Day Three: Stash Not Busted

Good afternoon!  So, I am almost...ALMOST finished with Shop Sample Number One.  I hope to finish it by this evening, even if it involves fighting off the dogs who think that Schaefer hand-painted yarn has the lick-equivalent of a roasted pig ear.

So I have that going for me.

I also finally...FINALLY joined the Windy City Knitting Guild.  It's twenty bucks per year, and you get to do awesome things like get a newsletter related to knitting and get discounts at yarn shops.  That sucker will practically pay for itself as I'm passing my first "WELCOME TO CHICAGO: RAHM EMMANUEL, MAYOR" sign.  In terms of education and networking, I think it has already paid for itself.  I was so excited, I decided to make it the subject of this week's examiner.com article:

http://www.examiner.com/knitting-in-chicago/windy-city-knitting-guild-offers-a-community-for-knitters-of-all-levels

I even have the FREE pattern written out...if you go to my examiner.com page and hit "Subscribe," forward the confirmation email to amy.e.kaspar@gmail.com and I'll send you a free knitting pattern.  It's that easy!

Then...I added something to my Etsy store.  Here is the official listing:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83297166/scarf-pattern-of-the-month-series

Oh, I'm doing it.  I already have four scarves in mind of all different shapes, sizes, yarns, techniques...I am addicted.  It's funny because after knitting two side-to-side scarves in a row, I would have thought I would want to burn my entire scarf collection just so smell the ravenous whiff of lamb, but not the case.  Please share with any and all who may be interested...it would be a great gift for any knitter as well as yourself.

And finally, save for a baked good here and there, I have in fact been finally...FINALLY taking care of myself.  It's all about the green tea and plant products.  The one piece I have yet to address successfully is the stressed-out one...I need to calm down.  I need to take charge.  And as goofy as this may sound, my biggest fear right now is my hair falling out due to stress.  Hey...I don't have a thyroid and it has happened in the past.  To such a degree, in fact, that I finally shaved my head and donated the hair to Locks of Love.  I also donated all money raised from a "Who Wants To Be The Lucky One To Shave Amy's Head?" auction to the American Hearing-Impaired Hockey Association, a charity near and dear to my heart.  Here is the proof, taking the Friday after Election Day, 2004:

I'm getting there, slowly but surely.  For now, I'm headed to HEB, where my husband made me tofu parmesan (proof that he's totally in love, since he eats enough meat for the two of us so my veganism gives balance to the universe), and then I'm heading straight to the yarn store to finish the shop sample.  Watch me go!