Happy Mailday...I mean Monday

I received a package in the mail on Saturday from my KKEXnMORE Secret Pal! Look at everything she sent me. I love the dishcloth in the tropical colors with the peace sign. How did you know that I need some peace in my life? And the keychain calendar is really cute too. Thanks Secret Pal!

Then today I received another package and it was from Jami, also from the KKEXnMORE group. She angeled me for the Christmas in July exhange. She sent me one of the dishcloth rakes from Markman Farms. The package also contained some cotton yarn and a pouch with a loom tool, yarn guides and a cool pair of scissors with my name on them.

Check out the close up of the scissors.
By the way, Jami just finished a really cool purse and you can see a picture of it on her blog, Jami's Loom and Boards.
Thanks again Jami for everything, you're an angel!

Australia or Bust!

Okay, well I am not headed to Australia, but this scarf is.

I did another trade with my friend Tammie.
She wanted one of my scarfs and I wanted this neckace.

I still can't get over what a great job she does on these necklaces. Thanks again Tammie for doing the trade!

Funky Scarf Swap Questionnaire Answers

Are you allergic to any fibers? Not that I am aware of although some wool is just too scratchy.

Do you prefer any fibers over others? I prefer very soft fibers, so as long as its soft it's all good.

Thinking back to Scout’s post about what funky means to you, post an image of something that you think is funky! Okay its not an image but its a link to an image of a sweater that I think is funky...click here

Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern? Hey, why not both?!!

What are your favorite colors? My favorite colors are purple, blue and black (sounds like a bruise...LOL)

What is your favorite piece of art? Van Gogh's Starry Night

What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face? I would never wear green, yellow or orange up close to my face.

Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl? I prefer scarves over cowls

When you wear a scarf do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf? Depends on the purpose of the scarf.....if its for dressing up then I prefer long/thin scarves....and if its for function such as being out in the cold then I prefer a wide but not too short of a scarf.

What is the climate like where you live? The climate is fairly mild, but we do get a couple of months of very cold weather in the winter, usually December and January

Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe? I am great with either, but looking at my scarf wardrobe.....it is lacking in the area of functionality.

What else would you like your partner to know about you? I love to downhill ski and I love bright colors. You can also find out more about me by reading the post "Four Things" on July 30th

Yarn Miser The Edited Version

Sometimes I just hate Blogger! It has been brought to my attention that this previous post was, well to put it bluntly, screwed up. The font was not viewing correctly for everyone, I had several people ask me what was up with the ambulances (this was thanks to the font Webdings). So I am posting it again so everyone can have the pleasure of reading what I wrote. Oh, and if you are using Internet Explorer I am sorry you have to view my blog in such a screwed up format. Apparently Blogger is not IE friendly.

I have decided that I am a yarn miser. I was recently going through my stash looking for yarn to part with for a yarn swap and I came across this skein of yarn......now wait a second am I sure this is a skein of yarn or is it tinsel garland for my Christmas tree? Yes it is a skein of No Boundries yarn from Walmart and the name of it is Cher! I don't know what possessed me to buy this yarn but something in me just won't let it go. Why is that? Anyway, I continued looking through my stash looking for yarn to swap and I am having a heck of a time trying to part with any of my yarn. Its not that my stash is so small that if I trade some of it it will really make a difference.(yes I said trade.....so I will end up with the same amount of yarn I started with). And its not like I can't afford to go out and replace what I give away.

So what is the big deal. You would think I was being asked to give away my first born child. I mean come on, what in the heck am I ever going to use this skein of yarn for? If I try to make a scarf out of it everyone will think I have lost my mind. Picture me in a green sweater wearing the scarf around my neck and a pair of those jingle bell earrings and christmas bulb necklace on. The kids in the neighborhood will be whispering to their moms...."Mom, why is that lady decorating herself like a Christmas tree?"

So that is why I have decided that I am a yarn miser. Please tell me that I am not alone. I really am beginning to think I have a sickness.

My First Felt

Look what I did this weekend. I made this purse following the pattern in the One Skein book. It was super easy. It was so easy that I finished it in one day and that included felting it. I was a little nervous after I finished knitting it about how the whole felting process would go.


This picture was taken when I was about halfway finished knitting it.
And this next one was after the seams were sewn and just before I dropped it into the washer.
Look at how pretty it turned out. I found this cool appliqué at Walmart and it really finished it off. I just love it and plan to make many more.

Daydreams

I have been spending a lot of time daydreaming lately about being on the slopes. I guess it must be because our weather has been sooooooo hot! It was 108 degrees this last week.

My husband and I took up downhill skiing 3 years ago and our goal is to ski just about every ski resort we possibly can. We have spent a lot of time at Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon and have made a couple of trips to Mt. Shasta in California. That is were these pick were taken. I would consider myself to be and intermediate moving up to advanced in my skiing abilities. This run happens to be a black diamond which for those of you who are not skiers is a very difficult ski run.



Here we are at Heavenly in Lake Tahoe. We took these pictures while riding the lift to this slope. We spent my 38th birthday here and skied for 4 days. The views were absolutely breathtaking. On the last day of skiing after finishing one of our runs and getting ready to hop on the lift again we happened to spot a bear and her cubs sitting under a tree just a few yards away from the lift. This was a reminder to us that we are really in the wild when we are on the mountain.

This next year will be a landmark year for me. I am going to be 40. This is hard for me to believe because I certainly don't feel my age. So as I sit here in the heat I daydream about which mountain I will conquer when I am 40. Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort in Whistler BC, Canada is looking like my next challenge.

Four Things

Okay here are my answers for the Four Things About Me meme. I was tagged by Rebecca at Socks-For-Mum.

4 Jobs I Have Had

1. Model
2. Photographer
3. Legal Assistant
4. Medical Assistant

4 Movies I would watch over & over

1. Top Gun
2. Pretty Woman
3. How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days
4. Hope Floats

4 Places I have lived

1. Brussels, Belgium
2. Virginia
3. Oregon
4. Yet to be known

4 TV shows I watch

1. Knitty Gritty
2. All My Children
3. Desperate Housewives
4. Gray's Anatomy

4 books I love

1. Chronicles of Narnia
2. Left Behind Series
3. The Bible
4. All of Frank Peretti's books

4 places I have been on vacation

1. Paris, France
2. Houston, Texas
3. Las Vegas, Nevada
4. Lake Tahoe (Heavenly Ski Resort)

4 of my favorite foods

1. Anything Mexican
2. Mongolian Beef
3. Fried Chicken
4. Chicken Fettucini Alfredo

4 places I would like to be at right now

1. The Cook Islands
2. The Spa
3. Hawaii
4. Disneyland

Okay, if you just read this then consider yourself tagged. Tell us about your 4 things!

A New Friend

I would like to introduce you to Tammie, one of my newest friends. Tammie and I met on the Yahoo KKEXnMORE group. Tammie lives in Australia and does some amazing work. We recently did a trade for one of her handmade items for some worsted weight yarn. Here is what she made for me.
Tammie crochets these necklaces. Yes I said crochet....isn't it amazing! She is a very talented lady. You can see more of her work on her blog, What My Looms Have Bloomed. She also loom knits.

Yarn Miser

I have decided that I am a yarn miser. I was recently going through my stash looking for yarn to part with for a yarn swap and I came across this skein of yarn......now wait a second am I sure this is a skein of yarn or is it tinsel garland for my Christmas tree? Yes it is a skein of No Boundries yarn from Walmart and the name of it is Cher! I don't know what possessed me to buy this yarn but something in me just won't let it go. Why is that? Anyway, I continued looking through my stash looking for yarn to swap and I am having a heck of a time trying to part with any of my yarn. Its not that my stash is so small that if I trade some of it it will really make a difference.(yes I said trade.....so I will end up with the same amount of yarn I started with). And its not like I can't afford to go out and replace what I give away.

So what is the big deal. You would think I was being asked to give away my first born child. I mean come on, what in the heck am I ever going to use this skein of yarn for? If I try to make a scarf out of it everyone will think I have lost my mind. Picture me in a green sweater wearing the scarf around my neck and a pair of those jingle bell earrings and christmas bulb necklace on. The kids in the neighborhood will be whispering to their moms...."Mom, why is that lady decorating herself like a Christmas tree?"

So that is why I have decided that I am a yarn miser. Please tell me that I am not alone. I really am beginning to think I have a sickness.

Today's Daily Fiber

Today's daily fiber is a fiber of a different sort. I know I usually post about knitting a crocheting, but I have been working on this fleece blanket for my great niece. My nephew and his 8 month old daughter are staying with us for a few weeks and all she had were small receiving blankets to sleep with. I just happened to have all this fleece laying around and I thought this would be a great project to use it up. The other side of the blanket will have fringe where all the seams are when it is finished. I will take pics of the finished blanket and post them at a later time.

Lookout Hollywood!

This is my version of the "Boy Beanie" from the SNB Happy Hooker Crochet book. I was trying to copy the cap that Britney Murphy is wearing in the Paul Okenfold video Faster Kill Pussycat.I love how this hat turned out and so does my daughter. As soon as I had it finished she had it on her head and won't take it off. I guess I will have to make one of these for myself. I used Lion Brand Micro Spun and Berroco Crystal FX, one strand of each held together.

In honor of July's Project Spectrum

Here are some of the flowers in my yard. I love the color purple, so I was really excited that it was July's color spectrum.



The photo to the left and below are of my hydrangias.

These are my purple verbina.
They make a great ground cover.

Aquamarine

I have been working on projects that can be completed quickly lately. I made this scarf on the red Knifty Knitter loom with the simple E-wrap and then added fringe to each end.


Willow thought she would get into the photo shoot too. She is such a great model and easy to work with.

Trial run of the boy beanie

This was a trial run of the Boy Beanie. I made it with Lily cotton yarn and instead of changing colors to make the stripes, I just continued with the pattern using the same color/yarn. This yarn is not as stretchy at an acrylic yarn so when I tried it on it was a little short. I think I am going to add a couple more rows of the single crochet.

Now the real challenge is to make it with some black sparkley yarn and I have just the yarn in mind........Katia Gatsby Yarn in black and silver held together with a worsted weight or chenille yarn.

One Skein, Two Skeins and More

I received a package in the mail today from my One Skein Secret Pal. Not only did she send me one skein of yarn, she sent two! The skein on the right is actually navy blue. They are 100% Baby Alpaca and let me tell you they are soooooo soft. She also sent a pack of tea as an added bonus! I don't know what I am going to make with this yarn yet......might just keep it beside me to admire and play with since it is sooooooo soft. Did I tell you how soft it is yet?

Anyway, thank you very much secret pal!

Sweetpea Complete

Sweetpea is finished and headed to my niece tomorrow.

I love how this sweater turned out and it was very easy to make. The pattern for this sweater can be found in the Spring 2006 issue of Interweave Crochet. It was made with Caron Simply Soft in the color Orchid.

I wish I could be there when my niece tries this on. My niece is 3 years old and she is totally a girly girl. She loves really frilly things and loves the colors pink and purple. I am sure that once she tries this on it will be all my sister can do to get it off of her.

My daughters are headed out in the morning to visit my side of the family in Houston. It has been 2 years since they have seen their grandparents and aunt and uncle. So tomorrow I get to look forward to driving for 3 hours to get to the airport. After my girls take off I plan to try to check out a couple of yarn shops in Portland before I head back on the road for another 3 hour drive back home.

I am looking forward to having nearly 2 weeks of peace and solitude and getting a break from being a taxi driver. I plan to work on some projects while my girls are gone.

Speaking of projects......the socks I started for KWC and I am supposed to have finished by the 9th, well lets just say that they are still in the same spot I left them a couple of weeks ago. So I guess that makes the score: Socks 10, Teri 1 or something like that.

On another note, this month's color is purple, which happens to be my favorite color. I have a lot of yarn in shades of purple so I have been trying to decide what to make in honor of this months color. I guess you could say that Sweetpea is my first project spectrum for this month.

I Love My Independence!

Have a safe 4th of July
Enjoy the fireworks!

Unwanted visitor

If you don't like reptiles, you won't want to read this post.

We had an unwanted visitor this afternoon. My daughter called me to the backyard to see what our cat was playing with. I was beckoned with, "Mom, come see what the cat is playing with.......it is HUGE!" I knew instantly what she was all excited about because we have had these in our backyard before. They are actually quite harmless even though they look terrifying if you don't like reptiles. I personally don't mind these creatures as long as I know they are there.

Okay if you have stuck around this long then you must not be too concerned about what I am about to post. So here it is.....we had a Kingsnake pay us a visit this afternoon and my cat, Willow, was in kitty vs. reptile heaven.

The Kingsnake is harmless and infact got its name because they are the king of snakes. Why are they the king of snakes?......Well it is because they actually will eat other snakes, and is most famous for eating rattlesnakes, copperheads and coral snakes. Since we live on the fringe of the forrest and actually do have rattlesnakes in the hills around us, I am quite happy to have these snakes around, just not in my backyard.

Here is a picture for your viewing pleasure.


Since my hubby despises snakes very much and doesn't care what their purpose is whether good or bad, he killed the snake. So for all of you that hate snakes, there is one less snake in this world.

5th Anniversary

We spent the weekend at the Oregon Coast to celebrate our 5th anniversary. We stayed at the Marina RV Resort at Winchester Bay. It was absolutely beautiful over there this weekend with temperatures in the 80's. The ocean was such a pretty color of blue/green. I don't think I have ever been over to the coast and seen it this color. This is the same beach we were married on 5 years ago.



It's hard to take pictures of ourselves without the kids around so we just held the camera out and took some pictures. This is the best one out of all the ones we took.



We went beachcombing and there were tons of jellyfish on the beach. The down side of this trip is that it had to come to an end. We arrived home to temps in the high 90's.

First Day of Summer Luau

My youngest daughter had a Luau on Wednesday to celebrate the first day of summer and graduating 6th grade. We bar-b-qued hotdogs and pineapple rings and served baked beans, jello, watermelon and chips and for the beverage they had hawiian punch mixed with 7-up. The kids all had a great time playing the limbo game, 3 legged race and hula hoop contest. This was a lot of fun and it really put me in the mood for summer activities.