Thursday, August 30, 2007

That's Not A Sock!




Behold, yet another installment of "I Jumped On The Band Wagon". A Chevron Scarf using Yarntini's Vintage Varigate Sport and 4-8-15-16-23-42 Varigated Sport. I think it looks pretty good so far. Now back to socks.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Bellatrix...



Here is a photo of my Bellatrix sock (from Socktopia) knit in Shelby B's Lord Voldemort colorway. I love it. Now I need to knit it's mate. Notice this sock isn't for a swap. It is mine, all mine!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Sock It To Me Again!

Well, my secret "Sock It To Me" pal struck again. This time a great card, Reeses chocolate (uuuummmmm, chocolate), and two balls of some beautiful blue/purple Karaoke goodness. I am amazed at this fine lady's taste. Well done!

I am very close to finishing the first sock for my "Sock It To Me" pal. I took this picture on Saturday and I have come a long way since then. We are going to the Wild Animal Park tomorrow so I should be able to finish and cast on #2 in the car! WooooooHoooooo.



I saw the Beastie Boys last night with Justin. They were amazing. I am amazing...I still remember the lyrics to Paul Revere. Word.

And look...one Gryffindor Sock!

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Fabulous Fiber Fest, Real Live STR in a Somewhat LYS, and Booty Club...and My Mom's New Hip!

Today was a good day. Not in an Ice Cube kinda way but in a "mommy got to go out and do mommy things with Cristin" kinda way.

First, my best friend Cristin and I went to the Fabulous Fiber Festival in Santa Monica today. Carolina Homespun was there, the amazing Japanese fabric lady was there, Lisa Souza was there! I got some goodies and will post photos later. It was pretty mellow (we got there early) but by the time we left it was getting crowded.

Cristin had never been to Wildfiber in SM so we stopped in. It isn't exactly in our hood to be a LYS but since we were in SM how could we not stop in? I'm glad we did. I couldn't believe it - they had STR in stock! Holy Cow! I got a skein, needless to say. And I found the ladies in the store very helpful and the new owner super nice. I know other's haven't had the best experiences there so I'd suggest giving it another try. They have an amazing selection and with LYSs dropping like flies it is nice to have a place to go and see the yarn, and touch the yarn, for yourself.

I got home this afternoon and my Yarn Pirate Booty had arrived! Lucky girl I am! The colors are amazing and I already have big plans for my skein.

To back track a bit, my mom had hip replacement surgery yesterday and is doing well. We visited her this evening and the boys really cheered her up. I showed her some of the fabric I got today and that made her smile too. And Justin made her a puppet out of a blown up rubber glove and that made us all happy. She gets to come home with her new hip on Monday and I can remember from being in the hospital with the boys how the days seem to drag on. Cristin got her a learn to crochet kit so hopefully that will make her recovery more interesting. My mom seems to think that it will be easier to crochet? We shall see.

Sock Stats:

Hogwarts Sock Swap Two: One sock down, another to go!
Sock It To Me: Thanks to a long wait in the hospital during my mom's surgery, I am half way through my first sock for my pal. it is going fast
Monkey: Got the yarn!

I have also been spending time with Ravelry. I have joined the Lost group, the Office group, the U2 group, the Loopy Group, the Hogwarts Sock Swap 2 group...I love the groups.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Vegan Pal 2 Questionnaire

Here are my Vegan Pal 2 Q & A's:

What is/are your craft(s), & how long have you been doing it/them?
I knit and sew. I've been sewing for 8 years and knitting for 2.

Are you a vegan, vegetarian, veg-curious, veg-friendly or other?
I'm vegetarian

Is this your first swap, or have you done previous swaps before? What makes a swap enjoyable for you?
I've done several swaps. I love finding out about people and reading their blogs. There are so many smart, friendly, talented, crafty people out there!

What is/are your favorite color(s)? Do you particularly dislike any color(s)?
I love reds, blues,and greens. I like unlikely color combinations. Not too keen on browns and yellows but I love them mixed with other colors.

Do you have any allergies (such as pets, foods, fibers or cigarette smoke)?
No

Do you have any companion animals? If so, name(s) and type(s)?*
two cats, one dog and one fish.

Do you collect anything?
Sock yarn, japanese fabric, handbags

Do you have a favorite vegan food, snack or dish? If no fav that's vegan (for those who aren't vegan), what's your favorite food? (Hopefully your pal can find a vegan version!)
I love Amy's Frozen Cheese Enchilladas...I eat them at work. I love chocolate too. I love cookies in particular.

What are some of your favorite/least favorite tastes/flavors? (e.g. sweet, salty, chocolate, crunchy, smooth, tart, sour, spicy, thai, whatever - Help your pal get a feel for what kind of recipes you might like and/or never ever make.)
All of the above. Surprise me!

What tools/supplies/accessories for your craft(s) are you wishing you had but don't? Also, what do you have TOO many of? (basically a wish and anti-wish list)
Are you on Ravelry? What's your handle?

I wish I had more tape measurers. My son swipes mine to play with! I am on Ravelry (jfw04). I don't have many pictures up yet because my computer is sick.

Is there anything else you would like your pal to know about you?
I appreciate everything and love surprises!

What scents do you like/dislike?
For fall/winter, I love spicy scents like chai, pumpkin pie...you get the ieda. I dont' really like Patchoulli (am I even spelling tha right?).

Do you prefer fall or Halloween or some other Autumn theme?
Halloween if my favorite!

Just for fun - tell your favorite Halloween or Autumn related memory.
I think my favorite memory is from last year. My oldest finally grasped the idea of Halloween (he was a horse riding dragon and my youngest was a cowboy). It was so much fun to watch him run from door to door - he was a streak of green in the night - and to see his surprise at how the other kids were dressed. This year should be so much fun!

*If you find out that you've been assigned a pal who is deathly allergic to animals and you have a house full of them, please let us know so we can shuffle the pals around. I DO HAVE CATS AND DOGS SO I PROBABLY WOULDN'T DO WELL WITH A PAL THAT HAS ALLERGIES!

Monday, August 13, 2007

Monkey Swap 3 Questionnaire

I joined another swap...the Monkey Swap 3! I have read the blogs from swaps 1&2 and I have loved this pattern so I thought "why not". If you want to join the sign-ups are open until 8/31.

Here are my answers to the Questionnaire

The basics:
Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep? I think I'm a beginning/intermediate. I have been knitting socks since the January and have finished five pair. I can knit lace socks but haven't mastered cables.

The measurements:
Shoe Size: 8.5
Foot circumference: 9.5 in.
Foot length: 9.5 in.

Yarn Preferences:
What colors do you love? I love reds, blues, greens. Not a huge fan of yellow.

Do you prefer solids or variegated? I like both.

Do you prefer wool, cotton or acrylic yarn? Superwash wool only for socks.

What colors would you never wear? I don't really know of any - maybe solid yellow or brown.

What are your favorite brands of yarn? STR, Yarntini, Fleece Artist Sea Silk

Are there any new brands you would like to try? Wollmeise

Cookie A. Patterns:
Which of her patterns have you already knit? None

Which pattern(s) would you like to knit and don’t already own? I'd love Thelonious, Mona, Flicker or Titania's Revenge.

Other pertinent information:

Would you be willing to have an international Monkey Pal or do you prefer one in the US? Sure

Do you have any allergies? No

Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? Yes Animals, no Smoke

Are you on Ravelry yet? If you don’t mind having new friends, what is your Ravelry name? jfw04

OK, done! Tomorrow's questionnaire...Vegan Swap!

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Harry Potter...What Next.....& Another Random Photo

I finished book 7. I am probablly the last person in the world to do so. I don't know what to do now! What do I read? I have been reading HP non stop since January. How to follow up? I keep imagining prequels, or more on the "19 years" later stories. I feel so lost, but not the good kind of Lost with crazy invisible monsters, the cave, bamboo rafts, Hurly saying "Duuuude", and Sawyerisms to keep you laughing.




This is our dog Gilbert, our first child. I found this on our dellasaurus. This is the photo we saw on petfinder that made us fall in love and forget that we ever wanted a short haired female dog.

Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire

Secret Pal 11

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love Fleece Artist & Handmaiden, Socks That Rock, Mountain Colors, Koigu. I'm not a fan of synthetic fibers.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
In a rubbermaid tub. Kinda messy!

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 for two years. My good friend Jennifer taught met. I would consider myself intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes I do - at Amazon

5. What's your favorite scent?
I love green, citrus scents. And tropical scents. And the smell of Chai tea!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes - chocolate and peanutbutter anything! And dark chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I sew. I'd love to lear to spin and dye but that will have to wait!

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like 80' alternative, classic western, hawaiian, U2, Jane's Addiction, The Killers, Radiohead - I like most music.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Reds, Greens, Blues. I like them all really

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
2 boys, 1 husband, 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 fish.

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

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Right now socks, but I like shawls too.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks for swaps and a baby sweater

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Oh yes!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I like most needles. I really like my knit picks metal dpns. And addi ciruclars.

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

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
A sweater.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween & Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Japanese fabric (anthing japanese), sock yarn, handbags

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 subscribe to Interweave Knits. I am looking forward to IK's new sock book. And Cat Bordhi's

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

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Shoe size? 8 ½ US3. Foot Length? 9 in.4. Foot Circumference? 9 in.

23. When is your birthday?
December 4th

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
Yes, jfw04

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

My Computer Is Ill So Here, Look at Some Old Photos of My Cats



My Mac is in the shop. So, I can't put any new photos up. But aren't these pictures of my cats from five years ago cool? They are stored on the old Dell I am now using until my Mac is back.

I have some FOs to share but that will have to wait! But I am sure that these lovely photos of Ruby (top) and Scrumpy (bottom) are just as amazing as any sock picture. I finished my Yarntini ZigZags, started my Gryffindor Socks for the HSS2, and started a baby sweater for my cousin's baby due in October.

I also joinde a few new swaps. More on that to come. Gotta go. The dryer is calling me.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

I've Got More Booty Than A...



I can't think of something to write in the title because I am anxious to tell you about the goods from the mini prge! I received the package yesterday from Obsidian Kitten and it included: the Punk Knits book, Cherry Tree Alpaca, Sugar and Cream in beautiful greens (perect for the wash cloths I plan to knit), some handmade magnets, three beautiful purple pansy candles, a lovely candle holder out of blue/purple potter, some super cool stitch markers, and some lovely smelling soap. I am so pleased and appreciate my gifts so much! They are lovely, just lovely. I read that Ms. Obsidian Kitten is not feeling well. I hope that she is feeling much better soon. Hugs and kisses and well wishes and all of my gratitude! (links to be added later)