FFBE Bits of Bag Info for You...it's a Secret!

I apologize for the lack of clarity in this photo...but it's of Manos...a favorite felting wool of mine.
I can't show you the pattern, it's an Indie pattern that I need to check with the designer with, before posting...but I LOVE the pattern, which I picked up on vacation while in NC at Knitting Addiction. Could this bag be for you? Is it YOUR color palette? I can't tell you, but soon the bag will be finished. Enjoy this last day of summer 2007.
P.S. Please congratulate Mary on opening an Etsy shop!...not open yet, according to her blog, but we should all go check it out when it does! Congrats, Mary! I've been following her blog from the 3-2-1 Contact blogging from earlier in the swap. :)

New Yarn to Try...and Frogging Completed...

Yes, I did it. I bought myself a skein of Windy Valley Muskox Qiviut. Yessiree. See here. So soft.
The pattern for this Feather Lace Scarf came with it.
OH MY...I can't wait to cast on and see what all the hub-bub of qiviut is all about. Of course, after reading Arctic Lace from front to back cover, I'm hooked already! Also there's Arctic Diamonds from Interweave Winter 2006 here, to start with, if you need convincing to trace these truly gorgeous patterns by Donna Druchunas.

On the other side of knitting, I "tinked" my Forest Canopy Shawl...don't cry though, I tell myself...because I'm re-casting on today with another size needle...I didn't care for my gauge on size 6 US needles, so I'm going up to a 7 with my Knit Picks Options (I'm a loose knitter...8's didn't work for me)...and I'm using Great Adirondacks Silky Socks in the Eggplant colorway. Photos...will follow!

An Overdue Blog Update....Sorry, I'm Behind in Posting!

OK, Are you ready? Big long post ahead...a lot of to show you!...

C*Eye*Ber Fiber goodness from my KVVS pal, Tammy! Beautiful, just beautiful colorway!
Here are the Vulcan Ears that Tammy sent from Vulvan, Alberta, Canada..."Just a speck
(I mean SPOCK) on the map."




Greeting from the world's biggest procrastinator...yes...me. :) It's one of my weaknesses, unfortunately. I'm working on it, really.
OK...we're back from vacation. And I have some WONDERFUL swap pals to thank! On this lovely Autumn day (OK, today is actually the second to last day of Summer)...I took photos of the Knitting goodies I received.

First, a big thank you to Tammy
in the Knitters Virtual Vacation Swap...
for this lovely package from Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada!
What a package! Many travel brochures for me to peruse over, Cuppers coffee from Tammy's favorite local coffee shop, a brown leather bag made locally from an elderly aboriginal woman who donates volunteer time at Fort Whoop Up., Japanese goodies from the Gardens in Lethbridge (which Tammy tells me is home to many different cultures), Ammolite earrings, dug right out of the ground in Lethbridge, Canadian playing cards, chocolate (already devoured), many local gifts which include: a huge handcrafted wooden pencil, planner book, Japanese bookmark, origami ornament, a scented candle, stitch holders, and many other gifts...I was blown away by her generosity...and although I've never been to Canada (except to go to the border and turn around many years ago when lost), I actually feel like I've been there! So, I guess I need to go and see Alberta!



Next, but just as important...
another huge thank you to my SP11 Pal...who is...I don't know...she (or he) is a secret! But she is from California...this I know. Why? Let's see...

I received a lovely Hershey Postcard, Hershey chocolate scented candle, Hershey lip gloss, some lovely scented soap, a magnet, and 2 skeins of sock Cascade sock yarn in Autumn colors. I am now going to open the lip gloss and enjoy. Yum! (No, I won't eat it). :) Thanks, SP pal!



OK, next...but certainly not least, I thank my terrific Football-along Swap pal, Kim!
Now...what a Football Package! Kim sent me plates, cups, party bags and treats for my whole family...no dish washing for me next Sunday night! Also, sent me 2 skeins of Claudia's Handpainted Yarn in a great orange colorway (Go Dolphins!), and some handcrafted fingerless gloves...a pair each in blue and orange. What an awesome gift, especially for those of us who are already chilly this Fall! She also sent 2 extra skeins of the blue colorway so I could knit another pair. Thank you! (P.S. The Twizzlers were scarfed down on Monday Night!) Hmm...along with the goodies, I noticed a lot of red and black Georgia Bulldogs stuff...that must be Kim's team. :)

Is My Vacation REALLY over...Already?

OK...I've been home for 6 days now...and I haven't "synched" back to real life yet! How long does it take?
Our vacation to Kill Devil Hills in the Outer Banks/NC was wonderful. My hubby, 8 yr old son, and I traveled down in our Suburban, and I knit ALL the way...all 13 hours...with an over the I-Sight over-ear book light (looks like a bluetooth, but with a tiny light)....in the car, I knit a pair of socks for my niece (Koigu...in a hot pink, picked by the recipient of the socks...she's 10) , a sock for my son (Cherry Tree Hill sapphire , chosen by my son), and half of my Branching Out scarf in Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool.

Beaches and most tourists seemed to clear out by Labor Day, and the weather was....perfect.
Our cottage had no major problems, and seems to be withstanding the winds of time well. OK...here's what was SO perfect...
Waking up...when I woke up....drinking DD coffee on the porch, basking in the sunlight early in the morning, reading my Bible and praying, then knitting until others awoke, and we went to the beach...every day. DPNs are very easy to misplace in the sand. I know. Ever rake a grid around your beach chair, looking for a size 0 dpn in the sand? not fun. And, sea spray makes bamboo needles...well...sticky. However, I knit...a lot...
Back home I am. Eldest son joined theVT National Guard while in his third week at Norwich University. He's in the Cavalry Company. Hmmm. News to me. He seems to enjoy NU's cadet program as a Rook...so far. He's carrying the flag in first photo, and on the right in second photo.



Now that I have new batteries for my camera, I'll be taking photos of my Branching Out scarf, and the 3 pairs of socks that I knit on vacation. Soon... :)

Christmas Around The World Questionnaire

1. Are you religious? I wouldn't use the word "religious"because it's not about religion for me...it's my daily life; and I am a born-again Christian and very active in my church.
   
2. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider yourself a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced? I'm an intermediate knitter,I've been knitting since a teenager, but I've been knitting A LOT in the past year. It's cheaper than therapy! :)
   
3. Do you have any other hobbies besides knitting? Not really. Well, baking, reading, and I homeschool my sons. I quilt, but my quilting has been nil since I took up knitting again. :)
   
4. Favorite color(s)? Most! Reds, greens, most colors make me happy, except pastels and neons. I love jewel-tones as well. I also love brown and pink together. :)
   
5. Do you collect anything? Yarn (of course)...not much else. Shawl closures and unusual buttons for felted bags, too.
   
6. Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? No.
   
7. Do you have any pets? 2 dogs, 2 cats, a guinea pig, a chicken, and 5 cockatiels.
   
8. Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate? All.
   
9. Cookies or Sweets? Both! :)
   
10. Do you knit socks? Of course!
    
11. If not socks then what? (tell us about your favorite knits) Socks and laceweight projects...shawls and scarves. I'm starting a pattern from Arctic Lace this week.
    
12. Do you put up a Christmas tree? Yes, right after Thanksgiving if it's artificial (the years when we're out of town for the holidays, or if kids or puppies are very young), otherwise it's approx 2 weeks before Christmas for a real tree...and we enjoy cutting down our own tree, if time permits. :)
    
13. Favorite holiday treats? Home-baked cookies, eggnog...definitely home made anything!
    
14. Favorite holiday smells? Christmas tree, scented candles, spiced cider...all holiday scents are wonderful!
    
15. Do you celebrate Christmas in a traditional or unconventional way? Please elaborate. Well, we have an early dinner with family and/or friends (depending who is where that year), and then to Christmas Eve church service...then it's home and more eating...and the children start guessing presents...although I still wait until they're asleep before I put gifts under the tree...and the kids are 8-18 now, but it's "tradition". We don't do Santa Claus, but we do everything else! I just love Christmas.
    
16. What are your favorite holiday traditions? Christmas Eve candlelight service, watching the kids open their stockings in the morning. Oh yes, I also watch Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" on Thanksgiving Day to get the season going. :)
    
17. Finish the sentence: “For me Christmas is all about....” celebrating the birth of Jesus, and letting family and friends know how much I love and care for them.
    
18. If you were a Christmas ornament you would be…….? Wow...um...an old glass Grape cluster (it's my favorite antique family heirloom from Germany)...or...I'd be... something delicate and fancy.
    
19. What was your favorite gift you've ever received? Or given? Favorite gift received...homemade childhood gifts from the kids, and a "shopping spree" at the local yarn store for a few projects (that was from my hubby last year), and another favorite was some family jewelry passed down from my mother. Favorite given gift: handmade items for family (quilted or knitted).
    
20. When do you start your Christmas? I start the day of Thanksgiving, as soon as my turkey is in the oven early in the morning...it drives my hubby crazy.
    
21. Do you send Christmas cards? Do you make them or buy them? I try to remember to send cards, but sometimes...I forget. I've made and purchased them in the past...depending on my mood. I think this year I'll do photo cards.
    
22. What is your favorite Christmas dish? Swedish Meatballs in a sour cream and capers sauce ...family recipe.
    
23. Carolers are at your door. What do you do? Open the door and enjoy!
    
24. When do you open presents? Christmas eve or Christmas morning? On Christmas morning. Kids may open stockings after 6 am (allowing me to sleep), then we read the Gospel story of Christmas from Luke, and the kids open presents one at a time...while I drink my hot coffee, of course!
    
25. Do you celebrate with family or friends or both? Both....sometimes we're home, sometimes at a family house in another state, and sometimes with friends at our house.
    

Pay It Forward Swap

Thanks to Dorothy, I'm going to be part of a "Pay It Forward" swap, as I've joined via her blog. This is an awesome idea! The Pay it forward swap is based on the Helen Hunt movie "Pay It Forward". Here are the details, as explained from blog to blog:

"Here is how it works! I'll send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange! I don't know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week...LOL... but you will receive it within 365 days, that's a promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog..."

If you're interested, let me know by posting to this blog, and I'll start planning your project!

Thank you, SP9 Pal :)

Thank you, SP9 Pal! I love the cappuccino colored 100% cashmere yarn! I'll try it out soon. Also, my pal sent my 2 wonderful skeins of colorful Interlacements "Toasty Toes" 100% Superwash Merino Wool, along with some wonderfully scented Chocolate soap, and a pattern for a child's felted hat. Thanks again, pal. :) Yarn on the left is Toast Toes "Carbon Dioxide"(color 202) and on the right is color "Las Vegas Brights" (color 206). Colors on Interlacements website are more true to life.