Long Time, No Melissa

Hey y'all. I feel like it has been FOREVER since I last blogged. My life has been less than lovely for the past week and a half or so. Some MAJOR problems at a local school along with the media frenzy it gave birth to have literally made me a recluse. I thought I could go out to Wal*Mart Saturday at an off-peak hour and do a little grocery and button (for MDK bibs) shopping, but alas, I was wrong.
I totally dressed in holey jeans, a thermal shirt with t-shirt over, didn't really do anything with the hair, no makeup, and my cute new Lisa Souza Fat Bunny hat. (I thought the addition of sunglasses would be a little too suspicious). In all honesty, I'm surprised someone didn't scream "I knew you weren't dead Kurt (Cobain)!" in my direction. It was that bad. And yet, people STILL recognized me. I had so many concerned citizens (aka nosey people) stop me that halfway through the trip, I hid in the panty section to just relax for a minute before finishing my trip. It was a toss up between the panty section and the tampon section, but I had decided that either way, if someone dared approach me I was asking their opinion on whatever I was pretending I was shopping for. Although I doubt embarrassment was even something that some of them were capable of. So, I eventually gathered myself together, took a deep breath, braved a few more "well meaning citizens" and went home. And home I stayed, until this morning, because no one at work lives in my district. :)
But, being a hermit is productive to knitting! I got one sock with STR Farmhouse finished. Let me tell you that these pics do NOT do this yarn justice. This stuff is more gorgeous than you can imagine. The colors are just wonderful. This is the slipped stitch rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks.




I also finished a MDK baby bib that my sister in law requested. It's yellow and will have a cute fish button (from the trip from hell to Wal*Mart). I'll spare you the pics...it looks like all the rest!
I also found a new podcast that I really like. Stash and Burn is a podcast about burning through the stash. I really enjoyed the first 3 episodes that I downloaded for this weekend. My son, not so much. When my brother rode with us in the car this weekend, he was tormenting my son (you would swear they were brothers the way they act) and my son finally told him "If you aren't good, mommy will turn that knitting stuff up loud on the radio". So, I'm guessing he's not loving Nicole and Jenny as much as I do, but you should check them out.
Here's hoping that the schools all quiet down this week and I don't have to hibernate for too long. :)
Melissa

Edited to add: I really want to make a very simple vest ya'll. I have it in my mind, but haven't found a pattern (*but I don't have many books) I want ribbed bottom, v neck with ribbing and fitted but not a second skin. If you have suggestions, let me know.