SP12 Questionaire

Yeap I got invited by a friend, thank you Laura aka KnittinKitties....... for Secret Pal 12 Swap. I have actually never done this one, though it has passed by me a few times since I joined the knitting/swapping/blogging world.

So here is the questionaire and answers....

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Merino and Bamboo. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? none really except for Wool Ease

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? depends, I do have a wonderful DPN/knitting organizer that I received from my Monkey 3 Pal that I use, but I also have a wonderful little pottery vase that sits on my desk with DPN's and a glass vase for my straights and fixed circs are hanging on a hook over my desk

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? knitting for about 3 years now. Self taught from a teach yourself to knit kit and Knitting for Dummies. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?Intermediate

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

5. What's your favorite scent? vanilla and cinammon

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? yeap Favorite candy? Twix bars, chocolate and caramel

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? hmmm, scrapbooking, sewing, bead work, lots of other stuff. Do you spin? I am trying!

8. What kind of music do you like? all sorts, C&W, hard rock, jazz.... no Rap or Hip hop though. Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? yes and I have and Ipod

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Red, Blues and natural shades. Any colors you just can't stand? most of the neon or eye searing candy like colors(though I do go outside the color box on occasion)

10. What is your family situation? Married 3 kids(17,15,3). Do you have any pets?2 dogs, 6cats and 1 Guenia Pig

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? uhhh yes, sometimes, yes and not yet

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

13. What are you knitting right now? couple a pair of socks OTN and a shawl

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? yeap

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? depends, usually circulars except for small enround items like socks and hats then DPN's Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? overall preffered are the Knitpicks options and harmonies

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? have a yarn winder, waiting for a swift

17. How old is your oldest UFO? knitting 3 years, crocheting 12 years

18. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving for the family time

19. Is there anything that you collect?ummmm, sock yarn, chopsticks and casino chips

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? I would like to see the new Eclectic Sole by Janel Laidman or Cat Bhordi's New Pathways. Patterns hmmm Cookie A and the Autumn leaves shawl. Yarn - Dream in Color and the new Sock Ease from Lion Brand. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?None

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?hmmm not currently, that I can think of, but then I am always learning something new as I knit along and try different patterns

22. Are you a sock knitter? Yeap! What are your foot measurements? hmmmm US womens 8.5, 91/2" length(measure on the heavy side) circ 8 1/4"-1/2"

23. When is your birthday? Nov 7

24. Are you on Ravelry? Yeap. If so, what's your ID?JenDuzS0ks

The War is over and other things

Well Sock Wars III ended on May 14 for me. Good news was it was a mutual kill. I died with a lovely pair of Detonators, that arrived in a plain brown wrapper, quite unassuming...... even got a kitty sniff for my death socks......

and I killed off my target within the same day. Took me 3 days to knit up this pair, using Tofutsies. Pattern is a little hard to see with the pics, but I liked it none the less, learned how hard it is to count by three's, hmmmmm

In other combative news. Sock Madness ended a while ago for me after 3 rounds, Zombie, Reversai and Slippin'Stripin. Round 4 was Shady, which I started, but around the time of the heel turn, my "sock" started whispering to me. What was it whispering you say....."Glove" it was saying, but your a sock I said, "I need a thumb gussett" it says back. So I listened to the WIP and gussetted and thumbed and 1 fingerless glove latter: FIrst pic would have been the front of the sock and the palm side would have been the back of the leg.

In other sock news, I am a glutton for punishment or just really not quite right in the head.... I signed up for SOS08 (Summer of Socks 2008) or how many pairs can you knit between 6/21 and 9/1. And if that wasn't bad enough I signed up for the 52 Pair plunge II or see if you can knit 52 pairs of socks in a year, which starts 6/1......

Onto other events....

Had a great time at Maryland Sheep and Wool with my Mom and Sis. We got lost following the directions to the fairgrounds, but ended up there anyway with a minimal not real circle detour, the right and left thing ya know...LOL. The few pics I took are up in my flickr stream. Had a wonderful dinner Saturday night at a place called Pasta Plus in Laurel. Unassumming from the outside, wait was almost 45 mins, but Oh my stars was the food worth it!!!! and the prices!!! The three of us, with entrees, 2 desserts and sodas, just under $60!!! Defenitely worth the wait and would go back again next time I am in the area, just get there a little earlier....

Missed the Rav Party, by the time dinner was done and the sunshiney day caught up with me, I was wiped and it was late. Maybe next year or there will be something at Stitches this fall.

But MDS&W, if I go next year will need a definite plan. Missed more than I saw this time wandering the way I did. Had a good time and did get what I planned on (to be shown later), but the place is HUGE and packed with vendors and people. The bathroom line was as looonnnggggg on Saturday, not to bad on Sunday though.

As to the shopping, I stayed on budget and bought what I intended, what I needed to learn to spin the drop spindle way!

Two Spindles, the one on the left a Jim Childs from Hatchett Farms and the one on the right a Bosworth. Both were on my to eval list and very happy with my purchases. Did go by Goldings booth, very nice, very pretty, but not on budget this year. The roving in the middle pic is Corriedale, picked up at the Coopworth Registry Booth. The end pic is some MErino Roving in Forest from Cloverleaf Farms and the green orange purple is from the Coopworth Registry as well. Not shown here is some lovely BFL(Blue Faced Leicester) in a natural grey and cream, that Mom picked up for me at Mystic Farms on the way out. All in all walked out with a little over a pound of roving.

Spinning is going, not to bad so far, lots of videos on You tube I have bookmarked, helped some and some bolstering and encourgement from Kathrine from my Twisted Stichers knit group helped a lot more, when she confirmed I was doing it right and not to shabby for my first go around.

Let's see what else. After MDS&W, went to to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island with the Mom and Sis. A great time was had by all. Mych different trip this time, wasn't sure how I would handle it. Background the last time and the first time I went there was 2 days before 9/11. Didn't know at that time that I would be in the city again so soon and for such tragedy as an EMT. I took skyline shots from the boat again, someday may compare them to the first set.....

Spent some quiet, reflective time on the bow of the boat going back to Liberty State Park, thinking about how things change and stay the same, trying to find some new peace or acceptance about that day and still can't.

The last day of Mom and Sis's trip we went South. South NJ that is, heading for Millville and Wheaton Village. Watched a glass blowing demonstration, purused the shops. Will go back again. You can make appointments to do a glass workshop, make a paperwieght, vase or beads. Really cool, lot of other stuff to do when the are fully open, very artsy craftsy type of place. Learned a lot about the glass industry in NJ too.

Then off to AC (Atlantic City) since we were so close. Went to the Trump Taj Majhal, had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, pretty good actually..... saw the last of the sun on the beach... a few hands of black jack (I broke even) and Sis hit the Pai Gao tables (I am happy I can count to 21 without trying to hard).

Well I will close out the post with this......

puddle jumping in the rain, he had a blast and was soaked to the knees....

The War Has Begun

Sock Wars III that is. I have armed my weapons (2 circs 3.25mm) with my ammo (Tofutsies#736).

I have a large DD cup of coffee and a hubby willing to entertain a toddler tomorrow. I love that man!!!

Great pattern from Julie Gardner again!!!! Detonation, kewl!!!

Knit 'til I die!!!!

off to MSW

Well, it is about that time almost have the car packed and ready to go for a fun weeekend at the festival!! Will try to update as I go.If not Sunday night when I get home.

Maryland Sheep and Wool Here We Come!!

Andy will have Joey for the weekend whoile, Me. Mom and Sis plunder the wool.....

Talk to everyone soon!!

Say Hi if you see me!!