Pride, Prejudice & Argus

So I finally started reading "Pride & Prejudice" this weekend. It was the first book I downloaded on my kindle nearly a year ago. Not sure why I was suddenly motivated to read it, other then the utter shame I feel when all my knitterly friends start discussing and I just sit there mutely or pretend to be digging through my knitting bag.

What's that you ask? Do I actually still knit? Smartasses. Just because I don't ever remember to share my knitting doesn't mean it isn't happening.

I've done THREE shawls so far this year. I have pics of two of them and sorta pics of the third (it is awaiting blocking -- maybe I'll do that tonight).

The first one was Argus from Wendy Johnson of WendyKnits. I knitted it out of Yarntopia Treasures WoolSilk yarn. The silk was more of a raw silk, so it should wear forever.  Sorry the blocking photo is so dark.  It was at night & with my cell phone, so ya know, you get what you get with that sort of thing.  It was my first time using the blocking wires.  I guess I didn't completely screw it up, because it looks pretty good now.

Scary Skew

So this is a SIP (sock-in-progress) photo, right before I started the skew's heel shaping. I was very afraid, because it seemed about a thousand times too big for my foot.

But miracles! I have done the "magic oragami" Kitchner part and it fits! Hooray!

Better pics tomorrow of it now actually fitting on my foot. I was sure this was headed to the frog pond. All hail knitty!

But they were on sale!

I stopped by AC Moore yesterday. I was looking for a size L Tunisian crochet hook. No luck, so I guess I will have to order one from somewhere. At any rate, I promised myself I would be good. Money is a bit tight this month since medium child wrecked his car & large child had some unexpected doctor expenses (they think it might be mono). BUT they were having an amazing bead sale. All the Blue Moon beads & all the Cousins stuff was $2. Anything up to $7.99. Of all the weeks! So I practiced as much restraint as I could muster and spent under $50; that's good, since I also got a few other non-bead things I needed.

Today I settled in and made my first masterpiece from my purchases. I realize I've never shown you guys my jewelry. I'm not that great at it; I usually just do earrings & stitch markers and generally I just do them for myself or as gifts for people I love. I have considered branching out and selling my stuff, but not sure if I have the desire to do that yet. So, for your approval...

All glass beads, approx 30" long. I think I love it.

For my husband

Seven years ago today you made me the happiest woman in the world. Thank you for being by my side, for better or worse. You are my one true love.

From our wedding ceremony...

I love you,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.

I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.
I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.

I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple;
Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.
You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
By being yourself.
Perhaps that is what
Being a friend means,
After all.

in my backyard

No, I'm not obsessed, really...

Because I need one more hobby...

Wicked wind this morning.  Had Beastie up at 5:30am; which of course means that I too was up, at approximately 5:31am.  This would not be such a big deal if I had not been up until 1:30 in the morning playing with my new loom.  Yup, I said it, a loom.  It's not spiffy or fancy like the looms of my friends.  It's not classic or worth much to anyone but me, but it's my new shiny and I loves it.  So much so that I am already figuring out how to get a bigger one into the house without Sparky realizing I have upgraded.  Yes, all you professional rigid heddlers out there, I know I have everything off center.  I know my stripes are more like wiggles.  I realize that my tension is probably waaaaayyyyy too tight.  And I have no idea what the purpose of all those paper things were & I'm sure I will regret not using them later.  Oh, do I really need those?  Because Beastie ate them.  Really.

I have developed a new passion, reading crafty blogs.  Then I get all these amazing ideas from all these fantastic bloggers.  And of course, I do nothing with the ideas, but hey, at least my brain is being crafty, right?  I thought I might occasionally share some of the cute with you guys, so hopefully maybe someone will do more then just drool over the creativity of others but actually be inspired to do some actual creating.  Today's find is A Bit O' Shine by Molly. I love her stuff, most notably her ability to turn trash into treasure.  Check out this post where she turns a Laughing Cow cheese container (can we say 'yum') into a cute little giftie holder.  So inspired!

Spring thoughts

We are not going to talk about the fact that I turned 40 yesterday. Yesterday sucked. Today, however, is a new day that is ripe with possibility. I plan to embrace it.