Heaven on earth...

So this is where I was last weekend....beautiful Southern Vermont! Went up for the long weekend with hubby and the girls to stay with closest friends and we had a great time!! Much eating and much knitting, thanks to a stop at the Black Sheep Yarn Shop in Dorset, Vermont. Now, I have been to many an LYS, so imagine my surprise when I encountered at least 4 of the nicest, friendliest women, all wanting to help me-yet not too pushy where I wanted to run right out! Cute shop! Great selection of yarns-they had the shop arranged by weight of yarn, which I like-all worsted in one place, all bulky in another, sock yarns all gathered together...it was wonderful. I even managed to find some local yarn (I'm a sucker for local yarn-especially when on vacation) in a bulky weight! Really pretty pale blue yarn-don't know what it will become but I'm thinking a hat for my fair-haired little girl...we'll see...
I wanted something mindless to knit while watching the ridiculous movie, "Social Network" so I picked up some Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande yarn in a creamy, caramel color and a slipper sock pattern, some size 6 double points and now I have a souvenier from the weekend! We did get out of the house-we went ice-skating, shopping at the bookstore in Manchester, and the LYS, but for the most part, we stayed in. So, this project was the perfect way to remember the trip! And all of it was completed this week (should have been a weekend completion but I caught a wicked cold and was out of commission the whole darn right home in the car-5 wasted hours!!! Ugh)
Pics to come of this great yarn and that local bulky beauty...

Fetching for the bus driver...

Ok-so I'm a bit of a procrastinator...have been since elementary school and quite frankly, I'm positive this fault of mine is the sole reason why I haven't done really much with my crafty skills....I never seem to have enough focus to drive myself into success. I'm always getting distracted by people or things (mostly knitterly things) and this is why for at least 5 years now, I have felt like time has stood still as far as me moving ahead with my knitting/craft goals and dreams.

Case in point-this past week, while I should've been working on the summer top that I'm designing for a knitting magazine (with a MARCH deadline!), I chose instead to waste umpteen hours on the internet, reading blogs, searching endlessly for cheap flights to disneyworld (to no avail-I really think they don't exist b/c idiot parents like myself can justify spending $400 roundtrip per person for "memories."), etc. Then on a cold Monday, while walking my daughter to the bus stop, I noticed the bus driver lady holding her hands like they hurt. She had a cute little lap blanket on but that was all. She doesn't wear a coat, just a sweatshirt and I wonder why? Then, I thought of my emergency-car knitting project that has been in my car for at least 2 years. I put it in there, in case I forgot my knitting on a family car ride to or from NJ to PA or from PA to NJ. I used to knit it when bored in the car line at my daughter's school. But it never got finished. The project was Fetching http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html
I decided right then and there that I would whip up the other mitt and give them to the bus driver lady so that she could still grip the wheel when driving my precious daughter and stay warm! My husband thinks I'm nuts, but I love to spring unexpected knitted gifts onto complete strangers! Hope she likes them!!!

Working, working, working...

Yep-I've been crazy at it lately! Lots of UFO's completed and updated on my ravelry projects page and even some pattern designing going on-finally. Crossing my fingers that I can complete basic math with success, I don't procrastinate, and I manage my time wisely. I've got more teaching gigs lined up and need to knit samples for those as well and I do have to knit up a sweater for my younger daughter-to be fair. Managed to finally complete a pair of mittens for me so I don't feel like a total idiot as the knitter who buys store-bought mittens for herself b/c she just doesn't have the time to knit a pair for herself. I had knit one mitten of Bella's mittens (no, I'm not a Twilight fan-just love the pattern) last year sometime and wanted to get the other one done asap so I finished them over the weekend. Tried them out this morning on the way to the bus stop and they are nice and toasty. But-wouldn't you know, in my haste to get them off the needles, I made the right thumb too short and now it bugs me-pulls the whole mitten up some. I'm hoping some nice water and blocking (stretching!) does the trick.

Well, with Valentine's day around the corner, I've been thinking of gifts for my family. Hubby is going to get this:

The girls are going to get the hallmark love bug pouches filled with (hopefully) crocheted flower barrettes and amiguri love birds, along with some stickers, candies, etc. We are going to make some chocolate covered strawberries and red velvet cupcakes too.

My sis and sil are going to get these b/c well, every girl deserves some pretty jewelry on V-day, no?? I made these in a matter of minutes-so quick!! Hoping to get some on etsy real soon!

And my mom and dad will hopefully be getting some homemade macaroons-if, I can make them and get them mailed out to NC in time...we'll see!

Caio for now!