what have I gone and done??

I've joined the International Scarf Exchange, that's what I've gone and done! lol. I didn't know if I'd be able to participate so I didn't sign up for it when I first found out about it (which was a few days ago) and then I slept on it..and I decided that now is a better time than any other to be joining all these swaps and exchanges that I've joined because who knows how busy I'll be come next year when I plan to be back in the classroom. So I'm taking advantage of my 'free' time right now. :) For anyone reading this, there are still some spaces left. The number of participants, last I heard, was in the 160s and if you follow the blog, Sharon, has said she's keeping sign-ups open until or until we hit 200. So sign up already if you haven't yet! ;) I don't know yet what pattern I'd like to try but I do know I want to do something different. I just might do something lacey. I think I'm starting to develop a lace addiction!
In the days that I have been away, I have made too, too many knitting-related purchases. See for yourself...
and I even ordered (for the first time ever) patterns that I actually had to pay for! I ordered green gable and wicked from Zephyr Style. I had been thinking about those two patterns off and on and decided to just take the plunge..which just might be a bad thing because now that I'm no longer a paid pattern virgin, who knows what I'll order next! I think I'm done for the time being unless I see something else. Now I just need to purchase some yarn!
I've had the Knitting w/o Tears book in my amazon wish list for a while and since I don't mind used books @ all (as long as they're at least very good!), I ordered it along with EZ's Knitter's Almanac. The push to get the Almanac came from here. I had never seen the February sweater before until I saw a completed version on A Knitter in Queens' blog.
In actual knitting news, I've decided that I want to complete my traveling vines scarf (ya think?) so I'm going to put thermal aside and focus most of my time and energy on completing my traveling vines scarf. Only 12 more pattern repeats before blocking! That isn't too bad, right? I'm going to attempt to get in at least 2 pattern repeats tonight and I have all of tomorrow to work on it as well. :) I also casted on for the lacy diamonds cloth from the mdc group. If you click on the pic on that page to make it bigger, you can see the detail of the cloth. It's freakin' cool. I had to frog a few rows earlier because I had lost a few stitches but I'm back on track and will probably finish it tonight (at least, that's the plan!). I shall be back on here tomorrow. :)

P.S...I just realized that I can change the color of my links. lol. I didn't know I could do that!