Ruby Shawl

What have I been up to during every quiet moment I could steal?

A shawl - - a really, really large shawl.

A shawl so large that you could drape it over a rhino and tie it under her neck

(which is a good thing considering it's my shawl). ;)

I indulged myself in some worsted weight Tahki tweed and here's the end result.

When not school supply shopping (can it get more expensive?), chasing my kids around, housekeeping, working and other general details of life,

I got to play with my angels, Emma & Isabelle.

The girls now have two teeth each and get this...each baby cut the same tooth on the same day! Must be one of those twin things.

Isabelle (left) & Emma (right)

They're playing "tug of war."

Happy Knitting/Spinning All!

Forty & Knitting

My recent 40th birthday put me in a reflective mood (amongst several other moods, I might add) and I thought about how much my life had changed over the years. Some of the most recent changes revolved around knitting, which I've now been doing for about a year and a half.

Knitting, as it turned out, changed a number of things about me.

Pre-Knitting:
I indulged in Aigner shoes.

Post-Knitting:

Birkenstocks w/handknit socks. (Two years ago, I didn't even know Birkenstocks existed and I'm not even going into the whole handknit sock thing again). P.S. Buy your Birki's on Ebay and that leaves more money for fiber. ;)

Pre-Knitting:

Obsessive-Compulsive Housekeeping (I didn't make my family sleep in the car like some OCD'ers, but I wanted to).

Post-Knitting:

Suffice it to say, my home is dusty.

It's a bit of a shock to think to myself, "I'm forty years old." In my mind, I'm still an awkward kid and it's surreal to know that I'm actually THIS OLD and this fundamentally IMMATURE. Ah well....onto the birthday goodies (and boy, were they good!)....

Dianne gave me this luscious alpaca roving from Spunky Eclectic.

Linda's present was this beautiful Claudia's handpaint in a wonderful blend of "harvest golds."

Thank you both so much (and you too, Marianne, for the Peace Fleece)! The roving and yarn were amazing gifts and I appreciate them so much.
The husband and kids gave me this lime-colored wool (I forget the brand), but it's going to make some very pretty bowls and the Birkenstocks photographed above.
And Angie (Queen of Shawls and all things Artsy), I finished my first shawl and started my second. :)

This is what the shawl looks like, but it's not the true color.

This is the true color (and it's being modeled by a grumbling husband).
The second shawl, thus far. I'm using "Takhi Tweed" by Charles Stacy. It's a wool, silk, cotton, viscose blend and it's very, very nice. Well, that's it for now. Happy Knitting/Spinning all!