Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Oh No!

I've just heard from a winner of one of the movie line contests that her prize came with postage due! I'm horrified. I thought I calculated the correct weight and size and worked with the postal clerk to get the postage just right. If this has happened to anyone else, please let me know.

Speaking of the movie line contest, congratulations to Sandy for winning for Commando. Your prize (with correct postage!) is on its way.

The next movie line up for consideration is:

"I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her."

Good luck to all.

In knitting news, I haven't had much time to knit as I would like. First of all, the Count has asked for the back part of our office that I used for storage so he can set up all his new office equipment in there. His work feeds me and my kids, so how can I refuse? Besides, he's so stinkin charming. But what that means is that I've been busy busy busy trying to organize and clear that area. Which means I've had to organize and clear the storage shed to 1)keep what I want to keep, 2)set aside things I want to sell and 3)throw the rest away. It's the same good feng shui feeling I got when we finally cleaned out the garage, but it is hard work.

I've heard a lot of knitters talk about listening to books on tape while they knit, so I thought I'd give it a whirl, and I'm liking it. But it's still taking me a long while to get through one book. I'd love to listen while I drive ZimDee to and from preschool since it seems like I spend so much of my time in the car, but he protests, and while I like the book ok (Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs, who created the Temperance Brennan character on the TV show Bones) I didn't realize how many F-bombs were dropped in it. So it's just as well that I listen to it when the kids aren't around. So you can imagine how often I get to listen to it, since one of my kids is almost always with me. It's great to clean house to, though, because magically that's when I'm left all alone.

*My love to all*

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Congratulations to Jennifer

Congratulations to Jennifer for winning the movie line contest from X Men. I agree that our Mr. Hugh makes this movie completely watchable. Email your mailing address to me at kkmj at comcast dot net, Jennifer, and I will send your prize on its way.

The next movie line up for consideration comes all the way back from 1985. Can you guess what movie this came from?

"Don't disturb my friend. He's dead tired."

The Count would really like this movie, let's put it that way. Alyssa Milano appeared in this movie as a little girl.

Good luck to all.

Steady progress is being made on my Mock Croc socks. It's getting easier and easier, though I would still rate the sock addiction meter as very very low. Give me time, I suppose. It does involve yarn, after all.

Look who's becoming such a big little man all of a sudden. I swear he changes a little more every day. Try not to be in too much of a hurry, my little heart.
Your mommy loves you so.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Congratulations to Lisa

Congratulations to Lisa for winning the movie line contest from Stripes. If you would like to email your mailing address to me at kkmj at comcast dot net I will send your prize on its way.

The next movie line up for consideration is:

"It's me!"
"Prove it."
"You're a dick."
"O.K."

Good luck to all.

In knitting news, I am finally making progress on my Mock Croc socks. I don't know how many times I frogged this project, due to either being unsure of the stitches, unsure of dealing with five double pointed needles, losing my place, or the baby pulling it apart. But now I'm well on my way. The pattern is very intuitive; after doing a couple rows there is no need to consult the paperwork. That's very refreshing. Here is the sock as it stands now: By the way, guess who loves pancakes?

Sproutie is getting to the age where he wants to feed himself. Daddy made this little pancake just for him. What a big boy!

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Congratulations to Luv2ReedGrandma!

Congratulations to Luv2ReedGrandma for winning the movie line contest from Splash! Hooray for you!

The next movie line up for consideration is:

"Everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I'll kill you. I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you."
-------"Lighten up, Francis"

and

"That's a fact, Jack!"

Good luck to all.

I think I finally figured out what I'm doing on the Mock Croc socks. Progress pictures coming soon!

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Congratulations to...

The answer to the movie line contest ("Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?") is Rush Hour. And Rush Hour 2. Spoken by Chris Tucker in Rush Hour, and by Jackie Chan in Rush Hour 2. Since the contest only requires the name of the movie, not who spoke the line, Stephanie is the winner, with Honorable Mention going to Sandy and Jenni. Sorry for the confusion, but after all this is all in good fun anyway.

A word to movie line contest winners: there is an award banner on my sidebar that you have earned the "privelege" of adding to the sidebar of your blogs if you so desire. And Dani and Angela, your prizes are as yet unclaimed. Email your mailing address to me at kkmj at comcast dot net so I can send them on their way to you.

The next movie line up for consideration is:

"All my life I've been waiting for someone and when I find her, she's a fish."

Good luck to all.

In knitting news, I'm still not quite able to master the yarn overs in the Mock Croc socks. I'm on my way to my friendly local yarn shop to get some much needed assistance. Wish me luck!

Friday, May 19, 2006

Congratulations to Jenni

Congratulations to Jenni for winning the movie line contest from Dick and Jane. Unlike a lot of people, I laughed harder at the remake than the original. The botox scene? The border escape? I almost couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard. Not that the movie is perfect, but I still enjoyed it. Good job, Jenni. If you'd like to email your mailing address to me at kkmj at comcast dot net, I will send a little prize your way.

To answer Stephanie's questions, the socks will be for me. I hear that sock knitting can be addictive. I'm already addicted to knitting, but haven't quite caught the sock bug yet. I hear that the knitting goes very quickly, and by the time you're finished with your first sock, you're hooked. I'll have to let you know about that.

Do I consider myself a fast knitter? Would I win a knitting race? Or do I like to take my time and focus on the stitch quality?

I'd have to say that it depends on the project. But I'm a thrower, which means I hold the yarn in my right hand, rather than a picker, where someone holds the yarn in their left hand. They have held actual speed knitting contests, and throwers rarely win. I have learned the picking technique, and do it every once in a while so I don't forget it, but throwing feels much more natural to me, and I personally feel like I can control my gauge better with throwing. There's a fallacy that picking is more sophisticated than throwing. I don't agree.

I don't knit really fast, but I'm not slow either. I get a lot of things done, but that's probably due more to always having my knitting with me so I can whip it out wherever I am, and because I try to make time for knitting every night. Sometimes I don't always succeed, but there is something very therapeutic for me to unwind and knit after the kids have gone to bed. I start to feel scattered if I don't get that time.

And since knitting is all about the relaxation for me, I don't rush it.

Knitting, just like any other hobby, can get spendy if you let it. The best rationalization I've heard (from an enabling yarn shop owner, naturally) was that you are paying for the experience of knitting, and as a bonus you get a finished product at the end. I guess if you think about it, you pay about $15 for a movie, popcorn and soda for two hours of entertainment. For the time spent, knitting can be considered pretty reasonably priced. But I could just be trying to justify...

On to the next movie line contest. Up for your consideration now:

"Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?"

Good luck to all.

Congratulations to Angela

Congratulations to Angela for winning the movie line contest from Ghostbusters. Way to go! If you would like to email your mailing address to me at kkmj at comcast dot net, I will send your candy prize on its way.

In knitting news, I went to my first Tigard Knitting Guild meeting tonight and am very glad that I did. I'm so glad that they have something like this close to where I live. The meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month. Tonight's speaker was Betsy McCarthy, author of Knit Socks! She gave an interesting talk about how her book came to be published. I met Chrissy and Amanda there, and we sat together at a table and knit our own socks while the meeting was held. After the presentation they went around the room and did show and tell of finished objects while everyone oohed and aahed appreciatively.

I worked on my Mock Croc socks for the knitalong, but did the yarn-overs wrong, so I ended up frogging the whole thing. The yarn I picked for this project is lovely, but right now we're just not getting along. After reading on Angela's blog that she was using Paton's Grace yarn (100% mercerized cotton) for her socks, I realized that I had some in my stash and pulled it out. I don't live in Florida where it's always warm, but we have been having a tropical heat wave here lately, so I hope this will work out fine. So far it's knitting up a lot easier for me. It could be that I'm more experienced with the pattern after frogging it three times already. Or maybe the solid color is helping me to see the pattern easier than the variegated colors. Here is a picture of the progress I've made so far: It might not look like much, maybe a bit of string on some shish kabob skewers, but for my first pair of socks, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

And now for the new move line contest. Up for your consideration is:

"We may be in a bit of a pickle."

Good luck to all.

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Justin's square

Cindy over at Warming Grace is asking for 5-inch blue squares to make a blanket for Justin, a little boy who has liver cancer. If you have any chance at all, and maybe some extra blue yarn hanging around, please visit her site and see if you might have the time to quickly knit up a square.Here is my little square. The pattern is called Polperro, from the book 200 Knitted Blocks. I knit this up with Caron Simply Soft Quick. It was only 16 stitches across and 24 rows. I was able to get it done while waiting in the parking lot for ZimDee to get out of preschool.

Now I can cast on for my Mock Croc Socks!

There is still a movie line contest in the works. The previous lines were:

"Listen! Do you smell something?"

and

"This chick is toast!"

Here are some additional lines:

"Does anybody want to play Parcheesi?"

"What a lovely singing voice you must have."

"Do you have any hobbies?"
"I collect spores, molds, and fungus."

Good luck to all.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Is this what they mean by yarn barf?

The baby was quiet. Too quiet. Not the peaceful pleasant quiet that comes when he finally falls asleep. No, this was a sinister quiet. The kind that all mothers dread.

I went searching for Sproutie and what did I find? Who, me? It wasn't me, mama.And I am left with the carnage as he moves on to new discoveries.It's a good thing for me that unlike a lot of other areas in my life, I have infinite patience for disentangling yarn knots. It's a good thing for Sproutie, too.

One Skein Secret Pal Questionnaire

1. Which yarn is most like your personality (you can be specific or general with your answer- brand, type, color, fiber, whatever)?
Umm, what was that question? Do you mean that there is a yarn out there that resembles a frazzled 4'10" little mom of three who is constantly being pulled in 20 different directions? Now, this I HAVE to see. Maybe ratty purple fun fur???
Now, if you want to ask me something that makes more sense, not a Barbara Walters type question (what kind of tree would you be?), like what kinds of yarn do I like to work with the most, I could tell you that I like all kinds of yarn, but cashmere/merino wool blends or wool/cotton are my favorites.

2. What is your favorite color yarn to knit/crochet with?
Well, purple is my favorite color by far, but I don't knit EVERYTHING with purple, because that would be silly. I'm not a huge fan of oranges or browns, but even they have their place, like knitting a Nemo fish or brown moose or something.

3. Have you ever used variegated, or magic, yarns?
Yes. Sometimes it breaks up the monotony. I have never used the magic colors sock yarn, but would love to try.

4. Do you tend to favor certain fibers when choosing yarns?
It truly does depend on the project. And though I'm not a total yarn snob, I always find myself seeking out the cashmere/merino wool blends, like Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, Rowan Cashsoft, or Louisa Harding Kashmir. Not that I always buy it, mind you, but I do drool all over it.

5. Do you prefer to work with center-pull or traditionally wound balls of yarn?
Now, THAT is a good question. A worthy question. What is a traditionally wound ball of yarn? Is it that kind of figure-8 shaped skein that you have to put on a swift and wind with a ball winder before knitting with it? If it is, I don't mind, because I can re-wind it. If you're talking about the universal debate between knitting from the center of a skein or the outside of a skein, I always knit from the outside. I've NEVER pulled yarn from the center of a skein without it getting all knotted up. Plus, a hollowed-out skein of yarn that has had all its guts pulled out just looks so, well, sad.

6. Have you ever worked with organic yarns or are you interested in trying them?
Actually, I'm working with some as we speak. I'm knitting up the Girlfriend's Swing Coat Sweater in Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton. It's lovely. I would use it again for other projects.

7. How many and what projects have you made in the last year?
I don't have an official count, but in the last year I've knit some baby blankets (with Sirdar Snowflake/Bernat LuLu/Lion brand Polarspun), some dishcloths (with cotton), 3 baby sweaters, a pair of baby leggings (with Rowan wool/cotton--a dream to work with), heart Christmas ornaments, of course some scarves, afghan squares. I've got 4 unfinished sweaters on my needles, and I'm going to start my first pair of socks soon.

8. Will you be knitting any gifts this year?
Abso-freakin-lutely. Does anybody get anything other than knitted objects from me?

9. What is your favorite one skein project?
Right now I'm in love with the picot bag from the book Special Knits by Debbie Bliss.

10. How much yarn do you have in your stash and how do you store it?
Such a loaded question. See, it's not really my fault. I fall in love with a particular yarn (Bernat LuLu for instance, to make the best baby blankets with) and they up and discontinue it. So I can't be held responsible for gathering up and hoarding every single ball of that that I find. I can't help it, really. Other than that, I try to buy yarn for a specific pattern, and I've been pretty good about that. I store my yarn in stackable plastic Rubbermaid bins.

11. Do you have a yarn in your stash that you love so much you can never use it or part with it?
I like this question. There is a lovely skein of handcrafted yarn that I bought from the lady who made it when I was travelling in Connecticut. This was before I ever became a knitter. The yarn just called to me. I don't know what I thought I was going to do with it, but it was too beautiful not to have. This yarn recently resurfaced during my spring cleaning, and now that I'm a knitter, I'm still not sure what to do with it, since it is a solitary piece of art. I'm still searching for the PERFECT project for it. Now the Bernat LuLu, that gets knitted up for very special friends only.

12. Do you knit less or differently in the summer?
Nooooo are you crazy? I've heard of this phenomenon and wonder at the restraint. Even if I'm knitting a sweater in the summer, it will be there when the weather turns cold. Summer is the perfect time to knit! Sitting on the deck, taking your knitting on vacations and road trips. If anything, I knit MORE.

13. Do you belong to any knitting groups (online or offline)?
I knit at a lovely local store every Wednesday evening as time allows. I'm always open to more...


Please feel free to ask me if I didn't cover anything here. I'm looking forward to meeting you, O/S Secret Pal!

I've been tagged!

I've been tagged for my very first meme . Thank you, Tam! (I think)! I feel so "official" now. The meme is to list the 5 children's books that you loved at ages 10-14. This one brought back sweet memories, and even better than that, I think now would be a great the time to share these books with Girlie. So without further ado, here are the books that opened up the world of imagination and made a lifelong reader out of me:

1. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
2. Deenie by Judy Blume
3. The Nancy Drew Series by Carol Keene
4. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
5. Master Mike and the Miracle Maid by Elizabeth Starr Hill

Does this mean I get to tag somebody now?

Friday, May 12, 2006

Congratulations to Tanya

Congratulations to Tanya for winning the movie line contest from Sleepy Hollow. What I like best about that movie is that Mr. Johnny Depp himself says MY name several times in the movie. When I watch it I can pretend he's really talking to me. *sigh*

So Tanya, email me your snail mail address to kkmj at comcast dot net and I will send your prize on its way. And it's just not right for a prize to go unclaimed, so Dani, I'm still waiting for you to email me your mailing address as well.

The next lines up for consideration are:

"Listen! Do you smell something?"

and

"This chick is TOAST!"

Good luck to all.

Leggings Questions Part 2

The saga of the leggings continues...

Tanya writes:

"Is my biggest problem that I am referring to the pouch as a HEEL pouch? Is that actually a little toe? Because as I seam down the sides and I get to the garter stitch rows, if I hold (it) together it SORT of resembles a little shoe. But the seaming on yours went diagonally across the bottom of the foot, and try as I might I just can't see it. These are so frustrating. Do I seam stockinette to stockinette and garter to garter?
Or do I cut them at the ankle and add ric rac for a jaunty footless legging?"

Now let's see if I can answer your question:

Yes, yes, the "pouch" you're seeing is the toe! Why I didn't catch it sooner when you mentioned that before is a testament to all the brain power I've lost exponentially with each child I've given birth to. That's a great illustration, by the way. I completely understood it right away.

The foot should resemble somewhat the shape of a shoe when seaming:When starting at the top of the leg, the seam will end up running down the inside of the leg. By the time you get to the garter stitches on the foot, the seam should be right where that little bone sticks out at the inside of the ankle. Then when the seam gets to the bottom of the foot, it then runs straight down the center bottom of the front part of the foot.

You see from your illustration that the knitted area to the right of the toe is longer than the knitted area to the left. That's the part that wraps around and becomes the heel.And yes, match up garter to garter and stockinette to stockinette.
See from this picture how you would match up the garter rows together when turning the longer knitted flap around the corner of what is to become the heel?

Then the seam will run down the center bottom of the foot. I hope this is what you need to finish the project. Though I did get a chuckle out of your jaunty footless legging with ric rac idea. There's always that to fall back on if this doesn't work out...

Good luck with finishing. Do let me know how it turns out.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Crocodile Yarn

I found the perfect yarn to knit up my Mock Croc socks for Amanda's knitalong:
It is Mountain Colors Hand-Painted Yarn in Mountain Tango colorway. It is 60% superwash wool, 25% mohair, 15% nylon. I chose this lovely variegated green in honor of the crocodile theme. See that lovely little green price tag on the yarn label? We won't talk about that. How in the world do all my sock-knitting-addicted friends finance their habit? Is there something you're not telling me?

Judging by the flood of answers to the current movie line quiz (not!) it looks like more clues are needed. The current line is:

"You are most welcome, even if you are selling something."

The next line is:

"Have a kiss on account."

I will give you an even better clue, my lovelies. That last line was spoken by a character who shares my name. Care to guess now?

Girlie is going on her first Brownie (girl scout) campout this weekend. This will be the first time she has spent the weekend away from me and not been with family. I feel ok about it. She's such a responsible girl and I know she's going to have fun. But I will also feel a lot better when she's back home safely. She'll be back the morning of Mother's day, and the best gift will be to have her back safe and sound. Oh, these bittersweet milestones. It's such a delicate balance of holding on loosely while letting go.

*My love to all*

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Congratulations to Amanda

Congratulations to Amanda for winning the movie line contest from Miracle. Great job! Email your snail mail address to me at kkmj at comcast dot net and I will send a nice sugar-y prize your way.

A reminder to all movie line contest winners: on my sidebar, there is an award ribbon that you are welcome to save and put on your blog sidebars if you so desire.

The next movie line up for consideration is:

"You are most welcome, even if you are selling something."

Good luck to all.

We Finally Have a Winner!!

Congratulations to Dani for winning the movie line contest!! It is indeed Citizen X. I'm sorry that my clues misled you a bit--HBO aired the movie in 1995, and it was released on video in 1996. This movie was based on a book by the same name (at least the first part), though apparently it used to just go by "The Killer Department" instead of "Citizen X: The Killer Department". I'm sorry for the confusion. Thanks for hanging in there, y'all. Very well done, Dani! Chocolate is the prize of choice, unless you have issues like the fear of it melting in your mailbox this time of year. Let me know. If you would like to email your snail mail address to me at kkmj at comcast dot net, I will get your well-deserved prize on its way to you.

The next movie line up for consideration is:

"I'm from wherever won't get me hit."

Good luck to all.

Moving On...

Thank you all for your nice comments yesterday about the snob ladies. I didn't feel personally attacked, just surprised that somebody could be so rude and thoughtless. I'm sure they had no idea what they were even doing, which is kind of sad, actually.

Now on to some fun stuff. Amanda is starting a mini Mock Croc sock knitalong, and since I've been wanting to start knitting my first pair of socks, I thought I'd join. Wish me luck!

I've also agreed to knit a square for Papa's Quilt.Jamie is asking for knitted green eight inch squares for a quilt for her friend's Papa who is going into hospice care. It just so happened that I had a lonely skein of dark sage green Caron Simply Soft Quick yarn in my stash.I love this yarn. It's surprisingly soft and silky for acrylic, and has a beautiful sheen. I used this same yarn for Tim's Illusion Scarf . I chose the Seed Squares design from the book 200 Knitted Blocks, because, as many of you already know, I love how the seed stitch looks. I started knitting it last night, and because I'm using bulky yarn, I just have four more rows to go before I can block it and send it on its way. I would have finished it last night, but Sproutie woke up early for his 2am feeding and I had to abandon the knitting to tend to the hungry child. What I'm proud of about this project is that I was able to figure out how many stitches and rows I needed to create an 8" square, and then I was able to modify the pattern to fit those requirements. Sounds like a piece of cake to the experts, but I was quite pleased with myself. I know that everyone is busy, but if you feel compelled to contribute, I'm sure that Jamie would appreciate it.

We still have a movie line contest up in the air. I promise I won't choose such an obscure movie in the future, but I know that SOMEBODY has to have seen this movie. Scroll down to my previous posts to get the latest clues. Tim? Trek? Any takers?

Now, I've got a question. Why does it seem to be that in my effort to make a dent in my yarn stash, I'm having to buy more yarn so that I can use the yarn in my stash? What is up with that?

*My love to all*

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

The Price

I went back to that snobby little yarn shop closest to my house today. I despise going in there, and I wouldn't have at all, but I needed a skein of yarn from the same dye lot as one that I had bought there a while ago.

As usual, when I walked in, the owner was sitting behind her tall counter and didn't even acknowledge my entrance. She didn't even look up. That is so wrong on so many levels.

There was a group of three knitting snobs at the table in the center of the store. They looked up as if I were intruding on their private party. Don't worry ladies---I have to pick up ZimDee from preschool in a little bit and couldn't join you if I wanted to. I was carrying Sproutie in my arms, and wouldn't you know it--the yarn that I needed was right by the table. Oh well. I'll just pick up what I need and go.

So the snob ladies start remarking to me about how cute Sproutie is. Even mean snobby ladies can't resist the charms of my youngest. Then they start saying to each other, WHILE I'M STILL STANDING RIGHT THERE BUT AS IF I WASN'T THERE AND COULDN'T HEAR THEM (sorry to shout--I'm getting worked up about this again) they start saying how babies are so cute but they are so glad that they're done having theirs, oh, but Reginald wants another, but there's things I can do about that, you know, because there's no way I'm going through the snotty poopy diaper mess of life all over again, because having babies around just really cramps your style, you know, you can't shop and they make messes all over the leather seats in your Mercedes and drool all over your Gucci bag. And what about the stretch marks? It's just a price I'm not willing to pay, cluck, cluck, cluck.

Oh. My. God. How can anyone be so insensitive? What is it about some people that they are so insecure about themselves that they feel like they have to tear someone else down in order for them to feel better?

I'm standing right there holding my drooling baby and he's cooing at me and giving me the biggest crooked smile I've ever seen in my life, and those mean-hearted ladies just disappear. All that matters is me and my sweet tiny little baby boy. And you know what? I love these days of drool and diapers. Of being the most important person in the world (for just a short while) to this tiny little being. Of walking into a room and him smiling and kicking because he's so excited to see me. Me! Little old me.

So you can keep your expensive (*cough* overpriced *cough*) cars and your drool-free (*cough* unloved *cough*) bags. It's just for show anyway. And while you're at it, keep your mean-spirited comments to yourself. You want what I have, this sweet unconditional love, and since you don't have it, you feel the need to tear it down. You're only hurting yourself inside. Me, I'll be mildly annoyed for a few minutes (then I'll blog about it). Then I'll forget about it once I squeeze that baby, and go pick up his brother from preschool, who runs into my arms like he hasn't seen me for years and years even though I just dropped him off two hours ago. Then we're going to go get an ice cream cone and sit on the porch swing in the sun and sing silly nonsense songs and laugh and laugh.

I love my life. Could it be simpler? Cleaner? Quieter? Of course it could. But I'd have to miss all the giggles and tickles, first steps, first words, first days of school, first loves. And that, my friends, is the price I'm not willing to pay.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Soccer

It's been a while since I posted some pictures on my blog.

Let me present you now with the world's best 2nd grade soccer goalie:Sorry for the darkness of the pictures. The flash doesn't travel so far inside the gym. But hopefully you can see her doing her magic on the floor.

The thing is, ZimDee just gets so excited to go to his sissy's soccer games. I can't imagine why, can you?
It looks like I've got a little ladies' man on my hands.

Heaven help us all.

More clues

Maybe I made the current movie line contest too hard to guess. In the future I will stick to movies that were actually released in theatres, not HBO special features that were later released on video, like this one. See if these clues help:

*The movie is based on a true story.
*The movie is based on a book of the same name.
*HBO released the movie in 1996.
*The story takes place in Russia.
*Donald Sutherland, Steven Rea, and Max von Sydow star.

Even if you haven't seen this movie (which is well worth watching), there should be enough information to google and find the correct answer.

Man, I'm making you work hard for this one. Good luck!

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Picking up the Sticks

I finally picked up my knitting needles last night and whipped out an adorable project for my Secret Pal. But since it's secret, I can't show you. Suffice it to say, it turned out beautifully. I am participating in three different swaps: The Knitting Vacation Swap (which is not secret), the One Skein Secret Pal, and Secret Pal 8. I've been having a lot of fun gathering information and trinkets for my pals. I hope they like them!

It seems that this movie line contest is a little bit challenging. I thought it might be. The first line is:

"And let me just say: together the two of you make a wonderful person."

Here are some additional lines for clues:

"Have you nowhere to go?"

"Is this man crrrying?"

Maybe those will help. If not, I will leave even more clues later.

My mother-in-law left to go back home this morning. Though her visits are getting easier, it is always nice to have my own space back when she leaves.

I'll leave you now with the words of ZimDee: "Don't tell me shush!" Oh, sorry, wrong words. I meant: "Wuvitoo."

Friday, May 05, 2006

Congrats to Stephny

Congratulations to Stephny for winning the movie line contest from Corrina, Corrina. Great movie. Well done, Girl!

The next movie line up for consideration is:

"And let me just say: together the two of you make a wonderful person."

This one might be a bit obscure. Let me give you some hints. I think this originally aired as an HBO special production back in the day, but they did release it on video soon thereafter. Although it probably wasn't shown in the actual theatres, it's still available at your local video store. This movie was based on a book by the same name, and the book was based on a true story. Please let me know if this still doesn't ring any bells, because I am prepared to give you some backstory and the name of the lead actors if you hit a snag. Just leave me a comment and I will show you some mercy.

Believe it or not, I have not been able to find the time to do much knitting this week. A lot of it has to do with the fact that my mother-in-law is in town visiting, which kind of cramps my style. What am I saying, kind of? But she will be returning to her home on Sunday, and I will be able to return to some sense of normalcy around here.

Speaking of knitting, I am very excited about starting the Basics, Basics, Basics course from The Knitting Guild Association recommended by Chrissy . Notice anything? Yes, my babies, I have mastered the hyperlink!! Now, I just need to refine how to fix the links in my sidebar. Anyway, oh yeah, the Basics course. It's the first step of many on the road to becoming a master knitter. I am still far away from that lofty goal, but I will get there someday. The course requires you to knit up and send swatches of different techniques, and I'm telling you, that's right up my alley right now. My attention span has been pretty short of late, so I think swatches will be just what the doctor ordered.

My love to all.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Congratulations to Tam

Congratulations to Tam for winning the movie line contest from Much Ado About Nothing. Your prize of choice, red Tic Tacs, will soon be arriving at your door. Well done!

The next movie line up for consideration is:

"Why do you watch this stuff? Queen for a Day? A guy in my neighborhood wanted to be queen for a day and you know what happened to him, don't you? Mmm hmm."

Good luck to all.

I will be posting answers to the Secret Pal 8 questionnaire soon.

Secret Pal 8 Questionnaire

This is my first Secret Pal exchange, and I'm very excited. Here is my questionnaire:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Although I seriously love all kinds of yarn, I always find myself seeking out merino wool/cashmere blends like Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, Rowan Cashsoft, or Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran.

What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
There is no yarn that I don't like.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
A drawer

3. How long have you been knitting?
I tried to learn about 7 years ago but didn't catch the bug completely until about 3 years ago, when I became seriously addicted.

Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Intermediate

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, see my sidebar

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Gardenia, jasmine, floral, grapefruit, citrus (please no lavender)

6. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Not so much, though I would never turn away chocolate

Favorite candy?
My favorite treat is spicy peanuts, and I love Jamba Juice (www.JambaJuice.com)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I also like beading.

Do you spin?
No.

8. What kind of music do you like?
Most everything but rap. I love, love, love 80's music.

Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Absolutely yes.

9. What's your favorite color?
Purple by far

Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
Anything in the purple family, or blues/greens, pinks

Any colors you just can't stand?
I'm not very fond of orange or brown

10. What is your family situation?
Married with three children, daughter age 8, son age 3, son age 10 months

Do you have any pets?
No

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I love all of the above, though hats don't look as attractive on me as they do on my kids

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Everything, but if I had to choose, probably sweaters or baby items

13. What are you knitting right now?
A couple things: a cardigan for my daughter, a cardigan for myself, a sweater for my sister, a sweater for myself

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Very much.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
No preference, depends on the project

Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Believe it or not, I love the cheap grey steel straight needles best of all. Of course Addi's for circulars.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No, not yet.

17. How did you learn to knit?
With my sister at a class at Michael's. Good times.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
I never did finish that first sweater I started in my first class. Otherwise, a couple months for the sweaters I'm working on now. My head is turned quite easily by new projects.

19. What is your favorite holiday?
Strangely enough, I don't really have a favorite. I like them all.

20. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn? And I love tea (English or Irish blends like PG Tips or Barry's Tea)and tea pots, cups and saucers

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
There's really nothing knit-related that I don't like or wouldn't love to have. I especially love knitting gadgets.

What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Vogue, Knit1, Knitters, Interweave, Cast On

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'd like to master intarsia and fair isle

23. Are you a sock knitter?
Not yet, but seriously want to start

What are your foot measurements?
I wear a size 5 shoe.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
March 26.

Miscellaneous information:
*I'm a thrower. I tried picking, and it's ok, but I feel I have much more control of my knitting tension with throwing.
*I'm a silly, silly person and can find the humor in just about anything.
*Feel free to ask me if there's something you want to know that wasn't covered by the questionnaire.

Yay! I'm looking forward to meeting you, Secret Pal!