KnittingSanctuary

Decisions are not my finer point....

I so admire when people can just put their mind to doing some creative endeavor and then voila, it magically appears on their blog in a few days....  Me, I think I get so enamored with other patterns, yarns and the bling of it all that it affects my focus.  I did, however, finish Alex's slippers only to find that they don't fit.  So off to another good friend of mine they went, and happily they do fit her feet.  Now I just have to make a pair that actually fit his feet. 

 

Here they are, pre felting and I thought they would actually be honking huge and maybe even too large for his size 8.5 manly feet.  I made them out of lamb's pride bulky, which after felting, had a lovely furry halo all around them, but I still liked the effect anyway.  When I tried them on his feet, he almost immediately said "Its not gonnnnnnnna fit...." and I sighed.  So I have to readjust my gameplan and knit the really big manly size.  Here they are pre-felting, with my hand in for scale:

 

I started a little cabled sweater from Debbie Bliss:

 

Not a hard cable pattern at all and I am up to the decreasing for the arms.  The yarn is absolutely wonderful to knit with!

Specs: 

Pattern:  From the book Debbie Bliss Simply Baby.  It is called the Cable Sweater.

Yarn:  Sublime Baby Cashmere merino DK.  Super soft sub for the called for Yarn being Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino.  

It is a cute little sweater and I am making the largest size for a friend's son.  For the upcoming winter of 2009. 

Speaking of which, still not much here on the snow front.  I am this close to giving up and hoping for better next year.

Well, that's about all I got for now.  Happy Knitting!

The Secret of Creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.

Thanks Albert Einstein.  I will stick to following the Theory of relativity and ignore the above wisdom for now.  If for no other reason that when I blog stalk, I want all the details, not just some dorky photodocumentary that explains only the starting and finishing and "I am not gonna tell ya how I did it" crap.  None of that here, people.

I give you the first bit of proof:

                                                      

This is my first "at home attempt" to do needle felting.  Amazingly enough, no hospital visits were necessary, no tetanus shots involved, and I think it looks ok.  Then, I went on to do this today:

                                                      

I think it looks kinda ok, and I will get the expert advice of my fellow knitters tonight when I go to my knitting group.  I like the print, I just feel like it needs more support or something.  I had someone at work on Friday offer to pay for this!  I then told her that I spent almost $40 alone on the yarn and that at that point I hadn't even sewed a lining into the thing. She still wanted it.  Very nice complement.  I get ohhhhs and ahhhhhhs from M here, but well, sometimes I just seek a female opinion.  I am liking the felting so much that I am gonna make another set of Fibertrends Felted Clogs for Alex.  He told me last night that his favorite color is blue and I have some bulky lamb's Pride in blue that I am thinking would be perfect.  I used lambs pride for the above project too, and I really like how crisp the felting turns out.  I don't like to see any stitch definition after felting and this yarn meets my requirement.  In case you would like to make the above:

Pattern:  Fiber Trends Felted Sheep Tote

Mods:  Many:  I didn't knit quite as many rows and I improvised the handle.  I also sewed my own lining in, complete with some pockets.

Yarn:  Lambs Pride worsted, doubled, in a deep greeny color.

Time to Knit:  about 2 weeks off and on.  Once I got the hang of the begining, the knitting was a breeze.

So, I have also finished the first sock, started during the August vacation that my son and I took to Virginia Beach last year:

                                                         

He looks a little lonely and I am furiously also working on the mate.  I will post full yarn details when the pair finally meet.  It is nice to work with though.

I mentioned the hat I was working on for Alex in an earlier post.  I had to frog the whole lot because it was wayyyyyy toooo big for my boy's noggin.  So I found, after some major stash digging, some Vermont O-Wool in a dreamy blue, and decided to use that for his hat instead.  I still wish to come up with a grand warm object using the Completely soft Suri Merino from Plymouth.  If ya have suggestions for a pattern please leave a comment.  I am also going to knit him some mittens out of the O-Wool, but I think he could stand to have some backups going in his favor.

What else is going on here at KnittingSanctuary?  I have been cutting fabric to sew more Lounge Pants.  I have this grand plan to practically spend an inordinate amount of time lounging, and I need the pants to do it.  I finally tweaked my pattern so well that I am liking the fit I get now ( Read: my hips have finally been accounted for in the pattern!).  So, here are three more cuts for the pants:

                                               

I should do nothing but lounge for the next few months.  Let me know when summer has arrived.  (You know denial can be so sweet.....)

Here is proof of Alex's new hat, just casted on last night: 

                                                

This wool is so great to work with.  I made Twist from Chic Knits in it and could not be happier.  I love this wool.  It feels firmer, denser than the cascade 220 (although I love that yarn too!).  If you think that you have seen this yarn before here, you may remember my Vermont Vacation post nearly when I started this blog three years ago.  I just recently looked at my control panel for the date that I started this blog and it has NOW BEEN THREE WHOLE YEARS!!!!!  I enjoyed reading the blogs of others so much that it could be considered stalking, and thought, I should try to give back some of what I take in the epiphany of the blog world.   Hence the birth of KnittingSanctuary.  I love being able to share all that I create and share in all that others create as well.  It is such a vast source of inspiration that Ravelry will usually suck me into some kind of black hole where I am defenseless against time and succomb to its lure of everything fiber.  I am also getting a bit ansy about Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  I didn't go last year and am so looking forward to it this year.  Of couse, right after I pay my taxes.  Ughhhhhhhh. 

      

This is the biggest snowfall NJ has seen so far.  I am so disgusted.  Could we get just one really large Nor'Easter so that my son and I can go snowboarding?  Please?  Or should I just move to Vermont and hope for better snow days?  I just love watching it fall....how everything looks so clean for a while.  I miss the days when we got lots of snow here in my hometown.  It has been years since I have been out making a snowman or angel.  By the way, the tree is actually our wonderful neighbor's tree, this is the same man that has helped me out numerous times when I have locked myself out of the house (ok, more than a human should be allowed to get away with) and,  at almost 80 years old,  he will still come over and help me to get in.  He has proficiently picked my windows so that I am not reduced in knitting time in any major way.  I am so grateful. 

I have also been contemplating starting some seeds now, so that they are ready when it is time to be planted.  M got us a wonderful plant light stand so that I can use the lighting from that to sprout and then go from there.   

I hope that you all have a great weekend and I am going to go work on the hat.  Hopefully there will be some episodes of paranormal state on too!  Have a great weekend!                                 

                                             

There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.

Ok, since I haven't discovered Atlantis or anything amazing I thought I would astound the blog world and post yet again, as I need to show you something.

 

Pre-felting, this has turned out to be a gigantic monster of lamb's pride.  I didn't follow the direction exactly, (no surprise there) but I am happy with this:

 

Very cute.  I am going to try and figure out how to sew a lining into the thing,  right after I finish reading War and Peace.  Seriously, I need to look at the fabrics I have hiding around here and see if anything works.  I am thinking it needs some needle felting on the front too.  Good thing I got a kit when I went to Maryland Sheep and Wool.  Now I have an opportunity to play with sharp, pointy objects and wool.  Just what I needed on this very, very grey winter day and I am feeling like I need the light of the sun so much.....(You have by now figured out that Oprah has Not called, right?).  Anyway, I am looking forward to learning this new wool related hobby.  I'll let you know how many puncture wounds I can make in one day.  I seriously don't know when I had my last tetanus shot either.  Maybe I need to rethink this.......

Life around these parts would seem so much more exciting if we got a blizzard.  We are expecting some snow on Tuesday night, I believe, but only 3 inches or so.  My biggest state of excitement was last week or so when I was sewing some therapy hot packs together and trying to fill them with some flaxseed.  Wouldn't you know it the bag spills over and millions of flaxseed fall onto my laptop (cause you know I can't just sew, I gotta listen to something and sew) and well let's just say that the computer hates me now.  I have turned the thing on all sorts of angles to get out the little buggers and make the keyboard work a little better, but the z key and a few others are still mad, and don't type out very well.  I expect to be finding those things for a long time.  

I was working on a basic hat for Alex, my youngest son and seriously overestimated how large I needed to make it.  Needless to say I frogged it and need to cast on again today.  The yarn is Suri Merino, and is a pleasure to work with.  Very, very soft.  

In additon to knitting I have been baking today:

 

This is my very first Spinach Quiche found at All Recipes.com.  Wondeful and tasty.  I made two of these and also made Unstuffed Cabbage.  Also made some Lima Bean and Ham Soup, and froze about 7 pints of the stuff.  I need to go lie down.  I am really trying to make up stuff in advance so that when I get home after spending a long day in the torture facility called work, and am feeling like breathing is taking too much energy, I just want something I can heat up and eat that is still good for me.  I still don't eat meat, and the veggie beef I used in the cabbage dish will be great.  I will work around the ham in the soup, as it gives it a nice flavor and reminds me of my grandmom's kitchen.  M still eats meat, so I can just give it to him.  I have also been watching Emeril Green.  I have been on this avocado kick and made a wonderful veggie wrap that I can't get enough of.  Here's my version if you are so inclined:

2 large wraps

1 avocado

cherry tomatos

cucumber

havarti cheese/gryere cheese

spinach

onion

walnuts chopped, if desired

a little bit of Marie's Ranch Dressing

 I throw the cheese on first, then the greens, then the rest of the veggies.  I then top off the thing with some of that amazing dressing and voila!  If you're like me, you can get your whole days' worth of veggies in one meal!  When I finally getting around to doing some sprouting, I will be using them too....

Back to knitting...

 

This has been brought out of hiding as I have had this just laying around for years.  It is Beth from A Season's Tale.  It has had a few hairy moments when I was ready turn it into a dusting rag, however, I do hold dear the fact that when I knit anything on size 2 or 3 needles I am more hesitant on destroying/frogging it.  This may be a mistake, but I think it is gonna see the finish line soon.  

I am wanting to see more finished things, which has always been an issue with me.  I get all hyper excited to start things, only to take for-ev-er to finish them.  When I am out blog seeking/reading/stalking I am always in awe of these beautiful people who can just knit up a fair isle sweater in a month or so.  They are my unsung heros.  I am gonna have a moment of silence here. 

Whew.  I am still trying to think of when I will get back to the Must Have Cardigan.  Sadly, I have not done a stitch since the last time I posted on it.  But it has been calling to me recently, as I would love to see the creation completed.   

And finally,

 

A little more work on a simple sock, that you have seen here before.  Time to decrease for the toe!

Enjoy some good knitting time!

Today Is The Day....

Lest you think that because I don't partake much in politics that I don't know what's going on in Washington today, stand back.  Cause I do.  This country is getting a new president in the White House.  (See, the new cable is really paying off, dontcha think?)  I will hold off on any further comments about this other than I am grateful for change, evolution and the fact that having two neurons that synapse together while holding the office of the President is, to quote Martha Stewart, A Good Thing.  However, so that I don't get caught in having to change my opinion when the Larry King show calls for my interview, I will leave it at that.  Enough said.

I finally got to go to my knitting group this past Sunday!  It was such a great night just seeing everybody.  I forget how much I enjoy having these people in my life until I haven't been in awhile and then see them again. 

Onto more dire news is the fact that my thyroid is acting up AGAIN.  You remember, right, how horrible of a time I had last year when my TSH was like 125 or something and I felt like throwing myself in traffic, no?  Well, consider yourself updated now, as that was the very brief albeit correct version of my life then.    I just had labwork done again and it is at 25, when it should be at 2.  Needless to say, the fogginess, impatience and sadness returned.  I absolutely can not stand not to be able to think clearly.  Thanks goodness I have a great network of supportive people online that have a wealth of information.  Part of this is related to stress, as some autoimmune conditions are awakened by it.  I am in the process of changing my job, as it has lost its glamour with me and my soul.  I don't resonate with administration, although the people and my coworkers are for the most part wonderful to work with.  However, it is a fast paced, profit driven company that sees the bottom line as a dollar figure while I see a the abundance of human compassion to be the most important in healthcare, not to mention happy nurses.  I am too tired of working for anyone who is more concerned with profit and image.  I have yet to meet truly happy nurses who are not thinking of greener pastures.  If you know one please send them my way.

In lieu of all of this, I have deeply been exploring my options as I still have my holistic business, but would like to do more.  I also have a deep love of writing and have been working on articles a lot lately.  I will start to send out my query letters soon.  I can combine my love of writing, my knowledge as a nurse, and my love of teaching and use them all at the same time.    Here is how serious I am:

                                                                                                                                 

My recent foray with Amazon.com has left my bank account a little dry.  But I am finding it so exciting to get ideas drummed up and can even use the excuse of reading magazines and books as "research".  Not too shabby.  I am sure that this can only get better when my brain decides to help me out and think clearly for a change, once my thyroid issues are better.  I am just not the most patient person in the world.   I spent a long time doing some work this morning on writing ideas and net research.  I am currently reading the book The Well Fed Writer.  Not all of it applies to my situation, but nontheless I am learning greatly from this author.  

As for knitting, I just finished up the not so noro scarf:

                                               

Here it is awaiting the ends to be woven in.  I will be making some more of these hopefully for gifts next Christmas.

The Big Green Blob has grown a little more:

 

I am almost ready to cast off and do the handles.  Then the pockets will need to be done as well.  If I can find some episodes of Paranormal State, I will work on this some more today.  Mindless, but satisfying knitting!

Since my sewing machine has lifted the restraining order it had on me, we have been getting along really well.....

I made these this past weekend:

 Lounge pants that I just want to lounge all day in!  I specifically like the sheepy fabric.  I still have a ton more sewing projects to work on as well, but I much rather knit. 

I am not even going to insult you with the pathetic amount of snow that we got here on the East coast recently.  I read Jessie's Blog faithfully as it just reminds me of country life and refreshes my dream of having my own farm and think how nice it must be to actually see real snow accumulate anymore, to watch the deer from my back porch......  I love how the air smells when it's gonna snow.....how utterly quiet everything gets after it snows.  I remember when I was snowed in at work one year for two or three days.....Now it hasn't even snowed enough for my almost eight year old twin niece and nephew to play in any substantial amount of snowfall during their few years on this planet.  The one larger snowfall I do remember, about 4 years ago, they were really too little to enjoy it then.   

Well, I am going to write a little more and then knit.  Maybe even practice lounging with my lounge pants....hope your knitting basket is full, and that you have many hours to work on it!

Did you NOT get the Memo?

Okay, so by now you have figured out that Oprah has not me called yet and thus I am filling my time with meaningless activity and laughter in anyway that I can get it.  This phrase is what a good friend of mine always says and it has now rubbed off on me so much so that I am willing to repeat it to any ignorant physcian, person, clergy or all of the above.  I am just plain out of time for ignorance these days.  So, to counterbalance things, I have taken to sewing in addition to my ever present knitting projects.  This is what I made last weekend:

                                       

I am pretty happy with how well this turned out.  It is a New Look Pattern That you can find here.  I am loving this pattern.  The top is a little tricky, but once one masters that it is smooth sailing.....

Here are some other things that my sewing machine is now whiping out:

                                             

This is for my niece who has one of the American Girl Dolls....I thought that sewing these clothes would be simple, but not so.  It is just less fabric.  Still looked really cute and I need to make some pieces bigger so they will fit her doll well.  It was still a joy to see how much Jenna liked getting new clothes for her doll.

What else have I been up to?  Let's see.....

                                          

I am making some progression on the felted bag to be.  This is nice tv knitting since it is plain stockinette for long periods of time.  It is also gonna have some little needle felted sheep on it when it is complete.  I am loving this color. 

This is my version of the famous Noro scarf made infamous by  Brooklyn Tweed.  I recently found  myself at a local yarn store and thought that this would make a great sub for the Noro.  Although I will be getting some Noro in for the upcoming snow season of 2009 to give as gifts, I wanted to immediately experience the infatuation and bought some Plymouth Boko, which is 95% Wool and 5% silk.  It is so neat to see the color combinations that transpire when knitting!  I will be working on this tonight after my seminar while watching episodes of Ghost Whisperer.    Do you have any idea how long I have waited for Galactica and Lost to return?  Needless to say, Oprah did not call to discuss my dilemma of missing my shows.  However, just let me put it out there that I am so willing to come and write for Lost too, almost as much as I would like to win the mega millions jackpot.  Just sayin'.  The more creativity I have in my life the happier I am.                           

So, in other non knitting news I finally got cable television.  I personally have not had cable in about 8 years.  I am learning all kinds of capitivating things that televison offers.  The other night I was watching Emeril Green and learned so many new things that I could apply to my lunch!  I am super excited about the cable.  It is something to knit by.  As long as I keep to my writing and knitting balance will be achieved with the TV.  But it is like being at the movies every night for me!

This is my older son ready to hit Nashville with his guitar playing.  He has been studying so hard on learning guitar and I am so impressed with how far he has progressed.  This was taken on Christmas morning.....

Hope you are all knitting away happily in 2009....

Karmic Debt...The end of Another Year

So I wonder since I probably have enough of this to cover a small continent of beings if the government would be up for contributing to my Karmic Debt Relief Bailout Plan?  Probably not.  The illusion of democracy here is something that I really don't choose to partake in, and the fact being that Ruth's only likable quality of any governmental affiliation would be that I love my libraries.  Which is where I am now by the way.  Getting very deep into philosophical matters, and writing.   And I am treating myself to some totally good mocha cafe!

So it would seem that I have rightfully earned the neglected blog award if anyone out there is willing to send the button my way.....Life has left me in deep contemplation of many things and I have done my darnest to process what I can.  There are just some times (seasons) in my life that only I can work through and I am feeling that for me the year of 2009 will be a magnificent year of awakening, liberation from what no longer works and readjustment to what my life priorities are.  All of this is good, and exciting, but also terrifying at the same time. 

I am already working on my resolutions for the new year and once completed, I will post some here so that you may remind me gently if I go astray.  For now this comes to mind:

    I will speak my truth in all moments of my life.  I will not suppress or silence myself in the likely imagined event that I will have offended someone, because I will know in my heart that I am not trying to offend anyone, but only "to thine own self be true."  The avoidance of this momentous lesson has cost me so much grief and sadness that it is critical for me to commit to this now. 

Ok, so where's the knitting?  Well, there is not so much, but I will give you what I have:

                                                                                                                                                         

This was the begining of a very cute cably baby sweater that you can find here: Baby V Neck Sweater.  Is it me or has anyone else out there tried to knit this sweater?  First, when I printed it from the site some of the rows in the pattern wouldn't print.  And then after spending some time getting it to look better, then I had to go and find the translations for the cable terms and then after about 2 hours of knitting this is the crap that I have as you see above.  I frogged the whole thing and am on the look out for a more simple yet equally cute sweater pattern.  This is for my friends baby boy who is working on his 18month mark in a few months.  I am open to ideas if ya got some.

So here I have one of the yarny gifts that Mr. M surprised me with for this snowless holiday ( I sooooo belong in Vermont, where the snow is really coming down) :

 This is the super soft yarn Sublime DK.  The too cute for words baby pattern book made my ovaries ache, but only for about 1 second until I remembered how much I truly value my sleep.  I have an evil plan though, which is to keep all my friends, (ok not all,) pregnant. Or just sit around the local maternity ward when my friends have caught on to my sinister ways and now no longer desire to be friendly.  Got all my bases covered.  I will find pleny to knit for.  I just want an increase in real knitting time.  And as soon as Oprah realizes my true potential and puts me on her payroll I will have to settle for the few precious moments that I have.

Well, I do hope to have much more for you soon.  I am going to be taking a sewing class on every Monday in January so that I can whip up better projects in that area of crafting.  I have such a nice machine and I want to get a lot of use from it.  

  I also want to whip up some yoga pants that actually fit me, as I am vertically challenged and need my pants to fit, not trip me.

I am sending you all big happy knitting wishes for a wonderful new year filled with peace, joy, and all the chocolate your body can handle.  Namaste!  

                                                           

I almost forgot to share these!  Also a lovely gift from Mr. M, he picked these out himself at my local yarn store!  Hand dyed sock yarn!  It's a Christmas miracle!

Life is Either a Daring Adventure or Nothing

The famous words of Helen Keller.  I thought that I might update the blog fodder today since I have miserable failed in posting recently.  I know that there are those of you who read regularly and are probably wondering where in the world have I been.  Lest you think I was pushing up daisies, I will dispel the rumors and post!

First, there was this little incident that put a time out on my knitting ability:

  You should see the other guy.  No, really, I got this from doing a humble act for humanity and this was just an unfortunate side effect of the karma of my so called life.  I don't want to come right out and say what the actual act was (cause I have a reputation to uphold here) because I wouldn't want to ward off any brave soul from contemplating from doing the same.  Just be rest assured that although this bugger hurt like I had been run over, I will brave the circumstances to do this again.  It is that important.  But maybe now you see and understand why I haven't blogged in a while. Nor have I been to my dear knitting group and I unfortunately missed my fiber guild meeting this month.  It gets more dramatic.  Forget watching lifetime.  Just tune in here.

Needless to say, other than WORK I haven't done much of anything.  Oh, sure.  Eat, sleep and breathe.  Get up do it all again tomorrow.  But nothing so deep as to have Oprah call me for an interview or anything.  Unless you would like to consider my current case in point.  The Birthday which never was.  Oprah is so not gonna care.  But my birthday (October 20) was donated to the FLU FAIRY.  What fun.

I worked all week last week, and was supposed to work this weekend.  I woke up so horribly sick on Saturday morning that I called out.  Sunday decided to deliver to me the WORST CASE OF THE FLU I have had in my life.  Not that it was a hard act to top.  I have only had the flu once.  That, though, was more than enough.  No, no.  Life wanted to show me how much worse it could be.  Especially since it knows that I don't want to resort to pharmaceutical agents and prefer herbs and food and oh, oxygen.  But the fates would have it another way.  I tried everything I know of.  I have all kinds of pure essential oils burning to cleanse the air and prevent viruses.  I rubbed all kinds of concoctions that I had created all over my chest.  I took steam showers and long warm baths with epsom salt.  My eyelashes hurt.  I could feel everything and it was not a good thing.  Sorry Martha.  I tried sleeping but the very act of breathing got in my way and I would have to sit up.  Meanwhile my fever was climbing, EVERYTHING just HURT and I gave in.  I took some over the counter concoctions.  I have to say that I got about 5 hours of sleep without suffocating. Although when I woke up my lungs were like Where the heck is the air? I am now able to breathe a little.    I have my laptop right here in bed with me for entertainment purposes.  God bless You Tube is all I have to say.  I have learned a lot in these last few days from just clicking away on this handy little gadget.    Things like saving myself now just so I can face the upcoming Global catastrophe of global warming.  Good times people.  Good times.  I am sooooooooo gonna search for some comedy today, people.  I sure could use a laugh.  And the endorphin production that goes with it.

What have I learned from all of this?  That I thought (as I have in times past) that my immune system should work very efficiently for me.  I went back to being vegetarian.  This has led to me getting off cortisol and lowering my dessicated thyroid medicine.  I have also lost about 10 pounds now.  I usually, when not feeling like a viral onslaught of invasion has entered my perimeter, have a nice amount of energy.  But I am a work in progress.  I am feeling a need to reform my ways even more and take care of this breach in my immune system so as to NEVER have this happen again.  

I just got out the neglected red sock and brought it up here to maybe work on.  Woodland woolworks catalog just came in the mail.  Maybe I will get inspired to knit.  I just called out for the rest of the week to recover from this nonsense.  I'd like it to be a little more productive than just creating unheard of amounts of mucus and living to tell about it. 

Well, I hope that you are all busy at creating some wonderful things.  I will join you soon.  I promise.  Just as soon as I don't have to reach for the tissues every 5 seconds.   

Pictures Speak louder than words....

I am so delighted with the fact that the cardigan is actually coming along that I wanted to share with pictures of it already, even though it is barely started:

Can I tell you that I am overjoyed that the thing actually is coming along as patterned?  I just love it when I get to the end and have no "extra" stitches waiting to scream at me!  The more I do this the more I fall into a rhythm of quiet, peaceful, yet challenging knitting.  There are 2 charts to follow in this pattern, and yet it doesn't seem that complicated when you get going.....I will see how things go when I try to "keep in pattern" and have to do the armholes...but I am committed to having this done before November.

I am still knitting away on the sock when I am at my knitting group where I would rather talk than concentrate.  This is where I am:

 

I need to go about 3 more inches and then start the decreasing for the toes.....

And here is actually an FO that I don't think I posted.....

 

Kelsey Wallaby the Second!  I have finally finished the neck and am patiently waiting to see how it fits her! 

I still have some things to do for the workshop tomorrow.....But I really want to just knit on the new cardi!  Have a great weekend!  Happy Knitting!

Happiness is....

Cables!  And lots of them!  In my quest for finding another pattern to start, (yes, yes I know that the Wicked Sweater is NOT done) I have decided on this fantastic array of perfectly placed cables and (as if you didn't know, Cascade 220) in Straw Gold!  I love this color....it just speaks of Autumn the way pumpkins and cornstalks do...

 

The sweater is the Must Have Cardigan by Patons.  I checked it out on Ravelry first and many felt that it wasn't too difficult or filled with errata.  So, here goes nothing!

The headphones are there to remind me to tell you about a wonderful audiobook that I am currently listening to....Jodi Picoult and it is called Second Glances.  This book is fantabulous, and it makes my ride into work a more pleasant one.  I enjoy her writing and the narrator of this one is also very good in my opinion.  I joined audible a while ago and it has surely paid for itself in my enjoyment of books!  I am getting my Sunday together to go start the cable work as soon as I finish up a bit of work for a class that I will teach on Friday.....

We will also be getting ready to go camping next weekend at Shenandoah National Park.  This has got me so excited.  It has been awhile since we ventured here and the hiking is great.  We may do Bearfence Mountain which is really a neat boulder climb to a fantastic position where you feel as if you are on top of the world.  Despite the name, this is not where we had our bear interlude.  I must remember to get some bear repellant, though, as this park is where they like to hang out.  The deer are also beautiful and calm here:

 

 Here's a baby just calming looking for something to eat....

Well, I will have hopefully a nice amount done on the new cardi, plus I am nearly done Wicked, although I am still not sure what to do with my sleeves....

Have a great week!

Virginia Beach Bound...

So, to update you all on what I have been up to these last few days. On the 25th, my oldest child and I headed southward bound to camp out at this famous place: First Landing State Park.  It was a blast to camp out here, although I am a die hard, back country camping type.  One time we even had bear come into our campsite.  I just need the country every so often to regroup my mind and clean out my soul.  It renews me.  And even though this site was neat, I can't say that it was like the camping that I am so used to.  It was so close to the city that I thought I could call and order a pizza and see if they'd deliver to our "really roughing" section as Mike declared!  But alas, we went out and had a fabulous time, eating good food and learning how improve our campfire skills:

 Here he is after just putting up his new tent.  Looks about as excited as a almost 16 year old can be with out all his technology.  But he brought his surfboard and got to use it a few times.  I hung out at the ARE which has a little bookstore where I grabbed a few books that caught my interest.  There were some really awesome hiking trails there and we did one of them in about 2.5 hours.  Saw a Copperhead Snake that was hanging out in what they called a Lagoon, but was really dried up.

  See how nice and friendly he looks?  Don't let that fool you.  Stay far away.....which we did, as we were up on a wooden walkway built by the park.

Of course there was knitting!  I am working on a basic sock here with some fabulous yarn that is Diakeito.  It is Japanese, and such a soft blend of beautiful neutral colors that I was astonished to see how it looked knitted up. 

Can you see what I am talking about here?  Just perfect little stripes without any effort.....I also collected a massive amount of pine cones from the ground around our site to make a wreath later. 

This is what I picked up when we found the The Hook and I  knitting store not too far off from where we stayed.  I thought this would make a nice gift for a knitting friend..... 

I do have more to share.  But I need to take some more pics and then post later.  I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday!