Year: 2006

SP7 Q & A

To my secret pal, welcome to my blog. This blog has 5 contributors, so don’t be alarmed if you get confused with the story line. Doris is me, Jeremy is my husband (he hardly ever writes on here), Donald is my brother (he’s in California), and Noel and Rena are my parents (they are natives of Maryland, but work all over the country).

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?

I am not a yarn snob. Each and every yarn has his/her specific use.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?

I have one beautiful spindle, a bunch of roving (both from my parents for Xmas) and about 10 crochet needles but this does not mean that I spin or crochet. Yet.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I do have a lovely knitting needle case.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I have been knitting since SP6. If I had to rate myself, I would say that I’m in the highest part of the lowest quartile. Or the lowest part of the 2nd quartile. Basically, I know the rules, but I have trouble with the execution.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

I think I do, but I don’t keep it up, so it’s probably filled with self-help books when I was in a blue mood. Don’t use it.

6. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)

I like citrus.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

My brother came over to Singapore for Xmas (I’m and American living overseas for 2 years) and apparently the candy that you can not get in Singapore is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I hadn’t notice, but now that I know, I’m obsessed about them, KWIM?

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

I have lots of Do-It-Yourself things that I do in my spare time away from the computer, including the cleaning, cooking, grocery shoping, dental appointment making, laundry, boo-boo kissing… Knitting is the only craft thing I do for myself, although I do lots of crafty things with my kids.

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

In 2004, I had so many people tell me that their iPod changed their lives. Well, I was all up for changing my life – who doesn’t want their life changed for a few hundred dollars, so my husband went out and bought the little do-hicky for me for Xmas and on Xmas day, I unwrapped it and promptly handed it to my husband who did all the computer-y stuff for me and I tried to use it, I really did, but I couldn’t hear it over the kids screaming and my husband kept borrowing it from me (“Just for today, OK?) so then finally after a few months, I gave it to him and then later my son dropped it. So that was the end of that. I do much better with a “regular” CD, but if you want to send MP3s, I’m sure someone around here could help me out. I’d love some recent upbeat music that I can dance to.

10. What’s your favorite color? Or–do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can’t stand?

I love all colors.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I have a lovely husband who I have been married to for 7 years, a 3 year old son and a 1 year old daughter. We also have a dog and 2 goldfish. My husband and I are both engineers by training, but now I’m at home with the kids. We are living in Singapore for a 2-year assignment with his company. Since we’ve been together, we’ve lived in southern California, northern California, Austin TX, Taiwan, upstate NY, and now Singapore. We’re gypsies.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I would wear all these things and I love all these things, but if you send them to me, I might not wear them for a while as it is 80 degrees and this afternoon, I’m going swimming outside. It’s always summer in Singapore.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?

I love all yarns. Ok, I haven’t been knitting that long to know, so if you’ve got a favorite, send it my way!

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

None.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?

Socks.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Socks.

17. What are you knitting right now?

Socks. OK, OK I have to admit that I’m a slow knitter and for my first project after the required garter-stitch scarf, I started a pair of socks that my SP6 pal gave me and I’m still working on it. I’m almost done with the 2nd sock.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?

No preference.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I’ve only knitted with bamboo.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

No.

22. How did you learn to knit?

By a book.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?

It’s about 3 months old now.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?

I love little farm animals.

25. What is your favorite holiday?

I love Labor Day. Hooray for all the people who work!

26. Is there anything that you collect?

Just dust.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

None.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?

Any book by the yarn harlot.

29. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?

After I finish my socks, I’d like to learn lace, or felting, or how to make mittens, or how to knit with 2 colors.

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Let’s see, I like socks, my foot is 9 inches long, is there any other measurment?

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) September 14

A final note: Please take the suggested spending limit to heart. I mean, we don’t even know each other, so no need to go overboard! I won’t mind if you use the cheap-o way to send packages – just tell me that you did so and I’ll look out for them a month or so out if you are shipping from far away. Also for the SP items, I’m a big fan of regifting and recycling. So books/magazines that you’ve read and liked and are now sitting around your house, knitting supplies that are in your stash that aren’t to your liking, “vintage stuff”, recipes, etc. are much appreciated!

Xmas Vacation is Over

So yesterday, Katherine left for the airport. She was the last person to leave, both Bob and Donald left about a week ago. It was a wonderful holiday, Vince loved seeing everybody and I loved having some help around the house. It made Vince really miss New York. Vince started his school last Monday, it’s why Katherine stayed an extra week, to help his transition into school. I have to say that it didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped. Vince is really frustrated by the use of Chinese in the classroom, there is a 45 minute Chinese class, but they give simple instructions in Chinese during the English part of the lesson. Anyways, he is quite happy at the end of class, just getting to school is a problem. Vince reallly misses his old school in New York.

Also, we are getting more concerned about Edda and her developmental delays, this week, we are setting up an appointment at a Children’s Hospital for an evaulation and assesment for her.

Back Home Also

Well, just to let efveryone know, that I too am baack home. My ride home yesterday got the days wrong and thought that I was returning Wednesday at noon, not Tuesday. So I had to foot to Bart -> Caltrain -> Stanford Bus -> Another Stanford Bus. I arrived right before 2pm when our staffr meeting was supposed to be and, of course, it was cancelled. Sigh. I had stayed up most of the flight watching the movies since they were the new ones for Jan. I think I watches like 4-5 movies. Charile’s Angels – Full Throttle, The Transporter 2, Kung Fu Hustle, Wedding Crashers, April Snow, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

I didn’t stay are fwork very long as I went home and crashed around 7pm. Today I woke up at 4am.

Back to Portland, OR

After several days stay in Ft. Lauderdale, we arrived at Portland late last night yesterday. We are sighting seeing for a couple of days here with Big Brother and Sister. Then we are heading to Vancouver, BC on 6th to drop them the airport for Hong Kong on 9th. And we will come back here on the same day to catch our flight to Denver, CO.

In Florida, we had airboat ride and visited Everglade National Park. Next year during fall, we may organize some family get together in Singapore. May tour Australia. Just maybe.

Knitting the second sock.

Well, promptly after I finished knitting my first sock ever, I was hit with the dreaded second sock disease which prevented me from picking up those DPNs and starting the 2nd sock. Actually the second sock disease was caused by a bum thumb which in turn was caused by another debilitating disease that I have called “internet addiction“. Jeremy had just purchased me a brand new laptop and the way I hook my thumb around the case as I scour for new and interesting web sites for hours while neglecting to feed my children made my thumb all weak in the knees.

Anyways, my thumb is better now and I’m working away on my 2nd sock and I’m slowly realizing that the first sock that I’ve been so proud of these (two) months has been knitted incorrectly! Should I take apart the first sock or should I just let bygones be bygones and get on with my life?

Danger! It bites!

We are slowly running out of things to do in Singapore. There is pretty much just shopping and eating and we are trying to avoid both of these enjoyable activities mainly because of the kids and their hatred of shopping malls which don’t have a toy store and restaurants which don’t serve Ribena or chicken nuggets.

Today we traveled to the famed Chinese Gardens which according to the Lonely Planet Guide isn’t worth the MRT trip from downtown to see. I guess you should just spend more of your time in downtown eating and shopping. Housed inside the Gardens is the world’s largest collection of turtles and turtle artifacts. We did see a lot of turtles – even one with two heads and 6 legs. There were also a lot of turtle “artifacts” which seemed to be all the turtle-shaped things you could buy on eBay.

Oh and I thought the picture is funny because it’s what Vince always says when introducing Edda.