Quality Chick Spins a Yarn

Why I love Christmas

2010-12-12T02:27:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of one of the greatest holiday movies of all times, A Christmas Story, I have decided to write A Theme. But instead of writing about what I want for Christmas, mine is about why I love Christmas. You see – I love Christmas. I love everything about Christmas. I love the tree, the music, the decorations inside and out, the giving and receiving of gifts, Santa, the reindeer and all the other trappings surrounding this festive holiday. Most of all I love the magic of Christmas and Santa Clause. See, I have a confession. I believe in Santa Clause. I believe with all my heart and soul that Santa exists and his purpose is to bring joy to children around the world. I don’t know if he really lives at the North Pole or has elves or flies in a sleigh with magic reindeer, but I know that Santa is real.

I consider myself very fortunate to still retain this magic and this belief. It has kept Christmas in perspective for me over the years. I am not religious so this is not about the birth of a child under a star in the dessert. However, I recognize and appreciate the magic that aspect of Christmas holds for many but I think it is for the same reason I find magic in Christmas. The baby Jesus story is about bringing hope, joy, love and peace to the world. This is Christmas. A time to sit back and enjoy hope, joy, love and peace. And maybe eat some pumpkin pie just as a topper.

So for me Christmas is magic because it has the ability to bring people together share for one day all those wonderful feelings of hope, joy, love and peace. I remember Christmas Eve as I was growing up – it was always a huge family event. Everyone would come to our house for dinner, games and, of course, a visit from Old St. Nick himself. I loved that visit. When I was very little it was so unbearably exciting to wait for Santa to come through the door with his bag of toys. As we got older we realized that Santa was a busy man so he usually got some help here from my dad but it didn’t lessen the joy of the moment. Now that I am a parent I am thrilled to watch my son anticipate the impending arrival of the jolly man in red. Yes, he is excited about receiving new toys but is that really all bad? When you think about it, he spends over a month anticipating and dreaming of Christmas morning. There is pure joy on his face – joy that is brought by the mere thought of this jolly elf. Again, I ask, is a few new toys really that much of a price to pay for a season of joy?

I am making sure to try to balance out his expectations to make my son realize its not about getting. Its about the magic. Every year we go out and buy toys for the Toys for Tots boxes. I make sure my son picks out toys and puts them in the box. At the same time we have long discussions about why these boxes are so important. I also have been conducting toy drives at work for local children in the DCF system. For two weeks my son has watched my come home from work every day with toys and presents. We talk about how these toys are going to go to children who might not otherwise get any toys on Christmas morning. Its about giving to others so that other children can have the same hope and joy.

I realize that this is why I believe in Santa. I believe in Santa enough to go out and ensure that there are toys for children. I realized that this is how Santa manages to get to all the children in one night. He has so many believers helping him out that all the children of the world who celebrate this holiday receive a visit from Santa or his helper. Santa is magic. Its not about changing the world, but about just one small moment on one day and bringing a smile to a child’s face.

My tree is up and decorated – it was such fun to sit and watch my son pick through the ornaments finding his favorites and hanging them on the tree. The train is under the tree. My son loves to run the train. The Elf on the Shelf has been making his nightly trip since Thanksgiving. The shopping is done. I didn’t go crazy and I have no reason to go to the mall. For now, I can just sit back and enjoy the season, watch all my favorite holiday movies, listen to Christmas music and watch my son experience the magic. This is why I love Christmas.

So its been a year

2010-11-08T01:47:00.000-08:00

Ok - not quite a year since my last blog but, meh, its my blog right? I let it go mostly cause I was super busy and distracted with other things. Oh and not so good on the new years resolutions but we will revisit that at the official end of 2010.

High points so far this year - lots of travel - Hawaii, Arizona, Japan. Way too much time in Hawaii. I think it was five trips this year. So over that. Japan was fun - so much so that I may be seeing more of it in the near future.

So back to the mundane. Finally feeling human again - I spent a week in Japan for work and coming home I picked up some sort of bug - personally I am calling it a Japanese superbug - basically it was foreign to me and it hit me hard. I normally can take some cold drugs and work through almost any illness but not this one. No - this one was an on your back, in bed, lose all touch with reality cold. I swear I only vaguely remember this past week. I attempted to go in to work on one day but that only lasted a few hours - then back to bed. So the only problem with this - Japan is 13 hours ahead. So I came home adjusted to Japan time - then promptly got super sick and my body demanded sleep when it wanted it. So since I was so focused (or should I say lack of focus) on just giving my body what it needed to feel human again, I have not changed timezones. So now that I feel human again I apparently am still on Japan time. Yep - up all night. Today is going to really suck. But at least it will suck because I think I can finally force myself to stay awake to change my body clock instead of succumbing to the fog of the cold from hell.

On the plus side I did a lot of reading when I wasn't passed out, which was kind of nice. Not a lot of knitting because I couldn't manage much focus - but I did knock out a square for a blanket I am contributing to - simple garter stitch on size 3 needles - I could handle that - very mindless. Wow, can't believe I am thinking how big size 3 needles are :) actually it was the yarn that made the difference since this has been the year of lace. I have been making a lace shawl this year with laceweight - its like knitting with thread - but I have found I enjoy lace because it challenges the mind. But no lace this week. Too foggy in the head.

I want to see if I can get back to my blogging. Lots is about to happen - nothing I want to share until the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed - but it promises to give me some good blogging fodder if for nothing else than to preserve some pretty cool memories.

How about a picture to close it off?

This is a very rare picture - I actually had my friend take it of me which I almost never allow - I am a complete behind the camera kind of girl. But something about the wind and the cold and the fact that I love this new jacket made me feel like getting my picture taken. This is me on the Sea of Japan - it was my first time seeing it and I was seriously impressed. It was a chilly, windy day and the sea was temperamental but not too angry, but I can see where it probably gets fierce during the winter. It was an amazing site and I think I fell a little in love with it. I can't wait to see its many moods (ok - thats sort of a hint of things to come)

Happy New Year! Welcome 2010.

2010-01-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all! In looking back, 2009 was a very busy year. I feel like I spent the year playing catch up! The year just flew by. But overall I think it was a good year. No major accomplishments that I can think of but at the same time, no major problems. It was a year filled with work, travel (for work), knitting, spinning, and reading. I also watched my son grow so much this year. He started kindergarten and has really developed in to his own little person. He is proving to be reasonably smart and very friendly. I am quite enjoying him right now, even if he is also developing that little bit of attitude that comes with discovering that he is a stand alone person capable of making decisions. Its quite funny at times but we have to keep on him to keep him balanced. But overall he is just a joyous little boy.

So 2010 is here. I have been thinking a lot about resolutions, cause it is that time after all. I realize people have different opinions on resolutions but I kind of like the idea of setting a goal and measuring myself against my goal. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don't. Last year I wanted to read 52 books in the year. I am not sure if I made it or not because I stopped counting midway through the year. I think I came close. I tend to read a lot. This year I am also going to set some goals and one of them is to do a better job tracking my results. So check back this time next year to see how I do.

So for 2010 I have the following goals:

1. Give up chocolate - I love chocolate way too much. Its time to take a break. I have done this before so I know I can do it again. But if I am cranky for a few weeks, just remember its the chocolate speaking.

2. Spin every day - even if only for a few minutes. I really want to take my spinning to the next level and learn how to make the yarn I want. I need practice to get there. The only time this might be a problem is when I am traveling. If I can take a spindle I will but otherwise I will give myself a grace period when I travel.

3. Walk on the treadmill every day - again even if only for a few minutes. I need to get back in the habit of exercise and I need to make my treadmill more than just a piece of furniture. The minimum each day will be 10 minutes. Again, when I travel this could be a problem. Most of the hotels I stay at have gyms or I can go outside but in the event that neither is an option (no gym and not safe to walk alone outside) I will get a pass ... but only if I have no choice. And I have to document why. Oh - this one also gets a pass if by chance I get sick because this goal is about getting healthier and taking care of my body. But again - document!!!

4. Read 52 books - I figure I will try this again but do better at tracking. With my Kindle I can at least add a note on each book of what day I started and finished the book. Maybe that will help.

OK - so those are my "must do" goals. I am committed to these and feel that these are "doable".

I also have some "like to do" goals. If I can manage these I will be happy, but if I have to drop something these will be able to go.

1. Knit a mini sock a week. This would get me a good stash of mini-socks for the holidays next year. I can hang them on the tree and give them away as decorations.

2. Knit a log cabin square a month to make progress on my blanket.

3. Complete all my current WIPs. Right now in Ravelry I have 10 WIPs: Fluke, Handspun Hat, Domus Aurea, Twilight Scarf, Log Cabin Blanket, Flying Swirl, Fancy Mitts, Mini Firestarters, Forest Canopy and Luce Scarf.

4. Complete the Girasole Project - this is a big endeavor. I want to spin, dye and then knit the Girasole blanket. Not only is this a lot of yarn but I want to spin it woolen (which I am not so good at yet) and to a specific size. This will take lots of practice before I can spin the final product.

Hmmmm - I think that is enough! At least for this year. Lets see how I do. At least I am starting with the right intentions - I have taken the first step, hopefully the rest will follow.

The Girasole Project

2009-11-28T04:32:00.000-08:00

Yep - I have been a bad blogger. Its been a very busy time. Lots of work, trying to find time to knit, not much else happening. So that's the past several months in a nutshell.

That said, I have a new project in mind that I figure I can track here on the blog. I fell in love with Girasole, a wonderful pattern by Jared Flood, aka BrooklynTweed, who is a brilliant designer with an amazing eye for pattern and color. I want to make the blanket version and I am already envisioning curling up with it in front of the fire. I would best describe this pattern as a cheerful yet elegant piece with the sunflower pattern bringing summer indoors year round.

I have had the privilege of seeing the pattern in progress and know it is going to be a serious commitment piece. As the rounds get larger it can take 45 minutes or more to complete a single round. This is not a fast piece but the results seem well worth it. Since I am going to essentially marry this piece for quite some time I have decided that this is going to become my own personal show piece, an heirloom item I can pass on to the grandchild I hope my son will someday provide (since he is five now I have plenty of time to finish). To that end I have also decided to go whole hog and make this a sheep to blanket piece. Yes, I intend to spin the 1800 yards this pattern requires. I still have plenty of Cormo left from the two fleece I bought a couple years ago. All I need to do is finish cleaning it and spin it up! Sounds easy ~ right? OK maybe not quite that easy.

I consider myself an advanced beginner spinner. I have mastered the intuitive spin and I can spin a fairly even yarn. I just upgraded from my Babe to an Ashford Traditional and have noticed a significant difference in my ability to control my yarn. The Babe is an excellent starter wheel and I intend to use it to teach my son to spin, but I found myself wanting "more" ~control, speed, flexibility. I have had my Ashford for a couple months now and easily see the difference. To make this blanket, though, I need to produce a predictable, repeatable yarn that has the characteristics I desire. This means taking my spinning beyond intuitive to intentional. I think I am ready. More important, I am patient. I have given myself all winter to spin the yarn and plan on knitting come Spring. I expect this blanket to be complete before next winter. I think that's manageable.

I have decided its time to put some of my skills in place to get to my goal. As a quality professional, I understand the value of a repeatable process to get a predictable outcome. I know this starts with understanding the end ~ ie clearing documenting my requirements. Then breaking down all the steps and identifying my learning gaps to enable me to meet my requirements. The requirements are going to drive every decision I make in this project. Do I want a warm fluffy blanket or a light blanket that shows off the pattern? Until I decide this I can't select the type of yarn I want to spin. So the first thing I need to do is look at the completed projects on Ravelry and maybe talk to some other knitters for information.

As a quality professional I am also exposed to quite a bit of project management as a control tool. So I will also set a project plan to plan and track my progress. This is going to be an interesting project on many levels - not only to make a beautiful piece of art, but to see how to incorporate my many passions (quality, knitting, spinning, dying, planning) to create this project.

PhatFiber Fair Box Rocks!

2009-08-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy summer. I will blog about it later but for now I want to share the awesome box I got from PhatFiber.

"Phat Fiber is a mystery box of awesome samples for the yarn and fiber enthusiast in us all. With a focus on the independant artisan, this box is a super grass-roots treat for the senses. " That's from the PhatFiber website.

So, to get the box you have to be lucky and quick! She only puts a few up and they go up on a specific day at specific times. We get an email alerting us to when the boxes go up. Then you go in to etsy and see if you can snag a box. This is the first time I have actually gotten a box and let me say it was worth it.

This month the theme was "At the Fair" so everything had was related to something you might find at a summer fair. I got lots of yarn samples in fair colors, and fiber samples that were fair related - my favorite was the fibery goodness packed up as a snowcone. There were also some patterns and stitch markers - including an adorable watermelon stitch marker. I can't wait to try it all out and then visit some of the wonderful folks who create all these goodies and get more. Most of all, I love this way of getting introduced to new independents and finding more wonderful small fibery goodness sellers to support.

I'm Back and Still Wondering What Happened to Summer

2009-07-22T16:35:00.001-07:00

So I know I have been remiss in my blogging but with good reason. I have been busy. You know - work and stuff. After I returned from Hawaii we decided to send DH and the young one to San Diego to visit Grandma and Grandpa and take care of a few things with the house we still own out there. So off they went for three weeks, which left me with plenty of free time to catch up on housecleaning and maybe play a bit. Or so I thought. First of all about a week into their trip I get "the phone call" - you know the one every mom doesn't want to get. "Hi Honey, we are headed to urgent care, but don't worry its not too serious". Sigh. Well, at least relatively speaking it wasn't too serious - just a broken arm. Sigh. But young one took it like a trooper and it really didn't phase him once he was casted. Oh the resiliency of children. Then it was my turn making the call. "Hi Honey, do you mind if I am not here to pick you up from the airport?" I got pulled on to last minute travel to Israel of all places. So while they were coming back from San Diego, I was headed off around the world. It was a quick trip but I did get to spend some time at the Dead Sea (wow - they really do mean you float) and visited the Masada. I even got some knitting in and took my Loopy Ewe postcard for some shots of Loopy at the lowest place on earth. What was most ironic was I was knitting on a skein of Noro making a log cabin square and the aqua color in the Noro matched the Dead Sea. I will always think of that trip when I look at this square. The only other observation about the trip is that I now understand the color "Mediterranean Blue". When we flew in to Tel Aviv I was looking out the window and the Mediterranean is the most amazing blue. I have never seen that color - it was truly breathtaking. I wish I could go spend more time on the Mediterranean Sea.

So now we are all back in the same time zone and hoping to keep it that way for awhile.

Now - onto some more good stuff. I got my package in the mail from my Saucy Swap partner, Ponyknits. It was wonderful.

Isn't it just chock full of goodies? The yarn is so pretty - it is Queensland Collection Rustic Tweed. It is a mix of Wool, Alpaca and Donegal - yes it has actual tweed flecks in there. It is so soft and so pretty. I have to decide on socks or scarf. I kind of think this wants to be a scarf to show off the tweed. Its that pretty. Then there is the yummy Hersheys - which are actually one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Ok - I like all the Godiva, See's, etc in the more designer chocolate world, but honestly I really appreciate good old Hershey's - its got a melt in your mouth appeal that I really like. And it is perfect snack size. Then there is a bag of peanuts which my son immediately wanted to open. I can't wait to try the mustard - it is Old Cape Cod Sweet and Hot Honey Mustard - I need to go get some pretzels! Yum! And the hot sauce if Franks extra hot! I am thinking Nachos or maybe on a Baked potato. It will be enjoyed. There is also some magnetic notepads (which I love because I use these all the time) and some cute notecards. Finally, there is the coolest knitting notion - a BrySpun Fix It - its a #8 needle on one end and a H crochet hook on the other. Perfect for dropped stitches. I am tickled with this! Ponyknits did a wonderful job spoiling me!

Now I am going to go knit some and maybe stare at my pretty yarn some more! Its nice to be back - but seriously? Its still freaking raining here. This is the longest winter ever. Oh yeah - its almost August.

Can Someone Please Call Summer and Ask it to Please Come Back

2009-07-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ok - can we all please take a moment and look at the calendar. Yep - that's what I thought - it still says July. As in summer, like Fourth of July, BBQ, picnics, fireworks, sunscreen, sunglasses. Lets see - what do all these things have in common? That's right - outside, sunshine and warm weather.

Ok - then can someone please explain to my why I actually:

A) Put on wool socks

B) Pulled out my winter sweater and put it on

C) Turned on the heat

What is wrong with this picture? Its July folks! I should be dreaming of knitting with cashmere not actually wearing it!

Summer - please come. We really miss you in New England.

Im still here!

2009-06-24T19:02:00.001-07:00

Yes - I am still here but I seem to be suffering from the same syndrome as many others - busy! I still can't believe I ended spending close to a month and a half in Hawaii which really was crazy - you work long hours virtually round the clock sometimes, then when you aren't working at site you are trying to keep up with the home office and maybe, just maybe, find time for sleep. I did enjoy it though. I really love my job. I am lucky that way. And I did get to have a little bit of fun - aside from getting to go out to dinner with a bunch of different people that I work with and getting to know them off hours, I was also able to escape for one day and go on the volcano tour. We also went to a luau but that was kind of tempered by the fact that I had to go from the luau to work again.

One of the fun parts was hooker atm. Honolulu has its fair share of working ladies. Now personally I see nothing wrong with that line of work. I say if you can make money at it - go for it. I am not going to sit in judgement. But what was fun was watching these ladies work. There is one ATM and there are several girls who stand right outside the ATM. I think that is brilliant marketing. I was there long enough to recognize the girls who worked that location. I even gave them names and backstories. Jamie and Barbie. Jamie always wore jeans - I wondered if that was a management uniform. But what was sad was that I never saw any of the girls get a customer. I think the economy is hitting everyone. I have to wonder how much these girls make because from what I saw, its a lot of work standing there for hours on end in those heels (I think its a law or something to wear plastic see through platform heels) and not getting any takers. It must be profitable because there were sure lots of girls. I hope so - if you are going to go into this line of work I would want to make good cash. Anyways - what became fun is that was the landmark we used - we would meet at hooker ATM. Its funny how many people knew exactly what we were talking about. Ok - so seriously - we were working that hard that our entertainment in Honolulu was watching the hookers. Sad but true.

But now I am back and slowly getting back in to things. I came back with my usual bronchitis and spent a couple weeks recovering. Feeling better now and glad to be back to a semi normal routine. I have some yummy yarns waiting for me and my spinning wheel is calling. Nice to be home!

Home!!!!

2009-05-16T08:21:00.001-07:00

It feels so freaking good to be home and sitting around doing absolutely nothing! Three weeks is a long time to be away for work. Yeah, its Hawaii but while I am there it is all work all the time. Even when we are not working it is still everyone from work so of course we discuss work. Its very tiring all around. And I get to go back in a week for two more weeks of this kind of fun. My life is so glam.

So this trip was all about sushi though. I ended up eating more sushi than I think I have in my life. We ended up at several places that have the conveyor belt running around the room and you pick what you want off the belt. Not only yummy but fun. We also hit a grill your own place where you have a small grill at your table - ok - not sushi, but we did eat some seared tuna. I have to say that the seafood is one of the best parts of being in Hawaii. Other than that it was work work work - and the site was so unglam - no running water, no power and hot as can be!

Well, at least I am home with my family and oh so happy!

Finally .... Spring

2009-04-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

Its finally starting to get nice outside. Today we have green grass and the daffodils are poking through the ground. Its a huge relief to have this winter behind us..we hope. The big boats at the dealership are still shrink wrapped though so we are still cautious. But at least we can go outside for now without a jacket.

My brain is all things spring. I am spending my spare time watching Lambcam over at the fiber farm. The goats are due to drop babies anytime. We have all been watching for the past week anxiously waiting out baby goats. I love being a part of the fiber farm. I also got my first share this week. In the mail I got a box full of yummy Marthas Vineyard Fiber Farm fiber - right off these very goats I am watching on lambcam. Check out this pile of fibery goodness.

The big pile of white is the MVFF fiber - its a Cormo/Mohair mix fresh from the farm. I got 12 ounces of this yummy softness. There is also a smaller batch of white which came from another farm and was included as a bonus, but the super surprise was the brown wool. There was four ounces of the surprise brown which also came from a neighboring farm but it is the richest chocolate color I have ever seen in fiber. Stunning is all I can say. I cannot wait to spin it up and keep it in its natural color state. I think it would make a stunning contrast color for some fair isle work, possibly in mittens or a hat or a scarf.

This is a close up of it all. The chocolatey color really doesn't come through very well. You just have to believe me that it is so beautiful. I hope to start spinning this in the next week or two. Right now I have some Sereknity merino roving on my wheel, in Pomegranite colorway. Its a pretty blend of pink, orange, purple and burgandy. Its going to make some lovely sock yarn. Its been so long since I have spun with prepared roving that I forgot how quick and easy it spins up.

Blah

2009-03-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

Its a total Blah day. I think I am just tired. That and it is only 40 degrees outside. Can someone please tell the weather that it is Spring???? Honestly - I cannot wait until I can wear sandals, short sleeves and not spend my day huddled under a blanker. Blah.

So I had to travel this past week -just a couple days to Florida. Wish it could have been longer because it was at least warm there but I needed to be back at work. So it has been a very busy week and I am tired. Again - more Blah.

So today I am calling in my "day off" card. I am just hanging. I want to sleep but DH went to a movie and the young one is being active. Blah. So I decided to sign up for twitter. Hmm - we will see if I can at least come up with any interesting tweets.

Blah.

Sigh.

All that in a tiny envelope!

2009-03-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this swap idea! You have one 4x9 inch envelope, five dollars and all the creativity you can muster and send it on its way.

I got my envelope today from Finland. First of all, I have been following my spoiler's blog and am super impressed that she did this with a little baby just home from the hospital. Sleep will come again some day I promise!

So here it is - what was amazing was I tore into the envelope and it practically exploded!

My spoiler, Hisch, must have stuffed everything in and forced it shut!

And lookee at all the wonders inside. The card - isn't it beautiful! I love the image - contained a note from Hisch telling me all about my goodies. There is chocolate (that is dessert tonight) and tea (tomorrows pleasure) including Raspberry, Mango and Peach tea, Basil seeds - my husband has claimed those already for the garden - some lovely yarns which I will make into mini socks, some buttons/beads - I should have taken a better picture because these are lovely - I love the bluebird buttons - and a crocheted angle made locally in Finland. And the best part was the gift card.

And turning it over you get this:

It says "This gift card is good for: 1 Day off from housework - can be used whenever wanted"

I love it! And plan to use it this weekend.

At first I thought I could use it then pass it on to someone else, but instead I think I am going to use it, then put it in my dayplanner at work to remind me to take time off now and again. But I will send another one along in my next swap. I think we all need reminders to take time for ourselves. I have to say, of everything in my package - and I loved it all - this little tidbit is the best. Hisch gave me a very precious and priceless gift reminding me to enjoy life.

Thank you Hisch - and to Cinnamoon on Ravelry for organizing this wonderful swap. In today's economy its nice to remember that you don't need a lot of money to share a little touch of happiness.

How could I ever live with out it?

2009-03-08T03:45:00.000-07:00

Ok - so I have to go on about one of my all time favorite products that I have grown to love even more over the past few days. This would be my iPhone.
I love it. I cannot imaging how I ever lived without it.
This is actually my second iPhone. I got a first gen, then when the 3G came out, I gave hubby the first gen and got mysefl a 3G.
At first, I just wanted to internet features. In fact, I tried to talk to Verizon about what would be comparable that would give me full internet access. I was finishing grad school online and really wanted to be able to have full access to email and school wherever I went. Verizon got a bit snarky with me though. In fact, the final straw was when I attempted to find an option with Verizon and explained my needs, the sales guy actually said to me "You just want an iPhone" and walked away. Yep - left me standing in the middle of his store, turned his back on me and walked away. Ok - off to AT&T. But I digress.
So now I have my iPhone 3G and why do I love it? Aside from the internet and email the App Store has turned it into something useful into a near instantaneous problem solver.
For example, the other night it was late and I couldn't sleep. I needed a book to read to distract me but I didn't have anything unread around the house that fit the bill. I started surfing the net instead and lusting after the Kindle on Amazon thinking if I had a Kindle I would never be in this position again. That was when I noticed this little sidebar that said Kindle for the iPhone. Could it really be? I clicked the button and sure enough - there is a Kindle app for the iPhone and you can get books sent to your iPhone just like a Kindle - but without the Kindle. And the app was Free! So I downloaded it, went over to Amazon, bought myself a book ("Outlander" by the way) and voila! I was off and reading a new book on my iPhone. Unbelievable!
Another example - yesterday we decided to take a road trip to Maine for some outlet shopping. I brought my latest knitting project and as we were getting on the road I realized I had forgotten a measuring tape. While hubby offered to turn around I declined and instead picked up my iPhone, went to the App Store and within seconds I had a ruler on my phone. Show me another phone that does that!
And this was just in the past week. I could go on about the many uses I have for my phone. My son loves it for games but we also have an app that teaches reading so that when we have spare time, such as waiting in restaurants, we practice reading. I am sure as he grows so will the variety of apps on my phone grow to use for teaching opportunities. Then there is the gym - at the gym I can listen to the radio (I have downloaded an app that allows me to listen to radio stations all over the country, including my favorite San Diego morning show), I can catch up on tv (if you have a Tivo, you can pull your shows off tv to your Mac, "toast" them and load them on to your iPhone. I can get movies via iTunes. And I can read my Kindle books. Or I can play games. Or music. So I won't be board on the treadmill at the gym. Then when its time for weights, I have a program to track my weight training. Ok - I can go on and on. Have I mentioned the GPS? I helped direct my cab driver in NYC thanks to my GPS.
I think you get the picture here - but I just had to post to say this is one product that is simply life enhancing. In today's economy its nice to find something that works, works well and has such diverse application.

Day 2

2009-03-02T02:58:00.001-08:00

March 2 - got up and did Wii Fit for 20 minutes before even having coffee. Scary
Also - the young one is insisting on being naked all morning. The life of a five year old.

March Madness

2009-03-01T17:40:00.001-08:00

Ok - new challenge. My personal March Madness - can I do 31 days of Wii Fit?
So - I have the Wii Fit but found excuses not to use it - so lets see if I can commit to it every day for one month.
The only problem I might face - travel. If I have to travel, then I will commit to walking that day or some other equivalent.
Here goes March Madness!

Getting to know you

2009-02-21T14:37:00.001-08:00

Got this in the mail -thought it would be more fun to blog!

1. What time did you get up this morning?
4:30 am - Hey - its the only quiet time I get
2. Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Hotel for Dogs - and I enjoyed it
4. What is your favorite TV show?
LOST
5. What do you usually have for breakfast?
Yogurt with walnuts
6. What is your middle name?
Kay
7. What food do you dislike?
Broccoli
8. What is your favorite CD?
Hmmm - dont really have a favorite
9. What kind of car do you drive?
Subaru Forester
10. Favorite sandwich?
Grilled Cheese
11. What characteristic do you despise?
Contempt
12. Favorite item of clothing?
My jeans
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Hawaii or Australia - but honestly I just love traveling
14. Favorite brand of clothing
Does shoes count? If so - Prada
15. Where would you retire to?
Hawaii
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday?
Two years ago when I had a princess themed birthday
17. Favorite sport to watch?
Marathons
18. Furthest place you are sending this?
No idea
19. Person you expect to send it back first?
Well since I am blogging this doesnt really apply
20. When is your birthday?
Shhhhhh
21. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Morning all the way
22. What is your shoe size?
9
23. Pets?
One obnoxious little weiner dog - but we love him
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?
None really
25. What did you want to be when you were little?
A doctor or a teacher
26. How are you today?
Can't complain - I have family, friends, yarn, a job I love and a good outlook on life
27. What is your favorite candy?
See's Candy
28. What is your favorite flower?
Lilac or Lavender
29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
March 17th - I get to go to visit Cape Canaveral
30. What is your favorite pastime?
Besides family, knitting and spinning
31. What are you listening to right now?
My son make siren noises
32. What was the last thing you ate
A grilled cheese sandwiches
33. Do you wish on stars?
Yep
34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I hate to limit myself to a single color
35. How is the weather right now?
Cold, we are expecting 4 inches of snow tomorrow
36. The first person you spoke to on the phone today?
No one
37. Favorite soft drink?
Dont drink them much but lately on a Root Beer kick
38. Favorite restaurant?
Right now it would be Spanky's the new wings place we just discovered -yumm PB&J wings
39. Real hair color?
Mouse Brown
40. What was your favorite toy as a child?
The avocado green kitchen set my dad made us, and Barbie
41. Summer or winter?
Summer
42. Hugs or kisses?
Both
43. Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate
44. Coffee or tea?
Coffee Coffee Coffeee
45. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Sure why not! Also would love to see it on other blogs
46. When was the last time you cried?
Probably not too long ago but dont remember exactly
47. What is under your bed?
books, hot wheels and a container holding my gym clothes
48. What did you do last night?
We went to the movies and saw Hotel For Dogs while having dinner.
49. What are you afraid of?
Not doing my best at work
50. Salty or sweet?
Sweet, then salty
51. How many keys on your key ring?
3
52. How many years at your current job?
3 years
53. Favorite day of the week?
Saturday
54. How many towns have you lived in?
San Diego, CA
Lakeside, CA
La Mesa, CA
El Cajon, CA
Brattleboro, Vermont
Marlboro, Vermont
Vermont South, Victoria, Australia
Methuen, MA
55. Do you make friends easily?
No - I am shy at first.
56. How many people will you send this to?
Putting it on the blog
57. How many will respond?
Who cares, it was fun filling it out!

Thanks Pam! This was fun

Australian Bushfires

2009-02-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned, I learned to knit when I was 15 for a role in a school play. While my acting career thus ended, my knitting took off. What I really haven't talked about is who taught me to knit and where I was at this time in my life.

When I was 15 I had the opportunity to be a high school exchange student. I lived for a year with a wonderful family in Melbourne, Australia. It was an amazing experience that changed my life and influenced how I see the world. I believe it made me a much more tolerant, open minded person with better ability to adapt to situations. Anyways, while living in Australia one of my classes was drama and we performed "A Doll's House" and I played a character that had to knit onstage. My host mother taught me how to knit and I made this truly awful "thing" that barely resembled something knit but worked for the stage. But from there something clicked and my next project was a sweater that turned out perfect. I may not have this enjoyable hobby now if it hadn't been for my time in Australia.

Now I am watching the news and watching the beautiful state of Victoria under bushfire seige. I have communicated with my host sister and found out all are safe in my family but others are not so lucky. Having been through the fires in San Diego in 2003 I can understand the devastation. Its also hard to be so far away and not be able to do much to help. But I know there is one thing I can do and that is donate to the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfire fund. This will then help the victims of the fire restart their lives. Just click the link and donate. Its that simple. I did. Then if you are a fiberholic like me go visit Serendipity's blog and read about the raffle she has going to raise money for the bushfires. You just forward her your receipt from donating and you will be entered in the raffle. The prizes are getting crazy good including lots of Wollmeise and even the not yet released new Yarnissima pattern. I love what Serendipity is doing to bring more awareness to the need for funds to help Australia. Its also heartwarming to watch what happens when crafters come together for a cause. Fiber seems to make for nice people. Even if you are not a fiberholic consider $5 or $10 towards this cause. At the current exchange rate you can donate $10 australian for about the price of a fast food lunch. Isn't that worth it?

Bad Blogger

2009-02-13T02:13:00.000-08:00

Yes I have been a bad blogger. Its just been so very busy! My new job (well, same company just a promotion so new responsibilities) is taking up a lot of my time. I have a lot to learn to be up to speed so it has taken more hours in the office than I would like somedays but I know it will settle down once I get my rhythm. I am so glad today is a Friday. Its technically my day off but I have to catch up on a training class that I have to get done. At least I can do it from home.

I have also been taking advantage of the cold weather to get some knitting done. I come home from work and we stay inside so I can knit. I finished my La Digetessa finally - the color definitely competes with the pattern but I still like them alot. Very bright and fun. So the best part is that as I was finishing my son asked for a pair of socks. So off I went to Ravelry and then the LYS to find a nice toe up boy pattern because after knitting La Digetessa I much prefer the look of a toe up pattern. Did I find one? Of course not. I was shocked. There were very few boy socks and none were toe up. So what does a resourceful mom do? Yep - I made one up. I have one sock done and the pattern is roughly written down.

I am going to knit the second to test the pattern, then pretty it up and probably put it out on Ravelry. I am thinking I want to give it some size options first. But I see a nice little niche here in the knitting world. And I have a happy little boy - he loves the first sock and wants the mate finished. I should have that done this weekend. Then he wants his hat - I promised him a Fake Isle made with the glow in the dark yarn - so that gets cast on next.

I have a really cute picture of the young one so I am posting it here - oh and a pic of La Digetessa. Told you they were bright!

Happy Sunday

2009-01-25T04:58:00.000-08:00

So it was an exciting week.

First of all - did everybody hear it on Tuesday - the collective sigh of relief as we said goodbye to W. and the sound of hope as we watched the historical inauguration of President Obama. It was a good moment. I thought for a long while about what to tell my son about why this was such a historic moment, but finally decided to leave it at we are electing a new president. At this point in time he doesn't know racism. He just sees people - skin color is irrelevant to him. I love that! So I decided not to make it something he is aware of - he will learn soon enough but for now I want to keep him in a world where people are people. I hope that makes sense. At least we are one step closer now.

Closer to the home front we celebrated the Young Ones fifth birthday with his friends. We had 8 kids ranging from 2-6 running through the house on one of the coldest days. Fortunately we were prepared for it and had a great time. The kids are all from the neighborhood and get along great. It ended up being a lot of fun and very low key. Next weekend we are taking him to Coco Key water park for his last birthday request. The lucky kid gets to celebrate his birthday all month!

Finally, its been very busy and hectic at work as I learn my new job but I am getting there. I had to make a presentation to the customer with a migraine - how I did it I don't know but I did it. Granted I was in the bath throwing up before and after but I made it through the presentation. Thank goodness I got to play the "Im still learning" card. But I have been able to make it home at a fairly reasonable hour every night and get in some knitting. I finished my first Digetessa sock and am started on the second. I also knocked out a hat for Hubby.

Finally, sign ups started for HSKS7 this week. I decided to bow out gracefully this term. After contemplating things I decided that with my new job I just don't have the bandwidth to give my all to the swap. I also know I have to travel during the term. So to be fair to everyone, including myself, I am taking a term off. Hopefully next time I can join in again. Its a wonderful swap, I highly recommend it, but it takes commitment. I think I am making a good decision but I will miss the fun. :)

You have got to be kidding me!

2009-01-16T02:22:00.001-08:00

So this is what I woke up to this morning:That says 2.7 - yes there is decimal place in there. OMG!!!!! I am sorry but this Southern California girl just cannot understand temperatures that are below my son's age. We are seriously being warned about going outside on the news and making sure exposed skin is covered, now the news is talking about dead car batteries. How do people live this way? I can't help but think of people who live in the midwest or Canada where this is normal. I mean, I can handle snow and temperatures in the 20s, even the teens, but 2.7???? Nope. I am not leaving the house today if I can help it. Now the news is showing the map and there are - signs all over it. Keene NH is -18. Yes - thats a MINUS sign, as in 18 below zero. I could drive to Keene - it would take a couple hours but I am within driving distance. Not that I would even consider it - but just thinking about being that close to these kinds of temps? Crazy. So one of the tasks I have to do this weekend is plan out my timelines at work for the next six months - including when I need to go to Honolulu. Yeah - I am thinking now through May sounds good to me.

So - on the positive note, I am not leaving the house today. Nope. Not doing it. Which means I have to find something to do. Hmmmmm. What can I do when its freezing outside and I am stuck inside all day. Oh wait, I could knit! I can sit down and work on my La Digetessa socks. Have I mentioned I love knitting this pattern with this yarn? I love the challenge of the pattern and how it keeps my mind engaged. I also love watching the color in the yarn and of course, taking the occasional sniff of that lovely Wollmeise smell.

So on a side note, I am watching about the plane that crashed yesterday. Thank goodness everyone is ok. It has been interesting watching the news story with my son though. On our last flights he was fascinated by the safety instructions in the seat pocket. We even ended up with a copy somehow (he put it in his bag). He spent quite a bit of the flight reading the safety instructions. Now, he is 5 (actually he was 4 at the time but turning 5 days after the flight) and had not really been exposed to a plane crash on the news so it wasn't a fear thing. In fact he loves to fly and he thought the turbulence was fun. (Yeah - me - not so much - he is giggling and I am in near tears - but I didn't let him know that) But he was fascinated by the pictures and discussing everything in the safety guide. He knew the exits, he knows that if you sit in an exit row you have to open the door and he asked about the differences between land and water landing. So when we saw the plane crash on tv he was able to discuss it with us about the people getting out using the exit row and we talked about "in the event of a water landing". It was pretty amazing. I mean, I am a bit of a nervous flyer so I always pay attention to the safety briefing by the flight attendants. But my son does it out just out of interest. I love it. I also am so glad his first exposure to a plane crash was one where everyone survived. I remember being very young and having the PSA plane crash in San Diego. It was a huge news story and I think it totally scarred me for life. I still remember laying in bed hearing planes go over head (we lived under the flight path) and being terrified of a plane crashing on our house. Its amazing how little minds work. So thankfully my son heard a story that reinforced the message in the safety briefing - that you can survive a plane crash and you need to follow the safety instructions. Hopefully he will grow up to be a good flyer and never freak out during turbulence.

Happy New Year - ok - a bit late

2009-01-11T07:51:00.001-08:00

Happy 2009

Yes, I know I am a bit late - but it has been a hectic year so far.

We finally got home from San Diego last week. After spending yet another 14 hours traveling (we had a 4 hour layover in Chicago that turned into 6 but at least we got home) we got to the airport to find that our ride did not have us on the schedule. Thank goodness for car rentals (which was also $30 cheaper) but that meant having to return the car the next night, which also happened to be a snow storm. So between work and cars and such, it was close to 48 hours before I actually got to relax in my own home.

Now its the weekend. I spent yesterday playing and today is chores. Works out well because we have 6 inches of fresh snow. Hopefully I can get enough done this morning to go out and play a little later. But at least yesterday I got to further my progress on my La Digetessa sock. As of this morning I am completely through the heel and ready to start up the leg. I figured that was a good stopping point until I get the chores done. I have to say, I just LOVE this pattern. I have discovered I love a pattern that really makes me think. La Digetessa truly deserves attention and respect, but you don't get bored with her. Combined with the pleasure of working with Wollmeise, sigh, I am in knitting heaven. Then, on the side for my "carry with me" mindless knitting I am making a Noro Striped scarf using one skein of Silk Garden and one skein of Kureyon. The colors and the contrast between the silk and wool is just lovely. This is almost done - then I will post pictures.

So I have also been working the New Years Resolution front. I am doing good on the Yarn and Book resolutions. In fact, I went to the library yesterday and checked out books to read. I am also resisting yarn purchases and instead working on my current projects. Maybe I can develop a less ADD knitting style.

I am also trying to work out my health and fitness goals. At least now that I am home I am eating better. Whew. Traveling is so hard to try to eat healthy. For now, our biggest goals is eliminating the chemicals. We are going to spend six weeks completely clean to try to identify what is triggering my son. Then we will introduce some items one at a time. So far our biggest culprit seems to be food dye. But I am curious how we will behave with absolutely no chemicals. I am also seeing this as a good thing for hubby and I. Yesterday I made a cake from scratch. It was fun and tasted yummy. Makes me wonder why we know longer do this as a society. Since I have a good Kitchenaid mixer, it ended up being just as easy as using a mix. I also noticed that one very small piece was highly satisfying. I wonder if by making high quality, chemical free food we will eat less. Something else I will be watching.

Ok - the laundry is calling me. Time to get to my chores!

Almost a New Year

2008-12-28T09:23:00.001-08:00

Wow - hard to believe we are rapidly approaching the end of 2008. It has been quite a busy year in our household and next year promises to be the same. The holidays were as expected -which is to say good. The young one learned there really is a Santa Clause. It was rather cute as he had been quite naughty right up until the eve of the big day - something we are now able to partly attribute to chemicals in his food. We are trying the Feingold diet and slowly finding out that food coloring and some other preservatives seem to trigger the uber-meltdowns. But the uberest meltdown came the other day and involved nearly running into traffic. After mom recovered from her heart attack (still shaking over this one to be honest) we had a discussion about Santa watching everything. So he didn't believe this because, as he says, there are no cameras and he can't see Santa. So Christmas Eve, in walked Santa through the front door and boy was the young one surprised. So he went up to Santa and told him "I've been a little naughty". So Santa talked to him a bit about the various and sundry naughtiness of the past few days and now young one really does Believe with a capital B. But Santa also left him with the Lincoln Log train he has been asking for since seeing one at the Festival of Trees so he was happy. He also woke up to a small pile of presents under the tree and an understanding that Santa will be watching. Now its just a toy fiesta. Mom also got treated well with a new purple iPod nano, a ball winder (yeah!!!) and some of the knitting books she has been wanting so she is also happy Santa came to visit.

So now the new year is upon us and time to think about those New Years resolutions. I can honestly say I have managed some of these in the past - one year I resolved no chocolate for a year and I did it. Its all about commitment and telling everyone you know what you are doing. This year its all about diets. As in Yarn Diet and Book Diet. Last year I managed to accumulate one heck of a stash of yarn and fiber. Not to mention a favorites list in Ravelry that will take forever to accomplish. So this year I resolve to not buy new yarn until I have completed 4 finished objects from my stash. And no new fiber (except to continue my participation in Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm) until I make some serious headway on my pounds of Cormo. Oh wait, I have one exception to the yarn rule - Wollmeise. I intend to stalk at few times to try and get some of the colors I want - such as Poison No 5 - but I am not counting this as buying yarn. This is more like playing the yarn lottery. I enjoy the fun of the hunt as much as the yarn.

The other diet is the Book Diet. I read like crazy - when all else goes I still read everyday. To this end I signed up for the 52 books in a year challenge. I am pretty sure I manage this every year but this will be the first year I track what I read for a year. I am putting my list on the side of my blog and will make notes when I find something worthy. So the diet part is that to be more economical and a bit more green I am also committing to using the library for at least 50% of the books I read. I will note which ones are library books so I can be kept honest.

Finally I am debating the No Chocolate year again this year. Chocolate is my downfall. I love chocolate. Way too much. So I will think about this one still. I have a few more days to decide.

So its a year of yarn, books and chocolate -sounds typical to me!

Starting La Digetessa

2008-12-20T09:09:00.001-08:00

DSC_0061, originally uploaded by skoswalt.

My holiday project is to do the La Digetessa Knit Along on Ravelry. Here is the pretty yarn I am using. Its Wollmeise in Red Hot Chili Pepper light intensity.

ITS DONE!!!

2008-12-08T17:06:00.001-08:00

Its finally done!!!! A years worth of work has gotten me to my finished Holiday gift for a very dear friend of mine.

This is the story of Ot and Morf.
Morf is one extremely talented, artistic, crafty lady who can do anything. She makes the most beautiful cards and every Christmas Ot gets a beautiful handmade card.
Ot and Morf are always joking about Martha Stewart. How Martha can make anything out of nothing in no time at all.
So this year, Ot decided to give Morf a Martha Stewart Christmas present in return for all the beautiful handmade cards.

So, Ot learned to spin, bought a fluffy fresh Cormo fleece, cleaned it, harvested fresh goldenrod, dyed the clean locks in the goldenrod dye, spun it into 550 yards of fluffy yarn, designed the pattern, knit it up and Voila - you have the beautiful Ot and Morf scarf. So at Christmas, Ot will package up the scarf, with the pattern and all the pictures from fleece to dye to yarn to scarf in a lovely package. But you know what - Ot is going to buy the damn card!What you see here is the result of one woman's efforts to be Martha Stewart for a year. I think I did pretty good. If you like the pattern, drop me a line. I am still in the process of finalizing the pdf and will make it somehow available after the holidays.

I am remarkably proud of this item. I wasn't sure the whole time I was knitting it up how it was going to look once blocked. I was so nervous. But in the end, now that it is blocked, I am absolutely in love with this item!!! I cannot believe I created this! See if you can figure out the name - the first person to leave me a comment tying the name to the scarf will get a copy of the pattern once I get it finalized and pdf'ed.

--EDIT: Ok - I wasn't clear in my excitement. Its named "Ot and Morf" after the story. The question is - can you figure out the tie between the name and the design.

A Christmas Getting To Know You

2008-11-22T03:57:00.000-08:00

Got this in email today and decided to put it here as well:

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy (not forward) this entire email and paste into a new e-mail that you can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent it to you......Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping Paper - I love the ritual of wrapping
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real3. When do you put up the tree? Sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas - usually a couple weeks before the big day
4. When do you take the tree down? After New Year (Often New Years Day)
5. Do you like eggnog? No6. Favorite gift received as a child? The wooden kitchen set my dad made for my sister and I. Picture waking up Christmas day to a living room filled with presents and three giant kitchen cabinets. Ok - so I have now learned the room wasn't filled - it was actually one of the leaner Christmas' but to us, it was magic. The best part is the cabinets are still around and my son has had many fun times playing with them. 7. Hardest person to buy for? My mom
8. Easiest person to buy for? Seth
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes - its composed of a bunch of Frogs10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Lately, neither. Used to mail cards but something has had to give
11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? None - I don't remember any gift I did not appreciate. I guess I am a big "its the thought that counts" person
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually Fall, but I keep my eyes out year roung
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Dont think I ever have
15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Grandma's Refrigerator Cookies
16. Lights on the tree? LOTS! love looking at them
17. Favorite Christmas song? "Little Drummer Boy" duet by David Bowie and Bing Crosby and anything by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel while we are living in Massachusetts. Always back to San Diego
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yep - even the most famous reindeer of all
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? People who don't just ride with it - yeah, I know its commercial, yeah it starts really early in the stores, but it is all a giant sensory experience that culminates in a wonderful day with family and friends. I love all the trappings because it puts me in the spirit. Enjoy it for what it is. You are in control and do not need to spend money to enjoy it.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? We have a whole basket of toy ornaments that I love seeing on the tree every year since I was a kid.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Doesn't matter as long as it with family and friends.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? sleep
26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Diane

All Things Diet

2008-11-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

Ok - so I was going to make some New Years resolutions about diets but I have decided - what the heck. Why wait. So I have decided to start my new year early and get a jump on my resolutions. 2009 is going to be the year of the diet. Or better I like "releasing" or even "transforming" better.
So I have two diets - a me diet and a yarn diet.
Me - I have accumulated more of me than I care for at this time. Combined with the fact that I have also neglected working out and I am just plain unhappy with myself. I have found that I am avoiding mirrors and cameras altogether. To the point of not looking at my reflection in widows. Yikes. Time for a change. Sooooo ..... deep breath here ..... I went back to Weight Watchers this morning and made a commitment. I am giving myself three months to make a change and then see where I am in both head and body. Mostly I was inspired by my favorite spinning teacher and knit designer, Sleepyeyes, who has been bragging about her success. I realize, though, that it is up to me and me alone. I can't blame anyone else anymore. Its all me. The best part was I seemed to have found a nice meeting right off the bat. I stayed after and discussed my personal issues with the leader - my hardest challenge is that I don't cook. DH does all the cooking and he gets creative and not very lowfat. What was so awesome about this leader was that she didn't go down the road of "make him change" but instead she gave me some great tips on working with what he cooks for me. She didn't hold it against me and make me feel bad. It was nice. Its a good sign. At least I want to go back.
On the yarn side, I also have accumulated - but I can't say its more than I care for. Can you have too much yarn? But I have really accumulated this year. I love it all - but now it is time to start transforming it!!! So no more yarn purchases until I get through some of what I have. I need to start a queue and start knocking it down.
Somehow I am going to tie the two diets together. I think I may put some rules in place about earning the right to buy fiber goodies by going to my meetings and staying on points. Hmm - I will think about it then post it so I can be held accountable. I also have some Spring things to look forward to - on the yarn side its the NH Sheep and Wool - maybe I will put aside so much a pound towards my NH Sheep and Wool budget. I also will likely be back in Hawaii a couple times in the Spring and I would love to be able to be comfortable in shorts for a change. So I have some motivation!

Quidditch Round 3

2008-11-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

1. Who was Tom Riddle Sr.'s girlfriend before Merope gave him the love potion?
b. Cecilia

2. What does Luna say floated into Harry's ear when he was in the train car that supposedly caused him to lose focus?
c. Wrackspurt

3. How much do the primary Apparition lessons cost?
d. 12 galleons

4. What is Professor Merrythought's first name?
b. Galatea

5. What Hogwarts club was Eileen Prince captain of?
b. Gobstones Club

6. Who is head of the Goblin Liaison office?
b. Dirk Cresswell

7. Mrs. Weasley offers Fleur a goblin-made tiara for the wedding with Bill. What family member is currently in possession of the tiara?
a. Aunt Muriel

8. How many points does Snape take from Gryffindor for Harry's late arrival and muggle attire?
b. 70

9. When Profressory Slughorn first meets Hermione, he asks her whether she is related to Hector Dagworth-Granger. What society did Dgworth-Granger found?
d. The Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers

10. Which of these describes Golpalott's Third Law?
d. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separtea components

I got Mail!!!

2008-11-12T16:33:00.000-08:00

I love coming home from work to good mail!

First, Minerva Wood's cat was waiting for me when I got home. Fortunately, DH had brought him in the house and made him a warm place by the fire. He is purring away right now before he heads back home. My package was so wonderful. Minerva "got me" and I couldn't be happier. The pics aren't as great as I hope as I had to use my iPhone but they show off the goodies.
This is the whole shebang. It was all wrapped nicely - but my son went to town immediately. The bag is a gorgeous Yellow and Black felted bag. I will get a better picture once my camera batteries charge. It really is very well done with plenty of room to hold my knitting.

Minerva made me a dye kit with KnitPicks bare yarn - which I love! And some Lemonade Kool Aid - she must have stalked me well because I love Kool Aid dying. I am going to try handpainting this skein - something I haven't done too much of yet. I wonder if I can pull off the Noro pattern with Kool Aid? Hmmm something to try. Oh - and the cute Hogwarts mug is filled with yummy tea. I am enjoying the Sweet Thai right now - and I totally love it! Unfortunately the handle didn't make it but the mug is still usuable.

Here are some knitpicks needles and Cat Bordhi's "Socks Soar on two circular needles" book - I am so excited to try this technique. It looks like I may like it better than magic loop. Oh - and there are some stickers for my young one. He was so excited - he wanted to put them on the walls. We said no. We compromised by letting him stick some on the calender.

And now - look at this - I was so excited by this!!! Glow in the Dark Yarn!!!!! Ok - SQUEEE!!! So seriously, this morning I was thinking how I wanted to try out the Glow in the Dark yarn I had been reading about on Ravelry. And yes - I tried it and it really does glow. I think I am going to make some skull caps. - there is even a pattern book. Love it!!!!

Oh - and this is the BEST book! We love Goodnight Moon. When I saw this I was psyched! I had never heard of it but I love parodies anyways. This one has wonderful drawings and carries the same rhythm as Goodnight Moon and is a wonderful take off. We read it immediately. My son loved it!!!!! It will become a well loved favorite.

THANK YOU MINERVA!!!!

I just have to say that I have really enjoyed this term at Hogwarts. I adore both my spoiler and spoilee! I can't believe term is almost over - it went so quick!

So on a side note I got a second package today - it felt like Christmas - and it had a Germany return address. Yep - my Wollmeise!!! I got two skeins of Red Hot Chili, one Dark and one Light. The pictures do not do the color justice. Honestly, it is very difficult to capture the amazing Wollmeise color. These are wonderful and I am envisioning some awesome socks - a good candidate for my new Cat Bordhi technique!

Its been a wonderful Wednesday!

Thank You to those who have Served

2008-11-11T02:19:00.000-08:00

Today is Veteran's Day - a day to honor and say thank you to all who have served us in the military. Its not about politics - its about people. Regardless of if you agree with the political reasons behind the military actions our government takes, the people who take those orders without question deserve our honor, respect and thanks. These are people who put their lives on the line, who leave their family behind, who protect our nation every day. To these people I give my thanks.

Enforced knitting time and other blah blah blah

2008-11-09T03:22:00.000-08:00

Still sick. I went back to the doctor, got on some more drugs (steroids) and got a chest x-ray. Mostly I am still just tired and the coughing gets out of control when I do to much. So this weekend has been a couch weekend interspersed with naps. Hmmm - not to bad. If nothing else I have made headway on my son's sweater as a result and caught up on some movies.

Speaking of - one of the movies I watched was Jerome Bixby's Man from Earth. What a compelling, thought provoking movie. I highly recommend it to anyone is interested in something a little different. As a warning it is almost entirely dialogue. The whole movie takes place in a cabin and entails discussion among the characters but the content of the discussion is pretty intense. DH was so-so interested in it when I mentioned it but when it was over he was talking about wanting to buy the movie.

I also have to share how my Young One is taking such good care of me. I was lying in bed the other night exhausted from coughing all day and letting the heavy duty cough syrup take its toll. Young One was lying with me. I mentioned I was thirsty and he went and got me one of his juice boxes. I thought that was so incredibly sweet.

Finally - my tattoo is healed and I got a shot of it to share. I am really happy with it.

More Mythical than Bigfoot .....

2008-11-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

More elusive than Wollmeise .......

Its a bird, its a plane, its ......

THE FINISHED OBJECT!

I did it! This is my first "big" Finished Object since I don't know when. I have finished my handmade items for my swaps, and a pair of socks for a friends birthday, but this is really my first major FO. Its the Foliage Shawl designed by Miriam L. Felton (aka MimKnits). To top it off, this is also my handspun Cormo, which I bought as a fleece last spring. I cleaned it, spun, handdyed it with a natural dye made from Goldenrod, and then knit up into this fabulous shawl. For the most part I loved the pattern. The body was fun to knit - it followed a chart the whole way. It completely kept my interest. However, the border was a small repeat about 42 times. That got a little old but I powered through. Once done it will be wrapped up for Christmas as a gift for my Mother In Law. One present down - many to go!

The Holy Grail

2008-11-04T13:51:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe I am actually holding in my hand the Holy Grail of Yarn - the infamous Wollmeise. I got my first package from Europe today - the Spina Di Pesce sock kit from Yarnissima. It is so much more than I expected. The pictures do not do the color justice. The color is really a very vivid blue - in a Sapphire tone and in a deep turquoise/teal tone. Vivid is an understatement. This is heavily saturated color. Its truly gorgeous. The pattern is also more than I expected. I must say, Yarnissima sure knows presentation. The whole package came elegantly packed. I got a little bag with a chocolate, a little back with a Handmade tag and some sea shells, and the yarn wrapped delicately in tissue. The pattern, which is printed on high quality paper and is many pages long with superb pictures and graphs, came in a plastic envelope and included a plastic graph of the main chart. I would recommend this kit as a gift for anyone. I can't wait to start knitting! I am restraining myself from starting only because I have so many things I need to finish before Christmas. Now I can't wait to get my two skeins I scored at the shop update last Friday. I think I may have developed a Wollmeise addiction. I know I want to eventually get hold of Poison No 5 Lace someday. I just love the color but I have to say, now that I have seen the intensity of the color, I bet any Wollmeise is going to be gaspworthy.

In other news I am still trying to recover. I did good over the weekend, had a good day yesterday - so much so I decided to walk on my treadmill a bit last night. That may have been a mistake though as I went to work this morning and soon had trouble breathing. I had forgotten all my meds so I came home, took some meds and spent the day just trying to keep breathing. What fun. The doctor said Bronchitis can take awhile so I am taking it easy, staying off the treadmill for another week or so, and seeing what happens. I did manage to get out and vote today. Quite honestly, I think I was still the last undecided voter. Not saying how I voted. I truly think it is immaterial. The candidates both have pros and cons and I can honestly say that this is one election that I really do not mind having either candidate win. I had a more vested interest in the Massachusetts questions. So I was a good citizen and voted. I will be glad to see the end of the political ads but I will miss the Saturday Night Live humor.

November ALREADY!!!?????

2008-11-01T06:20:00.000-07:00

Its been quite a week in the Quality Chick household. I am officially sick as a dog. Bronchitis again but its hanging on something fierce and I see a return to the doctor for my eyes. Why is this you may ask? Well, aside from the stress of travel and working a gazillion hours at site, I only took two days off this week before crisis again brought me back to work. I should have continued sleeping but had to go in. This actually may have been one of those "blessing in disguise" moments those as I had a meeting with one of the dept heads to discuss, of all things, work life balance and the importance of not being a single point of failure, which I sat through obviously pushing my limits, to be followed up by the news that my backup has, well to put it nicely, decided to pursue another opportunity (read bailed) and I was yet again stuck, as I have been for nearly two years, as the only resource on my project. After falling into shock from the news and the thought that I can still not take a day off for any reason I walked out without a word. However, I apparently made some sort of impression on the leadership team and a red flag was raised about the situation. I think the fact that I was sick added the right dramatic flair that I could never have managed on my own. I have been asking for competent help for over a year, to no avail, and my predecessor walked out on the job because of this reason, so my illness may have finally sparked someone to listen. At any rate, I get a new person on Monday. Hopefully this one will A - do work and B - show up and C - show interest. Sigh.

The other bright side is that I stayed home for Halloween. It was my regular off day and I actually put my foot down and took it off. Usually I end up working my off day to catch up but I was too ticked off at the situation and too sick to care. So no work. But this meant I got to sit in front of the computer for my very first Wollmeise stock stalk. I have heard about this mythical yarn on Ravelry and started half-heartedly looking for some a while ago, but never with determination. Well, I managed to find out ahead of time the update would be on Halloween so I figured what the heck. Go for it. I spent all morning on the site updating my shopping list to be prepared while I waited. Finally I had to give it up to run errands. Well, somehow it was my lucky day because when I came home from errands I checked the page and stumbled right into the middle of the update. I managed to get two skeins, Red Hot Chili Light and Dark, just like that! I was freaking out excited! I love the reds so I cannot wait to see the yarn in person! So somewhere my stars are aligning. This week I had also visited the Yarnissma and was able to get a sock kit with a skein as well (the Spina de Pesci) so now I have three skeins of Wollmeise coming my way. But the whole experience was fun and exciting. I may have to do it again as I really love the Poison No 5 colorway and would love to get it someday, especially in lace weight. A girl can dream right - especially about yarn!

We also have had some visitors this weekend in the Quality Chick household. Traveling Teddy came to visit and my son also got to bring home Buddy Bear from preschool for the weekend. So we have a bear party going on! The bears all dressed up and went trick or treating last night. After the weekend I will put together a blog of the bear antics.

This weekend I need to wrap up my HSKS6 package. Its almost done. My travel cut into the package time. Fortunately I had most of it completed before I left, but today/tomorrow I have to finish it all up so it can get in the owl post this week.

I can't believe it is November. Where did this year go?

Picture Time!

2008-10-27T05:25:00.000-07:00

Finally got a chance to upload the pics from the trip. Here are some highlights!

This is the view from the little time I got to work at the hotel. Not really such a bad place to work. Unfortunately, connectivity was horrible so this I didn't end up here often.

This is a view I saw daily, usually at lunch. Ford Island was home to an old airfield and the tower still remains. Not sure when this dates back to exactly but you may recognize it, I am told, from the movie, Pearl Harbor. We had lunch at a little restaurant just across from the tower. You can see my work in the background.

So I took one half a day off during my time. I ended up driving around the island. First place I stopped was the Dole Pineapple Plantation. It was a big tourist trap but kind of fun. I had never seen pineapples growing so it was pretty cool to see them on a plant.

I drove to the North Shore - it wasn't too impressive this time of year because there were no waves. I kept driving. Eventually I found this beautiful beach. I would have liked to stay here forever.

My feet actually hit the beach and the water! Here is proof! It was the only time as that night I stopped and got a cool new tattoo on my foot so it had to stay clean and dry.

Finally, I stopped at Koaloa Ranch for the movie site tour. The highlight for me was Hurley's golf course. I am such a Lost fanatic. I got a total kick out of this!

Not much play but a chance to see some sights. Once the new Tattoo heals I will post some pics of that as well.

There's No Place Like Home

2008-10-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ah, home. Finally. Whew. Its nice to be home. I flew all last night - it takes about 13 hours to fly from Honolulu to Boston with a six hour time change so it felt like I traveled forever. I was lucky, though, and the middle seat was empty on both legs of my trip so I was able to get comfortable and sleep. For once I didn't mind the turbulence because it was kind of like being rocked while I was sleeping. Still, it only equated to a few hours of sleep and by the time I made it home this morning I was beat. So I did what I shouldn't have done - I went to bed and slept. I slept on and off all day. So now, its 1:30 in the morning and guess what ... I am wide awake. And hungry. Because my body still thinks its 8pm which was dinner time for the past two weeks. So I am sitting here eating cereal and blogging. I am also sick. I came home with my usual cold which is a byproduct of having to work in extremes for two weeks. Part of where I work gets really hot - sweat pouring hot. Then I go to another part where it is really cold - like jacket cold. So I spent two weeks going between extreme hot and cold. No wonder I always get sick on these trips. Then to top it off I managed to get eye infections. Both eyes are swollen goopy messes. But I refuse to pay $75 to go to the ER for an eye infection so I have to wait until Monday to see my doctor. I hate that there is no weekend care here. So in case you all were wondering - this is how my "glamorous" Hawaii trips always end up. Oh, and also in case you were wondering, I had exactly one half day off work for the entire trip. I officially worked 20 days straight, most of the days no less than 10 hours. I had to be up and out the door by 7 to drive in Honolulu traffic to get to work for the 8am meeting. I left during evening traffic (which I think goes to about 8) so the commute each way usually was 45-60 minutes. Then after getting back to the hotel I struggled to check in online with work for email, showered and finally headed out to get dinner. Dinner in Waikiki is an experience usually requiring an hours wait for a table. So we ended up eating between 8 and 10 every night. Then collapse in bed to do it all over again. Oh, and because folks would forget that I was in Hawaii I got a couple of 2am phone calls which did not get answered. So yes, I really am glad to be home even if it is 40 degrees outside. I do feel that the work I did was interesting and worthwhile. I really wish I could blog about some of the things I did because they were really cool but alas, I can't discuss. But it is the type of thing that in 20 years I will still look back at and go "wow, that was really cool".

So as I mentioned I had exactly one half a day off. That day I drove the island. Oahu is actually quite pretty once you get away from Waikiki. Honestly folks - if you are going to pay to visit Hawaii - do not go to Waikiki. It is nothing but a huge shopping mall with a very small beach and lots of tourists. If you want to see Oahu stay outside of Waikiki - I hear good things about Turtle Beach and Ko'Olina. There are things worth seeing on Oahu - Pearl Harbor being number one, just stay elsewhere for a better experience. You can visit Waikiki but unless you really like big cities and very expensive shopping malls, Waikiki isn't worth it in my opinion. My recommendation is a two day stay on Oahu to visit Pearl Harbor and the North Shore, then go to another island. I do recommend Pearl Harbor. A visit to the Arizona is a must for everyone. I also got the opportunity to visit the Oklahoma which is not open for the public - you have to be able to get on base to see it. The Oklahoma was a short walk from our pier and every day I not only drove past the Arizona in the morning, but I looked down on the Oklahoma as I rode the elevator up to work. You can't help being moved by those two views. As for the rest of Oahu, once I got on the green side I found some beautiful beaches and amazing mountains. I stopped at Koaloa ranch and did the movie site tour. That meant I got to see the gorgeous valley used in many movies, including Jurrasic Park. That was a worthwhile 20 dollar tour. That night I stopped and got a very cool new tattoo on my foot - some Hawaiian plumerias. I will post pictures. But that was the extent of my Oahu siteseeing. WooHoo. Back to work the next day.

On my last day at work things were getting closed down so our vessel could sail so I was actually able to leave at 3pm which meant I finally was able to get to one of the Honolulu yarn stores. I located Isle Knit tucked away on the 14th floor of a building but inside was a treasure trove. Sue, the owner, was sweet as could be and let me just oogle everything. I did buy a few things that I hadn't seen before but I can't mention to much as some are going in my HSKS6 kit for my spoilee! So the two weeks weren't a complete waste.

Well I think I am going to go try to sleep again. I hope to get my pictures uploaded tomorrow and post a few pics from the trip. Gnight for now!

Im Blogging Im Blogging

2008-10-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Ahhh - almost done here in paradise - not that I have seen much but I did get to take a half day off work and see a few things - including Hurley's golf course! One more day - my goal is to try and get to at least one of the LYS before I take off. I only wish I didn't have to work 12 hour days. Ah well - at least I see the beach every day on the way to work!
Ok - theres my blog - that should meet the requirement and keep Lav happy!

Quidditch Round 2

2008-10-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

1. What animal does the portrait in the Muggle Prime Minster’s office resemble?b. Frog
2. What drink does Romilda Vane try to give Harry?a. Gillywater
3. What is the name of the person who heads the Holyhead Harpies?b. Gwenog Jones
4. How many ‘Exceeds Expectation’ grades does Harry receive in his O.W.L’s?c. 5
5. What is Professor Sughorn’s favorite candy?d. Crystallized Pineapple
6. What tattoo is Harry reported to have on his chest?c. Hippogriff
7. What color robes do the staff at the Weasley’s shop wear?b. Magenta
8. What is the man outside Flourish and Blotts selling?a. Amulets
9. How much is the skull, which Hermione enquires about at Borgin and Burkes, worth?c. 16 Galleons
10. What are Professor Slughorn’s initials?b. H.E.F.

LEts try this again

2008-10-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

I tried to post this the other day but couldn't. Hopefully this will work:
Sometimes my job sucks .....

And then there is my job and days like today. Sigh.

My morning started with an early drive over the bridge to Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. On my left, the stark white memorial to the USS Arizona. On my right, my destination sitting over the harbor like a giant pearl -how appropriate. It was a beautiful Hawaiian morning - clear and cool with the tradewinds blowing.
I had some time before I needed to report in so I went to the USS Utah memorial. I never knew it was here. Sitting at the edge of the channel were the rusty remains of the ship taken down on that infamous day back in 1941. The memorial noted that while they moved her out of the channel they decided to leave her on the bottom. A portion of her is above water. Another reminder of that day. I drank my coffee as I looked over her remains. It was very queit. Since you can only get to her with naval base access it was very quiet - free of the usual tourists.
Upon reporting to work I found that most of my activities got moved to tomorrow. I ended up working a few loose ends then leaving mid day. Ahh - some free time in Honolulu. An unexpected bonus. And while I was working, I went outside and was treated to a rainbow over the harbor while enjoying more coffee.
Today was one of those days when you really appreciate your job. I really do love my work but its nice to have days like today.
So after a much needed nap (still recovering from almost 15 hours of travel) I took my laptop to the balcony to enjoy the trades and the view. Soon I will venture out for some beach time.
Yep - work sucks. But seriously, someone has to do it.

BlogBlogBlah

2008-10-09T02:48:00.001-07:00

Gotta go get my portkey. So I am sneaking in a quick post to help towards my blogging requirement for HSKS6.

I cant believe it is finally time to leave. Ok - this week has been like 100 days long already. I had Ministry officials nosing around this week (disguised as Corporate Auditors) and I swear Umbridge was one of the officials. Gawd am I glad that is over. I think we did well but it was a lot of work. But I learned a lot and got to know some people that I really hadn't worked with yet.

Then, of all things, we got called in to the Young Ones school to talk to the teacher. Ok - I need to point out he has been in this new preschool a grand total of FOUR days. Yes, thats right. FOUR. Is this a record of some sort? I mean seriously, I knew this would happen - but not quite so quick. Anyways, it was a good thing - I know he has issues with his temper and social skills. That is one of the reasons we moved him to this school. So I am really glad we had the conversation. Now we have some things to work on to get him ready for Kindergarten and the teacher is really partnering with us. But wow - Four Freakin Days. Thats my little terror.

Of course, with a new preschool comes new germs - needless to say he got a cold which I promptly got so I get to be the person on the plane with the hacking germy cough. Hmmm - maybe I will get the row to myself as people double up in other areas just to escape my germs. One can wish. Hey, at least I will take drugs and carry lots of hand sanitizer. I will try not to share. At least it is more in that end of lifecycle phase.

Ok all - I will be trying to blog from the islands - hopefully I can post at least a few pictures of the beach which I will see as I go to and from the hotel.

Just Because

2008-10-05T03:53:00.000-07:00

Being a good girl here and making sure I blog. Actually things are pretty uneventful right now. Young one started a new preschool and we are pretty excited. Its the local High School early education program so it is limited to his age group and small in size. As such, he is in more of a transition program with kids he will likely be in Kindergarten with next year. The program also focuses on some of the basics - sit still, play nice, don't reach out and body slam your friend to get the train toy - these are things the young one really needs. He has mastered letters and numbers and is starting to show an interest in reading books so we are much more concerned about the fact that we quite possibly have the next Hulk Hogan or Ali on our hands. Ahh the joys of parenthood.

Aside from that I am still obsessively knitting my project for my HSKS6 swap spoilee, Miss Ophelia Ballycastle. I am almost done. Yeah. I need it to be all done before I leave this week. I don't want to try to take it with me. So today is all about laundry, packing and finishing it off. I am also planning what to take with me. Ok - most people think about two weeks in Hawaii and think swimsuit, flipflops and a good book. Me - steel toes, blue jeans and knitting in the hope that I actually have some free time. At least on the plane I can probably get my MILs shawl completed.

Well young one is up - so I will finish!

Hufflepuff Quiz #2 HSKS6

2008-09-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

Trying to be a good Hufflepuff and keep up with my homework!

The Quiz...
1 Which is your favorite book in the series (and why)? Order of the Phoenix - its dark, Harry is angry, it really seems to build depth and intensity to the story. I think we needed this part of the story to enable the next two books - not sure Harry could have had the strength to work with Dumbledore on the Horcruxes, especially the one in the lake, without getting angry and being forced to start standing on his own.

2 If you were taking Owls, which class would you get an E in? Would you get any Ts? I would probably be an E in Runes as I love code and looking for meaning in codes. Herbology might be a T as I can kill a silk plant.

3 Who is your favorite character (or characters) in the Harry Potter series?

4 If you had to pick 1 character for a roomate, who would you pick and why? Who'd be your least-favorite to have as a roomate? Ginny as she seems fun with a bit of a party side. Luna would also make a great choice - I love her view of the world.

5 Hufflepuffs are a hardworking bunch, but also a bit mischevious. Which Hogwarts professor would you most like to prank, and how would you do it? I would love to try and prank McGonagell but I think she would be hard to get. It would have to have considerable creativity and show some thought/skill in order to impress her. I think shrinking her office to the size of a teacup would be appreciated, as long as it was done perfectly.

6 Favorite DADA professor? (from the books, Lucius does NOT count :) Lupin - he showed the most passion for the subject (well - for the non-psycho DADA professors)

7 Favorite magical creatures? (Also, if for example you like a certain creature in general, but not how they are represented in the HP canon, feel free to elaborate :) Yep - I still love Unicorns. I like that they were portrayed as the innocent mythical creature that I have loved since I was a little girl. What girl can resist a Unicorn?

8 What is your favorite food in the HP universe? Which food or foods would you like to try in real life? Do you have any recipes to share with us ;)? I totally want to try Pumpkin Pasties. I love Pumpkin so they have to be yummy!!!!

9 Broom, floo powder, portkey, or magic carpet? Broom - more control and independence

10 Since we're Hufflepuffs... Yellow or Black? Yellow

Quidditch Round 1

2008-09-26T02:16:00.001-07:00

1. At the beginning of the book, Cornelius Fudge is talking to the Muggle Prime Minister. Which member of the Order of the Phoenix has recently been found dead?
c. Emmeline Vance

2. What animal does Bellatrix Lestrange kill when she and her sister, Narcissa, are going to see Professor Snape?
b. Fox

3. What time does Professor Dumbledore collect Harry from Privet Drive?
b. 11 p.m.

4. What did Professor Slughorn transform into when he was trying to hide from Harry and Professor Dumbledore?
a. An armchair

5. What grade did Harry get for Herbology?
a. E – Exceeds Expectation

6. Herbert Chorley, the Prime Minister’s Junior Minster, has been entertaining the public by impersonating which animal?
b. A duck

7. What is Professor Sprout’s first name?
d. Pomona

8. What is Dumbledore’s idea of ‘a few words’?
d. nitwit, oddment, blubber and tweak

9. Who is Marcus Belby’s famous uncle?
b. Damocles

10. What is Snape’s mother’s name?
b. Eileen Prince

And now the pictures - uploaded in reverse order because I made a mistake:

Dumbledore, Professor Sprout, Bellatrix, Snape, Narcissa

You want me to do WHAT???

2008-09-23T01:41:00.000-07:00

Ok - so its picture day at Hogwarts. Yeah, like that's gonna happen. I like to be behind the camera. But, since I am a good student, here it is:

Hufflepuff Quiz #1

2008-09-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

1. Do you knit and/or crochet? Knit. I consider myself a good knitter having been at it for way more years than I really want to admit considering I learned at 15. I can’t crochet to save my life. Well, I can do a chain stitch but that’s it. So I can make a great yarn chain.
2. How long have you been at your craft? Oh goodness, now I have to do the math and admit how long. Ok 38-15 = WHOA!!!!! 23 years! My knitting skills are old enough to drink. OK – lets be fair, I learned to knit around November so technically it is still 22 years. Yeah, like that sounds better.
3. Do you spin? If yes do you use drop spindle or wheel. I spin on a Babe wheel. I have tried a spindle but when you have a wheel, spindles take too long.
4. What is your favorite color? Purple, blue, pink, red, yellow – oh I guess almost all. Better to say I least like brown.
5. Do you have any other hobbies? I have a four year old and a full time job – I don’t have much time for other things. I love to read and always have a book going. Other than that I am mostly knitting and spinning when I have free time these days.
6. What are your favorite yarns/fibers? I love good yarn. Wool, silk, bamboo. Would love to try Handmaiden Sea Silk. But I love all kinds of yummy yarns. Mostly when I pick a yarn it is for color, touch and texture. I love yarn that I can enjoy visually and tactically. The other day I said to my husband “I’m petting my yak” and he understood. If you get that sentence, you get me and what I love in yarn and fiber.
7. What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers? Acrylic. It has its place but usually that place is not in my house.
8. Are there any yarns that you’ve been eyeing and wanting to try? Handmaiden Sea Silk has me curious but haven’t indulged yet. Marthas Vineyard Fiber Farm yarn – I am a CSA owner but won’t see my share for quite some time. But she has some dreamy colors. I am in the Wollmeise watcher category hoping to get lucky someday but not really serious about it. Kauni looks very interesting but haven’t indulged yet.
9. What are you currently working on? I am incapable of project monogamy. On my needles right now: The Roadwork sweater for my son with Knitpicks Pallette yarn, Foliage Shawl with my own handspun/handdyed Cormo for my MIL, Pacific Islands scarf for me with Sereknity cashmere, Forest Canopy shawl for me with my own handspun/handdyed Corriedale, Luce scarf for me which is in danger of becoming a UFO and a second Fluke scarf with Noro. Soon to cast on is my HSKS6 project. I love what I am going to do for my spoilee but I’m not telling!
10. What is your favorite Finished Object? (Pictures are welcome.) Right now, Beverly’s Birthday socks. I made Fluke out of Sereknity’s Maui Sunset sock yarn. I also modified the toe since Beverly wears flip flops. I am really proud of these because I finished them, on time to send to Beverly with my husband on his trip to CA, I modified the toe without any help, and my friend Michele, who is an amazing knitter, apparently spent quite some time going over them oohing and ahing.
11. Are their any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn? Not at the moment. I find that I pick up knitting skills easily. I guess if anything I would like to learn more ways to cast on and off.
12. What is you favorite type of book or movie? Comedy and light romance. For some reason ever since I had my son I can’t seem to watch anything to heavy or serious. Its weird. I got to see Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day on the airplane the other day. That was an excellent example of a movie I like – it was well done but fun and entertaining. It was a pleasant surprise as I had never heard of it. I also like old movies. Anything from the 40s and 50s. Cary Grant, Doris Day, Marilyn Monroe – what great movies. As for books it’s the same – light and enjoyable. Nothing to intense or emotionally demanding. Something happened to me when I had my son and I just cant handle anything to intense. I just finished Friday Night Knitting Club. I enjoyed it but the ending was a bit tough. I am probably going to release it into the wild. I don’t think I can read it again. My favorite author besides JK Rowling is probably Christopher Moore. He has an amazing sense of humor.
13. Who is your favorite person at Hogwarts? Oh gosh – that’s a tough question. Hogwarts just has too many wonderful people to pick!
14. Favorite class and/or subject at Hogwarts? Lately I love Herbology because of the wonderful magical plants that transform plain yarn into pretty colors.
15. How many family members do you have? Its me, my husband and my 4 year old son. We also have one dachshund who rules the house.
16. What is your favorite Fall activity? Making huge leaf piles and watching my son and the rest of the neighborhood kids play in the leaves.
17. How many projects do you have on your needles/hook? See question 9
18. What is your favorite type of footwear? What – pick a favorite? I LOVE shoes. But I am a careful shoe buyer. I tend to buy good shoes that last for years. My all time favorites, though, are a pair of Prada heels in linen with bright green ostrich skin toes and heels. I wear them with jeans and they are the focus of the outfit. They are gorgeous and as far as heels go they are the most comfortable heels I have ever owned. I can walk all day in these shoes. When I am at home, though, the shoes come off and I prefer bare feet. I did just buy a pair of really cute Kate Spades that I think I need to knit a cute pair of socks to go with though. These are little lace up oxford types with a high heel in a grey flannel. I think I need a lacy little cuff sock to peek over the top of the shoe. Like the old little girl lace top socks.
19. What is your favorite beverage of choice? Coffee!
20. What is your favorite park of Half-blood Prince? I don’t remember any parks in Half-blood Prince. I remember the Park in the beginning of Order of the Phoenix, but no parks in Half-Blood Prince. Ok – just kidding. My favorite part is probably where Dumbledore talks about liking to read knitting patterns.

HSKS6 Questionnaire

2008-09-14T02:17:00.000-07:00

Potter Name: Emma Kettleburn

Rav ID: chloecat262

I am allergic to: grass, trees, weeds and guinea pigs. Not seeing any as an issue in a swap.

Pets that I have: One dog - Tucker the dachshund

My favorite yarn: D) all of the above Seriously, I have gotten so many amazing new yarns to try that I don't have a favorite at the moment. Some of my current favorites, in no particular order, Sereknity cashmere, Noro, Malabrigo, Aracunia, Dream in Color, Panda Silk, this alpaca twist yarn I got at the knitting show this summer, handspun of any kind, and so on. I am sure I have left something off the list.

If you are a Ravenclaw, do you prefer the film colors or the book colors? HUZZAH HUFFLEPUFFS!!!! Not Applicable but I do prefer film just as an FYI

My favorite flavor: Right now, fruity stuff. Like fruit flavored gums. Know what I mean? Im on a fruit flavored gum kick. And coffee is a yummy flavor as well. Oh and tis the season for Pumpkin flavor! Yummm.

My favorite holiday: Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas Halloween all the way, although I love being with family for turkey day and Christmas

I would like to receive a: (Sock kit, scarf kit or yarn dyeing kit) I am actually fine with any of the above. Honestly being as its the silly season, if one type of kit works out best either logistically or economically for my spoiler, please do what is best for you. I love swaps for the people and the sharing and I always feel so lucky with what I get in my box. First and foremost, please be sure you are having fun. If forced to choose the knitting kit would be nice (sock or scarf) but I am also an avid dyer so, as I said, any of the above would bring joy to my day.

List your favorite brand of needles or hooks, including size and length: Right now I am hooked on both my addi's and my knitpick Harmonies. I have the 40 inch circular addi turbos in size 5 and I have the Harmony circular set. I have found the project dictates the needle. But I have also become a needle snob. Oh isn't that awful! For so long I was happy with those easter egg colored Susan Bates aluminum needles because I didn't know any different. Now that I have discovered not only the pleasure of a beautiful needle to look at but how much a difference the right needle makes in crafting an item I just can't go back. My old aluminum needles are now banished to the "in case of emergency" stash.

Is there a brand that you are dying to try?: No - not really. I have to admit, I am in the Wollmeise watcher category. Every now and then I check the availability but am not going out of my way to get it. Its more a curiousity thing to actually touch it and see it up close. Oh wait, I am wanting to try the yarn from Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm. I keep meaning to buy some but because I am a shareholder I know I will be getting my share someday.

I've participated in HSKS: (How many times have you participated in HSKS swaps?) This is my second time with HSKS. My first was HSKS5.

Do you have a birthday during this swap? If so which day? Nope - I fall right after the swap ends.

HSKS6 Term has started!

2008-09-14T02:09:00.000-07:00

Hi - its Emma here. I am so excited. The latest Hogwarts term has officially begun. This time I'm a second year so I feel better going into things because I already know how much fun I will have! It is nice to be back at the castle and with all my friends, chatting in the common room and talking about the DADA teacher.

I had a great break though. I practiced my herbology and made some Hufflepuff colored wool to play with in the common room this term. Hufflepuff has the best colors. I am so glad I got back into Hufflepuff this year.

Well - my owl has arrived and I know who I am spoiling - Miss Ophelia Ballycastle from Gryffindor. I remember her from last term. I think she was in on some of the Quidditch secrets. I need to go make friends with her! Spoiling me is Miss Minerva Wood. I can't wait to get to know both these classmates as well as lots more.

Huzzah Hufflepuff

2008-09-08T02:57:00.000-07:00

I got my owl - Hufflepuff again this term! I am so excited!

And you can join as well. Just click on the HSKS6 logo over there on the side of this post to find out more.

They're Home!!!

2008-09-06T03:36:00.000-07:00

So last night I finally got my family back home after two and a half weeks. Yeah. The flights went smooth and I was waiting to get my hug at Logan as they came out. I could not believe how much DS had grown and changed. Honestly - two weeks is a long time in kid time. I am so glad he got to go on this trip and spend the time with his grandparents but I am now so happy to have him home. But for some reason the remote controls have grown their legs again.

In other news its almost time for Hogwarts to start up again. My alter ego, Emma Kettleburn, is already to return to Hufflepuff - just waiting for confirmation that we got in this term. I do hope I made it back into Hufflepuff and not one of the other houses. I am already working on my kit to ensure my spoilee is thoroughly spoiled.

We are getting hit with the end of Hanna today so its going to be a great day to stay inside, play with DS and maybe spin. I still have to turn the big pile of yellow fluff into yellow yarn.

Priceline and Great Fun - FRAUD ALERT

2008-09-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

So this past week I rented a car for my husband through Priceline - a service I had used successfully in the past. I got a great deal but it turns out I also got some very slippery service at the same time. At the end of the transaction I was asked if I would like to get cash back - since I had used another program that offers cash back I thought I would check it out so I entered my email address and my transaction swooped me over to Great Fun welcoming me to my trial membership in their service. WTF??????? I never acknowledged it - I just screen captured it for the record. I let a few days pass and then I checked out the site - never logging in - and decided to call to cancel. Sure enough - this other site had all my personal information and was all set to start charging me a monthly fee. HOLY S*. WTF. I never agreed to this. I never accepted this. Its a darn good thing I called and cancelled because I then looked on complaints.com and found people had been getting charged for months without knowing they signed up. This is some serious fraud. So I went and left a nasty gram for Priceline and now I am blogging to let anyone who reads this to watch out when visiting Priceline. Don't accept anything from them or you may be setting yourself up for trouble. Argh - this just ticks me off!

End of summer vacation

2008-09-01T04:07:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe my family has been away for two weeks now. Unbelievably I have remained fairly content. I have to admit to having enjoyed the heck out of time to myself and have got quite a bit accomplished. Of course little of it was on the "need to do list" ie clean house, weed toys, etc. Instead I spent time on my "like to do" list and enjoyed spinning, knitting and even, most shocking, shopping. Yes, I actually went out with a friend from work and spent some time (and money) at Nordstroms. Just makeup though - I refrained from the cute pair of Lamb shoes. At home I managed to finally finish spinning up my first skeins of Cormo. I got about 500 yards of two ply 19WPI out of my first batch. Around 4-5 ounces though I didn't weigh it. It took forever to spin because I spun from the lock but it did end up pretty and OMG it is the softest ever. It reminds me of Cashmere. Right now it is natural. I am not sure what color or what FO it will become - for now it is sitting and looking pretty. Its nice to see something that started as this:

Turn into this:

I still have a lot more wool to spin but eventually I should have skeins of this fibery goodness. My next spinning project is to start on the yellow goldenrod dyed wool. I have four ounces to spin up as is - if it is too bright after washing I will blend the next batch with raw wool to tone it down. I still cannot believe I have neon yellow wool from freaking flowers! If I had wanted to get this color I would have been hard pressed to find something equivalent in a chemical dye - its seriously that neon.

Well today is my last day off alone so I have to tackle the "need to do" list and get the house cleaned up in preparation for the boys to return home. I have been talking to them both now that DH has returned to the country and they both had fun. DS has apparently spent considerable time in the dirt and the plans last night (now that everyone is back at my parents house) is a much needed good bath. I am so glad he had fun camping. I hope to make this a regular activity as I have so many fun memories camping. Even if it is sending him with my parents when possible. Besides, it turns out that I had a mini-vacation on my own with this long weekend to myself (taking out the fact that I had to work all Saturday night - unplanned of course).

Yep - thats Yellow

2008-08-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

Well the experiment was a success. Boy - did I get yellow. Turns out I had more than enough flowers - almost two pounds. So I decided to do all flowers this time. I premordanted with alum (4 oz since I was dying a pound of wool) on a one hour simmer then I let the wool sit in the cooling water for about 5 hours. I put the flowers in the crock pot on High for about three hours, then low for an hour. I strained the flowers out of the dye solution, added more water and in went the wool. I simmer for 10 minutes and let cool for two hours. I rinsed repeatedly, spun for two minutes in the washer and here is a sample lock:

Is that yellow or what?? Holy crow - I honestly didn't expect the neon yellow results. The picture is actually a bit muted compared to reality. But I love it! Although I think I may blend it with some natural when I go to spin it up. But for now I have a whole pound of this natural dyed neon goldenrod yellow.

Experiment Day

2008-08-24T04:35:00.000-07:00

Well its been six days since I put DH and DS on a plane. I have been surprisingly content. Once I got word everyone had landed I relaxed and have been enjoying the solitude. I rarely get time alone in my house so here are my observations.

It is possible to go to bed and sleep through the night without being woken up by someone.

If you put the remote control down, it stays in the same place. (I really thought they had legs).

If you turn on a tv show it stays on the same show and doesn't turn to something with the initials "CSI" in it.

I can leave scissors, sharpies, dye chemicals out and not worry.

I can get something done.

I miss my family but know they are having fun and I am enjoying getting a chance to have me time.

So today is experiment day. I wanted to try my hand at natural dying. The goldenrod is everywhere right now and I keep reading it is the simplest to start out as it is pretty much foolproof. So yesterday I picked up the necessary equipment and last night I went out and scored me some goldenrod. Today the plan is to mordant and dye. I have decided on two batches. One flowers, one leaves. I am not sure exactly what I will get but I am guessing yellow and some form of green. I will update later today with pictures!

More Spoilage Part 3 - HSKS5

2008-08-20T17:50:00.001-07:00

The last package! Today I came home and opened my door to one more package. This is the last of my swap packages but oh so wonderful. This is from Cressida at Hogwarts. She had some dark magic interfere in her life so her owl was a little late but so wonderful it was worth the wait. Doesn't it look pretty?

Thats some pretty Hufflepuff yarn, a cool sock pattern and check out the needles - in a gorgeous leather case.
Here is everything out of the box. There is a theme here - besides Hufflepuff. There is chocolate, tea, cookies and bath confetti. Hmmm - sounds like a wonderful afternoon to me! And I wish the color had come out in the two skeins of yarn - they are the most gorgeous emerald green. The pictures don't do it justice. The bag is perfect - just the style I have been wanting for knitting and walking. Here are some close ups!

Isn't it all just gorgeous? Thank you Cressida. I have to say that I am so very appreciative of this package. I know things weren't easy. The fact that you stayed the course and didn't forget me is a reminder of the incredible integrity and kindness of the Hogwarts students. I wish you happiness and magic in your life and hope to see you next term.

More Spoilage Part 2 - Saucy Swap

2008-08-20T17:12:00.001-07:00

So on the same day as my son's ear tubes I got two packages. This was from my wonderful spoiler, Bobasheebaby for the Saucy Swap II. This swap centered around hot sauces and Bobasheebaby did wonderful. Here are the goodies! Tucker is drooling over the chocolate.

And here is the young one eyeballing the goodies. He is looking at the Dinosaur Egg.

Ok - so here are all the goodies. Check out the yummy hot sauces! We love hot! These fit the bill.

Oh and the yarn!!!!! This is a gorgeous hand dyed wool. I am amazed at the subtle color changes. Enough for a scarf and mittens. I am excited because it is the color of blue that makes me think of tropical waters -which is what I need to think of in the winter!

And TWO patterns. A very cute bug mitten pattern - I can't wait to make these for my son - and a Sleepy Eyes cabled mitt pattern. I love Sleepy Eyes patterns - Gina was my spinning teacher and continues to inspire me regularly.

And some yum and fun stuff. Some Renew hand cream - much needed - some soap that smells amazing. I have kept it in my living room because it makes the room smell so nice. Hmm - maybe it will stay here permanently - very earthy and wonderful. Some chocolate - mmmmmm - with chilis in it - ymmmmmmm spice and sweet. Some bug eyes, a recipe for spicy macaroni salad (hmmm - I'm making that this weekend) and some coil needle holders.

Yet again - spoiled to the hilt! I have so much happy yarn now! Thank you Bobasheebaby!!!

More Spoilage Part 1 - Summer of Love Yarn Swap #3

2008-08-13T13:03:00.001-07:00

Ok - its long overdue but its been hectic! I got this package a week ago. It actually came on the same day my son had his ear tube surgery so I was home and relieved that my son handled his surgery so well. It was nice to have a special treat arrive for me. I actually got two that day - see next blog - Saucy Swap package.

So in the case of this package, my spoiler who I now know is Flourish, blew me away. I still say Flourish is a star spoiler. I am taking lessons from Flourish. I also don't think words can do this justice so here are all the pictures. Fortunately, as you can read on the card, Flourish advised me well to get out the camera. I took pictures throughout the unwrapping.

The pretty box! She color coded everything. Yellow for my little boy, red for my puppy dog, and blue/green for me.

Here we go!!

My son digging in.

The first of the goodies -a bag of puppy treats and Harmony cable needles (I love Harmonies)

My son continues to dig in - as you can see some lovely yarn has emerged and my couch is turning into a tissue paper farm.

HOT WHEELS!!!! My son LOVES hot wheels! This was one very happy boy.

Here is it all. Don't worry - better pictures are coming. Does that look like a happy boy? Would you even know he spent the morning in the hospital?

See - I told you a better picture. Ok - so there are hot wheels, a hot wheels auto showroom, Scooby Doo hot wheels (these totally rock!), puppy treats, yarn (details on that to come) a keychain sock blocker - which I have been wanting since I discovered them, an AMAZING book - seriously buy this book. Its all about scarves, but these scarves are works of art. I can't wait to knit some of these scarves but just looking at the book makes you drool. (Its called Knitting New Scarves by Lynne Barr), some Soak samples and a Loopy Ewe postcard. I think I got it all!

Here he is again - happy happy happy. Of course, we then proceeded to set up the showroom and he played with it the rest of the day.

Tucker was one happy puppy.

And here is the first of the yarn. Araucania - Aren't those beautiful colors? It reminds me of the colors in bubbles. Blue/purple/pink - just gorgeous.

Isn't this dreamy? Yep - Dream in Color Baby in dreamy blues. Sigh. So pretty.

Finally, the Panda Silk. When I touched this I said some not so ladylike things I was so amazed by how soft and touchable it was. Im serious, its just super soft. Its totally pettable. And isn't that a pretty blend of colors? Its like peppermint.

Like I said - is Flourish amazing or what? I have been so spoiled in my Summer of Love Yarn swap. I have plenty to keep me busy and keep me smiling!!!!!

Im so spoiled

2008-08-12T16:06:00.001-07:00

So yesterday I came home to an awesome package! With the help of the young one we opened it up to find all kinds of goods from my oh so wonderful Starbucks N Yarn Swap Spoiler, Barb, from Utah. I immediately took pictures because my son was so excited by everything. He even helped! I was then going to blog last night but the young one was wiggling on my lap and slammed his concrete head into my nose. It was a total Marcia Brady scene. Oh my nose! Thankfully not broken but still hurts unbelievably and I ended spending last night with my face embedded in ice instead of raving about my package.

So here are the goodies:

That's the concrete headed boy himself playing Vanna. There is so much here I had to take several pictures.

Here is the absolutely amazing gorgeous cup cozy my spoiler made for me. I love the flower. At first I thought it was felted but upon closer inspection I am not sure. I am going to have to beg for the secret on this one. Its like a purple garden for my cup. Under the cozy is my starbucks travel mug, also flowers. And inside were Tootsie Rolls! Yummmm! In fact, we are sharing one right now.
Here are all the goodies again closer up. The Pez dispenser is Pooh. My son is laying claim to it as well. There is a Starbucks card in there - that has already been made good use of this morning for my latte! The travel mug will hold my morning coffee when we go to the hospital tomorrow morning for my son's ear tube procedure. The flowers and happy vibes will help.
Ok - more of the goodies - see the Tootsie Rolls. Big. Yum. The round item in the back is the Coconut Body Scrub from the Body Shop -which is one of my favorite shops. It smells like Hawaii. There is also a little candle which also smells yummy. And the Diego book is a little book with a water pen - the colors come out with water. My son has been having so much fun with it and it is nice because he can color without me worrying about him coloring the furniture. You gotta love the new inventions for kids.
And now the yarn - is this not just the prettiest color???? Its by Dreams in Fiber, and I think the colorway is called Forbidden if I am reading the tag right. Is from an etsy shop which I am going to have to look up. The colors range from orangy red to mauve to pink to even some camel. It matches my couch exactly. I can't wait to knit it up to see the color flow. I am a huge fan of "warm" colors like this - well as you can tell if I have a whole couch in this color. I was thinking socks but now that I look at it the subtle color changes may be deserving of something lacier. It really is a yarn that you can get lost in as you look at the colors.
And then there was another skein! This was another mindreading moment. This is exactly the colors and weight I want for a hat. Its so perfect!

I think I covered everything - its all so wonderful and I swear that box went on forever! Thank you Barb! You are the best!!!!!

The Longest Week Ever

2008-08-09T07:02:00.001-07:00

Ohhhh - I can't believe it is finally the weekend! Joy Joy Joy!! Seriously - big happy dance here. It has been one very looooonnnnnngggg week. I mean - long. As in, it started last week. As in I have officially worked 12 days in a row. Yikes. Ok - I love my job and I actually had no problem working the schedule I had to keep these past 12 days. It was for a good reason, I was and will be well recognized for my efforts and I actually enjoyed what I was doing. Also, this schedule is rare. Most of the time I can keep my workload to about 40-45 hours a week. My company is big on work/life balance. So all in all I am not complaining. But - and there is always a but - what really bugged about the week is that I also ended up having do deal with the all of a sudden surgery for my son. OK - not a complete surprise. We took him in for the appointment we have been waiting for with the ENT specialist. My son is now averaging an ear infection about every two months and this last one came on super fast (as in on the drive home from his school) and super hard. They basically debilitate him with the pain. So the pediatrician finally agreed it was time for the ENT. Yeah. Fortunately, I have been with my ENT now for the past year and he also treats kids so at least I was able to get my son in with someone I know and trust. So we had the appointment this past Wednesday. The ENT took one look in my son's ears and said "tubes". It was a total no-brainer for all given the look of my son's ears - I guess plenty of fluid was visible - and his history, along with my history (I was terribly prone to infections until I started on allergy shots). We all agreed that tubes were the best option for now but the Doc and I did discuss allergy panels when he is older suspecting that the infections may, like mine, be allergy related. But for now, tubes. What I didn't expect was to have the surgery scheduled for a week later. I just hadn't thought about it. But we are scheduled to go in next Wednesday to get the tubes. Now I know this is a routine surgery, very minor and very common. I know all that in my head. But what has taken me by surprise is how conflicted my heart is about it. We had an appointment yesterday at the hospital to do the paperwork and meet the anesthesiologist. All went well but boy, every time I think about the fact that my little baby is going under, even though it will only be for about 10 minutes, wow, my heart just breaks. Its crazy. My head is all "this is totally routine and very low risk" and my heart is all "but he's my baby and he is going to be medicated and out and OMG what if something crazy happens". Of course, upon discussing this with DH it is not helped by the crazy hours I have been keeping at work and how tired I have been as a result. But he's my baby!!! So today, its Saturday, I finally don't have to work (at least so far - the phone can still ring at any time but it's looking pretty good) and I am able to spend some time doing things that I want to do, like knit and spin, so hopefully I will be better prepared come Wednesday. Ok - NOT. I will probably still freak out once he goes under until I see his little eyes again. Sigh. What is it about giving birth that turns you into mush for the rest of your life. So that has been my very long week. So, how bought some of the good things. I did get an absolutely AMAZING package from my Secret Summer of Love spoiler. All I can say is OMG she is a total mind reader. Here is the pic:

Do you see the theme? Paris!!!!! So, first off you need to know that Paris is the number one place on my list I want to go. I have literally dream about visiting Paris. I just haven't made it yet but am hoping to go for my 40th next year. But I really have never told that many people that of this little dream of mine so when I opened the package I just fell apart with happiness. The package started with a note explaining it all. Then I got to look at everything. The yarn is just breathtaking. It is Malabrigo and soft as can be. But the color, aptly named Paris Night, is the color of the nighttime sky. It is so pretty. I tried to capture the subtle color differences below. I am already planning to make this into a shawl with some beads to be the stars in the Paris Night sky. I will wear it in Paris someday!

Besides the gorgeous yarn there was a bottle of wine -yummmm. Louis Jadot. I love good red wine. The best part is the bottle is small enough to enjoy. I am not a big drinker so this small bottle is a perfect evening at home. I am already planning it for tonight. There was also a wonderful book, Unforgettable Places to See Before You Die, which is like exploring the world from your couch. I can say I have been two of the places in the book, NYC and Ayers Rock. So I have many more to go. Since my husband and I are working on a five year plan that will allow us some travel opportunities, this is a wonderful book - not to mention that my son and I have already sat down and explored it together. He immediately found pictures of cars in the book. He has his priorities. There was also some yummy chocolate with the Eiffel Tower on the bag. We have been enjoying these! And finally the best part - pictures of Paris from my Spoiler's trips to Paris and some of the blogs she wrote during said trips. Ok -these were amazing to get. I enjoy swaps for meeting new people but getting this personal touch was just wonderful. I can't wait to find out who my spoiler is because she I know she is fun and extremely generous, kind and wonderful. To share her life like this with me is going beyond the usual package. I loved all the pictures -they are sitting on my desk to enjoy - and getting to peek into her life through her blogs was wonderful. I am truly lucky not to mention the package arrived with good time to perk up my longest week ever!

What - summer is half over?

2008-07-26T04:53:00.000-07:00

Where in the world does the time go? Its been a very busy week here in the Quality Chick household. I cannot believe July is almost over. Sigh. its so depressing to see school supplies in the stores.

Last weekend we had a wonderful time at the Coco Key Water Park at the Sheraton in Danvers, MA. The hotel is about a 30 minute drive from the house making it quite handy. We booked one night on one of the hottest days of the summer. It was perfect. I have to rave for a few minutes here about the hotel and water park. Everyone at the hotel was super nice. We were even able to get our room when we arrived at 11am - well before standard 4pm check in time. When you book a night you two full days access to the water park. The rooms were quite impressive and even had a small kitchenette. Its obviously a great family hotel. After we settled in we headed over to the indoor water park. Its not as big as an outdoor water resort but still big! It had a kiddie pool with slides, a medium sized multi-slide area, and a big monster slide area, along with a small pool and a lazy river. Young one, being short, was able to go on all but the big monster slides. We all had a ball getting wet and trying to avoid the big bucket water drop. It was even fun just sitting in the kid pool watching Young one make friends and slide the little slide. We ended the evening at the arcade playing skee ball and other fun games for tickets. The next day it was back to the water park and more wet fun. I honestly have to say this was one of the Master Card moments -you know - room $200, food $40, watching your little guy grin ear to ear as he splashes with you and you sit having a great family weekend -priceless! Truly worth every dime. I would highly recommend this hotel for a local staycation. In fact, we are making plans to go again this winter.

But, Monday things came crashing down. Monday was DH's birthday. We had planned dinner and all that but Young one came down with a cold (we knew it was coming on) which true to form turned into an ear infection. He is like me - ear infections come on quick and hard. Sure enough, in the time it took for DH to drive Young one home from school, the infection hit. Fortunately we have a great pediatrician and we had Young one in the dr within hours. The good news is that none of this was caused by the water play. It would have happened regardless, which we figured. We were also finally able to get a referral to a specialist to have Young one's ears looked at to try and sort these out for good. I have a long history of ear infections that we finally attributed to allergies. Since starting allergy shots I have been ear infection free. That may not be the cause for Young one, but it is nice that we have finally established enough of a trend to get him into my ENT specialist. So now we wait a week and start the whole process of finding out how to get rid of the routine ear infections. So, needless to say, DH did not get a birthday dinner.

The rest of the week has been work and trying to make sure Young one gets his medicine. He is good about it but apparently this stuff is yucky. It is a small battle twice a day but we manage. Work has also been crazy busy. I found out I probably have to go back to Hawaii in September for 2-3 weeks. I love going to our worksite in Hawaii but I am not looking forward to being away from my family for that long - especially as I will leave right after they get back from their three week trip to California. And even though I will be in Hawaii, it is not a Hawaiian vacation. These trips are hard work, 12 hour days and lots of walking and climbing in steel toe boots. This trip I have to climb the high stairs which I couldn't master last trip. They are scary - about 80 feet up on open grate. I think I am going to a hypnotist before the trip.

In my free time (what is that) I am trying to actually finish knitting some socks for our friends birthday. Hopefully I will make it. I also am staring at the gorgeous Cormo fleece I got from Cormo farms. I need to post the pictures soon. Not sure when I will start cleaning that up! Maybe that will keep me busy while the family is gone. All I know is I am all set for winter spinning. I have started spinning up my cleaned Cormo but it is slow going. I am combing the locks and spinning from the locks. I think I will do about three skeins this way before going to the drum carder. It takes a while to prep the fiber like this but it is turning out soft and pretty.

Well enough for now!

Starbucks Swap Scavenger Hunt

2008-07-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

In Your Blend:

· What U.S. state has the most folks in your Blend?
o Gold Coast Maryland
· What is the most popular Ravatar choice, i.e., self portrait, child, pet, yarn, etc. Gold Coast - self portrait
· Find someone with over 100 posts. (Bonus if it's not a blend hostess.) Kelly P
· Who is the oldest Raveler in the group, i.e., Ravelry membership, not age! Tara K Hostess. Non-Hostess would be Shelby B June 15 2007
· Who is the newest Raveler in the group? Michelle R
· Find a sock knitter. Carole C
· Find a spinner. Sandi 0
· Find two people with the same favorite drink. Amber W and Gracie B Mocha Frap
· Find two bloggers. Barb M Marian P
· Find two non-bloggers. Lydia B Carole C
Outside Your Blend:

· Find two people who dye yarn. Linda B and Rosemary D
· Find two people with the same favorite color(s). Linda B and Lamira F (Red)
· Find two people with the same favorite fragrance. Tracie S and Julie B (Vanilla)
· Find two people with the same favorite yarn(s). Christy D and Julie B (Malabrigo)
· Find someone with more than four kids. (Bonus if you find more than one.) Laura I, Jenean W
· Find three people who live outside the U.S. Lynn J, Rosemary D, Anita L
· Find someone with an unusual pet. Leta T - Alpacas
· Find someone with at least three pets. Rosemary D, Leta T,
· Find two people with birthdays in the same week. Sharon S and Stephanie K
Find two people with the same favorite curse word. Karla M and Laura M

Friday??

2008-07-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

I am having a hard time adjusting to the fact that today is only Friday. See, I have a great work schedule where I get to do my 80 hours in 9 days so I technically get every other Friday off from work. However, very rarely do I seem to be able to actually take the day off. Normally 9/80 translates work 9 days and then work really hard on the 10th day. But the fates aligned and I took the day off. I only worked about an hour in the afternoon to catch up on some loose ends. At any rate, it was strange. All day I thought it was Saturday. its pretty cool knowing that tomorrow I will get up and it will only be Saturday. I love it.

We have big plans for the weekend. Today was errand running - the young one needed new shorts. He is growing so fast! But tomorrow I booked us into the Sheraton Ferncroft with CocoKeys Waterpark. Since it is supposed to be in the high 90s tomorrow this is ideal. We can get in the water park at 11 and then our hotel room at 4. We have full use of the water park both Saturday and Sunday. Its indoors and climate controlled. Best of all its 30 minutes from home. Its a little mini "staycation". Well worth it for the fun and the indoor coolness on this very hot weekend.

Quidditch Round 3 Bonus

2008-07-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

(Extra 5 pts - What movie will Robert Patterson star in this December?)

I believe this is supposed to be Robert Pattinson who will be playing Edward Cullen in Twilight slated for release in December.

Quidditch Round 3 Pictures

2008-07-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

Padma PatilHannah Abbott
Dumbledore's Army
Percy

Cedric Diggory

Quidditch Round 3

2008-07-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Quidditch ~ Round Three

1. When Hagrid returns to Hogwarts after being sent to see the giants with Madame Maxime, Professor Umbridge questions him on his late return to school. She suspects that Hagrid had been to the mountains, but where does he tell her he has been?

d. South of France

2. Professor Umbridge comes to Hagrid's Hut and searches his cabin one evening (as she believes Harry, Ron and Hermione are there visiting him at night when they are not supposed to). When she walks past the place where Harry, Ron and Hermione are hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, Harry holds his breath. True or false?
b. False

3. A stately-looking witch in an emerald green shawl is one of the members of the Advance Guard who rescues Harry from Privet Drive. What is her name?
a. Emmeline Vance

4. What is the name of the witch who was killed two weeks after the photo of the original Order of the Phoenix was taken?
b. Marlene McKinnon

5. Which two fifth year Ravenclaw students does Dumbledore choose to be prefects?
d. Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil

6. Which house was Rose Zeller sorted into?

d. Hufflepuff

7. What is the color of Murtlap's essence?
c. Yellow

8. Name the Ravenclaw girl who became prefect in Harry's fifth year.
b. Padma Patil

9. According to a healer's portrait at St. Mungo's hospital, which disease was Ron suffering from?
a
d. Spattergroit

10. Which book did Harry give Hermione for Christmas?
a. "New Theory of Numberology"

Books Books Books

2008-07-15T20:51:00.001-07:00

One of my absolute passions is reading. I love to read and do so voraciously. I cannot imagine a day without reading. I remember as a child desperately wanting to learn to read. I would take books and circle the words I could read - and, the - the simple ones. I also very clearly remember the day I learned to read at school and how much I loved sitting at the table reading books aloud that year. I never lost that passion. Its strange because I don't come from a family of readers, which is probably why they never picked up on my desire to learn to read. I was always the odd one out with my nose in a book all the time. As I got older I would carry a book at all times and read during class under my desk. This confused my teachers a bit because I was always paying attention and could answer any question so they couldn't fault me there and they couldn't really fault me because I was actually reading - again something most kids didn't do voluntarily. I could live without knitting but not without books.

One of the drawbacks is I read very quickly. In fact, just out of curiousity I took a few of the online tests to see if a speed reading course would be helpful and they all came back "no" in that I already have that skill mastered. I cruise through books at a normal rate of 2-3 per week provided I am not too tired. I love all books but have to admit since having my son I no longer am able to enjoy anything too gruesome or scary. I used to be a big Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwall fan but really have to be in a mood in order to read these authors anymore. Something weird happened when I became a mom and I can't handle the scary stuff. Maybe because I have my own scary stuff to deal with in real life now. For the most part I read lighter fiction now, especially chick lit. Nothing to heavy or depressing for now. Again - something about momhood makes me shun anything to sad. I also love childrens books. I love to read to my son but I also love to read children's and preteen books for my own pleasure. My favorites are Narnia, Madeline L'engle, Meg Cabot and, obviously, J.K. Rowling. And I love Fairy Tales. I have several books of fairy tales from different cultures. Its amazing how similar they are and how you can always find the same stories in every culture. I am also amazed at how prevalent Cinderella is as a plot line in books and movies. Its my favorite fairy tale, although I must admit I like the Pretty Woman ending best where she walks away from the Prince until it is on her terms. Gosh, am I rambling here or what! I told you - books are my passion!!!!

So I decided I wanted to start tracking what I read. I am adding a bookshelf to my blog and I will start putting up the books I am reading. I am interested in seeing just how many I actually read in a year. It should be interesting. I just finished re-reading the Harry Potter series. I started the books right after the HSKS5 swap started and finished a week ago. That series is brilliant and no matter how many times I read it I am always finding something new. But I am starting post HP this year. So up on my shelf is Twilight which has been referred to me now by several people. I finally broke down and bought it and Darn It - I loved it!!!! It sucked me in (oh - love that play on words!) and I finished it in a few days. Now I have to go get the next three books. In the meantime, until that happens I have some fluffy romance novels my husband found free for me. Those are always my fallback books. I know, romance novels are sometimes the literary equivalent of Wonder bread, so tasty but completely empty of any nutritional value. But I enjoy them because they are generally entertaining. I do tend to be picky about my romance novel authors knowing that my favorites tend to try to craft an interesting story beyond the standard romance novel plotline. But I also will take any free book and give it a shot. So on my bookshelf you will see variety! And trust me - when I find something I love and want to share I will make note of it!

A portkey out of town

2008-07-14T03:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I decided I needed some supplies and a little foray out of Hogwarts so I took a portkey across the pond to the American witch city of Salem. It was a lovely day spent by myself looking through all the shops. Did you know that Salem has an official witch? Her store was really nice and she even sells wands now. Of course the town was also filled with muggles - its strange how they are able to keep their town and stores out in the open and just confound the muggles by offering "haunted tours" and cheesy witch museums. I was able to buy some needed herbs, a new book, and some pretty stones. But mostly I enjoyed just wandering on my own for awhile. It was unusual though in that I must have had a "talk to me" vibe, or maybe I didn't look like a muggle tourist, because all the shopkeepers wanted to talk to me. I had interesting conversations with so many people! The most interesting was in one of the "real" shops the shopkeeper stopped me to ask a question and prefaced it with "I am sure you wont know but I am going to ask anyways". He wanted to know where he could buy a chicken - as in a live chicken - because he wanted to keep a pet chicken, like he had as a child. Ok - not what I expected but you know something, I do know where to buy chickens. So I told him where he can find chickens. Turns out he also does divination. Got me thinking how did he know out of all the tourist customers in his store that I would know where to get a chicken. hmmmmm - makes you think!

I think this will qualify as a favorite summertime memory!

2008-07-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

So there is a little contest in the Summer of Love Yarn Swap:
For this contest, I want you to blog about your favorite Summer time memory. It can be from this year, years past, or from your childhood. You can even include a picture!!!

I have many wonderful summer memories. I loved summer! Mostly because every summer my dad would take four weeks off work in August and we would get in the camper/motorhome and drive. We went all over the country and I was lucky enough to see so many places and experience so much! Not to mention just the good quality family time. This year my dad is taking my son for his first motorhome trip. I am so very glad for both my dad and my son that they get to share this experience - although its going to be so very hard for me to be away from my son for two whole weeks! I will post for consoling when the time comes.

But I added a new summertime memory last night. It was a perfect summer night - not too hot or humid. So we were outside and my son was playing with his best friend who is our neighbor. My husband decided to water the lawn ...... so the boys of course decided to run in the sprinklers! It was such a joy to watch!

Are those not happy faces! I remember running in the sprinkler. It was a nice reminder that as a child we had that kind of complete joy from such simple things. Hmmmm - I think I need to go run in the sprinklers! This is going down as a favorite summertime memory!

The Socks Won

2008-07-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Ok - I tried to do the dream swatch head scarf but just didn't love it. But I do love the socks I am working on so guess what - the socks won! I love the Noro stripes and the pattern is so easy. It is Fluke. I was wandering around outside while the kids played knitting away - it was that easy!

Its not the best picture - I took it with the built in Mac camera - but it does show that this is going to be a very pretty sock! Thank you Summer of Yarn Love Swap Spoiler!!!!!!

Hufflepuff Homework

2008-07-09T16:10:00.001-07:00

Boy - more Homework!!! Enough!

1) What is a Chimaera? A vicious, bloodthirsty creature with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail.

2) Name 3 of the 4 breeds of Winged Horses.
Abraxan - palomino
Aethonan - chestnut, popular in Britain and Ireland
Granian - grey, fast
thestral - black, but see specific entry regarding visibility

3) What are Yeti afraid of? fire

4) How does a wizard rid a farm of a Nogtail? chased off the farm by a pure white dog

5) Why are Fwoopers sold with a silencing charm? A Fwooper's song will drive the listener insane

6) Where are Erklings found? Germany

7) Name the only spell known to repel a Lethifold. Patronus Charm
(Bonus if you can name the wizard who survived a Lethifold attack) Flavius Belby

Hogwarts Knit A Long

2008-07-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

So I actually did cast on for the Knit A Long of the Dream Swatch Head Scarf but I gotta admit I don't love it.

Actually, I do like the pattern but it is much to wide for me to use for my hair. And I love the way the yarn is striping - this is my own Kool Aid dyed handspun. I think I may frog it and redo it in half the width. The colors do rock though. I may save this skein for a hat or a scarf. I have some leftover pink that I just finished spinning which I will probably use instead although I am not so sure about pink with my henna red hair. I am so indecisive. But I also have so much to do anyways. I am knitting Fluke socks out of my Noro I got in the Summer of Love Yarn Swap but hubby really likes the pattern and wants me to knit a pair that he can take to our friend in San Diego when he visits in August, so now I need to finish the sock on my needle, then make a pair out of my skein of Maui Sunset Sereknity. Considering my track record for FOs ........ well if they are for someone else on a deadline I can usually get it done. Oh well, I will just have to decide........later!

Well - I am a chick after all

2008-07-05T05:12:00.000-07:00

And we gals like changing things around sometime. Right? So I played around with my template and picked a new one. I actually wish I had the time to really do things right with my blog - you know not just rely on the premade templates and items Google provides - but with my life its just not going to happen. So until I get really inspired and have lots of free time when I don't feel like knitting or spinning then I will just play with what Google blogger provides.

So last night I actually went to the LYS for knitting group. Its rare that I can make it and I was stoked to see our hostess, the fabulous designer SleepyEyes, ws going to open the store just for the group on the holiday. So off I went and had a fabulous time. Being surrounded by men all the time both at home and at work it was nice to be just girls for a few hours. I am going to try to move this activity higher up in my priority list because it was a much needed break from testosterone. I didn't get home until 10 and into bed until 11 - which for me is unheard of to be up so late. So when I woke up this morning and looked at the clock and saw 7:45 I about fell out of bed! I usually am up by 5 to get in a few minutes of quiet time before the boys get up. But since I slept so late DH was already getting my son dressed to take along on DH's usual Saturday morning garage sale search. So this means a few hours of complete alone time in my own house! So mind you I just realized I am sitting here drinking my coffee with Clifford the Big Red Dog on the tv. Shows how much I pay attention to tv and how much I am used to having PBS as background noise in my life. I am also sitting here thinking "what to do with my time" but sadly I am also remembering I need to do some cleaning and I have to put in a couple hours of work to get some documents reviewed before Monday. Well - that is so waiting until they return. I am so not wasting some peaceful spinning time. Oh and I can wash more wool!

Speaking of wool - so after my experience cleaning my Cormo I caved and bought another fleece. I bought Kathy2 from Cormo Sheep and Wool Farm. I am well set now for wool for quite some time. Seriously, though, I really am enjoying the process of cleaning the Cormo. So different from the other fleece. I am doing small batches but it is so easy that I don't mind doing a little bit each day and I expect to finish the first fleece this month. I also think I may be able to start spinning some tomorrow as I expect to finish my current skein today. I am trying to maintain spinning monogamy otherwise I will have half-spun bobbins everywhere. I can't wait to see the Cormo spun up!

Well - time to enjoy my coffee and my quiet morning!

FIbery Goodness Swap Questionnaire

2008-07-04T02:59:00.000-07:00

Ravelry Name: Chloecat2262

Match desired: International, USA only (please note, if you’re outside of the US you may have to do an international swap): Either

Would you be an angel if needed?: If needed for fiber, not for handspun! I am still a newbie and I am not confident I could make two skeins in the necessary time and of good enough quality to send to someone.

Do you also Knit, Crochet?: I have been a knitter for the past twentysome years.

How would you rate your spinning experience: (beginner, intermediate, advanced)?: Beginner - I started a few months ago.

What is your favorite fiber to spin?: I have only spun wool so far. No favorites yet

What is your least favorite fiber to spin?: Same thing - havent spun enough to not like something

Are there any fibers you do not like/are allergic to?: Nope

Any particular fiber you’re dying to try?: BFL

What is/are your favorite color(s)?: purples, blues, greens, pinks - but I love all colors

What is/are your least favorite color(s)?: 1970s avocado green, burnt orange and 70s brown

Do you like: Coffee? Tea? Sweets? Lotions? Candles?: I love coffee, tea and sweets. I like lotion but have been given so much over the years that I have a lifetime supply. I love candles with fresh scents - not to overpowering.

Is there any spinning related item you are desperate to get your hands on?: Because I am so new there is still much to learn and acquire.

Do you have any allergies?: Nothing of note

Do you have pets? Do you smoke?: I have one dog, soon to get a second. No smoking.

Anything else your swap partner should know about you?: I am a newbie to spinning but I think I am learning - best of all is I am wide open to everything right now because I am a newbie.

Starbucks Swap Questionnaire

2008-07-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

1. Full name (prefer not to post on blog)
2. Ravelry ID Chloecat262
3. Email address (also prefer not to post on blog)
4. Blog address (if you have one) here you are so look in the address bar :)
5. Handmade item you desire in the swap (bag, cup cozy, etc.) Surprise me!
6. Starbucks item you desire (gift card, mug, beans, etc.) A mug if possible - I am collecting the City mugs. I have NYC and Waikiki
7. Favorite Starbucks beverage/bean - Venti Nonfat Latte
8. Favorite snack food - Chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, nuts, fruit, cheese
9. Favorite color(s) - purples and blues, pink - oh heck I like em all!
10. Favorite fragrance - Samsara by Guerlein
11. What types of things do you like to knit? lace, socks, bags
12. Do you spin? yes - I am addictd
13. Do you dye your own yarn? - yes - also addicted
14. Favorite yarns - I am having fun exploring yarns - honestly altough I have knit since I was 16 I only recently discovered real yarn!
15. Favorite needles - I love my harmonies and my Addi's
16. Do you have any allergies? nothing of any concern except guinea pig. I can't share a building with guinea pigs for more than 20 minutes before I start having trouble breathing. I know, its weird. However, unless they now make guinea pig yarn I don't think this is an issue. But really, I probably shouldn't ever have guinea pig yarn.
17. Would you be willing to prepare an angel kit if necessary? Yep
18. Do you have any special requests? Yes please - a postcard! We are collecting Postcards from friends we havent met yet.
19. Do you have any pets? Yep, one dog now, another probably coming in a few weeks.
20. Is your home smoking or nonsmoking? nonsmoking

Hogwarts Happenings

2008-07-03T16:59:00.001-07:00

Its Emma here - just thought I would drop a post about the happenings at Hogwarts. its been quiet since Quidditch - but then again I have been so busy with all my homework! Well, tomorrow is a day off thankfully. I am going to look at my stash to see if I have anything to use for the knit along. It sounds FUN.

Happy Fourth everyone - apparently this is some kind of muggle holiday with lots of good fireworks. I hope they have some of the Weasley fireworks - they are the best!

I love my Cormo

2008-06-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

Ok - so after reading some discussion about cleaning fleece I got inspired to finally tackle my Cormo I picked up at the NH Sheep and Wool festival. I was nervous because I really hated cleaning the black Romney I got at the same time. It was dirty and didn't come out as something I am inspired to spin. Cleaning it was just uck. Although I knew the Cormo was much cleaner I was still not scared, not to mention that I really want to spin this fleece so I did not want to blow it and end up with a felted mess. Well, after reading some good information I took the plunge ...... and it worked out great!! I ended up with some very pretty fluffy wool just waiting to be spun.

Here are some pictures:

Here is the entire fleece - all 4 pounds of it.

Here is a close up of a lock. Isn't it pretty! So white and some nice crimp. Almost all of it was this clean - a few dirty tips.

So, a couple tricks for this effort. First, I did small batches. A few ounces at a time. Second, I took tuille and carefully laid down the fleece, lock by lock, and layered it two layers deep. This package went into a lingerie bag.

This first batch turned out ok but I wasn't completely satisfied. I liked the tuille idea but there was still too much movement. Off I went to the pet store to pick up the sifting kitty pan. While there I picked up a couple of different dog brushes. These I used to open up the tips of the dirty locks before cleaning. This really helped the next batches and I had fewer dirty tips. The cat pan was key in that I was able to keep the fleece completely flat during the water changes which kept the locks intact.

For the wash I did three 15-20 minute baths with Dawn in hot water. The fleece was so clean that after the first bath I had a tub with visible lanolin. No dirt. It was so different from the mud I had from my first fleece. After the 3 Dawn baths I followed with about 4 more water baths, also hot, until the soap was gone. Then a quick turn in the spin cycle in the washer and I had clean fluffy wool!

I have to say that I LOVE this fleece! I cannot wait to spin it up! As soon as I am done with the skein I am working on this in going on the wheel. I also have to say that I loved cleaning and touching this so much that I went to Cormo Sheep and Wool Farm and ordered another Cormo fleece - Kathy2. I have my work cut out for me but I have big plans for all this wool - can we say Christmas gifts!

Hufflepuff Homework

2008-06-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

This week - a Transfiguration:

Transfigure the following quote from Order of the Phoenix back into English and post it to your blog by noon (est) on Tuesday, July 1st.

'PSX JBST TRHF?' YSB WXYWXYZE, CSSJDBV SGZY HF FRZ QHY TDFR ZBFRXIDHIW. 'TZ MSXCE SYEZY HBPFRDBV TZ CDJZE DB RZYZ. D QZF FRHF QCSJZ TSXCE IZCC XI HBPFRDBV, RZ TSXCEB'F MHYZ. D'GZ HCTHPI THBFZE FS FYP KDYZTRDIJP -'

'YOU KNOW WHAT?' RON MURMURED, LOOKING OVER AT THE BAR WITH ENTHUSIASM. 'WE COULD ORDER ANYTHING WE LIKED IN HERE. I BET THAT BLOKE WOULD SELL US ANYTHING, HE WOULDN'T CARE. I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY FIREWHISKY –' p337

Ok - so want to know the really spooky part about this week's homework? I got most of this transfigured and then decided to pick up my book (which I just finished so I had on hand) and I literally opened it to the exact page with the quote. How weird is that?

Oh and an update. I made it out of the infirmary finally. I still have to take some potions but at least I am up and walking again! Thanks to all for the well wishes.

Post travel blues and random acts of kindness

2008-06-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

Well the fallout from my week of travel continues and it sucks. What I thought was just a cold morphed into a full fledged bronchial infection. Having spent days coughing until I thought I would burst I finally made it to a doctor (and don't even get me started about the lack of medical care availability in Massachusetts on a weekend). I know have some antibiotics and some serious heavy duty cough syrup. The downside is that while I wait to recover I have found that any amount of exertion causes a coughing fit. I am most comfortable when sitting on the couch. Even lying down is dubious, although improving. I had to walk up the stairs this morning and paid heavily for the next five minutes. Unfortunately I am still very behind at work from the travel and this is only making it worse. I have been able to do a few things from home but I am looking forward to working the weekend to try and catch up. Yeah. How I miss the days of childhood when you could spend a week in bed with tv and comic books and not have to pay for it later. Sigh.

So the upside, though, is that I have been able to sit and knit. I cast on a sock with my Noro and am excited to see it progress. Once I get a bit further I will take a picture. Also, once I feel more up to the trip on the stairs to get my camera. But I am enjoying working with the Noro. It reminds me of my handspun in the way it varies in thickness. Also, my new Addi's are an absolute dream to knit with! My Spoiler told me she was tempted to keep them and now I can't say I blame her. I can only hope she gets equally spoiled this summer and gets her own.

The other upside is I get to Snitch hunt today with the HSKS Quidditch bonus round. I have to say I was taken by surprise by all the emotions surrounding the last Snitch hunt. I guess people's competitive natures got the best of them. Whatever. For me, HSKS5 is fun. I am amazed at the level of organization and effort that has been into this swap by the Organizer, Headmistress Wartbobble, as well as her prefects and head girls/boys. Yes, I would have loved to have found the Snitch but I didn't. Yes, I admit I was jealous of Selena but fair is fair and she happened upon it first. She rocks at Snitch hunting. So I am super happy for her (but her butt is fair game today!!!). Beyond that it is all just good fun. This is also my first swap, although I have joined more since.

One thing I am learning from swapping, from the HSKS swap, and from the knitting community on Ravelry in general is that there is an amazing number of people who just like to do things for each other. Talk about your random acts of kindness. Seriously, swaps are based on giving for giving sake. There is incredible effort put into making the swap packs the best they can be - at least it seems that way. Whenever I talk to people it seems they are working hard to make it a great package. I know I am struggling with mine as I want to make sure they are liked by the receiver. I think I am doing well but every day I ask myself "can I do better". This is kind of like Quality in general. Quality is really about asking yourself that every moment of every day. I see so many examples of that in the knitting community. Its amazing to know that there are so many good people out there tied together by fiber.

To top it off yesterday I got the most amazing PM on ravelry totally out of the blue. One of my swap questionnaires I posted mentioned I collect postcards. This is something I recently started with my son. We are collecting postcards from strangers. It is very cool to see the places we get - including my price postcard from Inuvik Canada. I would probably never go to Inuvik, nor had I heard of it before, but now we have a postcard and know more about it. So anyways, out of the blue I get the PM from someone in England offering me a postcard. I love it. Nothing in return, just willing to send the postcard. Best of all was what she said: "It's fun for children to see how nice the world really is." - That says it all. The world is nice and it is nice to have a community of people working freely to remind each other of this is small ways every single day. I know it makes me smile - even though that is about all I can do today!

Go smile and make the world a happy place.

Hot Sauce Swap Questionnaire

2008-06-21T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hot Sauce

1. What kinds of sauces do you like? Do you like ‘em hot and spicy or more toward the sweet? Do you like four alarms going off at once, or a heat that builds?

Hot and Spicy! I grew up in San Diego so I grew up eating spicy Mexican food. I love a sauces with a bite with a preference towards a good build up.
2. Do you have any sauces that you do not like at all?

Tabasco. Its just not right for some reason.
3. What do you like your hot sauce on?

Mexican food most of all. All kinds of rice and beans, meats, chips. Not so much on eggs except the occasional huevos rancheros.
4. What kinds of recipes do you like to work your hot sauce magic with? Do you BBQ? Throw it in take-out? Put a dash into your eggs in the morning? Do you like to cook, or do you prefer to just dress up a good take-out dish?

My husband is the cook in the family. He will use hot sauce on anything when he is cooking. Along with living in San Diego, he grew up in Brazil so his cooking tends toward spicy. We will both put sauce on take out as well.
5. Do you have any particular food allergies that should be avoided when picking out a hot sauce?

Fortunately no!
6. Recipe you would like to share? I will get my husband's mango salsa recipe and post it. Its not a sauce but it is spicy!

Yarn

1. Do you knit or crochet?

Knit only. Can't crochet at all.
2. What are your favorite types of yarns to work with?

Most anything except acrylic or novelty yarns (ie fun fur). Right now I am having fun with wool, silk, bamboo. I also spin so I love homespun and the variety of textures that come with homespun.
3. What do you have on the needles (or hook!) right now?

A sweater for my son, a cashmere scarf, a shawl out of my own homespun and a pair of socks from my first swap package yarn I just received in the Summer of Love yarn swap.
4. What are your favorite colors to work with? Are there any colors you wouldn’t want caught dead in your stash?

I love purples, blues and greens but also have a tendency to enjoy warm colors. I love the rainbow. I do tend to avoid sixties avocado cream and burnt oranges.
5. Any preference in your hooks/needles? Prefer bamboo over plastic or aluminum? You’re good with whatever you’ve got to work with? Let us know.

I prefer wood over plastic or aluminum but will use what works best for the project. I love my harmonies from Knit Picks but I also just received a set of Addi's and am finding they are a dream for socks.
6. Notions. C’mon, let us know – if you get one more measuring tape, will you run screaming from the room? Or are you the type that loses stitch markers constantly? What notions do you love and loathe?

Amazingly this is one area that I am lacking. I have been a closet knitter for over 20 years. I never knew so much existed in this area since my exposure to yarn stores has been mostly generic craft stores (think Michaels). In fact, I only saw my first "fancy" stitch markers a few months ago. Until then I thought stitch markers were plastic rings.
7. Any fiber allergies we should know about? Nope! Yeah

Stuff

1. Are you a snacky type of person? Do you like candy? Chocolate? In between hot sauce applications, what would we find you snacking on?

Candy and chocolate.
2. Are you into recipe magazines? Knitting mags? What kinds of quick, stash-it-in-your-knitting-bag reading do you like to have on hand?

Not so much into recipe magazines since my hubby does the cooking and he is a make it up as he goes along guy. I love all things fiber in mags. I have a subscription to Creative Knitting but am discovering this is entry level in the world of knitting - again I have been in the closet. Am just beginning to explore what is available in the LYS I just discovered.
3. What cheers you up?

My son :) I have a four year old and he keeps me amused. I like silly things like kid toys. I had fun working last week when I took a happy meal toy on top of the helipad and took its picture. We considered staging a full blown Kung Fu Panda battle on the helipad but ran out of time. These are the silly things that amuse me. See this post for the pictures. Sometimes I am an overgrown kid.
4. Do you collect anything other than yarn?

Fairies and disney princesses, postcards.
5. Do you have pets?

I have two dogs.
6. Any other allergies?

Nothing worth noting.
7. Are you a swap newbie, or have you done this before? Any good advice for newbies you’d like to share?

I am still something of a newbie. I only discovered swaps recently and am now in several. I received my first package and am sending my first packages this week.

Quidditch Pictures

2008-06-19T15:39:00.001-07:00

Kingsley ShackleboltBellatrix LestrangeNymphadora Tonks
Remus Lupin

Quidditch Round 2

2008-06-19T15:35:00.001-07:00

1. At the beginning of the year feast, who is the only person who rudely interrupts Dumbledore during his speech?
b. Professor Umbridge

2. Off what street is the alley where Harry first met Sirius?
c. Magnolia Crescent

3. Tonks’ mother had two sisters, both pure-bloods, and both left on the Black Family Tree. What are their names?
c. Narcissa and Bellatrix

4. What spell are the students studying in McGonalgall’s class when Umbrdige is doing her inspection?
d. The Vanishing Spell

5. Who comes to warn Harry and the rest of Dumbledore’s Army that Umbridge and her group of followers are coming to break up their meeting?
Answer: ___DOBBY____________________ (five letters)

6. Who are the members of the Order that met Harry Potter in the Dursely’s house during the summer before his fifth year?
c. Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Remus Lupin, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, Hestia Jones

7. Moody used the Disillusionment Charm on Harry.
a. Yes

8. Which of these Death Eaters is Sirius related to?
d. All of these

9. At what age did Sirius leave his home?
Answer: ____16_______________ (Number)

10. How many of the original Order members were killed (don’t include those who disappeared)?
b. 8

I've been Spoiled! Summer of Love #1

2008-06-18T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today's mail brought me a package and I was thrilled to see my SOLYS spoilers name in the corner! My very first Swap package! Oh I was so excited! So was my son. He started working on opening it with me right away. It was filled with wonderful goodies!

Here he is with the opened goodies. I got TWO skeins of yarn! Yeah! One was Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn which I have been dying to try. It is a pretty rainbow of colors - I cannot wait to see how it stripes up. The other is Tofutsies in a really pretty grey and pink. Another one I have heard of but never tried but now I am fascinated. Tofutsies is made with Chitin which is made from shrimp and crab shells and is antibacterial (yes I am reading the label). This sounds awesome for socks. Its also really soft and looks like it will make pretty patterns when knit up. I am so excited to start some socks!

Also, a pair of Addi Turbos in Size 1! Yeah! I was so excited to see these as I have been wanting to try Addi's, but more because I decided I wanted to try a sock pattern I have but discovered I needed size 1 needles, which I did not have. Honestly, I think my Spoiler, Knit One Purl Two - Knit One, must have been reading my mind. I discovered this just before I left on my trip and hadn't really thought about it since I knew I couldn't go shopping. Yeah - now I can start.

Also in the package was a fabulous card - check it out in the picture - Flip Flops!

This card is going on my wall -it makes me feel like summer. There was also a cool knit pattern postcard which is going in my postcard collection. Then there were the goodies. Smarties - my fav! Ferrero Rochers - MMMMMM Chocolate, and Pop Rocks! I haven't had Pop Rocks in forever!

I love Pop Rocks! The best part was my son wanted to try the Pop Rocks. He is four so this was a first. After dinner tonight we busted them out and shared a Pop Rocks desert. His face was priceless!

He was not real sure what was going on! But he passed on seconds. Too funny. What a lovely Summery package! I can't wait to go start on some socks. I picked out a Magic Loop pattern and plan on casting on before the weekend. Yeah!

Back on Solid Ground

2008-06-18T12:55:00.001-07:00

Whew, it is good to be home. It has been such a hectic crazy week! First, its a 13 hour trip to Honolulu from Boston. There is nothing quite like sitting cramped on a plane for that long. Yuck. My layovers were just long enough to change planes so it felt like one long ride. It was also a 6 hour time change which made for some very early mornings. This was good, though, as I had to work every day. Unfortunately, I had to work very long days, rarely making it back to the hotel before 8 pm. So much for beach and sunshine.

I do get to work on a very unique piece of equipment and it was an amazing opportunity jobwise but it was also a very unusual environment. I spent most of my time 150 feet above the water, much of which was standing on open grate walkways. The first time I visited this particular site I was scared out of my mind. I stepped out a door and I found myself looking straight down at the water way below. By the end of this visit I was so exhausted I found myself not caring and as a result I was able to explore more and I ventured up to the edges of the area to enjoy the views.

Here is what I looked at every day:

That is the Missouri and the memorial over the Arizona. From our vantage we could clearly see the oil slick coming off the Arizona. Its amazing that after so long there is still that much oil weeping out of that ship. It was also quite moving to spend so much time overlooking Battleship Row and seeing the site of such a historic moment.

What little time I spent on the ground I spent walking .... in steel toe boots no less. My legs are still not the same. I have run marathons and felt better than I have after this past week. I think, though, the fifteen flights of stairs I had to climb down didn't help. They were a very scary fifteen flights of open scaffolding stairs. Yikes. But I did it. Most of the time on the ground was spent walking to McDonalds for lunch. Since I am always on the lookout for gifts for my son I got Happy Meals. Kung Fu Panda toys. We got the tiger on the first day and decided to take his picture.

We had to wait until the Generals had left before getting this shot. We weren't sure they would be impressed. Its also worth noting that to take this shot I had to go to the very edge of the helipad - one of the highest points. I was getting brave!

I didn't have much time for anything else in Honolulu. I was hoping to get to visit a couple of yarn stores but alas, it wasn't to be as those were one of the few Honolulu stores that held normal business hours. I barely had time to make my usual stop at Maui Divers to pick a pearl. I love picking a pearl and getting it set. This visit I got a gorgeous silver pearl which I had set in a white gold leaf setting. Beyond that it was all work. Which is fine because I find Honolulu to be a busy, crowded tourist trap. I would much prefer the other islands. But I guess, all told, there are worse places to have to travel for work.

Aloha!

Hufflepuff Homework

2008-06-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

The homework this week was to create a spell or potion to make snakes disappear. I looked in the Standard Book of Spells and found one:
Slithery, slippery, slidey snake, away from all no bites to take
But I think I did something wrong. Instead of making snakes disappear I was swished away! But where I ended up there are no snakes! It seems on the muggle island of Hawaii there are no snakes. Now that I have been here a few days I am thinking this is not a bad way to have a spell go wrong. Of course, I am so busy with work I cannot go enjoy the waves crashing on the beach just across the street but there are worse places to be!

Hufflepuff Homework

2008-06-06T01:56:00.000-07:00

I have another secret. I normally wouldn't tell anyone but its a good topic for this weeks homework. I am dreadfully afraid of puffskeins. Yes, I know they are "cute" and "cuddly" and I have many friends who have them as pets, especially those Pygmy Puffs you can get at W3, but I absolutely shudder every time I have to be near one. You see when I was very little, I couldn't have been more than 2, my cousin Ambrose thought it would be fun to lock me in a cabinet that had a nest of puffskeins living in it. Only, he didn't tell me that's what they were. He just locked me in and went away telling me we were going to play a game. So for what seemed like forever I was in this tiny dark space. I heard this loud purring noise and I felt these "things" start to crawl all over me. Keep in mind, I was very little so having so many of these creatures on me was just overwhelming. I was so scared I couldn't move, I couldn't scream, I couldn't even whimper. I guess I just froze and when my Mom finally figured out what Ambrose had done she found me and rescued me. (And boy, let me tell you, Ambrose got quite the shout over this one. In fact, I don't think Mom let him come back for months.) I was fine as the puffskeins don't cause any harm, but to this day I can't get near one. Actually, I can't even wear one of those eyelash fur scarves that were popular a few years ago because they remind me of the feel of those puffskeins. So that's my secret and my story.

The Encroaching Muggle World

2008-06-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

Ah, the muggle world is encroaching on my Hogwarts life. I am afraid I am being called away for some travel in the days ahead. First a trip to the city that never sleeps, NYC. I am so excited for the silliest reasons. I have the whole day to myself in the city. I have never been there alone so I have always had to negotiate what to do, where to go. This time it is me myself and I for one day. I am planning on a museum, checking out the yarn stores, and a visit to my favorite place of worship, the shoe department at Saks Fifth Avenue. Sigh - shoes are one of my guilty pleasures. Although its just to look this trip. With gas prices and everything being what it is I just can't justify buying. Not when I want to buy yummy yarn! Then, I come home for two days and work is taking me away for a week. But I can't complain too much because it is Honolulu where I am being forced to spend my time. Gosh, my job sucks but someone has to do it. I am hoping to get in a little goodie shopping while there as well.

In the meantime I am working on my swaps and thinking about the homework this week for class. I should have that done tomorrow.

I was also thinking about swaps in general. How cool is it that you get to stalk someone and not get arrested for it? Instead of a restraining order you get presents. Ok - yeah I am a little twisted in the way I think.

So the Summer of Love Yarn swap suggested we post some of our non-knitting hobbies. I love to read - I am a voracious reader. I also read very fast so I suck down books like martinis. In fact, I have often thought a good drug habit might be cheaper than my book habit. Thank goodness for libraries and yard sales. I mostly love light fluffy reading, chick lit, light fantasy, comedy and childrens books. I have a weakness for Nancy Drew and the Bobbsey Twins. I am not a book snob. I love all books equally. I also love reality tv. Its wonderfully mindless and especially good for on the treadmill or knitting. Ever since having my son I don't commit to too much tv, especially drama. Reality tv is easy and relaxing. My only exception is Lost to which I am devoted. Can't wait for next season. I also like games and puzzles and working my brain. Mostly though I like spending time with my family. My son loves to race his hotwheels so we spend a great deal of time crashing cars in the living room. He loves it.

So that is a little more about me. Pretty average but I like it.

My Patronus

2008-06-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

Your Patronus is the Wolf! The wolf is a symbol of wisdom, loyalty and independence. He is one of history's more revered (and feared) characters.
That your Patronus is a wolf says that you are very wise as a person. You tend to be loyal to your friends, even when they screw up, but you are also independent. Finding that balance is key; finding it will ensure that you will be a wonderful witch or wizard!

The questions making the rounds

2008-06-04T02:44:00.000-07:00

1) What I Was Doing 10 Years Ago
Working at my first "real" job as a software developer and buying my first house.

2) 5 Things on My To-Do List for Today
Oh - today's a big day.
Validate media
Give the Approval to Ship Dog and Pony Show for said media
Ship said media if approved
Find map of NYC for Saturday's trip
Clean house - oh heck who am I kidding - play with son instead

3) Snacks I Enjoy
Chocolate
Starbucks Coffee

4) Things I Would Do If I Were a Billionaire
Pay off bills for myself, family and friends, send my son to private school, buy a house in Kauai, travel, start a small business

5) Places I Have Lived
La Mesa, CA
Melbourne, Australia
Marlboro, Vermont
San Diego, CA
Methuen, MA

6) 5 Peeps I Wanna Know More About
I love reading this so post away!

Music Quiz

2008-06-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

I stole this quiz from a Hogwarts House mate - it was fun and honestly, I do have more than just Kelly Clarkson and the Dixie Chicks in my music library!

Here's the rules:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

Opening Credits: Maybe, Kelly Clarkson, My December
First Day At School: I Like it, Dixie Chicks, Taking the Long Way
Falling In Love: Henehene Kou ‘Aka by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Alone in Iz World
Breaking Up: Damn by LeAnn Rimes, Twisted Angel
1st date: The Long Way Around by Dixie Chicks, Taking the Long Way
Prom: I Hate Myself for Losing You by Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway
Life's OK: Godspeed (Sweet Dreams) by Dixie Chicks, Home
Flashback: Get it While You Can, Janis Joplin, Greatest Hits
Getting Back Together: Hey Little Cobra, The Rip Chords, 60s Pop Hits
Wedding: The Scat Song, Cab Calloway, The Roots of Swing N Jive
Final Battle: ‘Ulili E, by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole – Alone in Iz World
Death Scene: One Way Ticket, by LeAnn Rimes, Blue
Funeral Song: The Wood Song, Indigo Girls, Swamp Ophelia
End Credits: Kind of a Drag, The Buckinghams, The 60s Top of the Pop Hits.

My Harry Potter Personality

2008-05-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

Summer of Love Yarn Swap Questionnaire

2008-05-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

I have said I am incapable of project monogamy. I seem also incapable of swap monogamy. I have joined Summer of Love Yarn Swap. Here is my questionnaire.

1.Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft? I have been a knitter for over 20 years. I can’t crochet to save my life.

2. Do you spin? What type of spinning? Yes I love to spin on a wheel although I would like to practice more on the drop spindle.
3. What are your favorite yarns/fibers? What are your least favorite yarns/fibers? I like all yarns and fibers but my favorites are the shiny ones – silk, bamboo, soysilk! But I love all kinds of yarns and fibers. I am least fond of generic acrylic but it does serve its purpose in the yarn world.
4. What are your favorite colors? What are your least favorite colors? My favorite colors are purples and blues but I love all colors. Least favorite would be ugly brown – you know the shade that resembles mud or worse.
5. Are there any yarns/brands that you are dying to work with but never have? Noro and Dream in Color are two that come to mind.
6. What is/are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet? Right now, lace especially shawls. I also like bags.
7. What are you currently working on? Anything you plan to work on this summer? Currently working on a shawl from my handspun and a sweater for my son. I have a slew of projects queued up including gloves for hubby, socks for hubby, a headband for hubby. Hmm - hubby gets a lot –but he has been waiting patiently.
8. What is your favorite FO? (Post a pic if you would like.) I gotta be honest and say I did a kick-a** job on the item I made for my spoilee in the HSKS5 swap but I can’t post or tell without giving it away. But I am very happy that I produced such a good piece to give away.
9. What is your oldest UFO? I just pulled a baby blanket I started for my son out of my stash to put in the yard sale pile. My son is 4 now. This is definitely never going to become a FO.
10. Are there any techniques that you want to learn? Magic Loop socks.
11. Are you on Ravlery? What's your ID? Yes – Chloecat262
12. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes. Womens size 9
13. Do you collect anything? Books, Disney – especially fairies and princesses, shoes and I have a strange fascination/addiciton with small storage containers (baskets, drawers, boxes) – I seem to think I need more storage containers.
14. Do you have a yarn winder and/or swift? I have an antique yarn winder that matches my antique spinning wheel. No swift though.
15. Do you love sweets? What are your favorites? Chocolate! And Sweet tarts and smarties!
16. What are your favorite scents? Lavender, vanilla, fresh rain, bounce dryer sheets, my son.
17. Where do you keep your needles/hooks? Besides all over? I have a needle bag which holds most of them.
18. Do you have a wishlist (Amazon, Etsy, etc?) Amazon
19. Having a birthday this summer? Nope – Im a fall baby
20. Are you allergic to anything??? Please let your pal know! Though I am actually allergic to everything under the sun (trees, grass, dirt, dust, mold, cats, weeds, guinea pigs) its not something to worry about unless someone plans to send a pollen collection.

Quidditch! Go Hufflepuff!

2008-05-28T15:40:00.001-07:00

My first Quidditch Game! I have also included the page numbers from my book. Hope that helps my fellow Hufflepuffs!

1. Which of Arabella Figg's cats ran out from under the car?
a. Tibbles (page 20)

2. Which of the following is NOT one of Albus Dumbledore's middle names?
a. Ignatius (pg 139)

3. Which educational decree introduced a High Inquisitor to Hogwarts?
d. 23 (page 307)

4. Apart from Harry, Ron and Hermione, who was the first person to enter the Hog's Head that showed an interest in Harry's Defence Against the Dark Arts classes?
b. Neville Longbottom (page 337)

5. In the first Quidditch match of the year which player attempted to score first?
a. Angelina Johnson (page 407)

6. What kind of bush does Harry hide behind to listen to the news?
b. A hydrangea bush (page 1)

7. Why is Mundungus Fletcher disguised as a woman when he witnesses the DA (Dumbledore's Army) meeting in the Hog's Head pub?
b. He was banned from the Hog’s Head pub 20 years ago

8. When Harry and Cho go on their first date to Madam Puddifoot's in Hogsmeade, what is it decorated with for Valentine's Day?
c. Golden cherubs and pink confetti (page 559)

9. How old is Sturgis Podmore and where does he live?
a. 38 and number 2 Laburnum Gardens Clapham (page 287)

10. What did Fred and George Weasley do to Montague?
a. Forced him head-first into a Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor. (page 627)

Picture Scavenger Hunt

Fred and George Weasley

Hog's Head Pub

Sirius Black

Mr. Weasley & Harry (Together)

Draco Malfoy

The tale of my first

2008-05-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

One of my fellow Hogwarts students is running a contest to win the pattern for the bag she designed and I must say, it is a stunning bag. I love it - nice and lacy. Check it out here.
The contest is to post about a knitting first. Well, I have been knitting now for over 20 years. I find that hard to believe myself as sometimes I swear I am not over 20 myself but it is what it is. During that time I tried my hands at all kinds of patterns and never had any fear. I was always self taught and being a knitter in high school in Southern California in the 80's was not exactly cool. So I learned to be a solo practitioner of the art of knitting. And then I found Ravelry. For the first time in my knitting life I met others who shared my passion! It was such an amazing eye opener. Imagine, being able to ask someone a question instead of hunting up answers in books. (Did I mention that where I lived was rather lean on yarn stores as well?). It is amazing to finally come out of the knitting closet and be accepted for the yarnie that I am! Needles and all.
So, that pretty much sets up my first. My first is that I am participating in my first swap. The Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap 5 is my very first swap. Until I joined Ravelry and met others I had no idea this wonderful world of swaps existed. Imagine, nice people sending each other presents just because! I know I could easily go out and buy yarn for myself but it is so much fun to make a package for someone and surprise them and then get a package in the mail with goodies. I have been looking at pictures all over blogs of the packages and I am blown away by the care that is shown by the sender to make the receiver happy. Best of all, it is a way to get to know other knitters, to read their blogs and to spread knitting love.
I don't have a picture yet but someday I will be posting my first package and hopefully many more to follow. I have already signed up for a second swap so I am obviously hooked. It is nice to finally share my passion with others and I hope I make my recepients happy! So that is my knitting first!

Ugh

2008-05-24T11:59:00.001-07:00

I don't know if its the polyjuice or just that it is a beautiful holiday weekend and I have FOUR whole days to do nothing but play but the twisted universe is laughing at me again. I have a cold. Not the Oh, I sneezed let me take some drugs and carry on type cold but the let me knock you on your a** stay under covers with your head buried misery kind of cold. Why oh why on such a beautiful weekend. I am literally sitting on my couch buried under a warm blanket with hot tea looking out my window at the sunshine. And of course DH has control of the remote. I am currently being forced to watch some bizarre documentary on weapons throughout the ages. I think its time to stick my head back under a blanket.

HP Who Am I

2008-05-24T03:43:00.001-07:00

Which HP Kid Are You?

Hogwarts Update: Dear Diary

2008-05-23T02:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary, its Emma hear. Shhhhhh. I have a little secret and I have to get it out but I can't tell anyone. Ohhh, I don't want to get into trouble.So the other morning I got an owl with a care package from my Aunt Ermentrude. I thought it was awfully nice. All my cousins are finished at Hogwarts with her youngest, Ambrose, leaving last year. So my aunt knows how it is and likes to send me owls with fun things. I guess Ambrose decided to have some fun. I should have known better after the "incident" last summer with the garden gnomes, the butterbeer and the fireworks. Oh, those gnomes will never be the same. Anyways, I was just so happy to get a package that I didn't think. It had lots of my favorites. Some new yellow yarn, some Bertie Botts, a new quill and a bottle of chocolate drink. So I settled down to start some socks with my drink late one evening when I felt funny. That stupid Ambrose sent me Polyjuice Potion. So the next thing I know I'm his girlfriend Daisy who was a Gryffindor last year. I didn't know what to do. Fortunately the prefects sorted it all out and they think it was Peeves but I'm not saying anything. I don't want to get kicked out of Hogwarts all because my stupid cousin decided to play a joke on me! Of course, I feel so bad about all the confusion. I just had to confess to someone. So shhhhh This is between you and me Diary.

Hufflepuff Quiz #2

2008-05-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

Potions Ingredients 
1. colimamhe  Chamomile
2. hianeaecc   Echinacea
3. lgveoa   Lovage
4. nsaie  Anise
5. itlhhawcez (2 words)  Witch Hazel 
6. ladeevrn  Lavender
 7. oynranlype  Pennyroyal
8. iwelnrepki  Periwinkle
9. aavvakka (2 words)  Kava Kava
10. waoalhmlsrm (2 words)   Marsh Mallow
11. gseginn   Ginseng
12. uwgtrmo   Mugwort
13. What is your favorite thing to do besides knit and crochet?   gdarnei
14. Do you collect anything? (yes and no are invalid answers)   sfierae
15. What is your favorite flower?   cilla

Another day at Hogwarts

2008-05-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hi - its Emma here! Just dropping a note to keep everyone up to date on life at Hogwarts. I really like my Potions class. I spend a lot of time over my cauldron especially making potions to change yarn different colors. I am working on a potion that will let my yarn change colors when I say a specific word. It will make a fun scarf. Defense Against the Dark Arts is also a wonderful class but I think its because the professor is so yummy to watch. Of course, I have to force myself to take notes so I am not just staring at him like some of my classmates. Transfiguration is my toughest class but I think I will enjoy it all the same. There is a party tomorrow night. I only hope I can stay awake as I find I prefer to get up early and enjoy a walk to the Owlery while the school is quiet.

Picking out the sheep poop .........

2008-05-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

Its my anniversary weekend. Hubby and I have made it 9 years. And what a romantic way to spend the time ... picking out the sheep poop. Sigh. You know you have a steady marriage when you get to this point. I had some cleaning to do on one of my fleeces and unfortunately it was pretty full of that stuff left by sheep when they .. well, you know.

On a positive note I think I have the whole fleece cleaning thing figured out. I am finding I am most successful by doing three hot tubs of dawn with 30 minute soaks. At that point the lanolin seems to be gone and I just need to rinse. Now I can leave it in the utility sink in a cooler soak for as long as I want. After about three rinse soaks in plain water it ran clean. Of course, I am still not overly enamored with the Romney/Corriedale as it is a bit short and not terribly soft or pretty. But hey, it was a $20 fleece so I can't complain too much. It is good for practice.

I finally took my Cormo fleece and spread it out for a good look. Ohhhhh. It is so pretty. I am in luv with it! The staple is long and crinkly. I couldn't find any poop! There was very little observable VM. This was a nicely sheared fleece. Of course, it cost quite a bit more but oh it is so worth it. I put it in a new wash bag and have it living inside for now. I am going to wait until I finish the other fleece before washing the Cormo to make sure I really understand the process. But the Cormo is so pretty I may find myself pulling it out just to look at it. I can't wait to see how it ends up.

I did take some of my clean brown wool and carded it up. I ended up with a huge batt and it doesn't look or feel too bad. Not as soft as I would like but it is what it is. It is also a bit grey. DH says it looks like old woman hair and he is right! It would make a good wig for a costume. I decided to try it in some Kool Aid to see what happens. I mean, I don't love this stuff so I will consider it my experimental wool. I can play with it all I want and not feel too guilty.

My other experiment has been reclaiming Cashmere. I found a sweater at the thrift store for $6. I was lucky in that it is white. I spent several days carefully unwinding it and then navajo plying it up. I ended up with about a 1000 yards of fingering or light sport weight cashmere yarn that smells dreadfully of moth balls. I decided to throw it in the dye pot. It is now blue/green, drying in the fresh air and no longer smelling so awful. I intend to reskein it and turn it into a shawl. I found a red Cashmere at a garage sale for $1 which I intend to do the same thing with to get some red yarn. I may overdye it to brighten it up a bit. Not sure yet. Its a great resource for Cashmere provided you have patience.

Next weekend is the Mass Sheep & Wool festival. I hope to go.... trying to decide about spending the time and gas. I will see how work goes this week but I really do want to see the Tsock Tsarina and look at her patterns/socks in person. I missed her at the NH show and I am bummed.

Hufflepuff Quiz

2008-05-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hi - Its Emma again. Boy, its amazing how much is going on at Hogwarts this term.
First, my homework. I had to take my first quiz. Here it is!

1. Is from a muggle family and the first to attend Hogwarts? Both Penelope Willow and Perenelle Ballycastle seem to fit this one.
2. When knitting socks you use dpn's, 2 circ, 1 circ 1 sock, 1 circ 2 socks? So far only with dpn’s but I want to try magic loop and 1 circ 2 socks
3. Their owls name is Owlbert? Eleanor Wigworthy
4. Beat Agatey Mirrofold in a contest? Lily May Clearwater
5. Your favorite non 'puff color? Purple of all shades
6. They learned to knit for a school play? Me – Emma Kettleburn
7. They got engaged last week? Selena Starfire
8. One sentence/statement you would use to describe your stash? Patiently waiting to become something
9. Their best class is Divination? Daisy Chang
10. Last term everyone thought you were your sibling? Antonio Dela Weasley
11. When not going to Hogwarts your favorite thing to do is? Besides being a mom to my four year old …… oh wait there isn’t anything besides being a mom! While being a mom I love to read fun chick books, dream of having more time to spin, play with dye, drink coffee and stare in amazement as my son grows before my eyes.
12. You have read the books, watched the movie or both? Both many many many times over
13. Your family includes? Myself, my dear husband, my four year old son, Tucker the dachshund and soon to have Blue the English Staffordshire bull terrier
14. They have frogs in their room? Clidonia Acromantula
15. Has a dog named Kluane? Ursula Longbottom
16. My favorite thing to knit is. At the moment lace shawls and scarves
last a picture. please attach a picture of your Favorite Harry Potter Character.

I love a good mom. Harry really needed a good mother figure to help him through his trials.

Doing my homework was lots of fun. I got to read everyone's blogs. It interesting to read about everyone and where they are from. We even have one of our housemates in China right now. That's pretty exciting even though she can't wait to get to Hogwarts. I am sure Lily will bring lots of good stories.

I also got my owls with my Swap partners. I get to spoil another Emma, this one is from Ravenclaw (I think almost all the Emma's ended up in Ravenclaw, except me). I think she may even be related to the greatest headmaster of all time, Dumbledore. I am waiting to hear back from here about this. I will be spoiled by Cressida, a Gryffindor. It looks like she has been at Hogwarts for awhile. I am excited about getting to know both Emma and Cressida, along with all my other school mates.

Oooh - almost time for dinner. Gotta run off to the Great Hall.

Hogwarts Update

2008-05-13T02:56:00.001-07:00

Hi - Its Emma here. Well, I have made it to Hogwarts and my first year has begun. The trip up on the Hogwarts express was exciting. I love trains. I have also made some new friends in the common room including a few people from my hometown. It turns out that Methuen is a knitters haven. I still haven't learned the name of my spoilee but I am sure that owl will arrive soon. I am, however, already making plans for their package. I hope to know something about them before the Mass Sheep and Wool so I can find some goodies there. Well, its time for breakfast in the Great Hall. I best be off. Maybe my owl will arrive today!

Update: My wand arrived today.

What Harry Potter Wand Are You? Your Result: 12.5" Yew, Dragon Heartstring Your wand is longer than average, with a flexible and long-lasting wood. Dragon Heartstring is a common Ollivander core. Your wand is ideal for jinxes and hexes.
9" Willow, Phoenix Feather
11.5" Yew, Unicorn Hair
10.5" Ash, Phoenix Feather
11" Mahogany, Unicorn Hair
8.5" Mahogany, Dragon Heartstring
11" Ash, Hippogriff Talon
14" Holly, Veela Hair
What Harry Potter Wand Are You? See All Our Quizzes

Thankfully my husband wanted Alpaca poop .....

2008-05-11T02:33:00.000-07:00

What an amazing day! After waiting what seemed like years the day finally came to go to the NH Sheep and Wool Festival. I have been anticipating this ever since I first started spinning and I was not disappointed. We left early and arrived shortly after festival opened. I had a plan, plenty of money (or so I thought) and bug spray. Good thing I brought the bug spray because we needed it right out of the car. Once in the fair I made a beeline for the fleece sale as my main purpose for going was to get my first raw fleece. I was so glad I went early as I pretty much had my pick of everything. I wanted Cormo as I had heard wonderful things about its softness. My first pass I didn't see it, then as I was turning around to look through it again, there it was hiding behind other fleeces. I ended up with a beautiful 4 pound bag of white Cormo. Best of all it is mostly clean - very little VM. Then DH decided he really liked the darker fleeces and he talked me into a 5 pound dark grey/brown Romney/Corriedale fleece. Ok - it didn't take too much pushing to get me to buy the second fleece. So within 10 minutes of arriving we were headed back to the car 80 bucks lighter but carrying 9 pounds of wool.

As you can see we even lucked into pretty weather! No rain!

After depositing the fleece into the car we headed back in to start looking around. Because I wanted to stay in my budget and I knew I had several items to look for I decided to make the rounds of the place first before buying anything. This ended up being my saving grace. I looked at wools and silks in all kinds of pretty colors. Yarns was hang

ing everywhere. Spinning wheels and drop spindles had me wishfully thinking how I need to win the lottery. The variety of knitting needles was almost overwhelming - and I thought my Harmonies were pretty. It was a fiber lovers fairy land.

Finally, at the very back of the fair behind the Alpaca fest I found what I needed most - the restroom. I badly needed to wash the bug spray off my lips from where I wiped the cloth on my face. Good for keeping away bugs. Bad for tasting. Yuck. Thi

s is where the magic started. As I was off "powdering my nose" my husband was wandering the last aisle of the Alpaca area

and found Alpaca poop for sale. When I came out he took me over as he was seriously considering spending some of my precious fiber money on Alpaca poop!!!!

And then I saw

it ....... sitting there, so lonely, so shiny on the table next to two of the cutest naked Alpacas ...... a Louet Drum Carder with a tag saying $75. After asking if it was for real (it was) I eagerly handed over the rest of my money and walked away with my very own drum carder. I think I shook for the next half hour with disbelief and excitement over this find! You have to understand, drum carders retail for between $400 and $50

0. This model is the big one, 8 inches, and retails for $525 new. I have looked all over

for a used carder but have never seen one below $350. To find one at this price, and in such excellent condition was unreal. And as a bonus, the fellow offere

d to give my husband all the Alpaca poop he wanted if he c

ame up to visit the farm. For free.

We headed back to the car to drop off the carder and headed back into the fair for some more.

At this point I was out of cash but happy as could be! Th

ankfully the vendors took plastic so I was able to buy the few other items on my list. I finally got a WPI measure with a Diz, which I have been wanting, and some silk hankies. I also got a handful of pretty dyed silk cocoons which make a fun sound

when shaken. These will probably stay as is as they are so pretty on their own.

Overall, if you don't count the carder, I actually stayed within my budget. We looked around a bit more, watched the spinners and weavers and even got to see a sheep being sheared before we made the final trip back to the car.

We got home and were happy but tired. DS stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa and apparently had been a handful all day and wore himself out.

This is him at six o'clock. This is how I felt! What a day!