One of my favorite authors is J. C.alifornia C.ooper, and one of the many books I have enjoyed by her is Some L.ove, Some P.ain, Sometime. Hence, the relatable blog title for today. Definitely check this author out if you haven't yet, she is phenomenal!

I have Some Things I want to say and share :o)

Let me take a brief moment to thank all of my knitter pals for giving me the personal heads up about the Malabrigo factory fire. Y'all know how I am a fein over some Mal :oD
I actually ended up discovering the tragedy shortly after it was announced on their site, so thanks for lookin' out just in case!
My heart was heavy for them when I heard about it. I am watching for updates on their blog. Hoping they can recover quickly from this setback.

If you care to send your well wishes and prayers you can send a card to them here:
Malabrigo 8424 NW 56 St. Suite #80496 Miami FL 33166 USA
The mail will then get forwarded onto Uruguay

A couple of weeks ago one of my favorite bloggers, Robin, had a contest for her Ravelry anniversary (definitely read some of the great responses over there!), and guess who won! :oD

She even wrapped it up like LYS yarn packages! ;op

I didn't even realize that I had won, and my gurl had to tell me about it as I was headed out the door to A.tlanta that weekend! ;opI received some Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece (BSCF) that I have yet to knit with (*gasp!*), Colinette Prism that I was thrilled about as I have been wanting to get my hands on some of Colinette other than Jitterbug ;o), and Noro Kochoran.

Because I ended up being the random winner, and Robin knowing that I am a Noro Lover ;op she even threw in some extras for me! Noro Kueryon (believe it or not I have never knit with this one either! Haha!) and I already know what I plan to do with that yarn. As well as some Noro Iro!

And she included this cute card :o)I must give a big Thank You to Ms. Robin for a great fiber package!

So I got wind of a new knit magazine not too long ago The Burda folks have spread their wings into fiber publications. I never knew who Burda was until I started reading some of my sewing pal blogs. ;o)

And I wanted to get my hands on V.erena to see what it was all about! I was able to scoop it up during my A.T.L. yarnsploration at K.nitch!

Here is a lookey inside:

Whatcha think?? :o) They boost that every issue will have over 50 patterns in them!

I have a feeling I will be subscribing since I know it will be hard for me to find it here locally.

Surprisingly I have not been hording Malabrigo since the upsetting fire accident. Because I have plenty of Mal to keep me busy!! Especially my new lace weights that I need to untwist and wind up to get ready for casting on! ;o)

In preparation I have been studying hard on Ravelry what patterns I would want to knit with it and in what colors.

Here is one design I plan on making one of my mal lace hanks bloom into!That is the beautiful Alhambra by KnitSpot. Ain't it just yummy!

So I need help! Which color should I use on her??

Tell me your vote!

And before I leave I must show you my very "kewl" knitting t-shirts I got a couple of weeks ago :o)

I love my Fearless Knitter one!! Did you notice it in my Stitch 'N' Pitch pics?

And I am actually getting my O.bama one exchanged to have a black edging instead. But I think how timely it is since now he is our D.emocratic Nominee!!!! :oD It is very serendipitous!

Until next blog time!

I couldn't resist signing up again for Round #2 of the Ravelry Malabrigo Swap :o)

And had a package waiting on me since Saturday (I really need to check my mail more often!), as it would have been the perfect sunshine for me too this past weekend!

It came all decked out in the colors I love to see! Reds and Purples! Even with a red & white notecard (Ooo-oop!).

And it was an AWESOME package from Kara!

I am SET with my chocolate and gum fix! Lurves me some Dove Caramels! (I always read the special messages on the inside!) And can never get enough of Orbit's great flavors!

The first thing I opened was the cute elephant figurine that is now currently residing on my window sill :o)

And everything was wrapped in purple and red! Including my new pair of Addi Lace Turbos in US6!!! Yah!! Yah! Yah! :o)

Did y'all see that I got 1.2.3.4 hanks of Malabrigo!! Lets take a closer look at them shall we! ;oD

Mmmmmmmmm

The first one I opened was the Torero and so could have stopped right there!! It is THE PERFECT RED in Malabrigo!!! Finally!! My looooong lost search is OVA!!!!!! THIS is the true 'valentine red' in Malabrigo!! It is in the super bulky, my first time getting that weight in Mal! And have been wanting to try it. Can you say....."Neckwarmer!!" ;op

Then I received 3 skeins of lace weight and really wanted some light yarns for the warm weather! They came in shades of reds and purples. Believe it or not the one on the far left is also Torero in lace! Wow! What a big difference! The next one is in Cuarzo and the one above it is in Holly Hock. I like them all!!!

Kara really thought of everything for this package and "stalked" me very well! ;op

Thanks So Very Much for my Mmmmmal Crayola Box!!

Hope everyone had a great week because it is FRIDAY baaaaaaaaaaaby!!! :oD

I realized that I never gave this yarn a proper fiber layout

And so you won't keep thinking my needles are only dedicated to Malabrigo and Noro ;op

It is Rowan Denim in Memphis that is to finally be used in making my Indigo Ripple skirt. You may have remembered me already swatching for it...but yeah I need to now CO for it! ;op

I'll only need this much for the project

about 9 balls! ;op It will more than likely take less than that...but you just never know!

The yarn actually shrinks (vertically) and wears like denim jeans getting better with each wash and dry. Yep! You can throw this 100% cotton yarn in the dryer y'all!

Last year I scoured the internet to find this yarn as it is no longer available. As soon as I hit the "buy" button of course I found it selling much cheaper on E.lann.com! Ugh!! So definitely get your yarn there if you are interested!

One last b-day treat came in to me this week from overseas!I just gotta Thank Liz for always being super sweet to me! And not to mention the giggles that overflow when I read her blog! Thanks for being so thoughtful!

Have a FAB weekend!

I felt the love all day long for my birthday!!

I had an awesome mail pick-up yesterday morning!
Granted.....I don't check my box often ;op So that may explain it! Haha

Two sweethearts sent me two fab fiber packages!!

Earlier this month Marin ran a Black Valentine Contest! ;op And everyone ended up being a winner!! YAH!

She asked me what my little heart would desire and of course I said Malabrigo!!! :oD

Ms. AntiM herself even went on a yarn scavenger hunt to find the colorway I was looking for and all! SWEETHEART!!

That is Sealing Wax which projects have already been pinpointed & yarn wound up for Malabrigo March!! ;o)

Also, waiting for me to pick-up was this great package from Emily for winning 2nd place in her Pearl's Diamond Sock contest.Yes, the Godiva box was such a tease!!!! :o) LOL

I got some fantastic O-Wool that is in the colorway of Balance in 50% certified organic merino & 50% certified organic cotton.....oooooh what to create out of this very unique yummy yarn! I will have to think on that to be sure I make the right choice!

Telmah was a SWEETHEART and also included some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn in Glenwood! What a great yarn for great sock practice!!
Yes, I am really casting on for some very very soon! More to come ;o)

These are great yarns to kick-off some very nice spring knitting. It is just around the corner!

THANK YOU ladies for the great fiber packages!!

While I was at the mailbox I had some great mags too. Look who is on the Knit Pick's catalog mailing list now! I wonder why?!? Haha! ;op

And I finally got my IK spring issue (I am always the last one to get it despite my subscription!).
I only like one pattern in this entire issue! So nothing really pressing out of this one to me ;op

I probably won't renew my subscription, and just get it in the box stores with my 40% off coupons :o)

But I will more than likely pick up another one that I really like...Simply Knitting! Check them out!
Great British mag that has little gifts with each issue!!

My lovelies are here!! SQUEE!!! They came in on Wednesday, but I just had the chance to pick them up this AM.

I didn't realize when ordering extra cords that there are 2 in each package! Yah!

Think I am going to need more tips..... ;op

Y'all have a great weekend!

I will be having fun playing with my new t.oys! :oD

Now y'all know it is a new year so I will be in some new swaps! :oD

I really like the short-term swaps - 1 simple package and BOOM! You are done!

Well I signed up for 3 swaps already for the 1st quarter of the year. :o) A secret scarf swap with Ebony Elite (you know this is a big deal for me since I don't like knitting swaps), a Valentine swap I am organizing with Charlotte Purls called "My Purly Valentine" that I am really excited about, and the last swap I couldn't resist is a Malabrigo Swap on Ravelry.

How about the last swap that I signed up for and the one that is "due" last (February 28th) is the 1st package I get!!!!!

Dang! My spoiler was F-A-S-T!!!
She even F.edEx it to me!!
Bree sent a fabulous package! It was filled with WONDERFUL yarns!! Malabrigo of course! :oD
She sent me the lace weight that I have been wanting to try and in velvet grape that none of the LYS here carry! Yah!!!!

Also, in my package was a hand knitted scarf in Malabrigo!! That was not part of the swap!
Bree knew Velvet Grape is my favorite Malabrigo colorway, but she went a little further in spoiling me and did some extra research (my Ravelry que!) to discover that I wanted to knit up the Bainbridge Scarf one day in the future ;op and she did it for me!!!!! Oh My!!! So unexpected! She is GOOD!! :oD
I love it!! And did I already mention it is my favorite yarn & colorway?!? :oD

Then tucked in my package was another surprise of yarn not Malabrigo! Refreshing!
Of Blue Sky Alpacas 'Suri Merino' in a crimson color!! This is my first time having Blue Sky yarn (I know! Really!) and then in this delightful uber soft merino...very niiiiiicce! It is in colorway #419, 60% baby suri 40% merino.

Included in my package was also 4 patterns that Bree sent, and one of them I could use my Suri yarn with called the Matchgirl fingerless gloves! Which the yarn is the exact weight to make for them! I was just thinking not too long ago how I really wanted to do another pair of fingerless gloves!

In haste to get a good daylight photo shoot of my package I forgot to show in the main package pic my cute Lantern Moon project bag that was included too!!

That was because it was already in use!! ;op Shhhh! My Ebony Elite secret scarf is in there! :o)

I really love these cute project bags and have one in purple, so the CRIMSON one was just perfect!! I want a few more of these because you can never have enough mini project bags! ;o) Which again I have yet to see any of my LYS in the area carry these. So it was a great surprise!

Let me also not forget to mention that my sweet pal sent me a sweet Caramel Truffle candy bar by N.estle which just so happens to be in a purple wrapper. Yum! I sure know what will be for dessert today! :o)

Thank you Thank you Thank you Bree for my so very thoughtful reveal package!!!

I am thoroughly enjoying it! :oD

Today is also a day that I must take notice!

I must say Happy Founders' Day to over 200,000 of my sorors in Delta Sigma Theta!!

....Is all I could get out of my mouth when I opened up an unexpected package yesterday!!

Now y'all know I don't check my mail on a regular! LOL

OH.MY.GOODNESS!

When I started pulling it out of the box I knew what is was right away!! And I could NOT stop saying Oh.My.Goodness ALL DAY long!!

Sheila is the designer and maker of this GORGEOUS knitbag! And it all started with this one post.

I love elephants because I am a Delta and this bag just spoke to me! Well Sheila put my name all over it and sent me my ultimate KNITmas gift this year!!

Her generosity and kind heart just floored me!! Really it did!

I love the vintage look about my knitcase, the fabric is just wonderful, and the bowling ball style also makes it so unique!! And do you see the pretty handles!

Well look on the inside of it! All of these pockets!

And more pockets on the other side!

As you can see I have some major room in my knit case!!

The construction of the bag is pure quality!! It is thick and durable!

She mentioned how this bag has not yet gone into production and sent me the sample. Well I LOVE IT!

I can fit a large project or several smaller ones in here, a couple of books and all of my notions! How do I know this?? :o)

I put it to IMMEDIATE use! Everyone in the yarn shop was "Ooohing and Aaahing" over my beautiful bag!! Just BEAU-TI-FUL!

Sheila actually sells her knitcases HERE and several other really nice items she makes (such as needle rolls and carry alls). Check out her boutique!

As you can see I am totally ELATED!!! :oD

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH Knitaholic!!!!

I must say what a wonderful response on my last post about a wonderful woman!
I am so glad it excited and inspired you all! Thank U for coming to read about Sojourner on my blog and sharing her story with others! You all are too kind and really know how to keep a positive thing going!

Speaking of those in history that have knitted. Recently, Urban Knitrix ironically mentioned on her blog how Dr. George Washington Carver crocheted, knitted and did needlepoint!
I also discovered HIStory over at a site called Yarn Boys in History. George even dyed his own yarn!

And speaking of males knitting. Over this past weekend, I meet a black man who knits. I never personally layed eyes on one before!! It was refreshing to experience!

And like George Washington Carver he is a doctor too! Hi Dr. John! He was such a delight to meet!

~ I also really wanted to highlight the eternal kindness of knitters in this post ~

Shortly after Thanksgiving, A Knitter In Queens had a blog contest on her site and I ended up being one of the winners!

Guess who has enhanced her stash with 7 balls of NORO! Yah!!She felt bad about delaying my package that she included 2 balls of Regia sock yarn. Which will be perfect since I made the commitment to do more socks in the new year! And I would prefer to do 2 at 1 time having these two balls will work out well! Thank You Veronica!!

Then I received something in the mail besides bills! Myriam went back to her home country and was a sweetheart to remember me! Just one of her regular ole e-blog buddies!

She sent me a post card all the way from Germany! Did I mention how she was just a sweetheart for even thinking of me??I have yet to travel overseas and I just love when others send me postcards from their travels!

This was a great mail day!

I tell ya checking your mail after a federal holiday really does pay off! :op

I first opened my mailbox to a well known delightful aroma!! Some Soapy Knitter treats!!

Some of you may remember that I received some great soaps from her that very 1st time and was instantly hooked!! Or how about that other time when I got a nice variety package!

Well she sent me some more!

She knows how I LUV me some Chamomille!! (in fact her vanilla chamomille soap turned me onto that scent). Rosi also has a new scent in Chocolate Expresso very delicious! And I just love her new package labels too!

Now while I knit I can smell Ooh So Good!! :oD Thank You Rosi!!

Then I had to pick up a package that came from

Dang that was fast!! I just ordered this on Saturday during their weekend sale along with their free shipping offer!

See what happens when you stay home all day?!? You still end up spending money!! :op

This was my 1st time ordering from them and I have been wanting and needing these items for awhile now.

What exactly is in the box? Finally some much needed knitting appliances!! ;oD