The first project was knitting an item that would keep your shoulders warm while sitting around the campfire.  The only requirement was that it had to incorporate two different colors of yarn.

Since I have mad crazy trouble finishing even small shawls I decided that I should tackle a two-color shawl for this challenge.  Was I deranged when I decided to take this on?  Probably!

I settled on a pattern, bought my yarn and started on June 15th (the first day of the challenge that we were allowed to knit).  Didn’t like the pattern with the yarn.  Picked another pattern.  Didn’t like that pattern with the yarn.

By the time I settled on Taygete it was June 23rd.  I’d lost over a week of knitting time.  Now, I’m not a quick knitter.  I’m also not a dedicated knitter.  I read a lot, I spend a lot of time on Ravelry just hanging out, so I lose a lot of knitting time to other pursuits.  Suffice it to say, the week before the 15th of July (the deadline) a LOT of knitting took place.  I finished right on time though.

I adore my Taygete!  I need to publicly thank Laura Nelkin and Anne Hanson because without their classes on lace at Spring Fling there is no way I would have finished even this small amount of lace!  So, ladies, my most sincere appreciation to both of you!

I was full of nervous anticipation as I left home Thursday morning and headed down 71/75S.  That must be why I missed the 71/75 split and ended up on the way to Lexington instead of Louisville.  Good thing that I-64 pretty much meets up with I-75 in Georgetown, KY.  Since Missouri is an hour behind me it’s like my little detour never happened, right?  Right!

I-64 West was an absolute mess going through Illinois.

I, of course, posted on Facebook when I arrived at the hotel and after freshening up opened the door to my room to find my roomie walking in from the hallway!  She was waiting for me to arrive.  Yay, Erica!!!  I basically answered Erica’s personal ad for a roomie on the Ravelry Spring Fling discussion board and then we got to know each other a little better on Facebook.  We were a perfect match, separated at birth even.

I didn’t have my point-and-shoot camera with me this weekend so I don’t have a lot of pictures, but here’s one of Erica in the knitting lounge.

My muggle (non-knitter) friends don’t believe that there are famous knitters/designers/teachers, but there are!  And Erica and I were lucky enough not only to take classes from them, but also to have lunch with them and to spend some time with them Saturday evening, knitting and chatting.

Speaking of muggles, we were discussing detangling yarn barf when I realized that perhaps my husband can tell what the contents of a yarn is because he detangles my yarn barf.  To which JC Briar replied, “Your muggle husband is a yarn barf detangler?”  Priceless!

I learned so much this weekend, not only  in my classes (Advanced Lace Knitting with Anne Hanson and Entomology with Laura Nelkin), but also from all of the amazing ladies that I had the opportunity to meet.

I may have participated in some stash enhancement at Loopy Central, but that, my friends, will have to wait for another day (because I haven’t taken pictures yet!!!).

Pictures later.

Ravelry link

Sunday we had a wonderful service at church as Jeff preached on “If God is good, why is there suffering” which wrapped up our, “If God is good” series.  I cried like a broken faucet the entire time!  What a wonderful sermon series this has been.  So tremendously helpful.  I know Kent is having a difficult time posting the sermons online, but two sermons in the series, “Why Do Bad Things Happen?” and “Can Good Come From Pain?” are available for listening right now.  Download here.

After church we taught the third grade Sunday school class and had a marvelous time!  It was a very active worship service with the kids and I left drenched in sweat…who needs Zumba when you have kids worship music and a roomful of energetic kids?  Then we got down to the heart of the matter.  Angels.  Our lesson this week was about Peter being released from prison by an angel.  Talking with the kids about angels was great!  We asked them to tell us about other times in the Bible where angels helped out and they had so many examples…they’re such a great group!  Then we played a little game of true, false or not sure.  I read a statement about angels and the kids would either move forward, backwards or stand still if it was true, false or if they weren’t sure.  It was a blast!  Man, I love those kids!

After Sunday school, Michael and I had Chipotle for lunch and then got down to the business of grocery shopping for the week.  Bought some different things this week: steel cut outs, agave syrup, wheat germ, organic maple syrup, unsweetened apple sauce.  We’re trying something different.  I’m not going to get all preachy about it, I hope and I don’t want to put the cart before the horse so I want to wait until there are results to put it all out there, but I’m praying that it works.  Something has to change.

I’m currently working on a blanket for a dear friend of mine who gave birth right after the new year.  Her little girl has a rare genetic disorder and I’m praying for them as I knit this blanket.

I’m also desperately trying to finish up Michael’s Turn a Square hat.  It was supposed to be his anniversary present.  I’ve finished it once already, but it was a little squat and didn’t cover his ears so I tore it out and have cast it on once again.  The sign of true love, I believe!

Michael keeps telling me that I need to knit something for myself, but where am I supposed to find the time?

If you’ve spent much time with me at all, you may recall that I’ve attended IUE before. I know, I know…this is a shocking development! This means that I’m attending a school for a second time (although these semesters aren’t concurrent!). The only other time this has happened was UC and that was right out of high school!

Okay, back to IUE….I’ll be going through the IUEverywhere online program to complete my B.S. in Business Administration. I already have my A.S. in Business Administration so this is where most of my credits transfer. “But you don’t like business!” you say? That’s true! But I do like finishing my degree in just over two years!

After I finish my B.S. I hope to be accepted in the Masters of Arts in Counseling program at Cincinnati Christian University.  At this point I’m waiting to see if this is God’s plan or just mine.  Know what I mean, Vern?

Yep, I have a lot of school ahead of me!  Good thing I love learning!

Hmm, I wonder how much Tupperware I’m going to have to sell to pay for school? LOL!

I was playing around with it on the car ride home and WOW it takes some pretty pics! I can’t wait to take yarn pics with it. ;0)

We raised $77 to donate to the NFA!

Gloria K. won the $25 Loopy Ewe gift certificate and has beeen contacted by email.

Mary B.  in Waban, MA won the $25 Tupperware gift certificate but did not give me her email address. Mary B., if you’re out there, please speak up!

Thanks again, everyone!

Thanks so much to everyone who has bought something so far!

Because we’ve reached over $200 in sales, in addition to the $25 Loopy Ewe gift certificate, there will now be a drawing for a $25 Tupperware gift certificate!

If you haven’t gotten in on the action yet, don’t worry…there’s still time!  The party doesn’t end until May 10th!

Click here to start shopping for a cause!