It is 3am in the morning right now, and I am awake because the cosmaos itself demanded it. No. Really. There is the most incredible lightning and thunderstom shaking my poor little house. Thankfully the kiddoes haven't been disturbed (they sleep like their father) but I had to come out to see the goings on. I walk out to my back door, and it is so eerily light outside I keep looking at the clock to make sure that it is really 3am, not 6am. It is hot, 80 degrees or so, and damp - it is not so much raining, as the air is thick with drops of water. I can feel it on my skin, but it is not enough to get me wet yet. I can literally feel the energy in the air around me. The hair on my skin prickles with it. CRACK! Branches of lightening unfold right over my head, stretching across the sky. My heart skips a beat, and I can't help but grin. I love to feel the power of mother earth - from a certain safety. I go back inside, marveling at what is around me. I tried to lay down again. I listened to the thunder, and even though my eyes are sandy and sleepy, I can't help but keep them cracked open, hoping to catch the next flash. Then the rain hits. I hear it pouring outside my window, and suddenly my mind flashes back to another late summer storm when Jen and I decided that we had to see what was going on instead of staying inside where we belonged (according to the rest of the town :D) We walked to a little patch of grass at the end of our street, where we could get away from all the trees and see a broad expanse of sky. We lay down, wrapped in our little cotton sweatshirts, and watched the sky. We talked - of things that are important to young women in their late teens - the incredible awesomeness of being, the cosmos and where we belonged in it, magic, nature, and of course, boys. We lay on that grass for - I don't even know how long. When we finally came stumbling back into my parents condo we were soaked completely to the bone. And it was one of the few times in my life that being wet led to us both coming down with a cold. But it was worth it. Every moment. The sky, the branches of lightening, shivereing and laughing, and bonding deep in our souls. Ahhh. Mother Nature. And now, as it quiets around my home, the sky is dark once again. How strange to have a near dawn light in the middle of the night, and watch it dim. I will never cease to be facinated by all the myriad faces of this planet - right here in my own back yard.
Sweet Dreams.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
5 little questions...
A little while back, my lovely friend across the continent, Jen, answered several questions posed to her by her sister. There were fun, and allowed a special look into her soul. Curious, I asked what she would ask me? After all, she is a sister in my heart. These are the questions that she came up with just for me. Hope you enjoy them.
1. If you were to add a 13th month to the year, where would you put it and what would you call it?
Okay...after much thought, like - do I get to add TIME to the year? Or simply reorganize how we make use of the time we have? Me, personally, I would love to add more time to the year. Especially in Summer, which is never long enough (because it is the only time during the year that I get to sleep IN to 7:30am, sigh) But also in winter, which might give me more time to actually wear the knits that I make. Southern California doesn't get much "winter" to speak of. Mostly we have hot, super hot, windy, and rain. But ultimately, I had to go with placing my month at the end of the year, and creating a time specifically for the celebration of home and family. You know, what Christmas should really be - and which is still my favorite time of year, as I am able to ignore the massive amounts of consumerism and advertising striving to devoid this time of any meaning.
But what to name it? I did a little research, knowing that the months are all named after Roman Gods, or numbers, I finally chose Vestuary, after the Roman Goddess Vesta, goddess of home and hearth.
2. If you had $200 to spend ONLY on yarn, what would you buy?
I would buy Qiviut. It is hands down the most interesting and rare fiber I have ever heard of. I think $200 might just buy me enough to make one of those incredibly gorgeous scarves or hats from Arctic Lace. And having $200 just for yarn is probably the only time I would have funds available for this remarkable yarn.
3. Is there a knitting technique or project you haven't tried yet?
I haven't tried stranded knitting/fair isle, along with the steeks (still wrapping my mind around cutting my knitting). It is on my list to do soon though...maybe first for Maia?
4. If you could join an orchestra tomorrow, what instrument would you play, cello or marimba?
Oooh, orchestra. Shiver. I miss playing something fierce, and I loved playing marimba (especially 4 mallets), but the cello sings in my soul. I would play cello.
5. If you were no longer able to have biological children, but desperately wanted another BABY, how would you go about getting one?
This one is a hard one, and I have to admit that my husband is a kinder/better person here. Knowing that I can have my own children, I hadn't given another thought to any other means of placing a baby in my arms. But Javier apparently thought about this alot - long before I had thought about it, and would absolutely adopt. In fact, if we ever find ourselves in a monetary position to support the massive financial outlay as well as support of adopted children, we will. We have discussed this several times over the years, so I know that I would adopt. But we wouldn't adopt from a foreign country. Certainly there are many many children all over the world who are desperately in need of love and care, and a permanent home, but there are also babies here with exactly the same needs, and Javier feels very strongly that any children we adopt should come from "home" so to speak. That said, we might not end up with a baby at all. Babies - especially the little ones that are all squishy and soft, and so desperately need us - make me go weak in the knees, and I am instantly overcome with a desire to have another "little squishy" all of my own (As if 3 weren't enough!). But I know I am not the only one to feel this way, and so the brand new babies almost always have a home lined up for them. We might look to the older children, and the babies that no one else wants - for whatever reason. I have been blessed with a large amount of patience, and I think that I should use that to bring comfort when others have not been able to.
1. If you were to add a 13th month to the year, where would you put it and what would you call it?
Okay...after much thought, like - do I get to add TIME to the year? Or simply reorganize how we make use of the time we have? Me, personally, I would love to add more time to the year. Especially in Summer, which is never long enough (because it is the only time during the year that I get to sleep IN to 7:30am, sigh) But also in winter, which might give me more time to actually wear the knits that I make. Southern California doesn't get much "winter" to speak of. Mostly we have hot, super hot, windy, and rain. But ultimately, I had to go with placing my month at the end of the year, and creating a time specifically for the celebration of home and family. You know, what Christmas should really be - and which is still my favorite time of year, as I am able to ignore the massive amounts of consumerism and advertising striving to devoid this time of any meaning.
But what to name it? I did a little research, knowing that the months are all named after Roman Gods, or numbers, I finally chose Vestuary, after the Roman Goddess Vesta, goddess of home and hearth.
2. If you had $200 to spend ONLY on yarn, what would you buy?
I would buy Qiviut. It is hands down the most interesting and rare fiber I have ever heard of. I think $200 might just buy me enough to make one of those incredibly gorgeous scarves or hats from Arctic Lace. And having $200 just for yarn is probably the only time I would have funds available for this remarkable yarn.
3. Is there a knitting technique or project you haven't tried yet?
I haven't tried stranded knitting/fair isle, along with the steeks (still wrapping my mind around cutting my knitting). It is on my list to do soon though...maybe first for Maia?
4. If you could join an orchestra tomorrow, what instrument would you play, cello or marimba?
Oooh, orchestra. Shiver. I miss playing something fierce, and I loved playing marimba (especially 4 mallets), but the cello sings in my soul. I would play cello.
5. If you were no longer able to have biological children, but desperately wanted another BABY, how would you go about getting one?
This one is a hard one, and I have to admit that my husband is a kinder/better person here. Knowing that I can have my own children, I hadn't given another thought to any other means of placing a baby in my arms. But Javier apparently thought about this alot - long before I had thought about it, and would absolutely adopt. In fact, if we ever find ourselves in a monetary position to support the massive financial outlay as well as support of adopted children, we will. We have discussed this several times over the years, so I know that I would adopt. But we wouldn't adopt from a foreign country. Certainly there are many many children all over the world who are desperately in need of love and care, and a permanent home, but there are also babies here with exactly the same needs, and Javier feels very strongly that any children we adopt should come from "home" so to speak. That said, we might not end up with a baby at all. Babies - especially the little ones that are all squishy and soft, and so desperately need us - make me go weak in the knees, and I am instantly overcome with a desire to have another "little squishy" all of my own (As if 3 weren't enough!). But I know I am not the only one to feel this way, and so the brand new babies almost always have a home lined up for them. We might look to the older children, and the babies that no one else wants - for whatever reason. I have been blessed with a large amount of patience, and I think that I should use that to bring comfort when others have not been able to.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
It's Good to be home...
Ahhh... There is nothing quite like returning home. Especially after the kids have *finally* gone to sleep. I missed my hubby ;D
It has been a relatively relaxing couple of days, while I recovered from our short trip. Not much knitting done, but I live in a constant state of hope.
The day before we headed home from Palm Desert, we made a trip out to the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. This was quite a wonderful adventure, and I would have some way cool photos to share if I could only find where I stashed my camera. I KNOW I got it out of our room when we left...but sadly, I cannot remember into which bag I placed it, and I am still a little slow on the unpacking. I will share photos as soon as I find my nifty little camera. One of the nicest things about the the tram, is that it takes you right up to the San Jacinto Wilderness State Park. There are some 54 miles of trails up there (which makes my hubby drool at the thought of running - and running - and running) and it was a blessedly cool 76 degrees up there. Quite a contrast to the 110 down in the desert. It felt LOVERLY! I took the kids on a short (3/4 mile) guided nature walk, and generally let them run and play to their hearts content. It was a truly wonderful afternoon.
The only thing that could have made it better would have been yarn. I am feeling desperate urges to go buy yarn. I have several sweaters I would love to get started on - for my boys, family, me, babies coming in October, you know THAT wildly fun kind of knitting. But alas, I keep telling myself that I should really finish one of my other projects first. Like the socks I've been working on since June. Or the other socks that I have knit twice so far, ripped, and they still didn't fit my MIL. GRRRR. I'm not ready to knit those again. GRRR. They are on TIME OUT! Or maybe the lovely lace stole that I really should finish (hopefully a gift for Christmas). Sigh. I know that I have plenty to knit on. But I still have this incredible urge to buy new yarn (maybe some of those painfully beautiful Lantern Moon Needles) and get started on the winter sweaters for my boys and my little firecracker, Miss Maia.
We'll see how I do on this. I really feel a new sweater climbing onto my needles any time now. I dream about the shaping, and the stitches. Sigh. Maybe I'll make it until September. Maybe I will have an iron will, and manage to finish something before I buy more yarn. Alas, wills of iron I have, but only when you've managed to get me fighting. And I have to REALLY want to fight. I just can't see myself successfully fighting NOT to buy yarn. Sigh.
It has been a relatively relaxing couple of days, while I recovered from our short trip. Not much knitting done, but I live in a constant state of hope.
The day before we headed home from Palm Desert, we made a trip out to the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. This was quite a wonderful adventure, and I would have some way cool photos to share if I could only find where I stashed my camera. I KNOW I got it out of our room when we left...but sadly, I cannot remember into which bag I placed it, and I am still a little slow on the unpacking. I will share photos as soon as I find my nifty little camera. One of the nicest things about the the tram, is that it takes you right up to the San Jacinto Wilderness State Park. There are some 54 miles of trails up there (which makes my hubby drool at the thought of running - and running - and running) and it was a blessedly cool 76 degrees up there. Quite a contrast to the 110 down in the desert. It felt LOVERLY! I took the kids on a short (3/4 mile) guided nature walk, and generally let them run and play to their hearts content. It was a truly wonderful afternoon.
The only thing that could have made it better would have been yarn. I am feeling desperate urges to go buy yarn. I have several sweaters I would love to get started on - for my boys, family, me, babies coming in October, you know THAT wildly fun kind of knitting. But alas, I keep telling myself that I should really finish one of my other projects first. Like the socks I've been working on since June. Or the other socks that I have knit twice so far, ripped, and they still didn't fit my MIL. GRRRR. I'm not ready to knit those again. GRRR. They are on TIME OUT! Or maybe the lovely lace stole that I really should finish (hopefully a gift for Christmas). Sigh. I know that I have plenty to knit on. But I still have this incredible urge to buy new yarn (maybe some of those painfully beautiful Lantern Moon Needles) and get started on the winter sweaters for my boys and my little firecracker, Miss Maia.
We'll see how I do on this. I really feel a new sweater climbing onto my needles any time now. I dream about the shaping, and the stitches. Sigh. Maybe I'll make it until September. Maybe I will have an iron will, and manage to finish something before I buy more yarn. Alas, wills of iron I have, but only when you've managed to get me fighting. And I have to REALLY want to fight. I just can't see myself successfully fighting NOT to buy yarn. Sigh.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Discovery...
Ahh, what a day we had today. First - I FINISHED IT! Okay, so it only took me a few hours to knit, but seriously people I FINISHED IT! I didn't have to rip it out! Not even once! Sigh. A good feeling. (That's Maia helping her crazy mama take pictures on the bushes outside)My children, however, were not so impressed.
They were much more concerned with feeding ducks, chasing ducks, or just running for the sheer joy of it. I got to see Liam actually quiet and introspective as he watched - you guessed it - ducks.
My children REALLY like ducks.
And we could think of nothing better than "camping" on the water's edge where we step out of our cool apartment suite into sweltering heat to throw bread in the water.
Life is good.
And when the bread is gone (and we have gotten over the bitter dissapointment of realizing that bread is not an endless commodity) then it must be time for swimming!
This year is the first year that ANY of my children can swim, and suddenly they are all trying to swim like fish - and learning that breathing water is slightly more difficult than it sounds.
My children are strong willed, confident beings that like nothing more than to test each and every statement I make about life until it is completely exhausted, or they are sitting on their beds waiting for the ensuing punishment to end.
So, today, Brandon spent the afternoon showing Papa how he can drown, er jump into the deep end - endlessly - and then call for Mama because he is too tired to climb out of the water by himself.
Liam scares everyone in the pool as he bobs at the water's surface, mouth gaping, gasping for air, wiggling and thrashing every inch of his body, and squeaks out "Mama! Want to see me do it again!"
I shove my heart firmly back into my chest and manage "Yes! Good job swimming Liam!" Or some version of "I saw you! Wow! Great Job!" Oy.
And then there is my fierce hearted warrior woman, Maia. She is turning into a fish right before my eyes. She decided to walk right off the bottom step with no one to catch her this morning, kicking and waving madly until I managed to pull her face out of the water to allow her to take a breath. She has spent that last couple of pool adventures popping her head under the water and wiggling between my mother and myself, or perahps the stairs if she is feeling particularly brave.
But I have to admit, they are actually moving through the water, and making it! It is really exciting as a mother to actually see them learning and accomplishing this thing called learning to swim. And Brandon (ever the smooth talker) still found time to show is new "girlfriend" a few tricks. :D
It is incredibly gratifying to see my children confident, strong, striking out and doing new things with a gusto that many of us lack in our lives. They are truly the most amazing beings that I have the priviledge to know - and if I survive helping THEM to survive to adulthood, I know that I will be among the proudest parents on this earth.
I love to encourage their ferocious curiosity, and to that end, we struck out in search of Palm Desert's Children's Discovery Museum. What an incredibly worthy use of $6 admission for an afternoon of exploration, discovery, imagination, and fun. This is definitely going to become a tradition for us when we come visiting out here.
Between grocery shopping,
manning a pizzeria,
bringing Nana pizza
- and more pizza,
painting (yes, that is really a REAL car) 
experimenting with magnets
, caring for sick and lost (stuffed) animals,
becoming everyday heroes as Firemen and Policemen,
and discoving the magic of the pulley,
it was a truly fabulous time. If you ever find yourself melting in Palm Desert in the summer, I highly reccomend it.
Then "home" for a quick spaghetti dinner, and another date with the ducks. A full day. And a good one.
Well, off to bed for this Lady...
Night all!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The Desert...
The Desert is hot. Really hot. And I came here on purpose. Sigh. Life is indeed strange.
Actually, we (my kids and I)are visiting my parents at their timeshare here, and it is really a lovely place. Hot, but lovely just the same. It is a wonderful vacation resort/country club kind of thing, and my kids love it here. Mostly they love the ducks and the 5 swimming pools. I love the promise of a little time off with my mother and father around to help with the kids. I actually got some knitting done today that I don't think I'll have to rip out! I was working on the lace for a while, but that required too much thought, and I panicked everytime I had to drop it to chase a child - picking up stitches in lace is not fun - especially when you are having a hard enough time just keeping track of knitting it while your children run wild.
Ahh, but I digress. Sooo, thankfully I had the foresight to think about this, and threw into my knitbag a ball of Sugar-n-cream cotton that I bought a couple of months ago with the thought that I would try my hand at a washcloth. So I wandered on over here (a cool link I got over at the knitlist - a WAY cool place, if I do say so myself) and chose the "cotton" pattern for a round petal shaped cloth.
Here's what I have so far.... Impressive, no? I am really enjoying the knitting. If I sound a little surprised, it's because I am. I really didn't think that I would like knitting washcloths, but Jen likes it, and receiving a lovely blue washcloth in the mail from her made me think about it again. And again. And, well, here I am. I love that the pattern is simple enough to work with my kids, that I can drop it and not cry if a stitch falls, and that I'm liking the look of it. It's simple. It's pretty. It's useful! And I'm having a damned good time knitting it! And bonus, I might actually finish it! I can hardly believe that I might have a finished object in my hands tomorrow. I am positively giddy with anticipation.
Sadly, I have no fudge to appease the Knitting Goddess today, so I'll just have to hope that I am working my way back into her good graces in other ways - like getting my mother interested in kntting again after some 30+ years of not knitting. Seriously people, I didn't even know my mom once knew how to knit until a couple of months ago, when she offered to come with me to a knitting group on a Sunday afternoon, which sadly did not work out too well. But that is another story. Then she seemed to have lost interest - until today. The lace didn't seem to intrigue her, but when I started up the washcloth, I could see her checking out my knitting with much more interest, asking me what I was working on, and how was it shaped. And when I started to talk about seaming it up, she actually started to describe a sewn seam that wouldn't leave a ridge! I can't tell you how exciting it would be to add my mother to the list of yarn fanatics in my life. Going yarn shopping with my mother just seems like so much fun! Of course, I would have to get my husband to watch the kids - sticky fingers in yarn shops make me a little crazy, so I'm sure that the owners would be barely hanging on.
Any way, after futzing around, hoping my husband would come online to chat with me, I think I must put myself to bed. Sigh.
Goodnight All!
(And Goodnight Lover - talk to you tomorrow!)
Actually, we (my kids and I)are visiting my parents at their timeshare here, and it is really a lovely place. Hot, but lovely just the same. It is a wonderful vacation resort/country club kind of thing, and my kids love it here. Mostly they love the ducks and the 5 swimming pools. I love the promise of a little time off with my mother and father around to help with the kids. I actually got some knitting done today that I don't think I'll have to rip out! I was working on the lace for a while, but that required too much thought, and I panicked everytime I had to drop it to chase a child - picking up stitches in lace is not fun - especially when you are having a hard enough time just keeping track of knitting it while your children run wild.
Ahh, but I digress. Sooo, thankfully I had the foresight to think about this, and threw into my knitbag a ball of Sugar-n-cream cotton that I bought a couple of months ago with the thought that I would try my hand at a washcloth. So I wandered on over here (a cool link I got over at the knitlist - a WAY cool place, if I do say so myself) and chose the "cotton" pattern for a round petal shaped cloth.
Here's what I have so far.... Impressive, no? I am really enjoying the knitting. If I sound a little surprised, it's because I am. I really didn't think that I would like knitting washcloths, but Jen likes it, and receiving a lovely blue washcloth in the mail from her made me think about it again. And again. And, well, here I am. I love that the pattern is simple enough to work with my kids, that I can drop it and not cry if a stitch falls, and that I'm liking the look of it. It's simple. It's pretty. It's useful! And I'm having a damned good time knitting it! And bonus, I might actually finish it! I can hardly believe that I might have a finished object in my hands tomorrow. I am positively giddy with anticipation.
Sadly, I have no fudge to appease the Knitting Goddess today, so I'll just have to hope that I am working my way back into her good graces in other ways - like getting my mother interested in kntting again after some 30+ years of not knitting. Seriously people, I didn't even know my mom once knew how to knit until a couple of months ago, when she offered to come with me to a knitting group on a Sunday afternoon, which sadly did not work out too well. But that is another story. Then she seemed to have lost interest - until today. The lace didn't seem to intrigue her, but when I started up the washcloth, I could see her checking out my knitting with much more interest, asking me what I was working on, and how was it shaped. And when I started to talk about seaming it up, she actually started to describe a sewn seam that wouldn't leave a ridge! I can't tell you how exciting it would be to add my mother to the list of yarn fanatics in my life. Going yarn shopping with my mother just seems like so much fun! Of course, I would have to get my husband to watch the kids - sticky fingers in yarn shops make me a little crazy, so I'm sure that the owners would be barely hanging on.
Any way, after futzing around, hoping my husband would come online to chat with me, I think I must put myself to bed. Sigh.
Goodnight All!
(And Goodnight Lover - talk to you tomorrow!)
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
A Secret Pal for me...
I'm going to have a Secret Pal!
Yay!
I signed up for this a couple of weeks ago, and then in the mess of life, promptly forgot that I needed to fill out a questionaire about myself for my secret pal (and now all of you!) to get to know me a little bit better. Thankfully one of the lovely listmoms sent me a kind reminder that I had responsibilities here too! So here it goes... Secret Pall 11 questionaire
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I don't know if I have a favourite fiber yet...I like really soft things, but I have not ever had the chance to knit with anything famously soft like cashmere. I am not a fiber snob though, I will knit with anything that I like the feel of. What I have knit with so far is various wool, cotton, acryllic, and nylon - both alone and in blends. I hate anything that is scratchy and uncomfortable against the skin.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Mostly my bedside table drawer. I don't have any really good needle storage, but I'm thinking of making one....
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting constantly for two years now. I was first taught in an extra-curricular class taught at my middle school, but then promptly forgot. While I was pregnant with my third baby, I had this incredible urge to create something in all the time that I was going to be spending nursing her. I thought of the knitting that I had abandoned so long ago. I found a book, followed the instructions and away we went. I found places like Knittinghelp.com, and dove fearlessly into knitting a baby sweater for my new addition. At this point I would consider myself to be an intermediate knitter, but I can definitely stretch to the advanced patterns. I'm always willing to try new things, and I'm not afraid my yarn and needles - or the frog pond. Been there quite a lot lately. Lovely, but the bugs bite.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Oh yah.... About $1000 worth of knitting books on that by now....
5. What's your favorite scent?
Hmmm, my husbands is vanilla, but me? Fresh spring smells - wild and growing.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I live for chocolate. Seriously.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I want to learn to spin, but haven't yet. I'm also working on crochet, but after knitting, my love has to be quilting. I just don't have time or space to set that up right now, with three munchkins looking to "help" all of the time. :D
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I was a Music Education Major in college, and got my BA in that subject, so my music interests are quite eclectic. A wide vairiety of things catch my ear, and are not limited to particular genres. I love celtic influenced music, I have a soft spot for the rock of the 80's and 90's, and have found myself enjoying (much to my surprise) artists like Eminem and Marilyn Manson, but they are not my usual suspects. Bluegrass gets my toes tapping, and Metallica was a favourite from High School. Go ahead and surprise me. I use itunes (with my tiny ipod of 4 gigs) and I have it linked to my stereo. MP3's are wonderful.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favourite colors are blues and greens, but I'm pulled to autum colors in the warmer tones. No colors that I can't stand.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have been happily married to my wonderful husband for 11 years now, and we have three beautiful children - 2 boys (ages 7 &5) and my baby girl (2). We also have 1 Dog ( a black labradork ), 2 cats, 2 birds, and a fish. Hopefully we are full up on pets for now.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I do wear hats and mittens - the occasional scarf. I'm not so likely to wear a poncho. I'm a voluptuous beauty, and generally try not to resemble a beach ball. I like shawls though....
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Wow, favourite item to knit? Hmm, right now it's lacey things, and I'm branching out into cables. I enjoy a challenge more than anything else.
13. What are you knitting right now?
2 pair of socks, 2 stoles (both for gifts), 1 hat, and a Lace Edged Tee which is on time out right now, because I had to frog it back to the beginning band. It was trying to be a tent, and I had no interest in wearing one. So back to the beginning, to replan the increases and decreases for shaping. Sigh.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I love to recieve handmade gifts. What could be more exciting that knowing that someone was actually thinking of my happiness and joy for the number of hours that making that gift took them. The highest of all compliments, really.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
It all depends on what I'm working on. For socks, I like the metal (knitpicks options are my favourites right now), for middle weights (DK to heavy aran weight) I like the wooden needles. Bamboo are very nice. I will knit with aluminum and plastics, but they are generally not my first choice.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I wish..... My swift is currently my husband (or a child's rocking chair, sometimes an upside down laundry basket), and my winder is exclusively my hands.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Hmmm 2 years old.....
18. What is your favorite holiday?
I love the Christmnas/ Winter solstice season. It makes me happy (if I'm not thinking about being poor...)
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Books. I also have an unnatural fondness for teapots and cups, and chess sets. Sigh. Oh, and boxes. I love little boxes. I have no place to put them, but I love them...
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 would love to be wealthly enough to own some Lantern Moon needles. And Cashmere. As far as books, I'm currently drooling over pattern and stitch books - take your pick - and things like "Knitting in the Old Way," as I am seldom content with just knitting a pattern as is, so I'd better learn all I can about how to tweak others, or design my own. I currently suscribe to Interweave Knits, and am getting Vogue knitting too. I'm still wondering if I signed up for that online some late evening, or if they are just being super nice....
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Stranded Knitting (Including Fair Isle) and Steeks. Not quite brave enough to take scissors to my knitting yet... but I'm working on it.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I am a sock knitter. My foot is 9 inches long, and 9 inches around. So is my ankle. My calf gets a little bigger, but I generally like my sock cuffs on the short side.
23. When is your birthday?
June 6th.
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Not yet....waiting for my invite.
Yay!
I signed up for this a couple of weeks ago, and then in the mess of life, promptly forgot that I needed to fill out a questionaire about myself for my secret pal (and now all of you!) to get to know me a little bit better. Thankfully one of the lovely listmoms sent me a kind reminder that I had responsibilities here too! So here it goes... Secret Pall 11 questionaire
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I don't know if I have a favourite fiber yet...I like really soft things, but I have not ever had the chance to knit with anything famously soft like cashmere. I am not a fiber snob though, I will knit with anything that I like the feel of. What I have knit with so far is various wool, cotton, acryllic, and nylon - both alone and in blends. I hate anything that is scratchy and uncomfortable against the skin.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Mostly my bedside table drawer. I don't have any really good needle storage, but I'm thinking of making one....
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting constantly for two years now. I was first taught in an extra-curricular class taught at my middle school, but then promptly forgot. While I was pregnant with my third baby, I had this incredible urge to create something in all the time that I was going to be spending nursing her. I thought of the knitting that I had abandoned so long ago. I found a book, followed the instructions and away we went. I found places like Knittinghelp.com, and dove fearlessly into knitting a baby sweater for my new addition. At this point I would consider myself to be an intermediate knitter, but I can definitely stretch to the advanced patterns. I'm always willing to try new things, and I'm not afraid my yarn and needles - or the frog pond. Been there quite a lot lately. Lovely, but the bugs bite.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Oh yah.... About $1000 worth of knitting books on that by now....
5. What's your favorite scent?
Hmmm, my husbands is vanilla, but me? Fresh spring smells - wild and growing.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I live for chocolate. Seriously.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I want to learn to spin, but haven't yet. I'm also working on crochet, but after knitting, my love has to be quilting. I just don't have time or space to set that up right now, with three munchkins looking to "help" all of the time. :D
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I was a Music Education Major in college, and got my BA in that subject, so my music interests are quite eclectic. A wide vairiety of things catch my ear, and are not limited to particular genres. I love celtic influenced music, I have a soft spot for the rock of the 80's and 90's, and have found myself enjoying (much to my surprise) artists like Eminem and Marilyn Manson, but they are not my usual suspects. Bluegrass gets my toes tapping, and Metallica was a favourite from High School. Go ahead and surprise me. I use itunes (with my tiny ipod of 4 gigs) and I have it linked to my stereo. MP3's are wonderful.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favourite colors are blues and greens, but I'm pulled to autum colors in the warmer tones. No colors that I can't stand.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have been happily married to my wonderful husband for 11 years now, and we have three beautiful children - 2 boys (ages 7 &5) and my baby girl (2). We also have 1 Dog ( a black labradork ), 2 cats, 2 birds, and a fish. Hopefully we are full up on pets for now.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I do wear hats and mittens - the occasional scarf. I'm not so likely to wear a poncho. I'm a voluptuous beauty, and generally try not to resemble a beach ball. I like shawls though....
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Wow, favourite item to knit? Hmm, right now it's lacey things, and I'm branching out into cables. I enjoy a challenge more than anything else.
13. What are you knitting right now?
2 pair of socks, 2 stoles (both for gifts), 1 hat, and a Lace Edged Tee which is on time out right now, because I had to frog it back to the beginning band. It was trying to be a tent, and I had no interest in wearing one. So back to the beginning, to replan the increases and decreases for shaping. Sigh.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I love to recieve handmade gifts. What could be more exciting that knowing that someone was actually thinking of my happiness and joy for the number of hours that making that gift took them. The highest of all compliments, really.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
It all depends on what I'm working on. For socks, I like the metal (knitpicks options are my favourites right now), for middle weights (DK to heavy aran weight) I like the wooden needles. Bamboo are very nice. I will knit with aluminum and plastics, but they are generally not my first choice.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I wish..... My swift is currently my husband (or a child's rocking chair, sometimes an upside down laundry basket), and my winder is exclusively my hands.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Hmmm 2 years old.....
18. What is your favorite holiday?
I love the Christmnas/ Winter solstice season. It makes me happy (if I'm not thinking about being poor...)
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Books. I also have an unnatural fondness for teapots and cups, and chess sets. Sigh. Oh, and boxes. I love little boxes. I have no place to put them, but I love them...
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 would love to be wealthly enough to own some Lantern Moon needles. And Cashmere. As far as books, I'm currently drooling over pattern and stitch books - take your pick - and things like "Knitting in the Old Way," as I am seldom content with just knitting a pattern as is, so I'd better learn all I can about how to tweak others, or design my own. I currently suscribe to Interweave Knits, and am getting Vogue knitting too. I'm still wondering if I signed up for that online some late evening, or if they are just being super nice....
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Stranded Knitting (Including Fair Isle) and Steeks. Not quite brave enough to take scissors to my knitting yet... but I'm working on it.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I am a sock knitter. My foot is 9 inches long, and 9 inches around. So is my ankle. My calf gets a little bigger, but I generally like my sock cuffs on the short side.
23. When is your birthday?
June 6th.
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Not yet....waiting for my invite.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Blogging Meme
I've been tagged by my fantastical knitting friend from across the nation for this fun little meme.
It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like.(Check out especially the * starred ones.)Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.)and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers.
1. Look, read, and learn. *****- http://www.neonscent.com/
2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other. *****- http://www.bushmackel.com/
3. Don’t let money change ya! ****- http://www.therandomforest.info/
4. Always reply to your comments.***- http://chattiekat.com/
5. Develop your own "voice" don't "borrow" someone else's **** Mizmouthy
6. If you don't have something to say, don't worry your loyal readers will wait **Oldfashionmomma
7. Be yourself, don't be afraid to share who you really are ***** http://shibari-confessions.blogspot.com
8. Figure out what you stand for, then try to master it. ** http://mornmeet.blogspot.com/
9. Post pictures when you can ** http://akadventuring.blogspot.com
10. Talk about your boobs a lot. ** http://123Valerie.blogspot.com
11. Go ahead, get it off your chest * http://arguablybetteradvice.blogspot.com
12. A reflecting pool, of sorts - http://introspectionandrants.blogspot.com
13. Don't think too hard, just have fun and write from the heart.* http://rachel-lessonslearned.blogspot.com
14. Don't say on a blog anything about anybody you would not say to their face. http://knittinginterrupted.blogspot.com/
15. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you - The golden rule. http://underafairymoon.blogspot.com/
If you have already been tagged, ignore this and consider it a warning for future tagging.
Now, as I am new to blogging, and I really don't know who reads my blog except for 1 or 2 people, I'm going to have to go out on a limb here...I tag my hubby and Anny.
It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like.(Check out especially the * starred ones.)Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.)and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers.
1. Look, read, and learn. *****- http://www.neonscent.com/
2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other. *****- http://www.bushmackel.com/
3. Don’t let money change ya! ****- http://www.therandomforest.info/
4. Always reply to your comments.***- http://chattiekat.com/
5. Develop your own "voice" don't "borrow" someone else's **** Mizmouthy
6. If you don't have something to say, don't worry your loyal readers will wait **Oldfashionmomma
7. Be yourself, don't be afraid to share who you really are ***** http://shibari-confessions.blogspot.com
8. Figure out what you stand for, then try to master it. ** http://mornmeet.blogspot.com/
9. Post pictures when you can ** http://akadventuring.blogspot.com
10. Talk about your boobs a lot. ** http://123Valerie.blogspot.com
11. Go ahead, get it off your chest * http://arguablybetteradvice.blogspot.com
12. A reflecting pool, of sorts - http://introspectionandrants.blogspot.com
13. Don't think too hard, just have fun and write from the heart.* http://rachel-lessonslearned.blogspot.com
14. Don't say on a blog anything about anybody you would not say to their face. http://knittinginterrupted.blogspot.com/
15. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you - The golden rule. http://underafairymoon.blogspot.com/
If you have already been tagged, ignore this and consider it a warning for future tagging.
Now, as I am new to blogging, and I really don't know who reads my blog except for 1 or 2 people, I'm going to have to go out on a limb here...I tag my hubby and Anny.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Grumble, Grumble, Grumble...
Grumble. I had been knitting madly on a pair of Monkey socks trying desperately to finish them as a gift for my Mother in Law. (Happy Birthday Anita!) I didn't finish. But being the knitter that I am, I decided to suck it up, and bring the finished sock and the almost finish sock to her house on Saturday, and hope that I could finish up the toe while I was there. I will just say in an aside, 3 young children at Grandma's house with lots of breakable things makes for kinda desperate knitting! So we get there, and I show her the socks, which she loved. Then she tried it on. Oh the horror. Everything matched the measurements I took of her foot. EVERTHING! But she couldn't get them over her heel. Where did I go wrong!
Grumble, Grumble. Sigh. Back to the frog pond.
(Rip-it, Rip-it, Rip-it)
Grumble, Grumble. Sigh. Back to the frog pond.
(Rip-it, Rip-it, Rip-it)
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