Spoilt Rotten!

Over in the Stash Sock Group on Ravelry - we had a little SWAP.  The idea is to get a fresh stash of yarn as we are trying to knit down our sock stash and not buy more.  I got paired up with a lovely woman in England who goes by "LilMissSensible."

The Whole Package - from England!

On Friday there was a slip in the mailbox saying there was a package I needed to sign for.
I couldn't figure it out - I hadn't ordered anything.
So Saturday morning, I headed to the post office - I knew what it was.
I held off ripping into it because I didn't have a camera.

Look at that cute puppy - it's a tape measure.

Beau thought he'd like to see how it tasted and if it made noise.

Thankfully I got it back before he crunched it!

There are also the cutest stitch markers - I couldn't get any closer without getting my head in the pic.

One set is dog themed and the other just fun.

A knitting/sewing themed necklace::a crochet hook key ring::soak::jelly bellies

Now how about that?  Can you see the baby Abby?  Make the picture bigger - she's there!

Spiced Vanila stuff::lip balm::hand lotion::soap::body creme::louffa mitt:: and emery board.

Thank you Lil' Miss - I left a bunch of stuff out - the cards, the yarn, the bags, I love it all!

Coffee Swap Package

Monday when I got home there was a pick-up slip from the post office. I was pretty sure what it was as I had received an email from my Coffee Swap partner Miss Reb, saying the package was on it's way. Why I didn't throw the camera in the car Tuesday morning I can't say, but I didn't. After spending a good bit of time in the post office line - I ripped into the package in the car! I may have even eaten one of the little chocolates before I even got back to the office. <---- Over there you can see the entire package. There were two packages of coffee, flavored cocoa mix, candy, double pointed needles and yarn! There was also the cutest soap shaped like an ice cream sundae cone. See the top of it? How cute is that?

The two skeins of variegated yarn? It's fancy free luxury sock yarn in color 101 - the blues. I love it! Sock yarn with alpaca in it is a bit of a luxury - no?

The grey/gray is baby alpaca lace. My ability to switch between metric and imperial measure sucks - but there is 400 meters in this tiny little hank - that's a bunch! I'm pretty sure this will make a fabulous scarf to wear with my red coat (it's a new year project - I promise!)

So, thank you Miss Reb - I love it all and seriously can't wait to knit with those lovely yarns.

Fall Foods

The final weekly topic of the Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap is all about fall foods. I love anything with pumpkin - sweet or savory. I've made some really good pumpkin pancakes and the newly named punkies (Easy Pumpkin Brownie), pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pasta and pumpkin stuffed shells. I love pumpkin ravioli. However, JB doesn't love the pumpkin like I do - so the good ol' Fall standbys are - in no particular order: *Beef Barley Soup *Turkey Shepherd's Pie *Lasagna *JB's Spaghetti Unfortunately, there really aren't easily sharable recipes.

All Pumpkin All The Time

Pumpkin Ale, Stuffed Pumpkin and Pumpkin Brownies

There is no chocolate, just cake like pumpkin bars. Easy Peasy. I'll find the link to the recipe if you're interested.

Hand Knit Stuffed Pumpkin for a gift. Another Easy Peasy. Pattern can be found on Ravelry (I'm not linking, if you're there you know how to get there, if not it doesn't matter.)

Autumn Coffee Swap Part 4

This week the topic is to take a virtual walk through the other participants blog and find someone you have something in common with. Well I can do that without blog surfing, for example: Channon and I both love all things pumpkin - sweet, savory, or liquid (pumpkin latte, anyone?) - it's all great! We have shared many pumpkin recipes of the last couple of Falls. Nicole and I are all about the dogs. She's just much better and selfless about it than I am. She volunteers regularly with various dog groups to help make dogs' lives better. Occasionally, I make dog beds to donate. The Princess is actually my daughter. If you used to follow along on her adventures as a Nanny in New England - let me tell you she's blogging regularly again - apparently she got tired of mom nagging her about not updating :) Finally Cami ~~ hmmm, I don't know what we have in common. She can knit, I can't. She owns her own business, I work for others. She has 5 kids, 1 dog & a cat, I have 2 kids and 4 dogs. But I can tell you I have talked to her numerous times - at least once a week. We would be fabulously inseparable friends if we didn't live thousands of miles apart. Oh I know - we both love our husbands after being together for lots of years. Okay - so you really want to know about people I don't know? Fine, I'll go check out some more blogs - don't go away. Angie, who blogs as Cycling Knitter, lives in England. I lived there for enough time in the 80s that I can't give blood (dormant mad cow, ya know). She just bought her first Amy Butler book and is thinking of crossing the line and participating in multiple crafts - knitting and sewing! Jill seems to knit a lot of socks (me too!) and she belongs to a couple of sock clubs. I've always wanted to do that, but I've been scared. She has a fabulous collection of sock yarns. kniteurope also knits and sews. She has a Handmade Holidays list that is longer than my arm. Stop by and wish her well. Prairie Girl has lost her knitting mojo. Go wish her well - we've all been there and it's no fun. Plus I was reading along and she makes knitting mistakes and announces them to the world too. I like to think I'm keeping someone else from being a bonehead by announcing my mistakes.

Coffee Swap

Since I'm doing the joining thing and playing along with the Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap, we have a weekly topic. This week's topic is: This morning I sit here sipping a fresh cup with a bit of cream and some sweetener . . . . and the first sip makes the morning seem just a bit better than it was before. I love the smell, the warm feel of the cup in my hand, the taste - just everything! What is it that you love about your first cup of the day? Are you a daily drinker? How do you take yours? Tell us how you love to enjoy your first cup!

The last time I bought coffee, I bought whole bean. That meant I had to go buy a coffee grinder. So, while my morning are generally rushed - getting JB out the door with dog woofing all around me - dumping some beans into the grinder. Taking just a few seconds to stop, slow down and grind the beans. The smell is wonderful.

My first cup of coffee is poured by JB when he pours his go cup. I then walk him outside as he heads off and I get dog food. So my first cup is generally cooled and it means that the house has slowed for a minute. JB is gone to work, the dogs have been fed and are laying on their beds quietly, I have the laptop and I'm surfing blogs. It's all good. However you do it - enjoy your first warm beverage of the day.

Great Pumpkin

It's time for another Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap topic. This week's question: With Halloween coming up this Friday, tell us what you think of when you think Halloween! Do you love it? Hate it? See it as a sign of Fall? Are you a total sucker for candy and little kids in cute costumes? I love It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. It's one of my favorite holiday cartoons. Tonight I was very happy when my trainer called and asked if we could move my workout ahead an hour. That meant I would be done in time to watch it. Yea! As for the little kids in costume - you betcha, I'm a huge sucker. We live on a dark dead-end street so we don't get many trick or treaters. My favorite was the year the neighbors dressed up as us. Their oldest daughter A was Beau, the young one E was Lucy, Mom was me - walked Beau & Dad was JB walking Lucy. It was super cute and nobody took a photo! I'm just curious, are there any other parents out there who think that Halloween is totally contradictory? As parents we spend years telling our kids not to talk to stranger and never ever take candy from strangers. Then one day a year we dress our kids up, take them to stranger's house and they beg for candy! Wrong? Also - how did everyone know it was Charlie Brown with all the holes and how rude that everyone gave him rocks! Happy Halloween everyone. Don't eat all your candy at once.

Weekly Topics

I did it again, I joined another swap - this time it's the Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap This week's topic:

What makes a "Fall day" for you? How do you know it's here, and what do you love about the weather, the scenery, or something else that makes Autumn lovely?

Yesterday, I took Beau out for a walk all by himself. Just me, Beau & the camera. A few of the things I love about Fall days - clear, sunny weather. The kind where you can drive around with the top down and the radio cranked - thanks to heat and heated seats. I also love the colors of the trees. Everyone thinks of New England for fall color and I've visited and everyone is right - breathtaking. However, we have fall color in the Pacific Northwest, it is just in much smaller quantities because I do live in the Evergreen State, after all.

Another Fall reminder - the Birthday/Holiday season starts in October. Today is my birthday, apparently I've crossed an invisible line into "old" today (according to JB), then his birthday is Saturday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, our Anniversary/New Year's Eve, ending with The Princess' birthday in January. It's gonna get busy. Thanks so much for all the well wishes - I appreciate them all.

Amazing Autumn Coffee Swap

Questionnaire About Your Yarn Passion 1. Do you knit, crochet, or do both? When did you first learn? Knit, my grandmother taught me when I was 8 and I "learned again" when I was in England in the 80s. 2. Do you like using a particular type of needle or hook? (wood, metal, straight, circular) Is there something you've been wanting to try, or a particular size you always seem to be short on? Currently I'm loving the Hiya Hiya circulars, but I'll use just about anything. 3. What kind of projects do you enjoy making? Any types you just haven't ever gotten into as much as others? Socks, I really enjoy the process of knitting so there isn't too much I don't/won't knit. I recently participated in a secret knit-along which was fun and guilt-ridden at the same time. 4. What's on your needles\hook right now? What's your oldest UFO (unfinished object)? 3 pairs of socks (yes, I knit them in pairs, both at the same time magic looping), a top down cardigan, and my longest UFO is a twin set that the neckline on the shell needs to be reworked (it was started in May 2007) 5. If you were going on vacation tomorrow, what project(s) would travel with you? socks 6. What are your favorite types of yarns? Any you're allergic too, or just hate working with? Anything in particular you've been dying to try? soft and squishy. Not allergic to anything. 7. What sort of colors do you love in yarns? Brights? Pastels? More muted colors? Variegated? Are there any you can't stand? hmm, gonna have to go with anything works here. I haven't found a yarn a don't love - well I'm not all about the crow yarns - you know tons of glitz and novelty yarns don't do it for me, but the rest all good. Your Coffee Passion 1. Do you prefer caffeinated or not? caffeinated - or what's the point? 2. Whole bean or ground? For what type of pot or press? whole beans, drip pot 3. What types of roasts do you enjoy? Are you more the light and lively or dark and robust type? I prefer a lighter roast. 4. How do you 'take' your coffee? Creamers? Sweetener? Other add ins? depends on the coffee a light roast goes it alone, if it's a little bit richer, then I add flavored creamer - pumpkin being my favorite of all time. 5. That first morning cup - is it about the taste, or the caffeine? taste 6. Do you enjoy going out to coffee shops like Starbucks? What are some of your favorites? I love the whole coffee shop experience, but not the price these days. My favorite is taking a weekend walk with JB, Beau & Lucy to our local latte stand. Visiting with the barista and getting a hot coffee for the mile home. 7. You've just made the perfect cup of coffee - is it in a thick mug, or a thinner cup? Where would you sit to drink it? hmmm, am I home alone? If so, then in my big comfy chair in the sitting room. It would be quiet and I would either be reading or knitting. If JB is home and up, then in the living room with the tv on. I like a thinner mug. 8. You're enjoying that perfect cup, and have a magic cabinet in your kitchen - when you open it, magically, your favorite treats will appear to enjoy alongside the coffee - what are they? Are they sweet? Crunchy? Soft and flaky? pumpkin scones, snickerdoodles - freshly made. All about YOU! 1. Do you have other hobbies like spinning or scrapbooking? I make clothing - sewing 2. Do you collect anything? stove shaped cookie jars 3. What is your favorite part of Autumn? brisk walks with the dogs and JB 4. What sort of scents do you enjoy? Any difference in what you like for your house versus what you like for your body? Nope, I'm a pure vanilla girl. 5. Are you allergic to anything? No - well nothing that a thoughtful swap partner would send - I'm allergic to dish soap. Seriously. 6. Are you on Ravelry? What's your ID? Yes, GMarie 7. How would you spend an ideal fall afternoon/day? Taking the dogs for a walk to get a coffee and then crafting - either sewing or knitting.

9-5

Over on Ravelry - I'm not linking because if you aren't a member you can't see anything anyway. But it's cool - really, really cool. I am not a big fan or forums - they tend to have the 7 bad dwarfs - and they are never fun. However, a couple of my blog buddies started a group called Multitasking 9-5.

Within that Forum, they started a SWAP. Well of course I wanted to play! On Wednesday I came home to a package on the porch. JB is so funny - he now knows there is a good chance I might photograph the box right where it sits, so he doesn't even bring them in anymore.

This box was fabulous. Everything was wrapped in tissue - all color cordinated. There was a note on the top of the box asking me to open it first. Explaining that the items in grey tissue were for MB and that the items for the dogs should be self-explainatory. So - here's a full out photo of everything. My spoiler (the person who spoiled me) was Chan. Let me just say that while it's taken almost a week to post this - I have emailed and thanked her.

Although it will look like it from the following photos - I did not photograph everything individually. Chan listens to everything a girl has ever whispered. When I finished the red skirt, I mentioned that the red had bled into the white and asked about a laundry product. A stitch guage that has all the duplicate US1 and US2 needle sizes in it. A little box of dye remover was included in the package, along with some little removable post-it flags for keeping my place in knitting patterns. Included for the dogs where some Sammy Snacks - all human grade pet treats. There was a sampling of her favorite teas - the pomegranite is wonderful. There were also a couple of dog themed note pads - one will go to the office for a daily to do list and the other will stay by the phone. she also included some Pampered Chef BBQ cookbooks/notecards for the hubby. Because she pays attention - there were no food treats for me :)

I took most of the remaining items for a tour around the flower gardens in the yard. First up - this cute little sock blocker key chain. It's already attached to my car keys. Let me say - the funny thing about this little sock - well I had some wick that I had started knitting a sock with but didn't like. Chan likes it - so I ripped my sock in progress, dropped the wick into a manilla envelope and mailed it to her. She made the sock for the sock blocker with it. I love the color - just didn't like the yarn. Chan also dropped in a ball of her favorite sock yarn ever - tofutsies. I have used it before and love the way the yarn feels moving through your fingers when you knit it. It's posing with some purple ground cover in the front flower beds.

Next up - some Claudia's handpainted sock yarn in the colorway pistachio. I love this color. It's so soft, pinks, greens, and a very soft yellow. It looks great next to the hydrangea which is going to be white. This little beauty is called Victorian Tea - she looked fabulous next to the red rose. Chan attempted to purchase yarns that reminded her of me - that she thought I would enjoy and that were somewhat local to her neck of the woods - in other words, things I might not be able to purchase locally. I think the gift that surprised me the most is the do it yourself Eagles sock yarn kit. She included a Sock Yarn Blank along with Jacquard Acid Dyes in black, green & silver. The most amazing part of this - I had just emailed her on like Monday asking a question about someone that dies yarn as I was trying to get some custom died sock yarn for the Eagles fanatic in the house. How amazing was that?

Of course - the only item that I have photographed and included in this post was the handmade item. Look for it soon ~~ it's fabulous.

Last Coffee SWAP Topic

We'll go free form this week - Post about your WIPs, post about your package, post about the weather where you are - just be sure to include that the post is for the Spring Fling Weekly Topic somewhere inside it when you tell us it's there! I'd love to hear how folks are enjoying the goodies they received, if they have, or how much fun you had shopping for your pal!

My newest WIP is the Bainbridge Scarf by Minty Fresh. This is such a great scarf and a wonderful idea. I wish that I could tell you it is a gift for my pal, but it's not. It's a gift for one of the girls in my dentist office and since I have an appointment on Wednesday I have a deadline. I started it Saturday morning and it should be finished tonight - if I have power and don't have to go out for dinner again!

I have had a lot of fun participating in this swap. I have searched my pal's blog from top to bottom and read every questionnaire she'd ever written to get ideas on likes. I'm still clueless as to the handmade portion and I'm running out of time - but I'll figure something out this week - I'm a crafty kinda gal after all!

I can't wait to see who my SWAP partner is. She's been leaving tons of comments all over my blog. Hopefully, I've been able to give her an idea of who I am and what I like.

Finally, this week our weather has turned very Spring-like. Well, I take that back. The weather has been behaving just like it should. We got rain in April and now the sun is shining and it's been warm enough to drive around with the top down and the radio blaring! I love it :)

Swapping in the Rain

You know with Spring the famous saying goes "April Showers, bring May flowers", please tell us what you like to do when those April Showers are pouring down on you. Do you like to curl up with your knitting, take in a movie or crawl back in bed? With the Spring Showers, I tend to go back to my first love - garment construction! I will spend wet days in the studio making cute springy skirts and cotton dresses. Then when the May flowers come I have really cute clothes to wear. I do also like curling up with a good book or sitting on the couch watching the rain and knitting. Having lived most of my life in Western Washington and a brief period in England - the rain doesn't really bother me. I actually enjoy walking the dogs in a light mist, but once the rain gets so heavy you wish your glasses had wipers - then I'd rather be in doing something creative, relaxing and productive.

Coffee and Sunshine

Let's pretend for a minute we all live in the home of our dreams, have land, and don't have to work so time is unlimited! It's Spring planting season! What would you grow? A little veggie garden? A bed of bright spring blooms? Or is your thumb so far from green that the only thing you'd be planting is your tushy into a nice chair on the porch to get some knitting or crocheting done in the nice breeze? Well for a couple of years now, JB and I have had many, many discussions about this. The home of our dreams would be a converted barn. But wait - you don't want to know about the house, really! I would have a small vegetable garden - not because I like to garden, but because I think it's a good thing to do. I would grow - lettuce, carrots, peas, butternut squash (my favorite), beets, cucumbers - etc. Mostly salad stuff with a few other veggies thrown in. Thankfully, JB is the gardner in our home - knitting and garment construction are my loves - gardening and wine are his. So, in reality, my tushy would be firmly planted in one of two spots. In one of our Adirondack chairs in the sunshine on the front lawn, or at the patio set by the pond in the back. Either way I would have knitting or hand sewing with me as well as some sort of beverage depending upon the time of day :)

Coffee Swap Topic #3

Tell us how you started drinking coffee. Were you in high school or college and making it through all nighters? Did you get it from a family member? What drives your love of the bean?

I can't really remember when I started drinking coffee, but I know originally it was with cream and sugar. Truth be known, I really love a big cup of coffee with a flavored creamer in it (or Bailey's) but I tend to drink it black now and I really enjoy it that way. I'm sure I was in high school when I first started drinking coffee.

I remember my sister making pots of flavored coffee and then putting the left over coffee (pot an all) into the fridge for iced coffees in the afternoon. She would also make coffee cubes so her coffee wouldn't get diluted as the ice melted. That works best with flavored coffee - in my opinion.

Now I have a coffee pot with a timer and I wouldn't have it any other way. The coffee is ready to go when I am in the morning. Some days I think it's the smell rather than the taste that I enjoy, but I really do love the flavor.

My favorite thing to do on a weekend morning is to walk the houndies to the local latte stand and get me a grande non-fat vanilla bean latte! Yum-oh.

(The photo is me on the train from Grand Central Station to Connecticut, working on JB's toe-up socks and drinking a latte!)

DOT Spring SWAP Package

The theme for this swap was 'spring cleaning' with a dog theme. There were some required elements such as a towel and a handmade item for you person. There are several either handmade or embellished items in my package. First - I got to send to Gnat, she has 2 dogs - Jackjack and Abigail Grace. Abby has some allergy issues and I think I may have blown it with the big bag of liver treats - sorry Abby. It's hard to see in that photo but included for Gnat in the package where 2 coffee cups; 2 hanks of Shibui sock yarn; a bag of chocolate covered nuts; and one of these swing bags. Jackjack likes tug toys - so I made a fleece rope pull and bought him a soft flexible rubber pull that won't last 5 seconds, I'm sure. I also added the puppy embroidery and his name to a dark blue bath mat. This was more like a hand towel in texture, just slightly larger. I think it will work great for drying muddy feet. Miss Abigail Grace got a pink bath mat with her name and a bone embroidered on it. I made her a fur bear with lots of squeakers added. Also in the package was a bucket with shampoo and conditioner (I got a screaming deal at one of the pet stores after the holidays), a box of dryer sheets (these are great for rubbing down wet dogs - it takes some of the wet dog smell out of the house leaving the scent of the dryer sheets). Well - I hope they all enjoy it :)

Coffee Swap Topic #2

Since some of us is beginning to see glimpse of Spring, while others are still getting snow have you change what projects are working on? Have you put away the hats, scarfs and mittens, and brought out the cute tank top sweater projects and lacy wraps? Have you change yarn to something more lighter and cooler, not so heavy and bulky?

Well I seem to mostly knit socks these days. I have several pairs on needles and since they are such good travel projects they will be vacationing with me. However - I plan on picking up my lace shawl when we return.

Coffee Swap Weekly Topic #1

This Week's Topic:

Browse around some of the other blogs of participants, and find one person who enjoys a similar roast coffee to you - share something interesting about them that you find on THEIR blog, and tell us what you've been working on knitting or crochet-wise this week!

Well as I was searching through blogs of other players I found out that Prairie Girl and I have very similar taste in coffee - from the roast to the flavors - very similar. I recently found Cinnamon dolce and I really like just a splash in a vanilla latte.

Prairie Girl received a package from Darcy which contained an antique wood crochet hook. She has been busy making up stories about the women previously who worked with that hook.

As for what I've been knitting - well I took the pinwheel baby blanket to the retreat and I'm now on the second ball of yarn. While I love the repetitive process of just knits and yarn overs - something is wrong, wrong, wrong in the life of this blanket. It will travelling to knitting this week and most likely meeting an untimely demise!