Vacation just sailing away!

I'm on Winter Vacation from work right now. I've been relaxing, knitting, eating out and just went to see a play last night. So for a totally unscheduled vacation I've been pretty busy with enjoyable things. First, I did finish my Olympic pair of socks. I used my usual pattern BUT my challenge was to finish them within the time limit. I didn't knit on anything else while I was working on them and I've found I don't like to be monogamous to a pair of socks. Was pretty monotonous! Well, I've solved that! I started working on a new project ~ a pair of fingerless gloves for my daughter. So far both of us are very happy with them. I may just go back and make myself a pair of gloves WITH all the fingers! Am I getting socked out?

Back to real life!

I spent last weekend quietly knitting through the snow storm. I missed Monday at work due to the snow but the next four days at work more then made up for the extra day off. In New York City where I work the children are taking a math test in early March. We are on vacation for a week, come back for a week then BANG the test! As Math Staff developer for my school, this really felt like crunch week. BTW, almost ALL the snow is gone but it is now bitterly cold!

So now I have a week to clean my house, knit, visit with friends etc. Hmmm , wonder which I'll concentrate on?

I also worked on getting a swap ready for a soap group I belong to. A friend of mine helped me finish it up and now it will be mailed off on Tuesday. Lots of nice soaps, lotions and other bath treats are on the way out.

Snow Storm Productivity!

We have had a record amount of snow in NJ and NY this weekend SO I've been in the house and busy. I finished the heel and am almost up to the ribbing on my first Olympic sock . This Olympic challenge had really kept me on track. Every time I start to stray to another knitting project, just thinking of not finishing brings me right back to the project sock! I have also made six batches of soap, five rebatches and one new one. Here's a picture of yesterday's soaps. They need to cure for a day or so then I'll cut and trim them. In a few weeks when they are wrapped I'll post another picture. I've also made something else but I'm going to send a few to my swap sister so I'm not going to mention what it is!

1st day's progress from Knitting Olympics

Yesterday, I attended a Cast Off Party to start my knitting Olympics projects---socks! I'm using my usual pattern, toe up on two circs, with an after thought heel. My challange will be finishing them within the time span of the Olympics. I've made such good progress so far, that right now it does not seem too difficult! While I was at the cast off party I did more then knit I made a convert to toe up two circ knitting! I helped a fellow knitter cast on and start her toe! I've been knitting so much that I have not done much with any of my other hobbies. I just added a picture of a piece of redwork I did a few years ago. This morning I need to make soap and lotion bars. More pictures on Sunday!

Restocking and trying something new

I sold out of every cream, lotion and scrub that I make shortly after Christmas. Last weekend I did scrubs and a few lotions today was the start of restocking creams, tomorrow I'll start tackling the whipped butters and make at least one or two soaps or I sneak off to the movies or if I have the energy do both! Now I have my least favorite task to do, label, seal and shrink wrap all the stuff, it's worse then weaving in ends or seaming up pieces! I did try something new today I worked on felting soap. I took wool roving and covered soaps with them to make soaps with a felted layer, soaps in a sweater. I saw a demo of this this fall at a soap gathering and I 've been planning on doing it ever since. I ordered the roving right away then realized that I didn't have time to play with these until after the Christmas rush so I decided to make them my swap project for my annual Ringing in the New Swap. I host a swap on Soapnuts every year to try something new. This is my contribution this year. They were kind of fun to make but pretty time consuming so I don't know if I'll ever sell them. I do like the wool roving around a face bar as a very nice way to use facial soap.

What I've been doing.

I'm lost two days this week to not feeling well. I actually did not pick up a knitting needle or book from Wed. evening through to Friday morning. Friday morning I went to the Dr. & had a shot which helped with the nausea and then spent the afternoon comfortably knitting. So far this blog has been about one of my main passions in life BUT I have another hobby which takes over my life. I make soaps, lotions, creams, scrubs and other pampering products. Today I had 50 pounds each of palm and coconut oils, boxes of shea, cocoa and mango butter and jugs of specialty oils like cherry kernel oil delivered to my house. Soon I'll be turning these into soaps, lotions and creams. I want to experiment with more body butters and hand balms. I think I'll use my knitting groups as testers! I'll post pictures on Sat. Of some of my finished products as well as the latest Lucy bag which I am determined to finish by Sat morning!