Mail!

I have been waiting patiently for my "wee" sock to come in the mail (for the most part I have been very patient). I did receive an email from my swap partner letting me know she was not in the continental United States so it would take a "wee" bit longer to get to me. So when I checked the mail today I found an envelope tucked in the mail for me! Fun mail. Not to be confused with junk mail or mail that decreases your yarn fund.

Check out the stamp . . . no wonder it took so bloody long. I don’t care who you are, mail from South Africa is a very cool thing! I did not rip it open while standing at the mailbox, but instead I walked calmly to the house. Let Miss Blue out. Sat down at the kitchen table and opened my mail from SOUTH AFRICA.

Can you even stand it . . .and it’s green! Apparently my swap partner is a physic knitter. Ladies meet Ruth! I am thinking it will make a lovely Christmas pin. Thank you so much Ruth. It really made my day. I love the colors. And when your husband is in Washington D.C. make sure Koigu is on the list for sock yarn. You will love it. This weekend on the yarn adventure Koigu is on the list as well as yarn for a top down hooded vest.

Greetings from Amazon.com.

We thought you'd like to know that we shipped your items, and that this completes your order.

Thank God, I thought I would look like this before I received the bloody package! I think this poor soul is so unhappy because she has no knitting companions . . . poor thing.

Count Down!

The count down has begun! Guild members get your needles and yarn money ready, we are on the road this Saturday (also known as AJ's Birthday--Yeah!) We will adhere to our original plans of meeting at Starbucks for coffee at 8:30 and then departing for Country Colors by 9 to arrive there when she opens at 10. The journey will continue on to the Yarnery!

Scouting Report: Country Colors

ASJ and I, self appointed scout team for the Guild, set off today for Country Colors in Roberts. It was a very successful trip. Yes, they have Kathmandu, so my sweaters are no longer in jeopardy. But more important than my quest for Kathmandu, was the overall quality of the shop. It had beautiful colors and styles of yarn. Yarn for every knitter and project. Sock yarn (sorry CB no Koigu), mitten yarn, yarn for bulky sweaters, yarn for felted projects. Lots and lots of beautiful yarn. Country colors is a must stop for the yarn outing on the 31st.

From the Knitting Activities Director

Sunday, July 22 the Minnesota Twins or Tuesday, July 31 the Milwaukee Brewers. For more information check out http://www.stitchnpitch.com/default.asp

Online Again - Who Knew!

With a great deal of help from my friend, CB, I am again attempting to be a Blogger. I can say with certainty that I'll never be as accomplished as CT, CB, and NK, but at least now I won't be totally lame. Wow! People will now know all my deepest darkest knitting secrets. Or not.

Last night I knit for 2 hours, lying on my bed with Joey lying right beside me, his nose 2 inches from the yarn, while watching the movie "Carolina". Not the most efficient way to knit, but knitting nonetheless. Joey has finally learned that he may not live another day if he eats my yarn, so now he just watches intently. He's very interested - wants to join the Guild. Too bad he's a boy. Too bad he can't knit. Too bad he's a dog. Three strikes against him won't get him the guild.

I'm working on my diagonal scarf (or whatever it's called) and I'm loving it. The 40% off yarn from Threade Bear was just the ticket, and it's going to be my fave scarf. I'll take a pic and post it when it's done.

No Christmas in Whoville

Really. It's the last time I try to be clever. Apparently it just is not in the cards for me. I stumbled across something on Amazon for the "Chicks" for Christmas. Awesome. Place order. No problemo . . .I did make note of the fact that it would not ship until published (yeah, yeah, who knew). Not a problem. It will be a late Christmas gift. Totally worth the wait. I was still psyched about it!

I kept checking my calendar, knowing that they would ship this week! Yeah!!! I ordered four (I needed one for myself.)

Then this morning I received the email from Amazon. Hello from Amazon.com. We wanted to let you know that there is a delay with some items in the order you placed. Hello?!?!? How can they be backordered . . .they took more orders than for the books then they ordered themselves? How did this simple mathematical problem arise exactly. What happened to quality control people? Could you not had let me know this a couple of months ago?


Whatever . . .so my second email from Amazon: Items not yet shipped: Delivery estimate: May 25, 2007 - May 29, 2007 ; four of: Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting Sold by: Amazon.com Merry Christmas Girls!

But wait, there is more. I read Steph's blog. She has been obsessing about the book release and tour. My comment as follows on her blog . . . Grief and Despair . . . Amazon has apparently more orders than it has books . . . delivery not anticipated until late May. Good for you (this totally rocks for you)! Bad for me. She responded to me in one word . . "Seriously?" (BTW I almost fell over when I saw the email in my inbox from the Harlot).

So what is the moral of this story 1) "Try not to get to clever with gifts for knitters, the Knitting Godess will smack you down." 2) "Never underestimate the buying power of knitters."

AJ saves the day!!!

Guild members take our guild membership seriously. Whether it be postponing a yarn trip so all can attend or taking one for a fellow guild member, we always put the guild first. Let me cite an example, today after CB, MB, RB and I (with help from ASJ) finished making the soup, I went to church only to have MMT shove a bulletin in my face that said: Reader: JT. JT!!!! He was playing hooky helping a friend move. I freaked out! FREAKED OUT!! (very similar to the Island snake experience--so AJ knew this was serious stuff.) I can not read or speak in front of a group. In my totaly panic I tried to find Pastor Jim, and I begged AJ to help me. Seeing the total panic on my face she said she would read the lesson. She calmly found Pastor Jim and a copy of the reading, while I stood there frantic. The lesson came and AJ read very smoothly all these big words like a total pro. I owe AJ big time.

Wednesday following the soup lunch the Guild will be checking out Country Colors in Roberts. All available Guild members are expected to attend.

Knitting Depression

I have been thinking about this and I think I have it. I have not seen a commercial on TV for some wonder drug to cure it, but nevertheless, I think that is what I have. I think this because my knitting is something like the time of year we are in. It is not winter (and I am sooo tired of winter) and it is not spring (although we get teased by Mr. Sun that it could be spring). In my knitting life, I am so tired of the green top down. I have come to the sad, but true conclusion, that I am going to run short of yarn. To that end, I have contacted Amazing Threads in the Cities to see if I can get some more. I have ripped out the black and white hat again, (this would be the 4th time). I seem to have the pattern right, I can't seem to get it big enough. So should I find a few spare minutes to knit, I am not at all excited to pick up my knitting to work on it. This week, just like last week, I have been out of the house more than I have been home. That really cuts into the knitting time and energy.
On a more positive, less woe is me note, it has been nice to have GBT (she who picks and clicks) home for the week. She has been working on a pillow for her sorority sister. She has created a really cool pillow thus demonstrating that she is a good knitter.
Next week while I am off school, perhaps I can get my knitting in order and finish something!

NK-have fun in Florida, say hi to Mickey, Minnie and I hope you don't have to employ the 20 foot rule.
CB and AJ we will have to have a guild meeting without her!

Wee Tiny Sock Swap

There is blog. I swing by now and then and visit. The Yarn Miracle. It is Emily’s site. It’s where I found out about the game Shear Panic (which by the way is already packed for the lake). Well, Emily decided to have a Wee Tiny Sock Swap. How interesting I thought? Now. I have not participated in any swaps. None. At. All. "Cute," I thought and moved on.

A little while later I was thinking to myself. "Self, why not? It’s not like I don’t have bits and pieces of sock yarn. Let’s face it. You have a sock addiction." "Also, how long can it take to knit Wee Tiny Socks?" (For the record, not very long.) So before you could say Koigu, I signed up.

The socks are in an envelope with a card. I will drop them in them in the mail tomorrow. Hopefully Grace will like them (lest I take a blow to my fragile knitting self esteem). I already heard from my swap person. It seems she lives outside the continental US, so it going to take a little longer for them to get to me.

So in the mean time. While NK is away, CT and I will shop for soup stuff, have coffee, make soup, and I will knit on the pinky, peachy cardigan from hell. ASJ will be on jury duty. Poor thing. Maybe she can knit on my cardigan while in the jury box?

P.S. Please note that the stripes on the sock match up. It gave me such pleasure, really you have no idea!

VACATION

Tomorrow off on vaction I go. I am bringing some knitting along to do on the plane and as I wait in the airport and in line at Disney. I do still have to pack and get everything else ready to leave. Am excited to get somewhere warm!
I have heard rumblings from others who shall remain nameless that no one has posted to the blog recently so here it is miss princess pick and click. Now it is your turn to post something! You have yet to post you have just responded.
Am so looking forward to the yarn trip at the end of the month. I will start my yarn list while I am away and will plan all sorts of things to start and not finish. That way I will still live up to my name chief half sweater.
Have a wonderful Spring Break everyone!!!!!!

Whew!

Well that is much better, I went to "blog" as they say and I was locked out of the blog. But thanks to CB our tech support person, here I am again. What a busy week! Between the parent on the warpath for me, conferences and church it was a busy week. But thankfully the weekend is here. GBT (She who picks and clicks) in on her way home for spring break. I am excited to see her, she is bringing her friend Kim for the week, so that should be fun.
I think the Guild needs to always adhere to Sect 2 of our bylaws ( Sect. 2.2 No ice cream left behind) The Wednesday night post church Culver's run is a must in my opnion.
Based on Guild advice I have started one sleeve of the green top down. I will be knitting that when I retire. I did get an order for Fair Isle mittens. That always makes me feel good.
I hope the entire Guild has a good weekend!

Happy Monday

The aroma of the Guild's soup was apparently very overwhelming! I had email's and comments about it all morning long. Hopefully after heavenly aroma after the service, many people will be inspired to come to lunch on Wednesday, they by donating monies for the children’s trip accounts!

Baby socks! I have knit five pair since last week. I am telling you they are a breeze. It’s kind of like reading a light, easy on the brain book after reading something heavy. I am counting the days (27) until the cities trip. (BTW it is now officially under 100 days to the lake, in case you were wondering.) Sock yarn, Lord help me it is an addiction.

Tonight will be The Girl’s Forensic meet which was postponed after last weeks storm, followed by the The Girl’s & The Boy #2, choir concert at NHS. Going to be a long evening . . . no knitting tonight for me.

Don’t forget no purchasing anything yarn related until your gifts arrive (when I explain why they are so late you think I am a total ditz).

Adventure within an adventure

Yes, NK and I are home safely from our crazy trip to Madison. I truly believed that once we finally made it to Madison, there would be "little men with white coats" waiting for us, because Lord knows we were CRAZY to drive down in that storm. But we made it safely there and back and have lovely memories from our hockey adventure. The best part while in Madison was the yarn adventure. NK and I scoped out Lakeside Fibers which, is the yarn store I have always wanted. It had beautiful yarn, was charming in itself and contained a coffee shop. How cool is that to be able to sit in a room full of yarn, knit with friends and drink coffee?!! When the Guild opens our yarn store it will have a coffee shop. We went to a 2nd store and it was full of snooty people. Again, when we open our yarn store, there will be a coffee shop and no snooty people.
I only knit a tiny bit while in Madison, my knitting elbow hurt from the white knuckle grip I had on the steering wheel, so my progress on the green top down was limited. I did finish my color block mittens (which received mixed reviews from all the teens).
See you guys on Wednesday if not before.

Home Safely

I have made it home from Madison with the same teenage girls in tow. I did not have to use the 20 foot rule on any of them but was tempted once on the way home. Why is it when you do something nice for them they forget to say "thank you" and then say that $80.00 is to much money for the nice hotel within walking distance to the hockey game is to much money and then not even offer to pay for gas when gas is $2.50 per gallon. I just do not understand.
I did have a good time while I was gone and even got some knitting done. Worked on the multidirectional scarf and a bit on a sock.
Am looking forward to the guild outing at the end of the month!
We should have a planning session before we go.
Have a wonderful week.

OFF I GO

Today I leave for madtown with the teenage girls in tow. Do I really want to do this. Yes, if I don't they will drive themselves down in sleet, snow and blizzard conditions (so say the weathermen). I am bringing lots of things to finish up, 2 different socks, mulitdirectional scarf, and lace shawl. May have time to finish one of the items.

Hope we do not get stranded in the car but if we do I will have something to work on and will bring along some provisions also.

Had a great time last night celebrating the birthday of CB. I think that we should have a birthday every month. We should be able to think of something to celebrate every month.

See everyone when I return. I will try not to get the 20 foot rule in effect except for my own children.