I don't think you can even tell.

Last night, while watching DS9 with my husband, I finished up chart C of the (not so) Mystery Stole 3 and started on chart D.






It is growing very slowly. Even when I feel as if I have knit a lot, I can barely see any progress. At this rate, I'll be lucky to finish by the end of the year!

Some Knitting.

I haven't spent too much time knitting during the last week. Most of my time has been taken up with trying to stay dry during a week of unrelenting rain, resetting clocks after power failures, and dealing with weather related sinus yuckiness. Plus some after-work napping. Is there anything better than a nap during a thunderstorm?

I am almost finished with the body of my bluebell boatneck sweater however:





I have pretty much been ignoring MS3, even thought many people are actually finished, and will pick it up sometime when my head actually feels like it is attached to my body.

Oh, and I got my Ravelry invite! So that is where I plan to spend the rest on my Sunday...

The Stitches Midwest post - a week late

So a week ago Sunday my Mom and I went to Stitches Midwest in Rosemont, IL. It was much more crowded that last year, almost to the point of being overwhelming in the beginning. We got there just about a half an hour after they opened and had to fight Wizard World geeks for parking. (And I mean geek in the best possible way - if he didn't have to work my husband probably would have been there!) This year I was smart and I went prepared with a list of yarn I wanted to search for. Here is what I came home with:





Clockwise from top:
1) Merino roving (resembling cotton candy)
2)Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed for the Knitting Pure and Simple Top Down Cardigan
3) Alpaca roving (from an alpaca names Freckles!)
4) Valley Yarn Berkshire, to make the felted hat from IK Summer 2006
4) Sock yarn (picked by Mom - to be socks for Mom!) Trekking XXL and Austermann Step
5) Sock yarn for me: Mountain Color Bearfoot (I have wanted to try this for years!)
6) Mini-skein dyed by me at the Louet booth (more on this in another post.)
7) Elsebeth Lavod Classic AL (a great deal at Webs!) to make Something Red
7.5) button for something red
8) Pattern for Alchemy Yarn's Rockstar.

And in the middle, a bottle of Soak wool wash.

Next year, Stitches Midwest is going to be held in Schaumburg. I think this will be OK - especially for out of towners. There is much more to do around there, but the traffic is Schaumburg is such a drag. I usually try to avoid that whole area unless there is a store I just have to go to that is no where else. Rosemont is so convenient for me, just a quick zip down the tollway. But I digress.

Now to finish up my current projects so I can start on something from this list!

Catching Up

I've got a lot of things to share with you and a lot of photos to go with everything, so I am going to try my best to spread it all out over the next few days.

First of all, I put up a new page with my stash sale. (see above.) There are quite a few things listed there, frankly more than half of my current stash. I reached a point where I started to feel guilty about unused yarn as well as guilt when buying new yarn because of the unused yarn at home. So this seems like the best solution!

Also, I received my birthday gift from my parents in the mail today! (It is a little late since they wanted me to pick it out and I couldn't make up my mind.)



a new knitting bag!)



I have never had a proper knitting bag, and I just love this Namaste Jetsetter. I ordered it from Kpixie, and their service was super fast and friendly. So far I have my sweater project and my "tool bag" in it and love it. I'll give you a better review once I have used it for a little while.

Winner!

I held the drawing for my birthday contest tonight:



I can be incredibly lo-tech sometimes.


The winner is ... Kati! Congratulations! Kati, I am going to send you an email in the next few minutes. Thanks to everyone who entered, and everyone who sent me good birthday wishes. I am going to try to respond to all of you but I'm not sure I will have time during the next few days. But definitely know it was appreciated!

So hot... must.. keep... knitting.

Summer has finally hit Chicagoland. The weather has been so mild the last few months that I almost forgot how hot it can get in August. And as if temps in the 90sF aren't bad enough on their own, is has been sticky-muggy humid the last week which I really can't stand. I don't like to feel as if I need a second shower after just walking out to my car at 6:00 am.

I haven't knit much during the last week - mostly due to the heat but also some birthday distraction. It doesn't help that every project I have going right now is in wool. (My stunning brilliance is showing yet again...) I have managed to knit a few inches on my Bluebell Boatneck pullover, from Fitted Knits. I tried it on for size, and am already loving it quite a lot.



cropped to remove the goofy look on my face.


I also have knit a few dozen rows on Mystery Stole 3, but you probably couldn't even tell the difference if I posted another photo.

Last but definitely not least, a huge THANK YOU!!!!! to all of you sweet people who sent me birthday (or birffday, as we call it) wishes. Don't forget, the drawing for the Mission Falls yarn is open until Wednesday. I'll draw a name after I get home from work, so lets say you have until 7:00pm central time to send me your entry! (See below for details.)