More Secret Pal Goodies!!!

Wow! My secret pal is awesome! I received a very generous package in the mail recently from Denmark. It's contents: 4 skeins of Fortissima Colori sock yarn: 2 each of 2 different colors (pretty blues and purples); 2 skeins of a sock yarn I am not familiar with. This is what it says on the label: 80 AR strompegarn Jacquard print Hjertegarn. It's a beautiful mix of blues and greens and turquoise; 2 skeins of yarn which I think was handspun - a nice orange and a mustardy-yellow. It's not labeled. And finally, my package contained a beautiful button which I can use on a cardigan or something. It's really neat looking- especially the back of the button which has star-shaped flower designs. Thanks so much Secret Pal!

a trip to the frog pond :(

I had to frog my dad's hat. Yesterday. I didn't want to do it. I tried rescuing the stitches halfway through, but my efforts failed me. It's completely frogged. I messed up (terribly) on the decreases. I tried to knit when I was too sleepy and ended up with a big mess that I couldn't even figure out. So last night I cast on once again and knit my set up row. But this time it was a wonderful experience. See, I have this really ugly light that came free with a vaccuum cleaner my parents gave me when I moved into my apartment. But the lamp is so ugly, so I just let it sit in the box. But the lighting in my apartment, particularly my living room which is, of course, where I like to do my knitting, is terrible. The yarn I am using for this hat is olive green and brown, so it is hard to tell the colors apart at times. So my BF dug out the lamp and put it together, and it's one of these Verilux lamps with more natural light, and the difference in clarity is amazing. I love it. Now I'm trying to figure out a way to make it suit my apartment better. I think everyone who knits should have a nice light to work under. It makes a difference.

I have rejoined the knitting world

Know how life gets kind of crazy sometimes and you get really, really behind in everything and then you finally have a window of opportunity to catch up a little bit? That's where I'm at right now. I went to NY for the holidays to visit my parents and began the trip by throwing up at the airport. Fun stuff. So, I was sick for week 1 of vacation (Christmas). Week 2 I had free the whole week. Yay! Reunited with boyfriend, sleeping in.....nope, wrong. Day 2 I get a phone call to see if I could drive down to Miami to play in the New World Symphony since one of their flutists sliced their finger cutting an advocado. Okay....so I drove to Miami Beach for the week and- the best part- BF came with me! Great excuse for a vacation, well, sort of a vacation since I was still working. We had a great time, though. So we came back to Orlando Sunday night, after 5 days in Miami, and I had the next 2 days off before driving back and forth to Tampa for 6 days to play with The Florida Orchesrea, which was a lot of fun. So, I ended up spending my entire vacation working. That's good, though, for the money and also the connections with more people down here who are hearing me play and hiring me for work.

In fact, I just got called yesterday to take a temporary job teaching flute at a local college. The flute teacher had a baby and they need to replace her for the semester, and a violinist I work with recommended me, and that was it. I start teaching next week, and they help with gas money, too. I'm really excited about it.

In the meantime, I have actually managed to get some knitting done. Dad wants a hat to go with the scarf I knit him last year. He decided he wants a brioche stitch hat....knit in the round..... okay, never done it before, but I love learning new techiques and stitch patterns. I'm not afraid to try anything (at least when it comes to knitting.) Let me tell you - this hat was nuts. I just could not figure it out, and I couldn't figure out where it was I was going wrong. I must have frogged 20 times. I could get it to look great on one side, but brioche stitch is supposed to be reversible, and my hat was definitely not reversible. Finally I figured it was the way I make my knit stitches - which was always through the back loop, since that's how my mom taught me. I didn't realize that most people knit through the front loop until last summer. Anyway, so I tried making my knit stitches through the front loop instead, and - what do you know - I now have 9 inches of a reversible brioche stitch hat knit in the round. Of course I ran out of the green yarn and I'm only about to start the decreases. I was hoping to only need the leftover yarn from his scarf and not have to buy more. Oh well. Until I can get to the store to buy more yarn I will have to pick up another UFO to work on. I'll keep you posted.

Thank you SP!

This is a very belated thank you to my secret pal along with a sincere apology for not thanking you publicly on my blog until now. I have not had regular internet access for the past month and it's been difficult finding the time to get to a computer.

Thank you, SP, for the beautiful blue sock yarn and the sheep toy - very cute! I love the yarn and will make a beautiful pair of socks with it. I hope to have my computer up and running by next week and will then be able to post pictures.

Hope you are having a wonderful fall!

Knitting again

I have finally rejoined the knitting world this evening - hallelujia! Tuned the TV to soapnet and caught up on Days of Our Lives for the week and picked up my second Jaywalker sock (I was still on the ribbing for the cuff) and knit away. I didn't get too much done, but I did finish the ribbing and have started in a few rows on the zigzag pattern. I know I probably won't be knitting as regularly as I had been before, so it will most likely be a while before it is completed, but at least I am making some kind of progress now as opposed to absolutely none. Hopefully I can get it done by the end of the month.

It is really hard to knit with a little kitty around, though! I had to keep putting Samson in the bedroom and I felt bad about that. He is now having the time of his life playing with my tape measure. And in the morning he gets to go the the vet to get his second round of shots - poor thing!

Okay - a few more rounds on the sock and it's time for bed.

I am indeed alive

Hey everyone. I must apologize for being so lazy about this blog. I've just been really busy.....okay, so I totally met an amazing guy and, well, you all know how life is at the beginning of a new romance....everything else gets completely dropped for a while. So, there, that is why I have disappeared. So, life in Orlando has been very good so far. New apartment, new job, new friends, new kitty, new guy....life really couldn't be any better right now. There has been absolutely no knitting going on at all. In fact, that stuff is all still in boxes, mainly because I do not have anywhere to put my yarn...lack of furniture, storage, etc. - but I am working on it little by little. Finally got my first paycheck the other day, so things are looking up. Sacha and I (he's my new guy) painted my bedroom last night - Apple Crisp - looks kinda like that. It's very soothing and goes very nicely with my brown quilt and sheets. It looks like autumn in my room and it's awesome. Soooo much better than white walls, especially since I do not have much in the way of furniture or things that hang on walls. The color makes a huge difference. We were up painting until 5:00 this morning. I've been so lazy today, but don't have to work again until Friday night's rehearsal, so it's all good. So, that's where I've been and what I've been up to. I'll try to swing by this blog more frequently. Now I've really gotta hit the shower.

Secret Pal 9 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love sock yarn - the only type of yarn I absolutely cannot stand is acrylic.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a lovely handmade case made from fabric that rolls up.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I have been knitting for a year and a half and consider myself to knit at an intermediate level. I am not afraid to try something which may seem a little over my head. If I want to make something badly enough I will figure out how to do it.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Not at the moment.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) Anything fruity or smelling like baked goods, like cookies or chocolate or something like that.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Chocolate and cheesecake are favorites - don't really have a favorite candy, though I like it.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I have enjoyed making soap and gel candles, but I mostly stick to knitting. I do not spin, though I would love to learn how someday.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) This is a hard question....I am a professional classical musician, so I obviouly love classical music. But I also like a lot of other types....I just don't listen to the radio much. I like some hip-hop/R&B, and am not particularly fond of country.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I love most colors as long as they are saturated. Definitely love blues, greens, purples, pinks, but also love fall colors. I'm not fond of colors that look as if someone or something got sick.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm 28 and live alone with my kitten.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Well, I just moved to Orlando, so not really, though I need them when I visit my family in NY. I definitely do not wear ponchos. I try to be pretty fashionable and ponchos are definitely not in so much anymore.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks and items for the home since I am trying to decorate a new apartment.

13. What are you knitting right now? Socks and a stuffed dinosaur for my cousin's new baby.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I use all types of needles depending on the project. Prefer bamboo most of the time.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Not yet, but would love to.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? A little over a year.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Yarn (obviously). Flute-related things, like figurines or something, and I like cows, but tend to limit the cows to the kitchen.

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 currently subscribe to the Vogue stuff. I basically am always trying to acquire Socks that Rock and Vesper self-striping yarns.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Making two socks at once and spinning.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes, and I wear a size 5 and a half.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) September 5th.

Samson

I just wanted to show off some photos of my new kitty - he is super adorable - he gets into absolutely EVERYTHING - definitely a handful already. Check out those spots on his tummy!