The rollercoaster seems to be on its way back up the tracks, as I have been surprisingly busy here today. Some new project stuff, some old stuff I am cleaning up for people who are away, etc. Glad to have work and hours to bill. And glad to definitely be getting my Summer Friday tomorrow!

To take advantage of the free day, I am going to get in another dress shop, this one out on Long Island. They are one particular designer only, and they are having a trunk show from today until Sunday. Part of the deal is 10% off if you buy during the show, and while Mom said not to stress about that, I am never one to ignore the possibility of saving some money. I have seen a few dresses from them that I really like online, so the trunk show was serendipitous timing.

I'd say more about the dress but I am trying to figure out how much I can say without tipping the boy off too much. I would like the dress to be a surprise, and really about all I plan on telling him is that it's white, long, and pretty. I really want him to have the full impact of seeing me all dressed and fabulous as I make my way down the aisle, so he gets that "WOW" feeling as fully as possible. I feel like letting him see the dress beforehand would definitely minimize that impact. Maybe it's kinda goofy, but that's my plan. There are plenty of other areas in which I am eager to break tradition, but this isn't one of them!

Went to Yarn Connection at lunchtime yesterday to scout out yarns for the bridesmaid tanks. Picked up a ball of Rowan Lurex Shimmer in Pewter and a ball of Berroco Cotton Twist in the only color they had available - baby blue. I just wanted to be able to knit some swatches with each and see how I like working with the yarn, etc. So far I have made a swatch with the Lurex Shimmer and I love the way it looks. But I am not sure I have the patience to make four tanks with such fine yarn. Also, I am concerned that it might be itchy. The Cotton Twist feels very soft and nice but I haven't gotten to swatching with that yet. It's a heavier weight (4.75 stitches per inch vs 7 for the Lurex Shimmer) so would probably require less patience. It also comes in some very pretty colors.

Something tells me I will be playing with a lot of different yarns over the next few weeks, until I settle on something to make these tanks out of. I want to start on them as early as I can, though I have one bridesmaid who we're hoping will be pregnant by then, so I will put hers off to last and cross my fingers.
I'm also having some major color issues. Most of the girls will wear just about anything and be fine and not complain, and will look good. But my maid of honor (who I love as a sister, but who is very high-maintenance and doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut) feels that she only looks good in a few colors (black, red, olive) and none of them are what I am going for. So, I am pretty much resigning myself that she's going to have something to say about whatever I pick out, and that really irks me. The thing is, she has the same complexion as two of the other girls, and they are fine with any color, so it's more of a mental issue than a physical one. Argh. She already told me she didn't like sage green when I was thinking of it, so now I am not saying anything until I pick something for real - at least then she can only complain about one color, not a range of them. I'm leaning towards the purpley-orchidy colors right now. The Cotton Twist "Sea Anemone" color looks close to what I am thinking of at the moment, but don't hold me to anything!

In between all this stuff I have been working away on the Paper Phil tank. This stuff just knits so quickly! I am halfway through the front side armholes and will probably finish either tonight or tomorrow morning on the train. At this rate, I will be wearing this tank by the middle of next week. No complaints there - it's nice to have a quickie project once in a while!