Bad with the Good

I've been very bad...very delinquent in my bloggin'. Trying to make up for lost time in one swoop. Need to start off by saying that I have the BEST SECRET PAL. Her alias is "Erin Waters" and she started the ball rolling with an e-mail getting to know me better than just the questionairre. She then send me a Sheepy postcard to let me know that my first package would be in the mail shortly. Then we started swapping recipes every week...I totally plagiarized her idea for my secret pal (but I am using my own recipes). Then my first package came as you can see in the photo below:


My First Secret Pal 5 Package! 

I was almost reduced to tears when she included a really great bouncy ball for Elijah. I also got a bar of great smelling soap by Colonial Soaps (Apple Pie) and then 3 skeins of Knit Picks Shimmer in Morning Mist(decisions, decisions, decisions about what to use this wonderful fiber for) and finally a skein of Crystal Palace Chenille with a pattern for a bath mitt included. Might be something I use for mom whose birthday is coming up in September and then I can include her favorite bath stuff from The Body Shop.

I also had to come to grips with the fact that despite driving up and back to Asheville, NC from Tampa...it still wasn't enough time to finish Elijah's Harry Potter scarf in time for Friday night's parties to launch the next book. Here is a photo (a la Yarn Harlot's traveling socks) of the scarf on our way to NC.


Harry Potter Scarf on its way to NC 

At least I am almost half-way there so for sure it will be finito by Halloween so he can be Harry and then also wear it to the Goblet of Fire premiere on 11/18. We actually listened to Goblet of Fire on CD in the care on our way to NC and back.

Yes, our trip...spent a lot of time dragging my hubby and son to yarn stores. First up after visiting the Coca Cola museum in Atlanta was Cast-on-Cottage in Roswell.


Elijah w/ the Coca Cola polar bear at the museum 

Wow...rooms and rooms of yarn. Sorry no pics as I was pushing my luck as it was just being there! I spent the first 20 minutes just wandering around and around touching all of the yarnt hat I have only heard about. Ended up leaving with 2 skeins of koigu for socks, sheep taped measure and something for my secret pal (shhhh).


Koigu and sheep tape measure from Cast-on-Cottage 

They were all out of Mountain Colors Bearfoot (wanted to get some to make the new Rib and Cable Socks pattern in Fall Interweave 2005). Saturday afternoon after lunch in Black Mountain I dragged the troops to Wilde and Wooly (this time) they were smart and left me. Again I wandered around and around. I ended up getting two skeins of Diamusee fine by Diakeito in a very fallish colourway for socks for Sockapaltwoza and Elijah picked out some Trekking yarn for socks.


Trekking yarn for Elijah's socks on top and Diamusee fine for my sock pal's socks 

I started last nite and got to finish the cuff. Wonderful yarn! I actually found 2 more skeins on ebay. However, I left the store without picking up Diadomina by Diakeito...a sparkly mohair that I saw knitted up in a mulitdirectional scarf. Now of course I can kick myself. I did the same thing with yarn I saw at Cast on Cottage...a Great Adirondack Yarn with sequins that I saw in a really cool neck scarf with funky tassels at the ends.

And last but not least the one-year birthday party at my LYS, Knit N Knibble was fantastic! Got a lot of knitting done (planned on staying for the entire day because you needed to be present to win any of the door prizes) and actually won a whole bag of yarn...On Line 10 skeins 1800 yds Black Clip...that I plan to use for the corset pullover from Interweave.

Phew that's a mouthful!