This is about 2/3 of the Knitting Club. Most of the other 1/3 won't allow pictures to be taken of them. Some even wear full facial coverings all day, so even I have no clue what they look like. No, that's not weird. I don't know what YOU look like either, and we enjoy each other. :)

Time to Regroup

First - the excellent news: We're planning a trip Down East. That's right, we're off to see the home of the Fleece Artist, the ocean, and all things in between. The great thing about being married to a knitter is that SHE is more excited than I am. I'm also a much faster knitter than I was, which is good, since women seem to be breaking out in children wherever I go. I'm not jealous. Honest. *sniffle*

Next - the good news: The kids at school are starting to ask for harder patterns. For most, harder means stockingette scarves or *gasp* ribbing, but it's wonderful nonetheless. (picture of the kids below...I counted, it's closer to half, not 2/3)

Finally - the news that involves work: So, yearbook's finally in, midterm marks are entered, and I have no more excuses. Today I weighed myself and found that a month of stress and eating out equals a 5 pound weight gain...BUT...the doctor's scale, which is actually accurate, says my scale weighs ten pounds heavy. So, even though I've gained 5 lbs, the numbers LOOK like I've lost another 5.

Unfortunately, nothing will allow me to fake physical fitness, so I guess I'm just going to have to exercise. Thank you very much to those who urged me to keep trying to run the 5K at the end of May. I don't think I made myself clear though. I HAVE to do the 5K, so I'm not able to back out. I'm also far far far from able at the moment. By far from able, I mean that running 100 feet leaves me all gaspy and fish-faced. Soooo....training R us.

I'm going to face mockery and try walk/running on the school's track. (It would be a teasing, friendly mockery. The students are pretty pleasant about such things, but the boys won't be able to avoid showing off, bless em, and I'm just pig headed enough to try to race.)

Training and eating properly, I SHOULD go from unable to run 100 feet to able to run 5K in a month, right? Right? *listens to the chorus of giggles* OK, so I'm dreaming in technicolour. Stay tunes to this blog for more hilarity, as an obese knitter not only learns to run, but also finished project. (soon? Maybe.)

And yes, more buttons. PLEASE read down, there ARE a number of non picture posts below.

BIG BIG buttons

More buttons

Bee buttons

Buttons

She does embroidery. It says so in Season one. Betcha she knits too. GOSH I love Xena.

The next Big Bad Baby Blanket will be rainbow bright.

My colour choice

Yarn destined for a shawly thing - DW's colour choice

DW gets into the stash BEFORE I can take a picture.

A "little" reward for finishing tearbook ermm..yearbook.

Stash Enhancement OR There's No Such Thing as a Bad $2 Ball of Yarn

Hey folks? Micheals, which I would not normally spend money at, is selling off Wool-Ease worsted weight yarn for $2 a ball. Yes, that's $2 Canadian. So we did a little stash enhancement. A smidgen.

And since Chapters is right next door...2 new Mercedes Lackey books ( a guilty pleasure, I'll admit...they're the fantasy version of Harlequin romance or Nancy Drew mysteries - predicable and comforting, a light read).

Oh, and Xena. Erm. Well. See....I LIKE point metal things. Swords, knitting needles. And for some reason, Xena reminds me of my wife.

ROAK'd

April 15th
I was RAOK'd by Carrie of Southern Fried Knitting She sent me a lovely note reminding me to have a Knitastic Day. I have done as she commanded.

YEARBOOK'S DONE OVER FINITO

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!

One hundred and twelve pages of writing, correcting, editing, picture placing, software glitch fixing, excuse busting, name finding, and fellow staff member hounding is finally over.

I'm waiting for the proofs to come back, but right now it's looking pretty darned good.

Me, the Yarn Harlot and my "I'm too shy to be in a picture" wife's GORGEOUS Fleece Artist shawl. Pattern from Fiddlesticks Knitting.

Stephanie's hair teaches a newbie to knit. *I* think she has lovely hair.

Yarn Forward Advertises Her

The Harlot was in MY LYS!!!!

OK, fearless readers, I apologize. I've been writing blog posts, but literally not having time to post them, so you're about to read several days' worth one after another.

APRIL 7th

Yesterday, I went to pick my wife up after work, and her eyes were all twinkly. "Love," she informed me, "we have to go to Yarn Forward tomorrow night." never one to resit temptation, I conceded instantly. Then I got suspicious. "Why?" "Because the Yarn Harlot's going to be there. She's doing a book signing."

Please note, at this point, I was not yet driving. This is a good thing, as I instantly grabbed my wife and squealed with joy. Yes, I squealed. I know, such behaviour is reserved for cheerleaders and winners on the Price is Right, but this was HARLOT. Stephanie Frickin Pearl-McPhee was coming to MY LYS.

Of course, we went to Yarn Forward last night too, to buy a copy of the bookbookbook before it sold out. Louise, the lovely lady who takes most of our savings away, and let me put Fleece Artist yarn on layaway, was bouncing up and down, clapping her hands, and squeaking. Louise does not squeal. She makes an adorable and terribly contagious EEEEEEEE noise, but it is NOT squealing.

This morning, the two of us debated what we were going to wear, and exactly how fast we could drive from South Ottawa to West Ottawa without risking speeding tickets. Generally neither of us care much about clothing, barring making sure we don't get fired or arrested, but we knit. And, unfortunately, we give almost everything we knit away. Thus my wife wore everyday clothes, and I wore jeans, a black T shirt, and the Fleece Artist Shawl my wife made.

We arrived at the store almost an hour before Stephanie was due to leave for the Bank Street location of the same store. I've never seen an hour go faster in my life. Stephanie is actually FAR more fun in person than she is in writing...and that's saying something. Moreover, she wasn't scary. I was half expecting to leave in tears, having met greatness and knowing I'd never make it. Instead, I left the store with joy and hope. That lady is amazing.

Better yet, she almost didn't give my wife's shawl BACK. My quiet, reserved, dignified wife was dancing and wiggling her butt around, chanting "Harlot likes my shaaawwwwwl" for the rest of the night.

While we were there, I learned a new pattern, a new way of holding needles, and had books signed for my family and my school club (153 knitters and counting!). Then Stephanie's publisher-lady donated a copy of Running a Teen Knitting Club to the school too! I asked her to sign it. Fair's fair.

A whirlwind hour of fun later, Stephanie left to sign more books at the Bank Street branch of the store. We stuck around, chatted with Louise, and walked out with joy, bookbookbooks and a couple of skeins of black cobweb yarn.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! Forget yearbook!