kickin' it witchy style!

or perhaps i should say, cookin' it witchy style. tomorrow is samhain, celtic new year. which means today is halloween and new year's eve. so i'm flexing my feminine muscles by cooking and baking. it feels so good. here's the shepherd's pie before it got 'shepherded.'


shepherd's pie... mmmmm...

and for the finished product. with some homemade soda bread. delish!!!


shepherd's pie and soda bread... mmm...

and dame maggie wants me to add that i couldn't have made this lovely spread without her supervision.


the baby cat

get well soon

my beautiful gramma hasn't been feeling top notch these past few months.


gramma

so i knit her a washcloth a few weeks back. i got it in the mail to her yesterday and can't wait to hear how she likes it. it's no fun to be 222 miles away from the gramma, but it's fun to make stuff for her.


gramma-cloth

lookit!!

we're famous!! i've said how cute heather is, now there's photographic evidence. good times!

soooo busy

a coupla people have asked me for the pattern for the fingerless mittens. and sp9 requires posting. thing is... i'm swamped. the good kinda swamped, but swamped none the less. so, it'll have to wait another few days. sorry. and thanks. and... yay... someone reads my blog!!!

hoo-ray!!

so, during my annual autumn watching of the entire twin peaks series - don't ask unless you really want the answer - i designed fingerless mittens. yup, me... i designed something. my first something. my very very first something. i'm so proud of me.

i finished the first one this morning and wore it around the house until i had to run away to teach teenagers. now i have to figure out how to successfully reverse it and then i'll share the pattern and a photo with you.

oh, you will like it. yes, you will.

my knitting shame

okay... here it is... *gulp*

i don't enjoy making socks.

i feel as though i have betrayed some sort of sisterhood by admitting this, but it is true. i simply don't enjoy making socks. i'm thankful to socktoberfest for teaching me this. it's not that i can't do it. i'm pretty freaking good at it, but i find it to be no fun at all.

love me anyway?

now... i have this gorgeous koigu i intended for socks, but i've no idea what to make with it. i am officially taking suggestions. thanks muchly.

still on overwhelm

oh, the colors!

we had a blast in taos! what a great road trip! as a knitting newby, i was completely overwhelmed by the yarns and the roving and the spinning and the felting and the weaving and the knitting and the crocheting and the shearing and the...

whew! i'll blog a bit about taos later. for now...

pictures!

mine
jody's

taos! woot!

going to taos for the taos wool festival tomorrow. travelling up there with jody, a friend from stitch n bitch who actually lives in maryland. and before we hit the road, we're picking up nicol from the airport. she is a friend of jody's from a previous secret pal thingy and she's flying in from las vegas for this road trip. too much fun!!

i've never been to a wool/knitty festival before. i don't know what to expect, but with these two sister-friends in tow, it can't help but be a blast. and i think we'll bump into a whole crew of knitters from albuquerque.

sp9 questions

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

i enjoy knitting with veriegated yarns. cotton, bamboo and wool make me happy. i find acrylic yarns very upsetting.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

i have some antique suitcases stacked in my living room. my needles are sorta thrown in there with everything else.

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 for about nine months. i taught myself from books - god bless the library right across the street from my house - and i consider myself an advanced beginner.

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

sure do. but it is so large it might frighten a secret pal.

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

vanilla and amber. also, heady eastern scents like sandalwood, cumin, coriander, curry, etc.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

i love dark chocolate. any cadbury's chocolates. and red vines.

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

paper arts, multi-media art, sewing, decoupage. i don't spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

old-school jazz (sarah vaughan, lena horne, etc.), sting, u2, folk rock, acoustic/classical guitar, alternative, classical... just no country or rap (unless it's french or middle eastern.)

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

green will always be my fave. but i'm going through a red phase at the moment. i can cope with anything except pink and yellow.

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

i'm single and i have two cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

all of the above.

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

bags, throws, shrugs...

13. What are you knitting right now?

some washclothes for christmas presents, a sock, a soon-to-be-felted bag.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

shoot, who doesn't?!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

i like circular aluminum.

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

a who and a what?

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

a few months old. i was working on a shawl that i think i'm going to frog and turn into something else.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

bring me halloween!! (and dia de los muertos - which coincides with halloween. how lucky am i?)

19. Is there anything that you collect?

peacock feathers, irises, dragonflys, china tea cups and saucers, tea pots, handmade pottery

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 would love to work with some manos. books: knit 2 together, yarn harlot, socks soar on two circular needles, stitch n bitch nation.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

cabling bewilders me.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

i'm learning. i'm a us size 9.5.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

december 15