I'm so pretty!

I joined Secret Pal 11 (and will put the button over there ---> as soon as I figure out how to do that). Hey upstream pal! Here's my questionnaire!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely not like?
Ideally, cashmere, heh. Nothing I don't like so far though.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Straights go into a zippered straight case, circs have a plastic expandable check file, and dpns have one too.

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 since April of 2006 - I taught myself using a book, and keep teaching myself just by following patterns and trial-and-error. I'd actually consider myself advanced even though I've never finished a sweater. I can do lace, cables, stranding, intarsia, short rows, shaping, and garment construction.

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



The Things I Want Portable Wishlist


5. What's your favorite scent?
Oranges, Bacon, Campfire, Vanilla Frosting, Coffee

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
YES! The two adjectives M uses to describe me are "cute" and "candy-filled". I love nearly all candy (no coconut, please). Fruit-flavored? Check. Chocolate? Check. Caramel? Check. Licorice? Check. Nuts? Check. Hard candy, gummies, jelly beans, chocolate bars, I like it all.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I dye fabric (fiber-reactive process), sew, paint, draw, etc. I don't spin yet, and I'm not really sure that I need another expensive hobby.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like everything except new country and techno/trance/electronica/jungle/blah. My favorites are late 70's punk, classic rock, and hair metal. I can definitely rock the MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love purple, orange, greeny-blues, red, black, pink, grey. Not a big fan of yellow or brown though.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm living with my fella (though he's gone for a while) and a diva of a kitty (she's a plus-size model in her secret life).

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, hats, mittens, gloves - it's COLD in Chicago! Not a big poncho fan.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I like to knit new things all the time, but seem to fall back on dishrags as my public transportation projects.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Cabled Newsboy Cap, a skinny version of Calorimetry to wear as a headband, and Knucks.

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

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Bamboo circs for the win.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Both - thanks Grandma!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Hm, maybe since last August?

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween, for sure.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Antique barware and records (the kind made of shellac, wax, or vinyl - you know, those big round black things we old-timers used to listen to music on).

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 don't have any subscriptions - do I need one? Books I'm dying for are on the Amazon wishlist.
ETA: Dur, I didn't even see the word "needles" up there. For some reason, I am severely lacking in dpns. I prefer a 7- or 8" length, and I have sizes 1, 2, 4, 8, and 10. Of course, I have exquisite taste, so my favorites are Crystal Palace bamboo.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'd like to try socks one of these days.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Not yet, see above. I don't know what measurements are required for a foot. If you need them, email me which parts need to be measured, I guess.

23. When is your birthday?
May 8

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am! I'm SillyPutty.

Whew! Hooray for Secret Pals! If you need more info on me, let me know, I'm an open book.

Hey, looky there, I have a blog again! After my last host had some, shall we say, billing issues, I've been working not-so-diligently on getting back to blogging. So here I am again, I'm sure you missed me.

I'll be attempting to upload my old entries as well, please bear with me as I am technologically disabled.

So, um, lately, stuff has happened.

My Grandmother passed away. She had late stage Alzheimer's, so she was gone for a long time before she passed, but it is still hard. I put together a slideshow for the memorial service and set it to music. It came out really well, and I got to see all kinds of photos I'd never seen before. She was a model before she and my Grandfather were married, and man was she a looker!

My favorite memories of my Grandmother:
-Buying me high heels at age 6, becuase "a lady knows how to walk in heels". Because of this, I can RUN in 4-inch heels.
-Giving me encyclopedias for Christmas one year. I loved to read as a kid, and I read them A to Z.
-Teaching me how to make a cake from scratch. She was an excellent cook and baker.
-Road tripping with her to look at colleges when I was a sophomore in high school.

She was a model, an artist, a goldsmith, a loving wife, devoted mother, doting grandmother, wonderful teacher, and always a lady.



The service was in my hometown, so M and I went up for a long weekend. He met ALL of my family at once (he had only met my sister previously) - my parents, 2 grandparents, 5 sets of aunts/uncles, 5 cousins (+ 1 spouse), 3 cousin's babies, and 2 of my dad's cousins, plus all kinds of family friends. He handled it like a trooper and everyone loved him, of course. Now my parents have the task of going through all the STUFF in the house in preparation for the estate sale. It's a very daunting task - both my grandparents were collectors, and my grandmother used shopping as therapy in stages 1 and 2 of her disease. M offered for us to go up there Memorial Day Weekend to help, so we're headed up on Saturday. My mom is very grateful for the help, and he'll get to see how beautiful it is there with leaves on the trees. I am incredibly grateful to be living within driving distance again!

More on my recent misadventures in coming posts, dinner's ready.