Long weekend

Had a lot of “ME” time this weekend but not all of it was wonderful.

Friday Night was our monthly “smocking” meeting. We haven’t smocked in years but I can’t come up with a substitute name. We just gabbed but decided to work during the year for stuff to send to the troops. It is amazing to watch these ladies develop an idea. I glad they didn’t decide on a major project for the future as I still have the Underground Railroad and Bamboo Dance quilts to finish.

Saturday was a lay around the house kind of day. Started SOSII but many issues mainly due to my yarn choice. I have to admit I wanted to show off but needing glasses to watch every stitch isn’t my favorite kind of knitting. I had to throw out some yarn as it was looking sad after repeated trips to the frog pond. Shouldn’t be a problem, there’s several miles left on the cone. I finally got up to row 12 but lost it all – the needle fell out! Decided this needs better needles so the hunt was on.

I did end my craft store drought. Ron dropped me off at Joann’s before the Sunday Ravelry meeting. No suitable needles, of course, but I found some Christmas stockings at 70% off – great start for the troops! The Ravelry ladies are AMAZING! It is so nice to hang out with people I don’t need to explain things. We entertained everyone in Paneras with 2 spinning wheels, lots of knitting and lots of giggles. There was even an impromptu sock toe cast on lesson by the Tsock Tsarina. I can’t wait to get the first installment of her sock club. You won’t believe what she was working on unless you see her blog. Everyone else made progress on various projects. I finished up the second pair of wristlets.

I had knitted a pair of wristlets from my swap present. The pattern is super easy – just garter stitch 2 rectangles – sew then together leaving a hole for the thumb. Look cute out of the soft, fluffy boucle. I have vowed to resign as the wardrobe mistress for the gorilla family who I tend to make stuff for - over the elbow wristlets just aren’t cute. So I frogged them and started over. I got a pair out of each piece! Now I don’t have to choose which daughter to gift. I even sewed them together – and I got some buttons at JoAnn’s to decorate them as in the pattern photo.

I then started the Tat-along. Disaster struck! I understand the concept to make a split ring but my fingers don’t want to behave. Sigh – the shuttles can stay in their box until I have the courage to start again.

Licked my wounded ego by making dishcloths when I got home. Made the football one from the Monthly Dish Cloth Yahoo group while watching the Giants. If I was superstitious, I would make another one during the Super Bowl. I love the suggestion in the group to gift one to whoever invites friends over to watch the game so they can do the clean up.

Also did a small Slip Stitch 2 Step one from the Cloth of the Week group – I can see more of these in my future. I certainly have enough cotton yarn.

It should go without saying that the proper way to celebrate a holiday is to go to a LYS. So it was off to Infinite Yarns in Farmingdale. I had only been there once, but Ron drove there without any directions – guess he learned how to tune into his innate GPS for yarn. The shop is lovely – had to resist nuzzling all the pretty stuff. The only person there was a gentleman who tried to find the needles for me. He gallantly went through the draws of stock and we finally found a pair that I settled on. They are a size larger than I wanted – but, heck, it’s lace. Started over as soon as we got home – and I’m happy to announce I got to row 23, have 2 life lines in place and might actually wind up liking this!