The Big Reveal

Yesterday I received the final package from my Secret Pal. I was amazed at the plethora of great gifts and totally stunned that she managed to be such a great pal through a very chaotic summer.

Without further ado:


Look, not only did she wrap everything (just like Solstice!), she even matched the tissue paper to the card - amazing.


Lemon parsley anti-bacterial hand gel and lavender mint hand lotion.


Mmmm, hot cocoa mix, perfect for these rainy days we've been having.


I think the only material thing I love more than shoes is yarn; this notepad is perfect.


Chocolate covered sunflower seeds (already hidden from my daughter) and strawberry Pocky (which I will share).


Caffeine, my drug of choice.


Little Savory Bites crackers - these are already gone.


And last but certainly not least, 320 yards of beautiful orange yarn hand spun by my Secret Pal especially for me! I am so touched that someone would take the time to do this. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Finally, I know you're all asking who the fantabulous SP is............it's Carla from My Little Tribe. Stop by her blog and say hello, get a good dose of liberal activism and learn how to make yogurt.

Thank you again, Carla, I love everything.

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In other knitting news I've been working on Scatter and will post a progress shot soon. I'm a little worried that I might not have enough yarn but I always worry about that so I am choosing to trust the designer. I didn't work on it yesterday but pick it up every chance I get and just reached the neck shaping.

Secret Pal 8

My spoilee from Secret Pal 8 received her final package today and now I can reveal who she is and what I sent her.

Meet Andrea, beginning knitter and crochetier extraordinaire. I have been admiring how this self-proclaimed wip & chain fanatic hooks her way through beautiful items with apparent to be ease and grace.

I had fun spoiling her and sent three packages:
Package 1
Package 2
Package 3 and 3

I had a great time Andrea, thank you for your kind posts.

Thank You!

I think the universe is trying to send me a message. At the post office, while waiting for the postal worker to go get the latest package from my fabulous secret pal I read the following quote on a CF calendar:

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi

Imagine my surprise when I opened my package and found some sticky notes with the same quote. OK, I'm listening.

My SP also sent a beautiful card and 5 skeins of Gedifra Korfu, 50% cotton 50% microfiber, in my favorite color. Thank you, SP!

In other news I think the frogs (yes I know it's really a toad) are trying to reassert their first place status. Observe the new resident in my flowers:

Thank You

That is my first package from my Secret Pal. I actually got received the package Friday but had a crazy busy weekend (which consisted mostly of getting a ridiculous sunburn) and then was out of town for two days for the President's Council retreat (I could wax poetic about the leadership in this college but I'll spare you). Long story short it's taken me almost a week to properly thank my secret pal. So, without further ado...

THANK YOU!

What you see above is a notecard with a frog on the front and a handwritten note on the inside. Two single pot bags of coffee from Paul deLima, a roaster local to my SP, both fair trade. A bag of Honey Acres Honey Gummies. Two skeins of Schoeller and Stahl Fortissima Colori yarn; a self-patterning sock yarn, 75% superwash, 25% nylon. And, last but not least, an assortment of three items from Stonewall Kitchen, grapefruit thyme hand lotion and bar soap and rosemary lime antibacterial hand gel. To top it all off my SP wrapped my gifts is orange tissue paper, my favorite color. Thank you again, SP.

Speaking of sock yarn...I couldn't wait to try the Fortissima. I cast on a pair of socks for Elah on Sunday evening, observe some progress.

Let It Begin

Look what I got yesterday:


Not excited by the envelope? Fine. Here.


I knew the pointy sticks and yarn would get you going! It's a card from my spoiler for Secret Pal 8! I'm so excited, observe:


Hello SP and thank you for the card. It's fun knowing that you're lurking around here.

To my SP from 7: I never got the reveal. I'd love to know who you are so I can check out your blog, stop in, say hi, etc. I hope you're doing well.

And lastly my knit nerdiness has reached new heights (or lows). I've been parking down at the park and ride and taking the bus to work while they work on our parking garage. I enjoy this because it means more knitting time. But, I realized I may have gone too far when today, since I was in the middle of a row, I continued to knit while I exited the bus and walked down the block to work. I got some very concerned looks and even a few of straight up horror. I'm ashamed to admit that I was a little embarrassed.

Who Am I?

Time for Secret Pal 8!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Cashmere! Ha ha, I never buy cashmere and don’t expect my SP to lavish it upon me. I prefer natural fibers but never say no to anything. Content is important but so is feel. I’m over eyelash.


2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a needle case and the top drawer of a yarn trunk and a vase.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I’ve been knitting about two years; I’d rate myself as intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, it’s here.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I’m not s huge Yanke Candle fan but I do love the sage and citrus scent. I also like nag champa, white musk from the Body Shop, I like lavender, I like Skin Trip coconut lotion because it reminds me of my mom when I was a kid.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes, I like milk chocolate, almost anything with nuts, good coffee (straight joe, not flavored).

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
Well, after work, parenting, and homework the only DIY thing I can manage is dragging my ass to bed. I don’t spin and I am a beginning crochetier.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like everything, well everything that doesn't suck. But seriously Fear Factor to Common, Amiel to Emmy Lou Harris, Nikka Costa to Super Cat, Miles Davis to Stereolab, Chromeo to Coal Chamber - I like it all. Yes my computer can play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
Orange is my favorite color but I don't think my own coloring lends to my being able to really wear it. What's the new black this season? Maybe that will be my new favorite! *snark* There aren't really colors I don't like except maybe dusty rose and anything da-glo.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm single with a daughter who is five and a 19-year old cousin who also lives with us. We have 2 cats only one of which goes outside. I have a lot of family and good friends in the area.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I actually wear all of them, the ponchos I wear (I only have 2) are more like plain wraps sewn up on one side.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I don’t really have anything that I love above all else or anything that I abhor.


13. What are you knitting right now?
I have 2 sweaters for myself being neglected on the needles, a sweater with Bruce Lee for my friend’s son, my second Baby’s First Tattoo sweater and a summer weight Clapotis on the needles.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
That’s a little personal don’t you think? I mean we just met.
It really depends on the project, they all have their pros and cons.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yay! I do now.

17. How did you learn to knit?
My gramdmother’s friend taught me when I was a kid and I promptly put down my needles to go play in the dirt, I picked it up again when I was pregnant and knit 1 and 1/2 squares of a 9 square blanket and abandon it again. About a year and a half ago I picked up a book and got together with some knitters and have been obsessive ever since.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
About a year old.

19. What is your favorite holiday?
Winter Solstice because we all get together to hang out, open gifts, and eat my mom's yummy grits for breakfast.

20. Is there anything that you collect?
I try not to do a ton of collecting because I have enough stuff but anything that catches my eye has the potential, I like dark woods, boxes, random trinkets from India, and I could go on and on, it's more about the item than the completion of or addition to a collection. The closest I come are items related to goddesses and female saints.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I’ve rated my books by preference on my Amazon wish list. I have no magazine subscriptions.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Not that I can think of.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, I wear a woman’s size US 9.5 shoe.

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
11/30