Packages On Parade

Whoa...yesterday was the Package Parade! I got all but one of the packages I was waiting for. Woo-hoo!

I know it's Friday, and I do have an FO, so I'll give pics and be quick....

1. The Knit Picks order that our group made....lots of GREAT stuff!



(this is minus my own yarn, which is being used for secret things...)

2. The awesome, luxury fiber from Peculiar Ambitions, which is a blend of angora, cashmere, alpaca, and merino.....(droool)...how can you get anything better than that? Wonderful Cayli recommended this fiber store to me. Thanks, Cayli!



3. Finally used the gc that Ian got me for Valentine's Day and got this yarn for my Wicked Sweater from Dream Weaver Yarns. It's Berroco's Soft Twist and I got it on sale for only $3.96 a skein!!! I wanted the gray color only (but they only had 2 more of those and I can't possibly cover my bosom with 2 skeins of yarn), but I had to get the blue...it's still pretty nice.



4. I had some money left over from the sweater yarn, so I got these two balls of Berroco Boho, which was also on sale. (I got 11 skeins of yarn total for $50! Pretty sweet!) This yarn is a mixture of ribbon and tubular yarns that stripe, so it should be cool. Not sure what I'll do with it yet, though.



5. This didn't actually come in the mail, but I got these two delicious smelling bars of "Brownie Batter" soap (the newest scents) from Ericka of Armed with Pointy Sticks and her Down to Hearth line of soaps. One is for ME and the other for my sis, Kim. Yummy!



6. On Wednesday night knitting group, a new lady and her friend showed up. The lady, Faye, was actually trying to GIVE AWAY her spinning fiber for FREEE! (Ericka and I looked at each other and were like, "I WANT IT!". Chris went out to Faye's car to get the bag o' fiber for us to fight over...luckily, everything was nice, so it wasn't hard to share. We even saved the third ball of fiber for Heather, though if she hadn't come, I think there might have been a wresting match over it....LOL...only joking....I have SO much fiber that I could build my own house of it and Ericka just started, so I was more than happy to give her first choice. I love the one I got, though....a pale gray Border Leicester wool. It'll be scratchy, but I might make some heavy duty mittens with them or ply them with something softer. Thanks, Faye!!!



7. This is the progress I've made on two of my OTN projects. One, the Tote'M bag:



and, two, the Sweater Sampler:



(Did you see the side placket with button? Very cool and fun to make!)

8. The new book by Barbera Albright, called "The Natural Knitter". Not only does this book have GREAT information on picking and knitting with natural fibers, but there is also some information on spinning, carding, and dyeing yarn. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and I can't stop looking at this book. It's worth every penny!



(like the sheets on my bed?)

9. Finally, a very small sneak peek of the FO OPYF design pattern that I finished and took pics of today. I don't want to show too much or anything, but here is a hint....



Will be working on the new podcast this weekend and hope to get it out next week. Hope you all have a super weekend with lots of knitting and FUN!

G : )

Fun on Thursday.....

To counteract my blog from yesterday, I have a happy blog for today.

On Thursday, Ian took the day off and we all went to the Burlington Mall in Burlington, MA. Primarily, we went to go to the Lego store and the Rainforest Cafe. The kids were SUPER excited. The last time Tim was at the Rainforest Cafe was 10 years ago when we all went to DisneyWorld.

The trip wasn't too bad...a little less than an hour and the mall (though under construction), wasn't very crowded since it was a weekday. We made a bee line for the Lego Store and it didn't disappoint us. It was SOO cool! I've loved Legos since I was a little girl and Ian saved his gi-normous lego collection from when he was a kid, so Ben and Tim have almost as many legos as the store has!

The set up of the store is interesting....on the left side, a wall of the "older" kids sets and the on the right, the Duplo sets for the little guys/gals. On the very back wall is a "pick your own" section (from ceiling to floor)....kind of like the Jelly Belly jellybeans set up....where you can pick the color and type of bricks you want in any number. A small container (about the size of a cottage cheese tub) is $6.95 and the larger ones (like a quart container that big yogurt comes in) for $12.95. I forgot to bring my camera and only had my phone, so I have no pics to show right now...though once I download the camera pics, I'll add them in.

(UPDATE: Here it is!)



Did I mention that there are at least 3 little tables with legos that kids (or adults) can build on and play with? Ben loved that!

There was also a section of non-sets of stuff you could buy: lego watches, timers, salt and pepper shakers, magnets, keychains, board games, card games and ice cube trays. I grabbed one of the ice cube trays and filled it up immediately after I got home.....look closely in my glass to see them....neat, huh?



This is a close up....



Here are the sets that we got from the Lego Store....

1. Ben got a ExoForce kit...



2. Tim got a new Bionicle creature....



3. And, yes, I got something, too...one of the Bellville "girly" sets...(yes, I regressed to age 10)



On a knitting note, Ian's grandma (the one who weaves gorgeous weaverly things) wore out the pair of slippers I made her 3 years ago and I made her another pair. If anyone is awesome enough to wear something I've knitted until it's worn out, that person is TOTALLY knit worthy. Here are the slippers from the Knit Knack Kit by Kris Perceival....a book that I like for the easy and attractive patterns, but has one tiny problem...it gives no gauge at all for any of the projects.

As you can see, I also added the crocheted flowers that Marion had made for her daughters' wedding and passed on to us (along with yummy jellybeans!)...



The slippers may look very strange and "kooky", but they are extremely comfortable, so quick to knit and fun to make. I made both in one day using Lamb's Pride bulky in Periwinkle.

Also, for a mini change to cheer myself up (the Spunky Everyday Cardi is not on the back burner...just on hold till Monday), I decided to start reading the book, The Sweater Workshop by Jacqueline Fee, also a member of the NETA group.

Donna let me buy the book from her stash (thanks, Donna!) and I can't believe how fun it is. It's not only informative and has great ideas, but it's a great read...it's like talking to a knitting friend! The first section of the book is how to make a "Sweater Sampler", which lets you make a sweater-like thing (see how intellectual I am??) while trying out all of the techniques you need when designing your own sweater.....the usual stuff like ss, garter, ribbing....but then going on to making button holes, belts, adding lace, hems, an afterthought pocket and even stitching in your initials when you're done. I'm having a blast so far and I'm only a couple techniques in.....here I am just finishing the 1x1 ribbing....



I have to show you the book itself...you know why?...it has teeny, tiny mini-skeins of Opal that Donna brought over laying on top of it. I tried to sneak one, but Donna and her hawk-like eyes caught me. Darn it! Aren't that adorable???



And, finally, I took pics of Ericka's Down to Hearth soaps. They are even better in person....I wish there was such a thing as "smellivsion" ! She generously donated them to the Sleepy Eyes Knits podcast theme song contest. Woo-hoo! Thanks, Ericka!

So, remember, send me a few lines of your song or even send me a .mp3 or such singing it. I already have an entry that is FANTASTIC!!! Deadline in week and a half...so send them in! Someone will win yarn, soap and other goodies!

P.S. Here is blogless Amanda wearing all of her recently knitting FOs.....Hat using yarn that Donna gifted her....Fetching mitts from yarn I gifted her and her beautiful rose colored shrug....sorry this pic is so dark and blurry...it was from my camera phone.



Many, many hugs and thanks to everyone who commented on my blog yesterday. I can't tell you how much it meant to me to have so many of you being so supportive and understanding. You're all WONDERFUL!!!!

Podcast 9: I Heart Knitting Group

Hey Sweet and Sassy Knitters!

Another belated episode from yours truly. Hope you enjoy it! I'm adding links and a handful pics. For the next podcast, my 10th!!!!, please help me to write a mini theme song for my podcast and email me: gina@YogaGardenNH.com. The top 5 entries get put in another drawing for a FANTASTIC prize or prizes!!! (If you have an item or items you want to donate, please email me as well. I'd appreciate it!! If you donate, I will add you to my Super Silver Donator List....will add your name and blog, if you have one, to the podcast.)

Theme Song: Can be funny, serious, rhymning or not...be creative... but should sum up the "essence" of my podcast. ( If you record it in .mp3 form, you can send it to me and I'll put it on the podcast no matter if you win or not. Please include the words if you record it.) Should be short....about a minute or two at most.

Thank you and hope you enjoy the podcast!!!

Happy Knitting and Many hugs, Gina aka Sleepy Eyes : )


SPONSOR LINKS: (see right)

MUSIC:

Podshow Podsafe Musick Network

Love=Action with "Everyone's in this Together"

Mossback with "Annalisa"


PICS:

1. My second handspun sock



2. Wearing both socks



3. Down to Hearth soap (my Creamsicle scent) handmade by Ericka. (This pic shows the old packaging...the pics of new soaps in the muslin bags will be posted as soon as I can...)



Unrelated-to-podcast PICS:

1. Ben wearing his snowshoes...



2. Tim wearing his snowshoes....



3. Tim and Ben snowshoeing around the pool....




LINKS:

ManchVegas Knitters

Spunky Ecletic...home of Amy King's gorgeous creations

Julie of Noolie Knits

Heather of Yarnophiliac

My NETA Spa Trip blog entry

Gauge Lesson Shell from Knit Picks using the Twist yarn.


(*Remember to click on the link at the right under "Podcast" to download the newest episode!*)

Bye!!!!!