Check out this link!!

Ok, I couldn't resist posting this link:

http://mochimochiland.com/weblog/?p=111

It's the hugest stash I have ever seen, and based on the comments, bigger than most other people have seen, too. Honestly, I think that Bonney's stash room might be bigger than my whole house!! It will be perfect to show dh as he has just made the comment "You have SO MUCH yarn!". Ha!! It all fits into one 4x6' cabinet!!

No Sheep Yarn Swap follow up:

I got the sweetest Secret Pal, whose name I now know is Sheila. She's got a cool blog, and looks like even an online store: knithouse.blogspot.com

Last month Sheila sent me some 100% pima cotton from Ulster, Ireland (plus some Wyler's "koolaid" to dye it with...but it's way to gorgeous to dye--I'll dye my KnitPicks Bare with that!) and this month I just got a skein of Svale (heard about but never seen that before) AND some 100% linen, again from Ireland. I am so lucky to have gotten such a great yarn pal!! Sheila's really neat, a talented knitter/crocheter/designer, and I'm so glad I've met her! I'll post pix of the yarn soon.

I must say, my downstream yarn pal, Debbie, is great, too. We have so much in common and email each other frequently, regaling each other with stories, and getting Rogers & Hammerstein musical songs stuck in each others' heads. I think I've made lifelong friends of both of my yarn pals!!

This is fun!

The No Sheep secret (shhhh!) pals skein swap is so fun. I'm having loads of fun learning about my "downstream" pal, Debbie. It's so amazing how 2 people in different parts of the country who've never met can have so many things in common. I suppose as they say, great minds think alike....And don't we knitters all have the greatest of minds? I think so!!

I haven't heard from the person who is my secret pal "upstream", but there are a few more days left to hear. I'm anxiously awaiting an email, and hope I didn't inadvertently delete it, thinking it was junk mail. Upstream pal, if you're reading this, please please send me another email or put a comment on here! And since the directions say for the upstream person to look at my blog to learn more about me, I'll go ahead and answer some of the suggested questions:

1. What is your favorite fiber?

That's tough. At the moment, I really like knitting with Lion Brand Microspun. However, I'm really intrigued with the thought of bamboo, and love how sustainable it is as a resource for so many things, including yarn. I'm really interested in corn yarn, and would like to try it, too.

2. Do you seek out patterns calling for nonwools or do you substitute?

I do both. I substitute in a very anal and geeky manner, doing comparisons out on a spreadsheet I created.

3. What is the weirdest thing about you?

My husband says that I'm a "geekette".

4. Have you participated in other secret pal events?

This is my first time.

5. What are your favorite colors for knitting?

Bright, saturated pinks, purples, or creamy tans and neutrals. Not so much for blues.

6. How big is your stash?

About 17 miles. Much of the yarn has a designated project though. I can't wait for ravelry.com to let me in so I can track my FOs & UFOs and project queue.

7. Is there anything else I should know about you?

I can't wait to hear from my secret pal!!

It's started!!

Hi! I'm so excited that the No Sheep Swap has begun! Now, if I can only figure out how to make this blog do what I want it to do!

Hi to my secret pal, "D" (trying to keep things anonymous...just in case). If you're reading this, then you really found my blog :-)

Six Sox KAL photo

WIP photo: Horcrux, knit in Austermann Step colorway 14

Six Sox KAL April WIP photo

Horcrux, knit in Austermann Step colorway 14.

Six Sox KAL/Knitting Happiness Is...

Woohoo! I got into the Six Sox KAL just in time for the latest sock pattern, "Horcrux". I LOVE Harry Potter, so this will be so fun to do!! They'll be done for ME in Austermann Step.

Do you remember the song from "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" called "Happiness Is...."? Well, for me, Happiness Is peeking into my new ALL Knitting cabinet (DH helped me assemble it last week) where 95% of my knitting stuff now lives (the other 5% is still around the house). I love just reaching in to grab the project I need, or just to say "hi" to all of my stuff! Happiness IS also DH who tolerates my knitting mania!!

Hi there, and welcome to my first attempt at blogging.

I probably won't post much because I don't have much to say. I don't think my life is that interesting, and I'm somewhat of a private person...or at least I like anonymity.

I've set up a blog because I'm really intrigued by the idea of secret pal yarn swaps, etc. and having a blog is a requirement for some of swaps. My first swap will be the No Sheep Secret Pal Skein Swap.

You probably won't find much about my WIPs because I knit mostly for gifting. If it's a gift, I don't want to take the chance that the giftee will see it before they receive it. Maybe I'll post photos after the gifts have been given.

Some of the issues that I'm currently into that others are also talking about are:

Stash organization & reduction: How did I get so much yarn!?!! Lots of my yarn is "inherited" and/or leftover worsted weight acrylics because:

• Living in the tropics, there are very few LYS's to choose from & Walmart has the most yarn (I admit, I sometimes use Lion Brand and Red Heart, especially for baby blankets)
  
• We have relatively little need for wool
• Wearing and/or knitting with wool makes me sneeze, itch, and pretty cranky!
• I hope to be able to enter all of my stash into my Excel spreadsheet someday. Meanwhile, I'm trying to knit from it to reduce the "load"
  

Sock knitting: I've been pondering why everyone is so into sock knitting. Here are my reasons:

• They're practical--everybody wears socks
• The tiny needles/stitches are really easy on my hands/arms so I don't get too tired (eyestrain is another story)
• Socks are the ultimate in portable knitting

Charity knitting:

• See above about stash reduction
• I can do something I love to help others
• There are people elsewhere who have a need for warm, knitted items far more than those around me

So, enough about me. I'd better stop blogging and doing all things knitting related so I can s