I have been knitting!

I have put my dad's wife's sweater on hold while I was waiting for a measurement (which I now have). While I was waiting, I cast on a top for myself! It is from a book borrowed from a friend, and it is called the Coquette Lace Top. It is a tube top with a little lace panel down the front, very cute, and so far it is knitting up quite fast. I have added in some shaping in the waist, and made some minor adjustments, but all in all the pattern is great as is.

In my ravelry, it is referred to as the sunflower top, because sunflowers are my favorite flower of all time, and the yellow that I am working with reminds me of a sun flower. I am also using a sunflower stitch marker set (that the queen made for me).

Anyhow, I cast on about a week and a half ago, and I have about 40% to go. Can't wait for it to be finished, and even more so, I cant wait for it to be spring time so that I can wear it!

Happy knitting!

thankful thursday

It has been quite some time sense my last update. I have been very busy balancing 2 jobs sense I found out last week about my hours decreasing again (for the second time in 2010). I am lucky to have had a second job already that was willing to increase my hours as much as I need. For now it's working out, but the only thing I want to do between jobs and after work is play with my pets.
Last week I had an errand to run and I took charlie along for the ride...it had been warming up and I was only going to be inside for 10 minutes so I left him to protect the car. When I shut the car door he immediately started crying in protest of not being able to join me. And when i returned he was wiggling with so much excitement, he gave me enough kisses that I will surely lways bring him in in the future if for nothing other than to rid myself of guilt. Or he could just stay home. I think he musthave thought that I was leaving him forever because he insisted on staying on my lap the entire drive home! Although it made my heart swell with love...it isnt going to be happening again any time soon!
I sure am thankful to have found charlie, and I love that he is satisfied with his new home :-)

Rockin Sock Yarn

One of the wonderful gals in my SnB gave me this absolutely delicious yarn for helping her move into her new place.


I love the colors in it, and I can't wait to work with it. The only problem, is that I don't knit socks. I love looking at sock patterns, and I love wearing my hand knit socks, however I have no desire to make them myself.



So now I am asking you to help me decide on some patterns of what to make from my Socks that Rock Yarn. I would love to make something for myself out of this yarn, I can't remember the last time I was knitting for myself, and I can't wait to be excited about something for me. I am however not opposed to knitting it up for someone else, as long as I get to work with it soon! Let me know what you think. I have 360 yards of this new love of mine, so plot away!

Pictures of a Finished Knit

Here are the photos of the fingerless mitts that I knit for my sister:





You can get the details on them through my ravelry project page. If you are a knitter and you don't have Ravelry, get it! It is a great way to meet other knitters, display your projects, and fine patterns for new things...and much more, you should check it out! In the meantime, I blogged about these mitts before I had pictures on this post, and you can read the info there as well.

Happy Knitting!

Birthday Week, Day 5

Tonight I am enjoying a relaxing evening with my kiddos. Sheila got to hang out on the couch with us for a while, and Charlie got a nice long walk! Now we are all just lounging.

Yesterday I worked, came home and walked the dog, and packed dinner, then went to job number 2 (I accepted a second job seasonally, and they asked me to stay on, and with my hours being cut at work, I agreed). Came home, and then I went to bed (after walking the spoiled dog again!).


Wednesday, I had split pea and ham soup cooking in the crock pot all day long, and when I got home, not only did I get to enjoy a great comforting meal, but I also got to open a package! It was a Christmas/Birthday box filled with goodies especially for me! I am the new owner of an awesome wine bottle plug thingie, that is hand carved, and has some sort of mechanism that allows you to screw it on so that you can lay the bottle flat without it spilling. (what are these things called?)
In addition to that I got an awesome key chain with a poodle, and a bunch of cute dog things on it.
Sheila got an awesome bed warmer thing, that will keep her warm, and all I have to do is microwave it for 30 seconds a few times a day. I think that ultimately I am going to try to get another one so that I can alternate between the two, we'll see how long it actually takes to find one and buy it.

My mom also made a felted stuffed Hedgie for me, and it is a giant compared to Sheila, but it is so cute! It is sitting on top of my entertainment center, and watching everything. Sheila hasn't seen it, but I'm sure she would approve!
Oh and I also received some knitting notions to add to my new knitting notions bag, that I didn't post about yet, but my mom did!

For my birthday I received 5, yes five, new charms for my charm bracelet! They are the cutest!! I now have, in addition to my birthstone, snowman, and hedgie; a cute sparkly pink bead, a dangling high heeled flip-flop, a very cute swirly heart, a paw print, and a way cute cupcake with pink icing, sprinkles, and a red cherry on top! I even wore it to work to show it off to anyone and everyone there!



Birthday week is the best. I made some cupcakes tonight, to bring with me tomorrow for knitting group, and some to bring to work on Monday. Tomorrow, I have knitting, then a few errands (I have to deliver a gift for a little girl I watch whose birthday is coming up next week!), and then getting all dolled up and going out to dinner and dancing with a girlfriend! Can't wait :)

Hope everyone is having a good week, birthday week or not!

Birthday Week, Day 2

Today after work, I went and got a haircut! It has been such a long time that not only was it a treat, but a necessity! Here are the pics:

Front:


Back:


What do you think?

Squawking Artichoke!

So, today is day one of my Birthday week! I have a few fun things planned throughout the week to make this birthday an overall success! Today I went grocery shopping after work so that I could make sure I had all of my favorite foods in the house for cooking with this week. Artichokes were on sale, and so I decided I would get one, as it turns out they have a decent shelf life (I've been told they will last for about a month.. wonder if I should refrigerate them?) so I decided to get 2. However, there were only three left in there spot (and of course they all looked pathetic), so I asked the produce guy if they had more, and he went to fetch a box of them and meet me at there spot. When he returned he asked if he could pick out a few good ones for me. I actually know how to pick out an artichoke (leaves tight together, and when you squish them they should be squeaky) but hey, if he wanted to pick them out for me why not! So I told him I would like two, and he started squeaking away. The first one was good, but it took a few more tries to find the second. After making all the artichokes squawk, I made my way through the store to get everything else that I needed, and then headed home to hang with the pets.

So, you will have to wait until tomorrow to see what tomorrow's birthday plans entail :) (Hopefully I will have pictures to go along with that post too!)