All of these needles in my Bass Pro Worm Bag and not a decent size 7 circular to knit the Touch Me Scarf below with. So into the basement I went, and resurrected an old pair of straights! Just another reason to not get rid of them and continue to work on WIPS because I know I have more 7s out there then this measly 16". Even the Denise 7s are in something! Somewhere 

Just couldn't just send a pic of the Touch Me Scarf I am knitting. There were just too many lime pieces calling to be included in the pic.  

Whatcha going to do this weekend?

I have a list :)

1. Work in the yard a bit. Not too much mind you, but enough so that what plants are out there can breathe. They don't know it is spring, I have been keeping them in the dark.

2. Work in the basement a bit, need to start sorting some things and throwing some things and making room for things that have been upstairs can work towards going downstairs since the smoke smell is disapating.

3. Wind some yarn. Before my epiphany of last week, I bought yarn and have to wind it up. Yes there will be pics soon.

4. Work on the pyth jacket, I am at the point on the back where I am needing to decide how much I will be adding and what it will do to the width of the back. Again, there will be pics to follow.

5. Watch a little t.v. and knit of course. The Indy 500 is on Sunday, and I always take the time to watch it. Hopefully, there will be a sunny sky and no rain. It is a great time to knit!

6. Catch up on a little reading. And hopefully bask in the sun for a bit while doing it.

That's my list for the long weekend. Hope you all have a great one too. Can't express in words how much you all mean to me and I appreciate all of your thoughts and words. I am so lucky! Linda-chin up, we will SURVIVE to knit another day.

GQ here he comes. Mr. Studly. 

Feels good Mom! 

A face only a mother could love. You think he likes his wool scarf in May? 

Willie, is that your big bird back there? 

Sometimes you just gotta laugh. Finished this scarf last week while sitting around you know where. I think the kid needs a hat! And yes, I have sufficient yarn for one....Miss my radical knitters terribly, hoping for next Thursday, NO--planning on at least knitting. I feel the good thoughts today. 

In light of some recent events, I have once again taken stock on several levels. I have to start being in control of a lot of things. Money, weight, family, and finally gasp!, yarn purchases. I do have enough to knit until I retire (which we do know is at least another 15 years). So as hubby will be going on a healthy diet, so must I go on a yarn diet. I must knit what I have cause I have way too much. Of course I say that before I open the box that I ordered from Threadbear Fiberarts. This is my final yarn purchase until I knit down what I have. I must, there is just no other way around it. And there are bills to be paid. Stay tuned, I'll let you know how hubby and I are both doing.

Suede Poncho is done and I wore it today to the Peoria Area Stitchers Guild Luncheon. I loved wearing it and I do believe I could wear it to work because it is very computer typing friendly. The only thing you have to do is be sure to keep it up when going to the bathroom!! 

The Radical Knitters Unofficial Knit-A-Long Begins. These are my choices of Twisted Sisters Jazz yarn. Jo has hers and has swatched. Char is picking hers out and may go with one of the other patterns in their leaflet. We meet again next week! More pics then? 

Happy Mothers Day to Me! On Friday night, I went to put in my VCR a old old copy of Knitting Around that I taped probably 15 years ago off of PBS. It was not complete, and had stuff in between, but I cherished it! My VCR has been acting up, the minute I put it in, I heard this very nasty sound. I knew what happened. So, Roger came out and got it out for me, repaired it a little bit ( I just couldn't rewind it all the way) and tossed the old VCR away and brought up my spare from the basement. That is when I decided it was time to get a "real" copy of Knitting Around and complete! So I got on the net and ordered from Schoolhouse Press. And it arrived today! I am so excited, but I have stuff to do before I can sit and watch it. I am so excited though! And the weather has turned cool, so I think I will make a pot of Kona Macadamia Nut Chocolate Coffee and enjoy a few episodes! I may be a tad sleepy tomorrow, but I also have a dentist appt so I can sleep while they clean the teeth!! 

What am I doing this day before Mother's Day? Preparing for Willie's return in the next week. You see for the last few months as many know he has been away at college. Now, he comes home for not just the Summer but for who knows how long (if he finds a job here after his internship it will be a while, if not who knows where he will be) Anyway, I am cleaning out his room of as much of my stuff possible ( I have had control of it for the last four years while he was away, only taking my stuff out in the summer). So now I am rearranging a couple of pieces of furniture and decided to move my knitting bookcase. To do so meant taking them all out. So in doing, I am going to double check and enter those I don't have listed in my Hand D Base on my Palm. And since there is not much worth watching on t.v. tonight, I am going to look through them as I do. Ahhhh-what a great way to spend a Mother's Day Eve!! But, while moving stuff out I have come across about 3 boxes of books that I have not read! Between knitting and reading I should be pretty well set for a life of about another 50 years!  

Finally there is sunshine and warm weather. I put away my winter jackets and folded up the winter blanket! It will probably snow now. When I put the turtle necks away it got down to record lows. Sorry world! You can blame it on me. But if it gets too warm too fast then when will I wear all those spring/summer sweaters I have not completed yet??

I saw on the Knitters Website this afternoon the cover of the new Knitter's magazine. That must mean it is on it's way. Wouldn't it be nice if it came tomorrow?
I am ready for some new knitting magazines to look at. As soon as they come, I sit down and peruse them, hopefully this issue will have some things I just can't live without knitting! And you know what that means --Yarn Shopping:)

Not all of the Radical Knitters are ready to start the Pyth Jacket Knit-a-long (I have started mine) but soon we will all be ready with yarn and pattern decided? So here is last Thursday's Yarn Souvenir. Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed will be Carol Anderson's Tunic Sweater. Going to Knit Night tonight at Char Rickey's. It will be great to see her and see what she has been knitting! Chinese anyone? 

The Suede poncho is done, well at least knitted. I tried it on and was not too sure that I liked it. But then I started putting on the fringe, and have decided it looks good when it is laying there. I was only going to put fringe every so often, but decided it needs lots of fringe. I am waiting to post pic of it when it is all done. Maybe I can get Bob to take the pic of me with it.

Started the first triangle of the Pyth Jacket. The purple is dark to see when trying to count ridges. The pattern calls for size 7 needle, so of course I started with a 4, cause I always have to go way down, and for once I am using exactly what the pattern called for and I am getting the gauge.

The yarn is considerably finer than what I used on my first one, so this will be interesting to see what the fit is on it. I am going to make more triangles to make it longer and I bought an extra ball in all four colors just in case. I hope I bought enough. This is not one that I want to sit around with. It cannot be a WIP for long

I have had a GREAT few days! On Thursday, I took a half day off and spent the most delightful few hours with the Daytime Knitters of the Peoria Areas Stitchers Guild. This is a group of mostly retired ladies. What fun it was sitting around Norma's table knitting, eating dessert and drinking coffee.

After the ladies departed for home, Norma and I went over to Mary's in Eureka to see what was new there. Then we for a great dinner at Katy's in Washington. After all it was time to eat.

After Katy's we went to Knit Night in Morton and the new yarn shop Ewe-nique Yarns. One of our Radical Knitters, Linda joined us. Since I was just about done with my Suede poncho, I needed to stock up on yarn for a new project (I like to knit on yarn from the shop I am sitting in) so I got Debbie Bliss Aran tweed for Carol Anderson's Tunic Sweater (I made one years ago when I was much heavier). Now it is time for one that fits. I won't get rid of the too big one because it is nice and comfy at times. Weight Watchers would tell me to get rid of it, but I really like it so I am keeping it.

And then today, Norma, Jo and I went over to Needleworks in Champaign, mainly to buy yarn for the unofficial knit a long that the Radical Knitters are doing of Twisted Sisters Pythagorean Theory Sweater. Jo and I bought yarn for it, Norma bought a pattern book from them that has a different cardigan in it that she might get more use then the one we are doing.

I can't begin to tell you how gracious the ladies and gentlemen over at Needleworks are. I had not been there in probably a year, but they welcomed us like we were one of their regulars! Sharon is the sweetest women, she wound all of Jo and my Twisted Sisters Yarn (Jo had what 12 and I think I had about 16). Jo went to have lunch with her son and Sharon told Norma and I that we were going to eat with them. They were celebrating Matthew and all other April birthdays and there was an table full of food. Janice grilled hotdogs, brats and sausages. Kate had a great Ramen salad that she gave us the recipe for, Ray brought fruit and dip and there were sweets and breads galore.

We bought yarn, ate, sat and knitted and vistited like we were a part of the group. Needleworks is my kind of yarn shop, the kind that you always dream about owning or if not your own, one you want to be able to go to. Kind of like Cheers where everyone knows your name. If you get a chance you have got to go visit them and tell them that Penny sent you.

And now to complete the great few days I have been having, I am going to go sit with my coffee in front of the t.v. watching Cardinal baseball, and Knitting! How good can life be? Not any better. Pictures tomorrow-hopefully! Thanks to all of my knitting friends for everything you do with me!!

Char, Linda, Jo, Jan and Norma- Check this site out for prices on the kits for the Twisted Sisters Jacket.

http://www.greatyarns.com/kitsyarns.htm

and check Needleworks website for colors

http://www.cu-needleworks.com/news.htm

Hard to believe but my sons are 22 today! And this is probably the only time they wore the sweaters I painstakingly knitted for them. I am now the proud recepient of both. And my vow after these two sweaters was that they would have to ask me to knit for them if they ever wanted something. So far, Roger on the left, asked for a long scarf this last winter when it was so cold and he was working at Sears bringing carts in. Willie (Will to his friends) on the right, wanted a scarf too, but alas it got too warm before I finished it. It is currently a WIP sitting in a plastic bag with the knitting books. Maybe next year, I'll get it done. Time does fly doesn't it? 

Do you think I have enough jewelry? This is what keeps me busy when I am not knitting and yarn shopping. My two obesessions. This week begins an interesting week with the lia sophia business. I have back to back parties next Saturday and Sunday and then yesterday I got a wild one when I wanted to book one more for the month of April. Of course I gave the soon to be hostess and incentive, if she booked a party in the last week of April (which means she has to be fast with her guest list) she could choose out of a little box of discontinued jewelry! So she did and now booked it for next Tuesday which is Tuesday Knit Night at Lakeview Library. So I will miss this one knit night, something I said I would not do when I started selling lia sophia, but could not pass up getting one more party in for the month of April. Need more info on lia sophia? Check our catalog out at: www.liasophia.com/pennyhalverson Sorry, I have not spent enough time figuring out how to direct link the website, maybe that will be a Summer Project!