Here's a sneak peek of what I've been working on for the shop.  It's snowing here and school has been canceled today. Most likely, it'll be canceled tomorrow, too.  I was counting on sewing all day today and now, with my girls home, that's unlikely.  I'm going to change the shop update from tomorrow to Friday, February 12th at 12:00 noon EST.

I'm also working on the after school snack cheat sheet.  I hope to have that posted for downloading soon, too.

Libraries are the number one place where shh happens

Fatty and I are big Threadless t-shirt fans so I was very flattered and incredibly excited when they asked me to be one of the judges of their latest contest.  Threadknits is a contest for knitters and crocheters.  The gist is that you take your favorite Threadless t-shirt design and knit or crochet it in to something fabulous.  Pretty cool, huh?  The contest is running now through March 1, 2010 - still time for you to whip something up.  You can read the rules and how to enter here.  There are great prizes that included cash, t-shirts and knitting goodies.  The number of entries right now stands at 48 so the odds of winning are looking good!  Follow Threadknits on Twitter for the latest information.

I am looking forward to see what everyone comes up with.

Here it is.  My tea leaves cardigan.  It's not the best photo, but I took a bunch and wouldn't you know that this is the best I got?  Now it's dark so there is no chance of a re-shoot until tomorrow and I am afraid tomorrow I won't have time.

I like this sweater a lot.  The sleeves are a funky length - not 3/4 and not really full - but I'm okay with that since I ran out of yarn.  I do wish it were a little smaller.  The pattern goes from a 36 to a 40 and of course, I am a 38.  I knit the 40 which was definitely the right choice, but a 38 would have been better.  I added about an inch of length - maybe a mistake as the sweater grew when I washed it (I'm sure the sleeves did, too).  Leslie told me I could throw it in the dryer for 5 minutes at a time to shrink it a bit, but I was too freaked out to have it in there for more than 3 minutes total!  I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca in Park Bench.  I originally bought this yarn for the February Lady Sweater, but didn't like it for that knit.  I love it for this.  I used somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 and a half skeins and size 6 and 7 needles.  I liked knitting it too - a lot of mindless stockinette which is perfect for knitting on the go.

I'm excited to share some other fun knitting news tomorrow.

And a small number of camera straps will be in the shop on Wednesday, February 10 at 12:00 noon EST.

Ok, then.  See you later.

I have one sweater blocking.  It should be ready for buttons tonight.  And because I need a portable craft to work on while in the carpool line or music lessons, I cast on another sweater this afternoon.  It, too, is for me.  I debated between a charcoal gray and a medium brown for the main color.  It was a hard decision.  My first instinct was gray, but then I took a look in my closet and I have three gray sweaters and only one brown one.  So, I went for the brown.  It was an uncharacteristic choice, but it is going to look so good with the main contrast color: green.  No surprise there.

Tomorrow I am going to finish quilt top number two.  I am also working on some camera straps for the shop.  There will be a small update sometime next week.  More on that and other news tomorrow.

I'm not going to let this month get the best of me.  No sir, not one bit.  I've got flowers and hot cocoa with whipped cream and a quilt top.

And it's only just begun.