one stitch short

Summer Books

There is something about the approaching summer that always makes me want to read more.  I think it must be the summer book clubs that I used to join in the library when I was a kid.  Mix that with the fact that I need to make some room for more yarn with my upcoming trip to Maryland Sheep & Wool and I'm having a little bloggy contest. 

Tell me three books that you think I should read this summer.  They can be from any genre whatsoever.  On Wednesday, April 30th at 5 p.m., I will draw a name of a person who will receive a box o' yarn (good stuff, I promise!).

The last time I made this request, I got some great suggestions so I'm looking forward to hearing from you!!!

PS This little monster is ready for summer, too!

Maryland or Bust!

Yep, I'm re-entering the world of fiber festivals after sitting out a year (as I was very pregnant and just returning to work during the biggies - MD and NY - last year) and going to Maryland Sheep & Wool!!!  I just got my ticket and I'm super excited!  I am thinking it will just be me, but I may get weak and bring the kid along.  I haven't left him overnight, yet, but on the flipside, I want to experience the Ravelry party on Saturday night, too!  So, this may just be my mothers day present to myself - a weekend away with nothing to worry about but which yarn I should buy!  YAY!

Catch up!

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Originally uploaded by onestitchshort

I made this back in February and never even got ithe finished object into Ravelry. In November or December my mom mentioned that she would like a hat/scarf combo. I had just seen the Nomad Hat and Scarf pattern in Interweave, so it was great timing. It got to her just in time for Nashville to have snow!

In which I learn to knit while chasing the kid...

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Originally uploaded by onestitchshort

This weekend, I did just that. I knit rows between going to the other room to retrieve the kid. Saturday morning, I got up early and went to a garage sale where I scored a ton of clothes for the kid for pretty cheap. Conveniently, the garage sale was located close to one of my favorite area yarn stores! So, while we were on that side of town, I stopped in to pick out some yarn for my sister's wedding shawl.

The wedding is in less than three weeks.

Yep, cutting it close on this one! I didn't find the yarn I went in looking for, so I asked the person working there for her recommendations. She was great! She helped me pick out some RYC Cashsoft 4 ply and gave me the great suggestion of incorporating some beads along the edges.

So, this weekend I cast on for the Flower Basket Shawl. I've made it farther than the picture indicates because I worked on it some tonight, too. I've discovered that I can get some good knitting in between trips to retrive the crawling kid. Granted, there is some unravelling that has to occur every once in a while since I get interrupted, but I'm hoping I'll be able to learn the pattern and see when I've made a mistake.

The knitting mojo has returned!

All work and no play

...Makes me pretty dull, that's for sure!  Zero knitting going on around here.  The closest thing I've come to crafting was stuffing the munchkin's Easter basket.

I am really feeling the need to knit but haven't found the time to get anything started.  I also have everything ready for scrapbooking but haven't found the time to scrapbook.  The issue is not "oh I'm so busy".  I am, but that's not the issue.  The issue is finding the motivation in the time I do have to do something other than sit around.  I have some motivation in that I'm going to try to knit a shawl for my sister for her wedding.  In less than a month.  Yeah, there's some motivation for ya.  I'm going to hunt some yarn on Saturday and that should get me jumpstarted.

In the absence of crafty goodness, life continues.  The kid is taking swim lessons.  Yes, I'm a soccer mom already.  I mainly wanted to get him in the pool so that this summer I could do some swimming.  Of course, that would require that I go swimsuit shopping as I'm not too keen on putting my post-pregnancy stomach back in any of my bikinis.  After three lessons, he is starting to warm up to being in the pool and is trying to do some of the things the other kids are doing in class.

A post on this blog wouldn't be complete without a picture of the kiddo, this time in his Easter finery!