Antonio's 5th Birthday Party and Retreat!

Hello everyone!  How was your week?  Mine was fabulous, relaxing and tiring all in one.  I had a Fall Retreat this past weekend like I do every February....but this was our first Fall one and it was great (Picture overload later).

We left on Friday and came home on Sunday....but then Antonio's 5th Birthday Party (can you believe he is 5 already?) was Sunday....so it was time to try to help Paige decorate the house....it was a Birthday party with a Halloween theme and a costume party.

Antonio was a ninja and I was to be Batgirl.....but Antonio quickly took off his costume, so I got to take mine off too....thank goodness because it was HOT!

Tons of fun was had by all!  The Pinata was stuffed to the gills....and Jamie (aka Pam Pa) helped out.

Then it was clean up time and I was pooped.  I am thankful I have today off of work to continue the clean up!!!

Wow.....well, before I jump to the knitting I wanted to tell you about a new thing I am doing....it is called Hello Fresh...

You can go Here and you will get $40 off your first box (which is what I did).....they send you a box every week with as many meals as you like....I am doing the 3 meals for 2 people version....I can feed myself and Jaime and usually still have left overs for my lunches.  I do not cook every night so the 3 meals have worked out perfectly for me...I even tried Wheat Bulgar today and it was delicious.

Look how cute all the stuff comes packaged....they package everything you need to make your meal....my 2nd box arrives tomorrow.

Okay, time for the knitting.....you would think I have tons.....but I really don't.  I over packed and under knitted I guess.  First, before the retreat, I finished my October socks....

At the retreat I knit a little on everything...but that is the problem...it was just 'a little' on too many things.  I worked a little on the black sweater....you have not seen it for a while and it is very hard to photograph, but here it is.

The only other thing I worked on that is worth showing is my Briochevron Cowl.....I am LOVING pulling this yarn from the sock blank.....I have a few errors, but I do not care....I am going to just keep on knitting!

I have a couple of stash enhancements....this bag is a retreat goodie bag:

And a bag set from Bags By Awesomegrannie....I love this Candy one.....Awesomegrannie is sooooo freaking AWESOME!

I have a friend that I made via ravelry that lives overseas.....a few years ago I sent her a knitting book as a surprise.....well, she had put down her knitting for a long time and recently picked it back up and wanted to send me the first thing she ever knit as a thank you for the knitting book....and she did....it is a fabulous pillow with perfect colors just for me.....I cannot thank you enough Lizzy!!!!  I love your pillow!

Well, that is it....stay tuned for next week....I should have new needles and a new sweater for me on the needles.....now I leave you with pictures from the retreat.

I-Cord Crazy Cast Ons

Hello everyone....I hope you had a fabulous week!  I did!

Last week I told you that i had some more hedgehog fiber yarn on the way.....well, I may have a "Small Hedgehog Fibers Problem":

So, this is what I had BEFORE:

Then I had this delivered:

 Another Graphite (I already had one)

 2 more Film Noir (I already had 2)

 Another Typewriter (I already had one):

 Boom Box (New to me)

 Another Crystal (I already had one)

 Cinder (new to me)

 Teacup (new to me)

So now I have all of this and I have no clue what I am going to make but I know I love them all:

I got some of the Hedgehog yarn from a yarn shop called The Knitting Bee....they packaged the yarn very nicely with some gummy bears....Yum!

I got some cookie press thingys....one is a sheep, one is a yarn ball and one is a button....they are really cute and also came packaged very nicely!

So, I made some yarn ball cookies :)

I also ordered some natural colored Wollmeise Worsted Weight yarn....I had never seen this yarn for sale before (ravelry says it is discontinued)....I got approx 1,300 yards....I am not sure what I will make with it....but I was thinking of possibly trying to dye it or seeing if a friend can....and then maybe making a cardigan with it....or maybe holding two strands together and making Superbulky Grandpa sweater...they were only about $5 a skein....so if I can make a sweater with it, that is like a  $30.00 sweater :)

My roommate, Carol, did a bunch of crawling during the Hill Country Yarn Crawl this past week.  Well, she got me 2 skeins of yarn from Yarn Carnival.....this yarn screams Carrie and I love it.  Thank you so much Carol....Now I need to find the perfect pattern for them!

My last stash enhancement....my Apple Watch.  I have wanted one since they came out....and now I got the version 2....I got the black stainless steel....if they would have had black in aluminum, I would have gotten that one, but they only had space grey (the darkest) and I really wanted black...I cannot decide if I love it as much as it costs....LOL!  I am trying to get used to it...but I just do not know how it all works yet so I may need to watch a tutorial.

Okay....so for the knitting.:

I FINISHED MY CELESTARIUM!  I finished this in 29 days (WOW)!  I am pretty stinking proud of it!  I really, really, really loved knitting on this....that is probably why I finished it in 29 days!

I worked on my socks too....they are almost done...just a little more on one sock and then cuffs for both socks and I am done....shouldn't take too much longer!

Then I must have been in an i-cord mood....because I did 3 of them.  I cast on for that sweater that Paige wants....I am trying to design it as I go....which is proving more difficult than I thought....I have started both front panels...they start with some i-cord casting on.

Then I decided to start a brioche pattern....in the Stephen West Mystery KAL (called Building blocks) they are doing brioche during this week's clue....so a couple of my friends are talking about brioche....so I wanted to join in, but not sure I am ready to cast on the Mystery KAL yet....so I started Briochevron by Stephen West with Biscotte yarn in Charbon (black) and my lips sock blank from AndreSueKnits...so far I am loving it....and it is part of the KAL in the Bags By Awesomegrannie forum where you can do any Stephen West Pattern.  #bagkal2016-4  This one starts with an i-cord and then you pick up stitches.....

Well, I think that is all I have.....I leave you with....

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!!!