Stop me! I want to start something new. Make me go back and work on that ponch for my mil for next September birthday. Remind me that I have to go 14" before I can do something different. You're not helping me!!! I am going for the sock cabinet to start a sock from the Socks book!!! Please help!!

Sorry, gotta go......it is calling me.

Sunrise in Cancun. I am having just a tad bit of trouble with not seeing the sun. The problem with going on vacation in February is when you get back you expect it to be Spring here! And so far it isn't happening. Not that I want to push the year along, but I am ready for Spring to be here!! And my kitchen to be done so I can get this stuff out of my living room. 

Wish I were there. The tan still looks good, but soon it too will fade. 

Betty on the left, me on the right. Did not need the shawl this morning, but by evening, you could be blown away from this view point. I think the following evening I was wearing my snoopy sweatshirt!  

Last week while on vacation, I needed a shawl while in Cancun. Our hotel was situated on the point of Cancun. On one side was the ocean and the other side was the Caribbean Sea. The wind blew constantly making the sun warming but not hot hot hot! So at times especially at night, some sort of cover was necessary. This has only happened one other time in the 5 years that my friend Betty and I have been taking our February vacations.

So, for next year I will be diligently bringing out the Charlottes Web Shawl for next year's trek. Who would think you would ever need extra clothing in Mexico in February??

View from our room and my knitted flip flops that my good friend Norma knit especially for me! They were so comfortable and I wore them to breakfast almost every day. I got a lot of compliments from them and I loved them! 

I'mmmm backkkk! Finally, made it home early this morning at 3:30 a.m. Almost 7 days later to the hour we left, we arrived back in Peoria. Had some problems getting out of Cancun, but had a wonderful time. Sat in the sun yesterday until almost 2:00 in the afternoon. Weather was great, view was great and I made a list of stuff not too take. One of the things is I only need 1 ball of yarn, cause I started a new sock and am just at the heel after 7 days! Will post the picture later for all to see what the new one looks like. Lets see how many February vacations it takes me to get it done!

Finally the vacation sox. I first started these three years ago when we went to Ixtapa for the first time. I only took them out when we went on our February vacation! But this year, I decided it was time to finish them before the trip, cause I was so close to finishing the last one that I didn't want to have to carry them and a new one along. I actually bought the Socka Cotton form the Black Purl in Wausau WI back in 1999 when I went to my first Meg Swansen Knit Camp. Even then, I had a passion for caribe blue and lime. That was before I started traveling every February. I'll show you the 2005 vacation sock when I get a little more done, maybe after vacation in LESS than one week!! 

Norma's Hanukkah sox. I can never remember if it is two ns or two ks? I have a mental block when it comes to it. Either way, I actually wrote down exactly what I did on these sox so next year I won't have to guess. And according to Norma, they fit perfectly. The varigeated is Kroy sock yarn and the solid is Regia solid. 

We have a destination.!! Dreams Cancun Resort and Spa. See all of it at www.dreamscancun.com
I think this will be even better than Punta Cana. We will be there by noon next Saturday, and though our rooms will not be ready, my suit and suntan lotion will be with me and I will be having a cold something and food by 1:00 p.m We will pace ourselves so as not to be so out of it that we can't enjoy dinner!

At the moment, I am just trying to decide on what knitting to take. As you can see above, I finally finished the vacation sox that I first started when we went to Ixtapa the first time. I bought the yarn itself back at Meg's Knit Camp at the Black Purl in Wausau WI in 1999! See even then I knew that Caribe Blue and Lime were cool. Have you shopped ready to wear yet? Does it not scream PENNY, PENNY, PENNY? I am also going to take my two tank like sweaters I knit this past spring. One will be perfect just to throw over the suit, cause when I wear it, it is just a tad too low, especially when I sit humped over.

Hi Wayne, if you are surfing blogs, I too have one! I started this cause it was easier than emailing all my knit friends all over the states to let them know what is going on with me with knitting. But please guys be sure and check out the other website: www.liasophia.com/pennyhalverson You can see how I am earning trip and yarn money! Hope to see you all later this Spring!

I'M BUMMED! And it snows, what else can happen? First, we find out last night that the trip we are planning on in just two weeks to Punta Cana is not going to be Punta Cana, cause due to last hurricane season, they are having a time with malaria. We still don't know where the tour is going, 3 options are out there, Bahamas, Cabos and Jamaca. Jamaca is out cause my friend used to go there all the time and the one time I touched down there, did not care for it. Been to Bahamas but that was 10 years ago on a cruise ship, would go there if that is where they take us. But we won't know anything until at least next Wednesday. Talk about flying by the seat of your pants! It is difficult to find a warm, blue water place that has 75 rooms still open for two weeks out. So maybe it is a good thing that I am not the Travel Agent. Worse comes to worse and it is Jamaca, I will stay home and maybe go to my friend's wedding in April in the Mayan Riveria!

So what ya goin to do? Yarn shop of course...and eat...I ate last night all of the rest of my Hawaiian treats that my friend Norma brought me back (I was into wallowing and food is my friend when I do that). So today we are going to Mary's to yarn shop for more scarf yarn. Just what I don't need, but when you are wallowing yarn is good! But it snows! But does that stop me, Heck no, as long as it not blowin, we're goin!!! A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

Stay tuned! If I don't get to go on vacation in two weeks, I will take time off to yarn shop, you can believe that one!!

It's me.! I have not fell off the face, just been extremely busy. Only 2 1/2 weeks to Punta Cana vacation. And of course the thin body I promised myself is still out there alusive. I weigh the same as last year, but why does the belly seem larger? Anyway, I have stuff to show, I just need to take the pics and post. Some of it is knit some of it just fun. I am still trying to decide what to take to knit. I always take loads to read and usually a sock. I have been working on the same pair for 3 years! But this year, I have people at work hounding me for scarves still so I was thinking some cool scarves would be fun. And they certainly are great conversation starters! And Mary from Mary's Yarn shop in Eureka brought some really cool new scarf yarns to our Evening Knitter Group last night in Peoria. Going to see Mary on Saturday if anyone wants to meet there and knit, drink coffee from the nearby coffee house and shop of course!

Gotta get ready for work, already running behind. I promise more pics soon from my new camera, that is a story in itself.

My son's scarf he requested. A couple of years ago, I knit both of the boys really nice sweaters and have never seen them wear them. I told them I would not knit for them unless they requested it. The youngest of the twins requested one when it was so darn cold outside and he had just started his job at Sears as a cart guy. I have not seen him wear it, except his brother did last night to take out the garbage. It is from Lambs Pride (the color was right) and I am not overly in love with Lambs Pride, its mohair content makes it shred. But, it is finished...Both pictures were taken with my new Christmas camera. This one I told it to shoot it just like it looked. And this is what the lighting looked like coming in the front window. I still have a long way to go to figure out this camera before next month's trip to Punta Cana.  

Twisted Sisters Jacket, finished but not! This is a strange pattern but I love it. There really wasn't any schematics only a gauge as to how many ridges to do. So, I knit it blind almost, something I never do, stress never. I always check gauge and know exactly how something is going to fit. But this one, I just knit blindly on it. Now, I am adding a 3 inch band to each of the sleeves in the blue. And then, will probably add 3 inches as a band around the bottom. The colors are yet to be deternined for that. I love the yarn, it is Araucania Nature Wool made in Chile. The style of the Pythagorean Theorum Jacket is not a good one for me, it is much like the Obi Jacket, but it will be nice as a sweater to wear to keep warm around home and when I go to my friend's house. 

Only one more day and it is back to work! As a good friend told me this week, this last week has been what retirement is like! That's nice, I only have about 7 years until I can even think about retiring and only about 17 until I can afford to retire.

Today started with a bang. Had an emergency phone call to the hospital for my mother-in-law who needed a pacemaker put in PDQ. Thank goodness all went well. I still had time to fit in a little knitting with my friends this p.m. but am pooped tonight. Only about 4 more ridges left and the Twisted Sisters jacket will be done for picture taking purposes. I sure hope it fits. Then, back to Cabin Fever Poncho. I am on a roll, don't stop me now!

With the time I have spent at the hospital the last few days, I did manage to get some knitting done on a gift for mid January. Still alot of knitting to do for it, but I prefer that it be done at home not at the hospital. Four, no five projects left that I HAVE to knit, and then it is knit just for me and WHAT I want too. 2005 it's all about me. I think...

Because I can't stand to not look ahead, I have opened up my knit calendar for 2005, BUT I have only looked at Jan 1-3! I am going to love looking at the new dates each day. This pic taken with old camera, cause I have not had time to do the software on the new one. Ssshhh! Don't tell Bob. 

Frustrated I am. I am sitting at my computer knitting. Why? Because it is so damn slow! I know I need more memory but I am thinking wouldn't a new computer be much nicer? What am I thinking? Somebody stop me.... Maybe just a little memory to start with.

Anyway, enough, enough of that. Only 3 days and it is back to work. I have so enjoyed this time off. I have spent it knitting, shopping and with friends and family. It has been so nice. I do have a list of things I have not yet accomplished from this vacation but there is still time. I really want to get the Pythagorean Therum jacket pretty much finished up so I can sew all the loose seams in tomorrow at my friend's New Years Get Together. Then I can post a pic for all to see. That is if anyone besides me reads my blog.

Some day I hope to see my blog listed on one of the ones I read daily that they also read mine. But of course, first you have to have something worth reading for others to go to. That is also a challenge for 2005 for me along with designing a couple of sweaters that are going around in my head. Most of them are knock offs from RTW.

Oh yes, my mind is always making more challenges. I like that better than opportunities or even new year's resolutions. Challenges, yes, challenges I like it, I think now I will challenge myself to get moving--there is only 12 .5 hours left to this year, make the most of it!!

Why is it when the year isn't even over and I barely got the Christmas stuff all put away do I already have my list of next year's knitting for gifts made. I have decided that for the family members outside of my house (read as neices, nephews and their children) 2005 is the last year that I give birthday and Christmas presents. Yes, I have said this before but I am saying it again and I will tell each one of them that I want them to do the same for us too.

With that said, I have decided that the final year will entail - socks for their birthdays. Afghans for the couples for Christmas! Which means I have got to get my butt in gear and start knitting afghans right away to get them all done. But the good thing is that when 2005 is done, their should be a dent in the sock stash AND a considerable dent in the large yarn bags that I have accumulated on various great deals.

Now, as my knitting friend Jo said tonight when I announced that I was on a yarn diet "I've heard that before". How true, how true, but as in somethings, sometimes just dreaming is the best part of doing something.

Stay tuned! Happy New Year!

My Christmas present from my husband. What a surprise? I bought him plumbing for our house and he got me a camera! He truly is a peach and it is times like this that I am fully reminded of it. Just on Christmas eve, my brother-in-law was showing me his new Pentax digital and I was telling him how I wanted a Canon Rebel Digital SLR when the price comes way down. Imagine my surprise when there it was on Christmas morn! I still can't believe it. It will take me forever to learn how to use the SLR part of it. But the digital automatic pics are great and anyone can use it! More in the days ahead as I learn how to get them from the camera to the computer! Happy Day After!! 

My new years resolution! Knit up the yarn on the bottom two shelves, the sack on the right hand side on the 3rd shelf, the bag of scarf stuff on the left side 2nd shelf AND the basket and bag on the floor. My gosh, that might take me two years! Who said I needed a yarn fix? I don't think so!