Secret Pal 9 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love all things superwash, or machine washable in general. I’ve had one too many things get felted accidently, so know all knitted items have to be machine washable in our house. I’m especially taken with ArtYarns Supermerino – it’s so soft and comes in great colors. I also enjoy knitting with Cascade 220 and Noro Silk Garden for felting projects. KnitPicks Shine Worsted is wicked nice to work with too. And cheap.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

My straight needles are in two separate handmade needle rolls, divided by length. My DPNs are in a Clinique makeup bag. My circs are in their original packages, stacked on the side of my knitting basket (they really need a home). And my hooks are in a short, plastic tube that most of them came in.

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 just over 2 years. I originally learned in 2000 from my Mom. We went on a family trip, driving from Florida to Maine, and I needed something to do. We stopped at a WalMart and I picked up some needles and yarn and proceeded to make the most God-awful “scarf” the world has ever seen. I was discouraged and gave up, never really learning what I was doing. A couple years ago, the February issue of Martha Stewart Living included instructions on how to knit and I re-taught myself. I’ve been going strong since then. I would say I’m an intermediate to advanced knitter. I’ve matured past the scarves and more scarves stage, I’ve knit socks, I can knit cables and bobbles, I haven’t tried lace, but I don’t think I have the patience for it.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

I have a wist: http://www.wists.com/megaknits

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)

I like light scents, like citrus and green apple. I also love ‘clean linen’ scents. I wear Clinique Happy and Bath and Body Works Coconut body spray.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Yes. But I’m also diabetic, so I have to limit my sweets, or make sure that they carry a bit of protein with them. I’m a big fan of fun-size candybars. I love chocolate. I love caramel. My favorite candybar is MilkyWay, but a Snickers is better for my bloodsugar. I love plain and peanut M&Ms. My favorite color M&M is green.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I make cards and have a ridiculous collection of rubber stamps. I tried spinning, but Wayne told me he’d just pay for me to buy yarn.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

Here are some bands I like: the Fray, Indigo Girls, Sarah MacLachlan, the Killers, Dashboard Confessional, Audio Adrenaline, Jars of Clay, Switchfoot, you get the idea, right? And yes.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

I like blues and greens. I love black and wear a lot of it, but not in a goth way. I really like pinks. I’m not a fan of yellows and oranges, but can dig them as accent colors. I like some browns, as long as they aren’t too yellow.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I have two great kiddos, Alison is 4 and Emily is 3 months old. I’m married to the love of my life and we also have a dog named Brewski.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Not really, I’m in Florida and it gets cold here for about 2 hours a year. I could maybe rock a hat, but flip flops are much more appropriate.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I like to make little sweaters for my girls – they’re whole garments, but knit up lots quicker than adult stuff. I also discovered the joy of knitting socks this summer.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Christmas presents. Socks. Washclothes. A sweater for me. About to start a sweater for Wayne.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

I love handmade gifts.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I am a die-hard fan of Addi Turbo circular needles. I buy them from some guy in Taiwan thru ebay for cheap.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I have a swift, but no ball winder.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Maybe a month or two. I will either finish or give up so nothing sticks around too long.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas. I love how people’s attitudes change for the better around the holidays. How they’ll go volunteer at a soup kitchen or donate a bunch of old clothes.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Lately it seems like I collect sock yarn. But besides that, nothing really.

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’m going to revist this question. I don’t subscribe to any knitting magazines, but would love to.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Ooo, I want to learn Magic Loop. And how to knit one sock inside another.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes. Length = 10.5 inches (tip of big toe to back of heel); Size 10 shoes.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

June 12th

So Many Secrets

No great detail on knitting stuff 'cause everything is a secret.

I'm working on Nicole's Christmas present which is working up quickly - I've only spent about 3 hours working on it, but it's crochet and my hand keeps cramping up weird. I should really be finished with it by now.

After becoming totally addicted to a smaller project I make this summer, I've decided that they will be my go-to gift. So I'm all stocked up on cotton (hint, hint) and burning out a pile of these little gifties. And by stocked up, I mean STOCKED UP. It seems like everytime I go to Michaels, Joanns or WalMart even - and I'm at WalMart almost every other day - a ball or two of cotton sneaks into my bag. I've got a serious pile of stashed cotton.

On the list of things started and things to be done for swaps/holidays/etc is a big pile of socks. I've been stashing up yarn for these as well and just need to finalize which patterns I want to try. I'm making a goal to do something a little challenging for my Harvest Sock Swap partner - any suggestions?

Things I can talk about in greater detail: My Bad Penny gained a few inches at SnB on Tuesday night, but I'm still in the tediously growing raglan section. I doubled checked the numbers and by the time I get to the body, I'll be halving the stitches I'm working up to. It'll be a relief. The yarn for Wayne's sweater will finally ship out today. Then it's just a matter of Priority Mail getting it here - quickly I hope. And I cast on a magKNITficent 'No Sugar Added' sock and I'm really digging the pattern. It gives you a little to think about so it goes faster, but not too much so you don't miss a minute of CSI. :)



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sight
gorgeous felting yarns
Jody's fiber treasures
glow-in-the-dark mini golf

smell
basil
mint
Wayne's gum

touch
Jody's angora
icky acrylic for a good cause
soft UltraMerino

sound
workout grunts
Alison singing
'did you just say shut up to me??'

taste
gummy worms
basil crusted tilapia
tuna fish sandwich

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The end of the list. :)


91. I ship virtually everything via Priority Mail.
92. I’m diabetic.
93. I’m right-handed.
94. I’ve considered trying to write a children’s book.
95. Wayne and my ‘song’ is ‘Everlong’ by the Foo Fighters.
96. I like to sing loudly in the car, whether I’m on-key or not. It’s starting to rub off on Alison.
97. I used to work at a Market Research firm, I put together focus groups.
98. I love a good pedicure.
99. I can be bribed with chocolate, preferably dark chocolate.
100. I am excellent at memorizing phone numbers.

Just keep knitting

Bad Penny is coming along nicely. I was able to get a little knitting time this weekend, amid all the craziness - I can't figure out why, but this weekend was tiring. The raglan shaping, while wonderful in it's seamlessness, is trying right now. I have to increase 8 stitches every other round so each successive round is bigger than the last and it's getting BIG!

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Saturday Ride
Duration: 45 minutes (due to technical difficulties on the trail and scheduling conflicts)
Average Speed: 12 mph
Distance: 10 miles
Calories Burned: 549
Did I fall? Nope, and I really think I'm getting the hang of my pedals.

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81. My first car was given to me, it was a 1986 Mazda 626 with no paint.
82. The first hurricane I went through was Hurricane Gloria in New Jersey.
83. My favorite sweater is a turquoise-striped sweater from GAP.
84. I love Old Navy and can spend a mint there when there’s a good sale.
85. I love Johnny Depp and Gwenyth Paltrow and will see anything they’re in.
86. I enjoyed ‘Lady in the Water’
87. I can’t get enough of LOST.
88. The Amazing Race is the best reality show ever.
89. I saw the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra perform the 1812 Overture when I was in 4th grade.
90. I lost my wedding and engagement rings, well Alison did, and Wayne replaced them for me last year on our anniversary.

Prizes-a-go-go!

I promised some more prize info for my Tour de Cure raffle a few days ago and here they are.

First, you could win a ball of Trekking XXL in colorway 134 plus a set of 5 sz. 3 DPNs to knit up a pair of socks:

Next up: A Stitch and Bitch Knitter's Handbook by Debbie Stoller, autographed by Debbie Stoller ! :)

And lastly, for today, a great deal! My wonderful knitting friend, Maggie, wrote a sock pattern and is letting me sell it for donations. Hooray!

I named it the magKNITficent 'No Sugar Added' Sock pattern and it can be yours for just $4. All proceeds to support me in the Tour de Cure. You can get your copy here.

It's on

I stayed up late last night, after everyone had gone to sleep and snuck in a little extra knitting time. Just long enough to cast on my Bad Penny. Woo hoo! I thought I was never going to start this sweater. Mostly because my Christmas Gift-o-Rama - or the gift to give to many and random people - requires my 16" sz. 8 needles. I had to stop knitting those to start this. The addicition was hard to break.

To make it easier, I borrowed my Mom's 16" sz. 8s so I can relapse if necessary, but Wayne's sweater requires that same needle too, so I'll have to finish Penny quickly, or suffer some withdrawal for a while. I ordered the yarn for Wayne's sweater earlier this week. I'm knitting the Men's Raglan Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

I do not believe that this will take a minute. Nor my very last minute. But if I start it when the yarn arrives, I'll have all the minutes from now until Christmas to work on it.

I went with Handpainted Yarns handspun bulky in Black Forest. Lolly used this yarn when she made this sweater for her husband and it turned out very handsome, so hopefully I'll have the same amount of success. A word of caution to those of you considering ordering this yarn. It take 9-12 days to ship! So don't wait to the last minute, order early.
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Distance: 10.5 miles
Average Speed: 11 mph
Duration: 55 minutes
Calories Burned: 539
Did I fall? Nope, not even close. :)

SUPPORT ME & win fabulous prizes.


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71. I once slept almost the whole way from Orlando to Portland, Maine.
72. I failed my driving test the first time.
73. My dad took me to 7-11 for a Slurpee to make me feel better.
74. I love Splenda.
75. In high school, I taught 2nd graders Spanish as part of my Spanish 4 class, it was really rewarding.
76. My favorite poet is Wallace Stevens.
77. I won’t read the latest book in a series if the next book isn’t out yet. I’ll wait, so there’s always one more I could read.
78. I’ve read everything that Stephen King has published.
79. Even the stuff under his nom-de-plume, Richard Bachman.
80. I drive a Ford Expedition that guzzles gas.

Ouch!

Last night I went on my first 'training' ride with my new bike. This is the second time I've riden a bike since just after college (and very much before two babies).

I went with Wayne since I was learning my new pedals and Nicole promised he'd try to catch me if I screamed that I was going to fall.

Let me explain something about my husband, he's one of those guys who has to seriously let himself go for a while to seem not-fit. Everytime we go on a diet together, he's dropped his target weight (5 lbs.) in a day and I'm left eating like a rabbit while he's at McDonald's. While I was pregnant with E, he had the audacity to lose 16 lbs. And he mentioned last night that he's lost 2 lbs in the last two weeks in which he has not gotten on his bike or gone to the gym.

Irritating, right?

Instead he was wonderful last night. He stayed with me at my slow-for-him 11 mph. He was really encouraging throughout the ride, pointing out things I was doing well and things that impressed him.

He did tell me lies, like if I went a mile further he'd buy me a soda when we took our break. I didn't get a soda. And told me that the ends of hills were closer than in reality.

Distance: 14 miles. From Ingram Rd. to downtown Winter Garden.

Average speed: 10 mph

Duration: 1.5 hours

Did I fall? Not really. I almost fell, but managed to run into a bush and column and stay upright. Another almost fall, Wayne tried to come up behind me to catch me and jammed his handlebars into my back, but it was well intended so I tried not to get upset.

Don't let this all be for naught. Make sure you

SUPPORT ME

in the Tour De Cure!

Click the button on the left.

So much to report

My gorgeous Alison turned 4 on Sunday! I can't tell you how amazingly blessed I am to have her in my life.

When Alison was born she couldn't breathe properly and it took 2 weeks in the NICU for her to be healthy enough to go home. Those two weeks were surreal. I had this person that I just met that I felt so much love and worry for and didn't even know very well. Since then Alison's health has done nothing but improved and her pediatrician is shocked that she hasn't had any long-term effects.

Alison is a bright, independent little girl and I can't believe she's growing up so quickly. This year she'll be continuing dance class, this year with a little tap and starting soccer.


We threw a pretend sleepover birthday party for Alison on Saturday night and it was a ton of fun. The kids all came in their jammies and we decorated washclothes, popped popcorn, and played flashlight limbo.

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Monday night my wonderful husband took my to Orange Cycle and we bought a ton of cycling stuff, including my NEW BIKE. If you thought there was no ceiling as to how much knitting stuff you "need", you've never been a cyclist. Every time we turned around there was something else we needed to buy.

Here she is. She's a Specialized Dolce, which is a Women's Specific Bicycle. That means that the 'reach' from seat to handlebar is shorter to accomodate a shorter chick torso. The handlebars are more narrow to accomodate slimmer set shoulders. And the seat is awesome to protect my girl parts. This is the most important part in my opinion.


Then you have to consider the equation of cycling gear: lighter = more expensive = faster. Wayne kept making my bike faster and faster and now I'm a little scared of it. :)


But what I'm most scared of are my pedals. Their called clipless pedals and they work with cleats on your shoes to connect you to the bike. Now Wayne started cycling about a year ago and since that time I've heard lots of stories about people just falling over 'cause they couldn't unclip. The guy at the bike shop said that I could wait and get them later, but Wayne said no, I have to jump right in. I'll let you know when I fall over. It shouldn't take too long.

Now I'm ready to really start training for the Tour de Cure. I think it's important to point out at this point that I am not a skinny-minny. This is a serious undertaking 'cause I'm a big girl, but I'm encouraged by the fact that this is not only an opportunity to raise some funds, but also to slim my bootie down.

Won't you SUPPORT ME in this venture??

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And I managed to bring my cross-stitch to jury duty yesterday and finished quite a bit. It took me a week and a half to stitch the footprint of the left (I'm a slow cross-stitcher and it's slowing down my knitting) and one day of jury duty to stitch the footprint on the right.

It was an interesting experience. I didn't actually sit on a jury. I was interviewed for one case about cocaine possession, but they didn't pick me. I lucked out and got to leave at 3pm, so it wasn't even a whole day.

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61. My sister Aileen and I are frequently referred to as ‘the girls’.
62. I’ve only lived alone for 6 months of my life.
63. All of the furniture in my house was given to us.
64. I love gin and tonics, with lots of lime.
65. I know how to play a mean game of Texas Hold ‘Em.
66. I’m thrilled that Care Bears and My Little Pony are popular again so I can buy them for my girls.
67. Wonder Woman is my hero.
68. I had Wonder Woman underwear when I was 3, they were a reward for getting potty trained.
69. I found a place online where I can get adult Wonder Woman underwear but haven’t had the guts to order them.
70. I visit the library once a week with Alison.

Summer Sock Friend

Katherine's package finally made it's way from Florida to Michigan and guess what??? Her sock fit too!! I may be on to something here. :)

She posted lots of great pictures on her blog so make sure you check them out. Here's a not as great picture if you're feeling lazy.

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51. I own three copies of ‘Catcher in the Rye’, but I’m not a serial killer.
52. I was a vegetarian for 5 years.
53. One of my most cherished gifts is a painted stick from my friend Andria.
54. I own 3 Nintendo gaming systems – N64, GameBoy, and a Super Nintendo. I like old school games.
55. I was voted Class Flirt my senior year of high school.
56. I wore elbow length gloves to Prom.
57. My prom was at the Renaissance Hotel at Sea World.
58. I’m carrying on my mom’s family’s tradition of Christmas pajamas with my kids. Alison thinks it’s great.
59. In college, I made an experimental film about my Dad that he’s never seen – I’ve never been able to format it for his viewing.
60. When I was 4, I carved my name into a wooden rocking chair with a wire hanger and tried to blame it on my sister.

The Knitty in Review

My thoughts on the Fall Knitty.

Before I even discuss the patterns, I have to mention this quarter’s banner. It’s delicious. I don’t know what yarn that is, but I love it and wish it were mine.

Viveka: I think this sweater is cute, I’d probably wear it. I probably wouldn’t knit it ‘cause with my big girl body it would take miles and miles of stockinette and I’d probably give up early on. The first photo leaves a little to be desired, is that girl supposed to look pregnant?

Lucie: Not my style, but it looks cute on the mannequin. Note that I said mannequin, that first picture makes the more busty model look bloated. As a busty girl, this turns me off to said garment.

Cactus Flower: This is pretty. I like the carrying of two unrelated yarns together. I do not however like cowl necks.

Ivy: Gorgeous, I even love the color they picked. Unfortunately, that’s a lot of work for a girl who lives in a place where it gets cold for 2 days.

Serrano: Love it. I may make this one after Christmas when I’m looking for a challenge and not a deadline.

Avast: Nicole mentioned this one to me as it is similar to the Men’s Raglan Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts that I intend to knit for Wayne. I like this one, but Wayne would take one look at the cabling on the bottom and never wear it. I’m going to stick to the original game plan.

Let me pause from the patterns for a second to point out the second thing I love, loved about this issue. Did you see the banner at the top of each pattern?? The one that was directly related to the yarn used or a great substitute from KnitPicks. That is some genius marketing right there. I can see knitters everywhere thinking, I like this pattern, but I have to go look up the yarn at my fav online store or drive to my LYS and then they see the banner and BAM! Yarn ordered! Project started sooner! Love it!

Sherwood: Gorgeous cabling, but if my kids are any measure of children worldwide, they would grow out of it by the time I finished it. Even if I made it 3 sizes bigger.

Intolerable Cruelty: Not for me. Although I am jealous of that girl’s bootie.

A Little Slip: Not so little. I’m trying to see beyond the colors she picked, but can’t wrap my head around it yet. Maybe. Probably not.

Lizard Ridge: If I were ever to make a full size blanket, it would be this one. It’s a very beautiful way to display Noro. How much do you think all that yarn costs??

Red Herring: Cute. I like to knit socks so maybe I’ll try this pattern out. Side note: I have that sushi tray. J

Cablenet: I will never knit this well. I won’t even pretend it could happen.

Sox on 2 stix: I’ve noticed that there a billion ways to knit socks. Magic Loop, DPNs, 2 circs. I’m trying to master them one at a time. I’ll probably get to this method in my 30s.

Diamante: I think I’m going to use the coral Nature’s Palette yarn I rec’d a while ago to try out this pattern. I think it’ll challenge me just enough to still want to cast on for number 2.

Ayla: I’ve got 2 girls, of course I’m knittin’ this one. Or maybe 2.

Sugar on Snow: Very innovative, but alas, no snow here.

Tamarah: I’m not a shawl wearer and don’t think I really know anyone who is. And the ‘piquant’ rating on this one scares me.

Twiggy Tweed: Love it! I may add this to my Christmas knitting for some very well-loved friends.

Back to School: These are cute. I like that the designer included so many great motifs. I may chart out some names or other words to give them as gifts. How cute would the be in black and white with ‘bride’ and ‘groom’ on them.

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I’m kicking my butt training for the Tour de Cure and will be buying my very own road bike (insert sticker shock here) this weekend or next week. Won’t you please donate a little of your hard earned money?? Thanks!!

Click on the SUPPORT ME button, on the left. :)

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Jocelyn's "finished" Pinwheel sweater - I have from now until November to weave in those pesky ends.

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41. I went to the Everglades on my honeymoon.
42. My first camera was made by Fisher Price.
43. I saw ‘Field of Dreams’ in the theaters.
44. I believe babies should be dressed like people, not like they live at a slumber party.
45. When I was in high school I would tease my mom for dressing me in corduroys and Mary Janes, that ended in college when I started dressing myself in them.
46. I wore overalls 3 out of 5 days in college.
47. My friends have the pictures to prove it.
48. I bit my tongue badly the day before Halloween in 2nd grade and couldn’t eat any candy at our class party the next day.
49. I remember where I was when the Challenger blew up.
50. The first thing I ever knit was a scarf for Wayne. It’s awful.

In the intrest of full-disclosure. I didn't even bother weaving in the ends of this 'scarf', I just tucked them under for the picture.

A Moment of Silence

Miss Katherine walked into the classroom, a shocked look on her face. She whispered quietly to Miss Karen and I watched her face go from smiling to ashy and grim.

What’s going on?

Miss Karen calls Brooke and I over. A plane has flown into the World Trade Center. It is 9 AM ish on Sept. 11th 2001. We haven’t even had snack yet. The kids are quietly playing.

A plane has flown into the World Trade Center.

Miss Katherine is already back in the office listening to the radio. Trying to make sense of what we’re being told. It doesn’t take long until the reports come in that another plane has hit the other tower.

A plane. It must be some sort of mistake. But another, what is going on?

As the morning continues more reports come in. The Pentagon is hit. A plane has gone down in Pennsylvania.

Why can’t I get through to Wayne’s cell phone? Are Greg and Brian okay? How far is their apartment from the scene of this devastation?

We were just there. We were standing in the lobby of the World Trade Center contemplating what would be involved in eloping there. It was beautiful and now it’s fallen.

We’ve been attacked.

There’s no home field advantage anymore.

How will we ever feel safe??

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I wrote the above entry in my journal 5 years ago. My mind was flooded with questions and uneasiness. I like to think that today some of those questions have been answered and some of the uneasiness has subsided.

Today is not about a political blame-game of who knew what and when they knew it. It’s about remembering those who were lost. For remembering the valor of those who fought so hard to find the missing and save the trapped.

That list of names that I can hear in the background is not just a list. It’s people. Mommies, daddies, sons and daughters. Today I mourn with their families and with my fellow Americans.

I celebrate the lives they lived and sacrificed.

More prizes on the way!

Just a quick post for those of you considering donating to my Tour de Cure fund. I've been busy collecting lovely prizes for the drawing and will be posting pics tomorrow. Don't miss this great chance to give a little bit and get some great yarns! :)

Happy Girl, Happy Feet!

The birthday socks were a big hit. And they fit! Hooray!



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31. My guest bathroom is painted Daredevil Red.
32. I can’t knit just one thing at a time.
33. My bridal bouquet is on display in my living room
34. I learned to cross-stitch when I was 10 from my mom.
35. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is my favorite.
36. I love the color combination of pinks with greens.
37. I once drove the same stretch of I-75 over and over for 3 hours for a friend’s film shoot.
38. I interned for the Weekly Planet in Tampa.
39. On my 21st birthday my first legally purchased drink was a Frambois.
40. I used to own a turtle named Mitchell, after a book I loved as a child called ‘Mitchell is Moving’ about a dinosaur that moves from one house to another.

sight
the west orange trail
new clothes
free starbucks coupon

smell
coffee, my favorite smell
burt's bees lotion - thanks Cathy
Bath & Body Works everything

touch
sore bootie
sore abs
sore legs

sound
Emily talking
screams from shots
Wayne playing guitar - incessantly

taste
buffalo chicken tenders
bruschetta chicken
slimfast shakes - everyday

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I have finished all but one sleeve of Jocelyn's Pinwheel sweater. This one is not going quite as quickly as Emily's, but it'll probably be finished in under 2 weeks. Plus a lot of my knitting time has been spent in the gym and on the bike. Or just sitting being sore and tired after the fact.

I'm working on some other Christmas little gifts on the side and gearing up for Ali's 4th Pretend Sleepover birthday party. Pics to come soon.

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List-o-rama:


21. My whole life I dreamed of having little blue-eyed children and swore I would never marry a guy with brown eyes – Wayne has brown eyes.
22. I visit gofugyourself.com on a daily basis.
23. I can play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on the piano and nothing else.
24. I’ve met Ricky Martin.
25. I worked for MTV for three weeks.
26. I’ve been on TRL.
27. I had one detention in my whole academic career.
28. I love Justin Timberlake.
29. Although the original will always be the best, I watch every manifestation of CSI.
30. In college I was an avid fan of South Park and Dawson’s Creek.



Alison enjoying some of our Summer Sock Party spoils and Emily cuddling her Nana. :)

Don't forget to

SUPPORT ME

in the Tour de Cure and get your chance to win a sock knitting kit.

Give a Little Bit

I spent my Labor Day laboring. No more kids, I was on a bicycle. Yesterday I rode 10 miles at an average speed of 12MPH and it was only my first day. First day of what? Training for the big ride.

In February I'll be riding 25 miles in the Tour de Cure. This ride raises money for the American Diabetes Association which is dear to my very diabetic heart. Millions of people are affected by diabetes in the US, those with the disease and their families. A cure is not a distant hope anymore and I'm excited to do my heart to make it happen sooner.

Want to help out?? Click on the Tour de Cure button over there on the left and make a donation. For every $10 you donate, you'll get an entry in a raffle for a sock-knitting kit. The winner will receive a skein of Trekking XXL in colorway #134 plus a set of 5 size#2 double-pointed needles.

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Today was a great mail day! I received my Summer Sock Party package!! It's great!!! My partner is great!!!! The sock she designed for me fits like a dream! And Cascade Fixation may be my new favorite sock yarn. All my little goodies are adorable too. Thanks secret friend!!

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More list:

11. I am a member of the Spanish Honorary Society.
12. I’m secretly competitive.
13. I’ve been to every state on the Eastern seaboard.
14. I’ve traveled to Canada and Haiti.
15. My husband consistently kicks my ass at Scrabble and I’m a poor loser.
16. My first memory is of my Gram – I remember her reading to me and then I remember everyone leaving for her funeral.
17. I named my oldest daughter after my college roommate.
18. Wayne proposed to me at Indian River Lagoon after a kayaking trip.
19. I picked out my own engagement ring.
20. I love fireworks.

100!

I feel very accomplished today, having reached my 100th post and really applying myself as a blogger. I love having a forum to keep myself accountable and show off my craftiness. Thanks readers, welcome new subscribers!

sight
Emily's rapidly lightening hair
Berenstain Bears
almost 4-year-old meltdown

smell
fajitas
formula - I feel like it's my new signature smell
the gym - ick!

touch
Carlin!!
Ali!!
Jany!!

sound
Ali & Gary's vows
Dave & Wayne playing guitar
lot of laughter with old friends

taste
de-licious prime rib
asparagus
chocolate-chip cookies

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I've rethought the washcloth situation. The second one went a lot better. And Adrienne had the brains to look up the pattern to check for corrections and let me in on them. Thanks! I think my bigger complaint was working with that darn cotton. It hurts my fingers! I has no give! Ick!

That didn't stop me from picking up more Sugar n' Cream yesterday though - they work up quick and make great gifts. I can't snub my nose at that.

I'm almost to the edging for Jocelyn's Pinwheel sweater. Here's another example of something I did much better at the second time around. The provisional cast on for the sleeves was a breeze and I feel confident about pulling out the contrasting color yarn this time - I'll let you know how it goes.

In honor of my 100th post, I'm going to post 100 random things about me - some knitting related, most not. I'll do this over the next 10 posts so you don't get burned out on how cool I am. Or not. :)


1. I love God.
2. I love my husband, Wayne.
3. I love my girls, Alison & Emily.
4. My dog’s name is Brewski. He’s the 2nd dog I’ve ever owned. The 1st’s name was Watson.
5. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with an emphasis on Film – translation, I’m no fun at movies.
6. I completed a minor in English – I love to read.
7. My husband decorated my fish tank to look like Grecian ruins.
8. Our wedding anniversary is December 15th.
9. If you get married near Christmas, people will give you ‘Our First Christmas’ ornaments like they’re going out of style. I know from personal experience.
10.I share my birthday with Anne Frank.

Mason-Dixon Headache

On my way to Ali’s gorgeous wedding I was able to get the ‘foot’ of Birthday Sock Dos finished up. Knitting in the car used to make me really nauseated, but lately I’ve been grabbing a project for trips across town with no tummy troubles. I snagged some alone time on Sunday evening after dinner and got the toe done. Hooray! This is my fastest pair of socks to date and I have plenty of time to get them shipped.

And here's some personally exciting news. My friend Carlin (who flew in for L.A. for the wedding), who you may remember as the recipient of the Color Bar Blanket, is a knitter!! Hooray!! She's only knitted scarves so far, but I'm sure that soon she'll be on to bigger and better things.

Now to the headache. I started working on some Mason-Dixon washcloths – the hexagonal ones and have had nothing but trouble with this pattern. Maybe I can’t read, but my Bachelor’s Degree and minor in English would’ve been a lot harder to get. I had to cast on 3 times after completing the first few, apparently difficult, rows.

Once I got into the established pattern of decreases it went better, but I was still pretty burned by the first part. I’m afraid that I have the widely unpopular opinion that this book isn’t that great. No offense intended, I just don’t think it’s for me.



In weather news, Tropical Storm Ernesto is making it quite a rainy day here in Orlando today. I hope the power doesn’t go out. Fingers crossed.

You can tell that the powers that be don’t want to be accused of unpreparedness, all the schools are closed and shelters are open. All for a big thunderstorm.

Little Knittin' Chica

sight
lots of bubbles on the front porch
clean, clean truck - thanks baby
emails from old friends

smell
coffee
baby shampoo
clinique happy

touch
sweaty gym clothes
sore, sore muscles
smooth addi turbos

sound
'save a horse, ride a cowboy'
emily 'talking'
brewski barking at cats across the street

taste
more vanilla lattes
chicken lo mein
garlic bread

----

I've been wanting to teach Alison to knit, but every time I try we just end up frustrated with each other. It's not her fault, I think she's still too young. But thanks to the advice of Adrienne, today we discovered that she's not too young to finger knit. She made herself a bracelet and had a ball doing it.




And what should arrive in the mail today, but my gorgeous new labels from RohmCustom. They're are so nice and smell really good too. I opted for the cotton labels and ended up getting 54 for only $10, plus $.85 for shipping!! I can't wait to start putting them in finished stuff.


That is totally birthday sock 2 in the background. I'm speeding down the gusset and hope to get them close to finished this weekend. We're driving out to Tampa for my friend Alison's wedding so I should be able to knit quite a bit.

Jury Duty

Instead of taking several pictures today, I took one with all topics to be discussed - consider it a small tableau.

a) Isn't Emily cute?? She's 7 weeks old now. I still like her. :)

b) I finished Aileen's first birthday sock. I took a day "off" and just wound the second hank of yarn before casting on for sock #2. Almost 3 inches finished during SnB last night. Woo hoo.

c) In yesterday's mail I got summoned for Jury Duty!! I've only been summoned once before and I couldn't attend because I was leaving for college. I'm really excited! Wayne's even going to take the day off from work so I can go.

Last night, I think I hashed out my Christmas knitting list, which keeps getting put off for things like birthday socks and a newly commissioned Pinwheel Sweater for a friend's baby. But it's still early and I'm confident I can get it done.

think, think, think

sight
eric carle art museum exhibit
that badass OK GO video with the treadmills
lower fat %

smell
yummy pf changs
strawberries - it seems like my fridge is full of them
lemon orbit gum

touch
Emily's soft skin
crappy sneaker blisters
new porch stucco

sound
Alison singing 'Video Killed the Radio Star'
new Fergie-Ferg
Aileen :)

taste
chocolate covered donuts - the cheap, waxy ones
iced half-caf, sugar-free vanilla lattes
yummy pf changs

---

I've worked my way all the way down the gusset on Aileen's Birthday Sock 1 and now just need to power my way through to the toe. I had to call her to get her exact foot measurement, but luckily she was a) home, and b) not to inquisitive about the request. Last weekend she and Jason made it to the summit of Long's Peak - their second 14er ever and their second mountain this summer. She's a little laid up from the journey but glad that they were able to finish what they started last summer when they didn't summit.

Her camera ran out of batteries their second morning on the mountain, so they couldn't take a picture when they reached the summit later that day. Luckily, there was a very nice stranger on the summit who not only took their picture (they use these for Christmas cards), but emailed it to her quickly so she didn't have to keep wondering if she would. Without further ado, Sewell's on Long's Peak:

In non-knitting news, I was cleared to go back to the gym on Tuesday at my Drs. appointment. So I dove back in with both feet and went every morning this week. Only problem is that my feet changed with this pregnancy and my sneakers are not my friend any longer. I've got blisters on my heels and yesterday my pinky toe was bleeding when I got home from being squished. I didn't realize how bad they were until the toe incident, I just knew they didn't fit great, but Sunday we're going to get me some new sneakers.

Has anyone ever considered/tried knitting on the treadmill?? It seems like such a waste of time that could be used to knit.

Birthday Socks!

After completing the French Market Bag earlier this week I was left with a decision to make about what to knit next. Now I know that there are several things on my progress bars that have 0% finished on them - you'd think I'd work up one of those. But I remembered that Aileen's birthday is coming up on Sept. 5th and since I have such great luck at gifting knitted items to her - or at least with her not being critical when things are huge, super huge - I'd knit her a little something.

I had purchased some beautiful ArtYarns Supermerino from Destash a few weeks ago with Christmas-y Aileen socks in mind, so I just pushed up the timetable. Tonight I made it to and started the heel flap.


I'm using this really great pattern from Cherry Tree Hill yarns. It's great for the not-so-thin sock yarn you may have hidden away in your stash. And it's wicked easy, great for a first-time socker.

French Market Bagged

This weekend was very busy, but I still ended up with a FO. On Saturday Wayne and Dave worked on enclosing the front porch and painting the house and I wrangled the children and cleaned like a maniac. Why clean?? 'Cause all my lovely knitting friends from NYGK were coming over for our Summer Yarn Swap party. It was great.

I tried to pawn off the leftover yarn from the Color Bar Blanket, but no one wanted my half-used skeins of Wool-Ease - suprise, suprise. I did manage to move a little unwanted yarn onto happier homes though. And I didn't want to take any yarn, but once my living room was full of it, I couldn't help myself. Here are a few of the treasures I acquired:



A bag of brightly colored Cascade 220 - 'cause I couldn't pass up wool. Some green verigated Regia sock yarn - woo hoo sock yarn. And a gigantic ball of homespun cotton - this picture does not do the size of this thing any justice, it's big.

Sunday we visited my grandfather and then my great aunt - they live near each other on the west coast of Florida so they're easy to visit both on the same day. We had a lovely day of old people full of hugs and food and picture taking and the 2-hour drive gave me time to work on my FMB. I got 3 of the straps finished and did the last one this morning.

Luckily I got to felt this bag because my Kitchner stitching of the handles was jacked up - but now you can't tell. Thanks to Maggie for the advice on making the straps longer, I did and they still seem on the shortish side so I can't imagine how little they would be if I'd knit the pattern. Anyway, it's finished and currently blocking. Woo hoo!

Pre-felting/silliness/blocking with 2-liters:

My Senses Return

sight
emily's smile
new porch wall
maps of brunswick, ga

smell
lots of wayne sweat (see new wall)
baby formula
cinderella strawberry chapstick

touch
hot, hot heat
scratchy wool
cool metal knitting needles

sound
Alison's tap class
Wayne's guitar playing
Em's late night crying

taste
icky diet 7-up
yummy cheesy tortellini
kix cereal

I've made my way up to the handles on my French Market Bag. I've been in a bit of a lull - post sweater trauma - so I'm taking my time with it. Hopefully it'll be finished by the end of the weekend, but I'm not making any promises.

Wayne is painting the house and finishing our screened-in porch this weekend. We're going with a lemony yellow color that's kind of cheery and bound to be better than the orange that the previous owner slapped on last time. And the porch is going to be lovely. My plan is to just stay out of his way and bring out lots of water.

Coming soon: Alison's pillowcase invitations for her 4th Birthday Pretend Sleepover Party. I just need to make the finishing touches.

And since I hate to post without photos, here's a picture of the girlies.

Pinwheel Sweater: FINISHED!

Hip, hip hooray! I finished Emily's Pinwheel sweater this morning. It took just over a week. But I can talk about that in a minute, first here are the pictures:

I started the sweater on Saturday morning. On Monday night I completed the body. On Wednesday night I completed the edging. Sleeve 1 took about a day and a half, sleeve 2 took a little longer. Mostly because I was making an effort to not be a delinquent parent (I took Ali to the art museum and to some other fun stuff that wasn't knitting friendly) and we had a lot of social demands this weekend.

I know it looks gigantic on her - she disappears under it in the photo of the back - but she's just 1 month old, so it shouldn't fit for 5 months. And in 5 months it just might be under 80 degrees here. :)

A cutie sweater in just over a week, that's a damn good project if you ask me. I have tons of yarn left over though - maybe I'll make a matching hat. I don't think I'm going to start Alison's immediately, I have to refigure the pattern some since she's so tall.

Back to work on my French Market bag. And I may start some Christmas presents to try to stay ahead of the game.

At one of the aforementioned social events this weekend, Emily received a really great blanket from an old family friend. It was cute and crafty, so I can't not post a photo right?

I picked up Mason-Dixon knitting at the library about a week ago and have been slowly looking through it. I really like the washclothes, felted boxes and baby bibs. I've got a mountain of cotton and some wool, maybe I'll be knitting up some gifts to have on hand soon.

It wasn't me, it was the one-armed man

Or sweater as it were. I'm currently on Day 6 of Emily's Pinwheel Sweater and I am down to the last sleeve. I had some trouble with picking up the sleeve and right now the 'contrasting color yarn' is still in place. I'm too nervous about it all falling apart 'cause I missed one stitch to take it out. Luckily, you can't really see it.


I've had Alison try the sweater on and I would recommend making it larger if you're making it for a toddler. She'll be 4 in Sept. and this is a somewhat-snug bolero on her. When I finish this up, I'm going to tally up how long it all took me (piece-by-piece).

I've added some progress bars to the site which will hopefully keep my honest about what is in progress and how that's going. Thanks to Lesley for posting instructions here.

And now that my Summer Sock Party sock is finished, it's time to look forward to new swaps. So I joined the KnitFlix swap - this is a totally me thing, movies, knitting, what could be better? Do you do your best knitting while watching a flick?? Maybe you should join too.

Back to the sleeves. :)