Belated Birthday

It's been really busy around here lately, and I am just now getting around to thanking my SP10 pal for the package I received on Wednesday. Okay, so she didn't actually SAY it was a birthday present, but it's still May, so that counts, right?



But she was ever-so generous, and right-on with color choice and with my tastes! Blue yarn and chocolate - Yum-O! :O)



Here's the proof:

There's two skeins of Debbie Bliss "Rialto" - a lovely 100% merino. Yum. it's dusty blue and I'm thinking "hat" for these.

The yummy handpainted on the other side of the photo is Artyarns Regal Silk. This was the skein that my pal intended as a special treat for my birthday (NOT the entire package). I'm loving it. 100% Hand Painted Silk. Yummy. It's got a deep sky blue, a celery-ish green, and a deep lavendar that I think will work well enough with some Misti Alpaca that I got in an eggplant color last fall that will make a most decadent scarf for moi! It's my birthday, after all, so that skein is definitely reserved for me!

There was also a Lindt chocolate, which I love, and a bit of chocolate soap. Now that The Boy is off with his daddy for camping this weekend, I might give it a try. Heck, I should probably break it out while he's around - maybe he'll start using soap again when he "washes" his hands!!!! LOL!

Thanks so much, SP10 Pal. I love it all! You rock!!!

:O)

Hogwarts Progress

So far I am finished with one sock for my Hogwarts Sock Swap pal, and nearing the heel of the second sock. I've also got my stitch markers in place, as well as the needles. Now looking for that special-something for a little spoiler, plus need to finish the sock (hoping the long weekend helps in that arena, although my house is in DESPERATE need of some serious cleaning)! Then I'm all through. I can't wait to use this same yarn for socks for myself (good thing I bought two possible colorways and chose from them once I got the goods home!). I'm using Regia Bamboo color, and it is so soft and silky! I plan on getting plenty more for my stash. This is great stuff. Hope my pal agrees!

As you can see in the last progress pic I took, I decided to go with a plain old K3P2 rib, and I'm liking that decision, given the luxurious feel of this yarn - it is just a dream! I think plain and simple with it is a good choice! Again - if my pal agrees, it's "all good!"

:O)

Morning Musings

This is The Boy's handsome hand in mine this morning as he was sleeping. I love how still he is then. It's about the only time!

And this morning, I had this thought - I've been "away" from this for too long.

Yeah. It's over. I need my stuff back.

Weird Things.

So, I was tagged the other day, by Becky for the Weird Things meme. You know, 8 weird things about yourself, yadda . . .

Not that I think any of these things are TRULY weird, but here ya go:

1. I moved home three years ago after my divorce, and have yet to leave, even though this place can drive me crazy.

2. I have five UFOs on the needles (that I can remember, and not including WIPs) I finish plenty, but it seems plenty also goes unfinished!

3. I used to carry a purse until it fell apart on me. My former MIL influenced me so much in this area, that I now own at least 10 purses, and change regularly, if not with the outfit (The Boy tells me all the time “You have too many bags, Mommy!”) MIL is very proud.

4. I still love my former in-laws. They are strange, and quirky, and I love them, it’s their son I could kill occasionally, although we remain cordial for the sake of The Boy. Very big of us!

5. I earned my Master’s in Education (MAED) from The University of Phoenix – online. I flew to New York City one weekend to take their test for the Arizona teaching certificate. I am certified to teach in AZ even though I have never set foot in the state! (Is this actually 3 weird things in one?)

6. My son, had he been a girl, would have been named Cassandra, after Cassandra Wilson. LOVE her.

7. Even though I am a first grade teacher, I have the most awful handwriting ever – UNTIL I have to write on the board/overhead/anything for my kids. Then, it looks like a stinkin’ textbook! Even I think this is weird!

8. I am in love with a man who is scared to death of my son, and I STILL can’t shake the fact that I love him.

Tag, you're it: Jill, Lacy, Theresa, Lou, Laurie. Hope you are not offended, ladies, but I tagged ya cause I love ya! We're talking BIG TIME stalking here!

:O)

Visual DNA

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My Hogwarts Pal is the Coolest!

Yay - I am so thrilled! I got my Hogwarts Sock Swap package yesterday! Jill is my pal, so I was the lucky Gryffindor to get the fancy Hogwarts, A History box/book filled with goodies that all the other Hogwarts participants were drooling over! Lucky, lucky me!!!

Now, I love to get packages (note how many swaps I'm involved in) but when my mom came and gave me the package (that, woefully, had been delivered to the WRONG house - thank you, rare friendly neighbors), I didn't know what it could be. I wasn't expecting my pal to be so quick, since I'm only finished with one sock!) So, since I was up to my eyeballs in papers to grade and record (end of the year, don'tcha know), I wasn't really interested in opening it, UNTIL she said it had something about HP on it! Then I was all intrigued. I restrained myself enough to finish the stack of papers I was in the middle of, then opened the package. This is what I found:



Please go back to the blog to see the best picture of the book Jill actually made for me for this swap. It's awesome!

The Boy, of course, had to help me open it (after I opened the first box and saw that it was THE BOX I had hoped, I stopped and waited for him. Couldn't let him miss out on this fun. And was it ever fun!


I didn't want to break the seals on the book, so I cut the string from the back and opened the package up. The book was beautiful!

Inside, we found:

The greatest Dobby socks ever:



It's a bit difficult to see with this picture (more to follow later, once I get clear pictures. I'm seriously running on negative sleep here! There were stitch markers to commemorate each house, along with a Weasley sweater one, 20 Galleons on a Starbucks(!) card, plenty of Honeydukes Chocolate, and a letter containing a lovely note and the beautiful Brittany needles that Jill picked out for me. Oh, and don't forget the Felix Felicis potion bottle!

Let me just say - the wonder and creativity that are Jill astound me. Look at this: the filler for the package? Crimped strips with WORDS FROM THE BOOKS THAT CONTAIN THE WORD "SOCK." I'm not kidding.
I would never have thought of that in a bazillion years. And, there's a WHOLE BOX FULL of the stuff! Jill, I hope you're not tired of hearing me say how much YOU ROCK!!! I will never be that cool, ever!
Here's the borrower's card she created (with the help of her SNB/Knit-Night group):



OMG - I loved it. It made me smile all day long thinking about it, and how I was the lucky Gryffindor to receive such a grand package. Wow - I really am impressed. I might have to step up my game a bit, too!

This post does not do justice to what a wonderful swap, pal, and experience this was. I am too, too far into the end-of-the-first-year-teaching rush to be much more creative than this! I'll make it up, I promise!

Counter

Hee hee - rookie at work - LOOK OUT!

Plaza Hotel

Now how the heck do I get this into the sidebar??? I'm hopeless!

Edited to add: I did it, I did it!!!! :O)

Progress Pics

OK, I've been noticing that I've had lots of pictures up lately, but not many give the progress of my current projects! Here goes:

First, I am finishing the first sock for my Hogwarts Sock Swap pal. I am using Regia Bamboo Color in, what I feel, are perfect Ravenclaw colors! I stuck with a simple K3P2 ribbing, thinking simple is good for such a great fiber blend. This stuff is really, really soft, and has a slight sheen to it. I can't wait to finish these and knit my own in the color I got for myself!! One more sock to go!



I am also knitting the SKB's current KAL, Sahara. I'm using Lion Brand Microspun in a great purple color. I haven't yet joined the fronts to knit in the round for the rest of the top, but I'm getting there. Thanks to an hour and 15 minute wait at the MVA renewing my driver's license yesterday, I am much, much closer!



I'm also still plugging away - when I get the time - on Sasha, that lace-paneled skirt I am in love with. My goal is to have it knit up by the time I go to my family reunion in July. So that leaves time for other projects to pop up in between, right?


Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

BOLO for a post on last night's fun: LIVE MUSIC! I wanna be sure to capture the excitement of the night, so I'm actually going to edit this blog, unlike most of my posts, which are spur of the moment rants! It was great, tho, so deserves special treatment!

Alert Alert! Stitches East Alert!

Did you know that Stitches East officially opens registration for October TOMORROW???? That's May 14, 2007 at 9am CST!!!!

OMG - quick, download the brochure and have a peek - this is so much earlier than they normally do this - the brochures are normally just arriving, and then registration opens sometime over the Summer - get hoppin' if you normally go to Stitches!

:O)

Ahem. . .

Yeah, I know, it's been a minute. Those of you who are expecting weekly posts - I have a lot of catching up to do. One day, maybe, a post will be dedicated to the reason, but right now I can't get it out.

In the meantime, I'll catch you up, slowly, on the knitting-related part of my life, which, of course, remains the same and grounds me even in the midst of upheaval!

As usual, the State of Maryland honors me each year with the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival on my birthday weekend (tee hee - as if!). This time, I went on May 5th instead of my actual birthday, the 6th, under the orders of The Boy. He mentioned to Gaggi (my mother) that "Mommy wants to do boring knitting stuff on her birthday! Hmpf!" So, the guilt set into both of us and we decided that she'd watch him on Saturday while I went to the S&W so that we could spend the day together on my birthday. Actually it was more like he spent the day outside with his friend Jessica, ripping and running in the back yards (she actually lives right next door, so there's double the space to move!), but hey - Mommy was around!

So, the Sheep and Wool was it's usual yarny-wonderfulness, and I spend a TON of money, but hey, it was my birthday!

Here's the haul:




Details: This is some yummy Sideway Fine sock yarn in Barnswallow from Autumn House Yarns, plus some cute red buttons from the same booth. I also bought some circular bamboo needles from them (ChiaoGoo - never heard of them, but they are nice, and were only $5.75! Can't beat that with a bat!) I've been dying for this colorway for quite some time, and HAD to have it after I picked the skein up to wind it back into a nice hank for the people - it had come undone and was about to turn into a tangly mess. I figured I'd wind it up for them while I looked around, and never put it back down. Doesn't Stephanie warn against touching if you're not 100% sure you want to buy? I'm a sucker, that's for sure!



Okay, this one still scares me, cause, well, I never thought I wanted to learn to spin. I think my teacher's mind might be trying to take over here, because I remember vaguely this thought running through my mind: "I'll need a Summer project!" Yeah, and the 5 books I planned to read that went unread LAST Summer should have been a hint to me that I DON'T actually need a "Summer project" anymore than I needed the yarn I bought. But, It was my birthday, and the spindle was GORGEOUS, the kit a good deal, and the roving a deep, chocolate-y brown I couldnt resist. Did I mention it was my birthday? The spindle kit came from the lovely Tom and Diane Golding



Brooks Farm!!! For some reason I was in a red mood (actually, it was blue, but red is so much cheerier)! This is three hanks of some red Acero (I know, I know, I didn't knit up the previous batch of Acero from Stitches East yet, but hey - did I mention it was my birthday??), two hanks of their Primerino, also in red, and some cute stitch markers I got for my Hogwarts pal from Carodan Farms. I actually bought 7 skeins of red yarn from Brooks Farm that day - two were for my mother's birthday yesterday, so are not pictured here. I had a hefty bill at the register in this booth that day, but they have such great stuff, are such nice people, and - if everything is the way it used to be, they give you a 10% discount if you wear a finished product using their yarns to a festival. I guess I'd best knit up some of their stuff before Stitches in the Fall!!!

The markers are done by Carol Buskey, and are really cute. It's actually a shawl pin/stitch holder PLUS the 6 markers, in colors that match the colors of one of the Hogwarts houses very nicely, I think - they definitely match the socks I am knitting my pal, of which, one is nearly ready to close the toe. Nearly. I need to knit on those socks a bit more often! I see a bit-o-knitting time at my favorite Starbucks coming up!

I'm also considering starting a knitting meetup group this summer ('cause, ya know, I NEED a Summer project!) :O) That might be the place! I'll have to ask around, but I really want a meetup closer to me, so I may just have to resort to starting it my-selfies!

Um, forgot about this one, but I can't very well learn to spin without some extra roving in great colors! This little "stash" is actually how I wound up buying the spindle kit to begin with. My SP10 pal wants to learn to spin. I bought her a beginner's kit already, and was looking for some roving to send as well, so I peeked into booths with rovings, found these three GEMS from Cloverleaf Farms, liked the price, loved the colors and fibers, so went for it. One at least will make it to my pal - might need to send two to cut down on the opportunity for distraction and/or another hobby I don't really need! ACK!