Better post or else ;)

Ok... so... Work.

I love it!!! It is a great place to work, with great people to work with. And the type of work is truly right up my alley!!!

I can't work in a production line style setting - you know, where you do the same thing, all day, every day.... I can do it for a couple days, if needed, but not indefinitely. I also don't like working in an environment where you have to ask constantly what to do, how to do it, when to do it, where to do it, or wait to be told all those things.... I mean, yeah, one needs to be trained, but in some cases, one is not expected to think for themselves.... they need to only do what the supervisor or boss says for them to do at any given moment.

So - working at the yarn store - there is enough of the knowing what to do and how to do it (stock shelves, check to see that everything is in order, straighten up, put new stock out, etc.) that I can keep busy - no waiting to be told what to do. There is also enough variety - every time a customer walks through the door, it will be different than the last one - to keep me interested.

It is a "perfect" job!!!!

Now, though - my only problem is in the use of the "NAYY" designation.... I mean, even if I didn't work there, I would still recommend the store to others...I'd still shop there, even if I didn't work there.... Which reminds me- everyone thinks I'm going to be buying more yarn now. Truth is - Maybe just a little bit - but I'm trying to keep it down to only buying what I would have anyway. Like I said - I would still shop there when I needed to whether I work there or not. So ....

Mostly, I confess, though - that now that I need to, I'm looking on shelves and at yarn that I never would have bothered to before. So, I'm seeing yarns that would work for "X", or yarns that just call out to me.... I wouldn't have given a second look to the Lopi yarns, for example. I just ever glanced at them before - didn't really look closely, or check the price/value, etc. Now, though - I've "discovered" that it comes in a wonderful variety of colours. There are wonderful pattern books for sweaters that I love to go with the yarns.... I keep hearing them calling my name.... every time I walk near that aisle, I hear them.... when I have a spare moment, I flip through the books.... Which is part of my training/job, to familiarize myself with the patterns/books that are available so I can help customers....

I *must* finish the lace projects before I start a sweater... I *must* finish some sock UFO's before I start a new project... I *must* finish the gansey sweater I started last year before starting a new sweater...

Will I be strong enough? Will I not listen when the Lopi calls out to me? Stay tuned....

In the meantime, progress pics on the shawls:

This is Mystic Waters, pinned out so that one can see that even though I'm using a dk weight mohair/acrylic blend yarn, the stitch definition comes through. I thought I was finished clue two, but turns out that I wasn't - I was half way through clue two. So, I need to get knitting....

Secret of the Stole - I'm dragging a bit on this one. I've got clue two finished here. I'm liking the shawl fine, but trying to knit it without the Lady Ashleigh eating the beads is not easy.... Also, there is a running theme guessing game, that frankly, annoys me. I mean, guessing the theme is fine - but the way it is being done.... each knit clue, there is a "hint". The answer to the "hint", first letter, scrambled, is the theme. So - you have to first figure out the hint, which so far, each hint could have more than one right answer. Then you have to take the first letter, wait for enough clues to come up so you can begin to try to put the letters together to make a word. Really, you can't even begin to come up with anything logical for at least four or five clues.... Then, when you realize that the answer is a nine letter word, and you find that you don't have any vowels, well - you have to go back and try to figure out new words for the hints... Entirely too much time between (one clue a week) and too much ambiguity for me. I have a short attention span, and frankly, gave up by week three. I'm just reading everyone else's answers/guesses, and wondering how they come up with some of them (hint answers to justify their theme guess).

Secret of Chrysopolis!!! Weird picture, I know... It is getting quite large now. Which is good - I want it nice and big and wrappable. And I totally love the pattern. All the clues (8 of them) are out now. This picture shows that I've just completed clue three. WAY behind!! Sort of wish that this was the only one I'm working on, so I could have spent all my time working on it. I just love it. I really do.... So very pretty.....

And finally - I finally picked up again a UFO - The Bellatrix socks!!!

Also, finally took a picture of them. I'm past the heel turn, and working on the gusset decreases. So, here's the pics, and then I'm off, to get ready to go to work!!