My day job is getting in the way of my knitting!!!

Yes, I said it - my day job is getting in the way of my knitting!!! I read a number of knitting-related blogs (see the list to the right if you are wondering which ones) and those folks get a lot of knitting done. Granted for most of them knitting is their day job but man, I don't think I could knit a sweater in a week if I didn't work a full-time day job. I can't knit an adult sweater in a year (I have completed a baby sweater in under 6 weeks but at the time my baby was sleeping 12 to 14 hours a day). Thankfully some of knitting blogs I read are written by people like Kay and Anne of Mason Dixon Knitting fame and they are more realistic in their knitting speed.

Here is to being a process knitter rather than a product knitter.

Merry Christmas!

Finished Object Fridays: Finally Finished Silk Scarf

Two years ago my mom and I went to the LYS and she bought me some wonderful yarn for Christmas including 5 skeins of Debbie Bliss Pure Silk to knit the Hourglass Eyelet Scarf from Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2008. I started the scarf in March 2009 and had made good progress by May. Then we took a family trip to Eureka Springs and my 10 month old son got a hold of my knitting and putted the scarf off the needles. There was no fixing it. I frogged it and started over.

The scarf is supposed to measure 70". That's a whole lots of knitting. I have worked on it off and on since summer 2009 and last weekend, I finally finished the thing. It needs to be blocked but I'm waiting for a calm moment and then I will have some friends over to help me. Did I mention that 70" is a lot of knitting??!?!?!

I've been to the mountain...

I have been to the mountain and it is filled with fiber and knitting! Oh I couldn't resist.

It has been three weeks and I haven't had a moment to sit down and properly blog about the wonderful weekend that is the Arkansas Fiber Arts Extravaganza.

As always the Lodge at Mount Magazine was wonderful and my Husband and I had a relaxing weekend sans Son. I didn't go to any of the classes offered but I did watch the Sock Machine demo and the Weaving demo. The Fashion Show was a bigger hit this year than last year and there were many beautiful examples of knitting and crochet modeled by their makers (or their makers' friends). The vendor room was an overload for the fiber senses. I bought some beautiful commercial yarn as well as some amazing hand-spun and hand-dyed yarn. I got 3 balls of Kiwi yarn which has possum in it. But I think my favorite item was a small canvas project bag with a screen print of a ball of yarn. I have gotten a ton of compliments. It has the Interweave logo on the bottom so I may have to see if they have any more on their website.

The best part of the weekend (aside from having time away with my Husband) was sitting and knitting with my good friends Betsy, Marji, and Patrice. We so rarely get to spend the whole weekend sitting and chatting and knitting. I will miss the Lodge next year. It is such a beautiful location and a wonderful setting to sit and knit. I understand why the Extravaganza will have to more to a larger location but the warm fires and comfy chairs of the Lodge will be missed.

Here are more photos from the weekend (all taken by my wonderfully talented photographer Husband!).

I am thankful...

I had a difficult week last week. Today I was reading one of the blogs that I read and she was making a list of all the things she is thankful for because she had had a difficult time too. So thanks to Nikol of The Thrifty Knitter, here is  my list.

1. I am thankful for my wonderful son and that he is healthy and happy (well, happy for a 2-year-old!)
2. I am thankful for my wonderful husband who is kind, caring and loving (even when I go all psycho crazy Doomsday on him).
3. I am thankful to be employed in this difficult economic time.
4. I am thankful for my creativity and my imagination.
5. I am thankful that both of my parents are alive and well and that I get to see them on a regular basis.
6. I am thankful that my in-laws are such wonderful people - I've heard horror stories from other people and I know that I am blessed.
7. I am thankful to have a heated and air-conditioned home. 
8. I am thankful to be a 2 car household even though one car doesn't get out much.
9. I am thankful to have dreams.
10. I am thankful for our wonderfully comfortable, pillow top, memory foam bed.
11. I am thankful for flannel sheets (even when the high on December 21st is 71 degrees).
12. I am thankful to live near a giant grocery store with produce that is beautifully waxed and arranged and carries all kinds of specialty items that they talk about on Food Network.
13. I am thankful for Sprout (parents of toddlers - you understand!)
14. I am thankful for NetFlix - too think of all the money I could have saved on videos and DVDs.
15. I am thankful for my wonderful group of friends - I have known some of them for as long as 35 years - and they are a wonderful support network.
16. I am thankful to be confident in myself.
17. I am thankful for indoor plumbing and my garbage disposal.
18. I am thankful for my health and for modern medicine that keeps me sane.
19. I am thankful for Target brand fruit snacks. 
20. I am thankful for knitting.

Zales Commerical

So my husband and I think this Zales commercial is very funny. Watch the couple at the dining table before the merchandise promo. In many markets, the commercial ends with the merchandise promo. So my husband and I think the woman at the end is thinking "Oh hell no!!! Jewelry is not going to make up for what you did - especially jewelry from Zales! Now if it were a little blue box with a white ribbon, then we can talk!"

Arkansas FiberArts Extravaganza at long last!!!!!

I am headed to Mount Magazine today for a weekend of rest and knitting. I can't wait to get there and see old friends that I only get to see once a year and see friends that I see all the time but don't get to spend as much quality time with as I would like. I'm looking forward to shopping in the vendor hall and watching the sock machines do their magic.  I'm looking forward to my wonderful room at the Lodge, the view from the balcony and the jacuzzi tub. I'm looking forward to a wonderful weekend with my husband. I'm looking forward to my mom and dad having our son for the whole weekend. Extravaganza here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to work at a yarn shop!!!!!

I have exciting news and I've been dying to blog about it but I didn't want to jinx myself.

A few weeks ago the owner of our local yarn store pulled me aside and asked me if I would come and work for her part time. I was flattered and excited but needed to check with my wonderful husband because he would be on kid duty while I played with yarn.

So last week I made it official and told her that I would be able to work on Sundays and teach a class (probably 2 socks on 1 circ) on Thursday nights. I never thought I would be excited about working retail again but I miss the interaction with customers and other staff. I miss the merchandising and changing out displays. I miss seeing what comes in the next shipment. So if you are in Little Rock and you need a LYS fix, then stop by the Yarn Mart on Kavanaugh starting Sunday, December 12.

Work in Progress Wednesday: Cashmere Socks

Finally at Work in Progress that is actually on Wednesday!!!! I am making good progress on these cashmere socks for my mom. They are for Christmas and in a way I was guilted into making them. She was at the LYS with me a few months ago and was saying that she doesn't have anything that I have knitted. I reminded her that she has a few things that I have knitting included a tote bag and a dishcloth. Then she said in her very sweet way that she had always wanted a pair of cashmere socks. (Hint Hint!!!) So I purchased this wonderful thick and thin cashmere yarn and I'm making her some slipper socks. I'm considering telling her that she can only wear them while in bed because they are too luxurious to touch the floor or the inside of a shoe.