The I'm still kickin' but I've been a slackin' blogger post

Yeah, that post I wrote about dedicating myself to posting at least 2 times a week in November (I think...) was unrealistic due to how crazy the end of the year turned out to be. However, we are now in a new year and I am rededicating myself to be a more prolific and thoughtful blogger.

In my first post of 2008, I wanted to show off a funky little knitting book that I found, Knitted Icons. When I heard about this little gem, I just knew that I had to have it as what knitter's life could be complete without a little knitted rockstar? I am going with my all time personal favorite, Bob Dylan.
In my blogging slackerdom, I have yet to give a proper shout out to my amazing Secret Pal Karen. I had so much fun being spoiled by Karen. I felt like I was getting a package from an old friend each time something arrived. In the final package, I got a lovely bounty of red/rust colored yarn, two great patterns, a little notebook and a bar of soap that I will let you see for yourself.
The Fiber Trend scarf pattern will look amazing in the rust-colored merino bled from Morehause Farm. I'm also looking forward to knitting up the Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille that Karen included in the package as well.
Proving, once again, that she knows me well, Karen included a bar of Queen of Everything soap. This will be placed in a special spot in my bathroom to let everyone who enters know exactly who they are dealing with.
Karen, I cannot thank you enough for how great of a secret pal you have been. I'm looking forward to keeping in touch with you and hearing about your knitting adventures.

To close things out, I will leave you with one of the projects that I have knitted in my blogging absence, Le Slouch made out of Malabrigo worsted in the Damask Rose colorway. I loved this knit. I started it and finished it during a Saturday afternoon.

Happy New Year Everyone!!!! I look forward to knitting and blogging with you.

jsins

La la la la la la, La la la la la la...

My cherie amour, lovely as a summer day... I had a wonderful weekend! I went to the Stevie Wonder concert here in the 'burgh. That Stevie sure can bring it! The music was amazing, the joint was poppin' and I was boogie'n. (Hey, I'm from Pittsburgh. We use 'n for just about everything.)

I have some much belated thanks to my AWESOME Secret Pal!!!!! I received my second package recently and, once again, it's like she knew exactly what to get me. I've been thinking alot about trying to create my own knitting pattern lately and, lo and behold, my secret pal sends me a graph paper notebook and a set of pencils to get to it. I immediately hopped online and ordered two of the Barbara Walker books: A Treasury of Knitting Patterns and Charted Knitting Patterns. Now all I need is inspiration to strike.

Also included in the package was some lovely vanilla sugar scented lotion, shower gel and body scrub. Last but not least, was a beautiful sock yarn, Country Sock. It is in a great springy colorway that I think I am going to save for when I am heavy into the winter doldrums to cheer me up. All I can say about this yarn is "Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful?"

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!! THANK YOU, SP!!!!!!!

I also owe a huge thanks to Kristen of the Finish Me group for the awesome notions holder that she sent me for the September UFO Challenge. This little hippo is perfect to hold all of my notions. THANK YOU KRISTEN!!!!!

I also have some knitting progress to report. After a short hiatus, I've picked up the garter rib socks again and have started the heel for the first sock. This is the first time that I have knit 2 socks at the same time and the first time that I have knit a sock using a different yarn for the cuff, heel and toe. I'm hoping to finish these up by Thanksgiving so that I can move onto other projects.

I am also plugging away on the fair Juliet. I should only have 1 or 2 more lace repeats to go before I can wrap this baby up.

I am also working on the Not So Montego Bay Scarf and will try to snap a pic of it this week to show my progress.

On a sadder note, I frogged the Lady Detective Hat. I was able to do a really good job of dealing with the double stranded Noro when I got to the second two skeins and realized that the trick was to rip it out slowly while winding one strand onto my ball winder and the other onto my swift. However, I was not that smart when I started to rip it and now have two balls of badly (and I do mean badly) tangled Noro Kureyon that I would like to be able to salvage. Does anyone have any tips for dealing with this problem? Thank you to anyone who can pass along any suggestions.

Have a great Tuesday!

Still knitting and trying to find some time to take some proper pics.

I'm still out there knitting. I am working on Juliet, which should be finished this weekend and cast on a Montego Bay Scarf in Handmaiden Camel Spun last night as the weather here has taken a turn toward winter and snow is in the air. I also have a skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk that is intended to be a Montego Bay Scarf as well but fell in love with an acid green colorway and the extreme softness of the Handmaiden Camel Spun when I was at the Ravelry meet-up at Knit One last night and cast on for the scarf as soon as I got home. I haven't gotten much new work done on the garter rib socks and will return to them as soon as I finish Juliet. I have to frog my Lady Detective Hat and reknit it as I goofed up on my calculations and double stranded Noro Kureyon for it. I could fit at least 2 heads, possibly 3, in it at this point. I am going to frog it this weekend and cast on again as I need a new winter hat and I love the way it looks, just not the size. Fortunately, it is a quick knit and I should be able to finish it in a day or 2. I am going to use the leftover Noro to make a matching My So Called Scarf.

I had a great time at the Ravelry meet-up. It was nice to hang out with other knitters and chill out for an evening. The folks at Knit One were super nice and got pizza for the group. I hope that we can make this a regular event as none of my friends knit and it was great to be part of a knitting community.

I must take pictures this weekend. My Secret Pal, PurlyGirly, sent me an amazing package and I must get pics to post a proper thank you for the awesome surprise. I am also setting a new blogging goal for myself to post at least twice a week for the rest of the year. Hopefully, I will actually post more than that but I'd hate to set a goal that I can't accomplish.

Happy knitting everyone!
jsins

Flash your stash

Some travel, some knitting and a big shout out to my Secret Pal!

I must start out this post by saying a big THANK YOU!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!! to my Secret Pal! My package was perfect. I feel like we must have been friends for years for you to have picked out such great stuff that so suits me!



The Girls' Book How to Be the Best at Everything is so me that it's not even funny. I showed it to my roommate and he had quite a good laugh at how appropriate it is. I immediately dived into it and now should be able to survive in a horror movie. I think I'm going to read through this one item a day until I am finished. SP, I love this book!


My first thought upon seeing this yarn was that it reminded me of the ocean. Upon reading the card, I learned that my Secret Pal had the same thought when she saw it.


There were some very cute pins that accurately depict me as I am both a bit of a black sheep and a pack rat.

I love this candle. It is White Pepper and Spice scented. Very appropriate as I am one of those people who likes a little bit of food with my pepper to begin with.

Some very cute notecards,

And last but not least, two peanut erasers and j sticky notes.

Thank you so much Secret Pal!!!! Having spent much of the last week on the road, the package you sent was a great welcome home present!!!

I've done a lot of traveling lately. I was in Minnesota and Wisconsin for work most of last week. I rented a car for the first time ever. It was a bright yellow Chevy Cobalt. At least, I didn't have to worry about losing it in the parking lot.
I got to check out the Leinenkugel Brewery in Chippewa Falls.

And take in a little nature.I also went to the Mall of America and, deciding that I would only spend a bunch of money that I shouldn't if I started to check out the shops, chose to spend the evening in the amusement park. The rides were pretty good for being in the middle of a mall. I would highly recommend checking out the amusement park if you are at the Mall of America. After 5 p.m., it's less than $15 for an unlimited ride ticket.

Then, I went to my parents' house this weekend as my brother was in town.

Let me introduce you to my nephew Buddy. He may look sad but he actually lives like a king. I think the "poor pitiful me" routine helps him to get away with a lot and therefore he uses it to his best advantage.

When he is not begging for food,
He snags the most comfy spots to snooze.
Or charms his way into getting petted, getting food or sitting on your lap.

In the midst of all this travel, I was able to finish my Monkey socks.

Here is an in-progress shot of them Saturday.

And before I left my parents' house on Sunday, I was able to call them an official FO!!!
I was overly ambitious in my knitting goals for the week. I ended up doing a lot more driving around than I had anticipated on the trip and was only able to finish the Monkey socks. I am hoping to get the Unrusted Root off the needles this week.

Secret Pal 11 Contest #2 Questionnaire

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
This is a toss up between stitch markers and a measuring tape. I don't think I could live without either of those.

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If so, how much and what type of project?
Yes! It wouldn't be a vacation if I couldn't squeeze in any knitting time. The amount and type of project depends on the type of trip. If I am going to the beach or running around alot, I would take portable projects like socks. If it's a more leisurely trip, I would probably take a larger project like a sweater. In all honesty, it really comes down to what I want to work on most at the time.

3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
I went to Madrid a couple of years ago and LOVED Spain. I haven't gotten to do as much travel as I'd like to and would like to start traveling more, particularly more international travel.

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
Hmm... this is difficult because I bounce around alot depending upon what I am in the mood to knit. I would have to say that my favorite book at the moment is Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel and, yes, I own it.

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?
I've never listened to any podcasts.

6. If you could only knit with 1 color for the rest of your life, what color would that be?
I've been very into green lately but, overall, I am a red girl through and through, so I would have to say Red (blue reds, not orange reds.)

7. If you were far into a project and then noticed a mistake near the beginning what would you do?
It depends on how horrible the mistake was. If it was unfixable and ruined the project, I would frog it and start over. If it was small and could be fixed or hidden, I would probably keep going.

8. Where is the most unsual spot you've ever knit?
Most of my knitting has been done in fairly usual spots - home, at the pool, on an airplane, in the movie theater, in the park, etc. I guess the most unusual place that I have ever knit was at a dragon boat race.

SP11 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I really like wool years. I love merino and merino blends that incorporate mohair, angora, alpaca, silk, you name it. I also like cotton blends such as Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece and I’m currently knitting a One-Skein Wonder in a cotton silk blend that I’m really enjoying. I also love to try new fibers. I really like hand-dyed yarns as well.
The only yarns that I really don’t like are fun furs and crazy novelty yarns and super tough acrylics.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have the Knitpicks Options and Denise Interchangeable sets and keep them in their respective cases. I use a zip-up tapestry needle holder that was my great grandmother’s for straight needles and a small rubbermade tote for my circulars.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I’ve been knitting for about a year and a half. I learned from a book (Stitch and Bitch to be exact supplemented with Maggie Righetti’s Knitting in Plain English) and have been knitting away ever since. Since then, I have taken several classes at LYS to hone specific skills or to tackle projects and skills that I’m a bit leery of trying on my own. I would consider my skill level to be intermediate.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have a wish list at Amazon (Jennifer Lynn Sinfelt, j_sinfelt@yahoo.com).

5. What's your favorite scent?
I like floral and clean scents. My two favorite floral scents are rose and lavender.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
My favorites are Swedish fish, sour patch kids, Ghiardelli chocolates and caramels.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I like to sew. I am planning to get back into it more this winter. I haven’t done much sewing lately. I am also interested in trying jewelry making and like to play around with refinishing furniture. I'd love to learn how to spin someday but that is far off in the horizon. I've got too much knitting to do right now to take up spinning as well.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
My taste in music is eclectic. I am really into singer songwriters like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Aimee Mann and David Gray. I also love Motown and Reggae. Am really into older country singers like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson at the moment. I am also really interested in hearing new things.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love reds, greens, purple, pink, grey and black. I’m not a big yellow or orange person.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am a petless, urban singleton.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes to all of the above. I love to accessorize and we get some pretty cold winters here in the ‘burgh.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Hmm… what don’t I like to knit? If I had to pick my favorite items, I would have to say sweaters or tops and socks at the moment but I also like to knit hats, household stuff, skirts, gloves/mittens and the list goes on and on, if it can be knit, I’d eventually like to try it.

13. What are you knitting right now?
A pair of Monkey socks, a One Skein Wonder, a tessellating fish afghan, a color work/steeking project for a knitting class I am taking, a Cozy V-Neck Pullover with Deep Ribbing from Fitted Knits, Silk Sleeves from One Skein and a birthday present (can’t say what it is as the recipient sometimes checks out the blog.) I'm sure that there is probably something I am missing or that I will be adding on the list soon.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I LOVE TO RECEIVE HANDMADE GIFTS!!!!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I tend to knit most of my projects on circular needles. I am a Magic Loop sock knitter so I love extra long circular needles for that. I like all three and vary them depending on the project. I would love to get some plastic or bamboo 40 or 47 inch circulars in sock sizes (0, 1 or 2) for travel knitting. I am always afraid that my metal needles might be confiscated.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
I have both a yarn winder and a swift. I just recently got them to deal with my ever expanding stash that I would rather be knitting than winding. I love them and don't know how I ever lived without them.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
My oldest UFO is about a year old. It’s a Ticuna vest that I only have to pick up and knit the arm bands and it’s finished. I will finish it by fall because I really want to wear it.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas – I love to give and receive presents (hence my love of swaps) and spending time with family and friends. I love decorating the house. My roommate and I go crazy with a 10 foot tree and garland and decorations everywhere.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Besides yarn, knitting patterns and books and knitting supplies? I can’t really think of anything else that I collect.

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 would love to have the Barbara Walker Treasury books. I'd love the patterns for pretty much any of Wendy Bernard's adult tops, particulary the Somewhat Cowl and Flair patterns. I also love Cookie A. sock patterns and have all of the free ones online but haven’t gotten through knitting them all yet but also love the ones that she has for sale. As for needles, I’d like some non-metal socks needles, either dps or 40+ inch circulars for airplane knitting in any size from 0 to 2. Yarns - I love to try new yarns. If my swap partner is a spinner or dyer, I would love to get to work with their creations. I have a subscription to Interweave Knits. I am also thinking about subscribing to Vogue Knitting but haven't yet. I'd love to check out Rebecca magazine as I have read good things about it but have never seen one. I am really looking forward to getting to meet a new person and to swap fiber-related gifts. I can't wait to learn about new fiber-related stuff from my swap partner and will love everything that my swap partner sends. (I'm an ENFP Aries, we can't help but get excited and enthusiastic about everything. We're kind of the Tiggers of the personality/zodiac spectrum.)

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I am taking a steeking class and want to learn to do intricate colorwork and intarsia. I want to learn how to knit socks from the toe up as I have only knitted them top down. I have yet to felt and want to learn how to do that and am looking forward to blocking out some time to spend with my copy of Victorian Lace Today and learning to knit lace.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I am a sock knitter. My foot measurements are US size 8, 9 inches from heel to toe.

23. When is your birthday?
I’m an April Fools baby… April 1.

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I’m on Ravelry. My ID is jsins.