Hello everyone!! 

I have decided to switch my blog over to blogger.  So, come and visit me other there at www.gracieknits.blogspot.com.  Have a great day! 

:D  :D  :D :D :D :D :D

I FINISHED MY PONCHO!!!  YIPEE!!!  I just finished it and it is now blocking on the floor.  I am really pleased with it.  I think it is a little big, but I think I am just not used to it yet.  It does a funny thing past my shoulders where I had to do some shaping.  If it doesn't fix itself with blocking, I think I can take a stitch on the underside to fix it.  I am so excited to finish something for myself!!  I feel like it has been forever!!!

War Eagle everyone!  Tomorrow is Homecoming and things are hopping here in Auburn.  Should be a fun game, but I hope it isn't too boring.  I just go to see the Eagle fly - its the best part. 

I joined the Cascading Leaves Sock Knit Along today.  I found some yarn to start but I can't find my other little circular needle!  Grrr......

Oh, the best part of my day yesterday!  I got RAOKed by Wendy!  She sent me a orange and blue bracelet with a tiger on it.  So so cute!  I will definately be wearing it tomorrow.  AND, I got RAOKed by Annie today - 2 free books at audible.com!  yay!  I love books on tape/cd!

I'm off to work on my poncho!!

I have been busy working on my thesis.  I can't wait until it is over.  I am getting tired of writing my lit review.  It is already 27 pages and I think I am a little over halfway done.  Grrrr.....

On to some knitting news, I have been working on Lily's wrap for Ring Ball in a couple of weeks.  It is turning out nicely, I love the color.  It is definately non-challenging but a nice mindless knitting.  I am hoping to work on my poncho some tonight too.  It has been a couple of weeks and I am ready to get it done before the weather gets cool. 

I am also trying to teach myself intarsia.  I did a little swatch the other night.  I accidentally cut the yarn between every color change.  Ok, not accidentally but I thought that was what I needed to do.  So, it ended up really loose.  Whoops!  I'm gonna try in a bit and hopefully it will be better!

The most exciting thing about today - tomorrow I have a knitting class!!  I am so excited!  I'm leaving tomorrow around lunch and will come back to Auburn on Wednesday.  I can't wait!  There aren't that many people that knit around here so I have to travel when ever I can.  Hopefully when we move next year, I will be a little bit closer to some LYSes and knitting groups (one little thing I am looking forward to!)

The craft sale at church went really well!  I sold both of the scarves that I made and I have orders for 2 more!  I didn't have time to knit as much as I thought I would.  School and my thesis has kept me busy lately.  A good bit of the things I cooked sold well too.  We sold a bunch of cakes today.  Linda's Hummingbird Cake was fab.  I must get that recipe. 

But, the exciting news for the day!  I came home (tired of course) after lunch at Laura's to find an email that I had been accepted to RAOK!  I am so so so excited!  They decided to expand the group and I got in!  I have heard such good things about this group and it will be such fun to be a part of it!! 

Ok, so I think I may nap....

I had a busy hectic day today getting ready for the Blessing of the Animals/Craft Sale tomorrow!  I walk in at the end of the day, kiss my husband, and what do I see on the couch?!  2 packages!  Knit Wit - that I ordered from Amazon, and a present from my Secret Pal!!  Hooray!  Inside was a lovely, fluffy ball of Paton's Divine in pink (my favorite color of course), a yarn cutter, a row counter, point protectors, split lock stitch markers, and a cute little magnetic pad.  The fun part was that she didn't like the packaging on the little gifts so she made her own boxes!  So so so cute!  I am a sucker for packaging (its how I pick out wine and perfume!).  Thank you so much SP!  I love love love everything, it was a great treat at the end of my day!

You are pink aluminum.  Retro, straightforward and fun, you love classic
things. If they're 99 cents at Goodwill all the better! You are moved by striking colors and tasty morsels, and you like a stitch-n-bitch
session in the sun.  Just remember, while you're being kitschy cool, don't get too cold.  Ice cubes are best kept in your cocktails,
baby!

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Hmmmmm..... At least they are pink!! 

:D  HOORAY!  *does a happy dance around her living room* I signed up for a class!!  I am going into Atlanta to get my hair cut in a couple of weeks and I checked out the class schedule at a couple of LYSes in Atlanta.  And, one of them had class on finishing!!  YAY!!  We are going to seam and block and pick up stitches.  I know I need help in these areas!  I am so pumped!  I checked out the String of Purls website, and they don't have their class schedule up yet, and hopefully they will soon.  I hope I can go there when I am up in Atlanta soon.  They had an Aran cable class on 9/11 and I hope they repeat it.  I really want to learn how to do cables. 

YAY!!  What a good day!  Now, I just have to be patient!

I had not seen this post on KR, but Amie let me know they were there! 

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I can make a mini-Hendrix and Lynard!  I love them!!

Here is a photo of the pattern that I am using!  But, it will be a little bit shorter than the one in the picture. 

Thanks to Ivan, look what I did!!

You can't see the poncho very well because it is black, but it looks good.  I wanted a basic poncho that I could wear all the time.  It doesn't get too cold here in the winter as it does a lot of other places, so I can wear it all the time.

And, here is a washcloth!  It is my first attempt at chrochet.  I am taking a class in the outreach program at Auburn.  I am enjoying it, but knitting will definately be my thing.  It will be nice to be able to do some things for edges and a purse or a pillow or so.  I got Candi Jensen's Hooked on Crochet book, and I really like it.  It has some great projects in it.  I think I may make the pillows. 

I am dying some yarn today, so I will post pictures later!!  I haven't dyed with Kool-Aid in a couple of weeks and I wonder why I waited so long!  I love it!

Oh, and here is a pic of Philip and I!  We took it before we went to a wine trail in Opelika.  There is a pic of my friends and I after the trail, and it is bad.  We had a little too much wine. 

Ok, so I just have to vent for a second.  I am watching a Makeover Story (no work because of Ivan!), and there is this beauty pageant mom on there and she thinks she looks worse when she is made over.  She looks so much btter.  And, she is telling her friend that her friend looks older.  She is so negative, it's awful.  She makes me so so mad!!  All her friend said when she told her that she looked older was, "I love her hair."  This poor woman!  GRRRR...

We are preparing for the good ole hurricane!  So, I might not be back for a couple of days if we loose power.  Grrr......

Lots of good knitting time!! 

YAY!!  I got my poncho yarn today!!!!  I started my poncho and I have about an inch on it!  I have been working on stuff for church and attempting to work on my second sock.

We should be getting hurricane weather here in the next day or so, so I may be out of commission for the next day or so.  The power may go out for a couple of days, but I should get some knitting done!

I finished up a square for Afghans for Us and I taught myself the long tail cast on!  Go me!  It wasn't too complicated once I got the hang of it, it was mostly just making sure I had the yarn on my hands right!  The squares look good.  I am loving the 365 stitches book - worth every penny!!

I am starting a crochet class on Tuesday - it should be so much fun!  I am not going to give up knitting, but it will be nice to know how to do some basic things, especially for edging and shawls.

That is a picture of cute little Lynard.  I still need to take a picture of Hendrix. 

But, HOORAY!  I got a package from my SP today!  There was a slight mix up with the mail - my mailman didn't leave a note like he was supposed to.  Oh well!  But, I did get 2 books - the Joy of Knitting and The Joy of Knitting Handbook.  They look like they are going to be great books!  Knitting books have become my new favorite things.  Thanks SP, you are the best!!

I am trying to get myself motivated to get some things done for church!  The ECW (Episcopal Christian Women) at my church are having a craft/bake sale in October and I need to get going on some projects.  We are raising money for the church and for the Humane Society.  So, I have started on some scarves and I am going to make some washcloths.  I posted this on KR, and several people have suggested making cell phone cozies, which will be super cute as well as some catnip mice which will be adorable as well! 

I'll take a picture of Lynard and Hendrix today, and hopefully post that pretty soon!  My Secret Pal has sent me something so I am patiently waiting!

Thanks to everyone for stopping by!  I will be by your blogs soon! 

We build Lynard (our guinea pig) a cage and we are going to get another one in the next day or so.  Their new house is very neat.  I think they are really going to like it!

Strike up the band!  I FINISHED MY FIRST SOCK!!!  Hooray!!

It is of course not perfect, but I am really happy with it.  I am sure the next ones I make will go a lot smoother.  I think I messed up the stitch count and my ribbing got off near the toe, but no one is going to see it!  I have been wearing it around the apartment - eventually I will have a pair!

Thank you to Judy, everyone on KR and the socknitters list that helped me figure it out!

I had a pretty relaxing weekend knitting.  I started on the Peppermint Twist sweater with my Rowan yarn.  The gauge worked out right the first time!  :)  I was very excited.  I have a couple of inches on the sleeve.  Hooray!  It is looking really good! 

I have also had a frustrating weekend of making my sock.  I just stressed about it too much and I got frustrated.  But, thanks to Judy and other people at KR, I am working it out.  I am just having faith that it is going to work out.  I am still working on the gusset decreases. 

Oh, and everyone from the South go and join the Southern Knitters ring y'all!

:D  :D   :D  :D   :D  *does a little happy dance around her living room*

My Rowan yarn came in!!  I can now finally start my sweater.  This is the first real sweater that I have done and I am so excited!  I have been waiting on this yarn since early July!  Hooray!!!