Happy Halloween

My weekend turned out even spookier than I thought it would. On Saturday it was storming so I opted to stay home with Agatha Christie rather than go to the Halloween party. Just as I got to the first murder in the book, the power went out. I continued reading by flashlite, with candles flickering and wind howling - it was the perfect atmosphere for a murder mystery! Our power never did come back on until 11 p.m. Sunday night, and some parts of town are still without electricity, making for a very spooky Halloween!
We had a great Halloween party and parade through town today. Do these kids know who is standing behind them?

Spooky Weekend Plans

It is the first day of hunting season in Maine, and the guys have gone to hunting camp. We are expecting a rain/snow/wind storm tonight so curling up with an Agatha Christie Halloween mystery is what I'd like to do. But, tonight is also our staff Halloween party and I really should go, at least for a little while. You know you are getting old when you would rather curl up with a good mystery than go to a party! On Sunday, there is a kid's Halloween party at the local community center that my DD is organizing. It is always very spooky and lots of fun, so I will stop by to take some pictures.
I finished and delivered two more felted totes, have another drying now, and one more to knit. Also finished my brown socks - knit up quickly on a size 5 circ and Wool Ease. I think I'm going to take a break from felted totes for awhile and knit my "Needled to Death" Whoduknit project - an alpaca scarf. I have the yarn, a gift from my One Skein SP that I have been hording. It's Knit Picks Superfine Alpaca is a very pretty green color. I just have to find the perfect pattern. And I also have to decide on an ornament to make for the KTC ornament exchange. And oh yeah, clean, do laundry, and grocery shop - these things really get in the way of my reading and knitting!

Criminal Behavior and other Swaps

Stephanie is hosting a holiday swap on Whoduknit If you like reading mysteries and knitting come on over and join us.
I've also joined the KTC holiday swap and received my SP's name today.
At school we do SP swaps once a month. The Secret Pumpkin swap is next week.
Why do I like swaps? I don't know which is more fun - the giving or the receiving!

International Tote Exchange Bag

I received my tote today from my ITE pal, who turned out to be Bonnie, the hostess of the swap - how lucky am I? I have been watching this bag on the blog, coveting it, and checking each day to see if anyone had received it. And today, someone did - ME!
I'm so excited! Isn't it just gorgeous. She also included some Halloween peanut M&Ms, Spooky Cats Peeps, Tea Fortes, and an adorable purse notepad. The picture I took doesn't do it justice.
Here is the progress of it as posted by Bonnie on the ITE blog.
This is the yarn she used - Noro Kuryon and Cascade 220
The pattern is The English Garden Bag
And here are her progress pictures:

Lucky, Lucky, Me! I think this bag is a work of art! Thank you Bonnie!

The Full Monty

A howling wind storm on Friday night just about finished off the leaves that were left on the trees. Today is bright and crisp though, a perfect fall day.
Last night I went out to dinner with a couple of girlfriends and then went to see a show - The Full Monty. If you are not familiar with this play it is the story of unemployed steelworkers who come up with a bold way to make some quick cash, when they observe how much their wives enjoy watching male strippers during “Girls’ Night Out. It was hilarious! I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. Imagine my surprise when the show begins with a male stripper who looked very familiar! A look at my program proved I was right - he was in my 1st grade class 15 years ago! Also, sitting right behind us was the whole crew from my local LYS - but none of us were knitting! And speaking of mystery balls (yes, bad pun intended,) Whoduknit Mystery balls are beginning to arrive at SPs homes, and you can check out the 'unraveling' of them on Whoduknit. There is also a Who's Who on Whoduknit contest going on. If you are not a member yet - come on over and join the fun. This month we are reading and knitting projects for Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton (who is a member of our group!) and next month we will be reading Arthur Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles.
This is a knitting blog though, and I have been knitting. I felted another bag this morning - two more orders to go, and then I'm going to have to say NO, because I need to get some of my own Christmas knitting done. I took a break from the felted bags and started a pair of socks. I found this yarn in my stash and I think it is Wool Ease. I can't remember what I started making with it, but I must have frogged whatever it was, and I have come to a couple of cuts in the yarn and have had to join. They will be warm, and probably just for around the house. I'm using the magic loop on size 5 circs. They are going really fast, and I love knitting socks this way.

Silly Kids!

Our Second grade earns marbles for good behavior. When they get 20 marbles they get to have a party, and to vote on what kind of party it will be. Today was their first 'marble party' and they voted on a movie and pajama party! What a bunch of silly kids!

Weekend Update

It has been another beautiful fall week, for the most part, with just one rainy day.
Thursday's X-Country meet was held on a beautiful course with just breathtaking fall foliage views. Before the race, one of our coaches challenged the kids with a promise to come to school wearing a dress and have his head shaved in front of them if they had a 1st or 2nd place runner. Jordyn made a valiant try and came in 3rd (out of 85 girls), but it was Jacob this time who took the challenge and 'ran' with it, to come in 2nd! Steve did follow through on his promise as the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders looked on and Diane (my daughter, who is the other coach and also a beautician) shaved his head. I'll post pictures of this monumental event as soon as I receive them - but here are the proud twins with their medals.

In less exciting news I finished two of the felted bags I have orders for - two more to go. I picked up the yarn for the last one yesterday - blue/green/purple in jewel colors - I think it will be pretty. Also picked up a copy of Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts Magazine. Such cute things in it, like the snowman Christmas stocking, wooly pears, Best Friends bears, and boudoir socks. When will I ever get the time to make them all?

And received an unexpected gift from DH. Last week I was looking for a hammer to hammer some grommets onto a felted bag and complaining that I couldn't find one in his workshop - so he came home with this - my very own PURPLE tool set. LOL Maybe I will build myself a craft room??

HAPPY FALL

BORN TO KNIT

I finished the mystery pattern last night (had to tink back a couple of rows in my excitement over seeing the Detroit Tigers beat the NY Yankees and knock them out of the play-offs!) I don't know if you can see what it says - "BORN TO KNIT" - Very clever Deb. Yes, it was from Deb, my very devious SP. She knew that I knew who she was (hard to run a swap and keep that secret from myself) so she put a fake return address on the package to confuse me (she knows that it doesn't take much to confuse me). But in the end, it was her card that the beginning of the skein was wrapped around. And look at all the goodies that came out of the ball! I won't run out of stitch markers for awhile at least. I think my favorite is the sheep tape measure, isn't he cute? There are still a couple of mysteries in there though. Like the red thing - not sure what that is. And are those arrow heads? Thanks you so much Deb - this was so much fun.
Oh, and I am a little bit devious too. I had some yarn left at the end, and instead of knitting more with it, I unwound it to get to the rest of the goodies!

Mystery Ball Update

You know you are blogging too much when you try to post a Whoduknit blog on the International Tote Exchange Blog! Anyway -
I'm halfway through my mystery pattern and this is what has fallen out of the ball so far (yes - that's a snake!) And that brown thing sticking out of the ball of yarn looks like a chestnut - but it's attached to something and I can't pull it out....got to start knitting!

TGIF Surprises!

I arrived home from work today to find two packages waiting for me! What a great way to begin the weekend! One was from my downstream tote exchange partner, Stephanie. It was a thank you gift for the tote that I sent her. In the package was this wonderful smelling, pretty bar of felted soap, and a Magazine called "Bend Living" - The Spirit of Central Oregon. In the magazine is a very interesting article written by none other than Stephanie herself! about the the woman who makes the felted soaps on Wild and Wooly Farm in Bend, Or. The felted soap can be used for washing, or for a pin cushion, and the article tells how it is made. She also included the funniest thank you card featuring 'Many Many Tanked Ewes' Seems they has a little too much to drink at Joe's Fleecin Baaaaaaar. Thank you Stephanie!
The second package was from my mystery ball SP, and inside was (can you guess?) my mystery ball! It is lumpy and funny looking and loaded with goodies. She also included a mystery pattern, which I will cast on for tonight - so I can get to all of those treasures inside! Stay tuned as the mystery unravels!

Fall Colors

I think this is the prettiest time of year - when the leaves change and the weather is crisp in the morning and warm in the afternoons. I just wish it lasted a little longer.
I went into town yesterday for Harvest Gold Days, which means lots of sales going on.
There was a Grand Opening of a 'Chocolate Factory' which is really pretty tiny, but has lots of yummy chocolate. They had a chocolate fountain flowing with pretzels, pound cake, and strawberries to dip in it. I sampled, but didn't buy, mostly because it was so crowded - but I'll be back!
Upstairs from that a scrapbook store was having a 30% off sale. I bought a kit to make a photo recipe book which looked really cute. It will probably become a Christmas present for someone. Also some fall stickers and embellishments. Now if I can just get to those fall pages. There was a craft fair and Chinese Auction going on, and all of the stores had sales, including my LYS which had 20% off on all of their yarn. Very tempting! I have orders for two more felted bags in fall colors - so using the leaves as inspiration, I picked up some Galway in brown and dark red, and green heather. I think they will make a pretty bag. I used the Random Stripe Generator to choose a stripe pattern.
I found another felted bag pattern I would like to make on Monica's blog. It's based on the ballband washcloth pattern that I love.

Today, I have been winding my mystery ball for the Whoduknit Mystery Ball swap. I can't post a picture because I don't want her to recognize the yarn. When she receives it, she is supposed to knit the pattern that is with it and let the goodies fall out of the ball as she knits. The very last thing in the ball will be my identity. I think it will be fun, and can't wait to receive mine.

This afternoon I had hoped to watch the last Red Sox game of the season. A very dissapointing season, in first place the first half and then had nothing but injuries and bad luck the second half. Looks like their bad luck is holding up as it is raining in Boston and they probably will not play. Looks like knitting and a movie this afternoon for me.