At long last, it's summer vacation (for real)

Yesterday we finally finshed everything we needed to finish at school (extra busy with the move and all- Wednesday we stayed until 3:30 am!) and I am now officially on summer vacation. Emma and I decided that in honor of our first day home (she's been in day camp for the last week and a half) we would do whatever we wanted. She chose playing toys and watching DVDs. I picked knitting (duh!) Hopefully I can get a bunch more done on Charlotte since I'm eager to finish...but I also need to finish the thing for MagKnits too...maybe a little of both?
Apparently Blogger lets you post pictures directly now so I'm going to try it. Here we go-

Back from Charlevoix and Charlotte is on row 103! The weather was great (cooler than at home and non-muggy) but Lake Michigan was too cold to swim in for me, as usual. I heard a little rumor a surprise is on its way from my Secret Pal...I can't wait!

See you later!

I'm going to Charlevoix in a few minutes. I'm on row 63 of my Charlotte so all is well (granted, row 1 only had 7 sts so the first few went very quickly.) Joe calls it "The Technicolor Dream Poncho." He thinks he's funny, see?
I hope to get a lot more done on the trip. I'll put up a picture when I get back.
In other Charlotte-related news, the lace pattern is, by some bizarre coincidence, the same as one of the lace swatches I did for TKGA Level II last summer. Easy but looks nice, basically. Usually I avoid knitting lace because I hate to, but I want the shawl--plus, this lace isn't as hard to keep track of as some.
Off to beachy-goodness I go! See you Monday or Tuesday.

Finally, a bit better

My throat is still sore but I feel pretty much normal now. Work totally blows, with everyone scrambling to finish our huge 12 page (per student) evals, proofing, etc. I should be working all evening too so I can get done faster but I just can't look at them now. It will all be over soon, at least. When we go to Charlevoix this weekend I don't have to drive, and that's almost 5 beautiful hours of uninterrrupted knitting time!
Some more pleasant thoughts...

My Charlotte-to-be. The yarn arrived yesterday and in my eagerness I already started--even though there's about a million other non-knitting things I should be doing. I never was real good with "shoulds," though.

My new Opal sock, made with Opal Handpaints.

Still Feeling Gross

I got through the day at work today, but I'm about to crash and it's only 6:30. No good, since I really need to get some more work done on my year-end student evaluations tonight. I have Chronic Fatigue, which makes things difficult enough, so I really start complaining when actual germs decide to join the fun.
In other news, I finished a couple of inches on the new Opal sock while lounging in bed over the weekend. I like it a lot better. I'll put up a picture before long.

The good, the bad, the ugly

First, the ugly. I started knitting this sock a while back from the Opal yarn I won playing "Opalette Bingo" (the Yahoo group, if you aren't familiar- if you get bingo you win a free skein of Opal.) As much as I love Opal, I've decided I don't like this one. I am officially abandoning this sock.

Now the good. Instead, I have started a new sock from Opal Handpaints that I bought at Knit Fest last year. It's a purpley/bluey/greeny color. I think I'll like it. I only have about a half inch of ribbing so far.

More good. You know how I wrote to different yarn companies asking for samples and such for swatching? Well, one of the swatches I did for the TNNA show was in Moda Dea yarn, so I had written to Coats and Clark. A while back they sent a bunch of color cards, but yesterday they sent me some yarn too. How nice! Behold:


I guess the bad is that I'm SICK today. Sore throat, stuffy, tired, etc. Of course, just when school gets out. How typical. I still have to work a few more days to finish up things at school, and then the teachers are taking a few days to go mess around in Charlevoix (yes, we socialize.) I'd better go knit myself well so I'll be ready!

School's Out!!!

Yesterday was the last day of school!! As usual, the kids were completely off the wall. The great news is that a number of their families chipped in a got me a HUGE Visa gift card. That I can spend on anything. Like yarn. Like lots and lots of yarn. Like the Koigu I just ordered so I can finally make Charlotte's Web and throw out the ratty cardigan I keep at school for moments of chilliness and replace it with something pretty. Yay!