Wubba Wubba!! What a package!

No, that's not a flash back to the 80's. I was saying "Wubba" long before Downtown Julie Brown used it as her little saying on Club MTV!

When I arrived home from Satan's lair work, I found these little loverlies hiding behind the snow shovel at my front door. I squealed in delight *and those of you that know me, that's can be loud* Loud enough that my next door neightbor (I live in a duplex) actual came to the door to see if everything was OK! *giggle*

I just love it when my mail lady or the UPS man bring goodies to my door! And to come home and find not one but TWO! Double the pleasure!!



My final package from SP11! My pal was Manda and she spoiled me rotten and I loved EVERY minute of it!! Just look at this package she sent me! Bamboo sock needs in size 2, darning needles and holder *now maybe I won't keep losing those needles*, a heart shaped tape measurer, a really neat sock pattern, and dreamy sock yarn!! *pun intended* Just look at that yarn!! It's Dream in Color - Smooshy, and it lives up to its smooshy name!! DE-lish!! Do you get the feeling she's trying to convert me to a sock knitter *wink*



Manda, Thank you so much for all my goodies!! And believe it or not, I do have one sock completed and its partner started, but it's hibernating till I get these Chrsitmas gifts and this baby blanket done!

Goodies, blessings and frustrations

Oh where to begin! Just before the holiday weekend I received a package from my swap pal in the Knitters Coffee Swap! Look at the goodies! Delicious cookies, Swiss chocolate *I have been so good - I left it home over the holiday weekend so that I wouldn't have to share it I didn't eat it all at once* A great calender filled with pictures of Switzerland sceneries *I'll take to work in my office so that I have something to daydream about when it gets stressfull* heehee



And look at this yarn! I just love the gorgeous blue! Thank you so much Andrea for a great package!



I had to work on Wednesday, so I did not set out for the folks house till early Thursday morning. It was a bitch to get up that early on a day that I knew I didn't need to get to work, but at least someone else was working that day and made my drive a tad more enjoyable. I could drive while that was the view out of my car window :)



After stopping at the Starbucks just at the end of my street I hit the road. It was about 6:45 AM. The drive was rather pleasant and not much traffic *now that's something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving morning* and I pulled into my parents' driveway at 10:15 AM. I pray, pray, pray that the NJ Turnpike people don't compare distance to time stamps or I'm in trouble! Somehow with my foot to the floor driving like Maria Andretti I shaved almost an hour off my drive time. I swear I was going with the flow of traffic! *whistles innocently*

My youngest niece gets sooooooooooo into the holidays and decorating. She's 8. She set the dining room table all by herself!


Mom made way too much food that evening. We had traditional Italian wedding soup, a turkey AND ham, oddles of different veggies dishes, fruit, desserts, and coffee and she was thinking of making PASTA! No matter how long my folks have lived in this country they still feel the need to turn every holiday meal into a 7 course Italian holiday meal! Needless to say I was send home with half a ham (I took the ham bone so that I can make 15 bean soup *yummy*) AND half a turkey breast! Anyone know any good recipies to use leftover turkey or ham???



Yup, that's me working on those fairy squares at the Thanksgiving table. Italians traditionally sit around after the main meal is finished talking and digesting before the dessert course starts *laugh* So, why waiste time?? I pulled out my knitting back and get to it! 3 more squares were completed this weekend!! For a grand total of 9 squares completed!! Just 7 more to go before I can put them together and have it start looking like an afghan!



While I was doing this I got to listen to my mother calling me crazy over and over again. My mom doesn't really understand hobbies. Strange considering she used to crochet and sew. And my mother wonderings why I don't share more things with her. It's a shame really, I had planned on having a heart-to-heart mother daughter talk with her this weekend about Mr. X and that whole situation. Yeah, that didn't happen after this.

While my mom was cleaning out some things she came across my baby blanket! She crocheted this one for me. When I was a little older she had taken the squares apart and turned it into a shawl, which is how it currently it. I had thought about taking back apart and turning in back into a baby blanket, but I don't think I can match up that yellow yarn.



She also found this granny square dress that my Nonna had crocheted for me when I was a wee little thing. I was really suprised the still had these things. There are some spots on the dress that I'm not sure how to get out. I'm thinking of getting a nice size shadow bow and putting both of these items into it so that I can hang them on a wall in my house.



Here's an update photo of my sister's Soft Waves ripple. I'm at the halfway mark!

Friday Night Happy Hour... and other stuff too

Wow, what a week! Work has just been C-R-A-Z-Y!! Can I just say, I hate, HATE my schedule this year. Did I mention that I hate my schedule? About the one things that actually saves my sanity each day is that I get to each lunch with one of the teachers that I really like :) She's a trip. Here she is eating a not-very-sweet orange for the sole purpose that an orange is good for you. PUCKER FACE DANA! *heehee*



Moving on.....

I just discovered that one of the teachers at my school owns one of these....



DAMN DOUG! It's a '71 Corvette Stingray. Can you say NICE! *I certainly can, too bad he's married with two kids* Course I'm wondering how a teacher affords a vette, but more power to him! Unfortunately this baby didn't want to start for him Friday afternoon! :(

After work I headed out to a tapas bar on the other side of the county to meet up with some girlfriends for Happy Hour! We sat inside, but restaurant had all their door/windows open to the courtyard and we got to see and hear this band while we were there.

Here they are doing a sound check before the actual festivities got started. The dude in the plaid shorts was cute! Didn't catch the name of the band, but it was one of those "ska" (I think at least) bands. A bit of reggae, hip hop and pop. I could really hear the reggae in the music. I just love that!



After dinner and drinking, we walked around the square. My gf Karen and I hung out and danced a bit in the square. The other girls were too embarrassed and went window shopping. It's a tad hard to really be embarrassed when you *HEART* dancing and music *and several Long Island Iced Teas in the system doesn't hurt either* ;)





When I got home from Happy Hour, I found this package on my front porch! *squeal* I love packages!



Here's what I got from my WhoDuKnit swap pal!


Moving on to knitting/crocheting projects....

Here are 2 dishcloths I made this month. I really like this pattern. It's called Elvish Leaves Dishcloth from Kelley's Yarns. I made one in a Sugar'n Cream ombre and the other is made in Berrocco Touche. The made with Touche is Soooooooo freakin' soft! I love it!



Next up is an update on the baby blanket. These patterns are fairly easy to follow. I scanned and printed out large copies of the three charts that are required for this pattern. I laminated them at work so that they would last for the duration. I use a sticky note on each chart to help me keep my place and I mark the number of repeats on the sticky notes. I will probably be using this pattern following technique in the future to mix and match patterns! Oh! And I really like working with this yarn! Super soft and touchable!

I learned the hard way that you really should not try to follow charts after you've been loaded up on Long Island Iced Teas. I came home from Happy Hour last night and did a few rows before crashing on my bed. This morning, I had to rip out all those rows cause I totally goofed on the floral patterns. The floral pattern is 29 stitches and I had 31 stitches between my stitch markers this morning. If I wasn't so anal, I probably would have try to find a place where I could have just K2tog, but I am anal and ripped back till I have 29 stitches again.

Does this mean that I won't drink and knit at the same time in the future? *HA! Fat chance* I just need to pick up WIP that have much simpler patterns *grin*



I have 23 squares made for the Stained Glass Afghan. 334 more needed and then I get to join them! Color me crazy for picking that pattern! Anyhoo, a few squares here and a few squares there and I should have my afghan in about 10 years *LAUGH*



Next on the "To Make" list is this ripple blanket for my sister. This is going to be her Christmas gift. So far it's 60" wide and 11" in length. I like how the print yarn breaks up solids! It's super soft and it should keep her nice and warm in the NY winters!



Still working on the Tunisian Baby blanket for a co-worker. I have GOT to get this one finished this week. She's due this month!





And last up.....

Frisco! Apparently he loves the ripple blanket too! *the little bugger grabbed the yarn and ran pulling out half a row of stitches!* That's what I get for trying to get a cute picture of him with yarn. I should have known better!

Dog Days of Summer Dishcloth Swap Questionnaire

1. Do you knit, or crochet, or do both? How long have you been knitting\crocheting? crochet for 20 years, knit for 1.5 years

2. Have you knit dishcloths or dishtowels before? yes

3. What are your favorite cotton yarns? Is there a cotton or linen you’ve been dying to try but have not? cotton = Peaches 'n Cream, linen = Euroflax *love it*

4. Are there any cotton yarns you don’t enjoy knitting with? not that I am aware of!

5. What type of needle do you prefer using? (Metal/Wood/Plastic) metal, but not aluminum

6. What other projects do you enjoy knitting or crocheting? afghans, shawls. scarves, hats, baby blankets, learning socks now

7. Do you have other hobbies or enjoy other kinds of crafting? painting ceramics

8. What kind of treats do you like? Chocolate? Candies? Nuts? Nuts: Pistachios, Almonds, Peanuts, Macadamias Chocolates: Milk, White, Italian torrone, Italian Bacci

9. What colors are your kitchen and bath decorated in, if any? Kitchen is black, white and red. Bathroom is cream and deep mauve.

10. What are your favorite colors and what colors do you dislike? Favorite colors are rich deep reds, blues, purples, greens and black. I'm not much for orange and yellow, nor pastel colors

11. Do you drink coffee? Tea? Other beverages? Italian coffee, herbal teas, green tea, oolong tea, jasmine tea, hot cocoa

12. Do you have any kids (human or pet variety!)? 1 ADHD kitty who is 12 years and still thinls he's 6 months old!

13. Do you have any allergies? dial soap

14. Please share 3 tidbits about yourself that you think your pal and other swappers might find odd or interesting.

Hmmm....qood question. Let's see....
1. I collect unique fairies
2. I love watching crimes shows like, CSI - Criminal Minds - Dexter
3. I am learning to be single again.

SP 10 Package

Looky what I found on my doorstep Monday! *yeah, I know it's Friday and I'm a little behind on my postings, you didn't need to remind me* It's a package from my Secret Pal or rather my Secret Angel!

Look at all the neat goodies I received!Knitting, knitting and more knitting stuff... and chocolate, can't forget the chocolate *yeah, that box of Crunch is gone already* Look at the gorgeous yarn! Cascade 220 in a pretty heather purple! Oh, what to make, what to make with this yarn... any suggestions people?

Thank you Secret Angel!!

Saturday Morning Ritual

Aaaahhhh.... the weekend is here. *OK, so technically it started last night* Here I am again lounging on my back deck with my laptop and latte, listening to the birds chirping, watching the squirrels climb around in the trees and bloggin'. Seems silly to think of this as "Me time" considering I have no children to get away from and live alone, but it is. It's just time for me to enjoy the sounds of the outdoors before it gets too hot to sit outside. I really need to start looking for a small table for my back deck. It's not that big so a 36" table should be good. When I originally started looking I thought a 48" would be nice, so that when I had small groups of friends or my sister and her family over we could eat outside, but I think that would be too big considering I have a grill out here. I love to grill food, so giving up the grill to buy a bigger table just isn't an option. My sister keeps suggesting a bistro table, even two of them, but their so tiny! I should probably put together some sheets of newspaper in the the two different sizes of tables and lay them out on my deck so I can get a real visual of the kind of space I would have. I've just been too lazy to do it *laugh*

Today's agenda lacks luster *after my morning me time that is* I need to straighten up the bedrooms today and get the usually laundry done. My folks are suppose to be coming in to town today. *ugg, I'm looking at my sliding glass door and realizing it needs a good cleaning - I hate doing windows* I thought they were coming last night, but with my mom, you never really know till she's here. Guess that is the beauty of being retired. The folks are coming into town because one of my nieces is graduating from 5th grade and heading into middle school next year. Her ceremony is Monday. I think we are all going out to dinner that night to celebrate. Then my parents are taking both girls down to their condo in Florida for the week. That should be interesting. I certainly hope they know what they are getting into! *laugh* My sister also mentioned that she is going to make dinner reservations for us to take Dad out for dinner on Father's Day. She mentioned possibly going down to Annapolis, but I haven't heard anything definite yet.

Aside from the ho-hums of house work I need to get my contest packages together to be mailed out. It's also time to give my wardrobe a good overhaul and pack up stuff that I no longer want, wear or need and call for a donation pick-up. I have to say, I love the fact that I can pack all that stuff up, leave it on my front porch marked and they will come by and pick it all up. Last night I pulled out the summer shoes box and need to unpack all the cute sandals and pack away all heavy shoes. I have to say, I have been super good this year *so far that is* I haven't bought a single new pair of sandals. That still amazes me. I usually cannot wait for sandal season! *I think that's because lately I've been spending my sandal money on yarn - for shame! laugh*

Sometime this weekend I also need to get a gift for my nieces graduation and gift for a gf who's birthday was a few days before mine. *can you say procrastinator* Normally, I would have had all this done way in advance, but my life has been so jumbled lately, that I forget until it's down to the wire. Hopefully I'll get back on track soon. *damn there are a shitload bunch of squirrels out here today*

I need to get my ass in gear and cast on the bag for my ITE pal. I have all the yarn, I just need to settle on a pattern. There are so many cute bag patterns out there it's hard to choose! I wish I could cast on for all of them, but damn life and work for getting in the way of my crafting *laugh* Alas, we all know how that can be!

Well, time to go and organize that second bedroom *just as soon as I get a few rows done on one of my UFOs *grin*

Happy Weekend everyone!

Knitter's CoffeeSwap 2 Questtionaire

QUESTIONS

1. Whole bean or ground? I prefer whole bean
2. Fully-loaded or decaf? Oh definately Fully-loaded
3. Regular or flavored? Regular, I am not a fan of flavored coffee
4. How do you drink your coffee? In order of preference: soy lattes, espresso, or American style with creamer and Splenda
5. Favorite coffee ever? Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee, LavAzza Super Crema Espresso
6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do? Unfortunately, I am very fussy - the curse of an Italian upbringing :)
7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee? Aside from a good book, I would say gooey fudge brownies or Madeleines
8. Anything else about your coffee preferences? Not that I can think of outside of the above questions
9. Yarn/fiber you love? Cotton/silk blends, alpaca (baby especially), merino wool, I lean much more toward natural fibers though I do think that soft acrylics have their place when it comes to baby stuff :)
10. Yarn/fiber you hate? Anything stiff and scratchy
11. What's on your needles? That's a loaded question right now... arm cozies, fairy dishcloth, Monica tank, 3 differnet scarves, first sock ever, and I have 1 crochet project started
12. Favorite colors? My color pallette really varies. Fall or royal colors in red, black, purple, blue, green or vibrant brights like fushia, turquise, purple. (Definately no yellow, orange light or bright greens)
13. Allergies? I'm prone to migraines so I stay away from strong overpowering scents especially florals. Smoke - not really allergic, just really can't stand the smell
14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest? I collect whimsical fairies. I'm an avid reader (more on the fiction novel side - mystery, fantasy, horror, science fiction, not pure romance though).

SP 10 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I like yarns that are soft and cozy to the touch like merino and alpaca - oh and of course silk and cashmere *dreamy*. Malabrigo Merino is *oh-so-soft*. I don't mind blends. I'm currently in the hunt for a nice 50/50 silk/cotton blend to make some nice summer tanks. I do not do scratchy feeling yarns! My skin is sensitive and I can get the itchies.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a plethora of needle and hook holders. I am on the hunt for some sort of neat way to display my needles at home instead of keeping them all packed away in the holders. I want to display my tools as art - after all, that is what they create!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting for, hmm..., I guess about 6-8 months now. My Nonna taught me when I was a little girl, but I never really took to it back then. Then about 6-8 months ago I had this urge to try again and downloaded some knitting guides off the net and did it. I would say that my skill is Intermediate at this point. I have been crocheting for 16 years thought!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Not yet, but I will have one on my blog soon :)

5. What's your favorite scent?
I have to be very careful with floral scents as they trigger migraines with me. Yucky! But vanilla bean, apple orchards and very sutle ocean scents are great.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Unfortunately, yes. I would have to say my favorites are Baci, Ferrero Rocher Chocolate , Chocolate Torrone, and Nutella. Yes, I'm Italian and like my Italian sweets :)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I have been a crocheter for 16 years. I enjoy painting ceramics. I create Christmas wreathes as gifts. I do not spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Wow, this is a tough one for me. I'm some what eclectic when it comes to music. I am not much for country music, heavy metal, or punk. I enjoy most of today's hip-hop, classic rock of the 70s & 80s, Elvis Presley, James Brown, Barry White, music from the 50s & 60s, Italian music (old and new), any of the great musicians (Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, etc.). Yes, I can play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Another toughie for me because I tend to loves various shades of all colors. I guess my favorite colors would be red, black, smokey grey, rich teals(more blue than green), rich shades of purple. I am definitely a lover of winter colors for myself although a bright fuchsia or turquoise do look good on me too. I tend to stay away from pale colors as my skin is very pale and makes me look washed out. I stay away from yellows, golds, light or bright greens, and oranges.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I divorced, but in a committed relationship. I live with my kitty, Frisco, who is going to be 12 years-old on April 16th, but I swear he still thinks he a kitten! I have an older sister who lives 5 minutes from me and I adore my two nieces. My folks live in NY as does my younger sister.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves and hats. I haven't worn mittens in years - it might be a nice change from gloves. Fingerless gloves and arm cosies are great. I'm more of a shawl or shrug wearing woman than I am ponchos.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Right now it seems to be the 3 S's - Scarves, Shawls and Stoles. I do enjoy knitting bags and hats. I have not tried my hand at sweaters yet, but I have a few I'm dying to start as well as some legwarmers, tanks and shrugs for my nieces. Oh, and I'm seriously considering start the "Saffron Cables" blanket that is the winter '06 issue of Interweave Knits!

13. What are you knitting right now?
On needles right now I have a pair of Arm Cosies, and a Prayer Shawl. In addition, I have a crochet afghan started for my parents.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes. Knowing someone put thought, time and love into creating something for me is special.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I *heart* my KnitPicks Options needle set and I *heart* my Addi turbos circulars. I also prefer wood straights. I stay away from plastic and aluminum in knitting needles, although I do have a set of Pony Pearls DPN that are really great!

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

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
My parent's afghan. I started just after Christmas.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas and New Year's Eve.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Faeries

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Most definitely! Check out the Wish List section of my blog! I currently don't have any knitting magazines, but I'm contemplating Interweave Knits and Interweave Crochet!

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Entrelac (I take a course on it this Sunday!), Magic Loop, socks!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I have not learn to knit socks yet, that's on my "To Do" list. I'm a size 10 ladies.

23. When is your birthday?
June 8th - a Gemini :)