Good Weekend

I would just like to thank everyone who has posted, e-mailed, called me. Bless you all. I had planned a weekend out of town and I decided to go ahead and go on my mini trip. It was a real life savor and I was able to get hugs, sympathy and advice. I actually had a lot of fun, and it kept me from stewing in my own juices this weekend. Depeche Mode fans rock, FOREVER!

My relatives that read this blog said I should clarify WHY this lay off seems like such a disaster for me. I have been laid off 3 times in the past three years. I have also moved three times because those lays offs and new jobs. I moved all the way from Kentucky to California for this last job and I get kicked to the curb after one year. It is a very difficult thing for me. My identity has always been wrapped up in my job, and the lack of stability has really been hard for me.

But enough about non-knitting life...this blog is for knitting.

I had a fab weekend of knittingness. I went to my knitting group on Friday and they gave me lots of hugs and encouragement. One of the ladies invited me to spend Thanksgiving with her family. She is such a sweetie...how can I say no? My local yarn store is a part of another blanket making drive for the San Diego wildfire victims. Apparently a number of companies donated yarn, so I grabbed four balls and am now knitting 9" squares in that yarn. But can I say, this is the FUGLIEST yarn I have ever knit with? I am calling it "yak yarn" because there are these chucnks of different color bloopies in the yarn...it looks like vomit chunks strung in a yarn. I think I can get 6 squares out of what I have.

I have also been continuing to knit the 8" squares for the other San Diego wildfire blanket group. I finished the Slytherin school scarf and I have begun the Ravenclaw scarf. I really cranked on my mom's sunflower purse this weekend while I was visiting my friends...everything is done now except piecing together...this purse is cute as a button!

And...I taught my friend J_ how to knit while I was staying with her for the weekend. I was just going to take her to Micheal's and we'd buy her some crap yarn. But I thought, what the hell, we should at least GO to a yarn store. We found one online called "The Yarn Deli" in Redlands. It was a really nice store, I was impressed. GREAT selection of Malabrigo, Lamb's Pride and sock yarns. And the prices were FABULOUS!! I hooked J_ up with some worsted weight Lamb's Pride in a lavendar heather and some size 9 circular needles. The owner of the store was VERY nice and I think it will be a nice connection for J_ when I am not around to help.

We settled in to teach her to cast on and do the knit stitch. I taught her the long tail cast on, which probably isn't the easiest to learn, but it is very forgiving and she caught on by the time she had cast on her 24 stitches. ONe bad thing is that J_ is left handed...not an easy thing to teach a left handed person to knit when you are right handed. But when I taught J_ how to cross-stitch, she was working with her right hand. She told me she isn't very left hand dominate. I hope I did the right thing in the way I taught her. I decided to teach her the continential method which is still right hand dominate, but the left hand is doing some work. I watched her every stitch for about 4 rows and she was cooking with gas. We knitted for hours and she did SO well...I was proud of my student! I hope she will take to knitting and continue the learning process.

I really did have a good weekend...and after Thursday...that is saying a lot!