I was going to post about knitting...

Apparently, there are belly rubs to give, walks to take, and friends to visit!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone...

It's not all red wine, dark chocolate, and naps, you know...

I have been knitting when I can given my work schedule, other activities, and staying on my rigorous napping time chart!

I've finished the left front of the toddler shrug, I'm 50% finished with the right front. Then it's doing the back of it while picking up the stitches from the front pieces, which confuses me - but it doesn't take much to do that lately.

And since I want to get this toddler sweater done before she's a junior in high school, all other projects are at a full stop.

As you see from above, Emma lends her support in my efforts.

Weekend, oh sweet weekend...

I cannot believe how slow this week has dragged by...usually it's Friday before I know it. Now it's time for a fire in the fireplace, hot chocolate and Bailey's, reading and knitting. And Emma time!

Emma has a new chew toy - damn squirrel:




So named because when the squirrels are out in the yard when I take the Tank for a sniff and stroll, they chatter at her - knowing she's tethered and I won't let Emma bite the diseased-ridden rats. So she'll look at me like, "Excuse me?! What about those damn squirrels? You're not going to let me teach them a lesson?" My answer, is no.

So I pulled this toy out, squeaked it once and tossed it - Emma lunged for it and immediately began to shake the everliving shite out of it:





And play with it for hours until it was a soggy damn squirrel:




Hope your weekend is as much fun as the Tank has with damn squirrel!

Shite.

I had purged my stash, bagged up the yarns to give to persons and for the raffle for next week. I resolved not to bring home any yarn from that event.

And this weekend, well, I had steeled myself for the mini-yarn crawl some of us from the SnB went on yesterday. I had no intention of bringing home new yarn for any projects. I was concentrating on patterns and tools only.

Quit laughing.

At the first yarn shop, I didn't purchase that skein of gorgeous Blue Heron rayon yarn ("denim"), mainly because I had nothing in mind to use it for - oh but it was lovely. Then I remembered that bitch, Spanish Dancer colorway in the same yarn, and slowly backed away from the display.

After eating some great falafel and lamb at Oasis, I was less vigilant at the next yarn shop. However, I did stick by my resolution from last fall - "I will not purchase any yarn unless it's enough for a project."

Sock yarns, since I figured out how to do heels from the toe up without a heel flap method:








And I thought, "Wow! I'm so proud of myself! I didn't fall into a bin of Malabrigo and bring it home with me." And we all know that sock yarn doesn't really count. I was so happy, I even bought a "damn squirrel" button for Emma's dog sweater (thanks, Lynn!):




However, I got to the last yarn shop and the evil yarn enabler, Katie, teamed up with the evil yarn shop owner, Edyie, and I fell down very hard:








O. My. Hell. The red is *incredible* and the yarn is so yummy soft... The Cha Cha is exquisite (those bloody Italians and their astounding textile skills are the real cause of my downfall!) as is the Venezia. This will be turned into a lovely scarf!

Upon arriving home, I immediately went back to the stash and chose two more yarns, putting them in the raffle bag for next week's events. I feel better for evening out the yarn scales.

Meanwhile, progress photos... Sock two (Malabrigo sock yarn):




Fluffy Bolero (right side):





Emma's dog sweater:




And gratuitous Emma photo:

Great Give-Away

Isn't this a great sheep? The Child O' Mine gave it to me last week...


Meanwhile next week, it's the Great Sell-Swap-Give Away Destash at SnB. For me, this is my third major purge of the stash, in two years.

I was searching for something last week in my stash and it astounded me that I had so much yarn, I could not even begin to knit it all before I dropped dead at the hoped for age of 95 years old. And in spite of the whole "I'm taking it with me when I kick it" - I'd much rather this beautiful yarn be turned into objects that make the fiber person happy and the recipient happy.

So, I culled some yarns to send to friends of mine.

And I culled more yarn to give yarn to local friends.

The rest, I'm giving away and raffling off at SnB next week.

(And I do not intend to bring any "new" yarn home with me.)

The Evils of The Yarn Shoppe

I had just gone in to pick up some yarn for Emma - I'm going to make her a dog sweater for when the snow starts up for real around here later this year.




And it was all fine and groovy until I saw this cool pattern that reminded me of several SnB women who do fair isle.

Then Laurel trotted out some Mini Mochi yarn in "Flame Rainbow":




Wench knows my weaknesses!

I bought it, of course...came home, printed out the pattern, dug out my needles and have the project bag ready to go. However, I'm on a deadline to finish the fluffy shrug. TWO WEEKS.

Will I make it?

Will I make it correctly?

Will I finish it without drinking to excess and poking my eyes out with my Addi circs?

Tune in and find out in a week to see my progress...

Weekend!

I just finished making some dark chocolate cupcakes with vanilla bean and almond buttercream frosting:







And some gratuitous Emma shots for you:






Otherwise, it's some knitting on a Noro shrug sweater for myself. No pics yet as there's only 1.75" on the needles!