Happiness is a Habit

So tonight I'm up in Woodland Washington to attend a women's retreat tomorrow called Happiness Is A Habit, put on by Pam Young who was one of the SHE sisters (Sidetracked Home Executives), the person I referred to in my very first blogpost as inspiring me to write, and is FlyLady's mentor.  I have wanted to meet Pam in person and here is my opportunity!

So, tonight I cast on a new knitting project, took a bubble bath, and got started on a new book. Luckily it's hard cover and stays open with fewer contortions than a paperback does when one's hands are busy with knitting. Also lit a couple of candles which is always nice for making an environment one's own.  :)

I am in the habit of bringing a new knitting project to start while travelling. This time I chose a shawl pattern called Floral Mesh Shawl, out of the book One Skein Wonders. I had ordered a skein of baby alpaca lace weight yarn in a teal color called Tide Pool Heather and a set of Harmony Wood needles in size 2 (yikes, they're small!) from Knit Picks. This is the first shawl I'm knitting, and the first time I'm using lace weight yarn.  Here's a picture of what the yarn looks like:

The Tide Pool color is the one right in the center. No, I didn't buy all these, I nicked the photo from Knit Picks website. Luckily I have a ball winder since the yarn comes in hanks and could wind it into a center pull ball earlier.

Here's how far I've gotten on the actual knitting:

This doesn't just look tiny, it really is. The piece so far measures right at 3 inches long.  :)

The book I'm reading is called The Hard Questions for an Authentic Life. Haven't actually gotten to any of the hard questions just yet, but the beginning is quite compelling so far. Such a dilemma... should I knit, read, or write...