...smitten...

I have a new love in my life. It's not what you think. It's warm and welcoming, fun and stylish, and I don't think I can limit myself to just one.



I give you......the olympic lady.......




I am not kidding when I say that this sweater is a little like crack. The yarn's yumminess (is that a real word?) goes without saying...but I'll say it anyway.
STR Heavyweight in the colors Valkyrie and Obsidian. Love, love, love how these two colors play with each other. They are so beautiful!

The other star of the this project is the pattern. February Lady from Flint Knits is a dream come true! So easy to knit and the fit is awesome! I first learned of this amazing pattern from one of my bff's irishgirlieknits. She dangled this beauty in front of me and I was hooked!

So get out there, download the pattern, pick out your yarn and get 'er done. Let me see your rockin' ladies!!! You won't be sorry.

...books and so much more...

I signed up for the Books and More Swap on Ravelry and got my package from my swap pal. Karen, aka biogrrl, really pulled out all the stops for this one! Check out the goods....

Yes, that is a sock monkey project bag! I also got two books that I have been really wanting, Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac and Scarf Style. I already have several things in each I want to make!
Karen also sent me some yummy handmade candy from Hazel Hill!
I got a skein of Opal sock yarn that looks like the colors in a sock monkey, and two skeins of Knit Picks Lace Shimmer in the colorway Sherry. Perfect for Ene's Scarf, by Nancy Bush, in Scarf Styles!

Last but not anywhere near least....check out these...


I know, I know! Sock monkey stickers and the most fabulous sock monkey stitch markers!
I have always said that it is better to give than receive, but today I make an exception to that.......Thank you, Karen!!!

...time to come clean...

Well, I have been putting off updating my stash on Ravelry and today I finally got to it. I printed out my stash list and double checked to see if there was yarn that was still listed in my stash that I had used. Low and behold, I had quite a few skeins that I had knit up! Yippee!

When I finished deleting the stuff I had used up, my stash measured 17,860.8 yards or 10.15 miles. Not too bad......

Now the bad news........I had a little bit of yarn to add to my stash that I needed to photo. So I went to work. After getting everything added, I went to my excel spreadsheet again, only to discover that I now have 40,921.8 yards or 23.25 miles of yarn! That's almost a marathons' worth of yarn!

Help! I need a 12 step program or an intervention! Any suggestions?

...ladies at the lake...

We just returned from 4 days at the cabin. It was great fun! The weather was great, even with the outrageous thunder storms! I worked on "oh baby, oh baby" until the starting time for the Olympics when I started my "olympic lady". Here are pics of both.....

I love this little gem! I wound each colorway (Quilla and Little Bunny Foo Foo) into a center pull ball and then wound them together into one big ball. It will be adorable when finished!

...here is the progress on the "olympic lady"...she just gets more beautiful with each passing row....
And speaking of Olympics.....HOW 'BOUT THAT MICHAEL PHELPS!!!
HE ROCKS!

...many new projects...

We take off for the cabin in the morning and I am armed with many new projects. One I will be starting in the morning on the way. 2 have to wait until Friday, the 8th, 5:00 a.m. pdt, the Opening Ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics. I thought I would give you a preview of the lovelies that I will be knitting with......

...a baby sweater for our first high school babysitter, who just had her 2nd girl....can we really be that old? (this is one strand of Quilla and one strand of Little Bunny Foo Foo, Silkie STR, wound together.)

...Olympic sweet tarts.....thanks hotflash!!... (STR lightweight in "goody goody")

...Olympic lady...this pattern is a little like "crack", everyone else is doing it so why don't I?...

It's Valkyrie and Obsidian in heavyweight STR.

...and last, but certainly not least, I give you....."Rockin' Silkie Web" (a.k.a. Charlotte's Web) ....again with the crack thing...... (STR Silkie in Algea, Grimm's Willow Wren, Stonewash, Downpour and Eggplanted)


I know that this is alot of knitting but I can't be sure that we won't be stranded in a snow storm or something. I have adopted the Boy Scout motto...always be prepared. Did I mention that we are coming home on Sunday?

...family and croquet...

Yesterday was the 5th Annual Family Croquet Tournament. Our daughter, Kate, started this tradition back in college at her duplex. It has turned out to be a family event not to be missed. This year we held it at our house ( it's hard to play croquet around a condo!). Anyway, with much help from her friend Chris and from her sister, Erin and her husband, Kris, the event was another great success! Although the rules seem to change year to year, never mind wicket to wicket, there was alot of laughter, good food, a little arguing and great family fun. Check out some of the action shots........

...the gallery follows each player....

"...where did our ball go......"

..."I think it's going to break towards the squirrels' tail... "

...small players...

...water hazards...

...even smaller players...

...liquid refreshments....

...quad rides...

...and good food...

By the end of the day everyone was tired, happy and full! We have a great family!