Noro Clarification

For my FFBE spoiler:

I wanted to love Kureyon, and I have some Silk Garden from a swap pal I hope to knit up sooner rather than later. I love the stripes, and I think now that I know more about felting, my first two bags - Chan and Booga, in Kureyon - would have been a bit tighter and thus, I'd be more excited about the results. So, it is indeed the KNITTING with Kureyon that I hate. I also can't imagine wearing the stuff, or curling up under it. I hear Silk Garden is far better in the knitting with and touchability in the final product, so I do want to give it a whirl.

In fact, I can't stop buying striped yarn, especially the self-striping kind. Part of its charm is my lack of confidence with color work, but it's also just a little Chan will never be a dyer mystery, watching the colors ooze into stripes while I just do my thing with the needles.

A shorter answer? If you're willing to knit with Kureyon for me, I'm sure I'd love it.

I Won!

One of the many amazing things about our online knitting community is that we actually look for reasons to give prizes/gifts to each other. I know several of you popped by and wished Amy a happy 100th post, but ironically, the old philosophy major won the Philosophers Wool. That's why I love swaps and prizes; there's yarn out there I've never heard of, but can't wait to try, even though I don't know it exists. (Don't laugh. You get crazy over a new to you line of yarn too.)

Thanks Amy, and congrats again on your blogging milestone. I selfishly hope for many more, because I enjoy seeing what you're up to, knitting and otherwise!

Friend-Rich

I am indeed friend-rich. I'm not talking pals to hang out with on a given afternoon; I'm actually without ANY of those, but what I have in the stand by you, true-blue category more than makes up for shopping with Mugsy on Saturday afternoon. (Shhh. Don't tell him. He's a doll, but he can't even go into most stores.)



Etsy has totally changed my shopping habits. I've always appreciated and expected exceptional customer service, but with Mary, Jessi, Amanda and Anita, I have CUSTOM customer service. What's best is that I know you can have it too; just ask! Each of those ladies has a great shop with a revolving inventory, and all are truly craft-artists, and thus, they enjoy trying new things on the way to making a customer happy.



Above are the 8 and 4 row row counters Mary made when I asked if she would be interested in trying her hand at some. Thanks, Mary! They're beautiful. Here are the 10 and 12 row versions. She also made other "sizes" for different row repeats, but as I'd not even used row counters before, I thought perhaps I should pace myself and try them out first. Not even all of these are for my personal use; some are swap pal bound. I hope my pal(s) will enjoy them too!





Now, obviously the dog lover one is staying at my house (sorry Nicole!), so I undid all of Mary's cute packaging (they also ship in tiny resealable plastic bags) so you could see more. Well, yeah, so I could see more too, but at the moment, it's all about you! That's going to make me smile every time I use it. Yes, yes, they ALL are likely to do that, but you know...






In today's mail, dear Anne sent a little pick-me-up. I'm going to have to watch her yarn shopping reports more carefully; that's twice now that she's flashed a Chan gift in plain sight on her blog. Her nails are so near and dear to her well-being that I think I'm going to take a hint and take a couple of hours one day this week and go get my own mani and pedi.



This is a good time to thank each of you for you cards, comments, emails, posts on your own blogs, etc. Each and every one has meant the world to us, and I am sure all of your support is what has allowed us to dry our tears and begin to pick up the pieces. Thank you from the bottom of our collective hearts.





Back to the yarn. On the left, Tofutsies color #733, which is the skein from Anne. On the right, #739, also known as the June Sock of the Month Club limited edition colorway. Rather true representations on my monitor, so I hope for the same on your end.



I'm finally done shopping for my poor Vegan downstream pal. She's figured out who I am, but I'll wait until her package is in the mail before I announce who she is, so that the few still awaiting packages have one more name to ponder until the ship by deadline. I'm also about ready to ship my October package for SP11. And yes Anne, your bag is almost at the halfway point, so it will be ready to go out on time, unless you decide to come up here after all.

FFBE #3

This is such a post-heavy day. Sorry, but if I try to spread them out, I forget. Friday should be a light or no post day, as I have my standing stamp & scrap group meeting. I'm stamping, because I owe thank you notes and I feel wasteful and lazy when I buy cards.

The questions from here:

How often do you change the purse or bag you're carrying?

No moreso than I have to. I don't carry much, but it's still a pain. If I do change, it's for the event in question, and then I go right back to the favored bag of the moment.

Do you change based on seasons? Outfits? Something else?

Well... yeah, I guess I do. I decided my cream, pale pink and light green Sidekick was too summery, so I whipped out another one. I do also change based on outfits, if the situation warrants it. For instance, if I'm going to a conference, I carry black portfolio, bag, etc. and wear black shoes too.

My "mission" matters too. For air travel, I carry a big tote as a purse AND knitting bag. For shopping, I carry as little as possible, perhaps a wallet on a string or wristlette.


What's your favorite bag in the world (and it doesn't have to be a knit/felted one!)?

Hands down, my classic Coach. Black, sized just right. Timeless, traditional, conservative and yet still indestructible.

Looking for my Benefactor

I arrived home to find not one, not two, but FIVE packages on the porch for me. Amazing! Two were Pampered Chef supplies, so we'll gloss right over those. Take a look at what the rest of them had inside! All of that, for me. Well... maybe not, but we'll say it is.




The mass on the left is Carodan's own wool. Evidently, on the last Saturday in September, I already knew I wasn't going to make it to the Fall Festival and I purchased a little extra when I ordered by October Tofutsies Sock of the Month Club. (That's on the right, with the pattern peeking out at the top.) The replacement Harmony needles from KnitPicks are the blur in the lower center, and that awesome book on the bottom is the big mystery.



Are you my benefactor? I'm positive I've never ordered from Powell's in Oregon. Heck, the only thing I've ever gotten from Powell's of Virginia is a hope chest, and I didn't buy it. Besides, I was still using my maiden name then. Also, the ship to/bill to are to my name you all know me by, and there is a super-secret (shut up Anne) first name, by which all of my online shopping happens. The order was filled/placed on October 3rd, which was the day I left home thinking both dogs were healthy and all was right in my world, so there's no good reason for me not to remember making such a special order. Whoever you are, THANK YOU from the bottom of my Amazon left me high and dry on this one heart. I am taking this book with me tonight to my training class, carefully tucked into my portfolio, so that while I'm supposed to be learning how to use all the neato features on the new website, I can really be learning how to knit the perfect sock. (I mean, if I can blog and knit, can't I figure out how to do whatever on a website?!)





Here's a close-up of *MY* Tofutsies. October is my favorite month, green, a favorite color, so... MINE! A great apple green with dashes of black, white, and maybe some grey too. Have I mentioned lately how much I love this yarn?!





I would also be remiss if I didn't blow kisses to Caroline or whomever re-addressed my package and still got it to me in a timely fashion, all while either preparing for or being at Stitches East. They didn't even charge me an idiot fee or the additional shipping I'm sure they had to pay. Now THAT is customer service. Thanks, Carodan!





Now, knitting has been happening, but you know we can't talk about what you can't see, because then Anne begins going gangsta' on our friends, trying to get them to tell her about her surprise. Like she really wants to ruin it. Silly girl...


So, I decided I wanted to finish my first pair of Tofutsies. I cast on (love that magic cast on!) while playing fetch with Mugsy. No need to do more than glance at the pattern and go, much less look at my notes or the first socks, right? Erm, uh...

As you can see, it *DOES* make a difference whether one casts on 14 stitches on EACH needle or TOTAL stitches. Not only is the sock on the left wider at the toe, it's toe portion is actually SHORTER before the pattern begins, because, well, it's faster to get to 36 stitches on a needle when you have seven more stitches to begin with. Sadly, it seems that the second sock is the version intended by the pattern's designer (am I right, Deby?), but since #1 is done and I liked the fit... I'm leaning towards frogging and repeating sock #1, but I'm also wondering how I ended up with 36 stitches when I started with an odd number and increase on each end of each needle. The socks are for me, and will always be work with closed-toe shoes, so... ?? Thoughts? Opinions?

More Meme

8 Random Things Meme:

I got tagged for a meme by Jessi, and since it's been quite a while since I've done one of these, I figured it would be fun.

1. I'm not very random, and given my chatty nature, what's there to tell that you don't already know?

2. I don't like Noro Kureyon. That makes me a part of a really small minority in knitville. (Button stolen from Anne.)

3. Text messages suck.

4. I won't wear shorts.

5. In my 20s, I collected formal wear.

6. I have always been a morning person.

7. I like dark chocolate candy, brownies with nuts, German chocolate cake, but not regular chocolate cake or cookies. Go figure.

8. Somewhere along the way, I ceased to enjoy driving. Dunno when or how, but after years of resenting that the Knight insisted on driving, I've come to appreciate it. (More time to knit?)

So, there's 8 totally random things about me. I have left this in draft version all day pondering the taggees, so if you want to play along, jump in!

MEN!!!

More eye rolling. Just a quick addendum about Stony Mountain Fibers. Y'all please check the link, because now that the Knight and his Uncle Bobby have opened their sweet (read: stupid) mouths, I now know that the Barbara of said shop is the mother of a life-long friend of the Knight's. The Knight didn't know she did anything other than gather her own wool, but dear Uncle Bobby did indeed know she "sold other yarn stuff" from their farm.

Dang it all. Honestly folks, I would/should have never shopped anywhere else without checking there first. (And I'm new enough to manic knitting that none of her brother inlaws, her husband, nor her son know of my all-consuming hobby.) So, all of my head-banging tales of LYS woe were for naught. Barbara might not have exactly what I want all the time, but I know my customer service issues are over.

Now, before you click over, Barbara's site isn't really set up for e-commerce, but without having ever talked to her about her business, I can assure you that if you call or email, she'll move that little mountain they live on to help you. Our family business has worked with her father inlaw's family business (where her hubby works) for decades. Two of her brother inlaws are some of my favorite people in this world, the kind of business associates whose mere voices makes me smile and know the conversation will be pleasant. Those (insert family name of her inlaws here) are nothing if not good, honest, hard-working folk, all about good customer service, and I'm positive Barbara has incorporated those same values in her fiber business.

Men. Can't live without 'em, and you just can't shoot 'em. But I can have shopper's revenge. I have swap pals to shop for, and of course, I'll be guilt shopping not only on my own behalf, but for the Knight and Uncle Bobby too... If you see something there I might "need", let me know. I'll be popping in very regularly, methinks.

Oh - and a contest! Head over and wish Yarn Collectors Anonymous a belated birthday and enter the contest. My "entry" put her right at half of her 50+ goal, so let's shock her with how many of us like to win yarn!