As much as it's fun to spin with hundreds of spinners, it's also a boatload of fun to spin with just one.  This past weekend, hubby, Maggie and I headed down to Lorette's.  We were a little worried about how Maggie would get along with the dogs, but after a little posturing between Maggie and Riley over who was the alpha female, they got along just fine.  Riley and Maggie agreed to co-share the alpha bitch status and pretty much ignored each other.  Lewey, the only male, seemed a little befuddled and, like a typical male, was a little confused over how to win Maggie's heart.  He alternated between completely ignoring her and trying to knock her over.  Toward the end of the weekend, they were starting to play a little and I think given another day or two would have been chasing each other all over the house.  While the hubsters solved the weighty problems of the world (how does this label maker work??):

Lorette and I happily spun away.  I'm not sure if we look happy or a little insane:

I suppose it depends on who you ask.  John and Bill might have voted for the latter.  And, just for the record, chocolate martinis do not seem to have a detrimental effect on my spinning.  I have a few new bobbins spun up of a beautiful Romney from a local sheep named Rainbow.  It's such lovely fiber and it almost spins itself.  No pictures because I've been struggling with dark gloomy days – maybe next week.  I plan on having two bobbins spun up to take to the local spinning group for help with plying.  I think I'm going to splurge on a tensioned lazy kate.  My last two plying experiences were pretty miserable.

I do have my first finished FO of the year:

These are a generic top-down sock with a YO cable from Charlene Schurch's book.  The yarn is Araucania Ranco.  This is a lovely, lovely yarn – so smooth and squishy.  I decided to take some advice from the Yarn Harlot this year.  I have her page-a-day calendar and in it she suggested that rather than joining an expensive sock club, you make your own. Go through your sock stash and pick out 12 skeins of yarn (I KNOW we all have at least that much, or more!).  Pair it with 12 patterns you've been planning to knit and Voila!  Your own sock club.  Throw them in Ziploc bags and each month pull out a new one.  I now have 12 bags ready to go.  My plan is to close my eyes and pull out at random.  Next up will be Lacy Scallops socks using some Koigu PPM that's been in my stash since the Dark Ages.  That pattern has also been in my queue since then, so it's nice to finally pair them up.

I also finished the first clue in the Enchanted Wood Mystery Shawl.  WARNING:  Spoiler picture ahead:

Forgive the crappy picture – grey gloomy days are not providing much love for photographs and the flash washed it out.  So far this is proving to be fun.  So much so, that I am joining another Mystery Shawl KAL – this one the Evenstar Mystery Shawl KAL.  I figure since I'll be waiting for clues to come out, I can justify two shawls going at the same time.

Also in the mail this week – a box full o' yarn:

This will be the Knitpicks Norwegian Lusekofte sweater – for me!  My original intention was to do this for the Ravelympics – you know, the insanity where you commit to complete a project during the Olympics.  But the more I thought about it, the more I discarded that idea.  Retirement is all about lack of stress and the last thing I need to do is to stress myself out over knitting.  I may start on that tonight.

As I mentioned there are lots of grey, rainy, gloomy days here in the Pacific Northwest.  But I can't possibly complain.  I have an intact roof over my head, warmth, plenty of food and water and plenty of productive things to entertain me.  My heart is breaking for the people in Haiti.  If you haven't already, please donate to the organization of your choice.  Ours is the Red Cross, but Doctors Without Borders, World Vision and dozens of others are great ones as well.