Whew! I guess it's been awhile. Great timing on my acceptance into the webring...what with the new job and moving this weekend, I am swamped and have hardly had time to read the other blogs I regularly troll, let alone post to my own. Last weekend I took my mom to the cheese festival at Pike Place Market which was so {crowded} much fun. Most of the cheeses were incredible, especially the fresh all-natural cream cheese. I had never had it before and it totally puts the supermarket stuff to shame. I just might start making special trips out of my way to Whole Foods just to get some of these. There has been some knitting going on, though. Behold, pictures of the Alpaca (Belated) Mother's Day Scarf. I still need to add the fringe and block it, but it's mostly done. I love the pattern and it was pretty fun to knit, despite the early frustrations. I should be able to get it done today, which means that I can move on to the Trekking XXL that I bought this week at Knittery. (* As a side note, Blogger is really pissing me off. Why on earth would I want the 2nd set of pictures ABOVE the first if I added them second?!? And this damn thing is being so temperamental I'm afraid to try to move anything.) Anywho, I am in love with this colorway, to which my camera isn't really doing justice. It has many lovely shades of blue, with some jade-y green and white and black thrown in for fun. I knitted a test swatch (which I totally should have taken a picture of) and just kept going and going because I was loving how the colors were knitting up. But, alas, the needles were too big (I guess my knitting has loosened up). I picked up a pair of Susan Bates Quicksilver size 2s at Nancy's Knits in Renton (sorry, no website link) and they were so light that I had to put some rubber needle tip protectors on the end just to get through the cast-on (does anyone else have this problem?). But I love how pointy they are compared to the size 11s I've been working on. It's a nice change, I just hope my hands and wrists don't get sore working with such small needles. I've never worked with anything smaller than a 3, but I am so excited to get going on these socks. I can't decide what kind of pattern to do, but since it is officially the first pair I've ever knitted, I'm thinking I may just go with a 2x2 rib.
Has anyone else out there knitted with Susan Bates Quicksilver needles? The lady at Nancy's Knits recommended them (she has been knitting socks with her set for 12-15 years) and I am interested in knowing if they are that light because they are supposed to be faster, or if all size 2's are uncomfortably light? My size 3's (not Quicksilvers) feel so much heavier and more substantial (I'm beginning to think that wood needles that small would pose the same problem). Maybe I just need to get used to them.

I just got back from my local JoAnn's which just so happens to be closing for good. Yep, that means sale! I have mixed emotions about it, because it sucks that the place is closing but I'm moving in 2 weeks anyway and I'm glad to benefit from the 30% off all yarn and needlecraft items. I had set aside a portion of my first check for knitting stuff and I had my heart set on some Trekking XXL (which I spied here) in a beautiful blue tweed-y colorway to make a pair of socks for my husband. I also wanted to pick up some new sock needles (maybe wood--I heard they break, though) but it may have to wait now. I managed to exercise some restraint, though: I only bought one set of US size 11 straights in bamboo and 2 skeins of this in Bronzeberry. It is kind of thick and thin 100% wool and I think it's gorgeous. When I bought it I was thinking of some fingerless gloves in a wide rib or maybe some cables (my hands freeze while I'm typing all day at work). It was such a great deal, I'm thinking I should have gotten more, but I'll work with what I have first and see how much I like it. And now what to do with the money left over....

Happy May Day! The azaleas and lilac look beautiful, and the lilac smells heavenly.
Not much knitting has gone on here, what with the virus and new job training over the weekend. Much great news, though! Hubby and I will be moving into a new apartment on the 21st of this month, and we will be able to get our stuff out of storage. Hooray! I can't wait to have my own stuff again. The apartment is nice and roomy and the kitchen has about twice as much counter and cabinet space as compared to our last apartment. I know for a fact that I will not be able to fill all the cabinets in there, and that is a great thing. But the best thing about this apartment is the work commute: 10 minutes in the car for me, 30 seconds on foot for him. Less commute=more knitting and yarn (we should be saving over $100/month on gas alone once we move).
On the job front, congrats to my wonderful husband on his promotion offer. I say offer because it still isn't official: he's been there for 7 weeks, and the normal timeline for a promotion of this nature is generally 6 months (!) so his boss has to clear it through some Higher-Ups. He is so deserving; I've never met anyone so thorough, or with a better work ethic. He takes pride and a sense of ownership in his work, and he does things well and right the first time. He is honorable, without a lazy bone in his body, and sets a great example for others to follow. He truly is the man! I'm grateful that his boss is able to recognize and reward these great qualities so early on.