My plans are all shot to sh!t

So, I'm still waiting. Apparently my package cleared customs on the 27th and arrived at the local postal depot at 8 am this morning. But it isn't at my house. I was REALLY hoping to have it for the car ride to the zoo tomorrow. It's an almost 2 hour drive. So unless somehow, miraculously it arrives before 9am, I'm not going to have it. Damn customs holding up yarn for crying out loud. Don't they have better things to do?

What have I been doing while I wait for my elusive STR shipment. Well, I've turned the heel and worked a bit of the foot of my Yarn Pirate July sock club colour -- Rum Runner in the retro rib pattern. Don't think I like it, and I think I'm going to rip it out. I finished the foot and turned the heel on my Anne Budd Toe-Up sock, the foot fits OK until about 2/3 of the way up then it it just stretched too much and the heel/ankle/leg is too small. So that need to be ripped back too. It's in Lorna's laces Aslan BTW. What have I been doing that I'm not going to rip out? One of Jer's socks is done, that was one long stockinette foot! They're really nice (It, right now it's an it, not a they) and I've done most of the cabled band for his Avast sweater. The new plan is to finish that tonight and pick up the stiches to begin the 8m of stocking stich on the body in the car tomorrow.

My big boy is 7 today. Seven.

Still waiting

OK Canada Post, where is my wool! The last update from USPS said this

"Your item arrived in CANADA at 2:31 PM on August 16, 2007. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later."

I've been checking. And checking and checking. Well, today is August 23rd and it still didn't come. This BSJ needs to be done by September 8th and if that is going to happen, the wool needs to get here!

I've been touching and squeezing the Jo Sharp Silkroad Tweed that arrived on Monday. It's so lovely. I may have to swatch it tonight, I can't take it anymore.

It's a rainy dreary day here today. I've made the buttercream for the cupcakes I will be baking tomorrow for Nikki's wedding on Saturday. The blue is not right. I can get it dark enough in the fondant, but the butter cream is being difficult. I need to add more colour, but I'm really worried about altering the taste of the icing by adding too much. Sigh. And now it looks like I won't be able to stay for dinner at the wedding after all. Some dingbat hospital muckymuck has scheduled a dinner meeting for 430 on a Saturday in August that Jeremy needs to go to. Who does that? So, depending on who HE finds to watch the children (this one isn't my problem) and what their schedule is like, I may have to come home from London earlier than I want to. Sucky.

Starting vs Finishing

OK, in contrast to last week, I now have a finishing bug. Which I guess is better than a starting bug, although, the startitis is still there and could rear it's ugly head at any moment. My BMFA order should be here early next week so that gives me the weekend to finish up a few things before I go hog wild on the BSJ (I'm so excited about knitting another one!). Jer is working this weekend so theoretically I should be able to get a fair bit done. Jen is in Germany, and my goal for finishing the ever-present Ella Sweater is when she returns. Then I can give her the sweater and her dog all at once. The embroidery is paining me, it really is, I need to JUST DO IT! Julia's poncho that has been my car knitting is also in the 'almost' state. It's half-way cast off and needs trim and a hood. These 2 I hope to finish this weekend.

I didn't start any new socks after I finished the monkeys. Well that's not entirely true, I knit the toe of the toe-ups for the 5th (6th?) time and I think I may have it right this time. Still tryng to decide what to do with Rum Runner and the new club colour is being mailed this week!

I've also stalled a bit on MS3, I'm not all that enthused over the wing. I've been doing a few (10 maybe) rows almost everyday and I'm about halfway through clue #4. I need to go look at some pictures of winged stoles. I've considered frogging it and knitting Hanami instead.

The project I would like to start? Either Jer's Avast or a Tangled Yoke Cardigan (Interweave Fall 2007) for me Rowan Felted Tweed in Herb. I actually dreamed about it last night. I need to call Lettuce Knit next week and see about the yarn for Avast, it's been a month and if they can't get it for me I'm going to have to go elsewhere. I need it.

Today, there is a cake to be decorated for Jer's Uncle's birthday tomorrow. It's in the oven right now.

Finished Monkeys

I finished my Monkeys last night. I love them love them love them. I'll make another pair in a lighterweight yarn these are thick and warm and cozy. Good for boots and around the house. They're awesome.

My Bee kit arrived. The wool is beautiful, and the pattern frightens me a little. I'm going to have to take some time to work myself up for it.

I have a couple of Daisies still to sew on the Ella sweater, they take so long and are rather tedious I do one, a day and there are 8 all together. I'd really rather knit.

So now that the Monkey is off my back, what to start now? I'd like to do a sweater but I don't have supplies for that right now. So I think I might go back to the toe up attempt I started/frogged at the cottage. We do have another road trip this weekend to spend Saturday night at a friends cottage......

The bees have landed

I do believe that my Bee has arrived. I got a card in the mail today, tomorrow, I shall pick it up.

The goal for this afternoon is as many monkey repeats as I can manage, I need 4.5 to get to the toe. It's possible, but not likely. And I placed an order at Blue Moon last night, one skein of Watermelon tourmaline in Heavy Weight for a BSJ, and while I was there, I may have accidently purchased lightweight skeins of Terra Firma and Scottish Highlands. I need to be done now.

A little stash enhancement

Two purchases and two July sock club colours.


From Lt to Rt, Ruby Sapphire "Galileo", Socks that Rock "Socktopus", Socks that Rock "Harlotty", Yarn Pirate "Rum Runner"

Cast on Urge

I'm feeling the need to start something. Probably because I am close to finishing a couple of things, and god forbid you actually finish something. Fortunatly these are commissioned gifts, so I MUST finish.

The button bands and collar are done on the Ella sweater, it needs seamed, and the daisies sewn on, and buttons of course. I was hoping to have it finished for Jen this weekend, but that may not happen. Why might it not happen, well because one night this week I chose to knit MS3 instead, so now I am halfway through clue 3. Clue 5 came out today and there are interesting things happening I tell you. I'm going to trust Melanie and go with the pattern, as written. My Bee Fields kit has apparently been shipped, they have shipped up to #10196 and I'm 10189. The rectangular stole version should be available (the pattern) next week. I may have to horde that too. I must not cast on Bee Fields when it arrives. I'm not ready yet.

What I want to do are 2 baby surprise jackets. I got an invitations to Jer's cousins baby shower yesterday, and I would like to make one for her baby, my friend in Vancouver is having another baby and I would like to make one for her too. They are such fun. I'm thinking of some STR heavyweight or Artyarns Supermerino. We'll see, I need to find out if either of them know what kind of baby they are having before I go buying wool.

And it's family camp this weekend. I'm probably just going to bring socks to knit. Hopefully to finish Monkey so I can start something with my new Yarn Pirate Booty Club yarn. I LOVE IT!