Andrea in Blue

New Location

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:09:00 +0000

After much consideration, I've decided to close my blogs, reorganize and reopen them in a single format. Please visit me at http://www.andreainblue.com.

Thanks!

Wollmeise and Crafty Alien

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:10:00 +0000

Getting my hands on some Wollmeise become a minor obsession of mine for a while there. When the Loopy Ewe announced that a shipment would be forthcoming, I started to stalk the site during business hours. Sadly, it never occurred to me that they would post their shipment at 9:00 at night and I completely missed out.

So... I went to the source and started checking on the Wollmeise site on Fridays, when they generally post yarn for sale. It was a bit of a madhouse, as colorways kept getting sold out. Nonetheless, I did finally have some success.

Yesterday, I received a package in the mail from Germany. Woohoo! When I ripped open the mailer, this is what I found.

There was a little sample skein of yarn tucked into the fold of the bag inside the mailer. I believe this is their worsted single ply merino. It is wonderfully soft and squishy. I'd really like to get a few more skeins of this stuff. Note the sneaky little kitty paw trying to snatch away my yarn.

And, finally, for the yarn itself! I snagged 2 skeins of their superwash merino sock yarn. Inside, my Drachenblut (Dragonblood, on the left) and Am Kalten Polar (In the Cold Arctic, on the right) were waiting, along with a sheet that translated some basic German knitting terms into English. For example, I now know that the German word for tension is maschenprobe.

But back to the yarn. It is wonderfully soft stuff. The skeins are generous at 575 yards. After the currency conversion, I paid per skein (including shipping) approximately what I would have paid had I gotten the skeins from Loopy.

Note: it was difficult to get correct color with my digital camera and properly color correcting them would have taken me more time than I cared to spend. (I’m tired!) The subtle shifts in color are really nice. The Cold Arctic shifts from a deep teal into blue into purple into violet. The purples of the Dragonblood looks more blue on my monitor but is really purple, eggplant and blood red.

In other news, I recently made a small foray into the world of felted critters. Below is Felix with his doppelganger and also the Shenannygoat. Both were made as a part of Supa Cindy 3000's birthday package. The patterns came from Crafty Alien, who has all manner of animals to make. Weasels, bunnies, armadillos, bears, you name it! The patterns are easy to follow and don't take a lot of yardage. They're a great use for leftover wool.

Xmas comes but once a year...

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:58:00 +0000

This year I've decided to take the Handmade Pledge for holiday gift giving. I started this a few months back, as I'm doing a lot of knitting and need to give myself plenty of lead time.

My game plan? I've started out with writing a list of everyone to whom I'm planning to give presents. For small and basic gifts, I'm going to do a lot of knit wash cloths. They're quick and a great way to try out new stitch patterns. I'll be doing both wash cloths out of coarser cotton. These will be used more for household activities... doing dishes, wiping down surfaces, etc. For face and body wash cloths, I did buy a lot of KnitPicks CotLin in an assortment of colors. This is a Tanguis cotton and linen blend which they say is perfect for wash cloths and spa-type gifts. With these wash cloths, I plan to buy an assortment of handmade soaps from Etsy or a local artisan and package them together. To the right is a picture of a wash cloth in progress. This is the CotLin in Island Coral.

For the most part, I'm trying to tailor my gifts to the individual so they will be used and loved. It is ruining the surprise a bit but I've been talking to people about it so I can gauge who wants what. My dad? He mentioned that he'd like a scarf that is a little on the luxe side without being too flashy. My brother? He was really enthusiastic about getting a pair of fingerless gloves to wear while he's doing outdoor work in the winter. My sister-in-law wanted a wrap, which is also doubling as my Ravelry Knitting Olympics project. My mom? She said she'd be happy with anything I made her. She asks for so little that I wanted to so something really special so she's getting a Clapotis in Handmaiden Sea Silk. She loved the idea.

I am also building a small cache of gifty type items that I can pull out and give if I'm in a pinch. Most of them are projects that I just wanted to work on. Scarves, hats, etc.

Most of my friends and family have been really receptive to the idea. I've been really fortunate to have people in my life who really appreciate the things that I do for them. The wildcard is my boss. He's so funny about what he likes and what he doesn't. Handmade items are fine and dandy in some respects. As an example, I've done a lot of sewing for him. But he's got no use for handknits and doesn't like 'crafty' things in general. I might offer to cook him a dinner with a menu of his choosing.

I need to buckle down and get cracking on everything. I have my bigger projects ahead of me and it is already August. Lots of knitting and sewing to do!

Financial Terrorism

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:45:00 +0000

Around 10 years ago, I was the victim of identity theft. Someone who I sort-of dated took my social security number and opened a few accounts with it. I didn't find out until 2 or 3 years later when the debt collection agencies came calling. Long story short, I provided the necessary documentation to have the debts against me dismissed. It took nearly two years to clear all the bad debts.

AND THEN... this weekend I got a letter from one of the agencies stating that they hadn't heard from me about the debt and that they would consider it valid if I didn't respond within 30 days. 5 years and 2 moves later. I called and they claimed that I never filed anything with them and that the debt was never dismissed, despite the fact that I have received correspondence from them stating such 5 years ago. So here we go again.

I googled this and it turns out this isn't an uncommon thing. I found a few news stories from reputable sources about certain collection agencies reopening closed accounts and trying to bully consumers into to paying debts that are either invalid, dismissed or paid off.

If anything like this ever happens to you, I would urge you to read up on your rights as provided in the Fair Credit Reporting Act. A few things I learned during all this:

You can get a free annual credit report by visiting http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Don't make any assumptions about your credit, even if you pay everything on time. You can also contact the three major credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and Transunion) directly for reports.
File a local police report. I was living in a small Midwestern town and the police tried to shush me away. The officer who took my report didn't know what to do about it. At first he told me that I needed to travel to the towns where the various accounts had been opened. Then he told me that I had probably given permission for my SSN to be used and just didn't remember. Bottom line: they just didn't know what to do and didn't want to deal with it.
File an affidavit at http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
If you suspect you've been the victim of ID theft, you can put a Fraud Alert on your credit reports by calling one of the reporting agencies. (I've been told that you only need to contact one.) This will warn creditors that they need to follow certain procedures when granting credit in your name.
There are statutes of limitations to debt collection. If a few years have passed since the account in question was active, check to see if the statues of limitations have passed. (Note: you can restart the statute of limitations by promising to pay, making a payment, entering a payment agreement or making a charge against the account. That restarts the clock to zero.) In this case, the fraudulent debt occurred in Oklahoma and the statute of limitations is 3 years for open ended accounts. I was living in Kansas at the time and the SoL there is also 3 years. I'm currently living in Florida, which is 4 years. In any event, I'm covered.
Protect your personal information!

Personal note to K. Kuhlemeier, in case you ever stumble across this: I don't believe that you did what you did out of malevolence but rather desperation. I understand that you were going through a rough time. I'm not unsympathetic to that. But, whatever wrongs I've done, I didn't deserve that. You wrecked major havoc on my life and caused me years of serious financial problems. You owe me an apology.

Birthday Assaults on Supa Cindy 3000

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:34:00 +0000

Ah, mischief. I get so little opportunity to create it that I savor it all the more when I do. My current project? I'm beginning my birthday assault on Supa Cindy 3000, a yarny friend I met on Ravelry. Weeellll... more appropriately, I'm in the middle of my assault. I've been dropping hints and being happily obnoxious about it for weeks now.

My latest fun? Behold... the Shenannygoat, who likes to go travelling around with a nanny cam. (Shenannigans + Goat!) The Shenannygoat is part of my overall theme, which is 'George Clooney Love and Goats'. Does that seem a little disjointed? Umm... yeah. I'm still working on that.

Here, we see that the Shenannygoat has made friends with two very cute little girls.

Little Felix? Not so nice! He tried to gnaw off some bits.

But the Shenannygoat came with me to Stitch n' Bitch last night where she met Bella the bulldog, who was much friendlier.

Take a moment to admire the Shenannygoat with my fellow SnB'ers' lovely projects: a sock, a cowl neck sweater and a baby surprise jacket.

Hoo Boy

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:16:00 +0000

My spidey sense is telling me that today is going to be one of those days that I wish I had just stayed home to knit!

Goodness in my Fridge...

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:57:00 +0000

This morning I picked up my second order from the local organic farm where I've started buying produce. Take a look at the loveliness below! And this is only around half of it. I'm so excited about this. I've got lots of old favorites and also some new things to try.

Sweet and hot peppers and tomatoes...

Peppers, okra, avocadoes, tomatoes and cattail shoots. (Yes, cattails! I'm planning to make fried rice with them.) In the upper right hand corner, you'll see a plastic baggy with lentil sprouts. In the back left, you'll see green herbs that include rosemary, parsley, a few different kinds of mint, basil, chives and cilantro.

A slightly different view of the above, with a better shot of the sprouts and also a few passion fruit.

Here are more of the cattails and a Brazilian squash of some kind.

From the organic place, I also got onions, scallions, salad greens and a dozen free range organic eggs. I did also stop by a nearby produce market to get some fruit, which I've been craving. Nectarines, grapes and cherries.

Mmm... stay tuned for a review of my cattail fried rice!

Today is the first day, etc, etc...

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:11:00 +0000

Today is the first day... yatta, yatta, yatta.

I've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks thinking about diets and food... and what I'm going to do about them. Since I left Weight Watchers, I've been not following any program in particular. I've considered various programs, read about them. I've read books on nutrition, diets and weight loss. Nothing has really clicked.

I have to be perfectly honest. I've really been enjoying not dieting. Not obsessing over very point, gram or exchange. It was really liberating to finally let it go and not let food be the primary focus in my life. HOWEVER... it has come to me that I have to do something about it. I'm not happy being overweight. My back hurts. My knees hurt. My ego hurts.

The solution? I've just decided to treat myself better and to make my own well-being more of a priority. I know what I need to do and, as usual, I've been over-complicating things of late. Rather than letting a book dictate what I do, I'm going to listen to my own body and try to eat more intuitively. I know how to cook healthfully. I was raised eating whole foods and learned what to do from an early age. I've just been allowing myself to indulge in junk as a salve for other wounds.

Through localharvest.org, I found a local small farmer who sells organic produce and free range eggs. I picked up my first order a few days ago and that one visit inspired me more than any diet book, program or guru. The woman running the farm just radiated health and happiness. She really drew me in and, for the first time in a long time, I am excited about good food. Is that part of what she's selling? If so, I'm definitely buying.

I wound up buying kale, rosemary, eggs, salad greens, rhubarb and scallions. What really stood out to me was the salad mix though. Is this gorgeous? She mixes edible flowers in with the greens. It is almost too pretty to eat. Almost!

Dinner tonight made use of the kale and the rosemary. This is Kale and White Bean soup, from a recipe found on epicurious.com. So good. The recipe called for a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind. A trip to my neighborhood grocery store did yield a rind but it did come at a premium. Worth it? Oh my, yes. It gave the soup a really lovely flavor. I would definitely make this one again. I'm looking forward to having some for lunch tomorrow. Most of the reviews mentioned that it was even better a day or two later.

Mmmm!

Little Bits of Sunshine

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:36:00 +0000

I had a particularly trying day at work yesterday... and look at what I found waiting in my mailbox when I got home. Thanks, Kel... you totally made my day! I enjoy my time with you, Rick and the girls greatly! (Annelise and Katherine are just about the best cookie makin' assistants ever!)

Digging on Etsy...

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:40:00 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen... I give you the sheer genius of the Spice Weasel Lip Balm Cozy! This comes to us courtesy of GeekCentralStation's Etsy shop.

Digging on Etsy...

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:55:00 +0000

I've developed something of an Etsy addiction lately. People constantly amaze me with their ingenuity and creativity. The below is what I'm coveting right now. Sadly coveting does not equal purchasing. I'm trying out this new thing called self control. Kind of a foreign concept for me. Instead... I'll keep looking and will reward myself when I hit life goals.

The Silver Infinity Ring from Luster
When it comes to jewelry, I like the lines to be as simple and clean as possible. I love this play on the infinity symbol, as well as the streamlined design.

Anything from Pancake and Lulu
Oh, Pancake and Lulu... I sing your praises and yet I curse you at the same time. How's a girl to save any money when you tempt her with such lovelies?

Take, for instance, this lovely handpainted Wabi Socki sock yarn.

Or this gorgeous handspun and handpainted colorblock yarn in the Nobu colorway?

Stella in Summer Black & White from stellalola
I've been looking on etsy for a new handbag. I really need a new one. (Note that I'm using 'need' interchangeably for 'want'.) Love the graphic b/w print combined with the teal and the muted green. Extra cool points for repurposing parts from a Goodwill find!

Bandana Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:10:00 +0000

As a follow up to my (un)remarkable post, I'm pleased to present the incomparable Annelise and Katherine modeling their bandana dresses. I had an extra 'dana, so I made them each a matching kerchief.

We have lost a hero.

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:09:00 +0000

Today we’ve lost a hero.

Irena Sendler passed away this morning at 8:00 am CEST.

For those of you who’ve never heard the name, Irena was a relatively unsung heroine of the Holocaust. As a part of the resistance, she saved over 2500 children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto and giving them new identities. She wrote their old and new names down on lists that she buried in a garden in hopes of reuniting families after the war was over. She was eventually captured, severely beaten and sentenced to death. Through a bribe to a guard, the underground helped her escape where she continued her work in hiding.

I’ve been privileged enough to be involved with a group here in the States that makes presentations to raise awareness about Irena and others. For additional information on Irena or the Life in a Jar project, please visit http://www.irenasendler.org.

(un)remarkable

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:07:00 +0000

Ah, what a few months it has been! I've been spending too much time at work and my daily activities have been remarkable only because they've been entirely unremarkable.

The exceptions would be few and far between... but here they are in no particular order.

My brother and his fam visited Orlando from their home in the Midwest. It was the first time I'd seen them in over three years. Everyone looked great and I had a blast with them. Especially my niece. NieceInBlue is a party on wheels... she sings, she dances, she tells stories. Great kid! (Sorry, no pix out of respect for their privacy and given that my brother has a psycho ex-girlfriend .)

Felix is still wild n' crazy. But it's all good. I like the crazy ones. Here he is, playing with a monkey's fist knot toy, tied for him by his buddy Cap'n Tom.

I've been buying a lot of yarn and spending a lot of time on Ravelry. If only the actual knitting that I've been doing was even close. Seriously. I have finished, however, a case for my Denise Interchangeables using some Pancake and Lulu merino, the first of two pride scarves for Joe & Matt using Cascade 220, a truly luxe watchcap using a merino/silk/cashmere blend, and assorted baby stuff for an expecting friend.

I spent part of this morning making some dresses for a friend's little girls. It was amazingly quick and easy. All hail to Daisy Janie, from whom the idea came. I saw her blog post and thought it so cute that I bought bandanas immediately. I couldn't find the cotton twill for the neckline (or perhaps I was just too lazy to look) so I picked a cute striped ribbon instead. I made little kerchiefs with an extra bandana and leftover ribbon. I'll be visiting them this afternoon so I'll post pix of the girls in them if their mama gives the green light.

More soonly!

Angels in the Architecture

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 00:01:00 +0000

Paul Simon's Call Me Al has been on my mind lately. Specifically the third verse.

A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the Third World
Maybe it's his first time around
He doesn't speak the language
He holds no currency
He is a foreign man
He is surrounded by the sound
The sound
Cattle in the marketplace
Scatterlings and orphanages
He looks around, around
He sees angels in the architecture
Spinning in infinity
He says Amen! and Hallelujah!

It is Saturday night. I'm sitting alone in my apartment after spending the day in the office trying to impress the boss who will probably never be truly impressed with anything. I have more work to do but I want so badly spend the rest of the evening watching TV and eating pizza. I want to hear a friendly voice. I'm tired and I'm frustrated.

At present, this is the architecture of my life. I keep waiting to see the metaphorical angels in the architecture, the little bits of joy that make life more than just being here.

Happiness is something that has always been hard-won for me. Something has gotten ingrained in my mind somewhere along the line that keeps me reserved and keeps me from letting it in. Wonder and happiness and accomplishment. They don't seem real unless they've first been ordained by an outside source. That's where I'm going wrong. I keep waiting for someone to point out the angels instead of seeking them out myself.

Seems simple in retrospect, doesn't it?

Knitting Pattern: Lumpy Fingerless Mitts

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 01:15:00 +0000

The following knitting pattern comes to us courtesy of the incomparable CDaniele.

Lumpy Fingerless Mitts by CDaniele

She notes: I used #10 needles, but I knit extremely loosely, you might try a 11 if the 10 is too tight. I haven't measured my gauge... I made these long so they cover my little finger.

Materials:
#10 Circular Needles or DPNs
75 yards bulky weight yarn

CO 20, join to knit in the round.

K 1 row.
P 1 row.
Repeat rows 1 & 2. 1 time each.
K 2 rows
K1fb, k9, k1fb, k9 (22 stitches)
K
K1fb, k10, k1fb, k10 (24 stitches)
k 6 rows
(Thumb hole) for the next 3 rows, you are going to knit in stockinette without knitting in the round. Purl the first row, knit the 2nd, purl the 3rd.
join again and knit 4 rows
k2tog, k10, k2tog, k10
k2tog, k9, k2tog, k9
k2tog, k8, k2tog, k8
k2tog, k7, k2tog, k7
do a k2p2 rib for 2" (mark your first row so it will be easy to measure.
bind off using needle one size larger
pu 12 stitches around thumb hole
k for 4 rows
bo

Sample knit with Farmhouse Yarn's Lumpy Bumpy in Wildflowers

Sample knit with Handspun and Dyed Too's Handspun Merino in Rugrats

Resolutions in the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:49:00 +0000

I've been thinking about my New Year Resolutions, both for this year and last. I didn't do so well on the resolution front last year. This year I feel a little more thoughtful about it all. I'm going more for conceptual change than specific, tangible things.

Develop a better sense of identity.
I spent several years in a job where my strengths were simultaneously exploited and devalued. My life during that time was all about the job. I spent so much time diluting myself down to be more acceptable to them that I walked away with no sense of myself. I find myself slipping into some of the same patterns now. I have to remind myself that it is OK to be me.
Love myself and allow myself to be loved by others.
Enough said.
Allow myself to feel the good emotions: joy, happiness, accomplishment, pride.
In the above-mentioned dilution process, I let myself be stripped of basic emotions.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
And, as the saying goes, it is all small stuff. I don't agree with that completely. But I do have a tendency to fret over things that just will not matter tomorrow. I need to do a better job of letting the little things go and focusing more on the positive aspects of life.
Be more proactive about my health and happiness.
I'm usually all about the job. This year, I resolve to take a step back once in a while to build better health, more happiness and new friendships.

The Orlando Needlework Show

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:23:00 +0000

Hoo boy.

I don't like to post online smackdowns here on my blog. I'm about to make an exception.

I learned of the Orlando Needlework Show through Ravelry. Excited, I made plans to attend with a friend of mine who is just getting into knitting. Sitting here this morning, I'm sipping a cup of coffee and feeling a little insulted by the organizers.

My impressions of the show:

The parking situation was atrocious. We were directed to park in the Omni parking lot and then were charged for it. Had we entered the same lot through the hotel entrance, it would have been free. They were really charging $10 to park in someone else's parking lot? On the far other side of the convention center? That a shuttle didn't go to? I only wish I had taken my pedometer because we walked... and walked... and walked.
They marketed this event as three separate shows. Scrapbooking, jewelry/beading and needle arts. Scrapbooking was well represented. Not so much for the other two. The other two events seemed to be afterthoughts. Had it been marketed as a single craft show I might not feel so cheated. But taking the Needlework Show as a show unto itself, the show was disappointed to say the least.
There were 3 yarn vendors. That's right. THREE. I purchased from 2 of them, Picasso's Moon from Sarasota and the Local Needle from Macclenny. I really enjoyed the displays from both vendors and chatting with the store owners.
And then... there was Tess's Yarns. Oh Tess. You've earned a special place in my heart. Sadly, it isn't a good place. I stopped in her booth, cash in hand. We weren't addressed at all. The gal manning the booth was more interested in messing around with some sort of a handheld device. We weren't acknowledged by her at all. (There were no other people at her booth at the time.) When I asked her a question, she sighed, answered curtly and then went back to her handheld. Nice. Very nice. Unfortunately for Tess, everyone else who I talked to had the same experience there. That would explain why her booth was always empty when I passed by. I don't care how beautiful her yarn is. I will not buy from people who can't be bothered to show the most basic common courtesy. Alienating your customer base isn't a good business practice.

Final verdict? I wish I had just gone to the Sip and Knit, hung out and used the $20 to buy a skein of Malabrigo.

The day wasn't a total loss though. My friend suggested that we have lunch at Cafe Tu Tu Tango. I only wish I had taken my camera into the restaurant. Cafe Tu Tu Tango is a tapas place. Very eclectic, local art hanging everywhere and local artists doing work throughout the restaurant. It was a lot of fun. We agreed that our favorite tapas selection was the Roast Pear on Pecan Crips. So good! The carne asada and potstickers were tasty also.

Adventures with Kool-Aid

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 17:12:00 +0000

I received my first KnitPicks order a short while ago and thought I'd have some fun with using Kool-Aid to hand dye it. It was a learning experience. I think it was good to try out a few expendable hanks before I start doing any serious hand dyeing.

Before starting, I did some research online and thought I'd try Black Cherry and Lemon-Lime for the first two hanks. The online samples that others had posted showed the Black Cherry as a nice deep red and the lemon-lime as a chartreuse-y green. Based upon other's recommended Kool-Aid to yarn ratios, I used 4 packets of color for each dye session. (Check out KnitPick's Kool-Aid dyeing tutorial. There is also a wealth of additional information to be had if you do a quick search.) The hanks were 100 grams (220 yards) each. I also added a little white vinegar to the dye baths.

The results I got with the Black Cherry were more on the burnt sienna side. A nice color but not exactly what I wanted. Figuring this would be a good opportunity to experiment with overdyeing, I dyed it a second time with another batch of Wild Cherry with a few drops of red food coloring added in. It was still on the brown side, I so I overdyed it again with regular cherry Kool-Aid. I did over-handle the yarn and it started to felt ever so slightly.

It fascinated me that the water was completely clear when the dye bath was exhausted.

The resulting shade over 3 dye sessions was still not quite what I wanted... but I could live with it.

My next experiment was with Lemon-Lime. I was going for variations in shading here.

Again, I wasn't terribly happy with the results of the shading so I dyed it a second time with Pink Lemonade and Lemonade. It is a little on the fug side where the pink and green overlapped... but I don't really have any complaints. I'm chalking it all up to a learning experience.

A Shout Out to my Ravelry Peeps

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:18:00 +0000

Just wanted to take a few moments to give a few shout-outs to a few of my Ravelry yarn swap peeps. I have, of course, thanked everyone privately but figured that I should broadcast what awesome swap buddies I've had. I've have been having a wonderful time shopping for my downstream buddies and have had an equally wonderful time opening my swap surprises.

So much lovely yarniness! I can hardly wait to start new projects with all these goodies.

Pop Culture Swap
From the lovely and talented princessdeia, I received a bundle that included roasted cashews and almonds, a carved wooden bookmark, some chocolate pumpkins, a cute magnet and some incredibly soft Bamboo in a beautiful colorway. As you can see, Felix approves. Many thanks, Dee!

Caffeine Addicts Swap II
My upstream partner for the Caffeine Addicts Swap II was the lovely and talented yaya36. From her, I received a pound of a nice breakfast blend coffee along with a ceramic mug and some pretty stitch markers. She outdid herself on the yarn! I love the Super Soxx yarn and absolutely adore the Manos del Uruguay wool. The steely blue-grey colorway is gorgeous. Thanks a million, Claudia!

Just for Fun Swap
And last, but certainly not least, the incomparable cdaniele sent me a wonderful goodie box when we decided to pair up as swap buddies just for fun. The Classic Elite Waterlily yarn is fabulously soft and the colorway is elegantly variated. Cin also included some pretty crafting yarn and a pattern for a beautiful shawl. Muchas gracias, Supa Cindy 3000!

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (Andrea in Blue) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 16:29:00 +0000

After many months of posting exclusively to my diet blog, I decided to open my focus more to life in general. This blog will share the daily ramblings, rants and interests of the daily life of a thirtysomething Floridian.