Friday, October 06, 2006

Not a Secret Anymore

I just got back last night. So far today I am exhausted and have been sitting here trying to get caught up on everything I've missed while I was gone.
I did make a few purchases at the far away lovely yarn shops and will try and post them tomorrow. For now here are a couple of pictures from the trip.



This is Lou's mom. She has just walked in the door for her very surprising surprise anniversary party. That's Lou's dad behind her. They both cried. It was very cute.
I love it when surprise really works out. I usually have a hard time pulling it off so I'm glad Lou's sister was in charge of this.

My mom had a 65th birthday party for my dad on the same day. I had a picture of my dad but it just disappeared into the great unknown.
He wasn't as surprised about his party. Like I said I stink at these things.
The kids knew there was going to be a party for my dad so when I got back to my mom's house I decided to go in the front door so if my dad was in the back room he wouldn't see us. Well he figured out that something was up when he saw my car outside and I hadn't come through the back door to go in. What's a girl to do?

Both of them were very nice parties. My dad got lots for cash. He's planning to chrome the engine of his 1978 El Camino.


By the way, here are my answers to the Secret Pal 9 questionnaire. The days have gotten away and all of things that I so excitedly signed up for are now coming up and I'm behind.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I'm a big fan of fingering weight or thinner yarns. The fatter needles seem to hurt my hands
so I try to stay below a 7 if I can.

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

I have a nice needle roll for my double points and two separate holders for my turbo and wooden circulars. I mad the case for the turbos from felted wool and I bought the other holder from patternworks and it's my favorite.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I learned to knit about 6.5 years ago. I was making a dress for my soon to be born baby and went into the local yarn store for embroidery floss. In the shop there were a few knitted beaded evening bags hanging on the wall. My mother collects antique beaded bags so I learned to knit so I could make her a mother's day gift. A beaded evening bag was my first real project.

After that I tried a cabled sweater for my baby because I didn't know I couldn't do it. Now I would consider myself intermediate to advanced. I still haven't tried intarsia.

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

I do have an Amazon Wishlist It is not under Beth though. You can email me for my formal name until I figure out how to make a cute little sidebar link for it.

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

I'm not a very flowery person when it comes to scents. I do like rose though but mostly cinnamon spice, vanilla, pumpkin, and sometimes lavender.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I'm a big fan of dark chocolate!

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

I do spin and I am currently working on a secret project that has to do with my spinning. I also quilt and do some sewing professionally when I'm in the mood.

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

I've been listening to a lot of calmer music lately and haven't been keeping up with anything so I can't really tell anything specific.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

I like a lot of fall colors, earthtones and also red and orange and green. Not a big fan of blue.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I have a husband, Daughter 20, Daughter 19, Daughter 5, Son 2 and a Basset hound named Penny.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

YES!

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

Lately socks and shawls but sweaters, bags. Anything really. I don't really felt much because I hate losing the stitch definition. I am attracted to a lot of felted projects though.

13. What are you knitting right now?

A drop stitch cardigan, socks for Christmas, the large wing shawl from Shadow Knitting, a Jamieson Fair Isle, Pi Are square that I'm adding my own lace designs to and some things I haven't touched in a while.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

YES!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I prefer circular needles form rosewood or ebony. I'm dying to try the new ones form Lantern Moon.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

yes

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

4 years. It is a ribbed sweater I started form my now 19 year old. IT IS SO BORING!

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Yarn - ha ha. I also collect music boxes and maple syrup in cute containers.

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 really want to try the Lobster Pot Yarn and I would love to have a couple more fiddlesticks patterns. Neither one of those are available locally and I don't order a lot of knitting supplies on line.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

Intarsia if I can get around my fear of it looking obnoxious and I want to practice continental knitting more as I am currently a thrower.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I do knit socks. My first couple of pairs fit well but got holes fast. I then found out that they need to be knitted more tightly to last. I dropped down to a 0 or 1 size needle. Since then the fabric is nice but too tight for my foot to get in. I need to figure out how to measure my foot correctly.

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

February 19

O.k. that's out of the way. Next I need to take care of the Socktoberfest questions.

Until then I'm off to work on my secret project.

1 comment:

Kate A. said...

I completely agree with you on #5-6! Funny how these little coincidences are.