I'm Here Today, But I'll Be Gone Tomorrow

As the title to this entry indicates....I'm here now, but we leave for vacation tomorrow. Oh, I can not wait to spend over one week away from my job! I'll miss the kitties, but it's healthy to get away every now and again, right? :) Well, on to my finished projects:



My two Soleils (pattern from www.knitty.com ). The blue one I made a few months ago with the recommended yarn (Endless Summer Sonata from www.elann.com) and the green one I just finished. It is made with Shine (www.KnitPicks.com, grass color). I preferred working with Shine on this one. It didn't tear at my hands as much as the Endless Summer did. Yea! Soleil! My only dislike of this pattern is how wide the straps are...they have a bit of a tendency to stick out a little at the shoulders. If I were to do this again (which I doubt, two is probably enough) I would decrease more on the straps. I did add a second row of crochet on the green one's arms and it looks very neat.


Here is the finished pair of Dublin Bay socks. I absolutely loved this pattern (which can be found on the left hand column of the following site: www.nwkniterati.com/movabletype/mossycottage ). I can't wait until winter to wear these (I also can't wait for the temperature to fall below 90!).


Here's a bit of a close up of the detail on the Dublin Bay socks. The stripes on this yarn detract a little bit from the pattern, but in person you can clearly see the lacey part. I think I'll be making quite of few more Dublin Bay socks. (for the pattern just search online for "dublin bay socks"). (I used KnitPicks Sock Garden in Star Gazer Lily on size 1's).



This is what I'm working on right now. It is my first Broadripple sock (pattern from www.knitty.com ). I'm using KnitPicks Sock Garden in Daffodil on size 3's. After using size 1's exclusively for the Dublin Bay socks, these 3's feel massive! I really like how this pattern is working up. I'm not always one for lacey socks, but these are just so cute:) I am such a big fan of this sock yarn too. So soft and works up so nicely. The colors are vibrant and fun. I'm hoping to get this first sock finished tonight since we leave for vacation tomorrow!


And here is a gratuitous book picture. This is the reading I have planned for my vacation to the British Virgin Islands. M thinks I am taking way too many books, but I simply explained to him that we have the plane trips down and back as well as a full week on the boat. Of course I need 4 books:) So, the final winners of "what books am I taking on my trip" are: The Historian by Kostova, The Beach by Garland, Meg:Primal Waters by Alten, and Knit One, Kill Two by Sefton. I figured I had to take Meg and The Beach since they are ocean/island books and that's where I'll be:)

I finished up the last Harry Potter during last week. I want the new one now!!!!! At least being on vacation should take my mind off the fact that we still have 15 1/2 days until the release (I'm such a geek, I have a countdown on my desktop:) ). I'm now reading Riptide by Preston & Child. It's just a silly thriller, but I'm about halfway through and I'm really enjoying it. I purposely picked a quick easy read because I was hoping to finish it just in time for the trip, but it looks like I may not make it. Oh well, it will have to wait quietly at home for me. M was wondering why I couldn't just take it with me, so I had to explain that taking a half-read book is a waste of space. That you should only take books that you start on the trip. Sheesh -- he's silly:)