If someone could kick my ass in a few weeks

I'd really appreciate it. I have a ton of stuff I need to get on this blog. Primarily, my trip to the War-Time Knitting exhibit at the Bala museum- absolutely fascinating, but I need more time, not to mention more brain cells, to compose a full post about it. But I have to get to it, because it's really neat.

I've knit a bunch of stuff this summer which hasn't made it on here yet because we've been out of town so much. I have had just enough time to upload my pics, update my ravelry account, and feel guilty about not blogging more.

Forgive the blitz picture posting. I just don't want to neglect these, because they're so damn cute.

Finished cotton stria baby surprise:


Finished baby surplice, with matching hat and booties:



Both of those sweaters went to the same person, one of my oldest friends who is having her first baby any second now!

I barely stopped to take a breath before casting on my second baby surprise, this time in Koigu with Fleece Artist sock yarn accents (also with socks and hat to match):



This is for another baby, due in November. I'm itching to give it to the mom right.this.second. Patience was never a quality I managed to achieve.

I should mention that all the buttons for the sweaters were from my mom's personal vintage stash. I don't think I'll ever need to buy buttons in my life. I might anyway, but not because I need to.

This hat for my nephew was just ridiculously easy and quick- Misti alpaca chunky, 2 days knitting time:



I also cast on, then frogged, then re-knit, then frogged again, one of my entrelac socks. That's an annoying story. I don't really feel like elaborating- it makes me cranky.

I got a big Knitpicks order right as we returned from our vacation, and so I began knitting Miles a sweater (per his request). It's not interesting enough for a picture yet.

And to soothe my sock-knitting pride, I've cast on a pair of Monkeys, in STR- autumn colourway. I'm doing them toe-up, but I'm leaving the pattern as-it, so they'll be upside down Monkeys. Meh, I figure Monkeys like being upside down, no?

I have decided to name them Reese's Monkeys. Get it? Like Rhesus Monkeys? I'm a sucker for a bad pun. I blame my dad. But I do have a good reason for the name. Just look:



Damn, hungry. Need candy. Grunt.

Where there's sheep dogs, there's sheep. Where there's sheep, there's me.

I went to the Kingston Sheep Dog trials today. We saw a ton of neat stuff (big cats, lizards, birds of prey) but somehow managed to almost completely overlook the actual sheep dogs. Whoops.

I had an embarrassingly good time checking out all the crafty tables, and watching the sheep-to-shawl competition, and I found a guy who makes his own wheels (and almost considered buying this one tiny one that was only $350- until I saw dh's face when I said the words "only" and "$350" in the same sentence). I did buy a hook for pulling the yarn through the orifice (I know there's a name for them, but I'm blanking). I actually need one too. My bent paperclip is really not cutting it these days.

But my big score was while Miles was on a pony ride, I saw two gorgeous alpacas standing next to a table full.of.yarn! And fleece! And I just couldn't resist taking a little something home. A souvenir, really.



It came from an alpaca named Nicandro (I'm absolutely giddy about the fact that my fleece has a name, and yes I know exactly how silly that is). It's 86% fawn alpaca and 14% 'merlot' silk (I don't know the names of the worms that provided the silk, but I suppose that would be asking too much, wouldn't it?).

Here's Miles cradling my fleece (that is only half of it) like it's a newborn child. I'm so proud. *sniff*



I suppose my joy at this new acquisition left me a little distracted, and I did come home with something else, far less desirable:



(Oh holy hell, my roving matches my back!)

The only explanation is that I must have neglected this area during re-application of sunscreen (I may have also neglected this area in my primary application. That was just dumb).

So the whole Sheep Dog trial event gets an A from me (though I can't comment on the dogs themselves), the Alpacas get an A++. I get a D, but the sun gets an F. It was, after all, entirely his fault.