Secret Pal Package! YAY!!!

OhHHHhhh what a wonderful package to greet me after a not so sunny morning! My coworker is excited about traveling this weekend so she has been talking my ear off about everything all week....oOOOooo my tired ears!
Chocolate! Chocolate everywhere!! It was the "Never-Ending Chocolate Package!"!! I opened it and I saw chocolate...pulled it out....saw MORE chocolate...pulled that out....STILL MORE CHOCOLATE remained in the envie!!! So I poured it all out onto my table and WOW! MMMmmmmm chocolate....I am happily sedated in chocolate right now...MMMmmmm.....I really like the carmel squares...MMMMmmmm.....
Not only that but tea too and an interesting keyring!!


Then there was this Bag Lady tea box that said Happy Bday on it! LMAO! CUTE!!!

Then there is a clue...a clue to who my SP10 pal is. That clue are these two GORGIOUS buttons! I LOVE THEM and they remind me of Spring Goddesses. On the back there is written: "This is a clue. It also reminded me of you."
HUmmm, well the first clue was "Your interests (not spinning, or karate - other stuff that is important to you - that kinda "sums" you up) and an online community "project" of mine have someone in common." ...so it must be someone from of the groups I am active in. Not only that but the return address is from Bloomington Indiana!! My home state!!! HUMMmmmmm will have to think on it some more.

THANKS SP10 PAL! I now have enough chocolate to last me several sedated weeks!! LOL

Until next time...

Made a Lucet, SP10

I made a lucet today! I was in need of one to make a cord for my felted bag so I used some of the oak scraps I have from making my belt display. It reminds me of a goddess figure...of even a swim suit! Totally by accident! But it works great! Now if I were to purchase one of these...I'd be spending anywhere from $20-$40 for one. I have enough scraps left over to make 10 at about $4 each (after cutting, sanding, staining, and sealing)! I'm thinking of making another one for my SP10 pal-ee who BTW recieved her first box and she sounds thrilled to have the spindle and fiber! EEEEEEeeeeeee! *Warm fuzzies!*

I have been working on all sorts of things today. I cleaned Zar's cage and the same corner where he is located. There is a bookcase there and some of the books had fallen out and being the chaotic and scattered person I am, they were left on the floor. So those got picked up and tiddied. Zar's cage smells much better!

We went to community pharmancy today and I bought that jar of Lanolin. I attempted to waterproof my felted bag...but I think I may need to wash it some because it came out...sticky. HUmmm...that didn't work like I thought it would. Oh well. The only thing lost is time as I have to work on getting it not so sticky. Then while up on State Street I stopped by the local artist supply shop and purchased some salmon and purple dye. The BF had to stop in one of the metaphysical stores...the one I really don't care for (Shakti) because they are so materialistic and thier prices are high on those materialistic goods. I can do without all of it....BUT... I did find a new bumber sticker...a mini one that says "Religion is a journey...not a guilt trip." I LOVE IT!!! GODS! My coworker is always beating herself down...drives me NUTTY!!! The Womyn has no value or confidence in her own skills. And she is SO PSYCHIC! Shetold me about a dream that she had and she told me in that dream that we were trying to save a fish...and I was giving her a fish for her Bday!! PSYCHIC MAN!!!

BUT, what really has me peed this weekend about that subject is she really has been ungreatful for the gift. She talked and talked and talked about wanting to get a fish again and I thought I was gonna do a good thing. NO! She keeps COMPLAINING that she doesn't have TIME to take care of a FISH. *scratching head* WTF?!! It's a FISH, not a cat or dog or any other exotic animal....A FISH!!! For crying out loud, it won't keel over and die if it is not fed every stinkin day so go take your weekend trips!! *face-palm* GRrrrrrrrrrr. Then she said that she thought she was gonna have to give it away and I told her flat out-if you don't want the critter, give 'em back because he is GORGIOUS and has gorgious long blue fins. If she gives it away to someone, I will be very upset at her. All that effort to print out care sheets, purchase everything she needed to get started and keep 'em healthy and happy for several months if not longer and then WHAM...GRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrr, arrrrrrrrrrrrgh...That is the last time I get a gift for any coworker! The nerve!

Other than that, it's been a quite weekend. All the lists I am a member too are quite so it must be nice weather all around. CRAP...I just remembered that I need to bring the plants in because it is still getting below freezing at night. POOP....

I

Until next time...

Fiber projects, Mail Call, SP10-Don't you wish you were the lucky recipient?!

OOOoo look at that freshly spun yarn...OOOOoo. This is hadn dyed alpaca blended with hand dyed silk. I am mixing a bunch of this up for my SP10 Spoilee (who hopefully does not read my blog...but she won't know till she gets her first sets of goodies). This is SSSOoooooooo SOOOOOFFFFT! I plan on filling an oversized coffee cup (because she says she is always on the lookout for them...and we have a store that sells a lot of them for cheap) with the carded fiber roving. Floofy drink UP! *ding-ding* HA! Literally...floofy...

I got a mail call today! I got a box from the whenever group for the bottle swap. Three skiens of perfectly colored Lullaby yarn, a sock pattern, and some yummy rose scented soap! I think these would look nice as a beaded snood!!

This is one of many things I am sending to my SP10 Spoilee. She wants to learn how to spin...well here comes the means, the tools, and instructions to do so along with a 1/2 pound of extra fiber of the same color. WEeeeeeee! Coffee?? I love this organic free trade coffee!! Coffee!!!! I've got a crazy coffeee high......EEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Here is the BF working hard at trying to add some sparkle to a piece of his bracelet where the gold leafing has rubbed off. He hates his picture being taken. Tough-I say! I am a shutter bug! *click-click-click* Gotcha!

Until next time...

Favorite yarn-fugly yarn...spuckly even...

I gotta say, my most favorite yarn, that I have ever had the pleasure to touch, has been merino blended with silk (or any other soft wool blended with silk)...Oh. My. Goddess. Softness with a sparkle that is TO DIE FOR! That is where I got my inspiration for the alpaca and silk yarn I have been spinning and knitting into a Wing of the Moth shawl. Of which...with less than 10 rows to go...I have put aside for now. You say "Only 10 to go!? GO!-GO!-GO! KNIT LIKE THE WIND!" but then I say "It takes an hour a row to do now because of the sheer SIZE of the shawl now. WHEW...heavy and warm...with spring in full swing it gets hot under that thing!!" Okay...did I just do one hell of a nifty rhyme?! LMAO!! YEeeeeeeeaaaaaahhh!! Call me Shakespear-ella!! ;-P

I would have blended the silk with the alpaca if I had had the means to do so. Instead I just plied them together.

Here is some shown at this here link of which the purple and blue are GORGI-OUS! There is another nice picture of some silk wool blended yarn here too! OMG look at that! DROooooooool!!! *pat-pat-pat* Drool and electronics DO NOT MIX. ZZZZZzzzzzap!

My least favorite has to be Mohair...I found out the hard way that mohair and I do not get along. AS I was cleaning a raw adult mohair fleece (which turned out to be course as hell!!), I broke out in hives where my arms came in contact. Nice sheen, but a pain in the arms (HA!) to clean up and card! Even kid mohair is ruff to me. Blah. Besides that, I can get the same sort of sheen out of lincoln longhair...even alpaca for a lot less mo-nay! SPUCK!

Until next time...

My most useful knitting tool...

Is not a knitting tool at all. It's my spinning wheel. I spin most of what I knit these days so it is my most useful tool. I have a closet full of fleece to spin up so I am not a yarn whore...I am a fiber whore!! LMAO!!

I sure could use a yard meter though! That would definately be a useful tool for me. *VBG*

Today is a perfect day for some sun-tea! Sun made Oolong tea...comin up!

Until next time...

Spring!!

Happy Spring! Today looks like spring, but we have a cold northern breeze bringing cold air down from Canada. Brrrr...but the sun is shinning big time!

I got an email from the SP10 hostess saying that it is required (????) to post 4 times post 1 TO 4 times during the month with knitting content. -I misread the email!!-

Well, posting 4 times a month will not be a problem (!!!!) but knitting content may be an issue as I have strayed from the crafts as I concentrate on my wieght loss vary. LMAO! When the days get longer, and the days get warmer, I turn into the outdoors person I love being. I love being outside, walking, sitting, thinking. My crafts take the back seat for a while. So if you will forgive me, no crafting contect for the moment unless you count my effort to sculpt myself a healthier, lighter, karate-choppin me. :)

I have some movies coming today (if the mailman ever arrives as he is late today) and I will get some knittin time in then. I will work on the ribbon shawl I am knitting for my Mum. OOOO there! Knittin content!!! It is a good three to four feet long now.

Until next time...

EEEEEEEEEeeeee, Secret pal!!!

WEEEEeee, Secret Pal left me a comment and I am very happy to have contact!

Until next time...

SP10 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Favorite: anything soft like alpaca, LLama, merino, silk, silk blends, soft wool. I do not like mohair all that much. I've gotton hives from working with the raw fleece of mohair so I think I'd better stay away from it. It's not all that soft anyways.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a beautiful butterfly patterned sewing box that was a Big Lots find for a whoopin $5! I love it and it smells like cedar!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?I've been knitting since Summer of 2006. I learned how to knit at the LYS down the street (Off the Beaten Path, www.knitmeone.com) who offered to teach me for free. My first project was a pair of socks that ended up being too small for my feet. I try to take my business there first before hitting the chain BOX stores because I want to support the smaller, independently owned stores. I consider myself to be intermediate as I am almost done tackling my first lace shawl (Wing-of-the-Moth). It's made out of my own yarn of suri alpaca and silk plied together and died a beautiful golden yellow. I am almost done-FINALLY! Some parts of it have been a challenge, but my gauage as loosened up and now I tell others "If your knitting is tighter than it really should be, knit some lace and that'll loosen it right up because you HAVE to knit loose for lace." Live, learn, tell others about it.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? My wish list is mostly here on my blog. I do have a gadgets wishlist on Froggle but I usually can't find everything I'd like to put on it off Froggle. I have a wishlist up on half.com but I don't think it is a public one. I will build one on Amazon.com under username tribbles2000ad.

5. What's your favorite scent? OOOO I love Lilac...but it has to smell like lilacs and not perfume. I am sensitive to alcohol based perfumes. I also enjoy rose, sandlewood, sage, sweetgrass, and wood scents (smells like burning wood).

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Oh boy...who doesn't? I love Reeses Peanut Butter cups, white chocolate covered pretzels, yogurt bars, anything with multi-grains (like Oats and Honey). I love multi-grain foods. Organic milk chocolate is always a nice treat! Dark chocolate makes me sneeze!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I do all kinds. I have crocheted, woven, wood worked, lamp-work (glass beads), worked with clays, paints, making paper...basically anything I can make that I need, I will attempt to do so. I have even made my own knitting needles! Those are on here somewhere...just click the tags crafts or needles. Yes I do spin! I have a Kiwi as it was all I could afford when I wanted a spinning wheel. After I get my drum carder, I plan on getting a Louet spinning wheel. So far my favorite fibers to work with are alpaca, llama, Shetland wool (or Shetland Crosses), and silk. I love silk! It's sooo shiney and sparkly! Me loves shiney and sparkly things! I try to take my buisness to Susans Fiber Shop (www.susansfibershop.com) first before purchasing online. She is another one of those local independent shop owners.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I am all over the board there too. I mostly listen to techno/house/party (no vocals), hard rock (Favorite is Rob Zombie), some tribal ( as long as there is plenty of drumming) and some oldies-but not many. My favorite podcast for music is Podrunner on iTunes. Yes my computer can play Mp3's. I've been trying to get myself a new MP3 player as mine is so outdated that the software that came with it never runs correctly on XP, and Creative will not give me any assistance because my device is so old. Stinkers! I have a Creative MuVo 528 MB...I want the 1 gigger Creative MuVo. I do play the Native American Flute and have built my first CD of 12 songs of flute music. I like to mix the flute music with a techno background loop. You can hear them here: http://www.geocities.com/rexenne/wiccan/NAflute.html
I also play the Djembe and I am currently trying to weave a back strap for that (which is not going very well). I want it to have crows, diamonds in black and turquoise, with the words "Feel the Beat-Create a Rythum-Rejoice" on it in the middle. I am trying to card weave it but I don't think I know enough about cardweaving to do this complicated of a belt. I am gonna have to do some samples to get reaquainted with card weaving (did some when I was a kid but that was sooooo long ago). I also play a Digeridoo and Violin.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I can't stand neon colors...they hurt my eyes. Earth tones are OK, although not something I purchase very often. My favorite colors are the colors of fire and ocean. Course the encompasses most of the color wheel but I like those colors together. So fire colors together would be red, orange, yellow, possibly with a spit of blue and white. Ocean colors together would be most of the blues and greens together. As long as the colors are bright it'll all be good. :)

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with the BF of six or so years. We met on the net in 1997 and I moved to live with him in 1999. Been together ever since. We are not married yet as he has some debt issues to work out first as I don't want nor need to be stuck with them. I have many pets: Luna (Dove-female-2), Merlin (cockatiel-female-4), Zarnan (Russian Tortoise-male-exact age unknown...around 3-4, have had him for about 8 months), Nibbler (African water frog-male-6), Skye (Blue and turquoise Betta-male), various smaller animals like worms (to recycle the garbage), Brine shrimp for treats for Skye and Nibbler, Water Fleas for the same thing, and of course I garden and have some houseplants as well. I have several Optunia cacti for Zar as a treat, and one of those big flowering bulbs that I have had for around 4 years. It's making baby bulbs! I'd like to have a small house dog someday along with a Parrotlet. Oh yes and the RoboReptile...that's a fun toy! In the summer I take care of silkworms (for the silk they spin).

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? No so much scarves...although I could use one this week....brrrrrrrrrrrr. I do use hats, mittens, and ponchos. Lets not forget socks! I wear size 9 1/2 wide shoe!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks, shawls, and lace shawls. There is always a sock on the needles as they are small and convienent to take with me.

13. What are you knitting right now? Wing of the Moth shawl AND scarf (several actually to gift to several friends from my own spun yarn), a pair of mittens made out of my own spun yarn lined with icelandic yarn (also yarn I spun), Cross over ribbon shawl for my Mum, socks, afghan for Mum, crocheting a charm pouch for a friend out of silk for letting me prune her mulberry trees for my silkworms last summer.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes, of course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I prefer circulars, and preferr aluminum. I'm wierd, I know. I've been wanting the knit-picks options set for the longest time. (Big-grin)

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I have a yarn winder, and I really need/want a swift. I made one that is functional, but could use one of those fancy stretch-out-to-the-size-you-need-ones. I could use a yarn meter too.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? About six months.

18. What is your favorite holiday? OOO I love Halloween/Hallows! It's a time to try something different, be someone different, and have no fear of being made fun of. This is also the time of year when I honor my Ancestors.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Unicorns, goddess figures, griffin figures, semi-precious stones (IE fire agate, amnythist, rose quartz, clear quartz, onix, hemitite...etc)

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I don't subscribe to any knitting magazines...I just don't have the money to spare on them. I am DYEING for the knit-picks options. LOL I'd love the Twisted Sister Sock Workbook and I could use something on needle felting fantasy creatures, and knitting teady bear sweaters (or teady bears too). I'd love to get my hands on some Cherry Tree Hill Maple colorway yarn...OOOOooo fire-fire-fire!! Some more sock yarn would do me well. I love knit-picks Shimmer yarn in the Turquoise Splendor colorway. I think that would make a fantastic shawl! I am dyeing for the Crayon box jacket pattern. I can't seem to find it anywhere!

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I dunno...I don't have enough knowledge on this subject to really know. I knit what speaks to me, screams KNIT ME!!!

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yep-yep! My feet are 9 inches long and 9 in circumference, 9 1/2 at the ankle. I prefer 5 inch cuffs if you plan on knitting socks for me. :) I knit my socks 7 inches (heel to toe decreases) long, and 60 to 70 stitches wide-depending on the yarn I am using. Sock wieght-60 stitches. Worsted-70 stitches.

23. When is your birthday? March 22nd and I'll be 29 this year! WEeeeeeeeee! Where do the years go?? You can learn a lot about me through my blog as I blog on a fairly regular basis.