SP 9 Pal Revealed!

Today I was home sick again still recovering from that awful stomach flu that was going around. You know it's bad when you can't keep water down. Water? Water should NEVER be to much for your stomach to handle!
I was home mostly just making up for some much needed rest, so today wasn't all that bad, especially once the mailman got here. Not only did I get disk 3 of season one of Lost, I'm playing catch up (sorry Chris, you'll have to catch up before our next viewing I just couldn't wait) - but I also got my final package from my secret pal!

Mmmm, yummy chocolates to make up for eating nothing but chicken broth and bread for the last couple of days and a great new hat. I'm excited about the hat because it fits, unlike the one I knit for myself last year which is way too tight. I don't remember if I originally made it for someone else, put it away because it was tight or if I've just gotten a big head over the past year but it was cutting off the blood to my brain which I thought may not be the best quality in a hat.


Oh, and the pretty felted flower decoration also doubles as a ring.

Let me apologize now to my SP if I ever implied that you were a woman. The weirdest thing is that when I got my first package I wrote a whole long blurb about maybe you were a man, maybe a woman and how I should make no assumptions yada, yada, yada and then I cut it out because it sounded like dribble that went nowhere (much like all my posts). And low and behold I got a diamond in the rough - - a man not afraid to knit and with great taste to boot, what a gem! Thanks again Chris for being such a great Pal, I hope you also had a great SP9 experience!

Decadent

I came home to find a little box waiting for me and of course, dopey me pondered for far too long, "did I order someone a Christmas present and forget?"
No silly, your SP sent you a gift!

The box included a set of very pretty coasters, a wonderful cranberry cinnamon candle (I love spicy candles) and a tin of the fanciest darn holiday tea I ever did see!

I've never seen this before but not only was I and my tea connoisseur mother impressed, but even my I-don't-do-tea father asked for a looksy - - what was so intriguing? The tea bags are little silk sachets! Is that not the coolest thing ever? OK, it's very possible that I'm just not in the know, and this is standard practice in "good tea" world but I've never seen such a thing. I almost hate to throw the bag out when I'm done. OMG, I'm turning into my great-grandmother!!! Please, stop me before I start saving old wrapping paper "because it's too nice to rip."

Mmmmmmmm, yummy spicy clovey, citrusy tea for mom and me. Not only was it yummy but it made the house smell great. Once again pal you sent a wonderful package, thank you and happy holidays!

Oh, this? It's the last mug standing from a very old set that my folks had when I was a kid. Each mug had a different bunch of wild flowers on it and for some reason I always loved looking at each of them to check out all the different flowers. I had completely forgotten about the set until about a week ago when this one resurfaced from the abyss. I felt like Sarah in the Labyrinth when she ended up in the junkyard where all your lost stuff goes :-)



****I upgraded to the Beta Blogger but they're still working out the kinks. Example, the spell check is much better and faster, it hightligts all the incorrect words and gives you a dropdown menu to pick from - however, the corrections don't always stick.
Also, bloglines is having a little trouble keeping up so it doesn't always show that there is a new post. Plus it's had one of those lovely red exclamation marks next to the updated blogs for the last few days. However, pictures upload faster and it can handle more than 3 at a time where the old one always chocked up on me if I did more than two.
None, of this really matters, just thought I'd let you all know some of the beta issues in case you're pondering it or wondering why my blog is doing some weird stuff. ****

Who's got the bestest SP? I do, I do!

Looky what my pal sent me today....
Too pretty to rip open, but I did it anyway!
You may be wondering why I would be so excited about receiving a box containing pumpkin pie filling, chocolate chips and coffee but it actually does make sense and is part of a very clever theme: these are all a few of my pal's favorite things. These ingredients were to accompany the included recipe for chocolate chip pumpkin squares (yum!!) and the coffee is to enjoy with the squares. I can't wait to make these. I had to hide the bag of chips from myself and I'm hoping to make them either this weekend or for Thanksgiving. I doubt they'll be for Thanksgiving though because to be completely honest, I don't want to share with that many people - just the immediate family :-)

To top off it off she also sent me Knitting For Peace
which is a new book that includes patterns for different charities and their back-stories as well as stories about past knitting charities. The best thing is, I was recently checking this book out online because I thought it was such a great idea but I didn't think I should splurge on yet another knitting item.
I love the book and the thought that went into picking it out. Thanks so much SP!

Thank You!

After I returned home from a long day in the city, I was totally surprised to find a box from my SP waiting for me! The swap officially started on October 15th and runs through January so I wasn't expecting anything until November at the earliest. What a tricky pal I have to send me stuff so early.

I wanted to blog about it last night but I couldn't get on to the site at all, not even to read anyone else's blog. Did anyone else have that issue? Sorry, I get easily sidetracked, back to the booty....

So look, my pal even made my gifts match the season/upcoming holiday! She sent me some soft thick burnt orange colored yarn, Halloween themed Jelly Belly candy assortment (YUM & half gone already) and none other than the infamous light up knitting needles, even they matched in their pumpkin orangeness! Since I first discovered these in one of my knitting magazines I've been wondering about them and now I finally get to try them out for myself. And yes, I will be bringing them to my next knitting group so everyone can play too.

My pal also included a card mentioning that I could use the needles for knitting in the movie theater - - it was meant to be a joke, because she's right, it's a bit absurd to use them there. What she doesn't know is that I once did knit in the movies, but in my defense it was just the knit stitch and I did it on bamboo circulars so as to not disturb those around me. Bright glowing plastic needles clicking in the dark would probably not only distract the person whose doing the knitting but all those around you, so I vow never to bring them there. However, later tonight I will be playing with them in the dark, I promise :-)

(It's hard to take a picture of light. I actually got one of them glowing in the dark, but of course it won't upload. So you'll just have to use your imagination.)
Thanks once again SP for my great gifts, I'll be sure to keep you posted on how the needles work out.

SP 9 questionnaire

Yup, I signed up again! So here it goes, the good old SP9 questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like lots of stuff, I'm not that picky. Anything soft; cotton, wool or silk blends, of course the fancy stuff is always fun. For me it's mostly about the colors or the project. I also like to try new things. The only yarn I'm not such a big fan of is fun fur. I tried to use it in a project once but it just wasn't doing it for me. Oh, and the 100% alpaca makes me itch (blends are ok) :-(

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
A few different things, I have the straight needles in a roll-up case (some of the fatties are in a needle bag), the circulars and double points are in a plastic box along with some other random knitting supplies. I like to keep them in the bag they came in so know what size everything is, but it's still a bit of a messy solution.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Some days beginner, randomly I'll feel advanced, but mostly just intermediate. I guess it's been around 3 or 4 years now, I taught myself out of a book and then I relied on the kindness of other knitters to help me through the tougher stuff.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Sort of. I do, but they also have a lot of gifts for other people listed. I'll have to condense my wishlist later.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
Cinnamon, spicy/woodsy, citrusy stuff and things like that. Not a fan of soapy or super flowery scents. I hate walking down the soap aisle in the foodstore ;-)

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes! Hard to pick a favorite. My favorite chocolate is Lyndt by far, but all chocolate, well all milk chocolate, is good (I especially like things in my chocolate like nuts and crunchies). I also love old school candies; candy buttons, pixie sticks, fire balls, red hots, candy cigarettes etc. etc.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I like all sorts of DIY stuff. My problem is lately I like reading and planning for it more than actually doing it. I have however just started to play around with spinning. We'll see how far I get with that ;-)

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Yes, my car stero does mp3's. I like a little bit of everything. Mostly rock (classic, hard etc.) and folk music, and a few favorites from Motown, jazz, metal, 80's pop and so forth.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I like deep bold colors- red, purple, blue green and earth tones- tans, browns, greens, rust. I'm not a big pastel person or much of a fan orange but even those have their place.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm living with my parents and my brother. I have five cocatiels (long story)

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I like scarves - I make more than I'll probably ever be able to wear but they're so much fun! I'm not a hat person but I am trying to find one that doesn't totally make me look dorky. Mittens are ok but I prefer gloves and ponchos just never work out for me.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I really don't have any favorites, I do end up making a lot of scarves and blankets. I just started playing with socks and fingerless gloves. I suffer terribly from second sock syndrome so my next plan is to learn that fancy-dancy double circular method or stick with singular items.

13. What are you knitting right now?
A few things, finishing up 1st sock of a pair, making the other Fetching glove, baby blanket for a stuffed bunny (don't ask) and about to start a dishcloth for the KAL. Oh, and I need to frog a sweater - yes, the whole thing, and restart it. I think I may not be so good at focusing on one thing at a time.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, especially if they serve a purpose. I'm trying not to accumulate any more knick-knacks because I'm not good at parting with them when I run out of room.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Just starting to appreciate circulars (that was harder for me to get used to than double-pointed, go figure). I like bamboo and aluminum the best. Bamboo is good because it's quieter, therefore I can knit while watching TV wit non-knitters and I won't get the evil eye.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Nope and nope. I'm thinking a ball winder wouldn't be a bad thing to have.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Well, if you count having to re-do my sweater, then over a year. Otherwise it's the sock which is a couple of months old but I purposely put it off to the side because knitting wool socks in the summer seemed odd.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas and then Halloween but it's a close race. I'm a sucker for all holidays really.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Dust. (kidding)
I seem to collect a lot of yarn and books. I love old things, but I'm not a real collector of anything specific. I like randomly coming across stuff (old pictures are a fav, even if I don't know the people).

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've been hunting for a deep v neck sweater pattern that can be knit in the round (the less seeming the better.) I've spotted a few Knitting Pure & Simple patterns that look good - a friend shared her copy of their v-neck pattern with me that I might be trying. I'll have to get back to you on the books, I know there's a few I'd like to check out. Needles are tough, I usually only know which ones I need when I have a pattern. Can't think of any yarns that are on my wishlist right now, but I'm sure there's a few. I subscribe to Interweave Knits and Knit Simple. I was also getting Knit n' Style but I won't be re-newing it because it just didn't do it for me.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
The magic loop method and knitting on two circulars. I need to get better at seeming and sewing but that just takes practice.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I'm just starting to get into socks. I don't know my foot measurements but I wear a size 7.5-8 shoe. Whatever the standard woman's size is works for me.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
11/22/76 (I'll live on the edge and give you the year too)