Don't be a square!

Spent some time concentrating on some of those projects that were OTN at the end of the year and finished up 2 of them (21 projects left OTN).

First up is the slippers I made for Paul. He finally wore out the last pair I made him - they lasted 5 years! Hopefully these will have that long a life. It always cracks me up to see these before they are felted. Will get a comparison photo in a few days when they have been magically transformed to fit his feet.






The second project I finished is one of those 3 pair of socks that were left over from my 2010 goal. I really like the way this yarn knits up (Regia Hand-dye Effect). Have several more skeins left in the stash that will hopefully become socks this year.



Next I pulled out the bag of yarn and finished squares for the 2010 Block A Month Afghan (sad that I haven't finished that one and started the 2011 one already). I finished a couple of squares this weekend and took photos of all the ones I've completed so far. I am making a fairly large afghan so chose to make both 12" squares for each month and 2 of the 6" squares. I still have 25 (yikes!) patterns to make.

































As mentioned above, I started the 2011 Block A Month Afghan even though I'm not finished with the 2010 one yet. I'm hoping not to get behind like I did last year. Again this year, I am making both of the 12" blocks for each month and 2 of the 6" blocks. (22 projects OTN)









Met my friend Amanda Friday night for dinner and knitting time. While we were out, I showed her another crochet block afghan that I wanted to make. It's the Chain Reaction afghan that has been featured in the past several Interweave Crochet issues. We have decided to make it together. I bought my yarn and started the first square. (23 projects OTN)

Somehow my WIP list always seems to be stuck at 23!

Hello ...

is anyone still checking this blog to see if there are updates? I know it's been forever and an age, but hopefully I'll get back in the habit of updating.

I've finished quite a few things since I last updated, so this post will be chock full of photos. Got on a sock kick for several months and have a whole new wardrobe of socks, plus a bunch more still on the needles. As bad as that sounds, I've actually gotten much better at finishing projects I start before starting new ones. Not that I don't still start the occasional new project on a whim. And not that I've gotten any better whatsoever at finishing up all those WIPs I've had sitting around forever. Hoping to rectify that with my newfound project (sort of) monogamy.

A co-worker is expecting her first baby, so I couldn't resist making this adorable personalized blanket. It worked up in no time at all. I've always been able to crochet much faster than I knit. Isn't it adorable?

Five pair of socks finished since I last posted. Not sure what's with the sock craze, but I'm putting quite a dent in my sock yarn stash.

Knit up a Modern Lace Henley in record time too. More stash yarn used up to make this. It's knit up in Silky Wool and is super comfy. Perfect for spring and fall.

And now on to some newly started projects. Saw a book in my LYS and fell instantly in love with nearly every project in it. The Enchanted Sole is filled with wonderfully beautiful and fanciful socks. The first pair I cast on is a gorgeous stranded colorwork concoction called Tree of Life. I am using yarn purchased from a local dyer/spinner (Laughing Rat - look her up on Etsy). The darker blue/purple yarn is 100% merino, and the lighter pink/orange is a merino/bamboo blend. The resulting sock is quite decadent and I am absolutely thrilled with it.

In keeping with the sock yarn knit off I seem to be conducting, I started a skirt made from Noro Silk Garden Sock. It is made up of ever increasing in size panels to create a pretty A-line skirt. I've finished one panel and have another almost complete.

Another new book purchased is Crochet So Fine. It is full of simply scrumptious projects all crocheted with fine yarn (mostly laceweight, but a few fingering/sport). I have a bunch of the projects queued up and couldn't resist pulling out some Mountain Colors Winter Lace yarn I've had for some time to start a lacy tank. More photos of this in the near future as I am quite smitten with the pattern at the moment.



Another project started since I last blogged (I think so anyway because I didn't see it in the last few posts and I'm too lazy to look further back) is the Zick Zack Tunic. Another lightweight sweater made with lace yarn. I'm using up more stash yarn on this project. The back is finished and I'm about 1/2 done with the front.



I am trying to keep my focus on 2 projects at a time to keep to finishing more than I start .... wish me luck!

Quick post before Olympics start!

Finished the Team USA Hat. Too big for me, and I decided I want the one Julia Mancuso was wearing instead of this one, so I'll be making that one next. Yes, I am hopeless, scouring the Olympics for new knitwear!



Horrible photo of the first 1/2 February dishcloth. Uggg I guess I need to learn to use this camera better. None of my pictures turns out well.



Ok, fun time. What do you do when your ass won't fit into your jeans anymore? Besides go on a shopping trip to buy more? You find some horrible fabric in your stash that makes you go "why the hell did I buy that?" and make yourself an apron, that's what? Ok, it's weird but I love it. Now I want a whole bunch of aprons. A different one for every day of the month, just like the collection of mittens and gloves I have.



Lest you think I completely gave up on Ravelympics and Team WIP, I now give you progress!

I finished the Gladiolus vest and even wore it to work on Tuesday. Love this so much. Told everyone at work that I spent 4 days in my jammies making a hippie vest LOL.






Finished the Bustier Top too, and wore that to work yesterday. This fits nice, but the yarn is shedding. Hoping that that will stop once it's washed again.



Finished the Rose Wrap Shell too, but this looks so much better on the dress form than it does on a real body. I do believe it's destined for the trashcan. It's so horrible I won't even take a photo of it on ... ewwwwwwww.




Not bad, 3 finished WIPs and 1 finished new project since the Olympics started. And, now I will confess that I bought materials for a new crochet project and started a new knit one. Sigh, I am hopeless!

Win some, Lose some

I finished the baby blanket!! Yay!! I love how it turned out (even if at the end it did feel as though it was sucking all the life out of me). Paul had an appointment yesterday with Chelsea to get his hair cut, and I have an appointment to get mine done tomorrow. Good thing I finished this blanket up. Chelsea told Paul that they are inducing her on Friday. Wow, talk about getting something done just in the nick of time.



My friend Amanda and I are both creating our own Sock of the Month clubs. Our stash's are chock full of sock yarn, and we have tons of patterns. We will be putting yarn and patterns into bags and picking one out the first of each month. Hopefully I'll have 12 pair of new hand knit socks come year end instead of 12 more WIPs taking up space LOL.

I know it's not quite February yet, but I went ahead and started my February sock anyway. It would have made too much sense to continue working on the January cast on sock until January was over you know. The Olympics are gearing up to start too, and with that comes Ravelympics. I've joined a team that will work exclusively on WIPs so my only event will be WIP Dancing. I am hoping to finish the Ravenna Satchel and Mary Tudor Cardigan during the games.

Of course, this means that at the end of February, I will have two pair of socks on the needles and neither pair finished! Looks like March might be sock month for me.



Also finished up a face cloth about a week ago. I used Knit Picks' CotLin yarn. Rather like it and plan to buy more to make towels for the bathroom with.



As for the "lose some" portion of this post title .....

Remember the Orchid top I was crocheting that was so close to being finished? Well, I bought the buttons for it finally this weekend and finished the edging on it. Tried it on before finishing the sleeves ..... and the bottom looked awful! Too much flare in the back. It looked like a giant ruffle on a giant butt! Uggggg to the frog pond it went. I had to frog it back to the beginning of the flared portion. Four skeins of yarn! Half of the sweater! I was hoping to have that sweater done this weekend, but looks like it might not be done before the Olympics start :-(

Today was cooking day. Last weekend, Paul bought me the Julia Childs Cookbook set. Couldn't wait to make Boeuf Bourguignon. I cannot possibly describe just how wonderful my house has smelled all day. This very well might be the best thing I've ever eaten in my entire life. And, I can't believe I made it myself (well, with Paul's help!)



Doppler sure wanted some!



And, what better desert to top off Boeuf Bourguignon than Creme Brulee?



Yum!

Losing All Will To Live

I checked out the projects page for the blanket I am making Chelsea (my hair stylist) and found a woman who posted in her notes that if she had actually knitted the borders on all the blocks she would lose all will to live. She chose to do a crocheted border around her blocks and it really looked cute. I wish I had read those notes before I started my blanket. It is such a chore now to work on those borders. I should finish the last one tonight thank goodness!

I've started the seaming since I was about to pull my hair out working on those last few border rows. Hoping to have all the strips made by tomorrow night and the strips sewn together by Thursday night. That will give me all weekend to put the final border on the blanket and hopefully put a big dent in the weaving in of ends. I am cutting it close to the deadline on this one. Chelsea is due in February.



I did a bit of work on the Apres Surf Hoodie during my blankie breaks. Can't wait to get to work on this one full time. The yarn is a dream to work with and is so soft and drapey. It is going to make a great sweater.



Also, started a new project this past weekend. This is a scarf for Paul made with Buckingham (Alpaca/Silk blend) and Ecco Cashmere. So soft and dreamy! There is a cashmere scarf for me on the horizon too!



I've signed up for Ravelympics and joined a WIP team (go figure!). Hoping to finish up the Ravenna Satchel and Mary Tudor Cardigan during the games. It will be nice to have a couple of the long standing WIPs finished up and no longer staring so accusingly at me from their knitting bags!

Lots of Progress

No photos of the baby blanket because they would just be more of what I posted last week, but I have made a lot of progress and should have all of the blocks (including the borders) done next weekend.

I'm really liking the Bacchus socks and can't wait til the baby blanket is done so I can devote more time to them. Should be turning the heel of the first one next weekend if all goes as planned.



I'm hoping the bobbles on the foot aren't uncomfortable inside shoes.



The Orchid Top should be complete pretty soon too. A few more rows on the body, a bit of lengthening of the sleeves, and the border is all that is left.



Even though I have quite a few projects in progress, I decided to start a new one this weekend. This is the beginnings of the Apres Surf Hoodie from Interweave Knits Summer 2008. I am using lavender Lyndon Hill cotton/silk that has been in my stash for over a year. Really like working on this so far.



Another new project started is a block a month afghan crochet along I joined on Ravelry. Below is the 12" square for January. I'll be using this as a destash project to use up a bunch of Patons Classic Wool I have.



I've finished four of the blocks for the Yarn Forward Mystery Blanket I started last summer. Haven't done much work on it lately, but maybe that project will come out of hibernation once the baby blanket is finished.












Lastly, I finished up the first dishcloth knitalong projects for 2010.