End of Year Clearances

'Tis the time of the year to take advantage of the sales that many different kinds of businesses offer.

As a knitter- my favorite end of the year sale is at the local yarn stores. Here in Dallas, we have had several stores with great sales this week - The Shabby Sheep on Boxing Day, PassionKnit all week long and even the Knitting Nook over in North Richland Hills on Monday. Of course with this boot on, I've not been able to take advantage of any of those.

However, the granddaddy of them all is at the Woolie Ewe - last Saturday of December - the sale of all sales! This year, they opened at 5 AM ! Thankfully, I have a friend who is as crazy as I am - so we got there at 3:15 am. We weren't first in line - Missy was. (But she's a crazy college student who can still camp out overnight without worry.) But, we were second and third.

I took my Christmas cash that had been given specifically for the sale - and my debit card (which was cringing at the thought of such a sale) and we hit the door at 5 AM along with a throng of other people.

And when I say "throng" - I mean crazyknittingpeoplewhowouldgetupandshopforyarnat5AM.

That store was PACKED. But, as usual, Jill and Sue had the Ewe running like a top and while we did have to wait in line, it was fairly swift moving.

Best of all - I came out with some change - a whole $3.97 - and the debit card gave a sigh of relief!

After the sale and breakfast with the other crazy knitters, I came home and tried to sleep...only to wake up every few minutes having dreamt about either this one yarn I didn't buy (Ella Rae Palermo) or being pushed around stacks of yarn. I guess it was PTYSD (Post Traumatic Yarn Sale Disorder). I thought of going back for the Palermo, but decided that I didn't really need it and was good.

And then - after an annual end of year luncheon with some friends - Alek and I did something we seldom do - we went shopping together.

See what we came home with??



She makes me smile...

...I can't decide whether it's 'cause she is so pretty - or 'cause she means that the POS Cruiser is now out of our lives and no longer draining our wallet. (I've been told it's not enough that the ads show it big enough to fit an alpaca in the backseat - and that I needed to read the fine print that the alpaca was sold separately.)

I have to say, this was the most pleasant car-buying experience EVER. (I didn't know it was possible to type "pleasant" and "car-buying experience" in the same sentence without an "un" thrown in there somewhere!)

If you are ever going to buy a Honda - big or small - I highly recommend Robert Kurlan (sp?) at Honda Cars of McKinney. I never felt pressured to buy something - when we walked away back in September, I had told him he could call me to see if we had changed our minds and he didn't abuse it - just would call when I had told him that it was ok to check back with us after "X date" and then call back when I told him it'd be a little bit later in the year before we were ready to deal. It was so nice to deal with someone who wasn't overbearing and loud - didn't try to rope us in with feel good stories and loads of crap - just patient and knowledgeable about his product. I wasn't buying the top of the line car - in fact, their smallest model - but you would never know it from the way he treated us. I'd buy from him again in a heartbeat...and recommend him to anyone.

Merry Christmas, Y'all!!!

Thanks & Bones & Resolutions!

Consider this one huge bowl of Catch-up.

First of all - I need to send a BIG Ol' THANK YOU! to Frances for my Coffee Swap 3 gift! I sent proper thanks to her already - long long ago - but really need to do it publicly. I kept waiting for my camera's battery charger to reappear so I could get a "better than the cell phone" pic...but since the charger is still in hiding, I'm going to have to just use this horrible picture to show what I assure you was one of the best packages EVER!



What is hard to see there is two lovely skeins of SWTC Bamboo in the Esquire colorway and a big ol' skein of the Socka Colori Disco in a blingy light blue. Love them! There was also some cute napkins and adorable coasters not to mention some chocolate (yum) and some Authentic NJ Saltwater Taffy (some of my absolute favorite candy!). And then, Frances also makes these lovely soaps - and I got several of them. Y'all figure out how to buy them from her - 'cause they smell incredible - and there's this one bar called "Kitchen Magic," that does just take all the smells from your hands from like garlic or onion chopping.

As far as the coffee goes - which my Alek says is the reason he can get behind this swapping business - she sent a really dark rich coffee called "Twin Lights Fog Buster Blend" from Jersey Shore Coffee Roasters which definitely has a bite to it - but it's a good bite. Will definitely wake you up! But the other is my favorite - from Asbury Park Roastery - City Roast Bolivia. It's a perfect blend for the two of us - we love it and may have to figure out how to import some more to Texas! HA!

But, the best part of the package was the mug - The coolest coffee mug ever! I loved it all, Frances!! You are definitely a great swap partner!

In November, I got to trek down to Austin and the Hill Country not once - but twice. First on vacation with Alek whom I took to the airport half-way through and traded him out for my Mama. It was a fun trip where Alek and I spent as much time in as many coffee houses and cheap diners in Austin as possible as well as some time in Gruene and New Braufels. When Mama got there, we spent some time with one of her college buddies and then spent a day in Fredericksburg where we shopped (yes, I found a yarn store) and ended the day watching 3 million bats emerge from a cave...it was quite a fun week!

The next weekend, I went with this group of sheeple down to the Kid N Ewe Festival in Boerne.



We had a blast - and blasted through the money we had buying yarn - we bought mostly wools - but these two were there to show us what they could produce.


Isn't he CUTE?

She is spinning directly from that bunny!!

We also got to go to this new knitting store in Austin - The Knitting Nest. How cute is this place??? Ok...so you have to click on the link to see the pics - Blogger and some of my pics that I do have aren't agreeing...

As far as Bones go - the mutant extra bone is gone. (I know you are thankful for no pictures of that!) I'm in a knee high aircast for 6 weeks (two of which are gone) - but that means I am in super cranky mode since I can't drive for another 4. This does not make me happy...but I'll live - maybe. (Some of you have witnessed my dear hubby's driving - so you know what I mean.)

On to Resolutions! Knitting Resolutions, that is. Dawn, My friend and fellow BigMama/BooMama/Pioneer Woman lover (it's her fault I'm obsessed with these three ladies and their lives), has issued a Knitting Resolutions edict - er, um, invitation - to all of the internets...so I shall participate.

• Knitting Resolution #1 - Finish that darned Clapotis. (It is NOT that hard...and when I pick it up, I enjoy it - enough so that I've got a couple of other yarns that I bought thinking "That would make an awesome Clapotis!)


• Knitting Resolution #2 - Attempt to knit a sweater - not just talk about it. It can be short sleeved - it can even be for a child - just DO it.


• Knitting Resolution #3 - Learn something new - Magic Loop, Intarsia, something


• Knitting Resolution #4 - Actually do a Toe-Up Sock. I took the class, I know the basics - again, just do it already.


• Knitting Resolution #5 - Frog and restart the Montego Bay scarf using that beautiful Woolmeise. It's wonky and I know that I won't be happy with it as is - so Frog it and Restart it!


• Knitting Resolution #6 - Be more dedicated about taking pictures and then actually posting them to my blog. Included in this resolution is to blog more often. This once in a blue moon stuff just doesn't cut it.

I'm sure that there are more - but this will get me kick-started...(thanks Dawn.)