Quiz Time

Go help out a grad student with his Ph.D. work; take this quiz at MIT.

Packages!

Before I get to the good stuff, I need advice. I won an auction on eBay.de (Germany) and the seller doesn't know anything about PayPal. Do any of you know of easy, speedy alternatives? I checked out Western Union and it would cost about $20 to send 9.50 Euros. HUH? Help! Worst case, I'll mail her a money order, and I'll receive my package around December. Ha!

Look what was on my porch when I got home today! Yay! Books!








I got Loop-D-Loop, which is the one I'm most excited about, plus Knitted Toys (good to have around for gifts and such), Simple Socks, Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns, Ann Budd's Book of Sweater Patterns and Yarn Requirements. That ought to keep me busy for a while. I've definitely hit a point where I have more books and magazines than I'll ever use, but that's kind of fun.


There was also a weird, very plasticy (you know that smell) little tote stuck in the bottom of the box, plus a sample. Calcium samples? Hm.

Cotton Ease and Shizzle

So. Remember when I said, "Yay!" because school was out for summer and I'd be doing 24/7 knitting? Yeah. That hasn't happened yet. I have made a little progress on Aprikot Jacke, but not enough to tell you about.

Here's what has happened:

- Toddler birthday parties are crazy. Crazy.

- Mothers in law get very excited when their daughter in law suggests a day together at the new outlet mall.

- GAP and Ann Taylor have cute stuff.

- Mr. Goodkarma shopped for clothes (!) by himself (!) and didn't only buy the usual uniform of black tshirt and olive shorts!! I was so proud of him I almost had a heart attack.

- Fremont Outdoor Cinema double date is a good idea. Them playing Napoleon Dynamite to a crowd of folks who've obviously seen it before and are laughing/quoting the whole time is hilarious!

- Fledgling stitch n bitch got together at a local coffee shop. Fulay (from Little Knits -- go shop there, she is the coolest business owner/fun friend!) vented about being a tired mom to a toddler and a new baby. When I told her I'm trying to get pregnant she offered to hit me over the head. Then we laughed a lot and I snorted, which is normal for me. :)

- I went to Tuesday Morning for the first time in search of Cotton Ease. Bought 6 skeins of pistachio and 6 skeins of blue popsical. Not sure I'll even use them (I already have 6 skeins of blue popsical!). Would rather trade for other colors, especially Licorice or Vanilla (of course), or a darker teal green that I've seen in the past at a shop but isn't on the website (was I on crack that day?), or Candy Blue or Blueberry. Anyone wanna trade? This picture of blue popsical seems a bit light/bright to me. It's deeper and turquoisier.



- Oh, and the owl pellet I disected yesterday at my week long science class (see, I wasn't just complaining that my summer hasn't really started yet) was kind of gross.

Huh? Ooooh...

So the Aprikot Jacket is absolutely gorgeous to knit and I'm all in love with the pattern. However, the details are a bit fuzzy and I had to break out the graph paper last night when I was done with the ribbing and it was time to start the diagonal pattern.

After that, it all made sense. You just have to start the graph on what would normally be the wrong side of the garment (the side that has P2 on the edges rather than K2). At least, that's what finally worked out for me.

Here she is, peeking at you in her halfway done back glory. I've figured out that optimal color photographing time/place is out on the back deck after dinnertime. Ain't she pretty?

Didya notice the new Interweave Knits there in the background? I love fall. So much. There are a few things I'll consider from this issue.

Big Geek Beth and I have been talking. I didn't want her to think I was stalking her, but we have a lot in common. Without spelling it out for the whole world, we've both been noticing how many of you are making One Skein Wonders, and we've both been shaking our heads. You see, Beth and I are well endowed chicks and we just don't know how OSW could possibly do anything else but highlight our bustlines in disgusting ways. We also suspect Orangina, another of Stephanie Japel's fantastic designs, might look equally disgusting on us. So, if there are any of you out there who read this and have knit either OSW or Orangina, and have bOObs, would you let me know? I'm talking thirtysixdoubledee for me. Not sure about Beth's size, 'cause I haven't really been stalking her. :) hee hee

Oooo! And it's blue!

what flavor pocky are you?

[c] sugardew

Schooool's Out For Summer!

Yay! School's out, so in between summer science courses, doctor appointments, home organization projects, planning for our vacation, etc., I'm ready to catch up on knitting. I promise to have knitting news in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, I have some fun pics to share. A couple of weeks ago, we had a big birthday bash for my younger step-sister. She's 24 and drank way too much, so the only picture I have of her is very, very unflattering and not fit to share. :) But here I am sitting on my mom's deck in the back yard. She has an amazing flower garden. Here's my Mr. Goodkarma in the one picture where he doesn't look stoned. That's a special talent of his. I suspect this one looks okay because he's wearing his shades.... cause here's one where he's posing with my other stepsister, and what did I tell you? Stoner-looking husband.




On Father's Day, my brother and I took our dad to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (known to Seattleites as the Ballard Locks). Dad used to take us there all the time when we were kids. Any trip to Seattle would be complete with a visit... the locks themselves were engineered and built by the Army Corps of Engineers way back in 1917 as a way of allowing boats to travel between the Puget Sound (saltwater) and Lake Washington (fresh water). Now it's a fun place to watch the sailboats pass through. Also, there is a fish ladder to assist the salmon in returning to their origins to spawn, and you can see them rushing up the ladder, against the current, through big underground windows. The Locks also has gorgeous botanical gardens and lawns, isn't far at all from Golden Gardens and Shilshole, in case anyone wants some beach time. And across the street you get to eat fish and chips at the Totem House, making family recipes since 1948. Yum yum! We saw this newish outdoor sculpture there, photo from the Roddy Scheer website.






This week I was fortunate enough to receive a fat gift certificate to one of my favorite spas in town, Ummelina. A couple of parents got my whole class together to chip in and buy a gift certificate for me, isn't that thoughtful?! Wow, BIG surprise!! So I went on Monday night with a couple of girlfriends and had a fabulous facial. I still have money left to go toward a massage... their massages are The Best I've Ever Had. Probably because the whole place is lux and you get to go through several steps of relaxation, including a shower beforehand in a room with many showerheads, heated comfy massage tables, warm neck pillows afterward in the tranquility room, etc. Sigh...

And what should appear in my mailbox today from Overstock.com? Yay! I bought Last-Minute Knitted Gifts because of all the Hourglass Sweaters I've seen; I hadn't even looked at all the other patterns in the book. I'm impressed with the layout and design of the book and there are actually a few things I will make; looks like a good book to have on hand for gift ideas. And Knitting On the Road has been calling to me ever since I checked it out from the library a couple months ago.

Maybe tomorrow my Crafters Choice books will arrive. Yes, I signed up a week or so ago, mostly because they offered Loop-D-Loop, which I really, really want!

Tiny Taste of Seattle

So I got to spend the day at EMP with 80 second graders. In case you've never heard of EMP, aka Experience Music Project, it's a rock 'n roll museum that was begun as a way to celebrate Jimi Hendrix and his roots in Seattle. Mr. Goodkarma (guitar extraordinaire) and I are members, natch.

The kids were hilarious. Of course they loved the Sound Lab, where you can basically take mini guitar/drum/bass/keyboard lessons with instruments that are attached to computers that walk you through the chords, etc.

They didn't quite get why Jimi wore those crazy clothes, and "Why did he smash up his guitars??" (Little photo here is a remnant of one of his hand-painted guitars.) But they did have a rockin' good time. If you ever find yourself in my home town, you must visit EMP.

Another thing you must do if you ever find yourself in my home town (or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest for that matter) is go to one of my bro-in-law's gigs. He's becoming quite a rock star in our city and has recently signed a big record deal. All the drums you hear in those songs (I like Montreal best) are real, played by Kevin himself. He used to call himself The Human Drum Machine. He's fast, fast, fast.

Rebecca Sleeve #1

I love this design. I do. After knitting several rows of the diagonal chart, I would stop, look at it, shake my head and smile. It's the architectural feeling that gets me. Pay no attention to the fact that the person who designed it and the people who wrote/edited/translated/re-edited/published the pattern probably have never met nor spoken to one another.

I'm also in love with All Seasons Cotton. It feels really good on my hands, is airy and sproingy, and I can't wait to wear it. I already can't wait to make something else with it and I'm barely knee-deep in this project!

Every time I photograph the yarn, the light is different and it looks like a completely different color. I think the May 28th entry is truest so far.

Soho Summer

Lookie, lookie! The Jo Sharp Soho Summer arrived from WEBS!

I ordered 12 balls of the color Sailboat, which turned out to be more of a greeny-grey than a blue color, which is fine by me. I think it'll make a swell Rebecca jacket.

There are only 11 school days left. I canNOT wait to have more free time to work on projects, add plants to my yard, sleep, read, etc. etc!

Back and Undefeated!

First off, thanks to everyone who sent a supportive comment about the miserably unattractive Ribby. After a day or two of supreme funk, I understood that the sweater could either be fixed, donated, or saved for future maternity wear (ha!), and to hell with it, I'm going to keep working on Lucky.

So that's what I've been doing this week, knitting Lucky and becoming chemically dependent on Jack Bauer and 24 on DVD. (Also, Mr. and I went to see Hitch at the cheap theater the other night. It was a cute, funny, romantic date movie. Kinda predictable, but the actors kept it fresh.)

My luck is changing, though, which makes me feel all cosmically good. I'm buying a great car from a friend who's leaving with her husband and 3 year old to teach in Tanzania. I'm moving to 4th grade next year with an awesome new teammate. I'm looking forward so much to going to Hawaii with my husband next month, where we'll also be celebrating our 5 year anniversary.

Now back to the mundaneness of home ownership: scrubbing the kitchen floor while hubby blasts Mars Volta from the basement as he stains the new wood cabinets he built in our laundry room. I don't know if I'll drop first from the fumes, the noise, or the shock that I'm scrubbing my kitchen floor. :)

What Would Bonne Marie Do?

Warning: Knitting Rant Ahead.

Last night I sat down and installed the zipper into my Ribby Cardi. I tried it on and it looks terrible. The main problem, I think, is that the damn thing turned out too big. It looks boxy and horrible, which is sad, because others have knit cute, form fitted Ribbies that show that they really do have waists. It looks so bad, I don't even want to bother taking a picture.

I know some of the problems...

a) I knit the damn thing too loosely. I had gauge, I really did. I swatched. But since then, I've used the same Peruvian Highland Wool for Mariah, on smaller needles, and the fabric is much nicer/denser/etc. that way. Damn.

b) I must make sure that I have waist shaping in all pattern choices. This one has side ribbing, which I thought would be enough to bring it in in the right places, but no.

c) Perhaps I should do what Grumperina does and knit 36" sweaters for a 39" bust. Okay, so I actually have a 40" bust, but I also have a 32" waist and a short torso, so I need to pay more attention to schematics and such, so I'm not swimming around in a sweater that matches my bust measurement. I knit Ribby at the 38/39" size.

There might be a way to "boss my knitting around" but I'm just plain irritated with it. And I was so disappointed in the thing that I started to doubt my whole obsession/committment to the world of knitting. So far, the things I've finished for myself haven't been too successful. (See problem b above.) I don't want to spend more time knitting -- and more money on yarn -- if I'm not going to be happy with the results. That, or stick to knitting for all of my friends' babies and kiddos.

Now that I've had some time to think about it, I might try altering the sides to cut out excess bulk. But not today.

Grumble over.

Next I'll install the zipper on Mariah, which I know will fit better. See, I solved problems a and b when I was planning and starting Mariah. Wish me luck.

Rippit! Rippit!

We went to a little barbeque at our friends' house today, which involved driving about 45 minutes each way. Jacke was happy to accompany me. Here's the progress I've made so far on sleeve #1... nearly a skein's worth. So quick to knit, such a lovely yarn! Sadly, I'm going to rip all of this out and start again. You can't tell from this picture (dang flash), but the center ribbing is not symmetrical. I want to start the cuff ribbing one stitch over so that the center column of ribbing between the diagonal stitches will be even. Right now it's P1, k2, p2, k2, p2, k1. Which is fine, but to blend in properly with the sides, it should be p2, k2, p2, k2, p2. Get it? And it's probably a very small thing, but the gauge is huge enough to be obvious to me. And so, I'll start again.

I'm glad I started with a sleeve; it gave me a good chance to get used to the charting, the yarn, etc.

New Project

Since Mariah is practically finished, I need a new project to alternate with Lucky. Lucky is great, but I'm knitting it on size #2 needles, so progress is slooow. I need something that's worked at a larger gauge. Enter Jacke in Aprikot. I know, everyone and their mother has either knit this or fantasized about knitting it, but I love it so and have had it in my queue for months and months. I've also had this gorgeous bag of Rowan All Seasons Cotton in my stash specifically for this cardi, and it was exciting to liberate the first skein today in order to make a swatch. What you see here is what I was able to knit while watching my husband grill turkeyburgers for dinner: a few inches of the first sleeve. I am adoring this yarn. Adoring. This beet red color I'm using is called Kiss. The yarn has a great sproing that reminds me a little of knitting with Karabella Aurora 8. I *will* be using ASC again, lemme tell you.

Guess what? I got a package in the mail today! What fun! This one was a little surprise pack from my new friend, Atouria, at Yarn Yoga. Such a good pal! We've been finding all kinds of things in common with one another. She sent a little wooden massager, which I went right out and used on Mr. Goodkarma, who had just finished mowing the lawn in the hot sun. He definitely approved, and said it made him all tingly, which is kind of creepy of him since I only used it on his back. :) Anyway, pally also sent me this pretty bar of soap, which will look so great in my bathroom. Here's a picture of one of the walls in our main bathroom. Can you dig the mango walls? And mediterranean accents? I love me some citrus and "water" colors. Mmm hmm. I brought the glass dish home from Venice and it has a little mini friend that we use as a soap dish. So the soap, which is cruelty free because Atouria is vegan and loves finding fabulous animal friendly products, fits in perfectly and has a nice fresh scent that I love. Thank you!!

Finally, everyone must see this little animated movie that's making its way around the web: Store Wars. "Cuke, I'm your father..." Very funny.

I just re-read this post and realized that it made Mr. Goodkarma out to be quite hard-working while all I do is check the mail for goodies, knit, and blog. Lemme tell ya, we both earned our supper tonight. Whew. Lots of work to be done at the casa, and it was another warm day. Around 80 degrees. Better than the last two days, which were hovering close to 90 degrees! In May! In Seattle! I really do worry about global warming. This is not normal!

Thanks A Lot, Guys!

Thanks to everyone for voicing their opinions about colors for the Rebecca cardi. The votes were really evenly spread, which didn't made my decision any easier. I showed the magazine to Mr. Goodkarma, and all he noticed were all the super cropped sweaters on all the super skinny German models ("She's not that skinny," he said, and the conversation ENDED before we even got to the color options.) I just went ahead and ordered the Soho Summer in Sailboat. I was undecided until just then, when I went back to WEBS to look at the colors and realized that today was the last day of the sale. There is another, more bluey blue (sailboat is a bit greeny grey blue), called cloudless, which I seem to pick out a lot, so at least sailboat will be a bit different, spring/summery, and neutral enough to wear a whole lot.

Lolly mentioned that a friend of hers tried to knit this cardi and had to put it down. I admit that the directions are more vague than I'm used to (let's face it, Rebecca ain't no Bonne Marie), but I think I want to give it a shot.

In super happy news, look at what came in the mail today:



Go Zipperstop! Go Zipperstop! It's your birthday! Get busy! Sorry, that's annoying. It took only 3 days from the time I placed my order (including a custom length zipper) to the time my zippers arrived, cross-country, in my mailbox. Yippee! My only beef: I paid about $4 for the zippers and about another $4 for shipping, and the package cost $0.60 to mail. I hate being overcharged for shipping. But anyway, if it weren't 88 degrees out today (seriously!), I'd be putting these zippers in right now! But the cardis are wool and I'm already sweaty. We'll see how the weather shakes out this long holiday weekend.

Lastly, Bonnie noticed my bikes in Amsterdam photo this week and thought she'd start a little revolution: International Bike Pics on Blogs. Go see hers. It was taken in Costa Rica, and she's getting ready to move there! So, check out your photo files and post your own!

Wanted: Rebecca #38 Pale Blue Jacket

Because I don't have enough projects on my wish list (insert sarcasm here), I thought I'd add this one. I could use another non-wooly cardi in the mix, something that could work most of the year-round. Now I'm thinking of using the Jo Sharp Soho Summer that's on sale at WEBS right now.

Which color do you like best:

1. sailboat


2. currant


3. rockpool


4. paprika


I'm leaning toward sailboat, but is that just because a) I'm in love with light blue lately and b) the original picture is in light blue? I also like rockpool; I don't have a lot of green in my wardrobe, but then again my Lucky cardi is being made in a peacock color, which is more blue than green. I love just about every shade of purple. And I always get compliments when I wear things in the rose-coral-salmon spectrum.

I polled a couple of my second graders and they agreed that Rockpool would be a good choice. One of them also suggested that black would be good. You see, 8 year old girls are good yarny fashion advisors! :)

What's a girl to do? :)

goodkarma go again

Someone asked if I'm a "real Karma" or if "Karma is my stage name". As much as I like the idea of a stage name, I am a real Karma. That's really my name. Usually when someone meets me, they ask one of two questions:

1. Were your parents hippies?

2. Are you Buddhist?

I get these kinds of questions a lot, and it's okay, it comes with the territory. I usually mess with people and tell them that my brother's name is Dharma. (It's not.) Yes, I guess you could say my parents were hippies, or at least very, very young when they had me in 1971. I'm not officially a Buddhist, but am very interested in eastern religions and Buddhism in particular, which might be precipitated by growing up with my given name.

Here's another travel photo. This one is from Amsterdam in 2003. I've been to Amsterdam a few different times and love it more and more each time. It's a really diverse city with a completely different experience for each visitor. I've done the "museum Amsterdam" with a girlfriend, a more "red light Amsterdam" while traveling during my honeymoon, and this last time it was more of a "snapshot Amsterdam" while on a day-long layover on the way home from India. There are bicycles all over the place (parts of the Netherlands are made up of reclaimed land, and are therefore very flat and condusive to bicycling), and flower pots on everyone's doorstep or window.

Zipper Order

Psst... I just ordered my zipper for Mariah (18", color #916, deep brown) and for Ribby Cardi (21, color #546, sky blue). Please, Mr. Postman, bring them to me soon!

Sneak Peek

The fact that I haven't posted for a whole week means that a) my work world has been shaken up and busy, and 2) I wanted to post a finished Mariah the next time I posted here (let's get real!). The weather this week has been fantastic, though, with thunder storms, hail, wind, heavy rain, and sunshine inbetween it all. I get really excited during thunder storms! ooh! ahh!

I spent the week (knitting-wise) finishing Mariah's hood, which I thought would take an evening in front of Law and Order, but who was I kidding, it took several sessions to knit. Hoods are big. Yes, they are. But guess what? I not only finished that hood, but I also got about 1/3 of the seaming done. I'm planning to order a zipper for it and for Ribby today, and have a couple of finished sweaters soon soon soon.

I was out and about yesterday and took a chance at my neighborhood Hancock Fabrics to see if there was any more Cotton Ease. It's now 30% off, so I got 6 skeins for around $17. Not bad, eh? This color is called Blue Ice; it's a soft blue with a little lavender tint to it. Periwinkle? We'll see what it decides it wants to become.

I took an even bigger chance and dropped by my neighborhood yarn shop, Seattle Yarn Gallery, to see if they had the new Rebecca. I've been dropping by or calling every week or two for a couple of months, just for this reason. They finally got it in! The day before! I was so happy. I don't know why the whole Seattle area got their magazine shipment so much later than the rest of the world, but I'm over it now. :)

This afternoon I'm taking my grandma to see a play... The Seattle Shakespeare Co. is putting on an all male version of The Taming of the Shrew, and I've heard good things about it so far. We'll have lunch somewhere first... should be fun!

And how could I possibly end this post without the big news of the week? Mr. Goodkarma and I finally bought our tickets for our vacation in Hawaii this July! I haven't been to Hawaii yet, but Mr. has. His parents have a condo on the big island, so we'll stay there with them for a week, and we're also going to visit Oahu for a week, where I have a dear friend to visit. Are we excited? Oh yeah! I'm already starting to think about airplane knitting. But mostly, I've had a rough couple of months at work and am really ready for some beach time. This will be my first relaxing summer in a few years... the last two years I've done major travel that hasn't been very relaxing at all. Hawaii, here we come!

Field Trip

Saturday rocked. I drove alllll the way up to Everett to find Great Yarns. It took me an hour to get there, and on the way I was hoping it would be worth it. It was so worth it!

The shop is housed on a very busy street amidst strip mall quality businesses (check cashing company, day labor business, car parts shop, smoke shop, etc.) in an old craftsman style house. On the porch were racks of bagged up sale yarns, and as I made my way inside I felt like I were in a less glamorous version of Hilltop Yarn: green shag rug in the old living room where the cashmeres and Debbie Blisses were, all the sock yarn and novelty yarns were in a side bedroom (lots of Koigu! none on sale!), another bedroom had baby yarns and lots of books and magazines, the kitchen had sweater kits, Noro, more Debbie Bliss, bulkier yarns, and the dining room had a great big table full of sale yarns as well as a good assortment of all kinds of fibers on the walls and on the floor in bins. The shop had a good assortment from cheaper acrylics up to fancy lux cashmeres and all things inbetween. Sale signs were sprinkled throughout the store. The staff and customers were all very friendly, approachable, normal unassuming people. It was a great experience.

Score #1: 6 skeins (660 yds.) of La Lana Del Cigno Nero Tatiana 2 100% Egyptian Cotton from Italy, reg. price $28.50, mine for $15. I'm thinking Soleil, maybe?




Score #2: 10 skeins (appx. 1360 yds.) of Schachenmayr Extra 100% superwash wool. I have no idea what I'll do with it, but it was marked down from $45 to $25, it's a color I like, I'll think of something.



Score #3: 10 skeins (1380 yds) of Classic Elite Waterspun 100% felted merino, in Aqua Ice. Marked down from $62.50 to $32.50. This was my happiest score; I've seen this yarn before and felt lust but didn't buy. I *adore* the color and will definitely find something to make with this!!

So for $75, I think I did pretty well. I don't know that I'll be going to Great Yarns very often, because of the distance, but it was a great little shop with good deals. If they have another sale in the future, I'll be there. On my way home, I was feeling the need to get a pedicure. Much better.

Later that evening, I met up with 4 of my girlfriends at one of their condos downtown... we had a fabulous dinner, lemon drops, did facials, read trashy magazines, stayed up late and watched Saturday Night Live. Here's a snap Kristina and I (that's me on the right in all my green glory) with our LUSH Mask of Magnaminty faces (so fresh and so clean!). We stayed the night and woke up to a fabulous Belgian waffle breakfast and discussion of our book of the month, Hotel Du Lac by Anita Brookner. Next month, we'll go to a real spa for massages (to celebrate V's birthday! to celebrate the end of the school year since most of us are teachers!) and discuss Joanne Harris' Holy Fools.

I could not have asked for a better weekend! Now I need to get some knitting done. Mariah, here I come!

Kindness Revisited

Things that made me a happy girl yesterday:

1. Grumperina sent me this sweet little thing as a thank you. It's a drawstring bag, in case you couldn't see from the picture. She's really been paying attention: she said it was a little something for goal #5. That means organizing my house. :) It's perfect for me! Now I just have to think of the perfect use for it. Thank you, Kathy! I love the colors.

2. Karen sent me this:

I noticed that she used the Knitpicks Andean Silk for Branching Out (go see her blog, it's soo pretty!) and I asked her how she liked the yarn. She promptly offered to send me her leftovers to knit and play with! The cute thing was that her husband so very generously cleaned up for her, so all that was left was the ends that she had to weave in, but you know what? IT WAS ENOUGH. I'm sold. This yarn is soooo soft. I even adore the color she used. Is that Sangria? Too bad there's something wrong with my camera right now and I can't use the macro. Anyway, I'm thinking an Hourglass Sweater (need to buy the book) or else Subway Knitter's V-Neck Bell Sleeve Top. Oh. It would be like buttah. Thank you so much Karen, for enabling me! You are so sweet! And we both have K names; the notecard was v. cute.

3. Becky came by and told me not to frog my Purple Peppermint Twist. The Becky who designed it! Wow, how in the world did she find my little blog? Anyway, after reading several comments suggesting that I try to save PPT, I think I will. But Mariah is *still* number one on the hit parade, and I'm going to try to finish her up this weekend.



Things I'm happy about today:

1. Laura emailed to say she got her Cotton Ease in the mail today! She couldn't find any left in her city, nor online, so I did the neighborly thing and went shopping for her! Hey, sometimes it's easier to go hunting for yarn when you're not spending your own dough. Go check out her blog; she has a finished Soleil that's gorgeous.

2. I just went to yoga tonight for the first time in months. I've been doing other kinds of exercise, so this was a good switcheroo and it helps me meet Goal #4 (getting back into yoga).

3. I'm having a slumber party with my girlfriends Saturday night! One dear friend is going soon to live in Tanzania for two years; another is coming up from Eugene, Oregon with her little 5 month old sweetie, Anya. Five of us are getting together to read magazines, paint our toes, drink lemon drops, you know. We have to start Anya out on the right foot in life, right? Gratuitous Anya shot:

4. A new (to me) yarn shop, Great Yarns! is having a sale right now and I'm going to drive up there in the morning and check it out. It's about 35 miles north of me in Everett, and that sounds like just the thing for a solo Saturday morning jaunt.

Hopefully, my next post will be announcing the completion of Mariah.