And so I better start getting out there running again, so I can really wear it when I get it done. This book has a great pink cabled zip sweater that I want to do too. But I will not buy the yarn until I finish more of what is in the drawer from last Spring. Stay tuned! 

Years ago I bought Reynolds Saucy Cotton and had an idea as to what I was going to do with it. I bought lots cause I was much heavier . I ran across it about a year ago and I think I threw away whatever had been started. but realized that I still had a lot of it still left. So, I ordered yet another book from Patternworks and started this cover sweater then. I was a tad thinner then and thought "hey I can wear this" So as soon as I finished MIL poncho with sleeves, I decided it was time to pull out the spring knitting and get started back on it. So this is the current project that is in line for knitting and finishing NOW! And with it going to be in the 60's this week, spring is really coming, despite the gloominess of today! 

I have sort of sworn off of buying books and patterns of late, cause I have all these cool things I want to do that I already have patterns, magazines and books. But I could not resist this. Ordered it from Meg at Schoolhouse Press earlier this week and here it was today. I have already read it cover to cover. Although I never got to be at camp when EZ did it, I have many of her and Meg's videos as well as have been to Knit Camp with Meg twice. As I read through it tonight, it made me want to go back again. I became great knit friends with my room mate the second time around. Julie introduced me to so many other avenues that I probably would never have ventured out too! Isn't the craft of knitting do so much for us, besides giving us things to do with our hands? It opens us up to new friends, new places to visit and all kinds of great possibilities!

Finished the sleeved poncho for MIL's birthday in September. Have not blocked it yet, but I do think it needs it, especially for the bottom and the sleeves. Perhaps this is why it snowed on Tuesday, when I finished it! I am never this far ahead of myself with a birthday gift being done! Poncho is out of Encore Bulky. I hope it fits in the arms, cause I just winged it and made them longer than mine would be. She can always fold the arms back if they are too long. It has a little split created by the garter stitch. The entire ponch was done in the round from the top down except for the last 1 1/2 inches. I am so excited to have it finished! Now onto Spring in knitting and in weather. I have SPOKEN! 

What is this? Snow/Rain/Slush, two nights ago! I could not believe it. See I am of the belief that when the calendar says it is Spring that it should be Spring. Sunshine, warm weather and the absence of SNOW! And when Easter is this weekend (I know it's early, but come on), I insist on not having to wear a winter coat! 

It is finished! Finally the Sleeved Poncho is done. Pics tomorrow. It needs to be blocked. And I still am not quite sure that I like it for me. I am glad this one is for MIL's Birthday. Now, after I finished it tonight around 8:00, I still have not decided on what I want to knit next. I want it to be Spring, and I want to pull out something I started last year, but here are just way too many choices. I feel compelled to finish a couple of scarves, but tht does not make me go who hoo!

So I knit on the Caribe Blue Scarf while watching the Notebook. Oh, it was such a mommy movie. I loved it, and loved the ending! Now, I really need to go make a decision as to what is the next project to be knit. I have got to get to bed before 1:00. Tomorrow is knit nite so I gotta make a decision now.

I felt it my duty to blog today. I do not have anything to show, cause I am still knitting on the poncho with sleeves for MIL's bday in September. I am making myself finish it. I would like to be done by Tuesday Knit Night at Lakeview on Tuesday. I desparatately want to be knitting on something else, but I am making myself finish it first.

I did take a small journey into the Patternworks catalog and was writing up an order for a couple of Elisabeth Lavold books and The Opinionated Knitter. But, a small voice in the back of my head told me, rather reminded me that I still have a sweater in the works from Lavold's first book and I need to finish it before I go buying more books. See, I can show some restraint. One should not have as many books with nothing knit out of them. I am trying to wittle some of the stash down, as it really has taken over the house along with the lia sophia jewelry.

I am however going to call Schoolhouse Press tomorrow. I want The Opinionated Knitter and I might just as well get it from Meg as from anywhere else. Besides, I need to see if I need to renew my subscription to Woolgather or if mine just hasn't come yet! There are some things that I just can't show restraint on and anything from Meg Swansen or even remotely tied to EZ I just gotta have. They are my mentors!

Okay--back to that damn poncho!

Pattern for Yarn below. Pic is a little blurry but won't it be fun shopping for yarns to go with. It may take awhile but hey I've got time. Call it yarn souvenirs! 

A Canyon of Yarn. 

This is a pic of three yarns that my three knitting friends have recently given me when they have been on vacations. The first came from Jo from Tricoter last year, the second came from Norma when she was in Hawaii and the third from Jan when she was in Arizona this past month. Don't I have nice knitting friends? I am going to yarn shop for some yarns to go with it and will post the pic tomorrow of what I am thinking about doing with them. Then I will think of my knitting friends whenever I wear it! Maybe I should get my friends to go on a yarn trip to find the yarn! Lansing would be a good expedition! 

This pic does not do it justice, but my friend Jan knit this for me for Christmas. It has a silver thread that pops out of it. It is wonderfully long so I can double it up and pull it through making it tidy and warm around my neck.  

My friend Norma made this for me for Christmas. Does she know my colors or what! Some day it will hang in my business.  

Finally, I have arrived at the point of the Cabin Creek Poncho that I can start the sleeve. I never thought 14 inches of stockinette would ever be done. Now, onto the first sleeve. I guess once I decided that I wanted to knit it in Caribe Blue and Lime, that I lost interest, but I am bound and determined to finish it. It is for Bob's mom's birthday in September and I want to be a head of the game for once, rather than finishing it the night before. I had a pic to show of it part way done, but have decided to hold it until it is finished.

What I learned this past week? Several years ago, I said I would never knit a shawl. Since then I have made a liar out of myself and have several shawls in the works. Then, this past weekend, actually before that, but last weekend re-confirmed that I cannot be trusted to carry through my threats. When the Poncho craze hit, I said, I will never knit one, they are not going to hang around long. In the mean time, I have seen several in stores and thought how cheezy they looked for the price. So with that said and the fact that I not only bought yarn for one at Stitches last August and that I have also done the above mentioned one and have plans for another like it for me (but as my friend said, those two don't really count cause they are more like sweaters than ponchos), I was at the lia sophia rally last Saturday in Chicago and a lady had a poncho on she had bought in "Arizona", but it was light and airy, knit I hope out of a lt wt mohair and sparkly yarn. She had worn over a simple turtle neck and black pants. The great thing was she also wore great jewelry (lia sophia of course!) but the simplicity of her outfit and the poncho was made it so great.

So you know where I am going with this? The question is: is there still time for me to whip one up before they are out of style? Stay tuned!

I held out until Friday night before starting a new project! I was going to a lia sophia Rally in Burr Ridge on Saturday and wasn't driving, so I wanted to take something small. Low and behold, out of a shopping bag jumped this Sirdar Funky Fur Magic Yarn, my LYS owner bought especially because it was my colors, and into my hands and said just knit a couple of inches to get me started. Almost 3/4 of a ball later I stopped. I love it. Took it with me and knit just a bit on it, and now I feel so much better. I can knit on the poncho for my MIL birthday next September!