Christmas knitting is frantically getting knitted. Or something like that. The thing is, however, that I really only have until next Friday because of travel plans. Yikes!

My Kitty Toy Swap partner sent me a lovely package the other day - great toys for the babies and a supremely lovely sock/lace-weight yarn for me. Love it. My package for my recipient(s) went into the mail today. I hope they like it! :D

My Traveling Scarf Swap person, ever so lovely, sent me tea! And not just any tea, a Harney and Sons sampler pack. The English Breakfast and Apricot were lovely. The peppermint is 'okay'. Not something I'd purchase separately, but I wouldn't turn it down if it came in a sampler pack.

The Garden Variety shawl patterns are on sale right now. So far I have them and the pumpkin patch scarf in my cart for just $24. I'm trying to decide if I want to add Leaves of Grass and/or Sherwood. 

Forgot my regular glasses at home today, so I've been wearing the spare set (2 prescriptions old). My vision is okay enough I can get out of the house with them, but my astigmatism is bad enough I can't spend the day on the computer without them and remain headache free. Even with the old glasses I had a headache by 10:30. Ugh.

*whew*

My dimply car has returned from the dead and it wasn't even half the cost of the lowest estimate I was originally given. Thank goodness. Of course, I found out after test driving this wonderful little Corolla that I would have happily walked off the lot with (it was even within my budget!). But that saved me money! And this was the motivation I needed to get off my duff and start up that emergency fund everyone should have.

In other good news,  we won a plane ticket lotto (or at least it seemed like it) and ended up with free tickets to visit the grandparents over Christmas. Part of it sucks because I didn't get to see the local family last Christmas and won't again this Christmas. At the same time, said grandparents were up for a cousin's wedding and the traveling was so rough on them they don't plan to return any time soon. If ever. (I was offered money to elope when it comes time for me to get married.) The most I'll have to pay for this trip is to board the cats for over a week - and that'll be half the price per night that was quoted to me by the old vet before the move. 

I'm already starting my trip packing list:

• nightgown (always forget that)
• knitting
• laptop
• traveling sock for plane knitting
• iPod
• knitting yarn wishlist
• jeans (2 pair + wearing on plane)
• tops (5 days worth, we'll do laundry)
• layers (5 days worth)
• more knitting

Knitting news: I was super lucky and won a 'you finished the shop hop' prize and a door prize for the yarn tour.  The 'you finished the shop hop' prize was a Berroco sock pattern book and two skeins of their sock yarn (awesome colors, one navy and the other jewel toned self striping). The door prize was the Louisa Harding Gathering Roses: The Design Collection book. Lovely book. And it even has a pattern very similar to a cabled sweater I'd planned to try to design for myself (boatneck, cable up the sleeve, split to go in front of and in back of neck, down other sleeve). Her version is knit sideways and the cable is at the neck and cuffs, so it isn't it exactly. But I've never done a knit sideways pattern, and I always try to learn something knew with each pattern I do. I'm not certain if the yarn I have is the right weight for this sweater (it calls for a worsted weight ribbon yarn), but at least one person has done it in malabrigo and that looks lovely. I think any worsted weight wool would be great.

The shop were I won the Louisa Harding pattern finally got the new Linie/On Linie cabled sweater pattern for Outland yarn. I picked it out during the yarn tour, but didn't buy since the pattern wasn't in. And who decided (after telling me she wasn't going to buy yarn when we stopped to pick stuff up) to buy the yarn for it Saturday? Mom. Of course, she got the color I wanted too. So, unless we want to look like twinkies I probably won't be making that any time soon. 

We finally found (online) green fun fur for the bag I'm to make for Mom for Christmas. I'll start the back tonight (have a blue ton of TV to watch that I missed last week) and will hopefully have it done fairly quickly. Not certain when the yarn will arrive, but I'll start on the front when it does. I'd really like to have it finished/felted well before Christmas. (Seriously, if the yarn arrives this week my goal is to finish it this weekend. We'll see how that works, that wrap I was going to finish by the 22nd? Still only just past the half way point.)

Also got the afghan I made for Grandma back. It is not, however, a feather and fan stitch. Very similar, but the YOs are stretched out over three RS rows. I'm tempted to rip and start over. And for good reason. Callie!girl got a little too interested in my knitting last week while I was at work. And I arrived home to find that the start of the afghan was no longer attached to the skeins. *facepalm* The afghan for Grandma also has six stripes, which kinda makes me want to go back and get three other colors. I have ecru, so actually it'd only be two other colors. I just don't know which to go for. It is meant to go with my bedspread which is dark brown and a light blue/aqua. Not a lot of colors there to match. Need to think about it. And come up with a good reason NOT to go to Hobby Lobby.

Been a while...

Been a long while. There was a new job and move in there somewhere. And an addiction to Ravelry. And yarn. And...

Ah well, current knitting queue (Rav links):

Versatility - love this. Can't wait to finish it. Have pretty much reached the halfway point. My goal is to finish this by the 22nd.

Traveling Scarves - I'm in the Ravelry Traveling Scarf group and currently have two at home. The first is finished, the second I'm waiting for the book to catch up to it. My scarf is out there somewhere - but I was told by the last person to knit on it that it was beautiful. Whee!

Noni bags - I love Noni bags. I love knitting them up and felting them. I do not love lining them, adding decorations and handles. As such, I have two almost finished Noni bags somewhere in my house. (I was recently trying to remember where they are - I'm not certain.)

Special Olympics Scarves - 1 finished, I plan to do another. This is actually crochet. *gasp* I know. Me, crocheting. Who'd a thunk. The first scarf just needs to have ends tucked and fringe added. The second will wait until after some other knitting is finished.

Chemo Cap - *facepalm* It just needs a button. Yeah. I know. This is a goal to get finished this week.

Coming up:

Christmas present - felted bag. Yeah, I don't know what I get myself into either.

Ice Queen - My first beaded lace project. Since I know Feather and fan to the point I can do it in my sleep, I figured this would be a good way to try something new.

Twist + Shout - LOVE this. Scored some excellent sale yarn at Elann.com for this. Can't wait to start. Think it is going to be a bit tricksy, so it may wait until the new year.

Hemlock Ring Blanket - the Lace KAL for November. Got some great Encore at the LYS yesterday - and double stamps on my pink card!

Cosima - Local yarn shop tour netted some beautiful Silky Flamme and this pattern book. I can't wait to get started. I just have a few other things to do first.

Flower Basket Shawl - This may be knit out of either some Noro Kureyon Sock or my Knit Picks Shimmer. I may have something else to use the Shimmer on, but I do love the pattern.

February Lady Sweater - Nearly bought the yarn for this over the weekend. Only problem, the day the online shop had it on sale all the colors I wanted were sold out. Next day? Everything fully in stock. While I understand that it is hard to keep a real time update of everything in an online stock, especially if you get new stock in, it still feels like a let down. I think that now I'll wait until one of the LYS's from the yarn tour gets it in (they're looking into it).

Two posts at once!

Well, we'll see if it works. Wireless has been up and down my entire lunch hour. Makes me wonder just how great it is to have the most wired (or technically wireless) campus if you can't get a signal on the only side of the library where the electrical outlets are actually wired themselves.

Not a lot of knitting related accomplishments to regale. Though my buying yarn on Saturday was apparently the motivation I needed to get other knitting projects finished (probably has something to do with the potential 'can only buy yarn for one project once finish two projects' rule and the fact that I'm already 'in the hole' since I had the unexpected acquiring of yarn). In other words, I finally seamed that one shoulder seam and did the neckband of my vest. Still have another shoulder seam and then it's side seams (ick!) but I have made progress on a project that has sat at 90% complete for nearly two years. And I also have made enough progress on the travel sock that I'm nearly to the heel. Yay! As soon as I get those finished I'll have two projects finished and won't feel so guilty about yarn purchases on Saturday.

I also finally got that survey/meme thinger posted for SP5 (with a little helpful poking by my secret pal).

I had a great Memorial Day weekend. A friend travelled down to visit, and it was her birthday on Saturday. So we went to the winery and did a wine tasting. And then were thankful we had a DD, as we were just tipsy enough that we knew we shouldn't drive. There was supper at a cow palace, great big hunks of meat were consumed and margaritas were drunk. Sunday was a cookout, the THE - toss, hit and eat. Though actually the order was toss (lawn darts and horse shoes), eat (brats and salads and incredibly wonderful banana puddings) and hit (fizzball). Fizzball is an idea they pulled from a comic book years ago. Buy the cheapest, nastiest beer you can, someone pitches and someone else hits it with a baseball bat and sees who can get the best explosion. Very good times, though I now know from experience that Schlitz isn't fun to get in your eyes. Monday was hang out time before our friend headed back home, and then resting and working on the vest. So, in all a great time, though I was tired tired tired yesterday.

Well, lunch break is nearly over and I've got to head back to work. Hopefully I'll have some picture when I post next. Either of knitting stuff or maybe my new drop spindle I just won from eBay or of the weekend. :D

I'm alriiiiiiiiiiight!!!

Props to JoDee Messina. The beautiful thing about this class and the homework is that I've spent mad crazy amounts of time watching music video. (Music video is grand when you're doing homework - music in the background for when you're working and great little mini!movies for when you need a short break. VH1 and CMT have been my friends.) Not to mention that Rob Thomas' little ass shake in his Lonely No More video can make anybody's day better. (I've got to get that music video!)

But, the joy of finishing my class is that I can now take stock of my knitting WIPs. And, ummm... let's just say this is only a few of them.



This is what's taking the most of my time right now. It's the Berry Bolero or something like that from Summer 05 VK. I've substituted Elann Sonata cotton for the Fiesta La Luz silk. (Because as much as I would LOVE to play with La Luz I just cannot justify it on my budget right now. Plus, if I did have some La Luz I'd rather make the camisole in Last Minute Knitted Gifts with it.) I'm loving it so far and hope to have the back finished today or tomorrow.



This is what I usually work on while on the bus. Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock in Lucky Stripe. Looks like spun cotton candy in the hank. I'm basically using what is the toe-up pattern on Elann.com, only I'm making the men's size. Not because I have what I'd consider big feet, but because it's the same number of stitches on the same needle size as the other pairs of socks I've made. /:) I'm also doing a slip one, knit one pattern over the heel, which supposedly reinforces it. I'm hoping to get sock #2 finished soon, but the jacket really takes precidence right now as I don't wear socks much in the summer and I need the jacket to wear at work.



Vest out of Paton's Bella. Not sure when exactly I finished knitting it, but it was at least a year and a half ago (took it home Christmas before last for Mom to help with finishing only we never got around to it). Lost the pattern when I moved across the country, but found it again a few weeks ago. Hopefully I'll get around to seaming the one shoulder so I can do the neckband, but I'll admit that the biggest reason why I haven't gotten anywhere with this is because I'm crap at seaming.



Yes, I jumped on the bandwagon and started to make a Clapotis. I'm using some Boutone yarn from Handpaintedyarn.com I started it, then stopped to work on more interested projects that didn't require me to check the pattern every single row (I like a challenge, but not *that* much of a challenge. Though I think that is probably a sign I just wasn't interested in the pattern.) I figure I'll pick it up again later, though summery projects I can wear *now* will probably take precidence until closer to the fall.

I also have another cardigan I've been working on. And a flower washcloth from Weekend Knits. And the clover lace pattern to swatch up. And...

I think I'll just leave it at that.

Things I need to do:
*Pack to visit ebil muse
*Clean/dishes/laundry type things
*Reply to email from IN!guy
*Print off stuff on campus
*Find crockpot recipe for 6 lb ham (was on sale for $.98/lb Wheee!!!) and possibly also pineapple
*Talk with prof about independent study


Things I have done:
*Pack - mostly
*Finish not frozen potato soup leftovers for lunch. YUM.
*Frogged Birds Eye Shawl in Handpainted Lace Wool (similar, less burgundy and more orange/gold/green)
*Restarted above yarn to make a Meadow Flowers Shawl. Hopefully this is not going to be too intricate to be overwhelmed by the multi-colored yarn like the Birds Eye was. *crosses fingers*
*Decided to wait to talk to prof Tuesday before class.
*Ummm... thought about cleaning/dishes/laundry?