past weeks

So in the past week I have turned another year older. I had fun with my sister and mom. I was hoping to do something with my mom, dad and sister, but it was a blustery day we were going to do something. We decided to stay in most of the day. We did go out to eat. I chose a bad place. Service was not good. The waitress was just awful, and the food was not good. We have been there before, but we will never go again. The waitress came by once and slammed the bread plates on the table. There were other things that happened but it is making me mad so I will just go on.

I was also on vacation this past week. I had to roll over a weeks worth of time from last year because I couldn't take it in December like I had planned. Since we were moving to the new branch I thought that it would not be fair to leave the branch. So I took it the week of my birthday.

It was super nice to not have to get up in the morning....although I was up around 8 or so...got to sleep in a bit. I also did not have to go to bed "early" (early for me is 11:30). It was also nice sleeping thru most nights. I did have to go in on Wed...for the grand opening of the "new" branch that had been open for more than a month. Once again, I thought that it would not be fair to have the day off, so I worked it. What a "Team Player" I am...I should get a good review!

I watched movies and TV while I was off. I was happy to sit on the couch and just veg out.

As I was doing the payroll today, I noticed that I have a total of 160 hours of vacation this year!!! COOL!! another three weeks. I also think that there might be another 6 days added into it because of "personal" time that we are allotted this year instead of "sick" time.

Today I thought that I would be overwhelmed. I was not. I was searching for things to do. I started the monthly branch audit that I dread to do, but most of it is completed now. I have just bits and pieces of it left to do. I think that I have most of the "hard" part done :)

While I was off I took my sister and mom to the LYS. I told them to pick out yarn for socks. I think that I was smokin crack when I told them that I would knit them socks. I have the yarn, and now I have to get the ambition to start them. I am going to do it a different way this time. I have two sets of DPN's to knit two socks at the same time to avoid "second sock syndrome".

That is about all that is going on in my life.

My SP is the BEST!!!!

So you think that you have the best Secret Pal? Well you do not! I DO!!!!!

I had a blast this round. Thanks Lynn!

I received my last package today. I really enjoyed getting to know her. Her blog is: mutantpenguin.blogspot.com

Here are the pictures:

There was so much in the package that I had to break it up into two pictures! WOW!

Ok, so in the picture on the left: There is a set of bags with Mickey Mouse! a picture frame with purple flowers and jewels, a box of Moose Munch Crunch in caramel by Harry and David (love their stuff!) a magnet that says "so much yarn so little time" and a set of point protectors in the shape of socks!

The picture on the right: A very nice reveal letter from Lynn, note cards with my name on them (Michelle) a book "Knitting Without Tears" (glancing thru it, there looks like some cool patterns...even a pattern for mittens that I think I would like to try), there was 4 skeins of yarn! One on the left is from a spinning mill called Harrisville Designs in New Hampshire where they card and spin their own yarns (how cool), the blue and pink yarns are from Knit Picks (love them!!!) the yarn is called Palette in the colors blush and pool.

Thank you Secret Pal Lynn!

Now I have another picture:

When I was moving things off the top of my yarn bureau, I saw this teddy that my aunt gave me. She has a set of needles, a ball of yarn, and a knitting bag that says "Knitting Is My Bag". How cute is she? I also put my two bears that are sisters....I bought one in Ohio here and one when I was in Canada.

Recently my aunt gave me another bear. I have not put her out yet because I need a stand. I have been too lazy to look for one. Until then she will stay protected in the box. I might want to keep her in the box anyway, she has a pretty white cloak that I think might get a little dirty...but then again, I would like to enjoy seeing her out with the other bears.

The same aunt had gall bladder surgery last week. What was to be a 45 min surgery turned out to be a 6 1/2 hour ordeal. She had some pretty big stones that had to be chipped away. She was supposed to be sent home later that night. Because of the longer surgery, she will have a 7-8 day stay. I was hoping to see her this weekend, but she is not up to having visitors. I hope she recovers quickly. Please send a prayer for quick healing!

More Pics

Here are the pictures I promised last week.

Blogger finally uploaded the pictures. It took a long time, but did not kick me out.

Yesterday I finished the handles for the bag and sewed up the bottom. I have to sew on the handles, felt, and line with plastic canvas.

I also noticed last night that the plant has yet another flower growing. There are three on the plant. I am so shocked! There has only been two flowers at a time.

On another note, I am off today! I am not sure what to do. I have LOTS to do, but don't want to do the things that I should. I did vacuum the carpet. I have clothes to go through (do they fit or not) and put away (even from the last disaster in the apartment a month or so ago) and the bathroom to clean. I have to re-arrange my yarn stash. I have to work out and I also wanted to see a movie in a theater. I think that I can do it, but I have to get my butt off of the couch and do it. Oh and I just forgot that I need to pay the bills....NOT FUN! OH shoot, I need to get groceries also. I think that I need to make a list of what I need to accomplish today! :)

update

So I am trying to upload some pictures of what I have been working on, but blogger is not letting me. I will try again Friday night.

Anyway, the secret pal I had for secret pal 8 sent me a pattern and yarn for a felted purse. I have been working on this since the end of September.....I have not worked on it for a long time because I wanted to focus on the shawl. I finished the body of the purse the other night. I am now working on the i-cord handles. I should be felting the purse this weekend. I can't wait. I just love to see the felting process. I have enough yarn left that I might make a change purse. I have done this in the past with another purse. It turned out really cute. This pattern takes pony beads. I think that I will include the rest of the pony beads in the change purse. I can just see it now...how cute!!!

I was watering my one plant early this week. I noticed that it is starting to flower again! I think that this will be the third time this year! WOW! I went a year without a flower and now three in a year! I have a picture of this too....but......

Pics....finally

Blogger finally allowed me to upload pics....


Here are pictures of the adamas shawl I knit for my sister's Christmas present:

This is the adamas shawl as I was blocking it. I had pictures of it before I blocked it, but I accidentally erased it from my new digital camera. OOPS

My sister opened the cute little package that I put it in and just saw part of the main pattern. I told her to open it fully and she was shocked! She asked if I knitted it for her. She was very impressed. I am glad that she likes it. She told me that she was thinking of what outfit to wear it with!

I am now working on the purse I started back in September. I am getting close to the end. I will post pictures of it when I am finished knitting, but before I felt it.

Finally

OK, so the shawl is FINALLY finished. I finished knitting the shawl last night around midnight. Binding off took longer than I expected. I started the blocking process tonight. I have never blocked anything before, so I am excited to see what happens. I did get pictures, but I accidentally erased the pictures.

A cool thing happened this week. My boss received a gift card for exceeding last month's investment goal. Well, it was my referral, and he gave me the gift card! So, I asked for it to be from Target! I bought a digital camera yesterday. So that is what I used to take pictures of the finished shawl that I accidentally erased tonight. It was cool to see the before and after. I hope to figure out how to upload the data to the computer. I plan on figuring this out Saturday or Sunday. I am so angry that I lost the pictures. I even tried to take a picture from my camera-phone, but the battery died last night....I tried the phone first, but lost juice, then remembered the camera I had.

Well I should be off to bed. I hope to sleep through tonight.....

Thanks....and OH NO!

Update on the past week:

In the past week I gave a presentation, moved into a new branch, got a cold, and received the best package from my Secret Pal.

I am now feeling much better. The past couple of days I felt like a wash rag. Today I finally feel almost normal. I am not blowing my nose or coughing much.

So here are the neat things my Secret Pal sent last week:

The package contained purple slipper-socks, a bar of jasmine soap, and a purple washcloth. The photo doesn't really show the bar of soap really well, but it is purple too.

How cool is that! I love the color purple!

The penguin card is too cute too!

Thanks SP!

Here is my modeling debut....I promise never to model again :)

Thanks again SP.

OK, so now for the "OH NO" part of the title. I have, say, about a week to finish the Adamas shawl for my sister. I am close to finishing it. I think that I will do only 13 of the 14 repeats, just to finish it on time. I will then have to do the edging, which I hope will not take too long. I will then have to block it. I figure if I can knit the rest of it by next week, I will have enough time to block it. I want this to look pretty when she opens up the present. Oh I just can't wait. I plan on posting pics soon of it off the needle....

With that, I think that I will get going to knit the rest of the repeat that I am in.