My traveling project is currently the New England Socks from Nancy Bush’s Knitting on the Road.   It’s a very nice pattern, which makes me feel even worse about what I did to it.

Laurel says it looks like rotting flesh.   So I’m naming them my Zombie socks.   It’s not really the yarn’s fault (Cherry Tree Hill‘s Birch colorway) – I’m the one who kept knitting even when it became apparent that the yarn did not go with the pattern.   But, hey, its more fun than knitting ribbed socks.   If you’d like to see what the socks should really look like, check out All Tangled Up’s blog entry – hers look lovely.

I have done more work on my Queen Anne’s Lace sweater, but it looks the same.  But longer.  No, really, I’m not making that up.

Laurel came over for Project Runway fun, and we took many pictures of the cats.   So, you all get two!  First, we have Katie trying to get to the top of the Ottoman before Hunter does.

There was a lot of zooming going on.    Then, Hunter decided he’d like to make us dinner.  Which was good, because the dinner I was trying to make was taking forever, and we were desperately scavenging for food.

Laurel took that picture.   We did eventually eat, and we were sad to see Allison go.  Vincent is INSANE.

Okay, if you all make it through the links, I’ll reward you with a picture of the kitten. Who still does not have a name. People are beginning to ask if I’ll be able to name babies, if I ever have one.

First, there are the Lucia’s Addict’s Choice Knit Blog Awards. You can nominate people. No one has nominated me. I mean, come on, who does pictures of stuffed animals better than I? No one, that is. It’s a small nitche, but I work it, dammit.

Second, you all must come meet me, Dee, Lynette, Laurel and many others at the Heartland Knitting Retreat this December. Laurel and I should hire ourselves out in exchange for alcohol and yarn – we are that entertaining.

Third, we need more patterns and essays for the Island of Misfit Patterns! I don’t care if you wrote them down on the back of a napkin. Send it in!

Okay, here’s a kitten picture for you.

Oh, and I’ll be at Stitches Midwest this Sunday morning. I won’t be buying anything. Much. I have the world’s smallest budget this year. Like, a 1.50, tops.

The new kitten has arrived, and his name is Godo.  We think.  Maybe its actually Gobo.  Maybe the kitten will never have a name at this rate.   But here he is:

I know what you are thinking.   He’s not a siamese.  It turns out that the lady I was supposed to get the siamese looking kitten from was a huge flake.  Or a kitten scammer.  But, luckily, my vet had kittens, and he was more than happy to give me one.  He’s a total snuggle monster.

You can check out other pictures of him (and of Katie) in their gallery.

In other news, Aimee the Sis and Mom came out to help me setup the apartment.  You all saw how the living/dining room looked before – here it is now:

On my monitor, the wall color is a bit off (its not so robin egg blue, more turquoisy), but the rest is the same.  I did have the books all unpacked before they came, but I hadn’t done the china and crystal.   We did the painting, put up curtains, hung pictures, and decorated.  The place is looking awesome.   You can see more pictures of the apartment in its very own gallery.

What do we spy?

It’s a bookcase full of knitting books! Earlier this evening, it was in one of those evil little IKEA cubes. I put it together all by myself, and managed to rock it into place against the wall in the bedroom.

You know, with all the knit books in one bookcase sort of minimizes the quantity. Now I can buy more books!

Oh, and last night, Dee, Lucia and I met up with Lynette, and attended the Chicago Knit Blogger gathering at Arcadia Knitting. I used to live in that neighborhood 4 years ago, so I was in charge of navigating. Which was perhaps not a great idea, but we didn’t get that lost.

I was a bit overwhelmed, so I didn’t meet many folks, although I recognized folks. I met Franklin, who is super nice, and I attemped to not be all gushing around him.

The shop managed to lure me into buying 4 skeins of Berrocco Ultra Alpaca in a beautiful heathered green. I’m going to knit the Sandy Cardigan from Big Girl Knits : 25 Big, Bold Projects Shaped for Real Women with Real Curves – it calls for Kureyon, which I have, and Brown Sheep Naturespun. I’m going to use the Ultra Alpaca in place of the Naturespun.

Arcadia was my very first yarn shop, back when I was a baby knitter. Its the yarn shop I describe in my essay in Cheaper Than Therapy.  They now have a storefront on Lawrence Ave, and they were great hosts.  Everyone got goodie backs – I ended up with a skein of Fiesta Flirt, and a great Cherry Tree Hill sock pattern.

I was a little too shy to take pictures, but SOMEONE who came with me to the yarn shop did something quite obscene, and I just had to take a picture.  And post it.

I swear to god, I wasn’t the one who did it.  I just took the picture.  Hehehehe.

Hi everyone!  I’m moved in, and hopefully, blog posts will become more frequent.  Well, as soon as I finish unpacking.  Here is the current view of the apartment.

The stash is in its new home.  It’s a good thing I’m not much of a clothes horse:

The big tubs are on the floor to the right – mostly hidden by the clothes.  The stash says its quite happy, but its not sure it likes being up so high.

What, your stash doesn’t talk to you?

In knitting news (Yes, I still knit.  And Laurel and I did have another Project Runway party, but I forgot to take pictures.  I swear, we’re not alcoholics – I hardly ever drink, unless Laurel is around.  Hahahahaha.), I’m working on Alice Starmore’s Queen Anne’s Lace from Stillwater again.

I’m actually up to the sleeve steeks now – that’s an older picture.  Also, that is the last picture that will have the Khaki couch as a background.  Let us all appreciate the niceness of the khaki as a neutral background for a moment.

Okay, moving on!

I also finished my Lorna’s Laces Swirl DK socks.  While I was on the train, leading to…

SOCKS ON THE TRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hehehehehe.  I swear, that joke will never get old.