Like a kid in a candy store!

Earnings on first day of training at the yarn shop: $20
Yarn purchases made the first day: $40
Joy of being paid to be surrounded by yarn and people who love it? Priceless

Yesterday was my first day at All About Yarn. It was just a couple of hours to start learning the inventory and the computer system and so on. It was a blast and I did not want to leave! I'll be back again this afternoon and on Friday for a few hours, then do my first full day on Saturday from 10-5. If you're in the Tigard, Oregon area on Saturday, stop in and say hi! I'll also be there Mondays from 5-8 and in January I'll be teaching crochet classes on Mondays from 3-5.

It bears repeating. . . !

In other news, there has been knitting progress here. I finished these socks for another Christmas present.

Yarn: Caryn's Creations sock yarn (75% wool, 25% nylon) in WSU Cougar stripes
Needles: US1 (2.25mm) KnitPicks Harmony DPNs (love these!)
Pattern: My standard 72-stitch top-down pattern with a 3x1 rib and slip-stitch heel

These are men's size US 8.5 (I hope) and the toes in the picture are folded under because the "feet" aren't big enough. :) They go with the other pair I made before in the fair isle pattern from the same yarn, except that Caryn made this version a bit darker to more closely match the Cougar colors.

The interesting thing with this pair was that the length of the colors changed as the skein went along. The sock on the right in the picture was the first one I made and you can see how wide the stripes are at the top. They then get progressively thinner, until the toe in the second sock (you can't see it in the picture, but trust me) is almost variegated instead of striped. Interesting. Fortunately, I'm not anal about having them be matchy-matchy. If it happens, cool, but if not, that's okay.

Oh, and Bobbie wanted to see my den that's turned into a fiber room, so here goes. (Take a deep breath and try not to judge the before pictures, okay?)

My den, before the organizers came in:





Scary, right? The dressers are part of my parents' bedroom set. They had that set my entire life. I don't know what the wood is, but it has a beautiful grain. They are now in my guest room, along with the bed frame that looks like a big wagon wheel, where they can be appreciated and actually used.

The reclamation of the den had this result -- a fiber room!





Better, right?? There's a little bit of clutter because I'm knee-deep in knitting projects for Christmas and there are still a few things that need to find their permanent "home," but isn't it grand?? I love the room now and like spending time in there. And this is just one room. The whole house is almost done and it's like I have a new home.

Thanks Diane and Amy!