Tea Swap Announcement

It's about the right time of day, the right time of year...

When I was VERY little, our neighbor across the road first introduced me to the art of tea. She was a school teacher, and I believe it started the summer I was three or four. It became our little tradition, and I couldn't wait for 4:30, when I would be taken across the road to their farm, and I would let myself in the front door and walk through the dining room, into their big, farmhouse kitchen (which is still the perfect kitchen in my mind's eye today), to the table in front of the window, where a perfectly brewed pot of tea awaited me.

I could go on forever, but instead, I'll just invite you to pop in, grab a cup, and help yourself to your favorite scone or treat. Details about the swap will unfold over the next few weeks, and I hope you'll join us!

Sock It To Me Questionnaire

What are your foot measurements? (Please give shoe size, length and circumference.)

I wear a 6.5 or 7 in American sizes. My left foot is bigger, and it is 8.75 inches long. Circumference is 8 inches.

How long have you been knitting? How would you rate your experience? (Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced.)

I've only been knitting for about seven months, but I'd say I'm an intermediate knitter.

What is your favorite color? Your least favorite color?

My favorite color changes, but I always like red, pinks, blues, greens, and browns. I'm not crazy about purple, orange or road sign yellow by themselves.

Do you have a favorite fiber? What type?

I'm still trying them all out, but I love bamboo and anything soy.

Do you have any allergies to certain fibers?

No.

Do you have an Amazon, or other type of, wishlist? (If so, provide the link.)

Oh boy. I managed to produce it earlier this week...

What techniques, if any, would you like to learn?

Cable. MUST. LEARN.TO.CABLE! And lace.

Do you have a sweet tooth? What are your favorite snacks?

I have a rotten sweet tooth. My current favorite is dark chocolate covered cranberries. I also like popcorn though, and nuts...

What is your family situation? (Children, Husband, Pets...etc.)

I'm married, and we live to serve our two very rotten dogs.

Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Metal, plastic or wood?

For what? All in all, my Knitpicks Options are the needles I can't live without, but I like Bryspun for discloths, and the Addis my pal in another swap sent are lovely too. OH! Sorry, we're talking socks, right? I like my two, SHORT Addis and dpns. I like Sox Stix and the Knitpicks dpns.

Besides socks, what are your favorite items to knit?

Bags. Dishcloths. I enjoyed making my first vest last month...

Is there a pattern, (sock or otherwise), that you are dying to try?

Several. Basically, anything I haven't already done!

Do you like to read? What are you reading currently?

I love to read. I tend to favor non-fiction. I read cookbooks, knitting pattern books, etc. Right now though, I'm reading Eldest as in the second book in the Eragon series.

Do you collect music? (On an iPod or MP3 player.)

Not really. I'm all about XM Radio.

What kind of music do you listen to?

All of it. Country. Musicals. Pop. Rock. Classical.

Is there anything you collect?

Roosters. Yarn. Books. Regional cookbooks.

What are your hobbies, aside from knitting?

Yoga, reading, walking, cooking, baking, scrapbooking, stamping...

Are you participating in any other swaps or knit alongs?

Yes. The easiest thing to do is look at the side of my blog. There are actually a couple of buttons missing... I'll see about correcting that.

Do you have a favorite scent?

Soft florals. Green tea.

When is your birthday? (You don't have to add the year if you don't want to, LOL.)

July 1

Belated 4th

I was too busy knitting and celebrating yesterday to blog, but I wanted to pause for a moment and note how much the day means to me. Literally living in the shadow of Monticello, it's hard not to get caught up in the spirit of the day, which we of course, celebrate for several days. It's also the birthday of one of my husband's many aunts, so there was a multipurpose family picnic, and then we headed off for what has become Mark's celebration of the day. He has helped a pyrotechnician friend set up for fireworks for several years, and announced this morning that he wants to become certified too. (GAH!)

It's a great event. Sure, the actually display is probably shorter and less impressive than some of the big fireworks displays done in your cities, but this one is funded by the development where many of our friends and family live. The beach is closed at five pm, and the local fire department (not ours, but a neighboring one, where we have many friends) has a family picnic while Mark and the rest of the fireworks crew set up. There's something truly magical about stretching out in a beach lounger only a few yards away from where the fireworks are being set off, feeling the ground tremble, and remembering to say a little prayer for those setting them off with every "oooh and ahhhh!" It's also hard not to have at least one smug moment when the crowd claps and screams, knowing that my husband and his friends made it all possible.

I hope your Independence Day celebrations were special, no matter how you like to wish America a happy birthday. Just once though, I think the USA and Canada should celebrate for about a week, together, and invite the whole world to our party. Remember the commercial, "I'd like to buy the world a Coke?" That would be a nice start. A diet with Lime for me, okay?

Color Swap Questionnaire

Being the swap-aholic that I am, and loving red, here's my latest:

Color Swap Survey

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?

I am not a yarn snob, not so much anyway. Lion Brand has some yarns I like - Cotton Ease, Wool Ease - but I do tend to buy natural fibers.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

'Fraid not. I want to learn to crochet, but can't put my knitting down long enough to learn.

3. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?

Rubber stamping, scrapbooking, cooking, baking... that's about it.

4. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

Today? Bamboo! But check my blog, because that's sure to change as I broaden my horizons.

5. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Novelty yarns. They're more trouble than they're worth for me. I'm not much on acrylics either, but they are good for baby items, which I need to do more of, and soon!

6. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Socks. Bags. Learning to cable.

7. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Socks. More socks.

8. What are you knitting right now?

A sock. With another sock waiting in the wings. And a secret.

9. Are you a sock knitter?

Oh yes. Can't you tell?!

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Are there any colors you hate?

Today, it's red. I like greens, blues, pinks, teals too. Even browns. I dislike peach, orange and highway department yellow.

11. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

I have a separate knitting wish list on Amazon, but it might be private... dunno.

12. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)

Not really.

13. Do you have any religious prohibitions or restrictions?

No.

14. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

Gardenia. Lily of the Valley. Rose. Soft florals. Green tea.

15. Do you burn candles?

Yes.

16. Do you have a sweet or salt tooth?

Both.

17. Do you drink coffee, tea or cocoa?

Yes, but I'd say tea, tea, coffee, cocoa.

18. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I live with my wonderful husband and our two precious pups.

19. What are some of your favorite things?

Aside from knitting, tea and my dogs? Yoga, walking, reading...

20. Is there anything that you collect?

Yarn. Roosters. My husband collects those smashed pennies imprinted with local sites or whatnot.

21. What is your favorite holiday?

Good question. I'm not feeling very festive at the moment though.

22. What is your birthday? (You don't have to tell the year)

July 1.

Something to Crow About

I just had to show you the little decanter my mother inlaw gave me for my birthday. I collect roosters (not chickens, not hens, not chicks, just ROOSTERS), and I finally agreed with my husband that I am about maxed out. However, my mother inlaw couldn't resist this guy, and I'm glad. He's stuffed with oil, assorted peppers and garlic cloves. Isn't he beautiful? I couldn't find a spot to photograph him with justice, so... forgive me. He's just so colorful and fun, and he makes me smile. And no, I won't use the contents within, for two reasons. Firstly, because I am a woman who believes sell by dates really mean use by, and use by dates are gospel, so there's no way I'm using questionably cured peppers and such. Secondly, how could I disturb the beauty? In time, they'll fade and I'll be so glad Anne talked me into blogging, because I'll come back to this post and see what colors he had originally, and the pick my own, with something blue in there, and a greener green, and that strong yellow I don't like in anything else, because that's what Mack and Jackie looked like. (Yep. I'm a farm girl and I had pet roosters.)

My husband is still waiting on the toneau cover for his truck, so UPS, please let it come tomorrow, okay? He was very disappointed when UPS brought me another birthday present, but while I'm very excited about my pewter water pitcher, he wasn't nor did he think you would be. (He didn't think you'd care about the rooster either, but I already know Devon cares, so he's wrong. So there!) He actually tossed the padded envelope at me that must be from my No Sheep Swap upstream pal at me, but the Love inside didn't seem to mind. Seriously folks, I know you're tired of my bamboo fetish, but this stuff (with 30% silk!) is something beyond soft. It's the Peter & MaryJane colorway, and you know how I like my cutsie colorway names! I can't wait to knit with it, so just as soon as I find a pattern, look out!

The grumpy yarn mail tosser did give me a swift and a ball winder for my birthday, and last night, when I mentioned that I needed scales to figure out how much of my Royal Bamboo I had left, Mr. eBay as we call him let his mouse do the clicking, and I'll soon be annoying you with my precise reports on how much yarn it takes to do each sock in a pair. So, he is a good man, even if he misjudges your lack of interest in pewter and decorative pickled stuff in a funky jar.

And congrats to Sharon, winner of the 100th post contest. I'll be getting a prize in the mail soon! She's also one of the hostesses for the very clever Virtual Vacation Swap. If you missed out on this one, bookmark it and stay tuned. I won't miss the next one (I'm sure this is just the first of many!), and I'll make sure you don't either.

Cyber Shower!

Whooohoooo! Y'all are in for another multi-post day, I can feel it.

Everyone rush over to Amy's blog and congratulate her on her engagement! It's been in the works, but John still surprised her (I think), and it was certainly a special evening. While I can only tell you that my own engagement happened in August, I bet I will always remember that Amy and John made it official on my birthday! (And John gets serious brownie points for presenting her with the ring of her dreams. Good start to a great forever!)

And seriously, someone more savvy than I am needs to help me figure out how to cyber shower Amy. I'm close enough to visit in person, but I realize most of you aren't. She'll know we're planning something, but the details will still surprise her, right?! So, email me at Chan.Moore@gmail.com if you have ideas and/or want to participate.

Being happily married to my third-grade sweetheart, the son of my father's best friend, there's little that makes me happier than seeing my friends make their own perfectly-suited matches. Amy, I'm so very happy for you, and for John. I look forward to hearing all about all of the plans... (Now, where did I see the pattern for the knitted garter belt??)

Hello, Milo!

Many of us correctly guessed that Sue's big news was a new dog. Please join me in welcoming Milo to their household! He's a big, beautiful boy, and I know they're all going to be very happy together. Sue adopted Milo from a rescue, and I have to give a shout out to all the rescues out there. Most breeds have at least a regional rescue, covering a few states. Yes, puppies are cute, but these more mature boys and girls need good homes and are often easier to welcome into a household than a needy little puppy (with a tiny bladder, short attention span, etc.) I hope if/when you're in the market for another pet, you'll consider adopting from a rescue. They do sometimes have puppies and/or young adult dogs too!

I'd also like to thank those of you participating in my little contest. I'll have the random number generator pick a winner this evening. I'd also like to thank everyone for the birthday wishes. Anne spread the word, and all of the good wishes are heartily appreciated.