So many things to talk about!

1. If you happen by my Flickr account, you may be dazed & confused by the high number of older pics that I've been adding. This is being done to support my Ravelry habit... I feel compelled to add as many photos of projects and stash as I can. Having all those pics has had a nice side benefit: Two of my photos were requested to accompany pattern entries (Princess Leia wig/hat and Amulet Bags). Mostly, it's nice to see so many completed things in one place. Makes me feel all accomplished, even if the vast majority of the projects are rectangular.

I am really enjoying Ravelry -- I highly recommend that any knitter get over there and put themselves on the waiting list (and then be patient). In the meantime, start loading pics of stash, WIPs and FOs* into Flickr. If you're on there, my user name is the same as it is here: crazycatladymel. In addition to being a thrilled beta tester.** I'm a volunteer editor, too. Plus, I got to link my few, simple original designs to my new "designer profile.

Edited to add: Yikes! The waiting list is REALLY long (over 20,000), so you'll need to be REALLY patient. But the sooner you get on the list, the sooner you'll get your invite, even if it takes a while.

You can put in at least part of your book library (the site is still in beta, so it's not 100% functional), a needle inventory, projects you are working on or have finished, or projects you'd like to work on (queue) as well as your stash. I'm behind on the stash, but have entered the majority of my FOs. I'm not entering everything I've ever made, but there is still a lot there.

2. This is where the title comes in. On Saturday, fullfaun and I went to SLRF. I'd promised Heather that I'd help her distribute the vendor applications for next summer's Charlevoix Renaissance Festival, plus fullfaun and I just wanted to get out and "do" faire. A week prior, I'd brought home a huge dream catcher from my Dad's house. One of his cousins made it, I think, for her tribe's shop or a booth at a craft show. I'm not certain of the details, except that he loved that thing. Well, Heather is a shaman, and was so supportive of me during Dad's illness, and afterwards, so I wanted to share it with her. Somehow, I dropped it and didn't notice. I mean, it was 18" across, and I dropped it on my way in. I saw her at the back entry, and realized it was gone, so I got Anita's keys and walked all the way back to the car - I just figured I'd set it back down on the seat, but it was gone. I walked back to the gate and burst into tears. Big old crybaby tears!! It had been my dad's, and now it was gone forever. (Yes, this is a fairly typical reaction for me. I can be all stoic and reasonable when it's someone else's crisis, but when it's mine and it isn't life or death...)

I have such bad luck with things like that, so it didn't occur to me to check lost and found. Well, there it was. Not like someone could comfortably carry it around all day, said the cynic in me. But really, I was just glad that someone had turned it in - whether they were just good, honest people, or didn't want to be saddled down with it. So it's safe now, in its new home.

3. How much do I love knitting baby things?! Not for me, before anyone asks. I have an emergency pair of baby booties on the needle for a coworker who helped me out in an emergency yesterday. I told him I'd send cookies if I baked, but could offer something knitted. TUrns out his wife is expecting a baby girl in October. Another LJ friend had a baby last week, and I have something in mind to knit for that little girl, as soon as I'm done with this second bootie. Specs are with the photo - just click on it to open.


4. Finally... not a great health week for me. On Saturday, I hurt my hip in a big way. It's better now, but starts aching badly by late afternoon. Plus, my sugar has come close to crashing the last 2 days. It's kind of a good sign -- the meds are starting to work and just need to be tweaked -- but it leaves me feeling quite oogy. Like right now. Work pressues being added to this doesn't help. I need a couple of days off!


*WIPs: Works in Progress
FOs: Finished Objects
Stash: Yarn that isn't on the needles (OtN) yet

**Nothing special there. I heard about it and put my name & email on the waiting list. A few hundred people are automatically emailed invites each week, in order of the requests.