Lots of new toys!!

So I could not bring myself to buy the $1,600 plane tickets (total for both) to Alaska. It was just too much. So Kyle and I decided to look into what we could find for a week in a timeshare at the last minute. And we found that we could go to Arizona. So we will be off for a little over a week to Sedona AZ in the middle of July.

I was feeling good about the huge amount of money and decided to make a large purchase that I have been pondering for awhile. So here is my new goody:

A fantabulous laptop. I got it yesterday and have been busy loading the programs I need. Next I want to set up the house as wireless. It is just too much to have to be plugged in if I don't have to. I am already all hooked up at work...except the printer. I'll have to work on that.

Then there is my next goodie. This shipped today and was a huge splurge. But I am EXCITED!! This is a fantastic new digital camera for me. So I am kind of using my student loans to buy these for me, but I feel like it is worthwhile.

Kyle and I are heading out of town this weekend. Up to Sacramento to spend some time with his mom. Plus I have a gift certificate, from my birthday, to Ikea. I am looking forward to spending that!!

I really need to get going, I have to pack the car and get out of town!

Knitting will probably need to stop :(

It is hot. I mean HOT. The high today is 110 degrees, maybe higher. Ummm, I don't think I can handle it. Kyle's band is playing this show this evening that I was planning on going to, but seeing as it will be outside, I just don't know.

I am also of the opinion that now is not the time for a huge wool blanket on my lap, so the knitting will have to break! I am kind of sad because now I really am planning to buy tickets to Alaska (probably mid July) and would be able to wear the sweater up there. If I don't finish it before we (Kyle and I) go, I can finish while up there.

So I don't really have much else to say. And no crafty pictures, So I will post some from our camping trip a couple of weeks ago. I accidently forgot the tent polls, so Kyle and I had to sleep in the car. It was not that comfy, but worked. And the other picture is my dad and Kyle making dinner. Kyle's step-brother-in-law is in the background.

Wow - I'm to the armpits

What a funny title, but YEA!! I tried the bad boy cabled riding coat on even. Spent 10 min. taking it off the needles. Another 10 using safety pins to close it around my body. But look at it. It looks great. AND all my worries about it not fitting are seeming silly. It is a little snug, but if I lose any of the weight I would like to, it will fit great. Right now it looks like a big cabled corset.

I don't know what came over me... it is supposed to 105 degrees today. Why would I wrap myself in 100% wool?? I must have been desperate to see how it would look. I am inside with the AC running. I was just hanging out, avoiding thinking about work (I need to go soon), watching Elizabethtown (which I am half way through), and knitting. When I reached the all important front and back divide. I can't believe I am already here. I did not knit at all for about one week and then only knit about 2 rows for the whole week before that. Then all of a sudden, I got into it again and have been knitting about 6 rows a night for the past few evenings. And here I am, the bias effect in full force and working well. I am even MORE excited now that I have tried on the sweater. Even though if I am very dedicated and finish this in, say, one month, I still won't be able to wear it for another four at least. I HATE THE HEAT!!

I'm ready for Alaska... I think I will buy a ticket no matter the cost right NOW. Okay, not really. But I wish. Okay, I must be off. Finish lunch and head to work... maybe. ;)

I just worked up the picture, I had to really mess with the color and lightness to show off the cable work. But I think it looks okay. I decided to take my picture in the bathroom to show off my new shower curtain. I also got a matching bath mat. Check out my meter to the left, I am updating it as well!

I forgot... someone (Nikki High) posted a comment asking for my excel file. I would be happy to share it with you, email me (rhiannknits at yahoo dot com) or post your email address and I will send it to you!! I am not sure how to post files other than picture on the blog. Sorry!

I've been gone, but a lot has happened.

First of all, I must apologize for being absent for awhile. Unfortunately my grandfather passed away two fridays ago. It was a whilrwind of a week, my sister and neice came in from Alaska for the funeral. Plus my cousins, their spouses, and kids, and my Uncle were also here. It is really unfortunate what a bitter sweet event funerals can be.

Now I am not feeling well. A little summer cold or alergies, I don't know, I just geel bad.

Anyways, enough complaining. This will be a post short on words and long on pictures.


I received my tea swap goodies. In fact I am sipping on my first cup of the tea right now. A Swedish blend that my pal describes as a rhubarb and cream tea. MMMMmmmmm, quite tasty. She also sent me some ecological, handpainted, Swedish yarn form Gotland (sp?). It is so pretty! I don't know what I am going to do with it. I will have to ponder it for awhile. She also made me some cookies, that Kyle and I dug into right away. These delicious cinnamon and cardamom Swedish spice cookies. I was so lucky to get someone who could spoil me with all these goodies I would never be exposed to otherwise!! Thank you so much to Ketutar!!

I have been working on the cabled coat, but not too much. However I have been sewing crazy. I made a bag for a friend for her birthday. And then with the leftover fabric made this little hand bag. I made up a new pattern for it. It is kind of a promo, each one gets better as I get more comfortable with my patterns. So no pic of the bag I gave away.





Then she asked me to make one for her to give to a friend. No pic of that one either. It was in a pastel stripe pattern with an egg shell blue lining. When we went to buy the fabric for that bag, it all was on sale, so I bought more to make another one. For no real reason. I have SO MANY!! But here is the picture of that blue bubble bag. Not entirely done, I still need to close the hole on the inside for turning it and do the top stitching.


Next I made a drawstring shirt. The pattern said 1/2 hour for completion. But since I kind of looked at the internet pattern (found here) and made my own off of it and I must not be that fast of a sewer, it took me just over an hour. But here I am wearing it. I have not actually worn it out yet, I just don't know about the semi-shapless sinched waste. But I'm sure I will soon!


I am also working on a smock like the one pinkrocket made found here!!

So as usual, I am much more winded then I thought I would be. Once I get going, I just keep going.