the first day

well.....i went for the gold and if finishing earned me the gold then it is gold that i'm wearing today!!!!

i finished the shrug that i set out to do for the knitting olympics. i was not able to watch the closing ceremonies. i did see a moment of some "red guys in suits with flames on their heads". but that was about it. last night i did the final seaming.

here are some specs and final thoughts on my project: i think there were some major mistakes in my pattern but with some re-thinking and helpful ideas from my knitting daughter  (thanks jill) it was finished on time. also.....it did not turn out to be quite the size and shape that the pattern said that it would be, but it's cute, it fits, and it is something i will wear with my spring and summer warerobe.

by Grey's Anatomy, (love that show) last night, i had cast on for a new project!! the Counterpane Bag in Holiday Knits, using Noro Kureyon #150. with no deadline!!!

so now i'm back to multi-projects on the needles. i have that bag on the needles,the lace scarf with the Lousia Harding yarn from my SP and i just found some great bag patterns from www.nonibags.com check them out. great flower patterns too. found these at my daughter's LYS last week and i'm sooooo tempted to cast on for one of these too.

oh....and speaking of temptation and GOOD THINGS!!!!! i got some great mail today! again!! i have the BEST SP. and she(?) has the best taste!!!  today i received some beautiful red shades of kettle dyed yarn that i have never hear of before, Malabrigo.  it is similar to Manos and it comes from Uruguay but it is a Merino yarn. and it is SO SOFT. i think this will have to be something really special....like a pair of chunky mittens or something. i'm going to have to think on this a bit.

thanks SP. just yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!

what a gold star day.

there's a lot of falling in the winter olympics.  lots of spills.  it probably has something to do with all that slippery snow and ice, not to mention straping stuff to your feet and then traveling at great speeds.

i don't do well with things on my feet, other than shoes, and even those can't be too tricky.

i'm not a winter sports person.  i tried skiing twice.  once in high school because it was the "cool" thing to do.  i don't remember much of it except: one girl was picked up and taken to the hospital and spent the rest of the winter on crutches, the "bunny hill" had a creek at the end of it which just didn't seem fair, and the "tow rope" was a nightmare.  just when i was getting the hang of it someone in front of me would let go and "dominos".

the second time i went was with a group of adults about 8 years ago.  i knew i would "suck" at the skiing but have a great time.  all the peer pressure was gone!!!!  we stayed at a fabulous friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend's huge house about a mile from the slopes.  the party the night before was great.  the local bars were fun.  the next day at the lodge the hot, spiked drinks were yummy, the fireplace was cozy and grand, the meals were good.  i enjoy wearing and watching all the matching scarves, hats and gloves.  the view to the slopes was amazing from my cozy chair with my book.  oh and they had a great ski haus (gift shop).

the skiing?  yeah....i rented some skis. 

i went down the "bunny hill" a few times.   and as my grand finale, i knew this would be the LAST time i would ever rent skis  (i'm just not a skier),  i really wanted to see what it was like to ride the ski lift.  not the really, really  big one, just the small one.  i wanted to experience it and see the view.   i knew there was no way i could ski down once i was up there.  but what-the-heck, i had all day. 

so......i did it, alone, thank god.  the view was great, getting off that chair that doesn't stop was very slippery and getting down that hill took me a loooong time and i was mostly, not on my feet.  but that's how i know i was IN the sport.  i was doing the "on my butt thing", like they do in the olympics!!!!

so anyway, about the olympic knitting.............i took about a 12 inch spill today.  yep,rippppppppp!!!!!!  that  was all of last night and this morning's knitting  undone in about 2 mins.  oh well, it's not a sport without time spent falling down!!!!

started a new book today....The Olive Farm by Carol Drinkwater. it's a story about an american couple who dreamed of moving to the south of france.  so they did.  and they bought a ten acre farm in provence.  sounds dreamy, no?

love this paragraph from the preface:

All my life, I have dreamed of acquiring a crumbling, shabby-chic house overlooking the sea, and renovating it.  In my mind's eye, I have pictured a corner of paradise where friends can gather to swim, relax, debate, talk business if they care to, eat fresh food from the garden, prepare steaming plates of food served from an al fresco kitchen and all this dished up onto candlelit tables the length of railway sleepers.  Guests would eat, drink, chill out and while away the hours.  This would be where artists, travelers, children, friends and extended family can intermingle and find contentment, I'd slip away unnoticed to a cool stone room of my own sometimes, lined head to foot with books, sprawling maps, dictionaries, switch on my computer and settle down peacefully to write.....................But who has not idled away a wet winter afternoon or two with such a dream?

sounds great, huh?  of course there would be piles of yarn and needles and a cozy chair in that peaceful room.                  i'll let you know how the book is.

my puppy is growing, learning and doing well with his own little "training"  and so  my Olympic knitted shrug is growing.  that's a good thing!!  i had time to knit this weekend.....hurray!!!  i was going thru some serious withdrawl...i'm used to some good chunks of knitting time everyday...i was beginning to get worried...and crabby.

i stayed up until about 10:30 on friday night, which is the latest i've been able to kept my eyes open for a week with all the  "middle of the night going out to pee, and crying either for mama dog or new mama me (i'm not sure which yet).  everything is getting better tho. we are gettting somewhat of a schedule.

the shrug that i'm working on for the Knitting Olympics is knit from "cuff to cuff" so right now it just looks like a big, long, weird, shaped, possible mistake.  i'm about 2/3 done with the basic shaping of it. but there's still much to do. 

i like the yarn. and i think things are so far so good. the pattern is a bit abstract and scary. one of those "i don't know what it's going to look like things until it's so close to being done and all the stitches are picked up around the edges".  so we will see.  i have learned that the up-side of these shrugs is that they often look crazy until they are finished tho.  that's what happened with the last one i made.  and i love it.  so i'm holding out hope.

at this point, it just feels good to be moving some yarn on needles again.

needles ready........well tonight's the big night for the knitting olympics!!!!!  we are about two hours from flame lighting, central time, that's my time zone. i checked over at Yarn Harlot's site (www.yarnharlot.ca/blog )a moment ago and there are 4000 entries. WOW!!! think of all those "like minded"  rythmic hands over the next 16 days, around the world. and don't forgot to cheer for your teams.

i'm very excited to start my new project.  i've had the yarn and pattern and been ready to knit it for weeks. i've even been tempted to start it a few times. (but i haven't).  i've kept my hands  busy with a few different scarves and socks.

but now the waiting is over and the speed knitting begins.  well, that's really where the tricky part begins. i'm feeling a bit nervous about this Sweater Shrug being finished in 16 days what with the new pup and all. since this last saturday i've barely fit in 2 hours, total of knitting time.

but......i will press on......give it a good try.........and most of all have fun.   

and it will have to be simple, frozen pizzas for dinner tonight!

about 3 months ago we had to make the decision to "put down" our 12 year old Golden Retriever. she has been missed. but now.........since saturday......there has been.....

not a lot of knitting these days.

not a lot of sleeping these nights.

not a lot of extra time lately.

lots of rushing home from work.

lots of carrying treats in my pockets.

lots of wet kisses.

lots of time and attention spent with the new member of our family.

our 8 week old Golden Retriever Puppy, Emerson.

*note to secret pal, some updates you asked for are on my sp7 info post*

i've been spoiled!!!!! 

i ventured to my mailbox after work last night and who cares what else was in there?  but there was a package!!  always a fun surprise!!  i got an email from my secret knitting pal a few days ago to tell me that i should be expecting something and that she was a somewhat worried about the mail because she lived a bit far away.  she wasn't kidding, the package made it's way (beautifully) all the way from London!!!

lovely goodies inside: treats and sweets.  Louisa Harding's new book The Accessories Collection, two balls of Kimono Angora yarn, the colors are amazing, just my style (naturals, blues, greens, greys) and so..so fluffy. two different chewy candies that i've never heard of.  that we don't get here in the States.  i will try these out today for sure!!  and a lovely note on beautiful stationary. 

i'm thinking i may do some type of lacey scarf with the yarn and there is a cute purse/bag pattern in the book also that calls for a ribbon yarn, and i do have some ribbon.  i may try that too.  so many to choose.

i had a pretty difficult work week.  what perfect timing, and a great way to start my weekend.

thanks secret pal across the pond!!!!!!!  i just love everything. (oh, and i know, the versper yarn is basically an endangered species!!)