I've moved!!

I've decided to move my blog.

I hope you'll come visit me!

www.sharkypurl.com

Thanks again, SP10!!

Here's a picture of all the goodies my super-fantastic SP10 sent me! Thanks again...I love everything!

I couldn't wait to play with that fancy roving...so look what I did tonight...80 yards of silky love!

Thanks again!!!!

I'm alive...but my old laptop isn't

Yes, it's been awhile. Things have been busy and in the middle of it, my laptop decided that it no longer wanted to take a charge from the power cable. Good news...the fellows I work with bought me a brand new MacBook. I love this little sucker.

I have lots to share...but no pictures. I lost the sync cord for my phone and need to buy some batteries for my camera.

Let's see...what's happened over the last few weeks...

- I turned down a pretty great job offer.
- I've been working on final touches on our summer cottage which is hitting the market this week. (anyone looking for a nice house on a lake in northern Illinois?)
- Moved my hang out room from the second floor "creepy room" to the basement. It's nice and cool down there for the summer.
- and a TON of other stuff too...

My mom and I went on a field trip this past Saturday to The Fold in Marengo, Illinois. It's about 90 minutes west of the city...in the country. Mom was totally overwhelmed with the selection of yarn (biggest collection of sock yarn ever!), roving, etc. She picked up some fantastic sock yarn and some dyeing supplies for my sister. I bought some sock yarn for my Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap partner...a beautiful skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Boucle for a shawl, and a cool roving kit "Blue Moon Western Luxury Collection." It's going to be fun!!

We had a nice lunch in downtown Woodstock and then stopped at an antique mall before heading back. It was a great day.

Know what made the day even better?! When I got home there was a package for me from SP10!! This crazy woman sent me some super kick-ass stuff!! A book called "The Knitters Bible Knited Accessories" (which I've never seen and LOVE), a hilarious bumble bee tape measure (pull the stinger to measure!), size 6 bamboo dpns, and yarn...lots of yarn! A gorgeous skein of Socks that Rock in Rare Gem colorway --- all my favorite deep jewel tones! A skein of pretty purpley/pinkish yarn from Mama Llama called Vino. 4 skeins of Wool of the Ande --- 2 in Chocolate and 2 in Asparagus...maybe not two items you would eat together - but the color combination is great! She also sent me some beautifully dyed roving --- I'm not sure what kind of fiber...maybe some kind of wool, the hair is really long. (oh ya, and a third skein of Lorna's Laces for the knee sock pattern she sent me earlier!)

I'm such a lucky girl...I have so much stuff to keep me busy!!! Thank you, Thank you, dear SP10!!!

I'm off to meet my sister and brook for a little knit night...I hope to post pictures of my goodies soon!!

Oh Yaaa, Fargo

My trip to Fargo on Tuesday was a flop. The day started off with our flight being cancelled. The airline said it was mechanical issues...I'm sure it's because the flight wasn't full. So, we waiting a few hours at O'Hare to board the next tiny plane to North Dakota.

I travelled with two fellas I work with. Good news...nobody ended up in a woodchipper!

After our meeting, we our flight was delayed a couple hours. So, let me tell you, I know the Fargo airport pretty well --- all 4 gates of it!

Here's a view from the airport. The view was pretty much the same from all directions --- flat, green, and not many trees.

I did start on a sock on the way home. It's coming along nicely and will be my daily travel project on the train to work.

Ravelry --- it's really cool!

Got my invitation to the beta version of Ravelry. I got to say...it's pretty cool.

It's an amazing tool to keep track of your stash, tools, current projects and past projects. The search tools are cool...want to know what your sock would look like in another yarn? Do a search and see a couple hundred finished Jaywalkers!

I'm tired...so this probably doesn't make much sense.

I have to get up early tomorrow for a field trip to Fargo, North Dakota. No sleep over...just flying in for a meeting and then heading home.

Double Tagged!

I've been tagged by Beth and Marly to share Seven Random Facts about myself.

According to the rules, I'm supposed to tag other people...but I welcome anyone reading this to share their random facts on their blog (just let me know so I can come read it).

If you don't have a blog, feel free to share a fact or two in the comment section!

1. I always have an extra leash in my car for when I see dogs running around by themselves. You might be surprised (or not) that I see a lot of pooches running around Chicago and my town --- it freaks me out. I'm always afraid I will see one get hit by a car... I don't even want to think about it.
2. I have a low tolerance for bad manners.
3. My hair hasn't been past my shoulders since 4th grade. I like to have my hair in the shortest bob possible...it feels weird when I can feel hair on the back of my neck. I actually shaved my head before I graduated from college --- boy was my mom pissed. I always wanted to do it and figured it was the last chance before I got a "real job."
4. My family moved around quite a bit when I was growing up. Between kindergarten and 12th grade I attended seven schools. I made my Sacrament of Reconciliation twice (raised Catholic) but never studied the 50 state capitals.
5. I'm very uncoordinated. It's not unusual for me to suddenly fall down while walking down the street. The most embarrassing time was crossing Michigan Avenue in the heart of a major shopping district in Chicago during lunchtime. It was crowded and I just fell in the middle of the street. Of course, I wasn't hurt...I just picked up my bag and kept walking like nothing happened.
6. I debuted my line of edgy handmade greeting cards at the 2003 National Stationary Show in NYC. It was almost sold to a major greeting card company...They just didn't have the vision.
7. In 5th grade, I participated in an exchange student program and lived with a family in a suburb of Paris. I still can't believe my parents let me go! I studied french during Junior High but switched to Spanish in high school. On my recent trip to Mexico, I kept mixing up French, Spanish, and even a couple Polish words.

What I'm Knitting...when I actually knit

My lady-friends were over last night for Knit Night. I felt like I had the energy drained out of me --- could have been from my shitty day at work or the warm temperatures last night. Either way, I wasn't filled with the usual amount of energy --- even after Kathy brought me the World's Largest Big Gulp of Coke from 7-11!

I have two projects going on right now. One is a super-cute baby vest for Erin's babe, Jack. I didn't want Erin to see it until it was completed...but I couldn't help myself last night and showed her the progress. I was really hoping to be able to give her a finished project last night...but it's hard to finish a project when you keep leaving the pattern in different places!

I'm also working on this purple Leaf Lace Shawl - pattern by Fiber Trends. The yarn is stuff that I've been spinning --- an alpaca blend. The color is much prettier that this picture...not so grey and drab looking.


This is my first shawl project, and it's a lot easier than I thought it would be. I can see how these can be addicting.

(hmmm, do you think I need a new digital camera? these pictures are awful!)

Are You Kidding Me?!

Doesn't this look like something those funny girls from You Knit What would just love?

I received this in an email --- the subject was "I've always wanted to learn to knit!"

I want to meet the person that came up with this idea...it's really funny and creepy.

HSKS - Trivia Questions

1. Who isn't or hasn't been a Quidditch captain?
Answer: Cho Chang

2. Who are the Gryffindor chasers?
Answer: Alicia, Angelina, and Katie

3. Who are the Slytherin beaters?
Answer: Crabbe and Goyle

4. What type of broom isn't made anymore?
Answer: Silver Arrow

5. The Slytherin team all ride the same broom, what is it?
Answer: Nimbus 2001

6. Which of these is not a Quidditch team?
Answer: Tudshill Tornados

7. Who is Head of Hufflepuff House?
Answer: Professor Sprout

8. Which Hufflepuff student is reported to have been one of the only peple to have ever given Hufflepuff success?
Answer: Cedric Diggory

9. In Book 1 who was the first Hufflepuff student to be sorted?
Answer: Hannah Abbott

10. What is the emblem of Hufflepuff House?
Answer: Badger

Image Hunt:Picture of Harry, Ron, and Hermione together; Hagrid; Buckbeak; Sirius Black; Uncle Vernon

Flashing My Sock Stash

I've mentioned before that I don't have a large stash...but then I saw the container I use to house my sock yarn --- there's enough to make 13 pairs of socks! That seems like a lot to me.
I promised Shannon pictures...

My goal is to not purchase any more sock yarn until I have room in this container. The pop can is there for scale. It's not a large container...more of an oversized shoe box.

Good Old Brew Town...

I totally want to go this year...and can't believe it's not in Chicago again. What's up with that?

I mean, really, how many times a year do The White Sox sell out a game? There always seem to be available seats...Comisky is pretty darn big -- oh wait, sorry Brooke, I mean US Cellular Field.

Anyway, the closest place seems to be in Milwaukee on July 31 --- it sounds like fun! Anyone else want to go?

LOST!!!

Breaking news tonight, folks! LOST (my favorite tv show) will be ending...in three years.

Okay, so it's not breaking news...but seriously, how much longer could this show go on? At least it's not getting ripped off the air the way Twin Peaks was...and we all remember how that ended? That's right, David Lynch killed EVERYONE. No chance for that show to come back...unless it was a reunion in hell.

Good news! Shannon, aka Midnight 2 Sticks, and I figured out our audio issues on the SSK Podcast. If you were totally annoyed by our poor audio quality...give us another listen. You can even find us in iTunes!

Don't you hate it when...

Don't you hate it when you are working on a project and you leave the pattern at your mom's house for a couple weeks. Then you make a special trip over there to pick it up (along with your golf clubs)...drive home in rush hour traffic to find you left the book on Mom's table?!

I hate when that happens!!

I'm totally motivated to finish a particular project this week (it's a secret until I give it to a certain someone). I'm having a hard time starting a new knit project until I finish this particular one.

So, what have I been doing instead? Spinning!!

Here's a few hundred yards of sparkley purple alpaca I spun up over the weekend. The picture really don't show how pretty it is. My plan is to knit my very first shawl with it. Now to just decide what pattern...

Happy Anniversary Fly Bird

I had a blast tonight celebrating the third anniversary of my pal Julia's shop --- Fly Bird in Oak Park. Good times and lots of funny people.

I'm super excited about this rad new watch I got...It's a pink camouflage Tokidoki watch. Sure, it's big and bulky...but I totally love it! I can't wait to show it off at work tomorrow :)

Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap Questionnaire

I think registration for the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap closes tomorrow...so there's still time if you want to join! It's going to be fun, fun, fun!!

First Trivia Question
Who are the two people in this conversation: "There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!" "You are quite wrong. Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness."
Answer: Voldemort & Dumbledore

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?
Gryffindor

2. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.
I like working socks on needles size 0 - 2. I'm not fancy about the types of needles I use. Favorite brands/types are:
Metal Knit Picks (most favorite and would love a second set for each size)
Clover

3. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?
I'm always open to trying new things...but I don't like birch needles. (it gives me goosebumps just thinking about them)

5. If your pal decides to send candies or chocolates are there any that you don't like?
Candies...chocolates? I don't think there are ANY I don't like!!

6. What are your favorite scents?
I like citrus scents --- grapefruit, lemon, tangerine. I also really enjoy smells like mango and ginger.

7. Do you have any allergies?
Nope

Thank You Secret Pal 10!!!

I received a wonderful package from my Secret Pal...Check it out!!

A wonderful knee sock pattern with beautiful Lorna's Laces yarn in Argyle colorway. I'm a big fan of argyle socks and can't wait to see how the colors reveal themselves.

I also scored some beautiful roving. It's superwash wool from Ashabee's Creations. I think I'm going to attempt to spin my first sock yarn with it! So super exciting.

Thanks again, Secret Pal for the amazing package...I was great to come home to such a special fiber treat!

Bags to Be Felted

Well, I finished knitting two bags and I can't wait to felt them!

This first one is the same bag my Knit Night pals are working on. I HATE making i-cords, so I just did a twisted yarn handle...I'm thinking they're too short. But that's just the way they'll be, because I think I'm out of yarn. I used Cascade and Noro on size 15 needles for this project

The second bag was made on size 11 needles with Mauch Chucky yarn in the limeade colorway with a beautiful varigated Manos del Uruguay. The bottom of the bag was fun --- working short rows to make the circular bottom.I'm probably going to wait to felt at Brooke's house...she has a top-loading washing machine, which I think is better for the felting process.

ALERT THE PAPERS...
Brooke finished a project before Marie or me! She's already felted her bag...and I'm jealous.

The weather was so beautiful this weekend. On Saturday, I worked in the yard and completely ripped apart and cleaned up a couple of garden beds.

I have also decided that I don't like toe-up socks. I think I didn't start the gusset soon enough and have to do some frogging --- yuck.

Knitted Bags and Ragtime Piano

I have actually been knitting the last few days...and even have a finished project. I finished the handles for the knitted bag I started and completed on vacation. It was a quick knit...and fun because of the color changes in the Noro.

I started a second felted back...it's a bucket bag with a circular base. I stepped out of my color comfort zone and choose a sea foam green and a varigated yarn with reds and blues. It's turning out really pretty --- and it's fun to knit.

I'd share pictures, but I forgot my knitting at home. I've spend the last few days at my parent's house spending time with Grandma A --- my favorite grandma!

Right now, she's napping and I'm sitting in her room listening to Mom play piano downstairs. It's nice to hear...reminds me of when I was little.

It's a beautiful spring day...blue sky and green grass. I'm so glad spring is finally here!

The Last Knit

Funny video...maybe you've seen it. If not, enjoy. Happy Friday!

Finally! Bye-Bye Sanjaya!

I passed out last night before I could watch the results for this week's American Idol --- thank goodness for that DVR feature on my cable box!



Sanjaya has finally been voted off the show.

I kind of thought it was funny that he was getting the votes to move forward --- be it from his fans or Howard Stern's fans. But don't you get the feeling Sanjaya thinks he's a fantastic singer?

I think the other contestants were relived that Sanjaya is gone...he's been like a wild card on the show.

Who's going to win? I think Jordan Sparks...but my favorite is Blake.

Note: Thanks to that damn DVR, I've become addicted to this show for the first time!