Booga J

Okay, so my birthday was yesterday, but I had the flu so I think I should celebrate today! Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes!! My most exciting (and also knitting related) gift has not arrived yet. It's a swift and ballwinder!!!!! Yipee! Thanks Booga P! I also got something that I have wanted since . . . well, since I moved out of my parent's house I guess. And here it is:
Yep, a stand mixer. I love to bake but mixing up bread with my hand held mixer or by hand is a lot of work. This will be a much used gift! Thanks Mom!

And I just have to say a word about this past year because it has really been a good one! First of all I lost 40 lbs. Yes, that's right -- 40 lbs. I am feeling so young and spry now! Back probelms, asthma, general lack of energy -- gone. I look younger too -- it is really amazing. My family is doing well too -- Pete got a new job that he really likes. It was a huge adjustment because he had worked out of our house for 2 years and I was really used to having him here. But we adjusted and things are great now! And Maddie is growing like a weed and learning something new every day. She is so smart! Work is great too. When I started Stamping Online 1 1/2 years ago, I was just trying to turn a profit from month to month. Now I am consistently in the black and while it isn't paying the bills, it is paying for my yarn!

Which brings us to the fourth and last thing that I want to talk about which is knitting -- I have discovered a new love for knitting over the past year. It has brought me closer with a great friend -- Theresa. (Who I will be having a fiber adventure with this weekend!) Knitting has also introduced me to a bunch of great people online -- I really love the knitting community. Thanks everyone!

I'm up to the armhole steeks! You can see the little opening at the top edge. Basically you cast off 10 stitches and then cast on 4 on the following round. Those four are the cutting stitches or steek. I'm really enjoying this project and find myself wanting to work on it all the time. I'm seriously looking forward to getting to the pattern at the top though. The polka dot thing is just kind of mindless.