It looked so simple on TV!

I have passed on all the congratulations to Sam, & yes, I do know how fortunate I am to have a son like him (even if he does occasionally drive me to drink Glenfiddich straight from the bottle!) Plus, I’ve learned that the proverbial apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: this morning, Chris had to do a road call to Modesto first thing, so he didn’t have to leave as early; while I was in the shower, he made breakfast for all of us- bacon, maple sausage, blueberry muffins, & cranberry compote (the 2nd batch I made- we love the stuff)
We got the headboard finished Monday night & I have to tell you, it turned into a typical family circus event. As I’ve mentioned, there are three hairless felines & three furry people in our house, so anything as important as a change in the main sleeping abode warrants full participation from every member. The board is 6 X 4 foot, with rounded corners on top, which was to be swathed in two layers of batting, topped by a fabric cover with some simple trim. Because the weather has turned cold, instead of working in the garage, we decided to assemble the headboard sandwich on the dining room table.
Once all the supplies were accumulated, the inspection commenced- each cat had to look in each box, crawl into every bag, lounge-test the fabric, sniff the tools, & naturally, drag the trim all over the living room.
After we re-assembled the supplies, the first step was to spray adhesive on the board so the batting would stay in place whilst I stretched & pulled the fabric into place. Have I ever mentioned that the cats have a strong aversion to any kind of spraying devise? I didn’t think it was possible, but 3 animals went in 7 different directions in the matter of seconds. Since this stuff was rather odorous, I opened the doors & windows, so we had to bundle up in coats while we worked; Sam stood with a piece of cardboard against the edges of the board while Chris sprayed the glue- so, of course, every exposed area of skin (ie, hands, face, hair) is being lightly coated with sticky adhesive. Once the spraying stopped, our curious little Dahlia was right back in the middle of everything- literally. Before anyone could grab her, she leaped on to the glue coated board, realized she didn’t like the feel of this stuff, & tried to walk away, but her paws were tacky; she looked like she was walking thru snow or wet grass- step, lift paw, shake- with all fours. As soon as I quit giggling, I took Dahlia into the kitchen to wash off her paws, accompanied by pitiful wailings from her & sympathetic mutterings from Poppy, who hates to see anyone in distress.
So now we are ready to attach the fabric. We measure,
spread,
adjust,
confer,
re-measure,
spread again,
consult,
argue,
re-re-measure,
fiddle,
fudge,
then finally begin to staple. Chris lies under the table, on his back, with the staple gun; along side him is Daisy, in her basket. She is an old lady- about 13 years- rather arthritic & weighting in at 16 pounds; she doesn’t move around much & spends most of her days in her basket. It was obvious to her that she wasn’t going to move (though she did flinch every time he shot the staple gun) so Chris just scooted around her; but every time he moved too close to the basket, she would “Mew!” & either pop him on the head or lick his hair. Meanwhile, while I am pulling, folding, & holding the fabric in place for Chris to attach (narrowly missing my fingers) Sam is alternately plucking Poppy off of the headboard, where she is trying to settle in for a nap & nursing session, & moving Dahlia off Chris’ chest, where she is supervising his work, grabbing at stray threads, & tickling his face with her tail.
Amazingly, we manage to finish without any trips to the emergency room or the liquor cabinet. Sam went up stairs to wash off all the spray adhesive, bits of thread, batting, & staples that had attached themselves to his skin. All that is left is to glue on the trim… which I find is a full 36 inches too short. Okay- not a problem- that part of the board will be behind the bed, so no one will ever see the trim anyway. Except, I will know it’s not completed. Have I mentioned I’m an anal accounting geek & seriously don’t like shortcuts? It is 7:45 pm & I’m considering a run to Walmart to see if I can find another trim that would match (since we don’t have a fabric store in town & the Michael’s is closed due to a fire last week). Cooler heads prevailed (Chris said “You are not going anywhere!)- I fought my nature & glued the trim from the top down, securing it with pins to dry. Ten minutes later, as I sat in the living room with a glass of wine & two Oreo Double Stuff cookies to placate me, Dahlia strolled in… with the trim in her mouth & draped across her back. The trim covered with glue. Which is now drying. My first mistake was to yell, “Turbo- you stupid cat!”; the second was to start chasing her. It took all three of us to find her, catch her, & the cut the trim out of her fur.
When all was said & done, we have a passably attractive headboard, & Dahlia is sporting an interesting haircut. The last little bit was taking the headboard upstairs last night. We maneuvered it up the stairs, around 3 sharp corners & into place against the wall, where fastened it with brackets to the foot moldings. It was then I realized that the solid headboard would be blocking the only outlet on that wall (which we never use). The outlet that will be needed for the pump on our new bed. Our new bed that Chris doesn’t know about yet. CRAP! So now I have to convince him that we have to remove the headboard & cut a hole in it to free up the outlet, all with out spilling the beans- it came down to me insisting on doing things correctly. With a great deal of muttering about stubborn women, the boys took the headboard back down to the garage, cut the hole, re-attached the fabric neatly around the opening, haul it back upstairs & screwed it back to the wall.
Ah, the things we do for love!

Holiday Musings

Hi, Kids! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, with lots of food, family & friend. Ours was necessarily low keyed- I’ve been knocked down by a bad cold & have been home, mostly in bed, since Monday night. This is how bad it’s been: I haven’t picked up a book all week!
Now, to the part everyone is itching to hear. As you may know, Sam, my 15 year old son, asked to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the family this year. While he has taken his turn in the kitchen for a couple of years & is taking Home Ec this year, this was his first major culinary undertaking. He made turkey, apple/sage dressing, sweet potato casserole, broccoli with cheese sauce, cheddar biscuits, & pumpkin pie. The verdict……excellent! He spread out the cooking over two days & timed everything just right for dinner at 3:00 pm. Our daughter decided to come over before going to my brother’s house in Oakland, so we had the family together for the first time since May. Oh, and I did get Sam’s hat done by Wednesday night, so he wore it all day.
Friday found us all sleeping in until 9:00- a rare treat! Actually, I woke up at 4:30 with a coughing fit & couldn’t go back to sleep; I sat up watching TV & briefly considered hitting Best Buy for a MP3 player for Sam, but reason prevailed & I headed back to bed for a while. Once we all got moving & fed, Chris & I went over to OSH for some painting supplies & the boys finished painting our bedroom! We had already covered the walls with a pale spring green several months ago; I wanted one wall, behind our bed, a few shades darker, so that is what the boys did. It came out a little darker then I wanted originally, but it turned out nicely- once the headboard goes in & we hang a tapestry on the wall, it will highlight the area well. We looked around for years for a headboard we liked, but could never find one that we agreed on or afford. So, last spring, after 11 years of no headboard, I bought a large sheet of ½ inch plywood, had Chris round off the corners, with the intention of covering it with batting & fabric. While the boys painted, I sewed the fabric cover & glued the batting on the board. Unfortunately, Chris had taken his staple gun to work, so I couldn’t get it finished this weekend, but it will be done by Thursday (when the bed is suppose to arrive)
The weather has been beautiful, clear, & cool, so Chris & I spent Saturday together, driving up to Placerville, in the Sierra foothills. We drove around Apple Hill, stopping at a couple of orchards & tree farms, then went into town to have lunch. We stopped at this little bakery, Sweetie Pie Pantry, where I had quiche & Chris had homemade clam chowder. We strolled around the historic downtown, poking around shops, & watching the stagecoach take kids on rides up & down the street. I found a lined hooded fleece jacket for Sam in the Army surplus store, & a watercolor print for me. We drove home around 5:30, watching the sun set into the clouds to the west & listening to “The Thistle & Shamrock” & “A Prairie Home Companion” on PBS radio- very sweet & relaxing.
Today was my Sunday to lead worship, so I headed out early, sang both services, then went back home to bed- I guess I’m not quite well yet. The boys went off to the mall this afternoon to buy shoes & to go to the new James Bond movie, so I’ve had the house to myself. I think I’ll go fix a turkey & cranberry sandwich, have some Glögg & wine, & do a little knitting- my hands are much better, thank you.

What I am Thankful for

Thanksgiving Thirteen Thursday


1. The gift of salvation given freely by my loving, heavenly Father
2. My husband- devoted, patient, hardworking, silly, affectionate, he is the other part of me
3. That my Robb has become such an awesome man
4. That my Jessica is back in school & starting to find her way
5. That my Sam is still willing to kiss me in public
6. For the companionship & unconditional love of our feline children
7. A place to call home- a retreat & shelter from the harshness of the world
8. That both of us are able to work, to provide the needs & a few of the wants
9. Having a job, close to home, where I am needed & valued
10. Having my health restored, after so many months of pain
11. The freedom to express my creativity, in whatever form the Spirit strikes
12. Our church family, who holds us up in every way
13. My new blog friends, who lift me, challenge me, & give me a safe place to be myself, warts & all

Here is my prayer for each of you to have a blessed Thanksgiving, filled with contentment, affection, & gratitude.

Didn't think it would happen

It’s official- I’ve done too much knitting.
I’ve been working on a Santa hat for Sam for the past 2 weeks. He bought one of those $3.00 cheapies at Wal-Mart last year; he wore it constantly from Thanksgiving until Christmas- he even slept with it on. He wore it so much that he had a pink-tinted ring around his blond hair. So, this year, he asked me to make him a nice hat- soft, warm, & preferably color-fast. I found a free pattern, brought some lovely dark red Cotton Chenille & ivory Splash eyelash yarn, & a pair of size 6 circular needles. This is a fairly dense yarn, being worked on smallish needles in the round- it is taking awhile. It’s the only thing I’ve been working on, since I wanted it ready for Thanksgiving, & my hands are tired. Very tired. My thumbs ache & my index fingers are sore from pushing the needle points. I need a break, but the deadline is looming- I’d like him to have it by Thursday, since he is doing all this work for Thanksgiving- so I keep plugging along.
Sam & I had a date night on Friday. We went to the high school football game- West won their league title last week, & were playing the first round of playoffs at home. We had a great time- we dressed in team colors, brought our clappers, had hot dogs & hot chocolate, & sat near the 50 yard line with the Boosters. What a great game! There was a great turn out on both sides & the teams were very well matched- it was a tight, tense game & every point was hard earned, but…We won 28-12! We yelled so much, I had a sore throat all weekend, & I know that’s when my hands started acting up, because when things were close & tense, I was knitting away on the hat.
Chris returns home tomorrow night from Orlando. He never did get together with Robb, since neither of them had off on the same days, & he didn’t do any exploring on his own, the turkey! I suggested (twice) that he should go up to St Augustine- it is such a wonderful town to wander around- but he just stayed at the lot. Oh, well- I guess he got plenty of rest, & we’ll just have to plan a family vacation to see the sites. I decided not to tell him about the new bed yet (since it won’t be here for 10 more days). I’m going to suggest that we finish up some things we wanted to do in the bedroom- paint one of the walls, complete & put in the headboard we started last spring- since we all have a long weekend (actually, Chris & Sam have Wednesday off as well) Then, when the bed is finally delivered, we’ll have a new, fresh room to go with it!

Time for a little clean up

What Your Soul Really Looks Like

You are very passionate and quite temperamental. While you can be moody, you always crave comfort. You are a grounded person, but you also leave room for imagination and dreams. You feet may be on the ground, but you're head is in the clouds. You believe that people see you as a bit small and insignificant. People pay more attention to you than you think. Your near future is a lot like the present, and as far as you're concerned, that's a very good thing. For you, love is all about caring and comfort. You couldn't fall in love with someone you didn't trust.

Inside the Room of Your Soul

Interesting little quiz- surprisingly accurate, except maybe the small & insignificant part! I found on Kiki’s space- a new friend who is having some real challenges right now- please drop by to encourage her & add her to your prayers.
Speaking of challenges & prayers, thank you all for holding up Leny this past week. She is back to work today, still sore but feeling much better; the pathology report came back on Monday & the lump is benign, Praise God! The lump was discovered during her very first annual mammogram, illustrating the importance of having these tests done, regardless of the discomfort. If you haven’t had your boobies squished this year, go get it done now- I love you all & want you around for a long time!
The rain started in earnest this past weekend, so Sam & I were hard pressed to find something to do. For some reason only known to my brain function a month ago, I had an 8:00 am hair appointment, then stopped by Starbucks for coffee & scones for us both. We ended up going to Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton & wandered around all afternoon, looking at the Christmas decorations (yes, they were up & Santa was in residence, taking pictures with the kiddies) & exploring the shops at leisure. He has let me know what he wants for Christmas & his *sigh* 16th birthday in February (an MP3 player &/or a digital camera), & I dropped a couple of hints myself (DVD version of A&E’s Pride and Prejudice & gift certificate to Bare Escentuals) For a lark, we went into the Select Comfort store to see if they are really comfortable; Chris & I are in desperate need of a new bed, as ours is over 10 years old & he has a bad back, so I’ve been pricing & testing for a couple of months. Well, after 45 minutes & (gulp) $2800, I am the proud owner of a Select Comfort 5000 California King! I was hoping it would be delivered & set up by the time Chris gets home Monday evening, but with the 12 month free financing special they ran this weekend, it doesn’t look like it will be here until after Thanksgiving.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, my dear son, Sam, has volunteered (in reality, he begged) to cook dinner this year- the works: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes & pumpkin pie! He’s taking Home Economics this year, & this quarter’s unit is cooking; last fall, he asked if his high school had Home Ec & when I said “Yes- why?”, he said he wanted to sign up since- and I quote-
“Because every good husband should know how to cook!”
Is he an awesome kid or what? Actually, he had a great example in Chris; I went back to college at 28, when Sam was 6 months old, so for most of the past 15 years, Chris has done the majority of the cooking at night. Anyway, we have our assignments for dinner: I’m to make my Cranberry/Peach conserves & dinner rolls (I have a great bread maker recipe), & Chris will make mulled cider & decorate the table. Before he left for Orlando, Chris got the chairs assembled, stained, & sealed- they look really nice at the table, especially with the red cushions. I’m thinking of putting just some simple greenery & ribbon swags on the back of each chair for the holidays- that is, if I can keep Poppy & Dahlia from destroying them!
~ Poppy says: We do not destroy things, we just taste test them! ~

Cat got your mouse?

Dahlia here; the staff has left this fun, blinking thing on & are occupied cleaning our commodes, so I’ve decided to let the world know what really goes on here in “meg’s garden” You know, life here is pretty good, even though I’m the youngest & have to be submissive to Princess Poppy (butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but I know for a fact she was the one who unwound the entire roll of paper towels last week) & the Queen Mum Daisy (I think she really likes me- she sniffed my butt yesterday & didn’t hit me at all) The staff is accommodating to our needs, besides the teeth brushing & nail clipping part, but the Mom Boss (you know, the short one with dark hair & the high voice) will be insubordinate, removing me from the kitchen counter & not letting me have first lick on the contents of her bowl.. The other two hairless ones are easily trained: I just open my eyes real wide, cock my head to the side, & give them one of my patented pathetic “meeuw?” & they do whatever I want- Boss Mom doesn’t buy it & squirts me with water!
Well, this week was just the limit! The Young One brought out my favorite toy- the box thing with the handle. I played in it happily all day, but when Boss Mom got home, I got the impression she wanted me to go into the box & stay there, so I high-tailed it upstairs to one of my many hiding spots. You should have heard the shocking language she used, while trying to find my current location- she even threatened to tie my tail in a knot if I didn’t show myself immediately! Unfortunately, my pretty little bell gave me away- she found me curled up inside the garment bag, under the skirt of her red ball gown- & I was un-ceremonially dumped into the box & taken out to the car. I hate the car. I let Boss Mom know I was displeased by yowling, but with the way my voice sounds, an indignant “Yowr!” comes out as “Aww?” & she just says “Aww?” back (for all their size, tools, & language, humans are not very bright!) She carried me into this building, which had a bunch of odd smells, loud voices, & strange cats wondering around, then took me into a room, & dumped me out of the box onto a metal table (will you make up your mind, please!) A woman I had never seen starts man-handling me, looking in my ears & mouth, mussing my fur & lifting my tail- & all this time, Boss Mom is just standing there, telling this woman how much I eat, where I sleep, even how much I poop (is nothing private?) Next thing I know, they are holding me down & the strange woman pokes both my hind legs with needles, then uses this air-popping thing on my thigh- scared me half to death- but I didn’t make a sound! She did say how brave & pretty I am, so I didn’t bite or hiss at her, but I was ready to get the heck out of Dodge, so back into the box I went. I was feeling a little woozy, so I didn’t say too much on the ride back to the house- when I climbed out of the box (again!) Poppy was there to give me sympathy & a good bath. You know, what ever that stuff was just put me off my stride for a full day- I didn’t shred any tissue paper, didn’t climb on top of the bird cage, didn’t even go digging into the treat drawer. I just wanted to sleep, but Boss Mom or the Big Man kept picking me up & asking if I was okay- like I said, they are not too bright.

I see Dahlia has been reading too much Rita Mae & Sneaky Pie Brown- thinks she is going to take over my blog! She was really a good girl at the vet, but she was behaving so out of character- quiet & stationary- I was a bit worried & kept waking her up to make sure she wasn’t in a coma. Twenty-four hours & regular doses of kitty treats saw her back to her normal Turbo self.
Wednesday evening was the Garden Club holiday party & I got the tote bag done just in time. Spouses were invited & we took rolls, butter, & chocolate chip cookies for the potluck dinner. After we ate, the ladies did the “Steal the Gift” exchange- my gift was wrapped plainly in a white box, so was almost the last one picked. I do have to say, it was very popular & was “stolen” several times, along with several other cool things. I ended up with a great set of chicken-themed gifts, including a timer that crows! Our hostess was disappointed when I stole it back from her, but the lady who brought it told me she had found it at a gift shop in Sutter Creek, so I’ll have to pick another one up for Jenn when we take our annual day trip up there in December.
Well, I have to go console Dahlia- her favorite person, Chris, left for Orlando for ten days & she is sitting in the front window, staring at his car, waiting for him to come inside. This trip came up suddenly- management asked him on Tuesday evening & he left Friday afternoon- but the overtime will definitely come in handy just before the holidays & our trip to New Mexico. Of course, with Chris gone I can get some serious holiday knitting done, but I need to put another blanket on the bed since he is my human space heater, & the weather has turned rather chilly.

Where are my tunes?

This one-person office I’m holding down today has only a portable AM/FM radio- the kind with rabbit years, no CD or cassette player, & four stations: news-talk, Mexican polka, Bible reading, & dance/rap music. This has become a bit of a difficulty, because I always have music going when I work & I’m finding myself getting sleepy. Since the powers-that-be frown on my napping while we are open, I brought in all the CD’s I have in my car to play on the computer.
If someone were to look at this stack of music, they would think 4 or 5 different old people work here! So, since I didn’t post one last week, here is the current installment of my version of “Thirteen Thursday”

Thirteen Compact Disks on My Desk
1. Handel’s Largos: Various Artists
2. It’s Time: Michael Bublé
3. Nickel Creek: Nickel Creek
4. Ready for the Storm: Browne Sisters & George Cavanaugh
5. David Russell Plays Bach: David Russell
6. Bella Tuscany: Various Artists
7. Nights of Fire: Benise
8. Local Ground: Altan
9. Legacy of the Scottish Fiddle, Volume Two: Alastair Fraser, Natalie Hass, Muriel Johnstone
10. The Best of Narada: Flamenco Guitar: Various Artists
11. Celtic Woman: Various Artists
12. Tchaikovsky at Tea Time: Various Artists
13. One More Day: Diamond Rio

What are you listening to today?

A Bullet Monday

Odds & ends of the past few days:
Ø I start my “temporary” assignment tomorrow, & I’m frankly a bit torn. I will enjoy being in an office by myself & not having the stream of people coming by my desk, asking questions that I’ve already answered twice or needing this invoice/statement/phone number right away. On the other hand, since I will working in one office M/W, & the other T/TH/F, & will still be responsible for doing my regular job, I will be hauling a butt-load of stuff back & forth everyday. I’m thinking of using one of those foldable shopping carts instead trying to carry all the bags, boxes & trays individually. But the image of myself, in my long skirts, sensible shoes & requisite cardigan (our offices are terminally cold) pulling a loaded cart around town is just too “bag lady” for me to contemplate.
Ø Sam has had a tough week- it seems to be his quarterly “I’ve lost my mind & my mother is really ticked”. In the past seven days, he has:
~Lost his wallet, with school id (can’t be on campus without it), medical card, library card, & a week’s allowance
~Borrowed his Dad’s bike, rode 1 mile with a flat tire so it fell off the rim, & instead of taking it back home (he was in a rush to get to the Homecoming Parade), he stashed it in some bushes by the middle school; of course, when he went back for it- yep- gone
~Left the front door, back door & garage unlocked (same day as bike fiasco)
~Showed up home 1-½ hours late from school, having left a message on my voicemail “Still at school, be home later” & no phone number- his cell phone has to stay home, since they aren’t allowed at school. [One of the few strict rules around our house- you are home from school by 3:20, unless previously approved (like for club meeting or tutoring) & call me; if you want to go somewhere, you have to ask me personally & only if homework is done]
~Returned home with 7 friends (same day as previous) unannounced- when asked what’s going on, said they were all going over to M’s house to hang out & then go trick or treating. 1st problem- you didn’t ask me first & it’s a school night; 2nd problem- you are too old to go trick or treating (they are all sophs & juniors); 3rd problem- when I pointed out #1 & #2, got an argument & attitude from Sam & his buddies. Result: You are not going anywhere tonight.
~I was given a really fancy caramel/candied apple at work; when Sam mentioned he saw it in the fridge, he was told to keep out of it until I got home- I would share it with both him & Dad. When I got home, found only ½ the apple left in the fridge
It was at this last point that I blew my top, ranted about selfishness & lack of self-control, grounded him for 2 weeks, & sent him to his room for the evening. I walked by his room a couple of hours later & heard him on the phone with his best friend- that little turkey told him that I grounded him because… “I ate my Mom’s caramel apple”!
Ø Chris & I went to the football game on Friday night- Sam declined, saying he didn’t feel good (either that, or he was pouting over being grounded)- & had a great time. It was the last home game for the season & the weather, which had been windy & drizzly all day, cleared up around 3:00, so everyone was dry & reasonably warm (around 55-60 degrees) We got to sit in the Boosters’ section at the 50 yard line & had a great view of West’s 34-8 victory over #2 ranked Tokay, clinching a playoff berth! It was actually a better game then the score shows- they are pretty evenly matched & slugged it out in the middle of the field for most of the night- but West got a couple of lucky breaks & made the most of them. I doubt we’ll go to any of the play-off games, unless they play here, but we’ll be able to watch on community access channel & will be cheering them on.
Ø Saturday, we attend the wedding of two friends who met at our church. C grew up in our church & was our assistant choir director after college & very involved in youth ministry. When she decided to go south to graduate school, J started coming to our church. He was a family friend of music director & joined our band, playing bass. When the music director moved a few months later, J took over as choir director, in addition to being in the band & youth ministry. Six months later, C returned to the area, having transferred to be closer to home. Since J had so much on his plate, C was asked to step in again as assistant director. The rest, they say, is history! It was so wonderful to watch God’s plan unfold in the lives of these two young people, & it was an honor to witness their vows, set in the beautiful Morris Chapel at UOP (the pictures don’t do it justice), surrounded by family, friends, & music praising God & their union. The reception was quite nice, held at a private club nearby, & we sat with several of J’s co-workers; they had never been to such a “religious” wedding & had lots of questions. Chris is naturally outgoing & friendly, & had everyone laughing & sharing stories about the couple. We even got to do some dancing, but I have to say- it was funny to watch all these Pentecostal kids try to dance to old school rock & disco; they just don’t know how to “shake their groove thing”, so of course the parent-types had to show them how it’s done!

KMKS Swap

The Questionnaire:
What are your favorite colors?
I like all shades of green, dark rose, golden yellow, brick red
Are you a new mitt knitter?
Yes- this will be the 1st time
How long have you been knitting mittens?
Never tried it- but I've done socks
Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn?
Solid or heathered yarns
What fibers do you prefer in mitten yarn?
Soft & non-itchy- alpaca, cotton blend
Where do you usually knit mittens?
I suppose any where, like I do with socks
How do you usually carry/store small projects?
In a draw-string tote
What are your favorite mitten patterns?
I haven't really looked at them much, but I like the ones with fuzzy cuffs
What are your favorite mitten knitting techniques?
I'm willing to try most anything
What new techniques would you like to try?
Cables, intrasia
What are your favorite needles for knitting mittens?
Don't really know, but I'm a little leery of double points- afraid they'll slip out
What are some of your favorite yarns?
Katmandu, Cascade 220 (for felting), Cotton Chenille, Alpaca
What yarn do you totally covet?
Karabella Supercashmere ($53 a skein- gaak!)
Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object?
I'd like to try a sweater from The Celtic Collection in merino/silk/cashmere blend
Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)?
I like using wooden needles, mostly circular, since they can be folded up
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be?
Debbie Bliss Alapaca Silk
Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack?
Dark Chocolate, candied ginger, cashews
What’s your favorite animal?
Cats- I currently have four!
Would you prefer super warm mittens or something more like fingerless mitts?
Mittens
If you were a color what color would you be?
Emerald green or Chocolate brown
What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature?
I love the look of English cottage gardens, with riots of colors & flowers; I've lately been drawn to sunflowers.
Do you have a wishlist?
No, but I could come up with one real easy :)
Anything else you’d like to share with the group today?
I've been knitting for 2 1/2 yrs & consider myself an adv beginner/intermediate knitter. This is my first try at a swap- I've been reading about other bloggers doing them & think it would be a great way to connect with some new people.