SP14 questionnaire

I'm back into swaps, and having fun with them! Though I'm not hostessing this time (first time in years not hostessing!), I'm still participating. Here is my questionnaire! Hope my pal finds the answers helpful. :)

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love anything that is really soft to the touch. I'm not allergic to wool, but sensitive to anything even remotely scratchy. I love blends too, especially interesting ones. Always on the lookout for something new and different.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a really nice needle holder that my SP made me way back (SP7 I think?) for my long needles, and my circs and dpns are in a case that I bought at Maryland Sheep and Wool this year. The Knitpicks Options are in the binder it came with.

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 hardcore for 5 years now, but on and off since I was 5. My aunt taught me when I was 5, but I only learned the knit stitch (and couldn't understand why it didn't look like "knitting". Now I'm in the know, and have been knitting non-stop for the last 5 years.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have a list at The Things I want, my username is sbidwell.

5. What's your favorite scent?
I love lavendar, vanilla and citrus scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Oh yes! I love milk chocolate, twizzlers, starburst, skittles, and most fruity candies. Anything cherry/red is good- but not cinnamon red- that breaks my mouth out in sores. Learned that the hard way in Junior High when I ate an entire pack of Big Red gum.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I'm into scrapbooking, knitting, spinning, dyeing yarn/roving, beading, rubber stamping, quilting, sewing, cooking, photography... I consider myself an Equal Opportunity Crafter. :)

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 rock, pop and the like. Not at all a fan of country or rap.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Blue and purple are my favorites. I really don't care much for orange, but most other colors are good.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have 2 kids (a 16 month old and a 5 year old), and a husband. No pets anymore (the baby has asthma, so we had to find a home for our cat).

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves, hats and mittens. Not ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I like to knit socks, but have been getting into more lace lately. I finally completed my first shawl, Ishbel, which I absolutely love, and now am hooked.

13. What are you knitting right now?
I've got a Swallowtail shawl going, a top (Buttercup), a few socks, a few baby/kid sweaters, and more that I can't think of at the moment.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I do!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I prefer circs, but do use straights for some things. I love bamboo/wood first, but also like the metal ones from KnitPicks or Inox.

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

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Um...at least 4 years I think? Needs to be frogged but never got to it.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?
Probably Halloween. I celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
I collect yarn, paper for scrapbooking, beads, fabric and wine.

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'd like Chrissy Gardiner's new Sock book. I have a subscription to Interweave Knits only.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'm open to anything!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, I am! I wear a size 10 wide shoe. Darn pregnancy made my feet grow a full size and width. But sooo worth it!

23. When is your birthday?
June 25th, just turned 33.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Of course! I'm Shelbyknits

boggart- camp game 3

I'm chosing to "Riddikulus" my giant spider boggart. He now looks really silly, is upside down, and covered in hot pink silly string. He keeps getting his legs caught on it, and is completely unable to flip back rightside up. SO funny!!

I will try to do the picture later...must go deal with a wee one at the moment.

I hate hospitals.

Really, I do. Hospitals are not fun places to be, especially when you're there with your 16 month old who is having trouble breathing. My day was perfectly planned today. I was going to get up, do some dyeing, be done by 1, head to the pool with the kids and hubby (or at least Celia), and then go to our neighbor's annual 4th of July party. That was the plan. Til Seth got sick again this week. It was Wednesday that it got bad, so I took him into the doc for a listen- we both agreed that pred.nisolone was required. He sounded just awful, and even after a neb treatment an hour before, was still wheezing nicely. Then yesterday, he had a bit of a fever. So we started him on antibiotics, since it was likely that his congestion was going to something more.

And this morning, he sounded horrible. Worse than yesterday, definitely worse than the day before. So I threw on some clothes, and took him to the ER. After several neb treatments, and an ambulance ride, we are at the hospital for the night. He sounds much better now, but we're being extra careful and keeping him in for observation for the night. And neb treatments every 4 hours. Poor sweetie. I just wish he'd outgrow the asthma already.

And the icing on the cake? I nearly went to the ER myself this week due to stomach pain. Severe stomach pain, which appears to be diver.ticulitis. At 33, I have it. And it sucks. I knew it was bad, since my mom has it, but there is nothing like the amount of pain I was in earlier this week. I couldn't move without feeling like a knife was being twisted in my lower left side. Not fun at all. You know it hurts when knitting is the LAST thing you want to do.

On the plus side, I did get some knitting done later this week. I have been working on the Swallowtail Shawl out of Malabrigo Sock. Can I say how much I LOVE Malabrigo sock? It is just fabulous. Really fabulous! It makes me happy every time I pick up the shawl. And I'm not screwing it up too badly! It's a miracle.

Off to lay down on my little pull out chair, and knit. Provided of course, the baby falls asleep early enough.

game 2 part 2

When in doubt, go to the library! Said by Ron Weasley.

HSKS 8 game 2

Good Luck and Have Fun!!
Let the anagram solving begin!
In the second volume of the HP books by JK Rowling, The (#1)Chrome Cab Festers, we continue to learn the incredible adventures of Hogwarts student (#2) Parry He Trot and his friends (#3) Oral Weensy and (#4) Angering Her More. Belonging to the house of (#5) Dry Off Grin, they attend Defense Against the (#6) Ark Darts taught by Wizarding celebrity (#7) Oracle Dorky Light, a none-too-bright fellow who cannot even handle pixies!

In The (#8) Chrome Cab Festers, we also meet Dobby a (#9)See Flu Oh for the first time. Determined Dobby seeks to sabotage the return of (#10) Parry He Trot to Hogwarts and is pretty persistent but is unsuccessful. After a few weeks at school, the deceased Ravenclaw student who haunts the girls lavatory, also known as (#11) My Molten Grain, shows (#12) Parry He Trot and (#13) Oral Weensy an old empty diary that dropped through her ghostly form out of thin air!

Many nifty things continue to happen for the next several months… we won’t go into all the juicy details right now… however, the ending is prime reading indeed!! (#14) Parry He Trot finally kills Tom Riddle’s (a.k.a #15 Mold Voter) sneaky diary (which we now know is a #16 Crux Rho) and saves the sister of (#17) Oral Weensy, (#18) Gayly Nine Sew!!!

Oh! Of course, we must mention that the thickheaded (#19) Oracle Dorky Light unintentionally erased his own memory, so he won’t be back for book three, The (#20) Snob In A Froze Parka…




1. Chamber of Secrets
2. Harry Potter
3. Ron Weasley
4. Hermione Granger
5. Gryffindor
6. Dark Arts
7. Gilderoy Lockhart
8. Chamber of Secrets
9. House Elf
10 Harry Potter
11. Moaning Myrtle
12. Harry Potter
13. Ron Weasley
14. Harry Potter
15. Voldemort
16. Horcrux
17. Ron Weasley
18. Ginny Weasley
19. Gildeory Lockhart
20. Prisoner of Azkaban


ETA: Fixed spelling of #16- I can't spell!!

CSA week 7

Last week's share was huge again!! We had Mushrooms, sugar snap peas, regular peas, cauliflower, peppers, more beets, romaine lettuce, red new potatoes, mint, zucchini, cucumbers, and I'm sure I'm missing something. They also gave us extra cucumbers, potatoes, and some flowers! The peonies are just gorgeous, and love the pink little flowers in with them. Brightened our house this week, for sure!

Overall, I'm thrilled with this CSA. We get tons of food, and it's all incredible.

Here's a pic of some potatoes I made last week- fried them up in some olive oil, with the onions and green pepper, salt and pepper. SO much flavor, so tender and yummy, and just fresh.

csa weeks 3-6

I've missed af ew weeks posting pics/info on the CSA! Here is what we got week 3:


Lettuce, spinach, rhubarb, strawberries, mint, asparagus, spring onions, and peas! Yummy salads, made another rhubarb/strawberry crisp, some mojitos, and sauteed the peas with olive oil, a bit of butter, salt and pepper.

Week 4 I missed pics of week 4. I know there were more lettuces, peas, strawberries, spring onions, and mint, tomatoes and mushrooms.

Week 5: again, missed pics. or they aren't off the camera yet...not sure which. Definitely more lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, pak choi, 2 kinds of peas, turnips, white new potatoes, strawberries, and something else I'm sure I'm forgetting. Oh, the flowers- they had extras and gave them to us. Yay!

Week 6 was more lettuce, 2 kinds of peas, beets, more turnips, red new potatoes, green pepper, onions, strawberries and maybe more- don't remember again. This one I know I have a pic of on my camera.


So far we're really enjoying getting fresh veggies and fruit every week. Loving the quality of the produce- made the potatoes with the onions and pepper the other day, and they were so tender and delicious.

ETA: Pic from week 6.

Happy June.

Wow, is it really June already?! June has always been my favorite month- since my B-day is on the 25th. I can't believe I haven't posted in SO long! Lots has been going on here. Lots of yarny news coming, so stay tuned! But for now...

I've joined the HSKS 8 Summer camp, and I'm SO excited about that! It's going to be a blast. Looking forward to spoiling my pal rotten, and getting to know everyone in my cabin.

Here is my week 1 summer game!
Week #1: New to Camp!


Part 1: "What's in your trunk?"
elastics for my hair- to pull it back
extendable ears
earplugs (in case someone snores)
earbuds (for my muggle music player)
earl grey tea (for my morning pick-me-up)
everready batteries (you never know when you'll need batteries!)
everlasting gobstopper (I just watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory)
easter candy
earrings
earthworms


Part 2: WINGO
Still working on this...

W1:
W2:
W3:
W4:
W5:

I1:
I2:
I3:
I4:
I5:

N1:
N2:
N3:
N4:
N5:

G1:
G2:
G3:
G4:
G5:

O1:
O2:
O3:
O4:
O5:

Part 3: Get to know your pals:

My spoilee is Nosheepforchelle, and she had so many projects that I loved it was hard to pick one. BUT, I selected her Ishbel because I love the color- a deep blue, and I just finished my Ishbel, so it was fun to see how she did hers. Love it!
Jellybeaninc is my spoiler, and she has some great Twilight socks in purples (my favorite color!), which I just love. Had to comment on them.

CSA week 2

Here is the last share from the CSA. Love, love, love!!

We've got:
spinach
boston lettuce
romaine lettuce
watercress
snap peas
rhubarb
strawberries
mint
spring onions
asparagus

Let's just say, we've had several salads with the different lettuces and watercress. Sauteed spinach, roasted asparagus, and a strawberry/rhubarb crisp. And more to come. Loving all the fresh veggies. I've never tried watercress before, so it was awesome to get to try that. Really yummy!