It continues.
Day 17 - Yarn.
The obvious one. *laugh* I have my Loopy Ewe wishlist, Knit Picks, Etsy and I did have a Kaboodle on that hasn't been updated in eons.
Day 18 - Manicure.
You know, I could use one! Been eons. I can't recall the last time I did that...
Day 19 - Knitting Magazine.
I confess that I have more interest in knitting magazines now that they are in e-format. I have been tempted by Interweave Knits or Spin Off CD of their collected magazines. I had a Spin Off subscription for year. And while I loved it, that was pre-kids. Paper was appealing then. These days, not so much! *grin* I also like being able to have a pattern in e-format. Makes it so much simpler.
Day 20 - Time.
Mmmmm.... *sigh* I could go for that. Most of all, I would love it for someone to watch the kids. Give DH & I a break...
Day 21 - Audiobooks.
I wish I were more of an audiobook fan. The only ones I have listened to and enjoyed are the Dresden File ones read by James Marsters. They are great. But that is in addition to the books. Listening to a book just doesn't have the same feel. I think if I had a car commute instead of train they would have more appeal.
Day 22 - "gift of kindness, and generosity and help"
Interesting one... I definitely think that is a good one.
Curious to see what the last days bring. It is fun seeing what thoughts I have. And getting to do a bit of daydreaming. Always fun.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Yarn Harlot Ideas for Xmas Presents - Part Two
I like that the Yarn Harlot put together a list of ideas for the non-knitters to give knitters. Kinda fun posting my desires.
Day 10 - pottery. Funny thing is this year pottery has a lot of appeal. I broke the handle on my fav mug about 2-3 weeks ago. I am really sad about it. I miss it on a daily basis. Luckily I found the maker. I love etsy. But her current stock is mainly animals like horses & rabbits. Not really my thing. (Turns out the mug I had was made when Comet Hale Bopp was in the sky. But she liked the design and is going to create a new series with rockets & stars in the spring. Can't wait.
Though this still leaves me without a mug that fits my hand so beautifully. *sigh*
The Yarn Harlot & others swear by Jennie the Potter's items. I think her pieces are pretty. But I confess the prices tend to more than I want to spend on myself. So maybe as a present it would be nice.
I do wonder about a yarn bowl. They seem kinda neat. But with two kids under three and a cat in the house, I am not sure how practical they would be. The etsy search for yarn bowls got me looking at this site. Kinda like the more simple one but also like the black with hearts but there are a bunch that are really lovely. Like this one.
Day 11 - woolie wash. Have to say, that one is kinda brilliant. That Soak sampler would make the perfect stocking stuffer. I lean to Eucalan, but like Soak too. The less it smells, the better.
Day 12 - ANYTHING SMALL. You know, all those things a knitter can never put your hands on when needed. For me, it is cable needles. Just ask, DH. I am sure you will get a litany about it. Can't blame the guy given how often I lose them. I have purchased at least 5. I think I might have one in my notions bag right now. She also suggest the Knit-kit which I love. Best money I have spent given it means I have everything from a tape measure, row counter, scissors, crochet hook and yarn cutter in one thing large enough so that I don't lose it, but small & light enough that I can carry it with me. Love it. (Only thing I would change in hind sight. I would have gotten the red or some other bright color. Me and black... I love it. But sometimes it is hard to find in the bottom of my knitting bag when knitting in the car.)
She also mentioned darning needles. Best thing I *ever* did with my knitting tools...I kept the card my darning needles came on and put them back on it. Yes, it means I can lose them all at once. But it does mean I can actually lay my hands on them when needed. Though one of the two large ones has taken up residence in the Knit-kit. Fits in the back and is get to have at any time.
Day 13 - A scale. Kinda a brilliant suggestion. One I wouldn't have thought of. I have one already. Though some day I should get a new one.
Day 14 - Knitting related ornaments. Not really my thing. But a cute idea for some folks. Though believe me some of the DIY ideas would be awesome if one of the kids made them for me when they got older.
Day 15 - an iPad. *grumblegrowl* Say tablet!! *shakes head* I really hate people that assume a tablet = iPad. You can get a good Android tablet for less than you would spend on a similar iPad and there is an sd card so you can expand it.
I already have a tablet. And yes, I like the idea of having my patterns on it. Nope. I haven't transferred all my patterns to it.
Why? Because tablets suck up energy and batteries drain. I put a pattern on DH Kindle when he got it, thinking that would be amazing. Honestly, not so much. I know the Kindle isn't as good as a tablet with charts and such. But it retains the words *even when you turn it off* which makes a huge difference. (Given how much ereaders have come down, I do confess I have considered getting a base model Nook for ebooks & patterns. But then I think about lugging around another device...)
Day 16 - Magazine holders. Not a big magazine gal. I confess I am way more tempted by Interweave now that they have it in e-format.
Gotta scoot!
Day 10 - pottery. Funny thing is this year pottery has a lot of appeal. I broke the handle on my fav mug about 2-3 weeks ago. I am really sad about it. I miss it on a daily basis. Luckily I found the maker. I love etsy. But her current stock is mainly animals like horses & rabbits. Not really my thing. (Turns out the mug I had was made when Comet Hale Bopp was in the sky. But she liked the design and is going to create a new series with rockets & stars in the spring. Can't wait.
Though this still leaves me without a mug that fits my hand so beautifully. *sigh*
The Yarn Harlot & others swear by Jennie the Potter's items. I think her pieces are pretty. But I confess the prices tend to more than I want to spend on myself. So maybe as a present it would be nice.
I do wonder about a yarn bowl. They seem kinda neat. But with two kids under three and a cat in the house, I am not sure how practical they would be. The etsy search for yarn bowls got me looking at this site. Kinda like the more simple one but also like the black with hearts but there are a bunch that are really lovely. Like this one.
Day 11 - woolie wash. Have to say, that one is kinda brilliant. That Soak sampler would make the perfect stocking stuffer. I lean to Eucalan, but like Soak too. The less it smells, the better.
Day 12 - ANYTHING SMALL. You know, all those things a knitter can never put your hands on when needed. For me, it is cable needles. Just ask, DH. I am sure you will get a litany about it. Can't blame the guy given how often I lose them. I have purchased at least 5. I think I might have one in my notions bag right now. She also suggest the Knit-kit which I love. Best money I have spent given it means I have everything from a tape measure, row counter, scissors, crochet hook and yarn cutter in one thing large enough so that I don't lose it, but small & light enough that I can carry it with me. Love it. (Only thing I would change in hind sight. I would have gotten the red or some other bright color. Me and black... I love it. But sometimes it is hard to find in the bottom of my knitting bag when knitting in the car.)
She also mentioned darning needles. Best thing I *ever* did with my knitting tools...I kept the card my darning needles came on and put them back on it. Yes, it means I can lose them all at once. But it does mean I can actually lay my hands on them when needed. Though one of the two large ones has taken up residence in the Knit-kit. Fits in the back and is get to have at any time.
Day 13 - A scale. Kinda a brilliant suggestion. One I wouldn't have thought of. I have one already. Though some day I should get a new one.
Day 14 - Knitting related ornaments. Not really my thing. But a cute idea for some folks. Though believe me some of the DIY ideas would be awesome if one of the kids made them for me when they got older.
Day 15 - an iPad. *grumblegrowl* Say tablet!! *shakes head* I really hate people that assume a tablet = iPad. You can get a good Android tablet for less than you would spend on a similar iPad and there is an sd card so you can expand it.
I already have a tablet. And yes, I like the idea of having my patterns on it. Nope. I haven't transferred all my patterns to it.
Why? Because tablets suck up energy and batteries drain. I put a pattern on DH Kindle when he got it, thinking that would be amazing. Honestly, not so much. I know the Kindle isn't as good as a tablet with charts and such. But it retains the words *even when you turn it off* which makes a huge difference. (Given how much ereaders have come down, I do confess I have considered getting a base model Nook for ebooks & patterns. But then I think about lugging around another device...)
Day 16 - Magazine holders. Not a big magazine gal. I confess I am way more tempted by Interweave now that they have it in e-format.
Gotta scoot!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Yarn Harlot Ideas for Xmas Presents
Things have been crazed so I haven't been keeping up on any blogs. But today is actually a quiet day with work. I have some database items that have to be run and while they are running, I can't work in the database.
So it was the perfect excuse to catch up on some blog reading.
The Yarn Harlot has suggestions for Non-Knitter to give to those Knitters in their lives:
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2011/12/01/for_the_others.html
I love the way what she wrote. I confess day 1 pressies aren't for me. I am *terrible* about writing thank you cards these days. I *bought* cards for presents we received when Little Guy was born...over eight months ago now. I planned on sending them for presents we got around his birth. Then I intended to use them for the combined event of his christening presents and Eldest Munchkin's second birthday which was three months ago. Have I written even one? Nope. No cards for me.
In the past I have made tags for knitwear with washing instructions & fiber notes on them. I don't know if I will do that with the few presents I knit this year. I didn't do much honestly. There is always next year. (Though I did do one for work this year, so I need to at least type up a note that it is superwash wool & there for machine washable.)
Day Two is jewelry. Anyone that knows DH knows he has given me jewelry in the past. But I am terrible about wearing jewelry. Though when the kids are bigger, I confess the Knitting Abacus does have some appeal. I do need a shawl pin at some point too.
Day three. Tools. Who doesn't want a Strauch Ball Winder? *sigh* They are so beautiful. Day four is cases for knitting in progress. Though day five was project bags. (Kinda thought day four covers that. But not my list.) I *really* want the Starry Night Dr. Who bucket bag by JessaLu. Which sells out the minute they are posted! I am thinking post holidays... YH mentioned project bags with a clear bottom so you can easily see what project is in them. Interesting.
Currently my project bags are mainly whatever bags I have gotten through work or my local health food store (which gave a half dozen light fabric ones). The only real one I have is a medium purple GoKnits bag. I really loved it. But the loop with the snap that made it easy to attach to something came off. Also, my needles poked through. So it is no longer my go to bag. It does have my lingering socks in there. So maybe part of that is just about not wanting see the lingering socks. *laugh* (I am embarrassed to admit I cast them on when my feet were cold *last* winter.)
Days 6 and 7. Blocking Wires. Got them & blocking blocks (which are actually kiddie interlocking foam pads - take up less space & are cheaper than any blocking boards I have seen). 7 is knitting bags. I confess they are much like purses to me. I really can't *believe* people spend that kinda money on a bag!! *shakes head* My purses are in the $20 or so range. $70-100 for a bag? Not gonna happen. Even as a gift.
Day 8. Yarn. Yum. Of course, can one ever have too much yarn. I think so and then Elanor touches my yarn and says "I like yarn" and I get scared. *laugh* Lately I have been trying to buy something *besides* sock yarn. I just haven't knit much in fingering these days. Most of my purchases have been worsted or something for the kids. Though I still love a good sock yarn and still drool over them.
Day 9. The gift of organization. *sighs longingly* Actually, this is my most wanted. But that is more about the apartment as a whole vs. my knitting stuff. Though both would help. We have a guest/craft room. Though I really just want to call it the *crap* room. It is the room where everything gets tossed. It is a maze of Xmas boxes at the moment. Plus the kids strollers - three in total. Plus a wooden unit that doesn't go anywhere else. And the bookshelf from behind the couch that was moved so we could put our tree back there. And and and... You get the idea.
What I would most like for Christmas in an ideal world is a pro to come and help reorganize the entire place. Not gonna happen. Option two - someone comes and watches the kids. DH & I spend a day pulling apart the hall closet, guest room, kitchen & our room. Then we can put things back in a way that makes sense. Maybe even get to the back of what is supposed to be a walk in closet. Currently, the door opens. That is it. Option three - DH empties the hall closet. I sort through it all, reorganizing it and possibly freeing up some space. Then I can deal with the crap room... All such lovely ideas...*sigh*
BTW, love the mittens she did. Tempting me to try something similar, but also what knitting time?? In six days until Christmas?! It also is reminding me I have the Phedre mitten kit waiting for me. *sigh* Not that I actually *wear* mittens. (Kinda hard in the NYC metro area as you have to walk and have your hands *do* things that mittens just don't lend themselves to in the same way a good pair of leather gloves do.)
I really can't believe Xmas is in less than a week! Too much to do and sooo little time!
I will do a second post with more days. This one is already so long!
So it was the perfect excuse to catch up on some blog reading.
The Yarn Harlot has suggestions for Non-Knitter to give to those Knitters in their lives:
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2011/12/01/for_the_others.html
I love the way what she wrote. I confess day 1 pressies aren't for me. I am *terrible* about writing thank you cards these days. I *bought* cards for presents we received when Little Guy was born...over eight months ago now. I planned on sending them for presents we got around his birth. Then I intended to use them for the combined event of his christening presents and Eldest Munchkin's second birthday which was three months ago. Have I written even one? Nope. No cards for me.
In the past I have made tags for knitwear with washing instructions & fiber notes on them. I don't know if I will do that with the few presents I knit this year. I didn't do much honestly. There is always next year. (Though I did do one for work this year, so I need to at least type up a note that it is superwash wool & there for machine washable.)
Day Two is jewelry. Anyone that knows DH knows he has given me jewelry in the past. But I am terrible about wearing jewelry. Though when the kids are bigger, I confess the Knitting Abacus does have some appeal. I do need a shawl pin at some point too.
Day three. Tools. Who doesn't want a Strauch Ball Winder? *sigh* They are so beautiful. Day four is cases for knitting in progress. Though day five was project bags. (Kinda thought day four covers that. But not my list.) I *really* want the Starry Night Dr. Who bucket bag by JessaLu. Which sells out the minute they are posted! I am thinking post holidays... YH mentioned project bags with a clear bottom so you can easily see what project is in them. Interesting.
Currently my project bags are mainly whatever bags I have gotten through work or my local health food store (which gave a half dozen light fabric ones). The only real one I have is a medium purple GoKnits bag. I really loved it. But the loop with the snap that made it easy to attach to something came off. Also, my needles poked through. So it is no longer my go to bag. It does have my lingering socks in there. So maybe part of that is just about not wanting see the lingering socks. *laugh* (I am embarrassed to admit I cast them on when my feet were cold *last* winter.)
Days 6 and 7. Blocking Wires. Got them & blocking blocks (which are actually kiddie interlocking foam pads - take up less space & are cheaper than any blocking boards I have seen). 7 is knitting bags. I confess they are much like purses to me. I really can't *believe* people spend that kinda money on a bag!! *shakes head* My purses are in the $20 or so range. $70-100 for a bag? Not gonna happen. Even as a gift.
Day 8. Yarn. Yum. Of course, can one ever have too much yarn. I think so and then Elanor touches my yarn and says "I like yarn" and I get scared. *laugh* Lately I have been trying to buy something *besides* sock yarn. I just haven't knit much in fingering these days. Most of my purchases have been worsted or something for the kids. Though I still love a good sock yarn and still drool over them.
Day 9. The gift of organization. *sighs longingly* Actually, this is my most wanted. But that is more about the apartment as a whole vs. my knitting stuff. Though both would help. We have a guest/craft room. Though I really just want to call it the *crap* room. It is the room where everything gets tossed. It is a maze of Xmas boxes at the moment. Plus the kids strollers - three in total. Plus a wooden unit that doesn't go anywhere else. And the bookshelf from behind the couch that was moved so we could put our tree back there. And and and... You get the idea.
What I would most like for Christmas in an ideal world is a pro to come and help reorganize the entire place. Not gonna happen. Option two - someone comes and watches the kids. DH & I spend a day pulling apart the hall closet, guest room, kitchen & our room. Then we can put things back in a way that makes sense. Maybe even get to the back of what is supposed to be a walk in closet. Currently, the door opens. That is it. Option three - DH empties the hall closet. I sort through it all, reorganizing it and possibly freeing up some space. Then I can deal with the crap room... All such lovely ideas...*sigh*
BTW, love the mittens she did. Tempting me to try something similar, but also what knitting time?? In six days until Christmas?! It also is reminding me I have the Phedre mitten kit waiting for me. *sigh* Not that I actually *wear* mittens. (Kinda hard in the NYC metro area as you have to walk and have your hands *do* things that mittens just don't lend themselves to in the same way a good pair of leather gloves do.)
I really can't believe Xmas is in less than a week! Too much to do and sooo little time!
I will do a second post with more days. This one is already so long!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Woolmeisse & Current Knitting
I have been wanting Woolmeisse yarn since I have heard various people waxing on about it. It looks like incredible yarn. Problem is it is generally sold out in 20 minutes. I am actually enough of a masochist that I open the tab daily in hopes of snagging some.
For the first time in maybe a year since having that tab, there is actually some available on their site. And there is a colorway available that is lovely. I got paid today. Dangerous. So I put it in my cart. And then I came to my senses!! It is 35 Euros. Not dollars, Euros! According to Google, that is $46.84 which is a better exchange rate than I have seen in eons.
However, I came to my senses! It is two weeks from Christmas. I have a ton to pick up for people. It is nuts to even think about spending that kinda money on a single skein of yarn!! Not to mention shipping from Germany. So I closed the window.
I am simply not that insane. Or that wealthy. *laugh*
I finished two cute shrugs for Eldest Munchkin and her pressie from Santa (an 18" doll). Other than the @*#& buttons of course. *hangs head in shame* I have no excuse either on the buttons as my MIL was so sweet last Xmas and gave me a bunch of buttons. So there is no excuse other than I haven't dug them out of the mess that is the craft/guest room.
They are knit out of Schaefer Yarn's Chris. I really love their yarns. Ravelry lists it as an Aran weight. It is superwash wool.
I cast on some toe up Mary Janes with it. I figure they would look super cute with the shrug. Though I know that may not make sense as the knit Mary Janes are indoor slippers. But I figure they are cute.
I am making it up as I go along. Though I did borrow the edging from the Knitpicks Mary Jane slipper pattern. The rest is a toe up sock where I am binding off the stitches for a MJ. I think they should be cute.
I need to take some pics!
Back to work for me. Whee.
For the first time in maybe a year since having that tab, there is actually some available on their site. And there is a colorway available that is lovely. I got paid today. Dangerous. So I put it in my cart. And then I came to my senses!! It is 35 Euros. Not dollars, Euros! According to Google, that is $46.84 which is a better exchange rate than I have seen in eons.
However, I came to my senses! It is two weeks from Christmas. I have a ton to pick up for people. It is nuts to even think about spending that kinda money on a single skein of yarn!! Not to mention shipping from Germany. So I closed the window.
I am simply not that insane. Or that wealthy. *laugh*
I finished two cute shrugs for Eldest Munchkin and her pressie from Santa (an 18" doll). Other than the @*#& buttons of course. *hangs head in shame* I have no excuse either on the buttons as my MIL was so sweet last Xmas and gave me a bunch of buttons. So there is no excuse other than I haven't dug them out of the mess that is the craft/guest room.
They are knit out of Schaefer Yarn's Chris. I really love their yarns. Ravelry lists it as an Aran weight. It is superwash wool.
I cast on some toe up Mary Janes with it. I figure they would look super cute with the shrug. Though I know that may not make sense as the knit Mary Janes are indoor slippers. But I figure they are cute.
I am making it up as I go along. Though I did borrow the edging from the Knitpicks Mary Jane slipper pattern. The rest is a toe up sock where I am binding off the stitches for a MJ. I think they should be cute.
I need to take some pics!
Back to work for me. Whee.
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