Wrapping Gifts and Making Snow Flakes

I had help with the gift wrapping this week. Two of our Great Grand Children arrived at 7:30 am. Their mom dropped them off on her way to work. Our goal that day was to wrap all of Great Grandma's gifts. We had a blast. We wrapped gifts, took breaks, had hot chocolate. We even stopped working in the afternoon to make snowflakes for their windows at home. I ironed the paper snowflakes between sheets of waxed paper. I added some shavings from a scented candle. The wax melted when I put the hot iron on the paper. It scented all the snowflakes and made them translucent, too. My grand daughter says they smell so good. What a nice day!!!

How do you like my 1960s silver tree. I have four of them and I am just crazy about them. This one is in our dining room and you can see some of our newly wrapped gifts there beneath the tree.

Chrstimas MEME

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?

Egg Nog

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?

Wraps, Wraps, Wraps, and Wraps some more

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?

WHITE LIGHTS in windows, no lights on the vintage Aluminum tree

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

NO, I don’t hang anything really. I quit doing extensive decorating a few years ago.

It is much nicer this way. No stress, just enjoyment of the season.

5. When do you put up your decorations?

Around the 15th of December or later

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

ROASTED VEGTABLES

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

SNOW- and the sound of Santa’s reindeer on the rooftop as I lay awake in bed

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

NO. Christmas Eve is quiet here. Our celebration is on Christmas Day with family coming here from all over…our house is lively and fun.

10. What kind of decorations are on your Christmas tree?

Vintage glass balls on the 60s silver Aluminum tree. I have four of these trees.

I guess I must “collect” them.

11. Snow!

Love it or dread it?

LOVE to look out the window and see Snow all over the neighborhood

12. Can you ice skate?

Not really, at my age???? You can’t be serious!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

The doll who got a cracked face shortly after I received her

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?

SPENDING TIME WITH LOVED ONES and having the family come home for Christmas to be with us. And, being at home where I can knit and make jewelry all I want since I have a little break between semesters

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

In my memories it is my Grandmother Kirker’s German cookies, and my Aunt Jeanne’s Orange Cookies with orange frosting, and my Mother’s crispy sugar cookies.

16 What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Making hand knitted gifts for people whom I love

17. What tops your tree?

Nothing. I keep it minimal

18. What is your favorite holiday book?

I like a short story, “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote –
I have the film and a copy of the story

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?

“SILENT NIGHT” because I have visited the village in Austria
where it was first perfomed in a very tiny church in the center of the village.

I like most any Christmas music and especially love Handel's Messiah.

20. Candy canes?

I like the candy cane cookies best – used to make them when I had children at home

and before I was aware of the health hazards of sweets.

Green and Red for SP9 Pal

My SP9 Pal, in Connecticut will soooooon be getting this package, all done up in Green and Red for Christmas. She will cele brate her birthday this week, so I have worked on a whole collection of fun gifts for her. She'll be getting some wonderful Skacel Addi Turbo needles;

Koigu and Wilde Yarns http://www.wildeyarns.com;

a Vogue Knitting Magazine http://www.vogueknitting.com of Holiday items to knit;

lotions and creams and handmade soaps;

a special pair of stitch markers and hand knitted and felted bowl http://www.oneskein.com that I made from the new One Skein book just for her.

There are lots and lots of other items in her box. So, it is all wrapped up now, and my husband has taken over the task of putting it all in a mailing box to be shipped out later this afternoon.

If you are in Connecticut and you are a Secret Pal 9 member, maybe this box is for YOU. Ah, you will have to wait a couple days more, to see if it arrives at YOUR house. I am keeping it a SECRET.

Check out this blog at http://www.secretpal9.blogspot.com

Secret Pal 9

To my DEAR Secret Pal 9

I am about ready to get your goodies packed up and shipped off to you. Too bad you don't know that though! Your birthday is coming right up and I would like to have this box out in time for you to have a nice Birthday Surprise. I am posting a picture of your box of delightful things just before I ship it off to you. Keep watching, this box just may be for YOU!!!I do hope you will have a really, really nice surprise! My surprise package is traveling NORTH-EAST, up to New England. And, that is all the clues I am giving. Check out this fabulous knitting exchange, Secret Pal 9 at: http://www.secretpal9.blogspot.com

Green Santas Bring a White Christmas

I spent this afternoon getting my collection of

GREEN SANTAS

out of their attic storgage container. I put most of them on display on the top of the baby grand piano in the living room. I am begginning to think of Christmas, now that my

GREEN SANTAS

are in place cheering me on.


I started collecting them quite a few years ago. I don't really go out on a search to find them. But, one by one, sometimes one comes across my path. Well, I just can't pass them up. I did add one new one this year. I went out shopping on Black Friday. And, there he was, standing there just waiting for my very early morning arrival at his store. He is the tall one dressed in the pea green standing to the left of the tall orange glass vase. Somehow, whenever I come across a

Green Santa

I have this obsessive impulse that I HAVE to have him. I always have the feeling that I gotta get him very fast before someone else comes along and takes him away. Kinda like the same feeling I have when I am in a yarn shop and I am holding a wonderful skein of yarn in my hands...I have to have it!!! I just HAVE to. You understand, don't you?

Early Sunday Morning Reading

It is early Sunday Morning, 3 December 2006

I had to get up early this morning to get some reading done before I go to church.

The book I am reading is Arcadia by Tom Stoppard. It has 4 1/2 stars (out of 5 possible) on Amazon.com.

http://www.amazon.com/Arcadia-Play-Tom-Stoppard/dp/0571169341/sr=1-1/qid=1165152692/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-2624831-0896717?ie=UTF8&s=books

It is a play and it's assigned reading for one of the courses I am teaching this semester. This play fluctuates back and forth between centuries and from the Classical to the Romantic temperament. I highly recommend it for some winter morning reading!

The course I teach is Humanities 303, a course that spans the time periods from Romanticism through Post Modernism. I have to say, PoMo is my favorite so this PoMo play is enjoyable for me to read and to teach.

Meanwhile, I am grateful for all my "knitting breaks" and knitting friends throughout every day that keep me grounded with my feet on this planet.

Sparkle is a Cavie

Guinea Pigs are called Cavies and they are so neat. I thought you would like to see a photo of Sparkle. We just adopted her over Thankgsiving. I had her in the bathtub this morning while we cleaned her cage. She loves all the dried flowers and plants that I have on hand. I like to gather wild flowers and things like this for teas for winter time. She is eating them up and she loves them. Well, I can see I have to dry a LOT more plants next summer just to keep her well fed over the winter months with things she really enjoys eating. Have you ever gathered flowers and made teas from them? Oh, it is wonderful. We especially love to gather large red clovers, Heal-All flowers, Mullen leaves (for colds), and Spearment. Sparkle is crazy about them as you can see. Isn't she a cutie?

Thankful

http://www.riversongs.com/cards/thanksgiving-day.html

Here is my Thanksgiving Card to you, my knitting and artsy friends.

I am THANKFUL today!

Our Thanksgiving Day was really wonderful. Three of my five children were able to be here, with their families. We had a house full of happy people, lots of tasty foods and treats, even some of the family pets came along for the day. We adopted a little Guinnea Pig, Sparkles. She arrived in time to be with everyone for the holidays and she is sooo cute. Sparkles was a pet of our two grand sons, Matthew and Stephen. But, as they grow older they did not have much time to spend with her. So she is now with us and we will enjoy her.



My daughter Ilsa and I joined my sister-in-law, Debbie, and her daughter Penny Rose for a day of shopping on Black Friday. What fun we had, leaving at 5:30 am to go shopping at a mall. We went out for breakfast around 9 am, and after that we returned to the mall for one more hour of shopping before we headed back home with the back of Debbie's Jeep filled to the top with packages.

In the middle of the holiday festivities, I am managing to get some knitting done, too. I have been working on Christmas gifts. I have now completed five scarves, one sweater, some dish cloths for gifts. I have some other things on the needles that will be Christmas gifts, too. I will keep at it and see just how much I can get done before Christmas. I think I will really enjoy seeing my family members open hand knitted gifts this year. I am happy that I can do this.

For the UFO list:
First, there is a sweater for my great-granddaughter Delaunay that is nearing completion right now. It is done with Moda Dea Yarn - Sassy Stripes which is made by Coates. I am using the free pattern that on the display with this yarn. I hope to complete the sweater today and then begin work on the hat to match it. I can't wait to see her wearing it. I think she will be delighted when she opens it up on Christmas day. If I get it all finished in time, maybe I will even get a scarf done to match the sweater and hat. Check the site out - http://www.modadea.com The Color for the set is No. 6946 and It is beautiful.It is in the red colorway.

Second, there is my kimono http://www.straw.com/cpy/patterns/merinof_kimono.html
I am making it out of Moonlight Mohair. It is getting there. I have completed all the pieces for it and just have to sew it together and then knit in the short sleves. A couple of days, and it should be done. Maybe that is something I can work on over the winter break when I have a couple weeks off between semesters. I LOVE this pattern, don't you?

Third, a sweater for a great grand son. It is started.

Yarn Crawl in Vermont

My friend Chris and I went on a week long YARN CRAWL all over the state of Vermont recently. (That means I was on a MISSION to buy "YARN" and was driving around visiting every yarn shop I could find.)

We had registered to be part of the 5 day long Y2Knit Workshop http://www.y2knit.com that started on October 25. That is a Wednesday. We flew from Western PA to Burlington, VT the Sunday prior to that. It gave us three days to do a Yarn Crawl all over Vermont before we arrived at Shellburne the afternoon of the 25th.

We visited some wonderful yarn stores and already had bought a suitcase full of new Vermont yarns before we got to the workshop. Then, at the workshop, there was an entire room set up at our bed and breakfast, full of yarns from the Y2Knit shop which is located in Funkstown, MD. Of course, we did more shopping there, too.

In all, I came home with 55 NEW skeins of yarn. I have now organized it and put it in my stash. I do have specific projects in mind for all the yarn I bought. I have already started working on a pair of socks with some wonderful Cherry Tree Hill http://www.cherryyarn.com/ cotton yarn. One sock is finished, and the other is started. There is the link to a wonderful sock pattern by Cherry Tree Hill...I am going to make that one next.

All in all, the workshop was the best imaginable. And the YARN CRAWL, well, I was in heaven. I think you "get it." Right?

Wrapped in Gold for my ISE Pal

Hello, hello to my International Scarf Exchange pal, Judy Hodges, who lives in Marietta, Georgia. Yes, inside this box, wrapped in gold, are your surprises. I made you a lavender-pink scarf, and I included lots of other little surprises for you. I have wrapped all your packages in gold metallic papers and put lovely iridescent ribbons on them. I hope you will like your surprises. I loved making this scarf for you, Dr_Leonesse, and hope you enjoy it.

Gathering Violets in the Fall

I am a Violet What Flower Are You?

My fondest memories of my childhood is gathering violets on my way home from school. I passed a large farm field, and I would stoop down and gather them one by one in my hand. I would not stop until I had a nice fist full to take home. I love violets and was pleased to be a "violet" when I took this test. It is true, it takes me a long time to let someone know me. I don't just take to people at all.

I am a TRENDsetter!

Thank you Kellie Pendleton for this lovely scarf! This is what I received from the International Scarf Exchange last week.

http://scarfexchange.blogspot.com/

I love it and it is just in time for our cold weather here in western PA. There was ice on the water outside this morning.

This is not a super photo of me as it was taken very early in the morning before I left for work. I asked my hubby to take it for me, and he has to be "directed" in taking photos so the result is not the best. I am trying to tell him how to take the photo...he has absolutely no skills with a camera. But, it does show off my wonderful scarf and that is what I wanted to do.

Secret Pal 9 - Answers to Questions

Here are my answers to the secret pal questionnaire...

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love soft variegated wool yarns and silky blends. I absolutely love kid mohair in vibrant colors. In fact, I am in love with any good mohair yarn. I am crazy about Noro yarns in brilliant colors. I am wild about Mountain Colors yarns. I don't much like fun fur or this type of yarn but I do play with it in some of my art projects, like felted bowls.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? Everything is stored in a see through container with a lid on it. It is the kind of thing you get in Walmart for storage. I have them all neatly arranged inside of one container so I can find what I need when I need it. I like things organized. It makes life so much easier.


3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I’ve been knitting for over 50 years, since I was around 8 or 10 years old.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? – No

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)

Patchouli is my all-time favorite scent. I love the Kiss My Face products in Patchouli scent. I use handmade soaps exclusively. I like Eucalaptus, Green Tea, etc. My favorite perfume is Angel.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Yes, but I keep it under control. I work out at a gym several days a week and try to not eat candy much.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I majored in fiber arts as an undergraduate, along with painting. I learned to spin, but I hate it.
I would much rather go buy the yarn I want to use. I make jewelry from sterling silver and wonderful stones and I sell it at art festivals year round. I am a professor of fine art, so I am always making stuff.

8. What kind of music do you like? I like different kinds of ethnic music. I always buy local music when I am traveling in Austria, Germany, Puerto Rico, etc. I love Appalachian Mountain music and Bluegrass very much.


9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I love Russets, Oranges, Yellow-Orange, Red-Orange, Lime Greens, and Turquoise type colors. I like COLOR. I do not wear gray or any bland colors. I hate colors that are neutral and without strong personalities. I like my color rich and vibrant.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am married and have 2 cats. We have been married since 1961 - I guess that makes it about 45 years now. Wow, time flys. We have 5 children, 7 grand children, and 3 great grand children.


11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I love them all

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

I like to wear the things I knit - clothing. I enjoy knitting for other people, a gift of love.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Lots of things! My first pair of socks. I have one done, and started the other one. I am working on three scarves for Christmas gifts. I have a number of other things going that I will wear, such as a jacket designed by Lilly Chin, and a kimono.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Of course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I use both straight and circular. I prefer bamboo or aluminum.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yes and yes

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

About 6 months. I started a kimono out of Moonlight mohair in the late winter. Then, when summer came I put it on hold till cooler weather. I am about to finish it up in a few weeks.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I enjoy them all. I especially love Christmas, though, because of my large family.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Yarn; Gem Stones and Jewelry; Green Santa Clause figures (they are dressed in green instead of red); Zuni Fetishes; Puerto Rican Santos; Viking Glass from the 19950s; Hazel Atlas dinnerwear from the 20-30s. And, more!

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?I have a subscription to Knit & Style that will begin soon since my grandson was selling mags for his school fund raiser. - I love reading knitting mags and am always on the lookout for really cool patterns. I love Vogue Knitting and would like a subscription to that one.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Yes, I would like to learn many things. I am going to a workshop with the Y2Knit group in Vermont later this month and hope to learn finishing techniques there. I am doing my homework now, for it.

22. Are you a sock knitter? Just learning to do it. I am shoe size 8.

23. When is your birthday? August 27. Since I am not a car, the year does not matter. I absolutely hate to hear people talking about their age - how boring is that! We are not cars, but human beings and we have a timeless and ageless "spirit" so why bother with the birth date???

Mason Baby Blanket

I have completed the "Mason Baby Blanket." It is my own design, and was done in celebration of the birth of my nephew's new baby, Mason McKinney. It is a very soft "Baby Blue" and done in Bernat CottonTot 100% cotton yarn.

Wednesday with Grandma

I am one lucky lady. Wednesday is knitting with Grandma day here at my house. I happen to be the grandma. And, joining me today for some knitting in the morning, were my two grand daughters, Brandi and Angel. Brandi started working on a hat for herself out of fun fur and Homespun yarns. Angel is working on a scarf out of two strands of fun fur. We had lots of fun together, knitting. How could a day be much nicer than this one!

It is MY Lace, anyway!

I have THREE WONDERFUL THINGS TO WRITE ABOUT TONIGHT.

First, Whose Lace is it Anyway? http://laceswap.blogspot.com I am very happy to say, it is ALL MINE. Yes, my package arrived yesterday from my secret pal, Lorinda Carbonara. You can find her blog by going to http://lorindarants.blogspot.com



Here is the PURE PLEASURE that was packed into a box and mailed to me by Lorinda. It is chock full of alpaca lace weight yarn, a beautiful shawl pattern, and oddles of things that an artist would appreciate and cherish. There was even some fantastic CANDY in there...all for ME!!! Thank you Lorinda for making my day so bright. When I came home from a very long day at school, the box was on my front porch waiting for me to find it. What a delight it was.

Second, I received my hand knitted gift from my Secret Pal from the One Skein Exchange. Here it is, a lovely bowl in soft shades of pink and oranges. My favorite colors! Thank you so much, Robin Geller from Chicago. The bowl now has a place of honor in my "pink room." That is where I knit and visit with family and friends. Here's the felted bowl...

Secret Pal 9

NOW is the time to sign up for SECRET PAL 9 http://www.secretpal9.blogspot.com
if you want to be involved. Sign ups will close Sept. 30. Visit this website and take a look.

My secret Pal, Melinda, http://mjmknitting.blogspot.com
from the Favorite Color Exchange http://favoritecolorswap.blogspot.com told me about it and we have both signed up.

If you enjoy exchanges and swaps, this should be a lot of fun. I love doing them.

Let there be ROARange Bliss

My birthday was yesterday, but my big surprise came in today's mail from my Secret Pal in the Favorite Color Exchange. My package was delivered this afternoon when I got home from my first day back at school.

I decided to savor the surprise and not open it for a few hours. It is nice to just contemplate a gift sometimes, not be in a big rush to open it all quickly. So, after I had done a number of tasks I went back down to my dining room to begin opening the gifts.

Everything was enveloped in my favorite color - orange. OMG, was it wonderful to see so much of that color all in one package. Here are the BEFORE and AFTER photos of my gifts from Melinda McCaffrey, my Secret Pal. http://mjmknitting.blogspot.com/

What was IN this package????
Patcholi Soap, made with fair trade and organic ingredients. My favorite scent:
2 balls of Debbie Bliss Cotton dk - never had any DB before, and I am so excited with this orange color; Lip Smackers Starburst for my luscious lips; a Post-it cube and a Twinkler's Jiggly light up pen for my desk at the college; a new journal with an orange cover; an artist canvas becaue I am a painter; mango licorice because I love exotic licorace; Peach Daquiri Nail Polish, six Stitch markers with orange crystal made by Melinda herself, and a wonderful CD that I am listening to as I write. This package has something for all the senses, taste, touch, smell, sound. What could be more wonderful than that?

How can I possible express the joy of receiving such a personal and thoughtful gift from a person who has never even met me in person? You are amazing and I thank you, Melinda. This is bliss.

My Secret Pal who loves purple

This one is for my Secret Pal , Valerie Cheel, in the Whose Lace is it Anyway exchange. As you can see she loves purple so everything for her package is in shades of purple. I sent her purple lace weight yarn from http://www.blackberry-ridge.com/lacewght.htm , a lovely pattern for a lace shawl, a book of poetry with a purple cover (authored by me!), a book marker, lavender handmade soap and bath salts, a piece of pottery with purple glaze, by a PA artist and some cdelicious candy I brought back from Germany...I wrapped it all up in purple and send it off this week. It is delightful to send off packages to a Secret Pal and it was so much fun shopping for this lovely lady. I hope I did a good job for her. My cat, Angel, is taking a look at the contents of this package. I think he was hoping that I had some catnip in this package but instead it was the fresh lavender he sniffed out. And, I can't wait to ge MY package from MY Secret Pal, too. You can visit VALERIE at her blog to see what this very talented young woman is doing. http://trilliums.blogspot.com

Retro Red Fuzzies

I have completed my first projects made from the One Skein book. OH, am I excited!!!
Here are my three felted bowls. I never did anything like this before and I am so thrilled with my first attempts, I am now working on more of them. My family members love them and so I plan to make some for Christmas gifts this year, too. What do you think?

The one that is BLACK and RED was made for my Secret Pal in the One Skein Exchange. She is Shelly and you can read her blog here http://theyarntart.blogspot.com Her kitchen is RETRO in RED, BLACK, and WHITE. I decided she needed a very wild RETRO felted bowl to match her kitchen. She said she thinks she will use it for her ball of yarn when she is knitting. It is one wild thing for a gal who is one wild thing, too. Enjoy your stuff, Shelly.

Red is the color for my Secret Pal

OK, I have FINISHED my shopping for my secret pal in the FAVORITE COLOR SWAP. Her color is RED and I have hunted for lots of things in RED for her. I created some things that I think she will enjoy. I searched for things that were made by other Pennsylvania artists, too. I selected some things at various arts festivals over the past month as I was gathering. And, I selected a nice yarn for her in REDs as well as I gathered some other goodies for her to enjoy. Here are the photos of the selection of gifts and then another one of how this package looks before I sent it off across the big pond to a land far away. Bon Voyage!

Right On the Money!

Your Career Type: Artistic

You are expressive, original, and independent. Your talents lie in your artistic abilities: creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art. You would make an excellent: Actor - Art Teacher - Book Editor Clothes Designer - Comedian - Composer Dancer - DJ - Graphic Designer Illustrator - Musician - Sculptor The worst career options for your are conventional careers, like bank teller or secretary.

I took this little test and the results are above. I am an artist and art professor, so I would say it was accurate in my case. The worst career options for me are a bank teller and a secretary. No kidding! You definitely would not want ME to be taking your money at the bank. Lord knows, I have a hard encough time just taking care of my own finances. I would much rather be making stuff.

I have to admit that I was a secretary once - for three weeks. It was pure hell and I did not even want to get out of bed in the mornings, and I lived for the lunch break. After three weeks, I decided I would rather starve than make my income this way. My spirit was dying by the day. It was a time in my life when I really needed the job and the money, but I could not live my life this way. One day, after my lunch break, I went to the owner of the little company and said, "I want to turn in my resignation." It was one of the smartest moves I have ever made, when I acknowledged that I did not have what it takes to be a secretary. It was a living nightmare for me. I can't see myself doing any kind of job that requires standardization and doing the same thing every day. I thrive on change and changing and changes.

Thank God, I am doing the work I was created to do. But to think, I could have spent the rest of my life in a job I hated. I refused to do that. I just wonder how many people are doing a job every day that they actually hate. I think there are a lot of them out there. I say, follow your bliss and do what you love.

What's Your Ideal Career?

Lace Swap

Here's a swap that should be fun.

You meet some really neat people by participating in the swaps and knit-along groups.
http://laceswap.blogspot.com This is a LACE SWAP. Since I have never knitted lace (at least not much) I decided this one would be good for me to do. The idea is that I will begin to TRY to do it. I even bought a new book at my LYS last week that is all levels of lace knitting. I think I will pick out an "easy" one to do.

Here is what you are going to do if you participate in this swap.

You will get a "Secret Pal." That is your DOWNSTREAM Pal. Then, someone will get YOU and that is your UPSTREAM Pal. (I like the idea of an Upstream and Downstream Pal. Makes me think of kyaking or something adventurous like that.) You will send your "ownstream Pal" the following items:

1200 yds laceweight yarn (broadly speaking we're talking cobweb to fingering here)
A nice pattern or needle to knit it
A little treat - chocolate, candy, whatever you feel like sending

The Adminstrator says, "I guess it's hard to come up with something for a total stranger. The rule I use is that if I'd be happy to recieve it, or I'm proud to send it, then I've done my best." That is what I intend to do. I will shop as though I am shopping for me.




~~ Here is my response to the questions for this swap~~

1. Would you consider yourself a beginner, intermediate or advanced? A raw beginner

2. What shape of shawl do you prefer - square, circle, triangle? I love them all! You can choose for me. I will be delighted with your choice

3. Favourite colours? Russets, Violets, Greens (but not bright green)

4. Solid colours or variegated? solid

5. Is an international swap pal okay with you? yes, I would greatly enjoy doing an international swap

Irish Hiking Scarf

I have FINISHED my first Irish Hiking Scarf. I joined the knit-along to keep me motivated. Now, I am showing it off. Here's the link if you are intersted in knowing more about this pattern. http://irishhikingknitalong.blogspot.com/
I made mine using Gedifra Fashion Trend Stripe in a lovely warm blend of burgundy reds. It is so soft. I made mine about 67 inches long so I could wrap it around my neck and have ample scarf to hang down.

Favorite Color Swap

OK, I joined a fourth knitting thing. It is the Favorite Color Swap. http://favoritecolorswap.blogspot.com/ This one is a SWAP and not a knit-along as the others are that I am into. You find out your Secret Pals' favorite colors then prepare a package of gifts that are in her favorite color(s) and they are chosen to fit with her personality and her interests. I thought this sounded like a lot of fun. I got my "downstream Pal" this morning and immediately wrote to her to begin our conversation. She lives in The Netherlands. Now, how cool is that! I am delighted to have an international pal for this project. I have sent her the list of questions so I can begin to think about her gifts.

I will post the questions here, along with MY responses to them. Now, my "upstream Pal" will be consulting my list and she will be shopping for ME. I think this sounds like so much fun. I love surprises and I love to give gifts and receive gifts. I will really enjoy this project.

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

1. What are your top three favorite colors?

At the TIP TOP of my FAVORITES LIST is the ORANGE family. I love the color and I love the word. I like every shade of orange that is imaginable. But my all time favorite color is YELLOW-ORANGE. But I love the entire range from Yellow-Orange to Deep Russets.

Second on my list would be AQUA. I love Aqua Blue colors such as in Turquoise stones from Arizona.

Third on my list would be BLUE-VIOLET.

2. What crafts do you really enjoy?

I really would never call myself a “crafter.” I am an artist who likes to knit and I approach everything from a fine art point of view rather than a crafter view. There IS a philosophical difference between crafting and art and it is a very deep one. For me, it is Knitting, knitting, knitting. I have been knitting since I was a young child and nothing captivates me like knitting. I love knitting, weaving, working with beads (weaving them).


3. What products do you really covet?

Fine yarns. I could go crazy shopping in a yarn store because I want to buy everything I see there. I can’t stop touching them all and looking at all the colors. I am the same way with luxurious beads such as Murano glass from Venice; Swarovski crystal from Austria; Bohemian crystal and Amber from Czech Republic.

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?

I have two studios.
The largest one is for beadwork, painting, and bookmaking. In this one is all my canvases, beads, paints, and papers.

The other is for weaving and fiber art. I have a Macomber loom in this one, and my sewing machine, and my STASH of yarn.

5. Is there anything you collect? My OH My! Do I collect?
Here are a FEW of the things I collect:

Zuni Fetishes, Puerto Rican Santos, Art (paintings, pottery, sculpture), books of contemporary poetry, books on African American poetry, books on contemporary art, Hazel Atlas dinnerware, Viking Glass…and more.

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol? Virgo but I am not into that at all.

7.What are your favorite……scents/smells?

Favorite scent for bathing is Patcholi,

Favorite Perfumes are Estee Lauder’s White Linen, Cool Water, and Angel…

types of music and/or bands? Classical, Appalachian Mountain Folk Music…

authors? Annie Dillard, Robert Bly, Yusef Komunyakaa, Rita Dove…

animals? Griffons…

places to shop? Neiman Marcus and yarn shops…

season? Winter…

yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies? Kid mohair yarns are my favorite.
I love the bloom of them.…and the feel and the colors

candies or goodies? Expensive chocolates and licorace from German Candy shops

8. Do you have any wish lists? I turn my wishes into goals and go get them. Nothing comes to mind right now that I can think of. I am pretty content with life at the moment and really don't have any strong desires or wishes. Contentment is good.

9. Are you allergic to anything? Don’t think so

10. Do you have any pets? Yes, I love my 2 cats, Angel and Blaise. I am definitely a CAT person. I like dogs but have no desire to own one, at least not right now. They require far too much attention and human interaction.

11. My greatest passions in life are in the fine arts. I am wild about art and poetry.

It is so worth it!

First, my One Skein Secret Pal, Shelly, sent me photos of her wonderful yarn room with her yarns stashed neatly on shelving. I was envious of her organization. http://theyarntart.blogspot.com And, I kept thinking that I needed to be more organized. All my yarns are scattered about the house in overflowing baskets. They look nice, but it's hard to know what I have and I keep adding to my stash on top of all the yarns already in the baskets.

Then, I was talking to my daughter, Heidi, on the phone and told her I needed to organize my yarn stash and my fibers studio but that it seemed to overwhelming. Heidi is a bead artist and painter and has a fantastic studio in the PA mountains. http://www.geocities.com/sassifrasshill Heidi told me that it is a lot of work to get things organized in the studio, but in the end "it is so worth it."

I remembered her words and they became my inspiration to begin the job. It has taken me a few days but now I can stand here and look over my neatly "stashed" yarns and things related to knitting. I think I could put my finger on most anything I want right now. And, yes, it is so worth it. Thank you Shelly and Heidi for helping me get motivated to get my stash in better order. Of course, there are still baskets around with yarns and that is because they look so pretty and make my home look cozy and I like them!

Lilac Yarn

I received my JUNE GIFT from my SECRET PAL for the One-Skein Secret Pal Exchange. http://www.oneskein.com

The photo is of a skein of FEZIA Kid Mohair, made in Italy.

I absolutely LOVE my gift. Thank you, Secret Pal! You could not have chosen a yarn I would enjoy more than this. This color is so soft and luscious with a shimmer of silver running very quietly throughout. The yarn is so soft you want to reach out and just touch it. I have never worked with a "kid mohair" before and look forward to making something from this skein. I am thinking it will be a "feather and Fan" lace scarf.

Want to make a FEATHER AND FAN SCARF? Here is the pattern for it.


Materials:
YARN - worsted weight, 2 skeins
NEEDLES - US size 7 needles
GAUGE - 5 sts per inch in pattern st.
SIZE - When finished and laid out flat, the piece measures 7 in. wide and 80 in. long.

DIRECTIONS -
Cast on 36 sts.

PATTERN -
Begin pattern. Pattern is a multiple of 18 sts.
Row 1: (RS) knit.
Row 2: purl.
Row 3: *(k2tog) 3 times, (yo, k1) 6 times, (k2tog) 3 times* rep between *s to end. Row
4: knit.

Repeat rows 1-4 until scarf is 80 inches long or desired length. End with row 4 of pattern, and then bind off knitwise. Weave in ends and block.

Blog Membership

These are the three BLOG Knit-Along groups I am participating in right now. I decided I wanted to do cables, so I thought the Irish Hiking Scarf would be the place to begin. I am making progress daily on it and really enjoy doing the cables. http://irishhikingknitalong.blogspot.com/ -- - - - - - - - - -

I bought the One Skein book, joined the One Skein Secret Pal Exchange. It started in June. I have sent my packages to my downstream "Pal" in California. I really enjoyed shopping for her for both packages and enjoy communicating with her so much. I am working on my August gift to her. I started it when I was in Austria in June/July. It is a challenge, I had to frog it several times, but I think it will turn out really nice. I have also heard from my upstream "pal" and will be recieving a skein of yarn from her soon. Both ladies are really enjoyable to talk with and I am so glad I joined this challenge. http://oneskein.blogspot.com- - - - - - - --- - - - -

I joined the Year of the Sweater to keep me motivated and making sweaters this year. I have two on the needles right now. One is a Lilly Chin designed sweater that I am knitting out of two yarns that I have combined to get the look and feel that I wanted. The other is a Japanese Kimono style sweater that I am doing from Moonlight Mohair. Talk about soft! http://yearofthesweater.blogspot.com- - - - - - - - -

A Year of Creativity

I am very slowly reading the book by Brenda Mallon, A Year of Creativity. I really started it about a year ago. It is one of those books that has to be read in very small doses, then dwell on what you have read and let it settle into your soul awhile. I love this little book. I have no idea how many years it will be before I have finished it. Sometimes, I read only one paragraph and have to spend days on just the thoughts I have from that one small paragraph. Other times, I don't even look at the book for weeks on end.

I have decided that I will begin a year of daily artmaking on my birthday, August 27th. I will do one work-on-paper each day for an entire year, to celebrate my 63rd birthday. I am thinking now about how I will do this and I know this book will be a central part of what I will be doing. Stay tuned for more on that in the next few weeks as I get ready to begin this year long project.

On Page 27, the author lists a number of exercises to teach us how to recognize the inner Muse. As an artist, it is critical that I am in touch with the Muse. Daily mundane activities often intervene and make us forget our intuitive link between who we are, what we see, and how we feel. This little book brings me back to who I really am, a created being who is a creative person.

"Our inner Muse speaks

when we are willing to listen."

The challenge Mallon makes is to turn off the tv and radio for a week. Stop reading newspapers and begin to listen to the sound of creative silence. You will begin to hear the inner Muse. Listen, and take notes!

I remembered this advice today and decided to take my knitting outside to the patio instead of listening to music on the stereo or turning on the television. Instead of the electronic sounds surrounding me, Nature came to visit me and what a delightful time I have had.

As I sat there knitting away, a number of birds came by to take a look and gossip about what was in their garden. There was quite a bit of bird chatter, calling back and forth about this "something" new that was on the patio. We feed the birds and other wild animals every day, so there is always a gaggle of things moving about out there in the shade of the Hemlock trees and giant old Maple. First the brave Blue Jay landed within five feet of where I sat. He did this a few times, testing the waters. You see, there is cat food on the patio and he wanted it. But, there I was right by the cat food. He would land nearby, take a quick look at me, look around, then fly off to a nearby branch. A few times he circled so close that I could have touched him, hovering above the cat food.

There I sat for a couple of hours, knitting away so quietly it seemed like magic. I could feel the smoothness of the needles passing quietly in and out of the soft cotton yarn I was knitting. They seemed to glide like a pair of skaters dancing on ice. Smooth and quiet with just a very soft sound that I could feel in my hands as I moved the silver needles in and out of that yarn. I am making kitchen towels to give as Christmas gifts to my granddaughters. I like to think that in some way this magic will be knitted into my gift.

I looked up to see a squirrel hanging upside down, looking at me from a nearby tree. Many black birds, cardinals, morning doves, sparrows, and other small birds were coming and going like planes in an airport. And, meandering about in the thick ivy were a number of rambunctious little chipmonks darting about. They chirped and got my attention a number of times. They seemed to be playing joyfully with me. The English ivy was shaking vigourously as they scurried about underneath the broad deep green leaves, giving away their presence. Occasionally, I would see a head or tail pop out. I continued the rhythm of my knitting. Knitting to the sounds of nature in a landscape that surrounds me was a delight.

It was a glorious morning of knitting there with the wild creatures in thier world. I highly recommend knitting outdoors, absorbing the rays of light as our bodies were created to do and getting a good dose of Vitamin D from the sun at the same time. I will make this a daily habit during the summer months and into the fall. I would bet the Blue Jays will soon just drop by, eat the cat food and pay me no attention. They seem to be rather fearless birds and they are so curious about this new thing knitting in their garden.

Find you own way today to get in touch with the silence of your inner Muse. Time will stand still as you enter into a state of timelessness.

Lilly Chin Shawl-Collar Wrap

I have started a sweater jacket that is featured in Better Homes and Gardens Hip Knits, 65 easy projects from hot designers. The design is by Lilly Chin and it is called a "Shawl-Collar Wrap" in the magazine.

I am using yarns I purchased at the Pittsburgh Knitting Festival from a vendor who was there, Newton Country Yarns of Anaheim, California. The yarns were purchased separately and then I made two different yarns into one yarn by using a yarn winder.

One yarn, the solid orange one, is Italian Cashmere (60%) and Merino (40%). It is very fine and thin and the color is a bright & clear orange. The yarn I mixed the solid orange color with is called "Puff-and-Stuff" and I was told by the vendor it is a wool yarn from Paris. The colors of this yarn are a muted orange and blue gray mix. It is a little bit squiggly with blurbs of color mixed throughout.

I love this soft mixture and the colors I created. I have the back finished and am now working on both fronts at the same time, on the same needle so they will move along slowly but they will both be finished at the same time. I like that idea! Here are some photos of this yarn and how it looks as I am knitting it up.

Yarn Shopping in Austria and Germany

Here is some of the yarns I bought while traveling in Austria and Germany from June 20 to July 6. I visited my two favorite yarn shops in the little Alpine Village where I live and bought sock yarns. I have never knit socks yet, but I plan to give it a try soon. I also bought the suggested double pointed needles that the lady in the shop recommended to me. I plan to gift one of the sock yarns and one set of needles to a friend I work with who I think will be very surprised and glad to have them.



Then, while in Germany I found a wonderful yarn shop where I bought some Lana Grossa BASICs yarn , hp No. 31 to make a summer top. I could have bought much more yarn, but I kept thinking of having to carry my suitcase so that put a stop to my gluttony.

Italian Yarn bought in Austria

I have just posted the progress I am making on the Irish Hiking Scarf on that blogspot. This is one project I started in Austria, worked on in Germany, and will finish up here at home. I love this yarn, Gedifra Fashion Trend in Stripe. It is very soft, made of 49% Acrylic and 51% New Wool. I found it in a small shop in an Alpine Village in Austria. I highly recommend it for it's wonderful feel, softness, and it's elegant colorways. http://irishhikingknitalong.blogspot.com/

Arrivals and Departures

I arrived home on Sunday evening after spending most of the week at the West Virginia State Folk Music Festival. What a wonderful time I had there. It is my second year to attend this festival in Glenville, WV. I am one of the artists who has a tent and participate in the artist's market, selling my handmade jewelry. My calendar is already marked off for next year's festival. It will be the 58th Annual. I met another knitter there and we had a number of friendly chats about our knitting. She spotted me sitting there knitting one day and that led to a wonderful conversation with a new friend.



Another arrival to report - my new knitting books had arrived while I was in WV. My great granddaughter and I anxiously opening the boxes and took turns looking through them. It was Christmas in June!

I will depart tomorrow for a trip to Austria and Germany that I do every summer. I have my bags packed and my knitting projects ready to take along. I have knitting ready for taking on the flight over in my carry on bag. And, packed in my check in bag is the directions and needles for the Irish Walking Scarf. I will buy the yarn for it when I arrive in my village and begin working on it there. I joined the knitalong for the Irish Walking Scarf recently so I intend to post photos of my progress on that site once I get it going.

Joyful Frogging

Katia Florida"Wildflowers"

This yarn is so beautiful - I love TOUCHING it!

I have been knitting the Katia Florida Summer Top (see blog below). Today, I decided it was not going to fit me properly and that sent me back to look at my pattern instructions. Seems I must have had a lapse of thought when I started this because I was using the wrong size needles! Nothing to do but to begin the frogging process and start all over again. I was using size 6 needles, instead of the size 10 that the pattern calls for. I am back on track now, and the frogging fun is over for now. It does take patience and tenacity to knit, doesn't it?

The second photo shows my progress on the Katia Florida Summer Top that is on the needles. This is the one I started again, after I frogged the first one. I am nearly finished with the back and will begin the front tomorrow, hopefully. I want to wear this sweater when I leave on a trip in two weeks. If is so nice to touch and I think it will feel so good to be wearing it. I am crazy about this yarn from Elann.com

Shopping For Shelly

Yesterday I had a wonderful adventure with my artist friend, Myrna. We had decided to meet for lunch and then I wanted her to go with me to a fantastic yarn shop, Yarns Unlimited in Sewickley, PA. It was our dessert for the day. We touched everything that caught our eye and we just went from one stunning yarn to another, throughout the entire store.


I told the friendly sales lady why we were shopping - we were looking for just the right yarn for Shelly, my California "Secret Pal" for the One Skein Knit Along project. Not only did Myrna and I engage in touching and feeling in our quest of the "right" yarn, the sales lady joined us in our adventure. There was lots of giggles and breathless ooooohhhhssss and aaaaaahhhhhhs while we worked our way through that shop. We would carry some skeins around for awhile, thinking that just might be "the one." Then, we would find another one that seemed even more like what we envisioned Shelly might like. We think a California lady might like "bright" and "happy" colors.

Finally, after nearly an hour of serious selecting, we made our decision. It will be flying all the way from Western PA where it is rainy and very dreary today, to California where I imagine the sun must be shining, the sky cloudless and still, and the birds singing with joy in the springtime.

That is all I will say about this yarn for now. I would not want to ruin a surprise.

Elann.com

This is the Katia Florida Summer Top that I started working on today. Katia of Spain is the manufacturer of this beautiful yarn. This photo is from the website http://www.elann.com The yarn I chose for my sweater is a soft peachy color called "Wildflowers." It has peach, ivory, and pale lavender in it...all very soft. It will be so perfect for traveling to Europe this summer. I am hoping to get it finished up in the next two weeks so I can be wearing it as I take off for Munich on June 20th.

The yarn feels so good as I am knitting it. I began the knitting right after I opened the box that arrived from http://www.elann.com I have never ordered from them before and when I found the website I was excited to see the beautiful things available and I immediately knew I had to have a couple of them. The order arrived very quickly and the packing is the best possible. Shipping was very quick. I am delighted with the yarns I received.

I had ordered yarn to make two of the sweaters on the website. The patterns are free and I ordered the yarns suggested with the patterns. I will take photos as my sweater progresses. I just can't tell you how silky soft and nice this yearn feels as I am knitting. And, the colors are so luscious. I am a satisfied customer and expect to be a return customer in the future.

WhileI enjoy walking through a local yarn shop and feeling and touching all the yarns before making final selections, it was still very exciting to order a yarn I had not touched and had no idea what it would be until it arrived. I am pleasantly surprised. I am very glad I just took a chance and ordered the yarn because it is fantastic.

More Knit for Kids Guidepost Project

This is the second sweater I have knit from the Guidepost's Knit for Kids pattern. I did this one as a Christmas gift for my great granddaughter and will just keep it till then. I had decided to knit as many gifts as I could this year, and this is my first finished project. I plan to do two more of them for two great grandsons, too.

Meanwhile, I have begun a second one that will be sent to Guideposts for this project. I would like to do several of them and send them off in the fall so that other children will be blessed with a nice handmade sweater next Christmas. I am using Red Heart Super Saver yarn since it is 100% acrylic and washable.

http://www.dailyguideposts.com/help/sweater.asp

Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton

- The Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton Project -


It is around 11 p.m. and I have just finished the SURSA shawl that is in the book, Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton Hand Knitting Collection, Book Number two. It is knitted out of Noro's Silk Garden with a ruffled edge out of Cash Iroha. The pattern specifies that double yarn is used throughout the entire piece. It moves along rather fast when you are knitting it because it is on Size 15 needles and the yarn double strand.

I first saw this piece at the Pittsburgh Knitting Festival ( http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06052/658522.stm ) last February. One of the yarn vendors was wearing it and I just had to have one for myself. As I searched through a table of books at the festival, I found the pattern in the Hamilton book. Later on, I visited one of my favorite yarn stores, Yarns Unliminted in Sewickley, PA where I found the Noro yarns I used for this shawl. (http://www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20031207ggyarnshopsp8.asp)

Knit for Kids

Will I be knitting any gifts this year?

Yes, I have already begun thinking of Christmas gifts for family members. I have started a sweater for my great grand-daughter, Delaunay. She will be 9 years old by Christmas. I am making her a sweater from the

- Guide Post's Knit for Kids project.-

I knitted one to give away for that project, and I liked it so much I wanted to do another one for Delaunay. She will be delighted with it and the one I knitted to be sent to a child through Guide Post's project will be happy, too. And, it makes me happy to know that two little girls will each have a nice new hand knit sweater next winter.

At the top you can see what this sweater looks like. I made this one to send off to the project. Family members loved it so much that they want me to make one for them, too. This sweater is one of three different designs designated to be done for this charity project. It felt so good to be making this sweater for a child I will never know. You can get information on how to make the sweaters and how to send them to children who need them at this site

http://www.dailyguideposts.com/help/sweater.asp

I plan to organize a group of knitters where I work to make sweaters as a group project this fall and send off to children who need to be kept warm this winter.

Vertical Netting

During the past few months, from February through April, I took a number of beading classes to learn some new things. I have had so much fun learning to do Vertical Netting. I began to do the white and gold one in the class I took AT cRYSTAL BEAD BAZAAR in Pittsburgh. www.crystalbeadbazaar.com

Then, after that class was over I came home and spent the rest of the day and into the evening working on it. I think I finally finished it up about 3 am. Then, the passion has remained alive as I have now completed two more. One is is blue and pinks; One is red and purple. I just completed a fourth one in soft pewter silvers and spring greens. Number 5 is now begun, using cotton candy pinks with brilliant reds and opalescent beads.

Here are some photos of the Vertical Lace Netting that I have been doing. It keeps me up into the late nights. There is something about doing this pattern that really excites me and motivates me to keep on going with it.

I can see my tendencies taking over as I envision more and more patterns and color combinations in the future in this type of bead weaving. I think I have just been won over to the Seed Side of the discipline. I find myself shopping for more and more Delicas and other wonderful Seed Beads and a few months ago I never even knew what that meant.

The next thing I want to begin to explore is combinging beads and yarn. I love to knit, and I love to make things using brilliant and sparkling beads.