Crafty Rantings

I'm Crafty. I Rant. These are Crafty Rantings!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Yippie! Yippie! Lucky Me!!



I'm a lucky penguin! I'm a lucky penguin!

I got a package in the mail today with a sheep on the outside from my friend Kaylee who spoiled me during SP8. She's still spoiling me!! She sent me a gorgeous, thoughtful birthday card and inside...

What, you wonder, was inside this gorgeous tissue wrapped paper? I carefully pulled off the pretty silver ribbon and opened it to find...








Ready?




What gorgeous yarn!!!! Four (4!) skeins of this beautiful Berroco Cotton Twist yarn AND she sent me a pattern for a shawl! If I can remember how to knit into the front and back of a stitch, I may see if there's enough of this to make the shawl.

What a wonderful friend! Don't you agree? Yup, I am one lucky penguin! THANK YOU KAYLEE!!!

Monday, October 02, 2006

SP9 Questionnaire

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

The truth is that so far I haven’t found anything I don’t like but whatever can work up into a quick, easy pattern, like cotton for dishcloths or wool for felted bowls… well, you get the idea.


2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

In my livingroom I have a couple of vases. I also have one homemade needle case and one store purchased one. I have as one of my “pick up when you want to do a couple of rows” project a needle case which will be felted. But it calls to be knit to 36” which will take forever. Hence the pick up when you want status.


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

I’m a beginner, no matter what anybody tells you, including me.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Froogle. I can’t seem to get Amazon to like me but Froogle does.


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

Raspberry. I absolutely HATE vanilla.


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

Most definitely! Favorite candy is milk or white chocolate. Not much of a dark fan. Sorry.


7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

No to spin or dye. I crochet once in a while. Before I took knitting back up again, all I did was crochet.


8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

Dixie Chicks, Chely Wright, Carrie Underwood – country women although I also love some of the men. Soft rock, and go ahead and laugh – Barry Manilow. MP3s? I think so but I am not into that and I have no clue what an Ipod is or how to work one.


9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Lilac, dark purple, blues (tourquoise is nice), and PINK!! I can't stand mint green.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I live alone. My children are grown and live elsewhere. My married 21 year old daughter is going to give birth to my first grandson in late December. My lease says no pets so no pets.


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

Yes!


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

Felted bowls and dishcloths although anything quick is good. I should try hats again. Scarves seem to take me a long time. No idea why.

13. What are you knitting right now?

An afghan for Matthew (my soon-to-be-born grandson), an alpaca scarf for me, a needle case (see above) but mostly dishcloths. I haven’t done a felted bowl for a while but love making those.


14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

YES!!!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I like circular for bigger projects like afghans and yet I adore striaght, too. Bamboo.16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

No and I wish I did!


17. How old is your oldest UFO?


The alpaca scarf. It’s a 4 row pattern so I use that as a pick up when I don’t want to do too much. That’s why it’ll probably be around for a long time.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas!


19. Is there anything that you collect?

I like snowmen, penguins, roses (go with the theme in my bedroom), pigs and chicks with cute faces


20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

No magazine subscriptions, sadly. I would love the Knit Pick Options needle set. I have been eying those for a long time. And any pattern that is easy and fast.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

One day I will learn how to make socks. And entrelac. Maybe.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

No but maybe someday. Don’t know about my foot measurements. I wear a size 7 shoe.

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

Actually my birthday is just before SP9 starts – October 11th

For Den


This is a bowl I made to give my brother Den for our birthday in 9 days. I wasn't going to put beads on it but yesterday at brunch with my dear friend Amy, she asked if I'd like to go to the bead store nearby. She likes to make earrings (she's made me some beautiful ones!). While there I saw these dark wooden beads that I thought would be perfect for the bowl. I had no idea how many I'd need. I thought 10 so I bought 12. I need 14. So today after work I am headed there on the way home to pick up TWO (2) more. But I want to finish it tonight because I have something else I'm working on that I'd like to have done before vacation officially starts Thursday afternoon. I think the bowl is masculine enough that he'll use it and like it. Hence the chocolate brown rim and green base. Oh, what you probably can't see is that the bottom of the bowl is a matching chocolate brown. Looks like a large circle. I had made one with the "bottom" but it was a small bottom and looked like a button. :) Still, I do think he'll like it. I know I do. Hence posting the picture. (OK, I'm bragging again... can't help it!) Again. For those of you who get bowls for Christmas without beads, don't be disappointed. It's a lot of work so I'm not doing it all the time! Fair warning. :) And remember, this is for my BROTHER and our BIRTHDAY. Very special this year, even more so than most.

For Me





Well it's time to make something for me, I figured. I so rarely do these days. I am either making something for my daughter, my soon-to-be-born grandson, Christmas presents or just presents in general. I previously posted fuzzy pictures of the purple felted bowl which I sewed beads onto but they were fuzzy. The picture on the right is a bit clearer.

And since I seem to only have a small attention span lately, I made myself two ballband dishcloths. The one on the left was just too cute to give away. The other was an experiment in color, kinda a reverse rainbow. I just love it! Couldn't bear to let it leave my house.

Next post is another gift. Then after that I will work on my SP9 questonnaire. (If I had been smart I would have checked yesterday and it'd already be posted!)