What I am knitting this week

Well, at least some of what I am working on anyway... I am still working on several different gift knitting projects, I actually do a lot of that. However, one of the gifts isn't really the color I want it to be, so I am not really feeling the love for it right now, but it is good practice. I am hoping I might find the proper color tomorrow on our road trip. I have also made a couple of dishcloths this week (big surprise); those just come in handy as something to knit that don't require a lot of thinking, do provide instant gratification, and are easy to transport. Unlike long, multicolored, resurrected knitting for the Easter season....
I have a sock that is almost ready to have the heel flap started, and I have two more pairs to start. One pair is a gift and the other pair is for Hubband. My sock might get put on hold for a week or so....
I am not working on any hats right now, mostly just 'cause I needed a bit of a break from them, not because of hat season being over or anything (big time snow storm in tomorrow night's forecast for the big city to the north of us).
So in short, I don't really knit according to the calender or the weather, I pretty much knit what feeds my soul. That really is why I knit after all; I love the process of watching it grow and how the pattern/colors interact and play with each other. The product is a nice thing in the end, but not as cool as watching the process.

Last call for coffee swap

Today is the last day to register and have your questionnaire up for the Spring Fling Coffee Swap. So once again you readers can chose to wade through this stuff at your own peril.

Spring Fling Coffee Swap Questionnaire
Coffee

1. What is your preference? Whole beans or ground?
Usually whole bean, but ground for a French Press is a great thing!
2. What kind of coffees do you enjoy? A rich, bold roast; a light, fresh one, or something in between? Leaded or non?
Dark roast loaded with caffeine!
3. If you were headed out right now to buy some coffee for the house, what would you be picking up?
Either French Roast or Espresso.
4. Do you drink for caffeine, pleasure, or both?
Both. I love the full flavor of a dark coffee, but if I don't have caffeine in time, I will get a headache!
5. Do you enjoy flavored coffees? How about add-ins or flavored creamers?
No and not usually. I will drink it with nice hot frothy milk without flavoring, or iced with milk or half and half. Once in a rare while I will put a bit of real maple syrup or molasses in my coffee, or almond or vanilla syrup. But over 99% f the time I am drinking it "barefoot" (black).
6. A large, lovely mug or a small, dainty cup?
Mug
7. Describe your perfect cup - not JUST the coffee, but how you'd enjoy it!
Well, now that it is warming up and the snow is melting, I am looking forward to drinking coffee out on the deck with my knitting and enjoying my yard and the animals, both domestic and wild. That is about as close to perfection as it comes, at least until it is too hot and muggy. (Perfection also comes in the form of Hubband bringing me coffee in bed.)

8. You're sitting down to enjoy a nice cup in the local coffee shop, knitting bag in hand, iPod all tuned up - or maybe you're there with a few friends for knit night! What treat do you pick up to enjoy with your coffee? A sweet, rich brownie, or something more healthy? How about a salty treat? What goes best with that great cup and company?
Well, my Wednesday night knitting group meets at a coffee shop, so.... Some nights I love the yogurt with berries and granola, other nights I fall for the shortbread cookie.

Yarn

1. Do you knit or crochet?
Knit

2. What are your favorite types of yarns to work with?
Soft, non-squeaky, pretty yarn.

3. What do you have on the needles (or hook!) right now?
A sock that has been giving me grief for months (it is going in for help soon), a dishcloth or two, a scarf, and a sweater. Well, that is what I can remember for now anyway!

4. What are your favorite colors in yarns? What about those that you'd never find in your stash?
As far as yarn goes, I am really open minded. I have soft quite ones, loud vibrant ones, solids, and mixes. I have an amazing amount of whites in a variety of different fibers, but those all have the potential of becoming something else after all. I cant think of anything that wouldn't ever be welcome in my stash. Doesn't always mean it would grow up to live in my wardrobe, but I am always happy to help something grow up to become self sufficient and independent from me!

5. What sort of needles or hooks do you enjoy using? Any you just detest?
I usually use bamboo circulars for most stuff. I tend to drop straight needles and have them roll away at the worst times. I have made all of my socks so far on double points and have been happy with those, but am thinking about learning Magic Loop and/or two circulars. (I am most always up for learning new stuff, especially when I get to choose what it is!)

6. Are there any particular notions you absolute do NOT need? Some of us swap a lot - are you sure that you have enough tape measures to last your lifetime? Enough stitch markers to mark every stitch of a 10 foot wide afghan?
At this point I think I have enough stitch markers for a while. I do keep looking for my tape measure though and it always seems to be in some other knitting bag than the one I have with me; same seems to go for fold-up scissors.

7. You walk into the yarn shop and have exactly and only enough money to purchase 2 skeins of yarn in their 2 for 20 special they have going..The choices are a soft, thick cotton/viscose blend in your favorite colors, slightly variegated..a beautiful sock yarn that's just squishy and sproingy in your hands.. a soft, worsted weight wool like malabrigo.. and a lovely bamboo blend with colors to just die for. Which do you walk out the door with?
As hard as the choice would be, I think I would go for the bamboo blend. I have sock yarn to last several (plus) pairs, several skeins of Malabrigo calling to me to help them grow already, and some cotton yarns hanging out. (Well maybe not cotton/viscose blend, I would have to go look...) I think I might only have one skein of bamboo and I am sure it is lonely and would love the company. (Good thing you didn't ask me about Maizy yarn, nobody in this town even sells it, so I would love to get some of that to try!)
Spring

1. We're starting sign-ups on the first day of Spring - is it already truly Spring-like where you are?
Well, sure, if spring includes fifty degrees to melt snow, then six plus inches of more snow, then melting, more snow, repeat, repeat.... Yep that would be spring around here. I was bulbs coming up in the garden on the first day of spring, and just a couple of days later, they were buried deep in white stuff. I am sure they are enjoying the sun today, and they had best, 'cause they are likely going to get more snow tomorrow night.
2. What's your favorite spring flower? Do you have one?
Daffodils are most excellent. They come in a lot of different varieties and the deer don't like to dig them up and eat them. (As opposed to the other 300 plus different bulbs I planted our first fall here.) I also like crocus and Lilly of the Valley. Just 'cause they are so determined to not let the snow and cold stop them from their goal in life.

3. What do you most look forward to about springtime?
Flowers, deciding what will go in the garden, baby animals about, the return of migrating birds.

4. They've predicted a gorgeous day tomorrow - Sunny and about 65 with a nice breeze - how do you spend your day?
With any luck having a picnic in the yard or on the deck for lunch. Knitting in the sunshine. Running the grill for dinner.

5. The day after, it's going to be cooler and pouring down rain - does that impact your mood? How do you spend that day? what helps cheer you up?
Impact my mood? Nah, that's just par for the course, it will change again soon enough I'm guessing. It is rain after all, not snow (though it could be). I would just spend the day inside, knitting, reading cooking. Or out and about, running errands that didn't get done the day before.

Odds n Ends

1. Do you collect anything BESIDES yarn and needles?
Well, sort of I guess. I have snowflake stuff, but I never intentionally set out to collect it, it just kind of grew. Books, lots of books.

2. Are you allergic to anything?
Cigarette smoke and strong perfume smells.

3. Do you have pets?
Two bassets and one kitten
4. Is this your first swap, or are you an old pro? What are the last 2 swaps you participated in?
Well, I guess I am turning into an "old pro." I have participated in Anne's last three dishcloth swaps and last coffee swap. I have also been in a tea swap and a few others (see side bar).

5. List 3 of your favorite blogs - craft related or not - and tell us why you love them.
Three! Only three?! OK, I'll try....
Shut Up, I'm Counting; just because Cass has a great way of trying to make everything have a positive spin, even in the face of adversity. (And she's got my back.)
Alabama Fiber Dreams because Jessi has inspired me in more ways than she knows.
A Year In Bread Baking. Bread. Pictures. Can it get any better? Talk about inspiration!

Coffee, coffee, coffee

Look, Anne is having another Coffee Swap! Any guesses as to what I will be adding to my Spring "To Do List"?

Winter Wonderland Coffee Swap Questionnaire

So here goes on my answers to the WWCS that I had mentioned earlier.

Coffee
What are your favorite kinds of coffee? (Brands, Roasts, anything at all you'd like to share!)
Salt Lake Roasting Company Morning Thunder was my first "favorite coffee" and it is my all time favorite coffee shop/hangout. I also like Caribou Coffee's Reindeer Blend which is a "Winter Seasonal" blend using aged Sumatra. I tend towards darker roast coffees which are generally lower in acidity than light roasts. I defiantly prefer small batch, craft roasted coffees.
Do you prefer whole bean or ground coffee?
I almost always buy whole bean, but since Jenn gave me ground I am falling in love with my french press all over again.
This time of year, there are often Holiday Blends available, and many flavored coffees - do you drink flavored coffee? Do you enjoy special blends? The afore mentioned Reindeer Blend.
How do you take your coffee? Cream and Sugar? Straight up? Decaf?
Black, strong. If I can see the bottom of the cup through the coffee, it isn't strong enough. Once in a while i will have a Cappuccino, I love that foam when it is made right. Dense, tiny bubbles, not big frothy ones.
Do you prefer drinking from a nice thick mug, or a matched cup and saucer? Mugs all the way. I misplace my coffee often enough, I don't think I need a saucer to keep track of too.

Winter and Holidays
PLEASE be descriptive! Your pal will need this information to be sure to put together a package you will enjoy!
What is your favorite part of Winter?
Snow storms. Shadows of our oak trees on the snow during a full moon. Picking out a new Christmas Eve book every year.
Do you celebrate a holiday in December, and if so, which holiday?
Advent and Christmas.
If you celebrate Christmas, do you put up a tree?
Yep. We usually go tree hunting/cutting around the twenty-second of December and put it into the stand that day. Then we (or to be honest, the kids) decorate it the next day, after it has had a chance to "settle." It doesn't come down until after Epiphany, so usually around the seventh of January.
Would you enjoy items related to the holiday, or would you prefer a Winter themed package?
Either one would be fine. The snow thing is all about the whole season of winter, not just the holidays.
Do you collect anything? Are there any holiday or winter-themed items (Snowmen, Angels, Snowflakes, Santas, etc) that you collect?
Well, I have been doing these swaps for a while now and this is a fairly common question I have always said, "No, I don't collect anything." It has recently occurred to me that this isn't quite correct. Apparently I have unknowingly acquired a collection of snowflake themed coffee mugs and other pottery items. I should have asked one of my girls all along. (I also recently realized I might just collect earrings, but I am thinking you don't need to be seeing that mess.)
Do you wear scarves? Mittens? Hats?
Scarves and mittens more so than hats.
What is your favorite holiday or winter treat?
Gingerbread
Please share a favorite Winter or Holiday memory.
Well, I remember the Christmas my brothers had Strep Throat and I had Scarlet Fever, but it sure wouldn't be my favorite memory!
I have a lot of great memories of holidays and winter. My brothers and I building really elaborate snow forts in the back yard; going Christmas tree hunting in Island Park with a group from church; the beauty of Christmas Eve services at church; singing "Happy Birthday dear Jesus" on Christmas morning and eating birthday cake for breakfast.

Yarn and Crafting
Do you Knit or Crochet? For how long?
I have been knitting for ten years and I don't crochet.
Do you like wooden, metal, or plastic needles\hooks? Circular or straight?
Circular needles, either wood or metal, depending on the yarn.
What sort of projects do you enjoy making?
I usually have several things going at a time. One will be something complicated that I have to think about or pay attention to at least a little bit, so it usually stays home. Right now that is a charted hat for DTE. Then I always have something that is "mindless" that I can take to meetings or such. That is often a dishcloth and currently it sometimes gets to be DTY's scarf. Then I often have a random extra project thrown in like a sweater or such.
What are your favorite types of yarn to work with?
Soft.
Do you spin or dye?
I feel like I spin in circles some days. Oh, that kind of spinning.... No. I do however dye both yarn and fabric.
Do you do other crafts such as scrapbooking or needlepoint or anything else?
I do a lot of beading projects, sewing, and weaving.

General
When is your birthday?
Early December (I can give further info as needed).
Do you have any children? (Furry kind count!)
Three kids, two Bassets, one kitten.
What are your favorite colors?
I don't have any that I would classify as favorites.
Do you have any allergies?
cigarette smoke and strong perfume smells.