I'm a bad secret pal...

So I was sitting here thinking that I haven't heard from my secret pal in a loooooong time, when I realized that I have had my July gift for my secret pal sitting under my desk for the past two weeks AND I was late with June gift as well. The only consolation is that it's a really nice gift *smile* I feel so bad. I think I will send her an email and (of course) mail off her package today. I think my life is a little too hectic for secret pal. I'm not going to play again, even though I love sending and getting gifties in the mail :)

I'm also a bad blogger cuz I missed ANOTHER picture heavy friday. Maybe I should change it to picture heavy Monday. I seem to be doing much better at posting these on Monday rather than Friday, plus it gives me a chance to add the pictures from over the weekend. Since I'm on the subject, I'll start with pictures of my weekend knitting. I've been working on Shedir from the Fall 04 surprise issue of Knitty and it's funny because when I first stared working on the pattern it took me about a week to get through the first pattern repeat. Then, this weekend I got through three repeats of the pattern while my daughter was having her swim lesson and later on while I was sitting around at my mom's. I guess practice really does help *smile* I'm using Zara yarn on bamboo #3 needles. This is a lovely yarn by the way, if you haven't tried it before I suggest just buying a ball to pet, it's that soft.

I also started working on a pair of felted clogs for a gift, for these I'm using Cascade 220 and the reccomened size 13 needles. Can't say who they're for yet cuz that person might be lurking around my blog.



Don't you just love the enormity of that clog! How fun, I've never felted anything (on purpose) in my life so I'm really interested to see how it comes out. I also worked on the back of the Phildar sweater but you don't want to see pictures of that, it's boring. I'm up to the armhole shaping and I should be able to finish the back and start on the front tonight. Almost done!

I also spun up some more of the crap roving and alpaca, it's coming out nicely. I can't wait til I get my drum carder and I can card up a bunch of this stuff quickly and spin it just as fast.



Since I'm a thrifty (ahem, poor) knitter I also deconstructed a sweater this weekend so I can make the cabled shrug from the Fall IK. I know a lot of people don't like this shrug but as I think I mentioned before, I am in lust. I found this cashmere sweater at the Salvation Army for $3.00! You can't beat that. I dyed the yarn a chocolate brown over the weekend to try to match the color in the pattern but I haven't taken pictures yet. I'll share them as soon as I have them done.


This yarn is so soft and yummy that I know I'm going to love my shrug, and you will all be jealous! Even those who think that pattern is hideous, haha!

I'm sharing this picture just cuz I think it is too adorable and cuz my (possibly) future mother-in-law just sent it to me. This is a picture of my monster with the BF on father's day. She made him the hat at school. She really loves this guy and I hope we can make it work cuz she never see's her own dad and, well, I happen to like the guy a bit as well *smile*



She made him no less than 6 daddy day cards/presents and I think it really made him feel special. He has a son from a previous relationship but he doesn't get to see him often because he lives in FL. I think he likes playing she his kid just as much as she likes playing he's her daddy. This month we will celebrate our 3 YEAR anniversary. I don't know how the hell 3 years crept up on us, but there you go. I'm thinking of making him this sweater for Xmas. It's no secret cuz he helped pick out the pattern and the yarn so I can share it here without fear *smile* Of course it's another Phildar pattern. I have fallen in love... don't tell the BF haha!



And of course I must leave you with this weeks desktop critter. I bought this while I was on vacation in Vegas with my family at the Excalibur hotel. Isn't he cute?