Thank the Gods it's the Weekend!

This week was exhausting, but I've had a nice weekend so far...
On Friday night, after work I went with eighteen of my co workers into NYC to see the Broadway musical, Memphis. We ate at Carmine's just across the street from the theater. The food was amazing. Since entering my second trimester (I'm 6 and a half months now) I feel like I can't stop eating so the meal was great for me, delicious and seemingly endless. The musical dealt with prejudice and race issues, but had a lot of humor and upbeat music. The set design was great. Not even a seriously ripping migraine could have brought me down.

And for sure I was out yesterday Knitting in Public @ Stix - n - Stitches in Montclair, NJ. Haven't been there in a super long time.

There's Mom armed with her camera. She'll have more pics from the day...
Here's Pat working on a crochet skirt for her granddaughter




While there, I purchased yarn and started on a poncho for the baby (still weird to say I'm having a baby sometimes...was beginning to feel like to would never happen towards the end there).




I'm using Vintage by Berroco to make the poncho. The pattern is from the book Knit Baby Blankets by Bev Galeskas. Here's the Ravelry LINK.
I'm only doing two colors instead of the three the pattern calls for. I have never used this yarn, but love it. It has all the squishy springiness of Ultra Alpaca without the slight fuzz - good for you to use, Mom.

My sister presented me with a beautiful diaper bag...but I'll post about all my baby stuff later.

In the evening we went to a surprise 60th birthday party for our friend, Karen. The cake was frickin' remarkable.




How cool is that!
Karen was totally surprised. The baby and I chowed down on tons of food...




All in all, a scrumptious weekend...I love my students, but do I really have to go back on Monday????

Only 3 Days Left to Knit in Public!

Hee hee

Bonus adorableness: Smudge lounging at home, hatching some diabolical plan to seize control of the government and transfer all funding from the military to research and production of a tastier strain of flat parsley.

A new knitter suffers withdrawl...

The following is a close as I can get to the original transcription of a conversation I have with my friend and co-worker, Crazy M. My friend, Sharon, just taught Crazy M. how to knit.

The names have been semi-changed to protect my arse.

Crazy M shuffles into GrimmWitch's (I am GW - step aside former president) disgustingly stifling hot box classroom.

Crazy M (in a tortured tone): GW, what should I do?

GW (fearing her friend may be uncomfortable in the heat): Are you OK?

Crazy M: Yes, but I have a problem. I need to knit.

GW (relieved and puzzled): Ok, so go knit.

Crazy M: I can't, I gotta teach a class.

GW: No, I'm taking all my kids to DARE practice (the show was great, by the way. Bravo, my minions!)

Crazy M: But I still have the 6th grade.

GW: Oh...well then you have to teach.

Crazy M: You don't seem to understand. I need to knit! I want to knit now!

GW: I'm sorry, M. But you're a good teacher; you're going to go teach that class.

Crazy M (grumbling as she shuffles from the room): What did you people do to me now? All I want to do is knit! I can't teach like this! I just want to sit and knit, that's all!

GW: I'm sorry, M, but I warned you...it is like crack.

Even when the kids are not there I manage to have fun at work.

Nice diversion

Did I spell that right?...Anyway...

With Aussie Sock in hot pepper purchased at Yarn Diva. Pattern Step by Step Cheat Sheet for Socks by Yarn Harlot and I added the diamonds using Interweave's Lace & Eyelets book.

Thank heaven for little girls....

It's a GIRL!

This is my daughter...we'll call her L.

I would have been just as happy with a boy, but she is a she for sure. There she is. I couldn't stop crying when I was watching her on the monitor. She was dancing the whole time.
I just bought her something cute from Etsy.


And I started making her an autumn color Whirligig Shrug by Stephanie Japel.

I love this yarn by Ellyn Cooper called Twist...it feels great!

Smudge is very happy he will soon be an uncle. The inability to control his own pooping, as you can see from the pic (he is pee litter box trained, though) leads me to think that he will not be helping to change any diapers...

The Knitting Bag

So, I've been knitting a BSJ in stockinette. It's turning out nice. Here it is, in Araucania Ulmo with my many pictures of my kid. I keep thinking how weird it seems that I'm so proud of this person. She's done nothing but grow, probably sleep, absorb nutrients, that's it. But I think she's super amazing. I'm saying/typing she for two reasons a. I hate that he is the default pronoun to this day, and b. I really think it's gonna be a girl. If she is really a he I'll apologize:)



After taking that shot I went to go pull out the Dax sweater from my knitting bag to take a pic of that and found that one of my survival banana's had remained in the bag since Friday and had expired into a frothy, sticky mess. Thankfully, there were few casualties, but I found that there was an enormous amount of crap in the bag.



I have to carry around survival supplies now because the legendary morning sickness that comes with pregnancy is translated in my body to all-times-of-day sickness. I am not complaining, but like the honorary boy scout that all tom boys are, I do like to be prepared. So I always have Canada Dry, crackers (not in pick - sadly they were a casualty of the banana incident), oranges, breakfast bars (not in pic because they've all been eaten), and the dreaded banana. The pic also features an advert for the upcoming gem show in NYC...I'm super excited!



Also in the bag, my pretty new Anne Taintor knitting bag from Yarn Diva!



I always carry around reading material. Right now in addition to the two night table books I'm reading at home I'm finishing Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, just finished Blood + Water, and just got the new WeirdNJ special issue. In the center, surrounded by all this wicked dark stuff, a picture of my kid. She's going to either accept all this and become the most awesome darkling on the playground complete with Wednesday Adams braids, or she'll rebel and be a *GrimmWitch vomits in mouth a little bit* cheerleader.

I have friends who were cheerleaders and they've turned out okay, so even worst case scenario she'll be fine, but the poor thing will be the only one on the squad who's biggest fan sports an Ozzy halter, black long sleeve bolero, Betty Page bangs, and knitting accessories with prominent skull decorations.



The Dax sweater, in Bamboozle by Crystal Palace Yarns is turning out great. It feels wonderful, and the pic doesn't do the colors justice. The blue is a gentle gradient of light blue, sea foam, and all the good stuff in between.



Ah, the casualties of the famous banana explosion of 2010. You can see my Raymore and Flanagan envelope...we finally bought a bedroom set after five years of marriage.



Last night at the Lowes I went berserker with gift money from my parents and took care of the whole new room with curtains...



Paint (sea foam)



and curtain rods...it was a great day with only one hitch....



In moving up to the new room we discovered that the furniture would not fit up the stairs. So Dad and Mr. G removed the banister.



This was the room as the previous owners had it...


And this is what it looks like so far...




The chair surprisingly goes great with the furniture but it's my brother-in-law's, not ours. I don't know, however, when he'll be able to send for it to be shipped to Texas, so I guess it can stay:) I do wanna put a mini fridge in the spot where it is for baby stuff so I don't have to run downstairs at night.

I'm really happy with the set.

And last night, Mr. G and I, reveling in our last months of freedom, went to see Shutter Island. It was great and I highly recommend it. I dare you to guess the ending within the first ten minutes.

Sorry, but so cute