SP10 Final Package and Reveal

WOW! Yesterday was very long - we got home from work at 8:00 and there was this package waiting for me:



What a nice surpise!!! It has a beautiful handmade bag - lots and lots of pockets that were just filled to the brim with items! There was a few oz. of silk and Irish Linen to spin, a home-made spindle - way cool!, 3 skeins of a so, so soft alpaca-silk yarn in such nice colors (the picture doesn't do it justice!), a really fun monkey journal, a neat picture frame, some very cute earrings that look like Lemonheads Candies and some very small stitchmarkers (these didn't make it into the picture), a lamb measuring tape and more (including some cat toys that we'll save for the next house)! There was also a nice bag of Sugar-Free Andies Candies, that went directly into the freezer, since it was 96 here yesterday!

Ruth from South Dakota was my secret pal and she really did a nice job! Thanks Ruth!

New Porch & New House Coming Along!

Well, after the oil primer dried over night, Dad finished the front porch - now we just need to power wash the siding!



















Then we went over to see the SIL's replacement house over in Danvers - their house had to be completely torn down and replaced. It is amazing how fast this has gone up and it was exciting because we got to go inside and see the layout! I can't wait to see it when it's finished. The nephew walked me all around the block and we saw some houses that are being lived in, and others in a states of replacement and repair and some that they just don't know what will happen to.

Busy Saturday

When you haven't done certain things in 9 years, the really need to be done. We haven't touched the front steps since we moved in in 1998. Today, my Dad (thanks Dad!) came up and they got started - scraped and primed... tomorrow they'll be painted and presentable!










I feel like a slacker - I weeded the flower garden(for the first time this season - oops!) and went grocery shopping and started weeding out my craft room... that will take some time! We do have some very pretty day lillies blooming.

'Vog On - just a few times!

For some reason I just can't finish my Marblehead Handdyed socks... you know, the very multicolored ones that have been haunting me. I'm halfway up the foot (toe-up) on #2 and just can't seem to get it together. So... the new www.knitty.com came out and I got hooked by 'Vog On - and as I keep saying, mine will be called Doc On since I don't own a single pair of John Fluevogs, but I think I own at least 8 pairs of Doc Martens... and I have the perfect pair to wear them with. The problem was getting started. I tried the AquaMelon Vesper (super cute, but realized that I don't wan a striping yarn for this), then I tried Lucy's (www.mindseyeyarn.com)Sock Club yarn from March but that didn't quite do it either. What did finally do it for these was the Skinny Sock in a very cool green/brown colorway from www.spunkyeclectic.com - I am truly a Spunkie Junkie! And after casting it on for the 5th time, it finally happened:



Yeah! I do have a few more rounds done - the picot edge was a new thing for me. What a great, easy starter sock lace pattern. I'm happy so far. Now I just have to decide just how long I want the cuff (yes, I am doing a cuff-down sock - there is a toe-up version too, but I had to give it a try)... and then move onto the heel.

Finally an FO!

I have no idea when I started this - probably a month or two ago. I had picked up the yarn (well, the first 3 skeins) on 6/3/06 to make a wrap... that didn't quite work out. It was my first attempt at carrying yarn - very simple, but I didn't want to just have plain old stripes.

Yarn: Steadfast Fibers: Wonderful Wool in Eggplant, Cherry Ice and Light Pink.
Pattern: Elizabeth Bag (changed the handle to a simple flat garter handle)

Here it is before felting:












And then after - side & bottom:


















I just love the way the bottom came out - I did it on 11s, the rest was done on 10.5s. Why? I can't remember!

Mugsy hung out with my while I was working on my Perfect Sweater too...
(yes, we do know he needs a trip to the groomer!)

What flavor Pocky are you?

OK, I just had to try this one - we have been Pocky fans forever. But I can honestly say I have never heard of this flavor:

You Are Reverse Pocky

Your attitude: rebellious and cleverNon-conformist, but curiously a trendsetterWith you, up is down... and it's a wild ride!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatflavorpockyquizareyouquiz/"

What Flavor Pocky Are You?

Flowers... inside

As promised, here is the picture of the "mystery flower" - the leaves are very thick and waxy too.

And more orchid updates (including the other one - yeah!):

Lots of spinning going on today - colonial top is just TOO easy to spin! I did work on my alpaca that we split at New Hampshire Sheep & Wool a few weeks ago - doing it on my new Golding Spindle... I might just do the whole thing that way. Am I insane?