Pattern Help!

This is for all you knitties helping me with this sweater pattern.....

Happy Holidays

Happy Chrismahannakwanzica Everyone! (how in the hell do you spell that anyway?) Just popping in to share some holiday pictures. Alaird, my fellow knitty and Sno'Flake Swap pal sent me a wonderful package that arrived all the way from BC.
Everything came wrapped in a fun little plaid box (which I'll definitely reuse). She sent me some luxurious purple alpaca, some superwash DK, one of those chocolate oranges you smack on the wall (a personal favorite!), more chocolates, and two precious ornaments that are already on my tree. O and she even found a sweet snowflake card to top it all off. Thank you Alaird! You Rock!!!

I've been missing for awhile because I've been pretty busy studying for the GRE, working my soul-sucking job, looking for a new job, thrifting, knitting and crafting. But now the GRE is over (until I take it again anyway) so I should have a bit more time. Except for my job, life is pretty sweet at the moment. I've found a knitting group! Thursday nights are now my favorite night of the week. I've met some great (and very talented) gals and I've really been inspired to get back to into my knitting groove. I can't talk about all my recent FO's here because they are mostly gifts but I'll be sure to post some later. I've finally started my etsy shop (www.tangledblues.etsy.com) and stock is very slim at the moment but stay tuned for updates. I've been ebaying my thrifty finds for extra cash too, but I think in the future I'm only going to sell out of etsy.

It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! I'm trying really hard to stay in the spirit but work has really taken the wind out my sales lately. I now leave you with some pics of the house all decorated.

He did this all by himself!

We went and cut down our own tree this year. You can buy a permit here for five bucks and go out into the national forest and cut your own. It's very Charlie Brown but I love it anyway.


You can't see it too well here but I made Martha's ribbon garland from this year's holiday issue. I scored some pretty green velvet, red wool and polka dot ribbon on sale and it looks great in the front window.

My candelabra all decked out for the season...

I like to put a tree of in each room. This is my kitchen tree, isn't it precious!

Note the beginnings of my putz on the coffee table. Does anyone else know what that is? When I was a kid that's what all the little old ladies called there miniature holiday villages, maybe it's a PA dutch thing...

My new teapot!

High Altitude Sock Knitting

Jealous? This was taken earlier this fall on a weekend trip to Yellowstone. I opted out of the peak so I could have some good barefooted wilderness yarn time. As I waited for DMB to climb back down to meet me at my perch I basked in the breeze and sun, worked on my sock, and tried in vain to get rid of some pesky tan lines ;) This is a great hiking compromise for DMB and I, I hike in as far as I feel comfortable (I REALLY don't like loose rock and heights), and then I play with my knitting till he comes back to where we parted. I get to do my thing, and so does he - and he doesn't have to feel bad leaving me behind as long as I have bear spray and yarn...

And while I'm on the subject, another great thing about hiking with DMB is not having to ford rivers. Now I know it might seriously detract from my feminist street cred, but there is something to be said for a big strong man hefting you through moving water on his back so that you don't get swept away (or wet and cold ;). Remember awhile back when I mentioned that DMB is a full foot taller than me? Well this comes in super handy in deep water scenarios.

The sock has since been abandoned, not only due to sss (second sock syndrome) but due to the fact that I royally screwed it up and have since moved on to other things, like the very pressing xmas knitting. But we sure did have some good times, me and that sock, it was with me from PA to MT as we made our way cross country for the move in August.

I did some more back country knitting this weekend, this time there was more snow than sun, but I bundled up in a warm spot and waited for DMB to bag some trout and CO for a sweater. I have to say that knitting al fresco is the way to go. No distractions and plenty of fresh air, throw a little Zeppelin on the ipod and man can I crank it out! I'll have to update with more pics from this weekend later. DMB and I bought a new computer last night (squeeeeee!) and I'll have to play with it later when I get home, if I can pry it out of his grubby lil' paws.