Falling For Ewe Swap Q&A

I've joined the "Falling For Ewe Swap" via Ravelry awhile ago. It's just starting off and now I'm ready to go!

Here's my Swap Q&A:

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft?
I primarily knit, learning to crochet, but I do Tunisian Crochet, very fun! I first learned to knit in December 2007, never picked up a needle before then. Since then I've made it my mission to become an advanced knitter, and am going to join the TKGA Masters program within the next week, as I feel I'm now at an advanced level.

2. Do you spin? What type of spinning do you do?
I just started spinning, drop spinning, and it's a blast! I'm totally addicted to it.

3. Are there any other crafts that you participate in?
I'm trying to get better at dyeing my own yarn, and trying to learn to write a pattern. I'm also an avid reader. My authors are Stephen King, Dan Brown, Anne Rice, I like period pieces, documentaries, mystery, ghost stories, horror, primarily. I'm a huge Martha Stewart fan, and apart from knitting I do a ton of different crafts, from making my own wreaths, foliage, decorations, paintings, cards, etc. I also love to cook and bake. My favorite chefs are Giada DeLaurentis, Alton Brown, Ina Garten, Rachel Ray, & Martha Stewart.

4. What are your favorite yarns/fibers?
I love Alpaca, Wollmeise, Malabrigo, Cashmere, Cotton, and Linen. I'm a Yarn Snob, so I only buy quality yarn, no yarn from Michael's or Joann's is what I mean.

5. What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers?
Scratchy wool, or anything rough. Not too too big on novelty yarns, though I do have some in my stash. Cheap yarn.

6. Are there any types/brands of yarn that you are dying to work with but haven’t gotten a chance?
Malabrigo Sock Yarn mainly, I'm pretty good at getting the yarn I want.

7. What are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet?
Knitting, Spinning, Dyeing, Tunisian Crochet..... Amigurumi Crochet might make the list soon.

8. What are you currently working on? Anything you plan to start this autumn?
I'm working on too many things. I'm in Sock Wars III (still alive), 4 Yarnsmackdown events, Ravelympics, Secret of the Stole III, Mystery Stole 4, Tech Square Afghan -Along, Knitting Niners Scarf Knit Along, Firestarter KAL, Day of the Dead Swap, Knitters Treasure Swap, too many but all fun. I plan to start the Central Park Hoodie, and a bunch of patterns from Twist Collective (I LOVE TWIST).

9. What is your favorite FO? (Please, post a picture if you would like.)
My fave is the "Basketweave" Scarf because it's my very first Scarf and my very first knitting project. After learning the basic Knit & Purl stitches back on 12/15/07, I started this scarf. I finished by end of December 2007, and I was just so proud of it. It's hard to see the basketweave design from the picture, but it is really pretty. and it's super warm & soft. There's actually two different patterns to it, one side looks just like a basketweave the other looks somewhat similar but with figure 8 going down the middle. It's hard to explain how the pattern looks, but I just love it.


10. What is your oldest UFO?
My Tunisian Crochet Stashbuster Blanket 8-) I love this UFO, but just have got severly sidetracked with many other projects. When I pick this back up, I'll probably finish in about a week, I'm that close to the end!


11. Are their any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn?
I want to become good at crocheting, and am teaching myself slowly right now. Mainly I want to learn crochet so that I can embellish my knitting.

12. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Am I a sock knitter.....uhhh.. I've knitted so many pairs of socks in these past few months, Yes I'm a Sock Knitter 8-). I knit on 2 socks at a time on 2 circulars, it's really the best method, better than magic loop, although with 2 circs you are doing some magic loop, but having the 2 circs keeps things easier. I have small feet, US 5.

13. Do you have a yarn winder and/or a swift?
I have both, and will soon try to add a Yarn Meter to my Fiber Studio.

14. Where/how to you keep you needles/hooks?
I keep most my needles in my Jordana bag, this is the bag that came with the actual Bella bag I bought. Although I have a sewing machine and will work on putting together a custom bag to store all my needles.

15. Do you collect anything?
I like Archeology, the Egyptian period, Lions, Antiques, Antique Knitting Magazines, Antique Knitting. Historical items.

16. What is your favorite type of music? Are you MP3 ready?
John Mayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fleetwood Mac, 80's music, Bon Jovi, Tom Petty, my music taste is very broad. I have a Sirius S50 that I can put MP3's on, but don't I'm not someone who walks around with an MP3 player. I usually listen to music in my car or at home, that's about it.

17. Do you like sweets? What are your favorites?
I like Rocky Road, Peanut Butter Cookies, Holiday Cookies.

18. What is your living situation like? Any pets? Children?
I'm married, my hubby and I are the same age, separated by about 5 months, and we have 2 children, Lbug 15yrs. old, and Pops 12.5 yrs. old. We have a 3 year old Golden Retriever, Rosie, and a ???yr. old Grey/White Tabby Cat, Gracy. We live in San Jose, CA.

19. Are you allergic to anything?
Nope.

20. Do you have an online wish list (Amazon, Etsy, Loopy Ewe, etc.)? Please include links for your swap pal.
My Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/ref=gno_listpop_wi
My Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5761518 (there's not much in it right now)

21. Are you having a birthday during this swap?
No, I just had a birthday on 8/11/08.

22. What is your Ravelry ID?
It is RockyMoreno.

Yarnsmackdown 08' Diamond Lace Dishcloths

I finished all my events in Yarnsmackdown successfully, without getting killed beforehand...whew!
I was taking my sweet time with knitting up these Diamond Lace Dishcloths, until I got stalked and magic linked on Raverly from Yarncandie, informing me that she sent me my dishcloths.



As soon as I read that post, I immediately cast on for these, and in 2 hours, I whipped these out. The pattern was so easy, and the yarn knit up fast, once I got comfortable with it.



Do you ever feel that way with different types of yarn? I bought blue, because my target's favorite color is blue, I bought cotton, because what better to knit a dishcloth with. I visited Green Planet Yarn on Monday, and found that they have this wonderful Blue Sky Alpaca 100% Organic Cotton. It is very soft, and easy to knit, it can tend to split a little, but I think that's because I wasn't using the Addi Turbo lace needles.



I really need to stock up on the Lace needles, they are just so much better than knitting with the dull ends.



So here's an interesting little tidbit, Sandy, (she teaches at GPY), and I were talking for bit after one of the classes, and she said that her friend happened to be at a retreat, or some class or show, can't remember which, and the lady from Addi Turbo's was there, and her friend told her how great the needles were, but only had one complaint, there too blunt. So, voila, a year later Addi Turbo Lace needles were born. If only I knew Sandy's friend, I'd send her some goodies to thank her for giving that suggestion. Who knows, would we have had the Lace needles without it? I don't know the dates or anything, but I thought it was an interesting little tidbit.



Anywho, I sent these dishcloths off the other day with some of my signature goodies, some kisses & tea 8-)



In other news, Purlescence Yarns is having a spinning class this coming weekend! I signed up on Friday the 8th. If you can make, I'd love to see you there! It's only $50 smackeroos too! Great deal!

Some smacking, scenery, and goodies

One of the events in Yarnsmackdown is knitting bookmark. I never knitted one of these, but boy are they fast, and cute! I knitted this for my target the other night and shipped off with some goodies.





I got so many goodies for my birthday

All these books (Creepy Cute Crochet, Tech A Square, Amigurumi World, Crocheting for Dummies, 25yrs of Vogue Knitting, Knitted Embellishments, Start Spinning)


A New Spindle to learn spinning this coming weekend at Purlescence, a complete Crochet steel hook set, Blue Sky Alpaca Yarn 100% organic cotton, Some Magazines (Knit Scene & Vogue Knitting)


This cute Sheep keychain


And friend for Sheepy, a small Alpaca


Oh, and check these Star Wars Alpacas out, so cute..


Here are some pics from the day I spent with my hubby in S.F.
Look at all the Seals.. & there's one posing


This is a snapshot of Alcratraz, for a period of time Indians held seige to the island for 2 years, and called it "Indianland", they used the "Homestead Act" to rightfully call it theirs; eventually they were forced from the Island. Can you see the "Indianland" writing


Here's what's left of the Church on Alcratraz, this was in the movie with Nicholas Cage & the handsome Sean Connery "The Rock", one of my favorite movies


And of course my hubby & I


I have to go knit some more, see if I can get the dishcloths done.. I just got magic linked in Ravelry, and ahhh! My assassin has sent my killer dishcloths in the mail... I'll be dead soon, we'll see if I can get these babies done before mine get here????

Today is my birthday...

Raquel's Birthday 08/2008


Originally uploaded by RockyMoreno

..and I'll blog if I want to *-)



Just thought I'd put a quick post out. My husband and kids gave me a good early birthday weekend.



These are beautiful flowers & a yummy cake my hubby bought for me. 8-)

Yarnsmackdown 2008

Being crazy as I am, I also joined in on the Yarnsmackdown 2008. I'm in the Food Fight, Advanced Socks, Dishcloth, Stole, and Dishcloth events. I count on dieing early, as I just have too many things I'm working on, plus also trying to go out today with my hubby in San Francisco for my birthday. He's giving me *evil eyes* right now cause I'm writing this post and not yet ready... so I'll hurry up and finish this.

The Food Fight contest, is all in fun, and we've been asked to knit some "Toast", basically a minimum of a 4 x 4 square. In my dossier I received, my target, Daphne LaLuLu, put her favorite color as green, so I choose green as my base color.

I was trying to be as creative as possible with this event, and also trying not to take away my time from knitting the tons of other things I'm supposed to also be working on.

I've called this "Avocado Toast with a dollup of Sour Cream"

Here's the toast with the goodies I sent along this morning:


And some other angles, I really tried hard to make the white yarn, look like a dollup of swirled Sour Cream, I think I kind of came close???




For the other events, I think with continued knitting, I'll be able to send my Advanced Socks out to my target this Monday, I casted them on late last night, knitted to about 2 a.m.. I'm almost done with the leg portion, and should be turning the heel during the drive to San Francisco then from there, it's pretty fast for me. **Fingers crossed to get these done by Monday**

I figured the Bookmark, and Dishcloth, shouldn't take too long, the Stole, I'm not even going to think about right now, that I'll surely die from.
I'll keep you posted.... oh yah, as for the Ravelympics, its slow going because of this contest, once I get done with these, I'll be full speed ahead with Ravelympics, and with Sock Wars, sadly my target can't find the SIPs, she misplaced them somewhere, and will probably just send me a skein of sock yarn.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!