007 Rocking Sock club from BlueMoon!! I'm beyond excited about this!! And they updated teh colors they offer online too. Woo hoo!!

There's a first time for everything.

This weekend was a hectic and crazy weekend! My mom and step-father were up friday and saturday, and my in-laws came up late friday, through saturday/sunday and just left this morning. I'm exhausted! For the first time in a long time I am glad to be at work!

Friday, my mom, step-father, Celia and I took a trip into Alexandria, VA to see what it was like. None of us had been there before (or in a long time at least), so it was an adventure. It was drizzling pretty much all afternoon, but we hit a great spot for lunch. It was called Bittersweet, and it was Karma for us to go there, because the house I grew up in was on Bittersweet Lane. ;) The food was excellent, sandwiches and soup and cookies! We walked around a bit, and stumbled on Knit Happens! I was SO excited to find this place, since I've seen a lot about it online. Overall, I liked some of what they had- a TON of Koigu, Art Yarns, Lorna's Laces and various other yarns. I found a few things I liked, but didn't buy anything! See, when we walked in, we had my daughter with us, and she was in her harness. We just got this harness thursday, because she's now in a phase where she refuses to sit in a stroller, and will run off before you can blink an eye if you aren't very careful. The harness lets us keep her close, and she doesn't mind it at all. I was walking towards the back, where there were a few ladies at a table chatting. One turned over to the other, and said something like "the leash= NOT A FAN." I looked at her, so she knew I heard her, and was pretty annoyed! I walked out after a few minutes of browsing, without buying a single skein of yarn. And I would have bought 2 or 3 skeins of the Artyarn. That was their loss. Though I'm sure one loss of sale isn't going to matter to them, I still couldn't justify spending money there.

Saturday morning was Celia's gymnastics class. I wanted my mom and step-father to go, because they hadn't been before. She did great, and had a blast! I signed her up for the 3 year old class again too. Then we got back to the house and my in-laws had left, to go into DC to get my FIL's tags for the marathon on sunday. They left Nathan at home, without telling him how long they were going to be (if they were coming back right away or staying in DC). So we left them a key, and went shopping at Tyson's Corner. I did some good shopping too! Bought new sneakers for me and the hubby at New Balance store, a down vest for me at L.L. Bean and some shirts from J.Jill. We had an awesome lunch, and headed back home around 3. The Inlaws finally got back around 4. We all went for dinner after that, and got home in time to get Celia in for a good night sleep.

Sunday was not great. I was planning on running to the grocery store and getting the food for the week, and a pumpkin, and coming home. Instead, we all went, which always takes much longer than if it's just me. Then we ate lunch and headed into Rosslyn to see Nathan's dad finish the race (which we didn't do because it was way too far, and with Celia, I didn't want to push her any more than we already had. She was crabby, cold, and never got a nap. Needless to say, it was not the place to take a young child, and we should have stayed home. After we met up with FIL, we waited for an hour to get into the metro station, and finally got a train back. We ended up being 2 hours late for a pumpkin carving party that celia was invited to, which I felt horrible about. She was really looking forward to it, and missed half of it. Anyway, the party was fun! Celia had fun playing, I carved the pumpkin, we ate pizza and cupcakes (yum!), and chatted. Celia had an awful night. She fell asleep in the car on the way home (she was exhausted!!), which was probably an hour later than we would have stayed if we actually got there on time. By the time we got her home and woke her up, she was hysterical. For Two hours, hysterical.

Thankfully everyone left this morning and we can get her back to her routine. I love it when people visit, just NOT all at the same time. It's too much stimulation for her, and then I get upset because she's tired and upset. I know I usually don't vent too many personal things on this blog, so I do appologize for that. I just really need to go home tonight, pop open a nice bottle of red wine, and drink the entire thing. I'm not cooking tonight. Can we say Pizza??

Socktoberfest

I finally finished the socks I started earlier this year, which were meant to be for Project Spectrum! They have orange and yellow, which I usually never like. But they are a bit funky, which seems to be my thing lately! I do have about 4 other socks on the needles, and will start another pair today. My daughter loves my socks and said she wants some "just like mommy's". Thankfully I did them on 3s, so there is plenty of yarn leftover.

And here she is!!

Last night I brought the wheel in and tried her out! I have to say it took me about 10 minutes to really get going, but once I did, I had some fun! Here is my finished Ashford Kiwi. I only did 1 coat of stain, because I really like how the grain of the wood comes through so well. I had a hard time getting a good picture of it.
I used some of the roving I got at MS&W and like how it's turning out! It goes so much faster than using a drop spindle!

The wheel!

Sunday night, I took the wheel out of the box and put her together. Then I realized that it might have made more sense to wait to put it together until AFTER I had finished it. That's ok though, some of the parts easily came apart again so I was good. Last night, my wonderful husband gave our daughter a bath, and put her to bed, so I could go out to the garage and start staining my wheel! I sand-papered it lightly first, then slapped on some stain, and it looks fantastic!! I was going back and forth between doing a cherry stain, or something with more funk. I didn't take very long to decide, because when I looked at the stain samples at Benjamin Moore, I knew instantly that I had to use the one with a light blue tint to it. It turned out SO well! You can see the grain of the wood, but it's light blue. I will take pics tonight and show you all how it turned out. Now I must come up with a name for her...!

Hot Socks swap package!

Sunday afternoon, when I walked in the door after the 5 hour drive from New Jersey, I saw a box sitting on the counter! It was a Brita box, with my name on it! I was SO excited, and knew it was my Hot Sox swap package, since my pal e-mailed me to let me know it was coming. I opened it right away and found this:

First I opened the letter from Rebecca! She is so awesome!! Then I opened the book- Ina Garten's Barefoot in Paris!! I've wanted this book since it came out! I can't wait to start some recipes from it. They look fantastic! Then I opened the beautiful box, which I will use to display some of my stash in my office. What a cool idea to pack things in such a pretty box! Then I opened up two skeins of Koigu in this really pretty peaches/cream/blues colorway which I really love! Then came the chocolate coffee flavorings (YUM) and the hot chocolate, which is actual chocolate paties. It's called Abuelita, and I can't wait to try some! There were also chocolates, blistex and a cool Haloween pez dispenser. And, something I've really been wanting to try- ARTYARNS merino!! I'm so excited to try this yarn! And the colors are lovely! Thanks Rebecca!! I feel completely spoiled!!

Rhinebeck, the aftermath.

What a weekend! At 4pm, a friend and I hit the road and headed up to her parents house in New Jersey. At 5:30AM Saturday, the alarm went off, we got up, showered and on the road!

We stopped partway up for breakfast, and made it to the fairgrounds by 9:10. Thankfully, they were already selling tickets so we bought them and entered! The first stop was to be The Fold for Socks that Rock. I was lucky, in that they were already open, and the booth had only 10 other people shopping, so it wasn't too crazy at all! There was NO line, and I was done with my 3 skeins very quickly. 2 are for me, one for my SP9. Then, we walked around a bit, talked to some people and shopped some more.

I ended up chatting with a lady at a wheel, asking for advice, and she sent me over to Susan's Fiber Shop. She was very helpful, and I ended up buying a wheel! It is an Ashford Kiwi, and I'm really excited about it. Thankfully I spent less than I planned, and I was able to walk away with it! Now it's in a box and I need to put it together.


Here are some pics from the blogger meetup. I met lots of people, and got about 15 of my bingo squares crossed off!



Here is the lowdown on Rhinebeck- You have to get there EARLY unless you want to be stuck in traffic and long lines. By 12, it was packed! And in line for food, we heard that the drive from the expressway was 2 and a half hours long! It took us 10 minutes...just for comparison. We even got an awesome parking spot since we were so early. The layout is MUCH nicer than maryland sheep and wool- the barns have more space in the aisles, so you aren't as cramped. There seemed to be a lot fewer animals at Rhinebeck too. But overall, it was great! We had fun, got lots of shopping done! I'm lucky to live about 40 minutes from MS&W, so I think I'll stick with that next year.

Here are some pics of my new acquisitions:


Three skeins of Socks That Rock (though there were at least 10 more I wanted!), in colorways Pucks Mischief, Purple Rain, and Blue Brick Wall. Blue Face Leicester in greens/blues, Brooks Farm in a red colorway for a friend of mine, and some other special gifts. But I can't tell you about those!!


And the required pics of animals:

48 Things You Could Care Less About
1. FIRST NAME? Shelby
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yup, the Shelby Mustang from the early 1960's, my dad always wanted one.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? A few weeks ago, when one of my best friends called to tell me that her fiance's sister died from a 3 year battle with leukemia.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not really
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Wegman's brown sugar ham, or salami. Depends on the day.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Absolutely! I'd have someone to scrapbook, knit and shop with!
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Just online.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, unfortunately. If I get strep one more time this year I'm going to scream!
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I don't know! Probably not now that I have a kid.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Lucky Charms. And Honeycomb. If I want to be healthy, Special K vanilla almond is good.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope!
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? A little, but when you lug around a 2 and a half year old it's hard not to be! ;)
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Chocolate peanutbutter, or chocolate oreo. Cake batter ice cream is pretty yummy too.
14. SHOE SIZE? 10 Wide, thanks to my darling daughter.
5. RED OR PINK? Pink (again, thanks to my daughter).
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My weight.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My family and friends that are in Buffalo, NY
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Why not!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? blue shirt, jeans, and no shoes yet
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Dora the Explorer
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Plum purple
23. FAVORITE SMELL? My daughter, after she's had a bath and is in her jammies. Nothing in the world like it!
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My dad
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? their eyes
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? I never met her. She's one of my SP9 participants!
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Caramel macchiatto, diet cherry coke, OR a nice red wine
28. FAVORITE SPORT? Football (Go Bills!)
29. EYE COLOR? Brown
30. HAT SIZE? small
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope! I stopped wearing them when I was working in a lab full time, and got used to glasses again (now that they can make them thin!). Contacts were too expensive for me anyways, since my eyes are so bad!
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer
36. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? usually chocolate mousse cake. Or Dulce de leche cheesecake. YUM.
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Not sure
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Not sure
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Um...I haven't been reading much lately.
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? I have a laptop, so no mousepad
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? World Series of poker second to last episode for the main event. The suspense is killing me!!
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? My daughter's laugh, birds chirping, the ocean waves
44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Budapest, Hungary
46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? I'm a good listener.
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Buffalo, NY
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I swiped it from a SP9 participants blog.

pic

This is for those of you playing Blogger Bingo at Rhinebeck! And for those of you who I hope to see at the meetup! I hope to find my hat and wear it (it's green, and covered with pins). Sadly it was lost in the move!

Advice, please!

Do you have a spinning wheel?? What kind is it? Why do you love it??

I really want to get a wheel, and am hoping to find one I like at Rhinebeck. Hopefully I'll be strong enough to back away and not buy it yet...but we'll see what kid of mood I'm in! Any advice on this would be awesome!!

Are you going???

Just 4 more days until Rhinebeck!!!! I'm SO excited! I keep thinking about what I want to get, and I have a million ideas. Definitely a few things for my SP9, and some other gifties. Definitely some things for me. Definitely want to decide on which wheel I'm going to purchase once I save enough cash.

Are you going? If you're going to Rhinebeck, leave me a comment! I'd love to meet some of my readers!

It's here, it's here!!!!!

I got home to find my package!! I opened it up and saw this:

Such pretty paper, and a great card that revealed my pal!
I quickly opened everything! My daughter kept trying to open everything but I wouldn't let her. Dora the Explorer is great for distracting her. ;)

My pal, Suzie, our hostess with the mostest, completely spoiled me rotten! Everything was PERFECT!! I've had that exact colorway of Lisa Souza yarn (Berry Poppins) in my shopping cart several times! I had decided to order it after Rhinebeck, and now I don't have to! Also included is some Knit Picks essential in green, some chocolate, and english tea cookies, English blend tea (by Typhoo, which I've never seen before!) and some really cool mesh bags for the tea, which I've also never tried! And then there is the Stash Tea, double spice chai, which I can't wait to try! There's also a great sock pattern (which I'll use with the Lisa Souza). So many things, and so much fun!! Thanks Suzie! And thanks for organizing KTS2!! I'm definitely joining if there is a 3!

Here are my answers!!

Actor - Tom Hanks.
Actress - Julia Roberts.
Animal - Snow Leopard, I've loved them since I was in 3rd or 4th grade. They are just so amazingly beautiful to me.
Band - Barenaked Ladies are my favorite, but a close second would be a tie between Great Big Sea, Guster and They Might Be Giants.
Book - I love the Harry Potter books
Bubble Bath - Lavendar Vanilla from Bath and Body works...it really helps me relax!
Candy - Twizzlers.
Color - Purple. No Blue. No Purple. No Blue...I'm pretty indecisive on this one, I love both colors!
Drink- Caramel Macchiatto from Starbucks. Unless it's holiday time, and then it would be the Gingerbread latte.
Flower - Roses
Food - Thai food- especially Panang Beef. YUM.
Lip Balm - Blistex.
Lotion - Bath and body works, lavendar vanilla
Movie - Star Wars, the original (Episode IV) When I was younger I swore I was going to marry Luke Skywalker. :)
Place- Niagara Falls. I've seen it hundreds of times (one of the many benefits of growing up and going to college in Buffalo- the drinking age in NF is 19, so we used to head over there most weekends and go to Rumours (night club). It's just so magical! Especially in the winter, with all of the ice and snow everywhere.
Song - Currently, it's probably BNL's "Sound of your voice" off of their new album BNL Are Me. It's sad, but I can't stop listening to it!!
TV Show - This is where I'm pretty pathetic. I love Gilmore Girls, and was PSYCHED when 7th Heaven started an 11th season after ending last year.
Yarn- Handpainted sock yarns, hands down. There are so many great fiber artists out there, I want to try all of their yarns!
Vacation Spot - Probably Florence, Italy. We were so impressed by our stay there, that we decided to forego our stop in Venice to stay in Florence longer. I'm not sure if it was because we were tired of trains and switching hostels, or if it was the food, culture, etc. Followed closely by Paris. Many don't like it, but I really loved Paris.

Contest time!!

Patty, one of my co-hostesses for SP9 has put a list of "favorites" on her blog for her group to answer. I liked the idea, so I've modified it a bit and decided to do my own contest! Thanks for the inspiration Patty!!

The rules:
Copy the list below and post to your blog with your answers!
Post it to your blog by Friday Oct. 20th!
I'll check blogs to see who has posted, and put names in a hat that weekend!

List your favorite:

Actor -
Actress -
Animal -
Band -
Book -
Bubble Bath -
Candy -
Color -
Drink-
Flower -
Food -
Lip Balm -
Lotion -
Movie -
Place-
Song -
TV Show -
Yarn-
Vacation Spot - .

SO excited!!!

Ok, so we've been working on a super secret, special project for all SP9 participants, and I can hardly contain myself! Let's just say...fantastically talented artist...special colorways...ONLY for SP9 participants!! I'll tell you all more as soon as I can!!


EDITED: Check out the SP9 website for info on this! We have 2 exclusive SP9 only colorways, and I must have them both!!

WTF??

So my mom e-mails me yesterday with two words... IT'S SNOWING!!

Now I'm from Buffalo, NY, so that is where they are. All I could do was laugh. Then I get home and she calls me saying how creepy it is, it's a thunder storm only with snow instead of rain. And trees are falling everywhere! She said she went out to move a branch from the driveway, and all she could hear was wood cracking. And a branch fell just a few feet from where she was standing. Needless to say she ran inside.

This morning, I'm listening to WTOP, and one of the lead stories at 9AM, was "Buffalo, NY= 2 feet overnight...many without power...thruway closed from Rochester to Buffalo". And it's ONLY OCTOBER 13TH!! All I can say is it's going to be a LONG winter. And that I am extremely glad that my husband agreed to move down here for my job offer 4 years ago. Phew!

sick.

We've had a very quiet weekend! Starting thursday, when Celia had pinkeye, and friday, when she had a horrible cough and I took her to the doctor (again) to find that she had croup. I was so desparate for something to keep her occupied (and not more
TV!), that we ran over to target and picked up a few board games. We now have Dora's Memory, Dora's Chuttes and Ladders, and Dora's Candy Land. She really didn't get the concept of a game, but at least it got her away from the TV for a bit. I think if we keep trying, she'll get it pretty quickly.

Of course the steroid the doctor gave her makes her hyper, so she hasn't really slept much. And as my luck would have it, I woke up with a sore throat yesterday, and it's only gotten worse over the last day. I'm hoping it goes away quickly. We're still not sure if Celia should stay home tomorrow or go to daycare. I guess we'll see how tonight goes. The barking cough is gone, but she's still coughing a bit and the doctor said she'd be contagious for 4 days. Poor kiddo. She's sitting watching Dora the Explorer's Halloween video right now, and looks like she's going to pass out.

Not much on my knitting front, just been so tired. However, I did finish my mittens for my Mittens swap partner. Hopefully I'll get them to the post office on tuesday. I also got some things for my hot socks swap pal too! And my Knitters Tea Swap 2 package got mailed off last tuesday! Hopefully she should get it very soon! I had fun shopping for her. ;)

Well, I'm really groggy from my nap, so I'm going to relax, have a cup of tea, and sit with Celia for a bit.

More fun questions

Jody posted these questions and I thought they would be fun to answer. If you're in my SP9 group, and you answer the questions on your blog, comment here, I'd love to see your answers!!

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
Probably the couch in my family room, it's right in front of the TV, so I can get some good TV in while I knit.

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead?
I'd probably buy a spinning wheel and spin like mad. Part of what I love so much about knitting is getting to touch all of the yarn!

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
I'd really love to see Asia, especially Singapore (my mom and stepfather have been there many times and I've heard amazing things about it!).

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it?
I wanted to be a teacher, doctor, lawyer, and a mom. All 4. I'm a mom, so 1 out of 4 isn't bad!

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
chocolate peanut butter. Especially if it has lots of peanut butter through it!

So what are your answers???

Socks!

In the spirit of Socktoberfest, Lolly has asked us to answer a few questions about our love of socks. Here goes!

* When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
I went over to Woolwinders, and asked for a reccommendation of a good sock pattern. The owner, Jacqui pointed me to the Ann Norling pattern, so I bought that, some regia striped sock yarn, and some size 2 Crystal Palace needles. The pattern was great, and when I got a little stuck with the gussett, I just put on the episode of Knitty Gritty where they made socks. I love TiVo!

* What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
My first pair was out of regia self striping, with blue, purple, green and grey/white stripes. I've worn them only a few times, but they are fantastic! I made a mistake with one heel, the flap was too long, but other than that I love them. They have held up perfectly.
* What would you have done differently?
Paid more attention, since one heel was too long. Other than that, not much.
* What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
I am doing socks out of koigu right now, and I really love them. I also started some in Socks that Rock, which is amazing. Any hand dyed yarns are great in my book. It's so much fun to see how they come out when knit up.
* Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
I don't crochet well, so I only knit. I have tried DPNs, 2 circs and magic loop. I am really loving magic loop right now! But I have few small circs, so I tend to use my DPNs as well. I have to have more than 2 socks going at a time!
* Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
I've only tried the heel flap.
* How many pairs have you made?
So far I've completed 3 pairs, and have several in different stages. My second pair was a birthday gift for my mom last year, who loves them! Especially to walk the dog in cold Buffalo winter weather.

SP9 questions...answered!!

Dear Secret Pal 9,

I hope these answers help. If you need to know anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I tend to prefer natural yarns, and have been really going nuts with sock yarn lately, especially the hand dyed ones. I've wanted to try malabrigo as well, but haven't had a chance to order any yet. I love yarns that are soft. Some of my fave's are Socks that Rock, Fleece Artist, Cherry Tree Hill, Mountain colors, etc. I am a total yarn snob, but do believe that every yarn has a place.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a lovely needle holder that my SP7 made me for my straights, and my circs are in a zipper bag that my SP8 gave me. I don't have anywhere to store my dpns, they are just in the original packaging in a drawer when they aren't on a project.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting for 25 years, I learned when I was 5 when my aunt taught me. I put it down many times over the years, and really started becoming knit obsessed when just after I had my daughter and I wanted to make her pretty little sweaters. I consider myself intermediate, and willing to try anything!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, it's linked to on my side bar.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
lavendar vanilla, anything crisp and clean. And cinnamon- love that in the fall/winter.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
YES! Twizzlers, sweet tarts, spree and starburst are some of my fave's...but I also LOVE chocolate. Anything milk chocolate with peanut butter, caramel or mint. I hate coconut...but anything else is great!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I scrapbook, rubber stamp, make stitch markers/jewelry, love photography, I have been spinning on a turkish drop spindle and hope to buy a wheel very soon...still working out which one I really want, I love to cook, and wine tasting/collecting.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I love mucic! The only thing I don't love is country music and rap. My favorite bands are Barenaked Ladies, Guster, Great Big Sea, Dave Matthews Band, and They Might Be Giants. I have an iPOD and iBook, so MP3s are always welcome!!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love blues, purples, greens and pinks. I really don't care much for yellow or orange.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have a husband, 2 and a half year old daughter, and 2 cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, yes, yes, and not yet. I started a poncho a year and a half ago and haven't finished it yet...will be froged soon because it's not really what I wanted to do with the yarn. I do like poncho's though.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
lately it's been socks, but sweaters for my daughter are a close second.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Um, too many things. Socks, mittens, a hat, scarves, purses, sweaters for me and my daughter...

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

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
circulars for most projects. I love bamboo/wood needles. Though the new Knit Picks needles are great and I want to get more of those too.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No...maybe someday.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
2 years, it's a crochet blanket that is awful. It was my first attempt, and uses LB Homespun, which is very hard to crochet with because you cant' see the stitches well! Needs to be frogged and started over.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween and Thanksgiving. But now that I have a kid, Christmas is up at the top of the list too.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
wine, fabric, yarn, tea

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I really want Sensational Knitted Socks and Scarf Style. Needles- the DPNs I've been needing are size 6, 7, 9. I've been on a sock yarn kick lately, anything in great colors is awesome!! I don't have any subscriptions, I love Interweave Knits though. Had a subscription but it expired and I haven't gotten around to renewing it.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Just spinning on a wheel- hoping to order one when I go up to Rhinebeck in a few weeks, but we'll see!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes!! I have a size 10 wide foot.
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
6/25/76, just turned 30!

And...I'm dead!!

I just got the mail, and found these:


They are pink, and they fit perfectly!! Thanks to my killer for my fantastic socks, I love them!!

Now I send off these to the next person in line to finish them for me. I got a bit done, but not as much as I hoped.

Game On!!

So, Sock Wars started on Friday! I got home, and immediately cast on. I got about an inch and a half down friday night, and then hardly touched them Saturday. On sunday evening, I knit away while watching more of the Main Event of the World Series of Poker. I'm have 2 more rounds to go before I start the heel flap, and hope to get that and the turn/gusset done tonight.

Here is what I'm using:
Rowan Cash soft in a brick red color
size 6 circular

I have to say the rib is really lovely, and I can't wait to see how they look done! I've seen them on some blogs, and I think they are fantastic.

Bad news: I heard from my killer yesterday, and she is sending my socks in the mail this morning. So I shall be dead soon. But that doesn't mean I'm stopping on my socks, no way!! I'm going to get those as close to done as I can before my socks come in the mail. Talk about motivation!

Tomorrow night will be knitting free though, I'm having a Creative Memories party! I love their stuff, and can't wait to see the new things they have. Fun!!

Thanksgiving in Williamsburg

We decided this year, that instead of staying home and doing more house work over thanksgiving, that we'd do a little get-away! We wanted to do something somewhat close, but not so close that being in a hotel wouldn't be worth it. At first we thought maybe Philly, but then settled on Williamsburg, VA. Close, just a few hours drive, but far enough that we'll be away from home. I can't wait! I just really need a break! It was a very long summer, without any chance for a vacation with the move and everything. I can't wait to go, and they even have an Embassy Suites there, so we're thrilled. They always have a huge breakfast and a little cocktail hour in the afternoons that are complimentary. And with 2 rooms, at bedtime, you can close kid into the bedroom, and watch TV/read in the living room area. I first got hooked on this chain in Franklin, TN when visiting my brother, but it really is ideal for traveling with young kids.

Hmmm, I wonder if there are any yarn shops in Williamsburg? Need to do some research on that one!

pics finally!!

I finally am getting around to posting many pictures I haven't gotten around to uploading yet.


First are pictures of fingerless gloves. The first (Voodoo from Knitty) is a christmas gift, the second (Fetching from Knitty) is a birthday gift for next weekend.


And this is the vest I started a while back. It ended up being way too big, so I frogged it.


This is a felted bag out of Manos. I did this one at Sunday in the Salon at Woolwinders.

This is my hat I also did at Sunday in the Salon. It's for my hubby out of bulky Cascade yarn.

And my Jaywalkers, in green and purple Lornas Laces (lime and violet...I started these way before the podcast, just a funny coincidence!)

Here are the felted mittens I made my daugheter at Sunday in the Salon, all I need to do now is add on a cuff.


And here, is the lovely yarn from Savvyminx. It's called Sweetheart, and I'm in love!!

yay!!!!

Ok, so a few weeks ago I ordered a skein of yarn from Savvyminx. I made the stupid mistake of not paying attention, and apparently my old address was on my paypal account. So that is where it was sent. I realized my error when it hadn't arrived and the tracking number said undeliverable. I called the post office, and they had no idea what I was talking about. They said that it would be forwarded if it showed up. A few days later, I checked the tracking number and it said Delivered. When I got home, it wasn't there. I went back to the post office, and also spoke with the lady who bought our old place, and it wasn't there either. The guy at the post office seemed to think it was gone. Then today, I opened my mailbox, and IT WAS THERE!!! At first I thought it was the second one I ordered last week, but it wasn't! I knew it was the first one when the yellow forwarding label was on it. It's absolutely lovely, and I can't wait to try it out!!

pics later!

Misbehaving again.

Well, I've been trying not to spend money on yarn lately, and have failed miserably. First last sunday, it was on some yarn for my Sock Wars socks, and a hat for me, and DB Cashmerino Aran for Fetching for a gift. Then, my co-worker wanted me to go with her to Woolwinders to get yarn for a sweater that she wants to make her son. We got there, and 45 minutes later, we left and I had gotten a second skein for my Sock Wars socks (1 wasn't going to be enough), and a skein of Cherry Tree Hill that I've been wanting to try. The bad part comes in here: On my way out, I asked the owner if they would be getting a shipment of Schaefer in any time soon, because I've really wanted to try Anne. She said that it actually didn't sell well there, so she could order it for me, but they weren't carrying it. I thought about it through lunch and the car ride back to work. I then jumped to the Schaefer Yarn website, and chose 2 colorways that I liked, and e-mailed the owner to have her order it for me. The order is in, and I can't wait to receive it! I've been so bad lately. It's a good thing my hubby loves me so much!

Off to watch more of the World Series of Poker, Main Event. The suspense is killing me...who shall win??!

choices, choices!

Ok, so I've been really bumming about missing the BNL concert in November. Yesterday, my friend (who's wedding shower it is that I have to miss it for) e-mailed me, and asked if I wanted to join her and another mutual friend in Philly a few days before to see them there. After careful consideration, I declined. It would mean leaving for Philly right after work on a thursday, getting there and seeing them, and either 1) turning around and heading back for 1 day before heading up to Buffalo for the shower, or 2) leaving right from Philly for Buffalo. The issue with that one would be I'd completely miss Stitches East. I was excited about hitting the Market on friday, and then leaving for Buffalo that afternoon. OR if I didn't miss it, I'd be so exhausted that I wouldn't enjoy it. Ever since I had my daughter, the idea of driving 2 and a half hours for a concert in the middle of the week has just become impossible. Heck, going into DC for a concert mid-week hasnt' happened either (and both Guster and They Might Be Giants have been here but we missed them). I suppose if I had more time to think about it, I would have decided to go. But unfortunately, my friend was ordering the tickets yesterday, so it's too late. Thankfully I've seen them 12 times, so it's not the end of the world.

As for photo updates, I have tons of them! I just have to get them off my camera first. I have several FO's to show off! And several of my WIPs have been frogged, since they were either not touched in over a year, and the recipient has grown, or it was coming out too big and loose (Manos vest). I have started several more projects, but most have finished, or are almost done!

Just my luck!

So, I just found out that my absolute favorite band of all time (Barenaked Ladies is coming down to DC in November. They just released a new album (in stores today, and arrived on my doorstep from Canada yesterday!) and will be on tour. What day may I ask?? November 4th! The same day as one of my best friends wedding showers in Buffalo. The same shower I have to miss most of Stitches East for. And the sad part is that she lives in Fredericksburg, and is also a huge BNL fan. I need to see the rest of the US tour schedule and see if I can squeeze in another show. I cannot miss them!! I haven't seen them in 2 years, and they put on the BEST shows! ;(

Fantastic cabled sock pattern

Chrissy, over at Knittin Mom has put up a new sock pattern, it's really beautiful, and the best part is that the proceeds go to support the Walk for Diabetes that a friend of hers is doing. I think it's a fantastic idea, and everyone who knits socks should go support this cause, and get a great sock pattern in the process.

Check it out!!

finally!!!

Ok, I'm about to admit how pathetic I can be!

When I was in 6th grade, I had strep throat for a week. One of the big infomercials at the time was for the Food Saver, and I watched it over and over again the entire week. When Nathan and I decided to replace the freezer in the garage, one of the things we talked about was getting a Food Saver so we can buy meat and stuff in bulk to freeze. I have to tell you how excited I was to head over to Costco today and buy a Food Saver!! It's sitting here, in my living room and it's killing me not to tear it open and watch the DVD that came with it. But...alas, I have work to do and can't get to it now.

Silly how such things from your childhood make such an impression! ;)

Back from Buffalo

We drove up to Buffalo for Labor Day weekend! It was a fantastic time, filled with friends and family and food!

We got there around 11pm on thursday, which wasn't too bad! We usually leave later and get there after 1am, so this was a nice change. Friday I did some shopping with my mom, over at the Elmwood Yarn Shop, which I hadn't been to before. They had a great selection, which I took full advantage of! I ended up with a skein of Mountain Colors bearfoot, some Jawool, and some wildfoote. All of which I hadn't seen in person before, so it was a justified purchase. ;) Then I met up with an old friend from the lab where I worked during my undergrad/grad and post-grad time. It was great to catch up with her!! So much going on, but some things are still the same. After lunch, we went home and rested a bit. Dinner was one of the best parts of the trip! Nathan and I decided to head up to the Old Orchard Inn, where we got married/had our reception. I asked my mom and step father to come with us, and since my brother was in town he came too! It was a blast, the food was just as good as I remember it, and Celia had fun (even if it was just checking out the potty and eating the cinnamon rolls). After Celia was in bed, we headed out to a wine bar and had a glass. I was so tired, that I drank down my glass and begged to go home and put on jammies, so we did! And watched some old episodes of Cheers that my mom has been getting on netflix. I forgot how much I love Cheers!

Saturday I went shopping with my mom and step father, and Nathan took our daughter out to meet his parents for lunch. I had a dress shopping date for one of the upcoming weddings I'm in. Since I left a little early, I stopped for lunch, at Mighty Taco!!!! I had 2 beef and cheese tacos on a hard shell, with hot sauce and sour cream, and they were absolutely amazing! They were so much better than I remembered!! All I can say is wow! Then I headed to Davids Bridal. The dress is absolutely lovely, and we bought it then and there. I even bought it 2 sizes too big, in case I happen to end up pregnant between now and then. I'd hate to have to buy another dress just because I'm pregnant. Thankfully they strapped on the baby belly, and it worked perfectly.

Then, it was home for my uncles' birthday dinner. The kids had a blast, there are 3 total with my daughter and two cousins. They had way too much fun, it was cute to see them all running around.

Sunday was spent partly with my dad, partly relaxing and getting ready for the drive. We had breakfast with my dad, and at lunch time headed over to Teds Hot Dogs and had a foot long with cheese and Ketchup and fries with vinegar...LOTS of vinegar. It was SO incredible. THEN, dinner ended up being pizza and wings. REAL pizza and REAL wings... I think I put on all I've lost in the last 2 weeks...but it was SO worth it!!

The other great party about Saturday, was that I finished my green/purple jaywalkers!! I absolutely love them, and will post a pic soon. Now I must work!! So much to do in so little time!

On another note, Sign-ups for SP9 started last week, and go through the end of the month. Should be a blast!!! Check it out!!

yet one more swap...

I also joined the Knitters Tea Swap 2 yesterday. This will be one fun filled Fall!!

feeling swappy lately

So I went and joined another swap! This one is set up by Patty, one of my co-hostesses for SP8! It's a Mittens Swap, and it should be a lot of fun! Check it out!!

And, I decided to join Sock Wars too. We'll see how it goes! Sounds like fun!

Hot Socks swap

I saw this on some SP8 co-hostesses blogs, and just had to join!!!

1)What do you prefer - solid, variegated or self striping? Variegated.

2)Favourite colours? Blues, purples, and greens.

3)Are you a beginner, intermediate or experienced sock knitter? intermediate.

4)Tea, Coffee, or hot chocolate - what's your favourite? If coffee, what do you use to make it? I usually prefer black teas, but drink all 3 frequently.

5)Do you have a fibre preference? (i.e. Are you a yarn snob like me?) I really do prefer natural fibers

Rhinebeck

Well, plans are in the works!! I'm definitely going, and am SO excited! Now, what to buy!!

great mail week!

Wow! So far this week has been fantastic with the USPS! Yesterday, when I got home there was no mail at all, which is unusual for us. We usually get junk mail saying we've been pre-approved for 10 credit cards. After dinner, we were going to go outside to go to the playground at the elementary school next to us, and I notice a Priority Mail box on the mailbox! I should have taken a picture of it, it looked kind of funny sitting there, at the street on the post. Anyway, I get it and see that it's from Simply Socks Yarn company. I tear it open, and open the card- it's the prize I won from Kerry's SP8 contest. Inside the package was an incredible skein of Fleece Artist merino in Amethyst colorway! I will take a pic soon...unfortunately it's in the room upstairs right next to my daughters, and she's asleep. If I go in, I'll wake her. It's amazing, so soft, and the colors are incredible. I can't wait to use it! Thanks Kerry!!

Then, today, I went to the mailbox on the way to get Celia from daycare (I was home, waiting for an exterminator who didn't show up... grumble, grumble!) and inside was my final package from my SP8! I showed great composure and waited to get home with Celia before tearing into it. It came at the perfect time, I had a lousy day with my 3 hour glucose tolerance test and having to have 5 blood draws in 3 hours, then having an exterminator no-show. And it was well worth the little wait...the package was even more awesome than I would have imagined! First, the One Skein book, which I've been wanting to pick up for a while, along with a lovely skein of Noro Blossom. The colors are perfect! My pal suggested using it for the spiral purse, which I'll do! There was also a lovely sheet of handmade paper, and a set of stationary that is handmade as well. The texture is amazing, and I can't wait to use it!!


She also made a little draw string bag, that held some sheep buttons (too cute!!), and pins from the UK. I can't wait to add them to my travel hat! And there were also some embellishments, and some orange candies which I can't wait to try!

There was also a little something for Celia, in the shape of a purple purse, with a poodle inside!! She grabbed it almost instantly, as you can see here- she loves it!! She also sent 2 post cards with the reveal! I now know who my SP8 is, it's Andrea! You have been a truly great pal, and I'm so excited to finally really know who you are! I am looking forward to getting to know you a little now that SP8 is ending. I can only hope that you've also had a great SP8 experience!! Thanks so much!!