Kinda.. it’s coming, anyhow.  I promise to be a better blogger, I promise to be a better blogger.. then again, don’t we all?

Things here have been quiet, mostly.  Work is horrible, but I’m looking, and still holding out hope that a company that wants me gets approval for the position after some internal confusion.  Seriously - I’m at a spot now where I swear I’d leave to work at Starbucks or something.  It’s just miserable, after a massive internal reorganization. I have a new ‘boss’ who mostly either ignores me or laughs at things I say outright in meetings, so that’s always fun.

There’s been knitting!  First, the new one - this is a shawl I’m working on FOR ME. Yup, you read that right. I’m going to KNIT FOR MYSELF!!!!

The pattern is from Lily Chin - it’s simple enough even for me, and I really do like the style of it. That’s just slightly blocked out a bit, I imagine it’ll stretch even more.  It’s called “Charlottes Easy Lace Shawl” and it definitely is - and is the first triangle shaped shawl I’ve ever done, so we’ll see how that goes.

I finished up the blankets for everyone - I’m started on another… I think that may actually cover all of the folks I am late on and who are due any second now.  Finally.  Now maybe I can get started on Christmas knitting!!  My fingers are itching to make a dishcloth.. all the finished blankies are below:

One of the dearest ladies ever left work Friday - and I had lunch with a good friend, her hubby and their gorgeous baby - here’s a few shots of me for the family

I’ll post again soon and show of my Mini - ohhhh how I love it!  I also got a really great bag I may send you mom - when I got it I didn’t realize it’d actually be too small for carrying the mini while it was in the neoprene case I got, and the bag’s just too cute not to show off more often than I will.

There’s been some knitting.. there’s been some reorganization at work.. there’s been some really crappy weeks, and some alright ones.  I suppose I just needed a break, or got too busy, or had a little combination of the two.  So, I shall catch up on some of the WIPS I have, and share them with you, and then promise to be a better blogger :D  I’m also on Facebook now - the folks at work got me sucked into that because of a game they play; I’ll often make one line comments there.

Just about everything I’ve been working on is still of the baby-flavored variety. I have started a shawl, but I’ll take some pictures of that tomorrow. In the meantime, I give you a bunch of baby blanket shots! (Thrilling, ain’t it?)

And then there’s this.. tragedy really.  This is MOST of the baby dress in 101 Designer One Skein Wonders.  And I have very little more than what you see done.  I HATE the top of this dress.  HATE IT.  It 100% seems like they were attempting to finish off the top of it within the 1 skein of yarn they had, and it just irks the heck out of me how it’s knitting up on top - it’s like having two little strings over!  I was going to finish it anyhow, but I’d not want to gift it, so chances are, it’s getting frogged and I’ll seek out another pattern for a little jumper where the top actually seems ‘done’ to me.

I have a few other blankets to add, I think - I’ve made it my goal this weekend to get them finished up - all that really remains is weaving in ends and blocking up a bit.  Now that some of the recipients are even back from maternity leave, I’m more than a little behind and feeling guilty.

What about you? What are you knitting sis?  Mom?  Whatcha been crocheting?

DSC_0233, originally uploaded by henkeinak.

Hey sis!

I am at a Google Earth institute in Fairbanks, AK, trying to learn all about kml. Needless to say, my head is about to explode all over my computer screen. Sheesh. Imagine me trying to teach teachers to do this. Yeah…don’t think so.

So of course I have had to come up with something to distract me. Kirk has been blogging from CA, where he and Jake are at the Regionals tournament. Here’s a pic of Jake during their first game. If you want to see what Jake and his team are up to, you can visit their blog at http://nlsparta.blogspot.com

And the first one in I cannot remember how long that I’m not working.  No, really - I’m not!!

What’s on tap?  Well.. a bit of this…

And some of this…

And I’ll have you know - my little leanies are all leaning in the right direction!

Spent today running some errands - and Momma - those flowers are out I mentioned. If the darkest fuscia could be bottled, I’d be ALL OVER IT.  I dunno what for, but I just love the richness. So what are they???

Anyone else ever wonder what someone is thinking who sees you slow down to take a picture of their bush from your car?

I’ll also be doing something with this…

Which is set to become a blanket for a mom who had her little boy before I could finish her blanket!  In the meantime, I gave this blanket mom left with me to someone on my own team who had a preemie boy:

Crappy photo, but as usual, I was finishing the final ends and blocking on a baby blanket for another co-worker in the wee hours - I’m so tickled for her - they had a hard time getting pregnant. She was thrilled with the blanket (in spite of the fact that the edges were still damp….)

The pattern is this one, at least loosely so - It’s a quick little pattern that’s easy to memorize and keep things moving. I wanted one that didn’t scream girl or boy, as this Momma is one of two in the 8 or so babies recently who did NOT find out what she was having ahead of time! YAY!

Other than that, I’ve cleaned up a bit, and may actually get to READ some blogs tomorrow! WHEE!  Seriously, it’s so nice to wake up, dink around for a bit and decide.. ya know what, I’m still tired. I’m going to take a nap!  Ohhh the beauty of weekends - that are actually weekends!

First, I embarrassingly thank you for my lovely, lovely lace yarn. I adore the colors and thnk it is just gorgeous.  I am so sorry that I didn’t call and properly thank you for it, sis. The only excuse I have is that I hit the ground running on my birthday when I returned from Spring Break, and I have barely come up for breath since. It’s budget and wrap up time here in the district, and I am currently teaching 3 credit courses, plus writing syllabi for three others that I plan to teach at the end of the school year. I feel like I am just go-go-going every single minute…

Anyway, I can hardly wait to make something with that gorgeous yarn you bought. I love the dark colors. I am thinking that I will have a chance to do some lace knitting this summer,  when I have a bit more time to concentrate on it.

Thanks for sharing some more pics of mom’s trip. She came home with a whole new wardrobe, it seems, and she seems very relaxed and happy with her trip.

The baby blanket is adorable, as is the sweet babe underneath it. You did a lovely job as usual.  I have been teaching my friend Ann at work to knit; she has made 3 dishcloths and we are going to have her attempt a baby blanket. She has picked it up quite quickly!

We had some ashfall from Mt. Redoubt this weekend; everything is covered in ugly grey powdery ash.Yuck! We had some snow the next night, but with springtime, that melts quickly and so now it’s ugly grey mush and muck on the cars.

Katie lost her last upper front tooth, and now is missing all four along that top gum. She looks so cute, but is extremely sensitive about the way it looks. She is such a prickly little thing.

I am trying to make myself go to bed at a decent hour, so I am going to go for now, but will write again soon. I want to post a pic of Katie’s Odessa hat. She looks so cute in it…