What a momentous time. We're buying a house. Yeah, we've known that for a while now, but. It just got really really real last night. It didn't feel real in April, when we first went to the bank. It didn't feel real when we were spending hours pouring over houses on the internets, using a few impersonal photos to try and decide if we could call that place home. And while it was plenty real when we spent evenings tramping around in stranger's houses, at times it felt like more hassle than it was worth.

But last night, when we wrote our first offer, it was as "real" as it gets. It was horribly exciting, and entirely terrifying. I couldn't decide if I wanted to vomit, or do a dance. Or maybe just curl up on the couch with a bottle of whiskey. Either way, we did it. Now starts the counter-offers and negotiations - hopefully. :)

And, on top of that, I'm working on the most beautiful pair of socks I've ever seen. I used a brand new cast on, they're my first cuff down socks (so they're a new architecture), and a brand new stitch pattern. And they're delightfully, and going rather quickly. And I'll likely have some time this weekend to focus on them, too!!


(ahh! Buying a house~!!)

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. Of course, busy. Busier than normal, though, I'd say. Mostly because our evenings have been consumed with the home buying process! We've spent the last three weeks working with the realtor, researching houses, etc. I've become a regular user of the auditor website. There is so much useful information there, it's pretty ridiculous. I love it.

We've got it narrowed down to a short list. Now we've just got to double check funding, and it'll be all good. :) We could be moved in 45 days. That's pretty exciting. Terribly exciting, in fact.

Knitting wise, I'm working on that damned sweater again. I'm taking more care with my raglan increases, so it's going well enough. I love the color, and the FO I'm envisioning in my head is quite lovely. That shawl? It's sitting on the living room floor. I haven't had the mental capability to pick it up in a while. The whole house thing is draining me. But, that's all right. It's worth it. Well, it'll likely be worth it.

I've got some nice plans for the summer shaping up. We're spending July 4th in TN, with grandma. Corie is flying in from El Salvador for a week, and we'll probably do some fun things then - like go to the zoo, and the conservatory, and maybe swimming. And probably a hike, too. We'll have fun!

Caaaamper.

Camping is a good time. I sure enjoyed it. I will say, though, that it's much more fun if you bring enough sleeping bags, enough wood for a substantial fire, extra blankets, and pillows. And I'm sure an air mattress wouldn't hurt. :)

We had big fun. And I think we should plan a group camping trip for later this summer. And another trip with a small group. They even have showers! And a pool! And a lake that's really pretty and only a little smelly. :)

I haven't felt much like knitting lately. I've been mainly doing dishcloths - little things with cotton yarn. I've done a little on my shawl, but I'm afraid I'll accidentally felt the thing! I should also re-start my sweater. I made mistakes I decided that I couldn't live with, so I've got to get the thing back on the ball winder - again. Goodness! It'll be worth it, though, when it's done.

I totally finished the shawl in time for the wedding. In fact, I finished it long before the wedding, wore it a lot, and then had to block it again so it looked nice and fresh for the event! That was exciting.

So, let's see. I finished the shawl, I finished a Baby Surprise Jacket for a co-worker, I've made several dishcloths (although I haven't woven in any of the ends yet - that's not my job!), I've started reading with a vengeance, and it's park season. That's my favorite part - I love sitting in a park, reading or knitting, while watching small children shriek and play. Or watching large children shriek while throwing a Frisbee.

I joined a group on Ravelry intent on reading 52 books in 52 weeks. Only a little ambitious. I decided that I'm going to try a series approach. I started with a series that I partially read as a child - The Ship Who series by Anne McCaffery and various other authors. I'm zipping through them, with only a few pages left in the last book to go. I'll have 5 books with the first two weeks, so that's a nice head start. (A head start I'm sure I'll need later on!) I've got the Pern series lined up next. I never read any of the pern books, although I surely should have. I read an excerpt once, and I think I remember enjoying it. We'll see - the first four books are ready to start this weekend.

I start another shawl - without a deadline this time. It's Laminaria (Ravel link), and so far it's entirely beautiful. I'm using Misti International Handpaint Lace, 100% Baby Alpaca. It's to die for. The ball is so squishy and soft and I love it, but the part of the shawl that's worked up already is even nicer to cuddle with.

We're going to try going camping this weekend, so we're headed to Dad's house this evening to grab Little Brother's tent and camp stove. I'm excited. We're not going far away, but there will be water to swim in, a fire to sit by, and stars to sleep under. I haven't been camping in a while - I tried it a few years ago, but the weekend we went was cold and rainy and it was miserable. This weekend is supposed to be damn perfect, so it should be a much nicer experience.