Making progress!

I've been working on my Sahara sweater for the knit along. I haven't done too much this week, but I have gotten to the waist and I'm starting the hip increases. Being someone with a fair amount of "junk in the trunk," I'm adding a few more increases since the pattern has the hip and bust measurements being the same. Believe me, my hips and bust are far from being the same measurement--and they probably haven't even been close since I was about 5 years old! Here is my progress so far:


I finished the mid month dishcloth KAL. I like the mid month ones because they are pattern stitches instead of picture cloths. I learned something though. I've learned that you can't talk to someone while knitting lace patterns. I made a boo boo on this one which you can see if you look closely. I realized it at the time, but decided against frogging the row. I find frogging stitches which have yarn overs and decreases to be a mess so I figured I'd live with it. It is a dishcloth after all. It will end up with spaghetti sauce all over it.

I like doing the dishcloths because they are small and allow me to try new stitches. The knit alongs provide some diversion from my larger projects since they only involve knitting about 9 rows a night! I had a kitty helper when blocking this one. I typically block my items by pinning them down on a blocking board then steaming them with my Rowenta Euro steamer. I had done this last night and left the cloth to dry all night. When I opened the sewing room door this morning, a little black and white fuzzy thing ran out and I found all the pins --there were about 30 of them--were removed and lying flat on the blocking board! I think a certain feline made a bed out of my dishcloth! Samantha has a habit of running in the sewing room when I'm not looking and then she hides. Sometimes I go in there and she's spread out comfortably on my sewing chair or the blocking board!

Speaking of kitty helpers--they've discovered the construction in the dining room!
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Notice how the party kept growing! It started with 2 then increased to 4! I can tell you one thing--black cats and drywall dust don't mix! I think they have devised a little plan in their little feline brains. They all love to be brushed and whenever they get dusty, they get groomed. I think they've figured that out. Harley especially can't wait. Whenever I'm brushing one of the others, he pushes his way in to get his. He can be in a different part of the house and he just appears out of nowhere!

Harley--doin' the cow! (again!)

What goes up, must come down!

Mikey's glucose level was normal today! The vet said it was too good so we will check it in 2 weeks! Finally!

It made getting up at 6:00 a.m. to give him his shot worth it!

Sammy is still having her love affair with Elvis. She still insists on getting up on the tank to watch him!

Even funnier, is that he was staring back at her! At first I thought it may be out of fright, but usually he jumps in the water if he's scared. He just stayed on his dock staring up at her!



So my friend Pheelya told me that the Celtic Knot Yarn Shop was having a St. Pat's Day sale today! Of course with a name like that one could expect something to happen on St. Patrick's Day! Being the most Irish one in my family, I thought I would celebrate and hit the sale. Having just joined a dishcloth knit along group, the need for cotton yarn provided me with a perfect excuse to do so! I found some interesting tweedy cottons.


One of them is a blend, but that's okay! The knit along sounds fun. You receive about 9 rows a day to start knitting and you have to guess what the design will be. You're not aloud to tell the group! I figured that 9 rows is enough to give me a break from whatever else I'm working on--but not so much as to take a lot of time! Today is day 2 and I missed day 1. Fortunately someone in the group emailed me those rows!

I also decided to get some goodies for my secret pal. I got some things that I would love for myself which means that she is getting some pretty premo stuff! Of course I cannot divulge that information here. One never knows who may be lurking in cyberland! I found some luxurious hand painted sport yarn for socks made of 50/50 merino and silk! I decided that my feet needed a treat, so I bought it! The skeins are from the same dye lot but they look a bit different so I guess I'll have to alternate them when I knit.

My splurge was on a pair of Beadles! These are bamboo needles with lampworked glass beads on the ends. WoW! Now I know what to do with my stash of beads! Anyway there were some really intricate ones, but I had to get these!

They're kitties!


Of course my kids celebrated the day in a more traditional St. Pat's fashion--drinking! Ems IM'd me at noon and wanted to know if I wanted to come over for green beer. I politely declined that one. Bird called me after "Kegs and Eggs" and imformed me that they were having a party at his place. At least he won't have to drive anywhere! They have too much Italian in them to party so hard today. They have always referred to themselves as "McWops!"

So I got home too late to do the corned beef and cabbage, but we will definitely indulge in that tomorrow--complete with the Irish soda bread! Of course for me no holiday is complete without music so I was delighted to find a Celtic Woman special on PBS. I guess I'll start that first dishcloth and see how that goes!

I guess my new motto will be--"Conquering the stash--one dishcloth at a time!"

"Erin go Bragh!"