Not a very knitty weekend. My parents came to visit and as my mom's a major league scrapbooker, that's what we did all weekend. I'm trying to get the whirlwind trips we took in December down in the books, but it's been difficult. I think part of the problem is that there's so much stuff that I'm overwhelmed.

I did get my order from Elann.com (I love this place!). Every now and again, I'll mosey over to the site to see what's new and I almost always order something. I picked up the Oat Couture Applegate shirt pattern and enough Nova Sophia (cotton/linen) to knit it. It will be a beautiful, drapy, summer-kind of shirt. I can't wait to get started. I have to fly to DC on business this week - I think this may be my in-flight knitting.

Have no fear, the Kimono is coming along nicely. My sister oohed and aahed over the finished bits and can't wait for me to get it finished. I think she's having delusions about borrowing it - HA!

So, why is it, I'll be at home for days and no one calls me. The one night I'm in bed and actually sleeping, the phone rings off the hook (yes, Mom, I mean you). Then my husband decides he's leaving early this morning to go fishing - resets the alarm for 3:30 am and asks me to wake him when it goes off!! Can you hear me making that really disgusted noise we can all make when extremely irritated?

As a result of the failed sleeping experiment, no knitting was done at my house either last night or this morning. I have to say that when I can't actually knit, reading about knitting is a close second. I've discovered Wendy Knits (link on the side there) and the woman is amazing! Her current sweater is the stuff of my knitting dreams. Oh to be so dedicated to color!

I hate it when I can't sleep. Normally, sleeping is not a problem for me, but lately it's been an issue (mostly because it's hard to find a comfortable position for my shoulder). The upside is, I've been knitting like a fiend. It's pretty amazing what a couple of hours on the couch with AMC on the TV can do for my current project.

So, I reached my (weekend) goal of having half the right front done on the Kimono. I have to say, this sweater really looks cool. I'm hoping to have pictures up soon. Not much other knitting is getting done. Here's what else I have on the needles:

1. sock from the green/yellow/beige colorway of Sockotta
2. unspun silk scarf (I got bored!)
3. fluffy, girly scarf made of yarns I bought when last in Seattle (September 2002)
4. Mountain Colors vest (okay, it's not really on the needles anymore, it's waiting for the crochet edging around the armholes and neckline - I've done the neckline twice and ripped it out twice then got disgusted with the whole thing and stuffed it in a bag)

Hmmm, it's getting warmer around here, maybe I should get that vest done soon. It will look really cute with a t-shirt under it. New weekend goal?

The left front of the Kandinsky Kimono is drying on my dining room table. I finished it up late last night and cast on right away for the right front. It's my small superstition that I'll never finish a project if I don't have a piece at least cast on. So, the right front is about 4 rows long, but it's started.

I woke up early this morning to be able to rinse and block the left front. It makes me feel good when I come home and see a knitted piece out on the table - a nice welcome home. (Never mind that I'll be picking cat hair off forever.)

I'm dreaming of taking over my husband's half of our shared craft room. His fly tying table has somehow made it into the middle of the room and is encroaching on my space. I'm wondering how soon he'll notice that it's been moved out into the garage. I'm also wondering about how to take over the basement, but make it damp proof and have enough light to be able to work comfortably. What I really need is a brand new house or at the very least a room of my own (where are you when I need you Virginia?).

Had lunch with my fiber friend Jillian today. I brought the back of my Kandinski Kimono for show and tell. I wanted some confirmation about the woven in ends. They do show, but Jillian (bless her knitter's heart) told me that when I was wearing it and moving around - no one would notice!! That was secretly my feeling, but it's nice to hear someone else saying it too.

Then we spent some time discussing the workshops and retreats at SOAR this fall. I'm thrilled that it's in Michigan this year. I've always wanted to go, but the cost of traveling some where else always put me off. I plan on spending the whole week and spinning so much I get dizzy.

Goal for the weekend...finish the left front of the Kimono and 1/2 the right front. I want to wear this thing on a cool evening this summer.

Jumping back in with both feet...

Yesterday was my first day back at work and wow - work has nothing on sitting on the couch with a 2 litter bottle of Diet Pepsi and the remote control. What I could do if I didn't have to work to pay for it!

So, here's a sample of what I've been working on

This is my first pair of Fuzzy Feet (from the last issue of Knitty) before felting. I gave those to my sister Mitzi and here she is wearing them.

I had such a good time knitting the first pair that I made a second pair. Here's my friend Terri wearing those. What fun - now they both have the image of me sitting on my couch, wearing my sling and knitting for them!

I also started on the Kandinsky Kimono and the back is complete. (No picture yet.) I'm a little worried about the ends I wove in. I decided right away that I didn't want to weave them all in after the sweater was complete, so I've been weaving them in as I go along. The problem is with some of the brighter colors - they show through on the black background. You can't really see them from about 2 feet away, but they bother me. My husband just rolls his eyes and says, "Live with it, it's a beautiful piece." (He really did say beautiful - go figure!)

Okay, even with my ever increasing range of motion, that's enough from me today!