After lusting over this scarf for over a year, I finally started it.  It took me a while to find a yarn I wanted to make it from.  I finally found it in August.  I held off starting it, though, because it wasn't really scarf weather.  However, I did use my handy dandy ball winder to wind up one skein (I have two).  I got two balls from one skein, cause boy are they big skeins!

So through my delay, I had the two wound balls in my room.  On my dresser.  Seemingly away from the kitty cats.  Little did I know that Velvet had gotten hold of one of the balls and knocked it into my hamper.  As I was doing laundry one fateful Saturday morning, I realized this.   As I opened the washer, I noticed these beautiful little blobs of pink, green, and yellow.  Much to my dismay, it was my lovely Brooks Farms Harmony Yarn!  I washed it.  In hot water, no less.  So that ball was ruined.  And I wasn't a happy knitter.  I put my second ball into the closet where even I had a hard time reaching it.  There was no way Velvet was getting her grubby little paws on it.   Poor cat was not the object of my affections for about a week.  I know, in my heart, she doesn't know any better.  That she's just a cat.  That she doesn't do these things to be vindictive.  There's no reason for her to even *be* vindictive.  However, someone had to take the blame, and it wasn't me!  Who looks at their clothes before they wash them?!  Not I!

Anyway... I finally got up the courage to retreive the precious yarn from my closet.  The one ball I have all wound up is all in one piece.  And my second skein is sitting patiently, waiting to have its day on the ball winder.  I know it is itching to become something.  It is serving no purpose sitting in my yarn basket.  So tomorrow, I'm giving that skein its day in the sun.  For now, I'm just pleased with the progress I've made on Clapotis.

I've finished section 2 - the increases.  I'm onto the straight part of the pattern.  Notice that I'm using my lovely new stitch markers.  I'll post close-ups of all the ones I've made so far.  For now, for Clapotis, that should be plenty.

Over the weekend, I went shopping with Chelsea.  Not only did I have a wonderful day (thanks, Chelsea!!), I gained a new skill (and thanks again!).  I can now make these...

Stitch markers!!!  Whoo hooo!  It relates to knitting, so it doesn't count as a new hobby, does it?  I don't think so.  I made these few on Sunday when I woke up.  And then I finished the knitting on my moss stitch (no, I'm not calling it seed stitch.  I don't care if I'm not British) hat.  However, after the last time I finished knitting this hat, and it all broke on me, I'm not going to finish, finish it until Mid-Meetup.  Its next Tuesday, so I only have a week to go until I can wear my cutey cute cute hat.  I'm hoping that I like it.  I just recently read Wendy's blog, and she didn't like it so much.  If not, I can always donate it.  Or frog it and make the embellished bag from the same book.

I think the hat will look cute.  I'm wondering if it will be cool enough to wear on my cruise to Bermuda.  I'll figure it out.

Do you remember this yarn?

It is finally getting a life as a knitted object.

And look, I'm using my stitch markers

The past few weeks have been hectic, hectic, hectic, but my schedule for the next two weeks is clear. YAY!!! I did get a lot of knitting done, mostly on my super-secret project. Hotel time is great for knitting. Since the super-secret project is unable to make its blog debut just yet, I'll show you what else I've been working on. As a matter of fact, last night, I ALMOST finished it. I got to the very last row, 8 stitches on the needles, and the instructions said "thread yarn through stitches and draw up". So I did, but I guess I don't know how to "thread yarn through" live stitches, and I ended up dropping half the stitches. It was a lovely, yarny mess. I figured it was best to start that part over. Thank goodness the hat is knit in two parts: the brim and the crown. The brim is done, but to start the crown over I have to pick up 92 stitches. Oh what joy that's gonna be to do AGAIN!!! I'll probably be done with it tomorrow or even tonight, depending on the day. I'll be glad when I'm done because it is cold and rainy and "hat season". Speaking of hats, I plan on making another hat out of this. That is the Crafty Bastards, Woolarina yarn I mentioned in my last entry. Gorgeous purples and greens and mauves. Very cool mix of colors. I really think I'm going to make mittens first, then a hat if I have time. I'm totally thinking of making just a basic, roll-brim hat from this yarn, but I think it will come out looking great. Speaking of Crafty Bastards, the fabric I showed you in my last entry has in fact morphed into a bag. And I have a picture of it. I love this bag, for the most part. I'm kind of sad because the handles are a little too short. Plus, and I don't know how, but I didn't purchase enough cording to put into the handles to give them some ooomph. I can still do that, but I've been soooo busy lately that I haven't had time. Maybe today, while I'm out shopping, I can stop by G Street Fabrics and pick that up The final project that I'd like to share are these. BABY BOOTIES!!! These little socks rock! The mama-to-be was thrilled with them and everyone in my office ooogled over how cute they are! I cannot wait until she has the baby. I'm hoping she takes a picture of little baby-to-be-named-later with those booties on and gives me one, so I can share the teeny baby feet with the world. I'm thinking of making another pair or two, just to keep around the house, for when the cuteness factor in my life is running low. I also thought that maybe the cats wouldn't mind having booties thrust upon all four of their paws. And that maybe that would help with the clawing of my bed - Velvet's new favorite place to sharpen those weapons of hers. But how can I be mad at such a pretty girl.

This is true.  I've been so busy these past three weeks that I truly have not had time to blog.  Part of the busy-ness has been knitting.  Most of the busy-ness has been in travel.

Three weeks ago, the last week of September, I was in New York City.  What a great time I had while I was there.  I was really there to teach a class, but, as I told my boss, the class was simply a distraction.  (FYI, he didn't find that very funny)

I stayed near this...

and this...

I saw this on Broadway...

I ate this after the show...

And I bought this for myself...

That would be five (5!!) skeins of Trekking XXL sock yarn.  I'm not sure of the colorways right now, but I've already started on the blue-ish black one.  I'll let you know more about the colors when I return to Maryland (did I mention I'm not home right now?)

The weekend after New York was Crafty Bastards weekend.  Paula was selling yarn, and how can I say no to yarn dyed (or spun) by someone I know?  I went there and did buy some Paula yarn.  Ummm... I haven't taken a picture of it... yet.  Its very soft Merino dyed in purple and yellow and green (Oh my!).  Very cute, and destined to become a pair of mittens.  And possibly a hat depending on the amount I have left.  I also bought the cutest dern fabric you ever did see.

It has already become a bag.  Ummm... no pictures of that either... however, it looks just like this.  Only with the polka-dot fabric.  The brown is on the outside and the big pink "disco dots" are the lining and the outside pocket.  I got lots of compliments in the airport the other day on it.  Mostly by teenage girls... I'm not sure what that means.  I'm assuming it means I'm young and hip.  Don't try to convince me otherwise.

After being home for something like three days, I jetted off to tropical (read balmy) North Carolina.  God I hate going there.  I shouldn't complain though.  I got lots of nice compliments on my teaching skills, and I got a LOT of knitting done.  This was knitting on a super-secret project, so I can't post pictures.  Hopefully the super-secret will be revealed this weekend, so I can share early next week.

Back to Maryland on Friday, october 7.  Exhausted.  Do laundry.  Clean house.  Love cats.  Fly to Cleveland on Monday.  Since I'm from Cleveland, you may think this a good thing, but its really not.  First, my parents are out of town.  Second, I didn't stay in Cleveland.  Instead, I drove over to Erie, PA.  The only nice thing I can say about Erie is the fact that it houses one of my new favorite yarn stores - The Cultured Purl.  Seriously, if you're ever in the Erie, PA area or even Buffalo, I think that this shop is worth the trip.  The owners were totally nice, and the variety of yarns they had was expanse.  I ended up buying the Louisa Harding accessories book.   I will be making the Moss Stitch Hat out of Fauve in red (color 11).    I can't wait to be done with the super-secret mystery project so I can start working on it.

Today, I finished my class in Erie, drove back to Cleveland, and am currently curled up in bed in my parents house (I love Wireless Networking).  I get to spend the weekend playing with my beautiful nieces and celebrating my father's birthday.  I also plan on sleeping, knitting, and possibly even reading a little bit, but right now, I'm tired.  This travel thing is exhausting!!!