Afghan update

With all of the other projects, I forgot to update on the afghan for our friend with brain cancer. Lorie and I pieced all of it together. We are now awaiting a crocheter to do her magic and crochet a beautiful edge around it before we present it to him. Here's two photos of what we've done thus far:


I'm not sure what I would do differently next time. This was a project knit with a lot of heart and hands and that means there are going to be problems along the way. Some squares were too big, others a shade too small. Only one square really didn't fit, but we made it work. All of the patterns and personalities and love show through on this project and that is what really matters. We hope it will give him plenty of comfort and joy during these dark days.

And a photo of Lola taking advantage of an empty bag! Isn't she cute!

Miss Kate (and other projects)

Lorie thought up this great idea to knit a stuffed animal. Dani has completed two. I've completed one. Lorie, where's yours? Where are your posts? We know you've been knitting!

I made a Kate from Knitty. I love my Kate. She is for one of my two baby nieces. I have to knit another, slightly different Kate for the other. I used Cascade 220 for the body and pants, and Nashua Wooly Stripes for the sweater. I love the sweater colors. I'm going to use the leftover for a bowl. A beautiful felted bowl. Here is the progress of Kate:


I loved making Kate. I only noticed one mistype in the pattern and was able to fix it before it showed. I will knit my second with no modifications. However, I want to make a mini-kate for myself and I'm considering knitting all of the pieces and attempting to felt her and then sew her together. What do you think?

Besides Kate, socks, and scarf, I've also started a baby blanket

and a to-be-felted cat bed.


I've accepted a job up north and will be moving in 3 (THREE) weeks to be with my sweetie. I should be packing, but I'd rather be knitting. So I've enlisted friends to come and pack one night next week, so that I don't have to do it all by myself. I will miss my friends dearly. But its only two hours away. Just two little hours.

ROARRRRR!

The ferocious, scary, mean and not so hairy dino's are here to take over the world, or at least Mr. Fireman's attention for the next many days! The patterns came from Xtreme Knitting (http://xtremeknitting.com). It's a great free pattern that I love, love, love. It's fun and only takes a few hours to make. Stuffing and sewing togther isn't bad either.

There are three options with the pattern. Mr Stegs, Trice and Bronty. I made two Trice's as one is for a friends 3 year old son, and the other is for Mr. Fireman. He originally wanted a green one with a brown belly but I didn't have any brown yarn.. The stats on these little guys are:


Yarn: Rowan handknit dk- not even one skein
Needles: Clover Bamboo size 5 circular (pattern calls for size 6 but I found that I liked a tighter knit)
Size: 11.5 inches long approximately. Managed to be pretty much to the pattern measurements on the smaller needles.
Modifications: Next time, I would make the horns a bit stronger. I think I would end up crocheting them. Also I think I would puth their legs a bit closer together, because at the present time they seem to like to do the splits. Sure it's cute, but not a tough dinosaur move. No body is afraid of a gymnast when he or she is in the splits on the floor routine.


The green dino worked much the same, but I used (not quite) 1 skein of Knitpicks Shine DK. I like the feel of the green dino better, but I think the Rowan yarn will hold up much longer as it is stronger yarn. Only time will tell. I am confidant the orange one will be fine as it is going to the three year old, and Mr. Fireman is going to get the green one. I somehow don't expect a grown man to wear out the softer yarn nor abuse the dino as much.....

So you had a bad day....

I have that Daniel Powter song playing through my head as I work on attempt #3 of a pair of Pedicure socks. And I realized the other night, on graveyard shift, as I re-started sock #1 for the 3rd time that the recap of my last 6 weeks of knitting has been much the same, save one completed pair of socks.

Now those that know me know that I devour projects. I am one of those fortunate souls that can knit at work. This means when I am stuck at work for countless hours in the middle of the night, I become a very productive knitter. In many ways it is a wonderful thing. But after the last 6 weeks I wonder why I haven't thrown in the knitting towel. Here is a brief re-cap of my last many frustrating weeks, that I somehow makes you feel better than it does me.

1. Interweave Knits Sunrise Jacket: Started this one with stash yarn that I had a project in mind for but couldn't get the guage to work. So it has sat for years now waiting for a project. I was thrilled when I saw the jacket. Absolutely, fantastically giddy over the prospect of using my great orange tweed yarn that I adore. So after three guage swatches and needle changes, I thought I had it just about right. Sure the pattern would be tweaked here and there, but I am not someone who just joined the knitting world, so I should be able to manage. Done it before.....WRONG. Somehow the guage issue is back. So it sits in the guest room/knitting storage taunting me evertime I look through for other things.

2. Green socks: Tried to use a toe up method on circulars. Figured if I was going to make socks on cirulars for the first time might as well go for the gusto and do it the most complicated way possible. Two attempts, not happy, moved on to dpn's and a lacy pattern. Then determined after getting done with the leg of the first sock and to the heel gusset that this sock yarn, no matter if it is labeled superwash is way to scratchy and itchy to work with and that there would be NO WAY that I could wear them or give them as a gift. So....yarn is in a bag to go to goodwill- of course after I ripped out all my efforts.

3. Embossed leaves socks, from Interweave knits winter 2005 with Socks that Rock Lightweight yarn in Farmhouse colorway: I did an initial swatch and determined that size 1 worked best for the pattern and then proceeded to knit, as a way to de-stress over the problems with the black and gray pedicure socks. Turns out that "de-stress" didn't really work as my guage on my swatch was that of a de-stressed woman but when it came to make the socks suddenly my 8 stitches to the inch decreased in half...okay not quite but enough that it meant another sock ripped out at the heel.....argh....

4. Pink Trellis Scarf from interweave knits (do you see the theme here, interweave and knitty are two good friends of mine): Started one afternoon when I was home alone. All progress was fantastic once I found the right type of needles. Susanne's ebony needles are a dream for knitting light colored lace weight yarn. Well worth the cash. All went well, until I decided to knit while on delay for a flight to Portland, where I lost a stitch in the middle of a knit 7 together and there was no recovery. RIPPPPPPPPPP. Sure, I will pick this one up again, when I have a good light and a table to knit at.

5. Alpaca with a Twist Shawl: This lovely lace weight shawl pattern and yarn was purchased with birthday money. The whole idea was that I wouldn't start it until I was further along on my evergrowing stash and had the time to sit ALONE and knit. But then one night on graveyard shift, I decided that since I sit alone there it should be fine. I was wrong. The evening when something like this: start stop rip, start stop rip, start stop rip, STOP.

6. Aforementioned black and gray pedigree socks: A last minute belated gift for a friend. Completed sock number one! Yippee! Only to look at it critically then decide to place it on my own foot for comparison of how it will work for her. After attempt number 3 of pulling it around the heel I decided that I made it more for a 12 year old than a 32 year old.........Oops. RIP and begin again.

So all I have to show for myself from the last 6 weeks is one pair of socks and a lot of frustration. But since they were the first pair of socks I designed I should take stock that I managed to make something work. Hope your knitting is more productive than mine!



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Super extra long post!

It's been a long time since my last post, so this one will be extra long. Where to start? Dani's socks are beautiful and inspiring. I finally finished my second pair of socks. It only took a year and a half! I hope the next pair is done in time for present time.

I'm working on an afghan with Lorie and 16 other people at work for a friend's husband who has been diagnosed with brain cancer. It is a slow project, but will hopefully be finished by the end of the month. Here are a few photos of what we have so far. Ultimately it will be 4 squares by 6 squares. I'm still waiting for two squares before we can finish it all up. It looks a little rough right now, but I hope it will improve when it is all together.

During the wait, I'm working on socks and a scarf. The scarf is a pattern from Hilltop Yarns in Seattle. I love it! It is a fun lacy project.

I've bought yarn recently for gauntlets (armwarmers), felted vases, a bag for my sister, and a felted cat bed. I'm up to more projects than I can handle. All while job hunting and hoping to move soon! No stress like lots of stress.
My obsession with knitting books continues. Dani brought me Cat Bordhi's "Socks Soar on Circulars" which I adore as this is how I knit socks. I just bought "Alterknits". I love the creativity, encouragement, and new ideas in this book. I have "Wendy Knits" checked out from the library. I'm not so fond of the patterns, but I love her writing style. My new favorite must buy book is "Knitting Nature". Talk about creative. It is a fabulous knitting book. Wow! I highly recommend picking it up and looking at it.
I've also started teaching Rich to knit. He's taking to it very easily. I'm not sure if he likes it yet, but he's a natural! Either that or my teaching is getting better and better!
Dani, Kendra (she will declare herself "Knitter" soon--she just started purling), and I went to the Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene last week. What a great event! You get to meet the sheep, see the wool, watch the entire process of wool to yarn right there. That was where I convinced myself (with Kendra's help) to buy sock yarn to knit gauntlets with!

I'm going to make up some cabled pattern for them. I did resist all other urges however. I especially loved the sheep. And goats as we learned some of the sheepy looking critters really are. Hmmmmm. I need lessons. And the fluffy bunnies. Here's some photos.

Meanwhile, Rich and I put a flowerbed in at the Portland residence this weekend. We also bought grown-up furniture! A rust-colored sofa and loveseat are coming our way soon. The 70s non-descript duplex is getting some style!
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Lorie--you're it!

Pomatomus! What fun!

I had no idea how hard it was to take good pictures of your own feet? Did you know? Here are the Pomatomus socks I made in May. Sure I should have posted them then, but I was distracted by who knows what. Aimee has seen them up close and personal, so this is for you Lori. And speaking of Lorie....


I demand photos! You said you had a fancy new fangled camera, and some great projects to brag about....yet weeks have gone by and nothing! I want to see what you've done and the skills of that newly acquired camera. Am I asking too much? :)

It's Almost Time...

I am now the proud owner of a digital camera! During my trip to San Diego I should have plenty of opportunities to practice using it. Then it will be time to upload some of my knitting projects and chat about them. Dani, I hope your trip up here doesn't overlap with my trip to CA. Aimee and I are almost ready to Lucy!

Finally felted

Before I went on vacation to Virginia, Lorie and I met and felted four bags. Three were mine and one hers. Lorie, I expect a posting on all of your projects!!! Here are the photos of mine--pre-felted.

This bag is for me. Finding buttons was a great Seattle challenge, but I found them and love them.

This is a bag for a friend of mine who does too much for everyone but herself. I hope it helps her enjoy some me time.

This is a bag for my mother. She picked out the yarn. You may notice that the handles seem slightly off. By the time this was felted, they were way off. I didn't take a photo, but trust me, it would take an oddly fingered person to have carried this bag. I ended up cutting off the handles, resewing them (invisibly after two tries) and adding the buttons. I think it worked! Hopefully mom won't read the blog and she'll never know. Here's the finished one, followed by the others!



That's all for now. I'll post later about Virgnina Beach yarn shops, socks and heels, and my penchant for buying sock yarn!

The Shopping Gene

So, here I am sitting at work feeling quite inadequate at being a girl. I just crammed in a bunch of knitting to a boring night of nothing. Thank goodness because my projects unfortunately won't knit themselves. I ran out of yarn (more at home) to finish the sleeve of a sweater that I have been working on for far too long. Long enough that the sweater has it's own To Do list....It's that bad. I am still hoping that I will be able to finish it and the crocheted edging (did I mention I don't really know how to crochet) before I come to Oregon, in just a couple short weeks.

I am hoping to wear it to a graduation ceremony (and that's if it fits at all....yikes!) on June 16th along with a skirt and heels that I don't own.... I am not sure when I will find the time to go shopping, but I have no choice. I am backed into a corner with no where to go. My closet holds nothing worth wearing and those things that are "wearable" I have owned since college. Considering my last birthday catapulted me into my thirties and I graduated at the 22, it's a pretty sorry state of affairs. Aimee (a born shopper) would agree with me when I say, I completely lack the shopping gene. It's as though it is passed down through generations and it completely skipped over me.

You see, my mom is quite the shopper- a Bargain shopper to be exact. Too many Christmas holidays have involved me opening a present with a crinkled up expression on my face as my mother exclaims "Isn't it great. It was only $7.00!" Finally after the 10th Christmas in a row of yet another gift not even worth returning for the dinero, I am to the point of saying "I can see why."

I can't stand it really- shopping that is. I haven't bought clothes for myself since January of 2005 (that is NOT a typo). Oh wait, I had the 10 minute "shopping spree in Old Navy in April in which I purchased 2 t-shirts for $15 because I needed something to wear while visiting friends and didn't bring along the right clothing, but I don't think that can count. I spent less than it costs to fill my econo car with a tank of gas and I literally spent less time in the store than you do standing by the pump filling said tank of gas.

Some people have a shopping addiction. Maybe some could say the shopping gene is linked to the addiction. I on the other hand, completely lack the gene, thus have no chance of being addicted. Well maybe for yarn but not for clothing for myself, unless it's clothing I have to make on my own...Sure I am addicted to sugar. I have a quadruple dose of that gene, but not the one that allows me to go out and buy clothes that I will only like for a few months, that is if I can find anything I like to fit my 5'1" frame. It would be one thing if I was a 5'1" Eva Longoria body double, but alas I come from good German peasant stock...you can make your own deduction. Tread lightly please.

I digress. Why can't clothes that work great with those you knit suddenly appear in your closet? I don't even mind paying for them, I just can't get my self together enough to go in and out of stale dressing rooms. I have too many memories of my mother attempting to get into the dressing room where I am wearing ill fitted jeans and crying my eyes out.

Please keep the pity at bay. I am sure not everyone loves shopping. I can't be the only one. Straight men don't typically like shopping for clothes, unless they are metrosexual...So maybe I am a man trapped in a woman's body who likes to knit and is in love with a wonderful manly man. Would that make me a gay man? I guess I would have to be a non-stereotypical gay man because of the whole shopping thing....Is there such a thing?

Waiting to felt

I have three bags ready to felt. Why the wait? I don't know. I just haven't gotten to it. Between work, bronchitis, and trying to find Rich a place to live in Portland, I haven't had time. Hopefully Tuesday morning will lead to felting time. Meanwhile I have decorated a few pairs of thongs. Here are two:



If you wear a size 8 and like black, let me know. A pair may be yours! Off to knit and cuddle.

Neurotic

Two weeks ago, I decided I would make a baby hat for a co-worker who is having a baby. I was convinced that a baby hat would be plenty and that it would be fine, just to give a hat. Then the day BEFORE the baby shower, I changed my mind. I became convinced that I needed to give something more. So, without any knowledge of the pattern, I pulled out a top-down baby cardigan pattern that my Aunt Sandy gave me and started knitting. It all began friday morning and was done by noon on Saturday. The buttons weren't put on until a week later because I thought the baby shower started at 4pm and it started at 1:30pm. So, it isn't perfect, but turned out pretty well. I used some left over balls of Rowan Calmer that I had for a shawl that I made.

And of course, I decided that the pattern wasn't quite what I wanted, so I changed a few things. The original pattern had a 1x1 rib on the bottom and a hoody. But I really wanted it to be with a rolled edge on the bottom, so I followed that through with the rest of it. I actually like the results and so does the recipient. YAY! A success.

Hope all is well and your needles are happy!

The Lamb Shoppe Denver CO

Yesterday was a lovely day in the Denver Metro area. After some morning studying, my friend Jinger and I chose to venture out into the great unknown....After hearing rumors of a fabulous new yarn store opening, we decided we had to see for ourselves what The Lamb Shoppe was all about. Just as a little background Jinger and I met at another to be nameless yarn shop where she is still employed and I am not (for various personal reasons).

In The Lamb Shoppe (www.thelambshoppe.com), we found a haven. It is situated on a quite street in a residential neighborhood in downtown Denver near the University of Colorado Health Sciences University. Dangerous territory for me as I will soon be a student at that very school in the near future.

Once inside the store, we laughed at ourselves when we walked in to see 5 people knitting. We both exclaimed in loud voices "there are people knitting here!" You see, where we worked together, it wasn't exactly encouraged to linger and knit. I don't know why, I never understood it. It just wasn't the most gracious environment, for lack of a better way of saying it. Further, unlike the other yarn store, food and drink are encouraged in this one, especially since it is also a coffee shop. They sell all kinds of coffee drinks of your liking, all in "sken" and "hank" sizes. Also, in a week or so, they will have their permit to sell food.

And the yarns is wonderful. They have a great selection of Debbie Bliss, Noro, Alpaca with a Twist (new to me), Cherry Hills sock yarn which rival Koigu, Mountain Colors sock yarn, Lambs Pride, and I am forgetting many others. If this place had a bookstore attached it would be what I pictured as Aimee's dream business. When you come to visit you can tell me if I am close at all. The hours are fantastic-open until 9pm many days as well as open on Sundays.

The trip would not be complete without my spending money. I found a great spring sock yarn from Cherry hills that I will make the Pomatomus socks from Knitty.com and two skeins of Alpaca with a Twist Fino (lace weight yarn), that is on display in the store as the most beautiful shawl. I have to return sometime in the next week or so to get the pattern from Alpaca with a Twist. Oh darn, I have to go back!

I will post more photos later, of the actual yarn I purchased. Hope you all had a fabulous weekend as well.

Yarn shops in Seattle

Last weekend (Easter), Lorie and I trekked up to Seattle to play and shop. For what? Yarn of course! We went to many yarn shops. I lost count. But I fell in love with two. Hilltop Yarn (http://www.hilltopyarn.com/) is a gem of a shop on top of Queen Anne Hill. They also have Hilltop East, which used to be Skeins by Bellevue Square. Both shops are a delight of yarn. I fell in love with a scarf and finally had to buy the yarn in order to make it myself. Well, they didn't have the yarn I wanted at the original store, so that provided us an excuse to go to the new East store. The staff were super friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They had a fantastic supply of yarns, used in new and innovative ways and exciting colorways. If you are ever in Seattle, these stores are a must.

My other favorite store is So Much Yarn (http://www.somuchyarn.com/) in Belltown. For my tactile self, this was a yarn shop of addiction! The lines were luxurious and the prices were average. They had a great selection of books and patterns, buttons and yarn, and more. We liked it so much we went back. My delight was finding out the carried Mountain Colors, a Montana line of yarn that is stunningly beautiful. I bought a sweater pattern to knit any sweater from the neckdown. I haven't tried it yet, but the people who worked there raved about it. Another must visit.

The first day we were in Seattle, we visited Store X. I fell in love with this rich red scarf made out of Karabella Boise, a blend of Cashmere and Merino. It was luscious and soft. It was stunning. I wanted it. But how much? Store X, also friendly and helpful, found the yarn for me and said, "You only need four skeins!" Four skeins at $32.00 a piece! I can buy a premade cashmere scarf for $128.00 (or less) or I can buy Mountain Colors Cashmere and make it myself. I kept a straight face and we soon left. I had noticed earlier that all of Store X's yarns were at least $3.00 higher per skein than what I was used to seeing, so I wondered if that was going to be the Seattle experience. Happily not! We found most stores to be on par with what we are used to in Oregon. Anyway, we were at So Much Yarn and I found the Karabella Boise there for $17.25 a skein!!! Now this is still pricey and out of my price range, but I did consider purchasing it, just because it seemed positively cheap in comparison. I've seen it now online for around $25.00 a skein. So Much Yarn could charge so much more....If you have money to spend on yarn, this is a great yarn to do it with!

Below is a photo of our last breakfast with my friends, and future knitters, Kristi and Kathleen. It was great to have time with good friends, relax, eat well, and see new yarns. Who knew Cascade has superwash wool? Not Lorie and I, since our stores don't carry it. Seattle was a great time and I can't wait to go back.


P.S. I just priced Mountain Colors cashmere online and compared it to the Karabella Boise. I'm calling So Much Yarn and ordering two skeins. Their price is by far the best! At 160 yards in DK weight, I think I can make a beautiful cabled scarf with two skeins double-stranded and still have luxury around my neck. Four skeins my ass! Now I just have to buy the new Vogue Stitchionary on cables. Argh.

Mason-Dixon Thumbs Up

I just read Mason-Dixon Knitting and loved it. I'm talking about the book, not the blog (although I like that too). This book is my kind of book. It's a knitting book you can read cover to cover. The design, photos, asides, patterns, anecdotes and stories make for a lovely hodge podge of entertainment, like sitting down with a friend for a nice chat. I applaude the designers, photographers, font picker-outers and layout people for the colorful photos and text. They give the book a blog-like feel while showing off all that books can offer that blogs can't.

I'm the type that enjoys reading cookbooks cover to cover, including the recipes, even though I probably will never make the dish. With Mason-Dixon, I'll probably never make the lace curtain or the many log cabin blankets, but I liked seeing them and learning how they are made. More than anything, however, this book make me think that someday I might be a creative knitter experimenting with my own patterns, yarns, or being surprised by inspiration where I least expect it. This book is a keeper. Enjoy!

Projects Abound

Hey there,

Here are a few photos two of the things I have been working on lately. The pink sweater is from Knitting for Two. Even though I have no need to be knitting for "two", I just liked the pattern and thought it would be cute on anyone, and I got the yarn for 65% off at the shop I work at! Yay for Bag Sales!

The small swatch of light pink and olive green is for a cardigan from the Spring/Summer 06 Vogue Knitting International. There are three girls at the yarn shop knitting the same cardigan in all different colors. It should be fun to see how they all turn out! It calls for a Classic Elite yarn but we have substituted Butterfly Cotton Super 10 for it. I will hopefully add more photos as it grows!

Hope you all have a great weekend.

A Challenge

Hey Girls,

Since I will be headed your direction in June, I thought it would be a good idea to start our knitting challenge in mid-May to start of June, so that we can all felt our newly made purses together when I am there. Does that sound like a plan? We have a couple options:

1) all knit the Garden Party bag as originally thought, each coming up with our own ideas/plans.
2) knit any noni bag we want, with the idea that we could all get a better view of how the bags turn out and then exchange the patterns. I already sent the Carpet Bag pattern and Garden Party pattern to Aimee for us all to use.
3) If we find one of the spring patterns that we like better (due out in May) then we could all do that one. I volunteer purchasing the patterns due to my discuenta at work. And I can photocopy and send anything to you all. I will even break down and find a place that does color copies (if I can).

What'cha all think? Let me know what concept works best for you all.

Take care and happy knitting. At some point I will get some of my recent project pictures up.
Dani

Yarn stash

Lorie and I went yarn shopping. My intention was to purchase yarn for the Lucy bag and the garden party noni bag. I bought yarn for the Lucy bag. I didn't find the yarn for the garden party bag. And then I saw the sale sign! Squiggle on sale! I've never knit with squiggle. But I love it. I had to have it. And then I saw Noro Kureyon on sale! I had to have that too. Argh. $80.00 and more projects than I have time for. And still no yarn for the garden party bag. Triple argh. I need to find a job I can knit at like Dani has.

Lorie bought yarn for the small booga bag. but she got sidetracked too. I'm glad to be a good influence on friends!

My yarn stash is out of control. I have enough yarn to knit projects for at least one year, maybe two! I need help. Between yarn and books, my house is overflowing. I'm off to knit and catch up on dvds.

aimee

Save the blog

Since no one has written an entry in a month, I guess my role today is to save the blog! I haven't been knitting much, but I have been reading a ton. Allow me to share a few books with you.

Marley & Me by John Groban: a touching memoir of a man and his dog. Whether you have a dog in your life now or grew up with dogs, this book is laugh out loud funny, touching, and in the end, sad. Marley is a crazy golden lab who is untrainable. He is loyal, devoted, and loving to make up for his loopiness. This story of a dog and his family is charming and I thoroughly enjoyed it--even if it made me cry.

Hungry Planet: What the world eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio: This book looks at different families across the world and looks at what they eat in a week. In a word: fascinating. There are photos of each family surrounded by the food they eat. There are discussions of countries, culture, and social life. It will make you hungry to read. I loved the statistics comparing each country to our life in the US so you could get a real sense of what food costs, as well as life there in general. My only complaint was that it didn't cover more countries. I hope for a sequel.

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore: another funny book in the world of Christopher Moore. If you need a laugh and don't mind crude humor, this is the book for you. Due to a major earthquake, an ancient being is rudely awakened from the ocean depths and starts to terrorize the town of Pine Cove, CA. Meanwhile, the local psychiatrist has given all of her depressed patients fake antidepressants. The two events cause major ripple effects in the community and the results are hilarious. If the winter blahs are holding on and you need some lightness before spring, give it a shot.

Back with knitting soon,
aimee

Felted Bags part two

Here are the photos of the finally finished booga bag. I'm now happy with the results. Eight feet of i-cord is a lot!


I also felted my buttonhole bag. Here are the before and after shots. I love this bag. I'm going to make one more (at least) with the purple on bottom and green on top as a surprise for a friend of mine at work who loved the bag too.


I haven't knit at all this week. I had a plumbing emergency on Tuesday and fell on concrete on Wednesday. Today is the first day I've been able to type without pain. I'll start knitting again today or tomorrow. Right now I'm glad nothing was broken!

Rich and I are headed to Bangkok on March 5th. I can't wait to see the sights. Dani, you haven't gotten me your shopping list yet! He gets home tonight from Caracas Venezuala. Check out his blog for stories of men with guns.

That's all for now. Maybe humor will happen when the pain pills wear off!

I'm in LOVE

Okay, I know that we all know that the sexy man I go home to is the love of my life, but when it comes to my knitting life, I fall prey to lust and love in the needle and yarn world. It truly is a separate world, with different wishes (time alone with only yarn and needles and chocolate) and desires (unlimited supplies of beautiful breathtaking FREE yarn). But right now, I feel on many levels that my yarn world is complete...for the moment. I have found Noni bags. Oh the joy, oh the spirit, oh the love of felting. Check them out. They are wild, whimsical and wonderful, while still maintaining a tailored demure that is so classic. Tell me what you think. I hope you all are as giddy as I am after viewing the site.