Well, tomorrow is D-Day! It is the last day of July and I swore to myself that I would start on Fall/Winter on the 1st of July. I guess I didn't just say that I would start on Fall/Winter, I said I would put the Summer knitting away didn't I? I guess that means I can't sneak knit on it then? Bt who would know? Well of course I would have to tell all about the finished project if it came to that wouldn't I?

Anyway, I am so excited about what is going on around me these days. I guess August 1 is like New Year's eve only in the Summer. It is a new month, it starts on Sunday (the day I always start my Weight Watchers week over and vow to be on points). On Monday evening, after more than 10 years of being our church treasurer, I get to train someone new to take over for me. It has been a long time in coming, the search started in April and they finally talked someone to take on the new job! I hope by the time I head out for Stitches Midwest in mid month, that he will be fully trained, and I only will have to go back for maybe the odd question or two at month end or year end.

Then, having not even trained someone, I am going to become a lia sophia jewelry advisor! lia sophia, if you haven't heard was formally known as Lady Remington. I will tell more when I know more, but I am doing my starter show in two weeks, here at the house. I hope to have at least one of my sons on his way back to college so I can get his stuff out of "his room" and my yarn back into "my room". "My room" is really Willie's bed room, but possession is 9/10.

Anyway, stay tuned for more developments. Tomorrow, we are back to Mary's Yarn Shop in Eureka to knit and then to Washington lunch! If you ever are down this way, you have got to stop in and see Mary and tell her Penny sent you. It is great to finally have a "local" yarn shop just a half an hour or so away..

This morning I went looking for some yarn and the pattern that I was just sure that I had bought. Along the way, I got into a cleaning mode, cause the wanted stuff was not being found. It entailed going through several plastic boxes and about 8 copy boxes. While sorting through it all, I decided it was time to let some of these old yarns and old WIPs go, so I packed them up and sat them out for the garbage. AND - I am not looking back! Sometimes, you just have to let them go. No one would want some of the yarn, and several of the WIPS were for me when I was about 50 pounds heavier. Some of the yarns were just a little dab leftover, why was I keeping them??

So in my cleaning fit, I found the pattern, it wasn't I thought it was. I found two yarns, they weren't enough to do what I wanted. And best of all, I now have acquired three circular needles for my collection, some stitch holders, and about 2 dozen marker rings. I know there is so much more down there, and I did find some that I definitely have to get back to.

But on Friday, made a list of "have - to - do", and it is an extensive list! It will probably be Christmas day before I can get to the new projects! And Stitches Midwest is less than a month away!! I need to be knitting!!!

I spent the weekend in Iowa visiting ladies I worked with 21 years ago. We came from IL, WI and two from Iowa. It was so good to see them all. Salle on the right I had seen about 6 or 7 years ago when she was back in Peoria. The other two Sally and Marcia I had not seen in more than 20 years. What fun we had! The trip took me about 4 1/2 hours to get home(driving 70 - 80) and about 7 hours to get there. The reason it took me so long to get there is I went the indirect route through Muscatine Iowa, about 2 hours out of my way. BUT--no travel plans cannot not include a yarn excursion. I stopped at Crazy Girl Yarn Shop in Muscatine! Muscatine is the cutest town, sitting on the Mississippi River and they have a yarn shop that over looks the river. How cool! Of course, I bought yarn, but you can't see it, because it is slated for a gift for one of the Radical Knitters and some day I am gonna tell them about my blog and I wouldn't want to give all of my surprises away. Anyway, have car will travel to see old friends and of course yarn shop! I heartily recommend the trip! 

And finally, for today. This is the group of yarns I bought at Mary's Yarn Shop in Eureka last Saturday. The blue and yellow on left and the eyelash in the front is going to be a purse from Two Old Bags. The variegated is going to be a tank yet to be decided....Chickami if I can find my pattern I bought, possibly one from Knitters Spring Issue or my own design if I have enough yarn. Do you see a color theme? Caribbean Blue..... 

This is what I covet. However, I only have 6000 miles on the Yarn Mobile and unless I win the lotto and finance it and the yarn shop, that is what it will remain, a covet. 

This is what I have - the PJKNITS yarn mobile. 

Aren't these the cutest? My friend Norma knit them for me as a surprise when she came down for lunch at work today. I can't believe how much I like them. They are so comfy and they go with the theme of colors I am doing these days.  

Every July, a group of us at the University of Illinois, College of Medicine at Peoria get to display our projects in the Lobby Case, pondering the question Is it Art or Craft? 

The top two scarves are mine from Trendsetter Aura. One skein and oh so cool. My booga bag and far right is a sweater I designed myself using a vneck t-shirt I liked. It is amazing what gauge can do for you. I credit Judy Chan at Mosaic Yarn Studio in Des Plaines for this knowledge one summer. My friend Julie and I traveled many weekends up there to soak up Judy's mentoring.  

Norma sewed the tote bag here and on the next picture. We have her dubbed her Norma Bradley (not her real name). Norma keeps me in great totes for my yarn and purses. Our friend, not a knitter, but a great needle artist did the framed piece.  

Jan's eyecatching vest gets a comment wherever she wears it. This an adaptation from multiple yarns from Needleworks in Champaign IL and 25 Gorgeous Sweaters for the Beginner Knitter. 

Over half way done. When asked today at work, if I had lots of goodies in progress, I said yes and they occupy my mind all the time. This is an addiction! But that is what happens when you have the pleasure of spending most of a holiday weekend knitting! In between, cleaning and eating, I knitted my way through the weekend. Now, that is living!. Amongst the cleaning, I came across yet another tub of yarn, crosstitch kits, one completed sweater for a young child awaiting to grow into it and a sweater in progress for an unamed child. At the time I started it I just wanted to knit it, and so it sits awaiting me. Maybe cleaning isn't such a good thing? 

The red, white and blue scarf died a slow death. The Dazzlelash did not take kindly to being cast on by itself. Or maybe it was PMS, but anyway, it will be saved for another time. So this morning I decided to cast on for another scarf. This one with a strand of Dazzlelash and a strand of Jewel FX. Casted on 24 sts on size 15 needles was way more than I wanted, so I tried just the Jewel FX by itself on 10 1/2 and then finally settled back on the original one strand of each on size 11 straight needles (not what I usually use) and 15 sts. I like it. So the red and white will be finding a mate at a later date. 

Happy 4th of July!!! 

Happy 4th of July! This is a good day to eat, knit and watch great old movies like Midway and From Here to Eternity. I love the 4th, but that means it is almost mid Summer and once again I am still knitting on my summer sweaters. I have got to get a handle on it. I want to be ahead of schedule for Fall. As soon as I get these couple done, oh okay, at least 3, then I am onto Fall/Winter!!

In honor of the day, I think I will knit on the red, white and blue scarf that I bought yarn for just yesterday. Hopefully, picture tommorrow on what it looks like.

The best part of the 4th?? Tomorrow, is an extra day off of work, I love it when that happens.

Wait, wait I wasn't finished, but obviously my computer was, I wanted to show you my all time favorite! This was given to be by Norma after her trip to Gulf Shores. This is me. This will be me, sitting on a beach (hopefully) knitting in my bikini not giving a rats patoot as to who sees me, just enjoying my knitting, the sun and the blue water! So now it is 6:00 almost and time for me to be getting ready for work and I am not done with all I wanted to do! I need to win the Lotto, and guess what I played the big one this week and didn't win and I am playing again on Friday, wish me luck Norma!! 

I have been up since 5:00 a.m. I fell asleep on the couch around 9:00 last night (way to early for me, trust me) So this morning I started with the first of all the things I was going to do last night. Check the blogs I normally read and try to figure out what to put on mine. So in the course of reading blogs, someone else posted pics of their reading collection (http://sharonstuff.typepad.com/knitknacks/) and the thought hit me. My knitting/yarn collection of figs and such. I actually had a couple when I started, but my good friend Norma really gets me the greatest ones. My equally good friend Jan and Kristy gave me the non-knitting related ones, one holding a dog (signifying friendship) and the other holding a book much like a teacher would. I always wanted to be a teacher and love bringing new info to knitters.