A Blue Knitter

I had the pleasure of going back to St. Louis this past week. I am now at a point that I love going there for a couple of reasons, the casino is very close and it is cheap entertainment for me (poker room has $3/$6 limit tables and I can usually stay for about 6 hours with only $40!) and the new training supervisor at the site that I visit is totally awesome! We get along very well and I think that if I lived in St. Louis - we'd be great friends! So, while all the other St. Louis visitors that have to go to the site moan and groan, I'm usually the first to volunteer!

During my trip, I got back to knitting my sock. Since I broke the needle on the sock I was working on (Claudia's Hand Painted Yarn - my favorite) AND since I haven't had time to go to the LYS to pick up some new needles, I cast on some self striping yarn onto my size 2 needles.

Now - this yarn...I don't even know who makes this yarn...it is good yarn to work with...but the color, I cannot stand. That's the problem with me and buying self striping yarn...I think it's a good idea while it's in a ball, but when the colors and pattern start to emerge, I hate it. I started this sock out in a simple stockinette - I bought it in Knoxville to kill time while I was waiting on my nephew - hated the stockinette and tore it out. I was thumbing through my sock bible - Sensational Knitted Socks and found a Chevron pattern that I thought I'd try. It's bearable and I got all the way to the heel during my trip.



This pattern calls for a forethought heel and I need to sit and decipher what the directions are first before attempting. I've never done an afterthought heel, so this should be fun.

I am also in the need of some baby blanket patterns. I thought last year was the year of the baby boom for our friends, but it turns out...this year is. I have 3 friends, pregnant and in need of a blanket. Okay - maybe not in need of a blanket, but I think hand knit blankets are the best gifts for a first child. Especially a really soft one...

One girlfriend is due in two weeks - I think I'll be using The 8 Hour Baby Blanket by Plymouth Yarns, however her son's room is decked out in Buffalo Bills colors (red, white and blue) and I would love to be able to do something with those colors...

My other two girlfriends I still have time to kill...but I'll be making my way to the LYS for a buying frenzy of yarn and patterns for these gifts. I'm soliciting baby blanket suggestions and somewhat reasonable yarn suggestions (remember...I have 3 to do!) if anyone out there has any...

AND....

With all that has been going on...

I have been feeling extremely blue for the past few weeks. We have been slammed for the past four weeks straight with things to do that I don't know if I'm hitting exhaustion, depression, or what is going on. I've just been feeling a little empty for the past few weeks. I talked to my husband about it last night and he said that he has been feeling the same way. We have been so, so busy the past month that we haven't really had any us time...let alone...me time and I hope that is what it is...we are done with the plans and don't plan to make any more plans....for a while. But work has also been weighing heavily on my mind and I am not happy there. I am usually the one that loves my job, but for the past few months, I have been indifferent about my situation at work...could this be it? Who knows, but hopefully it will pass. This ist he last weekend of plans...we were going to go to Six Flags with a group of friends, however, that would have been the straw that broke this camel's back! We decided to postpone the trip to a time when school would be back in session and we would opt to go during the week! So, instead of the Six Flags adventure, we are heading to CT to visit a friend and have some dinner and just relax with good company. The crappy part is that it is 2 hours from us...but maybe this is what we need to turn our blue into whew and turn back into our normal selves. That's my venting for today...

I leave you with sunset at Martha's Vineyard from last weekend...