Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving with lots of family, friends, and food. It is my favorite holiday, and though we couldn't spend it with the family this year, we did go over to our friends' house and have a great time. We also had another gathering of more people last night at another house, so I've been eating well the past few days.

It was an extra-special holiday this year, as will be Christmas, since it is the last year that we will be without our little figlet (on the outside, that is). Juan and I are expecting to meet him or her at the end of May, and of course are very excited. I've been restraining myself in terms of knitting, since there are lots of holiday gifts to finish as well as left-over projects from last winter's yarn that have been queued up for almost a year now. It is all non-washable wool, so I can't re-appropriate for baby items, but I will probably buy a new supply of baby-friendly yarn out East. Plus, I want to know first if I'm knitting for a girl or boy, though I know there are plenty of gender-neutral colors and patterns out there.

I just noticed that Knit Collective has come out with their Winter 2008 issue. This is an on-line magazine that's free to read the articles, and then you buy the individual patterns that you like from the designer herself. This issue had some adorable coats in it. I especially love Sylvi and Heroine. Kate Gilbert's Sweet Pea Coat is reminiscent of the Drops Eskimo jacket that I knit two of last year, one for Meredith and one for me, but it includes the added feature I wish the Eskimo Jacket had: pockets!

I plan on taking pictures of more recently knitted items this weekend, and will probably post them later today or tomorrow.

HUGE Fall Update Post

I know, I know. Things have been hectic and crazier than usual this semester as I diligently worked on my dissertation, taught full time, and tried to get in a good amount of exercising before winter hits and the work-out mojo goes down the tubes.

So, please forgive and thanks for still checking in and not giving up on my little place in cyberspace. Here are some of the highlights from the last few months.
First up, knitting. Juan's cousin over in Spain had a baby last month, and they got this little set for their endeavor:
The hat and coat patterns are from Debbie Bliss, Simply Baby, and are called the pompon beret and Matinee Coat, respectively. The pink yarn is Lily Chan Gramercy superwash wool, while the brown is di.Ve' Zenith, also superwash.The booties pattern can be found here and is addictive. You've been warned. Yarn is the same as above.

Our friends Kate and Eric just adopted their son from Ethiopia, and he got a striped sweater from Itty Bitty Nursery. And he looks adorable in it.
Mobi got eaten by a lobster on HalloweenNow, a Juan update. My husband got to spend a fun few days out in Long Beach, CA for a set of back-to-back conferences.Doesn't he look pleased with himself for scoring some free sunshine? I've mentioned in past years that the historical society here in Winona does a cemetery walk every fall. This year they honored WSU's sesquicentennial anniversary by featuring some folks from the university's past. Juan volunteered as a tour guide, so he led a group of us around to the different sites where the historical figures told us about their lives. Doesn't he look dapper in his "historical" outfit? One of the people telling us about his life.Here is my friend Shari and another lady as former WSU teachersIt was a gorgeous fall day