Ooops...

I tried to correct an error in my SP5 questionnaire post and half of it was eaten. I'm still a newbie in this blogging world. Will republish later. Hang in there Princess Caspian!

Let's try this again

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

I prefer natural fibers, but acrylics aren't out of the question. Felt a very nice Caron acrylic last night, as a matter of fact.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

Crochet a bit, and tried a drop spindle recently and would love to try it again!

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

Cigarettes stink, animals are no problem.

4. How long have you been knitting?

A year and 3/4.

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

Not yet.

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

Mild scents, cotton, linen. Peppermint and citrus scents, non-overpowering vanilla, chocolate or cocoa.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

Yes, and many a cavity to prove it!

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

I doodle with pencils, paints, and wonderful crayons. I garden and birdwatch and make birdfeeders. I make wire things; jewelry and small sculptures. I'm making an earring holder from ocotillo and baling wire.

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

MP3s I dunno. CDs are no problem. I am a rock girl at heart (The Who, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Kinks, ELO, The Rolling Stones), but I'm a dabbler, and I love show tunes (Garland, Sinatra, Nat King Cole) and classical (ANY) and I am dipping a toe into new-ish sounds like Social Distortion, Green Day (YAY!), Gwen Stefani and Beck.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

I love Grey. All shades. I love greens and foresty colors; autumny ones like rusts and reds and rich browns. I cannot abide pinks.

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

I have a fabulous redheaded husband, an amazing nearly-eight-year-old-girlie, and a Welsh Springer Spaniel who is NOT a show dog.

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)

This is an easy one. To be as happy and healthy and as well-traveled as is humanly possible before I die. To stay with the same man forever. To watch my baby girl become a happy, confident, self-assured woman. To see George Bush Jr disappear.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

I love wool, but it is not practical here in the desert. I want to start playing with silks and cottons, and SOON!

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Slick, plasticky-feeling acrylics. Difficult, tiny novelty eyelash yarns.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

I just finished my French Market Bag and I think I could really enjoy knitting more things for myself. I've given away almost everything I've made, and I've been happy to do so. I plan to continue giving, but it's nice to keep some around, too.

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

So far, I've used a simple free pattern for a Fisherman's Rib scarf a couple of times with good results. The FMB came out much as I'd hope, too, and I'm looking into more felting projects.

17. What are you knitting right now?

A hat for a friend and I'm toying with a lace leaf pattern for a scarf. My last secret pal gave me some uber-soft alpaca yarn, and I really want to keep it!

18. What do you think about ponchos?

I made two for my girlie (see archive photos) and she liked them. I saw a very chic Scottsdale chick in a lacy one, but I don't know if they're ME.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

I'm a convert, Addi Turbos are amazing, but I still love my wooden and bamboo straights.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Bamboo and wood whenever possible, please. They FEEL SOOOOO good!.

21. Are you a sock knitter?

Not yet, but I know that's coming up.

22. How did you learn to knit?

Found a book in a wonderful local bookstore (where I used to work) and then asked my Mom to show me how. Thanks, MOM!

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

About a month. I've been really good about finishing what I start, so far.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock and Thompson and Thompsen ! I also love Bullwinkle. I'm a birder, so I love them all, but have a special fondness for raptors and wading birds like herons and egrets.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

Easy question! Halloween, hands down.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Small wooden boxes, elephants, things with realistic leaf motifs on them.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

None, but I'm thinking about Knitter's. It's a really nice, complete magazine.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?

I read almost anything; fiction, non-fiction, some sci-fi, so whatever looks good, I read.

What am I doing up at this hour?

Well, the French Market Bag is finis! I still love the colors, and overall, I'm quite pleased with it. Alison, thanks for your help with my transition to the bag body--couldn't have done it without you!

I did the base on circulars (now I'm an Addi Turbo addict), and I made the body 10" instead of 8". It really wasn't a difficult pattern.

The night before last, I put it through a 10-minute hot water wash and then let it dry, but it didn't seem quite tight enough. I will say, however, that the texture change in the initial wash was cool. I checked it every few minutes and the difference in picking up a mass of wet knitting at 6 minutes and the far-more-solid mass I handled 2 minutes later was amazing.

My dear, non-knitting husband agreed with me that it needed a bit more time in the water, so this evening, I nonchalantly popped it back in for 6 minutes and completely ignored it the whole time. Must be similar to what happens when you have your second child--I became very confident that it'd be fine, and indeed it is.

Take a look, photos are here!

French Market Bag, post-knitting and pre-felting. 

After I kissed it goodbye, I quickly tossed it into the machine with a towel. 

Washing... 

Is it felt yet? 

A randomized, double-blind study has proven that chocolate-covered pretzels DO indeed lower your blood pressure when you're felting. Especially if it's your initial attempt.

At the end of the wash cycle, a bubbly clot of felted bag... 

Rinse cycle--wow, stop-action photography! 

Welshie red and russet Brown Sheep make a nice color combo, no? 

It's drying! My first FO for ME!! 

Say Aaaaaaaaah! 

Voila! The French Market Bag with 2 of 4 handles complete. I think I may be felting this weekend...... and isn't that a flattering shot of the electrical outlet? Tres chic! 

A great picture of Tim. The personification of cool for so very many reasons. 

I think this is one of the finest pictures I've ever taken. This is the Reader family. They're so much fun. 

Homer. 

Marion and Mrs. Pennell, the world's finest kindergarten teacher. We love you, Mrs. Pennell! 

Here is the baby blanket. I learned many things by doing this without a pattern...but I think it turned out not too badly. 

This is the sad result of my 6" stockinette square bunny. Marion says she loves him anyway. 

What a Day!

Well.

Reasonable day at work, no doctors. Lots of tidying and relaxing. Chocolate B-day cake for a co-worker. Yum.

Some knitting accomplished on the French Market bag. I am happier and happier with my colour choices. (photo to follow soon). Am on the bag body in the main colour now. Russet. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Seth called and asked me to fetch crabby childie from him at work. Off to Scottsdale with new truck stereo blaring the Kinks (Yay again). Childie is in better mood. (Double YAY.) Kisses to spousal unit and off to see if AZ Knitting and Needlepoint is open at 6-ish PM on a Thursday. Thinking that daughter would do better with chunky yarn for first project ala Lily and Lucy (Kiki and Steve's knitting offspring). Alas, shop is closed. Curses, foiled again.

Heading towards home on the reservation roads to avoid freeway hassles. Pulled over to watch a lovely egret hunting in a small body of water. (Boy, do they ever move slooooowly). As we near the previously washed-out bridge just south of McDowell, we are witness to a nasty car crash.

Small SUV in front of us containing 3 teenage girls (one pregnant, I later find out) is slammed by a woman who seemed to run a red light. Marion is wonderful, sitting calmly in the truck as I hop out to try to lend a hand. One girl has a couple of cuts on her head which are bleeding, but everyone seems ok. I grab some cloths out of the truck and try to help out as we await the paramedics. (This is indeed the one time that I regret being the only human without a cel phone.)

The police come and the medical personnel soon follow, and as everyone seems fine, we head home. I commend my girlie on her bravery and patience and she, in turn, urges me to sit down and take it easy. What a peach.

Another day, albeit a bit more exciting than I'd planned, comes to an end. Night all.

Happy Mother's Day!

I got to sleep late, breakfast in bed, flowers, brunch with the world's finest in-laws, knitting time, and time for long-overdue yard work. What about you?

What's up?

I attended my first Stitch-n-Bitch meeting last night, and I want to become a regular. Nice knitters, lovely projects, delightful chat. I finished the baby blanket (fanfare of trumpets, please!) and it found it's way to the handsome recipient today.

Started on the French Market Bag for ME (see it in the archives at http://www.knitty.com. I'm doing it in charcoal and a mulberry red. Yum.

Hugs to my wonderful not-a-secret-anymore pal, Kim. You've made the SP4 a blast, and I think I'm going to go for #5 if humanly possible.

Our new office is chugging right along. I still don't think it'll be ready by August, but I DID buy a tank-top style two-piece swimsuit just in case......

Au revoirs for now.