I so dislike the time change, but especially the spring ahead. Don;t get me wrong, I love the extra daylight and all, but my body thinks it’s 9:30 and it’s technically 10:30. Add in a measure of my current sleeping issues, and you;ve got trouble.

Anyway, it was another gorgeous day here. We spent some time outside, took a nice long walk, did some errands, and thoroughly abused each other in Wii Tennis. I also did the Fit again tonight, and feel like I’m getting back into the routine. We capped it off with our usual Sunday evening events, catching up on Netflix movies together, while I knit away. We watched Madagascar (the 1st), Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Max Payne, and 2 episodes of Buffy.

I am in a dishcloth and soap swap and while I don’t want to give anything away, I will say I completed most of what I want to send out.

While I won’t say anything yet about what you see, the pouch was an awesome purchase from Splityarn a while back (I got the matching smaller version too). Go check out her stuff, you will NOT be sorry!

Ah well, off to bed with me, another busy week ahead.

I had burnt out a bit on swaps a while back, and haven’t been involved in any in quite a while. Going hand in hand with my renewed interest in dishcloth knitting however, I kind of stumbled into a Dishcloth and Soap swap and thought it might be fun – knit a cloth get (or make) a fun soap, and send it off. Nice and easy!

We got our partners on Monday, with packages to be in the mail no later than March 20. I got my package TODAY!

My partner Cathy (CathyCH on ravelry) sent me a lovely cloth in a blue that perfectly matches my guest bathroom, a lemongrass scented soap, and a conditioner that smells great!

Tomorrow I will knit up my cloth and go shopping for my soap so I can get my package in the mail too. Once I know my pal has received hers, I will post pics of what I’m making up just for her

Happy weekend!

There’s all kinds of fun happening over on Plurk , whether it be the people you know already but get to know better, the silliness that helps get thru the tough days, or the new people you get to meet. And then there’s the neat “Plurk only” stuff, like Wendy’s awesome Nanner socks, or Terri Ross’ playful Slave to the Plurk socks, and the latest round of fun – Plurk Swap!

I was lucky enough to have Alynxia as my pal. She sent me a wonderful package!

Look at all the goodies! She sent YUMMY Misti Alpaca handpainted, in Blues of the Night, Soak, a Sheepy tape measure, Runts, exotic flavored chocolates, and a wonderful handknit cloth with Bananas Foster Soap.

Just look at the Alpaca. I wish you could feel it!

And here is a shot of the chocolates so you can see the wonderful variety (the cinnamon was my favorite)

My package to send to my pal (shhhh not telling who yet!) is almost ready. We don’t have to send out until November, but I hope to have mine out this weekend. I’m hoping my pal likes her package as much as I liked mine Thanks again Alynxia, you rock!

Nope, no typo – I actually spent a good portion of my week in bed with the flu. Ugh! The days kind of blurred together (thank you Zicam Flu!) and finally somewhere Friday night my fever broke and I started to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I ventured outside for about an hour yesterday to the Charlotte Purls meeting since it was the Purly Valentine secret swap exchange. I got to give my gift to Wendy (blogless!!)

click to see it on Flickr with notes

Paula was my Valentine, and she and I have dinner plans for Wednesday night before BAM to swap gifts (I was entrusted with her package since she wasn’t able to join us on Saturday) and so I can introduce her to Wednesday nights at BAM. It’s nice to have so many knitting group times and places to chose from!

After that, I came straight home, and took a 3 hour nap. Seriously. I feel much better but it will probably be a few days before I feel totally human again. Today has been laid back, I did a little graphic work for a friend, and after I finish this post, I’m curling up on the couch with a CSI marathon. I haven’t had needles in my hands in a few days, so I’m not sure what I will actually work on. You can bet it will be something though!

The eye searing felted slippers FINALLY dried, and I guess they are a success! He has ignored his Crocs and his Vans since I these dried and I shaved them down some for him. I love that he loves them MAYBE there will be additional requests for knitted items from him in my future?

I also want to thank Kristin again for my wonderful prize! I don’t have a picture of the book, but I have been reading it slowly, and savoring it’s wealth of ideas and information. This was a great gift that came at a perfect time, as we slowly but surely make this house our home. (You can see a bit of detail and a pic of the book here, and while you’re there, stay awhile and check out her blog!)

And last, but certainly not least, thanks to all for the continued good wishes for my girl. We’ve watched her a few days off meds, and while she certainly isn’t in puppy perfect shape, she is doing well. Some days are good. Some days are not so good. On her good days, she is a little slow, and has a slight limp as she favors her rear right. On her not so good days, she prefers not to move much, but can for things like going out and eating/drinking. So far, the better days out weigh the less than good ones, and as long as she is comfortable, we’re happy. The vet said that as some time passes, we can try and walk her a bit more on the good days, to help restrengthen her back, but otherwise, it’s just watch her and make sure she isn’t suffering. We’ll be keeping a close watch, and doing whatever the vet suggests to help her feel better.

It’s time for my afternoon dose of decongestants and a refill on my tea so that’s it for me…

The painters painted yesterday, and we did some pre-move in stuff (like sealing grout and a preliminary cleaning). The movers should be here between 8 and 9 tomorrow morning. It’s very disjointing to be in this split frame of reference, and I am really glad it will only last another day.

When we were there earlier, I took a few pictures, as promised, of the wonderful surprises I received from ITGirl and Lu.

First up, my wonderful Fiber Godmother sent me this great package of goodies!

I am indeed spoiled – just look at all that! She sent me 2 skeins of Lorna’s Lace in the Irving Park color way – SO pretty!, 3 sample packs of Soak in 3 different scents (been wanting to try this, and now I finally can!) a tasty mint tea (gone shortly after I took the picture actually!), a Burt’s Bees facial pack (which I will use once we are over at the new house to help me relax!) an adorable miniature sheep, and the Knit Fix book! Thank you Fiber Godmother for being so sweet and for making sure my package was mailed out early enough to hit my old address – you really treated me great! I hope your pal spoiled you well – you deserve it!!

Next up, Lu (who was my secret pal a few swaps back) sent me a completely unexpected surprise package. Her note said she saw on my blog how I was currently obsessing with greens and thought I should have this:

Yea, I will have no problem at all getting comfy with that skein of green goodness! That picture isn’t color accurate – the lighting was weird and the flash didn’t go off, and I didn’t have a lot of time to play with color correction (see movers arriving between 8 and 9 am). Trust me, it’s simply beautiful!! Go check out her etsy store and see for yourself!

And finally, one quick shot of my kitchen this afternoon

Don’t I just wish he was standing in my kitchen! I was given a life sized cutout of him a while back and when we were bringing some stuff in this afternoon, he was left behind the counter – too funny not to take the shot

I’m off to bed. ALLEGEDLY the Internet install at the new place happens tomorrow, but I’m not holding my breath. I haven’t scoped out the wireless options over there, so I’m not sure when the next post will be. You can bet I will be exhausted tomorrow either way.

Till then…

Just as I was feeling all smug about escaping the annual Summer Cold, I woke up last Sunday moring, and my throat was scratchy. I took some extra vitamin C and let it be. I was off on Monday anyway (use it or lose it PTO time in my office for anything over 80 hours, so I got to schedule a bunch of Mondays off in September.) so I wasn’t too worried. When I woke up Monday morning feeling like I had been hit by a truck that backed up and ran me over a few extra times, I was less than thrilled. It was probably my own fault for tempting fate a bit too much by going to work every day where EVERYONE I work with has been hit hard by this crud. I ended up with a sinus AND ear infection, on top of all the loveliness that is a Summer Cold. Between sniffling, sneezing, coughing and not being able to hear, smell, taste or talk, I have been a joy to be around. And in seriously remarkable news, I have passed it along to my honey, who NEVER gets sick. He is a few days behind me, but at least I can tell him there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am still a little stuffy, throat is still a little scratchy, and I don’t feel 100%, but I feel WAY better than I have been.

Needless to say there has been very little knitting going on around here. I missed Knit Night this week (but will be there next week) and by the time I got home each night, all I wanted to do was drink the Nector of Relief (AKA Nyquil) and sleep. I did somehow manage to crank out the hat to match the Baby Cardi though. After the Miss Dashwood experience didn’t quite work out, I decided to just wing it – I cast on a guestimated number of stitches, knit a few rounds, threw in some YOs for eyelet holes, knit some more rounds and then decreased in a way that made sense in my cold afflicted brain. Then I just made a small Monk Cord , threaded it around the holes, and VIOLA’. Matching hat. (I take no credit for any of that, I’m sure many before me have done the exact same thing.)

The color is funky in both pics, but it will have to do. I gifted this on Thursday (I was supposed ot be at the party today but sadly, feeling as icky as I have, being around babies is probably not the way to go.) I am hoping when the weather cools some, her Mom will share some model shots

I did also get one full repeat of the Woodland Stole done. (no pics yet, sorry) One whole repeat. It’s NOT a hard pattern, but my congested brain was resisting coherent though and refused to pay attention. Knitting the Euroflax Linen probably didn’t make it any easier, but I do like the colors and I am sure once I pick it up again, I will do better with it. I also read somewhere (sorry can’t remember where – see congested brain) about someone’s great idea for using index cards to keep your place in pattern rows – meaning, write out one row of the pattern on each index card, and when you are done with that row, flip the next card. No losing your place or wondering where you left off! When we head out later (2 quick errands and back home to veg) I will pick up some index cards and see if I can make a go of it.

I also got my Fiber Godmother match up, and have sent out my initial Hiya! message. Now that I know who she is and what she likes I can start planning her package. I want to get it done sooner rather than later since we are (100% OFFICIALLY) closing October 12th and things around here are about to get hectic (-er!). This really is my last swap for awhile, I only joined this one since I had a great time in the 1st round about 18 months ago, and since it is a one off swap – a card or letter 1st, due in the mail by Sept 20th, and then the package is due by October 13th. Melissa and Michelle did a really nice job last time, and I know this time will be no different!

And finally, the driveway issue I mentioned recently? It’s a non-issue now. They ripped the driveway up, and repoured it, and it is MUCH better now. I know I have had a few bumps in the road but each one has been addressed and rectified fairly quickly. MUCH better than some of the things I have read and heard about other builders really… We sent off all of our final paper work to the attorney yesterday, and have got 2 painting quotes. They both came in WELL under what I was expecting and I am really happy that we will close the 12th, and one of the 2 painters we spoke with will be in on the 13th and 14th painting so we won’t have to. We have to set up the movers for the 15th (Monday) and then will have the whole week to start to get things settled in. My friend Shannon will be visiting from NY for a chunk of that time (can’t wait to see her!!) and while I don’t know the dates yet, my Dad is coming down to visit too (can’t wait to see him too!)

I can’t believe we have been here almost a year. (In fact, the weekend Mary and I are at SAFF will be a year) Time certainly flies! Aside from missing people (and some foods!) I think we have adjusted really well, and we both really like it here. With getting involved in some knitting groups I am meeting some really nice people (plus many more than there was words to link!) and learning more and more about the place I now live.

House pics and Woodland pics probably tomorrow (maybe later if there is a good Saturday Sky pic to post! – ETA – Posting the Saturday Sky pic now, but that’s all. I need to get a good shot of the 1 whole pattern repeat I finished before I can post it. And since we are sitting down to a CSI:Miami DVD after dinner, maybe I might actually get some more done!).

I’m off to get my outside stuff done so I can come home and watch my latest deliveries from Netflix and knit the weekend away ETA – outside stuff done, minus the index cards. I only found HUGE ones, which will not work. Maybe tomorrow. Dinner is almost ready, and the DVDs are set for after dinner viewing/knitting time.

My Fiber Godmother 2 Questionnaire

(It was a lot of fun a year and a half ago, so when Mel asked if I wanted to play again, there was no saying no!)

General Fiber Questions:
What are your fiber-related hobbies?
Knitting, stash enhancement

How long?
almost 3 years now (time flies!)

Which are you *most* into?
It varies! I enjoy learnig new skills, socks, felted bags, baby items, hats, , shesh, pretty much everything!

How would you classify yourself in this craft?
An adventurous intermediate

What is your current fiber-related obsession?
Whatever I’m knitting at the moment really

What are your favorite items to make?
socks, felted items, dishcloths, baby gifts

What are you making right now?
A baby hat to match a baby cardi I just finished and once that is complete, I will be casting on for a few projects. Fingerless goves (local knitting group KAL), Secret of the Stole, socks (way too many in the queue to list) etc etc etc

What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I just saw an adorable book on knit cards – I would like to give that a try. Eventually I would like to learn to machine sew (once I actually buy a sewing machine that it). I also would like to learn to crochet (for edgings and seaming mainly)

About the fiber:
Your favorite yarn(s) (brand or type)?
Natural fibers with rich colors

What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I am not completely opposed to ALL acrylic but I CANNOT stand the sticky squeeky stuff. I also do not like anything fiber in a neon color.

Is there a yarn you’ve been dying to try?
Cornucopia Yarn or Amaizing (SWTC), Sea Silk, Wollmeise

Are you a fiber snob? See above feelings on acrylics

About the tools:
Hardwood, Bamboo, Aluminum, Plastic?
I’m partial to aluminum (Addi’s) but my plastic Denise set has it’s place too. I also am hearing so much good about the knit picks options set I may have to give those a go too

For knitters: Straight, DPN or Circular needles?
Circs 99.999999% of the time

Favorite gadget?
my ball winder

Anything you’ve been wanting to try?
nothing comes to mind

About you:
Do you pamper yourself? Or do you generally come last?
I TRY to balance me and others, but I do tend to worry more about the people who matter to me

What does an ideal day off/free hour consist of for you?
Alone? Knitting with a good movie/podcasts, or curling up with a good book. In a group? I’m pretty flexible, as long as I am with people whose company I enjoy, it doesn’t matter much what we are doing.

Are you allergic to anything?
Walnut cream cheese (no really!)

What is your family situation?
Just me and my honey, and our 4 legged kid (an English Mastiff Trinity)

Are you owned by any pets?
Yup! All 168 pounds of her!

Your favorite color(s)?
Deep jewel tones (think Sapphire blues, deep garnet reds), or natural earthy tones

Any colors you just can’t stand?
neon

What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Honey almond, vanilla, light/clean scents

Least favorite? (Maybe you’re not “allergic,” but it makes you want to die)
Heavy flowery scents, anything that overpowers your senses

How do you feel about candy?
I like it.

Any dietary restrictions?
Other than I am trying to eat healthier, nope!

Is there anything that you collect?
Does stash count? I like dragons, and have also started amassing some cute sheep

What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving – Christmas (I know, that’s 2, but I LOVE that whole time of year)

Do you have an online wish list (e.g. Amazon, Things I Want)? If so, share the link. If nothing else, it will give your Godmother more ideas about your likes/dislikes.
Meta Wish list –
Amazon Knitting –
(I have a few on Amazon, they show up on the left side of the knitting wish list)

Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
Yup!

What kind of music do you like?
mostly everything but heavy rap

Any special requests in case your Godmother wants to make a CD for you?
Nope, surprise me!

Favorite movie(s)?
LONG list!! I like almost all movie genres, except slasher/gory horror

Any “fan” stuff?
I’m a huge fan of House, Grey’s, Rescue Me, BSG, The Closer and a few other TV shows. I generally catch them on Tivo or DVD though.

Anything missing? Feel free to ask!