No pictures, cause I don't have anything new to report. However, how did it get to be October 1? I want to start something new, but I must hold true and work on my Noro Kujako vest and finish that scarf I started yesterday before I had a little outpatient surgery. I need to go sit in my chair now and knit. Just wanted to let all know the surgery went fine. I feel pretty good except for the throat that feels like when you are getting strep, but that is from the tube, I know, but just needed to whine! Where's the cheese?

I love Fall, seriously, but when it gets to be October 1, I need to start finishing those winter sweaters so they will be ready. Instead, I am working on Christmas and December bdays. I have got to get a handle on this. Maybe 2005 is the year. Speaking of I picked up this cool 2005 calendar box at Barnes and Noble on Tuesday. It has a pattern for each day of the new year. Be sure and check it out, and the price was around $15 too. I also ordered Betsy McCarthy's Knit Socks book and it is in already. Can't wait to get it, it is one of those books that is cut out to look like a sock. Next Tuesday, when I can drive again, I'll go pick it up.

Do you see a trend? Yes, same colors as my tank I created, but this one is from Classic Elite Iceland Wool. I bought the yarn over in Indy at Mass Ave Knits. I thought I was buying enough to felt, but realized when I got home that it was twice the yardage so the Weekend pullover was knit with just a tad left over. 

I am trying to decide what to do with this yarn I got on a recent bus trip to Mass Ave Knits in Indy. I bought 7 skeins. Anyone have any ideas. Email me at pjknits@gallatinriver.net 

Recently finished this tank by doing gauge and using it to make a tank. I am hoping to wear it a couple of more times before Fall sets in.  

Okay, Okay, no more scarves,but had to post just one more. This is from Anny Blatt yarn is for my co-worker's birthday. She is a Mary Kay person on the side and I thought it would be a great addition to the lia sophia watch she is getting.  

And this is a gift from my dear traveling knitting friend, Jan. We saw this in the Pro Shop the first day at Pheasant Run. It sat next to an apple green color. All of my knitting buddies know that those are my current colors of choice these days (the blue is just like the water on our Feb vacations). I walked by it several times, commenting on the bags but resisted the temptation, and one day the blue was missing and that was forgotten. BUT--Jan had made a gift of it to me. See I told you I was blessed. Jan and I had a great time rooming together, and we have already decided even though it is going to be at Rosemont next year, we are GOING to Stitches Midwest again. You know when in Rome---Have a great knitting weekend all! 

The night of the student banquet, I won these Skacel Addi-Turbo Gold needles from the bag that our table won. I didn't know they even had such a thing. Once again, I was pleased. 

AND the best of all, I won this kit and the Knitter's magazine the night of the Fashion Show. Talked about shock! I was the first ticket drawn and I got to pick the first envelope. And of course it had a caribbean blue posty on it so I chose it and low and behold it was the best of all of the ones offered. See--I told you life was good! I got to go up on stage in the bright lights and stand by the gorgeous model. I am still can't believe it. 

These are the two scarves I finished at SMW. The top was bought at Wool and Co on Wednesday and is out of Dune, just a simple seed stitch scarf on big needles. The lower one was started before I went and purchased at Mary's Yarn Shop in Eureka IL 

All my purchases from Stitches Midwest and from Wool and Company on the Wednesday before it all began. Wool and Company has moved to Geneva IL downtown and they have a lovely store. So much fun to shop at. If you get there, go and shop, we loved it, but then I liked it when they were in St Charles too. But now they have so much more room. 

I am back. Boy am I glad it is a long weekend! I have tons of stuff to do, plus wanted to up date by blog since Stitches Midwest. This is a mug I found at the market and doesn't it just say it all? Life is good for me right now. I have an understanding family, great friends to travel with and they are always there for me when I ask them for anything. Life is good! So live it to it's full potential. And remember you can never have enough scarves no matter what anyone says! 

I'm Back! And have been for several days. But life has been so hectic this week. I did my first show as an Advisor for lia sophia and with that and putting away all of my Stitches Midwest stuff (and it is not all put away yet) it has been quite a week. And they actually wanted me to put in time at work and at the old part-time job at church.

I have some pics I have taken, but I don't even have time to show you those yet. Today in about an hour I am on my way to Indianapolis for a bus trip with the Peoria Area Stitches Guild. One of the stops will be Mass Ave Knit Shop. Believe it or not, there are a couple of things that I want to buy that I didn't find at Market or at Wool and Company in Geneva!

Hopefully tomorrow, I will have pics and more to report about Stitches Midwest. It was fabulous except I froze to death in most of the venues at Pheasant Run! It was un normally cold around here for the time of the year and I had all of those wonderful tank tops I just had to wear.

What to do What to do? Two days, well really only one and half days before Jan and I head to Stitches Midwest. I have so much I want to be knitting on. But, tonight is my starter party for lia sophia. Get through it, and tomorrow, return house to normal (yarn all over the place), get nails done, wash car, get money.....Pack and definitely figure out what to take to knit on. I want to take it all, but frankly, there is only much time for knitting up there. Will be doing alot of stash enhancement, stopping at Wool and Company in Geneva on our way up on Wednesday.

When I get home, I have to finish a couple of gifts and then pull out my knitting for me. I finished the last of my Summer tanks so I could take it to Stitches with me. When I get back, I will show you all what followed me home! Until next week...Knit on!

Where is this month getting to? I am going to turn around and it will be September! This is a full month. In little more than a week, my friends and I will be on our way to Stitches Midwest! It seemed like it would never get here and now it is within sight. It is going to be so much fun to see my friend Jan as she walks into the Market for her first time. I want to run in ahead of her and take her picture as she walks in. It is going to be so neat to see her reaction. Just like a kid on Christmas morning. If I get the chance, I will post her picture for all to see. She might not appreciate it, but it is like they always say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Before I go, though, I have a ton of stuff to do. My sons stripped the wallpaper off of our kitchen where it had been for at least 20 years! It is a start, but right now, I just need to get in back in order and then after Stitches Midwest is over and the first 5 weeks of being a lia sophia advisor is behind me then, I will be able to breathe for just a bit. Our one son will be back at college and his room will be mine to store all those bits of fiber that will be jumping in my car to come home with me. EEEK! I gotta stop thinkin, cause it is starting to consume me and there is so much to be done.

Tomorrow, we go to Mary's Yarn Shop in Eureka for a little knitting and yarn shopping. Not that I need any, but I am working on Two Old Bags Openwork Triangle Tote with Galway and Yellow that I showed a few weeks back. The novelty that I am carrying with the blue is not popping like I think it should, so I am going to see about getting something darker. I will keep you posted. And I need to pick up one of my sweaters that I am going to wear at Stitches and this will be the last chance before we go.

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.