i got a lot to say

so i will have to save some for other posts. for today i give you the goodies. by now most of you that signed up for the goodie packages have received them. there are still a few of you who probably haven't because i sent them a couple days late. so if you don't want to see what was inside, by all means, click away now!

so the crafty designer in me took over. i started scheming and came up with my little snowman theme. and of course chose the color combination of pink and green! now, the coolest thing was (in my eyes anyways!)...i had nearly ALL the supplies to make the stuff already. (small disclaimer, i did not make the cupcake bath fizzy, those were purchased) my favorite thing to make was the little stitch markers. although shaping the wire was hard on my hands, it was worth it. look how cute they are all piled up together!



now, presentation is always important so these little guys found their way into some watchmaker tins i had purchased years ago. i love these tins. i have a couple hundred in all different sizes. the tiniest of them worked perfectly for the markers. throw on a cute ribbon and tag and ta da! limited edition gtbg stitch markers





for those interested, i used fimo clay to make these guys. i mixed my own colors using the soft version of fimo (i can't handle the original stuff, takes forever to get it soft). then, after baking, i applied the matte sculpey glaze (it isn't very matte as you can tell).

the magnets were fun too. really quite simple, just printed them on my printer and attached them to some magnets that already had adhesive on them. now, if you are familiar with laser printing, you know that the ink can actually scratch off. i wasnt' sure how to handle that until i remembered that i had some nifty crystal lacquer in my closet. it was something i had picked up in my rubber stamping days. you just squeeze the stuff onto the item, smear it around, and bingo, a shiny top coat that prevents any damage to the printing. i had a couple versions of the magnets that i sent out. i only made a few of the snowman one. most of the others were the "it's so good to be girl" version. here they are drying...



a small glassine envelope of the heavenly dark chocolate m&ms were also included. i got a little out of control on the tags and tried to make them all star wars like by putting a darth vader mask on my snowman mascot. i'm not sure i pulled it off so well, but it is still kinda cute. i also found the star wars font at the ultra cool font site dafont.com.



the fourth and final item was a cupcake bath fizzy. i bought a bunch of these a few months back. i know at some point i posted about my obsession with cupcakes before. so i couldn't pass these guys up when i saw them. they were perfect.

here it all is ready to go.



so that consumed a few days of my time. but i have managed to get some knitting done. i will post about that tomorrow and my rather lofty desire to knit some crazy socks. i also started reading middlemarch for the "knit the classics" along (link on my sidebar).

crazy crafty

i'll be posting pictures in the next couple days of the crazy craftiness that went into the gtbg blogiversary goodies. for those receiving them, i just want to say that even though we are heading into summer, the pink snowman of my blog header made it's way into the theme of my goodies :) i think it has become my blog mascot!

tonight i was checking up on all my favorite blogs, when i ran across the link to knit the classics via stacey at sheep in the city. this couldn't be more perfect for me, although i think i am going to have a busy summer! i think i may be making variation on a frill from the spring knitty. megan over at pensive frog made it. i saw it in person and it is beautiful. i would never have thought to knit it until i saw it in person. but we will see, i have 5 gifts i need to knit in the next month and a half. however, the reading part will probably be easy to squeeze in, i like to read before bed to get all the crafty thoughts out of my head.

happy friday all, and happy long weekend. if you are feeling nostalgic you can read my first ever post here. and fyi, the birch never made it past the 2nd row :)

p.s. for those fans of alias out there, who is this man????? yikes!

time keeps on slipping...

ok, inspired by purly whites need to name her posts after song lyrics, i give you the anthem of my life right now (steve miller rocks). i think that my current state of chaos amplifies the matter even more (the "matter" being lack of hours in a day).

ok, ignoring the chaos, i will let you know that most of the goodie boxes were taken to the post office today. for those of you near me (washington), you may get them as early as tomorrow. i hope you enjoy. the 40 packages were a bit of an undertaking, but i managed just fine and enjoyed it. they are just wee tokens of appreciation for all my wonderful readers. seriously though, a year? there is that time thing again...

if you think that i managed to let all these days pass without some knitting, well then you don't know me very well :) i just finished the 2nd ball of yarn on my ruffles scarf (i have yet to photograph it). i also finished felting my very heavy flower basket bag. here it is un-adorned (flowers are in the works)



i am ok with it. it is a little big and a little heavy, but once i get the flowers done i think i will be entranced with it. even if i never carry it out in public.

i myself also received some lovely goodies from my parents. they hit wine country in california as i mentioned before. my mother was told to find yarn. unfortunately they had a tough time locating yarn stores. she did however, in the end, manage to find me a ball of this summery yarn



and the other goodies included ravenswood wine, scharffen berger chocolate (you can't get better than their chocolate, i have tried many, many fancy brands and this stuff rocks) and the yummiest garlic olive oil for bread dippin'.



i do believe the chocolate and wine will be reserved for a little 30th bday toast to myself (omg it is so very soon!).

time is really flying by, i did get the job i posted about before and i can't believe how fast my last weeks as a contractor are going. the adjustment will be hard, i lead a very LAZY life these days and get paid VERY well doing so. this will not be the case at the new gig. so recapping, i turn 30, i start a new job and i am searching for a condo. i guess it is actually kind of exciting. but my head is spinning.

almost done

ok guys, i am just about done with the goodie packages. i have my list and just need to do my shipping labels. i promise i will be returning to knitting content and such soon!

quick update...

happy day all



i just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has emailed! i have received about 25 requests already. soo..i am going to put a cap on the number and say 40 will be my max. i don't think i can handle more than that :) however if i reach 40 and still get requests, all those people after 40 will be entered in a drawing for a final goodie package.

now, assembling, packing and shipping of these goodies will take me a little time, so you have to forgive the lack of knitting content over the next week (that would be why today you just get a flower pic!). i am hoping to have the packages out by wednesday. my actual anniversary is the 28th! yeah for me!

gtbg goodies

hey there, are you a regular reader? do you like to get mail? well i am fast approaching my 1 year blog-iversary and thought i would send out some little good to be girl goodies to celebrate. the catch? you gotta email me your name and snail mail address so i can send it to you! my email is amy_aATcomcastDOTnet. include your blog address too if you have one!

ooh la la!

email will never replace the delight that snail mail can bring. look what arrived from stacey..



stitch markers that are SO me! (and stacey for that matter, we both love paris stuff and tea!). i can't wait to start a project just so i can use them. did i mention that they came in the coolest eiffel tower box?



look at what an artist she is too! i loved her drawings that were all over the envelope. a girl of many talents. i am so glad to have "met" her in blogland. thanks stacey, you made my week!

knitting update: flower basket bag has been felted. it is still too big so tomorrow it will go back in the wash. i am hoping it will shrink more in height. it is odd, usually all my items shrink up sooo fast in height. not this sucker. and it is my first lamb's pride felted project. one word for you, fuzz. i don't think i like this stuff. but no worries, i am having a good week and i am thinking positive. otherwise, this thing will be big enough to be considered luggage! seriously!

i would suggest a nice merlot with the koigu...

in honor of my parent's trip next week to wine country, i bring you amy's stash enhancement from the great yarns sale - with wine.



one cannot resist the call of the koigu. i would like to say it was on sale but it was not. i bought it anyways (stacey you realize this is your fault right?)



now here is some strange yarn, on sale for 4 bucks a ball. i am guessing it wasn't a good year for this yarn and that is why it was discounted. (i haven't googled it yet, but if i were a betting gal, and i am not, i would say it is 'older' yarn). it self stripes in a couple blues, cream and khaki. part of it is shiny, part matte. a rare vintage.



shiny, soft and good colors. clapotis potential, doubtful (i look at EVERY yarn as clapotis potential now. i am a dork). at 5 bucks a ball, why not?



mystery fiber, 2 skeins with no tags and dirt cheap. i am guessing acrylic on this one, kinda like the quality of the 2 buck chuck. useful in certain situations (like getting drunk for cheap on a tolerable (to some) wine - and by that i don't mean to imply moi).

so that does it. there isn't too much to show because it wasn't that great of a sale (and by that i mean there wasn't an overall discount on everything in the store, i heart those sales!).

another great part of today was the new friends i met. i took my friend denise (sans a blog) with me to the sale where we met up with tami of blue rose knits. afterwards we headed to lunch and met up with another knitter, tami's friend allison (ohh i am pretty sure that was her name, sorry!). both of them were so great and we all chatted for quite some time. i won't start on how jealous i am of their haul from the knit picks sale.

as i was working at my computer earlier this evening (yeah, when you take the day off to yarn shop you gotta fit in the work you missed somewhere, for me, the yarn was worth sacrificing my friday night) this took place outside my window.



apparently the roller skating of my youth has been replaced by dumpster diving. yep, those are a bunch of kids playing in the dumpsters outside my apartment building. we have tennis courts, basketball courts, walking trails etc in my apartment complex. apparently that is just too 'clean' for these kids.

update

just a quick update, my site feed seems to be ok now. i hope i didn't cause too much pain to anyone. and i also hope it doesn't break this time!

ok i am off to a yarn sale!

or so i thought...

so my site feed was working yesterday. now? not so much. hmmmmmm... that means i really am going to have to do some investigating. and i know it isn't just bloglines because i tried out the nifty new rss feed "button" in tiger (osx) and it doesn't work there either. so give me a few days to get it sorted out.

there is bound to be knitting goodness tomorrow so stay tuned!

what now? wednesday

i'm not sure what to do next. i know i want to knit something cotton, something summery. maybe a tank? or a shawl? maybe lace? i am seriously considering orangina. i'm not sure it would be a good fit for me, i think i would add a little length. but it does appeal to me. i am thinking it may look cute with a fitted t-shirt underneath? i am not really a bare arms kinda gal. and you know what? it is a downloadable pattern. there is nothing better than instant gratification when it comes to online purchases.

summer is approaching quickly and my thoughts are definately turning towards all things sunshine. today i picked up a lovely beverage that would go well with sitting and knitting on the porch (nevermind that i don't have a porch).



jones soda fascinates me. their flavors are quirky. i was a little disappointed in this one. when i read "lemon drop" i mistakenly thought of my favorite cocktail. sans alcohol of course. it tasted like an unfrozen lemon otter pop. you remember those icey things you used to eat when you were little? the ones that got your fingers all sticky? not so good.

and what was i knitting while drinking this so-so soda? the only project that i have on the needles, you know the one i seem to be avoiding...



i am sooo close to finishing the second side. i can't say i did a better job with the decreases on this side. i do believe it would have been nice to have the instructions for the decreases in the pattern for dummies like me. so i will have to live with my less than perfect attempt at the decreases. but at least it will finally be off the needles!

i had another delivery from the cute ups guy, but i wasn't home! drat. he left me a purchase i made on ebay a few weeks back.



i should have gone with my gut and bought the size larger but i was being cheap. so it is modeling the only knit item i have that fits on it. my very skinny tube scarf. and probably one of the few knit items i have made that hasn't made it on this blog (well until now!).

i was waiting to show these until they made it to their intended recipient, but i think i am safe, she should be getting them tomorrow.



this was my contribution to the bead it exchange. i struggled with my fimo. when i was younger i was a fimo queen. i just couldn't get these exactly as i wanted, but i think they are cute. and they are very appropriate for their new owner (hint, i was her bead it buddy too).

one more thing...you can now link to me via the bloglines thingy. and maybe some of the other ones like bloglines that are out there. i think you just type in my url. let me know if you have any trouble.

happy birthday holly!

i know, i am crazy, but i can't let the day pass without recognizing the 2nd birthday of my beloved holly golightly



you can find out a little about her here. isn't she a cutie? man i love driving her.

now, i wanted to show you a little something that came in the mail today for the bead it exchange.



not only did i receive lovely stitch markers, but a matching pair of earrings as well. they came from wendy over at catknits. notice the cute kitty card she sent along? this was a fun little exchange, i will be sending mine out tomorrow (i had a hard time getting them just right!).

now i also want to give you a sneak peak at a project i am working on. the manos is still trying to dry. i don't know what is going on, this thing is holding onto water like you wouldn't believe. it has been in the dryer many, many times. anyhoo, when it finally does come together, these will be the components...



don't you love those buttons? they are gorgeous!

the goods

i finally got around to taking some pictures of the lovely yarn i purchased this week. you will find a strange similarity in color to most of the other yarn i own. lots of white, pink, green and blue again!

first off, yarn that stacey and cathi will be able to appreciate...ggh colorado in a variegated pink and variegated green



and the softest cotton at a must-have price



next, we have a lovely assortment of cotton chenille (destined to be flower washcloths for holiday gifts), some inexpensive alpaca/silk blend and 2 balls of ggh esprit in white (i can always find a use for this yarn, pillows, scarves, bunnies...)



and lastly, a solo ball of aura in a variegated green (i am not a sparkly yarn person, but for some reason i really like aura), some cotton sock yarn and my knit happens lorna's laces sock yarn (that arrived friday from a VERY cute ups delivery guy!).



that about covers it! now usually i hit the sale twice, but then denise had to go and comment about another lys sale that starts friday. this particular store has some great stuff (a koigu selection to die for!) so i decided to hold off. after this sale, i may have to go on a yarn diet. seriously. i can't believe i just said that. but i said it AND i meant it. so sad. p.s. - if you are going to the sale, let me know, maybe we can grab coffee after and knit a bit? might be nice to meet some local bloggers.

before i forget, i also want to complete the meme i was tagged for by purly whites. she has an awesome blog. i am really loving the sweater she is working on right now. it is gorgeous.

1)Total number of books in your house: not too many. maybe a bookcase full? mostly crafty books. i sell most of my books on ebay when i finish reading them. ohh and do my 8+ years of martha stewart magazines count?

2)The last book you bought was: america by jon stewart

3)What was the last book you read? mansfield park by jane austen

4)Write down 5 (or 6) books you often read or that mean a lot to you. i often read jane austen's books. i have to admit i mostly read trashy, chic lit books. i mainly read for entertainment. otherwise it takes me forever to finish a book. bridget jones is the perfect chic lit book! and my ideal type of reading material. i know it is pathetic!!

5)Who are you going to pass this onto and why? denise over at neecie's knits because she too recently completed lady eleanor and lives here in the northwest.

and thanks for all the well wishes on my interview. i believe it went very well, but of course you just never know!

there is a felted manos bag flying around my dryer right now (don't freak, it is ok!). hopefully i will have a fo to show you soon. it is going to be a really cute baguette bag that i saw at a lys. it didn't felt exactly as i hoped, so i am hoping the dryer will help me out a bit. this thing was knit with only 1 strand of manos and it is super thick. odd. anyhoo, it is getting late. happy monday to you all!

yarn adventures.

yikes i have a lot of new yarn to share. but for now, you are going to get a brief update. basically, my week has been all about stash enhancement and spending lots of time with my old co-workers (socially). today was one of the biggest lys sales so that was a shopping spree! but i also finally made it to bainbridge island to visit one of the lys there. it is a popular little shop (churchmouse yarn and tea) that i hadn't made it to yet. my friend and i took the ferry over on tuesday and really enjoyed ourselves. it was beautiful out! after picking up a few little goodies for myself, we ate ice cream in the sunshine, ahhhh.



some koigu (i apparently didn't have enough in my stash according to stacey, thanks for enabling!) and some other really funky yarn that was calling to me (i have no idea what it will be!!).

now, my yarn is getting a little out of control so new furniture had to be purchased for storage (oh yeah, and that is a new handbag too!)



an ottoman with storage. you can't beat that. it was quickly filled to the brim.



however, with today's purchases at the big sale, there is no way that one container is going to do it (ok, so it didn't all fit BEFORE i went shopping today anyways).

now, i have a lot of yarn from today to share but that will have to wait. along with a book meme i got tagged for (i feel the need to share the trashy novels i read). oh yeah, and tomorrow i have an interview. keep your fingers crossed for me. i SO need a real job so that i quit spending my days travelling in search of yarn (ahh who am i kidding, i want this life forever!). but seriously, this job has some major potential. and new job = new condo (in the next year or so). so maybe things will have a way of smoothing themselves out by the time i turn 30 afterall!

p.s. i apologize for the excessive use of the exclamation point in this entry, but this has just been a really, really good week and i am so darn full of exclamations!!

crochet, m&m's and the dark side

those things are pure evil and i have 2 large bags stashed away in my kitchen. why? two words. limited edition. i love dark chocolate and i love m&m's, so when they paired the two for a star wars promotion i had to have them. a batch of dark chocolate m&m cookies are on my 'to do' list this week.



another element of the dark side. crochet. this little square has been keeping me up at night. taunting me, reminding me that i no longer remember how to crochet even though i took a class last summer. isn't it sweet? can't you just see several of those worked into a lovely shawl? so can i, and that is the problem. i want it. so the crochet hooks are out here at the good to be girl household. i am gasping in horror with you. may the force be with me (so lame, sorry!).

now, i have exactly 5 days to finish another nantasket basket for mother's day. no worries here. i am on it.



i am using the woolpak in off white (this one felts) and patons wool in an olive green. these colors were specifically requested by my mom. should be a quick knit.

i also bought some lorna's laces this weekend. the colorway (sand ridge) reminded me of the ocean. i couldn't resist. i think this will be a pair of socks, but i have not decided for sure.



i also have 2 more on their way to me from knit happens in their own colorway. thanks to cathi for pointing it out!

and finally, i was secret pal to the very cool thuy over at good clean fun. i have enjoyed reading her blog and sending her goodies over the past few months. hi thuy!