I am so happy!

I had to work yesterday, which isn't a lot of fun on a Saturday. But to make up for it, when I got home there was a package from my secret pal!!! I was astonished when I saw the air mail stickers, and customs declaration! And stamps from - Singapore! I had to get the camera phone & start taking pictures right away.




Inside was a postcard of a rose in grey, a Meiji black chocolate bar, beautiful beaded stitch markers, and a small package wrapped in beautiful sun and moon paper. Is that cool & well-presented or what?




And inside the package, a marvelous, soft beaded mohair in a smoky purple with red glass beads that catch the eye, and a pattern written out on another postcard - Nathania's slightly bias scarf. I could hardly wait to roll it into a ball, and start the scarf. So I did!


Here it is all together. Isn't that enough to bring a big smile to your face?

And a really blurry close-up of the yarn. A techno I am not. Thank you so very much, secret pal! You made my day!

I'm so disappointed...

At the time I signed up for the beginning knitting course, I also signed up for the intermediate knitting course. Yes, I know I'm overly optimistic and a glutton for punishment. The courses would have over-lapped for two weeks, with the intermediate course starting this Tuesday. Yesterday the adult school called, cancelling the intermediate course because not enough participants had signed up. I'm very, very disappointed. I was all set to be a knitting wizard by the time both classes had finished. Oh, well, there isn't anything I can do about it. There are still some things I'd definitely like to learn, how to turn a sock heel and the kitchener stitch and the cable cast-on. So I think I'll hurry and start a sock, so I can hopefully learn those things at the next class, if there's time. I doubt very much if there is time before the last class to knit up all the parts of a sweater and put them together. Although, if I stop sleeping or eating, I bet I could make enough time! And I'm also knitting away at the Vintage Velvet. I wish I could knit quickly enough to finish it in a matter of days, rather than a matter of months! Oh, well.

I see...

an F.O.! Yes, indeed-y! That bag is finally finished & felted! I don't know why the top is weirdly wider than the bottom. What happened there? But it felted well, and when I get the handles on it may not be noticeable. Or so I am telling myself. Perhaps the time to worry about that little foible was before I felted it, but too late now! Pictures forthcoming shortly.

AND I'm up to the 3rd skein of the Vintage Velvet, and about 8 pattern repeats. I keep making mistakes, but at least I've FINALLY figured out what the mistake is. I forget to mark down a just completed row. Then I forget that I did in fact complete that row. So I repeat the row. Messing up the pattern. However, after frogging that thing like five times, I refuse to frog it again. Those strange jogs in the rows have become part of the pattern, and maybe they won't be noticeable after felting anyway. Or so I am telling myself. Right? Right!

Nothing new to report on the knitting class, since Monday was a holiday, and there was no class. And I think the project I want to do, that the teacher asked us to bring to begin in the next class will be, ta-daaaaaa, socks. Yes. Socks. Hey, I need to learn how to turn the heel.

I wonder

how these people who have had (knitting) blogs for years do it. Seriously. How on earth do you come up with something witty or amusing or profound so often? I'm finding it extraordinarily difficult. Part of this may be because I'm such a slow knitter. Yup, I'm STILL working on Vintage Velvet (still on the second skein) and I'm still working on the Booga Bag (about to start the third skein). Nope, nothing exciting, new or different about that. Haven't been to any LYS lately, either, so no nifty new yarn to report on. I'm enjoying my class, but did you really want to know that I think I've got cables nailed? I'm looking forward to being assigned my SP9 spoilee, but that's still a few weeks into the future. So really, there is nothing new to say. And no witty new way to say that there's nothing new here. So I guess I'll just end by quoting an old cliche: There is no new thing under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

SP9 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
So far, I haven't found a fiber I don't like. Dale of Norway's Svale is difficult to knit with, but it produces a beautiful product. I love Nashua Wooly Stripe, Diakeito Yarns Diamusee, Caron's Simply Soft, Muench Touch Me, Patons Classic Wool.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
A beautiful, hand-made case I found on ebay. Check out ehwa_apron on ebay. Truly outstanding work.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting since January; and am definitely a beginner. It would be nice if I could seem to advance beyond scarves & booga bags. I am taking a class, and it's been invaluable for those techniques I couldn't seem to pick up.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Froogle: moonspinner7@yahoo.com

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
Rose/roses, I hate patchouli or musk.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Anything chocolate!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I will sew for necessity. But I'm not terribly crafty. No, I don't spin. I haven't tried dying my own wool; I'm not sure I want to.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
I enjoy classic rock, older country, folk music, celtic music, alternative rock. Yes, both my computer and my stereo will play MP3's.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favorite color is blue. But I also like green, rust/browns, greys. I hate pinks, purples, and reds.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am a single parent with an 8 yr old son. A yorkshire terrier.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, I do. Or, I suppose I would wear a poncho, if I had any.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
So far, all I've made are scarves and booga bags. It's not so much that they are my favorite things to knit, merely that that is all I am capable of knitting. We won't discuss the Knitting Olympics disaster regarding the hat.

13. What are you knitting right now?
A scarf, a booga bag, and a what-the-heck-will-it-be-when-it's-finished-if-it-ever-is-finished thing.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course! Who doesn't!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circular all the way! I prefer metal needles, altho I have some lantern moon straights I do enjoy knitting with.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No. I'm not even sure what they are.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
About 10 months.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Bags, boxes, and baskets. Anything that you can put something inside - stuff that holds your stuff.

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 subscribe to Interweave Knits. I've managed to acquire quite a few books; I can't think of anything else I need.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Yes! The skills necessary to make hats, socks, and sweaters.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I can dream about knitting socks. I am a woman's size 8.

23. When is your birthday?
August 28th.