You're looking at a 40 year old knitter....

Doesn't this look peaceful? We spent the week at our cabin in Arkansas for my 40th birthday last week. We worked on a tiny room addition we're doing, and I actually got alot of knitting time in. Since it was my birthday week, I had a break in the knitting nagging from my husband. It was like heaven. Why can't every week be like that? I think I'd never be cranky if I could knit as much as I want without feeling guilty about it! We actually had a fun week, we ate like rock stars, and lollygagged around with the dogs on the dock and enjoyed the unseasonably cool weather. One weekend we had more dogs than people. We were dogsitting a rhodesian ridgeback and had our three jack russells, and one chihuahua, and our guests bernese mountain dog, and my brother's chihuahua. Seven dogs vs. five people in a small cabin was quite entertaining. We used up lots and lots of towels with all the slobbery drinkers.

Now for my knitting...I finished four squares for the Afghanalong at Mason-Dixon. They are in the mail as of today. Here they are all packed up and ready to go. I plan to do more to mail from Arkansas so they have a decent representation from the Mid-west.

I got to work on my contribution to the Linen-Drape-along at The Blue Blog. I'm doing a cropped halter top pattern called "Cruise". It's from the free patterns on the Rowan website. I'm at the point where I have to divide for the neck and start the shaping, but I am totally befuddled with the pattern. I set it aside in hopes that if I go back to it with a fresh brain sometime, it'll all make perfect sense. Otherwise, I'm going to have to call in the reinforcements and go to my LYS and beg for mercy. I really just struggle making garments. I thought it would get better with practice and time, but it just hasn't. I find myself avoiding these types of projects because I always have a problem with the shaping instructions. One exception of late is Julia's Honeymoon Cami from Knitty. I had no trouble at all following her directions. Wish they were all like that!

For the past two nights I've been working on these little baby hats. I have a dual baby shower to attend this Saturday night, so I have to have them both done by then. Should be no problem, since the first one is done and ready to go, and the second one only has seven rows left to go. They're both done with Trendsetter Kashmir, which is 65% cashmere/35% silk. I used size 9 needles, with about 4 stitches to the inch. They're oh so soft, and really I want to make another for myself!

My mindless knitting for the past couple of weeks has been this cashmere blend scarf in a feather/fan pattern. I found this yarn for a buck a ball in a closeout basket at Knit Wit in Olathe, KS. I just can't get over that! I bought 30 some balls of it. It's KFI Cashmereno, which is 55% merino wool, 33% microfiber, 12% cashmere. I have plenty to do a sweater or two with it, and I have lots of neat colors that will go well together. Now, if I can just find a sweater pattern that doesn't make me want to rip my hair out!