Remember the loot of free yarn I scored on a month ago?  This huge skein of silk thread was one of them.  It also came with a pattern: Pie Wedge Shawl.

If you Ravelry you’ll see it.

I didn’t get it at first but soon enough I figured it out.

It’s all garter stitch with a pretty edge.  The silky fluffy yarn is heaven.

Plus the vibrant colors just are so pretty.

This is one shawl that will be fun to block and I should sell this puppy so I can like, you know EAT….but I think I am just going to keep it.

It’s been one of those mindless knits that takes a lot of time and can be boring but you find very handy when you need boring and mindless so you can like, you know….THINK STRAIGHT.

Boring, mindless and FREE therapy that you can wear and impress all your friends at the next social gathering you find yourself at….  like you know, the Palace Ball or  more likely and sadly in my case….

WORK.

whatever.

It’s my life eh?

Some knits are just something to pick at but this one is turning out spectacular!

Now I have one of two choices:

whine that I made it for a friend and can’t keep it…

whaaaa whaaaa whaaaa

or

MAKE myself one!

I might whine a little more because this pink version of the cap is SO STINKING CUTE.

Now that friends’ requests are done, I can make one for MOI.

This certainly will deal with those early chilly mornings.

I don’t think I mentioned that a couple weeks ago I was gifted with bags and bags of yarn.

Much of it is acrylic but fun and fluffy stuff perfect for beanies and small projects.

Being my yarn budget this year will be sketchy at best this year, I was thrilled.

When I think about snapping a picture I will show you a shawl I am making with a some wool/silk that I scored on.

But that is for another post.

So for my first knit of 2012 I present:

This chunky cabled scarf  that will be super cozy for a visit to the snow.

Plus it’s a fun fast knit.

see?

It’s going to have a matching hat too!

Happy New Year and Happy Knitting!

This is the Black n Grey I made my Dad’s Girlfriend Chris.

Didn’t it turn out pretty?  I was super pleased with it and I am pretty sure she is too!

I won’t get into the drama that was involved getting this thing blocked in time for the trek to Dad’s for Christmas or what it took to re-purchase supplies to finish it off….

Ugly black spiders were involved.

eeeek.

It’s one leaf less than my original one and I think it’s finally perfect.

It doesn’t hurt that it’s knitted with Berroco Alpaca.

Pathetically, it was my one handmade Christmas gift this year.

Amazingly, I handmade one Christmas gift this year.

So pleased I got it done!

Spiders and all.

x0

After my little knitting hiatus, I wanted to show you this pretty bit of fluff.

It’s black and grey and not blue.

Dang camera.

It’s Alpaca.

I am making another gardenview shawlette (like the yeti one) for my Dad’s GF for Christmas.

I would never ever have thought black and grey would qualify as a pretty shawlette, but it’s coming out AMAZING.

I am also confused how I wouldn’t think black and grey would work together being it’s about all I wear.

My mentor

 So I have to have this thing done before Thursday but I am about 10 yards from running out of that one skein of yarn. 

The yarn shop is closed today.

So tomorrow you’ll know where I’ll be…and then crankin’ out the last 2 leaves and then blocking it and than wrapping it.

My one holiday knit is turning out to be a little problematic.

Good thing I have Gru as my mentor.

Because when you are a super-villian you don’t care necesarily if your leafy shawlette is done by Christmas.

You only care about stealing the Moon and having power.

All I want is that darn yarn store to open up, so I can finish my shawlette.

Deb and I are splitting our box, so I met her with my ultra chic cool bag.

I had no idea how much produce we’d be getting so I played it safe and brought a HUGE bag.

The fact that it’s insulated and kept it fresh until I had time to sort it and wash it was BONUS.

This means it had to wait until this morning.  I can’t possibly be expected to take pictures at night.

Pictures of produce are life changing, so I knew I had to get it right.

pumpkin for baking Thanksgiving treats; and an ENORMOUS avocado.

persimmons, red carrots (RED?? really) and some apples.

We are an apple short now.

we are having some debate over what this is.  At first I thought it was swiss chard, but I googled it for it’s nutritional content and saw they are red (the stalk anyways) so now I think it’s a bok choy.

either way, we like it.

some lovely greens.

squash, that lil punkin again and a YAM the size of JJ’s head.

see

a bundle of fresh herbs.

Come back later to see what we cook up!

xo

Do you think Aidez makes my butt look big?

 Could knitting a beast of a cabled sweater all in one piece be any more brain wracking? 

Could I be any fonder of the color Orange?

Is it possible for me to spend my free time without yarn in my hands? 

Possible, but painful

It IS cold season and cabled things just make life cozier.

and YES I DO dress kinda like Bob Cratchit.

You see it’s cold at my desk.

Sad but true...Hey, nice scarf buddy.

My orchids refuse to bloom, they think they live in the arctic.

As do I.

I’m off to make some sexy muscles today.

Also…

and this is super cool….

I get to do some yoga this week …IN STUDIO

AND

we pick up our FIRST CSA box Thursday.

AND

AND

AND

it’s a long weekend.

HEY, things are looking UP.

Take THAT SCROOGE!

Rainy, cloudy, almost sunny, cloudy, rainy.

In that order.

All day long.

It’s the kind of day where you time it just so you make your Costco run in the cloudy/almost sunny/cloudy part of the day.

But before that, the neighbor kids grab JJ for a short soccer lesson.

Since its still in the cloudy/almost sunny/cloudy time of day, you jump at the chance to kick him outside agree.

we wear our safety helmet purely for the coolness factor

You are witnessing his first ever soccer experience .

Since it’s cloudy/almost sunny you take your tea and yarn with you while you pretend watching your son play soccer for the first time isn’t making you weepy.

You take pictures because you are just weird like that.

This was an “almost sunny” moment.

It was actually kinda nice when it was almost sunny.

Still pretending not to be weepy when other people love your booger-face, almost as much as you do.

Since it’s still cloudy/almost sunny,  you quickly get your shopping done.

You also spend way more than you meant too at Costco,  but relish in the fact that you will now survive the Apocalypse.

You know, so long as you have gas and electricity, and well, you can still run a blender.

Just sayin.

Since after your window of almost sunny changes back to  rainy/cloudy,  it’s time to have kids over to play Kinectimals.

Anything to keep your soccer player burning off toddler angst is good news.

Since I’m giddy we are having kids over, I bake.

Okay, I bake anyways but I use them as an excuse.

It’s an oatmeal/raisin/chocolate chip kinda day.

perfect with cocoa

Help yourself!

Since it’s gross outside on day two of the weekend, and you would rather knit than have a face-off with your bored toddler,  you let him catch his death of cold jump in puddles.

Maybe you debate with Dad, the whole “catching your death of cold” as being some story your Mother told, you probably just because she didn’t want to bother cleaning mud off your shoes.

You win.

But first you get prepared.

Since you live in California, it’s a little ridiculous to think you really could catch your death of cold.

But you rarely get to wear a hooded coat so it’s more for coolness than for need.

But it IS 50 degrees outside so it’s a coin toss.

Since you made a pair of adorable Rainbow Bright wristeez and your stinker-butt toddler took them, you knit yourself a second pair.

SEEEEEEEEE

Since you’re pretty sure they are very Rainbow Bright but are a tad hazy, you go google it.

I should have made them longer

Finding Rainbow Bright with a light-saber just increases the coolness factor.

By like a million!

Since your toddler plays outside in freezing California weather for exactly 12 minutes, you don’t get much knitting done.

Since it’s more rainy/gross than cloudy/almost sunny today, this is about as cool as your weekend gets.

You also watch Chicken Little.

Yesterday I did some Zumba Fitness on Kinect.

Today I am thinking something with more muscle power.

Excuse me while I carry my bored toddler upstairs for his third time out.

Just how it is when it’s gross outside.

xo

ps…I actually DID hit my KAL mark for week 3.  SHEW

Busy week….busy busy busy.

You remember how at my office Halloween party I won movie tickets?

As it turns out the fun didn’t end there.

Tuesday our office hosted a Wellness Fair.

This would be the third year my employer has hosted this event for us.

They bring in people from our insurance companies, food vendors, and other companies who promote health and fitness.

Local gyms, chiropractor, massage therapists, Jamba Juice, and many more.

It’s fun.

THIS year, we were offered a yoga class before the fair started.

I WAS SO EXCITED.

I think I was the first person to sign up.

I even had my outfit picked out; layers, layers layers (this IS work afterall).

Later I was informed that a local farmer was providing information regarding CSA shares in their farm.

OH BOY I WAS SO  DYING  TO ASK MY MILLION QUESTIONS.

I’ve been wanting to buy into a CSA share for a year or two now.

So life went on and I ate my weight in Twix, secretly planning our date night.

I have never ever stepped foot into a yoga studio, so getting the chance to have a real yogi provide instruction, even at work, was a great opportunity in my book.

Tuesday showed up and no yoga instructor.

Tuesday showed up and no CSA Farmer.

So I attended the fair, disappointed.

I breezed past the insurance people, the karate people, the Crunch Fitness people.

I tried to win a Crunch Fitness T shirt but all I got was a sticker.

boo.

I got my lil Mango A Go Go from the Jamba Peeps.

Maybe I stole a second one.

I nibbled on some trail mix and drooled over the CSA display which was a huge basket of greens, veggies and fruit.

I wanted to win it …it was part of the raffle.

The fair ended and I went on with my life.

Sad.

This showed up at my desk though.

It’s for JJ, from Deb.

Considering we’ve seen It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown every day since Happy Pumpkin Day he was super duper ultra excited about his gift.

It’s cocoa.

It’s good.

I know because I broke into it.

oops.

So yesterday, the winners of the Wellness Fair Raffle were being picked.  

Someone won the CSA box.

I buried my sad face in the Excel Spreadsheet I was creating this week.

Cell Tower Contracts.

OOOH FUN.

Today a cellophane bag showed up to my desk.

It had a boat load of produce in it.

Eggplant, greens, dandelion greens, beet greens.

I am all ready to break out my juicer.

Deb and I already decided to split a 6 box bi-weekly CSA share to try it out.  

My part would cost $70 bucks.

I was about to email the company when my manager walked up with Deb in tow.

I guess he was one of the winners of the raffle and had to choose between a yoga gift certificate, a shower timer, or a CSA trial membership.

A little bird told him Deb and I had been pinning after that prize for weeks.

So he gave it to us to split.

So I was given half of the veggie box, and half of the trial membership!

Can you say HAPPY DANCE.

Than not 5 minutes later HR called me to say, low and behold, my name was drawn.

There were just two prizes left.

That shower timer (whoop-de doo)

and a month’s membership for YOGA.

I guess I’ll finally get that in studio yoga class after all.

THE UNIVERSE DOES LOVE ME.

Also, and this was unexpected…..

They teach ZUMBA .

Just happens to be another thing on my list of things to try in a studio if I ever find the time and the cash.

Hitting the jackpot is super exciting.

I should go buy a lottery ticket.

It pays to whine foster good Karma.

I am going to celebrate Friday with a tall green drink.

Hope the universe brings you a smile or the happy dance soon!!!

xo

or

Are you still finding small places to stash those mini reeses?

Personally, I am OVER it.

Oh my gosh if I never see another twix it’ll be okay with me.

Funny thing is, Thursday will show up and I’ll go looking for one.

You have to learn to take what I say with a grain of salt, when it comes to twix.

Sugar and me have a life long bond. 

We love each other no matter how bad we are together.

I walk away from the relationship and come back the second my day gets un-nerving.

Or if I am bored.

I tried a new relationship with yoga, and even broccoli.

Both are great, no complaints really, but sugar…sugar will always be the one I should say good-bye to but can’t completely.

ANYWAY.

You know what I am saying.

I am super happy to eat green drinks and salads or not eat at all or try and get my running groove in motion.

Halloween festivities were a blast but I miss the normalcy of life.

That’s the sign of a great holiday in my book.

Please excuse the rambling nature of today’s post. 

I can already tell my fingers are going to give away the fact that coffee today was excellent…

..and that I’ve had two cups.

I feel I am betraying the essence of my yarn blog. 

Cupcakes and dimple-clad toddler antics sometimes grip me but I am never far from my yarn and needles.

I realize  now that I am climbing out of my sugar coma that I never proudly displayed my finished Garden View Shawlette.

You know I almost frogged it a few times.

 You know I was unhappy with the hairy-ness of the yarn.

fixed my sideways picture, shew!

You know I ran out of yarn and had to spin another hundred yards of it.

You know I wasn’t sure if blocking it would fix the peculiarities of my attempts at spinning yarn.

Rest assured dear reader that this story has a very happy ending.

I soaked the hairy mess in a mild soap and fabric softener overnight.

Than we blocked the sucker to it’s utter limit and let it dry.

STREEEEETCH

I paced.

I crossed fingers.

I sang songs to it.

I petted it.

I paced some more.

When it was finally time to remove the pins and reveal it’s happiness potential,  I was on pins and needles myself.

Not that it was an enormous time suck of a project, but I had placed an enormous amount of pressure on this little shawlette.

It had to be very FALL.

CHECK.

It had to be soft and drape well.

CHECK.

It had to be big enough…

and for the love of shampoo it had to be very NOT HAIRY.

Most of all, most most most importantly of all….

I had to love it.

NO, not you. GO AWAY you evil wrapped in chocolate.

Well,

I DO.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my shawl.

and it’s not so yeti anymore.

the end.