Happy New Year's Eve's Eve!

Hello there! I have not posted in a while because after the sweater finishing - I just had to leave the state and relax. Well, not exactly - but I did leave the state and I did relax. We went to H's parents and ate like crazy and generally had a wonderful time.

The week before we left Susan came to visit me - well she came to visit her brother, but I stole her away for a few days. It was so great to have my friend nearby again!! Hip Hip Hooray for soul-friends! I just wish I could have been a better host by cooking more and I really wish I would have had more than one day to take vacation from work and play.

It was my 1st Christmas away from home (I have missed all other holidays but always made it home for Christmas before) and I thought it might be weird... but my in-laws are so great and all of H's friends were home there wasn't too much time to feel lonely!

H even played me some songs from his beginner piano books from when he was a kid. hee hee hee. It was so cute I could hardly stand it. Here is a picture. I don't have many Christmas pictures - Teresa his sister was taking most of the group shots and I always think - oh it would be silly to take more than one... but then I have to wait for her to send me some photos.


Anyway - it flurried a few days - but no white Christmas was in the cards for us. We ate some Dim Sum in Cincinnati on Christmas day. We also went to Cincinati another day with Eric (one of H's friends) and popped into a vinyl record store called Everybody's records and a comic books shop before stopping to have lunch at an Irish Pub. Over the week's span I also caught two movies - Sweeny Todd and Walk Hard. I loved Sweeny Todd - I was impressed by everyone in it, Walk Hard was a lowbrow comedy and it had its moments, but I suggest renting not going to the theater for that one.

Oh and of course I knitted: I finished the mittens for the "subway mittens" pattern in the last interweave knits magazine... I still have to make the pocket for the metro card, but since I had not brought it with me, I didn't want to guess at its size. And I have to buy a button.

And I finished 1.5 socks. So I have that going for me as well.

Today has been an excellent day - our flight was one time, arrived early, and we got home before lunch. We took a nap, and now I am cooking some veggie lasagna in my slowcooker. Yes you heard that right - lasagna in the slowcooker. I have not tried this before but I have great hopes it will turn out great. The recipe is from "Fresh from the Vegetarian Slowcooker" by Robin Robertson if you are interested you can read more about it on Amazon here.

And I made some "one bowl chocolate cake" from the BHG cookbook. I add a handful or two of chocolate chips to it rather than adding icing. And I use vanilla soy milk instead of regular milk. Oh and I mix it by hand instead of with a mixer. But that is all I change - hahaha.

Well I hope this blog post makes up for the time I have completely ignored this blog over my vacation!

Sweater is finished

My Dearest Susan has been visiting all week - hence the lack of posts. Yesterday we had the whole day to spend together. We ended up hanging around in the afternoon and watching some of the office from Season 2. And - I finished my sweater!!!

Although not really - I want to add to the bottom a little bit more as when I sit down it leaves a gap in the back between my pants and my sweater. In the winter I prefer to be covered all the way So some day I'll have to unbind the bottom and add a little more.

Please ignore how bad my hair looks in this picture.

Half a sleeve, No cards!

I actually (for once) had a lot on my plate this weekend. I had to go to the dentist, mail out Holiday Packages, work on my sweater, and clean (for my coming-soon house guest). I also should have finished writing and mailing my Christmas cards, but I did not. Just one too many things on the to do list. Thank goodness shoveling or scraping my car is not on the list - we only got rain this weekend. One thing that does have me worried it the wind. The planes flying overhead sound really funny like the are struggling against the wind. Not a particularly pleasant sound.

I don't have any other pictures to add right now, but about 5 minutes ago I finished my 1st sleeve of the sweater. So here it is. I like this sweater, but the roll edge bottom is a little too rolly - it can roll up to about 4 inches. I must look into how to stop this and/or unbind it and add some inches because it is really rolling up too much. For some reason the sleeve isn't doing it that badly.

Anyway - I digress. Check out this progress!

A quick Post

Hey Everyone - just a quick post before I go get back to writing out my Christmas and Hanukkah cards (one set being early, the other late).

Anyway - it did indeed snow.
Here are some pictures (taking pictures in the dark is hard and I forgot to bring my camera places during the workday... so I had no choice). I leave when it is barely dark and return after dark... so options are limited.

Anyway - I love love love the way this picture came out - as I caught a snowflake falling and it actually looks like a snowflake, and the flash makes it cast a shadow. All by pure luck of course.

And here is another 'after dark' snow picture - the street lamp helped.

And here, I am sure is what you are waiting for - sweater progress.

A Flurry of Writing

I say flurry because I saw some this morning on the way into work. I saw a co-worker walking in the building at the same time as me and I called out "It's Flurrying! It's snowing! Isn't it beautiful?!?" and she just kinda looked at me like I was crazy.

But you know what? It was beautiful. It didn't stick to the ground, nor did it last more than 5 minutes, but there is something about the way snow looks when it falls that breaks my heart (in a good way). They were huge snowflakes.

And tomorrow we're supposed to get our first winter storm. I am much less excited about that because in VA that usually means some kind of ice or something. We'll see. Hopefully it will be pretty pretty snowflakes.

So this weekend we decorated our apartment. I say decorated in a loose term. We have no room for a Christmas tree or anything... but we did put up lights, garland and ornaments. We got the new LED lights and I have to say I love them. They use something like 1/800th of the electricity the normal lights do, and they stay absolutely cold to the touch - which I still find amazing. After 5 hours on - they feel exactly as they did before I turned them on. Here is what it looks like.

As for what else is new - I haven't really been up to much - been knitting on this sweater (my 1st sweater!!!) and it is taking a while because I am a very slow lace knitter. I am not good with the lace and even this simple pattern makes me rip back every so often. Anyway - I am getting there. I can't remember if I posted what it looks like but you can see pictures of the finished version over here. I am making the neck a little lower as I think I would be driven crazy by a turtleneck that tall.



And Happy Hanukkah to all my friends who celebrate! May it be wonderful and peaceful, and I wish you and yours joy and love!!

What's new!

So usually I don't post this often, but happy news! I got some yarn int he mail today (I'm going to gloss over the part where I left the magazine with the pattern I want to knit at work so I can't start it yet, grr!).

Also I had a bunch of coupons and some things I occasionally go to Giant to buy were on sale so with all the coupons combined with the sales I saved 8 dollars (and I only spent 13). So that is pretty cool. Kristina at Yarnsticks is the inspiration - since I've always bought things on sale and I have used coupons but I never consciously put the two together. From now on I am pretty sure I'll scout the pages for things I want and then seek out coupons. If you want to know more about her strategies, look at this older post.

But mostly I posted today to tell you that last week Harland was interviewed by a finance columnist about some new practices the TSP will be using. Click here for the article. He is quoted near the end and it is only one sentence.

And so that is that. :)

Thanks for Thanksgiving!!

Hi - we got back yesterday from a fantastic Thanksgiving at my parents house. I didn't have the time to put pictures up until now though.

So first up - Best part about thanksgiving is... well, the food!


Then on Saturday my hubby, my dear dad and my Uncle Buddy all went to Monocacy Hill, a great little walk near the house. If you want some more information about it, here is a link to their website. Unfortunately from looking at their website to link it here...I saw that it looks like people are trying to use the area for some timber harvesting, which would be a real shame since it is one of the few areas in the middle of farms and houses that has a bit of woods. Please note: it is currently hunting season and people are allowed to hunt in this area.

Anyway - here are some pictures from our trip:
Along the trail there were all these great Norway Maples that were a festival of bright yellows. Here is my Uncle in the midst of a sunburst on the trail.


Pictures from the top.
As you can tell we had 3 cameras for 4 people... which is kind of funny. I am looking forward to seeing my Dad's and my uncle's pictures. Here is an action shot of a photographer at work while another photographer is hiking up.



Here is the view!!


And here is another action shot - One photographer taking a picture and the only person without a camera (Harland) is looking through binoculars.



but the fun doesn't stop there... At the bottom of the hill there is this mysterious structure from 1925. And the Hill Conservation Assoc. put up a sign so we finally learned what it is!!


I'd tell you, but where is the fun in that?

DC Day

Yesterday was the Walk for the Homeless and luckily the weather wasn't terribly cold, it was in the 40's and although we started out cloudy it cleared up during the day. My place of work had made a sponsor donation so we could walk for free, and so I dragged H. (as well as two of my coworkers) out of bed on a perfectly good Saturday to go walk.







After the walk H. and I went to the Natural History Museum for a little bit to look at the Hope Diamond and other rocks. It was a lot of fun, but soon we got hungry and we went to another part of DC to eat at this hot dog place we had heard of (H. is having a serious craving for Chicago style hotdogs, if anyone out there knows where we can get one in the area, please let me know). Unfortunately it is nothing to write home about and for all the walking we did to get there, it wasn't worth it.

It was a busy Saturday - as when we came back we watched "An Inconvenient Truth", which we may be some of the last people I know to see it. It certainly is worth a watch if you have not already seen it. We borrowed a copy from the library.

And in the evening I made some peanut butter cup banana bread (really we eat is as cake). And so it was all in all a productive day.

Oh and I made a 2nd apple pie for the office Thanksgiving pot luck and it came out good! Yay!

Hope all is well.

Fall Fall Fall

Well, I haven't posted in a little while. It has been a sad week for several of my friends, and I just couldn't think of what to post that didn't seem insignificant or silly or both.

So I encourage all of you to take the time today and tell a loved one you care, and to take a minute of of your day to think about America's Veterans and how they have sacrificed in many ways so that we can all be free.

...And what's more American than apple pie?

We have an interesting twist in this household this weekend -
What is it??
Apple Pie Wontons of course.
These are fairly easy to make. And they are so much lower in fat than apple pie crust. Wow. I hate to say it, but you could eat 18 apple pie wontons per one slice of pie. And they're baked, not fried. They're a Weight Watchers recipe, or else I'd share it with y'all.

Yum. They are tasty.
I'll probably end up making another batch tomorrow.

Anyway, We also went out to enjoy the fall air today - lately it has been raining so a lot of the prettier leaves are now gone... except in our apt. complex where there are bright yellows, oranges, rusty reds, blood reds, and cherry colored reds. It is so pretty, but I don't want to be "that weird person" who is taking pictures in the apt complex, especially after this bad ex-cop in our apt complex.

What a crazy world. Now I'm glad there was no trick-or-treating this year.

Anyway - happier subjects. Here are some pretty fall pictures from our day today. And we also renewed our National Parks Pass (which is now called the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass And so we will be looking forward to all excuses to use it in the next year to make sure we get our money's worth.

Apple Pie and Other Achievements

Okay - so as a few of you know... Before last night I had made 2 apple pies in my life. And both were absolute disasters. I mean, if you could think of anything that would make an apple pie inedible - that was what was wrong with my pies. They were somehow extremely watery (even when I added to one pie a 1/2 cup of flour). And the crusts would burn in one spot and be gooey in another. I mean the worst pies EVER. It was especially terrible because apple pie is my husband's favorite desert. And these pies were made during our courtship. I was worried he wouldn't marry a gal who couldn't make an apple pie that was at least edible. But mine came out embarrassingly bad. So I went on strike. Whenever anyone says "why, that's easy as pie" I secretly got mad! I haven't made an apple pie in over 3 years. And I certainly never made my own crust.

But for whatever reason last night I got a bee in my bonnet to make a pie with apples fresh from my parents orchard (alright, backyard). And since I was too lazy to drive to the store to get crust, I made my own.

And it somehow actually worked! I made a really good apple pie! With homemade crust! And it turned out the correct consistency! Not only can one eat it, One can actually ENJOY it. Hooray, I now have the opportunity to become the perfect wife!


(of course I used the apple pie and the pie crust recipe from my favorite cookbook ever - except I used butter instead of shortening because that is what we had, but I know why those pastry chefs get those doodad that you can cut the butter into the flour, because it took forever with two forks).

Also - got my bloodwork back today and I do not have any dangerous diseases like leukemia or bone marrow diseases or anything. They do not know why my platelets are too high, but they are not high enough to cause problems yet, and my platelets are normally shaped, so I just have to get checked up in a year. Yay!

Also I spent some time this evening watching various clips of human tetris on google. OMG, we need a TV show like this here in the States. It total cracks me up. In case you haven't seen it, I'm enclosing it below.

My 1st Cable

It is very exciting here today - My first cable EVER was taken off the needles today! yay!
I know that no one will be as enthused as I. I don't know why I never tried cables, I guess I thought they would be a pain. But they are not, they are quite fun to do!!

My first cable project was out of Barbara Walker's Learn-to-knit Afghan Book. It is a good book that walks you through various types of knitting and eventually (after 63 squares) you sew them all up and Viola! A new Afghan.

63 squares though. That is a lot of squares. So I decided when I bought the book I'd do a square here and there and then I'd have something cool. I have not been doing enough squares though - three a year... well in 21 years I'll have a blanket. Hmmm. I really need to step up production.

I've decided that I'm just not going to get everyone a knitted present this year. I think maybe I'll just start knitting for next year and give up on this year's projects. I'm overwhelmed. Hopefully I'll at least finish a pair of socks for mom.

But what is all this depressing talk? On to the cable pictures!!
Since I didn't block these (i'm waiting to get all the squares done so I block them all to the same size) I needed a little help from my two favorite vases to hold the square. One of these vases has been shunned by its creator, so I can't tell you who made it. They told me I'd better never admit who created it. I think they are both great though. The other vase was made by Susan.



Oh and here, I took a close up without flash to show the depth of the cables. but it turned out yellow as my pictures do with this camera with low light. So I turned it Black and White. the thing about cables is they look so much cooler in person. Maybe that is why I was never motivated to make cables... it just didn't look so fantastic. But in person - whew. They look awesome.

Happy Pumpkin Carving Day

Well, we had not a single trick or treater. Boo hoo hoo.

But we did get to watch the show Pushing Up Daisies on ABC that I like while carving a pumpkin.

And I mean "we" as really "I". Hahaha. Joint pumpkin caving goes like this.

Me: What kind of eyes should we make?
H: Round
Me: What kind of Nose?
H: Trapezoid
Me: What kind of mouth?
H: He should have Vampire fangs
Me: I really want to make a mustache too.
H: Okay.

hahaha - so enjoy our mustached Vampire, and happy Halloween Everyone! I better go roast some seeds!

Happy Hallo-Weekend!

Well our weekend plans did not pan out according to plan. We were supposed to go visit H's sister this weekend in NJ, but because of the nasty nasty rain we bailed (haha, no pun intended) on her and decided to stay home. We'll have to go another week.

So what do you do when it is cold and rainy outside but don't want to watch any of the movies in your DVD collection?

You make your Hubby bake sugar cookies with you. Hahaha.
He was pretty game (something different than the usual weekend night activities) and we had lots of fun.

The co-chef:

The Rollout:

The Result:


Also I bought some more yarn to start on some Holiday Gifties.

And the Knitpicks podcasts have sucked me in (also the constant internet praise for EZ) and I finally decided to buy a copy of an Elizabeth Zimmerman book. I decided to go with the Knitter's Almanac. I haven't read it through yet but I like her style of writing to you like you were sitting there next to her. I can see why her books are such Classics. I like the December project alot (the Hurry-up Last Minute Sweater) and someday I may make one. Kristina over at Yarnsticks said she would help me through my first sweater in January (the Hourglass Sweater), so I am really excited and can hardly wait. I have been daydreaming about what color to make it. That is the hardest part sometimes. The cotton sweater I started this summer is on hold. I don't like the yarn - it is very hard to work with. But I have not given up on it yet. It's just on hold.

Also in knitting news I made a little gift for Harland's sister. I'll take it with me next time I see her, they are the Armwarmers from Last minute gifts.

Okay Ignore the last post's question!

Hahaha, I got some advice via e-mail, I slept a good nights sleep (for once) and I decided that the mitten was just not working out the way I intended and it would drive me crazy with the two yarns creating different tensions (the blue yarn was so much more stretchy!).

So I decided to make my Mom this instead - I got the download this morning so tonight I cast on! Gansey Socks! They look challenging so I will (for sure) not be bored.

If you click on the link to see what it is, click on "more pictures" and then click on the tab that says "on model". I don't know why they chose a white background behind white yarn, you can't see the stitches at all!

This blog has totally been about knitting. I need to start hiking soon. Maybe in the next few weeks.
Gotta run to work!

Knitting Advice Needed

Help!!

Okay, Dad you can not print this one out for mom, just pretend it never happened.

So the yarn Mom gave me says that it is DK, and I believe it is, but it isn't exactly compatible with the other yarn I bought as a contrast. So I need some knitters help.

Look at this. See the straight line on the left and there should be a straight diagonal on the right but this is the part that looks like I have messed up even though my tension is the same and everyhting - it is just the yarns are so different!!

So the advice I need is...

1. Should I rip out and try again?
2. Should I keep chugging along?
3. Should I just simply start a different project and then later buy yarn in a compatible shade with the blue and make the mittens then, like say maybe for a birthday present or for next year.

I am seriously considering three. I'm a little frustrated with amazing difference between these yarns. I am sure I can think of something else to make with 5 skeins of DK.

But I need advice.
So advise me!

One Down, 300,000 to go

Finished the Stocking's toe last night. I started to duplicate stitch on H's name, but it looked so weird and bulky so I am going to read up a little on sewing techniques before I try again to put his name on it.


So one project down. it seems like I have 300,000 waiting in the wings for me. Christmas and Hanukkah are coming up soon (and really soon for the later!) and I have exactly 0 presents knit. Oh. My. Goodness!! Last year I swore I would start earlier! Where has all the time gone!

So today I cast on for the 1st project, something for my Dear sweet Mom. I'm going to knit her these. See, Dad prints out what I post for her to read, so since I linked that there she will still have no idea what I am making, but all of you will. Muh-haha-ha (evil laugh). I'm going to use a dark blue as the 2nd color.



I haven't knit anything for my mom yet, other than a few dishcloths (that I think are in "museum mode" and she doesn't use them). Last year I was in scarf phase and I didn't get much farther than that for the Holidays, and since she does not like scarves I didn't make her one. And she is pretty set in her likes and dislikes, and so I didn't want to make her anything that she wouldn't like or use.

So I think these will work since they will keep her warm. The mauve yarn she already knows about since it was from an old knitting project of hers from some time ago. She specifically asked me to knit her something with this yarn for her present. Since I have 5 skeins it is going to go a long way, and I have plans for the other skeins (of course once I am finished these and all my other Holiday projects). The needles are also new since I don't work with DK weight yarn often... it's usually worsted or sock yarn for me... aren't they pretty? A Knit picks purchase. I am pretty much in love with them, they are so smooth. I don't have any other wood needles, all my needles are either metal or bamboo. So they have a new feel to them, so that is pretty fun on its own. But the color - so neat and different!

I feel like I don't have enough time to knit!! Probably I'll never run out of things to knit!

In other knitting news, I have started to listen to Knit Picks' Podcasts. I was worried that they would be just and advertisement for their products, but not at all! They are quite fun with interviews and book reviews and it is just nice listening to other people's projects and interests. Kelly also has a nice soothing NPR style voice. I have been listening on the commute and while I have been knitting (which wasn't that much this week, I gotta get into overdrive!).

I never really got into podcasts but this one I love so far (I'm only up to number 14).

If you have a favorite Podcast (knitting or otherwise) share it with me! I will probably be looking for new ones soon. Also maybe I should start listening to books on tape. I have such a long commute and they would also be good for while I am knitting. Recommendations for these would also be welcome!

Well, that was an overly wordy post.

Rounding the bend

Well I will tell you what...
I haven't been sleeping all that well lately...

Which if you know me means I am a complete Grumpy Gus. I can't help it. Everything annoys me when I have more than one bad night's worth of sleep. And now I am working on several. Ugh. This is why (Susan, Tyler, Amy) I haven't called anyone back in days. I'm just no fun right this minute. I have a strategy for sleeping tonight, hopefully it will work.

Anyway - this is a factor in the knitting. I get mad at the knitting easier, faster than normal. In fact when I am not tired I rarely get mad at knitting even when I screw things up royally.

But this weekend I was testy as I made this short row heel. Plus there was one extra YO in the pattern that shouldn't be there (well, I am pretty sure it shouldn't) and so it took a while and three complete frogs of all green heel yarn but I finished the heel tonight. Finally.


Someone asked how big the Stocking is. It is about 6 inches across (as I pictured here for you) and 14 inches length wise right now. A decent sized stocking, although mine when I was a kid was much bigger. On the the other hand this one stretches if you want it too. ;) And it can stretch quite a bit, and I bet if you are not an extremely tight knitter as myself, it would be wider.

So tomorrow begins the beginning of the home stretch. It will probably take me a while, but once I am finished I'll post the totally FO. I imagine a bunch of in progress pictures would be rather boring.

Oh and question for you continental knitters, I'm trying to teach myself how to knit but I keep losing the tension of the yarn when it is in my left hand. This may be due to the fact that my left hand is about as dexterous as my feet (or maybe even less so as I can pick up coins with my toes off the floor, hee hee). But it may be that I am doing something "not quite right".

Any suggestions??

As for me I am off to bed!

What's New Here....

I wish I could say a lot is new here, but I have been busy this week making up the time I took off last week for the Dr. Apt. As for the Dr., if you are following that saga, I still don't know much. They took more blood and I have another apt. in early November. Of course, even with all the tests they are doing this round... there might be more tests in my future. We'll see. Pesky abundance of Platelets!

Anyway, In knitting news... I have to admit I just bought a subscription to Interweave Knits. The 1st issue to arrive will be the winter one, so I am excited about that.

Last weekend I knit some new dishcloths since the ones I made more than a year a go were finally starting to fall apart. Well, that isn't actually a fair statement - Only one was falling apart - which was due to a run in with a knife in the bad part of the sink. Another one I could mend, so it has this cute little orange stitch of repair on it. Perfectionists would probably shudder, but I think it is cute.

Anyway - here is a striped one and another one in the round that I tried to make like a beach ball. I know it is kinda silly - but I have a lot of a little bit of each color yarn so why be plain? It isn't like they will make dish washing any less fun by being funky, right?



It finally actually feels fall-ish out - this week started out crazy with 93 degree weather and ended today with 60 degree weather. You never can tell what it will be like. Maybe I'll knit up some armwarmers for myself from my yarn I bought in the Netherlands.

In other knitting news I have started to knit Harland a stocking. I bought a kit (yarn + full color charts + pattern) from this site I just found online. The yarn smells a little funky (perhaps from the dye) but I love love the pattern so far.

Here is me swifting my red yarn into a ball with the swift my Dear Daddy made (thanks again Dad!).


And here is what I have so far. I'm not terribly far in, but it has been a very busy last two weeks and with the pattern reading and the color changing... I have to pay attention. This doesn't go on the bus commuting with me... this is strict knitting only time knitting.

In the white stripe will go Harland's name once I am done. I wish he had a shorter name.


Here is the website if you are interested in making your own stocking for someone, they have a few patterns with animals and houses and snowmen!
Click here for Annie's Woolens
I'm making the Holly one. They also just have the pattern if you are interested in using your own yarn. I do love the colors of the yarn, they are Christmas-sy without the bright, neonesque Christmas colors you often see in the stores. Anyway the turn around from order to my mailbox was really quick and so far all I have are happy good things to say about all aspects of this order.

29, 3, Leif

Okay so I don't want to spend a lot of time posting - because it is a very celebration filled day for us here.

1. It is My dear Hubby's 29th Birthday!!! Wish him a happy birthday if you get the chance! It must be so nice to still be in one's 20's, that youngster!!

2. It is our third wedding anniversary - I can't believe it! While on one hand it feels like I have known this fantastic man my whole life, on the other hand a 3rd wedding anniversary sounds like a long time!! Although I really think it should be our 4.5th wedding anniversary (not that I even knew him 4.5 years ago) because I think the 1.5 years we spent apart when he was Over In Korea should count double. :)

3. It is officially Leif Erikson Day (click here for the official memo).

Okay, that last one might not be so exciting, but I thought it was a fun fact. I sure wish I'd get Leif Erikson day off, then I'd get to spend the whole day with my wonderful Hubster.

Knitting...

Okay so for a while I haven't posted any knitting on here... because when I got back from the Netherlands I've been feeling under the weather. I am really tired these days.

Anyway - Here is what I have been knitting lately - all of it is for the afghans for Afghans charity. First I made the blue mittens. Then the green mittens.


What is super cool about the green pair is that I taught myself how to fair isle knit. Well taught myself from my newest favorite handy-dandy book The knitting Answer Book.

I was trying use up all the yarns that were 100% wool that were 3/4 of a skein or half of a skein that I had leftover from other projects. I have done a pretty good job, there isn't much left at all.

Once I did the striped hat I decided to try my hand at designing some fair isle and I think it came out pretty good.

Fair Isle was really intimidating visually to me, but it turns out it is easier than lace!! Whee! I'd like to Fair Isle everything!! I think I may try to fair isle some wristwarmers with the few scraps I had left. Although I'll have to get some kind of main color yarn I think.

The only problem I have is I kinda stink at weaving in ends. Does anyone have a better trick for this to make it look prettier?