HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well my first thought about my blog is, I am making a new year resolution. I am going to blog more. I was feeling down in the dumps and wasn't sure if my blog was good enough even though it for me first but but but.... so I would just find excuses not to post. Then a dear friend told me she really loved my blog and I should continue.

I just deleted a small blog post I started Dec 9. I was really feeling lousy when I wrote it and so it was written just awfully. BUT thankfully I am over that second cold. I seemed to have had it for three weeks +. I have had my share of colds (two) this season which is two more than I normally get.

Anyway, here is December 31 in the evening just a bit after 10PM central time and I am home doing my laundry. YUP I will have clean sheet and clean clothes to start the new year with. I am doing laundry at my friend's so every half an hour I run over in the frigid cold to her town house and put another load in the machine. I am doing six small loads. Some of the drying is being done there and some in my dryer. When it closer to 11PM I will watch the ball drop in Times Square in the home of my birth.

Well it is 11:30PM now and I watched the ball drop in Times Square and put the last load of laundry in the washer. I am tired. One more trip to take it out just after MN and then into my dryer. So I am going to finish this tomorrow. I mean tomorrow in the day time NOT just after MN.

AND it snowed during the night. There was quite a bit of it needing shoveling when I looked out the window in the middle of the night but when I got out there to shovel a whole lot of it had blown away so shoveling was minimal. I can't remember if I wrote but one of my Christmas presents this year was a shovel from my friend Genie after the first snow storm we had. I borrowed hers and next I knew I received this.

It even had two bows on it.
Close up of the shovel part.
AND the shovel comes off and you get this, an ice chipper. It is attached behind the shovel.

Sometimes I find the shovel a bit wide and doesn't want to shovel the snow but that could be b/c I don't have enough strength. I also use my broom to help sweep some of the snow away. Since I don't have a car I shovel my parking spot. I need to make it accessible if I have visitors. I guess I will have to take a photo of all the snow I have shoveled so far.

I was wondering where to actually begin on my blog and have decided to start with swaps since I have been so remiss in not fully acknowledging swaps received on my blog. BUT I have personally thanked my partners.

Knitting Goodness

I received an awesome package from my Amazing Autumn Swap Partner Krystal. It just blew me away. Look at what she sent me.
To actually see clearly what I received here are individual photos of my pressies. This first is a French Press. I have always wanted one of these. I had one a very long time ago and am so happy to have one again.

I received some dark chocolate,

some biscotti to have with my morning coffee, and

some wonderful Paton's Classic Merino Wool which is great for felting and just having for when I need it. Look at the colorway. It is just great.

I also received this TLC acrylic yarn which I am presently knitting with for a gift for this weekend. Photos will be available as soon as the project is finished.

For this swap we are to include something we make. My handmade gift was these wonderful cards. So someone getting a swap or a note from me may receive one. I love the saying I've got a date with some yarn and got yarn.
AND being this is a coffee swap here is the coffees I received. The Starbucks is half decaf. I never knew such a thing exhisted. Krystle said she had planned to send full decaf for those friends who came for coffee and didn't want the regular kind but didn't realise she purchased half decaf.
Now didn't I make out like a bandit?

Another swap package I received was from my Ravelry Coffee, Chocolate and Yarn 2 partner Kelly who lives in Canada (Prince George BC). Here is what she sent me.

Close up of my gifties. A really cute Kitty Key Chain. A 50 gm skein of Diamond Luxury Fancy Free Sock Yarn in a lovely colorway. Unfortunately, the candy never made it to separate photo as I ate it while taking these pictures. It was a thick fruit and nut chocolate bar and was it delicious.

The coffee in the main photo was clear enough that I didn't take a separate photo. I must also put this on ravelry as I was double checking and it seems I never did. I am not sure why but I will rectify that as soon as I finish this blog post.

Another package I received just before Christmas was my Whoduknit Christmas package from Nate. It was a large box of goodies. Some of the photos were taken individually and others under the tree together.

A Life Saver ornament,
three books for Christmas, a reindeer, window ornament,

and a pair of needlepoint mittens.

AND here you can see a stuffed penguin, a tic tac toe game, glass ornaments (in the box), and an ornament picture frame.
There was also some foamies to make into a project, and several small stuffed animals for my Charlie Brown tree. I certainly hope I didn't forget anything Nate.

I have recently received two other swap packages one was a Christmas exchanges from Noreen in Lovetoknitdishcloths (blog post and photos in a later post) and the other was my year long weluvknitting package #3 of 4 which we decided to do for Christmas (again blog post and photos in a later post).

I was quite surprised to see a package from my previous SP 12 partner. AND what a lovely gift she sent me. I waited as it said to on the package to open it on Christmas Day. Isn't it loverly????

I want to let Maureen in the whoduknit group I belong to that the one pound ball of acrylic orange was crocheted into six hats by my friend Genie which then were donated to Genie's friend Nancy's and went to Nancy's church to give out to those who need hats this winter. AND we are having a bitter bitter cold winter.

I also want to let my partner in the big bag KAL the lighted crochet hook has been getting a lot of use lately. It is really a neat crochet hook for picking up dropped stitches.

Now there is a lot more I could write but I will save Christmas and other stuff for the next post. Of course, I wouldn't end a post without photos of Solara.

Solara was very good during Christmas. She didn't harass the tree or the ornaments. In fact, she never end checked out what Santa left her until I brought her over to the tree myself and told her to check it out. Here is what Santa left here.
Here is her reaction.

She is being so careful around them.

One day I got up from bed and was going downstairs when I saw her sitting on the upstairs landing and there was this mouse next to her. My first thought was she found a mouse and had it with her. It looked very real especially when I first got up. When I got closer to her I realized it was one of her toys she got out of her toy basket. She has most of her mice toys all over the house. The next time I saw her with this same mouse in the same place she had it in her paws and she was licking it. She was treating it like a baby. When she finished licking one side of the mouse she flipped it over and then started licking the other side but now she was holding it as she would if it were her baby she was washing. I only wish my camera was close by at the time so I could have photographed it.

AGAIN I AM A HAPPY SWAPPER

****** OH DEAR*****

This post has been in my draft waiting to be completed for a very very long time and I do apologise. I am now working on a new post which should go up shortly.

In the meantime I have done a Hilltop study using the money to pay my VISA bill. Once that was done I was able to order some most luscious yarn which I will tell you about in the next post. AND again am not feeling great. I have another cold this time with a cough, sore throat and no voice. I thought I had a cold before Halloween and just before my FLU shot. What the heck is going on? It is Tuesday and a knit night at Mona's but I won't go as I don't want to pass this on and I feel like, you know what.

Last week (well check the date of this post to see when last week was) I received my Ravelry Color Swap package all the way from England. What a wonderful package it was. Did I hear you ask what the color was? MY MY What color do you think? PINK, of course. Look at all the goodies I got.

This what I saw when I took the lid of the box off.

AND then I took all the gifties out of the box.
AND then I opened all those pink packages to reveal this.
AND here are some close ups.

This first yarn is to "dye" for. My partner Michele first dyed some white tencell a rose pink using dyes by Omega. She then carded it with some angora from her friend's bunnies and finally added a strand of pink lurex when she spun it. You really can't see how nice it is or the sparkle in the yarn. As you can see she even sent me the yarn knit into a tiny swatch.
More pink goodness included: this pink roving,
pink mohair and there was other pink mohair in my box,

pink rayon yarn that Michele also dyed for me using Omega dyes,

a skein of Paton's Cotton Pearl in what other color than PINK,

AND this most lovely PINK and grey Colinette ribbon yarn.

I also received this cute little felted pin.
There was also other little pieces of yarns, pink buttons, a couple of pink beads, a beautiful pink heart, some very delicious tea (Michele's favorite), pink tacks, a piece of sheer pink ribbon and some pink material from her wedding dress which I will be able to use as a lining for a bag. There was even a package for Solara and the part of the container of her treat was also PINK.

Last but not least was a lovely book Knitting New Mittens and Gloves I had been eyeing for quite a while but didn't put it on my wish list.

I do want to leave you with a photo of Solara. Here she is checking out the big bag I knit two times as the felting came out awful the first time and I do know why. There is another photo of Solara checking out the bag post felting. She approved the bag as she promptly went to sleep inside it.

AMAZING AUTUMN COFFEE SWAP WEEK #4 Topic

Week 4 topic is to check out the blogs of some of the other participants, and find someone you have something in common with - post a little on your blog about the common interests or loves you both share and tell us about them! Don't forget to leave a comment on their blog saying hello!

AND I did just that. I found some blogs are not up to date. I should talk or type. I did leave a couple of messages.

What did I find out?

I found out that cyclingknitter Angie likes to not only knit but to sew and so do I.

Camilla of Camillaknits likes to quilt in addition to sewing as does Susan C of Blackberry Creek Home Arts. AND Camilla likes POLKA DOTS and I do too. I love them. I guess I just love circles. Oh and there is the most darling quilted basket on Susan's blog I think I must make. There is a link on her blog for instructions at Pink Penguin Blog which I will have to check out to find out how this basket was made so I can make one too.

Marie E has music on her blog. I like some of her music. I will have to learn how to put music on my blog also.

Jill of Jill's Journey also is knitting the TLL Socktoberfest Mystery Sock KAL. I am working on Clue #4 which is the foot. I have finished Clues #1, #2 & #3 of both feet.

Krystle whose blog is The Princess got to go on the Hershey's Chocolate Factory tour. How I would love to go there. As much as I love expensive chocolate I just love Hershey's and Hershey's with nuts. YUMMMY. American Hershey tastes so much better than the Canadian version. Maybe that is b/c I am originally from the states. I certainly was pleasantly pleased to discover that Chocolate is actually originally a fruit. Now imagine eating your five serving of fruit each day.

A hello to fellow local knitter Rebecca of Toddler S'Pairs and if you are at knitting this Tuesday at Mona's I won't get to see you as I will knitting at McNally's.

Lastly reading Lea's blog Knitting Sprouts, it was fun to read how she has all her grass mowed and even planted more veggies. Looking out my window I see only white, snow that is. Of course, Lea lives in Canberra Australia.

AND I will close this brief blog with a photo of my princess.

AMAZING AUTUMN COFFEE SWAP WEEK #2 Topic

Weekly Topic #3!
What is it that you love about your first cup of the day? Are you a daily drinker? How do you take yours? Tell us how you love to enjoy your first cup!

Oh I have my first cup of coffee of the day when I get up. It isn't the caffeine it is just sitting and having the coffee with my biscotti usually at my computer or with the TV on. I use honey and Splenda in my coffee along with whitener. I have been known to put flavored coffee whitener also but that would be a special treat, something I don't buy too often.

When I go to my knitting evening at Starbucks I will usually have a coffee there especially during the colder months.

Occasionally, I will have a second cup during the day.

SECRET PAL 13 QUESTIONNAIRE

Here are my answers to the SP13 questionnaire.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I absolutely abhor Phentex. I never made those Phentex slippers. I am becoming a yarn snob. I love the yarns I can’t get locally such as the the indie dyed yarns, STR, Jitterbug and would love to increase my lace weight yarn collection. I also enjoy knitting with Knit Picks yarn and yarns from Elann.com. I love sock yarns, wools that can be felted, wools that can’t be felted along with angora, cashmere, mohair, alpacas, cottons, even fun fur has its place as do some acrylics for baby items of which I have more than enough of. BUT I truly love sock yarns and lace weight yarns.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I keep my round needles in a bag since I really use them anymore. I mainly use my Denise needles even when knitting projects that call for a straight needle. At present the ones (tips and cords) not in use are in a plastic clear cosmetic case since the actual Denise container BROKE. The long straights I no longer use are in a big basket with matching sizes rubber banded together and I do use them occasionally but very occasionally if it is a size I don't have in my Denise. The shorter straights are in a basket nearer at hand as they seem to get more use. One day I hope to get another pair of Denise and who knows maybe even the PINK ones.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I have been knitting ever since I can remember (school age) and I can’t believe how many years that is now but I still consider myself an advanced beginner - intermediate as there is still so much for me yet to learn.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have a wish list on ravelry.

5. What's your favorite scent?
My newest favorite scent is from LUSH called Karma. I find it very earthy. My all time favorite after bath splash is Jean Nate which I now know is by Revlon. I haven't been able to find it here anymore so I only get it when someone sends it to me of if I can get someone going to the states to pick it up for me. Other favorites include sandalwood oil (from the Body Shop), rose, ocean, fresh scents, some musks, and lavender. AND I sell Avon and now am in my 11th year.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I most certainly do, unfortunately. I love chocolate, dark, chocolate, expensive chocolate and "American" Hershey’s chocolate especially with nuts. I also love Jelly Bellys especially popcorn, margarita, garlic, watermelon, and jalapeño flavors. PLEASE no Black licorice YUK YUK!!!! AND I do drink coffee and tea, hot and cold flavored and plain except for Irish Cream flavored coffee.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I would love to spin. I tried using a spindle but wasn’t very successful. I don’t yet own a spinning wheel but certainly hope to one day. I even took a spinning workshop in the hopes of one day getting my very own spinning wheel. I don’t have carders either. I crochet a little as long as there isn’t any or much shaping involved which means mainly granny squares. I sew and quilt and now that I have finally moved into my townhouse I can sew and quilt again. YEAH! I love to sew children’s clothes and bags also. Now I can even check out all my needlepoint, embroidery, cross stitch and ribbon craft which was up in the storage unavailable but now will be easily accessible in my new place. This is all so very exciting. BUT I don't know if my eyes will let me do the cross stitch anymore and I do have a project with a few rows started I would like to finish eventually.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I am not a big fan of country although there are a very few songs I do like and I don't care for any Christian music but I enjoy Christmas music. I have a DVD player and a Walkman that play MP3’s . I have a new computer which plays them fine. I love the oldies from the 20's to the 60's & 70's and even a few of the 80's. The older the better. I also love to listen to blues and jazz. I like classical and symphonies but not opera of any kind.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
PINK PINK and more PINK. I have always embraced my feminine side. I also love purples, reds, blues, black, white, and even grey and some of the deeper greens. I really do not wear orange, yellow or lime, olive or drab green or any of those fall colors that don't include reds. I have a hard time even knitting or working with those colors and do so only when I have to. Some brown is okay if it is a nice deep brown with PINK. I am not a fan of neon.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have one feline fur toddler who will be three in March and that is basically it for family.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I wear scarves, mitts, gloves and should wear hats. I live in the great white north which has a very cold winter climate.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks, bags/totes, shawls, toys and whimsical items. I also knit dishcloths since I am in a lot of dishcloth groups and hope to turn them into a dishclothghan one day. I knit scarves, afghans, baby items and hats as the need arises. I am now learning to knit from a chart.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Some of what is on my needles now include the MS4 KAL (I have completed clue #1), TLL Socktoberfest Mystery Sock KAL (I have completed clue #3 which was the heel on both socks), Cavendish Serape Shawl from Simply Noro, a couple of gifts for swaps so they can't be mentioned and a couple of dishcloths.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Most definitely. I love when someone takes the time to make something just for me.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I love my Denise and even use them when straight needles are called for. I even knit dishcloths with my Denise especially if I am knitting more than one at the same time but when I knit only one I use either short straights or my Denise. I love bamboo (both DPNs and round) especially when I knit slippery items. I have done the 2s2c method but with the cirs ends the same color I find that difficult and didn’t like the painting one set of ends with my nail enamel. I have one pair of Knit Picks Harmony DPNs and can't wait to get more. I also would love to have another set of Denise but the PINK ones. I have two sets of Addi Turbos that I really like but think the Knit Picks Options or Harmony would be just as nice.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No but I would love to.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
It is too much of an embarrassment for me to say. I am slowly finishing my UFO's and gradually hope to have no UFO's. LOLOLOLOLOL

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?
I always loved my birthday (HMMM love cake and ice-cream & pressies of course) and Christmas even thought I am not a Christian. Since I live alone most of my pressies are from swap exchanges although I do receive a few gifts from a few friends. I like the happiness of the season, the lights and the fact that most people are kinder to one another than usual which should be an all year round occurrence but… Living alone does make most holidays lonely. Not only b/c I am alone and these are family gathering, gift giving, food holidays but b/c I love to cook and there is just Solara and I. My next favorite holiday would be Thanksgiving. AH another food holiday. BUT of course there is Valentine Day, Easter and Halloween which are candy holidays. I had a really fun time at Halloween this year in my new home.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn, angels, fairies, cat stuff, did I say yarn, fabric, books, patterns, magazines, yarn and cooking accessories. I am a bit of a textile, yarn and magazine junkie.

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 have no subscriptions to any knitting magazines but wouldn't mind having knitting magazines come directly to my home. There are so many others patterns I also would love to have. I love the NONI patterns and have a couple only so far. Yarns I would like to try include Socks That Rock, Jitterbug, indie yarns and yarns I am unable to get here locally. AND to have MORE Tilly Thomas (with beads and crystals in it) would be like WOW WOW WOW!!! BUT I am not expecting to receive that from any one as it is so expensive. I keep reading about smaller yarn companies that make wonderful hand dyed sock yarns that I am unable to get.I would also love a pair of sock blockers and more mini sock blocker key chain to give as gifts since I now have one and the pattern, stitch markers and any of the latest knitting goodies that are out. There are sooooo many books and patterns I would love to have. Basically I feel I am very easy to please.

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

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Most definitely I am a sock knitter. I wear a medium size sock and a size 8 – 8.5 shoe. The circumference of my foot is 9”, my ankle is 9” and the length of my foot from heel to toe is 9” – 9 ¼”.

23. When is your birthday?
Feb 4

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
YES pennala

AMAZING AUTUMN COFFEE SWAP WEEK #2 QUESTION AND......

With Halloween coming up this Friday, tell us what you think of when you think Halloween! Do you love it? Hate it? See it as a sign of Fall? Are you a total sucker for candy and little kids in cute costumes?
This was my first time in ages in giving out candies to all the little ghosts and goblins knocking on my door. I just loved giving out all the candies to the trick and treaters who came to my door and I loved seeing all their costumes. I waited until after Halloween in case I had some cute photos to share and I do. First of all my Solara dressed up as an elephant thanks to her auntie Janice. She didn't mind when I tried her hat on her on Wednesday.
BUT when Halloween rolled around and she actually had to wear her elephant hat costume this is the result.

If she wasn't on the card table like this she was on the floor like this. When I picked her up for the ghosts and goblins to see and pet she was fine, letting them pet her but once I put her down she hung her head down. She definitely wasn't impressed with having to wear her elephant hat costume.
I did manage to take a couple of photos. This first photo is my neighbor's daughter and granddaughter. She is four months and was a pumpkin.
I don't know who this is but it is original.
I even decorated my window. I hope to have more decorations next year. I wasn't even sure I was going to get lights since they were on sale but when I went to Canadian Tire they NOT only were on sale BUT on clearance. Each box of 10 pumpkin lights cost only $2.43. I purchased three boxes. I would like to get the pumpkin lights you can stake into the ground next year. I found the blue mat at Dollarama and even though it was only a dollar I didn't want to walk on it so I put it in the window. Solara even checked out the boxes the lights came in and she seemed to think it was a good fit for her as she was in there most of Thursday evening the night before Halloween.

In front of the door on the trolley that held the candies I gave out sat my singing cat I got from Avon a year or two ago. When you press the cat's paw it sings Black Magic Woman and the eyes blink on and off, the tail moves and the pumpkin by its side has eyes which also blink on and off. I have to say that it was a big hit with all the trick or treaters who visited my house. I had 121 visitors. Most were in groups and most were accompanied my parents or older siblings. Even some of the chaperones were dressed up. The weather was wonderful, the children were polite and in just an hour and a half it was all over.

I haven't done a lot of knitting b/c I haven't been feeling that great. In addition to the cold I have had all week which I think is slowly going away my left eye is now all red. I don't think it is from coughing as the coughing I have been doing is NOT that hard so I think it could be from blowing my nose or rubbing my dripping eye. My vision is just fine. No I haven't been to the doctor. This happened another time and it was the same eye. The end result was over a period of time the blood was reabsorbed and my eye went back to normal with no lingering problems. I am sure it is the same as the last time.

BUT I did finish the one leg of TLL Socktoberfest Mystery Sock KAL which can be found in ravelry groups. Thus, I am half finished with clue #2. I have also restarted my project for my Ravelry Starbucks Swap. I am also back working on my Cavendish Serape Shawl. Solara really enjoys resting on it.

I will put it on my ravelry project page as soon as I get the close up photos from the camera in the computer.

Now I know people are always asking for me to show a photo of myself. AND I agree it is nice to know what someone looks like you correspond with or whose blog you read. I know I have a sparkly personality and here is a photo I took of myself to prove it.
Or did I break the camera? Even if I didn't break the camera taking my photo you wouldn't get to see my PINK hair as there is very little left and since I totally decolored my hair prior to putting the PINK in it, there isn't even any brown or black except for the roots. It is some disgusting yellowy blond color with smidgens of pink in the front that haven't faded yet. So you will just have to use your imagination and the photo above. HEE HEE

NEWS NEWS NEWS

Today I will start with knitting goodness

I wanted to post this earlier but I got a bit busy and then on Friday I wasn't feeling good. It felt like someone was squeezing my insides the cramps were soooooo bad. I took a Gravol (Dramamine for you in the states) which relaxes smooth muscles which ended up making me very sleepy. I guess that was good. I also took my cocktail of pills for when that happens Reactine, Rinitidine [sp] and predisone). I have something called angioedema which affects my face the left side mainly and my gut causing them to swell. Some uncommon thing which they figure they know what it is as I have all the indicators for it and they CAN'T find it on the known gene. If they found it on the known gene it would be a different kind of angioedema. So I slept most of Friday away.

Then Saturday I planned to plant my tulips but it rained and that ended that idea. So I knitted and had some company from a neighbor. Now it is Sunday and I figured it was time to post.

Knitting Goodness

YUP my Whoduknit Halloween Swap package arrived from Maureen who lives in Calgary. What did I receive?

I got a lovely skein of Patons Classic Wool in rich red tweed which looks more rust colored. It is a very lovely color and this photo just doesn't do it justice.
I also received a full pound of Red Heart Orange Acrylic yarn. I guess this the trick Maureen sent me since I am not a fan of orange. Orange just doesn't look good on me. I can wear salmon if it has a lot of pink in it. I am not crazy about knitting with this color even when I have to for a swap but I do if I must. I received four wonderful books I look forward to reading. It is really great when you receive books you haven't read yet. AND no Maureen I certainly don't mind that you sent USED books. I send USED books also. AND in this group sending used books is perfectly acceptable. I pass a lot of books I read on. In case you can't read the titles they are.

1. Beware the Mummy's Curse The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker

2. Ten Great Mysteries by Edgar Allan Poe There are many timeless short stores in this book I am sure I have read these many many many years ago but these are the kind of great short stories that can be read over and over again.

3. The Turn of the Screw and Other Stories by Henry James

4. Wordsworth Classics M.R. James Collected Ghost Stories I also received a lovely pattern for a cabled Beret. Check out the cabled design on it. It can be found on Ravelry.
Last BUT not least I received "EYEBALLS". Isn't it funny how some photos can come out really great and others don't. They are actually candies or were candies since they have all been eaten BUT I have absolutely perfect vision now.
Again Thank-You Maureen for the lovely gifts and yes even the very large ball orange yarn that I am not exactly sure what I am going to do with it. That sure is one big ball of orange yarn.
My swap has gone out and should be arriving very soon. LOL

I have been busy knitting and finally finished my Clapotis Shawl.
Close up of the shawl.
Solara was guarding it while it was being blocked.
It is covered because she has a thing for pins!!!. She managed to get one out and I had to chase her around the kitchen and hall with her running all over the shawl but she did drop the pin. PHEW!!! Solara also likes twist ties and rubber bands.

I was very disappointed while knitting the shawl as it was piling something awful. Now that is it blocked I don't see the piling as much. I am going to look really closely at it. It is knit with Handmaiden Sea Silk and that is expensive yarn even when on sale. It was so much fun to drop all those stitches!!!

I also finished Clue #1 (30 rows) on the MS4 KAL finally. For a while I wasn't sure if I ever was. So now it is on to Clue #2.


I also finished the first clue on the Through the Loops Socktoberfest Mystery Sock KAL. Another KAL where I will have to follow a chart only this one has a cable pattern in it also. I am knitting these socks with Cherry Tree Hill colorway Moody Blues I received in a swap quite a while ago.

The reason it has taken me so long to complete these first two clues is b/c I have been knitting on projects with deadlines. I finished my Big Bag for my Big Bag KAL and Swap partner and have shipped it. I can't show what it looks like as we are not secret partners so once it has been received I will post photos here and on my Ravelry project page. I also have completed my project for my Ravelry Color Swap partner but being it is a color swap I won't show any photos until sometime in November after it is received as I don't know how many people have the same color choice. I don't want to give anything away. I also finished a project for my Ravelry Starbucks swap partner but have to redo it. I don't like how it came out. So any of you who do read my blog and know what it is SHHHHHHHH.

I had hoped to try and get some sewing done today but I think since it is time for dinner I will just knit after I have eaten. I am going to work on my Noro Cavendish (Shawl) knit project and think about finishing a project to go south that has for some unknown reason become a UFO and all it needs is the lining and handle.

Later tonight I have to submit my Avon order online along with returns, exchanges and demos. That I will start at about 9PM as I am still waiting for one order to come in.

I am going to end with a funny you tube video. I hope you enjoy it.