SP Contest #3

Ok, shameless flashing....

I have the best yarn storage ever. When we moved into our house last year Doug built me this neat-o shelving thing that I helped him design. I separated my yarn by color in each cubby, the only exception being sock yarn...that gets its own.

This picture is a wee bit old. Some of the yarn here has actually been used or traded and more has been added to the collection. But for the most part, this is the stash. You'd think that with all this yarn I have I wouldn't need to buy any more, right?

Nope. Bought more sock yarn just today, and going to a yarn sale next Thursday.

Ugh.

I have a problem.

Back from vacay!

::Yawn:: What a relaxing week of laying on the beach and sunning myself with gentle breezes and palm trees.

Just kidding!

Doug and I took the week off to work on the kitchen. We discovered a *ahem* small water issue under the sink and set to fixing it. First we had to tear up all the damaged and moldy cabinents, walls, and floor. On day two of our vacation my kitchen looked like this:

Throughout the week we have installed floors, drywall, fixed the leak, and painted. Still to go....installing the cabinents and counters and then moving all my kitchen things back into the kitchen and out of the living room. Seriously, even my fridge is in the living room.

I say "we" but I didn't do that much. It was mostly Doug and his dad doing all the work, while my mom, Doug's mom and I went upstairs to the yarn room to craft and be yarny.

Kathy (my MIL) and I worked on our ongoing quilt for a while before my mom made me own up to all my WIPs. I guiltily pulled each item one by one out of the basket offering meek explanations on whe each one was still unfinished. Mom was ruthless and gave me goals and even took home items that were a lot cause to frog herself because I couldn't bear to do it, namely my lone jaywalker sock in my own hand-dyed yarn that is just a hair too tight to fit over my instep. She also took to frogging a tank top that I had started before I knew better than to knit with yucky acrylic and a blanket square in an intarsia pattern that wasn't ment to be. We decided that I must finish my Fetching mitts for my sister for a Christmas present and the lone fair isle mitten that is almost done but too small for anyone will be a wall decoration/Christmas ornament.

So....since I have all these WIP dredged up again and now they have intended recipients and deadlines (Christmas mostly) do I work on them? Nope. I have rediscovered mitered squares. Over the course of my vacation I knit 5 individual miters. First I finished the brown background ones.

Then I started some with a navy background.

(Not pictured is a navy/light pink I finished on the last day)

Then, I apparently got a wild hair up my you-know-what and went on a breif seaming streak.

Seriously, who gets the desire to seam?? Now, before I start getting tons of parcels from you all with pieces needing to get seamed, hold your horses. I suck at seaming. I guess as I seam up all these miters I will get better. I think I will practice some more though, because I just have the two fronts left to knit of Central Park and it's looking like the most wearable knit ever. I would hate to screw that all up with some wonky seams.

100th Post

Yay for me...this is my 100th post. I am so happy to be a part of this community. :)

I got my first Secret Pal package in the mail yeseterday, and it was sooooo goodie-licious!

There was a wonderful scent eminating from the package and when I opened it I found out why...there was a wonderful-smelling Yankee Candle Co. Macintosh and Peach candle (Yum!!), a travel pack of ginger peach tea that I can't wait to try and some yummy lip gloss. There was also all kinds of cute stationary stuff. Some cute notecards featuring a monkey wearing a scarf and a little notepad with a sheep complete with cute pens and pencils. I'm always on the look out for new stationary to write to my sister who is in boot camp. I've been writing about 2-3 letters a week. Top all that off with two skeins of SWTC Bamboo!

Thanks SP!

Does anyone have any project ideas for this yarn? I have always wanted to try it but I'm fresh out of ideas.

No new knitting around here. I have been pretty lethargic in the knitting arena. I just got a new porch swing and the weather is starting to cool down from the beastly hot temps it has been so I've been thinking tweedy sweaters, cables, and turtlenecks. I still haven't finished my Central Park Hoodie from last winter, but I'm close. That is top of the list. I'm going to make my "want" list soon. I really hope to turn out at least 3-4 new sweaters this year and I have some pretty specific ideas. (Have you seen the twisted yoke cardigan from Eunny in the latest Interweave Knits? Wow.)

In the meantime, we've been trying to squeak the last little bit of summer activities around here. Last week Doug and I took Chad (my sis's new husband) camping and kayaking.

I like that pic a lot. The colors are so neat. After camping we decided to go shooting. Doug is a true-blooded country boy. Guns, hunting, trucks, country music....that's his stuff. When we moved in together there was a great debate about guns in the house. We ended up compromising. They could stay if they were contained...so we got a gun cabinent. All of Doug's friends have always been a little apalled that I have never shot a gun before. So last Wednesday I finally gave in. The guys were shooting clay pigeons with shotguns. I gave that a try and ouch....the recoil gave me a bruise the size of a half dollar. Will not be doing that againg. But Doug also brought along his handguns.I actually have pretty decent aim, apparently. Doug was very proud and showed off my target sheet to everyone.I, of course, will be scrapbooking the target if I can figure out how to make it fit in my 12x12. :)

random knits

I don't have the energy for a real post so I'll just give you a little sneak peak at what I've been working on... my first fair isle! It's a mitten-in-progress although it's turning out to be too small for me! AACK! I'm NOT ripping it back....it's too pretty. I might just use it as a decoration or something, you never know. It's from the Knit Mittens! book and I'm using Knitpicks Palette.

Also, blast from the past....



Somehow my Pomatamus sock jumped back on my neeles. I haven't gotten too much further on it, but the yarn is so extra-squishy and wonderful I might just finish it this go-round!