7 days!

My phone buzzed a few minutes ago to alert me to the fact that there are only 7 days until the 20th Thornton Thimblers Quilt Bee!

I didn't need to be reminded.  It's just about all I can think about these days.  I can not wait to spend time with my family and revel in being so incredibly lucky to be part of one of the most amazing things I've ever heard about.  (and to hear people's expressions when I talk about it you'd think they think it's pretty darn special too!).

This year is going to be a little bittersweet, though.  And on my drive every day this week, I tear up, sometimes really cry, thinking about how Grandma isn't here anymore to be part of it.  While she only came to a couple of bees (and that was at the very end of the weekend or for a short visit, she never participated in all of the festivities and quilting), she truly truly enjoyed hearing all about it.  We'd call  her several times during the bee and always after the drawing.  She would have her "pick" of who was going to win.  And she was always happy about who won.  The winner would get to talk with her for a few minutes and enjoy being the star of the show.

So, while she wasn't actually there, she was there, and this year she can't be there and it is really hard for me to put my mind around how this can be so.

I've missed her so much this past year.  It will hit me at the weirdest times, and I'll be all teary and sad thinking about how she won't be able to see this or hear about that.  This week I read one of my blog entries from A Peek in  the Cupboard that I wrote shortly after she passed where I commented on the fact that everyone thought she was such a wonderful person. The reason I thought they thought that is because she made each and every person she met feel special.  She always touched and hugged and told you you were great.  She asked 100 questions about what you were doing and what you thought about it and how you liked it.  She would respond with "I swear" or "I'll be" or "Isn't that something" and you know she felt exactly as you did about the situation.  She knew and remembered your birthday.  She remembered things you talked about before, even if it was months or years ago, and asked about that again.  I remember one time being surprised that she'd remembered something I'd forgotten. Sometimes she got things wrong, like thinking David was President at USM...we couldn't convince her that we didn't tell her that, so we let it drop...:)

I know that this year we'll dedicate our special 20th anniversary to her.  I know that we'll think about her and talk about her quite a bit.  While we usually laugh until we cry, I have a feeling that this year we'll cry until we laugh reliving memories of what a wonderful person she was and how we are all better people for having her in our lives.

Today's picture is of our group picture last year.  We're a good-looking happy group.  I'm so proud to be part of this tradition and family.  I'll raise a glass to all of you tonight!

Mama's Socks

Mama's socks are finished!  I'll wash and block them tonight, but I LOVE them.  I think they turned out great...and I'm very pleased with how quickly and easily these knit.

I'm actually a little stunned.  I was e-mailing with Betty this week and commented on how we were discussing at the bee last year how neither one of us could learn to knit.  How we'd both tried and just couldn't do it.  Then I got to thinking, surely that was more than a year ago.  I've knit a LOT of things in the meantime.  So, I decided that it must have been the year before that, but I didn't go to the bee the year before last (got sick) and then thought maybe it was the year before that, because I remember exactly having the conversation at the Bay House...then I KNEW that wasn't true because if it were I'd have greater memories of knitting.

So, I did a little research over on A Peek in the Cupboard and discovered that I'd not posted one blog entry about a knitted item--some knifty knitter items, but nothing with real needles.  So, I thought maybe I just didn't want to post them, but that doesn't sound like me.  Then I remembered that I put a lot of pics up on Facebook so I went there.  June 25, 2011, I finished my first hat.

Good news:  My memory served me correctly.  Even better news:  I've progressed a lot as a knitter in a year!

Since then I have knit and finished:

•  a scarf (that took forever and I hated it before I was done...), 
• a sweater, 
• 3 pairs of socks, 
• several hats (3 I've kept, 6 I've given away--wow!), 
• a couple of cowls. 

I've also started a blanket, started a scarf, started another pair of scoks (hmmm...there seems to be a trend here), started my lunch-time afghan (which will take forever to complete so I'm not worried about that as it's intended to be a very long-term kind of deal), and planned about 300 projects.  I've also ripped out part of a sweater, a small bag, and a headband.

I think I caught the bug, but that's cool.  I love the peaceful slowness of knitting.  I love being able to do something with my hands during meetings or while visiting with people.  It makes long car trips manageable.  I haven't had to wait in doctors' offices but I imagine that it would make that tolerable too...maybe my blood pressure will be normal next time I go!  I love being able to handle every inch of the yarn and look at it while I think about how the item will be used and the person receiving it if it's a gift.  If it's for me, I imagine it making me beautiful!

Knitting is a wonderful process and I'm so glad that I did manage to figure it out finally--about a year ago, as a matter of fact!

Technicolor

Yesterday I felt like I was living in a technicolor world.  After finishing the "great yellow elephant project" (YEA!!!) I was able to branch out into some new and unexplored color territory:  turquoise.

Well, not really totally unexplored as I love turquoise and work with it quite often, but it feels like it is new and unexplored because it's been so long since I've woven with anything that isn't predominantly yellow.

But, back to the yellow elephant for a second:  I was so proud of everything as I laid it out on the bed to wrap up and box away for the trip.  It all looks so pretty...but is definitely yellow.  I've decided next year I'm going to make a fruit salad :)

The turquoise project that I started is a lightweight soy-silk jacket.  I'm using two shades of turquoise and one of "willow."  (I'm not calling it yellow, though it could be part of the yellow family if you were so inclined.)  The jacket is a Dolman style (i.e. straight off the shoulder) so is very simply constructed.  The magic happens on the loom where you separate "waste" fabric and the body of the jacket.  It's woven in four parts and sewn together.  I would love to finish it this weekend...just because I love finishing things, but I've been there before.  Nothing is more motivating than starting a new project to know that one day I'll finish it!  I'll definitely keep you updated on its progress.

Yesterday I planned the project and wound the warp.  I'm hoping tonight to sit down and sley the reed.  After that point it should move pretty quickly.

And I'm still trying to figure out what to do with the waste bits...sew together for a pillow?  Bag?  Maybe I should use something coordinating and actually use those pieces...hmmm...

Half-Birthday

Years ago when we lived in Kentucky and had to travel for the holidays, we celebrated our half-birthdays.  This way we could focus on the half-birthday person and have a really enjoyable time.  It was special, unique and fun.  We didn't get crazy presents during our half-birthdays, but we did get to spend time being special...and sometimes that's all it takes.

David really took to the whole notion of "half" in the half birthday, so we would get a half cake, our cards would be cut in half, and there would be funny puns on half our age or our age.5, that sort of thing.  Fun stuff.

Yesterday was my half birthday, and we celebrated.  It was a complete surprise and so much fun.  I couldn't have been more pleased with my half-birthday after I got home.  Fun!  Here's what we did:

• there was a half-birthday cake (cut in half)
• there were half a dozen gift cards for the game I like to play on FaceBook
• there was a gift certificate in the amount of my age.5 to get the tattoo that I've been thinking of doing (a red rose to commemorate Grandma)
• some chocolate for our upcoming trips (Cadbury and Toblorone)
• and a card, cut in half of course.

Oh, and we went out for a nice dinner at the nice place in town.  Yum.  We drank, ironically, half the bottle of wine and brought the other half home.  It was quite good. (Jumping Grape, sparkling red).

I'll have more thoughts on finishing things next week.  I really enjoyed my day yesterday and felt so special that I didn't do any knitting, but that's cool.  I still have that sock I completed (half a pair!)on Wednesday.

The finishing details

I don't understand why, but I hate doing the finishing details on crafted projects.  When I'm finished with a quilt, I don't want to spend hours hand-hemming the binding on.  I'm done.  I want to be done.  When I'm finished cross stitching, I don't want to spend umpteen hours backstitching.  ugh!  I've learned how to weave in my ends as I go on knitting so that I don't have to deal with the finishing that way, but there's still the blocking to be done.  So far, what I've made I've avoided that too!

Weaving is a great craft for me because once your done you're pretty much done.  There's the wet-finishing but it is such an integral part of the cloth that it really is part of the process of making the cloth, not "finishing" it.  Most cloth is definitely an ugly duckling.

That said, I find it amazing how wonderful things look after being finished.  If I didn't take the time to hand hem my binding on a quilt, it wouldn't look nearly as professional and nice as it does.  If I don't backstitch my cross stitches, there isn't much definition to the design.  One MUST weave in the end when knitting because if not, it just looks tacky...and blocking is so important to the overall design (especially for lace) and to make the yarn behave that it also must be done.

And still somehow it feels like punishment for accomplishing something.  Crazy, I know.

Today's picture is of the first sock for my Mama!  I hope she loves it as much as I do.  From this perspective (and don't worry there will be others) you can see the slipped stitch ribbing in the heel--I love that detail, and the lacy cuff.  I love how the self patterning yarn works.  Very very fun to work with because it's a surprise every few rows.  Clearly I'm easily entertained!

One-Sock-Itis

I read somewhere one time that there is a big problem with people just knitting one sock.  They get that one finished, never cast on the second one and therefore have a lot of one-socks.  I'm sad for those lonely socks going through life without their mate.  Unless they have an owner like my daughter, Elizabeth, they will forever sit in a knitting bag or closet and not ever be worn.  I'm a strong believer that socks like to be worn out.  I agree with Stephanie Pearl McPhee that one of the exciting things about knitting socks is knowing that they'll be used up.  I have a very practical side of me that only wants to make things that will be useful.  Quilting was fun, but after a while impractical.  A well-made quilt will last for generations.  After everyone I know has two or three quilting simply becomes decoration (and there's nothing wrong with decoration, I just don't have that many spaces left on my walls!).  But a sock, even well-made, will wear out with sturdy wear.  And that means that I get to knit another one.

And I LOVE knitting socks.  I may love knitting socks more than anything else.  I do love knitting hats, but I don't have much practical use for them in my climate, so they go in the same category as quilts.  After everyone has 2 or 3 then I must find something else for them.

But sock knitting is eternally fascinating.  Knitting in a tube means that there is almost no finishing.  Weave in ends, wash and (maybe) block and then put on feet!  To be honest, though, putting on feet is blocking, so really not a necessary step in the process.  Because socks have so many different components, I don't get bored, and then voila! I'm finished!

And as I mentioned yesterday I love finishing things because it motivates me to get started on something else.  And here's the little trick I played on myself last night.

I'm about 10 rows from finishing the toe of the sock.  Then I get to learn a new way of closing the toe (Kitchener's stitch, which many people hate, so I guess I'll learn why).  I could have finished knitting those 10 rows in about 20 minutes had I decided to stay up a little past my bedtime...I could have learned that new toe-closure in about 5 minutes with the video that's available with my e-book...and I could have gone to bed knowing that today I'd get to start a new sock.

INSTEAD...

...I decided to wait and finish tonight so that I could immediately start the second sock.  I'm excited about starting that second sock, so I'm going to dig in and get that accomplished tonight! yea!!!

And, let me tell you, Mama, you're going to LOVE these socks.  I'd keep them if I hadn't already promised them to you.  I'm on the hunt for more yarn just like this so I can make myself some soon!

Today's picture is of the drawing for the Thornton Thimbler's Quilt Bee in 2011 when Alyssa won the quilt.  I think it's so cute that Auntie J is dressed like the quilt squares.  I wonder if she'll dress up for the drawing this year too?  While I'm sorry that you didn't win, Auntie J, I'm very pleased and proud that I had the opportunity to quilt with my daughter over this year.  Her first quilt is going to knock your socks off!

Finishing=Starting

For me, finishing is the greatest motivation to start something new.  While I don't HAVE to finish something to start something, finishing something always means that I start something new.  Never ever fails.

That's why I have about 20 unfinished projects of various crafts in my house and a work table full of yarns that want to be made (mostly woven) into something (and I'm not even talking to the yarns in my baskets right now because the yarns on my tables are so overwhelmingly needy right now!)

I have one more thing to finish in the great yellow weaving experience.  It has been very good, and I'm very proud of what I've made, and, to be honest, I can't wait to have my "yellow elephant" because I'm so excited about giving all this awesome stuff away...but I'm ready (read, really really ready) to weave with something that is decidedly not yellow.  I don't even want something that variegates to yellow.

And the crazy thing about it? I  don't even know what I'm going to weave next.  I have this lovely lovely royal blue alpaca lace that would make a beautiful shawl which I might tackle, but there's also the really cool black and white houndstooth scarf that I want to make for my friend.  And the pink merino that's so soft you could put it right next to your skin and sigh a happy sigh...but it's matched with something that variegates to a yellow-ish color so I'll probably wait on that.  I haven't quite worked out the design elements on my friend's baby blanket, and don't have the yarn yet, so that project (and the few cones I've set out for it right now, though to be honest a couple of them are yellow now that I think about it) really isn't quite ready to start...and in one of my baskets (which I've been ignoring) is this really fun cottony chenille that's all different bright colors.  It definitely wants to be a funky scarf, but hasn't decided yet if it wants to be woven or knitted.

Then I have this bag of pretty tencel in turquoise and (yellow) that I bought to make this jacket I saw in a magazine.  Problem is I didn't buy extra yarn and plan to make it bigger, so I may have to re-decide what to do with that yarn--buy more or make the size and see if someone can wear it.  I have some scarves ready to warp, some towels ready to warp...and a few other projects.  I can only do one at a time, and I'm ready to get working...but first I must finish...and I can't wait to finish!  There's nothing more motivating than seeing the end of a big project!

Today's picture is of a very adorable Zora.  Zora likes to climb, and one day I came into the studio to find her posing atop my dresser.  Behind her is a "gamp" that I made when I was first learning to weave.  I love the pattern, though the yarn isn't the best choice for a gamp--the next gamp I make will be from cotton to provide a nice, crisp fabric to hang on the wall.

Finishing

I foresee a few posts about finishing.  As I've been thinking about the concept I realized that there are so many facets to it, that trying to do it all in one blog post was giving me a little bit of writer's block.  So, here's my inspiration.

I got to thinking about finishing things on Tuesday during our college graduation.  I work at a community college in rural southern Mississippi.  Many people are here simply because of the graces of the government which gives them the opportunity to seek advanced education and training and make a step towards reaching their goals.  Many of them are first generation students.  Many of them are parents.  Many of them are as old as or older than me.  Some of them didn't finish high school.  Some of them have parents who didn't finish 8th grade. Some of them are veterans trying desperately to reenter society.  Some of them recently lost their jobs and are starting over whether they want to or not.

In today's economy where it's very difficult to get a job, much less get one with little education, these facts matter.

And for the 1000 graduates that we had this year, finishing community college and achieving either an Associate in Arts (academic) or Associate in Applied Science (technical) degree was a major deal.  Many mama's proudly exclaimed "that's my baby" as their son or daughter walked across the stage.  I was on the side of the stage where the graduates were exiting.  All did so with a very proud smile on their face.

Going to graduation as a staff member is an interesting experience.  I don't have any real "vested" interest in the graduation because my family, friends, or students aren't graduating (though I was very very proud of my student workers, 6 of whom graduated this semester!), so having to sit through an hour and a half of speechifying, pomp and circumstance (both the music and the actual activities that make up pomp and circumstance), and roll calling can be a challenge.  Doing so in a heavy rented gown in a rodeo arena (not well air conditioned and dusty) adds its own new challenges!

And still, I find myself getting that little nervous feeling as we line up to walk in and support the students who we've worked with over the past couple of years.  To see them achieve their dreams and walk proudly across the stage and be recognized (and embarrassed when their mama calls out to them!) is a very proud moment and makes all the discomfort worthwhile.

I'll have more thoughts on finishing this week.  But I wanted to get the inspiration for this "series" out there today.

Today's picture is of the sock I'm working on. It's for my mother's Mother's Day present.  I absolutely love the self-striping effect, the colors and the feel of this yarn.  I will have a hard time parting with it, but am comforted by the fact that I can just go make myself a pair later!  I really like that the yarn is so fun that I can just knit stockinette stitch and really pay attention to the construction of the sock.  Cables, lace, and patterns are fun, but sometimes it's nice just to make loops with yarn and have fabric grow as a result.  (and knitting socks may be the most fun thing ever!)

I kinda disappeared

Whew!  What a week.  I feel like I kinda disappeared for a few days.  It's been a good week:  Busy, but not too much so. I've gotten a lot of work, had some freedom to do some fun things.  I've planned a few things for the end of the summer--I really do like thinking long-term and knowing I have plenty of time to get things done.

I've also been avoiding warping my loom for some reason.  I really really want to weave my project but I just can't seem to get to it.  Lots of other things are distracting me.

Like this awesome hat I finished on Wednesday night.  It's so soft and cuddly and I just love it to bits!

I also worked on knitting something else for the quilt bee...it didn't work out too well so it's been ripped out.

I had Crafty Vixens last night which was quite fun. I do enjoy hanging out with those ladies!

And I started some socks for mom for Mother's day.  I know I'm late, she knows I'm late, but she seems ok with that.

Maybe I'll get to that project this weekend...that's my plan, but we'll have to wait and see!  I'm also hoping that I can finish up my thoughts on "finishing" things.  I was thinking about that during our college graduation on Tuesday.  There's a lot that can go into finishing things and I'm trying to cull out the good parts so that I can have an interesting post.  In a few days I'm sure.

Until then I'm going to go start another project...this one little and knitted for the bee.  It's going to be SEW cute! :)

Little Miracles

Little miracles do happen from time to time.  On Tuesday night I finished what I'm calling "chocolate bananas"!  And then last night Alyssa finished the quilt top!

Very excited. I  almost couldn't sleep last night.

And darnit I can't show you pictures of either.

I was humbled a little when I pulled "chocolate bananas" from the dryer and saw they'd shrunk.  They'll still serve, but hmmm...the yarn didn't shrink when I used it last time...at least not this noticeably...I think it must be the warm water I used or the dryer.  Either way they'll suffice, but oops!

On my needles today I have a grey hat that I'm making for my hairdresser to give to his brother.  I absolutely love working with this yarn and am trying to decide if I could wear it...it would be quite warm and cozy but the alpaca and angora--which make it so very very soft--also have a little bit of shedding tendency and that could bother me.  I'm wondering if it would be worth it.  And it would be so nice to have a little cardigan to put on in my office when it feels about 20 degrees in here.  Thinking thinking (not that I need to buy yarn for any more projects or even think about any more projects, but I can't seem to help myself.)

Trying not to panic

I'm trying not to panic.  I'm really putting my mind to the task of "digging in and finishing what I started."  I'm also rationalizing that if I don't finish what I started that I can "make do" with what I have (and I can stretch things a little)...but I won't to do that.  The other part of my brain that is trying to calm me down is saying..."deep breaths, you can do this, and if you can't, give people swatches of yarn and tell them what it's going to be."

And I really really don't want to do that.

But here's reality:

• there are 30 days until the start of the 20th Thornton Thimblers Quilt Bee
• which means that I will leave in 29 days
• which means that I have to pack in 28 days
• which means that every single thing below has to be finished in 27 days
• I still have one project on the loom--2-3 hours worth of work
• I have another project to get on the loom that I am NOT going to NOT bring--probably 5 hours of work
• I have another project that will finish out everything nicely--another 3 hours or so of work, maybe longer since the threads are pretty skinny on that one
• I have one last project that I'd really really like to get done for symmetry and to make sure that everyone in my game gets something handmade--3 hours max on that one
• which means that I have to weave an average of two hours per day until the bee in order to finish things
• and I don't think that's possible.
• (and if you want to see where all this got started, go back to my 3/12/12 entry "Everything's turning up Yellow")

For one, I work

For two, I have a husband who would probably like my company 

For three, I need to walk everyday to be able to hike in Switzerland without trepidation

For four, Alyssa still needs to finish the quilt (!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

For five, weaving is hard work and sitting at it for 2 hours a day would be difficult

For six, I'm going to New Orleans this weekend (fun!) for dinner and a date (see number 2, I wasn't making that up)...

So, I'm thinking that somebody is going to get a swatch with a description of what would be their lovely yellow-ish item...Here's hoping there's a miracle in my future.

Today's picture is of the sweater sleeve (that took my focus away from all things yellow this weekend, which is one main reason I'm in this pickle).  I love this detail about the sweater and is the primary reason I chose to knit it as my first sweater.  I've always had large arms for my size, so getting things to fit around my arms usually means I have to go up a size in ready-mades...unless the sleeve is butterfly and then I can get shirts/dresses that fit me elsewhere.  What a great feeling.  But on this sweater, what a pretty pretty details.  I also like whatever trick of the camera was at play that makes me look slender! :)

Satisfaction

Satisfaction is finishing something and doing a good job (great job if you're willing to brag on yourself).

Satisfaction is knowing that you paid attention, worked hard, and seeing the results of that hard work.

Satisfaction is trying something new and challenging, and coming out on the other side with a good product.

Satisfaction is putting on that thing that you challenged yourself with and worked diligently on and having it fit perfectly.

Satisfaction is not only knowing that it fits perfectly but feels like a dream next to your skin.

Satisfaction is getting compliments from people about how awesome this thing is that you've worked so hard and diligently on for six whole weeks.

I'm a very satisfied girl today!

I don't cry...

...very often.  I'm just not hardwired for it. When I was a little girl my mom called me "Hard-Hearted Hannah" because I didn't cry while watching Old Yeller.  She tested me by giving me the most heart-wrenching children's books she could find.  Heidi left me bored (to tears! ha!) after the first couple of chapters.  I felt the same about Little Women (though I LOVED it as an adult, I still didn't cry at the sad parts).  I read Where the Red Fern Grows--no tear stains on those pages--and Across Five Aprils, again no tears.

I'm not hard-hearted, or cruel, or unfeeling, though some people think that, I know.  I just don't cry very often, but when I do it's because I have been touched in a way that surprises me and out bursts tears, sniffles, and sometimes gut-wrenching sobs.  Every time I start crying, it surprises me, and I know that my feelings at that moment are deep and real.

The books that HAVE made me cry?  Fair and Tender Ladies, on the 3rd reading, I bawled with Oakley died (sorry for the spoiler).  The Four Spirits had me wracked with sobs at midnight on a school night when David was out of town.  I feared waking the kids I was sobbing so loudly.  Elegance of the Hedgehog ended with tears streaming uncontrollably down my face, onto my neck and soaking the top part of my blouse...and I'd read ahead and knew what was going to happen.

...and today I cried while reading "What Her Hands Won't Do" by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (the Yarn Harlot).  Her exploration of her feelings of profound loss of her friend Lene's ability to knit, moved me in a way that doesn't happen often. But the thought of not being able to do the things that make living tolerable is scary, very scary indeed.  Stephanie examined the anxiety she felt taking her friend's yarn, and in the process understood why her friend was sending the yarn to her.  As Lene explained her intention for each yarn in her stash, Stephanie made mental notes to do those projects in honor of Lene and her loving intentions.  The experience of knitting those projects had to be cathartic for Stephanie.  I know that her essay was touching.

So, thank you Stephanie for bringing tears to my eyes this morning.  For making me feel the loss and pain that you felt upon working through this difficult experience with your friend.  I appreciate your sense of humor and your thoughts about knitting and being a Knitter, but this essay shows the depth of your compassion.

Knitting in my Dreams

Last night I dreamed of knitting. In my dream I had finished up my blue sweater (I'm so close...it's hard to be patient and not stay up all night cramping my hands to get it done) and then started sewing it together.  In my dream the sleeves just fit right in and everything was beautiful.  I started sewing it up with bright purple thread (the sweater is a medium blue).  I made a couple of short seams in the shoulder to secure the sleeves and then started stitching down the sides of the sleeves.  Then I stitched up one long side.

It was at that point that I realized that I should actually be using the yarn that I knitted with--or at least a color much closer to the yarn that I knitted with.

And I was devastated.

Here I had spent weeks, every evening for weeks, working on this beautiful sweater and I'd ruined it in the last minutes by sewing it together with awful colored thread!

I was relieved when I woke up and realized it was only a dream.  Think I'm feeling a tad anxious about seaming up my first sweater?  What if it doesn't fit?  What if, despite my best efforts, I didn't get proper gauge (I've probably measured about 100 times) and it's too small even though it shouldn't be?  What if it's not attractive on me?  What IF I messed up and can't even see it yet?

These are big deals.  There is a lot of money in that sweater...a lot of beautiful yarn...a lot of time.

I'd be so sad if I screw(ed) it up somehow.

SO, I must finish, and soon, before I start having conniptions!

Today's picture is of my weaving...this is actually the "secret project" (remember that one?) but you've seen this much of the warp already so I'm not divulging anything!  I like the view from above because it encompasses not just me next to my loom but me in my studio.  From inspiration, to storage, to me actually working.

36 and 59

...those are the number of days until the 20th Thornton Thimblers' Quilt Bee and my trip to Switzerland!  And I'm very excited.

As you know, I've been working diligently on all my gifts for my game.  I picked up THE GRAND PRIZE gift last night.  And let me say that it doesn't have anything to do with bananas, and isn't yellow.  In fact, I may have to change my "yellow" game to include some pinks and greens...and creams, and a little bit of blue.  I'm so proud of this gift and it kills me that I can't show you a picture, but that would ruin all the surprise and fun of my game, so I'll just tell you that I'm very very proud of it.

In fact, I brought it to work this morning to show everyone and decided on the way here that I'll just leave it here, in my office, until we leave for the bee.  That way I'll get to enjoy it for a few weeks (36 days minus weekends and holidays to be exact) before it goes off to its rightful owner, and my daughters can't see it...it's way to big to hide.  In the meantime, I'll be thinking of each person at the bee and how they'll enjoy being "the last" in my game.

And in celebration of the 59 days until Switzerland, today's picture was taken from our hotel room...as David laid down for a nap he realized that THAT view is not something you see every day.

May Day

I'm always happy when May comes around. I don't know exactly why, but I've always loved May...next to November which is Birthday Month, May is my favorite month of the year.

Maybe I love all the sunshine and spring greens.

Maybe I love the flowers.

Maybe it's getting out of school, and the old routines get put aside for a few weeks of blissful and hot summer.

No matter what, I feel as if I, too, am experiencing spring right now.  I feel more alive than I have in quite a while.  I feel that I can conquer anything.  Take on the world..move faster and farther than I've been in a while.

Which is awesome...except I can't stay up 24 hours a day and do everything that I want to do.  It's been a big challenge for me to accept the fact that I can't quit work and play with yarn all day long.  But if I could, I'd start this right now.  It's the Nicole Vest with ruffles.  I would abandon the sweater I'm working on right now to start it...isn't that pitiful?

It's also killing me that I can't show pics of all the awesome projects I'm weaving.  I admire them but alas...you can't see them until June and they've all gone to their rightful owners.

Until then I'll show another picture of Pearl playing Peek-a-Boo, since she was such a big hit yesterday.