Succsessful Fiber Hunting and Gathering, AND a Yarn Harlot

I mentioned the CT Sheep & Wool fest before, but didn't post what I got there. I can't show you the Dark Chocolate Alpaca Pops (C'mon, they're Lollipops of Dark Chocolate shaped like an Alpaca head!), 'cause the Husband and Childe ate them Immedjitlee. Which is good, 'cause it was hot by that time, and melted chocolate is yummy but no fun to clean up.

I aquired Sheep's Milk cheese rolled in Herbs De Provance - I'm not a huge fan of herbs, but this is nice...and the cheese SQUEAKS when you eat it! On your teeth, I mean - and the young lady selling it told me that I could cut some into boiled potatoes, and it would melt like butter. We stopped at the store for Potatoes, and yes, I cut the cheese...into the potatoes. People, PLEASE. ;) It was YUMMY, and Supper.





I also bought Creamed Honey, which is lovely - 'specially on fresh bread. It was a good price, methinks; $6 for a big ole tub of the stuff...and the fresh bread was mine, at home.





I also bought two sets of Brittany DPNs, US0 and US1. TOOTHPICKS, they are!! I'll be knitting socks with TOOTHPICKS! We shall see how they work, and I'm glad I've finally got them in my inventory, as I do read that many of my sock-making friends use those sizes.





I'm making a pair of socks for my daughter Boo on a pair of US2's, for the first time. I like the socks, but these aren't "sock needles" per se, they're really too long.



So...when I went up to WEBS in Northampton, MA on Sunday, I bought a set of "Pony Pearl" US2s. They seem nice; not exactly pointy enough for me, but I think they'll be okay. It was either those for $5.50, or the Rosewood DPN's for $19.50. Now, I would love nothing more than a set of rosewood dpns...but that's just not In The Budget right now. YEOWCH! The bamboo 2's were sold out; I think it's due to the upcoming Sock Wars III - they've just published the desired gauge/tension, and they used 2's to get it. Speaking of Sock Wars...

I've joined! No, I've never been what one might call a "fast" sock knitter - but I think it's good motivation, and no matter what happens, I'll get a neat pair of socks at the end of the competition. It's all good. :) The yarn that is suggested for SWIII is Southwest Trading Company's Tofutsies, and the suggested Colorway is #733 - originally called "Get Your Feet Wet", but renamed for the competition "One foot in the grave". :D I didn't know the number, just the name...so when I was at WEBS, I couldn't find it - and ended up with #864, "TOEpiary".


It's a greenish/bluish/greyish colorway, and one I thought a man could safely wear - since I won't know who my intended target is until I get my dossier on May 9th. If I make it through the first round - God Willin', and the Creek don't Rise - I'll go back & get #733 for the next pair. :)

At WEBS, I also got Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's latest book, "Things I learned from knitting...whether I wanted to or not".



I got it signed, too - because Steph was there for a talk & a signing! She spoke at The Calvin (also in Northampton, MA) because WEBS, while large, isn't large ENOUGH for the thousand or so knitters (no kidding) that showed up to hear The Yarn Harlot:

EXCELLENT talk, by the way - I mean, she's ALWAYS good, but this one was one of the best I've heard. Nice Job, Stephanie!!





I got to chat with Herself for a bit - and she remembered me, which is always cool. T'would be even better if I updated regularly, LOL. I got a picture of TYH holding Boo's first Sock, being made of Brown Sheep's Wildfoote:





TYH got a picture of me in my First Socks, and I'll be snagging THAT pic if she posts it! :) I asked Stephanie about her knitting bag - the one she uses to carry with her and knit while walking - because I want one for the 3-day Breast Cancer walk I'm doing this fall. Remember when I shaved my head last year (July 31st 2007) with my best friend Mattie, while she was going through chemo for BC?

Well, I'm building on that with this walk this year.

Anyway - I went up to MA with a bunch of my SnB friends, but we didn't get a group photo this year - every time most of us came OUT of the store, and we grabbed a camera, one or more ran back IN. :) Suffice to say, we ALL had a great time, and came home happy, tired, and full of inspiration. Can't ask for a better day than that, methinks!

Testing Email Posting and a Name Change

Greetings, Fiberfriends & Muggles alike. Wilkommen! At CT Sheep & Wool yesterday, I met lots of Ravelry folk - and lamented the fact that I had no nametag. Then I had to explain why I'd been calling myself "Claire" to a few, since that's not my "real" name, but a nickname - unfortunately, there are a LOT of Claires out there, and more than one of my friends/readers of the blog tended to get a wee bit confused with which Claire I was, and how I'm not really a Claire at all.

:)

Still with me? Good. I have made a decision, then. Everywhere else on the Internet, I am "thinggtwoo" - I am a younger sister, and the family are BIG Dr. Seuss fans - thus, growing up I was always "thing 2", and it was a natural progression to the 'net. Unfortunately, when I went to register said name on AOL back in the dark days of dialup, someone had -gasp - taken the name already! Oh, the horror!! So, I had to fiddle with spelling, and eventually came up with my current moniker - two O's, two T's.

Therefore - I am now ThinggTwoo - again - and hope that will clear up any confusion now or in the future. :)

Oh, also at CT Sheep & Wool, I ran into an ADORABLE Llama - I will attempt to put the picture in this post, tho since I am doing this via email, I will be interested to see if it actually works, or not.

I also ran into my dear friend WoolWytch, and we spent some time together - she will post photos & videos on her blog, so you can check them out there.


I'm in need of breakfast, currently, as I'm preparing to hike up North to hear The Yarn Harlot speak at the Calvin today, then go to Webs for some Tofutsies (I'm in Sock Wars III, and need to get my Weapon) and some size 2 dpn's. Have a grand day if at all possible, y'all!

Finally Finished!

They are FINISHED, and she loves them. :) YAHooo!! The "she" is my sister - and she is really the ideal sock giftee. She LOVES them...wears them out...and tells everyone she knows/sees/meets that she's wearing handknit socks from her baby sister. :) She's sent a few commissions my way for felted bags, scarves, hats - not socks yet, which is okay; those are hard to do for someone I'm not close to.

I've signed up for Sock Wars III, which makes me laugh- I mean, c'mon...It took me from November 2007 till MARCH 25, 2008 to finish these! Granted, that's not my standard turnaround time...but It'll be fun, no matter.

I am going to start practicing my knitting-while-walking; I'm intending to do a 3-day Walk for Breast Cancer this October, and I want to be able to knit while I walk. What else? Probably a sock! :)

Wouldn't you know...

This is the pair of socks I've been working on for my sister C since December. Originally, they were to be a Christmas present; then when they weren't done, they were to be a birthday (February) present.

Well, they still weren't done...so my new deadline is Easter dinner on Sunday - 5pm. Yep. Day after tomorrow. I've got one finished, and am at the heel on the 2nd.

Actually, I was past the heel, working merrily along through the gussets...when I realized that I had completely forgotten to Turn. The. Heel.

Yah.

SO I ripped back, and will be turning the heel, THEN moving along the sock. The one I finished? I need to pick the toe apart and rip back to the toe decreases...it's an INCH too short. Yes, I DO want them done for Easter, and NO, I won't give myself any slack. Why? Because I signed up for Sock Wars III this year, that's why! :) I need to UP my SPEED and get a better chance in the competition. I'm excited! I DO love socks, I don't know why I can't get them done in a timely fashion. After these, I plan on a pair for my daughter, and then for my husband. ALL before the Sock War starts in May!

Pray for me. ;)

Still Alive!!

Yes, still alive, but not kicking very much - not yet, anyway. GAH, have these last two months been horrible! First my Stepfather gets Pneumonia...Mom runs herself ragged caring for him. Mom then goes to the hospital by ambulance with Pneumonia. I run all over taking care of my Stepfather ("Pop"), ferrying my daughter & brother around, and would've gone insane were it not for my incredible husband and friends from church and the homeschooling community. People came by the hospital just to sit with my Mom & Pop - Pop has Alzheimer's, and this change in routine completely blasted him out of the water. If he could be with Mom, he was MUCH better off than if he were home, with my brother. Dear friends took care of my daughter when my husband was at work...so you see what's coming next, right? Mom comes home from the hospital on a Saturday...

The following Thursday, I'm diagnosed with Bronchitis with Pneumonia. Yeah, swell. Sunday, (Mother's Day) my husband gets sick, as does my 5 & 3/4 yr old...he with Bronchitis, she with a nasty cold + fevers. I BELIEVE we've stopped the progression at this point; my brother & sister didn't get sick, nor did my stepbrother and his family, who did come visit...twice. Not going there now..NOT.

So. Knocked OUT of commission - I was so sick, I didn't want to/couldn't knit! I just went back to my Stitch & Bitch last night for the first time in close to a month, and while it was SO wonderful to see my friends (tho I did give one a hard time, so I'm not sure how happy she is that I'm back), I was exhausted by 9:30pm. However - I DID manage to finish a year-long project last night!! Presenting - Coppelia by Berroco:

It was to be a present for my daughter's birthday last year (!!!), but didn't happen. Luckily, I think - because when she tried it on Wednesday night, it fits WONDERFULLY, with a year at least to grow in it! Last year? Would've just been too big. WHEW!!

I'm very happy with it, and so is my daughter. She wanted to wear it to bed last night, but wasn't allowed to; then wore it all day today. She's thrilled! Nothing better, truly - she loved telling people I made it, too. :)

Then, tonite - I FINALLY finished the 2nd sock of a pair that I've made for my sister. The first was given to her on her birthday, Feb. 27. Yes, that's a bit of time in between - hush. ;) The important thing is, they're BOTH DONE!!

I used Sockotta (don't remember the colorway), and the "Classic socks for the Family" pattern by Yankee Knitter Design.

My schedule for the next month or two is insane, and I hope I don't get myself sick again...but I have MUCH to do: Daughter & Mother both have birthdays in June, mine is in July - Neice in June, Dear Friend in July, etc, etc, etc. Must get some warm weather knitting going, as I don't like working on woolens during the summer months. I think I'll crank out some more Ballband Dishcloths, and some cotton socks - perhaps another Tee or shell, or some such.

The bed is calling...I must succumb. Thanks for checking back, and I hope to be able to update more often now - BEGONE, Foul Germs!!

Sigh. Spring!

Well, I HAVE been knitting...but I've also been felled by Bronchitis and a "touch of" Pneumonia. :( It was inevitable, I hear; my Mother had it and was hospitalized two weeks ago, and my Stepfather had it two weeks prior to that. Who's been taking care of them? Me. Hopefully my husband Edwin won't get sick taking care of ME, now!! I will try to update here on my knitting projects in the next few days, since I'm to stay quiet and relaxed...I hope you're all having a good Spring, and TAKE CARE of yourselves! If you have a cold/allergies/flu that doesn't go away, GO TO THE DR...this is NO fun, whatsoever.

Ta!

Spring Felted Bag Exchange Questionnaire

So, I've gone & Done it - I've joined an exchange - and it sounds like it'll be fun! The "Spring Felted Bag Exchange" - I love felting bags, and well, it seemed like the thing to do at the time. :)

Without further ado, my answers to the questionnaire!

1. How long have you been knitting or crochetting? How did you learn?

I have been knitting for two & a half years now, and just learning to crochet in the last year. I started by teaching myself from two books - "Knitting for Dummies" and "Stitch & Bitch", and then I joined a local SnB. It's rolled along from there!

2. What are your favorite yarns to knit\crochet felted bags with?

I honestly haven't tried too many yet; so far I've felted Cascade 220, and Paton's 100% wool. I'm trying a new one now, I can't remember the name - but I've liked what I've tried, and would love to try a bunch more!

3. What are your favorite needles to knit\crochet with?

My husband gave me a set of Rosewood needles two years ago for Christmas, and I've got to say, I LOVE using them. :) I've been using my Denise's mostly for the felted bags, tho I've also got a set of Addi's for that.

4. What are the last 3 bags you knitted\crochetted (include URL for Yahoo! or flickr album or your blog if you have them!)? You can also link to patterns if you don't have pictures of your finished objects!

Actually, so far I've only knit the Sophie bag from MagKnits...about 5 at present count. I think it's a very neat pattern!


5. Do you carry the bags that you make, give them as gifts, or both?

Haven't been able to make one for myself yet! :) I'm hoping to make myself a Lucy bag soon, tho.

6. What is your favorite felted bag that you have made for yourself?
N/A

7. What are your favorite colors? Do you like bags in these colors or choose other colors?

My favorite color is Red - I also love Purple, Magenta and Deep green. I love basically Jewel-tones, no pastels. I think when I finally make myself a bag out of yarn I've CHOSEN, it'll be in some of those colors!

8. Chocolate: White, Milk, Dark, or not so much?

DARK Chocolate, please - Non-dairy Dark Chocolate. I'm severly lactose intolerant, so Milk and White are out. Usually Dark is non-dairy, but Godiva and Lindt kindly put cream or lactose in their stuff. GAH!!

9. Coffee, Tea, or Milk?

TEA TEA TEA TEA TEA TEA TEA TEA! I am married to a coffee addict, but I'm a Tea Girl all the WAY! My current favorite is Bigelow's Constant Comment, but I also love Scottish (PG Tips) and Irish (Lyons)...Basically, the only tea I don't like is Herbal tea. No Peppermint, Fruit, funky flavors (kiwi vanilla strawberry, etc.). :)

10. Do you prefer sweet or salty treats? What kinds?

It depends on my mood; as I said, I love Dark Chocolate. I also love Potato Chips, and OOOOH, Potato STICKS! :)

11. If you went into Bath and Body Works and could only come out with one item, what would it be and what would it smell like?

Ohhh, that's tough. I don't go in there too much, so I don't remember what's in there. Um - probably something Bath-related. Bubble Bath, or a soak, or bath bomb. The scent might be Vanilla, or Peach, or Sandalwood, or Melon. I don't like Chocolate-scented bath products, but I like other fruit scents.

12. Do you enjoy any other crafts or hobbies? Do you collect anything?

I LOVE Photography, and I do a lot of reading. I have lots of cats - and I foster cats - as for collecting, I collect PENGUINS. :) Mugs, Hats, if it's useful and has penguins on it, I LOVE IT! :)

13. Are there any bag patterns you have not yet knit, but hope to someday?

The Lucy Bag - which I own the pattern for and will knit it ASAP; and I kind of like the look of the Booga Bag.

14. What is currently OTN (on the needles) for you?

One entry back, I detailed the TON of projects I have OTN just now! :)

15. What is your most recent finished object before that?

Two Balaclavas, one for my husband and one for a friend in VT.

16. What's cutest: Puppies, Piggies or Pixies?

OOOOH...PENGUINS!! ;) Hey, it's another "P" word, it counts. :) Or...Piggish, Pixie Puppies?

17. Do you enjoy reading? Books, Magazines, or both?

I LOVE to read, and I'll read anything I can get my hands on. Books, Magazines, Cereal Boxes, Pamphlets, Brochures, Junk Mail...LOL. :)

18. Do you have any children? (kid-kind or pet-kind apply!)

I have one daughter, 5 & 1/2 yrs old - in my blogs, she goes by her nickname, "Boo". I also have 8 cats of my own, and 7 fosters. I do love my "kids"!

19. What are some of your favorite yarns for other projects?

I LOVELOVELOVE Malabrigo - Sigh. I like trying new yarns, too, and love Acrylics and Natural Fibers equally, for different things.

20. And for the final question, one I see debated all over: Novelty Yarn: Love it! Hate it! or It depends!

I DO love me some Novelty yarn. I wouldn't knit EVERYTHING with it, but it's a lot of fun for accents & the like!

Must. Start. Spring. Knitting!!

Or, perhaps that should be, "Must. Finish. Winter. Knitting..."?

Let's see, what's OTN right now...(On The Needles)

1 Balaclava. Status: Crown Decreases to finish, ends to weave in, to be mailed to Ohio.

1 sock. Status: 2nd sock of pair for my sister, finishing Cuff. Leg, Heel, Body & Toe still to be knit.

1 Entrelac Scarf. Status: Wearable as it stands now, but recipient would like it to be longer ("Knit it until you run out of that yarn"). Can be done.

1 Basketweave Shawl. Status: Mine. Worked on when I'm fed up with everything else. Finished when it's finished, and I'm cool with that.

To Knit: Lightweight scarf (yarn was an issue, is no longer). 2 pair socks (needles were an issue, are no longer).

To Finish: Dress for Boo. All pieces done, just need to be put together.

Commissioned yesterday: Felted Sophie Bag, ASAP. My ASAP isn't the recipient's ASAP, and she's okay with that. She's the one who forgot the birthday in the first place. ;)

Would like to knit: Socks. Socks for myself (warm weather socks). Socks for Boo. Socks. Socks!

ITCHING to knit:

Yeah.

Yeah, I know. I've got it bad. ;)

But it's SO MUCH FUN!!!!!

...pray for me?

:)

The Yarn Harlot Takes New York

Long story short, I got an email late Wednesday night from another knitter friend saying, "Hey Claire, you still interested in going to NYC Thursday?". I responded that I had childcare lined up & $$ set aside, just couldn't get to the train. She doesn't live far from me, and said she could drive to the train - she wanted to go, and wanted company. WOOHOOO!! We finalized childcare Thursday morning - since Boo had gotten sick, I wasn't taking her to my Mom's, and Edwin very graciously offered to take a half-day at work so he could come home and care for Boo. :) I thanked him, and met up with my friend S - who I was really looking forward to spending time with & getting to know better, as she's an Unschooling mom, too.
We found ourselves in New Haven waiting for the 2:37pm train to Grand Central.

Once on the train, the photoblogging started in earnest - with the view from our seats.
S and her sweater,
I and my third balaclava,
...and both intrepid knitters, ready for our adventure:
We arrived in Grand Central Station in NYC with no complications, jumped on the shuttle to Times Square, then the train up to 27th. I think. Anyway, we then made our way up to The Fashion Institute of Technology, where Stephanie Pearl McPhee was having her book launch for her latest book.

We knew we were in the right place when we saw knitters, and a big-ass poster:

The gentleman who so kindly took our picture turned out to be none other than Guido (2Skiens) Stein, author of the "It's a Purl, Man" blog & podcast (available on iTunes, natch). He interviewed both S and myself, and I'm hoping to hear us next week (month? I'm not sure how often his 'casts come out, as I'm new to his territory) - and we had our pic taken with him on his camera, which will most likely make it up on his site soon. Fun stuff, Knitting Celebs! Here's Guido interviewing S:

Then, since the doors opened at 5pm and it wasn't quite that yet,

we queued up like good little knitters.

I took photos like a...well, like a tourist...while S put the time to good use:

When we got inside, the Haft Auditorium (which seats 750) was just starting to fill. People who had "pre-boarded" had taken their seats,

so the rest of us could now filter in. We moseyed down, picked our spot, and found...GOODY BAGS!

They contained Boye Needles & Patons SWS Yarn, and instructions to make a square (7x9") for Warm Up America.

Then it was time for Stephanie to make her appearance and deliver pearls of wisdom...which she did, in spades - and had us laughing and cheering and gasping in horror & indignation - and reminding us how lucky & blessed we all were to be who and what we were: knitters in community with other knitters, all using our talents to show how we cared about our fellow humans - regardless of their fiber leanings, or lack of such.

As S and I were listening and knitting our squares,

I glanced around the room. There were knitters to the left of me -

knitters to the right of me...

and then S got up to take a picture of the almost-filled auditorium:

SEVEN HUNDRED+ knitters & crocheters.

Yeah, think about that for a minute.

750 seat auditorium, and there were only a handful of empty seats left.

All this by word of mouth, and a few blogs - no other advertising. :) Go, Us.

After a few hours went by, things were winding down. We listened to the Q & A session for a while, then decided to head back to GCS for supper before grabbing our train home. I loved the tile Station Signs in the subway, so I took a picture of one:

We had a QUICK supper, then caught the 9:37pm train home. We got into New Haven by 11:30p or so (maybe a bit later), and S kindly drove me home. I arrived here approx. 12:30p, and bedded down quickly after. Got up this morning at 7:30a for work, and I am now EXHAUSTED. It's almost 11pm, and I am planning on getting up at 7am again tomorrow, to take Boo to the pancake breakfast at our local nature part. They're serving pancakes with their own local maple syrup that they've actually collected and boiled down right there in the park, at their own sugar shack. Boo & I collected a pail of sap for the efforts ourselves! :) Then it's off to work to help my client take a bath - and then, who KNOWS what. Maybe...a nap?? One can hope. In the meantime, I'm heading to bed, hopefully to sleep. :)