Polar Bears, Elephants, Cats and Alpaca (Oh, My!)

Still trying to find the time to square away things on Ravelry...I figured out Flickr, but need to take more pictures of knitting (I never thought I'd feel the need to say THAT!) to upload, yada yada yada.

And thanks to these guys,
I now have to share the computer with the kids on a regular basis. Normally I do not get into the hype of the latest greatest new toy or gadget. For years I have shaken my head in disbelief at friends who have spent precious time and money tracking down the most recent toy fad for their children. No longer can I scorn such actions, for we have officially entered the Webkinz World. I have mixed emotions about WW, ranging from:
1) what on earth were we thinking agreeing to bring such things into our lives so the kids'll tie up the computer doing their thing when there seems to be precious little time to do my thing, and this just as I get into Ravelry and not to mention I have subjects of dubious interest about which to blog!?!! to
2) how do I come up with something that'll hook kids aged 4 and up and require their parents to spend precious time and money tracking down my most recent toy fad?????

The only thing I can fall back on is the fickle nature of children and the hope that in a few weeks they'll tire of all the online fun and I'll get my computer back. Otherwise it'll seem awfully lame to have to go use the computer at the library 'cause mine's been taken over by all that fuzzy cuteness.

In knitting news, the weather has sufficiently cooled to bring out the alpaca shawl and work on it some more. By sufficiently cooled I mean that the inside temps with air conditioning blasting are now low enough that I can stand to work with this really warm yarn and finish this everlasting slogfest that is the shawl to end all shawls.
Yes it really is as boring as it looks, but I like the charcoal color and the softness and the drape and I plan to wear it. If I ever finish it. Those size 6 needles really make it last. Forever. I got the idea for it from a pattern in Greetings from Knit Cafe, combined with the look of a shawl that a friend made. Of course, the smart friend used something like size 11 needles and some beautiful fuzzy mohair so it only took her a couple of months of knitting around an active toddler...

I'm also searching for the "perfect" sock pattern to cast on for pair #2. (Dale, I have taken the proactive step of procuring a second set of dpn's so I can make two socks at a time, instead of facing Second Sock Syndrome---again! I so hated the second sock until it was finished.) It's supposed to be a part of the Top Secret Christmas Knitting Program, but unless I find a pattern soon, it might be part of next year's program. Especially since I now have to leave the computer for WW time! Oh the humanity....