Contest Winning!

It turns out that my SP hostess's husband (who was judging the entries) enjoyed my story of searching for the Karabella Breeze yarn in the last contest, and I co-won with Eyevea. In turn I won a lovely skein of Misti Alpaca Lace, which Robin suggested making the Swallow Tail Shawl with, since it apparently is exactly enough. I may just take that suggestion.... after I finish my Shoal Water Shawl, which is going so nicely! Pictures later, I promise!

Shameless Self Promotion.

So for the past 2 weeks, people have been asking me to post pictures of the stitch markers I am selling on Esty to this blog. Since they ask, I decided that I would oblige and post some pictures. These are not all of the stitch markers I have up, and as one of my friends discovered last night, if you ask for additional sets that I may not have on hand, I am more than willing to make more for you. :o) My Etsy shop is located here so you can look around at the other items and full descriptions. Feel free to comment or email me if you have any sort of questions. :o)

SP10 Contest #2

This contest is to tell of the craziest fiber-related quest I've ever been on, going out of my way and spending months searching for a yarn.

It happens that I have the perfect story. While visiting my college during the first spring after I graduated, a friend and I went to check out the LYS that was right down the street. What timing! The woman running the store decided she had had enough but couldn't find a buyer, so she was closing the store and having a sale. My friend and I took this opportunity to buy a few yarns that we otherwise would not buy at full price. Remember, at the time I was only a year out of college and well into year 1 of 15 of being in debt to student loans, so anything over $7 a skein was more than I'd usually pay. I found 5 lovely balls of karabella Breeze, and decided they were destined to come home with me to become something great. Of course, I didn't have a pattern already picked out, so when it came time to actually try to knit with them, I found for almost every pattern I was 1 or 2 skeins short. Drat! I chose the near impossible task of searching high and low for 2 more skeins of this stuff, and hoping that maybe the lots (since I knew I'd never be so lucky to get the same one) wouldn't be too noticably off. Remember, I bought these skeins 3000 miles from home, and only realized I was short after getting home,a dn after the other shop closed.

Ever since April 2006, every yarn store I would go into, the first question would be "do you carry Karabella Breeze?" My LYS conveniently carries every Karrabella yarn out there... except for Breeze. I searched another shop close to me. A shop in Berkeley; no luck there either. One in San Carlos? Nope. How about on vacation in other states? Nope, not there either. One weekend Mr Kiwi and I drove up to Davis to hit up two yarn stores, one of which was established and the other which had just opened. I was hopeful. The new one did not have Karabella (although they had lovely yarns and a beautiful set up) and the established shop had a total of 2 Margarite Bulky, and a Boulce yarn. No Breeze. I was beginning to feel like I was out of luck and may have to figure out some creative way of using my skeins that did not involve a cute top, which I was so hoping for. I had about given up when Christmas time came. The friend I had initially gone with to get the skeins had sent me a gift certificate to an online knitting shop which it turns out she loves. I think it was for $25. I cruise around the online store, and think "I wonder....." I searched, and ho, ho! They carried Karabella Breeze! In my color! No way! My gift certificate was enough to buy the two skeins that I had been searching 8 months for. Rock on! At this point, I didn't even care what the dye lots were. It had been too long searching, and what were the chances that an on line store and an out of business brick adn mortar store would carry the same lot? How big are dye lots anyway? It didn't matter. About a week later, I received my long awaited package. After opening it, I dug out one of the original skeins to see how badly the colors looked and how I was going to alternate skeins to make them blend in and not look too bad. They actually didn't look too bad. Actually, they looked pretty damned exact. I checked their tags, and wouldn't you know it. Both said color 28 (of course) and to my surprise, they were both also Lot 3692.

I like to believe it was luck and that there isn't really no dye lot for this yarn. It's just too cool. And I have plans for those puppies. Oh yes I do. ;o)

Etsy Shop!

My Etsy shop is open! As I make more designs, they will appear in the shop with or without announcement. I am very excited that these cool stitch markers that I have designed are popping up in my store, and that people are taking interest in them. I still have way more stitch markers that I am going to design and already have the materials for, and yet I am already thinking up the designs for the next round. :o)

And the link for the shop is in the side bar to the right. Also, if you happen to be snooping from SP10, I do give free shipping. :o)

Nature Update

The pigeons that had hatched on my balcony are getting big. I haven't seen them fly yet, but I have noticed the mother leaving them for longer and long periods without sitting on them. She is mostly nearby though so a watchful eye is always there. I think it si really cool that they are there and that I have seen them from hatching to growing feathers, but I am ready to get my balcony back. I am looking forward to seeing them fly off and making their own nests elsewhere so that I can reorganize, sweep off the poo, and have beautiful plants growing again.
Here is what they look like as of yesterday. Looks like they have finally grown into their eye balls.

Secret Pal Gift

Yesterday on my way home, I was thinking about my Secret Pal. As is my usual routine, I checked the mail before going inside, and look at that! I had a package from my Secret Pal! How exciting! It was a very nice package, which included a pack of cute knitting note cards, a washcloth, and a note. The washcloth was apparently my Pal's first attempt at entrelac, and it was a darn good job at that! The colors are very nice and my Pal did a very good job. I finally got a chance to take pictures of everything today.

Here is a picture of the washcloth and cards:


Close up of the beautiful entrelac:


Thank you, Pal!!! :o)