More!!

Today is Ruthie's 8th brithday, but I'm the one with all the great swag. Here's what came today from Leanne, my Secret Scarf Pal:

The scarf is gorgeous, absolutely perfect. And the goodies! She sent chocolate from Switzerland and Canada; a keychain, beaded animals, purses, and dried mangos from Africa; and cards from Africa and Ottawa. What a wonderful package to receive! I am so lucky.

And that's not all. My tote exchange bag also arrived from Ana Maria:

She included pretty stitch markers she made herself and a great magazine, too. I love the entrelac bag!

I don't believe I've ever had such a great couple of weeks package-wise. :-)

Return Home

We're back home! We never made it to the beach yesterday, but that was okay because some of us snuck in visits to The Black Sheep and Common Threads in Encinitas. Both nice, both open on Sundays. Here are a few pix from our trip:

This is one of those giant spiders. This one was nearly 3 inches in diameter when her legs were fully extended. Very pretty.

And here are the Things at Legoland. I don't normally dress them in matching outfits; it just worked out that way. If they both look drenched, it's because they were. Legoland has a fun new pirate-themed waterplay area, but Bad Mommy had neglected to bring swimwear. Obviously, that didn't deter them. Fortunately, it was warm out.

And here are the pumpkins again. Thing 1 dried out fairly quickly, but Thing 2 got chilled, so she acquired a Legoland t-shirt. And a wand, so she could "make things disappear." We've been reading a lot of Abiyoyo.

Here are the Things yesterday, deep in an art project with their grandmother and great aunt. Don't they have a beautiful deck?

So today we drove home, which normally tales 6 to 7 hours. We made reasonably good time through LA, and then, just as we came down off the Grapevine into the valley, our tire suddenly went flat. We were 20 miles from Bakersfield, aka the Middle of Nowhere. So we waited for a tow truck (Hubby could've put on the spare, but with traffic whizzing by at 80mph, decided someone else could do the honors). Then we drove on the spare to Bakersfield, where we had a truly obnoxious experience at Sears. End result: we are $200 poorer and we wasted three hours. (The flat, btw, was caused by some road debris that punctured the tire.) We finally got home 9 hours after we'd left San Diego.

And there were packages waiting for me!

All of these wonderful things were from Alvina, my GYS swap partner from Singapore. Fabric! Yarn! Treats! Two pairs of fabulous earrings! And so much more. What a wonderful swap, and I owe Alvina such a big thank you.

As if Alvina's package wasn't enough, this sweet bunny came from Myriam in the Netherlands. She made it herself. It's just plain adorable. A great big thank you to Myriam!

Now, on top of all that, apparently another package awaits me at the post office because it needs a signature. What fun!

Blogging from San Diego

I'm blogging from northern San Diego County, where we had beautiful weather for a day at Legoland. Here is how much I love my children and make sacrifices for them: there are several nice yarn stores nearby, nearly all of which are closed on Sundays. But instead of visiting them, we did the theme park, because we can't do Legoland tomorrow due to football game conflicts (ahem--notice just which parent made the sacrifice!). But we did have a good time, the Things behaved very well, and I can survive without more yarn. For now. I'll post pics in a few days, after we return home.

I'll also try to get a good pic of these enormous spiders that are all over the place here. They build these huge webs and sit in the middle, waiting, I guess, for big bugs. They're really pretty cool looking, but I've never seen such spiders, other than tarantulas. There must be a run on them now: there are many in my in-laws' yard, and we even spotted some today at Legoland. Appropriate for the season, anyway.

Tomorrow, our goal is the beach.

I do like San Diego.

Qiviut Synchronicity

Okay, this is very strange. On Monday I received my ball of qiviut yarn from Knatolee. On my knitting pattern a day calendar, Monday's pattern was for a qiviut hat. And in today's issue of Knitter's Review, the subject is the Alaskan Yarn Expo, which featured...qiviut yarn.

Obviously, the gods are sending me a message.

*******

It was official as of yesterday: I have carpal tunnel sydrome in my right wrist. Fortunately, it doesn't hurt when I knit. We're going to try anti-inflammatories and physical therapy for a few weeks before contemplating surgery. If any of you have experience with this, I'd appreciate input.

Who needs a right hand anyway?

********

The stingrays are out to get us.


*******

Yesterday I got another postcard from Africa from my Scarf Exchange Pal. This means I've had great surprises in the mail every day so far this week! :-)

********

I also received the first issue of Craft magazine today. It has an interesting range of projects, including some that involve skills way out of my league (such as wiring LED lights onto a shirt). I don't think there's any project in this issue that particularly calls to me, but it was interesting to read, and could be a good source of inspiration. I do have one quibble: I don't consider making hard cider (one of the projects in this issue) to be a craft.

The Things and hubby and I are off to San Diego tomorrow for a long weekend. Legoland calls.

British Swap

Today I got my package from Jean, my GYS swap pal in England. It made it here in a week, which is amazing, considering it takes longer than that to get packages from within the US. I'm now in pleased possession of five ahem, four Curly Wurly bars, as well as a sizable stash of other chocolates, plus yarn, a stamping magazine, a Lush bubblebar (I love Lush!), and a very nice necklace that Jean made herself. Jean also sent a Scottish snowglobe for Thing 1.

Qiviut and Curly Wurly. Who could ask for a better week?

Happy happy joy joy!

I have known lust in my heart.

For years, I have drooled and pined over qiviut yarn, but I've never actually owned any.

Until today.

Just now I received a surprise package from Knatolee, my favorite person on the planet. The customs form said "yarn," but it should have read "heart's desire," because the package contained a ball of beautiful, precious, scrumptious qiviut yarn. I'm going to lose sleep trying to decide what project is worthy of this treasure.

If I were on the other side of the camera lens you would see a huge, foolish grin plastered across my face.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Knatolee!!

Now I must return to skipping gleefully about the house.

Pumpkins

We made our annual visit to the pumpkin patch today. Some would ask why we would buy pumpkins when we already have two.

stash

A while back I posted pictures of the wire bins I attempted to assemble in order to organize my stash. Hubby ended up finishing the assembly after I spent several hours cursing quite colorfully. Here is what it turned out like, and I am pleased with the final result. I have to admit, though, that this isn't all my stash, just a big chunk of it. And there is an organizational scheme, although that may not be apparent in this picture. For example, the top left square is all sock yarns.

This room is the guest room/craft room. It's also the room where Furgie the cat sleeps, but fortunately she hasn't been tempted to nap on the nice soft yarn in the bins.

Home again

What should have been about a 3 hour drive home today turned into a 5 hour marathon, as Caltrans edneavored to torture me with constant obnoxious construction projects. But when I finally arrived home, there were surprises waiting!

There were packages from 2 Natalies in 2 different former British colonies, each package containing snow globes! It was a Natalie jackpot! As you can see, Thing 1 is delighted. Thank you so much, Knatolee and Natalie!! Her collection is getting quite impressive.

And for me, there was a postcard from Mozambique from my wonderful Scarf Exchange Secret Pal. I don't know where in the world you are right now, Pal, but have a safe trip home. I've so enjoyed the postcards!

There was also a package from Habu Textiles. My scarf kit arrived. :-)

Living with rejection

Thanks for the sympathy for my rejection, ladies! I drowned my sorrow today with a trip to Jimmy Bean's Wool. I'd been to their Truckee location, but never before their Reno place. They carry a bunch of Manos, Lorna's Laces, Nashua Handknits...let's just say I had no problem cheering myself up. :-) And Dee, thanks for the Island of Misfit Patterns idea!

I'm having a nice time here. The conference is good and my presentation went well. Most of my department is here, along w/some graduate students, and we had a lovely dinner together. Now I'm looking out my window towards the moon--very pretty.

And another cheery thing: Alvina in Singapore and Ada in Romania both received their swap packages from me today. It's such fun to know someone thousands of miles away is opening a package you send them! I also received my pal for Secret Pal 9 today, and I already have some ideas for her. :-)

hah!

I may not be clever enough to get published on Knitty, but I am clever enough to figure out how to get a pic from my new camera phone onto my blog. Here's the view from my window. Ain't technology grand?

Bummer

My brilliant idea didn't get accepted for Knitty. :-( The editor sent a nice rejection note. I'm disappointed, but the note said they received 5 times more submissions than they had room for. So I will post my brilliant idea here, but not for a few days. I'm currently blogging from The Biggest Little City in the World, where I am at a conference for a few days. I plan to visit Jimmy Bean's Wool; I've never been to their Reno location. I wish my camera could speak to this computer, because I'm looking out at quite a nice view toward Mount Rose.

Tug

Ruthie and Thing 2 were playing tug today. Guess who won.

Festivities

In celebration of Thing 1's birthday we decided to feed the town's children to snakes.

Actually, we had the Travelzoo guy come, and he entertained the crew with various reptiles, birds, and bugs. He managed to keep a dozen or so kids (plus various neighbor kids who happened by and joined the audience) enthralled for 2 hours, which is a minor miracle.

Aside from the critters, the other highpoint was the Cavity Candy Cone. I got the idea last year in a magazine, I think. Last year's theme was Halloween, and of course this year's was creatures. That's styrofoam under the icing.
The kids loved picking all the candies off and eating them. Of course, there was cake and ice cream too. Then we sent all the kids home, full of sugar.

Romanian swap

Thing 1 is showing off some of the great stuff I received from Ada in Romania, as part of a Gimme Your Stuff swap. Those are children's books in Romanian and Hungarian, as well as a cross-stitch kit. It's been a while since I cross-stitched, but I'm definitely going to have to take it up again for this kit. As Peg pointed out, Thing 1 is looking fairly vampiric with the missing front teeth, so it's entirely appropriate for her to be holding books from Transylvania. :-)

And if you haven't already checked out Gimme Your Stuff, you should. I have swaps going on three continents right now, and that is way fun.

Monday Bits and Pieces

• New MagKnits is up. I like the pumpkin basket.
• One of my computers died the other day. Time for a new one, I guess.
• Lindsay the Lizard, who hadn't been sighted in some time, made a reappearance this weekend, sunning herself on our garden wall. She's gotten considerably larger.
• I'm going to buy that scarf kit from Habu. My Mom said I should, and one should never argue with one's mother.
• It's fall here. It even rained a bit yesterday. This morning I saw a woman wrapped in a coat and scarf, I suppose because we'd reached those frigid lower 60s.
• Thing 2 lost another tooth today. We're digging the gap-toothed look.
• Just when you think politics is strange, it turns surreal.
• I think CLusterMaps is having issues. For the last several days, it claimed nobody visited my blog, and today it says there were over 4000 visitors yesterday. Wow! I'm suddenly so popular!

Secret Pal 9 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I much prefer natural fibers. A few of my very favorites are Kureyon, Lion & Lamb, and Manos. I'm generally not very fond of acrylics and novelty yarns.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
My straights are in a needle roll I sewed myself, my circulars are in a file folder thing from Costco, and my double-points are in a shoe box-sized plastic container.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
My Mon taught me over 20 years ago, when I was 17. I guess I'd say I'm an advanced knitter, although of course there are always new techniques to learn.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
You could say that! I think it has about 160 items on it! I have one at Powell's, too. :-)

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I'm generally not too fond of florals except lavender, which I like a lot. I like fruity scents, especially citrus and mango, and spicy scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I certainly do! Anything chocolate or caramel is a-ok. One of my very favorites is Curly Wurly bars, which of course are nearly impossible to find in the US.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Mostly I knit, but I sometimes like to do other creative projects, too. I'll try almost anything.

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 dinosaur rock (Beatles, Stones, Kinks, etc), punk (Ramones), blues, and world music the best, but I'll listen to almost anything except country, rap, and religious music.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I like cobalt blue, deep red, aquas and teals, and deep purple the best. I'm not generally fond of pastels.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have two daughters, ages 3 1/2 and 7, a Saint Bernard named Ruthie, and a 17 1/2 year old cat named Furgie. And a husband. :-)

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
No ponchos, very rarely hats, occasionally gloves (I have very small hands that are hard to fit), and frequently scarves.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I don't think I have a favorite. I like to knit pretty much everything!

13. What are you knitting right now?
A short-sleeved pullover in Lion & Lamb.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Most definitely! I always appreciate the time and talent they take.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Straight, I guess, although I use both. I prefer wood or bamboo straights and Addi Turbo circulars.

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

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Well, back in grad school, maybe 18 years ago, I started an acrylic afghan I never finished. I still have the pieces. THat's my only UFO, because I only work on one project at a time.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween! (I don't celebrate Christmas, by the way)

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn and books. :-) I have a postcard collection from all around the world, and I've begun collecting plastic souvenir floaty pens.

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 own a lot of knitting books, but check out my wishlists for more. I don't think there's anything I MUST have right now. I subscribe to Vogue Knitting, Interweave Knits, and Knitter's.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Hmmm. I'm not sure. Nothing comes to mind, but I'm always willing to try something new.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I do like to knit socks. My feet are 8 1/2 inches from heel tip to toe tip, which makes for fast, relatively cheap socks. :-)

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
March 21.

Addiction Additions

I haven't yet ordered that scarf kit from Habu. However, I did stock up on a bit of Lorna's Laces from Angelika's Yarn Store. I'm working on a project now that uses Lion and Lamb (no, not another clapotis) and I was afraid I'd run short. I've ordered from Angelika's before, and they have an excellent stock of LL yarn, and they ship quickly. I also signed up for the Kureyon Club at Yarniverse. They send you a single skein of a new color of Kureyon every 5 weeks or so for 8.95 including shipping. The general idea is to enable a Lizard Ridge throw, which looks like fun. They also include a pattern with each package. I was impressed with them. I placed my order on Wednesday, and had my Noro by Saturday (they're in Memphis and I'm in California). I know I don't need more Noro, but....

Meantime, I'm working away with my my Lion & Lamb, which I think is the most absolutely scrumptious yarn in the world to knit with. I enjoy every bit as it passes through my fingers.

On a totally unrelated note, I'm involved in several swaps right now. I have several going through Gimme Your Stuff, which is tons of fun (in various stages, I'm swapping with people in Singapore, Thailand, Australia, England, Romania, and the Netherlands--my swap with Germany's complete). And, after having had great pals in the One Skein Swap and the Whose Lace Is It Anyway Swap, I'm now in the midst of the International Tote Exchange II and the International Scarf Exchange. I've already sent my packages out. And my scarf pal, who's busy world traveling (with my scarf!), has sent me postcards from Zurich and Mozambique! How cool is that? I now have cards from all the continents except Antarctica (not holding my breath on that one, either). I've also signed up for Secret Pal 9.

New FO

I finished this hat tonight. The pattern is Lacecap from Knitty, and the yarn is a first for me: 100% yak from Copper Ridge. This is one of those yarns that's been in my stash a while. Hubby's friend's girlfriend asked me to make her a hat, and then chose this yarn from my stash and the pattern from several I showed her. I think she'll like it. The yarn is interesting. It has a soft core but sort of scratchy guard hairs. It's a beautiful natural chocolate color. I think this will be a nice winter hat for our climate.

Hypothetically Speaking

Okay, here's a moral dilemma for today. Let us suppose a hypothetical knitter has enough yarn in her stash and little enough free time that she could keep busy for probably 2 years without replenishing her stock. And let us further suppose that this knitter has recently completed three projects that have made use of yarn that has been languishing in her stash for some time. Finally, let us suppose that this knitter has seen a scarf kit she really, really wants. Would it be ethically correct for this knitter to purchase the scarf kit??

Just hypothetically, of course.

And speaking of ideas for using stash, Interweave Press has a page called "Knitting for a Better World," which lists knitting-related charities around the world.

And speaking of things I want, I've had a hankering for a while for a Print Gocco. Unfortunately, the manufacturer's not making them anymore, and they sell for fairly big bucks on eBay. The last one I bid on eventually sold (to someone else) for $164. Too rich for my blood.

Insect Friend

Yesterday Hubby was hacking back some shrubbery when he discovered a praying mantis. It's probably the same one I'd relocated to that shrub the week before, when I was hacking back my oregano. He scooped into a bug jar for the Things to admire for a few minutes, and the Thing 1 went to release it onto the (somewhat tamed) oregano. Unexpectedly, it hopped onto her hand. She was delighted, and kept that hand steady for some time. I managed to get a few pix.

If you look closely you can probably make the bug out. It seemed quite content on her hand.

If her smile looks strained, it's probably because she'd been keeping her hand raised and still for several minutes at this point!

Here's a close-up.

Thanks, Nance!

A little while back, I posted a picture of a scarf, the second thing I ever knitted. I mentioned that the first thing I made was a doll blanket for my sister, and it was now long gone. I was wrong!

It turns out that Nancy (who has a cool craft business) still owns that blanket. And here it is, in all its glory. Isn't that great that she saved it for over 20 years and through several long-distance moves?

Hah!

I can show Hubby this one, too.

You Are As Cool As They Come

Rational and relaxed, no one could accuse you of being dramatic. You roll with the punches, and nothing ever gets you too worked up. You are able to maintain perspective and see the big picture. And even if you're emotional inside, you don't let it show. You're great at keeping it together, and you're rewarded for that. People see you as an ideal friend, employee, and partner.

Are You a Drama Queen (or King)?

Another Globe

Peg sent a great snowglobe from Alaska! Thanks, Peg! I love the moose, and Thing 1 will, too.

And here is Thing 2 playing soccer this morning:

Nothing is guaranteed to get you laughing as much as watching 3 year olds play soccer. And it's okay to laugh, because they're having a wonderful time. :-)

Scarf Finished

Last night I finished my scarf for the International Scarf Exchange. I really like how it turned out. The yarn is some Interlacements Carolina I've had in my stash for a while. It's gorgeous yarn, and it has a nice bit of sheen to it because it's a Rayon/Cotton/Flax blend. I've been waiting to find just the right project for it. The pattern is My So-Called Scarf, a fun easy pattern that shows off short color changes especially well.

Sssshhhhh!

Don't tell Thing 1, but Susan has sent her a beautiful snowglobe from the Houston Zoo (where Susan has one of the coolest jobs in the world). Thing 1 will get the surprise on her birthday in a couple of weeks. Thank you, Susan!

Must-see PC

CRAFT Magazine posted a link today to this short film. It's a must-see.

Winners of the 2006 World Stupidity Awards.

Hah! Can I show this to Hubby next time we argue??

You Are Incredibly Logical

Move over Spock - you're the new master of logic You think rationally, clearly, and quickly. A seasoned problem solver, your mind is like a computer!

How Logical Are You?

Exchanges

This is the purse I just finished for the International Tote Exchange II. I began with the pattern for Sophie, but mad several additions and changes. It's knitted from Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs & Butterflies. I'm very happy with how it turned out; I hope my partner likes it!

Now I have to finish a scarf I have about half-done for the Scarf Exchange. I'm liking how it's turning out, too, especially because I'm using some really nice yarn from my stash. I've had it for a while and up to now hadn't found the perfect project for it.

I guess Thing 1 was inspired when she saw me sewing in the purse lining, so she asked me to teach her to sew. We came up with this project. She drew a design on burlap and is using a plastic tapestry needle to outline her design in yarn. It's using up some of my old acrylic I had stashed away. She's being amazingly patient with this project and is doing beautiful work for her first time. She tends toward a tiny touch of OCD anyway, so sewing carefully on the lines is right up her alley.
Meanwhile, Thing 2 started soccer today. Want to have a healthy laugh? Watch a dozen or so 3-year-olds on their first day of soccer practice! She had fun, anyway.

And finally, I have to post this picture of Ruthie.
Hubby is still working on his painting project. Today he removed the child safety gate that usually separates the living room from the rest of the downstairs and he patched up the holes it made in the wall. But he still needed to keep Ruthie away when he was painting--Saint Bernards do NOT make good painting assistants. So I made this barrier with 2 empty laundry hampers. Obviously, Ruthie could go right over or through them easily, but see how good she was?

Yay!!!

I just completed a swap via Gimmeyourstuff.com. My package from Siggi in Germany arrived today! It was a heavy package, too, and I was sooo excited to receive it. As you can see, Siggi sent me a huge collection of wonderful things--yarn, knitting magazines and books, snacks, German souvenirs, and her own beautiful handmade cards. She even sent treats for Ruthie!

Among other things, she sent soccer pasta. Which is perfect, because Thing 2 starts soccer tomorrow. Now we can have an appropriate--and imported--dinner to celebrate.

This swap was so much fun! You can see the goodies I sent her on her blog here.

Thank you, Siggi!!

Mmmm and Awwww and Arrgggh

Last night, Hubby took me out to a new fancy Italian restaurant for a Grownup Dinner. This is a really rare event for us, and it was nice. Even nicer, I had leftover appetizer for lunch today. That's pizza with herbed cream cheese, smoked salmon, onions, capers, and dill, and creme fraiche drizzled on top. Mmmmm.

This morning there was enough of a fall chill to the air that the Things wore jackets to school. And Thing 1 was in Helper Mode. She made her sister breakfast (poptarts and milk) and then I snapped this pic:

Of course, this is the same child who got sent to the Principal's office today for hugging and kissing boys.

Sigh.

Time Travel

This is the second thing I ever knitted.
My first project was, essentially, an oversized, mis-shapen swatch. I created it when my Mom taught me to knit, when I was 17. I gave it to my little sister, who used it as a doll blanket, and it has long since been lost to the sands of time.
I made the scarf next. I was a freshman in college, and I made it for my then-boyfriend (whom you now know as Hubby).
It was made from the very best acrylic yarn I could find at the grocery store.
I hadn't discovered ribbing yet, so I made the whole thing in stockinette. Which was okay, because I also hadn't discovered gauge swatching yet, and it ended up twice as wide as I wanted. So I folded it in half and seamed it. As you can see, I did a stellar job of seaming:

I used to work on this scarf in my dorm's lounge. Obviously one of the green sections was knitted during or just after a dorm party because--and Mom, if you're reading this, avert your attention for a while--:

Lesson: Do Not Knit under the Influence.

Mom, you can look again now.

I added a row of buttons for some reason.

I don't know if Hubby ever actually wore the scarf. Maybe once or twice when we moved to Nebraska and he was desperate. To his credit, he kept it through several moves and over 2 decades. It now resides in our closet. Someday we can pass it down to the Things.

And speaking of Things, you must visit BedJump.com. If you scroll down a bit, you may see a familiar face.

Two weeks...

that's how long it took the USPS to get a package from Massachusetts to California. But it was well worth the wait! Look what I got from Cece, my Lace Swap secret pal:

You're looking at some really lovely silk/wool blend yarn in teal. It's gorgeous--soft as a cloud and light. I keep sort of hugging the cone. :-) The pattern is Fiber Trends River Scarf and Stole, which I really like. I can definitely picture myself in that stole. Cece also sent a chart holder from KnitPicks. She must be psychic, because I'd been ogling it lately on the KnitPicks website and wondering if Hubby would notice if I ordered it. And she knows I'm an NPR junkie, so she sent me a mug, too. Thanks so much, Cece, for the wonderful package!! I am so glad the post office didn't lose it forever.

Mohair

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Mohair.You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with others, doing your share without being too weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely refuse to change your position once it is set, but that's okay since you are good at covering up your mistakes.
Take this quiz!








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Monday Monday

Still looking for snowglobes! :-) I can trade you something very rare from here, such as, uh, Saint Bernard fur.

I just submitted my brilliant(?) design to Knitty for the Winter issue. Keep your fingers crossed for me! I noticed, too that the Fall Knitty is up. Fortunately, nothing in this issue is calling to me too loudly, because I already have an enormous project backlog. Yesterday, Hubby's friend's girlfriend commissioned me to make her a hat and scarf. We went shopping in my stash (delaying a poker-game-in-progress) and found something she likes. So that's next, after I finish my tote for the International Tote Exchange (just needs embellishing) and my scarf for the International Scarf Exchange (began last night).

And Cece, still no package. Fooey.

***Added: Just as I was saving the post above, Cece left me a comment in my last post. Cross-country synchronicity! Cece, we'd love one from Boston! Do you still have my address?

A big favor!

I have a big request of you. Thing 1 has begun a collection of snow globes. See? It's a fun little thing to collect, plus she's learning some geography out of it.

Her birthday is coming up in a month, and I thought it'd be fun to surprise her with some additions to her collection.

Soooo...if you happen to live near anyplace touristy that might have snow globes, could you send us one? I will reimburse your expenses or send you back some treats from Northern California--your choice. If you can manage this, please email me at dephalqu[at]yahoo.com, or leave me a comment with your email address, and I'll send you my snail address. Thank you!!

Mail

Cece, still no package. :-( But the post office once sent one of my packages from California to Oregon by way of Georgia. It took over 3 weeks, but it did get there eventually. So I will be patient. :-)

Wednesday Links

A few interesting links for Wednesday:

• Save the Children's website has a Caps to the Capital page. It has information on how you can donate knitted or crocheted hats for newborns. They want the hats by January 2, so get knitting! I'm a slow knitter, but even I can finish one of these in an evening, and it's a good way to use leftover yarn. The site has patterns.
• Knit Like a Pirate
• Yarnival! A blog carnival of knitting sites.
• Flying Spaghetti Monster hat
• I've previously posted links to knitted items that lok like pastries. Well. Clare Crespo's book Hey There, Cupcake! has (edible) cupcakes that look like balls of yarn.
• I've bought several items from vendors at Etsy lately, and been completely pleased. In particular, check out LingGlass (I could buy everything she makes, but so far have confined myself to one necklace), Penny Lane Designs (beautiful hand-dyed yarn), and Karma's Kreations (my sister's shop!).

Wow!

I received my final package today via UPS from Nancy, my One Skein Secret Pal. Here are the contents. She made me a gorgeous hat out of soft soft alpaca in a beautiful hand-dyed blue color, with beads. Here's a closeup:

Nancy also sent me the leftover yarn--enough to make something else nice. And because I'm an academic, she rightly guessed that I'd like a mug from NYU. She even thougtfully included cute NYU stuffies for the Things. Here's Thing 1 modeling them (Thing 2's already in bed):

Thanks so much, Nancy! You've been a wonderful Secret Pal!!

Note to Cece

I've been stuck at work in meetings all day, and won't be home until about 5:30 California time. Now I'm really hoping there will be a package waiting for me when I get there! :-)

UPDATE: It's not here yet. :-( I'm sure the holiday weekend slowed the mail down, though, so I'll look again tomorrow.

Feet

I was posing my feet so I could take a picture of my newly completed pair of socks. Ruthie apparently concluded that it was Family Feet Posing time, and she got up, walked over, and very carefully placed her front feet near mine. If I had pretty furry paws like hers, I wouldn't bother with socks.

I like this yarn a lot. It's Austermann Step, with Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil. Very soft and squishy. I'm normally not hugely fond of self-patterning yarns, but I do like this colorway a lot. The pattern itself was just a plain top-down pattern.

PS--Yes, I realize the carpet needs cleaning. You try to keep a carpet clean with one Ruthie and two of these: