15 | December | 2012 | Justquiltin with Denise Russart

Back at the beginning of the month I posted this photo — it was the bag full of my Black Friday Yarn purchases — and promised I’d dump it out to show you want was really in it.

Well – here’s what that bag holds:

The browny pile of yarn is alpaca that is destined for a vest I want to make. I originally started the vest in some bright orange but I realized I don’t have enough, couldn’t get more, and did I really want to look like the giant pumpkin? Probably not. But I do actually have an orange wool coat so will probably use the orange yarn to make a scarf, hat, etc. to go with that. But this brown will be much better for the vest. Then of course there are various random single hanks of sock yarn, two colbalt blue that are worsted weight. Quite a nice group.

But did that stop me from buying a bit more yarn — you know it did not!

The Loopy Ewe has a line called Seasonings with coordinating smaller hanks to match the main hank for heels and toes of socks (or trim on some other knit garmet, etc)

Here’s the two Seasonings I bought. And I also bought a Loopy Cake to make another cowl with. The colors are a bit pastelly (something I usually don’t gravitate to) but they were pretty and I think with a light gray they will look lovely.

And was that all the yarn buying — well not exactly but the stuff I’m waiting for is for the shawl KAL on ravelry I’ll be doing later this month and I needed multiple hanks of the same colors, and three different colors to go together for the shawl and the majority of the stash is single hanks.

But then today, I stopped at Stitcher’s Crossing – the local quilt sho which also has a nice yarn selection – to pick up some gifts for a friend and saw this yarn in a basket there

I just couldn’t walk by that lovely color combination. It’s 100% wool and was a bargain so I took the last four they had in that color. I’m hoping to make a snuggly warm cowl since it will look good with my red coat and add some color. I just have to decide what pattern to use.

I did manage to get the christmas gifts and a few fat quarters of fabric for me too. 🙂

So today I managed to get the christmas gift I need to mail to a quilty friend in California – just maybe it will get there before Christmas. Got the two bosses’ gifts. Picked up my new eyeglasses which had come in. And got a few groceries. Laundry is started, and I just need to type up yardage info for two quilts (which I’ve already figured) and can get into to Hoffman Fabrics tomorrow that they are waiting for. So I feel I’m back on track – at least a little.

Oh, my other bargain out shopping today — I had been wanting one of those little Shark steam floor cleaners to use on my tile in the bathroom, entryway, kitchen and laundry room. None of them are huge areas but my knees, which have been mangled from too many falls over the years, just do not like me kneeling on ceramic tile andwashing floors on my hands and knees. It was on sale as an early bird bonus, plus I got an additional percentage off so it ended up being half price. Not that I love cleaning but I’m anxious to give it a try.

I’m so behind on many things. Life has gotten really busy here all of a sudden and it certainly hasn’t helped that the intestinal bug that has been running rampant here has had me not feeling great for over a week. I’m feeling better most of the time but I’m getting tired of eating bland boring food or trying to find something that actually sounds good to eat. Or try to figure out if maybe I don’t feel good because I haven’t been eating much. Such dilemmas. LOL But in talking to many other people at the office and friends of mine outside the office — it hangs on for a week or two before you finally get back to normal. So I consider myself pretty lucky to feel good most of the time. I did skip our office holiday party one afternoon last week because the thought of hors de ouvres and cocktails made my stomache roll, but I cranked up the christmas music on the computer and got a lot of work done with nearly all employees out of the office and no phones ringing. But all this has meant I haven’t done anything all week execept go to work and come home, put my jammies on and curl up in a chair.

That does not get the christmas shopping done, or packages in the mail, or the tree decorated, or the outside lights put up, or laundry done or apartment cleaned, or the quilt designs written I need to finish for Hoffman, or the On the Needles Report posted on Friday. But finally some progress today!

So first things first —

This is the second Ruffled Neckwarmer I started. It’s out of a little more bulky yarn than the pattern calls for but I think it will work fine. I’m adding a few more rows to the ruffle in this one so it is longer. I don’t know what I’ll do with this one – it may got into the gifting drawer. But this yarn was some I picked up because I liked the color combo but then couldn’t decide what to do with it since I’ve only got two hanks of it which is not a lot when it’s bulky yarn.

I have no idea why this sock is taking me so long to finish — but I’m finally making my way down the foot and should get this pair finished yet this year.