Las Vegas Baby!!!

Can I just say, I am officially walking on air this month. This has to have been one of the best summers I have had in a long time. My boyfriend and I have been getting along better then ever, I am taking up a new hobby I have a great feeling I am going to love ( the pink and orangey roving pictured below came in the mail today!!), and me and the Robert Gerard have just booked a 4 night 5 day vacation to Las Vegas!!!! I can not even describe how happy and excited I am!! This is going to be so much fun and the best part is, we aren't just talking about it! We actually booked the flights and the hotel!!! We are going to be staying the Luxor Hotel in the spa deluxe room hehe, it is 700 square feet and it has a hot tub in the bedroom!! (ooo lala ^_~). Not to mention the week before his entire family is going to be on vacation so we will have that whole week alone too!! I am officially on excitement overload!!!! I will post pics of the hotel and stuff to let you know what it looks like!! Everything all together was only $619 each on Orbitz.com, not a bad price at all if you ask me. I will surely get expensive when we get there, but oh well! You only live once! =)

A Little Upset.....

Ok so I am a little upset with myself today. I know that I tend to get impatient and I jump the gun on things before I actually get the chance to research them properly, but I am a little bummed out. You know that drop spindle kit I bought yesturday? Well it is called a bottom whorl drop spindle because the whorl (the disk part) is at the end of the spindle. Well I was looking on you tube last night for demonstrations so that I am not completely in the dark about how to do it and the top whorl spindle ( when the disk is at the top) is way easier to use! I looks way less complicated them the bottom whorl ::sigh:: I should have researched it before I bought anything. Oh well, now I will have a pretty bottom whorl spindle and I am just going to have my Robert Gerard make me the top whorl. They are wicked easy to make......so I think I am just going to do that. I am sure he will do an awesome job and I will make it pretty =)

I have actually been very bad about spending money =(. I bought 8oz of roving online today and it cost $22 plus shipping. I hope this doesnt turn into a raving obession because it will become increasingly difficult to save money if it does....especially if I end up wanting a spinning wheel =O.

I have never bought a yarn in such a bright color, but I am getting tired of the same old blues and purples I knit with. I wanted something funky to spin =)

In knitting news, after finally beginning to listen to Pixie Purls podcasts that are found on her blog I have started to read some of the other blogs that she has spotlighted. One of them I absolutely fell in love with!! It is by a male knitter who makes little knitting cartoons, he even has a cartoon book coming out in Octobter 2008 with his character which is a sheep names Delores and her knitting adventures. It looks so cute and this is a great blog to read. I havent read all the posts yet, but I am in the process and I love it so far. It is called ThePanopticon ,very good read, I completely recommend it =).

Another blog and my favorite one that Pixie mentions is Two Left Needles. I am telling you the things this woman can do is awesome!! She spins and dyes her own yarn and makes so many pretty things! I am talking hundreds of pretty things, she must knit pretty fast! I love reading her blog to see what kinds of projects she has and new colorways she is making. Not to mention the way she "talks" in her blog is so fun! It is like she is actually talking to you in a quirky way, haha I love it! She reminds me of my friends from highshool =)

In more personal news, my wonderful boyfriend said he would take me to Vermont in September so I can go to the Sheep and Wool Festival they are having!! Isn't he the greatest? He also was thinking of planning a trip to Vegas in August which would be awesome!!!! haha, can't stand how excited I am about everything in life right now =)

Spinning

Ok so I am taking my knitting obsession to the next level.......by spinning my own yarn!! I just bought a pretty cheap drop spindle and some pretty seafoam colored wool roving on ebay for 21 dollars, which I am willing to spend since I wont really know what I am doing at first. When I get more into it I will buy some fancier stuff. I love the color and the spindle is even hand painted =)

It also comes with a book that teaches you how to start. I think I am going to go on you tube and find some tutorials though since I am a visual learner. I have been reading alot of blogs and alot of people absolutely LOVE to spin and say it is very relaxing and theraputic. I think it would be a great hobby to have along with my knitting because I can make my own yarn and then knit with it!!! haha how great would that be?

I also found a spinning class in Cambridge which is about 20 min away from my house if there is no traffic. They have one on one lessons for about $12 for 45 min or I can join the spinning group for $30 for 6 months. I have to think about it though, I dont know if I will have the time to stop in for the weekly sessions very often, but I would love to do a one on one so that they can show me haw to do it properly.

Alot of people on the blog own spinning wheels which I am guessing gives you more control of what you are doing, but that simply is not in my budget at the moment (they run for a $500 if you want a decent one) not to mention I dont have the space. So a $20 spindle is a more realistic tool even if it is a little more primative. I will let you know when it gets here, I am so excited!!!!

My Sweater

I started my first sweater!!!! yay!! It is coming out so good, I can't wait to try it on! I am doing it with Cascade 220 Heathers yarn in a pretty teal color and I couldn't be happier! I am using the pattern I mentioned in an earlier blog and it is wicked easy to follow. It is knit in the round and I am almost done with the body part, then I can start the arms hehe......this is sooooo exciting!!!! Here is a picture of what I have done so far.....but the color isn't very good because of my camera, but just think teal =)

Isn't it pretty? I am so proud of it. Not bad for my first sweater. When it is done I will post a pic of me wearing it =), I hope it fits!!!!!!

Knitting Swaps

I have discovered something really cool on Ravelry. I was looking through all the group they have and one of them caught my eye. It was called Swap On A Budget. I wasn't really sure what it was so I clicked on it and it is sooooo cool!! A bunch of people sign up to swap and you are given a partner. Then you research you partner via their Ravelry profile and/or blog and then you put together a little gift box full of knitting goodies!! Isn't that the best idea ever???? I signed up right away and I can't wait to find out who my partner is so I can go shopping! I also signed up for one called Knitter's Treasure Swap. One of the requirements is that you have to send them something you make, along with yarn and knitting accessories. Hmmmm, what could I make?? Won't figure that out until I get my partner and that isn't until the first week of July, but in the treasure one I get my partner tomorrow!!!. I will keep you posted on how it turns out. =)

My First Pattern Book

I know I promised pics from the beach and the game but I unfortunately forgot my camera at both event OOOPPPPSSSS!!!!! Oh well it doesn't matter because I have just purchased on Amazon.com a pattern book that I love!! It is call Fitted Knits

I went to the yarn store yesturday with Christina and I decided that it was time I find a pattern for my first sweater and this book has the prettiest patterns. The sweater I am going to make is called Boatneck Bluebell Sweater. Here is a pic.....

Isn't it soooo pretty!!! The color I picked out in a light aqua greeny blue color. I will posts pics of the yarn when I have a chance to take a picture. It is Cascade 220 and sooooo pretty, it is going to be perfect for the fall. Can't wait to get started, but I need to be with Christina because she knows how to read a pattern and fix my mistakes haha =P. When I start it I will post my progress =)

Beach Time!!

Oh ya baby!!! It has officially become beach season starting tomorrow and this is my season!!! It is going to like 90 degrees tomorrow and that is exactly where you are going to find me! Relaxing on the beach with my toes in the sand. I am so excited I could burst, by beach body however is not exactly what I want it to be, but that is my fault and now I have to deal....ickkkk.

I am going with my friend Lindsay to a beach near our house. It is not the best beach in the world but I dont feel like driving very far since I don't have A/C in my car, don't worry it is on my to do list!! I don't care where I am as long as I can hear the waves crash and smell the salty air!!

After the beach I believe I am seeing my Robert Gerard and then on Sunday me and Robert are going to the Red Sox game!! It is going to be really hot so we better drink lots of cold beer!! Haha, there will be pics of everything on Monday!!! =)