Secret Pal 12 Questionnaire

Swap season has started up again and I've joined in! I always wanted to do Secret Pal, but I didn't have a blog or didn't post to it when I created one. Now that I am trying to do one or two posts a week, I am eligible for all the fun!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? There are so many wonderful yarns out there and I try new things for each project. I don't think I have an absolute favorite. I recently used Handmaiden Seasilk for a couple scarves and loved it. However, I can't afford to make everything out of silk and silk isn't appropriate for everything. I will just say that I do not like the squeaky 100% acrylic stuff. However, blends are just fine.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? My needles are in a really old (~20 years) cloth tri-fold thing. I think my mom found it on sale when I first learned to knit.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I would say I am an intermediate knitter. Though I learned to knit 21 years ago, I really didn't do much with it until about 3 years ago. Here's a post about how I learned to knit.

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

5. What's your favorite scent? Lavender, citrus, vanilla. I like melon scents too for summer.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Of course! Chocolate, especially dark, is my favorite, but probably not good to mail to Houston in the hot summer. Jelly Bellies are good! Skittles, red licorice, sunflower seeds, nuts, popcorn sound good too.

7. What other crafts or do-it-yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? If only I had time! I have done some quilting with a bit of help from my mom, but right now knitting is the only crafty thing I do.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) In a broad sense, I like rock. The most recent CD I bought was Duffy. The most recent concert I went to was The Police. I have tickets for Tom Petty in August and a blues festival in September. Actually I like lots of stuff, but I really don't care for hip-hop. And yes, my computer does play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? Looking at my stash, I think lately I've been choosing greens and blues. But I am open to anything except garish, almost-neon colors.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have one boyfriend, a year-old yellow Lab whose photos are all over this blog, and a camera-shy calico cat.

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

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Must I pick just one? I'd rather experiment with lots of stuff.

13. What are you knitting right now? Just like the rest of the knitting world has done, I am making the Clapotis scarf/shawl. I'll be starting a dishcloth for the summer dishcloth exchange. And I always have various other things in various states of completion.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Definitely!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? It all depends on the project. I am not a needle snob and I own all of the above. Not all sizes of all materials, of course, but a little bit of each.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? The oldest one I'll admit to is something I started just after Christmas. It's a summer item and where I live summer lasts a long time. So there's still hope I'll be able to wear it this season.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving. It's least commercialized. All you do is hang out with family and friends and eat good food.

19. Is there anything that you collect? No.

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 get Interweave Knitting and Vogue Knitting. I buy others if they have something that catches my eye. Right now I don't have something I am dying to get. I do like surprises though, so just use your imagination and I'm sure I'll love anything you might choose.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I would like to learn how to knit socks. People seem to love making them, but I also have a friend who hates them. I want to learn and find out for myself how I feel about sock-knitting.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I do not currently knit socks. I wear a size 7.5 shoe.

23. When is your birthday? November 23 (Maybe that's why I like Thanksgiving. My birthday is usually the same weekend.)

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Yes, but I am not very active there. I have posted a few finished projects but not much else. I am kathyr65.

Summer Dishcloth Exchange Questionnaire

Anne is hosting the dishcloth exchange again! She does a great job with this swap! I've done it three previous times and joined again. Here's my questionnaire.

1. Do you Knit or Crochet? For how long? I knit. I learned a long time ago and took it up again about 3 years ago.

2. Do you enjoy using metal, wooden, or some other kind of needle\hook? For dishcloths I tend to use bamboo.

3. What are your favorite types of yarn? Any you just can't stand? I like anything soft, something not 100% acrylic. Currently I'm knitting something in cotton and I've done a couple recent projects in silk.

4. When it comes to cotton, are there any brands you'd love to try and haven't? I mostly use Sugar & Cream or Peaches & Cream, but am open to trying anything.

5. When you make dishcloths, do you use them yourself, or tend to give them as gifts? Both.

6. Do you have a favorite color? Any that you dislike? I like them all.

7. What color(s) (if any!) are your kitchen and bath decorated in? Both are light blue.

8. What are your favorite scents around the house? Things that are clean and natural, not too perfumy. Lavender, citrus, vanilla are good, as are others.

9. What is your very favorite thing about summer? More hours of daylight!

10. What is your least favorite thing about summer? The heat and humidity. They can be so oppressive here.

11. Do you use soap or body wash in the shower? I like them both. Currently I am using a lemon-scented body wash from Bath & Body Works.

12. What scents do you enjoy in the bath? In addition to the ones mentioned in question 8, I like light florals or fruity frangrances.

13. What is your favorite dishcloth pattern? Lately I love making the ball-band cloth.

14. What sort of treats do you enjoy? Sweet or Salty? Both. One that combines them, like chocolate-covered pretzels, is the best. I think I am naturally a salty person but I do love sweets like chocolate. However, given the summer heat, for the purposes of this exchange I will say I prefer salty stuff.

15. Imagine today is one of the hottest days of the year - what do you do to keep cool? Or are you one of those folks who loves the hot weather? Living in Houston, I have lots of experience with heat. One of my favorite ways to escape it is to go to a movie in the afternoon. The theater is cool and dark and I get absorbed in the movie and forget the weather. I like a big Coke and a box of popcorn.

16. What sorts of hobbies do you enjoy besides knitting or crocheting? I run, cook, read. That's about it. No time for anything else.

17. Do you collect anything (besides yarn!) Dust. No, don't send me any, I have enough of my own!

18. Are you on Ravelry? If so, share your ID! Yes, though not very actively. I am kathyr65.

19. Do you have any allergies? No.

20. Do you have any pets? My puppy is now 1 year old and the kitty is about 5.

Dogs on Thursday

Nothing too exciting this week...just a few recent pictures of the girl. Her first birthday is June 3 so hopefully next week I'll have a more informative post.

Project Fruit: Grapefruit/Banana

What's this? A ball of yarn that's as big as a grapefruit. (Note grapefruit for scale.) The yarn is Laurel by Schaefer Yarn. It is 100% mercerized pima cotton. Though the color of the photo isn't very accurate, the colorway is called Empress Wu Zhao. She's a memorable woman. The Schaefer people tell it best: Just 13 when she became a concubine of Emperor Tai Zong, Wu Zhao became empress of his successor Gao Zong when she bore him a son. A powerful influence at court and given a free hand when he fell ill in 660, Wu Zhao virtually ruled China. Upon Gao Zong’s death, she deposed his eldest son and ruled through his younger son until she claimed the throne in 690, ruling until her death. She was responsible for building many beautiful pagodas and temples, introducing many reforms including greater freedom for women and better health care, and as China’s first female sovereign, brought peace and prosperity to the country.

I took this grapefruit-size ball of yarn with me to Colorado this weekend. I cast on for a new project. I even knitted in Beulah as my brother grilled burgers for the family.

What am I making? A Clapotis! I like this scarf/shawl and if about 40,000 other blogging knitters can do it, I am sure I can too. I had to learn how to knit into the front and back of a stitch and how to purl into the front and back of a stitch, but that wasn't so bad.
I finished the increase section! This is a more accurate representation of the color. The ball of yarn is now smaller. Note the banana for scale. Originally I wanted to compare the size of the yarn ball to various fruits, ideally round ones. But there was no round fruit at my mom's house, so the banana was used instead. Next time I give an update on this project, I promise to use a round fruit!

A Visit to Colorado Fiber Arts

I spent Memorial Day weekend visiting my mom in my hometown of Pueblo, Colorado. Whenever I am home, a great day is lunch with Mom at Magpies, shopping on Union, then a trip to Colorado Fiber Arts. I love this yarn store!

I was greeted by a sheep! The shop is so pretty and friendly. I always find something to buy. What's in the sack, you ask?
Here's what I got.
I admit, I just can't resist the stuff that is knitted up and displayed so nicely. I saw the cutest market bags so I bought the pattern, Oat Couture's Stow-Away Shopping Bag. I also bought the yarn the samples were made of. The blue-green stuff on the left is Araucania Pehuen in color 6. To the right of that is Reynolds Garden Tweed in "Sunshine Tweed".

I also bought a ball of Sugar & Cream Naturals yarn in the color Guacamole. I love that name! I don't know what makes the naturals different from the regular Sugar & Cream though.

My favorite purchase is a kit to make a Riverwalk scarf. This is a Colorado Fiber Arts pattern. I chose the kit with peach yarn and peach beads. I don't have plans to start this immediately so it's going to be taunting me until I do.

Popsicle Scarf is Finished

I liked the scarf I made for ISE6 so much that I had to make myself one also. Again, it's the Montego Bay scarf in Seasilk. The colorway is called Popsicle. I liked that name for a summer scarf. Here it is, posed around different things at my house, including my boyfriend.

Dogs on Thursday, Part 2

My big doggy loves water but a trip to the dog park isn't always convenient. So I wanted to buy her a swimming pool. It couldn't be a blow-up one. It had to be molded plastic. It had to fit in the back of a Jeep Cherokee. So we had to get the small one. We found this one at Walmart and set it up in the back yard. At first Lucy thought it was a giant water bowl placed there for her convenience. We'd throw her tennis ball into it but she'd just stick her head in for a drink and then get the ball without actually getting in. We wanted her to know she could get in there and cool off. How? Well, Lucy will do ANYTHING for a biscuit. So we put her in the pool and had her sit for her biscuit.

That seemed to work! Soon she was splashing around in there with her tennis ball and her fish. (Can't have a pond with no fish, could we?) A stick is good too.

Why wait until you get out of the water to shake?

After a few rounds of "fetch the tennis ball", it's nice to cool off in here.

Smile!
Happy dog! She had a great weekend between the art car parade on Saturday and a romp in her pool on Sunday.

It's Official. Lucy is a Big Doggy.

This past Saturday Lucy got dressed up in her red bandana with bones and pawprints. We were going to Houston's art car parade!


Lucy just had to look cute. I had to pack the travel backpack with all her supplies: poop bags, emergency biscuits, her travel bowl, and several bottles of water to keep her refreshed.


We saw lots of great creative creations such as this rooster car.

When it was all over and we were at an intersection waiting for the policeman to allow us to cross the street, a little girl looked at Lucy and said, "Mommy, look at the big doggy." So yes, it is official. Lucy is a big doggy.

As I opened the ISE6 package from KT and found the book of fashions for your "big best friend", I had to smile. She must have known what that little girl said.

The S(p)in of Wrath

Last night I got home late from a meeting to find two incredible packages waiting on my doorstep. The first, and most exciting, was the ISE6 package from KT. The other package was the second shipment of the Seven Deadly Spins club. The sin in focus is Wrath. Well, actually the opposite of wrath, or peace. Peace is so much nicer than wrath. So the package is full of peaceful, relaxing items. There are two patterns for both a sheep washcloth and a soap sack, and pretty blue yarn to make them. Once I make the washcloth and soap sack, I will be able to take a relaxing bath with the handmade bar of soap (for the sack), some sheep-shaped soaps, bath salts, and a honey-scented candle. I can enjoy some chamomile tea and a chocolate lamb as I soak in the tub. To remind me of my wonderful, peaceful bath, there is a sheep stitch marker.
The package is very creative. My pictures are very bad. I was having trouble with the camera last night. I promise some better pictures of the finished items.

Incredible ISE6 Package Received!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, KT! (http://knitwithkt.blogspot.com/)
I love the package I received yesterday from KT for the International Scarf Exchange 6! (http://ise6.blogspot.com/) She designed a scarf just for me! It's called Snow in Summer. It feels really good to know she did that. Here it is. It's a lovely blue color and made of cotton. My picture fails to show the beauty of it. KT's photo is much better. Here's the link: http://ise6.blogspot.com/2008/05/scarf-sent-off.html (Sorry, I don't know how to do the thing where you click a highlighted word and that then links you to another page.)

I am so excited to wear this scarf! KT was an excellent secret partner! I don't really post anything personal on this blog, but she read carefully and asked me some questions and sent a fabulous selection of goodies for my whole family. Blogger seems to be having some issues and insists on posting these pictures sideways, so just tilt your head to the left and check them out.

For Lucy: Top Dog Knits, a book full of knitting patterns for my "big best friend". (Note: my next Dogs on Thursday post will address this topic.)
For Maggie: catmint from KT's garden
For my boyfriend and me: North Carolina Tar Heels pasta. This will be a Friday night dinner for us in the near future.
For me: a beautiful shawl or scarf pick
Also: the pattern for the scarf. By the way, it's for sale on Ravelry. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snow-in-summer-scarf

As if that wasn't enough, she also knit me two washcloths!

I apologize for the poor picture quality. I love everything! Thank you so much, KT!

Growing

The Montego Bay scarf I am making for myself is growing! I had more time than I thought I would this past weekend to work on it.

Who's the Boss?

In addition to Lucy, I have a kitty named Maggie. Actually I am (rather, was) more familiar with cats than dogs. I have had at least one kitty, usually two, for the past 20 years. When we got Lucy I suddenly learned all about puppies. "We are now a multi-racial family," I told my friends. Everyone's first question had to do with Maggie's reaction. Maggie wasn't sure what to think about this small beast I brought into the house to wreck her perfectly-ordered life. But she was curious. One time the when the puppy was asleep on the floor and the people were sitting on the couch, the kitty came out from hiding and went to investigate the puppy. She sniffed Lucy's back foot. Her nose touched it but didn't wake Lucy. Lucy twitched and Maggie hissed. I had to laugh.

Maggie did not like Lucy to drink her water, but it was perfectly ok for Maggie to drink Lucy's. Now Lucy doesn't get near Maggie's water, but Maggie still sneaks drinks from Lucy's.

Lucy figured out, after a few claw-swipes to the nose, not to bother the kitty.

They aren't best friends, but I think they know they are sisters. Maggie, however, won't give up her I was here first attitude. She loves the dog pillow and rests on it when Lucy isn't in the same room. After a recent walk, Lucy just wanted to lay down and rest. Do you think Maggie would get off the pillow? Lucy had to take her nap on the hard floor. Poor girl!


This is my Dogs on Thursday post with a guest appearance by a kitty.

Scarf Pal Scarf is Finished!

I am very happy with the scarf I made for my partner in the International Scarf Exchange 6. The Montego Bay pattern is very easy and the Seasilk yarn is beautiful. This was fun to knit. I hope she likes it as much as I do. She lives in a warm place so I wanted to make something she could use more as an accessory than to keep warm. I too live in a warm place and I could see myself in this scarf. So I am making one for me too. I posted a picture earlier of the beginnings of my scarf. I've now knit about one-quarter of it.

Lucy in the Woods -- Last Saturday

I live fairly near a bayou (what a river is called in this part of the world) that has a nice park and trail along side it. I like to take Lucy walking there. To get to the nice wooded part, we must first walk on an extension of the park that goes through the neighborhood. People's houses back up to it. There are lots of people and dogs walking or running here so Lucy must be good and stay next to me on her leash. When we get to the actual bayou, I sometimes let her off her leash. There are fewer people here and Lucy comes when called so I haven't had a problem with her bothering non-dog-lovers. I think this part of the trail is very pretty.



Here Lucy demonstrates her recall. She got ahead of me but came running back when I called her name.

She likes to smell the plants next to the path.

Here we are about to walk along the more populated part of the path. Rather than the bayou, it's next to a flood-control ditch. The banks are covered with flowers. The yellow ones are in bloom now. Yes, Lucy is wet. She made friends with some other off-leash dogs in the woods and they led her to the bayou. She had fun.

Happy Dogs on Thursday to everyone!