Uninspired.

WOW! I have three downstream pals in various Knitty swaps, and not one of them has made a blog post in the past week! The Knittyboards are very quiet too...

Is everyone on vacation?

Busily knitting or spinning?

Reading Harry Potter?

Me? Well, no vacations, but I did find a great ticket price for my trip to NY in September. Hooray! Non-stop RT flights too! So, that's a bit of good news at least.

Knitting and spinning? Yep. I'm working on a pair of socks that I spun - was knitting during a conference call today and after my boss was looking them over. He said "What would you WEAR those with?" with a skeptical look in his eye... So I gave him the brief description of how Pixie has said she'll wear them, including shoe and hair colors, and he said "Aaaahhhhh...ok." But, since they are a surprise, I can't show you yet. I've been taking pictures along the way though, and will show you when they are delivered.

Am in the process of plying the yarn for LkManitou's socks. Am taking a quick break from that actually...resting my fingers. Have a bandaid on for finger protection as well, which is helping me get farther than I would have otherwise. Yep, can't show you that yet either.

After that? I've decided to spin yarn for my Rut-Busting Sock swap pal too!! I'm so totally gonna spoil her she won't know what hit her! Have found some GREAT sale discounts on things, so have picked up several things... That fiber came from the same dyer that Pixie's socks came from actually, FatCatKnits on Etsy. Will start that roving once I'm done with LkM's.

I did read TWO Harry Potter books this week...finally got my hands on book 6 Saturday morning. Finished it Monday at 9pm. Started 7 immediately. Finished IT Thursday at 9pm! So, one could say I read it in three weeknights. If you want to talk about it, email me. Am thinking I might re-read part of it this weekend before I turn it back in on Monday (only a one week checkout!).

What IS Tencel??

So, this is a question that's been bugging me for a while. Someone said it was "wood fiber"...but how can it be soooo soft and wonderful??

I read somewhere recently where someone was equating Tencel with Acrylic - that bothered me, since I think there couldn't be two fibers that are MORE different from each other. So, a quick search found me Tencel - The Miracle Fiber.

In summary, it IS wood fiber, and I LOVE it! The socks I'm knitting (which started out REALLY strong - two socks, toe up, started Sunday, turned the heels on Tuesday!) are a wool/tencel blend. I spun the yarn, and it's SOOOO soft and wonderful. Oh, and as for the socks...I haven't knitted a stitch since Wednesday morning :( I plead budget exhaustion :(

Oh, and while I'm passing on short bits of things found online, here's a great post about some AMAZING Cupcakes...what a fabulous themed idea for a party!!

New swaps, Old swaps, Everywhere a Swap, swap...

Here's the OTHER reason I haven't been blogging much... I've been busy swapping!

Most of my swaps are from the Knitty Boards, but, there is one that is being held in the NYGK group! It's the KnitFlix Swap, where we prepare a package with a movie, yarn, and other treats. So, here's my questionaire:

Since this is a summer blockbuster swap, would you rather receive a summer action/adventure movie, a light romantic comedy, or a suspense/thriller?

Definitely NOT a suspense/thriller. I love Action/Adventure as well as Chick Flix and Romantic comedies!

What is your favorite film genre or type?

See above.

List 3-5 of your favorite films and why you like them

Hhmmmm.... Old fav - The Sound of Music - it's just such a classic!
Action flix - The Die Hard Series - just saw Live Free or Die Hard - Bruce Willis just doesn't dissappoint!
Chick flix - Coyote Ugly - those girls just kick booty! How To Make An American Quilt - sappy but fun. Ten Things I Hate About You - yep, never really outgrew some of those teeny flix either...

Is that all over the place enough for you?

Do you like foreign films? Would it annoy you to watch a film with subtitles if you are knitting/crafting?

I don't actually own any, but yes, I tend to listen MUCH more than I watch to most TV/Movies. I'm usually watching TV, online, AND knitting all at the same time!

Is there a movie that you've always wanted to see but haven't?

Not that comes to mind at the moment...

Do you have any favorite actors?

Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Matthew McConnahae, John Cusack

What kind of movie night treats do you like? Type of Candy? Popcorn?

My sinful treat is Jelly Bellies, my "approved" treats are Popcorn or Dark Chocolate.

Are you a sock knitter, lace knitter, or hat/mitten/scarf knitter?

Socks, lace, baby stuff, sweaters, felted bags... You name it, I've probably knit it.

What are your favorite fibers?

I enjoy wool blends, where you get the feel of the wool, but softened by the blend. Much cooler for Florida!

What fibers do you dislike or are allergic?

Not a big acrylic or novelty yarn fan.

What are your favorite colors?

Blue, green, purple, maroon... jewel tones basically.

What colors do you not like?

Orange, yellow, pastels.

Is there anything else that your partner should know that will help her spoil you?

I'm also a tea fanatic.

In other swap news...the Rut Busting Sock Swap partners were handed out today, and I'm V excited! Can't wait to put together a box for this partner!

The sock swap is going well...I'm making great progress on the first pair!

Some other tidbits I've received lately include this great picture frame and natural dyeing book from Penny, my Harry Potter swap pal:



This GORGEOUS hand-dyed fiber from my Spinning Swap Pal:



Kelley got me THESE for my birthday! That's a Lantern Moon bag, a felted mini-purse, 3 pair of stitch markers, some YUMMY peppermint soap, a fun little quilted bag...




Oh, and then there's the loot... K and I went to Tampa a couple of weeks ago to do some shopping. First stop was Knit -n- Knibble who were having their anniversary sale. Great prices, and I picked up something for a swap and a couple of things for me - That's 9 skeins of Obsession (at 30% off!) and a skein of Mountain Colors.



Here's the Mountain Colors up close...



After that we went to Uncommon Threads. Sadly their roving was buried behind some shelving that they had to move temporarily, so we couldn't buy any of it. I did find this GORGEOUS Alpaca yarn though!! Oh, and a couple of cool patterns too.



The week after, I was at Chez Casuelle and found a couple of things there on GREAT discounts, so I just couldn't resist...

Finishing things...

I'm sorry for the lack of posts the past few weeks, but really, I've been KNITTING!!


You might recall this list that I posted a couple of months ago:

So, MY summer knitting goals:

• Finish the CTH Contest jacket and get it mailed by 5/29.


• Knit the Laurel Fibonacci Stripe top for my former boss by 6/24 (it's a gag gift, and I'll have to adapt it a bit for *him*).


• Finish my Crayon Box Jacket


• Make the gorgeous Scotch Thistle Stole that Ann gifted me with in SP8.

Some things that have been added to that:

• Knit messenger bag for my HP downstream


• Knit bookmarks for my HP downstream


• Spin sock yarn for my Spinning SP


• Spin sock yarn for my Sock Swap Pals


• Knit the Socks


• Work on a special secret project for a Pal


• Fill in the gaps with Guidepost Charity Sweaters

You've all seen the CTH Jacket. I have it back. Details for publishing the pattern are still in progress, I'll update you when I have the specifics.

Here's the vest for my former boss - he was completely surprised, and totally loved it!

Here's the Messenger bag before it was felted - it measured 18x22".

After felting it was more like 10x12". Sadly, I forgot to take the after pic...you should be able to see it soon on LkManitou's blog however. I also made two HP bookmarks, from #5 perle cotton, one in Ravenclaw, the other in Gryffindor. Again, forgot to take pics, but I expect she'll post those too.

Here's the fiber that I got for my spinning pal, from Funky Carolina on Etsy.

Here's what it spun up to...

While I was waiting to finish spinning Pixieriot's sock yarn, I started on a Guidepost Charity sweater for a charity we are supporting. I did 4 inches in one movie and 4 in another, so it's well under way...

I finally finished Pixie's yarn though, and cast on for her socks today! They're coming along very well, but sorry, no pics unless she asks/authorizes it :) This IS the first time I'm knitting my own handspun sock yarn however! So far I'm LOVING it.

There's LOTS more to say, but I need to break this up or I'll never tackle it, so that's the part that you get for now...more soon. Besides, I REALLY want to get back to those socks...

Good News!!!

I'll be getting my jacket back!!!

Yep, it's true, I didn't make the final four. Now, now, no crying out there... Yes, it would have been nice to win, but I'm really happy that I'll get my jacket back and won't have to make another one!!

And...since it's all mine, I can (and will) be able to sell the pattern myself! Have to work out the details and how it will be available, but it WILL be made available sometime in the not-so-distant future. I'll let you know.

Thanks again to everyone who was so supportive, encouraging, and excited on my behalf. It was a great experience, and maybe the start of a new opportunity for me!

A Nerd, a Geek, or a Dork?

Found this on LkManitou's blog...interesting...

Your Score: Joe Normal

47 % Nerd, 47% Geek, 47% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal.

This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you. Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast.

I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal.

Congratulations!

If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback!


Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I'M A FINALIST!!!!!!

Surfing, a Road Trip, and a Package!

Wow! I currently find myself with FOUR downstream Secret Pals!! (and 5 upstreams!) For those who are wondering, that would be the Spring Fling (5th upstream - package arrived today - more in a moment), Harry Potter Swap, the Spinning Swap, and the Sock Swap! Wait you say...if the Spring Fling makes 5, who's the fifth? Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that in the Sock Swap I signed up for TWO partners?

So, for Spring Fling, I correctly guessed that my SP was CPurl17! I got my final package from her today, and this is what it looks like:

Oooohhh...look at the pretty paper and purple ribbons! Actually, I loved this paper...it was from the World Wildlife Federation, and on the inside, in light grey watermarks, it had all sorts of great info on endangered species including pandas, tigers, elephants...

Here's the package with all of the contents opened up for the world to see! I'll zoom in and show you the details...

From Blue Moon Fiber, I got Bombyx Silk Roving in LUSCIOUS reds - Ruby Slippers, and STR in Lunasea. Also in here is a great ball of Sockotta in blues and plums! Oh, and my very own copy of Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush.

In other yarny goodness, I got THREE skeins of Classic Elite Premiere - 50/50 Pima Cotton and Tencel!! Oooohhh...this is SOOOO soft...and 324 yards might be enough to get me a stole or something...

There's a GREAT silk bag in here...it actually opens up and sits flat on it's bottom! What a PERFECT bag for sock projects! I got some samples of SOAK - been hearing about it in various places lately, so it'll be nice to try it out for myself. There's also a ball of Cascade Fixation elastic cotton yarn.

And last, but actually first, was the great card - did you make this yourself Chris? It's all scrapbooky and cool!! You know, I think I need to make up a scrapbook of all the amazing cards that I've gotten from people...in fact, that's a pretty cool idea! Hard to see, but there's also a set of 5 Entrelac Stitch Markers (that's Entrelac brand, not "made exclusively for entrelac"...at least I think that's what it is!) and two sets of...point protectors? They're little black caps, connected together by beaded cords. Ooohhh...I just pulled one out and looked at it...they're stretchy! They're for holding DPN's that are in use! I actually have a project ON DPN's at the moment, I'll have to go try these out!!

Thanks CPurl! This was a great package, and TOTALLY worth the wait!!!

Harry Potter Swap: Working hard on several knitting projects for my DS...no pics though, cause she might just be a reader of my blog... I picked up some fun trinkets to go with the knitted stuff too :)

Spinning Swap: Went surfing last night and found some AWESOME roving for my DS pal. Also went to Chez Casuelle this afternoon with K - and found a great deal on some more roving... Need to find some non-roving fun stuff for the person who has everything!

Socks: Being totally unable to make up my own mind, I signed up for the sock swap with one pal, but said "But, if you need an extra person for two? Put me in!!" So I got two GREAT Sock exchange pals, LkManitou (who was my Winter Cheer downstream!) and Pixieriot (who I'm just getting to know). They've both decided that it would be a treat to receive socks from handspun yarn... So, once I finish the knitting for the HP swap, and the vest I'm making for my former boss...long story, but I'll post pics soon, I'll be all set to get down to some serious spinning! I found some lovely fiber in my stash for LkManitou. Didn't really have anything bright enough for Pixie, BUT, my trip to Etsy last night was successful on THAT front as well! Even better, her fiber was actually shipped out today!

Lots to do, but it's all going well...

We Have Liftoff!!

Taken just moments ago, from the parking lot outside my apartment. Just thought I'd share :)

If I was smart, I would have taken the camera when I first went out, but, oh well...

I Got an Owl!!!

Yes, I said an Owl...(That's Harry Potter for "a package"!). In true Knitty swap fashion, I've joined the Harry Potter swap for people who are eager to prepare and get excited for the arrival of the Order of the Phoenix movie and Deathly Hallows book. In addition to sharing the excitement with others and knitting for my swap pal (shhhhh!), I'm also re-reading. Finished #2, The Chamber of Secrets, last night. Picked up Prisoner of Azkaban tonight and started it over dinner!

Penny sent me this great package. It contains a handmade needle caddy in GORGEOUS purple and green flowered prints, with a matching notions bag. In the notions bag were two YUMMY lemon lavender candles!

Here's a closeup so you can see the prints. There are three different fabrics, and they compliment each other beautifully!

I have to say though, I think THE BEST part of this package was my letter!! Look at the amazing envelope that it came in! It's beautiful hand made paper with great texture and leaves and everything! The calligraphied note was a nice touch :) Thanks Penny!!

Well, several of you have asked me, and the answer is, I know nothing. Well, ok, not QUITE nothing, but pretty close. As I said in my last post, it was received at noon on Thursday. Unfortunately, while that WAS in time for the contest, it was NOT in time to be taken for display at TNNA. I did get a few more pictures of the jacket before I sent it off however. Here's one of the front. Not as clean as the ones in my photoshoot, but at least my eyes are open and there aren't really any shadows!

Here's a full shot of the back, laid out on the floor.

And one of the front.

And yes, of course you'll be the first (well, maybe second) to know if I hear anything.

Arrived!

Tracking tells me that the jacket arrived in Vt at noon today!

Finally started knitting again last night. Am working on the surprise sweater that I offered to make...no, no, nothing so grand as the one I finished. This is more of a surprise/gag gift...and it's a vest/shell made from worsted yarn. Oh, but yes, it too has a deadline... June 24th!

Picked out / went stash diving for a couple of projects for my newest secret pal - in the Harry Potter swap. Will probably cast on some of that too, since it has to also be done by the early part of July, and some of it is very small and will knit up quickly.

In other news, I FINALLY got my last Spring Fling package together - will go in the mail tomorrow. And if you were my SF upstream, I'd love to know who you were...

The PICTURES!!!

Ok, you've all waited SOOO long, I won't drag it out. Because I've posted virtually NO pictures lately, this post will be almost ALL pictures.

Don't forget to keep an eye on Cherry Tree Hill's Website for contest updates - I know I will be!!

I declare....

that Jody's Amazing Technicolor DreamCoat is now COMPLETE!!

Several lucky people saw it today...have made a minor adjustment since then, and it is now complete.

K and I will be having a photo session tomorrow I hope, and I will post pictures after that. Don't worry, the wait is almost over, but I promise, it'll be worth it...

Home stretch....almost!

I got an email for an update this morning, so here it is...

Bottom Band - Done. Looks good.

Front Band - Done. Pulls up too much, not enough stitches. Blocked it, still pulling too much. Will pull it out, and redo.

Left Sleeve - Done. Blocked it last night and I think it'll be good.

Right Sleeve - will pick up and do tonight. Hope to make it through that AND some of the re-work on the front band.

Ends - Most of the ones internal to the jacket are gone. Will still need to do the ones that have to be sewn into the band seam.

Closure - Need to work on my frog...still trying to determine the color, but should do so really soon, since I'll need to make a couple of feet of I-cord.

I do think I can still get this done by Saturday. Have been steam blocking parts of it as I go, so the final block shouldn't be too hard.

And as you've all heard, Kelley is standing by to do a photo shoot this weekend.

Then, the question is, do I take a weekend off, or do I immediately cast on for my NEXT deadline project? (A surprise/gag shell/vest for my boss that is due by 6/24).

Still going...

Kappy111 said...
I am ready to go with the photo shoot when you are.... :-)


I just cast off the bottom band...

We should still be on for next weekend!

Off to pick up the front band...

How Adventurous of a Knitter are You?

Hhmmm...saw this Meme on Ann's blog, and it looked like fun, so here goes...


Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing. I'm going to add purple italics for things that I hadn't really thought about, but would and probably will eventually do...

Afghan/Blanket
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: cuff-up
Mittens: tip down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn (Wow...Never heard of this, but it sounds cool!)
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street) (??)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting (Not actually sure what this is...)
Dyeing with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair (I've spun the yarn, but haven't knitted with it just yet...)
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

I'm so Excited!!

Yep, that's right, I finished the body knitting for the CTH Jacket!!! It's all sewn together, and I got to try it on this morning for the group! I've since picked up for the bottom edge and begun that portion. Hope to finish up the bottom tomorrow, then move on to the fronts! It's TOTALLY coming together!

Goal is to finish all knitting by mid-week so I can block and then photograph next weekend!

Challenge is that I start a new job in a new location on Monday...so it's going to be a busy week all on it's own, without having a major knitting deadline looming. Don't worry though, I'll make it. I did two sleeves in a week, so a little bit of edging will be just fine.

Am off to read for a bit (2/3 through HP1 - gotta re-read before the movie and book come out!) I might have a HP Movie marathon tonight or tomorrow though, since that's also good background...but not as good as the books!

Summer Knitting Goals

Ok, here's an interesting contest I saw on Curlytop's blog...

Ali from Skeins Her Way has recently had a pattern published, and will be drawing winners for copies of her pattern (and one will get the yarn to go with it!).

All you have to do is:

1.) Leave a comment on Ali's post letting her know what color you want and mention that you heard about the contest on my blog (http://fiber-fanatics.blogspot.com)

2.) Then head to your blog and post a list of your summer knitting goals and mention the contest.

3.) Lastly e-mail Ali with the link to your post! Be sure to mention me in your post so she knows how you heard about the contest!!

So, MY summer knitting goals:

• Finish the CTH Contest jacket and get it mailed by 5/29.
• Knit the Laurel Fibonacci Stripe top for my former boss by 6/24 (it's a gag gift, and I'll have to adapt it a bit for *him*).
• Finish my Crayon Box Jacket
• Make the gorgeous Scotch Thistle Stole that Ann gifted me with in SP8.

I have little doubt that I will do a few other things too, perhaps some charity knitting, and who knows what else, but in terms of specific plans, I think that's enough for now :) I'm going to need a bit of decompression time after CTH is done, though the deadline on my bosses b'day present won't really allow for much of that...

Update on the Jacket

Wow...I need to slow down on the knitting before my wrists give up and fall off!!

The body is done and seamed together. The first sleeve MAY be done. For those of you who saw me start it on Saturday, yes, that's a little scary. Will measure and assess at tonight's meeting and determine if I need to do two more blocks on it, but I think it might be finished.

The other sleeve has been started, but just barely.

Bought a toggle for it on Saturday...have to look at some models to see how toggles are usually attached...

Have a plan for the border, just not sure if I have enough yarn to go all the way around it. Will have to jump in and see.

Other news this weekend?...well, Saturday morning was knitting (seaming actually), Saturday mid-day was a Knitting Potluck and stash reduction at a friend's house (knitted through most of the afternoon), Sunday I spent at Chez Casuelle with Carla, knitting, browsing her fabulous sale items, and visiting with friends, since TWO people from one of my groups showed up with their respective DH's.

Plan is to attach the first sleeve tonight, finish and attach the second by this weekend. That will give me a week to do the borders, tuck in a few ends, cut off a lot of other ends that are already handled, put on the toggle, and block it. Will do a photo shoot with K over Memorial Day weekend so I have full documentation. Plan to post here around the same time that I Express mail it to Vermont.

Another Busy Weekend

We had a GREAT time yesterday at the Knit and Spin Because We Can Day! About 25 knitters and spinners joined us, and we had five glorious hours of fiberly fun! I took my camera, but took NO photos...was too busy socializing, organizing, and KNITTING!

The CTH Jacket is coming along VERY well....It's about half completed at this point. The back is done, the right front is done and attached. I started the left front this evening, and it is well under way.

The good news is that the sleeves will not need to be nearly as long as the rest of it, so those should go pretty quickly. Then I'll need to do a border around the entire garment.

I have three weeks to finish it up and get it blocked and photographed. That means that it currently has priority over EVERYTHING. I CAN do this (as long as I can fend off a full scale Carpal Tunnel attack!).