Secret Pal 13 Questionaire

OHHH! I haven't been in a Secret Pal swap in years...this is going to be so fun, I can't wait to find out who my parner is.

Here goes for the questionaire:


1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love natural fibres, wool, alpaca, silk, cashmere, soy, bamboo. Anything soft. I'm not too crazy about mohair, ribbon or acrylics ESPECIALLY if it "squeaks", and unfortuneately I am alergic to angora :(


2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a needle roll that I got from another swap, but it doesn't really work for circs.


3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been knitting for about 25 years (YIKES!), my mum taught me when I was little, but kinda stopped for a few years until I got pregnant with baby #2. I've been at it, of and on, since - 8 years. I guess that I am at an intermediate skill level.


4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Yes, at both Amazon,com and Amazon.ca


5. What's your favorite scent?

Oh, I think that depends, I like to wear sandalwood and amber notes, but I also like to have citrus, vanilla, chocolate smells in the house. Oh, but no patcholi - gak!


6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Oh gods yes!!!! I love them all, but lately my jaw has been giving me trouble and I can't chomp into something really hard and brittle :((((


7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I wish that I could spin - I have a spindle but my draft sucks. I do a lot of other creative things. I am a sculptor who works in found materials, I love altered books and assemblage boxes. I am training right now to be a tattoo artist as well, I hope to be actually working on people eventually. LOL. I make stained glass, jewellry, felting, miniature illumination, bookbinding, papercrafts, clothing, costumes, scrapbooking and so many other things. I just like to create cool stuff


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 old school goth, heavy metal(AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Metallica), Dead can Dance, celtic, folk, Sinead, Sugarcubes and Bjork, - I love women with strong voices (but not so much with the Celine Dions or other balladeers). Industrial and medeival - I know that I am all over the place. And yes I am MP3 compatible.


9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

All my clothes are black and I tend to knit mostly black for myself, but I have been branching out into rich jewel tones, esp handpainted wine reds, crimson, deep purples and cobalt blue. I use really bright colours for my kids - fuschia, apple green, purple, etc... I really dislike pastels, brown, yellow and white doesn't really work with 4 small kids


10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I am married with 4 kids (DS 11, DD 7, DD 5, DD 2) and my son has 2 hermit crabs and we have resident chipmunks that we consider pets.


11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

I wear scarves & mitts


12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Hmmmm....I like to knits toys, and kids' clothes, celtic cables


13. What are you knitting right now?

I'm finishing 2 pairs of socks that I promised to people years ago, I think that the kids need new scarves and I'm considering finally casting on my Rogue


14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes I do, as long as they are practical...imagine a house with packrats living in it and that none of us like to tidy. hahaha!


15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I like my circs for socks and sweaters since I hate to seam, but I like to use straights as well, depends on the job. All my needles are metal, but I'd like to try wood.


16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

No :( I wish...


17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Oh dear...


18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?

We celebrate the Winter Solstice (Yule)...and even though it is crazy and it makes my husband grumpy with all the stress, it is my favorite.


19. Is there anything that you collect?

I collect witches, but only if they aren't cutsie or too ugly. I like unusual ones. I also collect old photos (pre-1950), old boxes and any kind of old ephemera for my artwork.


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'd like to try some of that new Seacell stuff and I adore Malabrigo ANYTHING. And Hand Maiden and Fleece Artist are lovely. I'd love to get some Japanese tawashi patterns, esp Halloween ones! I don't subscribe to magazines, I find that pretty much all the patterns in them I wouldn't wear.


21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I wish that I could knit continental, then maybe I could finish things in less than 2years haha. And can you believe that I want to learn how to crochet so that I can make amigurumi.


22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes, I like to knit socks, except that I really need to find a good cast on/off for the ribbing. grrrrr....hmmm how do I measue for socks? I'll have to get back to you on that.


23. When is your birthday?

My birthday is November 22! EEKK! Another year older....


24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Yes, but I haven't figured out how to use it yet. I guess I should. My ID is Tsukiko.

I love getting mail!

The Amazon fairy visited this week and lookie what she brought!

"101 Designer One-Skein Wonders: A world of possibilities inspired by just one skein", by Judith Durant. I can't wait to get cracking and use up some of my stash. I've got some delish natural black dehaired baby llama from Americo that is dying to be something!

I finally finished ONE of Fingal's jaquard socks (I've only been working on them for 2 years) and I'm a third into the second. I guess since that the one foot is done, I have to finish the other one quick before his foot grows.

I also, should finish Matt's Kilt Hose. Those have been on the needles even longer, but I've hit a snag with those - I made the foot too long, and unlike the firstborn, Matt's feet aren't going to get any bigger any time soon. AND they are toe-up so I don't even know if I can frog the toe. GRRRRRR! Does anyone remember these?

Nippon Police are my Heros

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

Finally some Nuit Blanche Pics

Sorry that it has taken so long for me to get these pics up...I seem to have misplaced the SD card that the photos I took were on. So thank you to Val for these great shots. The one above is of the tent surrounding "Gate", my piece that was in the baptistry. I was wondering what you would pack to start your spiritual journey. Here is another cool shot -




I also got to recreate my "Descent" piece from my thesis show. This time it was so interesting to watch more than just my professor interact with the work. There were quite a few men that went through my pregnancy sculpture as well as women who had children and didn't (you could tell which were which - "Yup, had that one, oh, that one too...nope...yup" vs "EEWWWW....remind me to not have kids") . I also got to talk to many of the crowd ( I still can't believe that there were literally a thousand people through the show!) and I was flying high on the great reception. I guess that maybe I'll do another show (but how soon....)

Nuit Blanche was a hit!

I just wanted to thank everyone for visiting me at my Nuit Blanche exhibit. I can't believe how many people were there - even the mayor, David Miller and his family came. I'm sorry if I missed anyone, I had to take Iona home at midnight, she was turning into a pumpkin. I'll post some pics, once I find my camera!

Iona is 1!!

It's hard to believe that my "last" baby is one today! I know that past experience has led you all to not believe me when I say I'm done, but I am....seriously!!! And that makes it harder to see her growing up, I've been trying to savour all the moments and she is especially delicious. Happy Birthday, little nacker, mummy loves you!

Potter Puppet Pals

I'm probably really behind on the fad...but for those of you who are as out of touch with pop culture as I am, will probably enjoy this:




The kids have me playing this over and over, they think it is hilarious

"bother"

In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, put brackets around the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of. (The ones I've left...well, I could take 'em or leave 'em)

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. [Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)]
5. +The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. +The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. +The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. *Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. *A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. [The Stand (Stephen King)]
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. +The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. *The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. +The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. +The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. *Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. *The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. +The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. *The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. *I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. *The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. [Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)]
44. *The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. [She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)]
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. [The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)]
59. +The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. +Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. [Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)]
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. +The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. +Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. +Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On the Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. *Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. *Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. *Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
8. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. *The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. [The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)]
96. The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. *A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Wow, it looks I like I'd better get to the library!

There is knitting happening...

I've been SLOWLY slogging along making Finn his Gryffindor scarf...I think I made it a tiny bit too wide for a kid, and I'm doing it stockinette in the round, so it's taking twice as long. Not to mention that it's tricky to get any of it done with "boo-nibbler" constantly wanting to be the centre of the universe. Imagine the nerve! ;)

No school, it's a snow day

We lived through our first official snow day! School was cancelled and our street was buried under 2 feet of snow for most of the day until the plow finally came by. Poor Matt spend more than and hour snowblowing our and the neighbor's fronts and then got reburied when the plow went by. But it was a lovely quiet Valentine's day. The kids had fun on their surprise day off and we had a nice dinner even though we had to use what was in the house.

We got a cool new furnace today! It's going to heat our attic and basement and we can finally go ahead with finishing both areas. So that means we are a step closer to building our new bedroom and me getting my studio built. YIPPEE for me! I wish that I had more baby-free time so that I could put the rest of the house together, but at least I've got a ton of hired hands descending on us to do a bunch of jobs.

One Handed Art Making

I've been trying to get some things made - thank goodness for Craftster swaps that give me deadlines to work for. This cool altered Altoid tin was for a nice lady in the UK who was a closet goth, I covered the top with purple silk quilted with a spider web and the beaded spider is actually a pin that comes off. I think I like the inside better...

The sides are cool cobalt microbeads and w/a transulcent overlay on the bottom.

I've just finished this piece and I'm planning on making a lot more along this line - it combines collage, altered art and stained glass YIPEE! The back and then the front! "she"

There's a pagan in bushes!

We finally found some other like minded folk out this way (thank goodness for the one other pagan family in town we already knew before the move!)...they are out in Kitchener, but they have an amazing kid group and we are planning on checking out their circles. Their next workshop is on Fairie, but I don't think the kids will sit through any type of "adult" discussion on the subject (although I'm a bit wary of what the adults would be talking about anyway...FLAKE ALERT!). But the kids really enjoyed talking with other pagan kids and they learned a few things and made some candles for Imbolc which made our sabbat celebration more meaningful for them. We've been trying to get back to our spirituality...I'm planning a cool garden with quarter altars, etc. Not the stonehenge I wanted, but someday.....

I've just found this amazing website with the most astounding art!!!! www.michaeldemeng.com I love his use of found objects and the small scale of his work - very intimate. I've been hoping to capture some of that sacred past in my stuff....keep trying. Maybe I need more layers of meaning.

Very busy down on the farm...

Well, I think we have all been adjusting well to the addition of our latest princess. As to be expected of our clan, she is enormous! 15 lbs last count. I've been keeping sane, catching minutes to knit Fin's Harry Potter scarf and play with my soldering iron making cool glass encased collages:

The kids really adore Iona, and most days I don't have to get them to leave her alone (thank gods for school!) The only glitch is that she seems to be sensitive to caffine - so no coffees for Mama. Which is not so good for a sleep-deprived, snowbound, cabin feverish, Toronto exile. Oh, did it sound like I'm not having fun in Leathertown? It's been tricky not driving and there not being much going on in town and it's too yucky to walk to the library, etc. I've been finding the people are a bit narrow-minded, but I've decided to give the drop-in another try and I've signed up for a papercraft workshop this weekend, so maybe I'll meet some nice people there. I really miss my friends and hangouts in the Big Smoke :(

But on a cheery note, here are my cool kids!

She's HERE!

After much anticipation, we present our littlest pipkin
Iona Setsuki Christina Birch

born November 19, 2006, 4:37am, 8lbs 14 oz

It turned out that she wasn't late at all, our first hunch about dates was right and the ultrasound threw us all off. There were no issues with labour, just my standard 3 hour travail, in and out of water. After deciding that I'd martyred myself through 3 pregnancies I told the midwife to break my waters...but then I couldn't make it back into the pool for my waterbirth. Standing through the next 3 giant contractions, our peanuckle made her appearance. She is so peaceful and quiet, we are worried that we might forget her somewhere ;) The kids are thrilled as you can tell in this photo ("Hey, we've never been woken up 7 before!")

Thank you all for thinking of us, I would have posted sooner, but the midwife forbade me from coming downstairs for 10 days and the laptop doesn't have a camera hook-up thingie. (I snuck down tonight to go to Fingal's Cub investiture). So, I should head back up into confinement and I'll post more pics soon!

Santa brought me contractions!

Santa travels in style here in Acton, and I think my red buddy brought on some really good contractions. So if I can keep them going, maybe something will happen tonight. **fingers crossed** The kids really enjoyed the parade which was cooler than we thought (oops sorry, contracting.......... ok, better now). Half of the town was watching and the other half was IN the parade. Our guys thought they would check it out this year and participate next year.

The float you can see in the background was local contingent of the Red Hat Ladies...very cute. Ok, these contractions are getting annoying, so I'm up to have a shower and see if anything develops. Keep y'all posted!

I'm a student again! YIPEEEEE!

I finally got off my butt and applied to OCA to upgrade my diploma to a BFA...and the letter came in the mail today telling me that I can start in January! I am sooooo excited. Yeah, I know that I'll have a new baby, but I can wait and start in the summer semester (May), and it'll only be one course at a time, so really, it'll be a lovely weekly distraction (with homework ;) ). I went and checked the course calendar and now I'm shaking thinking of all the amazing classes I co uld take - Human Form and Function: Introduction to Anatomy (with cadavers!); Vision and Ruins in Post-War Visual Expressions; Japanese Cinema; The Construction of Animality in Western Culture. I am so thrilled and maybe I should have done it sooner, but nothing is going to stop me now! WOOHOO!

Oh yeah, no baby yet....

2 days over...

I must admit that I thiefed this from someone else, but I couldn't resist...

RE: RECENT CORRESPONDENCE

November 7th 2006

Dear Mummy, (herein referred to as The Owner)

I am writing to inform you that I will not be able to vacate the property located within the middle section of Your Body as noted in our contract dated March 1st, 2006. Under the aforementioned contract, it was anticipated that the lease period would end on November 5th, 2006. For various personal reasons I have not been able to achieve that date for vacating. Under Section 3 of the Tenants Rights Act, I wish to invoke Clause 5.1 which allows the tenant an additional 14 days tenancy with no ramifications or penalties due.
In accordance with the original lease, the premises will be left in good condition. I reserve the right to take with me various fixtures - namely the kitchen (herein referred to as The Placenta) and associated plumbing installed at my expense. All walls will be made good. In return I leave the premises clean and all floors will be steam cleaned prior to departure. I leave also any renovation works carried out by myself , including any additional rooms (inclusive of deck and jacuzzi).

Yours faithfully,

The Wriggler

October 7th 2006

Dear Wriggler, (herein referred to as The Squatter)

We acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated 7th November, 2006 and wish to inform you of the Owners intention to take the property by force if necessary, and that due to previous experience will refute your claim to Squatters Rights for a period of 14 days. You will have received prior notification from a third party (herein referred to as The Midwife) that eviction proceedings were begun on November 6th 2006. The Owner wishes to inform you that these current proceedings will continue for a period of 4 days. If you still remain within the property after that date, additional force will be used at a date to be determined, but no later than November 20th 2006. A meeting to determine additional action took place on November 4th 2006 with a follow up meeting to take place November 9th 2006, wherein notification will be sent to you of those plans and any critical dates for you to note.
We once again stress that it is in all parties best interests for you to vacate the premises at your earliest. The Owner has provided numerous incentives, and believes your stay has been comfortable and enjoyable, but that it is time for you to move on.

Yours Faithfully,

Mummy

1 WEEK until D-Day!

WOW, that went really fast...I can't believe that there is only 7 days left until my due date. Good thing that everything is finally ready. The pool is in place, we have receiving blankets out the wazoo, the neighbors have been warned. Now, we wait. I'm trying to not get worked up since both Fingal & Luna were both 2 weeks late. And I guess I'm doing a good job since I had to go count the days left on the calendar. It makes it harder to cope if you are counting down the seconds to an unknown deadline....

We survived two more birthdays, Melia's we had at a local place (I was just too tired to clean the house) and Fingal had a cool Harry Potter affair here. The great thing was, I didn't have to decorate at all...just my black tablecloth and my usual gothy decor did the trick.

I've been working like crazy to try and make some things for the baby, but as Vanessa can attest to, Craftster has eaten my brain! I think tonight I'll try to finish those angora booties that I started how many months ago...and I want to make a mei tai (chinese style) baby carrier! Wish me luck! haha

Summer is finally OVER!

Well, I know that I have been neglecting this poor blog for some time, but it has been pretty crazy here keeping the kids happy over the summer. And really, we haven't been here all that much. But school starts on Tuesday and life should return to normal again (at least until November when the baby arrives - EEEK!). But the kids have been having a blast, and actually, so have I.

We went to check out the "elephant humps" in Terra Cotta which is right near our house. Unfortunately, I couldn't run up and down since my centre of balance is a little off and the lovely prego-sciatica has started. But the nippers and Daddy got to run amok and came back a lovely shade of red. They have been busy at camp and frequent trips to the library and swimming pool and checking out all our new surroundings near Acton. The big deal in town this summer was the "Leathertown Festival" which was bigger than I expected, but have been told is nothing compared to the Fall Fair which we are waiting to start in a couple of weeks!

My guys enjoying the Fest

Tadpoles and dead bugs at Kelso Conservation area near the escarpment

We have also been making frequent trips up to Matt's family farm near Ottawa. It's quite the drive, but worth it once we get there. It is so peaceful and the kids get to run free....we get quite the nature lesson as well with deer and hummingbird sightings, skulls and hawk feathers found in the bush, frogs peeping, luna moths flying....all very beautiful. Not to mention that Finn went on his first canoe trip alone with Daddy! My baby is growing up....

Swap Addiction

I just got a wonderful package in the mail from one of my Craftster swap partners. They are sooo amazingly cool and I admit to spending wayyyy too much time on their swap boards. But how can I resist when such adorable stuff arrives in the mail?