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!!

now for my WIPs

I requested that my SP8 participants post a list of their works in progress...so I figured it was only fair to show mine too. This is really sad...I had no idea it was this bad!


Here is the "streakers shrug" from IK spring 2006. I'm using the Tess Designer Yarns Cultivated Silk Wool, and absolutely love it! It's just a lot of stitches since I'm at the sleeves, so I've put this one aside for now.

This is a wash cloth for my friend Rachel, who absolutely LOVES Canada. We are from Buffalo, NY, so Niagara Falls/Toronto are like second homes to us. We spent a lot of time up that way in college. Ah, the memories!

Here is my Clapotis. Haven't touched it in a while...

And here is a Cardigan for my daughter, it will have a hood on it, it's the Knitty pattern, Child Hood or something like that. Cascade Superwash.

Branching Out, using some handpainted from my SP7 Kelly. I love it, but really have to concentrate on this one.

Here is the Embossed Leaves Sock from IK winter 2005. Needless to say I've barely started it. This is Koigu KPPPM.

Random Sock...Trekking

Scatter, out of Brown Sheep cotton fleece.

Oat Coutoure vest out of Manos

Fingerless gloves, Kipparoo Farms yarn

crochet blanket. Haven't touched this one in a very long time...

Poncho, which I haven't touched in a year. It's out of some yarn I picked up at Sheep and Wool in 2005.

Cardigan from Stitch and Bitch book, out of purple Silky Wool.

another crochet blanket. Started winter 2004/2005.

3 random started sweaters. Purple one is a baby cardigan out of knit picks shine, red is a tank out of manos cotton, blue is orangina out of Knit Picks shine..


So those are my indescretions. I actually finished 2 projects tonight, felted mittens and a felted purse, both started within the last 2 weeks. The one thing I don't have a pic of yet is my RPM socks (from Knitty), out of Socks That Rock. I seriously need to finish some projects before starting anything else!!

great week.

I had a very craft-busy week! Wednesday I went over to Lisa's place to do some stamping, chatting and wine drinking. ;) Between the two of us we polished off a large bottle of Yellow Tail Cab. Sauv. It was awesome! Needless to say, I had to wait a while to drive home, so I stayed until Midnight. I got a few good cards started, and picked up my The Angel Company(TAC) stamp order. Mostly paper, card stock, ink and a few little stamps.

Then last night, I had a blast too! I went to another sit and knit at a place in Columbia. It's called The Lakeside, where I met up with Jody and her group. It was so much fun to meet everyone, and they welcomed me warmly! It was fun to see what everyone is workong on, and I'm definitely inspired to use some of the dish cloth cotton I bought a while back to make some dish cloths for charity!

I ended up getting home around 8:45, which was perfect! I sat, watched an old episode of Gilmore Girls, and worked on my vest some more while Nathan worked on the SP9 sign up form! No more e-mail signups for SP9, we'll have a special form, data base and the works! He's getting close to being done, which is perfect, since he starts a contract job next week. ;)

Not much else going on. I'm REALLY looking forward to the weekend! I can't wait to spend some good quality time with my girl, and just have some good old-fashioned fun!

check this out!!

One of my friends just opened up an Etsy shop selling some of her handspun yarn, as well as some unique plants she's grown. Her yarn is really beautiful, go check it out!! Sapphire Child.

And the winner is.... Heather!! Thanks to all who read my ramblings!! I've had such a great time getting to know you all, in person and in cyberspace!

9 pm???

I went to my SnB last night, which was great! Half way through, Lisa came in which was great! We chatted a bit, but after we left we realized that we really didn't get to talk very much. We called our respective husbands and asked if we could stay out and play longer! There was a starbucks in teh plaza, so we decided to walk over there...except that it was closed! At 9pm!! So we tried to think of another place to go for coffee, but couldn't. I finally remembered another area just down the road with restaurants, so we ended up at Dogfish Head! Booze is much better than coffee! She had a white chocolate martini and a sour apple-tini (both made with their own vodka), and I had two glasses of Fat Bastard Shiraz (one of my absolute favorites!!). We stayed out until about 11, and it was SO much fun! I'm a little tired today, but it was really worth it! I never get to go out to bars anymore (at least when it's not just for a quick happy hour)!

Happy Blog-a-versary!

I completely missed my first Blog-a-versary! I was so wrapped up in getting my tests done, that I let it slip my mind! Aug 8th was the day!

I am going to do a drawing! If you read my blog regularly or on occaision, please leave me a comment!! I will put all commenters names in a hat and draw a name, and a gift will be on it's way to the winner!!

Thanks everyone for your support and fun over the last year!! Let's hope the next one is even better!!

I'll draw a name Sunday evening!!!

Come join in!

So I've been wanting (and needing) to lose a few pounds for a while now! Kerry has decided to start a Chub Club!. You pay $30, and over the course of 3 months the person to lose the most BMI gets the pool of money!

I'm hoping that losing some weight will help in our efforts to get pregnant again. If I can just drop 10%, my doctor said it might be enough to get me ovulating normally again. On my own. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

And if you are wanting to lose a few pounds, please join the Chub-Club! It's a chance to win a nice pot of money for doing something really good for yourself!

blah

Yesterday was a very bad day. I have this HSG on wednesday, and they want you taking antibiotics before and after to make sure you don't get an infection. My husband and I both started them sunday, and monday morning I woke up with a horrible headache. I haven't had a headache like that for as long as I can remember- and I've had migranes a lot the last 8 years! I made it in to work, and by 10:30 I was feeling really horrible and a little out of it. After calling the doctor to see if it was due to the antibiotic (they said probably since my eyes were puffy/itchy too), I decided that I wasn't good being at work, so I went home and crashed. I slept from 11 til 3, and woke up feeling a little better. At least well enough to eat some mac n cheese, and get a little work done from home. I'm still a little tired, and my head hurts a little bit, but it's that residual hurt. I'll definitely be at work today, thankfully!

This weekend was good, Nathan had a dentist appt, and we took Celia so she could see what it was like. She insisted on it being her turn after Nathan was done, and thankfully the hygenist had a cancellation, so Celia got her teeth cleaned! It was so cute, she sat on my lap and did such a great job! What a big girl...I can't believe she's getting so big!

Funny knitting content on TV sighting: Celia has been watching Caillou non-stop for weeks now! I was sitting watching with her this morning, and Caillou went to a sheep farm with his grandma. They showed yarn, a spinning wheel, and even how to spin it! I was impressed....maybe the show isn't so terrible/annoying afterall!

Fantastic monday!

The words fantastic and monday rarely belong in the same sentence together for me! Yesterday was a perfect exception!

Work was good, I got a lot accomplished. And I went to an impromtu lunch with some co-workers to On The Border for Mexcian. YUMMY!!!

For my birthday, my husband and daughter got me a gift certificate for a massage, which I turned in yesterday! I was early, and managed to resist popping into Woolwinders beforehand. I was proud! I stopped for an iced vanilla latte before my massage, and boy was it good!

I got home around 6:30, and Nathan had made Dinner (chicken nuggets, canned green beans and canned peaches) and fed Celia. I walked in the door and he tossed a few more nuggets in the oven for me.

I spotted a box and a soft envelope on the counter, with my name on it!! The box was my Amazon.com order of books, I got Socks Soar on 2 circs, Spin-it, and Knitting on the Road. All 3 look great, I can't wait to sit down and really look through them. The second package, was my STR!! I was SO excited to open this one. I have to say it is SO soft, and the color is incredible. I can't wait to play with it this week.

Last night my hubby and I got Celia to bed together, on time! We relaxed and watched some TV, while I spun some of the alpaca that I got at MS&W. It's so soft, pretty and just easy to spin.

In bed by 9:30!!

The PERFECT monday!!

Jay-walking

It's been a productive weekend! First, and most importantly, my first Jaywalker sock is done!! I was initially attracted to the pattern because my maiden name was Jay...but the sock is great! I am absolutely loving this Lornas Laces yarn. It's so soft, and works up really beautifully. And the green/purple doesn't hurt! I am so in love with this sock, and this pattern, that I will definitely do it again. NO SSS for me!!



The other productivity comes with cleaning. The island in the kitchen was completely full of miscellaneous things. Things we hadn't found a place for, junk mail, random things. Now it's clean!! And our cars, which haven't been cleaned in a very long time, are now clean too! There were still french fries from our last car trip (January!), and now they are all gone! The sucky thing is that in the process, we broke the vacuum. Don't try to suck animal crackers up with a regular vacuum appholstery attachment. That will teach me not to buy a shop-vac!

Then today, I went over to Woolwinders for their Sunday in the Salon lesson. Today was on knitting "continental". It was especially cool because Jody met me there. It was fun to meet and knit with a knitblogger I've been chatting with online. She's so awesome! If you haven't visited her blog yet, go check it out! I think we'll be getting together to knit once and a while, and I'm going to help her finish her quilt! And I learned how to knit with my right hand as well (I've always thrown with my left hand) which was great! Now maybe I won't be so terrified to try fair isle.

That is all! I'm tired from washing my car...must cast-on for Jaywalker #2.

gotta love 2 year olds!

The other day when I was ordering my STR, my 2 and a half year old was watching over my shoulder. She squeels, and says "I LIKE THIS YARN!!". I think I'm creating a monster! And I love it. Now I'll have more excuse to have a bigger stash once she's a little older and can learn to knit. ;)

On the destashing front, I had friends up this past weekend. One of the girls (my friends SIL) wanted to learn to knit, so I taught her in less than 5 minutes. She picked it up very quickly, and was THRILLED when I handed over two balls of baby acrylic yarn that I bought a few years ago for gifts that I never used (unfortunately the baby I was going to make the blanket for didn't make it). I knew I'd never touch it, so I handed it over to her. She loved it!

And I finished fingerless glove #1 for my SIL's christmas present! And I'm working on the gussett of Jaywalker #1.

This weekend I"m looking forward to! Sunday, I"m meeting up with Javajem over at Woolwinders for their sit and knit. This week is on learning continental or english style knitting, depending on what you want to learn! I'm so excuted! It will be awesome to meet a fellow local knitblogger!

STR

I finally ordered some Socks That Rock! I picked 3 colorways, one is for my Yarn Abroad pal, and the other two are for me! I saw that chipping was $5 whether you buy 1 or 3, so I did 3! I can't wait for it to come in so I can cast on for yet another pair of socks. ;)

SP8 and Dyeing!!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! My Secret Pal 8 is the most awesome person! She has outdone herself again!

Here are the contents of my second package, the BLUE package! (First package was the purple package)!


Here are the contents:

Two bags in a cool blue pattern, they are perfect for crafting on the go!
A cool blue beaded cell phone charm (and yes, I do have a cell phone, it is on it right now!!)


blue leaves
really pretty smelling soap
OPAL sock yarn!! I've been wanting to try this for ever, and have never actually seen it. It's SO soft, and really will make myself an awesome pair of socks!
Addi bamboo needles, very long, perfect for magic loop!
A cool knitting magazine, Simply Knitting. I've already found a few patterns to add to my to-do list. I'm so excited!
and orange chocolate!! It's sitting in my fridge resolidifying (darn sun!), and will enjoy that tonight when I get back from my card-making meet up.

I have also uploaded pictures of my dyeing excapade from last friday, but blogger is misbahaving and not letting me add any photos! Bad blogger!

This is my attempt with reds and browns. I used some black cherry kool aid, but the rest are from my Ateco food coloring set.




And here is my blue/purple attempt. The dark blue is much more what i wanted in the previous attempt, I just added more dye to the water/vinegar. The purple however, is violet...which doesn't really look very violet. It didn't resuspend very well, but it isn't too bad either. Kind of looks like I meant for it to turn out that way!

This is my last attempt, supposed to be purples and pinks, but the pink or fushia weren't resuspending at all so I tossed them. I substituted some black cherry kool aid again, and some grape as well. kind of funky, but I think it might just work for some mittens or a hat or something.

long weekend

This weekend was good and bad.

The Good:
Friday night on my way home from work, I stopped off at Michaels to pick up some more cake dyes, and some cotton yarn for dishcloths. I got some Sugar N Cream, and some wilton dyes.
I did some more dyeing friday night, and while I had some technical difficulties (certain colors wouldn't dissolve), I also had some great success. I'll post pics tonight if I remember!

Saturday afternoon (after a very successful trip to Costco), my friend Rachel and her sister-in-law came up from VA for some scrapbooking/cardmaking. They left when our sitter got there, and Nathan and I went out for the most amazing meal I've had in a long time, at Jaleo, a Tapas bar in Bethesda. The food was unbelievable, and the sangria was yummy too!

Sunday I went to the mall with my lovely daughter, where she got a haircut, and got to run around a little. We picked up McDonalds on the way home (of course she fell asleep in the car). And yes, I have seen "Super Size-Me", and I feel that it's got a great point, but as long as we eat the stuff in moderation, that it won't kill me or my kid, and if it helps keep me sane to run through the drivethru once in a while, I will.


The Bad:
Friday when I got to my daughter's daycare, she had a little fever. I had thought I noticed the same thing earlier that morning, but she always wakes up warm so I figured it was nothing.

Saturday she slept til about 7, and was really warm now. I checked her temp, and it was 102. SHe kept saying that her mouth hurt, and pointed at her molar taht was coming in. I figured she was teething, gave her motrin and we went about our day.

Costco was good, but she melted down halfway through. Just kept crying, and crying, and asking for chocolate milk.

She took a fantastic nap! And then played with playdoh while we scrapbooked. Then she played with the babysitter, ate, and went to bed.

Sunday, she was completely hysterical any time we put anything into her mouth. Would make a bad face, and pull it out (she didn't even spit it out) crying. Again, we still thought it was teething, but I was now getting a little skeptical on that. By the afternoon, she had been compeltely miserable, and couldn't eat bananas or yogurt. At this point, I knew something wasn't right. Her fever was gone by now too.

Monday morning we went to the doctor, who said that she had Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. Very different from Foot and mouth disease, don't worry! HF&M is caused by a virus (coxsackie virus) and causes a fever, and nasty sores/ulcers on the mouth/throat, hands and feet (thus hand, foot and mouth). All we could do was give her motrin, and lots of TLC.

I took her home and gave her lots of TLC. We watched lots of Sesame Street, she napped, and we both rested.

More good:
She's feeling much better today, and is back at Day Care.

I got LOTS of knitting done. Switched between 4 different projects (shrug from IK spring, Jaywalker socks, fingerless gloves, and another pair of socks), and while I didn't finish any of them, I got some good progress done.

here's mine too.

Ok, since I asked my participants to post this questionnaire, I thought it would be nice to post it so they can learn a little about me too! I have to say that having a smaller group of participants is so much more fun, I'm actually able to read their blogs semi-regularly, and see all the cool things that they are up to!


1) What is your favorite season of the year? Spring! The flowers are so beautiful, and you can just smell the new life everywhere. I feel like a kid again every spring.

2) Where is your favorite vacation spot? Niagara on the Lake in Ontario, Canada. I went on my honeymoon there, tasted hundreds of yummy wines, and love going back every chance I get.

3) If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? I'd love to go to Austrailia!

4) If you could pick any job, and be paid well, what would it be? A stay at home mom. I hate that I have to work and miss so much time with my baby girl!

5) If you were going on vacation for 1 week, and had to take ONLY one project with you, what would it be? Probably socks, but it would have to be in a hand=dyed yarn, to help make them more special.

6) If you won a shopping spree to your favorite Yarn shop, what would you get?? I'd definitely have to go for some of the Schaefer yarns, I love them, and love to pet them but can't really afford them. The colors are out of this world, and the yarn is just so soft!

knitting away!

So on Saturday I received some yarn for a super secret project I'm working on for Chrissy, and I have to say I'm having a blast with it! I finished the knitting last night, and will seam it and block it tonight! It is really pretty, I think I'll definitely be making this pattern again!!

On another topic, I started a garden yesterday! A vegetable garden! I planted two squash plants, a horseradish and rhubarb! I can't wait to see if they grow. Next year I plan to expand it to include peppers, beans, tomoatoes, lettuce and a few other things.

dying, part 2!

So I finally got around to dying one hank today. Since it was my first time, I decided to take it easy and do just one hank, following the microwavable directions found here. I chose 5 colors from the Ateco set I have, a green, blue, yellow, teal and aqua.


First, I soaked the yarn for about 30 min in water with vinegar. Then I squeezed the water/vinegar out and put it in a pyrex dish. I mixed the dye, about 5 big drops (it's kind of thick so it was more like globs) in about 1/2 cup of water. I started out with the yellow, and sort of went on either side of the yellow with the next color, and so on until I got to the last color at the end. I really saturated the yarn, made sure it was soaked through, but not so wet that the colors would bleed too much. I covered it with plastic wrap and microwaved it for 2 and a half minutes, let it rest for two minutes, and nuked it again for 2 and a half minutes. I let it sit until I could touch the pyrex dish, and picked up the yarn to dry over my kitchen sink. I was so excited when I picked up the yarn, because TONS of water was coming from the yarn and it was CLEAR! After it dried mostly, I rinsed it again until the water was completely clear, and hung it up outside to dry.


It's still not dry, so I don't have a pic. of the newly dyed/wound yarn, but I will get to that tomorrow! Here are the pics I took this morning.



All in all, I'm pleased! The colors are prettty good, not too dark but not too pastel, and I think I'm definitely going to try this again! Just with a little less water to dye ratio for a little richer colors.

dying!

I am finally going to try dying the Color Your Own yarn I got from Knit Picks. I was speaking with a co-worker yesterday about it, and she said something about possibly using cake dyes (food coloring). So I was online early this morning (thanks to my lovely daughter who woke up at 3:30, crawled in bed for a few hours and was fully up by 6) looking for info on using food coloring. Thankfully it looks like it should be the same as using Kool Aid. AND, I have a set of 16 dyes for making icing. So I'm going to give this a shot today, and will post pics when I have a finished product!

For those of you who don't read my LJ, we had a fun week. Last friday I picked up a dog from the lady we bought our house from. She was such a sweetie! Or at least until we brought my daughter in the room. She was fine most of the time, but decided to see what Celia tasted like. She nipped her 6-7 times throughout the week, and was mostly going for Celia's face. So thursday night, I had my husband call the woman we got the dog from, and she made arrangements to have the dog picked up. It was SO hard too let Sadie go, she was so adorable, and really sweet most of the time. I just couldn't have a dog in the house that wanted to bite my daughter's face. If anything ever happened, I'd never forgive myself. And the nipping was making her afraid of the dog to, which wasn't good either. I'm really sad about it, but I guess when Celia is older (at least 6) we can re-visit getting another dog (unless we have more kids, in which case the youngest would have to be 6.

more sp8

My pal also sent a card in that package to be opened on my birthday. I opened it last sunday and was amazed! It was such a pretty card, with a light green handknit sweater on the card- on the needles- which were toothpicks! I thought the idea was so inventive! I actually asked her if she had knit it on the needles, or on the actual toothpicks, and she did use the toothpicks! She's just amazing!

Belated THANKS!!

Ok, so I have been a total jerk! I did thank my wonderful secret pal, but didn't get around to posting the pictures of the amazing package she sent me! Of course my battery died in my camera and I couldn't find my charger, and then I couldn't find my cable to plug it into my laptop. But finally, I have gotten the mystery solved, and have all cables/chargers necessary! Here are a few pics of what my amazing SP8 sent me a few weeks back!!

Here you can see:
fantastic knitting magazine, a beautiful handknit purse, a card, some embellishments for cards/scrapbooking, and some cool yarn!












Here is a close-up of the bag, some lavendar soap which I LOVE, a key chain, and a satchel with lavendar...Did I mention that I love lavendar?? It's my favorite!













And here's the yarn, and roving! I can't wait to spin it up, the colors are just perfect! And a pretty glass jar, and I think I didn't take a photo of the chocolate, because it was eaten immediately...and so yummy!



Thank you SO much sp8!! I love it all!!