Ta-da!!

A completed Daisy Meadow Scarf & Jaywalkers. I put in large pictures because I really like these FO's! Thanks for the input on the Hawaii - I am going to try Sockbugs' Lacy Scallops Socks. I'll put up a pic as soon as I have enough to show.






I did the Shedir hat from Knitty's Special Breast Cancer Awareness Issue over the weekend. I will be re-doing it over the next few days. It is just a bit too snug around about an inch short in depth (curse my tight row gauge!!). It is a lovely pattern and I won't hate knitting it twice. I had to firmly deny Amanda dibs on this one while I knit the 2nd - I may just need the extra yarn!

Michaels had another Yarn Event on Sunday. I showed up to defend my last win and .... won another little basket with LB yarn & some needles. If they do this a few more times (and don't keep it a secret from me!) I will have enough to do an afghan. A different bunch of ladies knit against me this time and again they were all very nice. A lot of jokes were made about just conceding, but then the concensus was that I had to work for the yarn. Amanda was a fantastic little cheerleader.

The Top Secret sweater is coming along nicely - the back is done and the front is almost done. The sleeves are more involved, but not to worry - they will not impede my Olympic goals.
I have officially decided to do the Flirty Ruffles Shawl. Kathy on the KnittinginCanada list questioned the likelyhood of my completing the ruffle in time!!! Oh crap - perhaps I should at least give a cursory glance to the instructions before commiting myself (or risk having myself committed!!). I may have to order some extra circular needles.

Got a new Olympic button from here. It will be my vice of choice for 16 days & nights. Team Canada is shaping up nicely. We are a diverse & talented crew who are willing to step up to the needles and let the fur/fleece fly. I have placed my order for a team jersey - even if you are not competing, you may want to check it out right away and order one right away the better to be noticed in the peanut gallery cheering section. They are certain to be a collectors item.

Hawaii

So I finished my Jaywalkers - picture tomorrow. I just had to cast on another pair of socks & Lorna's Laces Hawaii has been on my mind for a long time. I also fell in love with the Embossed Leaf socks from the current issue of IK. I'm afraid, however, that the yarn is not doing the socks justice (or it may be the other way around). My Hawai'ian yarn vacation is going to have to find a new travel agent. Let me know if you have a suggestion for a good one!

The DMS is finished and just needs to be blocked. I wasn't able to get the extra pattern repeat in - I just didn't have enough yarn, but it is lovely anyway. I promise pics of that too.

SP7 - Off to a good start

What a coincidence - I sent of a package to my SP7 recipient yesterday morning and what did I find when I checked the mail yesterday aftenoon? Yes!! My first SP7 package. I was on my way to Barrie on errands and while I had every intention of saving the opening until I returned home and could really savour it ... well, I didn't even last 5 minutes! I opened it at the first red light that I came to. What a little box of delights. Chocolate (dark chocolate!!) covered cranberries, a sweet little notebook, sheepie clips (perfect for attaching knitting notes to patterns in use) and a wonderful skein of handpainted yarn (I think that it's saying "hat" but it has a fairly thick Maine accent so I will have to spend some time with it and make sure that we understand each other) from a little company in Maine called Inspirations Yarn. And a nice knitterly card to top it all off. Notice how the sheep have started grazing around and making themselves at home already.

Thank you Secret Pal - what a great way to start the week off!!

Saboteuse

It goes beyond TAKE (Team Against Knitting Enjoyment - Yarn Harlot). My family are all Platinum Card-caryying Members of that club. It's about preventing me from knitting at all!!! She knows that I have deadlines and how I cannot resist the little pieces of a jigsaw puzzle begging me to help them find their place in the "big picture". And yet she does this:
And that is not a cute, care-free, happy grin - it is the insidious smirk of a covert operative bent on knitting sabotage!!! Do not make eye contact ... she has honed her big brown-eyed, hint-of-a-tear-that's-gone-with-a-giggle, bat an eyelash & come hither hypnosis to a razor-sharp edge. I escaped only after lulling her into a false sense of comraderie and then distracting her with a shout of "packing snow!!". It was a narrow escape which I had to repeat several times, using different distracting techniques (she's clever & not easily sidetracked).

I was able to get quite a bit done on the Top Secret Sweater and made visible progress on the Daisy Meadow Shawl. It is going to be beautiful when it is done & I can work some blocking magic on it.

I also have a new toy therapeutic device. It is a Homedics Parafin Bath. It is seriously excellent for providing a deep warmth for my chronic cold hands and also is helping to prevent the endless dryness and cracking that interferes with knitting. I love it. Should have bought one sooner!!

Thanks for all of the supportive comments about the Worst Day. And I humbly accept Logan's apology on behalf of his former bus driver - I think that we all would like to apologize to someone for something (or a lot of somethings) that we did as kids!

Anne & Secret Pal - my Jaywalkers are Regia Colour #5440 Party Color. And I am repeating the "secret" part of SP7 over and over to myself and am resisting the very strong urge to at least compare the SP7 participant list with the Jaywalker list and find my Secret Pal. I have almost convinced myself (well a small part of myself anyway) that this is a good character builiding exercise.

Cara thinks I'm funny!! Thanks - I try and have moments of success (in which I revel for shamefully prolonged periods of time). I think that J1 is charismatic, engaging and challenging with funny thrown in for good measure.

Jaywalkin' Along

Thanks in part to The Worst Day Ever, I am almost at the toe shaping of my 2nd Jaywalker. I think that I will definitely have them done by J1's contest deadline.

Well, I got back in the saddle. I wasn't afraid to drive, but I was definitely feeling emotions that I can't quite put my finger on. The principal & vice-principal both personally thanked me (and Ken - the driver at the top of the hill) for our "dedication to duty". They gave us a lovely card & gift certificates to Tim Hortons too!! (FYI - Tim's is an institution "up here" - you can throw a stone in most any direction & hit one.) I know, it's not yarn, but it means a lot to me that they acknowledge our efforts. Not that I seriously considered abandoning the kids and running home or curling up in the fetal position on the bus floor, rocking & humming to myself, but it's nice to know that what you do matters to someone.

And thank you to everyone for your wonderful & insightful comments on Kyle & his York. A little bit of my brain knew that my hands and heart were wishful knitting, but it knew a losing battle when it saw one. And I'm sure that you're right Matthew - Kyle will like it when he's a few years older and more confident (and wants to wear something a bit more fitted to impress someone - or a few someones).