Skiing in New Mexico or not so much

Yesterday, we all headed to Angel Fire for our day on the slopes. We arrived well enough in time for our registration and ski lessons. Since the Texans did not know about the time difference. Yes, that is right we arrived an hour early at the ski resort. That would be 7 a.m. Everything opened at 8 a.m. and our lesson was at 9 a.m. Can you say freeze your ass off for an hour in -10 degree weather.

Anyway, we got to our lesson and it went very well. I did not fall at all until the last hill. My right knee was getting extremely sore so I stopped at the top of the mountain. Actually before stopping I took a "wicked wipe out" as the kids put it. So then I told the Ski Instructor to call a skidoo because I was just too pooped to ski down the rest with my sore knee. Well it turns out that I rested long enough, rather waited long enough for the skidoo to arrive, to continue on down the mountain to the end. Yeah Me! I don't know if the skidoo is looking for me still or not but I don't think so. I could be buried under the snow and they wouldn't even know. LOL. Frankie and Andrew had a blast and Frank had skied a number of times before so he had a great time too. Even more so because the kids caught on so quickly. Andrew actually went down a blue mountain with Frank and then alone and met up with Frank and Frankie. So after I made it back down the mountain I returned my ski equipment and went to the car to get my knitting.

The boys are all skiing today and I'm going to hang out in town. Tomorrow we are heading into Taos to shop. I have scouted out the yarn shops and quilt stores too.

I'll post some pics when we get back since we forgot the USB cord. We bought Frankie a digital camera for Christmas and it is so nice. It is actually better than the one I have.

Hope everyone had a good holiday.

Time Flys When You are Having Fun!!!

My how time flys!! I can't believe it is almost New Year's Day. (I actually started to type this post in October and said I couldn't believe it was almost Halloween) Last time I posted we had just celebrated New Years and imagine that here we are again about to celebrate New Years.

Here are a few highlights from the past few months.

Took a trip home to Canada and went to Chicago this summer for Chicago Blackhawks convention. The convention was so great and we are glad we went since they fired the coach who was my husband's favorite player. We were able to get his autograph. Which is huge. You have to understand, we have been together since 1984 and for that long we have tried to get this autograph. July 2008, mission accomplished. I have knitted quick a bit this year and even have finished projects. I can go knit everyday of the week if I wanted. There are various places I can go and knit with friends. Right now I knit three times a week without fail.

One day I went into a Starbucks and was looking for a place to sit with my boys. I asked this lady "Is this table taken". She replied "It is for the other knitters". I said "Oh, how fun that you knit. I have my knitting with me." She said "Well sit down". And that folks was the start of a new friendship with such a wonderful person named Barb and other nice ladies.

I can't tell you how much fun I have knitting with Barb, Cheryl and the other Knitting Nuts.

As a group we knitted 25 hats and gave them to a lady in our Wednesday knitting group. We are in the process of knitting the Baby Surprise Jacket together. It is so much fun. (At the time of this post, the Surprise Jacket is surprising not being worked on).

I can just say that I have been knitting with people I enjoy being with. It is so pleasant. We have learned so much from each other from various knitting tips and tricks, health and wellness, to where to buy the perfect bra. Let me tell you, I love my new bras from Jockey. They support the girls and are very comfortable.

Another hobby I have gotten back into is sewing. Yeah!! I have been loving it. I made crate covers for a Annise who recently had her first child. She emailed a tutorial to our knit group and was disappointed she didn't sew. I emailed back and said I sew, I love to give people gifts. Hum? So I made two for her with manetee fabric which match her nursery. And gosh darn it, I did not take a picture of them. I have to get some from her.

My dear, dear friend Cheryl, God I love that woman. She is a hoot and we get along so great. She started me with quilting. She quilts like there is no tomorrow. She does extremely beautiful work. So she said you can do this. She provided me with fabric and batting and backing fabric to make a scrap quilt and off I went. I went camping Columbus Day weekend and took my old sewing machine with me. Before I left I went to Cherly's house and she gave me a quick lesson and when I returned from camping I had 11 of 18 squares completed. Today I finished the last quilt square so now Cheryl will be coming over to help me assemble it. I can't wait to put the squares together. We are going to take a road trip to a quilt store in Celeste. Yeah, I can't wait.

I went to a Knitting Fairy Retreat hosted by Alissa and my friend Annise. Unfortunately, Annise's son decided to come into the world a little early and we missed her at the retreat. I brought various projects and left with some yummy yarn.

I received the bestest ever Christmas gift today from my husband and boys. A CSA share in the Hudson Valley Fiber Farm's Spring 2009 Yarn Harvest. That is a mouth full but man do I love the gift. You can keep up with the sheep via weekly updates and/or read the blog. I can even go to the shearing in April. I am planning on it if it all works out. My husband wants to come too. I think he has fallen in love with the little babies. They are so sweet.

Well, I am going skiing and should be packing right now but instead I'm on the computer. Oh well, it will get done, it always does. I will post some pictures when I get back of some FOs and Alissa's cake I made with a friend for her birthday when we were on the retreat. It was so pretty.

Tickled Pink!

I started knitting the Cables and Bits dog shrug from Knitty.com on Sunday. It was such a fast knit and I was thrilled to give it to Dolly, my neighbors dog, this evening. We tried it on her and she loved it. She wanted me to pick her up and she gave me lots of kisses. She is so sweet.

She will be going to the groomers tomorrow so when she returns I'll get a picture of her with her new sweater. For now here are some pictures of the shrug and one of the cuffs. I actually made a consistent error on the cables. Instead of tangled cables I made wavy cables but I really don't think Dolly will care. The edge around the neck and back were done without the "bits" part. It should have looked like the cuff but I like the way it turned out. The collar near the neck actually folds down.

Loopy Edge finished!!

Well I finally finished binding off my pinwheel sweater. Holy crap that was crazy. Note to self: Never make anything with 400 stitches that has a loopy edge again!!!

Here are the pictures of the sweater sans sleeves. Why no sleeves you ask? I ran out of yarn. Yes people I ran out of freaking yarn and am thinking of a few options. Maybe this will be a pinwheel vest? Who knows? We shall see.

This is a picture of the loopy edging where you makea 12 row i-cord and then attach it to three stitches and make another one and so and so on. Since I used varigated yarn I skipped three stiches and went around the sweater two times. Boy was glad when I got the last i-cord.

This is the sweater layed out. I love it. It is very soft. I used an alpaca/merino/tussah silk blend.

On another note, I learned how to do Magic Loop and I love it. I think this is my new favorite way of making two socks at the same time. I'm using some yarn I got in Rhinebeck. It is from Autumn Farms and the colorway is called Janwood. I love it. I can't wait until they are complete and on my feet.

Pinwheel Sweater and stuff

I have made great progress on my Pinwheel Sweater. I hope to have the body done this weekend with only the sleeves to finish. Here is a picture of the progress which doesn't do the sweater justice.

I didn't want to take a chance and put it on waste yarn to spread it out so this view is not too good. I'm about 18 rows from having to do the i-cord edge on it and bind off. I can't wait to see it with the edging.

I guess the following are my New Year's Resolution:

Knit from my stash. Call me crazy but I don't even want to buy any yarn. I didn't even go to the Woolie Ewe sale. Obviously, I purchased other yarn for a reason and I guess I should knit that stuff up.

Get back into my scrapbooking hobby so I can get the boys books updated. I feel like knitting has taken over and my other hobbies have suffered. My boys really enjoy looking at their scrapbooks and that makes me want to work on them even more.

Update my Ravelry with projects I want to do and get them organized.

Knit more socks. I've been working on a pair since Rhinebeck and they aren't complete yet due to the fact that I tried a toe up sock and need a refresser and I have lost two of my sox stixs. I need to replace those but I think I may carry on without them.

Learn more about crocheting.

Attend a STITCHES convention. Not sure which one. Rhinebeck been there, done that, don't need to go back quite yet.