The Ravelry invitations seem to be speeding up. I checked today to find this:
Found you!
You signed up on July 2, 2007
You are #12099 on the list.
1905 people are ahead of you in line.
16495 people are behind you in line.
35% of the list has been invited so far.
I knew I should have signed up sooner...
* A note about the mini circs in my last post. They have been discontinued, but are still available at Halcyon yarn (scroll down to the bottom of the page). I have small hands - I can wear knit gloves from the children's dept. - so the needles are pretty comfortable for me to use. I've heard people with larger hands complain about them.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Crazy Busy
It's Thursday, right? I've been running around so much that I momentarily forget what day it is, since everything is blurring together. On the up side, my classroom is almost ready to go, after the annual rearranging of the furniture. I'm hoping this is the year that I have the perfect set up for years to come (but then again, I thought that last year!) On the down side, I wish my mother chose a different week to visit, as she invariably needs to go places. I find myself thinking of things I need to get accomplished by Monday and start to slowly stress out while I take her to the hairdresser, shopping, etc. Poor thing, she's lonely; I hope my stress isn't turning me into too much of a beoch.
Lucky for me, two things are keeping me sane: knitting and my animals. I've started knitting a chemo cap for an acquaintance who's sick. I'm making this pattern out of Rowan Calmer. Love knitting in the round -- no brain power required.
Since I have the attention span of a gnat when it comes to my knitting, I'm also making a coffee cozy for my KVVS partner. Good old K2P2 ribbing. It's so easy on my mini-circular needles; I only wish they had not been discontinued!
The animals are also keeping me amused. Why is it that cats prefer to sleep in a cardboard box, instead of the nice beds not two feet away? They're so easy to please; just give them food and a box.
Friday, August 17, 2007
SP 11 Contest
Just a quick post today -- between house guests and classroom set-up, I haven't had a lot of time to blog, much less read blogs! (Although I really appreciate the kind comments that were left the other day. Thank you!)
This is for a SP11 contest
1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
My row counter. It has saved me on more than one occasion.
2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? Of course!
If so, how much and what type of project? Something easy, like plain socks, a scarf, or a hat.
3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot? I love just about anyplace with water and mountains, such as the Oregon and Northern California coasts, and Lugano, Switzerland.
4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it? The evidence (click on the picture) shows that I am rather book addicted. I'm slightly embarrassed to say that the collection has grown since that post. My current favorite is Mason-Dixon Knitting, although I use the general knitting section of Domiknitrix to help with technique (and I do own both of them).
5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)? I occasionally listen to Socks in the City and the Knit Picks podcast.
This is for a SP11 contest
1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
My row counter. It has saved me on more than one occasion.
2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? Of course!
If so, how much and what type of project? Something easy, like plain socks, a scarf, or a hat.
3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot? I love just about anyplace with water and mountains, such as the Oregon and Northern California coasts, and Lugano, Switzerland.
4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it? The evidence (click on the picture) shows that I am rather book addicted. I'm slightly embarrassed to say that the collection has grown since that post. My current favorite is Mason-Dixon Knitting, although I use the general knitting section of Domiknitrix to help with technique (and I do own both of them).
5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)? I occasionally listen to Socks in the City and the Knit Picks podcast.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire
Hello to my SP11 Spoiler! Thank you for your e-card :0 )
Here's my questionnaire.
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I like to knit with soft, natural fibers (wool, alpaca, silk, soy). I can't say that I'm fond of acrylic or novelty yarns (yes, I'm a little yarn snob).
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I store my circular needles in a little expanding file box that is meant for storing pictures, my Knit Picks needles have their own case, and my straight needles are in a felt wine bag. I still haven't figured out a good way to store my dpn's; they're wrapped in rubber bands and stuffed into an old cookie canister.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I started knitting in 2005. I would consider myself an advanced beginner.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Nope.
5. What's your favorite scent? Coffee! No really, I tend to like lighter scents, such as lavender, rose and citrus. I also like the smell of honey.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I have a sweet tooth and a salty tooth (if there is such a thing!). I like milk chocolate; I really don't care for dark or white chocolate. My favorite candy is Charles Chocolates Milk Chocolate Caramelized Rice Krispie Bar, but Twix and Kit Kat bars are good too.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I make jewelry - wire wrapped, beaded, kumihimo, beaded loom work. I occasionally paint (watercolors), rubber stamp, and cross stitch, but not so much anymore (knitting and jewelry are my mainstays).
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I have pretty eclectic musical tastes. I listen to a lot of KFOG, which is adult alternative/rock, but I also listen to R&B, jazz, Brazilian, and Hawaiian music. I use itunes.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I like earthy colors: various shades of red, blue, green, and chocolate brown. I'm not fond of neon/fluorescent colors, pastels, or khaki.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Divorced mom of two cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear scarves, hats, and mittens/gloves. I haven't worn a poncho since the late 1970's and really don't want to wear one ever again (I prefer shawls and stoles).
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I like small, portable projects such as scarves, hats, and socks.
13. What are you knitting right now? Just call me Miss Short Attention Span. I'm knitting the baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting, a camisole from Knitting Lingerie style, a chemo cap, and Mystery Shawl 3 (although I'm doing my best to ignore it!)
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes! I really appreciate it when people take the time to make something for me.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer circular needles (they fit my itty-bitty hands nicely). I like to knit with bamboo needles, although I do have the KnitPicks set of "Options" needles (which I love).
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes to both, thanks to my sister.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? Clapotis, started in the summer of 2005 and more or less neglected since then.
18. What is your favorite holiday? Summer break? Seriously though, I enjoy the fall/winter holiday season -- Thanksgiving, Hanukkah (even though I'm a gentile), & Christmas. I like the cool nip in the air outside and the coziness of good food and family inside (not to mention the holiday TV shows that have been on every year since I was born!).
19. Is there anything that you collect? Books! It's been said of me before -- I should have been a librarian. I also seem to have a growing yarn collection.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? There's nothing I desperately want right now, but given time, I'm sure I'll find something to covet... I don't have a magazine subscription at the moment, but I used to subscribe to Interweave Knits.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd really like to learn modular knitting or shadow knitting.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I am a newbie sock knitter. I usually wear a size 8 shoe.
23. When is your birthday? After Christmas, at the end of December, just in time for my dad to get that tax deduction.
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? I'm still on the waiting list. Edit: I'm in! My ID is hapagirl.
P.S. If it helps, my other swap questionnaires are on the sidebar of this blog (Swaps Past & Present).
Here's my questionnaire.
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I like to knit with soft, natural fibers (wool, alpaca, silk, soy). I can't say that I'm fond of acrylic or novelty yarns (yes, I'm a little yarn snob).
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I store my circular needles in a little expanding file box that is meant for storing pictures, my Knit Picks needles have their own case, and my straight needles are in a felt wine bag. I still haven't figured out a good way to store my dpn's; they're wrapped in rubber bands and stuffed into an old cookie canister.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I started knitting in 2005. I would consider myself an advanced beginner.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Nope.
5. What's your favorite scent? Coffee! No really, I tend to like lighter scents, such as lavender, rose and citrus. I also like the smell of honey.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I have a sweet tooth and a salty tooth (if there is such a thing!). I like milk chocolate; I really don't care for dark or white chocolate. My favorite candy is Charles Chocolates Milk Chocolate Caramelized Rice Krispie Bar, but Twix and Kit Kat bars are good too.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I make jewelry - wire wrapped, beaded, kumihimo, beaded loom work. I occasionally paint (watercolors), rubber stamp, and cross stitch, but not so much anymore (knitting and jewelry are my mainstays).
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I have pretty eclectic musical tastes. I listen to a lot of KFOG, which is adult alternative/rock, but I also listen to R&B, jazz, Brazilian, and Hawaiian music. I use itunes.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I like earthy colors: various shades of red, blue, green, and chocolate brown. I'm not fond of neon/fluorescent colors, pastels, or khaki.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Divorced mom of two cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear scarves, hats, and mittens/gloves. I haven't worn a poncho since the late 1970's and really don't want to wear one ever again (I prefer shawls and stoles).
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I like small, portable projects such as scarves, hats, and socks.
13. What are you knitting right now? Just call me Miss Short Attention Span. I'm knitting the baby kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting, a camisole from Knitting Lingerie style, a chemo cap, and Mystery Shawl 3 (although I'm doing my best to ignore it!)
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes! I really appreciate it when people take the time to make something for me.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I prefer circular needles (they fit my itty-bitty hands nicely). I like to knit with bamboo needles, although I do have the KnitPicks set of "Options" needles (which I love).
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes to both, thanks to my sister.
17. How old is your oldest UFO? Clapotis, started in the summer of 2005 and more or less neglected since then.
18. What is your favorite holiday? Summer break? Seriously though, I enjoy the fall/winter holiday season -- Thanksgiving, Hanukkah (even though I'm a gentile), & Christmas. I like the cool nip in the air outside and the coziness of good food and family inside (not to mention the holiday TV shows that have been on every year since I was born!).
19. Is there anything that you collect? Books! It's been said of me before -- I should have been a librarian. I also seem to have a growing yarn collection.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? There's nothing I desperately want right now, but given time, I'm sure I'll find something to covet... I don't have a magazine subscription at the moment, but I used to subscribe to Interweave Knits.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd really like to learn modular knitting or shadow knitting.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I am a newbie sock knitter. I usually wear a size 8 shoe.
23. When is your birthday? After Christmas, at the end of December, just in time for my dad to get that tax deduction.
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? I'm still on the waiting list. Edit: I'm in! My ID is hapagirl.
P.S. If it helps, my other swap questionnaires are on the sidebar of this blog (Swaps Past & Present).
Time Flies When You're Having Fun
I've been neglecting this blog in the interest of squeezing the last bit of fun out of my summer vacation. A friend of mine from Hawaii came to spend a few days with me, so she could go to the American Craft Council Show in San Francisco. She's opening a small boutique and was on the prowl for some unique things to stock/decorate her store. The show always has a good assortment of artisans who display beautiful work. I broke down and bought a bowl from my favorite potters (yay, Nichibei Potters!), a pair of earrings, and an excellent coffee mug that I can cradle in my hands every morning (I need mugs like I need a hole in my head, but I couldn't pass this one up!)
I'm off to school tomorrow, to begin setting up my classroom for the coming school year. I'm grateful that I'm not dreading going back...I'm not ecstatic (I would prefer to goof off some more), but I think it's a good sign that I'm not moaning about going back and dragging my feet in a theatrical way. There have been some staffing changes at my grade level, so we're pretty optimistic about the coming year.
I hope to get a good deal of work done tomorrow, because my mother is flying down on Thursday to visit me for a week. While I was a little stressed out over my friend's visit, I'm really not feeling any pressure to entertain my mom when she gets here. She even said I could put her to work in my classroom! I don't know about getting her to work for me (her handwriting would be illegible to a second grader!), I'll be grateful for the company and the excuse to take her out to a real sit-down restaurant for lunch, instead of grabbing something from the supermarket. It will also give me the chance to sell her on the Bay Area, in the hopes that she will move down here to be closer to my sister and me. Fingers crossed...
I'm off to school tomorrow, to begin setting up my classroom for the coming school year. I'm grateful that I'm not dreading going back...I'm not ecstatic (I would prefer to goof off some more), but I think it's a good sign that I'm not moaning about going back and dragging my feet in a theatrical way. There have been some staffing changes at my grade level, so we're pretty optimistic about the coming year.
I hope to get a good deal of work done tomorrow, because my mother is flying down on Thursday to visit me for a week. While I was a little stressed out over my friend's visit, I'm really not feeling any pressure to entertain my mom when she gets here. She even said I could put her to work in my classroom! I don't know about getting her to work for me (her handwriting would be illegible to a second grader!), I'll be grateful for the company and the excuse to take her out to a real sit-down restaurant for lunch, instead of grabbing something from the supermarket. It will also give me the chance to sell her on the Bay Area, in the hopes that she will move down here to be closer to my sister and me. Fingers crossed...
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
50 States Meme
I seem to have lost my knitting mojo, so I think I'll post this meme that I found on the Purl Parables. At any rate, it seems to go along with the Virtual Vacation Swap.
The original rules were: Bold the states you’ve been to, underline the states you’ve lived in and italicize the state you’re in now… Since I can't figure out how to underline things in Blogger, the states I've lived in are in yellow and my present home is in orange.
Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /
The things I do when I can't sleep....
The original rules were: Bold the states you’ve been to, underline the states you’ve lived in and italicize the state you’re in now… Since I can't figure out how to underline things in Blogger, the states I've lived in are in yellow and my present home is in orange.
Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /
The things I do when I can't sleep....
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