Where Have I Been?

It's been awhile since I have blogged. Well, at least three weeks. I can't believe it's been that long. I will have to put up a couple of posts to get caught up.

Tax Season ended with a bang! It was busy and after April 15th, I was busy wearing the other hat of my job. Our fiscal year ends today and I was busy getting projects completed so the year could be closed out.

I have been doing some knitting. I finished the chemo hat I was making. The pattern was the Easy Ribbed Jeanne Worsted Chemo Hat. I used Jeanne yarn in a denim blue with size 5 needles. I was just about done with the hat and realized that I used size 5 needles instead of size 6, but I think it came out okay. The Jeanne yarn is very soft and it was a fun knit. I will knit more chemo hats with this yarn, but I need to get back to finishing off some other projects and knitting some socks.

Then, I finally finished the Dancing Bamboo socks. I used Madelinetosh tosh sock yarn in ginger with size 1.5 needles. I really liked this pattern and it was easy to remember the repeat rows. The yarn was nice to work with.

Two of my other knitting friends also knitted this pattern and we posed for a picture. We all used the Madelinetosh tosh sock yarn, but used different colorways in the same color family. Don't our feet look great?

Tax season hasn't prevented me from buying sock yarn. I purchased two skeins of Hazel Knits Artisan Sock yarn in Chuckanut and Purple Hazel.

I couldn't resist buying more Bugga yarn by the Sanguine Gryphon. This yarn is so soft. I got Cotton Stainer and Northern Purple Gold Beetle.

Then I bought three different colorways of yarn from Birds n Yarn of Lorna Laces Shephard Sock in Parakeet, Jungle Stripe, and Tickled Pink.

Aren't all of these colors great? Can't wait to really start knitting up socks this year.

I also got my next shipment from the Rubber Ducky Club. The yarn this month was in the colorway Spring Break. I also got Mimi's soap in the honeysuckle rose scent and a moisturizing bath bomb in cherry limeade and peach.

Now I'm off to wind some yarn to make socks.

Relaxing by Reading

While I haven't been knitting that much during tax season, I have been reading. I think it's an escape from the taxing world.

Here is my list:

Twenties Girl - by Sophie Kinsella

Promise Texas - by Debbie Macomber - I loved this series of books

Cindy and the Prince - by Debbie Macomber

Some Kind of Wonderful - by Debbie Macomber

Betty in the Skiy with a Suitcase - by Betty Thesky - funny stories about flying

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Home Song - by Elizabeth Berg - great author - I love her books

A Gathering Place - by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer

The Pull of the Moon - by Elizabeth Berg

A New Leaf - by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer

The Christmas Basket - by Debbie Macomber

The Snow Bride - by Debbie Macomber

The Art of Mending - by Elizabeth Berg

A Christmas Promise - by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer

Bed of Roses - by Nora Roberts

Dead as a Doornail - by Charlaine Harris - A Sookie Stackhouse book that I really enjoyed

A Year of Pleasures - by Elizabeth Berg

I'm currently reading Game Change about the last Presidential election. What an interesting book! So far I am pretty close to target on my goal of reading 65 books this year. After April 15th, I will probably be reading and knitting like crazy since I will have more free time.

Yarn Buying

Don't you just love finding a color yarn you like and feel that you just have to buy it? Maybe it's the color, maybe it's the price, maybe it's a particular project you can see yourself knitting, maybe it's just the yarn, or maybe you just have to have it.

Well, that happened to me this week. First I decided to buy some yarn from the Loopy Ewe. I love Madelinetosh dk and Sweet Georgia superwash sock yarn, so I found myself ordering Victorian Gothic, Copper Penny and Grove in Madelinetosh dk and Orchid in Sweet Georgia.

I just had to order the Copper Penny. See, when I was a teenager, we didn't have many fast food restaurants, but we did have the Kopper Penny. Everyone knew where the Kopper Penny was, even if you didn't live in the area. It became a landmark, even after it burned down and they built a gas station/convenience store there. So, whenever someone gives directions in that area, they refer to the Kopper Penny and everyone knows where it is and how to get where they want to go. So, this skein of yarn will be a rememberance for me.

When Blue Mountain Fiber Arts initially came out with a sock club, I joined. I joined for three years. Then last year, I decided not to. Well, the first shipment was a beautiful skein of blue yarn with a pattern for a sock with beads called the Queen of Beads. I just had to have this yarn and the pattern. I waited patiently and they finally offered it outside of the sock club. I finally got around to ordering it and also had to order two other skeins of yarns. So I got Froggin and Valentina in the medium weight and My Blue Heaven in the lightweight.

Then, I go to my favorite yarn shop (The Knitter's Edge) and she has Online sock yarn for $10 a skein. I love Online sock yarn and the colors were great. I got color 1177, 1121, and 1176.

Now, I have to get knitting and it's perfect timing since tax season is almost over.

I did finish one project. It is the April KAL for my Monthly Dishcloth Group. The pattern is Teddy Bear by Sue Mrenna. I have to say that I thought it was a rabbit until I found out the name of the pattern and realized that I was looking at it upside down. I used size 6 needles with Peaches and Creme yarn in the camel colorway.

Happy Easter

What a beautiful day it was today. A great day to enjoy with family and friends. It has been so nice this weekend that we got out our porch furniture and were able to sit out and enjoy the weather. Tax season is winding down and I have visions of sitting out on my back porch reading and knitting. What a joy!

I forgot to post a picture of my finished Spiral Cowl. I really enjoyed knitting this one. I used Madelinetosh (formerly dk) yarn in the sequoia colorway with size 6 needles.

I got the final two shipments from the Intentions yarn club. Friendship yarn, which is 50% alpaca, 30% merino and 20% silk yarn in a grey colorway.

Then the other shipment was roving. I was disappointed in this because I didn't think that this was a fiber club, but at least I received all shipments. It sure took long enough and I don't think that this club was what it was supposted to be. Lesson learned: Be careful of the yarn clubs that you join.

I had a gift certificate from the Knitter's Edge and spent it well. I got the new Cherry Tree Fingerpaints yarn in the Cider House colorway.

Then, I also got the same yarn in the Morning Glory colorway, Zauberball in a pink, white and green colorway and Jeannee dk yarn in a green and fushia colorway to make more chemo caps.

I'm ready for tax season to end so I can knit and read on my back porch. Can't wait.