Bling Bling

Check out the bling I got at our Mary Kay Unit Awards tonight:
Being third in sales got me this....
Wanna sign up?
I've got a pen you can use.....
Whoever thought I would get so excited about sparkly things!? Not me!

I Love Pesto

I picked some basil from our garden at work the other day, so I just finished making some fresh pesto. Gawd, I could eat this stuff all day, every day.

Anyway, some updates....

• the family reunion went really well. All the planning was worth it! Some pictures....

This is my cousin's husband Jamie- he works on the oil fields in Alberta. You should have seen his face when we told him he needed to wear a kilt... what a good sport! He even kept it at the end of the week, for the next reunion....

And here's what my family served for dinner...... haggis and black pudding links! Well, not the main course (we had salmon for that), but enough for everyone to get a taste or two!

• I started Branching Out with my Sea Silk. I did two repeats of the pattern, with a garter stitch in the middle. I think this is the one!
• 
• I've finished the main part of the baby vest. I'll head to the Sheep tomorrow and pick up a colour for the edging. I'm thinking burlap or green. What do you think?
• I think I'll get enough to make Sam as a Christmas present. It looks so cute!

• the guy I went on 4 dates with? Apparently that was all.....

Back In the Knitting Groove

Oh, how I wish I could just knit all day.....

Progress is being made on Polka Purl Dots, but as you can see, I am using a basket weave pattern rather than the dots chart.













I have a couple of balls left of Mission Falls Cotton from Tulip, so I started a vest for Rachel- I'm going to Edmonton to see Tracey (her mom) and family in September, so I want to bring a gift. I'll do the vest in solid pink, and the edging in a purple or something. The pattern is Ziggy, from the Mission Falls Wee Knits book.




















And... a trip to Chinatown on Tuesday for lunch included a quick trip to Lettuce Knit. I am a sucker for that store (thank god it's not down the street from me, although I'm a sucker for the Sheep too), I can't go in without buying something.

I bought myself some Fleece Artist Sock Yarn, which Lisa always raves about. I think the colourway looks pretty funky- everything else was very pastel looking.













Right next to the cash register was this pattern:


It's Simple Knitted Bodice from Stitch Diva Studios. I'd been drooling over the pics of it in the new magazines, but hadn't had a chance to look for it yet. I figured it was fate.
I have no clue what yarn I'll use, the stuff it calls for (Tilli Tomas Pure and Simple and Rock Star) are pretty pricey.











And just for fun, this is my friend Paul trying oysters.
The Gull and the Firkin has "Buck a Shuck" Oysters on Wednesday nights. They're yummy. Don't let Paul's face fool you.

Sea Silk Obsession Continues

Update:
Brenda brought her completed Branching Out Scarf to Stitch n' Bitch tonight.

This will be the next attempt for my Sea Silk.

Sea Silk Obsession

Is it possible to love a skein of yarn too much?

I think so.

I have this skein of Sea Silk. I walked around with it in it's original skein state for the first week, then thought I should try to do something with it.

But, because I love it SO MUCH, I want whatever I make with it to be perfect. Argh. I hate it when my perfectionism kicks in.

I started with Backyard Leaves from ScarfStyle. I got really worried about having enough yardage for it to be long enough (the gauge was totally off,I just thought the pattern and the yarn would go well together, I still do!).

Then I tried a lace pattern from the crazy Japanese stitch book I bought in New York, but I didn't like the way the beginning edge was looking, and I wasn't sure I was getting the stitches right (it's all in Japanese, you know).

Last night I started one of the lace leaf pattern scarves from the insert in the new IK magazine. It's going well, but I think it's too wide for what I want, and it's not "lacey" enough, there aren't enough holes in it.

I think I need to put it away for awhile.

Religion

I'm not a religious person at all, and I have a few "issues" with organized religion .... but I do respect people who are religious for their own reasons, and are not afraid to talk about it, be involved, and fit it into modern day life.

I just finished reading about my friend Jo's pilgrimage. Read about it here.

Her pilgrimage was part of her involvement in the Mir Movement.

I'm not inspired to rejoin the church, but her comments on peace have certainly made me sit and think for a moment. There have got to be things I can do differently in my life.

Another Finished Project

Tulip... finished. It just needs a good blocking. But I thought I had better post before you all left me for someone who posts more often.....

I wouldn't recommend using Mission Falls for it. As much as I love the yarn, it did turn out pretty bulky. I think I'll probably wear it anyway.

And check out the new do! Heather and her ankle are on the mend, so my bad hair days are in the past!

Next project: Polka Purl Dots from IK, in the yarn they call for... Butterfly Super 10.
Oh, and something with the skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk I bought... after I stop sleeping with it.... I'm thinking a version of Backyard Leaves from Scarf Style might be lovely. Then I could still sleep with it....