Take a chill pill...

RANT ( If you don't have the patience, wanted knitting content, or just don't care.please scroll down to skip my little PMS induced rant)

This was in my inbox this evening after I returned from the bathroom after having cleaned up vomit from my 2 year old and 6 yr old.

Hi Sarah
"I was going through blogs of my participants, and noticed you only have three entries for November. Pleas remember that one of the rules for this round of Secret Pal is at least 4 entries per month. Let me know if you are having any problems."



It seems I have only posted three times this month, and have been reminded to post a little more here as part of the Secret Pal 9 exchange. I guess life is just crazy, and I haven't really had blogging set too high as a priority. So far this Secret pal exchange has been great for me, save for the constant "reminders" to do this or that from moderators. Because of this, I think that this will be my last Secret pal exchange for a while . I mean, come on... we are all grown- ups here. I post as often as time permits, and to be frank...this is MY journal. I guess I just don't like being told what to do. I suppose I wouldn't have such a problem with all of this if I had been slacking sending surprises, posting thank-you's to my secret pal, and completely ignoring my blog. But as you can see folks, that's not the case. Heck and the month isn't even over. I thought I had three more days to meet the four posts a month quota. When did these Secret Pals become so hard core? Aren't we supposed to be enjoying this? I love spoiling people with little surprises, just because. Don't get me wrong, I also love recieving mail as well. It makes my life better to go to the mail box and find an unexpected parcel waiting. I know some who may read this may be offended but since I'm not one to usually speak up when something is bothering me, and found the need to post this here, it must not be just me who feels this way. Rest assured ...I am not going to flake on my "Secret Pal Responsibility" even though I myself in previous (recent) exchanges have been "flaked on " quite a bit. I just chalk it up to experience, and am thankful I get to meet so many cool people through this forum. Lighten up people...Secret Pal is supposed to be fun.

PS: My spoiler this round is totally cool. I hope she doesn't think this is in any way connected to her.

Rant over, on to knitting content. The two kiddo sweaters I was talking about before are almost done, but I have run into an un-imaginable snag with my little boy one. I RAN OUT OF YARN.
My city is bare. There is not one store around that has it. I don't usually knit with acrylic other than for charity or baby items, but Bernat Softee Chunky matched guage perfectly. There is no more of this color to be had anywhere!. These are Christmas gift commissioned knits people, how could you run out of stock like this at such a time? If anyone out there can point me to an online retailer who can get it to me quick...I'd love to know. The color is Grey Heather and in case your eyes closed when I wrote that it was acrylic, it's Bernat Softee Chunky.
May the Lord be with me.....I need to find this yarn.

One day at a time

Lately I've been finding myself incredibly stressed out, and not enjoying my knitting so much ( with the exception of my Cherry Tree Hill sock). As I sat at my desk last night at three o'clock in the morning (at work) I started thinking about this. Perhaps it's because I've just gone back to work after a 2 year baby making hiatus, perhaps the lack of sleep I've been getting lately, or maybe even the stress of making a picture perfect Christmas for my 4 kids is it. I'm not too sure. Then It hit me...I'm knitting an awful lot of things for other people (commissioned jobs) and they are all due before Christmas. I've come to the realization that I hate knitting deadlines. I know I have plenty of time to finish the three sweaters (2 kids 1 XL adult), and yet they are the last things on the earth I want to knit. Not the yarn I chose, not the colours I chose, and not even the pattern. (although the kids sweaters are really cute ones from Louisa Harding's Miss Bea's series). On top of all that I have my own holiday gift knitting to finish up. Why do we do these things to ourselves? Forget the fact that I'm trying to finish up writing my own book. I think I need a holiday from knitting...or at least I'll need a really big one once the holidays are over. My problem is I have a hard time saying no to anyone. "Sure that's no problem" is a line heard spewing from my lips all the time. I've decided I'm going to just rip throught the commissioned jobs and then relax. Re-focus on the reasons why I love to knit so much, and stop saying yes to everything and everyone. A girl can only handle so much. I just have to figure out how to say no once in a while. I want to enjoy my kids, and the joy they bring to my life instead of wishing they would just fall asleep already so I can get some work done. They shouldn't have to feel my stress too. Thank God Mr.Man is such a good dad cause I don't know how I'd survive. He gets a really great gift this year. He has yet to bat an eye when I tell him I'm too tired to cook dinner, or could he go buy some more milk since the baby spilled the last of it... men like him are few and far between.

A Post in pics

Since I'm tight for time tonight I'll show you some FO's and alsoo as promised my wonderful new sock yarn courtesy of my Secret Pal.

Specs: Swallowtail Shall from Fall 2006 Interweave Knits
Knit in Misti Alpaca Laceweight on 3.25 mm needles
Took me about 5 days




Lovely yarn isn't it? Any pattern suggestions?

Luckiest Girl in Town

My heart skipped a beat a little when I woke up yesterday (after coming off a really long night shift). A package very innocently sat on my kitchen table. Mr. Man was so curious to see what was in it he even woke me a little early! Lovely man . I received the best surprise from my Secret Pal. A 450 yd skein of custom painted SP9 sock yarn in the Waltz colourway, available only to SP9 participants. I LOVE IT. Thanks a bunch pal, you made my day. It's dark here now, so pics will have to wait. I have so many things to show you all.

I've been commissioned to knit a sweater for someone at work, and I have been busy designing and working out all of the kinks . It will be a cabley, moss stitchy cotton pullover. Tommorow I should have enough of it on the needles to do a post worthy photo shoot in some nice natural light (i hope) It's been snowing alot around these parts.