Ah, the bitter sting of rejection

I finally heard back from Amy Singer today, it's a no-go for my submission for her upcoming book.

In more positive news, I may have another thing or two in the works for SWTC- waiting for the final word.

Other happy stuff- the next 2 issues of Creative Knitting will have my patterns in them! One is an entrelac pillow in SWTC Karaoke and Fur Real and the other is a little bag in SWTC Amerah, which you probably haven't seen yet. It's 100% silk, but raw-looking and really cool- great for knitting with in the summer when wool is too hot and sweaty. (I knit more in the summer than any other time of year, so it's something to consider!)

One last happy thought- the sushi goes up this week at MagKnits!

That rejection doesn't seem so bad now, come to think of it.

This just in: Secret Pal Delights Tired Teacher

Best. Secret. Pal. Ever. So beautifully wrapped, I hardly wanted to open it. The wrapped item is a treat from my favorite author, Kurt Vonnegut- Man Without a Country. I have jury duty in a couple weeks (gross, no knitting allowed) so this is definitely coming with me (it'll be hard to save it though!)

And yes, the yarn. Beautiful alpaca in my favorite colors. I totally love it. The last thing is a magnet that says, "Sorry I can't go out with you. I have to stay home and knit." She knows me so well! If I hadn't gotten married as a 21 year-old non-knitter I'd probably still be single!

All in all, a great end to a not-so-great day. Now to avoid the urge to knit and go decorate Emma's birthday cake (her party is tomorrow) and force myself to clean house at least a little and finish some stuff for work. Maybe.

The Sushi Cometh, and Bohus progress

Kerrie over at MagKnits says my sushi pattern will be in the next issue- look for it Feb. 1!

Despite lots to do for work and an overwhelming urge to sleep this weekend, I did make a little progress on The Red Palm:



I also started something out of Wool Ease Thick n' Quick (how unusual for a snob like moi) but it's just kind of cute. I'll show you that later when there's more to show.

Today was a bit crummy but when I got home there was this:



It's five skeins of Koigu, in the process of moving in with the rest of the Koigu. Mmmmmmm.... Koigu.

One last thing, Saturday was Emma's birthday, and she and her dad went to a "daddy daughter luau"-- Happy turning 6, sweetiepie!

More bag issues

We've already discussed my problem. I know. But I really want this.

No Knitting Olympian Me

Since I'd probably have to quit my job (and etch an even deeper assgroove in the couch cushions) to finish something truly challenging in the time alloted, I've decided to designate myself as a heckler/cheerleader in the Knitting Olympics.

Knitting Pictures and my secret shame

Minor progress to report on The Red Palm, my little Bohus adventure. As I mentioned earlier, this is a coarser-than-proper Bohus at 7 sts/in (rather than 9.) The yarn is Fairy Hare from Kimmet Croft (angora/merino blend, nice) and the pattern is from Poems of Color by Wendy Keele, which if you haven't read it, is a fabulous history of Bohus with a nice array of patterns to boot.



In the category of mindless knitting, this is the little shrug I'm working on in SWTC Karaoke. The pattern is from a link on the Shrug KAL page- one of the Interweave Knits ones. I got a lot done Monday when we went on an adventure to an exotic mall and got lost- the extra time in the car was fruitful. Note that it is shamelessly displayed in my new Jordana Paige satchel, which though bigger than usual for purses as far as I'm concerned, is excellent for sneaking along knitting incognito.

This brings me to my secret shame. I have many knitting bags. Most were not exactly cheap. I spend more on them than I should. They are:
the Jordana Paige satchel
the Jordana Paige messenger bag (which the Bohus lives in)
my sushi bag from Boogybags (which the Aran lives in, with matching needle bag, natch)
a pink one that I got at Stitches
the Bagsmith one that stands up
a little one I made out of Japanese fabric
a Knit Knack Sack, tiny and great for socks
I've had others too, they've just been retired for lack of coolness.
Despite this, I still look longingly at the Lexie Barnes bags. This is sad.

Why so many? I may not be racist, but I still keep my projects segregated. Having only 3 right now is odd, so most of the time they all have something in them. The even sadder thing is this:



It's cute though! A new kacha-kacha that locks so the numbers can't change on you! It's going in the satchel. I got one for my Secret Pal too. Here's the sad part-- EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY BAGS has its own kacha-kacha, chibi, scissors, tape measure, etc., etc., etc. For some reason I refuse to look in another bag for the tool I need. When I start buying separate sets of needles too then you can have me taken away (would that mean more knitting time?)

One last thing, and I'm sure anyone in SE Michigan would agree-- WARMEST JANUARY EVER. As a snow-hater, I'm in heaven.

I've been tagged

By Ragan. Here we go:

4 jobs you have had:
Sandwich Artist (at Subway)
Toy salesperson
Assembling car parts in a hot dirty factory (really)
Substitute teacher

4 movies you could watch over and over:
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (bifurcated tail, you know)
The Sound of Music (I do like showtunes)
Fear of a Black Hat
Amelie

4 TV shows you love to watch:
With me, it's mainly reruns on DVD-
Seinfeld
The Simpsons
Degrassi Jr. High (the old one, of course!)
Curb Your Enthusiasm

4 places you have been on vacation
Toronto
New Orleans
Florida
"up north"

4 websites you visit daily
Bloglines
nothing else is necessarily daily

4 of your favorite foods
Maggie Moos Chocolate Better Batter ice cream
cheeseburgers
rice krispie treats
most Taco Bell items (none of this goes along well with the diet, I'm afraid!)

4 places you would rather be right now
yarn store
in bed
in my knitting chair
on vacation

4 bloggers you are tagging
Lolly
Susan
Cathi
Chrissy

In knitting news, I started my Bohus sweater from the kit I bought way back at Stitches Midwest! I only have a teeny bit done so far (and yes, I know, those kits are only 7 sts/in instead of 9 sts/in like "real" Bohus but size 2 needles are small enough for me, thanks!)