spunmonkeybean

things that make me smile.

2007-07-23T16:46:00.001-07:00

home.

2007-05-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a little hectic around here. And I'm no longer on bedrest. The girls ran out of room on April 28th (a crazy story there) and were delivered by emergency c-section at 12:01 and 12:02 a.m. We've spent the last several weeks at the hospital in the neonatal ICU - no real problems, just a little undercooked.

But now we're home. They kicked us out for being way too healthy. All is well.

oh boy.

2007-03-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been another wacky couple of weeks here, I spent most of the week of the 12-18th in the hospital, it looks like everything is okay now, but - and mind you this is a good thing - my doctor is being very careful and conservative. I'm home now, but on bed rest, eesh. No driving, not much walking around, I am allowed to shower, thank goodness, but I'm pretty much on house arrest. Really hard for me on so many levels, but I'm trying to zen to the whole thing. One of the things that has always been very hard for me has been to allow other people to do things for me. Maybe this is my lesson? I don't really have a choice, and as one of my dear friends pointed out to me, receiving graciously is a different form of giving. Maybe, as well, I need to learn how to ask for and accept help now, because when the babes are born, I'm really going to need it...

So in the meantime I'm knitting - I have to keep my hands busy. I've already made gifts for all the other babies that have been born recently, so now I'm knitting toys. Monkeys for my monkeys! I'll post pictures when they're done. Very cute.

awol.

2007-03-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've been missing for a terrible long time - but not without two very good reasons. I am actually tremendously pregnant - with twins, no less - and so have been a little... what is the word?

Boy, am I tired.

oh, yeah...

2006-12-03T06:45:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot, these are the mittens I made for Meg. I'm going to need some of these, too.

aprons!

2006-12-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am so happy with the apron Erin made me – it's so good! And I can’t wait to try out the recipes on the matching recipe cards, love the sparkly rickrack, huh? And some yummy hot chocolate to boot. Thanks so much, Erin! It’s a perfect start to the holiday season.

And here is the apron I made for Sarah. I am really very happy with the results, so much so that I may have to make another one for myself! I was inspired by the fabrics - and an apron my mom had when I was lil' that had a sheer overlay the I just loved. Happy holidays, all! Can’t wait to see the rest of the aprons!

out of touch.

2006-11-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

Man, it has been a month full of non stop everything! All of it good, mind you, but still... We had Z's 10th birthday on the 26th, holy smokes! I cannot believe that it has been ten years since she was the tiniest sweetest baby girl, and now? Still the sweetest, but ten! And growing like a lil' weed. Halloween right after that - she made her costume this year, she was a pilgrim. Dual purpose costume, she's going to wear it Thanksgiving as well, just for fun. Birthday party that weekend, small this year but still high maintenance - four kids came over to cook their own dinner and have a lovely dinner party. They were fantastic and hilarious and I am still exhausted. I've finished the knitted thang I am sending to the One Skein orphan I adopted, and I am wrapping up my apron for the apron swap. And some other stuff I'm still working on. Okay, uncle!!! And I swear I will post pictures of all of the above as soon as I can get myself together. Swear.

And what else? How 'bout that election, huh? Woo hoo! The people have spoken, for certain. Phew.

lucky me.

2006-10-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

I have been the very lucky recipient of so many lovely packages in the mail lately - my birthday has coincided with the end of several swaps - how fun is that? The most recent was my tea swap package on Monday. Here it is...

True confession - the cookies are almost gone already. White chocolate raspberry shortbread, so good. And the dogs have made a dent in their treats as well. Lots of lovely teas - I'm loving the earl grey - and lemon honey sticks. Z is so looking forward to doing the puzzle together. And the yarn! See the little pink ball? Next to the puzzle box? That's the one I'm most excited about, it's hand dyed alpaca. Perfect. More huge thanks to BJ for all my treats.

birthweek continues...

2006-10-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

Look what I found in my mailbox today! Yummy apple soap, wicked dark chocolate, a skein of super soft Malabrigo merino, and a gorgeous skein of Tilli Thomas silk. There were even treats for the pups! Greeley, you've outdone yourself, thank you so much.

And I promised a picture of my Funky Scarf. Great, no? I love it.

thanks.

2006-10-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sending out a huge thank you to old friends and new for all the happy birthday wishes - I had a really perfect day. Woke up to hugs and kisses from the whole family, including the pups. Had lunch with Mom up at her work, and came home to find a happy birthday gift certificate from my October Birthday Swap partner - thanks so much, Greeley! My man brought me gorgeous flowers, and my present? Well, it doesn't get better than this. After we went out to dinner, a few good friends came over for cake. Oh, I also found my Funky Scarf Swap package in the mailbox, just to add to the fun. My secret pal, Cayli, spun the most fabulous yarn, soft and pretty - and funky to boot - and knitted it up into a really great scarf. I'll post pictures of everything shortly, but my camera batteries are so very sleepy...

everything you ever wanted to know.

2006-10-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'm doing the What's Cooking Apron Swap - what a great idea! When I was a kid, my mom had a bunch of aprons that she would wear them for cooking when company came - they were not functional, but they were fabulous. I have most of them now, and a bunch of other vintage aprons that I have collected over my many years of thrift shopping. They are unfortunately all still in storage until we finish the construction on our house, otherwise I'd post pictures...

Anyway, here are my answers to the getting to know you meme - ready?

1. what kind of holiday party food do you like best? finger food buffet or sit down multi-course style?

I love sit down dinners, but I also love to eat with my fingers. I tend to prefer a smaller shindig, twenty people or fewer as opposed to a big party where you don't actually get to chat with everyone.

2. do you make/use those little name cards for your table seating or is that just another little something that magazines are trying to add to our already long holiday to-do list?

No name tags. I have control issues, but not to that extent - sit where you like.

3. do you miss sitting at the "kid's table"?

Actually, the last holiday at my parents' house, I was at the kid's table. It was so fun!

4. any particular holiday party traditions that you like to do every year?

The last few years have been transitional - we moved, started a (brutal!) addition/remodel, and got married. This year will be the first one spent at home in the last 4 years so we will be starting some new traditions, I think... That being said, we never miss black eyed peas for New Years, and I'll be making tamales for Christmas for sure. Ooh, and potato latkes. Yum.

5. Which is your favorite winter holiday?

I love 'em all. Any excuse for a party.

6. do you make or have you tasted any good egg nog recipes...whether using it in a dish or as a drink?

I've never made egg nog. I don't generally care for the store bought stuff, but if anyone has a good recipe, please pass it this way.

7. fruit cake .... do you love it or think it should be used as a door stop?

Also, unknown. Every year I think 'I should make a fruitcake, just to see what it's like.' But it's one of those things you really have to plan ahead for, which is not my strong suit.

8. What do you like to do to get yourself in the holiday spirit (ie. certain music, visiting certain seasonal sites, enjoying winter weather, ect.)

Well, since we are in sunny Southern California, we don't get the weather. We usually bust out the Christmas music, and that does the trick. There is also a giant Christmas tree at the local shopping center - I mean giant - and the for reals Santa. I take my lil' girl there, and that helps too. Hard not to get the spirit with a kid in the house.

9. What is your favorite holiday song and who sings it best?

Santa Claus Got Stuck In My Chimney, sung by Ella Fitzgerald. Absolutely.

10. Any ideas for interesting holiday themed parties? (Even if it's really out there -- like renting a snow machine and having everyone build snowmen if you live in a no-snow areas!)

Ooh, I'm going to have to give this some thought...

too many words, not enough pictures...

2006-10-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

naked ladies blooming in the yard -

think pink scarf -

cute little flower washcloths -

and last but not least. I love this time of year.

2006-09-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

Today Z and I spent the afternoon at the Viking Sewing store sewing quilt squares for Quilt Pink. I wish I were one of those people who took the camera everywhere, but I'm just not - it kind of gets in the way of doing things for me. So anyway, I don't have pictures of our squares, but Z did such a great job - she appliqued flowers onto a larger square. Very cool. According to the woman running the thing, they will be collecting squares for a while, so anyone who wants to contribute - have at it!

And I received my One Skein knitted gift from my pal last week while I was sick - so after a brief delay...

The lining is hand dyed fabric - so pretty. Thank you Lauren!

2006-09-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

About a month ago we joined a C.S.A. – community supported agriculture – which means that every Friday we get a box of certified organic, locally grown beautiful produce. This week we got

Can I tell you how much I love okra? Tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt and pepper, then grilled - so good. Oh, and we also got potatoes and garlic, I almost forgot. And it all tastes like real food. I love vegetable Christmas. It inspires me to cook things I might not otherwise, and every week is different.

And these are the eggs from my wacky chickens.

and then?

2006-09-20T17:42:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been unbelievable. Stella had surgery to remove a sebaceous cyst from her back - she’s fine, though – and so was wearing a cone for the last two weeks. Kind of hilarious, a little bit dangerous as it does not in any way stop her or slow her down, she just runs into everything and powers right on through. Furniture, doorjambs, people, no matter. Just get out of the way. One week into it, we discovered a cut hidden right behind Harley’s ear that must have been there long enough to get unbelievably infected. Another trip to the vet later, we have two dogs in two cones, or as Z said, a double scoop. What are the odds? Anyway, last night I took out Stel’s stitches, just to save the poor girl the vet stress, so Harley is now cone alone. Monocone.

And me? I am laid up in bed for a couple of days. I've slept for the better part of the last 24 hours, I guess I get to catch up on a little knitting now. And I have managed to join a bunch of stuff. Knitters Tea Swap, whee! And October Birthday Swap, how about that? I love birthdays, and so many of my favorite people share my birth month, including my baby girl. Got to be good. And Socktoberfest. Perfect. And now I am exhausted. Phew.

freakiness.

2006-09-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

My friend called me yesterday to tell me about a dream he had in which I was pregnant and surrounded by eight or nine strollers, all different. Premonition… ?

2006-09-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

I've been a little out of touch. And really negligent about posting photos of stuff I've finished, which I swear I will do. I just wrapped up my Think Pink scarf, which I have to get in the mail this week, and also my Funky Scarf - which I am loving! I hope my scarf pal digs it too. I also have a fabuloso new pair of socks, a couple of flower washcloths, and a Wonder Woman power bracelet for my girlie - it started out as a sock, but was way.too.small - I am perhaps a little unrealistic in regard to how big she really is... sigh.

2006-09-09T07:05:00.000-07:00

The other day as I was checking in on some of the other blogs I read, I followed a link, and then another, and ended up at the journal of the most amazing woman who was writing about things which hit so close to home. I think I envy the ability to put it out there, to be that brave - but I am not, at this point, someone who can write about those very personal things happening in my life. It’s actually hard for me to talk about some of it, even with my closest friends. On some level I know that it is easier for me not to have to contend with the well meaning advice which is inevitable, but at the same time it can be a tremendously lonely road…

pal presents.

2006-09-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, here it is! Cute, no?

2006-09-05T08:54:00.000-07:00

I just put my baby girl on the school bus for the first day of fifth grade. Yesterday she said to me, 'Mom? This year, I am the big kids.' Crazy.

2006-08-31T07:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm back. Actually, I've been back since Sunday, but I've been recovering from a little time zone difference, and trying to get Z ready to go back to school on Tuesday, holy smokes... It makes me a little nauseous, partially because the summer is over and I can barely remember any of it, and partially because she is starting 5th grade! I might barf.

We left the pups at home with a housesitter while we were gone, actually the woman who babysits for Z when I'm working - it was a failed experiment on so many levels. I will be the first to admit that my dogs are high maintenance. They are the sweetest funniest wackiest dogs, and I love them so much. That being said...

Harley (who is a little less work than Stella), is no longer allowed in the yard by himself until we are able to replace the entire fence, which is no easy task. He, like so many beagles, is not to be trusted if he smells something interesting at which time he becomes totally deaf and all the shrieking like a banshee that I do does no good whatsoever( and I feel like a huge asshole - nuff said.). Stella - oh Stella - who had been so much better, really and I'm not even just saying that, is a typical Weimaraner. She suffers from separation anxiety - which is why I thought that having her at home with someone she knows would be a much better situation for her. Well, not so much. I think the two dogs were just too much for the sitter. Puppy camp is a much better plan - which is where they are going this weekend. They can bark all they want, there are distractions all day what with all the other dogs there to play with and they will come home tired and freshly washed. And my house will be exactly as I left it.

On the knitting front, I finished my One Skein project for my pal, I'm sending it out - hope she likes it! Here's the whole package -

Oh, hell - Blogger is not letting me post pictures again. WTF?! Well, anyway, I'm sending her a cute little purse that I designed for her. It's Claudia's Hand Painted yarn, lined with the most fabulous purple silk. I'm also sending a bar of Russian dark chocolate, lavender soap, the New Vegetarian Epicure - referring back to a post from ever so long ago asking for recipes, this is one of my most favorite cookbooks ever, all organized according to season and occasion. Ooh, and two lil' skeins of yarn, one Twisted Sisters cotton, and one merino silk hand painted locally. Different, but coordinated - I know it's supposed to be one skein, but limits are hard for me...

I'll try to add pictures later. Fingers crossed.

2006-08-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

After an entire summer of nothing but work work work, the last week I think I have gone more places and done more things than the entire rest of the year. Okay, maybe that's not true, but it feels like it. Last week while Z was taking a summer class at the Science Center - so cool - every day when I picked her up we went somewhere fun. Olvera Street, Chinatown - and Thursday night we went to the Dodger game! I am not really a big sports fan at all, but it was Stitch N Pitch night. There were over 500 knitters/crocheters there, which was great, and it was a really good game as well. And last night, I got to go to the Greek Theatre to see Death Cab For Cutie and Spoon with my friend who's husband unexpectedly had to go out of town last minute. I am a lucky lucky girl - and exhausted! Got home way past my bedtime. Very fun.

And now it's time for a funky scarf swap! Whee! Ready?

Let’s get the allergy part out of the way. Are you allergic to any fibers?

Allergic? No. Adverse? Yeah... eyelash yarns make me queasy. And cigarette smoke would be hard for me, too.

Do you prefer any fibers over others?

It's got to be super soft, and not itchy - merino, silk, alpaca, cashmere. I like natural fibers over synthetics, and animal over plant. I'm not big on cotton.

Thinking back to Scout’s post about what funky means to you, post an image of something that you think is funky!

I'll have to mull this one over.

Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern?

Probably a funky yarn.

What are your favorite colors?

I love green, pink, purple, black... most colors really.

What is your favorite piece of art?

No favorite, there are too many to choose from and more coming all the time. I love Bill Viola, Egon Schiele, Joseph Cornell, Joseph Beuys... and lots more in all different mediums.

What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face?

Yellow. Eech. Oh, or navy blue. Or brown. Love the colors of autumn leaves, but I'd never wear them.

Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl?

Scarf, I think. But whatever.

When you wear a scarf do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf?

I like really long scarves - which is funny since I'm not that tall - and I like them more medium width.

What is the climate like where you live?

Sunny Southern California? Well... but being a native I do get cold easily.

Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe?

Form and fuction, baby.

What else would you like your partner to know about you?

Not sure... any questions? Just ask.

2006-08-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my parent's anniversary. Forty five years. We made a dinner party for them with 20 of their closest friends - and it's hard to limit it to that, really. But sitting there, at my mom's best friend's house (where I spent a great deal of my childhood), it struck me that the people sitting around that table are the same people who were at their wedding forty five years ago. Isn't that crazy?

hi - larious.

2006-08-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Z says this looks like chocolate chip skullie yarn.

And I think this one's a keeper too.

yarnstravaganza!

2006-08-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

So having found myself up at the crack of dawn again - what else could I do? Actually there's a million things I should be doing, but oh well -

So I made the best yarn! Merino with yak and the fantastic carved skullie beads that my friend Jill gave me. Love. And also another, but I still have to photo it. These two have been in my head for so long, but I've had no time to spin them. I'm thinking Funky Scarf Swap, right?

swap, anyone?

2006-08-05T17:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I just joined another swap - I have to say I love the idea of connecting with knitters in other places. Not that the local knitters aren't enough, but... anyway, it's the Funky Scarf Swap and signups are now! The code is fss2006. Should be fun - come on, you know you want to.

no rest.

2006-08-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Man, it has just not slowed down at all. But in two weeks we are going on vacation! I can't wait. It is my parent's 45th anniversary - crazy right? So we are (all of us, parents, brother, and the three of us) going to Kauai, hurray! Although honestly I have not been on a vacation with my parents since I was a kid, it should be a big adventure.

And here are my presents from my One Skein secret pal - now that I have finally managed to post them...

The dark blue one is her own handspun - it is super soft - and they both came in a fabulous flowery package. I love that.

How about that? Cute sock yarn and a pattern! Thanks pal!

And I did just start another pair of socks, toe up this time. I never would have thought I would like knitting socks. Turns out.

Okay, that's it for now - Z and I need to go to the fabric store, she's taking a sewing class, and they are starting on Halloween costumes today(which means that this year I am off the hook!). Some things are better learned from people who are not your mom, apparently, and sewing is the first on that list. But she just finished her second project which is the greatest pair of pajama pants. I'll have to post a picture of those. The first thing she made was a pillow, the best part of which was her fabric choice -

Hilarious. It's a rock pillow.

socks!

2006-07-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

These are them! Socks, I mean... hard to photograph well, especially because my legs are so covered with scrapes and bruises it is ridiculous. Really.

Sometimes I really love where I live.

2006-07-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

2006-07-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

So I just finished listening to Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me in the car on my way home from (the fiber store) dropping Zoë off at a swimming birthday party, lucky girl – and I swear I almost had to pull over so many times because I was laughing so hard I couldn’t see. Did you know that if one thousand Night Ranger fans held up their lighters all through the song Sister Christian, it would not add to global warming? Turns out… but now I have that song stuck in my head. Nice.

By the way, I finished my socks - first pair ever - and they are so freaking cute. I’m psyched. I swear I would post a picture, but goddamn it Blogger will not let me. Or maybe it’s me?

too busy.

2006-07-05T21:50:00.000-07:00

I have been so freakin' busy - this work thing really gets in the way and makes me really tired, you know? But I finished one sock! And I''m almost done with the other one!

And I actually spun up the roving I bought several weeks ago as well (it was weeks, I think... eesh, it all runs together.) and it is really nice - the tencel makes it super shiny and silky.

I have been knitting at work, on my lunch break, which is the only time I've had, so I decided to buy a drop spindle that I can bring to work with me to spin instead, post-socks. We'll see how that goes, it should come in the mail early next week. I love things in the mail! And this came - it's a sock kit, but I'm not sure if it will be socks or not. It's beautiful yarn though, and the bag and needles are pretty terrific too. I had a little magpie moment on etsy... Ooh, and I set up some photos on Flickr - see, over on the right? Go ahead, click it. It's my handspun yarn, mostly.

The painters are supposed to come back on Monday after an unexpected(WTF?!) two week hiatus to finish painting the house (it's funny - strange, not ha-ha - how many people we have hired to do work on the house that have fucked up in some way - almost everyone, really. It is so disappointing to me the lack of work ethic and honesty among contractors. We have such horror stories... Is this problem specific to L.A.? Or more prevalent here? Just thinking out loud.). The finished part looks beautiful, but the whole thing looks pretty funny, the addition is painted but the old part is still the old colors - not sure why they did it that way, but whatever. We've been joking that the old house is Scotts and the new part is mine, so I suggested that we leave it as is to avoid confusion.

Well for some reason, I can't upload any of my fabulous pictures right now - I'll try again later.

work and not much else.

2006-06-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

This happens every year - summer is always always the most busy season, when I really least want to work. Unless you count Thanksgiving through New Years, I'm generally slammed then too... The movie industry really does not take in to consideration the lives and schedules of people (unless they are actors), but this is not complaining, merely observing. There are many good things which balance out the less good things. For example, I get to build really cool things all day, and I do not have to sit still or stay clean or primp in the morning. And Zoe loves to tell her friends that her mom is a carpenter - very fun when having career day at school - and that I worked on Lemony Snicket(and some other fun stuff).

On a knitting note, remember that yarn I bought? Well, I started a pair of socks - or at least the first one.

I've never knit socks before - it has always seemed like a lot of work for the payoff, and once you knit one, well you've kind of done it already, you know? So this is a challenge for me. I will finish the pair. And maybe next time I'll do both socks at once.

oh, right...

2006-06-14T20:28:00.000-07:00

did I mention I bought yarn in Santa Cruz? oh, um, yeah... we stopped at the Golden Fleece - what a great shop - and I picked up some organic alpaca yarn and started working on this great little shawl. Here is is on the needles -

- and here it is finished.

It is fantastically soft and warm, and now suddenly it is summer and 95 degrees... hmmm. But I also made this little headband for my girl who always has her hair in her face, and her food, and - well you get the picture. I thought it was very cute on her but apparently it itches. WTF?! It's Alchemy alpaca, and it does. not. itch. So it's mine now, I guess.

I've been working too much to do anything else - 60 work hours this week (plus about and hour and a half commute time per day) makes Jack a dull girl. I'm going to bed.

i'm back...

2006-06-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

We had a perfect weekend. Every time we leave L.A. we wonder why we live here... other than the need for gainful employment. I do wonder if there are just as many great things here, but we just don't have time to notice them? Anyway, Santa Cruz was fantastic - we were only there for a day, but it was long enough to go to most of the places we love. Where else is there a college campus that looks like this?

And in the morning on Saturday we went to Emily's for coffee and pastries and went out to West
Cliff to sit by the water and have breakfast...

...and then on up the coast

through San Francisco

and finally to Mendocino, where we spent Saturday and Sunday. It was great to see Margie, the woman who runs the Farmhouse, and also Margie's daughter Karin and her boyfriend Rogelio who were up for the weekend from Oakland. Sunday night(our anniversary) we went for dinner at the Moosse Cafe where the food was fantastic, and the people there were even better - as we were leaving, the hostess ran out after us with flowers from their garden. It was crazy - never, never would that happen in L.A...

And now we are home, very home and I am back at work, long long hours, building the sets for some movie(which I doubt seriously that I will ever see), and so I will probably fall off the face of the earth for a while. At least I don't have to paint the house?

2006-06-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm off to the post office, to mail out my pal's package - this is what I am sending -

I know it is only supposed to be one skein, but I'm tempted to send this little skein of my handspun also... just for fun.

2006-05-31T05:55:00.000-07:00

Spreading the word about the Think Pink Challenge - the woman running this would like to collect 1000 pink scarves by the end of September to give to women with breast cancer. This one hits very close to home for me, there is a history of breast cancer in my family.

I spent all day yesterday thinking it was Monday. That should tell you what kind of day I was having... but I think it's finally summer! After all the May (wtf?!) gloom and fog, the last couple of days have been sunny and perfect. And I almost forgot - over the weekend, two women in my spinning guild opened a fiber arts shop. Of course I had to check it out, and I left with this amazing merino tencel hand dyed roving. I can't wait to spin it.

2006-05-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

It was a good weekend. Lots of homework for my girlie, unfortunately - why do they do that? It seems as though we have to spend every holiday weekend finishing a big project. Suck. But she is (we are?) almost finished, which is grand because she will be staying with the grandparents next weekend while we go up to Mendocino for our anniversary. Can't wait.

2006-05-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

The last few days have really sucked. My cat has gone missing - it's been almost a week now, and he never stays away, ever. I'm trying to stay hopeful.

I had to go to a funeral yesterday as well, for someone I was not particularly fond of, out of obligation. Eech. I called my husband on my way home and told him in no uncertain terms that I do not want a funeral. At least not like that. What a circus.

On a brighter note, on the way home I stopped at my former yarn store, in my old neighborhood, just to say hi and cheer up a little. It was really nice to see Suzan - and she wants me to bring in my handspun yarn, possible to carry at the shop. We'll see...

And today, from what will be my bedroom, it looks like this.

I think everything is going to be fine. And now I paint.

2006-05-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't been knitting much or spinning at all, it's really bumming me out. I've been so busy trying to get the house finished, all my creative energy has been going there.

That being said, yesterday I went to the yarn store and bought two skeins of this:

I think I just need to finish something small, starting a big project right now would just be frustrating. Building the house is big enough.

2006-05-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

So I just started a secret pal yarn exchange - whee! I love when packages come in the mail, I love surprises, and I love yarn. How could you go wrong? Anyway, I received an email from my secret pal(who is sending to me) with a list of questions, which I have also sent to my secret pal(who I am sending to). Okay that sounded really confusing - anyway here they are, with my answers:

1. Which yarn is most like your personality (you can be specific or general with your answer- brand, type, color, fiber, whatever)?

I would say merino/silk single ply, really soft, hand dyed many variations of a single color. If I had to pick a brand, I'd say Alchemy Synchronicity. Or maybe Noro Cash Iroha. Ooh, or Twisted Sisters Petit Voodoo. Hard to pick.

2. What is your favorite color yarn to knit/crochet with?

I love green, not dark green, but more like the color of pears and apples and Kermit the frog - but I also really like pink.

3. Have you ever used variegated, or magic, yarns?

Does that mean self striping? No I haven't.

4. Do you tend to favor certain fibers when choosing yarns?

I love alpaca, merino, silk - anything super soft. I gravitate toward single plys, things that seen more hand spun, less perfect.

5. Do you prefer to work with center-pull or traditionally wound balls of yarn?

I love center pull balls.

6. Have you ever worked with organic yarns or are you interested in trying them?

I have, they're lovely. The only time I enjoyed knitting with cotton.

7. How many and what projects have you made in the last year?

Wow, lots. Three sweaters, two shawls, legwarmers (I know that sounds so wrong but they are so pretty and I wore them under my wedding dress), countless hats and scarves, a couple of ponchos for my daughter, bracelets and necklaces, a baby blanket and... I'm leaving some stuff out...

8. Will you be knitting any gifts this year?

Yes.

9. What is your favorite one skein project?

I love making scarves from my handspun yarn. Lacy stitches on big needles - really fast and beautiful. My favorite project from the book, though, is probably either the silk sleeves or the clutch with the buttons.

10. How much yarn do you have in your stash and how do you store it?

An embarrassing amount - tons - and right now most of it is in storage in big rubbermaid bins and these amazing giant ziplock bags until we are done building our house - but that's anouther story.

11. Do you have a yarn in your stash that you love so much you can never use it or part with it?

I tend to horde some of my wackier handspun stuff. Oh, and this amazing silk mohair from Habu. And the crazy handspun that I bought from this amazing spinner in Northern California - she is amazing! And a very cool girl.

12. Do you knit less or differently in the summer?

No.

13. Do you belong to any knitting groups (online or offline)?

Yes - a yahoo group called Knitzilla.

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Some other fiber and non fiber related things about me:

I rarely follow patterns, and when I do, I alter them.

My favorite wool - specifically sheep - to spin is Cormo. It is much like Merino, but squishier.

I try to buy from small companies and farms whenever I can. Someday I hope to be one of them...

I also try to involve myself in charity knitting project whenever I can.

When I grow up, I want to have Pygora goats. And a couple of sheep. And probably some other hooved friends as well.

I grew up in Los Angeles, and most of my family is here.

I am a carpenter for the entertainment industry - I build sets for movies.

I went to art school, and majored in sculpture and photography.

I would love to live in Santa Cruz, California.

I have a nine year old daughter, Zoe, and I truly believe that she is the most beautiful and amazing individual that I have ever met, and that someday she will change the world if she decides to do so. (Not that I'm biased...)

June 5th is my first anniversary, and the fact that we decided to get married while in the middle of a really rough remodel tells me that we can make it through anything. Really.

I have two dogs, Stella and Harley, a weimaraner and a beagle. I like the high maintenance breeds.

I also have a cat named Joe the Cat, a parakeet, and eight chickens.

I love doing laundry, but I hate putting it away.

I leave my shoes all over the house.

I love to bake, but I rarely eat any of it.

My birthday is October 10th. I'm 37.

My husband, Scott, grew up in Mississippi, but you would never know it from talking with him.

I wear my Auntie Faye's ring on a chain around my neck for good luck.

There is a great big pile of knitting on my nightstand.

Wow, stream of consciousness, sorry... and that's plenty for now.

here we go, folks...

2005-10-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Getting started is really the most difficult part for me - I set this blog up a couple of months ago now, but haven't yet posted anything... But having discovered that I really like reading other people's blogs - it satisfies that voyeuristic(just a fancy word for nosy, by the way) side of being human (and it's way more fun than reading about celebrities, I think) - I'm going to jump right in. Here goes.