Oy

I've been recovering from my trip, slowly but surely. I'm trying to put together a blog post about my vacation, but where on earth do I start? :-)

In the meantime, Kelson got his ACT and SAT scores:

ACT - 29 composite

SAT - 1260 (plus 500 for the writing).

He scored 630 each for both reading and math...

and he did the math section without a calculator, because he forgot it that day!

Not to shabby for a kid who just turned 16 one month ago! :-)

He's going to retake both tests in the fall to try to raise his scores. He took the ACT once before (when he had just turned 15) and he scored a 27. There's no doubt that he can raise his SAT scores - he never even looked at the SAT prep book that I bought him...

More Pictures

We're in Dublin right now - coming home tomorrow! In the meantime, here's an updated link to my Flickr photos (click on the mosaic to access all 3 sets)

More updates after I get home! :-)

Worldwide KIP Day

I'm on vacation, but I remembered to KIP yesterday!

In front of the Canterbury Cathedral Gate and in front of Canterbury Cathedral itself:

Does that count? :-)

WOW!!!

I've been here for a few days - it's been really, really busy, but INCREDIBLE!! My internet time has been very limited, but I have been uploading my pictures everyday to my Flickr account. The pictures of London are here, and the rest of the trip (so far) is here

(Some of them may not have captions yet - Flickr has been giving me fits, and I'm very tired by the end of the day. I'll update as I can).

I'm off to Canterbury tomorrow - I'll bring my knitting so I can participate in the World Wide Knit in Public Day. How cool to KIP at Canterbury Cathedral!!

(Remind me to tell you about the blown tire. Took $180 to fix. Ugh)

SP12 Questions

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love any natural fiber - especially wool. I love Wool of the Andes, Jamieson & Smith, Bartlett, Briggs and Little, Harrisville, Cestari,most small-mill yarns, and anything that Schoolhouse Press sells. I love knitting with pencil roving, too. I won't knit with anything acrylic (except for WoolEase in a pinch) or anything that looks like the pelt of Grover.
2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Since I got the Options set, I've been using that almost exclusively. For everything else, though, I have a 2-sided worm binder from Bass Pro Shops; I have at least 40 pairs of circulars, crochet hooks, markers, tape measures, etc.
3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? My Grandma Benefiel taught me when I was six, so I've been knitting for nearly 37 years. I knit for the KnitPicks catalog, so I would have to say that I'm an advanced knitter.
4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
It's right here
5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I make a lot of my own bath products, but I love a good, straight-out vanilla.
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? Dark Chocolate!! And Gummies!
7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? I spin, quilt, sew, make soap and lotions, crochet a bit, cross stitch, garden, and can food for the winter.
8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like nearly everything except rap and hip-hop.
9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love maroon, dark blue, purples, dark reds...anything in the warm category. I don't like orange, yellow, gold, light green - I have nothing personal against those colors, but if I wear them next to my skin, people keep asking me if I'm going to be sick. :-)
10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I have 3 children a husband and 2 children. My boys are 16 and 13. I have 2 dogs (a Mini-Dachsund named Tick and an Airedale named Gracie) and 5 cats (Moe, Repo, Rambo, Sparky and Itty-Bitty)
11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes, Yes, Yes, and NoNoNodeargodNO.
12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love knitting sweaters, shawls, socks, and anything that catches my fancy at the moment
13. What are you knitting right now? I'm working on the Sampler Afghan from Cables Untangled - for the KnitPicks catalog. I'm also making a sweater for my son, 3 pair of socks and my contest entry for Knitting Camp.
14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes!!!
15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I don't use straights, and my favorite needles are my Options and my Inox greys. I love my Holz & Stein needles, too.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Yes to both!
17. How old is your oldest UFO? About 2 years - I have several sweaters in progress
18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas or Thanksgiving - anytime family gets together
19. Is there anything that you collect? Pre-1960's cookbooks, vintage knitting patterns, stitch dictionaries, roving and yarn!
20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I love Hazel Carter's lace patterns and Fiddlesticks shawls. I really like Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits.
21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? I'd love to learn combination knitting
22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? I love to knit socks! I wear a US 8-1/2.
23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) 12/17
24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID? I'm SanityKnit