Welcome, Spring

Farewell to winter . . . and wool.














Chris's So-Called Scarf--almost finished--will await him next year.

Welcome spring . . . and cotton.















And strawberries. And strawberry shortcake and strawberry pie and strawberries on ice cream.















And a gift from the Easter bunny (aka my mom), who sent us Zatarains and Community Coffee.




















And Easter. And a celebration of a resurrection. And a looking forward to new life and new parts of our own lives. I couldn't be happier to breathe deep on these days and keep an eye out for a stone that's been rolled away.

Favorite Color Package!!!!!

When I got home today I found a package in my mailbox from Sam, my favorie color spoiler! She did a great job putting together some goodies that I love. My favorite color is blue, and in my package there were two lovely variegated skeins of yarn with blues in them. There was also a really nice assortment of cards for my stationary box, a sachet that made the whole package smell nice, and a cute measuring tape and magnet from a shop called Ewenique Yarns in Maryland.



















One of the skeins of yarn is called Rowan Tapestry--in beige and slate blue variegated colors. It's got a really nice sheen to it. The fiber content is wool/soy, which is a new one for me. I actually already knitted a small swatch with it to see how it knits up! Yep, it's almost like Christmas morning around here!



















And the second skein made me totally squeal. It's a handpainted merino wool fingering weight yarn. It's sooooo soft and pretty. It's called Claudia Handpainted and the color is Walk in the Woods. I keep looking at how all the colors swirl in the skein! I'm not sure what I'll knit with it, but I'll have to make sure it's worthy of such great colors.



















This was my first swap, and after such a positive experience on both the giving a receiving ends I think I'll want to do one again soon. Thanks, Sam!

Favorite Color Swapping

I sent my favorite color swappee, Jenn, her package last week, and it has arrived! So now my secret identity is out in the open. I really enjoyed putting together her goodies, and I was pleased as punch that she seemed to like them. As a side note, I think our hostess, Nichole, did an excellent job matching me up with her. Case in point? A recent blog entry about her appreciation of grammar humor! So go visit her (especially you, Sarah H., fellow grammarian). She's cool!

Weekend Weddinging

This weekend my sister Jennifer and my mom came up to Nashville to visit and go wedding dress shopping. It's been a while since I've had much time to hang with my sister. When I see her it's usually with all the rest of the family there too, which is fun but doesn't leave much one on one time with anyone. So we ate a lot and shopped a lot and laughed quite a bit too.

I was very impressed with the salesperson who helped me at one of the bridal shops we went to. Her suggestions ended up being exactly what I was looking for, and I may not have even tried on those options if she hadn't pointed them out. Anyway, I haven't bought the dress yet, but I have decided on what I want and will get it this weekend. Yay! I also tried on a dress that ended up being waaaaaay out of my price range for a wedding dress, or for my last car (!). I think it would be very silly to spend that much on something that you wear for a day--I'm much too practical for that--but I must admit that it was a beautiful dress and we all got the biggest kick out of trying it on.

We also found out that part of the church will be closed off during September because of construction happening in the lot next to the church. So the sanctuary's windows will be boarded up during the wedding. We're not quite sure whether we want to look for other alternatives under the circumstances or just accept that as something we can't control and make the best of it. We'll see how that plays out over the next couple of weeks.

In knitting news, I bought some Malabrigo yarn recently. It's the softest wool I can imagine--I'm loving it. It's going to become a scarf for Chris in the So-Called Scarf pattern. I guess it'll be for next year since I'm just starting on it now, but I love this yarn so much I hardly want to put it down.

Favorite Color Swap

I'm participating in a swap where you secretly spoil someone with fun gifts. This one is built around the person's favorite color. I've never done one before, and it sounded like fun. I've already checked out the person I'm sending to and she will be very fun to shop for. So for whomever has my name, here are my answers to the questionnaire.

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire
1. What are your top three favorite colors? My favorite color is blue (light blue, denim blue shades, dark teal—all good). I also like bright red and the more muted greens.

2. What crafts do you really enjoy? Knitting. All the time with the knitting!

3. What products do you really covet? Hmmm—I’m looking for another tote bag to carry around my knits in progress. And I have found myself lingering around the knitting notions aisle a lot lately. Cute stitch markers and another row counter and things like that have been catching my attention.

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things? I read a lot and spend a lot of time outdoors walking/running/hiking.

5. Is there anything you collect? Not really. Unless you count books and yarn.

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol? I’m a Gemini.

7.What are your favorite…

…scents/smells? I like rich and earthy scents.

…types of music and/or bands? Some favorites are Emmylou Harris, Pete Yorn, Coldplay, Alison Krauss, Over the Rhine, Jack Johnson.

…authors? Oh, goodness, how to choose. I love Anne Lamott, Clyde Edgerton, Jane Austin, Frederick Buechner, as well as lots of “children’s” authors like Tolkein, Shel Silverstein, JK Rowling. Plenty others . . .

…animals? I like most of the critters I’ve met, and I’ve owned all kinds of pets in my lifetime.

…places to shop? I like thrift stores, bookstores, craft stores, yarn shops, and Target.

…season? Fall. The air just feels right in the fall.

…yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies? I love yarn. Especially natural fibers like wools and cottons. My "in case of emergency" kit contains a flashlight, first aid stuff, bottled water, and dishcloth cottons with size 8 needles. Just in case.

…candies or goodies? Dark chocolate--yummy. I also have a fondness for the chocolate/peanut butter combo.

8. Do you have any wish lists? Amazon.

9. Are you allergic to anything? No.

10. Do you have any pets? What are they? I have a big fluffy cat named Wolfie. He likes turkey, the cat toy I knitted for him, and snuggling with us humans. He dislikes loud noises and us not sharing our turkey with him.

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you--anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy.
I can't really think of anything, but you're welcome to ask if there's anything else you'd like to know!

10 Movies That Made Me Cry

Jennifer tagged me for this meme. It's not all that unusual for me to cry at movies (also when I'm reading a book), so I'm sure I can think of a few.

1. Edward Scissorhands. One of my earliest cries at a movie.
2. The Lion King. He watches his daddy die!!!!
3. Dead Poet's Society. I love the scene with "The Congo" poem, and I cried all through the end.
4. Field of Dreams. He built it! They came!
5. The Incredibles. I cried in a good way. It was sweet--the family pulled together. (I'm a sap.)
6. Shawshank Redemption. Just a great movie. The ending pulled together their lives very poignantly for me.
7. Schindler's List. Multiple cries.
8. Life Is Beautiful. I think the second time I saw this one I cried in the beginning of the movie just thinking about how the movie plays out.
9. Steel Magnolias. I still cry any time I see these last two movies. Sometimes even if I just catch part of them on tv.
10. It's a Wonderful Life. Sigh. I can just think about this one and tear up a little.