I'm in deep.

I'm not quite ready to admit I'm over the edge, but I'm in deep.  I'm knitting 80 million things and I'm about to start another as long as the book comes in the mail today and I want to start even another one because of a book I had to get last night.

First, I finished another afghan square from the Great American Afghan (#14):

...and just cast on for #10:

 I know, that picture doesn't tell you anything.  You can't see the square or the color of the yarn.  I'll get back to you on that one.

In the meantime, I finally got out another of my unfinished projects, the Harumi Cardigan, and finally got the "hard" part going.  "Hard" meaning, putting stitches on holder, putting in markers and getting set up to work on the patterned part:

And I've made some good progress on my Meadowlark vest:

Then, there's this book I got last night:

I love the cover pattern and want to knit it right now.  This book has been staring at me every time I've gone to The Spinning Room for the past very long time.  I just kept thinking that I have so many other patterns, surely there was another one I could  knit that I already have or that wouldn't cost so much.  But then, the other day my friend Jana emailed me a picture of this book saying, "Just noticed this on the cover of an Ella Rae book & thought it looked like something you would wear. Maybe it's just because its purple..." Ha! No kidding. So, then I was at the shop last night to teach a class and there it was, just staring at me again. So I bought it. Thanks for being an enabler, Jana. (See you tonight for dinner!)

But more than that sweater, I had totally forgotten that on the inside was this awesomeness:

....which I also want to knit right now.  It really is a sickness.

But ALSO????? I've been trying to find a pattern to knit with this great aran yarn I got at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck:

I wanted to do an "aran" sweater -- with lots of cables, but quickly realized this 1540 yards was not enough to do and all-over cabled sweater.  So, I found this:

This is a project picture from Ravelry of the Flyingdales sweater.  I will modify it to make a crew neck collar.  It's got cables but also stockinette so I won't run out of yarn.  The pattern is only in A Fine Fleece: Knitting with Handspun Yarns which I got for a steal on Amazon.  It's coming in the mail today.  I hope.  Because I really don't have anything else to knit.  Ha.

Do you need a project car update?  The doors are primered!:

And finally, poor Phoebe has now become known as Phattie:

She went to the vet last month since she seemed a little skinny.  It turned out she has a hyperactive thyroid so they put her on medicine.  We go back to the vet today for a follow up and I'm telling you, I think she's gained a pound and a half in a month.  Which is a lot for her since she was only 7 1/2 pounds to begin with.  They may need to tweak her medicine!

Warm Warm Warm

WARM fire, WARM cat, WARM knitting.  Perfect for the day after a snowstorm!

We only got about 10 inches from storm Nemo, which is a pretty normal snowstorm for us.  We did still have to do some digging out and plowing of course.

Good thing Paul has 8,000 of those car part things to weigh down the back of the plowjeep!  I think there are more in the garage somewhere.

And yet again, some beautiful snowy views:

Speaking of staying warm..... Knitting news:
I actually brought out and finished an unfinished project!  Yay!  Someone give me a medal.  This is my Tudor Henley that I started almost 3 years ago.  February 28, 2010 to be exact (you can thank Ravelry.com for my exactness)

I had to attach the sleeves and knit three rows for the neck/buttonband.  The only issue is, to be perfectly honest, that it was going to fit me back when I started it, but it doesn't really fit me now.  Hence, no picture of me wearing it.  Hopefully that will change with my new health regimen!

Also, I am making progress on my April Showers Mystery Socks:

Front of sock with, from bottom,
flowers, umbrellas and rain

Back of sock with lightning .

 Next come clouds with some beaded embellishment.  These are the most interesting socks I have ever made.  It's been fun to see how it will evolve, since we didn't know what it would look like in the beginning.  The pattern is not the same for long, so it really keeps you interested.  When they are done, there will be better/more clear pictures to show you.

Now I'm in a dilemma of what project to start next.  Or finish.  I'm dying to start an aran cabled sweater with yarn I got at Rhinebeck, but haven't settled on a pattern yet.  Or these really cool - but warm - lined Fiddlehead Mittens. Decisions!

Speaking of staying warm again.... Book News! (reading under a cozy blanket):
I finished Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and really enjoyed it.

The story starts off in 1962 Italy with a young innkeeper who gets to know a young actress over the course of a couple of days.  Then the story jumps to present day America with an older Italian man who is looking for the actress he met fifty years before.  From there we learn what happens back in 1962 and then the years in between - for these two but also many others that touch their lives, as they all navigate the complexities of their lives while also trying to pursue their dreams.  While I really enjoyed the story, I had somewhat of a hard time keeping track of the story when it jumped back and forth in time - in addition to a few chapters that didn't seem to fit into either timeframe.  This through me off and aggravated me a couple of times, but not enough to stop reading.  It really is a nice story!

A Yarn Accident and Upside Downton Abbey

Remember in my last post how I said I was going to work on an unfinished project?  Well...... I had a yarn accident at Knit Picks which may derail that plan.

But it really wasn't my fault.  They were having a kit sale.  So I couldn't resist these arm/hand warmers in the pretty "Ocean" colorway.  I figured that this was good, though, because there are 10 balls of yarn and I will only need a little bit of each color for these mitts, which means I could make more mitts or I could use the yarn for another project, like a cool multicolored hat or cowl or socks or whatever.  There.  I totally justified adding 10 more balls of yarn to my already-out-of-control stash.

Also, I was watching Sesame Street with Benjamin and Michaela the other day - actually, they had gotten bored after about 10 minutes of the show and were off playing with other things - and this little skit came on:  Upside Downton Abbey!

Very cute.  Loved that they kept the music and the opening logo the same.  And Lady Violet sounded just like the one on the show!

Just before snowmageddon arrives, I got Phoebe to the vet for a checkup.  She was not happy about it at all.  She complained the whole way to the vet. BUT, she is a very healthy 15 1/2 year old cat - with the teeth and eyes of a 5 year old!  I think the experience exhausted her as she made not one peep on the way home.  She's been recuperating from being poked and prodded and nail clipped in front of the fire ever since:

The You-Know-What

Bright and early (5:30am) Saturday morning, Paul and I were on our way to see Denny and Renee in ... Ohio.  To get this (the You-Know-What):

That's Renee's cool Jeep in the background.  I settled for
that since neither she nor Denny wanted to be
in a picture.

I'm sorry --- did you need a closer look at this 1970 Buick Skylark with no windshield, no hood and....

...no engine?!?!?!?!  Yes, that's right: we drove 7 1/2 hours to pick up this gem.  Apparently, it really is a car in pretty good shape.  It doesn't have much rust for it's age, the frame is in good shape and the body is in good shape; it's a "Missouri car" if that means anything to you - it doesn't to me.  The very best part of it, according to Paul, is that it is the same exact model as his first car in high school.  Supposedly it will give Paul a chance to get rid of A LOT of parts he has.  For example, he didn't mind that there was no hood because "I have one of those in the garage." Huh.  Also, there is a spare engine in the garage too.  If you remember, we made another trip recently for that.  While the front and back windows are not currently in the car, they came in a box with a lot of other spare parts. Oh and did I mention, it's "for me"?  He's fixing it up so I can cruise around in it.

So, we got there by 1:00pm, loaded up and visited with Denny and Renee for a while, then we were on our way again...

Of course, I had my knitting in the car with me....

Finished my Lucy Hat!  Just needs to be blocked (it's drying right now!) and the brim sewn up.  Also worked on my Harumi Cardi.  The only exciting thing to tell you is that I've knitted my 14" from the cast on and now I can start the lace pattern.  Couldn't do this in the car since it involved lots of marking of stitches and looking at the pattern and I would have gotten nauseous.

We made our way 2 1/2 hours back toward home and stopped to stay overnight in Jamestown, NY.... the hometown of Lucille Ball!  And let me tell you, she is EVERYWHERE.  In a good, tasteful way.

This was my favorite one:

I love, Love, LOVED that Vitameatavegamin episode!!!   We ate at the Taco Hut in this picture for dinner, which also had lots of her pictures inside.  YUMMY Mexican food.  We have yet to find a good Mexican restaurant where we live.  Anyone local want to recommend????

Jamestown was pretty at night too:

And here is a morning-after glimpse of the almost-disaster:

Looks pretty normal right?  I bet you're thinking, "What in the world could have almost-happened?"  We decided to unhook the trailer in order to be able to drive around town and find a place for dinner.  So, there was Paul doing the usual unhooking of all the wires and winding the trailer post down onto the wooden block to take it off the truck hitch.  It released from the truck hitch, like usual.  Then.... the car and trailer started to ever so slightly MOVE BACKWARD.  Then it was oh-my-gosh-what-should-I-do-how-can-I-help-are-you-holding-that-by-yourself-should-I-hold-it-with-you-is-it-going-to-fall???.....  Me getting in the truck to try to move the hitch back under the trailer.  Nope.  It had moved to far.  Me climbing up the side of truck to find the rubber tire stopper thing in the back.  Wrong side.  Run around to the other side of the truck to climb up the other side to grab the stopper.  Meanwhile, Paul desperately using all of his weight to hold the car and trailer to keep it from rolling backward.  Maybe three dessert traditions are not so bad in cases like this...  Luckily, I was able to get the stopper under the back wheel of the trailer and all was fine.  Holy smokes that was close!

Now, Paul has unhitched trailers many, many, many a-time.  The surface looked flat.  He knows how cars on trailers work and when/how they roll.  Usually.  It may have been the fact that the car HAS NO ENGINE and therefore was not heavy up front to keep the trailer in place.

The next morning, we were on our way to make the 5 hour trip home, stopping here along the way for lunch:

I haven't been to a Cracker Barrel      in some time.  I forgot what a old-time-candy-and-other-stuff-you-never-knew-you-always-wanted trap that place is!   Luckily we were in a hurry to get back on the road, so I only got a little package of some coconut/chocolate candy.  For my first (and only) lunch dessert.  I could have done some serious damage if I lingered.

While checking the tie-down straps before getting on our way after lunch, I asked what this was:

And apparently I had discovered a "bonus" feature for this car!  I forget what it is now - but Paul was pretty excited about it.  Some sort of heating element thingy for which there is a gauge inside the car.  I think.

It was a pretty ride back home through the southern tier of New York, passing through towns such as Friendship, Angelica, Cuba, Painted Post and Almond.

Gorgeous view passing through Almond, NY.  I would
love to live here simply for the name.

Also, passed through Corning and this is my attempt at a picture of the Corning Glass Factory:

The trip home was different knitting, since the Lucy Hat was done and I couldn't proceed with the cardi...

These are the Simple SKYP Socks, (click there for the FREE pattern!) made with Shibui Knits sock yarn.  They will look like this:

SKYP refers to the main stitch pattern:  Slip one stitch as if to purl, Knit the next stitch, Yarn over, Pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch and the yarn over.  Making them for a Christmas present for I'm-not-telling-you-who.   When I was getting my project ready in the hotel room before heading out, I discovered I have this many size 2 Knitter's Pride Dreamz double points:

There are 13 there.  Which is weird since they come 5 to a pack, so I should have 15 if I'm going to have 13.  Not to mention the two other sets of 5 I have in other brands.  Anyway....

What I love about this SKYP pattern is that the top ribbing is only 10 rows, and it's in 2x2 rib (knit 2, purl 2).  Usually, I sort of dread starting a sock, because my basic pattern is supposed to entail two inches of 1x1 rib which is about 20 rows.  1x1 rib on small needles with skinny yarn is somewhat tedious and makes me want to poke my eye out with one of my 6 extra Knitter's Pride needles.  So, the beginnings of both socks went lickety split and now I will be on to the main stitch pattern on the leg.

Two more things and then I'm ending this marathon post...

I had heard about Siggi's yogurt some time ago, but hadn't been able to find it in my grocery store until today.  It. Is. Yummy.  Definitely pricier than other yogurt but I think it is worth it for a treat.  Thick like Greek yogurt but really it's thick like Icelandic yogurt - where the maker is from.  I tried the Orange & Ginger one today and loved it.  Definitely recommend it if you can find it - I hear they have it at Whole Foods, which we don't have.  I found it in the health food refrigerated section of Hannaford, which is nowhere near the regular yogurt refrigerated section.

And finally...  I washed the cat/dog bed cover today, and threw Mandy and Phoebe for a loop.  Mandy figured out how to lay on the bed anyway, despite it being folded up:

... and Phoebe went to her old standby:

No, her bed didn't shrink - she if fluffier now that the cold
weather is here.

Had. To. Have.

My birthday falls on/near the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival every year.  So, it makes for a nice treat for me to go and buy yarn-y, fiber-y birthday presents!  We went down to Kingston (near Rhinebeck, where the festival is held at the Duchess County Fairgrounds) last Saturday afternoon and stayed overnight.  A simply gorgeous view from our hotel room:

love, Love, LOVE this time of year!

We went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  Never been.  REALLY like the ribs and pulled pork. Our waiter informed us there will be one coming to our area.... Mmmmmm.  Then we went to Shop Rite and got a birthday cake:

Chocolate strawberry short cake.   Mmmmmmmm.   And no, that is not all we ate in case you were wondering.  We are dessert fiends  (I married into, and have hence assumed the tradition of, the Cassidy second dessert --- have a dessert, wait a while, then have another.  Sometimes three.) --- there was a little we couldn't finish.  Can you tell that it really is a small cake?

The next morning we got up early to go to breakfast and then the festival.  Here is the only picture we took there:

Ha!  And that was when we were leaving.  In case this picture doesn't accurately portray --- there were A LOT of people there.  And it was the second day of the festival - there were apparently a lot more there the previous day.  It was a gorgeous day and we had a nice time browsing the vendors and watching the pumpkin chuckin' contest  - area high schools compete to make a trebuche that will throw a pumpkin and other items the farthest.    (Spell check will not tell me how to spell trebuche - it offered Bucharest as an option.  You know what one is, right?  It's a medieval thing with a weight on one end and a slingshot thing on the other.)  At any rate....   we, of course, also ate yummy festival food.  Fried artichokes, wonderfully crispy on the outside but warm and soft on the inside pretzel, and a chocolate/peanut butter cookie bar.  We didn't go overboard this year.  I can't believe I didn't even bring home kettle corn.  It could have been my second dessert for, like, a week.

I did make two purchases.  My first purchase was a total impulse oh-my-gosh-i-have-to-have-this-since-it-is-so-cute purchase:

A Soakbox! (SoakBox Gift Set (Soakbox Celebration - Clark Cable) ) It is a skein of Lorna's Laces sport weight yarn and a fingerless mitt pattern, with matching nail polish (!!), lotion and Soak woolwash.  I just had to have it.  When I tried to add it all up to see if it was worth it ($50), I think it was.  But to be honest I didn't try all that hard to figure it out because i had. to. have. it.  Mine was the Clark Cable box which refers to the mitt pattern.  I actually really liked the pattern in the teal box - there were 5 color sets in all (I think) - and the woman at the booth said that pattern for that was also in the KnitSimple Holiday issue, so that sealed the deal for me.

That's my mitt-in-progress.  The mitts in the magazine are more of a teal - not blue like this picture shows. And the model is wearing the teal nail polish that comes in the kit.  Which is why I didn't get that kit.  Loved the yarn color but not the nail polish.  Blech.  Stay tuned for the picture of me wearing my finished mitts (washed in the wool wash) with my matching nail polish, on my lotioned hands! (You can click up there to be linked to Amazon to buy the set.)

The other thing I bought?...

Fifteen hundred and some odd yards of off-white worsted weight yarn.  To make an aran cardigan - the kind with different cable and other patterns.  Something similar to this:

Something that looks very classic, and will be so warm and cozy.  Now I just have to choose a pattern.  That could take years.

Want another picture of Mandy and Phoebe?

No, it isn't the same picture as before.  They lay this exact way all. the. time.  So cute.  And for something different, here is Mandy enjoying this beautiful, balmy fall day: