I just finished a long 4-day weekend from work, Thursday through Sunday.  This was my first real time off from work since the April 15th tax deadline (and that is All I am saying about work!).  I decided that this long weekend would be totally devoted to R&R, and enjoying all my creative pursuits.  I shamelessly ignored my messy house completely, and just enjoyed myself for four full days doing all the things that I love, and that I have missed for the last three months.

Of course, knitting was involved!  I finished my first lace shawl ever - from this:

to this:

Shetland triangle by Evelyn Clark (rav link) from Scarf Style

Yarn:  Sundara Aran Silky Merino, color "Good Morning"

Needles:  size 9

I had this sweater done all the way to the underarms about 3 or 4 weeks ago, when I realized that it was looking just gigantic!  I couldn't deal with fixing it until this weekend, when I completely frogged and re-knit it back to the same point again (to the underarms, read to start sleeves).  I went down a size, stitch-wise, and also went down one needle size.  The main part of the body is knit in reverse stockinette in the round, so you are purling all the time, except for the pattern inset.  I think my gauge is just looser for purling than knitting.  (This color is not so blinding in real life - It is a lovely deep rosy fuschia)

Pattern:  Vaila by Gudrun Johnson

Yarn: Malabrigo worsted in color "Geranio"

Needles:  size 9 for ribbing, size 7 for body

I watched "The Boy in Striped Pyjamas."  A great movie, but sad, as it is a WWII movie.  I also watched about 6 or 7 episodes of the Sherlock Holmes series starring Jeremy Brett.  He is the most awesome Holmes I could ever imagine!  I have seem all of these episodes many times, and still love them.  No one but Jeremy Brett will ever be the real Holmes for me!

I cooked my favorite spring vegetable risotto, with lemon, asparagus and morel mushrooms.  Mmmmmmmm!!!!!!!

I spent a great couple of days working in my journal.  I worked on a couple of pages, one I consider finished (Incredible), the other is still in progress, but I love how it is shaping up!  I especially enjoyed working in my visual journal - I have not done this for a while, and I was really missing it.

"She can do Incredible Things"

Fisherman

My messy creative space:

(notice how I cleverly time-traveled into the future to take all these photos!!!)

I went to a bead show.  The main reason that I went was to find beads to go with my Wollmeise lace yarn in Single Malt that I plan to use for making Shipwreck, (at knitty.com).  I knew there would be the right kind of beads, and that the selection would be great.  It was,  and I found just what I needed:

While I was there, I took the Beading 101 class that was going on, and made these:

and bought beads to make this:

and this:

These last two are both made with Kazuri beads.  They are made by African women to support their families, so there is a good story behind them.  They are also beautiful!  I am not a beader - I have very limited experience with beading.  But, these are so beautiful that it is hard to go wrong!

I also made it to dance practice tonight for the first time in several weeks.  (Romanian folk dance)  We have several performances coming up in May & early June, so it is time I get back to it!

And last, but not least, I finally got a new blog post up!!!