Busy, busy, busy!

Well it's official now, I'm a "sanctioned" member of Team Canada. I even got my best friend, Lyz, talked into joining up! I've been extremely busy the last few days getting things ready for the 16 day marathon. On Sunday, I got the girls to help me divide the last two balls of the Peer Gynt, so all that's left to do to prepare for the KO opening ceremonies is assemble my needles and the scrap yarn for the cast-on. I'll take a pic of it all on Friday morning after work before I cast on. I would use the cool yellow wicker basket I bought on Saturday for its WIPtainer, but this has to go with me everywhere for 2 weeks, so into the Payless tote it goes. Unless I find the spike tote in time... it would be nice to use a tote a made myself! Can you tell that I can't wait for Friday morning?

Some finished, or nearly so...

On Saturday morning I finished the poncho I had been working on for Lissa, which she proudly proclaimed as being "cutie"! I'll have to take a picture of it and let you all decide what is more adorable, the poncho or the sweetie in it. Today, I got the ends woven in on quite a few FOs that I had lying around, including the dreaded Eye Lash kerchief. I *still* haven't decided exactly what I'm going to do with it! I'm pretty sure it's going to Lissa, but not sure if it will be for her or a "Bah-bee". I did discover that bouclé is nastier to weave in ends on than it is to knit or even crochet with! Derek helped me to frog the HP scarf on Sunday, so that's another UFO on the extinct list. I've decided that the frogged balls of yarn are going to become hats and scarves for the Parent Centre at the school. The pinwheel sweater is getting closer and closer to being done in time too. I'm now starting the top and bottom shaping for the back, which leaves the seaming and the cowl neck to do next. I really want to have that for my SnB on the 21st, and maybe even the "Felting Show & Tell" at Ram's on the 18th. Once the sweater is done, then I need to count rows on Derek's socks so that I can note that on the pattern itself and get working on the heel for sock #2. I might even get adventurous and frog the Kroy sock... YA RIGHT!!! I might as well say that I'm going to get the Eye Lash cowl done before too!

Some started, or nearly so...

Of course I had to start some projects too... if for no other reason than to test out the new Denise's... which are totally fab BTW!!! I frogged Alex's scrunchable scarf and cast on a small HP for him. On Saturday I discovered that there was a shorter cable that I could have used for it, so I will probably frog it and restart again. As it is right now, it will be close to six inches wide, and that's still a little too wide for what I want. I've only knit about 5 or 6 rows, so it's nothing to frog it.

and Alex's pullover ...

Lately Alex has been asking me whenever I start something new, if it's for him. The look of disappointment on his face when I say, "no, it's for _____" is heart breaking! All he replies is, "oh", and he looks so sad and forlorn! It's obvious the kid wants me to make him something. I decided that I would make him a sweater or a pullover. I knew I'd be finishing Lissa's poncho early on Saturday, so Friday night I looked through a small pile of magazines I had handy to try and find him something before I went to sleep. I found 2 patterns that I kindasorta liked, and made a mental note that I'd need about 600-650 yards of either worsted or bulky/chunky yarn. I decided on a cool shade of RH Kids, and took a chance that 3 balls of it would cover the yardage... why in the hell don't these companies put the yardage as well as the weight on those danged labels??? When I got home I popped on to their website, and actually found what I was looking for {ya, I know... hard to believe on the C&C site!}. It works out that I've got about 750 yards of the yarn, so that's plenty. The pattern for the WW pullover is from the January issue of Creative Knitting. The pattern called for doing the back and fronts separate, but I decided to go ahead and do it in once piece... less seaming later = better chance of becoming an actual FO. I had to frog it twice since I needed to adjust the rib pattern at the side seams a bit, but it's looking good at about 2-3 inches completed. I'll have to take a pic of that too!

Round Ripple Babyghan #2

No, I am not making another one of these for Daryl... the fire already taught me that that blanket was not meant for him. I would know when the time was right to make another one, since I really liked this pattern. Well Sunday morning I got my excuse. My friend and fellow geekette, Sandi, told me she was preggers. Congrats Sandi!!! even though it only took me 20 minutes to figure out what you were saying... what do you expect from me right after work? Anyhoo, I get to make {and probably design too!} all kinds of cool schtuff for her baby-to-be. Before that I have to make a cheap-crap/love-it-to-death acrylic babyghan for her. I'll let her pick the colours out of my stash, and I'll crochet away on it happily... knowing that I get to replace those huge balls of RH Comfort with something smaller, more expensive, and more yarn snobby! More than anything else, it's going to be nice to have a crochet hook in my hands again... I know they'll be very happy to have a different kind of stress on them.