It’s probably a given that in a week that contained a Wollmeise-fest and Sock Club notices would be a rather tough week for all. An “It bugs me” post seemed appropriate today, given the mood of things around here, and we haven’t done one in awhile. (Gracie’s list of what bugs her? When people interrupt a nap to take her photo.)

So here are the things that are bugging me today:

1. Sock club limitations. I hate telling people no. (I have referred to that before - remember the Spring Fling?) I think we have figured out a way to take double our numbers for next years club, so I hope those of you who didn’t get in this year will come back. We really want to make spots for you.

2. My ipod. Well, not the ipod, specifically, but I am tired of the songs on there and want new ones. I know you all gave me bunches of great music suggestions awhile back, but it’s just a matter of downloading all of that new music. Which I haven’t done yet. So I keep listening to the same ‘ol, same ‘ol. FPS.

3. Website slowness during a particularly busy Sneak Up. But the good news is that we have found a great new (very large) server and will be upgrading to that sometime next week. You shouldn’t notice any slowness during Sneak Ups any more, no matter how many of you are shopping at once. (Ahem - at least that’s the plan.) No Sneak Up next week so that we can switch over and get things running. The next one will be sometime the week of the 28th.

4. Haircuts. And highlights. I haven’t had time to get my haircut or have highlights done lately. Consequently, today is a very bad hair day. I’m glad you can’t see me. I wish I looked just fine with long, straight, one-color hair. But I kinda think I look like a dog that way. (One of those afghan hounds, you know?)

5. Dust. Why is it so relentless about wanting to cover all of the surfaces in my house all the time? What’s up with that?

6. Sugar and vegetables. Why is it that vegetables are “good” for you and sugar is “bad” for you? Why can’t it work so that everyone must have 3 servings of dessert a day, and vegetables are only allowed on occasion? Someone messed that up.

7. Political ads and commercials. It has barely started and I’m already tired of listening to them and seeing them. And it’s only gonna get worse. I wonder if any of the candidates knit? (Somehow I think not. But it’d be good for a few of them…..)

8. 24 hour days. I’d really prefer 36 hour days. Just sayin’.

I have more, but I’ll stop there for today. So to end on a positive note, it’s time for Q4 voting! Please head over to the Q4 Photo Gallery and then email me (sheriATtheloopyeweDOTcom) your vote for favorite project from last quarter. We will award Loopy Gift Certificates to one person randomly selected and one person who wins the “blog readers favorite” award. I’ll announce the winner next Friday!

(And I’d love to hear what bugs you today - but I already know about the not enough Wollmeise and not enough Sock Club spots ……..)

Sheri oneofourindiedyersisvisitingLoopytoday-I’llputherpictureonMonday’sblog!

Time for another “It bugs me” post. Why? Because things bug me today.

1. The post office. Still (STILL) waiting on our order of boxes. No boxes, no Sneak Up. Keeping my fingers crossed for today. Zoe is keeping a watch out the window for Terry, the postman.

2. Chicken Lo Mein from P.F. Changs. Actually, the dish doesn’t bug me - it’s very good, but the lunch-sized version has 1650 calories and I didn’t find that out until after I had had lunch there with a friend last week. FPS. (For Pete’s Sake.) I did not need to know that.

3. The post office. Still (STILL) waiting on one more case of Wollmeise. No case, no Wollmeise going up this week. Keeping my fingers crossed for today.

4. Knitting time yesterday. I got so little done. (It might’ve had something to do with the fact that I fell asleep on the couch for a “20 minute nap” and woke up 2 hours later.)

5. The post office. Still (STILL) going to the branch offices all over St. Louis (thank goodness we have so many) begging boxes to tide us over. I may end up visiting them all.

6. Frogging. After spending the time I did have on knitting yesterday, I decided that I didn’t like the pattern and frogged it back down to the toe. Bummer.

On a brighter note:

1. If we get boxes, we do have fun yarns going up this week: Fiesta Baby Boomerang, Yarn Nerd, Zen String Bambewe, Perchance to Knit, and Cider Moon Glacier. Plus more patterns from Wendy and Cookie A. (And did you see that we completely re-stocked the ShibuiKnits over the weekend? Also, patterns from Knitting Pure & Simple, Heartstrings, Heartland Knits, Wildhorse Farm Designs and MimKnits were re-stocked.)

2. If we do get the last case of Wollmeise, that will go up as well. If not, we’ll add it in next week. Remember - we will keep getting Wollmeise, so we’ll keep having it available. Don’t stress over it. Did I mention that we’d have Wollmeise lace coming in this fall, too? (Added: Postman Terry just came. Wollmeise arrived. Shipping boxes did not. No Sneak Up tonight. FPS.)

3. I did get a good nap yesterday!

4. I really like the pattern that I chose to start over with on the sock-in-progress. I pulled the basic idea out of a stitch dictionary & tweaked it. When I get the socks done, I’ll put the pattern up on the Free Patterns section.

5. We have some more free patterns going up on the website within the next few days - Baby Monkey socks (Cookie said “Of course!”), a beautiful pattern with Wollmeise from Loopy friend and pattern designer Monica Jines, and a very cool pattern called Firestarter from Yarnissima.

6. We have been working on our indie-dyer interviews all summer long and have started putting those up on the website. If you do the Search by Vendor, you will find interviews and photos for: Chewy Spaghetti, Cider Moon, Holly Spring Homespun, Seacoast, Sknitches, Yarn Love, Yarn Pirate, Yarntini. (Just click the link that says “Find out more about…” when their page comes up.) We have the others in the works and will keep adding them.

7. I finally got some of my knitted projects photo-ed for my Ravelry page. (Unfortunately, it also points out how many single socks I have.)

8. We have some exciting plans for The Loopy Ewe this fall - I’ll keep you posted as things progress!

9. There are a whole lotta “10 Yarn Collectors” out there who share my hobby interest obsession outlook on yarn. I like that.

10. College Guy and a friend or two are coming home this coming weekend for a visit - the brightest news of all, for this mom!

Sheri any”bugs”or”brights”youwanttoshare?

Dragonflies. I don’t get them. They are buzzy and crackly and flitty and if one ever flies in my face I will scream. This guy was outside on one of our shrubs and he was huge. I know that people have dragonfly jewelry, and sew with dragonfly fabrics, and have dragonfly logos. What is the draw? Fill me in.

Other things that bug me today:

1. Bill paying. I hate bill paying day and I waste so much time doing everything BUT the bills on days like today. There really is no reason not to like it. I just get tired of all of the stuff - envelopes, stamps, stubs, return address labels, checks, etc. (Yes, I do pay some online, too.)

2. Heat. We are under a heat advisory for the entire cotton-pickin’ week. That means the heat index is supposed to go over 100 degrees every day this week. Great.

3. Yarn in boxes. Funny to have yarn on this list, but it does bug me when gorgeous stuff comes in and it has to sit in a box for a week or two, waiting its turn to be photo-ed and put up. Today? Big boxes of Fleece Artist Cashmere, Sea Silk, and Mini Maiden arrived. It’s gorgeous. And more of that wonderful BFL yarn from Gypsy Knits! But it all has to wait its turn to go up. Hopefully next week.

4. Calories. I was so dismayed to find out that my Grande Peppermint Mocha has 300 calories. 300 calories, for pete’s sake!! It has severely cut into my PM intake. (And I think that makes me cranky. But I digress.)

5. Computers. I had written this whole blog entry and clicked to add the dragonfly photo. Instead, the entire entry disappeared. I had to write it over. I was not happy.

But on the brighter side:

1. The bills are done and paid for the month.

2. The air-conditioning is working full blast and keeping things very comfortable in the house.

3. At least I get to play with all the new yarn for a bit. It flies out of here once it goes up on the website.

4. I may need a PM today anyway. The heck with the calories.

5. The blog entry is done again. This time I will save it before adding the photo. (Not that it was my fault before….)

So - anything buggin’ you today? Or can you clue me in about what there is to like about dragonflies?

Sheri mymum-in-lawworkedonassemblingsockclubgoodiestodayforournextshipmentyeehaa!