No longer Secret Pal 11 Revealed!

I got my final package from SP11 yesterday and, in addition to being AWESOME, I got the reveal. The fabulous knitter who has been spoiling me these past 3 months is Tuulia! Go visit her and say hello ;) And admire her incredible skill! I so want to make the Pohjan Neito - it's so beautiful (I'll wait while you go look at it on Ravelry).
Welcome back! Pretty, isn't it??!?!?
OK, now for the goods.

Two skeins of KnitPicks Merino that she dyed herself. (seriously, she knits, crochets, cross-stitches, makes markers (and the cute little knitting granny on her Ravelry profile) and now DYEs too?!?!?) The green I want to make up into a baby sweater and the rose I think will become socks for me.

A set of *GREEN* stitch markers that, again, she made! A yarn guide (which I'm excited to try out when I work on the Endpapers again!) and a sample of Eucalan wool wash, which she highly recommends and I'll be using to soak the Endpapers to block them.

A fun book with dishcloth patterns and box of chocolates (caramels are already gone).
And I saved the best for last. . .

Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmerman. I was excited when I opened and saw it, because so many people rave about EZ and I've never ventured into her world, so I'm looking forward to it. Then I got even more excited when I saw that the Baby Surprise Jacket pattern is in here! I think I am going to nix the MD Baby Kimono I've stalled on re-sizing for Addi and make the BSJ instead. Yay!!

Thank you so much Tuulia :) You've been an awesome pal and made my first SP great! I'm bummed by all the bad experiences folks have had (self included with my original downstream pal, but Tracey made up for that!). Probably a good thing there will be a break before SP12. In the meantime, you all can join my swap that I'm opening in January :) OK not all of you, because I'm capping it at 30 (and my daily average for visits is 32 - thank you Google Analytics!) or so, but you know what I mean!

I'm still waiting for Knitpicks to deliver my replacement yarn. It just occurred to me yesterday that the dark blue may be the error. I really hope not. I just assumed the darker was the 'correct' one, but I have no basis for that. So if I get two new skeins with the 'lighter' version of the dark blue, that means I still have 2 socks to knit! Boo! I did finish up Anna's Endpapers. (finished knitting, not finished finishing as evidenced by the dangling yarn!) They are shorter on the pattern repeats both on the cuff and for the hand length, because she has freakishly tiny hands for an adult. I'm making good progress on the burgundy/grey endpapers, too. Then I'll be taking an endpaper break for a while :) The slip stitch bag is much more aggravating than I expected, because I really have to pay attention to how the slips repeat thru the row and from row to row. I like how it's looking now that I'm into the 2nd pattern repeat, though. I think mum will like it, too. Finishing Anna's endpapers freed up my Sz 2s, so I can also get back to my Jeezney Cricket socks, which I'll work on until the new Felici comes. And somewhere in here, now I'm going to work in the BSJ (in pink & orange cotton). Strangely enough, I don't feel overwhelmed, despite this list!

Meet my new friend :)

So SP11 was my first secret pal. I've had a great time, despite the poor start with a first pal who was just trying to get gifts without passing on the goodness. Unfortunately, it seems from Ravelry that a lot of people had poor experiences. Bummer. However, my 'replacement' spoilee was great! Meet Tracey, and go check out her blog ;) She got my reveal package today. She has been very gracious and I've enjoyed picking gifts for her immensely! She lives very near my mom's home, so I'm hoping when I go home in January we can meet in person. I've had a great time with my spoiler, too. She is currently gallivanting around Colorado & Utah and I don't have my final package yet, so I will introduce her when it arrives (even though I kind of know who she is, just haven't visited her blog!).
Knitting is moving along. Both endpapers are done up the the top ribbing, which is just waiting for the 1st sock to be done so I can use the Sz 1 DPNs. Once I wrap up sock one (hopefully tonite) I'll finish both those then cast on for the mates. I feel very calm about Christmas knitting now, but I know it will be here way earlier than I'm prepared for!!
Hope your holiday preparations are going well and Happy Thanksgiving Early!!

Speechless

OK, Remember how I just wrote how great my upcoming week is going to be? Umm, yeah, it just started! My mailman just brought me package #2 from my Secret Pal. I really was speechless when I opened it. The first thing I saw was these beautiful potholders.

This picture really doesn't do them justice, they are divine. My pal said it is a vintage pattern from the 40s that both her mum and grandmother had. I really can't get over them. They are crocheted in two pieces, joined by the starburst and the edging. WOW, right!?!?!?

The potholders are because the overall theme is cooking. The other goodies in the package were a darling cookbook, measuring spoons and a canvas shopping bag that she cross-stitched! Seriously, where do her talents end?!

Then, to round out the package, of course there is yarn! One ball of cotton-ease in (what else!) GREEN and a hank of Finnish lambswool. The wool is so wonderfully soft. . . I think it might have to be turned into gloves or mittens, if I can find another yarn that is worthy of being paired with it.

I'm so grateful for having such an amazing pal! Thank you so much! I can't wait until you're revealed so I can drool over pictures of your knits!

THANK YOU, AGAIN!

T-23 Days

So, my birthday is in 23 days. (That is November 1, if you don't want to do the math). I love my Birthday, though strangely enough, less now that I used to. But, it's still my favorite holiday. My least favorite part of my birthday, however, is the month I have to endure answering 'What do you want for your Birthday?'. I detest this question. Normally, I could have 100 things on my brain that I 'want', but when you tell someone you want it, you will likely get it, and that's a lot of pressure. There's lots of stuff I think I want, and never get, because, frankly, I just get by without it. Do I NEED a blocking board? Of course not, and I don't want someone to spend money on me for something I end up not using (or not using enough to justify the cost!). And so here I sit, and ponder, what to ask for. (Can you believe I love my birthday when I put this much pressure on myself!) I really DO need a nice, big cutting mat and rotary cutter to really work on my sewing. . . you can only do so much when you have to start with non-straight edges. Beyond that, I'm stumped. I think I'd like some sock blockers. . . and maybe one of those tube things that hold your DPNs when they are in use. . . but I just don't know! Anyone have a knitting or sewing related item they think I must have?

In knitting news, I finished my undulating rib socks. Problem is, they are too big. The first one fit when I knit it, and I knit the second one to match. . .and they are too big. I must have tried them on with swollen feet or something. Here is a picture of me trying to tell myself they aren't too big.

And an up close of the pattern, I really like it!

In an effort to 'save' them, I'm violating the cardinal sin of washing in warm water and drying in the dryer, to see if they will shrink. They are superwash, so they won't felt. But, the yarn is 75% superwash wool and 25% polyimide. . . . which I have a feeling will translate to 'will not shrink'. I wear a 7 1/2 or 8 shoe. . . so if anyone has bigger feet than that and wants to call dibs if they don't shrink, let me know!

It is 94 today, and so still no sweater picture. I may be crazy to put on wool socks outside for a picture, but certainly not a sweater! With the socks done, my only WIP now is my jeezny cricket socks. I'm almost done with the Eye of Partridge heel on the first one. I need something new to work on! I ordered yarn from KnitPicks to make the Endpaper mitts, so I hope that comes in the mail today! I was going to work on the MD Baby Kimono, but I can't get gauge with my needle options (who knew I only have Sz 6s in DPNs!) and so I have to wait to go shopping this weekend for needles for that. I want to get Bryspun needles, I really think I like them better than addi's, but the only store that sells them around here for sure is my least favorite, and I don't think I can bear a trip in there. Any of my local readers. . . do you know if Hook & I or Ewe Knit Kits sells the Bryspun needles?

Finally, in swap news, I got a new SP11 pal. The girl I was spoiling was removed. Thankfully I'd only sent her one package, but it had a beautiful skein of Malabrigo (the Paris Night one) in it and a handmade bag. She hadn't done anything yet for her downstream. And this poor downstream girl got an upstream that flaked out last round, too! So now I want to think up something extra special for her.

TTFN!

SP11 Contest #3

Here are my answers for Contest #3:

List your favorite:
Actor - Nicholas Cage
Actress - Jodi Foster
Animal - doggies, of course!
Band - Hmmm, currently a tie. . . . Avett Brothers (solely for 'Swept me Away!') and Social Distortion
Book - Fahrenheit 451
Bubble Bath - I don't take baths!
Candy - hmmm, where to start. . . I guess I'd have to say SweetTarts win!
Color - Red!
Flower - Yellow roses
Food - does dessert count as food? if so, creme brulee!
Lip Balm - softlips
Lotion - umm, that's an odd question. . . . Ii guess I don't have a favorite
Movie - Vertigo
Song - Swept Away [Sentimental]
TV Show - The Office
Vacation Spot - Anywhere but here!

Yesterday was FABULOUS!!!

I think I am still smiling from yesterday. It all started with the mailman. I saw the truck had been out front for quite some time. He often takes breaks on our block, so I didn't pay much attention. A while later my doorbell rang. I opened the door and there were packages!! Count 'em. . . THREE (and notice Zosia wondering why I went out when the doorbell rang, since people usually come in).

Two packages were from eBay purchases, and the bright one was from my secret pal!!

So I already gave you the dish on the SP goods, but here are pics:

Though it's the first I'm showing, it was the last I opened. I wanted to save the surprise until the end.

The small eBay package was this absolutely BEAUTIFUL blended wool yarn. I wish there were more!! It's much nicer than I expected, and I only paid $3.50 for both skeins! (There is some black up for bidding now I am trying to get my hands on, too!). It's from fleece I've never heard of. . the label says 'Merino and Border Leicester cross bred'. Now to figure out what to do with 200 yards.

The big eBay package was a bit of a disappointment. Buyer beware, I suppose. This was the aforementioned $6.80 wool that was supposed to become Mr Greenjeans. Unfortunately, instead of a nice soft wool, the yarn in this box is more like twine. I looked at reviews from other buyers and they all said the yarn was great, so maybe I'm just odd. Now what to do with 2000 yards of it! Jake thinks it would be good for golf towels, since it's abrasive, so I'm going to knit one and see how that works before I decide what to do with the rest (relist on eBay, maybe?)

So that was the packages. Then came the shopping! We went to the gym after work and then the mall. Sears was having 12 months same as cash on Laundry purchases. When I lived in Vermont, I had a front load/high efficiency washer. It was AMAZING! I didn't realize the buyer of my condo listed the washer in their offer, so I couldn't take it with me to Virginia ;( So for the last 18 months I've been stuck with Jake's REALLY OLD washer. It has no gentle setting and is SO rough on clothes. So I finally convinced him, since we could pay for it over a year, to buy a new one! I'm now the proud owner of a Whirlpool Cabrio (it doesn't get delivered until 10/2, but I can still say I own it!). It's a top loader, a little easier to load/unload, but it's still High Efficiency. I can't even tell you how much this excites me. I'm a little sick like that. Appliances make me happy.

Finally, we went to Circuit City and Jake finally bought an MP3 player, so he'll stop complaining he needs one :)

Hope you had a good day, too!

My Secret Pal is Awesome!!

So the weather is really crummy today and I can't get a good picture of my goodies, but I got my first SP11 package today!! I will try for pictures to post tomorrow (as I also got some other eBay items. . it was a great day for packages!). But I will do my best to describe my package here, because I'm so excited!

First, I have to tell you that I suck at surprises and have been trying to find out who my spoiler is by stalking the participants list. She told me English is not her first language, so I totally was ignoring all the US participants. But she tricked me! She lives in California :) However, she revealed to me in her card that she is originally from Finland! So, she sent me 3 skeins of Suvi Novita cotton. . . it's from Finland. . . she wanted to send me something from her native country! (It's a good thing she told me in the card, though, because the label is written in Finnish!)

She also sent a bath mitt and towel she knit (I think of the same cotton but I can't be 100% sure) and a pretty cake of soap for a 'bath theme'! I can't place the scent of the soap, but it's lovely. And, we just had a plumber here yesterday to fix our bathtub so I think after the gym tonight I shall take a soak!

The last item in the package was a box of fudge, that I know for certain Jake will commandeer when he gets home from work!

Thank you Thank you Thank you Secret Pal!!

SP11 Contest #2

OK, One more thing before the 'big' post. My hostess is having another contest.

The contest:
I want you to post about the worst item you have ever knit/crochet. What was it? Who was it for? What went wrong? Did you give it to the intended recipient, hide it away never again to see the light of day, frog it, or just throw it in the trash? Post a picture of it and you will get your name put in the hat twice.

So, I guess 'worst' is a relative thing. Ugliest? Least like i was intended? Lots of interpretations. I guess I'd have to say my 'worst' is the Tank I made this summer. I had 3 skeins of Cascade Fixation. I actually wanted to make this tube top, but I couldn't figure out the directions, so I decided on this tank, instead. It was supposed to be for me. I really like the color and how it was knitting up, but it has NO shaping whatsoever, so it looks like I have on a stiff tube and it isn't at all flattering. I didn't do anything wrong, per se, it's just the way the pattern is. I changed up the straps to try to make it more interesting, but it just generally doesn't work. I suppose I could have put in some shaping if I had thought of it while I was knitting the body, but it didn't really hit me until I was mostly done. I ended up putting it in a bag of charity donations! Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean someone else won't!

Here is a link to a post with a picture of the final top. . . I'm certainly wasn't going to post a picture of it on me!!

SP11 Contest

OK, My SP11 hostess is having a contest to show our stash. In the interest of not having a lot of clutter in my life overall, I have a relatively small stash. All of my knitting stuff hangs out in my sewing room. (Loosely called. . . not a lot of sewing happens, but it does house my sewing machine!)

I don't have a uniform storage system, I keep some stuff in baskets & bags in this cabinet Jake built me a few years ago:

Some stuff lives in this bag:

And some stuff lives in this closet:

(and no, I'm not going to show you the inside!)

Old Friends, New Shoes and Community Service

So I am back and (nearly) recovered from my trip to Vermont. Aside from the ridiculous flight delays (and subsequent melted luggage. . . yup, I said melted!) and then my even MORE ridiculous allergies, I basically spent this entire weekend recovering and doing nothing fun whatsoever. I don't know what is in the air in Vermont that my body hates so much, but it takes less than 24 hours for me to be unable to breathe. I do NOT miss that portion of living there. I do, however, miss my friends. I also miss the fun shopping downtown Burlington. The one thing that results from Vermont's hatred of 'big box' chain stores (and subsequent strict zoning) is fabulous little independent stores like all along Church Street. I've lived several places and visited many more, and I've never really found a spot like this. I love, love, LOVE shopping here. My one indulgence was these shoes:

Pretty fab, huh? And, they were on clearance, so they weren't even that much of an indulgence! (I'm still not going to tell you what I paid, though .. . . he he!)

If I didn't have all that pesky work to do, I could have spent a lot more time doing fun things. As it was, at least, I did get to see all my friends. I had an awesome celebratory dinner with Brittany, who just quit her Vermont job to move to Boston, and Jason, my globe trotting friend who is never in Vermont when I am back. It's not often I will buy a bottle of champagne at dinner, but this seemed fitting for a bottle of Veuve. . YUM! I had dinner and breakfast plans every day, which was nice. I even got most people out of bed for 7am breakfast on the day I left (and trust me, my friends are NOT morning people!) Nikki & Allison got an out of early AM what with having babies and all :-) Here we are at Chef's Corner (starting at Jason clockwise is me, Laurie, Karen & Brittany):

Wednesday my department did a volunteer afternoon at one of the COTS shelters. It was actually a lot of fun, despite the rain and heat. We cleaned out a bunch of stuff for the dump that was in the cellar of the house and we repainted the telephone room & the hallway. It was a little odd, to see the people who lived there. I don't know what I *expected* homeless people to look like, but everyone there looked 'normal'. It was pretty eye opening. Here are a few pictures. . . keep in mind the paint was donated to them, so they didn't get to pick the color!

And now, some knitting :-) Given all the flight delays, I had quite a bit of time for knitting, so I ended up with 4 dishcloths and I started on the Best Friends Bag. Here are the dishcloths (can I tell you how much I liked doing the garterlac ones??).

Since I felt like crap all weekend and did nothing else, I also finished the knitting portion of Laura's bag. And yes, pashmina is as fabulous as you would think it is (however, it smells like rotten garbage when wet). If only it weren't ungodly expensive I'd love to make a scarf out of it! Anyway, here is the bag ready for blocking (sorry, I know it's a pretty crappy picture):

I hope to be able to start beading it tomorrow and finish it completely this weekend to send it off so she has it before I get home.

Finally, I now have the excuse of SP11 to go yarn shopping again. . . so I think I'll get yarn for Twinkle Toes and Isabella while I'm out :-) My match hasn't posted much on her blog this year, so it could be challenging to find things she likes. On the flip side, I'm super stoked by my pal. . . she's not a native English speaker and so I'm on a quest to find her blog among the myriad of participants. I just enjoy the idea of having some fabulous person living somewhere way more exotic than Virginia spoiling me :-) I already can't wait until I find out who she is and can get to know her!

Sorry for the extra long post. . . really, that's all for now :-)

SP11 Questionnaire

No energy for a real post just yet. . . I had 6 hours of flight delays yesterday (3 hours in each plane sitting on the runway. . . waiting to take off!)

But, for my pal, here is my questionnaire!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I love anything soft! I also like making reusable shopping bags and dishcloths out of cotton. I have never really knit with acrylic outside of making baby items. I guess I’m a quasi-yarn snob :-) I'm not a huge fan of novelty yarns.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I all my circulars in their original bags. I don’t really use straight needles, so the few pair I have are in my knitting bag. I’m working on sewing a case for my DPNs3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn?

3. Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I’ve been knitting about 5 years. I took a class to learn at a LYS during one cold Vermont winter. I would say I’m an intermediate knitter and I'm typically not scared of trying something new on my own. My first project was a felted bag. I never had a long scarf phase and sort of moved right along to sweaters.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

no

5. What's your favorite scent?

Hmm, I like lemon, lavendar, vanilla.. . nothing too sweet.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Do I ever!! Baby Ruth & Mounds are my favorite Candy Bar, but I try not too buy them too often. Chewy sweettarts are also a weakness, and caramel. And gummy bears, but ONLY the Haribo brand ones (quasi yarn snob AND a gummy bear brand snob!) And dark chocolate. And milk chocolate hershey kisses. And peanut butter cups. . .. I’m a very equal opportunity sweets lover. All time favorite candy are Morely Candy Pecan Torties.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I am a new sewer. I also know how to crochet, but don’t do it much. We do a lot of ‘home improvement’ do it yourself stuff, like basic upholstery and some small building projects. I don’t spin.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I listen to just about anything except rap/r&b. I don’t listen to it much, though, since I hardly drive anymore working out of the house and never put the radio on in the house. I’m really into Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone right now. And no, no MP3 player.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

My favorite color in general is red, but I don’t knit with it much. I’m currently on a string of green & pink (not together in the same project!) knitting. Green socks for sure (Hey there Delilah is my next want from Etsy!). I don’t think there is really anything I can’t stand. Maybe like mustard/golds. . . not so much for me.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I live with my BF of 6 years, Jake and our 2 dogs. Zosia is a 2 year old beagle/american eskimo mix and Jimmy Ray is a 2 year old beagle.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Scarves & Hats – sometimes, if I go back to Michigan or Vermont in the winter. Not too much need in VA now.
Mittens & poncho’s, not so much.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I am currently mildly obsessed with dishcloths because I’ve just discovered how awesome they are to clean with. I go in fits and spurts on what my ‘favorite’ is at any given time and knit a ton of that item, then move on to something else.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Cashmere purse for a wedding gift, cotton shopping bag, random dishcloths, halter top I’m designing

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

I love handmade things that are purposeful. I’m not a big ‘cutesy’ or ‘just because’ person. Trying to cut down on ‘stuff’ and clutter in general.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I usually use circular needles, even for straight knitting. I like bamboo DPNs but addi Turbo’s and Bryspun by Bryflex circulars.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I have a BF! he he. . . No, he isn’t a good swift, but he has said he’ll make me one. I don’t mind using my thumb as a ball winder.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

Well, since I FROGGED Stephanie Japel’s better sweater, I actually don’t have anything in UFO status.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

Does my birthday count as a holiday? If so, definitely my birthday. If not, Halloween, because it is the day before my birthday!

19. Is there anything that you collect?

If you count shoes, then yes. I have a major weakness for heels!! Other than that, not so much (see answer to #14!)

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I SO want Stephanie Japel’s Fitted Knits! I also want the 'Sizzle' pattern from Knit and Tonic. Nothing else I’m dying for. I don’t subscribe to any magazines, as I generally will look at something once, keep the magazine and never go back to it, so it ends up I just waste the paper. You know, save a tree and all. . .

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I want to try some ‘real’ lace, not just as part of a sock or sweater pattern. I also am semi intrigued by mobeius, but not sure what ‘useful’ items you can make out of it, it’s just kind of neat. I’d sort of like to know Fair Isle, but just to say that I do, not because I would really make something with it.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I am a sock knitter, but not a knitted sock wearer! I try to wear sandals as much as possible, so I really only wear athletic socks at the gym.

23. When is your birthday?
November 1

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Not yet! (tears up a little at that admission!) There are still like 2700 people ahead of me. I can’t wait though!

I'm in!

OK OK, I know, I haven't been posting. . .mostly because I haven't been knitting. A bunch of other stuff going on to distract me. Today, though, I'm going to pick up the yarn to make my friends wedding bag, so I'll be back on the needles with something interesting to post soon.

Today, I FINALLY got my confirmation for SP11. I'm very excited! Quite frankly, I had given up, given that I signed up like July 3, so it was a pleasant surprise!

TTYL :-)

No Knitting News

I have hit a knitting brick wall. The only project I have yarn to work on right now is the darn toe up socks. I have decided I HATE toe up!! I have started over no less than 7 times. At least 3 of the times I made the whole toe, but then lost a bunch of stitches trying to get out the crochet chain. The other times I ended up messing up a W&T somewhere and didn't know what to do to correct it other than frog. I CANNOT figure out how anyone could hate grafting enough to make socks this way all the time. And I'm STILL waiting for an invite to Ravelry:-( And I guess I'll continue to be waiting for quite some time. . . There are still 4000 people ahead of me!! I guess I should take solace in the fact that there are more than 8000 people after me, but I just want another place to spend my procrastination time! I'm also still waiting for confirmation from SP11. Looking at the comments, I'm not the only one, so at least that makes me feel better!

In non-knitting news, I had my first golf lesson on Saturday. I got golf clubs for Christmas and they have been sitting in the garage mocking me ever since. Jake, being the patient man he is, attempted to teach me a few things, but I tend to get cranky when I'm not good at something and so that was a disaster! Learning from a golf pro is definitely the way to go! I had so much fun, I can't wait to go to the driving range to practice. My left arm is a little sore, but I'm sure that will go away quickly. . . just that grip is so awkward!! We also went to the beach on Saturday. It was such perfect weather! The water was pretty rough (red flag day) but nice and warm. We messed around in the waves a bit, but after I got sand burn by being dragged back with the waves, that was enough for me! And I forgot to put sun screen on my legs, so they are a little pink right now. But really, I'm not complaining!!

Umm, OK, blogger won't let me click in my 'title' box, so I guess this post will be unnamed.

Big news of the weekend is that we FINISHED a project! This really is big news, since we are REALLY good at doing 95% of a project and letting it sit for months and months and months. So, here is our new headboard.

As excited as I am that this is complete, I'm not as excited as I thought I'd be with the result. I like it, but I was expecting to LOVE it. I think it may be because I don't have any bedding that really goes with it (I'll be sewing a bed skirt, pillows & bedspread) yet, so it just looks a little out of place. One of our friends was over yesterday, though, and she thought we bought an antique bed, so I guess we did an OK job.

Not too much knitting happening this weekend, since we had friends over Saturday night and Sunday afternoon AND we fit in a (completely fruitless) fishing trip, too. I am almost to the arms on my tank top.

I am not sure it's going to be the most flattering fit when it is done since there is no shaping, but I do like the colors. My only real issue is there is a section about 1" wide where the colors totally stacked up (you can sort of see in the picture) and so it doesn't look like the rest of the project. Oh well, it can go to Goodwill if I don't get a kick out of it. .. it's not a difficult pattern, so it goes quick.

I need to work up the motivation to get back to my halter top. . . maybe I'll take it to knitting group tomorrow!

AND, I'm so excited, I signed up for SP11! I've heard about this swap from other folks and can't wait for it to get started. Patience is a virtue I don't exhibit very well. . . and we don't get matches until August 15!!