Busy, busy, busy ...

I've been busy ... busy at work, busy at home. Lots of stuff to do recently, but its coming down to the end here and most of what I needed to get done, got done, so all is well!

I decided to jump on the bandwagon and make a pair of Fetching mitts. After finishing the left hand for myself, I found that these were such a quick knit that I would make a pair for my MIL for xmas. I am almost done the second one for her, so they will indeed be done for xmas. Then I can cast on and finish the second one for myself! I think I will end out ripping out the bind off on mine and redoing it. I didn't realize that the picot bind off was so loose, and I intentionally bound off loosely on top of that considering I usually bind off too tight. When I did the ones for MIL I bound off at a normal tension and it came out good, the one I first did as a test and for myself is too loose.

I ordered some more stuff from Knit Picks recently. I heard that they were discontinuing the kettle dyed, I am wondering if it is because their kettle dyed really doesn't look kettle dyed, looks more like a solid color. Not that I need anymore stash ... but it was on SALE!

I got this one a while back and a Jo Jo Land pattern to make a scarf.



These are recent additions while I was at the local yarn store.

I wanted to try Melody on socks.


This mohair was in the clearance, make room bin at my LYS and it was purple, so who could pass that up, LOL!! I was thinking of making a scarf since there are only 3 skeins. I haven't used mohair in the past so its something new to me.

Some self patterning sock yarn, just because, plus it had purple in it, LOL!

I finished my Christmas shopping yesterday, which is horrible for me. Usually I am done it all in November or very early December. Don't think I'll be doing that again, I didn't like it at all! Will plan better next year. Although this year in mid-November the transmission in my truck went and I had to replace that at $2,300 and the kittens were fixed and had final shots at $468 ... so I was in no mood to spend money by mid-December, LOL!!! I also gave notice at my parttime job so that next year I can actually enjoy the house that I've been literally *working* so hard for, for the past two years. I actually think I got people better gifts this year because I had to think long and hard about what I was going to get them with the limited funds that I had.

Because of these recent financial things that have come up and I quit my parttime job, I am really going to try hard to knit only from stash in 2010. I really have plenty of yarn to keep my busy the entire year and won't have exra income to spend on yarn, especially if its going to be like past purchases that sit in my stash for a year or two, really no reason for me to purchase any more.

I started listening to A Christmas Carol on my MP3 player narrated by Tim Curry and its quite enjoyable. I am half way through the second book in the Sword of Truth series and will continue with that once this one is done.

Christmas time is here ....

Well, not really, but I figured if I wanted to make xmas cards this year I better get a move on. So after pulling a bunch of stuff (and I have quite a bit of stuff) up from the basement to look through. I made a mess out of my craft room, but came up with this:



Photo is horrible, but its not easy to take a photo of paper and my scanner is not hooked up right now. I only have one more blue card so I'll have to go get more of those, but I think I can get away with not having to purchase any other supplies to make several of these. I typically only send hand made cards to those I know will appreciate them, everyone else gets a store bought one.

I got my last shipment from the Socks that Rock 2009 club :o( I'm not sad with what I've got, I'm sad its the last one. However, I have yet to knit any from this year. So if I cannot afford to sign up for next year I have 6 skeins waiting anyway, LOL!

I also have 4 from the Lord of the Rings sock club that I didn't knit yet. So plenty to work on in 2010.

I recently finished Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind. I listened to the audio version. I downloaded the next in the series because the first was very enjoyable. I think before that one I am going to listen to Neil Gaiman's Stardust. I really enjoyed Neverwhere and loved the movie Coraline and listened to Coraline after seeing the movie. I also like that he narrates his own work and has a wonderful speaking voice.

I finished the heel on my second Leyburn sock, in yarn that I dyed myself. Hope to finish that one up this week and have a pair! I also cast on self striping yarn in Toe up Socks with a Difference and have one sock almost completed.

Here are the two beasties being cute ... they are brother and sister actually from different litters (I got them from a woman I work with and their mom has since been spayed, yay!).

Fresh Air

Its about 60 out today, warm for November in New England. I have the window open in my freshly cleaned craft room to let in some fresh air.

I spent the morning cleaning up this room ... crafts, boxes and all kinds of stuff all over the place from the last week. I also spent some time winding mangled skeins into cakes from the little devil that runs about the house with any yarn she can find and tries to destroy it.

I finished up the socks for a co-worker last night. Am glad to have that off my to do list. He wanted some winter socks, so I used worsted weight yarn and made up the pattern myself. I wanted something with ribbing so they would fit well.



Now I have Diane's gloves to finish up for Christmas and Derek's scarf. I would also like to finish up a pair of socks for me and cast on some plain vanilla in a self striping yarn to replace the ones the little one tore a hole in recently. There's a great pattern on Knit Picks for a lump of coal ... I am going to make one for the little beasty since she is so naughty!

FO: Art's Socks

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool
Needles: Addi Size 5 40"
Made up the pattern myself.

Cast on May 2009
Cast off 11/20/09

Stop the Insanity

I just came across some yarn I remember purchasing ... but can't remember what for. A lady I work with and I often go in together on Knit Picks orders to get free shipping - why I don't know we often each spend the $50 required for free shipping anyway, but no matter, its fun to do together. So I found three skeins of purple sock yarn for what?!?!

I almost purchased some yarn on my wish list at The Loopey Ewe the other day - "before its sold out" - then realized I had already purchased it a few months ago and its in the closet. Crazy!!

Here are some photos of the little sock and yarn stealer, she's on the right ...



Clearly she can do whatever she wants in this house no matter who is concerned ...

Lessons Learned ...

Don't continue to leave knit socks out in the laundry basket when a kitten keeps stealing them and running around the house, eventually she'll get over rambunctious and chew a hole through the heel!!

She's also capable of taking an entire skein of yarn apart under the bed ...

She's lucky she's so sweet and cute ...

Don't leave cardboard or wood needles in the basement on the floor for a year without moving anything around ... wood will grow mildew ... bye bye needles. These were ones I never really used anyway and less expensive brands - obviously I put my favs upstairs in my craft room when we moved here. I consider those to be more important than major appliances, LOL!

If you do a little bit of cleaning every day you can have people over whenever without fearing they think you a messy packrat ... I've always known this, just didn't start practicing it until recently.

The Knit is Up 2009

Can you believe its already mid-November?? I've got some things that have been hanging around as WIPs for quite some time now and I am determined to get them finished by the end of the year ... or at least the end of Winter, that'll give me a few more months.

1. Gloves for Diane - these were supposed to be a Christmas present oh last year. I just found a post on my previous blog that I finished the first one 11/11/08. I found another post from August 08 where it was half done. Still not sure when I actually originally cast on.

2. Scarf for Derek - this was another one that was supposed to be a Christmas present, I hope last year and no the year before, LOL!

3. Christmas stocking ... would be nice to have it for some Christmas this decade!

That's all I am gonna hold myself to at this point. I have so many thing half done, but I've made lists before and think they are too big, so I never complete them.

I found a post from January 09 that included this:

Things I learned in 2008
Fair Isle
2 socks at the same time
Continental Knitting (this could have been ’07)
Seaming and Finishing

Techniques I want to learn in 2009
Slip Stitch
Knitting with Beads
Lace Shawl

Projects to Finish
Hooded Scarf
Faux Dr. Who Scarf
Afghan
Tank Top
Mitered Mittens
Christmas Stocking

Well ... the only thing I finishsed this year was the tank top. I guess I can move the techniques to 2010, LOL!! Never did do any of those.