Meet the Newlyweds ;-)

Finally - Rose Marie and Morey found each other this week. Here are the newlyweds. ;-)


Aren't they the cutest couple?

Here is a profile shot of Morey - I am very fond of him... Reminds me a little bit of hubby with his cute wire-rimmed glasses and reddish hair:


As in real life, Mr. Hedgehog is a little smaller and not as "wide" as Mrs. Hedgehog. Hehehe...

And here is an adorable shot of Rose Marie showing off her little pink bow:


During last night's photo session, Hermione and Noah were so not interested in our new roommates - thankfully, I guess. ;-)


This is Noah in his usual spot on the sofa with his head between his paws. He is such a couch potato - but I could just sit next to him and squeeze the bejesus out of him. Too snuggly! ;-)

And nothing is more important than the green racquetball in the life of Hermione. Boy, hubby and I often wonder if she would still bring you the ball to throw for her if you were lying on the floor passed out, instead of getting help... But I guess she is not Lassie after all...


Not too much going on this weekend - the usual knitting with SNB groups Friday night and Saturday afternoon. And I need to clean up my crafts room before I get in trouble with the yarn/pattern/project police.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!

Why does a Knitter go to Hell?

'Why are you going to hell?' at QuizGalaxy.com

No, that's not the reason. I couldn't count because the "friend" would not leave me alone and I had to use the pointy stix to shut her/him up...

Oh - and I like this one.

Claudia -- [noun]: A person of questionable sanity who starts their own cult 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

If you saw my to-do list for Christmas, you know my sanity is very questionable...

Color Experiments Coming Up!

On very short notice I found out about Plying the Arts 2006 in Athens, Georgia. And I managed to get registered for two workshops at the event:

W5-5A - Indigo Dyeing
This class will take the mystery out of indigo dyeing. Several formulas will be given and a dye vat set up for participants to use. Participants bring: well-washed skeins to be dyed (cotton, silk, or wool). Please have the skeins tied in several places to prevent tangling. They will be labeled in class for easy identification. A silk scarf will be provided for each participant to use for dyeing in addition to their own yarns. Nancy Kahrs.

W5-12P - Naturally Color
Take three natural dyes and explore the color possibilities. In this class, students will learn the basics of Natural Dyeing and get a good range of color while still using simple-to-follow directions and easy methods. Begin your exploration of color or continue your experiments; learn about how different fibers react and how to get the best color with your handspun yarns and unspun fibers. Students bring: 4-6 oz of yarn or clean unspun wool fiber for best color, rubber gloves, ziplock bags. Paula Vester.

This is sooooo cool. I always wanted to experiment with colors. And here are the workshops - just around the corner - on August 5, 2006. I haven't been to a class in a really long time - this is going to be fun. I am excited! And then I can make up my own color combinations - now, that's a scary thought...

If you are going too, or you are in the Athens, GA area, let me know if you want to meet up afterwards. I know that Pixie wants to organize a get-together somewhere that day. And maybe we can drop in at Main Street Fibers in Watkinsville... Do I like yarn stores, you think?

Ah - and I also have some pictures for you, finally... I know it has been a while. I have been busy getting my Xmas list together and running around with other stuff. Sorry...

So, since I am getting rid of my cross-stitch collection, I had to go through all my bins in the basement and sort through a ton of stuff. And lookie-here what I found:


DMC floss and tons of beads. Well, isn't it a very nice coincidence that the latest Knitty issue had a pattern for knitted wristlets with beads, using embroidery floss?

Here is what I have knitted up so far:


You can find the three different Perdita patterns here. Aren't they cute? I feel like an 18-year-old punk when I wear the black one. ;-) See, knitting makes you feel younger. ;-)




Yes - I am blocking. What a surprise... But you have to, otherwise the lace pattern does not show as nice.

Here are a couple of close-ups:




And I finished another dishcloth. Here is Mr. Fish:


Ok, that's it for the moment. I am off teaching a sock class tonight. Going to be fun. ;-)

5 Things - A meme...

5 Things always in my purse:
Wallet
Cell Phone
Keys
Makeup
A little picture book with family photos

5 Things always in my wallet:
Driver's license
Green Card
ATM card
Credit card
Insurance card

5 Things always in my refrigerator:
Mustard & ketchup
Nail polish
Vitamins
Diet soft drinks
Fat-free cheese

5 Things always in my closet:
Shoes, shoes, shoes, shoes...
Too many clothes
Dirty laundry
Empty gym bag
Handbags

5 Things always in my car:
Pen & notepad
Street atlas
Book on CD
A bag with several knitting projects
Cow dangling from the rear view mirror

5 Things always on my desk:
Paperwork for filing
Knitting patterns
Yarn
Jewelry
Family photos

Geez - another post without a photo... Sorry - this is Janice's fault. I liked the meme on her blog. Happy Tuesday!

Crazy... Crazy... Crazy...

I finished my Christmas 2006 giftlist. UGH...

And now I feel:

a) GREAT... because I have a pretty complete gift list (and I even crossed out names after I put them on the list first).
b) SCARED... because there is a ton of projects I have to start and finish, too.
c) ANXIOUS... because now I can go through my stash and maybe, only maybe, make it smaller.
d) SURPRISED... because I also found something I can knit for hubby (he usually does not wear knitted stuff, only T-Shirts and shorts all year around).
e) HYPER... because I would like to take a month of vacation and just knit all these wonderful things. NOW!

I was so excited last night, after browsing all the books, taking notes etc., that I had to go tell somebody. The dogs don't care, so I told hubby that I finished my list and that I now will copy all the patterns, put them in a time order (I also realized that I have to make three birthday gifts by November), go through my stash and then order yarn and get started. Hubby looked at me and laughed. I am not going to tell you what he called me...

Here is the extensive list. I know who will get the following gifts, but I won't share this information, because some of these people read my blog:

Harry Potter Scarf (b-day gift)
English Garden Felted Carpetbag (b-day gift)
Stitch'N Pitch Sock (b-day gift)
Kid's Socks from Sensational Socks (b-day gift)
Ruffle Scarf from Holiday Knits
Men's Striped Scarf from Holiday Knits
Four Corners Hat from Hats: A Knitter's Dozen
Campus Scarf from Scarf Style
Fur-Trimmed Gauntlet Gloves from Handknit Holidays
Swing Thing
Petal Bib from One Skein
Baby Hat from One Skein
Tulip Toes
Tipless Gloves with Cable from Holiday Knits
Heraldic Lion Sweater
Menorah Pillow from Handknit Holidays
Log Cabin Socks from Handknit Holidays
Felted Hat from Knit One, Felt Two
Pom-Pom Boa from One Skein
Blizzard Scarf from Style
Two Felted Fido from Fiber Trends
Somersaulting Rim Trifold Bowl from A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting

The projects on the above list are a MUST... Shoot me now - nah, just kidding. I think all these projects will be a lot of fun for me to knit. So, I get something out of this, too. And then I have a list of quick gifts for friends and colleagues that I'll probably make up as I need them without a big deadline or anything.

Winter Placemats from Holiday Knits
Felted Oven Mitt from Felted Knits
Felted Coaster & Trivet from Felted Knits
Felted Coasters, Hot Pads & Beverage Jackets
Tropical Stripes Oven Set from Knit One, Felt Two
Bright Placemats
Catnip Mouse
Braid Catnip Mouse
Felted Dog Toy
Knitted Lace Mat Wire Votive Sleeves from Handknit Holidays
Felted Bowl from One Skein
Perdita Bracelets
Christmas Ornaments from various sources

And before we all fall into dizzy spells from reading these lists over and over, thinking too much about Christmas vacation, eggnog, turkey, etc., back to reality...

Last weekend we had another wonderful SNB meeting in Gainesville. And - we had the first appearance of a male. You male knitters rock! Steve drove at least 30 miles to knit with us. He finished the Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole for his wife at the meeting. IT IS GORGEOUS!!! Lucky wife! You can find a picture of Steve and the stole on Pixie's blog. Now if only I could convince hubby to take up knitting, we could spend some time together. ;-)

I don't think we ever had a meeting where so many projects were finished. Pixie finished the back of her cute Hempathy tank top and I went home with a dishcloth and another Perdita wristlet.

You'll have to wait for the pictures for another day or two.

Oh - and before I forget. You can watch Pixie using her new gadget - a drop spindle - here. Don't you love the PJs ;-)

I am off to write Santa Claus an email to send some elfs for a knitting internship for the next 3 months. ;-) Have a great week!

Babies All Around...

Somehow a lot of people seem to have babies these days. Which is nice for a knitter - because the little projects go fast and babies look adorable in hand knits.

So - at KNITCH on Sunday I bought the Debbie Bliss "Baby Cashmerino" book, and since I heard that one of the women I work with just had another grandbaby in her family, I whipped out some adorable blue baby booties for Gentry, the little baby boy. They will ship to his grandma in Tennessee next week.




Aren't they cute???
So, while I have you here... I am already racking my brain to come up with a to-do list for Christmas. Have you read Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Yarn Harlot - The Secret Life of a Knitter?

There is a chapter called "IT". And she describes her yearly Christmas gift knitting frenzy. Well, um, eh... that is me... I swear, she must have videotaped me at some point in my life... So, this year (and I say this every year, of course) I am starting in July, not in October or November. I am aware of the holidays a few months ahead of time - YAY. So, let's see if I can make it unstressful this year. I already bought a couple of books to get some brain waves going, Handknit Holidays and Holiday Knits.

At some point I just have to sit down, find patterns, and match the list of names with projects. Then - I swear - I will go through my stash and then - and only then - will I buy yarn...

SO - I already have the name list - divided into family members and friends. There are 10 adults, an 8-year-old and an 8-month-old baby in my family. And in the group of friends I have 4 adults, one 10-year-old and 2 toddlers. So, that's a total of 19 knitted gifts. Oh boy - I don't think I know what I am doing here. But at least I have time, right?

In addition I have to send some of the gifts to Germany, which means they have to be finished by the end of November. Gotta calculate the SLOW holiday season mail service into the process...

So, I am thinking along the lines of the following gifts - I am thinking SMALL here. It'll probably be a sea of felted hats, sets of coasters, oven mitts & potholders, hats, mittens, scarves, socks, a shawl or two, Christmas ornaments and toys. Man, I am getting in the "Jingle Bells" mood here... And it's a steaming hot day in July here in Georgia... Stay tuned for a more detailed gift list ;-)

And look at our adorable doggies. Hubby emailed me this picture earlier today. He must have taken it last night while I was out knitting at the SNB meeting.


As usual, Hermione gives the photographer the evil eye... Maybe I should make them a toy doggie for Xmas. Like this one?


Nah - I don't think I'll bother... They'll just get the stuffing out in heartbeat...

I Won the Lottery...

That's how I feel this morning... I am still dazed about what happened last night.

The plan was to meet a friend for dinner and then go together to a knitting session at the Buford library. Here is what happened - just a warning, your jaw might drop to the floor for several reasons. Two of them - my incredible stupidity and carelessness...

We left the restaurant and I somehow totally brainlessly put my wallet on the roof of my car and drove off. I have never done this before and I truly cannot tell you why I did last night. I noticed it was missing when we got to the library parking lot. In addition to the wallet, I put a birthday card my friend gave to me during dinner on the roof of my car.

We went back to restaurant and retraced the path to the library, and found the birthday card on the road. So we figured that the wallet had to be somewhere around there as well, and we looked around for almost an hour, but did not find the wallet. At that point I was honestly too distraught to go the knitting group. My friend made several remarks on my calmness about the situation and she cursed on my behalf. I think I was just a little bit shell-shocked and that why I was so calm and not cursing like a sailor.

So, I took my friend home and called hubby. He met me at the "crime scene of my stupidity" and we looked again together, but didn't find the wallet either. I was still hoping it would show up at some point - you should always have hope, right? I went through all my bags at home and searched the car - no wallet.

So, back at home - it was around 9pm then - I got on the phone with my bank and the credit card companies to get everything reported lost. And I made a list of things I needed to do today - i.e., get in touch with DMVS for my driver's license and INS for my Green Card and a ton of other things. Boy, at that point I was very upset, because I realized what a pain in the neck I created for myself...

And then a miracle happened...

You won't believe this! A little after 10pm, I got a phone call from the Gwinnett Police. Somebody found my wallet and was honest enough (!!!!!!!!!) to give it to a police officer. It was found in a parking lot across the street from where it must have fallen off my car. So, hubby and I went for another drive and retrieved my wallet from a very nice female police officer who waited for us in her cruiser at the place of discovery. And everything was in the wallet, even the cash! I was totally in shock! The police officer gave me the name and phone number of the person who found it. I called her this morning and thanked her profusely. She was very nice. She told me she was glad she could help me and that I got my wallet back. She said she hoped if she ever lost her wallet, somebody would do the same thing for her. HOW WONDERFUL!!!

So, what is the moral of this story???:
a) Very stupid things can happen if you don't pay attention.
b) There are truly some great people on this planet.
c) My brain is not working well when I am on my way to a knitting outing.

And I am still dazed. Man... Can somebody pinch me, please?

Time Flies When You're Having Fun...

Can anyone tell me why the weekends zoom by and then Monday comes around and it feels like slow-motion???

I had a lot of fun this weekend. Mainly I have been hanging out with Pixie. I sometimes wonder how two people who get tossed together by accident (through a SNB knitting group) hit it off, are very alike (scary, scary) and need to talk to each other - almost daily on AIM. Gosh, I am a lucky gal - see, knitting is a good thing. Besides all the great stuff you make over the course of your life, you also meet awesome people.

I am kind of tired today because I already typed up a storm this morning. I am getting rid of my cross stitch collection. I haven't worked on a single one of the needlepoint UFOs in ages and I have a ton of kits - new, unopened, factory-sealed. So, off they go to eBay land once I get all the descriptions together and dahling hubby takes pictures for me.

Besides wading through bins of needlepoint stuff, and bringing a ton of stuff to the SNB-NEGA meeting on Saturday (my car looked like a crafts store on wheels - unbelievable, you might think I have a crafts problem...), I also found time to get some knitting done. Here is what I finished and started over the last couple of days.

Another dishcloth from the Mason-Dixon book:


Meet Rose Marie Hedgehog. She is sooooooooooo adorable. I have been dragging her to several knitting groups and to work, poor thing. I am such a show-off... One of the knitting group people came up with her name since her bow is reminiscent of the character from the The Dick Van Dyke Show. And interestingly, hubby and I own the DVD set.


I finished the Crusoe socks from knitty.com. I know - Noah is kind of stealing the attention from the socks. He is allowed. ;-)


Here's a better picture - without furry distraction...


And I finished the Jungle tank top. It is based on a tank top pattern from one of the VERENA issues. I used a very light yarn - feels kinda papery and I bought in Germany, sorry.


Ahhhh.... I got my stitch markers from Mousie Masala:


Aren't they so very cool? Stop staring at them - you can't have them. Get you own! ;-)

I got two sets: "Llama, Llama, Duck" and "Counting Sheep". And here you can see one llama hard at work on the Harry Potter scarf.


And then I spent some money over the weekend - oh well, that's what money is for, right? As my Mom likes to say, you can't take it to the grave with you. Wise Mom!!! So, I went shopping - the real thing. You know, not online, but going to an actual store... But I was good, I did not buy much yarn. I focused on patterns and gadgets this time. First - Pixie, Stephanie, Marilyn and I went to the summer sale at Why Knot Knit.

I bought a bunch of Berroco Suede and a couple of balls of fuzzy yarn for a felted purse. And I found Fido, another Fibertrends pattern. I already know I have to make four of these little guys for Christmas gifts...


After this stop, we went to a ***NEW*** yarn store. Gotta tell you, I love this store. If I were to own a yarn store, it would be exactly like Knitch. Man, we had a very good time there. The store owner pampers you with coffee and water. You can plunk down at a big wooden table or retreat to a super-comfy sofa and knit. Truly awesome! Go check it out for yourself. I sure will go back! Pixie took a bunch more pictures. You can find them here.

This is what I bought at Knitch - more patterns, a needle felting kit (finally), some adorable cow buttons, gift tags, and cute place markers. AND - coffee for hubby. Kim, the store owner, sells the coffee beans that she uses for her coffee at the store. Yummy!!! So, finally I found something at a yarn store that I could give to hubby! HAH!


After all the shopping and getting a little lost in Virginia Highland, we went to a SNB-Atlanta knitting group which meets every other Sunday at Apres Diem. Very nice!

And then I started a new pair of socks. I am allowed - I finshed the Crusoe socks. Mom sent me some gorgeous sock yarn and I finally started a pair of Jaywalker socks. Yeah - I know, I am way behind the hype this pattern created. So, what?


Y'all have a great week! Don't work too hard - it's freakin' hot outside...

Dang-it - More FOs...

First of all - some humor. Since it is finally the end of a long eventful week... I need the Friday evening to come around and get my knitting fix at the SNB meeting. And some more tomorrow - more Stitch'N Bitch, but at a different location with different knitters - YAY.

SO - I found this on Hockey Mom's blog:



"What will your obituary say?" at QuizGalaxy.com
It is funny because I so loved the Muppets as a kid and I still think they are hilarious. I am glad they'll miss me "terribly". And the reference to Citizen Kane - an excellent movie - is just a great coincidence.

Anyway - that is not really what I wanted to show you today. I got a bunch of knitting finished last weekend and this week. So, here we go.

Meet the Bob Marley Bowl (yes, hubby was creative again ;-)) - before and after felting.




Nice display for some of my sock yarn. ;-) This is about half of my sock yarn stash... Yikes - I wonder how long it'll take me to turn all this yarn into socks.

I finished two dishcloths for one of my friend's birthday package. I am working on a third one. My inner designer-self is trying to come up with a pattern for a dishcloth with whale flukes and waves.


This pattern is from the Mason-Dixon book. It is very easy, but looks interesting. I know people think I am crazy knitter, but it only took me a couple of hours to knit this one. The pattern knits up fast, promise.


The pattern for the dog paw can be found here.

What do you get when you put a jigsaw puzzle collector together with a knitter?


Yes - a jigsaw puzzle called "Knitter's Stash". I find it funny that they took off all the yarn labels. What knitter would do that on purpose???

And then last, but not least, my favorite pooches and the man I am looking forward to spending the weekend with. OK, just his arms... But at least you now have seen a partial picture of hubby.


Have a good one, don't work too hard and stay cool! You can find me on another yarn crawl on Sunday in the big city - more details next week.

The Tough Life Being Married to Superman

###
WARNING
###

This blog entry is to dedicated to my hubby aka the superhero in my life. If you don't want to read a sappy and love-dripping post from a very happy woman about her incredible 39th birthday, leave now and come back later.

I have never had a relationship before where "the guy" was so thoughtful when it comes to remembering special occassions. I am not complaining - all you guys out there, take a slice of this guy I am married to, lucky me!

And I am not saying that every day is like a birthday. But, no relationship would be a good and deep one if there weren't a little bit of trouble every once in a while. So, now why I am bragging here again?

As for every other occassion during our relationship, hubby has again pulled out all the stops and made my birthday very special. I have no idea how he does it, but he always gets me a ton of gifts and they are wrapped nicely and there are nice cards. And all the gifts are thoughtful. Just writing about it makes me tear up a little.

And because he is so wonderful, I let him tease me at the same time and tell me that he might have to look for a younger wife now because I am turning into an old lady. One of the facts he pointed out yesterday: once my favorite car was a Corvette Stingray (I know it's a crappy car but it sure looks cool) and now I drive a Toyota Scion xA and every once in a while a Previa minivan. But to understand that this is REALLY funny, you need to know that hubby is 14 years older than me. So go figure. ;-) I am not the one who owns a Toyota Supra Twin-Turbo to feel younger, hahaha...

So, Mr. Wonderful indulges my hobbies and my collections. Which are mainly knitting and cows. Oh - OK - I also like jewelry - duh, what female doesn't?... I took pictures of the highlights - there were many more gifts.

Knitting books - awesome.

Cook books. And NO - I did not get these because my cooking sucks. I love cooking and hubby loves eating what I put on his plate, at least he says so...

I got three books by Auguste Escoffier, the inventor of French cuisine. Escoffier is THE French chef who organized and popularized the "classic" recipes in The Guide Culinaire, the French national professional cookbook (I think around 1920). None of them has pictures - he meant business. ;-) And I got the Larousse Gastronomique - one of the culinary world's most familiar reference sources. And The Professional Chef, published by Culinary Institute of America and recognized as the definitive cooking school textbook. Now - this one has pictures. :-) I am not sure I would like to know how to prepare a rabbit tho'...

Meet Cowlumbus - hubby increased my CowParade herd by 23 new cows. Cowlumbus is their representative (I think the artist did a fabulous job) and he is also one of my favorites from this batch. They are all terrific and very detailed.


A cow pillow to rest my tired head on, after too much knitting. ;-)


And a cow handbag. She is very cute. I am crazy enough to drag her around with me. ;-) I am sure her belly can hold my cell phone, car keys and my wallet.


And then - last but not least - something very special. Hubby sent a photo of me (when I had shorter hair) somewhere and they created this little figurine. Now, hubby is not happy because he doesn't think it looks like me and in addition it was supposed to be a bobblehead. BUT I LOVE IT!!! I don't know if I want to be a bobblehead anyway that approves of everything by nodding - hahaha... And I do think it looks like me. Hubby says, maybe like an Asian version of me... Anyway - I never ever before had someone in my life that had a statue made for me that looks like me. Talk about loving a person... :-)

And can you see what is laying next to the figurine? YES - earrings that look like a ball of yarn with needles, and a necklace with a pendant that says I-heart-2-KNIT.

Keep in mind, these were not all the gifts. Now - I am thinking how can he top that next year? But I am pretty sure that he will - he always has so far and we have been together for 6 years. I am a very lucky gal! ;-)

OH - and of course thanks to all of you who remembered my b-day as well! Life is just great when you have great friends, a hubby like mine, a wonderful family and two obnoxious dogs. ;-)

Knitting with Silk

I can only say one word - AWESOME... I couldn't help myself and made a swatch with the Debbie Bliss silk I bought last Saturday. I really tried very hard to resist, but I couldn't hold out for very long - it is just too YUMMY. Everybody who saw the swatch and touched it, went "Ahhhhhhhhh"... BUT - I am not going to start a tank top yet. I want to finish the white sweater first. I am knitting as fast as I can... Hahaha... So I can get my hands on the YUMMY project... And all you'll hear from me is "Ahhhhhhhhh"...

Ok - enough - here is a picture that sums up very well the title of my knitting blog.


If you look closely, you can see me swatching the silk. I found the pattern in one of Barbara Walker's pattern books. Here is the swatch:


And here is another picture of our dogs. Can you figure out why Hermione is so attentive? Yes, right, she is waiting for me to throw her favorite toy - the green racketball. She absolutely loves it. So, she is not really admiring Mommy's knitting... I just love her facial expressions. She has these cool markings on her face. When you talk to her, she always looks at you like she understands every word you say. Like a little person in dog fur. ;-)


And you can see that the 4th of July shawl kinda drapes itself onto Noah. That's what I was trying to finish up - after I swatched the silk.

I also got to work on the white sweater - yes, I really want to finish it. Told you!


I made progress and got to the point where I split the front for the V-neck. I knitted some more in the meantime and I am almost to the point where I decrease for the armhole. Not much more to go on the left side - YAY! Then I'll tackle the right side, two short sleeves and the big V-neck. More progress pix soon - hopefully. ;-)

I also worked a little bit outside last weekend - yep, it was pretty hot, but oh well - to trim our flower beds, get some weeds out and rescue the rose bushes from June bugs. Actually I cut one rose bush down dramatically. It was very infested. I don't do much for the roses - they either grow or not. My motto - survival of the fittest! ;-) Anyway - I saved some of the roses, put them in a vase and played with the camera a little bit.



Oh - And I was at my first AKG (Atlanta Knitting Guild) meeting yesterday evening and had a really good time. I was amazed how many knitters where there and how many I knew besides the people I knit with at the SNB group meetings. Very cool - I will go back.

With this, I'll let you slip into your weekend. Have a good one!

The Devil Wears Knit

Well - I guess you can figure this post's title out... Yes, I have been to the movies this weekend. Pixie and I watched The Devil Wears Prada on Monday. BTW - The link will take you to the review in Rolling Stone - Peter Travers is my favorite movie reviewer. The movie was great and Meryl Streep was terrific. I was only a little bit disappointed about some parts of the story in the movie because I just read the book. That's all I am going to tell you since I don't want to spoil anything for y'all.

So - now to the real thing - I know why you are here... To read about the Tour de Yarn and the knitting adventures from last weekend... OK - enough with the suspense - here we go!

Five women and their wallets set out on Saturday to visit some yarn stores and have a good time. We - Janice, Julie, Tammy, Pixie and I - met at Cast-On Cottage around 11am. I have never been to that LYS. They have a huge selection of yarn. After browsing for quite a bit and cruising through the store, I settled on a pair of cool purse handles:


I think I will use them for a felted purse with a cow pattern. Since I love cows and just got a bunch of black wool from Knitpicks, I had such a purse in mind for a while. Now I've got the perfect handles. ;-)

Next stop on the agenda was Strings & Strands. I have been to this LYS before, but the owner changed locations and it was nice to see what her new store looks like. As you can see in this picture, I bought some yarn there:


I bought Debbie Bliss 100% Silk - it is soooooo yummy. I can't wait to knit with it. It was expensive but totally worth it. I have a tank top in mind. I also bought some hand-dyed silk ribbons for felted purses - I guess you can tell, I am thinking Christmas presents already. ;-) And I bought some very vibrant blue/green sock yarn - it's Great Adirondacks Soxie (100% Merino Superwash fingering weight). And I already fell in love with a pattern for this yarn. Go check out the new knitty.com issue - it's the Reptilian Lace Sock Pattern.

After these two stops, we girls were exhausted and went for lunch at a great Sushi place in Buckhead - Sushi Rock. Very good sushi and pleasant service. Afterwards, with renewed strength, we went on to Why Knot Knit. This LYS was nothing new for me - I usually go to the SNB meeting there on Fridays. But I found something after all - they finally had the Fibertrends Hedgehog pattern. Isn't this little guy adorable?


I see more felting coming...

After the yarn stores, someone had a hair appointment to get her highlights done. Meet Pixie from planet Knitaria. ;-)


And so the rest of us - except Janice, who had to leave us at that point - sat in the reception area and - of course - knitted. Duh... As you can see, we had a great time - no, the laughs are not fake!


That was an awesome Saturday - I would repeat it in a heartbeat!

But wait - I did more shopping - don't leave yet.

On Monday - before Pixie and I went to the movies - we had to go yarn shopping. Naturally she knew a great store I have not been to because it is in her part of the woods. So, at Only Ewe and Cotton Two, I found some lovely baby yarn for another cardigan for my niece Julia. As the yarn brand name says "OH MY" - it is supersoft.


And then - on 4th of July, hubby and I went to the BBQ at Main Street Yarns & Fibers. We met Anita and had a lovely chat with her about yarn and poetry. She promised to come to one of the SNB-NEGA meetings in the fall. I can't wait to see her again and chat some more. The LYS is huge and I found a bunch of goodies.


I bought some yummy Manos del Uruguay 100% wool in some great shades of red for a scarf for me-me-me. And a black sheep tape measure - so my white sheep tape measure has a buddy and they can get into mischief together in my tool box. Hahaha... And I found an awesome deal on Softwist Berroco for a cardigan, again a project for moi. Hubby helped me pick out the colors - I think he's got great taste.

And while I shop in stores, I also shop online... Since my b-day is coming up, I declare all the things I buy at the moment as personal gifts to myself and hey - that's a good excuse, right? You should always splurge on gifts for somebody! :-)))

So, at Knitpicks I got this cool knitting bag with tons of compartments and room for at least 4 projects:


And I got some lovely soap from Mississippi Moon. I found their website through Jen and La's blog. They threw in an extra bar to try - thank you! The soap bars smell lovely - but I have not tried them yet. They asked me to tell all my friends about them - so, I am telling you now.


That's enough for the moment - see how much damage a long weekend can do to your wallet? But you know what? I just love my new stash extensions...