KNITTING WITHOUT DOG HAIR IS NOT AN OPTION

Hey - it's Friday! TGI...! The weather is GORGEOUS!!! The Metro Atlanta area weekend weather forecast says sunny and temperatures in the 80s. I've got a couple of knitting outings planned for this weekend. Dad's vest is coming along - I am past the armholes on the back piece. It's looking good and going well and I haven't ripped since last Thursday - thanks for all the nice comments and encouraging words. Ohhhh - and say no more - I wouldn't wanna jinx it.

I can't wait to get out of the office today and dive into the first treat of the weekend. This is kind of like my "goodbye week - hello weekend" routine. The Friday SnB group meets at a local yarn store. They start at 5pm and they have booze... Well, it's only beer and wine. I wouldn't be able to knit with other stuff like vodka & cranberry juice, for example...

I am in for a real treat tonight. Brett, one of the boy knitters, told me last weekend that he'd knit me a lace shawl for my birthday. OMG - At first I thought he was teasing, but he was dead serious and told me to pick a pattern - anything I want!!! I told him he was way too generous but then offered to bring my lace books:

Victorian Lace Today
Second Book of Modern Lace Knitting
Heirloom Knitting
A Gathering of Lace
Gossamer Webs: The History and Techniques of Orenburg Lace Shawls

Then he can browse and pick something he would like to knit. I will give Brett a little jolt first, and tell him what I really want him to knit me is this dress:

Now, if you know me even a little bit you'd realize THAT IS SO-O-O-O NOT MY STYLE... Boy-oh-boy... That brings me to my next subject. The latest issue of Vogue Knitting. What is wrong with those designers? I found only one (!) sweater in the whole issue that I would maybe knit. Hubby and I were looking at the magazine together a couple of evenings ago and here is our conversation over this dress:

Me: Look at this - what were they thinking? OMG.
Him (takes the magazine and looks closely): But honey, it says "Very Vogue" and "Very Easy".

Now - you don't know hubby. He can pretend to be dead serious about something but he is completely pulling your leg. Which he did in this case and I - of course - didn't get it, as usual. Too funny. I don't think I will knit a dress like this to show off my 40-year-old wide hips. Thank you, but no thanks.

Sorry for my ranting, but then there's this:

Would I like to look pregnant on purpose? Not really...

And would I knit this sweater?

To accent my midriff with a diamond pattern and a fat cable? Hey, maybe the design would be slimming. You couldn't pay me enough to try...

OK - that's the knitting content. My lunch break is almost over. Now a philosophical closing for this post. One of my friends sent me this via email this morning and I thought I'd share this with my knitting blog friends. I thought it was very inspiring and gave me a good boost for the weekend. SO, here is your boost...

TEN THINGS TO REMEMBER
1. Try everything twice.
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him/her.
6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Live while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but not to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

With this - have a delightful weekend with some fiber fun. I'll be visiting my favorite yarn store on Sunday with a bunch of knitting pals. And, believe it or not, I will actually be returning some yarn. That's even better then destashing. :-)