Moving Sucks

Hey guys. OK... so I have no internet (horray for coffee shops with WiFi!)... no furniture... nothing to knit except one sock. Life is stressful. But I thought I'd try to get a short blog entry in.. and I even remembered my memory card so I can add a few pictures!

I'll start with my first package from my Facebook Secret Knitting pal! She's from Canada and got me some yarn from a nearby wool mill (I think that's where it was from.. made locally for sure!) Anyways, it's some wool that is nice and warm. I haven't quite decided what to do with it though. Here's a pic of the contents:

And here's the package from my SP 11 pal! It was AMAZING! I have already kind of described the contents, so I think that for now... pictures will tell all:

(yeah, that's right, my pal is AWESOME!)

Moving

Hi.

I know. I PROMISED that I would post as soon as I got back. But it turns out that I'm moving... tomorrow. So I haven't had much time to breathe, let alone compose a blog entry covering the past 1.5-2 months. So. I'm leaving tomorrow, will hopefully be signing a lease for a rental house on Friday, and will post a big huge blog entry this coming weekend.

Hope you all are well... I feel an ulcer coming on.

REALLY bad blogger!

Hey.

Well I was planning on bringing my laptop with me to Madison and writing this big huge entry with all of these great pictures and stories about the last month and a half. But of course I forgot my computer at home. Life has been crazy busy. Between driving to Madison for interviews and trying to pack up all of my belongings, I haven't had a lot of spare time. And the time I did have I wanted to knit! But it's looking really good that I've found a job (I have an interview tomorrow that is really more of a formality) and it looks like C and I will be moving to Madison ASAP. So hopefully sometime in the next few weeks I will have pictures of a new apartment and new stash storage location. And.. I PROMISE that once I get back home I will immediately get out my computer and write a huge post about knitting.

In the meantime.... I got my first SP11 package... and it was AMAZING! I can't thank my SP enough! I got a ball winder (which will definitely come in handy for all my Wollmeise, etc) and she also got me a skein of STR in Seastone (I think that's what it was called... I don't have it with me). GORGEOUS. And I think best of all she got me a copy of Knitting Vintage Socks.... SIGNED BY NANCY BUSH! Yes, that's right people, Nancy Bush told me to enjoy knitting her sock patterns. I was speechless! And no one was home for me to gush to, lol. I will definitely post pictures of it when I'm back on my own computer.

Anyways, I guess that is all for now as I am on a computer in the hotel lobby. I should get ready for my interview tomorrow anyways. I will try to be a better blogger... life is just getting in the way currently..... Sorry!

Bad Blogger!

Hi Everyone (if anyone still reads this after my longer than planned hiatus.. ),

I am so sorry that I've been gone for so long! I've been busy moving back to the States and going on interviews and visiting relatives. I still don't have any pictures ready for you... but hopefully later tonight or sometime soon I will have the chance. I have been knitting, even though I've been a bad blogger and not posting about it on here. I have to go run and do some important stuff right now... but I will post again soon.. I promise!!

SP 11 Questionnaire

Hi Secret Pal... I've been a bad blogger recently, but now that I'm almost settled down again (to soon be uprooted again) I will hopefully be able to blog more often!

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

I've just been in Germany for about a year and got really big into sock yarn. I have worked withthe fabulous Wollmeise, and even though I found it slightly splitty... I still love it to death. I haven't had a chance to work with pretty much any of the American sock yarns though. I like pretty much anything... but would like to venture into more of the natural fibers as opposed to acrylic (though some acrylic can be nice..).

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

Currently I have a big cloth bag that most of my knitting things are just kind of strewn into. For my project bags I have a small pencil case for each in which I store the necessities for the project, but nothing to store the spares in.

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

Well I technically learned when I was in middle school from my dad. My dad has been knitting for a long time and one day I decided I wanted to learn too. I knit a "scarf" until I had about a square and decided that was enough and put it down for several years. My freshman year of college I was trying to decide what to give my boyfriend for Christmas. He's one of those guys who wants only functional gifts.. and I'm one of those girls who likes to give sentimental gifts, lol. Anyways, I decided that knitting him a scarf would be the perfect compromise. So I had my dad show me again how to do it. After that I did some little stuff off and on like dish cloths and such until I went on study abroad my junior year. My boyfriend and I were about 6-7 hours apart by train, and I decided I needed to find something to do. So I knit him another scarf. My knitting has become more and more frequent since then, especially when I was back in Germany this past year and learned to knit socks. I would say that I'm an advanced beginner/intermediate. I haven't come across anything that has really tripped me up yet. If I have good instructions I feel I can do it at least decently.

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

I do. It's here. It's pretty much a list of every knitting book out there that sounds interesting, haha. I don't have many.

5. What's your favorite scent?

I tend to lean towards the more... vanilla, sandalwood, the "Sensual Amber" at Bath & Body Works. I don't like the really fruity or really flowery scents.

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

I have a huge sweet tooth. I love milk chocolate. I like most things, but not coconut, and I don't really like dark chocolate.

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

I don't do too much else. I am sort of learning how to crochet, and I have some scrapbooking to do from being in Europe for the past year. Knitting seems to be the one thing that I actually see projects through on though. I don't currently know how to spin, but that is one thing I am interested in learning. I've been eyeing drop spindles and fiber online.

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

I like oldies, and jazz, and the mellow top 40 stuff. Not a big fan of Fergie or Shakira or those kind of top 40. I also don't like country or rap very much. Yes, everything plays MP3s.

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

I am really into reds and greens and blues right now, as well as some more natural colors. I am really not a big fan of pink. Or purple really, but more so than pink.

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

I am currently at home with my parents until I move in (*hopefully*) the next month. Then I will be living with my boyfriend of almost 5 years and we are hoping to get a cat.

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

All of the above except ponchos. Though some caplets I've seen look really cute.

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

Right now it's SOCKS SOCKS SOCKS! They are relatively quick and it's easy to try a new technique on them.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Currently I have about 3 pairs of socks on the needles and an afghan I've been working on for a while.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

I do.. it's nice to know that someone cared enough to take the time to make you something.

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

I tend to be a straight needle gal (I use dpns for socks), but there are definitely times when circs are called for. I prefer metal because I always feel like bamboo is going to break on me.

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

No, but I am planning on buying a ball winder as soon as I can find the time to place the order.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

From April 2006. It's the afghan I've been working on (Rambling Rows). I found the pattern on my spring break and am about 1/3 of the way done with the largest size, but I was in Germany for the past year and it was too much to bring with me.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

I would have to say Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's always been a big family time for me and I love all the traditions we have.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Just yarn, lol.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

Umm.. I would really like to try some of the American sock yarn.. like Cherry Tree Hill or Lorna's Laces or some of this stuff that everyone is talking about. One pattern I would also really like is the Rogue Hoodie. Also some of the lace shawls like the Shetland triangle, Swallowtail Shawl, and the Seraphim shawl look really beutiful. I don't have any subscriptions to knitting magazines.. though I am seriously considering getting one to Interweave.

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

I would like to learn how to do colorwork... it looks very interesting. I would also like to do a big lace project... not just on socks.

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

Yes I am! Umm.. I think it's like 8.5" circumference and 8.5" in length... I have short square feet.

23. When is your birthday?

February 24, 1984

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Yes! kniteurope