Was it all just a dream???

So, I woke up this morning in a migraine hangover/took tylenol PM too late fog. Excedrin wasn't helping, so I supplemented with some Tylenol PM about 1:30am. At that point, I just wanted it to stop hurting... So, needless to say, 5 hours wasn't enought to sleep off the Tylenol PM. I'm alive and I'm moving, but that was about it. So, I walk to to the lobby at work and I do this double take and begin to wonder whether or not this was just a dream and I really was still at home in bed sleeping. The lobby was filled with balloons, streamers, lit candles, poster boards, champagne flutes and bottles of chilled champagne...you're beginning to understand why I wondered if I was still dreaming, but I haven't even gotten to the cake, the crackers and cheese...the dark chocolate dipped strawberries. No kidding on this. After a minute, I realized I'd forgotten we were having a going away party, but for my initially reaction was "Oh MY GOD, I'm still dreaming..." I must admit, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries at 9am are a dream come true...

So, the going away party is for a woman I consider kind of a mentor at work, so I've decided to give her the clapotis. I know that she is someone who will appreciate the work that went into it and will in all probability wear it. So, let's all bid a fond farewell to the Clapotis...

And here she is all packaged up to go to her new owner tomorrow. Sniff. Sniff.

So, out with the old, I have given away yet another project intended for myself. I am definitely a process knitter rather than a keep everything for myself. I do have yarn to make another one that I just might keep for myself...

So, I started the ballerina top for my neice for her winter sweater and here's what it looks like so far. It's in Debbie Bliss cotton. It looks a little brighter here in the picture than in real life. It has more of a purpley cast to both the pink and navy in real life. It's going well so far.


4 more hours of work tomorrow and I'm free!!!
Lindsay's sweater

1.75 days until the 5 day weekend...

Yes, the count down is on, 14 hours left until my 5 day weekend. We will all give thanks and praise to my employer who has so generously shut down Weds afternoon, Thurs, Fri and the holiday on Monday.

So, in all the excitement of finishing the clapotis and my knitting needle haul, I totally forgot about Saturday. I finally, and I do mean finally, picked up the teapot that I painted at Paint-Me-Pottery back in April. Yes, it took me that long to get back to the shop to pick it up. I work and I've been busy on the weekends and I've been out of town and well...I...ummmm...forgot about it for a few weeks. (oops...) Never fear, I finally got there this saturday after visiting Knitorious for some knitting needles. And I must say that the teapot looks so much better than I thought it would. It's actually cute

I may be getting the hang of it after all.

So, I'm feeling kind of lost since I finished the Clapotis yesterday. I need to go back to the Soleil, but that needs some concentration since I made my own size up and I'm to where you break for the arm holes and neckline. It was a long day and I wasn't up to that much math tonight. I considered casting on the second sock of a pair I'm making (unfortunately not for my sock pal :-( yet) but I'm having a bit of second sock syndrome. I considered casting on the Bistro shirt in the yarn I got from Stitches last year, but I kind of want to finish the Soliel first. So I debated and finally cast on for a winter sweater for my neice. It is the ballerina top from the Debbie Bliss easy knits for baby in Debbie Bliss cotton yarn that I got on sale (Yeah me). Pictures tomorrow once I get past the boring garter stitch edging.

If my sock pal is reading this, my only update is "I got some size 0 needles this weekend..." Finding yarn and a pattern is a priority for my days off.

14 hours...I keep telling myself 14 hours...

Absolutely fantastic Day

You know, every once in awhile one of those days comes along that kind of erases all the stresses of the world that have been holding you down. I'd like to thank all my friends and family for hanging in there. Today made up for all my crappy days recently, I hardly know where to start...

So I'll start with the finished clapotis. Hurrah!!!!!! It looks absolutely fantastic!

Yippee!!!!! See that small ball of yarn. That's what I had left over, it's about an inch ball of yarn left over. Hurrah!!! I'm just so happy.

So, that was finished about an hour ago while watching disc 6 of season 2 of 21 Jump Street (Young Johnny Depp!!!), so now I'll go back to the rest of the day. I woke up, made myself Very berry muffins for breakfast and sat down to read the paper from cover to cover. My favorite Sunday activity. Then I went over to my parent's house to see my beautiful niece and later have mom's homemade pizza for dinner. I'm very much the doting aunt and Lindsay was in very good spirits today and laughing and carrying on. She holds her hands out to you now for you to hold her. It's so cute.

So my mom and I wanted to go to this estate sale that my dad had been to the day before, so we took Lindsay along with us. My dad said that apparently the woman who's sale it was had a lot of sewing stuff and she was a quilter. She was a wonderful quilter, as evidenced by the quilts for sale, but more importantly, she was also a knitter. Look at my haul!!!

Circular needles

Double pointed needles and crochet hooks

So, altogether I ended up with"
9 sets of circular needles (1 size 0, 2 size 1, 2 size 2, 2 size 3, 1 size 7 and one size 6),
7 sets of double points (Sizes 0,1,3,3,4,7,8),
2 crochet hooks,
2 needle gauges,
1 tape meausure
15 bobbins,
4 boxes of stitch markers
2 boxes of point protectors
2 counters
7 stitch holders
5 tapestry needles
and yes, your eyes do not decieve you, a tatting shuttle.

Even more amazing, I only paid $10 for it all. What a perfect day!!! Yeah!!!

Yuck and Wonderful.

I dislike people who you delegate things to then have to okay each and every little thing. I told her to do it because I didn't want to be involved. I don't care what the order to eat or drink. I don't care what the cake looks like. I don't care if the plates are white or pink and green. I don't care what the poster looks like or what the e-mail invitation says. Just take care of it. Ughhh!!!!!!!! It's not as if I don't have enought stress already!

So, in that frame of mind, I hid in an office for the rest of the afternoon and didn't talk to anyone.

So, on to the wonderful. My clapotis is almost finished. Isn't she beautiful.

Here's a close up of the corner where you can see I'm almost at the end.

Well, it's been a long week, and I'm talked and written out. More updates tomorrow.

What day is it????

If tomorrow's not Friday, I'll shoot myself. This has been the busiest week. I feel as if I've lived a month in 4 days. Of course, the fact that Monday - Wednesday I worked through lunch in meetings, went in early and stayed late most days helped that along. I got some sad news as well. Someone I've considered a mentor is leaving for another job. I'm very sad about this.

I must admit, I felt guilty this week when Alison posted all the updates to Sockapal2za on Tuesday. One person even had their socks finished and I haven't even picked out yarn. I have been looking at my stash yarn, but nothing has jumped out at me, so I'm going sock yarn shopping on Saturday. Wish me luck.

Other than that, I'm on the decreases for the clapotis. Yeah! Should have it finished this weekend.

A tale of yarn barf...

You know, that stuff that comes out of the middle of a center-pull ball of yarn... I have no idea what I did, but it took me and various members of my family (Thanks Mom & Susie) more than 2 hours to unravel and rewind the ball starting from the end. Ughhh!!! So needless to say, not much knitting got done on the Clapotis and I'm on the 13th repeat of the middle pattern. :-(

Today was father's day. I called my Dad bright and early this morning and took him to breakfast. I'd realized my mom was working and didn't think he should have to have breakfast alone on father's day. I cam home and cleaned my bedroom. Found 2 knitting magazines and the Debbie Bliss book that I'd been looking for so that was good. Went over to my parent's house for dinner. I only had to make salad this year, so I got off pretty easy. :-) We played with my neice who was an absolute doll, until she hit the critical meltdown point because she hadn't taken a nap all afternoon. Hopefully she let my sister and BIL get some sleep. I got my father the best card for father's day. On the outside it said "You're the coolest Dad..." and on the inside it said "of course, you have a lot less hair on your head to keep the heat in." It was the obligatory bald joke card for the year. He takes it all with good grace though. So, Happy Father's day to my father!

Race for the Cure

Wow, I have to say that Race for the Cure is one of the most amazing things that I have ever been a part of. We had a great time. I even walked the 5k. Yeah, I'm not exactly sure how it happened. We were hanging around with my co-worker who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer right now and milling around watching the walkers start and she suddenly decided "Lets Walk" so, we all walked. It was so much fun. We talked to lots of people. There were lots of groups in support of people who dressed up. Everyone was in good spirits and having a great time. There were bands along the route that kept your energy up. There were Harley Dudes in pink wigs on several street corners cheering the walkers on. I had a great time. Next year, we've decided that we need to get our own T-shirts rather than the standard ones and we need pink baseball caps or something. We've got a year to come up with a good slogan and a t-shirt design. What was even more incredible was all the survivors, but a little bit sad to realize that many of them are my own age and to even think about what they've had to go through.

I've just got one thing to say to all of the individuals who stopped along the way to have a smoke (yes, I'm not kidding about this. At every group of port-a-potties, there was a large smoking contingent) GET A CLUE!!! Cancer walk...Smoking...Not a great mixture, even if it wasn't a lung cancer walk. Geesh.

I came home afterwards and died on my couch for about an hour. It was at that point that my body started to ache. The knees, in particular are killing me. So, instead of cleaning, I sat down and had a good knit.

Here is the updated picture of my clapotis.

No, not a trick of the light, it is two different colors darnit... The third ball, which I've finally added matches the second (Thankfully!!) I'm not so sure about the color change yet. It's less noticeable in person than in this picture when you look at the sections with dropped stitches. I'm just going to finish it any coloring issues are "design features." (Thanks Beth)

Finally Friday

Thank god it was finally friday!!!! I was so glad it was Friday, I celebrated by taking a half day off. I finished everything I needed to get done by noon, so I was out of there. Hurrah!!!!

So, what did I do with myself you might ask??? Did I clean??? No. Did I do Laundry??? Umm. No. Did I go shopping??? No. Yes, I sat down, watched some movies and knitted. It was like stolen time. But look, I finished the unraveled sock from Wednesday.

It's the first finished object in awhile. I didn't know if I was going to like them. There not for me, so the colors aren't "My colors" but I really like the way the came out and they're nearly identical. For some strange reason when I do these self-striping pattern socks, mine always end up fraternal, but not these. I was excited.

I also took time this evening to actually make dinner rather than have a sandwich. Well, admittedly, I was out of sandwich meat so I was forced to cook or go out... So, I made stuffed green peppers. Mmm. They were good.

So, tomorrow I'm going to participate in the Race for the Cure. I'm going to be walking in support of two co-workers diagnosed with breast cancer in the last few months. These are our shirts.

I'm kind of excited I've never participated, but I've talked to quite a few people lately who have and say it's amazing. So, I'll be back at the office tomorrow at 7:30 am for breakfast beforehand. I'm only doing the fun walk, not the 5k race. After all the festivities, I think I'll stop over at the Soulard Farmer's market for some fresh fruits and veggies since I'm downtown anyway.

Wednesday nights are usually for knitting...

Well, not tonight anyway. I went to a purse party a friend was giving instead of meeting the knitting posse. Sorry girls, but I finally got a summer purse. Isn't it cute?

I did miss the 1200 stitches I would have done if I had done a repeat on my Clapotis this evening, so we're still sitting at 10.5 of the main repeats completed and I still haven't added the 3rd ball. I'm thinking this pattern would make a great christmas gift. It's a relatively mindless pattern that you can knit during a movie and while watching TV. Of course, by the time I get around to xmas gifts, I'll have moved on to something else...

I did some surfing on the internet for sock yarn for my sockapaltwoza pal. I've got a stash of yarn for 7 pairs of socks, but from reading her blog, I'm not feeling any of the yarns reflect her. So, I'm on the look out for something different. I'm also considering hand dyeing some yarn for socks for her, which could be cool, in and of itself. Hmmm. I'll have to think on it for awhile.

I did do some knitting tonight, although not on the clapotis. I finished the second Tampa/Dallas sock. Isn't it beautful.

Now look at it next to the first sock... Are you seeing what I'm seeing???

I was aware this was going to be a problem. I did the first sock while on an airplane without a measuring tape stuffed in between two people so I couldn't try it on. I think the weirdo next to me may have affected my ability to approximate measurement. It's about 2 inches too long. I tried it on and tried to convince myself that it wasn't a problem. Reality finally set in that the sock wasn't for big foot. I started the second sock as an avoidance of the problem, thinking it might miraculously shrink two inches while I finshed the second sock or that pixies or perhaps the weird 8 legged bugs I've seen lately would have unknit and reknit the sock for me, but alas tonight, reality set in. I could no longer avoid the issue. Courtesy of the liquid bravado from the party I had attended, I just did it...

Ripppppp!!!!!! This is what hours worth of airport and airplane knitting became in a few short seconds. Lets all take a moment of silence and try, for my sake, to hold back your tears...

The only good news is that I was able to get it back on four needles without having to get out the crochet hook to fish up dropped stitches. Yippee!!!

updates

I got my sockapal2zer Pal today. She sounds as if she's up for anything, so I'm very excited. Now, my favorite part, yarn shopping.

Still working on the Clapotis. I've finished 11 repeats of the main pattern. I have enough yarn to make 1 extra of the main repeats, so I'm going to. I prefer scarves and shawls longer. I'm about ready to attach the third skein, so stand by for further updates on the color change saga. I've also been working the Regia socks that I started on my trip to Tampa. I finished turning the heel and have about an inch left before cast off.

Other than that, work has been very busy. It feels as if it should be Friday already and it isn't even wednesday yet. UGHHH! I need a vacation.

Busy Weekend

Yet another busy weekend. This one was in town at least. My sister and I went out on Friday night. We went shopping and in an almost unheard of occurance, we did not purchase a single, solitary thing. Yes, you're reading that right, we didn't buy anything... No, I don't think either of us is ill either.

On Saturday am, I went to the St. Louis Knitting Guild's annual potluck lunch. It was a good time. Tried lots of good dishes that others brought. Knitted for quite awhile.

Then, I went to babysit for this beautiful little one. She was very good for aunt Gwen and we had a very good time, although from her very serious expression, you couldn't tell.

I spent the rest of the weekend, cleaning my house (I have hardly been home, so this was the first chance I had in awhile...the downside of traveling) and knitting on the clapotis.

Notice the subtle color change. This would be one of the little oddities in hand dyed yarn... The first skein was very vibrant and the second was almost like a washed out version. The third will either be like the second or some version of the two. I've looked at it and it has more of the yellow/brown tones from the first, but also the lighter tones from the second. Oh, well, only time will tell. I'm just going with the flow.

Here is a more close up picture of the color change.

Clapotis update

I've done nothing for two days except work on this project in the evenings and watch TV. I love this pattern!!! I got to the first dropped stitch. Hurrah!!! The colors are fabulous. My great camera takes some good photos and it's pretty true. This is going to look fabulous once it's done.

While knitting on the clapotis, I watched the Brad Pitt Interview this evening. He is a beautiful man to look at. I'd have drooled, but didn't want to get any on my clapotis. Now that would be a crime. I go through Brad Pitt phases, sometimes, he's too...I don't know...something. Like in the interview, he looked all normal and was acting all "Aw Shucks" it was cute. They showed recent pictures of him with the bleached blond hair...not so cute... So Brad Pitt two months ago when the interview filmed - drool worthy. Brad Pitt now - not drool worthy.

I love spring. I love spring fruits. I'm sitting here eating cherries. Mmmm...

So, I'm finally home to stay for awhile. This weekend trip wasn't a total waste, look at the yarn I bought at the Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe in good 'ol Columbia, MO.

The 3 hanks areEllyn Cooper's Yarn Sonnets Hand-dyed yarns called Canasta. The color is Jewel Tones. It's a thick thin cotton yarn. The green stuff is a cotton yarn that was very inexpensive and yes, that is Opal Sock yarn. I've been hearing about it all over the internet, so I had to try some. It is a very good thing that our Board meetings are only on Saturdays once or twice a year... They had magnificent yarns.

So, I bought all of these wonderful yarns and then spent the night here:

No, although it looks a lot like it, it is not a prison cell. I swear, I thought I was going to fall off the bed all night long. But you will notice that no where in this room were there knitting needles. All I had with me were my #1 doublepoints in a sock. Ugghhh. I was ready to join right in. I did seriously think about trying to find the nearest Michaels, but the meetings ran until 10pm. I will confess to bringing the yarn into my room with me...

This is how the yarn spent the ride home...

So, I got home. I had a lot of things I wanted to get finished - laundry, bathroom cleaning, mopping the floor, etc. So, I took photos of the yarn to post and then sat down to eat a very late lunch and read the paper.

20 minutes later, and I still don't know how this happend, but I woke up and the swift was out...

I've decided that I definitely took a ball winder. It took forever to wind a ball, so I only wound one...

You know after that, I couldn't resist. I dove right in. Can you tell what this is???

Why yes, it is the Clapotis. Again, in the fog-like yarn coma, I somehow started the clapotis. I will admit that I had to restart it 15 or so times... :-0
I tried out several different needles sizes to find out which ones worked and I kept losing a stitch at line 6 and at that point, you might as well start over, it's only like 8-9 stitches. I'm loving it. It looks awesome!!!

I'm so terrible. I'm apoligizing to all my other WIPs that will end up in a pile somewhere until I have gotten over the Clapotis fever. It's so easy and fun to knit and I haven't even gotten to where I can drop a stitch... I'm insane, I know.

I joined Sockapal-2-za yesterday. I figure this is a good excuse to try out a new pattern (and justify buying new sock yarn...) and as an added bonus I'll actually end up with a pair of socks since I have a habit of making them to give away. I am hording my last skein of Tess' supersock yarn to make socks for me though. I'm running a little low on sock yarn, I only have yarn left to make 5 more pairs only 1 of which I'm really excited about at the moment... A big thanks to Alison from the Blue Blog for organizing!

I'm going to Columbia this weekend. I'm finally going up on a Saturday so I can visit the Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe. I usually end up there on Sunday or carpool with someone to the board meetings, so I'm unable to go, but not this weekend. (It's a shame not everyone understands the yearning for more yarn...) I'll even get up early so I have plenty of time to shop before the meeting starts. Yippee.

Last night was STL Knitting Posse night. We had more people than we've had since the new year. We saw the return of some old faces, Wendy & Nancy. Also, Birdie came with her bobbin tatting. I think Suzie is being drawn over to the dark side.

Only 2 1/2 more months until Stitches. I've started the Stitches yarn fund and started diverting funds into it. I have to really get working on my Soleil tank so it will be ready to wear for the big event. I've started the list of must buy items.
1. Koigu (can't get it here in St. Louis)
2. More koigu
3. still more koigu (are you sensing regret over the fact that I didn't buy any last year???)
4. Tess' SuperSock yarn (It is a dream to knit with. I love it! Hopefully she comes again)
5. Patterns - I was caught in the yarn coma and totally ignored the other available options out there.
6. Anything else I'll kick myself all year long for not purchasing... (i.e. Koigu from last year)

We'll be there 2 full days this year instead of the 5 hour marathon through the yarn like last year. It was a good way to go the first year since I had no idea what to expect.

No new knitting pictures. I'm into the middle point of the Soliel tank where you knit and knit and knit and it doesn't seem to change much. oh, well, almost at the end of the increases.