I'm out of control

So, I'm perusing Liz's blog and I see she is making something blue instead of something red. But I like her something blue so much, that I go to The Garter Belt and buy that pattern for myself, plus this one.

One of my LYS, Purls, is having a 20% off storewide sale on yarn this weekend, so I'm going to get me some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino to knit those sweaters in. I'm really excited! I think I'm going to do something red as it's meant to be, and the striped pullover as a solid, but I'm not sure what color. Something that looks fabulous on me, I think.

That all being said, I'm sure I'm not going to get started on these projects for a while. I still have two baby blankets to make, (one almost done, one not started) my purple felted purse to finish (yeah, I still have that laying around) and I'm pretty sure I have more to finish knitting. I also want to dedicate this weekend to re-organizing the stash and putting the yarn with the patterns, and getting rid of the old stuff. Here's to a weekend of organizing.

Oh, I do have one complaint. Why is it that weather in Iowa is 57 degrees on a Friday while I'm at work, and then it's going to cool back down all weekend to be mean??? It could only happen to me, right??

i did a bad, bad thing

Well, I can't get too specific because I don't totally want to ruin the surprise for the pal that I'm spoiling, but I have a big note to publish after the pals are revealed. Let's just say I got a little anxious and no longer have much faith in the U.S. Postal Service.

That being said, I am planning on some good things this weekend. Tomorrow night, my friend Kathy and I are having an extra special knitting night! I'm so excited. I'm going to try to finish baby blanket #1. I still haven't picked out colors for blanket #2. Two of my friends are pregnant and due this fall, so I do have plenty of time. One is not going to find out what she's going to have, the other one will. Hoepfull I will have some knitting news to show on Monday!

My other hopefully good thing this weekend is that my boyfriends cousins (who are more his parents' age) might be coming in town. Barbie is a craft lady like me, and we're going to spend all day Saturday shopping and checking out yarn and quilting stores.

So, if I don't post tomorrow, please enjoy your weekend!

Grey's Anatomy

If you're not watching that show, you're missing out big time. It's heartbreaking, serious, hilarious, and makes me laugh and cry at any given moment. Television at its best. Season 1 just came out on DVD - go buy it and catch up. And if anyone has any good web sites that post recaps, let me know becuase I don't have a Tivo yet to record it.

One of the even more cool things about the show is that they don't leak spoilers. That has made for some of the best TV with the amazing surprises. They also have blogs for the show. A nurse's blog, a writer's blog and a blog for the bartender across the street. Awesome. Read them. Watch the show. It's the best hour on television.

watch out, Martha

It's 8 degrees right now. Mother Nature is punishing us for the warm winter we've had. It's supposed to be -8 tonight. Yikes! I finally broke down and started wearing a coat and gloves again. BOO!! I even like the cold, but this year, we were spoiled so bad with warm weather over the past few months, that this kind of bums me out! Oh well. Just over a month until the official start to spring - it can only get warmer, right?

Some of my friends like to call me Martha because I pretend that I'm better than her. I like to consider myself a crafty person, but I don't always succeed. Case in point - I try to cook. Every night I try to cook an outstanding meal for me and my boyfriend. I hit the mark about 50% of the time. Baking however, is another story. I can bake like there is no tomorrow. I'm good at it, and I like it that way. Check out the cake in the photo - a materpiece, no? I make 4 of those in two weeks for two dinner parties we had at my house, one that I took to work, and one for us. I can't even barely look at it anymore without getting sick. You see, it's good. Really, really good. But I ate so much of it that I ruined it. It's not my recipe, I found it in my Pillsbury Best of the Bake Off cookbook. Or, you can find it here. I am missing the one important part of this cake in the photo because this was just after I made it. You're supposed to put chocolate shavings on the top. It looks even better when you do that.

I also had a few dinner parties in the last couple of weeks. I had to take a photo of what the table looked like because I think it was gorgeous. A table set for 8 people. I try, I really, really do. I really like entertaining and cooking for people. I just need to learn to be a better cook. There are no good cooking schools around town which is kind of a bummer. Please forgive my non-matching dinnerware. I don't have enough plates for them to all match. One day I will though. one day I will also have more than just folding chairs for my guest and a big long card table for them to sit at. Tablecloths are magic, aren't they.

I've been terrible about posting knitting news simply because there hasn't been any. This weekend, I am once again going to unearth my yarn stash, re-prioritize projects, and maybe post some things to swap or sell on the Flash your Stash site. To be continued, I suppose. Stay warm this weekend!

thank you, secret pal

So, sometimes I can be a bit of a blockhead. Right after finishing that last post, I realized that I never actually put the words "thank you" in there for my secret pal.

THANK YOU SECRET PAL!

Peep this!

So, I've been struck again by my secret pal. She is quite the observant person, too. First of all, please note all of the lovely and encouraging comments she puts on my blog. Second, she taught me how to put buttons on my blog, and I have gotten some other e-mails from her "just because." How sweet!

This time, she sent me a package that includes things for the wish-knitter in me. And, I am quite convinced that she is a bit psychic in that she sent me a card-making kit and Burts Bees products. What she didn't know (ooh, or did she?) is that I just got into making my own cards (seriously, I took a class a week ago) and I'm in love. Card-making might just get up there with knitting on my list. And for the Burts Bees stuff - that stuff is like a drug for me - all of it! I have tubes and cans and containers of Burts Bees everywhere! I've never tried their cuticle cream though, so I'm in for some fun! I am also one of those sensitive-to-certain-scents types who can't use everything, but Burts Bees has never bothered me.

The gift didn't stop there, though. The other goods in the package included Plymouth sock yarn, and a set of double pointed needles in itty-bitty sizes like 000 to knit socks with. I had to take a fun picture of them because the colors are so cool. You see, my secret pal knows that I want to try to knit socks, but I am a lazy knitter. Now I am sock yarn, and needles to use, so I have no reason to not knit socks. I might actually be a really knitter once that starts!

I have been at work all week this week. No travelling (thank goodness!) However, it's been really busy. I'm not going to say where I work, but I do have a great job, and I work for a great company, but half of the department that was here one year ago is gone. Seriously, 11 people worked in my department last year. Today? 6. That includes one intern. The 11 people did not include an intern. So, I'm overworked, underpaid, tired, crabby, and I want my life back! I do have fun, I really do, and I'm not miserable, but really, my boss telling me when we're fulling staffed that we're going to have a party is not comforting. What I want is for my boss to tell me that she appreciates the dedication I have shown while everyone else is quitting, and that in lieu of a party, we all get bonuses! In a dream world, right?

the weirdest things happen to me...

So, last week, I'm in Cedar Rapids for a client meeting. On Thursday morning, I'm walking through the skywalk near the U.S. Cellular center, and these two women (girls?) are walking towards me. One is wearing something that most people in blogland should recognize: the famous Clapotis. I had to stop her. I'm quite sure she thought I was insane. (I am.) I'm quite sure the person I work with who was with me thought I had lost my marbles for stopping a stranger and talking about her scarf. (I lost them.)

The woman (and I'm not comfy calling her a women, no offense, but only because I'm 26 and I'm sure she was about my age if not a few years younger. Anyway - hers was made in NORO! Silk Garden to be exact. It was out of this world beautiful. It called for me to make one. You see, I have seen photos of Clapotis, but never have a I seen one in person. Words cannot describe how beautiful this thing was.

So I asked the maker/wearer how difficult it was to knit. You see, I'm past the beginner stages of knitting, but I'm lazy, so I don't like to concentrate on patterns. I like mindless knitting. She told me, and I am quoting, "Follow the pattern and it will not let you down."

THAT inspired me. So, to add to my list of things to knit, Clapotis is on there. Someday, I'm going to learn to make one of those sidebars that let me list all of that stuff, but until then, I'll keep mentioning them here.

I am going to be in town this week (as far as I know.) So, I should be able to post more.

some stash photos

Well, since I joined Show me your Stash (see sidebar, please) I thought I would show you a little yarn porn of my own.

This is Noro Iro. I'm not sure what color it is, but it's gorgeous. I have a huge problem with Noro, specifically because I CANNOT resist buying it whenever I see it. I'm dead serious with that. I love the colors. I love the fiber. I just LOVE Noro. It's a sickness, really.

Well, with this lovely yarn, I'm going to make a pattern out of one of my Noro pattern books. I will be making Earl - the knitting bag- with this some day. I also have this Noro book, and I plan to make Kemp from that book, but I haven't yet found a shade of Blossom that intrigues me. (Which is perfectly fine because my "to-do" project list just keeps getting longer and longer, and I have about 4 WIP.) Jane Ellison is one of my favorite Noro Designers, and my goal is to one day own all of her books. Also, Debbie Bliss Noro Books are high on my list as well.

I'm traveling again this week as usual. I'm heading to Cedar Rapids tomorrow for a client thing, coming back to Des Moines on Thursday morning, then leaving Thursday morning for St. Louis to go to a funeral for my Great Aunt. She was 92. I saw her at Christmas, and she wasn't doing well, so it's nice that she's in the sky with the people that left her so long ago.

I'll be back next week, unless I get a chance to post before then.

you have got to be kidding me

A new obession. I'm eating them right now. At my desk. Peanut Butter and Chocolate never tasted so good. Why does that combination have to do it to me every time?

This diet thing is going to have to be accomodating to my new fix.

I'm back...for a little bit

Hello everyone. It's so exciting to see all of the people who have been visiting my blog! I'm sure you've noticed that I've joined the "Show me your stash" group! How fun! I'm quite the exhibitionist, don't you think? No photos this post (BORING) but I just thought that I would say Hi!

I'm getting ready to send my second package for SP7, and I'm really excited about this! It's so much fun to pick things out for someone - but very hard to not purchase for yourself as well!

This weekend, we're having some friends over for a dinner party on Saturday. I'm making a cake from the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest called Chocolate Praline Layer Cake. It's really easy to make, and it is sooooo good. The presentation isn't too bad either. Yummy! I'll try to take a photo of mine when it's done. It makes quite the impression!

That's all for now. I'll return on Monday with photos and more! Have a great weekend!