winter photos

island kids love the ferry.
boats and vinalhaven.
downtown #1

downtown #2
in other news, i received my secret pal package, and it's awesome. i don't have a camera right now, so i can't photograph the goodies. let's just say that i'm not that only person who is really really excited by the insides of the cardboard box. the littles have re-discovered their love of catnip! yeah! there are two books, including one skein, which is fantastic. and, a bunch of really nice soft yarns, including a white angora blend that is almost good enough to eat. thanks tina! i do have to say, though, that this SP9 experience has been a challenge, on my end and tina's, i think. turns out the holiday season is not conducive to me being successful at this, so, i learned a Big Lesson from this, too. it has been really fun, though! thanks again, chemical pink....

the life ferry

so, last night when i went to get on the ferry, (after much insanity with the big gq and miss L to get groceries. this business about buying and transporting your food via ferry boat turns out to be a bit, well, complicated.) the little man who is a deck hand came over to our car and asked if we knew about the boat switch. and we're all, wait, what? and he's all, yeah, they're switching your boat out with vinalhaven's stinky old boat because the lobstermen over there are mad that they can't get two tractor trailers of lobbies off at a time. so, they made such a stink that we have this crappy ferry because our boat (the governor burgess) can carry multiple tractor trailers. this boat we have now is slower and ugly on the inside. plus, the women's bathroom is covered in less-than-nice comments about some lady name "loopy linda." sucks to be her, friends. so, i am now destined to a month of alternative ferry riding. oh well. it could be worse. (of course, all the north haven people are starting to make a big stink of their own to the ferry people, and the crew is, too. the design of this boat doesn't work as well with our dock. anyhoo, tempers are flaring.)
oh, yeah. SO, we get to the boat all sweaty and hyped up and the guy says, oh yeah, it's not leaving for another hour. for real. so, of course, we went to get cocktails and pub-fare to remove some of the shock. fantastic.
oh, congratulate me. i sent my first package off for SP9. ole!

Secret-Pal-Survey-Anwers

Here are my answers, posted in record time. I'm so excited!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? I love anything natural, no acrylics here. I like fuzzy and soft things, but not so much with the variegations. I have used self-striping yarn once and thought it was divine. Generally, I knit pretty chunky, with size 6 needles and above, but recently I have made both my first sock and a set of booties, both on #1s, so I’m open to anything at this point.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? A plastic cowboy boot that I got a beverage in at the Big Texan in Amarillo. It’s not ideal as the beasts tend to knock it down and gnaw on the needles for some extra fiber. 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 since the winter of, let’s see, 2000. I am very much a beginner, I think, but I’m also adventurous. I learned to knit from someone who had taught herself and was a leftie, so, I knit kind of funny. I need to relearn, methinks. I do know all sorts of things, like, increasing and decreasing, knitting in the round, how to follow a pattern… but I usually just kind of jump in and sort it out as it goes. 4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

No. 5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) I’m pretty sensitive about fragrance. I usually have things like lavender and naturally fragranced soaps and things.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Of course! I love baked goods. I love chocolate. Oddly enough, I also really like gum.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I love arty quilts and making them, and I use rubber-stamping as much as possible. I have a new-ish addiction to them, about a year, and I have an extensive collection already. I am also hosting a Stampin’ Up party on 28 October. It’s going to be fantastic.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

Oh, I like most music. I like Belle and Sebastian, The Decemberists, The Postal Service, but have recently been into things like Al Green and James Brown. I also really like bluegrassy folk and adore the new Bruce Springsteen album. Oh, and that new Dylan album is pretty killer. I have a computer and an iPod, so I can listen to digital music or CD-style.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

I don’t much like purple. Besides that, I like ‘em all. 10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have two cats: Piggy and Bingo Little. They are fantastic, but they’re a handful. 11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Ix-nay on the onchos-pay. I cannot handle the poncho. They are just so wrong, I can’t even pontificate about them. All other knit goods are right up my alley, though. 12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Hats, scarves. Mittens. 13. What are you knitting right now? I just finished up two projects, so, I’m on the quest for a new project. I just made myself a fall-hat, which didn’t come out exactly right, and some booties for a friend’s baby on-the-way.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Um, hell yeah!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Either straight or circular, bamboo or aluminum. 16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No. 17. How old is your oldest UFO? At least 4 years. 18. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving. I love pie. 19. Is there anything that you collect? oooooo. Fiesta ware. Rubber stamps. Mess. 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 am painfully out of touch with publications right now; this move to the island has done me in. I would love a copy of Mason-Dixon Knitting, or anything else that is inspirational. I don’t even own any E. Zimmerman books! And I call myself a knitter! 21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Knitting “properly” (although, I’ll probably just ignore that), cables and bobbles. Writing really clear and concise directions. 22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Well, I have technically knit a sock. But, just one up to now. So, no, not really. I’d like to be, and am working on it! I wear a size 6.5 shoe, I don’t have the measurements with me.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

17 November! Yahoo! The big 2-6, baby.

secret pal 9

hello. i am very excited because today the sign-ups for secret pal 9 open. i've never done one before, but it all seems directly up my alley.
i couldn't think of a good picture for today's SP9 theme, so, i put a frenchie up there. i love them, and would love to have one to call my own. anyhoo, in order to join SP9 i need to have 10 posts on my blog. this is number 9. i hope they let me scooch by. i sure would appreciate it.
i know that you're all waiting on my details from last weekend, but i don't have any pictures yet. i'll share once i do.
happy labor day! power to the worker! hee.