Woolbearers Yarn Trip

Yesterday, I took a drive to one of the nicest yarns stores in New Jersey! I LOVE Woolbearer's. It is a nice size store not jam packed so no feelings of claustraphobia or dustitis and long forgotten shelves of garbagio! I think they have just about everything you need in yarn there. AND Myra who was there is so helpful and know the inventory AND actually listens to what you want instead of pushing the flavor of the month yarn on you or the most expensive stuff she can triple strand!

I didn't get much, just a few skeins of Boku as a replacement for the Silk Garden Noro a swap partner wanted, size 10 1/2 double pointed needles (yet another pair is missing) and a few great buttons for my Noro Vest AND the Wallaby Pattern which was a return to nostalgia for me. I just recently found Caroline's first passport. She is so cute in the picture and wearing a Wallaby I made for her!

My friend, Kaye bought yarn for three projects, I don't think Kaye needs to yarn shop for a year. She is so disiplined that she is actually waiting for finish her WIP BEFORE casting on one new thing! If I'm not driving I've been known to cast on in the car on the way home!!!

We also went to a tiny quilting shop in a quaint old barn or garage. I got the perfect material for a baby quit I need to make and picked up a Christmas throw quilt kit. Now here is my ethical quandry. When I went to use my debit card to pay I was missing it so I was concentrating on searching for my card was not paying any attention to the women who was ringing up my order. I had to pay by check. Now the last time I was there I wound up paying for patterns which were mixed up in a basket of free patterns. (My card was resting safely at Woolbearers) So when I got home I looked at my receipt and realized that the women checked me out incorrectly. The Christmas kit was marked $59.95 but the pattern for the kit was in the front and still marked $7.00 so I was charged 40% of $7 not 40% almost $60. If I had spotted it in the store I would have corrected it. Now I don't know what to do. Part of me just wants to say well these things happen, I was over chaged in a different Quilt shop recently and did not get it corrected. When I asked my Knitting Group the concensus was to leave it alone because if I called the store I might get the women checking out in trouble. Any ideas?

12/26/08

SO,Christmas has come and gone!!!! It's hard to believe. We had a very nice low key holiday around here. We celebrated Christmas Eve at my house. We had good food, good company and every one loved their gifts. Christmas was very relaxed. Steven got up early and went surfing, Caroline slept in and I just rested and enjoyed the quiet and peace of the house. We skipped the usual big Christmas brunch and then just went to my sister's house for dinner. I gave no handmade gifts this year, well not made by me--- I did purchase beautiful shawls made by Russian women for my grandmother and mother. Caroline got handmade open finger tip gloves from Whole Foods. They have a great little spot where they sell handmade gifts that benefit crafters usually in underdeveloped places.

Christmas Eve after dinner Steven and Caroline used the upstairs sitting room for the first time. They listened to music and played games and hung out. We just need to do the floor and a second coat of paint and the moldings and the sitting room will be done. I went to Lowes and got the rest of the flooring today. It will be really nice to have to finished up there!

The only handmade stuff I did this year was baking. I made scones, muffins, coffee cakes and tea breads and wrapped them nicely and set up reusable shopping bags stuffed with the baked goodies, Starbucks coffee, teas and a few nice cups. Breakfast to go for my Christmas Eve guests, my sisters and mother and Katie's mom.

Tonight I am going to put on my new Christmas robe and nightgown and finish knitting an alpaca scarf I started last year.

So who is ready?

I've been home since Wed. I sleep, knit and get up to do a little then sleep again! Caroline has been working or out so Katie has been a huge help.
The shopping is done, the food for Christmas Eve bought and the house clean and decorated. All I have to do is survive two days at work and cook.

The only way I'm as far as I am is because I'm not doing 1/10 th of what I used to do. Not one person but me even seems to notice. No holiday knitting, way fewer gifts or even gift cards then in the past. Less decorating and less obcessing over over every single thing!

I'm working on finishing up my projects on my Ravelry list so I've been working on the MIstaken Rib Scarf and then next I'll work on finishing my circular jacket and then I'll decide about the Lady Feb sweater and the trial knitting sweater from the "famous" designer who asked us to try it out then just left us all high and dry with HER mistakes, corrected them and now will sell us the pattern!

Back Home Again

It has been forever since I posted. I've been busy, then sick then busy then sick again! Right after Thanksgiving I had a sinus infection which made me want to turn my head in for a new one. Then back to work and lots of catch up but I've been knitting at night. I'm working on a sweater with a border design of roses and leaves then a lice pattern. So far I'm knitting a tube and I'll steek it for arm openings etc. I'm using some black merino cashmire I got at Sitches with the rainbow Kauni for the design. So far I LOVE it.

Last Sat. I was admitted to the hospital with a similiar ischemic colitis as last year. Since I was only sick not crazy I went to the emergency room with about six months of knitting in my tote bag, (forgot to bring clean panties) and I just got out yesterday. I did get lots of knitting done and I'll be out of work until Monday so although my Christmas prep is so far off I can't even begin to figure it out I have been knitting up a storm.