Summer Holidays Have Begun!

Woot! Summer Holidays are here and I'm kicking back with a cup of coffee, fondling some yarn and reading blogs, I have so many to catch up on.

I received my SP10 reveal and it is Shelley over at Kitten Knits Yarn and take a look at all the wonderful goodies she sent. I wish I had a better pic but this HP(my old camera) just sucks, new camera next week I hope if they are on sale.

Here's a list of the goodies, we have 2 skeins of baby cashmere in a gorgeous dark pink, bernat cotton in blues, a skein of Meilenweit Cotton in blues/greens/yellow/white(col.#2270) all are just gorgeous and the sock yarn I've been wanting to try for sometime and it is alot softer than the Regia Cotton Surf. I'm trying to control myself and not cast on with it or the Louet Gems Shelley had sent last month but it is so hard, that Flicker pattern keeps calling my name. I also received 2 Briggs and Little pattern books for Mittens and Heavy Socks(needed these for socks for kids/inlaws and mittens for everyone) and a knitted dishcloth dress which I've been searching for for sometime but only found crocheted ones. There was also a journal, lip gloss and lots of yummy chocolate and candies. Shelley sent her favorite chocolates, Guylian, which are one of the family favorites here as well as the others she included. I am all set for the weekend, hehe. Thanks so much Shelley, this was an awesome round of Secret Pal!

I hope my SP10 pal receives her package today, I just checked the online tracker and it has been accepted at the sortation plant in her city as of yesterday. Fingers crossed.

Justice had his Kindergarten Grad on Tuesday, it was so cute. Mrs. Andreachuk and her aides set up a great ceremony, lots of music and singing/dancing was done by the kids. Sorry no pics, have to get Jordan's camera cord to transfer the pics from his camera to my computer. Hubby videotaped the whole thing and I got lots of pics on Jordan's camera and I actually made it through the morning without crying, lol.

Yesterday was the last day of school for Justice. It was only a half day and the whole school, well the ones who wanted to go, went swimming at the U of L. Hubby, Collin and I went to watch and hang out with everyone one last time, wow it was sad. I can't believe a whole school year has passed and Justice will be in Grade 1 come September and Collin will be in Kindergarten. We have lots of phone numbers of his fellow classmates so play dates are to come for the summer. Both Rob and I were talking yesterday and we both don't know how we will be come Monday when our routine has been blown out of the water and don't have to drop Justice off or pick him up. Rob is a real creature of habit and when that is tinkered with he is really out of sorts for a while and me, I'll probably wake up in a panic for the first couple of weeks thinking I'm late getting Justice ready, lol. The two little guys have both opted not to take any summer programs this year and well I don't really mind. As a kid I was shuffled from place to place, ballet, majorettes and all my afterschool sports I was in and the only things I really wanted to do were the sports. Majorettes was fine except when we did alot of parades and stuff, that meant practices every day and that sucked. The boys just want to hang out and we have little day or overnight trips planned throughout the summer and playdates so we are good and I would like to have them with me during the summer too. School is only 2 months away and I'll be alone all day, well half of it so I better take advantage of the time I have with my boys now.

Well enough babbling for now, I'll post tomorrow about my new stash enhancements with pics from "The Boy's"(Jordan) camera.

Catch up

Here's the catch up post on what I've been up to for the last 2 weeks.

First off, I'd like to send a huge Thank You out to Vicki for the awesome package of fibery and coffee goodness a gal could ask for. This was my first Knitter's Coffee Swap and she really went all out. I received some delicious coffees and both are awesome, some great chocolate, a coffee cup(which has now replaced my much smaller coffee cup, lol) and Reynolds Sea Wool with a book of patterns to go with it. My camera just didn't do the package justice, that's another story there, but the skeins of yarn are pink and purple and oh so soft. Here in Lethbridge we do not get anything but Regia, Kroy and the occassional Austermann or if I hold my breathe long enough sometimes a few skeins(and I do mean a few) of Trekking in the most craptastic colors, lol. Thanks again Vicki for the wonderful gifts!

Now, for the last month I've been getting the house ready for company, this was just supposed to take a week at most. Once I got started, I found boxes of crap inside and all I could say is WTF am I keeping this for and than it started.. hardcore pairing down on our stuff. I've been over run by toys/clothes and crap since I had Jordan so it was high time to get rid of stuff since I've finally come to terms I'm not going to have another one. Yes, I have had a tubal but I kept hoping one day it would backfire and I'd be blessed with another little one. Hubby on the other hand has been praying for the opposite, lol. With all this hope I thought it would be best not to get rid of the good toys or some of the boys' clothes, just in case so 2 weeks ago I paired it all down to just what they wear and what Collin will grow into and only the toys they play with. It is alot of stuff, we got rid of over 50 lbs of toys, that's all the Fisher Price Little People one could buy and assorted other toys, clothes they never wore(tags still on) and gently worn items all given to a family in need and the Women's Shelter. 2 xlarge zip lock bags of yarn found new homes at the Blankets of Canada Society and the hospital's seniors wing and it wasn't all acrylic. I paired down on alot of the wool my Aunt Margaret had given to me that I really won't use and it made room for future purchases, lol. I even gave the rest of my office wear to the shelter since I have decided I will not be going back to another office again. Now that I've cleansed my home of the crap wow do I feel better.

That brings me to some major decisions hubby and I have made. One of them is I have a couple more years at home no work unless it is something I want to do. Two, I'm not going back to office work, I really don't have the patience nor the want to be in an office again. I'm trying to settle down and live a somewhat stress free life, lol, good luck on that with 3 boys and hubby. I just don't think I can do the 8-5 job anymore and as hubby said my "hippy side" is coming out, hehe. I'm just going to work on my patterns, yes, I'm getting off my ass and start submitting and not worry of the rejection I could be facing. I will also be posting a couple of my patterns I've been working on my blog to see what others think and how they knit up by someone else, this was hubby's idea and a good one at that. Once Collin is in school full time I may apply to be a teacher's aide, the lady's at the school Justice goes to are just wonderful and after much prying into how to go about getting the job/duties/pay, hehe, that would be a great career if I decide to get out of the house. I will also be volunteering alot more next year with Collin being in school half days.

With all the changes I've been making to the house and my life I finally dyed my hair again after 14 years of having my natural hair color. I even let hubby pick the color, lol, and I now have med/dark auburn hair again, the color of choice in my youth. I love it and it matches my sunburn perfectly, rofl.

On the knitting front, not much has been happening. My Aunt, well I should say Rob's Aunt Margaret whom I've adopted as my mother came down on the 14th and she taught me how to knit Fair Isle and a new cast on. Wow, was I overthinking that one so I can't wait to get a project going using that technique. She checked out some of the patterns I've been working on and loved them, she just couldn't believe what I use to knit with, as she put it "toothpicks for knitting needles". Hey, I like the US 1's and she's a fan of the 3's or larger for socks. During Margaret's very short stay, only 2.5 days we got alot and I mean alot of shopping done. My favorite yarn store here is closing for good so they have everything going at 30%, picture addis at 30% off, that's $13 bucks Canadian for addis! I bought alot plus yarn to make 2 sweaters for the boys Margaret will be knitting for me, hehe. I did buy some baby patterns and acrylic yarn to make some sweaters for donation so I can get the hang of making a sweater.

Pics to come later, sorry but they will be crappy. Why you ask, well I lost my camera (the good one too, my Canon) at Justice's schools Sports day last week and it wasn't turned in. *Shakes fist at person who has it, wishing ill will to you asshat*! You know the camera won't be any good to them either without the charger for the battery and I kinda have a feeling it was a mother of one of the boys our kids play with. I set the camera down on the bench beside me along with the pizza and the pizza of the said kid. I was watching him while she took her hubby to the airport and she came back said thanks grabbed the pizza and possibly the camera and left. When Rob and I got up shortly after to leave I grabbed the pizzas and do not recall the camera being there, hubby checked the bench before we left and nothing. The funny thing is she has pulled her boy out of school on the last 2 weeks they have left, coincidence? Anyhow, for who ever has it may your eyes be crossed for a very long time! Hubby took the loss very well, but me I've been stressing since yesterday since we did pay a good chunk of money for the damned thing and it took the best pictures. We have decided to buy a new Canon and will start the research as to which one I will be getting.

Sorry to cut the post short, the Knit Off Pattern has just been posted. I'm a glutton for punishment and have joined the Knit off Challenge once again over at Socktopia. More to come, I promise.

Knitter's Virtual Vacation Swap

Knitter's Virtual Vacation Swap Questionnaire

1. If you could visit any state in the US, which would it be and why?
Oregon, so I can see Blue Moon Fiber Arts and hubby can go check out the local breweries.

2. If you could visit any country in the world, other than your own, which would it be and why?
USA, to go to all the fiber festivals and check out Las Vegas!

3. Have you ever driven across several states/providence/countries?
No

4. Have you ever visited someplace you consider exotic? Where was it?
No

5. What was your favorite "travel" vacation? Why?
That would have to be the road trip to British Columbia when I was a kid. It was my first time leaving Alberta.

6. Have you ever played tourist in your own home city/state (if international, country)? Explain. Yes, it was a great way to explore Lethbridge/Alberta and take a mini vacation.

7. Are you a museum visitor, beach comer or an amusement seeker?
Yes, love them all.

8. What's your favorite type of yarn?
Wool

9. What's your least favorite type of yarn?
Acrylic or novelty/ribbon yarn

10. What items do you like to knit/crochet?
Socks, socks and more socks!

11. What do you pack, knit/crochet wise when you go on vacation?
Socks if I was to go on vacation.

12. What other crafts do you do/would like to do other than Knit/Crochet?
Sewing/quilting

13. Are you allergic to anything? (Yarn wise or treat wise)
Mohair makes me itchy, treat wise, not a thing :)

14. What is your favorite color? Least Favorite?
Purple is the all time favorite but I love them all except mustard yellow.

15. Sweet or Savory (Treat not personality)?
Sweet

16. Anything else we are forgetting to ask that you think your partner desperately needs to know?
I'm a big milk chocolate fan(with or without fruit/nuts), coffee fanatic and love all types of wool, especially sock yarns.