SP 14 Reveal Package

I received this wonderful package from my secret pal, late last week. It couldn't have come at a better time...I have been sick lately and yarn in the mail was the perfect pick-me-up. :) Enclosed, but not pictured is a small, cranberry scented candle. It was burning already when I took this picture, so it wasn't feasible to lay it on its side so that it could be shown. My pal was Alicia, and she sure did a great job.

SP 14 Package

I received another, wonderful package from my Secret Pal, last Saturday. She sent 3 skeins in one of my favorite yarns: Berroco's Ultra Alpaca. They're lovely and I can hardly wait to find the perfect project for them.

Thanks SP!

I received a package on Saturday from Loopy Ewe. "That's funny," I thought when I saw the box. However, I did suddenly remember an email from my Secret Pal that included an USPS tracking code, that said to expect a package from one of my favorite stores! There is a beautiful skein of Colinette Jitterbug, a tape measure and some Tootsie Rolls. Its a wonderful package, SP, thanks! :)

SP14 Begins!

I am so excited for this round of Secret Pal. I have heard from my upstream partner and emailed my downstream and am ready to go. Now that I have my pal’s information, I am starting to plan my gifts for her.

Secret Pal 14 Questionaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love 100% natural yarns like wool, alpaca, silk, cotton, hemp, etc. I really do not like knitting with acrylics or blends where more than 20% of the fiber is synthetic.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have these to hold my needles when not in use.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting about years (I think!) I would consider myself to be an advanced knitter. I've tried nearly every technique that I've ever read/heard about. Some I've loved, others, not so much.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes: here, here and here.

5. What's your favorite scent? I love lavender, mint or coconut from natural oils. I get migraines around chemical scents so I have to be very careful.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? I don't usually eat sugar and don't have a favorite candy. However, I love nuts, dried fruit (without any sweeteners) teas and coffee (especially those that are without caffeine, but I like them all!)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I also scrapbook, crochet, read and enjoy photography, but mostly I just knit.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I usually listen to soft music by Christian artists or Classical. Once in a while I'll put on a little opera or country music. My MP3 player is broken and I have not replaced it, yet, but I can listen on the computer.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? My favorite colors are nearly any color that it muted. In knitting, I use mostly blues, pinks, purples and neutrals. My least favorites are those that are very bright (think fluorescent!)

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I am married and have 2 cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wear all of these except ponchos. I prefer shawls for cooler days.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Last year, I knit many, many pairs of socks. This year, have been knitting sweaters almost exclusively. I usually have several sweaters and a pair of socks on the needles at any given time. What I really need, now, is motivation to finish some of the projects that I have started!

13. What are you knitting right now? I have several sweaters, a couple pairs of socks on the needles and a beaded, lace weight shawl on the needles as well as several other projects that are hibernating, just waiting for me to feel inspired.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Of course! Face cloths and socks make great gifts for me.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Circular for sure. I mostly use Addi Lace needles or my metal Knit Picks Options.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? 18 months?

18. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving or maybe Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Not really.

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 subscribe to Interweave Knits and there are a couple of knitting books on my wish list. There are also several sweater patterns from Twist Collective that I would like to have. The patterns that I like are in my Ravelry queue.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'm always looking for something new, but cannot think of any that I haven't tried and would like to try.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes, I do knit socks. 8-3/4 inches circumference and 9 inches long.

23. When is your birthday? May 23

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Yes, I am on Ravelry. My ID is danim.

Final SP 13 Package

I received a wonderful, last package from my Secret Pal, a little while ago. Eileen has been a wonderful pal and I have enjoyed her packages very much! This most recent package contained 3 balls of Debbie Bliss Stella in a soft taupe. The yarn feels lovely, and as with all of the yarns sent to me, I really like it. Thanks for being a great pal!

Thanks Secret Pal!

Here is my latest package from my secret pal. There is some luscious Tilli Tomas Silk/Seacell blend and a pretty skein of sock yarn. The Tilli Tomas came with a lace shawl pattern, too!

Secret Santa- A Day Early!

Tonight, when I checked the mail, I had only a package in my mail box. There were no bills or junk mail, either! It was a gift from my Secret Pal. She sent a collection of stitch makers and the Pattern-A-Day desk calendar, all wrapped prettily. I love them. Thanks Secret Pal! :)

SP13 Questionare

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love knitting with 100% natural fibers. I really don’t care for acrylic, nylon or polyester. Although, just a little bit added to a natural fiber is alright.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have clear plastic needle rolls that I bought at Elann.com and work great!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I learned to knit about 6 years ago from a friend that only knew how to cast on, knit and bind off. She may have also known the purl stitch but did not show it to me at that time. The rest of my learning has come from books and from reading online blogs, etc. I consider myself to be an advanced knitter.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Loopy Ewe, Froogle, & Amazon.
I did, but it has not been updated in a long time. I will see if I can tackle that this weekend.

5. What's your favorite scent? I like lavender and mint scents, but they need to originate from essential oils and not chemicals as I am VERY, VERY allergic to chemical scents.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? No. Favorite candy? I generally try not to eat sweetened (whether with sugar or a substitute) items, however a very dark chocolate is wonderful. I do like unsweetened or fruit juice sweetened dried fruit and I love almost any kind of nut. Nuts are especially good when dry roasted or raw.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I am not a spinner, but do know how to crochet. I don’t really like to do crochet any more, but will for an edging on a knitted garment.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (If your buddy wants to make you a CD) I listen to Christian Contemporary music and Classical, with a little country thrown in occasionally. I do have MP3 capability.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I like earth tones and muted pastels. I don’t like very bright/fluorescent colors, nor do I like most oranges and yellows.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? My husband and I have 2 cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I do scarves and mittens, but never a poncho and rarely a hat. I also often wear larger sized shawls.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? I mostly knit items of clothing. I have made many sweater, gloves, mittens and shawls.

13. What are you knitting right now? I have around a dozen projects on the needles at any given time. I am currently working on 2 of those sweaters that I have cast on this month.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I use circular and double pointed needles almost exclusively. I don’t like plastic needles as they bend too much, but I do use both wood and metal needles. I have a few sizes of tips for the Knit Picks Options set and also like to use Addi Lace needles.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes, to both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? I have a half-finished crocheted table cloth that was started five and a half years ago. For knitting, my oldest project is a large shawl that I started a year and a half ago.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe? Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but I also like Christmas.

19. Is there anything that you collect? No.

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 can’t think of any thing that I want, but I do have a subscription to Interweave Knits.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I can’t think of any just now.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Yes, I am a US women’s size 8. The ball of my foot and ankle are about 9 inches around and my foot is 8.75 inches long. I like a bit of a snug fit to my socks.

23. When is your birthday? May 23

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Yes, of course! I’m danim on Ravelry.

Thanks, Secret Pal

Wow! Anita really puts together a wonderful SP package! There are several yarns: 2 skeins each of Artyarns Supermerino and Brown Sheep Handpaint Originals, 1 skein each of Ultra Alpaca Fine and Online Supersocke. Then, she added some Eucalan, gum, dark mint chocolate and a wonderful assortment of Numi teas. I love it all!

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

I’m sure most of us have a proudest moment when it comes to knitting, a project or technique that you've tackled and completed beautifully. What is your proudest knitting moment??

I remember when I finished my first sweater. It had been about 2 years since I started it. The pattern was a complicated cables and lace stitch pattern. The pattern also called for fingering weight yarn on size 3 needles. It really wasn't a beginner’s pattern, but I didn't really “get” that until much later. When I finished it during the month of August, I was so happy to have it done, that I wore it to work! Yes, it was warm, but it was a cardigan, which I carefully folded and hung over a hanger at my desk. Many of my coworkers know that I knit, and asked me repeatedly if this was my latest finished project. I was so proud to show it off, even if at my desk rather than being able to wear it. I still wear that cardigan that took so much time and effort to finish.

How about the flip side? What is the one thing that you can’t get right? What is that one project that you've never been able to complete? Or that you did complete but then hid away instantly because it was too embarrassing?

I have no problem pulling out knitting that is not making me happy. (Several times I've completely finished a project before deciding to rip it out!) Usually, this yarn goes into the stash for when another pattern that I love comes along. I have ripped many projects, but one sweater sticks out in my mind. I fell in love with a pattern that has lacework for about the bottom 12 inches of the pullover. When I finished the sweater, I tried it on and was shocked that my gauge must have been measured hurriedly, as the sweater was way, way too big. Liking the yarn and pattern combination so well, I ripped it out and started over. The second time the sweater came out too small! However, I did realize this before it was completely finished. The third time I knit it, it cam out alright, but the upper bodice (worked in stockinette stitch) was bigger than the lace section. Since I do learn from my mistakes, I now do a swatch in each stitch pattern, but I didn't know, back then. I wear this sweater occasionally, but not that often because it feels a little snug around the waist and a little too loose around the bust. The shoulders don’t fit as well as I would like, either. (As an aside, when I first began to knit sweaters, I didn't realize that a set-in sleeve looks better on me than any other design and this one does not have set in sleeves.)

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

Have you ever entered your knitting (or anything else) in the fair? Would you ever consider it?

I have not ever entered anything in a fair. I have, however, entered a design. Mostly, I have entered the contest that I did because it was easy to make the submission. The fair for my county requires that you show up in person to make the entry and the times of day and location are never convenient. The design contest that I entered asked that I email a picture of the completed project. Then, when I was in the top 10 finishers, they had me mail my completed project and pattern to them. Mailing is something I can do at almost any location at any time of day! :)

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

What is your favorite supper for a hot summer evening?
I still like a hot meal, even when the weather is hot. However, I don’t like to heat up the house so we often grill on those nights. I usually marinated the meat for the next night, starting after dinner. Instead of cooking the prepared meat in the house, I just take it outside! When it is hot, we pair the cooked meat with a salad and don’t really need anything else, except for maybe some ice cream. :) I sometimes make my own which is so much better (and healthier) than anything store bought.

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

What are your favorite places to knit and what supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?
My two favorite places are at home on the couch while watching TV or listening to music, and Village Yarn & Tea, my LYS. When knitting at VY&T, I like to have a friend or two for good conversation and a pot of tea. When knitting at home, I often put on a movie and usually have a glass of water on the end table. Most of the time, this is all I need to create a cozy place for knitting.

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation?

For me, it depends on the type of vacation. If I were flying, I would make sure to take a small project like socks. However, we usually take camping vacations. We often rent a cabin at a KOA. In these cases, I can take whatever project I want. We spend up to 3 hours in the car each direction. Sometimes, I take a new project that I expect to get well into or maybe finished. Other times, I pack an old project that I'm hoping to finish. Nearly every time I take more than one project, just in case I get bored! Because I like to take several, I nearly always have someone asking if I really need all that knitting. On one camping trip, where we were travelling with friends, I was asked just such a question. When I finished 3 of the 4 projects and made much headway on the 4th, she recanted! {laughing}

Secret Pal Package

When I arrived home, last night, there was a box waiting for me from Yarny Goodness. I have nearly purchased from the site, so I knew that I had created an account with them, but could not remember ordering anything. When I opened the box and found a note saying that this was from my Secret Pal, I was pleasantly surprised. The yarn is beautiful, dyed in many of my favorite colors and the little extras are really neat, too. Thanks, SP!

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?

I’m not sure that I have a favorite. Given the choice, I usually go somewhere new, rather than to go the same place again.

2) Where is one place you’d like to go?

I’ve heard many pleasing things about visiting San Francisco and would enjoy a chance to see the city. However, I would like to have my husband go, too, and he hates flying. So, I doubt I’ll ever go. I would also like to see more of Europe as my sister and I enjoyed ourselves so much in the week that I spent there with her. Well, I guess that’s two places?! Thinking of all this makes me want to hop online and buy tickets somewhere! :)

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

1) What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”?
I can’t think of a yarn that would “complete” my stash. Since I don’t think of my stash as a collection, but rather as a queue of projects waiting to be started, it is constantly changing. I am not one to buy yarn and then either be afraid to use it nor to buy a yarn then like it so much that I don’t start a project out of it. Usually, I buy and cast on within days! I guess that accounts for why I have so many projects going at the same time.

2) What yarn do you never want to be without?
Sock yarn. I always like to keep a couple skeins ready to go at a moments notice. Socks can be completed in a week or two, and the yarn also doubles as good mitten and glove yarn. I mostly use non-striping yarns and especially like dark colored kettle dyed sock yarns. I also like to have the yarn for the next sweater that I would like to make. Right now, I have several sweaters worth, which is unlike me!

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?
Several skeins of sock yarn (around 3-6) in a variety of colors and yarn for the next 3 or so sweaters. I also like to have a few skeins around that I have one skein patterns for so that I can start and finish a project quickly, if need be. :) All of this needs to fit in my 1 plastic box. Right now, I have more than this, and it is spilling onto the floor in my closet. Its starting to irritate both myself and my husband. However, I did just sell the remaining 10 skeins of yarn from a sweater I knit that took half of what I expected it to! One more bag off the floor, whoohoo, and I have money to buy more yarn. :)

Secret Pal 12: Question of the Week

As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?

I usually looked forward to not having homework and having nicer weather for playing outside. The longer days also meant that my parents were less strict about bedtime, too. As I love to be outside, summer is a great time for fewer responsibilities and more daylight hours. Several years, we did do some travelling, which I looked forward to, but it certainly was not the most forward thought in my head.