Well, I'm back from Vegas in one piece.  Overall it was a nice trip.  We flew out on Monday night last week and flew back on Friday afternoon.  It seemed like a really short trip, and we didn't get a whole lot accomplished, but we did get to the Hoover Dam and that was the only definite thing on DH's to-do list.  It was pretty cool, and because they accidentally overbooked the trip we had signed up for they ended up giving us the tour for free.  Gotta love that.  The best part as far as I am concerned was the twist ice cream cone that we had at the end of the tour.  You can't find twist cones anywhere anymore and it was the best $4 ice cream cone I have ever had.

   Besides wandering the streets of Vegas for hours (I wore my pedometer and figured we walked a little over 50 miles from Monday to Friday), we also played in our pool tournament and didn't do too badly.  It was a Jack & Jill doubles tournament that we qualified for in February.  We ended up winning our first two matches 4-0 on Wednesday.  On Thursday we played in round 6. We had a 4-4 race and we ended up losing 4-3, so not by too much.  We did very respectably for not ever practicing together or anything.

   The night before our trip I switched to third shift again for two months, so I am writing this on my Friday with about 3 hours left in my shift.  When we got home on Friday night I was exhausted.  I passed out on the couch at about 11pm, woke up twice to go to bed and the bathroom, and didn't get up until 4pm on Saturday.  That 17 hours helped a ton and I didn't feel quite so much like death warmed over when I got up.  We had a make-up pool match on Saturday night and then I had to be at work by 10pm.  Even with all that sleep it was still torture to try and stay awake that night.  And every night since, really.  Tonight is the first night I haven't fallen asleep at my computer (knock on wood).  Today after I woke up I even managed to get to the gym for 2 hours of classes.  It has definitely been a week since I last went because the weight-lifting class kicked my butt.  Talk about working to muscle fatigue - it didn't take much.  But at least I feel better for going.

   With all the sleeping, working, and the little bit of exercise I just haven't had time to knit.  I honestly was thinking that I would get some knitting done on Friday night when we got home.  I knew that I would have to work Saturday night, and figured I should try to stay awake all night to prepare.  But when it came down to it I was just too tired to even look at my knitting, too tired to find a book and open it, and when I tried to watch tv I lasted about 20 seconds before I was out.  Getting up around 5pm, finding supper, and running errands or getting to the gym pretty much eats up all my time before getting to work at 10.  But thankfully, as I believe I mentioned, tonight is my Friday and I have almost 4 days to relax, catch up, and knit!

   I'm hoping to meet up with MaryAnn and knit at the Yarn Shoppe on Thursday or Friday for a while.  Laurel has been asking for some sheep stitch markers, so I should probably buckle down and try to get some done.  I may just go and sit there myself on both Thursday and Friday because I haven't managed to get there in the last month.  It has been a slow form of torture really.  lol  Laurel probably forgot what I look like!  Anyway, enough drama.  Besides getting to the yarn shop I kind of want to plant some of my seedlings outside.  I have a couple cucumber plants, zucchini plants, two kinds of tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers, cilantro, and chives as well as a dwarf citrus tree sitting in my dining room.  I really want to plant part of that outside, but the sheer amount of work involved in clearing a space and planting is daunting.  We'll see if it gets accomplished or not.  My sewing machine and cabinet are sitting in boxes in my foyer at this point as well.  So another project I would like to do is clear out the corner of the office and set those up.  Maybe I'll even make a trip to Quilts by the Oz to get some fabric to play with.  Or maybe Joann Fabrics to look at simple beginner patterns for a top or something for me?  Whatever ends up getting done I am planning to enjoy my time off.

   As far as knitting progress goes, I am almost done with the second sleeve on the Olive Branch Yoga Hoodie.  I really like the drape of the fabric and think this should be a comfortable sweater.  If I buckle down and work on it this weekend I think I could easily get through the sleeve and the bulk of the rest of the body.  A lot of it is straight stockinette which, while not being very exciting to do, actually goes pretty quickly when sitting in front of a movie or something.

   Although I'm not falling asleep at the moment I am still tired from trying to get used to this shift in schedule, so my mind is a little blank about what else there is to talk about.  Guess I will sign off for the night.  TTFN!

   Sometime before Christmas I blogged about getting a new sewing machine.  Somehow that machine never actually got purchased - until now.  I finally ordered it the other day and it arrived yesterday, with the new sewing cabinet I bought for it arriving today!  Haven't had a chance to take it out of the box, and since the cabinet wasn't here it didn't make much sense to get it out anyway.

   This is another one of those weeks that can't end soon enough.  I had a final for my Legal and Social Environment of Business class last night and the final for my Statistics course is due by Saturday night.  Gonna have to find some time to study before then.  On top of that our trip to Vegas is next week.  That wouldn't be too much of a hassle, but my parents are coming to stay with the boys while we are gone, and so some cleaning has to be done before they get here.  lol  Really the house isn't THAT bad, but it definitely isn't quite up to my mom's standards.  Not to mention we have both a cat and a dog (who is shedding badly and already shed enough to make a sweater or two if I wanted) and Dad is allergic to everything with hair.  I've been trying to keep the vacuuming and sweeping up enough to make the last minute push before they get here not too bad.  Our St. Bernard is going to stay with my sister-in-law for the week, and I'm hoping to take him on Sunday at the latest so that I have the rest of that day to try and dehair the house.  The cat will stay outside while we are gone, so shouldn't be a problem.  The only thing Mom and Dad will have to take care of are the fish, and luckily they are pretty easy-going.  lol

   Between studying and cleaning I have also been going to the YMCA daily and playing pool a couple times a week.  There has been a minute or two here and there to knit, but not many.  I have been working on the Olive Branch Yoga Hoodie in my 'free' time.  The hood is done and the body down to the armholes.  Last night I finished the first sleeve and started knitting across to get the second one started.  Didn't actually get to knit all the way across the back to start that sleeve because DH came home and wanted me to ride with him to visit his client.  The guy is very nice and is on one of our pool teams, and had just gotten home (at 9pm).  DH figured if I was along the trip wouldn't take as long since he could say I needed to get home to bed.  I did end up helping out with the dilemma they had though, by suggesting turning a closet around to face out instead of into the new bathroom.  (DH is a contractor/remodeler and is working on finishing a basement at the moment for those who don't know.)

   Really, other than that I don't have much to say.  Trying to work on my studying and remembering all the things to tell my parents while they are here with the boys......knitting in my spare minutes, reading way too much.  Haven't taken any pictures lately.  I planted some seeds the other day for cherry and roma tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, cilantro, chives, cucumbers, and zucchini.  No green thumbs in my household, so we'll see if anything actually sprouts.  As nice as it has been outside I will probably move all the pots out to the deck tonight.  I still have some plants that I ordered with my sister that came by mail to plant.  Gerbera daisies, a trumpet vine, a strazzberry plant, and a couple other flowers.  My dwarf citrus tree that is supposed to grow oranges, lemons, and limes all together is planted and growing too.  Can't wait to see if I can keep that alive. 

   Well that is enough rambling for one day. TTFN! 

   On Saturday afternoon I escaped to The Yarn Shoppe for a half an hour and came home with a few things.  DH was out playing for a while helping his cousin paint a race car or something, so I snuck out after spending the morning at the YMCA and the afternoon procrastinating on studying for my Stats test.  (I am happy to report that after my short escape I did go home and study and got an 88 on my test.  Not the best grade, but pretty good for the amount of effort I put in and the highest I had gotten so far.) 

   The last time I had been in to the shop Laurel had mentioned that she owed me for some rainbow sheep, and I had a decent-sized credit coming.  So I went to the shop with the plan to pick up something for the Olive Branch Yoga Hoodie.  She had recently gotten some Plymouth Jeannee in and, although it is an acrylic blend which usually doesn't excite me, I knew that it knit up well because of some samples she had.  My original plan was to use the celery color (kind of a soft lime) for it, but she was short by a skein or two and I didn't want to wait.  The choice ended up being between a baby blue and a salmon pink/rose color.  Since the Celtic Icon was blue and pink isnot something I usually knit with, I chose it. 

   I have to admit that after finishing my test that night I did break down and start the hoodie.  My gauge is exactly on for once.  The fabric is incredibly drapey on an 8, but since I am getting gauge and love the comfy way it should feel I am happy with it.  This is what I got done before bed Saturday night:

   I sat and worked on it Tuesday night while watching The Biggest Loser too, and finished the hood that night.  The body has just barely been started, and I'm anxious to get some time to work on it.

   While I was looking for the Jeanne at the Yarn Shoppe that day, I also ran across a pattern book that caught my eye:

   Not sure if it was the colors that drew my attention or the simplicity, but it appealed to me.  Blue and brown are a popular combination right now.  So after looking through the book I decided that the mitered pillows that match the afghan on the cover would be great in my living room.  I picked out a skein each of blue and brown to play with.  I couldn't go to bed that night without at least trying it out to see what it looked like:

   It's a little dark maybe, but I think it will match the room well.  Haven't gotten a chance to work on this since Saturday, but this is a just for fun project with no timeline, so I'll just play with it when I feel like it. 

   Those purchases used up my credit and only ended up costing me $8 out of pocket.  Gotta love that.  Of course I completely blew my savings before I left for the day.  Just before heading out I was glancing around quickly to see what was there and ran across these:

   The color in the picture is a little brighter than real life.  In actuality they are a very deep, rich purple color.  Couldn't pass them up!  This is Schaefer Judith, which is 100% alpaca in a sport weight.  There are 330 yards in each skein so that should be enough to make the Simple Knitted Bodice with - the pattern was purchased a whlie ago.  I also held up a skein of amethyst Tilli Thomas against them and it will work well for the accent sections.  So I had Laurel order a skein of hte Rockstar for me.  Don't ask how much those cost me because it hurts.  Gonna have to make some more stitch markers to pay for it all.  Luckily she has requested more white and gray sheep and some fun seasonal stuff, so that will help.  It should be a fun project anyway.

   Before I end for the day I wanted to post some pictures in better light.  Here is the Ribby Pulli finished in day light:

   Here is the Claudia sock yarn in colorway Teal Party:

   Isn't it beautiful?  I'm still looking for a good project other than just socks for this, but haven't found one yet. 

   Happily I made it through thost last rough days with both the exams I had due.  Now just have to finish taxes - maybe starting them would help.  lol  DH is supposed to be working on his stuff today, and he is at least sitting at the computer because I've gotten a couple emails from him.  Of course one of them was from him searching on reunion.com, so not sure how productive he is being.  lol  The plan after work is to go to the YMCA for Aqua Challenge class and then it sounds like we are taking the boys to a movie.  They both brought home fantastic report cards, so it would be a nice treat. 

  I've been kind of bad the last few days and made some purchases again, so once those come in I will post pictures.  Both were time-sensitive though, so if I had waited they might have been gone!  heaven forbid.  Anyway, it is time to sign off for the day.  TTFN!

   Believe it or not, I have an actual FO to share!  I have been knitting very faithfully on the Ribby Pulli for a while and finally finished it on April 1st. 

 Pattern: Ribby Pulli
Yarn: 4 skeins Cascade 220 Handpaints + 1 skein 220 in sage green
Needles: Size 5 Addi Turbo circulars and dpns
Started: December/2007 Finished: April/2008

  It turned out really well, and could be one pattern I would consider making again.  The sleeves were procrastinated on, but neither really took that long to make, even though I made them a couple inches longer than called for.  I like the extra length down over my wrist and this way I can roll them up into a cuff if I want.  Another modification I made was to make the body an extra couple inches longer, and really I almost wish it was a couple inches more than that even.  Finally, I chose to do the scoop neck, but only did about an inch of edging instead of the 2 inches called for.  Oh, and I added a couple short rows to the back of the shoulders as well.  Here is the back:

   The colors in these are terrible because DH took them at night, but better bad pictures than no pictures right?  I think this picture makes me look a little like a linebacker.  lol  You can kind of see in these how the colors spiraled up the body and the sleeves.  It did the same thing over all three pieces and didn't pool anywhere, which is fantastic.

   In looking for my 'template' to add the info to my FO, I decided that I must not have ever posted pictures of my Bias Scarf.  So here you go:

 Pattern: Bias Scarf from Crystal Palace
Yarn: 2 skeins Crystal Palace Musique, 1 skein Manos del Uruguay in sage, 2 skeins Crystal Palace Glam in peach, 1 skein GGH Soft Kid in lavendar, and 2 skeins Plymouth Suri Merino in tan
Needles: Size 13 Knitpicks circulars
Started: December/2007 Finished: January/2008

Here is another shot:

   And another:

   I couldn't take the pictures and wear this at the same time, so the chair got the honor.  This was finished not too long after it was started and not long after Grandma died in January.  It was just a very easy and comforting pattern for some reason.  When I have it on it hangs down to my knees on both sides.  The Glam that I posted yesterday is supposed to make a smaller version of this for me too.

   This week marks the switch in my work schedules, and  I'm obviously stuck at work today.  Between scheduled classes at the YMCA tomorrow morning and studying for and taking a test for my statistics class, not sure if/when I'll make it to The Yarn Shoppe this week.  Since the Ribby Pulli is done I have worked a little on the beaded bias scarf.  One of these days I will decide on the next project and get it casted on, but have to find the time first.  After I take the stats test I have to work on a take-home test for my Legal class that is due Tuesday.  Maybe after that I can take a breath and start something fun.  TTFN! 

   In looking back over the last entries on my blog, everything (with the exception of the Four Seasons Throw) has been stash enhancement and almost nothing has been WIPs.  While there hasn't been a ton of time to knit, I do have a few pictures to share.

   When I was up at my grandparent's for one grandma's funeral, the other grandma happened to mention that she had a new forest green blouse that had a more open neckline than she really likes.  She was looking for a scarf of some type to fill in that space, but hadn't found anything.  So when I got home I started looking for some yarn and a pattern that I thought she might like.  It was hard to find something without a better idea of what she likes, but I found one that seemed fairly basic that can be jazzed up with beads sewn in around the edge.

(Sorry I forgot to turn the picture before I uploaded it.)  The goal is just to make something simple that will be fairly short.  The yarn is Interlacements' Tiny Toes and the colors are shown better here:

   You can kind of get an idea how much has gotten done on this.  The colors are very autumnal and go together pretty well.  Hopefully she likes it.  Of course, it was intended to be done by her birthday, March 1st, and obviously wasn't.  Good thing she didn't know about it.  lol  I'll either work on it until Xmas or will send it to her whenever it is done as a surprise. 

   At the same time I was looking for this pattern I found a couple others that I liked and one just cried out to be knit for her as well.  It is definitely a longer-term project for me, but I think the end result is worth it.  I purchased some Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb in a gorgeous red color for it, because it was a yarn and color that had been on my mind for a long time.  It is so soft that I couldn't resist, and knowing that red is one of Grandma's favorite colors made it an easy choice.  The pattern is called the Anya Scarf and it has a very basic pattern throughout with 3 diamond motifs spaced through it:

  It has been started, but only a little progress has been made:

   The yarn is being held doubled because this is a lace-weight and it would be too thin otherwise, I think.

   The next project, and the one that has gotten the most attention lately, is the Ribby Pulli.  You may remember I had finished the body tube up to the chest before.  Well, I finally made myself pick up the dpns and start work on the sleeves one day last month or so.  Here is the last picture I took of it, the first sleeve right at the beginning:

   The good part is that that first sleeve is now finished, as well as the second one.  All three pieces have been joined together and I finished everything but the neckline last night.  I decided on the scoop neckline, so the stitches for the neck edging have been picked up and I am a couple rows into that too.  Only 2 and a quarter inches of that to go and I will have an actual FO!  I might actually have to take pictures again.  lol

   The only other progress I have to report is that I finally took a picture of the finished knitting on the Square Cake bag for my sister-in-law (from Xmas).  Still haven't made myself block or line it yet....

   Angie has been bugging me for it too.  One of these days I promise it will get done.

   The next project in line is still up in the air.  There are of course many WIPs that I could pull out.  One of those is the Empire Waist Sweater from Blue Sky Alpacas.  Although this is pretty much almost done, it has to be ripped out completely and restarted.  So does that really count as a Work in Progress? (Just realized I already removed it from the WIP list.)  I ran out of yarn for this and had to find and reorder more.  It finally came in and I picked it up the weekend I went  up to Grandma's funeral, but it is a completely different dyelot - and is much more yellow than the original stuff I had.  That means that I will have to use alternating skeins to stripe the body so it is less obvious.  Now if I could just remember what the plan was on the next version to make it fit....something about making the next size up and using a slightly larger needle?   It really didn't take long to knit the first time, so that isn't an issue.  The only reservation I have is that it is almost warm outside, so how much use will I get from a wool/cashmere long-sleeved sweater before it gets hot?

   The other two possiblities in my mind are Glee in the Manos wool/silk blend or Fifi in Debbie Bliss Cathay.  Both are short-sleeved spring sweaters and the yarns both appeal to me.  It just feels like I should finish something before I start something else new.  Maybe there will be less guilt when the Square Cake bag and Ribby Pulli are done?  Looking at my list of WIPs, it isn't actually that bad.  There are 4 items listed under the spring/summer category, but it is a little misleading and I have a decision to make there.  The mitered square tank has kind of been started, but I only have 2 sqaures done because I want to get metal needles.  So really it hasn't been started - it could technically get removed.  The Shimmer tank has been started, but I think I have to make it a size larger - so it will have to be ripped and it could be removed from the list as well.  The decision to be made is for Calla.  I love the pattern when it is done, and I love the yarn.  However, this project was started almost 2 years ago - if it was ever going to be finished I think it would be done already.  It is one of those things that I knit, and knit, and knit - and never seem to get anywhere.  Maybe I should give up the idea that I will ever finish it and rip it out.  The yarn could easily be used for something else.  So that could come off the list as well.  Reid is for my niece, and will need to be picked up one of these days before she outgrows it.

   Ya know, when people ask I usually tell them I have around 30 WIPS, which isn't actually the case anymore.  If I take off those couple of projects, there will only be about 15 left with 2 of those socks - which don't count anyway - and at least 4 are 90% or more done.  That isn't so bad.  Hmmmmm.

   Alright, that is plenty for one day.  The work day is almost done and  I get to go home.  TTFN!

   Wow - this week has been crazy.  We have had more major issues this week at work than we have had in the last year - or at least it seems that way.  It has been nonstop the whole time with not even enough time to read my daily blogs, let alone post anything myself.  Today is a holiday and is supposed to be quiet, but it has still been steady and I spent 2 hours trying to track down a phantom who supports one of our circuits with no luck.  Just another one of those days I guess.  But it has slackened up enough to let me read my dailies and to hopefully get through a whole post to you guys.  Mom and Dad probably would think I fell off the edge of the world if I hadn't had to call them earlier this week.  lol

   So what has been up lately? I want to say not much, but really I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  My schedule is so packed full of stuff now it is hard to find any time to sit and relax.  My weekly schedule is as follows:

Monday - work til 3:30; exercise class from 4-6:15 while boys play basketball and in the kids gym; home to make supper and eat; bedtime sometime before midnight - or preferably 11.

Tuesday - work til 3:30; exercise class from 4-5 while boys swim; home to find something to eat; class from 6-9;bedtime

Wednesday - work til 3:30; swimming exercise class from 4-5 while boys swim; home to take shower and find something to eat; pool league til 10:30 or 11;bedtime

Thursday - work til 3:30; exercise class from 4-5 while boys swim; home to eat; pool league from 7-10:30 or so;bedtime

Friday - get up by 10 or so; meet friend for lunch and knitting at The Yarn Shoppe til 3:30; swimming exercise class from 4-5 while boys swim; home to shower, cook supper, and relax til bedtime at 11 or so.

Saturday - meet with wellness coach at 8:15; boys to swimming lessons at 9 while I take pilates til 10; various cardio and then Bosu class at 11 -12; home for lunch, relaxation, and running errands;bedtime at 10 - hopefully.

Sunday - work til 3:30; pool league from 6-10;bedtime.

   This week I'm obviously working the holiday and will get Sunday off instead.  My sister-in-law and her kids are coming to stay and other sister-in-law is coming down tonight to visit as well.  They are staying through Monday apparently.  On Sunday we are going to my parents' house in Cassville, Wisconsin, for Easter and the boys will stay up there for a little while over spring break.  They will love it because it means fishing with Grandpa and spoiling by Grandma.  lol  I've had to miss two days worth of my exercise classes this week because of work and cleaning the house for company.  Even though there technically aren't any water aerobic classes this week, I am still sneaking the boys out of the house to go play in the pool for a whlie.  I had promised they could go both Tuesday and Thursday and circumstances conspired against us.  DH is supposed to make supper tonight so that should be possible.  I need a little time to play in the water and go down the indoor water slide!

   But enough about all that crap.  On to the stash enhancement - you know, the important stuff.  Ok, don't judge me for this....my stash is starting to burst at the seams with all the adding to it and no time to knit anything out of it!

   First up is some Crystal Palace Glam I bought because it was on sale and the colors appealed to me.

   This is supposed to be for a scarf-sized version of the Bias Scarf I that is the only FO so far for the year.  That one is done over 59 stitches.  This versions would probably be no more than 20 stitches wide.  That purple just called to me and the black and silver were too cool to pass up.  No plans on starting that one anytime soon though.

   Next up is some Bollicini Dolly in a charcoal gray.  This is earmarked for Giselle.  The plan is to make the body in this gray color and then use one of the gorgeous colors of Tilli Thomas Pure & Simple (100% silk and shiny!) for the edging.  There are quite a few colors that would be gorgeous with the gray, and the top choices so far are ruby wine, american beauty, atmosphere, or jade.  Haven't been able to make a decision in order to pick one of those up yet.

   One of the trips I made to The Yarn Shoppe just before I picked out the Manos for the Four Seasons Throw, I picked out some colors of Manos that had been calling to me for a sweater. 

   The periwinkle color on the left was one that I had told Laurel she needed to carry, as well as the one in the middle.  These three together are supposed to be for this sweater:

   You can kind of see in the bottom picture on that page that the base color for the sweater would be half in the periwinkle and half in the maroon, with the variegated tying it all together throughout.  The colors called to me and the sweater looks like it would be comfy.  As you will see though, this is just one of a ton of projects I have stashed for, and it may be a while until I get  to it.

   Just for full disclosure, the patterns for the sweater and the afghan I made are in these two books I recently bought:

  They are both small booklets made for Manos del Uruguay wools.

   Two years ago I went to Stitches midwest and bought this pattern:

   Now I have always liked it and it occasionally crosses my mind, but Laurel happened to order the same pattern into the shop and it brought it back to the forefront for me.  I was looking for an excuse to use the Plymouth Suri Merino in a project and this seemed perfect for it.  So this yarn came home with me a few weeks ago....

   Laurel didn't have the black in stock and since the pattern calls for less than one skein of it I will try to find a suitable replacement for it in my stash.  I think that I still have a skein of Knitpicks Andean Silk in black that would work for it.  That is another pattern I would love to tackle.  The problem is that I am getting so many projects that I would like to start I don't know which one to do!  I've been threatening to just start them all one of these days........

   Now you would think that would be more than enough, but I just can't seem to help but to dig my hole deeper.  Laurel had one skein of some lemon yellow Cascade Cherub Aran on sale because she can't get it in stock anymore.  It is a great yarn for baby presents and I have some other colors to put it with, so I picked it up in case I need a baby present sometime soon.  (By the way, I need 2 baby presents -like a month ago - but I'm out of time to make anything so I'm in denial)

   The same day I picked up the Cherub Laurel had also gotten in some Claudia handpaint sock yarn.  Now I had no intention of buying any because I have too much sock yarn already, but then I saw this and it cried until I said I would take it home.

   This doesn't show the colors very well, but the skeins are my favorite shades of teal with chocolate brown swirled through.  I could tell myself that it would be the perfect colorway to make a pair of socks for my dad, but he is allergic to wool.  Guess it will have to work for me....lol.  And just because I like it so well:

   The teal still isn't quite as vibrant here as real life, but you get the idea.  Also that same day I had to pick up some yarn that had been on hold for a couple weeks.  Laurel had gotten in some new Manos del Uruguay silk blend a few weeks earlier that called my name as well.  (Maybe that is my problem - too many of the yarns at The Yarn Shoppe know my name.  I'll have to find a new store to frequent that doesn't know me yet.  lol)  Anyway,  I had purchased the Glee pattern from Zephyr Style quite a while ago and the silk seemed like it would be perfect for it.  The shine of the yarn was the selling point for me.  There were at least  four different colors that I loved, but I picked the turquise color because it seemed like something I didn't have much of in my wardrobe. 

   It is slightly lighter in color than this shows, but it pretty close.  Every time I go back in I look at the other colors and have to convince myself all over again that this is the color I want.  It pretty much matches that sock yarn above though.....maybe I have that color on the brain.

   Ok - other than some magazines I bought a while back that concludes the stash enhancement portion of this book.  I have got to try and get some things finished before I buy anything else!  But then again I heard that the new store in Iowa City has Malabrigo....and I have been looking for that for 2 years.  Not that I have a particular project in mind or anything, but since when has that ever stopped me.  lol

   That is enough for today I think.  Only 12 minutes left in the work day and then we are going swimming.  The next installlment of this saga will have some WIP pictures.  TTFN! 

   I've been promising pictures of stash enhancement, and today I finally have a little time (knock on wood) to post them. 

   Laurel at The Yarn Shoppe has a basket of baggies with partial balls of yarn in them - leftovers from swatches and shop projects.  One of the items in the store that has been catching my eye since she got it in is a purple/periwinkle colorway of Plymouth Suri Merino.  Without a specific project in mind it was silly just to buy a skein of that colorway because I liked it.  However, Laurel has had her bags of leftovers on sale for half price, and one day when I was digging I found 35 grams of a skein of the beautiful colorway.  Since it was on sale for 50% off it cost me less than $2, it jumped out of the basket and into my stash.  Isn't it a pretty color?

   Right around that time I started buying the yarn for the Four Seasons Throw I posted yesterday.  Laurel had a special on some novelty stuff that so many balls were free for every so many dollars you spent.  So I picked up these 2 skeins for free in case I get the crazy urge to make a scarf or if I ever need a last minute gift for my niece again.

So of course I just got busy with something and now I'm out of time for the day.  Hey- at least a couple pictures got posted.  TTFN!

   Been laid up at home with Shingles the last few days and just came back to work today.  I'm only thirty years old and have now had shingles 4 times, which is pretty rare for so young.  Luckily it always has come back in the same spot and I'm getting expert at catching it really early.  Felt it coming on Monday and went to the doctor on Wednesday.  There is a new shot that they have developed to build up immunity to the virus, but it isn't recommended for people under 70 which makes me a little leery about getting it.  I have the prescription on file for now until I can do a little research.  It isn't fun to have the virus, but if the cure is worse than the disease I can live with it.  The up side was that I got to stay home while I was contagious.  Yay!  Made for a 4 day weekend where I got to sleep late and just be a bum.

   While I was home I spent a lot of my time reading.  However, by Friday I considered myself not contagious anymore, so I made it to the Yarn Shoppe for a couple hours and then got my hair cut.  Between that time and the time I spent that night while watching movies I managed to get all of the strips for my latest non-blogged project, the Four Seasons Throw, done.  This project is one I never really thought I would be able to do and finish because I have a hard time with just a scarf.  However, since the stitch and color changed every 12 inches it really went quick and was fun.  There are 2 blatent mistakes in it, but I'm going with the flow and not telling where they are.  lol  DH thinks that this needs a border so I think I'm going to attempt to put a 2 inch garter stitch edging on it.  Here it is laid out but the strips are not sewn together - or blocked- yet.

   I finally managed to wrest the camera from DH, so I have pictures of WIPs and stash enhancement to show throughout the week.  Hopefully it won't be too crazy so I'll have time to blog.  I kind of have to remember how to do my job since I was gone for that 4 days in a row.  lol  Well, I got roped into doing turnover to second shift today, so TTFN!

   Well, I wish I could say that the last two (okay, maybe three) weeks were spent on a fantastic vacation or something, but unfortunately no such luck.  I've still been reading and trying to catch the camera when it is in the house and not out in the garage - oh and when there is something resembling sunlight to take pictures by.  Good luck with that.  lol  About the only thing that I have been working on is a new project that I needed like a hole in the head - and so of course is more than halfway done.  It is much more impressive in pictures, so I won't mention what it is yet.  Just cross your fingers that I can beat DH to the camera in the next day or so to take pictures.  It is just way too cold and I am way too lazy to go out to the garage to get it.

   I have been spending Fridays at The Yarn Shoppe if at all possible.  Last Friday was actually my 30th birthday, and I celebrated by relaxing for a couple hours with Laurel, Jo, and Judy there.  The night before was Valentine's Day, and DH has a slight problem with waiting to give gifts if he has them in his possession.  So he always goes shopping at the last minute and then gives me my presents as soon as he sees me.  Thursday evening after work I got a beautiful pair of earrings for Valentines Day and my birthday present at the same time.  He couldn't wait until Friday for me to open it.  lol  My birthday gift was a Nintendo DS Lite and the Brain Age game.  Pretty impractical for an adult, I suppose, but that game sounded like fun and it can't hurt to exercise my brain.  The boys love that I have one now too.  It has a wireless function on it so we can all three play at the same time, and thankfully I still have the ability to cream them at the brain games. 

   Since I already had my present, on Friday we went out to Chili's for supper and then we went to Best Buy where I bought another game for the DS called Professor Layton and the Curious Village.  It is full of puzzles of logic, math, and other thinking skills and is really fun.  There are quite a few other brain-teaser type games that I want in the future too.  Brain Age 2, Brain Challenge, and Big Brain Academy, as well as things like CSI and maybe Mario Brothers.  After shopping we headed home to watch movies and relax. 

   Besides work, reading, a little knitting, and pool, there hasn't been a whole lot else going on.  I got lucky and we had bad weather for two Tuesdays in a row which got me out of class for the nights.  We did get our first take-home exam for my Legal and Social Environment of Business class this week - 16 pages of fun (torture?).  I have also been trying to convince myself to procrastinate a little less and start studying now for my online Statistics second exam.  It isn't due until March 8th and it's only over 2 chapters so it is hard to make myself start yet.  If I could only convince myself that those two chapters aren't going to be hard.......

   We've been trying to get the house refinanced, which has been a nightmare, but it finally got closed last Friday and we should get some cash out today or tomorrow.  That is supposed to go towards finishing the upstairs bathroom so we can sell the house next summer possibly.  The house will finally be the way we want it pretty much after the bathroom is done, but both of us want to be out in the country away from town.  Tyler will probably spend 6th grade in the Davenport School system, but I would like to get him into a smaller school system somewhere after that.  Not that smaller schools are filled with angels or anything, but it would help to limit his exposure to some bad elements I think.

   Hmmm, what else has been going on?  On Monday of this week I had a Partylite candle party at Carlos O'Kelleys.  Only two people showed up, which is one better than the only other actual party I had once.  Luckily I had a couple of outside orders and two of the waitresses at the restaurant ordered as well so I ended up getting $264 worth of free stuff anyway.  I had gone to a party for a lady I play pool with on a Monday in January and the stuff was delivered on Friday.  So I'm kind of hoping that this order is delivered tomorrow too.  I got some really great smelling reed diffusers for the bathrooms.  One is called Agave Nectar and has a citrus smell to it.  The other is New Leaf and Aloe and has a really fresh scent.  They were both free with my credit, so they were a deal.  lol  Got a few other things as well.  I talked Janice into having a book party by telling her I would help to sell.  It doesn't close until March 16th, so we have some time.  Book party's are so much less nerve-racking.

   Okay, since the rest of what I can think of to talk about is knitting I will end for the day.  It is so much better to do that when you have pictures to show. It's just not as much fun without them.  Today is my Friday and I'm outta here in less than an hour, so TTFN!

   Not much to blog about this week.  I took a bunch of books back to the trade-in bookshop in Bettendorf called The Book Rack and got a whole bunch more and haven't accomplished anything since.  With a little help from a sick day because I had to stay home with Tyler on Monday I have read about 6 books since Saturday.  One I read in one sitting (377 pages!) on Saturday afternoon while DH was playing in his garage.   I love to read, but once started it is hard to stop.  And then once one is finished there is always another calling my name and telling me how interesting it is.  Besides the 15 or so paperbacks I bought, I also rented 2 hardback books - Blood Dreams by Kay Hooper and Play Dirty by Sandra Brown.  They are due back on Saturday.  The first one I finished yesterday and the second is about 1/4 finished.  Not going to get any knitting or even picture taking done until I get this out of my system - or run out of new books.  Might take another week.  lol

   We were switching from DirecTV to Dish on Saturday and then DH wanted to make a trip to do some shopping, so I didn't make it to The Yarn Shoppe Saturday afternoon.  The trip ended in a new Blu-Ray disc player in the form of a Playstation 3 and a new stereo receiver to hook it up to.  The quality of the images on those movies is just amazing!  DH couldn't resist, and the Playstation was essentially the same price as a dedicated player with the added benefit of internet connectivity and game system.  It served the added benefit of making sure our wireless network at home works too.

   Sunday night I went to bed and got a rude awakening when Tyler woke me up from a sound sleep to say he just got sick.  Meaning 'come clean it up please'.  He scared the crap out of me when he did it too.  Anyway, after half an hour of pure fun I called in to work and took the day off to stay home with him.  We got up just after 9:30 and then pretty much wasted the day with him watching tv and me reading a book.  His stomach was a little finicky, but he really didn't have a temperature.  By the time he went to bed he seemed pretty much fine, so he went back to school the next day.  Today I got a call that he wasn't feeling well again and DH left work long enough to take him home.  Then about an hour later he got another call that Alex was sick too.  So both of them are home this afternoon.  Poor DH isn't getting much work done.  I'm off work tomorrow and was planning on spending part of the day at The Yarn Shoppe because I'm suffering withdrawal, so hopefully they are able to go to school.  Something tells me they won't be though.

   Ok, for those of you who made it through all that I still have quite a few pictures to share.  Before Christmas I read a blog entry on Chappy's Mom about a sweater from a French magazine called Tendances.  It appealed to me, so I went looking and ended up ordering two issues that came just after Christmas.

   One is a winter issue and one is a spring issue.  This is the pattern that I saw on Chappy's Mom's blog:

   This is another one I like although I would not gather the cuffs on the sleeves if I made it:

   I also like this one:

   I bought the spring issue (to help defer shipping costs) for this one pattern:

   I tend to like things with ribbing for some reason.  For documentation's sake I also picked up the new issue of Knitters and got the winter issue of Interweave Knits in the mail recently:

  Only thing that I really liked in the Knitters was this one:

   And the more I see it the less I like it.  Too bulky I think.

   The work day is almost over - my Friday thank goodness - and so I will leave you with some yarn pr0n.  First is the rest of the RYC Cashsoft Aran that I need for the Empire Waist Sweater.  I picked it up at Beads and Beyond in Cedar Rapids on the way to my grandma's funeral. 

   It is more green and less yellow in real life.  And I needed a pick-me-up that day, so I also splurged on another skein of Colinette Jitterbug in the Gaughan colorway.

   Isn't it beautiful?  Can't wait to find the perfect pattern for it.  Jitterbug comes in some gorgeous colorways - I just want to collect them all!  But anyway, that is it for today - TTFN!