100 things about me, okay only 50 so far! I'll add more!

1. I spent the first 17 years of my life in the Bay Area ( SF/San Jose/Cupertino Ca), but I feel I didn't grown up until I moved to Seattle Wa in 1993.
2. I have 3 cats, Kiki, Simon, and L'il Bitty, and 1 husband, Lyle.
3. I hate Apartment living.
4. I have plans for what I'd do it I won 25Million dollars. Yes, I actually think about this a few times a week!
5. I feel everyone should have some hobby or "work" that produces a tangible item.
6. I like having "stuff" though so many people say its a "freeing experience" to live with less clutter.
7. I don't have a drivers license. Hey, I live on a good bus route.
8. I really enjoy gandening, but have no luck with it on my balcony. House plants do very well in my hands.
9. I've been to Canada, Hawaii, Oregon, Idaho, Neveda, Utah, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas - most of those just on a layover between flights!
10. I love, love, love to read. ( Mostly Scifi, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy)
11. If I could have a part time job that I'd love, it would be home remodeling/demolition/decorating.
12. I quilt, knit, crochet and sometimes scrap book.
13. I can't imagine living far from the Ocean.
14. It took me 30 years to discover what a really good beach was like. I never realy understood why people just loved the beach until I visited the Oregon coast. There I found the brilliant golden/creamy sands. When I visited Hawaii, it was 2 months after a hurricane and the beaches were awful!
15. My middle name is Michelle
16. I like watching football ( sometimes ) Okay, as long as I have a knitting/crocheting project to work on at the same time.
17. I love to vaccume!
18. I recently discovered a passion for Indian food.
19. I may never have childern as I'm too selfish and don't think I could handle the responsibility! Though, I love being Auntie to my best friends new baby Molly.
20. I can eat just a few bites of my favorite pint of HaggenDaz Coffee Ice cream and then put it back in the freezer.
21. I preferr fountain drinks to bottled or canned. It's the crushed ice I think.
22. I had some gray hair at age 13.
23. I keeping telling myself I don't like pink but I have too many pink items in my closets to really make that a true statement.
24. Orson Scott Card is one of my favorite authors.
25. I like milk and dark chocolate.
26. I really hate the smell of peanuts on anyones breath but I love peanut butter and peanuts, go figure.
27. I'll drink milk a few days past the expiration date.
28. I love the smell of real roses but hate the fake sent that is used in so many products to smell like roses. Icky!
29. My favorite sents are Crabtree & Evelyn "Savannah Gardens" and Kneipp Body oil or shower gel "Ylang-yalng".
30. My favorite tea is Earl Grey. I always sniff the packet of tea before putting it in water! The bergmont scent is increditble! I enjoy a good green tea every so often too.
31. I think that everyone should have a lavender plant in their garden.
32. I have a Creative Zen Xtra 30gb MP3 player that I use daily. ( work alone in the evening so I need entertainment)
33. I think that stores/places that don't take debit cards are crappy and should be closed!!!!
34. People who hurt animals/children should be shot!
35. Just about everyone should have their eybrown shaped.
36. I can curl my tounge into a tube.
37. I have pierced ears and used to have a pierced nose. ( had to take it out for work).
38. I want to get a tatoo someday.
39. I watch every home decorating/remodling show I can. I have TIVO
40. I enjoy Micro-brew beer. Mass produced beer is terrible!
41. I enjoy looking at pretty clothes and accessories but I usually prefer simple items. I'm not in to "bling". I really appreciate the detail work and precision that goes into hand crafting.
42. The only time I've been scuba diving was in a pool on Maui. We never did make it into the ocean.
43. I think Vancouver BC & Portland Or are some of the most beautiful cities in the world. If I could move to either I would.
44. I like dogs, but am I cat person.
45. I own slippers with a rabbit fur puff ball on them. The cats really like those!
46. I have a fabric addition. I have over 30 yards sitting in my closet for no other reason than because it looks pretty!
47. I used to play online games for 10 hours at a time.
48. I use only Philosophy face products.
49. I am the picture queen of my circle of friends. I always have my digital camera with me!
50. I shop for Christmas all year long.

Berry bag ( aka 3rd felted bag)

So I didn't have enough yarn to complete it, oh well, off to the yarn store! I did hold back and only purchased what I needed to complete the bag. Hopefully, I'll have it done by 9-6 so I can begin on my International Scarf Exchange item.

Progress pictures of my 3rd bag

I was able to work on the bag yesterday and a bit this morning. So now the top flap is done and I've cast on the required number of stitches for the sides & front then joined it. I'm now working in the round and have approximztely 4 inches of the body of the bag done. Here are some pictures that show the color. The 3 shades that I chose are different from one another 2 of them seem very close depending on the light they're viewed in.

I finally have enough on the needles to show some progress!

Since my first two bags were smaller than I had wanted I've made this was deliberately large. The flap is now done and I'm casing on stitches for what will be the front. I'll then join and work in the round. It'll go much faster as I wont have to purl anymore!

Update on my 3rd bag

I had really thought to try to use just stockingknit stitch, make a very long/large rectangle and then fold it to make the bag body. However, since I'm not quite over my dislike of purling it is taking much longer then I had anticipated. So, I'm going to go back to the drawing board... and using cirular needles etc. I find them more comfortable anyways.

More on my felted bags

So I'm working on the handles for the brown/blue bag. I haven't decided what sort of handles to use on the first one. I think due to the amount the bags are felting in the washer that I'll hand wash the next bag to see how it turns out. I wasn't able to control the amount of shrinkage as I thought I was going to be able to. Better luck next time! I hope to make the Booga bag with Noro as my 4th bag. Since I found Noro at a great price on Yarn.com

Second felted bag!

I loved felting the first bag so I had to make another. This one had a bit of shaping to make the top portion tulip out a bit. Here are the before and after shots. I think I'll make Icord handles for it. The other bag may get a crocheted strap( then felted) or a leather strap.

First Felted bag!

I finally completed the bag I had intended to felt. I have put it throught the wash and it came out great. I still need to decide on what type of handles I'd like. I may go for leather. Here's the bag unwashed. I'll post another picture of it felted tongiht.

Projects... projects.. and more projects!

I was writing a list of all the knitting, crocheting or quilting projects I have yet to do and was a bit astonished that I had that many left to do by Christmas.

Knitting:

Wrap style sweater for my best-friend Martha
Baby sweater ( which has really turned out to be a toddler sweater) for Molly her brand spanking new darling daughter!
VW cap for John her husband
Cardigan for Grandma Dottie ( Martha's grandma - whom I've know since I was 8 years old!)
A Dr Who scarf for Jim, Marthas dad
A halter top for my friend Michelle, who happens to be Martha younger sister

Oh, and I can't forget myself. I have atleast 2 scarves in the works and a pull over sweater and then there's the cardigan I need help resizing the pattern and a corset pattern I saw on Knitty Gritty by Anne Modisett that was to-die-for cute.

Rastafarian hat for my husband Lyle - who is a football fan so it has to be the Philidelphia Eagles colors

A bag I keep meaning to finish so I can felt it.

Crocheting projects:

Husky blanket in bright purple and gold, on a p hook 2 strands together half-double and single crochet
Another blanket - same pattern but a variety of different worsted weight yarn. We have another blanket similar to this one but it isn't quite large enough for the two of us and our 3 cats.. so I get to make another one.
5 scarves to weave the ends in and fringe
2 hats to weave ends in and spif up


I can't forget the quilting projects.. whew... I fell in love with Amy Butlers fabric last year and spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 750.00 on just her fabric in the period of 3-4 months. To some people that doesn't seem like a lot.. but to me it was huge. I then completed 5 quilts over the coarse of 4.5 months during the fall and gave myself a bad case of carple tunnel and nerve compression in my shoulders. I haven't quilted since. I really need to start again. I have too many potential quilt/pillow/shower curtains started. The whole crocheting/knitting habit was taken up after I paused in my quilting obsession.

okay.. so I think that's the end of the list. I have to think more... argh... what a thought!

Irish Hiking scarf knit-a-long and first project pictures

I just joined an Irish Hiking Scarf knit-a-long and picked out my yarn. I'll probably make the scaft a bit shorter than the pattern says just to save time. Okay, and yarn. I only have 4-5 skeins of the Debbie Bliss yarn I plan to use.. what can you say.. "sale bin". We'll see how it goes.

Portland was wonderful!

As I had hoped Portland was wonderful! The yarn shops were sublime, especially the yarngarden. Lint had a great selection but the gals in the shop seemed a bit snooty.

I recently visited a few of the outlying shops in the Seattle and so far my favorite is in West Seattle. I believe its named the Seattle Yarn Gallery. Everyone I spoke with was very helpful and upbeat. I actually had one of the help me out with a little purling problem I was having and wouldn't you know it, I no longer have that problem. I can purl a way with nary a curse word! Who would have thought I didn't have to curse every time I attempted that dreaded purl stitch!

That kind gentleman has opened a whole new world for me, pattern wise!

Fiber Heaven, I hope!

So, I've just learned that Portland, Or has a plethora of yarn shops! Luck for me I'm visiting that knitters haven this Thursday and Friday!