My last two weeks have been unbelieveably busy but here are the highlights…

1. I don’t normally blog about work or even brag about it, but I was the lead on the team that did the focus group testing, branding and creative for this. And last week we got an award for it!

2. I made two trips to Toronto in two weeks (please don’t ask how much time I spent in the car – I’m still having post-traumatic stress disorder reactions). The good thing was a very fruitful trip to Romni which may have resulted in some spending. For once I went there with an agenda in mind – I wanted fiber for Henry, Charade (scroll down a bit to see the lovely ribbon cardi wrap from Annie Modesitt’s Romantic Handknits book) and more Noro Kureyon for Lizard Ridge.

I couldn’t afford the Berroco Zen at $13-$15 per ball. I needed 1o balls so I went on a hunt around the store for a worsted weight ribbon. I found Romni’s own labeled brand in 100% silk – more yardage per ball (I only needed 7) and only $7.99 each. I wasn’t keen on any of the colours so I grabbed white white and will dye it myself.

For Henry I got (be still my heart) – Lana Grossa Seta Cashmere - gorgeous! And yes I’ve cast on and damn are those rows EVER LONG!!!

3. http://www.needleartsbookshop.com/- open house! I trekked back into Toronto from Whitby on Saturday to get to this sale. I have been desperately wanting the Latvian Mittens book ever since the Harlot knit a pair (remember the ones where she ended up with two right-handed mittens?) a while back. Plus I am obsessed with really complicated colourwork mittens.

I might have also slightly enhanced the stash with this and this (scroll down to see the wool) in black to make it out of.

4. Ava and Luke – I had a lovely time cuddling the little ones at wannabaa’s (of the comments). Luke is definitely 2 but not terrible at all – he so energetic and the way he talks totally cracks me up. Ava is adorable. Which is a good thing because Ava is not the happiest baby and at this point I suspect that a fierce maternal sense of responsibility and the cuteness might be the only things keeping her from going out with the trash once a week. Having a newborn is hard enough…a newborn determined not to sleep and only soothed by nursing or being carried a certain way quickly drains a whole lot of joy from the whole experience. Hopefully she’ll get happier when she can more and express herself more clearly. In the meantime, send good thoughts to wb – she needs ‘em!

Hopefully soon again…with pictures. Not much in the way of FOs and way too many UFOs but it does make for interesting blogging.

• The Ashford Joy is heading off to Port Hope to be consigned tomorrow.
• The Little Gem is also travelling to Port Hope because the crank drive band keeps slipping out of its groove – so either there is something up with the wheel or something up with my treadling. Laurie at the Black Lamb will hopefully be able to diagnose the issue. It hasn’t stopped me from spinning up some lovely blue merino though!
• Tomorrow the young man and I will head out for Toronto in the morning for a fun and fabulous few days of visiting with the blogless wanna-baa of the comments and her family. We have plans to visit the Toronto zoo and then go to Canada’s Wonderland where I fully expect that Alex will see to it that I lose 5-10 years off my life expectancy due to the stress of having to go on rides with him.
• Knitting progress continues and I hope to have pictures next week.
• My neighbour is laying down tile in the bathroom today and I hope that by the time I am back on Tuesday my bathroom will have returned to normal. I have become a huge fan of giving large sums of money to men I don’t know very well and then walking away while they fix things around my house.

Back next week with hopefully more interesting stuff and maybe even some pictures!