I'm back. I could have really used a day off to recover from my long weekend because I packed in so much stuff into so few days, but I'll hit the highlights for you...

Friday, I got a haircut and highlight in the morning and then met my sister for lunch and shopping. Then we got pedicures and picked up my niece. We ended up running late for our evening plans, so we dropped my niece off with my very dazed looking father (you would be too stuck with a 2.5 year old whirlwind for an hour alone), chowed down dinner and went to our sorority reunion. I had a good time. It was nice to see people and talk to people I hadn't talked to in years. Then, my sister wanted to go with this group of girls to this dive bar in nowheresville so they could Karoke. Soooooooo, not my cup of tea. I ended up playing games on the one game console things with one of the girls. Not into the "party like a rockstar until all hours" thing anymore. I must be getting old.

Saturday morning I woke up early because I smelled terrible. I couldn't take a shower before going to bed because my niece was sleeping right across from the bathroom and would have woken up. So I went to bed and got up smelling like last night's smelly ash tray. Big Yuck. My niece was also awake at the time, so I went and got her and changed her diaper (yes, I am a saint) and got her dressed and then we went upstairs to wake grandma and papa. Grandma got up, but papa was sleeping the sleep of the dead. Lindsay and I played and went for a walk. We took her to Kohl's and she got a new toy, which we had to play with and examine each little piece 20 or 30 times. We had a BBQ in the afternoon with the family. It was good to see my aunt and my grandfather. I finished the slip stitch socks on Saturday night, but can't figure out what I did with my camera, so no pics yet..

Sunday, I went to BBQ at my friend Jenn's house. We had yummy food and also saw Colleen. Jenn & Colleen were the recipients of my secret projects...which I, of course, forgot to take pictures of, so you'll have to imagine what they looked like. 2 of Joelle Halverson's Placket Neck baby sweaters from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, one red and one green for two boy babies.

Monday, just so I didn't go a day without plans, we went to the Greek Festival at a local church. I had this absolutely enormous meal of some absolutely amazing greek food. Then I jumped in a car and drove 250 miles back to KC and promptly fell asleep on my couch watching TV...

Today, I frogged two projects. First, a potential sockapalooza sock because it's just too wide and second, the Krista Tee. Yes, it's like the 4th time I've restarted and frogged. For some reason, I'm having issues converting the lace pattern to in-the-round, so I'm going to just do it the way the pattern is written and seem. Yuck... I will do the front and back at the same time though so that I get the arm holes at the same spot... Then I went out with Joanna and her husband Gary for Indian food. First time I ever had indian food and it was very yummy. I'd go again. It helps going with people who know what to order though. I heart Joanna.

While I was gone, I've been tagged by two people, Carmen & Jennifer for the 7 random facts about me, so here it goes...
1. My two favorite comfort foods are peanut butter toast (the kind you butter and then put peanut butter on and it gets all melty. yes, I realize this is bad for me...) and Hard boiled egg sandwiches (basically 2 peices of buttered toast with a sliced hard boiled egg in the middle, not much better than the PB Toast...).
2. I have car envy and want one of the new Sebring Convertibles in the worst way, but I just paid my current one off and it's, knock on wood, still running and in good condition, so I can't see getting another. You might say, "well then sell it so you get more $$s," but honestly anyone running a Carfax report would run the other way... It's been a few fender benders and is worth more to me on the road than selling it would net me.
3. I love to nap. My favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon is nap. Obviously, I don't have a husband and children...so this works out sometimes.
4. I hate to clean, but I like to do laundry. I love to fold warm clothes.
5. I have weird skin allergies and I have the hardest time finding shampoo because I'm allergic to most of them. I recently became allergic to the one I've used for years. They must have changed their formula and that totally sucks. Going around with an itchy, red rash ring around my face is not particularly fun. I tried a new shampoo this morning recommended by my hairdresser.
6. I learned to knit so I could knit socks. My friend, Beth aka Knitting Goddess extraordinaire, had the most awesome pair of socks she handknit and I decided then and there that I had to learn to knit so I could make socks for myself. I knit a wash cloth, started a baby blanket and then knit a pair of socks before I even finished the baby blanket. Thus a love affair was born...
7. I'm a process knitter. Unlike most people, I knit for the process. I find it relaxing and I just enjoy the physical practice of knitting. I have no desire to ever use a knitting machine or do anything that would speed it up. I knit socks on double points because it's about the process of knitting in a circle. I don't even keep half the stuff I make (I know you're all quaking in your boots at that), but I knit purely for the love of knitting.

Since pretty much everyone I know has been tagged for this, if you haven't been tagged, consider yourself tagged. :-)

Hurrah!!! Tomorrow's Thursday! Tomorrows Thursday!!! Why am I so excited.... My office is shut down tomorrow and I have a 4 day weekend. Hurrah!!! It's been a pretty crappy stressful week, so I'm hoping to survive tomorrow and escape for my long weekend and forget all about my work. Yipee!

I'm headed to St. Louis for the weekend. My sorority is having a reunion. I'm only going to the Friday festivities, but I keep in touch with most of the people I really want to see anyway. I'm going to hang out with my sister and my neice and my good friends Jenn & Colleen. (Boy are we going to miss Beth, who is singing and can't come)

I packed this evening. It was difficult to decide which knitting projects to bring. I'm almost done with a pair of socks and I finished my secret project, so I had to bring something else... So, I've got 3 pairs of socks...the almost completed slip stitch socks, and 2 potential sock pal socks. I also brought yarn to attempt to start the Surplice top from the Nashua Designer Collection #4. We'll see how much block building and chasing Lindsay I do vs. knitting...

BTW...I did actually get some clothes packed and dishes in the dishwasher in anticipation of leaving as well...

Knitting continues on my secret projects. I'm making good progress.
Here's part of the second surprise. You'll get pictures one of these days, I promise.

In other news, I added my name to the waiting list for Ravelry I've been reading so much about it. It sounds like a great solution to a multitude of my problems. I'm amazed at what people can do and celebrate the creators. So, hopefully one of these days, my name will come up on the waiting list.

Dear Gwen,
Although it is very nice to go out on a convertible ride on a nice day with a little breeze at the sun's zenith. And, yes, you look cute riding around in your convertible, there's just one little thing you need to remember...SUNSCREEN!!!!!

Yes, sunburnt. I never burn right away, but as I sat in my apartment knitting this evening, I was getting redder and redder as time went on and now, my pasty white arms are day-glo pink. Thank god I have aloe in the refrigerator, or I'd be a miserable chick too. Hopefully most of it will be gone tomorrow, but I'm going to have a nice farmer tan line on my arms.

There was knitting this weekend. I finished one of the surprise items and have moved on to the second. You'll just ahve to wait awhile to see what I'm making. Other than that, I'm thinking about what's going to be my next project...

A Valient Rescue

Yes, the mystery of what the heck happened to the package my secret pal sent has finally been solved...It was being held hostage by my apartment complex who "must have forgotten to call and tell you there was a package..." UGHHHH!!!!!! I called once to check and no. Finally I left early enough to get there during office hours to check in person.

So, here's my surprise!! Hurrah!!!!
My secret pal must be reading my blog. Dark Chocolate. Mmmmm. And the stash of starburst at the office has run out and I've been missing my fix...and then there's the beautiful Lorna's Laces yarn in yummy Sherbert colorway. I haven't yet decided what to do with it, but I'm already plotting. And last, but not least, a cute teddy bear. Hurrah!!! Thank you secret pal!!! And I'm very sorry the package was held hostage by my apartment complex.

I'm definitely having some project ADD going on. Yep, started another one...
This one is a secret though, so you'll just have to wait.

I've also been working on my second slip stitch sock.
I'd be a lot farther along, except I spent all weekend working on this training class I had to administer this week instead of knitting. Ughh! But this weekend, I'm free. Hurrah!!!

Everyone will be glad to know that no new yarn has entered the house since Tuesday. I'm still expecting a package from my secret pal sometime soon. She sent it last week, so I can't say that the "no yarn" trend will continue. There's another sale at Knit Wits this weekend for Sunflower Knitting Guild members, but I'm going to restrain myself...

There hasn't been much knitting going on either at this point. I have to teach a training class at work next week and I'm supposed to be preparing for it...My kitchen is clean, 2 bathrooms are cleaned. I did all the laundry and changed the sheets on my bed before the weekend. I went out with Joanna last night. I watched Grey's Anatomy...ummm...and I read through the presentation once. It's going to be a busy weekend of preparation...

Ummm...yeah...your eyes do not deceive you. More yarn... Nashua June yarn for the Surplice top in their North American Designer Collection #4. There's a ball of Tofutsies there as well...needed a few more $$s to qualify for the discount...

I guess I should get to knitting up all this yarn one of these days...

Is there a point which you admit you have a problem...
Yes, more stash enhancement. This time the Berger du Nord Bella...100% silk. Webs has done me in.

I was a bad, bad girl....

I went to a yarn sale....
That's 2 balls of Zephr Silk/Merino laceweight on the right...followed by 2 balls of the Lucy Neatby Celestial Merino in the most amazing shades of green...and then there's some Colinette Jitterbug in blues and greens....and finally Crafy in a good way sock yarn in this red/pink/brown tones. I also got some more yarn for my Secret Pal #10, but I'm not going to show that here. Her package is almost ready to go out. Yeah!!!

For Beth, who never thought this day would come....

Yes, that's the spindle and roving I bought at Stitches 2 years ago... Thanks to Teri, I finally figured out the drop spindle spinning. And even more surprising...I like it. My shoulder hurts like crazy and I still need to figure out the whole plying thing, but I'm enjoying it and my singles became more even as the afternoon wore out. All Hail Teri!

When I had to take a rest during the afternoon because my shoulder hurt too much from holding up the spindle (I also got a blister on my thumb from spinning the spindle - defintely going to have to work on some new muscles and calluses), I worked on this.
...and finished the first sock. It's the first of the slip stitch socks in Tess' Super Sock yarn. I love this yarn and the pattern turned out fantastic. (I'll have to thank Teri again, because she had done the same thing with a slightly different colorway of Tess' yarn).

Mental note: Going on a yarn diet as a New Year's resolution, never a good idea. I also ordered yarn of the internet. Bad, bad Gwen...

So far, the voters are saying that I should horde the STR for myself and utilize the Trekking. I think that's kind of not in the spirit of the whole making socks for someone else. My first pal sent me wool/cashmere yarn from China... So, what I think I'm going to do is knit the foot in both yarns, the Trekking in Jaywalker and the STR in Tropicana and then call for a vote again.

In other news, I haven't really posted what I've been doing since making the baby blankets. Well, I didn't do my March socks for my 12 months of socks, so I'm a month behind, so to catch up, I have the following...
Cotton Regia Surf in my preferred plain sock pattern. I love this yarn and the stripiness of it. It didn't need anything else. This is the completion of sock #1.
The rainbow socks. This is Tess' Super Sock yarn. I simple slip stitch pattern just to break it up. Almost ready for a toe.

And finally, I restarted the Krista Tee for the 3rd time. Hopefully, third time will be a charm in my case. Now there's no twist. The lace pattern is right and I corrected the number of pattern repeats to be even so I could evenly divide the two sides. Ughh!