Post tax season has arrived!!!!!

I am free at last! . . . .and don't know what to do first. Oh my goodness! There is so much to get caught up on that I don't know where to start. eeek!

I also have my exam next Saturday so I am studying but at the same time trying to give myself a little break. A change in attitude has really helped there. . .instead of getting frustrated when I can't remember everything. . . I am instead opening my mind to try and embrace the information that hasn't stuck. It seems to be helping.

It will be what it will be. . .I can't force it. I have at least taken on some more complex clients at work which has really sharpened my skills. . .I need to do it hands on to get it to sink in or it doesn't mean anything.

Reading:

Finished the twilight series. . . . .what a great series and a fabulous love story. I still liked the 1st book the best but I was glad to see the ending in the 4th and to finally figure out some lingering questions I had about how things worked. The author did do it in a very tasteful manner for those who get all bashful at the idea. Me. . I am very open about everything so it would take a lot to make me blush.

Got the movie too. . the actor who plays Edward Cullen. . .can you say yum? ah. . .more details please!

Knitting projects:





Finished the sweet pea for my cousin . . it was so cute. .I hated to part with it but i can make another one.

I also started the Monkey sock since I am teaching a class starting May 1st at Green Mountain Fibers. . .only one is done since I will be knitting the other for the class itself. This is out of jitterbug. . .this yarn is amazing. . . .done on size 1 1/2 dpn. . 2's are a little too big for me and 1's are too small so 1 1/2 are just right.

It was a blast. . so easy!

I will also be teaching 3 other sock classes during the summer out of the sock innovation book.(which is fabulous . . so run out and get a copy . . . but if you take the classes at GMF you get a discount. . .check the website http://www.greenmountainfibers.com/ details to be posted soon.)

Sweater project. . .must have one of those going in the back ground. I started Vaila out of Malabrigo . . .which is like knitting butter. . but unfortunately pills when you just look at it.

Doesn't it look yummy!

I also gave myself a much needed reward this year. Instead of going away after tax season like we always do. . .mostly because there is so much to do with the house and I have an exam coming up. . .instead I purchased something I have been drooling over FOREVER!

Now is isn't the exact model I wanted but it is a very solid foundation for sure.

oh ya! I have wanted a sewing machine for a long long time. A good one. . .not one of those machines with plastic parts. . .no. . . a REAL sewing machine. My goal is to make some pillows for the living room, a baby quilt, and maybe some curtains this summer. Yes I said baby quilt. . but I am not pregnant . . .yet. We will start trying this fall. Yes, I am a planner . . it is what keeps me sane.

ttfn -off to study. . .

Katie's Socks and Sweet Pea

Not much to talk about. I pretty much do tax returns in my sleep at this point. Only 4 more weeks. . then life can go back to normal. . .thank goodness. . .I am so exhausted!

I did finish Katie's birthday socks! Which came out fabulous! . . .and I just could not wait until April 7th to give them to her . . .so I did!

And they were so much fun that I started a pair in green for Me! Only one skein is needed too! Woohoo!

I also started the Sweet Pea for my cousin who's baby shower is at the end of this month. . .so I have a few more Sunday's to get this done. But I love it! I so want one for my baby. . .my hypothetical one that is. I got the idea off from the sixoneseven blog because the original pattern. . .not so cute. But look how it is turning out. . . .

some little brown booties and a hat. . . its just too cute!

A smidge of progress

A smidge of progress but not much. I have been in the full force blur of tax season along with having several audits going on at the same time. By Sunday, my one and only day off . . .I am lucky to know who I am let alone follow a pattern.

I did get a nice break two nights this week when Julie came to visit. I really wish I could have taken a day off to spend with her but I just can't this time of year. . . it is impossible. It was so good to laugh. . .we knitted and laughed for two evenings which helped to lift my spirits to get through the next 6 weeks. I didn't make it to the gym at all this week but hey. . .laughter is good for the heart too.

I was able to complete one of the socks which does have a April deadline since it is a birthday gift. The pattern is free online:

http://bellaknitting.typepad.com/bella_knitting/2007/09/synesthesia-soc.html

Hopefully I can finish it with one skein of jitterbug but it made me nervous and I bought another just incase. Will let you know.

The furniture is out of the box! Yippee!

Only 3 hours later but the rug is down. . .table and chairs are up. . .whew. . .and I am tired! But I just love it. . .I am soooooooooooooo happy!!!

The floor. . .not so pretty. . .but nothing a rug can't fix. . .for now. See what I mean. . .right around the rug that was there at one point. . .weird? It will be beautiful once we have it finished though.

After the second coat of red.

Habitat hat complete . . .putting up furniture soon. . .just in time for tax season to kick off. . .whew!

Such a long two weeks since my last post. I finished the habitat hat which came out nice. I did how ever change the needle size since my husband has a small head. I knitted the entire hat in a size 7 instead of a size 8. I don't have photos of it actually on his head because it is on display at Green Mountain Fibers right now in Rutland. So stop by and check it out. It was knitted in Debbie Bliss luxury tweed in gray. I really wanted chocolate but that was on back order. . .

So then when that came in last week. . .I started the central park hoodie. The chocolate is very yummy. . .I am going through my chocolate phase right now. Haven't gotten very far on this sweater yer . . . .but that happens this time of year for me.

Open house for Green Mountain Fibers is on Saturday, January 31st. . . .lots of sales and prizes . . please stop by. It is going to be great! I was there yesterday afternoon helping out with bookkeeping and getting prepared. I think I talked Kathleen into doing a chicks, sticks, and flicks night at some point . . ..like we use to do at Stitchy Women when my friends owned it. It was so much fun! I really miss it. Especially Sue and Marlee :(

On the house front. . . we have the dining room primed. . .

and the first coat of red on. . ..

. . .got the second coat too but I didn't have the energy to even pick up the camera. Joel pulled the carpet up on Monday . . . . .but they finished the floors around the rug that was apparently there at one point. . .who does that? So I am off today to target to get a rug to put down to cover the unfinished floor . . . for now. Then the furniture comes out of the box! Woohoo!

I can't wait to be done with this. . then it is no more painting until after tax season . . .I can not do anymore . . .I just can't. Even as I look into my kitchen from my newly painted dinning room to baby blue cabinets and yellow and blue flowered and striped wallpaper. . .and a stove from 1970. . .spring. . .it has to wait until spring.

I did get to see Julie this weekend and finally give her and her family their xmas gift which I refused to put on my blog until I had given it to her. I not only knit but I stamp and scrapbook so . . . .

Everyone got a bag of reindeer poop, a jar of cocoa, a mug. . . and they all got this years Danforth ornament.

Now don't think I came up with this idea all on my own . . . the master mind behind the stamped items would be my extremely talented stampin up rep Trena. . .I took a class and then used her ideas to put a basket together. . .Trena is brilliant!

ok. . .off to Target!

Some progress this week. . .but not as much as I would like

Well I have some progress this week. . .but really not as much as I would have liked to have done. If I only didn't have to sleep! I could get so much done. I am studying for my CPA exam . . .which I booked over xmas for February 28th (so it is final now) and I just went back to the gym. Two things that are very important but yet another thing to my massive list of duties. If I didn't go back to the gym. . .I will never make it through tax season. . the stress would build up so bad I would burst.

Cambridge vest. . ..

This came out very nice and I am really happy with it. Looks great with a dress shirt and pants. I wore it to work and got many complements . . .and most people think it is store bought. That is always a nice complement.

Then after an hour of deliberating on what to start next I decided to try the Habitat hat by Jared Flood.

Note, I placed markers at the end of each pattern repeat. . .there is 5 of them. This just makes it easier to focus when you are trying to multi-task . . .something I do all the time. There are many cables in this pattern . . .which I love but it does require a little mental attention. This is made using Debbie Bliss luxury tweed purchased at Green Mountain Fibers in Rutland.

Katie came over and I finally took a couple quick snap shots of her in the sifting sands scarf that I made for her for xmas. This pattern is available for free. . . check it out on ravelry. Made from malabrigo which I purchased at webs (www.yarn.com). Green Mountain Fibers just purchased some punta yarn that is very similar and I am dieing to know how that will look in this pattern.

Katie loves it. . .it is soft and purple. . .what more could she ask for.

The dining room is coming together. . .Joel just finished the sanding yesterday (8 hours worth). I will spend a few hours today washing the dust from the walls so we can prime next weekend. Dining room table. . .ya that is still in the box. Grrrrrr. . .I so wanted to paint this weekend. . .again the time thing.

Progress. . .and new project decisions

Well the week has been quite busy as usual. Our office was closed on Thursday and I spent the day at the yarn shop even though it was closed entering the remainder of the inventory into the POS system. Joel spent the day skim coating the plaster walls and painting his hunting/fishing room. Needless to say. . .not a day of rest. . . but you have to take these days as opportunities to get things done or they will never happen.


I spent most of the week last on the phone with tech support at our office. I have now developed a close relationship with a guy named Chris since i spent at least 8 hours on the phone with him this week alone! Finally we figured it out. . .you see we have decided to go paperless at our office . . which will be great. . .once the bugs are worked out. But right now it is sooooo time consuming. Especially when there are so many things I want to get a jump on before tax season starts.

On the home front, we have a lot of progress on the walls. We should have them finished for painting next weekend. The skim coat worked great, the sanding just takes time and you have to let the skim coat dry a day. I am very impressed with my husband. He really has done a fantastic job and been a trooper! Especially since he does most of the work. I can paint but the skim coat and sanding. . .its just better that i don't go there.

I also finished the pawprints cardigan for my friend Rita's little boy Maddox. He was born in November but I have been dragging out the last part of the project. The sweater wasn't hard, just out of cotton and I just do not want to knit with cotton in the winter. . .I want my wool!

Maddox is absolutely adorable. . .he is such a little peanut just like her daughter Cadence was. A very good baby too. We ate dinner at the Palms and he barely fussed at all. . .she is so lucky . . .once again!




Almost finished with the Cambridge vest. I have one shoulder to do and then the edging. Excellent project and excellent yarn. Rowan really knows what the are doing.



With the Cambridge Vest almost done I am pondering the idea of the next project. Unfortunately even though working in a yarn store is fun and inspiring . . it is also hard to behave in. . .I have acquired the following and I am not sure what to knit next. I have also made the new years resolution to knit more from my stash so i have some room in my craft room to do things in. . . . We will see how that goes. . . .



Socks obviously. . .not sure on the pattern yet. or . . . . use this



to make these



http://www.knotions.com/issues/fall_2008/patterns/oak_leaf/directions.aspx



or make the habitat hat by Jared flood out of this. . . .


Haven't found a sock pattern for this either. . .

Or this yet. . . .


Or this one. . .




hmmm. . .or this one either


Since I am not religious . . I am now placing my hand on the fiber and repeating. . .I will knit from my stash. . my stash only (not the yarn stores) . . so help my fiber. K1P1.