Hip Hip Hooooray! It's Secret Pal 4

You may notice the lovely new button to your left. Yes folks the Knitty boards SP4 is slated to begin May 8. I can't wait!

And just for shits and giggles, here's my SP4 questionnaire in all it's glory!

KNITTING & FIBERS:
1. What is your current skill level (beginner/adv. beginner/intermediate etc.): I think I'm leaning more toward intermediate, with maybe a toe still in adv. beginner.
2. What are your favorite fiber colors? Greens, blues, and purples, and natural colors
3. Are there any fiber colors you absolutely do NOT like? If so which? I haven't come across anything I haven't liked so far!
4. What are your favorite fibers? I love Alpaca, and silk mixes.
5. Do you have any unwelcome fibers (stuff you just don't need more of or like?) I'll knit with anything, but I do have enough stash of synthetics stored up, so I don’t really need any more. You only need so much acrylic.
6. What is your Dream Yarn? A natural locally spun Alpaca. Or wool even. I love the idea of locally spun yarns.
7. How do you feel about novelty fibers (both the yarns and the items made with them)? They're fun I think. I have some that I plan to use, but haven't had the chance to do much with it yet.
8. What is the next thing you want to learn (techniques etc.) on the needles? I'd like to try cables, and I plan to do my first pair of regular sized socks (as opposed to fuzzy feet sized).
9. What item(s) do you knit the most? Unfinished sweaters. :)

WANTS & NOTS:
10. Allergies: Do you have any food, fiber, smoke, pet allergies your SP should be aware of? Nope, none at all.
11. Do you have an Amazon.com or knitpicks.com wishlist you'd like to share with your SP? If so please add the URL: My Amazon Wish list

12. What is on your Cool Stuff Wishlist (knitting or not): Current knitting magazines, yummy teas (green and oolang), nifty needle holders, small bags for holding stitch markers and other notions when I’m on the go with my knitting, cute patterns for baby gifts
13. What about stuff you don't need at all? There is absolutely nothing I don’t need!
14. Do you have hobbies other than knitting (tv, sports, collectibles, fave things)? I garden, I have a huge veggie garden every year and several flower beds.
I like wild flowers and anything that attracts hummingbirds. I have a small collection of turtle pins that I put on my lab coat at work.
15. Books you would like (knitting or not): Anything interesting on CD (or mp3). I don't read because I'd rather be knitting. Instead I listen to books on CD as mp3s on my player while I knit. I love Tom Robbins, but I'm open to any interesting fiction books.
16. For those of you who live outside the US, is there anything you'd like that you can't get your hands on?
17. In the event your SP lives outside the US, is there a particular yarn,
etc. you can't find in the US? Anything unique to a region or locally made. Even in the US, I love locally spun yarns.

FAVORITES: Who/What is your favorite...
Chocolate: Godiva, anything with toffee.
Muppet: Rigel (from Farscape)
Flower: Sunflower
Ice Cream flavor: Rainbow
Fragrance: Clean, rain, fresh mulch
Shoes to wear: flip flops
Type of garden: Vegetable
Animal: Alpaca, Horse, Dog
Beverage: Tea, German Rauchbeir

RORSCHACH ETC:
19. If you were candy would you be sweet, sour, or cinnamon? sour
20. If you were a fruit which would you be? strawberry
21. Are you a Java Junkie? Sort of. I love flavored coffee, but can’t handle caffeine.
I've also recently become a tea junkie!
22. Your birthday, in case it falls during the swap and your SP wants to send
you a card: Feb 10
23. Do you have a personal mantra? You need to put down the knitting and [clean/cook/study].
24. How do you really feel about socks? I'd prefer not to wear them if I can avoid them in the summer, and I love warm socks in the winter.
25. What is your shoe size? 7.5
26. What kind of music (and/or which artists) do you listen to when you are
happy? 80s hair bands and rock ballads, current girly songs, like Avril Levine (see #27)
27. Rate yourself on a girly/fruh fruh factor from 1 - 10: I'd say a 3, but I'm actively trying to get myself to atleast a 6!
28. What languages do you speak (besides English)? None. I took Spanish in high school, but only remember a little bit and I've tried to learn German, and even have the CDs at home, but never got past disc 1.
29. If you could have any "super power" which would it be? To be super fast and to squeak every time I move.
30. You're given $10,000 for traveling. Where do you go and why? First I'd go to Germany, anywhere small town in Germany. I love the food and the beer, and the towns are so beautiful and unstressed. Then I'd go to Venice Italy, again, because it was beautiful and relaxing. And I didn't ride a Gondola the last time I was there, and I regret it.

Well, hope you enjoyed this compact little bio of me! I can't wait to get my secret Pal. I've got my money all squirrelled away to buy lots of fun stuff!

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Count down to nursing school

No, I haven't been accepted yet.
Yes, I'm probably counting my chickens before they hatch.

But this just makes me happy to look at.


If I get accepted, this is the time left until I would start my classes.
I wish I could make one for the time left before I find out if I'm accepted, but freaking UNC takes their sweet old time getting those notifications out. I may call and see if I can get a better idea of when they go out then "end of March, beginning of April". Well that's pretty vague thank you!

I'm so impatient really. I just want to know. I had a mini...well, I don't want to call it a panic attack...it was really just a heart flutter when I realized how close I am to knowing.

Oh, for sanity's sake! Send me my acceptance letter now!

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'Tis the season!

Yes, the time of dirty fingernails has arrived!
I dug my first bit of weed out of my herb bed yesterday. It felt wonderful to have my hands in soil again. It's nice to see my perinnial herbs coming back, it'll be great to cook with fresh rosemary, parsley, tyme and oregano, amoung others. Next weekend we'll borrow a neighbors tiller, and get the raised bed ready for veggies. I'm excited for another summer of growing. Last year we learned the art of canning, and this year I think we'll perfect it!

Unfortunately yarn and dirt don't mix well, so when the time rolls around for gardening and yard work, my knitting tends to fall to the bottom of the list. It hasn't happened quite yet, as I'm working on a summer top, which will keep me knitting for a bit longer. As part of the Honeymoon Cami KAL, I cast on my stitches along with the rest of the group. I'm up to row 7 of the border. The yarn is knitting up nicely I think, although I know my gauge is .5 stitch per inch off. I'll keep checking the sizing as I go and make adjustments if I need to. Oddly enough I had a dream last night that I finished the Cami, and it was the size of an XL t-shirt...kinda looked like one too really...in my dream. Very odd. Anyway, the pattern has you knitting together yarn overs you create the round prior. Boy, if you YO tightly that can be a real bitch! Gotta remember for the next batch to YO nice and loose.

Another sign of spring around this dragon's lair is the activity of the turtles outside. Currently we have over 30. But with the prospect of moving back to PA some time in the future, we're decreasing that number. We'll have a smaller number to focus on, which will be nice. When our turtle numbers grow to such a large amount, it gets to be more of a job then a hobby to take care of them.

The ones were selling are listed here:
Spotted Breeding pair
XL breeding Eastern pair
Sub-adult pair Wood turtles

They're really wonderful turtles for hard core turtle enthusiasts. Just incase anyone who reads this knows of any hard core turtle enthuiasts.

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Releasing my inner Sailor

Yes, that means I'm going to swear up a storm. And while typically my sailor usually only comes out when I'm knitting, this sailor-fest has nothing to do with fibers. No, it's an employment sailor-fest. You (if there are any yous who read this blog) have been warned...if you are easily offended, get out while you still can. I will remain a sweet innocent in your mind forever that way.




So apparently I haven't kissed enough ass in the basement for those ladies to deem me worthy of the most basic level of courtesy. While I may call you out, I will do so in the most nicest, kindest way possible, but apparently these wenches only want pure unadulterated ass kissing. If they were male, they'd want a good old fashion dick sucking and nothing more. Only the fact that today is Friday, and it's mid afternoon, and I'm out of here in a little over an hour kept this petite darling from yelling to all those in ear shot "GET FUCKED". No seriously. Stop talking to hear yourself talk, and fucking listen to what I'm saying. Get off your fucking holier than thou self, shut the fuck up, and...and...and....


*sigh*
So I sort of feel better. It's very hard to express the full extent of my frustration. Vulgarity really does help. I do promise these sorts of Sailor posts will be rare. Overall I am a sweet pussy cat, to a fault probably. Sometimes it makes me feel better to cry, now that I have a blog, it makes me feel better to swear. It's like screaming at the moon, in a more quiet way, that I can get away with in my office.

Hope I didn't scare anyone away.
All better now!
*grin*

Ooo. Dentist soon, and than off to Yarn's Etc to sit and knit! *wriggle*

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The Honeymoon Cami KAL

So true to my word, I sat my butt down and played with photoshop. I came up with two buttons for the Honeymoon Cami Knit-a-long.

Here is the first one:



And the second:



I will also put them on the side of my blog. Anyone is welcome to them, just please download them off of my server first.

And for more info on the KAL, check out this fabulous blog!

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With very little to do with knitting....

Just a little bit of knitting today.
Saturday was SnB at Tylers. Again it was Bronwyn, Lisa, and myself. We had a great time of course, with yummy garlic fries and even yummier skull bags, socks, and a sweater! I finished the main body of my CheesyLove, and have to seem the shoulders. I hate seaming. I did a pseudo-grafting on one shoulder, and then unraveled part of the other side to do the same, and just stopped. I have a feeling poor Cheesy may sit like that for a short time. Ah well. It was in the 70s this weekend, so I need to start working on a summer top, like the Honeymoon Cami! Infact I'll be taking part in a Honeymoon cami KAL starting Mar 20th. I'm in charge of getting the button made too, so I should get my butt in gear tonight to work on that...

I also have knitted 4.5 of the little mitered squares for the Cut your teeth socks. Lisa, I may be calling on your for your help with these! The squares are fun though. It's so neat how they come together.

Okay, well, I suppose that was a bit more then a little knitting.

But the most fun I had this weekend happened yesterday. And yes, I know it was Monday, but since I took the day off, it was still part of my weekend. We met some friends who've moved quite a distance away for dinner. Where you ask, did we meet for dinner? Well Hooters! It was so fun. It was my first time at a Hooters, and I was pretty impressed. Most of the girls were attractive, with very nice bodies. I suppose you have to have a nice body, as the "costume" is quite tight and revealing! But then, that's the fun of Hooters! I wanted a Hooters t-shirt for myself, so upon the request that it be tight, I purchased one at their little gift store. And proptly put it on, again at the urgingo of Mr. Drake. Our waitress was happy that I had actually put it on right away, because as she said most people just buy them, and hardly any put them on while they're at Hooters. So a few minutes later, the entire staff of girls was over at our table arranging chairs in front of us. They asked me to come stand on up on a chair with them. They then announced me as an official Hooter's Girl! Can you believe it! It was so awesome! Then I got to sing a song with them *If you like Hooter's and you know it*. EEEEEEEE! I had a blast! I'm so proud I got to be an official Hooter's girl for the night!

Here's a pic of my friend Shannon and I after I was done singing with the staff.



I'm the one in the Hooter's shirt, of course.

Unfortunately, I drank about 3 big tall glasses of iced tea, and got home with the shakes. I got very little sleep last night, and I'm freaking exhausted today. And I thought I was being a good girl, not drinking beer! Shit, I ended up feeling just as bad, if not worse! Oh well, it was a good time!

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I went, I spun, I loved it!

Lots of great tips and ideas from the spinning class last night at Yarn's Etc! Pre-drafting my roving I think was the most helpful. Should help me to get a less thick yarn. I need to work on putting a bit less twist in my yarn too, but I'm sure that will just come with practice. I've got some loverly, highly energized yarn now that I spun on my very own. I was so proud of myself! I'm sure it's not enought to make anything, but I'll probably knit it up into something anyway! If anyone is ready this and has any ideas of small knitting projects for uneven yarn (*grin*) just let me know!

We worked with roving and sliver (long i sound!) on the drop spindles. There were spinning wheels there too, but I really just wanted to keep working with my drop spindle and get a better handle on it.

The lady teaching the class also showed us some other fibers you can spin, beyond the wool/alpaca/silk fibers. There was soy silk, made from what's left over after making tofu. And corn silk. Both were very very soft. She had camel fur! How cool! And come nylon to add into other roving to make neat effects. I really did have a fun time.

I will take some pictures of my own spun funky yarn and put it up, maybe tonight. I was just tired getting home after the class. It ended at 9pm, which sadly is my bed time normally. Not to mention on the way home there was a freaking fire truck on it's side blocking the road, so I had to spend a few extra minutes going around that on alternative roads. Really. How the hell do you roll a fire truck!

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ooooooo It's spiiiiiining class day!

*dance*
I've got one of my drop spindles, and some roving here with me.

I'm all ready!
I can't wait to learn to spin. I have so much roving at home I want to make into yarn!
You know, because I have sooooo much free time on my hands. *giggle*

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I promised and I'm delivering!

This post is full of pictures! Just like I promised.

First a quick hello from the poochinis, my two spoiled Shepherds.

Obi, the big white wonder


and Inca, my sweety-pie


Now on the the knitting!
First is the cashmere sweater I found while thrift store hopping with Lisa.


Next are two pictures of the Cheesy Love, in progress.


a close up of the hearts


Two more sweaters I found at thrift stores.
First a 100% cotton sweater


and a cotton blend sweater


here's the yarn I got from the blend sweater



Finally a few completed projects.
The completed Fuzzy Feet that I've mailed off to my cousin who had her baby this past Wednesday. An added joy was that her husband who was in Iraq for the second time came home just yesterday!




and a close up




Then there is my lovely Clapotis. These are some neat "artsy" type pictures I took. I used these to make my neat new button.






Well, I hope you enjoyed this picture-full blog post.
I'll try to keep up better with pictures. I've found that ftp-ing my pictures up is much quicker!

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I promise pictures, really I do!

Lisa, I'll get the picture of the wonderful 100% cashmere sweater that I bought for frogging tonight! I just wish I could take a picture of how wonderfully soft it is! Yummy! Infact I'll get pictures of all my yarn finds while thrift store hopping! *Oh, and on a side note, I had my stinking digi camera in the skull bag the entire time!*

Plus I'll get some pictures up of my Cheesy Love sweater. I finished the row of hearts and have started on part of the shoulder. I'm so excited, it looks so loverly! And I'm so proud of my Intarsia! Not only that, I taught myself continental knitting while I was doing the hearts. I'm so happy!

Thursday is my spinning class at Yarn's Etc, and I'm super stoked about that. I have so much yummy wool waiting to be spun.

Last but not least, I've signed up to be part of the Knitty boards Secret Pal 4. I've already put a bit of my spending money aside in preparation, and I can't wait to get my assigned SP! Of course I won't be able to tell any of you who read this on the off chance I give away my secret! But I will be able to squeal away on here when I do get packages, so that's a plus.

So my assignment tonight is to put up pictures. Check back tomorrow to see how successful I was!

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