I LOVE FOOTBALL!

Well, I just had to let you all know how much I have missed watching Football.  On the weekend of the 9th, I helped Paige move and did not see any football....then, on the weekend of the 16th, we were in CA and I again did not see any football.  So yesterday, nothing was staying between me and my football......well, almost nothing!

I watched the Patriots loose to the Broncos.....Yeah, that is the exact outcome I wanted!

Then I started to watch the Panthers spank the Cardinals.....but Antonio and Paige came over, so I helped Paige with a little bit of homework and played with Antonio.....I was hoping that my 'not watching' would help the score turn around, but I was wrong.  I really wanted Arizona to win (I love Larry Fitzgerald) but oh well.....now it is time to root for Broncos to take it all the way and win the Superbowl!

With all the football watching....I did get lots of knitting done (Yeah me!)!!!

I got both the mitts for my cousin past the thumb gusset....now just for a little more than an inch on each of these and some fingers and Viola!

I also worked on My Karee Shawl....I am loving the way this is turning out!

Then it was time to pull out something OLD!   I started this weight it shawl back in March of last year....well, I was not that far along at all (see old blog post here)......Well, Darlene bought another skein of this yarn so we could split the skein and make the weight it shawl larger.....so I pulled it out so I could A) use some needles that I cannot tell you about yet, and B) start alternating skeins.  I frogged the tiny beginning and restarted it with alternating skeins...the skeins look pretty drastically different, but  I think they look okay alternated...what do you think?

Maybe it does not seem like I did a lot of knitting...but it sure feels like I did a lot!

I got a new bag from Awesome Grannie....it is Sugar Skulls and I love it!

I also got yarn for my Citadel Cardigan.  I am going to use my new Sugar Skulls bag for this KAL that starts January 31st.  Now, I really want to win that sweater's worth of yarn....but I do not think I will be able to finish my cardigan first....unless I call in sick for a month and do not sleep...LOL!  Darlene is doing this KAL also and she did a couple of swatches and blocked them and everything.....so I decided to do the same.  I swatched in a US 8 unblocked and got exact gauge, then swatched in a US 6 and aggressively blocked and I did not like the drape...so I am going with a US 7 (and no swatch in a US 7....I am a rebel):

Lastly, I wound my yarn for my February Socks...Zombody is driving the school bus!

That is pretty much all I have......but I do want to tell you about my getting to see a yarn store in Canada.  I friend on Ravelry, Paulette aka mamiepooh, called me via facetime when she went to the Biscotte & Cie Yarn store in Quebec.....I got to meet the owner, Louise, and see the fabulous store.  Louise has asked me to help moderate her Ravelry group and of course I accepted (she is super busy with the shop).  It was wonderful to see the snow in Quebec and the lovely yarn store and meet Louise and Ginette aka Olithia on ravelry.  Thanks Paulette!!!  I should have gotten some pictures during facetime, but I was afraid I would mess up and hang up on them.....so I will share some pictures of some wonderful patterns Louise has with her dyed yarn:

Well, that is all I have......have a fantastic week everyone!

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!

Makeup is a BIG DEAL!

I am back from California....I went with my daughter to LA and Pasadena to IMATS.  It is International Makeup Artists Trade Show....let me tell you what....Makeup is a BIG DEAL!  The lines where LONG....here is just one line (time lapsed):

After we got in, there were just more and more lines.....but we had a fantastic time!  She even snap chatted how good I was doing!

Paige got some stuff that was regularly sold out...and some exclusive stuff....she even saw Jaclyn Hill (who is a very big deal).  There was even a kiosk/vending machine for makeup at the airport (yes, we got some).

The apple really does not fall far from the tree here....these are her makeup purchases just for Saturday (look familiar to a bunch of yarn laying out on a bed?)....while she did not buy a whole lot on Sunday, we did still go again on Sunday before flying home.

Here are the bands for both days:

I did go to one yarn store called The Altered Stitch (I think they host Stephen and Steven soon)...it was a lovely shop, but a little ironic for me.  I wanted to get some local to CA yarn and they not only had Madelinetosh (from Dallas) but they also had Texas Dyed Wools yarn (from Austin)....ha, ha!  I did not buy anything (see how good I am), but it was nice to go.

Now you are probably wondering if I got to knit at all (I mean, this is a knitting blog)....well, I did....while I was in line!  I did not knit much on the planes, but that is because my ears were bothering me (they still are).

I worked on the fingerless mitts for my cousin.....remember I barely had them started at the beginning of the year...I saved them for this trip:

I have the second mitt to the second red stripe....so they are coming along.  I also finished my January Socks!  These are Desert Vista Dyeworks in the Flintstones Colorway!

Lastly, I worked on my Karee Shawl:

Now, I have a couple of stash enhancements....but I won one of them!

I won a skein from Brazen Stitchery in the Northman colorway!  I love it!  Thanks Stacey!

and I bought a bag for a cross stitch project....along with Q Snap Covers!  I love the sheep!!

Oh, I also have to tell you that I had to take Antonio to the dr this past week for his vaccinations....he was such a great trooper, we got a 529 pc lego set.....he loved putting it together and playing with it!

Well, that is all I have...but I leave you with a sight seeing picture (Pinches Tacos...LOL) and pictures of the sunset at the Santa Monica Pier.

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!

Crazy Busy Weekend!

Paige moved apartments…from a first floor apartment (well, there are 7 steps to get to her first floor apartment…not that I counted) to a third floor apartment….where there are 39 steps, again, not that I was counting (LOL!).

Well, if you do not already know this...let me tell you that I am a very sedentary person!  However, this past weekend, for Saturday I did 8,753 steps and Sunday I did 14,124 steps…..I had about 100 ‘active’ hours…which is more ‘active’ hours that I probably had in all of 2015!

So, I am bushed!  My calves are on FIRE and I never want to walk again…but I did survive.

This new apartment is just for Paige and Antonio….and she is excited for the clean break.  She broke up with her boyfriend, Chris, and is no longer living with her best friend, Bizzle…..Paige felt like she was mother to 3 children and not just 1…..so now the new chapter of just Paige and Antonio starts…..she loves her new apartment and so does Antonio....I am very happy for them!

I do have a snapshot to prove my pain....LOL!

Here is a picture of her bathroom, I am pretty impressed with the tub!

On to the knitting......I have a pretty exciting stash enhancement....I got some SMOOSHY yarn.  I have wanted to get some of this yarn for a long time to make a big ole smooshy blanket.  Well, I finally got some.  I got it from a friend, Trish, in Indiana.  She owns a shop called Colorways Gallery, and she gave me a much appreciated discount.  I cannot wait to make this blanket...but I have no yet decided what pattern I will use....

Here is my stuff with some pics of the beautiful blankets made with it.

and here I am showing the girls at lunch how you would knit with such huge needles (they are size US 120).

I also had a friend destash some of her DVD yarn, so I grabbed this one:

I tried to do my nails by myself this week because I got these super cute dachshund stickers....it looked really bad.....

So, I went and had them professionally done (yes, I also got a pedicure) and they looked much better.....I say looked (past tense) because after the move, they do not look so hot!

Now, as far as knitting.....man, I really have not done much....I did not get to knit much at all this weekend...maybe just an hour each day.  I did work on my Karee Shawl (I am loving how this is looking):

Darlene also knitted some fingerless mitts for Antonio, I knitted the very end of one of his mitts, so I could leave them for him at his new apartment....Thank you Darlene, he loved them!

Lastly, I have been working away at my DVD socks for January.  I am hoping to finish these before Paige and I leave to CA on Friday!

And that is it.  I know, not much....but it was really a crazy and busy weekend for me (which is where most of my knitting time is).

Happy Happy Happy Knitting Everyone!!