I AM GOING THROUGH WITHDRAWL

I am writing this from the library as I am computerless. My computer finally said "I have had enough". The hard drive was fine but it was old and I was running Windows 98 still. I brought my computer to the doctor but every time he fixed something, something else wasn't working. I was told for about $100 or so Windows 98 could be reinstalled but there would be no guarantee the computer would work for very long. Also, that would mean finding and putting in all the updates for Windows 98 over the past eight years which would take forever and with Microsoft no longer supporting this operating system I decided it wasn't worth it. Thus, I got a new computer system. If I had more time to think about what I was getting I may have chosen something else BUT I do think I got a good new system. I am having the techie doctor transfer all my documents, photos, favorites and what is on my desktop to the new computer for me. He is also checking to make sure my Cannon Printer will work with my Cannon scanner. Ever since I got the i560 Cannon printer my scanner won't work with it. Thus, I should have a new computer in the next few days. I am not only computer less but my desk also fell apart. Yesterday I got a new desk as an early holiday gift from a friend and it is now partly put together. I am getting the rest put together tomorrow (Tuesday). I will need it to put the "NEW" computer on. My place is such a mess now.

Winter Wonderland Coffee Swap Weekly Topic #2

Here are my answers to the Winter Wonderland Weekly Topic #2

As the cold of winter approaches, do you change the projects you work on? Do you work on gifts for others or do you continue working on projects for yourself?

I don't change the projects I do based on the weather or season. I just continue to knit what catches my fancy and what is on my to do list. Of course, socks is always on my list.

I make very few gifts for friends now. This is b/c of the response I have received after previously making gifts for them. When the items I carefully choose and make don't get used for one reason or another I decided it isn't worth doing it anymore. I still have a few friends I will knit or craft something for. When I make gifts for those friends that I do, I don't just make them for the holidays. Thus, I first mainly make items for myself, secondly for others in swaps in hopes that they like what I have done and appreciate it and third for those few friends who appreciate hand crafted gifts. I have no family to knit or craft for.

I AM MELTING, KNIITTING and MORE

It is so blasted hot in my apartment. The heat has been on full blast most of the last few days and it is quite warm outside. Thus, it is a steam bath in my apartment and I am melting. The caretakers certainly either don't know how to regulate the boiler or don't want to. I have either been wearing shorts and a tank top or a summer halter outfit in the apartment. The windows are open and my fan is on. It sure makes figuring what it is like outside difficult.

Last week was spent at Hilltop on a study. I was quite busy with three visits and day and doing Avon but I got it all done. On Friday after the study was completed off to the bank I went with my check and put part of the money I received on my MTS bill which is now paid up for last month. I also put some more money on my VISA. VOILA no money left!! It seems I am forever robbing Peter to pay Paul. Wednesday morning November 14 I am going back to Hilltop and pick up soap for an arm wash which will run from Monday November 19 - Friday November 23 if I make the study. There will be only two visits a day for this study. Then I can pay most of this month's MTS bill.

BUT on to more interesting things.

This past Sunday I took the first of a two day spinning workshop. The class was held at Mona's (Woseley Wardrobe). It was a lot of fun although I don't think I did a great job. My yarn is quite lumpy. First I spun on an Ashford spinning wheel and then I tried the Lendrom wheel. When the day was over Francine from Rovings who was teaching the class wound the yarn into two small skeins which she then wound together. Look at all that lovely yarn at Mona's who now has Manos del Uruguay in stock.
Here is a close up of Francine winding my small skein of spun yarn.
AND here is my yarn. It looks really interesting. I will keep it as a remembrance of my first attempt at spinning yarn. Now to be able to afford my own spinning wheel BUT I also know I need to save for a new computer system since mine is about eight years old. It is still working well BUT I want to be prepared for when that new one is needed.

I have also been busy knitting. One bag has been completed. I hope my partner will like it. Here is a close up of the flap and the flowers which were all hand sewn on. I hope they don't fall off. I didn't put a snap on the flap since the flowers make the bag flap heavy and hold it down.
I am also working on another bag for a partner in a swap but it isn't ready for a photo yet. I am deciding on whether I should line it, if I should put pockets inside and what type of handles the bag needs.

I have also dyed my yarn for my Hand Dyed Yarn Swap #2 but can't show a photo yet so the yarn is a surprise. I hope she likes it. I am not a professional dyer. I think it is nice BUT it sure doesn't look like all those nice ones I see on Etsy. Maybe their cameras take better photos and they certainly make a skein from the dyed yarn better than I do. It was my third attempt at dyeing. It was fun. I used Kool-Aid. Here are two different views of the second skein I dyed also using Kool-Aid. The yarn was Dura Sport Briggs and Little and there was a bit a glitter to it which could have possibly been b/c of the nylon content in the yarn.
This is a photo of the socks that my partner made with the yarn I dyed for her.
OH and here is a photo of the first yarn I ever dyed rolled into a ball. I dyed it with Kool-Aid too. This is also Dura Sport Briggs and Little yarn. These colors are very dusty and muted (lighter) which you can't tell in the photo but I really like it. I need to make some socks with it. I have knitted a couple of other small items but I can't say or I would give it away. So that will have to wait for a later post.

Avon has these neat rubber kitchen gloves for sale in their Home Expressions flyer. Unfortunately they are only in size large. They are black with rhinestones and ruffles. Here they are along with Solara. The gloves sell for $9.99 and you can also purchase a little black velvet apron with ruffles and rhinestones for $14.99.

I received an email from my Monkey Swap partner. She has misplaced my address so my package has yet to be mailed out. Also, everything is ready to send but the Monkey socks. I couldn't quite understand if she has started the socks and they are just not completed or has yet to start the socks. The swap started in Sept as sign ups were until August 31 and packages were to be received by November 1. My partner told me earlier she was running behind apparently due to some health problems and a new job. I do hope she is feeling much better now and she didn't have a serious health issue. The package minus the Monkey Socks is going to be mailed once she receives my address which I did send her and the Monkey socks will be mailed as soon as she is able.

I haven't received my Knitters Tea Swap 4 either. I was told I should be receiving it very soon last week. BUT with the holiday in both countries and the fact that the Canadian postal system is overly busy and bogged down due to lots of people purchasing from Ebay with the change in the US dollar who knows when it will get here. AH HA since I have written this it will show up tomorrow morning. Isn't that the way it is? I am sure it has to do with Murphy's Law. HEE HEE

I myself have a few swaps that are ready to be mailed if I can sit down, pack and label them. What is waiting to be packed is the Harvest Sock Swap, Knitters Coffee Swap 3, my third and final package for addictedtoknitdishcloth group three month swap partner, and my knitnplay package. I hope to get them packaged and sent out tomorrow or Thursday the latest. I still have other packages that are not quite ready to be mailed but will be soon.

I was very disappointed to read that there will not be a spring felted bag exchange due to the failure of so many swappers to fulfill their obligation to the swap and mail out their partner a package. It seems that the ITE4 also had a lot of people not fulfilling their swap agreements. Why join if you are not going to play fair? I find it fun not just receiving pressies and gifts in the mail but knitting and shopping for someone else.

And to close for today here is my Solara resting on the arm of the chair.

FINALLY I MADE A HILLTOP STUDY

I can't believe I finally made a study at Hilltop today BUT I did and boy will the money come in handy which is already accounted for and spent. This is a dry leg study and I will go to Hilltop three times a day until Thursday and then twice on Friday. YAY!!! My legs were even dryer than they were last Wednesday and I still made the study. I chose an early time even thought I am not a morning person. There are 52 participants in the study and if things get backed up and you have a later appt. time you could end up getting out really really late after the third visit.
I brought my knitting and my book. I finished reading Kathy Reich's' Break No Bones. I enjoyed it.
I am glad I got most of my Avon out now that I am on this study with three visits a day. I do have an eye appt. on Wednesday which I will have to see if I can find a way to work around my HT visits.
Then at about 2PM today was there ever hugh snow flakes coming down but it didn't last long. PHEW! BUT it is getting colder out. With the time change it is dark earlier now making it really seem like winter is almost upon us.

SUNDAY AGAIN AND A WHOLE LOT OF POST

YUP I seem to have left my posting again for a week. WELL except for yesterday's post.

Monday I did some laundry. I know we all do laundry. I am only mentioning this so I can show a photo of my fur toddler further in the blog.

AH Tuesday my girlfriend came over for dinner. Her exchange student joined us a little later. We had chili. For dessert I made us an apple pie. At first I didn't think it would get baked when the fuse for the oven blew. I put in a fuse I had and it seemed to work for a while but not permanently. So out I went with a pie ready to be baked looking for a fuse. I had to go to four places before I found one. PHEW, I thought I would have to end up going downtown on the bus or worse yet Home Depot. So here are the photos of my pie in the making and .....

This first one is of the empty ready to be filled pie plate. It is a lovely pie plate and one I got free when I purchased something in the mail years and years ago. Here are my apples all cut and mixed with sugar and minit tapioca. I usually make my pies with about five pounds of Macs but there were three pound bags on sale so I got two. It was just as well since a few were in rough shape.
Here are those same apples piled high in the pie plate with the crust to be on the bottom.
Here is the pie with the crust on the top ready to be baked.
Here is the pie out of the oven after about an hour. Sorry for the bad photo.
AND here is what is left after the three of us had dessert.
Tuesday started out awful when in the middle of the night I noticed the toilet was leaking and there is only one toilet in my apartment. It took a while to figure out where the leak was coming from. When I did I was able to turn off the valve. At first it seemed to be coming from under the toilet. I know nothing about plumbing, electricity and carpentry. I left a message on the property manager's emergency number so they could get back to me which they did at 6:45AM. I was told to call the caretaker. I did and I explained I had spoken to the property manger who said I was to phone her and have her call the plumber to come right away. I got a return call almost immediately from the caretaker telling me that the plumber wasn't answering his phone and possibly was "scheduled up" for the day already HUH???? BUT she would call her husband to come and see what the problem was (they are separated and live apart as far as I know). A little after 9AM I called the property management company myself. They in turn got in touch with the plumber who called me back immediately and said he would be here in an hour which he was. He fixed the toilet very quick as he had the needed part in his truck. There was a hole in the plastic thingy that is attached to the metal curly thing. At 12:40PM the caretaker's husband showed up to see what the problem was with my toilet. Then the fuse in the oven blew. BUT in the end the day turned out fine, the company enjoyable and I have to say dinner was delicious.

Wednesday (Halloween) morning I went to Hilltop to pick up soap to try for another dry leg study. This time at least I was given a bar of soap and a time to try out for the study on Monday despite my legs being maybe a bit too try???? In the early afternoon I went for my Flu shot. I am now ready for the winter. I get one every year and have not had a horrible flu for 30 years. I have had some really bad colds, and awful ear infections but no flu!! AND in my other arm I got my monthly B12 injection. I came back home and got ready for my friend Shelagh to come over for a visit and share with me some of the left over chili and apple pie. AND I was hoping the postman would bring me a package. BUT the day was passing by and it would soon be evening. One of the packages I was waiting for was my whoduknit Trick and Treat swap package. At this point I figured I would be one of the people receiving their gift after the holiday. With the postal service you never know how long a package will take to get somewhere. BUT yes the postman came by in the late afternoon.

Knitting Goodness

AND yes it was my whoduknit Trick and Treat package from Mindy. It was in a cardboard type mailing envelope and when I opened it look what I pulled out. What a great Halloween bag. Here are some of the goodies I found in my bag. I thought the trick was that Mindy put some chocolate candy in each end of the skein of Lamb's Pride Black Yarn. BUT that wasn't the trick. The yarn is to be able to make the pattern she included for a black felted witch's cauldron. The trick is how to make a magic potion in the finished cauldron. See there are three pair of earrings and the chocolates that were in the end of the yarn also.
Other goodies I received included a Miss Seeton Mystery called Witch Miss Seeton by Heron Carvic. I never heard of this author and it sounds like a fun read. Inside it says. "This is not so much black comedy as black currant comedy .... you can't stop reading. Or laughing" Also, included was a pumpkin on a bike carrying a lollipop you wind up and the pumpkin rides away, a tube of bat wings with a plastic mummy key chain and a baby rubber ducky dressed up as a witch.
Here is the little miss trying to get in on the action. On Wednesday when Shelagh came to visit those clothes were still in the box in my livingroom (as they also were on Tuesday when I had company) and Solara was still using it for her bed. She does love to lie all over the dirty clothes but she also love the nice clean ones. Here you can see her enjoying herself in the nice clean laundry. The box of clothes didn't last long as a favorite place once Shelagh arrived with her knitting bag. Here she is trying to get into the bag. Since she couldn't fit in the bag she chose to sit on it.

Now this is more comfortable.

Thursday was a busy day cleaning up and getting ready for my Avon to be delivered. I was receiving 12 boxes. I had to get these packed that same night which I usually do so not to have too much mess in my apt. AND b/c they need to be delivered , new brochures dropped off and money deposited by the following Thursday the latest so my next order would be delivered to me. I had read my invoice online and there was close to $300 in shorted items. Some of these items had been already shorted in the previous campaign. BUT my sales are increasing and I am getting closer and closer to President's club and a new Lady Albee for this year. This time my Avon arrived at 9PM. The last delivery arrived at 10:30PM and the poor delivery guy had eight more deliveries to do since he was covering two areas. It is very hard on the person who delivers to me as there is no elevator in my apartment and I am on the second floor. The delivery people and there have been women don't get much paid much. They are not paid by the number of boxes they deliver but just for each delivery.

Friday I made some deliveries and dropped off a few orders. Genie came over in the evening; I knit, she crocheted and we gabbed.

Today I delivered most of the remaining brochures and orders I had. I have about four more deliveries to make and a few more brochures to drop off.

BUT of course I have been knitting.
I have finished my whoduknit Slipknot project. I made a thong for Jane to wear on her date so she could feel sexy since she wasn't able to find anything to wear for it when she went shopping. Since the date went down the tubes so to speak she can also wear it on a future date which I am sure will happen later as the story progresses. Here is what I knit for her.

I am almost finished with my bag for my knitnplay partner. I was working on the handles for quite a while as I couldn't decide what kind of handles I wanted to put on the bag. Then I re-did the flowers for the embellishments. They are now knitted but all the flowers are not ready to put on the bag. This is a photo with the old flowers. They are not sewn on. The new ones ready to be sewn on look much nicer. I wanted to mention that I did notice the my Fall Felted bag partner Nicola, who I sent my package to sent her package to Leslie who sent me my package. We were a threesome. I wonder is our hostess did this with all the gals. Also, the card I received from my FFBE partner Leslie was a photo of "cupcakes".

I am making headway on Mixed Jelly Bean Socks, my addictedtoknitdishcloth birthday gift for December and will be starting something for both my Harvest Sock Swap partner and weluvknitting partner which I hope I am able to finish it on time.

I haven't been on Ravelry for several days but should be back on there again soon.

AND that was my week. How was yours?

WINTER WONDERLAND COFFEE SWAP WEEKLY TOPIC #1

When did you first start drinking coffee? What age were you? Was it about the caffeine, or do you love the taste and smell? Tell us how your passion began!
When I was way to young to drink coffee I had my first sips. I hated white milk and still do. To get me to drink my milk I had to have chocolate or vanilla flavoring put in it BUT my most favorite was to have coffee added. I would watch as a couple of spoons would be put in my milk and it would be stirred. If I couldn't see a color change I wanted more or it would still taste like milk. My obsession and love of coffee just continued to grown as I got older and the spoonfuls added to my milk ended up being spoonfuls of milk added to my coffee. I just love the taste of coffee. AND I love flavored coffees.

MY WONDERFUL SECRET PAL 11 SWAP PACKAGE

Today was a wonderfully fun day. My next Secret Pal swap partner is going to have a hard time topping my secret pal in this swap and WOW OH WOW my third and last package which I received today was unbelievable. So yes I received my third package today. AND it didn't come in the mail. My partner Lisa from Toronto delivered it to me personally. Yes you read correctly. My partner came to my fair city, drove to my apartment and brought me my gift package in person. OK OK she comes from Winnipeg and was visiting her parents for the weekend. but while she was in the city she took the time to stop at my place. We spent most of the afternoon together.

Lisa met Solara and Solara rubbed up against Lisa's black pants and even sat on themand we chatted. She showed me a lovely pair of socks she is working on which she designed herself from a pattern she found in a pattern book. We talked about the Clapotis I want to make and I showed her my yarn. She showed me her Clapotis. Lovely Lovely! Some of what wee talked about included ravelry, listening to podcasts of the computer, and of different patterns online.

Now to the wonderful SP 11 gifties in my third package. I got amazing goodies. Oh my. Here is what I received. I will start with the yarn.

Four skeins of Louise Harding Coquette. A yarn I have been oogling every time I go to Ram Wools. Shelagh I now have enough to make more than a small cap. The color is actually a coral not an orange.Here is a close up showing the tiny sequins. A very very tiny version of the ones I knit in the very fast hat I had to do in school, that dreaded pillbox hat.
This is Opal Circus and according to Lisa they make one colorway each year and each year it is different. I have never seen this colorway listed. Another yarn to makes socks for me. This particular yarn comes directly from Germany when my pal was holidaying in Europe. Imagine she went to Europe and thought of me.
A Lisa Souza supersport yarn called Sky Drama. The colorway is lovely. To feed my delight in knitting dishcloths as they are so quick, easy and a great way to learn a new stitch pattern, I received the following dishcloth yarns. None of which I have in my stash. This first one is called Strawberry Swirls.
This one is called Vintage Wine Ombre.
I have used yarn color similar to this yarn before but a different brand. I call it Broken Shells in the sand as it is the color of sand with streaks of other colors dispersed throughout.
Now I didn't only receive yarn. In the gift bag was also the following wonderful treats which included The Interweave Holiday Gifts (now I have my own copy), the neatest pattern of a pair of gloves from Heartland Knits and a hugh bag of colorfuls M&M's which is already opened and being sampled. I am going to try to have this bag last for a while. If I remember correctly the M&M's came from Vegas when she was on a trip there. Lisa did tell me that what I thought was maybe cherry flavored M&M's were actually Raspberry either way they were just delicious. HMMM now I know why they taste extra special. They are American chocolate. YUMMY YUMMY!!!! There is even a great mitten pattern from Hearland Knits. It is a pattern using graphs which I am not the best on but will give it a go.
And check this out. In my package were two packages of Lady Godiva coffee. I received one in Chocolate Creme flavor and the other in Creme Brulee flavor. I definitely know what I will be having for breakfast in the morning.
Last but not least was some small little bottles and tubes of lotions and potions. Boy, how I could have used the shampoo earlier this week while waiting for my Avon order to arrive with a new bottle of shampoo.
Now if that isn't enough after we gabbed and I hope I didn't talk her ear off we went out for lunch to Sorrentos of my favorite places for salad. I had the Sorrento salad which comes with bread sticks and Lisa had the cheese salad also which comes with bread sticks with a different dressing than I had but she also ordered brushetta. I hadn't had that before. Was it good. I had a goodie bag to take home since the salads are so large and I only ordered a large and not the extra large. Then Lisa paid for lunch which was totally unexpected.

After lunch we came back to my apartment so I could put my doggie bag away and we walked over to Woseley Wardrobe to check out the yarns. I had hoped that Mona would be there. I told the gal in the shop yesterday I was bringing my SP11 who was coming in from Toronto and I told Rachael earlier in the week but Mona apparently had just left before we arrived.

While I was there I did take a couple of photos of Lisa. She did manage to find a couple of items here in Winnipeg that she hadn't seen in Toronto or in the states. Mona even had her yarns 10% off. Do I want to admit to getting any yarn? Thank-you Lisa for letting me take the photos and put them on my blog for all to see.
AGAIN, I want to thank Lisa for a lovely day, a lovely secret pal package and being a wonderful partner. I hope you will keep in touch with me.
I do need to apologise to Lisa for being so overwhelmed having her visit me I had no manners while she was here and never offered her a cup of tea and I have so many to choose from. Please please forgive me. I accept my punishment of 50 with an eyelash yarn and I promise if you visit again we will have a lovely cup of tea and some fresh baked something, pie, shortbread cookies, brownies but something. I would have offered some after Mona's but I know you had plans to go for dinner with your family. So I hope I will get to see you when you come back to the city.

AND here is Solara at the end of the evening lying all over my knitted & felted bag with second set of flowers to be felted and next to my new Louisa Harding yarn.