A special post for a special pal

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

I don’t think I am a yarn snob. I like yarn and can think of many things to do with all sorts of yarn. Red Heart and Lion Brand both make yarn I would use for the right project. I have some very fun vintage RH in fantastic ombre colors that I can’t destash because I like it so much. I am learning that some types of yarn work better than others for certain projects.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

I do both. I just got a spinning wheel in April and I love it. LOVE IT. I do crochet but only from a chart. Mostly doily’s and little trims.3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)I am allergic feathers, eggplant, cheap perfume, and almost anything that grows outside.
So I know these things are tempting to send me … hehe...but please keep the feathers far far away.
4. How long have you been knitting?

I have been knitting for sometime but only got past knit and purl in the last two years. My Mom taught me as a child then as I got older handed me a book and off I went.

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

I do have one I think. I will have to double check but mostly I think yes.

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

I am a vanilla girl. But I love many other scents more on the natural side less on the perfume side. Perfumes can make me sneeze.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

I do have a sweet tooth. Its very sweet and a glutton at times.

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

The only one other than knitting and spinning is beading. I started that around the time I learned to knit. The beading was ahead for quiet a few years. I mostly knit know but adore making stitch markers and still do a little peyote.

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

I am a eclectic music junkie. I can play music on my computer. I don’t much care for rap but everything else is a go. Indigo girls, Brent Floren, Doria Roberts, Hank Willaims, five o clock people all good.

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

I enjoy color greatly. I like to wear earthy jewel tones and I like to look at sunset, ocean, and fire tones. I used to say I really did not care for yellow and orange but I am leaning to like them when they play with others. Someone once told me I had an eye for color and it has gone to my head ever since. I think we just liked the same colors together.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?My family situation is very fun. I am in the process of moving in with my gf (Sonny). We will be celebrating our Second year together on Fathers day. She is amazing. We have a zoo three dogs (Stevie 3, Cody 14, Shep 9) one cat (Sebastian 8), rooster (Renegade), three bunnies (mr. & mrs Bunny , Betty), and Two frogs, and a turtle (Turtle Turtle).

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

The simple version is to get my associates then my BF. I also want to be Happy which I think is the most important life dream. But I don’t have anything to complain about at the moment.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?I very much enjoy the blue moon fiber arts yarns and I also enjoy tahki donegal tweed yarn. Those are the only two that I can think of right now I don’t have to much trouble with yarn. I can only knit with cotton for a short period of time. I like to take sweaters apart so I have used recycled yarn for several large projects.

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

I am a lover not a not liker.

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

I am obsessed with knitting. I am in a sweater, bag, sock funk. I have a large amount of WIPs that I have to go though and finish. They are so close I just need to finish them.

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

I like cables. I don’t really care what the item is I just like to knit them. The twists and turns encourage me to keep going so I can see where it leads me next.

17. What are you knitting right now?

Currently on the needles and in the bag are B’s socks in knitpicks dye your own sock yarn. Then we have Martha made out of a recycled sweater. The socks only need a cuff and two toes. the sweater is a back and almost a left front.

18. What do you think about ponchos?

I don’t think about ponchos.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

I like the 10inch straight needles for the most part. Circular needles don’t have enough for my hands to hold onto but I like them and use them.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I like them all depending on what I am doing. MY favorite needles are two pairs of steel needles size 1 and size 0. They are just weighted perfect. I have a tendency to snap and warp needles of all varieties. It happens just about the time they get good and worn in.

21. Are you a sock knitter?

I learned how to knit socks this year. They are fun and have enjoyed them greatly.

22. How did you learn to knit?

My Mom taught me.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

To old to think about.

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

I am not really an animated type character person. I have a licking for several comic book characters but not so much for the toons. In the animal kingdom I like turtles.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

I like the holidays when I get to spend time with my family and don’t have to work. Those are my favorite.

26. Is there anything that you collect?

I collect turtles.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I don’t have any. Most the time I peruse what comes into the book store to see if there is something I like.

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

There are a great many books I would like to get my hands on but it all depends on my mood.

I am moving across town... again. To a shared home which will be the first shared home in a while.

I had to go through everything I own. The WIP baskets are full of projects. Not projects that need knitting but projects that just need ends woven in or seamed. I am deeming this WIP summer. I can't start any new projects until I clear out one WIP Basket.

I can do this. One good afternoon will take care of half a basket of end weaving.

Have a great weekend whilst I melt and pack.

It is a back

Martha is a back a full off the needles back. 27258 stitches of a back. It feels nice to have a finished piece for her. Now to tackle the other pieces.

Martha is being knit from a recycled sweater and I am so happy that I got the whole back out of one and a half sleeves. This was a huge sweater. I think I should still have 1000 yards left of this yarn when I am finished.

Martha, Moving, and More

I found yarn this weekend for two more projects? One is a lovely white wool about 2500 yards. Its on a cone which makes me happy because it will most likely be one giant piece. I have purchased many cones from this company and never run into a knot in one yet. I may go get more of this color because it would be great for dyeing and I have an idea I want to try but I must wait for them to wind them down to smaller batches. Right now they are on massive cones three or four pounds except for the one I bought.

The second one I got is a bluish/charcoalish tweed. It has highlights of red, white, blue, and grey. I don't now the yardage of this one but it is about a pound and a half. I swatched this one last night and it became fairly soft when washed but does nothing for cables. Have to think.

My Martha is up to approx 25000 stitches. She is almost a back.

Yesterday we had a family meeting and movie watching get together. I had to put her down during the meeting because my family drives me nuts. I love them dearly they are all my favorite people but they just drive me batty. My sister and I are both moving the same weekend. She is getting most of my big furniture for her first apt. You would think this was rocket science. Its not. This will be move seven or eight for me in the last five years. I am so tired of moving I can't wait to get down to the bare bones of my stuff and just get rid of the rest.

On the same note I am not looking though goin through all my stuff that I have packed and hauled around the last couple of years. I have acquired way to much stuff.

Things I am not sure whose home they are going to:

• Sewing machine with its own hiding table?
• How much yarn can I take with me. I have to much but...?
• Clothes that I have not worn or unpacked in the last three moves?
• Do I want to move the UFO box?
• The oil lamps and glass collection?
• Do I really need that much nail polish?
• Books...Lots and lots of books?

It is to daunting to think about any more. I am going to go knit and think of really good reasons to keep something I don't really need.

Very cool

Stunning work.

A tree knitted with rogue.

That's a smash

Who ever invented flat rate priority mail is my hero.

That's just the bestest thing in the world.

Bead It

Look at the wonderful stitch markers my bead it pal made me. Miranda, Tales from an Aspiring Yarn Maven sent them they are all so pretty. I was floored when I opened the package and this handful fell out. She even put a bumble bee on the envelop. I am very excited to get to use them on my Martha. Thanks so much Miranda!

This is the roving I died then Navajo plied. I like the colors and it has no pink, orange, yellow in it. I am going to try making some more. Out of the sections I dyed I got 100 yards. It has two large repeats of the color. I like how the colors turned out they did not get real muddy so its a pretty solid color fade. This is fun

Martha did not make it to the neck decreases this weekend. I had to work more than knit. I am shooting to have the back finished this week. I got to go to queer knit this weekend and knit with some very awesome people. I very much enjoy all there company and look forward to hanging out with them again. That means Marta too.

Spinning up a storm

What should I make?

I have approximately 400 yards. It goes from about 14-18 WPI. Some of it is over twisted but it has yet to be set. I got PVC to make a niddy- noddy this week.

The wool is blue faced leicester from North West Wools here in Portland. I enjoy the colors but I am ready to move on to a different color family. I have used the pink/yellow/orange variation in the last two things I have spun. One a brighter version then this one. I am thinking the purple family next.

This little one is a Romney wool single I spun up a week ago. I bought 16 oz to try dyeing. It has so far turned out well but its drying at the other house. It shall hopefully be spun up tonight. Not all 16 oz just the two large chunks I dyed. I didn't have a scale so I measured out a arm span twice roughly 10 feet/3.33 yards. I figure I should get a pretty basic system of how far so much goes.

I am also still working on the Martha Cardi. The back is a little over half done. I have been only working on it at work, but I am going to take it to knit group tonight. Maybe I can make it to the neck decreases.

Stitch marker heaven

Lots to click.

For some stitch marker, zipper pulls, and just a sense of the odd. My other stash enhancement. Plus a gift to gift.

These little babies are just a few of the fun things I picked up this weekend (my weekend is Thursday and Friday) Not pictured is a scuba diver, leaves, and an owl that were bought at a different shop. Some of them won't work for stitch markers because of there shapes but some of them will. This one and this one make me smile. I also picked up some more beads and other bits for a good sit down session. I like making stitch markers they are fast and very fulfilling. They also are a great way to use really spendy beads that for jewerly are out of the budget.

TIPS : Earrings and Stitch markers are made the same. Sheep in the city has a nice demo of how to make stitch markers. Dava Bead is one of my Fav local bead shops they have a great tip section as well.

You can use spendy pieces with a simple ribbon for a necklace that involves no tools. A pretty piece with some hand dyed silk is quite nice tied in a bow in the back.

Look what Rox sent me. Rox even made me some stitch markers. I have a few that will wing there way to her. She was the SP4 I sent to. I very much enjoyed her daily writes. (I still don't know who was sending to me. But Hi and Thanks a million I loved everything. She spun yarn for me.)

I have been away from home this weekend and its a little weird. Continuously from work to beach to work. I feel a need to settle into a comfy chair and stay put for a minute.

Spinning stuff tomorrow.

Yumm

Edit: Yummm fiber... not yumm food.

Alpaca.

Sheep.

Bunny.

Worm.

If I could..........

Tagged by Deb

The Premise (pick 5):
If I could be a scientist?
If I could be a farmer?
If I could be a musician?
If I could be a doctor?
If I could be a painter?
If I could be a gardener?
If I could be a missionary?
If I could be a chef?
If I could be an architect?
If I could be a linguist?
If I could be a psychologist?
If I could be a librarian?
If I could be an athlete?
If I could be a lawyer?
If I could be an inn-keeper?
If I could be a professor?
If I could be a writer?
If I could be a llama-rider?
If I could be a bonnie pirate?
If I could be an astronaut?
If I could be a world famous blogger?
If I could be a justice on any one court in the world?
If I could be married to any current famous political figure?

If I could be an Inn-keeper I would keep a very friendly inn. It would be filled with all things fibery and good. It would be for those who have a love of fiber, food, and felines. I would invite all yarn shop owners to have a little retreat and share their treasures with yarn users. The knitters, spinners, and crochetier of the world would come and visit for a little relaxation with friends of like mind.

If I could be a painter I would paint giant murals to cover up the slander on the walls of buildings all around town. There would be giant rainforests and fantastical oceans swimming along Portland’s streets. There would be dreamers whisked away by a pretty memory conjured up by paint.

If I could be a bonnie pirate I would sail the seas with a bonnie pirate flag at full mast. I would paint my ship bright green and have a floral motif along the sides. My bonnie pirate mates would be wise sailors and lovers of a great many things. We would find great beaches and islands to look for buried treasures or have clambakes with all the island people. We would Dance with dolphins and be amazed at all the creatures of the sea.

If I could be a chef I would find a way to get all children to love those healthy foods they hate so much. I would find a way to try all the foods I never have. I would make sushi every couple nights and share with my sushi loving friends.

If I could be a farmer I would raise pigs, sheep, and goats. I would have a black and white cow with many barn cats wandering around waiting for a little treat. I would have a garden to tend full of yummy vegetables and sunshine to warm my happy face.

If I could…….

Mums day

Tea please and a little relaxation for all you Mothers.
Have a happy Mothers day all you Mums.

didja know

Last night I sat on the couch knitting and spinning. I had Cody muffin on one side of me. Stevie Roo at my feet. They both snore and I am used to there snoring. While I am sitting there I hear a foreign snore. I halt my knitting and look to my feet where Stevie lays he is not snoring and Cody is just looking up at me. I realize it is coming from the entryway. I look from my spot on the couch under the rocker to the stairs. There a rather large creamcicle fluffball is sprawled out and snoring.

Did you know cats snore?

A big little search

Thanks for all the fun comments and little messages. It makes me feel good about my knitting and spinning.

---

Now I am on a quest for rainbow sock yarn.

The real rainbow colors; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, either indigo & violet, or purple. I keep coming up with variations of the rainbow colors or just primary colors. I was seriously looking at the Lorna's laces rainbow 601 until every card swatch I saw was a different rainbow. Here, here, Here. None of them even look similar. I am afraid of getting a wimpy version of the rainbow. So if you know who does a true rainbow yarn. Could you please let me know. I want to make a pair of socks for my somebody. We have a anniversary in June during pride week.

If I am unable to find true rainbow yarn I will just have to make stripy socks the hard way.

I swatched for Martha. I found a XXL men's cashmere sweater a couple weeks ago and I frogged it. It is a 2ply so I am using the yarn double stranded. It is super soft and a very noble blue. I feel a little dumb though last night as I was swatching I used two different sized needles. A 1 and a 2 needless to say this morning when I picked it up I could think of no reason why the other 2 was in a basket across the room. Light went on and I fixed it. Now all I have to do is finish the strawberry socks and I can start on her.

a big spindle

I think my pictures show my large purchase well.

Excuse the happy dog being good and sitting for a photo. He just happened to be in photo mood. I also could not get him to move, stubborn dog. If you click the picture you can see all sorts of other pictures. I am up in the right hand corner, but a bit blurry.

This is not the first bobbin I spun. That one is a bit chaotic.

We drove home and I sung "bought a spinning wheel, bought a spinning wheel, I bought a spiiiiiiiiiiinning wheel today. Its exciting, its exciting, its terrribleeeeeeee exciting. Gonna spin, gonna spin, gonnnaaaaaaaaaaaa spin some wool today" all the way home.

I have been knitting to. Knitting socks and froggin sweaters. What can you make with 800 yrds of charcoal grey cotton?
D