January 21, 2007
A Gift Of The Best Kind!
My Secret Pal sent me a gift this week. I just had a chance yesterday to get to the leasing office to pick it up. Wow did I get spoiled!!! 🙂
A little lamb toy that I hope to get painted soon and a pampering set that smells just wonderful! 🙂 I’ve been needing a small thing of purfume to stick in my purse for middle of the day “refreshment.” Now I have one. Thanks!!!
This is a sheep chalkboard that I have already started painting. The choc-aid choclates have been claimed by the little guy already and he loves them. The two bars at the bottom are local to my secret pal’s area. She told me the 3400 bar (yellow) was her favorite so I IMMEADIATELY dug into it. It is fantastic dark chocolate. I’ve been spoiling myself with a little piece here and there. YUM.
This is where I’m going to put the chalkboard and sheep toy. To the left you’ll see 3 balls of yarn. Those were from my last secret pal. It’s chashmere. I know that I want a lacy scarf out of it. I think I’m either going to do diamonds or a lacy leaf pattern. I’ve never cast on for them though. The yarn is just SOOO soft that I don’t want to start knitting with it for fear that the pleasure of feeling it will be over soon. So it sits on my shelf and I look at it everyday. Don’t the two sheep just complete that little knitting themed shelf?
I’m off to watch football and enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet while the little guy is with his dad. THANKS SO MUCH SECERT PAL!!!
October 3, 2006
Secret Pal Questionaire
It’s secret pal 9 time. I’ve signed up and am PSYCHED about finding out who I’ll be spoiling! 🙂 Here are my answers. Please let me know, dear secret pal, if you’d like to know anything else.
1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I LOVE WOOL! wool/cotton blends are also nice. I don’t do red heart acrylic. Ever.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
My DPNs are stored in a pencil box. My circulars are stored here:
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I learned to knit in childhood. Young childhood. I put it down. Pick it up for a while when I was 16. Put it back down again. Picked it up December of 2004. Unfortunately life got away from me for a bit this summer… but I’m back 🙂
I’d consider myself an intermediate knitter.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
If I want a book I buy it.
5. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I don’t do vanilla and I don’t do food flavored stuff. I like fresh scents like peppermint, melon, linens, etc.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Chocolate. I like English toffee and chocolate, shortbread.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Cross Stitch. I’ve tried my hand at spinning. I have tons of unspun fiber though… I doubt I need anymore.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I have an Ipod. I love almost all kinds of music.
9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?
Blues and Browns. I don’t like red much. I love neutral colors and I feel like I need some pink in my stash.
10. What is your family situation?
My son, dog and I live together in a little, homy 2 bedroom apartment complete with a beautiful fireplace.
Do you have any pets?
Dog. Roxy.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, hats, mittens, Yup! Ponchos, no. I’m dieing for a pair of fair isle mittens.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I don’t have a favorite. Whatever I feel like knitting. 🙂
13. What are you knitting right now?
Right now I have socks, a shawl, 2 cardigans, and clapotis on the needles.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course. I’ve always wanted a hand knit gift, because I’d know how much time and effort and love went into making it. Especially a lace shawl or something fair isled. It’d be well loved.
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Circulars. Addis or Clover Bamboo are my favorite/preferred needles.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes, both.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Clapotis. March 2005.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
CHRISTMAS!!!
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn. My son collects hotwheels… I find myself checking them out for cool ones that he might not have.
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I don’t have any subscriptions. I don’t really cheat myself when it comes to knitting. If I have the money I spend it. I do want to expand my selection of addi needles. And I’m kind of interested in trying the knit pick needles.
21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
Fair isle.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
YES! from heel to toe= 9.5″; around the ankle= 8″– I’m quite picky about the toes on socks. I’ve made several pair with the “decrease every other row” toes. But they’re too pointy and they annoy the crap out of me. I like to decrease my toes ever single row so that they’re flatter across the front.
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
May 26.
**As a side note… I love love love Knitpicks. I think their yarns are beautiful for such a fantastic price.
***As a 2nd side note… I am dieing to one day make the Irish Diamond Shawl from Folk Shawls. Seen here. and here. (In this link it’s the green one… first shawl shown. and oh yeah, here. It takes A LOT of yarn. 2,200 yards at a gauge of 16 stitches and 24 rows= 4″. Of course, I am a VERY petite person, so getting gauge wouldn’t be essential… I could certainly use a SMALLER one and be just fine.
Melanie Knits 