Coffee Swap!!

I was finally able to get in on the Knitter's Coffee Swap - this is number 4 and I'm just getting in - not for lack of trying, but my timing, apparently, could be better!

So, my package arrived from my wonderful pal Tessah - she's just great! She lives in Japan (I'm going international when I swap these days - to see what's going on on the other side of the world!!!), and sent some wonderful goodies!

Right now, I'm enjoying some "Blendy" coffee for my after-dinner treat, along with some surprising biscuits. I'm not 100% positive what I'm eating (not that that's a problem with me - I love food), but I'm thinking these are a mild, iced wasabi cracker???? Something tastes a bit salty underneath, but they're clearly iced on top . . . Definitely interesting. She also sent chocolate-filled cookie "biscuits" that look a bit more traditional, a cute note holder that will go on my desk at school(work), TWO different coffees (the "Blendy" plus one from Brazil that looks like it has chocolate added in (the Blendy has a little something in it, too, very mild, but lovely), and TWO different Imperial yarns - two skeins of a medium-weight dusty pink that I'm thinking "hat" with, and two skeins of a heavier celadon green that I'm thinking I'll make into a chunky scarf (since I found so many interesting patterns when researching for the package I sent her!!!).

Once again, a wonderful package and a new friend to boot. I'd been "off" from swapping for a while, but I have really enjoyed my last two - probably because there was no "make" part to it - just get to know the person, put a package together and send! I think I was getting burnt out on the ones that involved making something to send - requires a bit more time and effort, and takes away (excuse me for being selfish) from the time I'd be spending on my own personal knitting or gift knitting, etc. Maybe I WILL go sign up for that Indie dyer swap like I wanted . . .

***** ***** ***** *****

In knitting news, I'm plugging away at my two (3?) projects slowly but surely - I have one sleeve finished and the other started on Frances, I'm about to change over into the gold color on my Kauni Convertible, and the baby surprise jacket? Well it's pretty much still the same. I need to get knitting on that again soon, especially since the recipient was nice enough to loan me a store bought sweater she had on the other day so I can attempt to copy it!! Wish me luck - I've planned to do this several times, but haven't quite gotten there. I'm thinking there's hope with this one, however, since I can't just rip the tags off and wear it like when I "plan" on returning it, since it actually does belong to someone else!!!! Wish me luck!

I also broke down two weekends ago and stained the Ashford supplies I've gotten recently to go with my wheel. Everything from them is unfinished, which gave me the chance to test out the stains before tackling the bigger project - the wheel. Here's the lazy kate, stained in "pecan" along with the top bobbin. The center bobbin is stained the cherry color that I will do the main wheel on the Hitchhiker. The bottom bobbin is still unfinished, as it had yarn on it during the staining. I think I'm happy, but I definitely like the pecan a little better than the cherry, although I do think I'll be happy with how the wheel looks when it's finished with both stains.


The yarns I've been spinning - the outer two are wheel spun, with some Creatively Dyed fiber that is YUMMY, and the center is some romney I've been doing on my Bosworth spindle.



Here's my "space" that I've been rearranging - trying to get organized and unclutter things to allow for some creativity
***** ***** ***** *****

And, finally - The Boy. He's a mess. He FINALLY got his sleepover, and man, was that FUN!!! (Note the sarcasm!) Seriously, though - it wasn't that bad. I'd consider doing it again - for only one or two friends, not 5!!! That was a bit much. But everyone had fun - the only tears were from my spoiled rotten brat, and only one child had to be put in timeout. Seriously. If you are bad enough to get put in timeout during a PARTY, you probably won't get invited back. Dude. Calm the $#@! down!!! Wow.


Here he is the morning after. Notice they're all absorbed in the Wii once again. That thing is good for something, right??? Thank goodness for Mario Kart!!!

:O)

Happy Birthday, Baby.

7 years ago, about this time of the evening, I learned the joy of an epidural. Boy, was it ever JOY! Very ironic that during my pregnancy, I swore I did not want any drugs - I wanted "natural." Yeah, right!

After the epidural kicked in, I watched some ice skating from the Winter Olympics (they were in Salt Lake City, Utah that year), and took a nap. Yup. A nap. In the middle of "labor."

That's what I call some "Good Drugs".

About 6 hours after that, The Boy arrived, and my life has (thankfully) never been the same!

I really can't believe he's turning 7! How and when did this happen? It doesn't seem like he should be this big already, and yet sometimes, he seems like he's much older (and sometimes much younger - you should have seen the things he tried this evening to get me to let him open some presents before going to bed!).

He has such joy for life. He is my very proudest "accomplishment" in life. I am so glad he's my son, feel so privileged to be able to be called his mom, and I'm scared to death and excited as anything of the rest of our lives. I keep thinking I'm going to muck it up somehow. But then, he comes over to give me a hug without prompting, or concedes to give me a goodbye kiss in front of his classmates, and it's all better. Little boys DO love their Mommies, and I'm glad.

Happy Birthday Sweetie. I love you.

:O)

Odds Are . . .

You know that saying - "One step forward and two steps back." - that one??

Well, I've got that one beat, hands down.

Over the past week, I've finished two WIPs!

First off, The Boy now has his kool-aid dyed sock blank socks. This past summer, my mother and I created one afternoon in the backyard (lord, the mosquitoes loved us that day!!). I was so very proud of the spark within that thought of this twist to the dyeing process:


Then The Boy claimed it for his own. DANG!!!!

But it's totally worth it - they fit like a dream and he wore them from the time I gave them to him till last night's shower.

I also finished the All Aboard I was knitting in Silk Garden. I am now engaged to be married to some Silk Garden. It's a match made in heaven.

I was planning on wearing this tomorrow, but since The Boy is in bed with a fever right now, I'm going to be lounging in my jammies tomorrow, playing nurse, NOT dressed in all black with this over the top. I'll give an update on Tuesday instead!

Soooo, with all this finishing, I DESERVE to cast on a little something, right? Don't worry - I've been very restrained. I really, really wanted to cast on for about 2,000 things - socks from the grab-bag stash, a falling leaves shawl with some Kauni that's calling to me in my sleep, the Shawl Cardigan I've been wanting to try with my prize yarn from Stitches - the list goes on and on!!!

However - I only cast on for Frances Revisited. It's going very quickly, but I'm feeling the need to put it on another needle and try it on to make sure it's giving The Girls plenty of space. With how open this gague is knitting up, I don't need to be obscene with it!!

So, that's TWO steps forward (FO's) and only ONE step back (casting on again). I wonder how many times I need to do this dance till I completely run out of WIPs???? Nah, that'll never happen!!

P.S. I totally scored some free fiber today! Seeing as how it was 70 degrees outside today, The Boy and I ventured out to show some friends our favorite hang out - Watkins Park. Of course, that meant we had to go see the animals at the farm. While there, I talked to the head Naturalist, and asked what they do with the shearings and clippings from the animals (three sheep, two llamas and - GASP - an angora goat). She said she normally gives most of it to a friend who comes in to help with the 'wool day' even they hold each spring because the friend brings in her spinning wheel and does demonstrations and talks all day. She asked why I wanted it, and I said - "Same reason - to spin!" We agreed that if I come with my spindles (the other spinner uses a wheel), she'd let me leave with some fiber. YES!!! Gotta love that!

:O)