You can find my writing today at the EcoEtsy blog where I have a post up all about clover and eco-friendly lawn care. Fitting for St. Patty’s Day, don’t ya think?

In real life I’m hanging out with my 2 little Irish lasses, at least one of whom is sporting a new shamrock hair clip. I may be doing a little Irish jig in my living room and will certainly be wishing my grandma were still around to cook me a dinner of leg of lamb with mint sauce. I’ll likely drink a little Irish whiskey in honor of my grandpa.

Sláinte!

Even sesame got into the harvest spirit and sampled several apples. She isn’t a big fan of them at home but food is often more exciting when we’re someplace new.

Look! It’s her ruffly striped cardigan I knitted at the beginning of the year. It’s still a little big but totally wearable if I roll up the sleeves. Every time I pick her up I just want to squeeze her and never put her down because it’s so soft.

Crafty Wonderland was fun and successful. Check out all these coffee sleeves I made for the show! I don’t have nearly this many left over so it was a good day.

Now that the show is over, I’ve been working on my knitting projects. Mike’s sweater still looks like a giant mound of yarn but there really is a nearly completed cardigan in there! I knit this adorable sweater for the baby toddler but it’s not quite done so I’ll wait to show you the whole thing.

The Hemlock Ring Blanket is coming along nicely, no thanks to a big mistake and the ripping back of 9, yes 9, rows. I was quite cranky for a good hour following that event but I’m over it and I’m almost back to where I was pre-ripping. It still looks like a ball of mush in a photo. I also started a sweater for Mike but the stockinette sleeve of a man’s sweater is pretty boring in a picture too. I’ll show it off when it gets a little more interesting.

Woolies tagged me for a meme. I don’t do these very often but here goes:

4 JOBS
Nature Day Camp Director (super fun!!), Guide Dog trainer in training (the total opposite of fun), Biology Lab Instructor,Naturalist for an outdoor school
FAVORITE MOVIES …
I’m not really a movie person and I rarely watch a movie more than once, even if I really like it. I don’t think I have 4 favorites.
4 PLACES I’VE BEEN..
El Salvador, Japan, Europe (I know it’s not really one place), Guatemala
4 PLACES I’VE LIVED…
Portland, Placerville, CA, Napa, CA and Sevilla, Spain
4 FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOWS…
Six Feet Under, House, Project Runway, The Gilmore Girls
4 FAVORITE RADIO PROGRAMS …
I’m an NPR junkie and that’s pretty much all I listen to. I love This American Life and Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me the most although you can’t go wrong with Morning Edition or All Things Considered. Oh, and I love Science Friday on Talk of the Nation too. That’s 5, isn’t it? I’m not good at staying in the lines.
4 FAVORITE FOODS…
Apple pie but only if it’s homemade, curry with rice, veggies and tofu, pesto made with basil from my garden and homemade ice cream. Of course, not all at once. Well, actually, apple pie ice cream is pretty darn good.
4PLACES I’D RATHER BE….
I’m really happy where I am, physically and emotionally. I really wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. Of course, a vacation would always be welcome but I’m not one to just sit on a beach somewhere.

For making it this far, I’ll leave you with a picture of my succulant that is finally flowering after 2 years. It makes me happy.

Whatever, I fixed them and they’re downloadable again. Hooray!

Valentines are here‘ and the tank chart is here

Scary! I turned in my application yesterday! All the paper cutting was just a diversion from writing my personal statement and getting all my forms filled out. That’s how I spent my Valentine’s evening. Mike made me a fabulous cake from scratch and that kept the evening from being a disaster.

There is a small strike against me in that the professor I really want to work might decide to not accept any new students so now I have to just wait and see what happens.

Now that that’s done (whew!) I have some knitting to show but they’re quick and easy baby knits and my model is asleep now. Pictures will have to wait until tomorrow.

I finished knitting a cute stripey soaker for little sesame using this pattern but I haven’t gotten her to hold still for a photo yet.

I could show you what I put in my shop today but it already sold!

So this will be boring and not have a picture.

I haven’t touched knitting needles in over 2 weeks now! I think that’s a record for me. My rusted root was coming along nicely. The weather was still warm and I put it on scrap yarn so I could try it on. It looked fabulous and I thought to myself “I can totally finish it before the weekend is over.” That was nearly 2 weeks ago and it’s still on the scrap yarn.

Life is beating me right now and I have no energy for anything once I get home from work. I want to knit but I just can’t pull myself out of my stupor of tiredness. Now it’s cold, which I am enjoying, but I fear I’ve lost my chance to wear rusted root this year. I could fix my ogee tunic, though. That would be productive. Hopefully I’ll pull myself out of this funk soon. I really do want to knit again!

Okay, the questions. They’re pretty much the same as those from the last round of secret pal so if you feel like I’m repeating myself, I am. 1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love soft yarn. Alpaca, cashmere, merino, any soft wool. I don’t like acrylic in large quantities but have seen some nice blends.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a case for my straight needles and my circulars are all dumped in a drawer. I would like to organize them better.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I’ve been knitting for 4 or 5 years and I’m entirely self taught. I’d say I’m advanced. I feel like I could pretty much knit anything that I wanted to. I don’t mean to sound cocky but I’m pretty good at following patterns and I’ve tried a lot of things.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope.
5. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I love natural scents like vanilla and lavender. I like citrus too. I hate really sweet scents and things that smell artificial.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I like really dark chocolate. The darker the better. I’m not a chocoholic, though. I could kind of take it or leave it. I like fruity candy too like gummy bears and starburst.
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I love to sew and I took a drop spindle class and even made some (lumpy) yarn but I definitely wouldn’t call myself a spinner.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
I can listen to mp3′s and the only music I really don’t like is country. I have pretty eclectic taste in music and am open to new things.
9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?
I love color. While I wear grey, brown and black, they’re not my favorites. There’s nothing I really dislike.
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have husband who knows everything there is to know about knitting except for how to actually knit. I have a super cute dog, a fluffy bunny and 2 cats.
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I love scarves! I wear mittens occasionally. I’m particular about hats because my hair is usually out of control and hats look dumb stuck on the top of my crazy hair. I do have a few that I love, though. I do not like ponchos.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I like to knit sweaters but I’ve been knitting a lot of lace lately as well.
13. What are you knitting right now?
I’m trying to finish rusted root and the frost flowers and leaves shawl from A Gathering of lace.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I love them!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I don’t really have a preference. I use whatever seems to work best for the yarn and project.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No, but I wish I did.
17. How old is your oldest UFO?
I started a baby blanket about a year and a half ago but then decided I would never finish it in a timely manner so I gave a different gift. Now, I’m just waiting on the right baby to come along so I can finish it.
18. What is your favorite holiday?
I love Christmas and Thanksgiving. Oh, and my birthday!
19. Is there anything that you collect?
Other than yarn, I collect floaty pens. I don’t know if there is a better name for them but they’re the touristy pens that have little scenes and people or a boat or train or something floats back and forth when you tilt them.
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 subscribe to Interweave knits. I’m sure there are thing I’d like to have but I can’t think right now.
21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
I would like to try more fair isle but buying so many colors for one project seems daunting.
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I have knit socks but I wouldn’t call myself a sock knitter. I wear a size 7 1/2.
23. When is your birthday?
January 20th.

So, the fair!! Mike and I went to a concert at the fair lastnight (The Decemberists, Violent Femmes and Cake- So Good!!) but on our way to the concert pavilion, I made him run through the home arts building, looking for our entries. I couldn’t be at the fair and not find out even though we didn’t have much time to get to the concert. Out of 5 knitted items, I got 4 1st places and one 3rd! I also got a blue ribbon for my bread but the judge thought my jam was “sticky.” At least that’s what she wrote on the back of my card. Oh well. Mike got a blue ribbon too! I think I’m more excited than he is. I’m going back next weekend to actually go to the fair so I’ll scope it out better and take pictures then.
I finished knitting my ogee tunic and it’s really pretty and sems like it’ll fit well but I won’t know for sure until I block it and sew it all together. I think I’ve finally cleared enough space in my messy house to block it so hopefully that’ll happen soon.

This fine piece of knitting is the trellis scarf from the spring IK. It’s Shadow from knitpicks that my fabulous secret pal sent me a while back. The color is called vineyard and it’s more of an eggplant color than the picture shows. I started this on the plane back from El Salvador and didn’t think I was going to continue knitting it because of the K7tog! But, I got past that and knitting 7 stitches together really isn’t that bad. It helps that it makes a pretty pattern.

I hope you all had a great weekend. This is my last weekend ever of having to work both Saturdays and Sundays, so that helped get me through it!