Presenting...

Miss Spooky Cat's debut to the world.

Yay digital camera! I promise, there will be a whole photo shoot of FOs when I get home, but right now, I'm struggling to pack and clean up my apartment before I go to work, since my plane leaves tonight! I wasn't feeling great last night, so I ended up sleeping instead of doing the dishes. I'm regretting it now though.

A good (long) weekend to you all.

Bits

Just a quick run through some things I've been meaning to mention.

First, I also got a Knit Pixie gift certificate from my Secret Pal. I'm having so much fun browsing through their catalogue trying to decide how to spend my loot.

In other news, my sock pal, Kat finally got my package!

Finally, I found a ride and a room for Rhinebeck. It would be a crazy trip, but I'm so tempted. Now I have to see if I can get time off work.

Catch up

Alright, so I was having some problems with blogger yesterday. And I didn't have internet at home until yesterday. So I haven't posted much lately. But I promise to do better now.

My secret pal is spoiling me like crazy! I got my first package (a birthday present even!) today. I got Mandara candles with mystical oils that smell faboulous, incense matches and a flower shaped nail file! I also got this great card! It's somewhat ironic, and I will try to post a picture to show why later. Anyway I haven't sorted out the camera yet (see below to find out why).

So, it was my birthday on Tuesday, so it's been a week of excitement. I had several people over for brunch (potluck) to celebrate on Sunday, which was nice and relaxing. Monday night was the knitting guild meeting, which was big and intimidating. I don't know that I'll go regularly; I prefer my smaller knitting group where I get to talk to and know most people. Tuesday night was dinner at Haveli Indian, which I loved! The food was really good, and I had leftovers for lunch the next day. Wednesday was knitting group. So, tonight I had to come down from the high and actually do some laundry. And catch up on emails.

So, the highlight from knitting group was that there is a slim chance that I could go to Rhinebeck! I don't want to say too much, as it is a very slim chance, but I can always hope. If I end up going, that will consume the back pay money I wanted to spend on a digicam, but I think it will be worth it. It will just mean working harder to borrow a camera for pictures, especially with my secret pal sending me such great things!

And finally, a picture of my friend's cat... just to add some visual interest.


Sappho, the many toed cat

Bad Blogger!

Let's just say I'm having computer problems today... This is my third effort at posting and it gets shorter every time. My internet is working at home as of today (yay! it only took Bell a week to sort it out!) I will post more later and more frequently.

Secret Pal Survey

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
My yarn snobbishness is variable. I love great natural fibers, but if it needs to be washable in any way, then only acrylic will do. For example, I will never make children’s items out of wool.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I am now learning to spin on a spindle. I’m very slow, but I like it so far.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
No.

4. How long have you been knitting?
Off and on for about three years, somewhat obsessively for at least 6 months.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, and it can be found here, or on my profile on my blog.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I love vanilla and fruity scents and jasmine, and strongly dislike other floral scents.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Sort of. I’m more attracted my muffins, cookies and ice cream than chocolate. Oooh! And gummy candies. All right, yes.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I can sew, and I’m in the process of setting up a sewing area in my new place. I have also done a lot of photography in the past, which I’m trying to become more involved with.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
My computer can play mp3s. My musical tastes are varied, although country or really poppy music (Christina, Britney, ‘Nsync) are not my favourites.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love bright colours. My favourite colour is probably red, orange or yellow. I dislike pastel colours.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I’m recently newly single. My boyfriend of over a year moved out in June. I have a cat named Suki (affectionately known as Spooky Cat).

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
I love to travel, and I want to go almost everywhere. I really want kids (just alerting any future husbands out there. :)) I want to have a job I enjoy that allows me a good balance to live my life outside of work.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I like Patons Classic Wool, and I love Fleece Artist Merino Sock yarn. I’ve recently bought some Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk that feels great, but I haven’t started swatching yet.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I don’t really like scratchy fibers, at least if they’re going to be against my skin. I can’t think of anything else that I really don’t like.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
I find myself making a lot of felted bags (for Christmas presents) and cardigans (none of which are finished, and they’re all for me).

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I knit socks, because I spend lots of time on the bus. I see beautiful clothes that I want to make for myself, but I keep planning and knitting gifts for other people.

17. What are you knitting right now?
Baby blanket for my cousin, sweater for my sister, felted Sophie bags and Tychus hats for Christmas, two cardigans (one from White Buffalo, and Samus from Knitty in Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Stream). I also have a hat and a shawl in my basket that I haven’t worked on for a while.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
I would never know where to carry my purse, although they might be good for my office.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

I use my Denise set for a lot of things, so circular I guess. I don’t have any circs smaller than 5 US.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Plastic is easier on my hands. I’ve never tried bamboo. Although I like bamboo yarn.

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Yes, I’m currently completing my third pair ever. And my second pair went to my sock pal.

22. How did you learn to knit?
My grandma taught me as a child, and then a friend and I decided we wanted to learn in university. We took a class at the Alberta College of Art and Design which ended up being more about colour theory and material choice (including cutting up old clothes to knit with) instead of basic knitting, but I’ve been going strong ever since.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
2 years. Sometimes other things take over in priority.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
I like the Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake and Rainbow Brite, for nostalgic reasons.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
I love Christmas, although I sadly may not make it home to see family this year. :(

26. Is there anything that you collect?
No. Unless you count yarn and patterns. I have an aversion to items in my house that sit on shelves, so I’m trying to weed them out slowly.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I love the Teva Durham and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee books.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??
I can’t really think of anything right now. Although someday I may make a foray into lace, and there are some very pretty options out there.

30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?
My feet are 25 cm long and 23 cm around. I love all kinds of hand knit socks, since I’ve only ever owned 1.5 pairs. Again, someday I will try out some lace.

A Day Late…

All right, so it’s not Friday right now. As always, life is crazy, but I have some time to do up a good post right now.

So, I’m noticing things about myself. Number one right now is that I can be incredibly impatient! My birthday is approaching (the days are flying right by right now). My mother, being the plan ahead type, knowing that she hates paying to mail parcels, gave me my birthday present when I was in Alberta at the end of July. With the understanding that I wouldn’t open it until my birthday!

So, I’ve had my birthday present sitting in my house for the past month, and I haven’t been able to open it. And it’s driving me crazy! Until the crazy move, it was hidden in the second bedroom closet, which was passable, although I still thought about it from time to time. Since the move, its sitting right inside my bedroom door, because I don’t want it to get lost in the crush of stuff. (Really. I have piles of stuff waist deep covering the majority of my bedroom floor. Thank goodness this apartment is actually bigger than the last one.) Every time I see it sitting there, I really want to open it. There’s no earthly reason my mom would know if I opened it early, but I love surprises on birthdays! One year, I found, opened and re-closed all of my presents before my birthday, and I know there’s just no replacement for opening a cool package on the big day.

So, since we’re talking about my birthday, I’m thinking of celebrating by hosting a Birthday/House-warming potluck brunch on the Sunday before. The real questions are, how many people would come, will they all fit in my living room, and can I make my house presentable before they all arrive (next weekend)? I’ve actually already made significant progress in the unpacking and rearranging this morning, and I still have tonight and all day tomorrow (and Saturday next week, if it comes to that). So, I think I will print up invites at school on Monday (I’m in training for a week, which should be a nice break from work) and give those out. Once I’ve invited people, I kind of have to go through with it, don’t I?

In knitting news, I’ve been out every night this week, as well as working a lot, so I haven’t gotten a lot done. I just bought a skein of mohair to do my sister’s bag for Christmas. I’ve also finished a prototype for the kangaroo pocket for her sweater, but it needs to be frogged. At least I learned a lot from the first attempt. I’m also working on a think wool sweater (from White Buffalo, in a pale teal colour) and a pair of hand warmers. I’ve started to feel a chill in the air, so I thought I’d add to my outerwear wardrobe. That and the socks didn’t fit over my heel, but they fit my wrists nicely.

All right, and now a random picture. This is my cousin’s daughter (not quite my niece?), wearing a hat I knit for her. It’s the first had I made that fit anyone, sort of by accident. I learned to make up patterns by watching other knitters long before I learned to read on, but it did take a lot of trial and error.



happy monkey

Quickie

I know, I know… yet another short, hurried post. Everybody’s busy these days, it seems.

Anyway, New York was great! I didn’t get as much knitting done as I hoped, partly because a lot of the driving happened in the dark. I did manage to finish my sockapal2za socks. Now to find a way to take a picture of them! I also did some knitting on the train from Connecticut to New York and back on both days.

New York wasn’t all about knitting (though I did go to a couple of yarn stores – The Yarn Co. and Purl, which were great! I had to limit myself to only buying things that aren’t regularly stocked by my LYS.) We walked a lot, shopped a lot, saw a musical, went on a harbour tour… all kinds of exciting things. I may even have pictures later, as the friend I was traveling with has a digital camera. On the way back, we stopped in Burlington, Vermont, for dinner and Ben and Jerry’s. It was a great way to end a great trip.

Since I’ve been back, work has been crazy, as always. I’m at a coffee shop now trying to type something up before my knitting group arrives. And tomorrow is a friend’s birthday, and I’ll be going out for that. So, I promise a good post on Friday (and maybe I’ll have my modem for internet at my house by then!) Until then, good knitting!

Shhh...

I’m writing up a quick post at work, because otherwise it would be at least another week before I managed to post. (And a quick break to share some baklava with my office mates. I really needed a sugar rush.) And even though I don’t think anyone reads my blog, I’d like to keep myself in the habit of posting regularly.

So, I’m tired today (and generally unmotivated). I moved on Sunday, and my new place still looks like it has exploded. (Even though it’s a new apartment in the same building, it was a lot of work!) I’ve been at work late every day this week, so I haven’t gotten a lot of unpacking done. And almost no knitting. I have been knitting my sockapal2za socks on the bus to and from work, but the toes require more attention than I can provide, so I decided to work a bit last night when I got sick of unpacking. I was going along nicely until I dropped a number of stitches which I couldn’t rescue (they were all of my decreases on one side, and I’m not that talented with a crochet hook yet) so I frogged several rows. By the time I picked up all of the stitches, it was bed time.

And, on top of not having a lot of time to unpack this week, I am going away this weekend. A few friends and I are renting a car and driving to Connecticut. There will be a few days in New York City, and then a long, leisurely drive home on Monday. And, since it would cost too much to add me as a driver for the rental car, I will have lots of knitting time! Since I’m going with non-knitters, I will only be able to hit one or two yarn stores, but it will be nice to see all of the yarns we don’t normally get in Canada. This trip is going to be a birthday present to myself, since I don’t really have the money for it. You only turn 25 once, though, right?

And, while we only got a half day of rain here in Ottawa out of Katrina, lots of people are suffering, so if you want to make a donation to the Red Cross to help those affected, let them know here and you may win a prize!