Hello, dear Spoiler!

Okay, I have no idea what I was going to write in my next blog post. It was probably something important, but so much time has passed, and we celebrated DS#1's Bar Mitzvah in-between. So, sorry if you have been waiting in suspense!

This blog post is to my new Spoiler from the Swap on a Budget group over on Ravelry. The names just went out last night, so I'm guessing you will be watching me closely. First, let me assure you, I am so thrilled that anyone is thinking about me, that alone will make me happy to get anything you fling into a box. Let's face it, as the stay-at-home mommy, most of my life consists of thinking about everyone else, and there aren't a whole lot of moments when people are thinking of me.

Next, I'm an eclectic knitter. I can be counted on to have a pair of socks OTN at any time. (I suppose it would be good if I would finish those Snicket Socks I started almost a year ago. Boy, have I ignored those!) I must have made 10 pair or more in the last year. My sock yarn stash is quite impressive, but that still doesn't stop me from acquiring more.

I can also be counted on to have a lace project OTN too. Right now, I have 3 going, one in Morehouse Merino, one in Malabrigo lace, and one in a cotton/silk blend. I have cones of all different sorts of yarn I bought at discount from a local commercial knitting company, but for some reason, I never seem to have quite the right lace yarn. Zephyr is still a favorite, its so reliable. And I adore the wool/silk blend. Someone needs to give me a push so I get back onto the lace knitting, its been quite abandoned lately.

Let's see, what else should you know? I'm working very, very hard to lose weight. Lost over 20 pounds this summer by exercising really hard for about an hour each day (which really eats into the knitting time!) and shutting my mouth. I eliminated most of the carbs in my meals, except for one meal a day. But chocolate doesn't count! Thats one of my little treats throughout the day. I really love chocolate with nuts in it, and it has the added benefit of keeping me from doing harm to the kids. I've been sort of stuck for about a month now, and have to get a bit firmer with myself. I have about 12-15 pounds more to go to reach the number the doctor and I agreed on. Its a tough battle.

Next week is Rhinebeck. I've been looking forward to it for the last year. Had so much fun last year. This time, we are going to stay and go to the Ravelry party afterward, which is just going to be awesome. Last year's acquisitions had a lot of sock yarn and the jumbo ball winder. This year, I find myself contemplating spinning. I'm a terrible, inexperienced spinner right now, but I did pull out my drop spindle (a clunky Ashford bottom whorl) and give it another try last weekend. I have pencil roving, since I can't draft well at all. This year, a new drop spindle will probably come home, along with an assortment of roving, and I'm seriously pondering buying a wheel. Not a cheap item! I want to try as many as I can up at Rhinebeck, and then I'll probably order one. (Because I have nothing better to spend money on with the current economic crises, LOL!)

Must go knit something now -- probably the plain vanilla socks DS#2 requested. At least all that stockinette -- he didn't want any ribbing -- goes very fast in the round.