I'm HERE!!!

I have had sooo many problems tryin to log into my blog lately!! Every time I try to access blogger ... it wigs out on me ... and tries to open like a million and a half windows ... with a new one continually popping up! I end up having to open my task manager and close blogger .. or it will just keep goin and goin ... sorta like the Energizer Bunny, I guess ... but it REALLY SUCKS!!!

I'm amazed that I got in today ... but really glad ... cuz (obviously) I haven't been posting like I should for Secret Pal 11. So ... I definitely wanna let my Pal know that I am here ... just been unable to post for a while ... :(

Just a quick thought that I read recently in Debbie Macomber's "Knit Together: Discover God's Plan for Your Life:"
"Positive thinking won't let you do anything, but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking will." - Zig Ziglar

Hope to update on my knitting soon ... but gotta get back to work! :(

To My Secret Pal ...

I got home yesterday and found a package waiting for me!! Looked at the return address ... YEAH!!! From my Secret Pal!!

I opened it and ... OH MY GOSH!!!

I was so surprised to see the wollmeise!!! It's GORGEOUS!! In shades of purples and teals and blues and black ... Can't wait to try it!!!!

Also included was yarn for another pair of socks (Regia in a mauve color) too!!! YEAH!!

Can never have too many tape measures ... And the beautiful vintage one you sent ... I'm gonna make sure I never lose it!!

I'm not sure if I'll try the dpns ... I'm very much in love with my circs ... but I will "pay them forward" to someone most definitely ... I hope that doesn't offend you ...

And the pattern ... I'd never seen that one before! LOVE IT! It will be on my list of to-dos ...

Thanks you so much for being a wonderful Secret Pal!! And hope things are doing well for you!!

WOW!!!

I hadn't realized it had ben so long since I'd last posted!!! I've had so much going on ...

Work has been busy ... but that's been a good thing for the most part ... One of the technicians has been on maternity leave ... so I've been filling in ... doing her Food Stamp and Medicaid interviews and cases ... I soo miss being a technician! I hope that a position will come open soon ...

My mom has been in the hospital since Friday ... and she doesn't seem to be doing much better ... I'm really stressed about that right now ...

I've gotten some more done on my Waving Lace socks, and am almost ready to start the heels on a pair of Rococo socks for my mom ...

I just want to say "hi" to my unknown Secret Pal ... hope things are going well for you ...

SP 11 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I mostly knit socks ... so sock yarn! Normally a wool/nylon combination ...

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I usually have a pair of socks on all my needles ... so they don't really get stored away ... lol ...

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I would consider myself and intermediate-advanced knitter ... I've been seriously knitting for about 3-4 years now, I think ... and am mostly self-taught.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? not yet ... but if I get one I will let you know ...

5. What's your favorite scent? I love vanilla and spicy scents ... don't care so much for floral or fruity scents ...

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? not really big on candy ... but I do like Almond Joys and Nut Goodies ...

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? Right now knitting is my one and only passion ... and I have a drop spindle, but it really hasn't caught my attention too much ...

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) My computer can play MP3s ... I love all sorts of music ... from classic country (which I particularly love!) to reggaeton ...

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? LOVE purple!!! don't really care for yellows and greens ...

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I am a single mother to two children ... we have cats ...

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Nope ... don't wear any of these ...

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? SOCKS!!!

13. What are you knitting right now? several pairs of SOCKS!!!

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? I am happy with whatever I receive ...

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I use addi turbo circulars ... mostly 40- to 47-inch since I do my socks magic loop, two at a time ...

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? I have a ball winder but no swift ...

17. How old is your oldest UFO? maybe a year???

18. What is your favorite holiday? I guess I really don't have a favorite holiday ... sometimes they make me sad, even though I shouldn't be ...

19. Is there anything that you collect? I collect monkeys and sheep ...

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I have a subscription to Interweave Knits ... I would love to try some Sea Wool and Wollmeise (not sure I spelled that right) ... there are others ... and I will add them or let you know when I think of others ...

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I would like to do some fair-isle knitting someday ...

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Sock Knitter for Life! lol ...

23. When is your birthday? April 13, 1976

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? Not yet! But hopefully soon!!!

Crossroads

I have some decisions to make ... and none of them are going to be easy ... Please keep me in your prayers ...

I've actually been able to knit some ... for a while there I couldn't even do that ... Have just a couple more rows to knit on my second pair of Monkey socks ... Will post a pic when I can ... I was gonna keep this pair for myself ... but think I'm going to give them to my friend Samantha instead ...

The whole last year of my life has been so up and down ... I've lost a part of me ... a big part of my heart ... and I don't smile like I used to ... When you're on top of the world, so happy ... then you're knocked down ... Up and down, over and over ... you sorta forget to smile ... or laugh ... cuz it hurts to much to trust and try again ...

Quick Update

I finished my socks ... but the pic I took of them is not that great ... Then, to make matters worse ... the first time I wore them ... I left them on the couch when I went to bed ... When I work up the next morning ... one of the socks was gone! The cats must have taken off with it!!!! And I still haven't seen anything of it ... :( Don't even want to think about that ...

Anyhow ... I'm working on a pair of socks in the Monkey pattern. I'm doing mine toe-up on one circ, two at a time ... I'm really liking doing my socks like this!

I always started a blog for a knit-along for these socks. If you're interested, you can join here. Just leave a comment with your e-mail address, and I'll send an invite out to you as soon as I can ...

A New Year ...

Well ... it's a new year ... Huh ... Doesn't feel much different than the last one ... LOL ...

Anyhow ... I've been trying to do some more knitting ... but it's still been sorta rough ... have to force myself to knit sometimes ... I do have a pair of socks almost finished though ... And they're FOR ME!!!

Working on them has taken me through a lot these last couple months ... The death of one of my best friends in the world ... the end of a relationship that I thought was gonna last ...

And as I'm working down the foot towards the toes ... I'm doing a lot of thinking ... looking inside ... finding myself again ...

Cuz somewhere in the last six months or so especially ... I lost a big part of myself ... I won't go into this too much right now ... but slowly ... I'm trying to find that piece of my heart again ... the stronger person that I once was ...

I hope to get pics of the socks up as soon as I get them finished ... And then I plan to start another pair for me ... and also another pair for my son ... he hasn't had a pair for quite a while ... He outgrew his last ones ... and I'm sure these won't fit him for too long either ... LOL ... But as soon as I find a shade of blue that he can be content with ... I'll begin his socks that won't fit him long enough to be worn out ...