Man, has it been THAT long???

YIKES - two months?? ...and THEN some, huh...Sorry 'bout that. Had a rough summer, but I think I'm getting a handle on things, so I should be blogging more now. :-)

Finally making some progress in my knitting - have my tank over half done, and have my daughter's dress almost half done. I've set them both aside tonite, because I have to knit up something for the person I'm assigned to as a Secret Pal - I've been HORRENDOUSLY amiss. HOWEVER...the person who has me FOR a Secret Pal is an amazingly thoughtful, sweet, wonderful lady! She sends great emails, cheerful letters & cards, and Hello Kitty pencils - she ROCKS!!!

In Fact - I got an AMAZING package from her today....OOOOOOOHBOY...Lessee - it contained: TWO skeins of 100% Merino from Knitpicks in "Redwood" colorway...FOUR skeins of BAMBOO yarn, YIPPEEEEE!! I've wanted to try Bamboo forEVER - and these yarns are both in sock weight. She also sent a set of US 1 DPN's, a square of really cool soap, and a strip of Maple Sugar Candy - MY FAVORITE!!!!!!!!!

The candy is gone already, natch. ;-)

Oh, plus, she sent me two really COOL sock patterns...I can't WAIT to learn this!!!

THANK YOU SECRET PAL!!!! You're FAR too good to me. :-) I can't wait till I find out who you really are, then I can send YOU stuff!!

My husband gave me the coolest birthday present, you've just gotta see these:

Rosewood Knitting Needles - size 8 through 17!!! My hubby is SO cool - I'm gonna get him a t-shirt that is sold at my LYS that says, "I work so she can knit."

:-)

Okay, that's all for tonite - I will continue my updating in a day or so!!!

Decisions

Okay, thank you for your opinions - and those of my fellow Bitchin' Stitchers last night - I'm keeping Full-Contact knitting as my blog title, and I'm gonna be happy with it!!

In other news, I got to the point of needing to M1 in my project last night. Of course, this happened AFTER I got home, so I didn't have anyone to show me the practicals. I mean, I can learn some things from a book, but last night I guess I was getting yarn-overs, not increases w/no holes.

So, I got two books out - and got a M1 I can live with. I'm not sure it is what the pattern calls for, but I'll watch it for a few repeats, and see how it looks.

Anyone have any advice for me?

I wish I was at the point where I could knit & read a book at the same time...but I'm not, so I'll have to set my knitting aside later tonite to read more in my current Homeschooling tome...."Homeschooling Ideas for kids 3-5". It's a GREAT book, but I have to READ IT to get anything from it, LOL. I won't get a chance tomorrow, as Hubs will be going to NYC for work, and it'll just be me & Herself. I'm SURE we'll be busy!!

New Title? I need advice!!

Which name do you like better for my blog? "Full-Contact Knitting" or "Designated Knitter"? Okay, I admit it - I'm slightly fond of puns, LOVE plays on words - and baseball. :-)

Open Forum, let me know what you think!!

It's always something, right?

This is what I'm knitting for myself right now:


This is how it's coming:


I treated myself to some Brittany Birch size 5's to start this project...I really like them!


So, so far so good. Yea, there are some mistakes...but I'm okay with that...plus, I found them when I was past the point of frogging - not couldn't but wouldn't. LOL!

Then, I was in JoAnne's today, and found some yarn for the dress I want to make for my daughter. Great, good, she showed me yarn colors she liked, fine. Here's the dress:

So, I get home and get ready to start knitting. Pattern calls for size 10 needles to start, then switch to size 8's. Okay, I think I have one set of 10 1/2's and one of 10's. I've got FOUR sets of 8's - don't ask. ;-) I go to where I keep my needles to get my 10's, and find....TWO SETS OF 10 1/2's. No 10's.

Sigh. So, now I need a pair of 10's. But since I just bought yarn, I feel guilty spending more money...that's just how I am.

Here's the colors Boo picked out:


And, actually, here's Boo herself, modeling the blanket I knitted her from Homespun. It was going to be a lap robe for a dear friend, but she fell asleep under it on a trip once, and she LOVED the color, so I decided this one was hers, and I'd start my friend another one. :-)

My Turn

My husband's been saying lately that he doesn't want me to knit anything for anyone else until I make something for myself - and I haven't been able to afford the yarn yet for the project I picked. However, I recently scored some on eBay, and it's gorgeous - and, of course, it's .... not enough. So, off I go to my LYS to pick up some more.

Nope.

What I bought was a colorway that is no longer made.
Of course.

So, I picked up a complimentary color, and plan to make it work. I'm knitting the "Smartly Shaped Top" from the May 2005 issue of Creative Knitting - it's really cute, and I can't wait to see how it shapes up.

Honestly? I'm scared. This is my FIRST project that isn't a 1) Hat 2) Scarf 3) Lap Robe 4) Prayer Shawl, or 5) Swatch.

I can DO this. I can. I will. The only thing is, I'm not sure it will fit. I picked the middle size - Large - and since I'm well and truly started, I will keep going.

....or not.....Darn it, I guess I'll have to frog. :( I just re-measured myself, and now I am looking like the largest size in the pattern is what I want. SHOOT. Darn it.

ARRGGGHHH.

A frogging I will go...a frogging I will go...Hi, Ho, the yarny-o, a Frogging I will go.

Secret Pal Questionnaire - in which I answer...the questionnaire, silly!

Here's the questionnaire from Secret Pal 5 - Please, Secret Pal, forgive me for not getting this up sooner!! I'm still using my husband's computer, as mine is BACK in the shop getting "fixed". Urg.

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?

At this point, I'm NOT a yarn snob. I like pretty much everything I've knitted with, however I will say that Red Heart is great to practice with, but it's not my first choice for a project yarn. Since I'm still so new to knitting, I'm enjoying finding out about & using the different kinds of yarns...haven't knitted with many different kinds yet, to be brutally honest! I'm really looking forward to trying silk, and bamboo - I like trying new yarns, but they're often out of my price range, to be honest.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

I do not spin (YET), but I'd like to learn - and I'm just teaching myself how to crochet. I've got the slipknot down PAT, and can do a chain....and a single crochet...I Think. :-)

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

I am allergic to cigarette smoke - but I think that's the only thing.

4. How long have you been knitting?

Roughly 9 months now - since about last September (2004).

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

I do now!! :-) Check it out - and yes, some of it is for my daughter, but I think you can figure out what's for ME and what's for her! ;-)

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

Hmmmm...well, I like Vanilla, Maple, Coconut, Honeysuckle, Mock Orange, Hyacinth, Lily of the Valley, Tabu Perfume, Cucumber/Melonish stuff...Chocolate, Nag Champa, Sandalwood, Jasmine....

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?

HELL YES! :-) Problem is, I am severely Lactose Intolerant - so that rules out a LOT of sweets for me. I can eat most dark Chocolate, but I have to always check labels - manufacturers sneak lactose, cream, and milk solids in wherever they can, and that is NO fun for me. I don't do caramels or taffy, as my mouth is full of fillings, and nothing can pull them out like caramel or taffy!! LUCKILY, there are lots of soy frozen dessert alternatives that are yummy - so I do pretty good with my sweet tooth!!

OH - almost forgot - I LOVE MAPLE SUGAR!! Not "Maple Blend Candy", but MAPLE SUGAR CANDY!! :-) Mom's family is from Vermont, natch.

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

I'm really NOT the crafty kind of person - tho I am doing more crafts now that I have a 4 yr old in the house. We buy kits, or I get ideas from books.

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

I love almost everything except Rap, Hard Rock, Hip Hop, 70's disco...but if I have to get specific, I like: Classical, "World" Music (those 'Putomayo' Collections are GREAT examples), Celtic (both instrumental and vocal), most Country, Classic Rock, Melissa Etheridge, Lyle Lovett, Beatles, Eagles, "Shrek" soundtrack - I am a person of very eclectic tastes, and I make no apologies!! :-)

Both my computer and my cd player can handle MP3's, so my husband tells me. Just for the record, of course. ;-)

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 like Jewel tones, deep colors - I can't handle/wear pastels, so I generally stay away from them. Red is my favorite color - almost all shades of red, not any one in particular. Nothing out there I hate - at the moment!

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

I'm married to my best friend, and this year is our 7th anniversary. We met over the internet (through Love@AOL), and knew before we even laid eyes on each other that we were madly in love. :-) I have a 4 yr old daughter - she's indescribably wonderfully HERSELF - really a bit of everything, all the time...and None of it. YAH - that's why she keeps us on our toes!

We rescue & rehome cats, and at the moment live with 7 permanent felines. 2 have epilepsy, and 6 are 6 yrs or older, with my oldest around 14. He's got FIV, and has recently gone blind in one eye - but he's still lovin' life, and going strong. We hope to rescue a dog or two when we fence in our (small but servicable) yard in a year or so!

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

Really have no answer, other than to live a good life, and HELP rather than Hinder.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

Not sure yet, really - I did like the feel of the cashmere/merino blend I worked with recently; but I also found a really soft acrylic that was HEAVENLY. :-)

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

None that I know of yet.

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

I guess I don't have one...I knit a lot of prayer shawls at the moment, and lap robes have kind of come from that.

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

Still not sure on this one yet.

17. What are you knitting right now?

A Shawl/Lap Robe for myself, a Prayer Shawl, a nice tank for myself from Creative Knitting magazine, and a cotton dishcloth to learn a new stitch.

18. What do you think about ponchos?

Love them - hope to knit a few soon!

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

I like them both - I like circs for traveling, but straights for other things - really depends on my mood, and the project.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

Bamboo - then plastic - then aluminum.

21. Are you a sock knitter?

Not Yet, but I WILL BE!

22. How did you learn to knit?

Originally from my Gramma, THIS time from Stitch n'Bitch and Knitting for Dummies - AND the wonderful ladies at my SnB group!

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

I just finished it recently (a shawl), it WAS about 8 months old...!

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

I think Hello Kitty is adorable - not sure what else, but will keep thinking...

25. What is your favorite holiday?

Easter!

26. Is there anything that you collect?

I collect books, Penguins, and cats. :-)

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

None yet.

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

Well, I made up an Amazon wish list of books & stuff, but I can't think of one right now that I'm DYING for - maybe 'cause it's late at night, tho. ;-)

Alright, it's BED time now. I hope you've got something useful here, and I look forward to hearing from you!!

Answers to Questions - FINALLY!!

My good friend Chris at Woolybuns was "interviewed" in her blog, and then asked for anyone else who would be interested. I was, of course, one of the first to volunteer, since on my GOOD days, I'm an attention slut. :-) Yea, Yea, I'm not sugar coating anything, there it is, and reputation be damned. Still like me? ;-)

So here are Chris's very cool questions, and my attempts to answer. Anyone who is interested in being interviewed, read the instructions at the end of the interview, and then leave me a note/comment and I will think up questions for YOU!

---

What is attachment parenting and why do you choose it?

"Attachment Parenting" is a nurturing, responsive style of parenting that respects the individual needs of your child. It takes many forms; each family will do what feels right for their situation. Many parents who call themselves AP say that when they found the term Attachment Parenting, they were relieved to know that what they'd always practiced/felt to be the best way for their family actually had a NAME. :-)

Why do we use/practice AP? Really, because it is the style that I instinctively felt was right for us...Simply, I planned my child, and so I treat her like I really want her with me. :-) Sure, I have my nights out - my ME time. Part of respecting my child is respecting mySELF, and showing HER how to do the same. I treat her as though she is a sentient, loving, feeling being, rather than an accessory, or weight to be carried. I'm by no means saying that all Non-AP parents feel burdened by their child/ren...but that the way I was raised, and the way I see many other children being raised, is not the life I want for MY child. I had a WONDERFUL childhood. However, I wasn't respected - I was made to mind. I didn't have rights until I turned 18, and that was normal in our circles. I was spanked/hit; humiliated as a disclipline tool, and all the other tricks that the "baby trainers" of my Mom's day advised. I love my Mom with all my heart, and it hurts me that she was advised to do things that SO went against what her mother's heart wanted to do...but since it was a doctor who advised these things, she thought they must be exactly right.

I guess I should just say - when Mom told me what the doctor told HER to do about my older sister's crying, as an infant - I knew I wanted to raise my daughter differently. The doctor told my mom, "Put her in her crib, leave the room - close the door - and go vacuum somewhere else in the house so you can't hear her. She'll stop eventually."

There's lots more, and I'm very passionate about this issue - obviously!! But I'll stop here...I think I've said pretty much what I wanted to at this point. If anyone ever has a question, please feel free to ask it!!

What drew you to learn to knit?

My Gramma knitted...crocheted...tatted...embroidered...you name it, she did it. Gramma was born in 1904, and learned as a child - she was very prolific, as all her grandchildren can attest. I've heard that these things can skip a generation, and it's true with us, at least. Gramma knitted, but my Mom decided she "couldn't" do that (everyone in my family has ALWAYS been a perfectionist - do it PERFECT, or don't do it at all.), so she would try something different. Mom became a seamstress until her arthritis prevented it.

ANYhow, my Gramma taught me how to knit when I was very small...but I guess I didn't have the patience to learn it all the way through, so every time I thought I was done, I'd pull it off the needle...and poof. As the yarn unravelled, my face & spirits fell - and the laughter in the room would increase. I gave up. I picked it up again in college, but couldn't learn how to bind off - and the resulting scarf is one that I really should photograph...but I think it'll stay packed in a trunk, for posterity. How NOT to knit a scarf, I think. ;-)

Then, last September while visiting my folks on vacay in Newport, RI, I found a knitting shop that had just opened. It was adorable, and as I'd just been gifted a copy of Stitch & Bitch, I thought, What the Hell, let's give it one more go. I stocked my essentials bag, and started knitting - and I'm still going, 9 months later. I think it'll stick this time! :-)

Where would you go for a second honeymoon?

Funny thing about this question is, I never got a FIRST honeymoon - we took a quick vacation, but we visited family, and didn't get any alone time. Be that as it may, if money were no object, I'd love to go to either Scotland or Japan - but if money WERE a concern, I think we'd probably spend the honeymoon in Vermont or Rhode Island.

What’s the best thing about being a mom?

The Best thing? Well...Hmmm.....I guess, the best thing about being a mom is, ... Being a MOM. Having that little hand reach up for yours...hearing, "Mommy, you're my best friend,"...watching her develop and grow - all of it. ALL of it. :-)

When children are grown and on their own, what will you be doing?

Don't have a CLUE. Helping homeschool my grandchildren? ;-) Knitting, definately - rescuing animals, hopefully - vacationing with my best friend, my husband? For Sure. :-)

---

The Rules of The Interview
1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions here. They will be different questions than the ones above.
3. You will update YOUR blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions

It WORKED!

I like to scrounge at my local Goodwill & Salvation Army for sweaters to recycle. You know, unravel, and use the yarn for something else - usually I find a sweater that's got cool yarn potential, but hideous design...or even, good design & good yarn, but not a good match.

I've had varying degrees of success with this, LOL, but here's my latest, and I'm REALLY pleased with it!


<---My daughter's head is graciously making an appearance there... ;-) And here's the TWO strands of yarn I got out of it...

The tag on the garment read "Wool, Cotton & Acrylic" - and it so happened that the funky, uneven, multicolored yarn was the wool, and the solid pink was the cotton/acrylic blend - and that's SO cool! I don't know how to felt yet, or haven't had the urge to experiment, perhaps...so while I think that wool yarn would make a neat felted ... something.... I am holding off for the moment.

Here are some of the balls I got out of it - I actually got quite a lot of yarn from this sweater, it unraveled VERY easily. For Once.



So, I'm still waiting for the inspiration to hit for what to make from this harvest; the sweater was $1, so I definately think I've got my money's worth! I may just cast it on different needles from time to time, and see what comes of it...perhaps the yarn will tell me what it REALLY wants to do. (smile)

So near, yet so far...

I have this GREAT scarf that I knitted in response to a "commission" from my Brother - he requested it the week after St. Patrick's Day, and it took me WEEKS to find the right colors of yarn. As a result, I found the right colors in TWO different kinds of yarn, and Brother being consulted, the natural fibers were purchased. I found it in TLC and in a Cashmere/Merino blend - and ohhhhhhhhhhh, is that blend nice to work with. :-) I may pick up some TLC and see what it's like knitted up, just for my own edification - but anyway, I finished the scarf, and was so thrilled that I washed it, blocked it, and it wasn't drying. It would've MOLDED first, so I tossed it in the dryer on delicate/barely warm, and that took the edge off. Brother hung it up in his bathroom to finish the job, and he says he LOVES it. :-)

What did I forget to do?

I kept the labels to put in my new knitting journal.
I wrote down how much of each yarn color I needed.
I wove in my ends.
I explained to him how to block.

I didn't take a picture.

!!!!!!!

Now, although my brother only lives three miles up the road (currently with my parents), I'm bad at following through on things I "should" do. This past Sunday I finally grabbed my Mom's camera and told Brothermine, "I NEED to take a picture of your scarf, please!" He seemed very pleased to bring it out, and showed it to my sister, who reacted in a very gratifying manner. Speechless. :-)

The scarf is in an Irish Flag pattern, and it's knitted lengthwise - I didn't knit & seam the stripes, I knitted (garterstitch, on size 9 bamboo circs, 36" long) the whole thing as one piece. I like the look of the the thing, excepting for the right side/wrong side the striping causes. I think I will try it the next time with knitting the stripes then seaming the whole thing together.

I want to post the picture, but I am hesitant - because my Husband, Brother, Sister, and Mother all think I could sell these scarves for some appreciable dinero. !!! I'm not sure - but I have to believe that they're not all just saying this because I'm the little sister/youngest daughter/Best Friend, but because they really think the scarf is handsome, and marketable. Sister & Brother think I should take an ad out in the back of one of the East Coast Irish newspapers (the Echo or similar) and offer just this one pattern. I'm thinking a wide version and a narrow version - and they both think I should have a supply built up before I put the ad out, since they say I will get a HUGE response!

Understandably, I'm interested - and a little hesitant. It's not a "get rich quick" scheme, but a legitimate business opportunity - but I guess I tend to sabotage myself before I can get stuff like this off the ground.

So, what do y'all think? Should I go for this? Should I post the picture? I don't want anyone else to snag this idea before I get a chance, but how much of a possibility/risk IS there, really? Oh, I'm torn.

Opinions, please?

Welcome!

This will be my first post here at It's About Time with WORDS in it, aiiiiieeeeee!! HOLD me back.

:-)

Welcome to my newest blog - I will attempt to talk about my knitting here, of which there is usually enough to keep me busy. At the moment I have just finished my first prayer shawl, and I'm working on a lap robe for a friend. Edwin (my DH) says I'm not to knit anything for anyone else until I knit MYSELF something - dear man! I love him - now, to procure some money for the yarn for my present to m'self. Ah, therein lies the rub. :)

In February, I knitted a Gryffindor Scarf for my sister's birthday - it came out nicely, although I did it in Red Heart, since I didn't really know my yarns when I started the project!!



And no, the above is not my Sister, it's my Model. :-)

Time for a walk to the polling place, I will blog again soon!

Goliath Groupers - and small child. 

Yodel-ay-HEEEE-HOOOO!! 

African Blackfoot Grooming Session 

Group of Africans 

Herself being a Pufferfish 

The Girls 

King Sized Fun! 

Okay, here's my first attempt at this new venue -

Hello and welcome to my "New" digs - this is in addition to my other journal, but I wanted this so I could try it for photosharing purposes. Perhaps for knitting info too, who knows?

So - Here goes!