Go Ahead ..... Make My Day!

Susan says I make her day! Shame on me for not catching up on emails in the order they were received. I actually received this back on February 6th, and I'm just now acknowledging it . Hope you won't hold that against me Susan :o)

I am now supposed to pass this along to up to 10 people whose blogs make my day and post a comment on their blogs to let them know.

Without further ado I would like to bestow this award on the following:

Rain : I love reading Rain's blog and look forward to every post. I think she's an amazing knitter and she inspires me with her sense of style.

Jen : When I grow up I want to be a designer just like Jen. Check out some of her patterns available in Ravelry.

Laurie : The sock queen of blogland. I love the stories about Dexter and his photos are too precious for words.

Marina : Her blog makes me cry. 'Nuff said!

Nanette : I am addicted to blogs about stranded knitting and this one will not disappoint anyone who reads it.

Kathy : I was checking my blog stats one day and found quite a few referrals from this blog. Somehow she had come across my finished Fyne vest and featured it in one of her posts. I fell in love with her blog ... all about fairisle and quilting.

Katherine : 2 of the most adorable kidlets I've ever seen, and an occasional knitting post.

Dave : If Laurie is the sock queen, Dave is the sock king.

Natalie : I don't know how Natalie gets any knitting done with all she has going on, but somehow she manages it. I've had the pleasure of meeting her in person when she was gracious enough to open her home to a knitting party.

Amy : How can you not love a roller derby knitter? I've also met Amy in person, however, I've not been to the knit group she hosts in quite some time.

Of course, there are other blogs which make my day, including Susan's, but I did have to limit my recipients to 10. Hope nobody feels left out :o(

In knitting news:

There was some progress this weekend on the Norwegian Snail Mittens. Look! Snail butts! I may do the duplicate stitching on the cuffs tomorrow.



Finally got a photo of the last 2 dishcloths I finished. The 2nd Feb discloth is coming along nicely too, but photos before it's finished just seems silly.



There was also progress on the Russian Coat. I finished the cuff section on both sleeves. The length seems just a tad short, so I will probably add some type of edging to it after it's all finished. Don't want to assume and have them be too long. Better to wait until it's all seamed up and I can try it on proper.

Wanna kill stuff?

Katherine asked what computer game took me away from knitting for so long. Well, it is an older game that Paul and I used to play a lot. Diablo II to be exact. It's an RPG game where you get to pick to be one of 7 characters and choose a "build" for that character based on where you decide to put your skill points when you earn them. Around the first of the year Paul found a mod to the game and it pretty much made the game brand new. Yes, the basic quests are still there, but the designer of this mod completely revamped all the skillsets for each character, and added a lot of side quests that earn you nice bonuses.

Our days went pretty much like this:

(first thing in the morning)
Paul: Wish we could stay home and play Diablo.
Me: Me too.
(later)
Paul: Man this day is dragging.
Me: Yeah, I feel like I've been at work a whole week today.
Paul: Wish we could go home and play Diablo.
Me: Me too.
(still later)
Paul: So, we gonna play Diablo tonight?
Me: Well, I want to do some knitting, so maybe just for an hour or so when we get home.
(as soon as we walk in the door)
Paul: Wanna kill stuff?
Me: Yeah!

And we'd be questing until we realized that the 11:00 news was over and it was time to get some sleep before starting the whole thing over again LOL.

In yesterday's post I promised a rundown of my January and February knitting goals and how I stood on them. For 2008, I decided to not be so darn aggressive with my goals. I put a lot of pressure on myself to finish a lot of projects in 2007 and when I couldn't get them done I felt like I had failed. How could anyone who finished about 60 projects in one year (a lot were small, but still 60!!) feel like they failed? My initial idea of "not so aggressive" was to set a goal of finishing one large project that was in progress, finish one small project that was in progress, cast on one new project, and knit both monthly dishcloth kal patterns. That may still seem to be aggressive, but I have a lot of fairly far along on progress large projects, so it seemed reasonable for at least the beginning several months of the year.

For January:

1. Knit both monthly dishcloth kal dishcloths (done)
2. Finish Annemor #11 gloves (done, but in Feb)
3. Finish Russian Coat (sadly, still not finished)
4. Cast on Norwegian Snail mittens (done, but in Feb)

The mistake I made was setting my February goals too soon. Now, since I didn't complete my January list, I feel like I have to finish that and my original February goals. Will I ever learn?

For February:

1. Knit both monthly dishcloth kal patterns (1 down, the other starts tomorrow)
2. Finish Norwegian Snail mittens (not about to happen since I just cast them on)
3. Finish Asymetrical Jacket (not gonna happen since it's still sitting in the craft room and the Russian Coat still isn't finished)
4. Cast on Lowry Sweater (done)

I have refused to even think about March until I see where I stand on the first 2 lists at the end of February. I will train myself not to stress about knitting. It's supposed to be relaxing after all.

I made a resolution not to spend any money on yarn until I've knit up most of the projects I already have yarn for, but I have not set any limits on book, pattern, and tool purchases. Tonight when I got home from work I had my newest acquisition sitting on the table waiting for me.

I bought the Options Harmony wood interchangeable needle set from Knit Picks. I am so in love with these needles! The colors make knitting even the simplest project more interesting. I've never used the interchangeables from KP, so I hope the joins are smooth and the cables stay in place. I've heard some not so good things about the Boye set that was similar to this one.

As for the Russian Coat ....

I finished up the bodice and arm (except for the cuff) section before the end of December, and was really hoping to have the skirt finished in January. Alas "killing stuff" took over my life and I knit a whole 3 rows I believe.

I'm just about to the color change on the skirt, and the progress should seem to go faster since the decreasing makes the rows shorter and shorter each night. I am enchanted once more with this yarn and thus this project, so no other large projects should take my attention away until it's finished.



I did cast on the Lowry sweater as I planned in February. This will be a monstrous mutant man sweater for my step father for his birthday in October. I haven't figured out all the settings on the new digital camera, but I'm sure once I do, I can get a much better photo of both the color and cables in this project. I plan to take my time picking away at this project for a few months before putting a lot of energy into finishing it.

The Norwegian Snail mittens I cast on a couple days ago will probably become my small project to be finished in March. I love the color combo I chose, and the fact that it's using up some of my stash!

Woohoo I've managed to blog 2 days in a row. Let's see if I can be more consistent now that I've gotten a start.

It's Alive!!!

Why yes, I am still around!

And, I'm here to let you know that ......

The rumors that I purchased one skein too many and Paul finally did me in and buried me in the backyard are simply not true!!

ROFL I think I scared the bejeezus out of a few IRL friends. When they hadn't seen me blog for quite some time, and hadn't seen me at any knit groups (work sucks for keeping up with social knitting when the group usually meets during work hours), they decided it was time to call me up and set a knit date for a weekend. Unbeknownst to them, Paul and I had disconnected our home phone since the only calls that seemed to come in were the hang up calls in the wee hours of the night when we were trying to sleep. Poor things had all kinds of scenarios running rampant about what had happened to me. Once they finally got hold of me on my cell and arranged a time for us to get together, we all had a good laugh about the rumors.

I will 'fess up now and let you know that I have not been doing much knitting since my trip in December. I know!!! **gasp** Delana is not knitting her little heart out like a fiend. Instead, she's had her nose buried in a computer game with her hubby since the beginning of January and has finished precious little knitting since then. The game is starting to lose it's obsessive "newness" and I'm getting the knitting bug back again, so you'll be seeing more of me here from now on.

I had this great list of New Year's Knitting Resolutions, but never did get around to posting them. Just for shits and giggles (sorry if the mild profanity offends, but I use it from time to time *shrug*) let's take a look at that list ....

1. After taking stock of the condition of my craft room, I decided that I would not purchase yarn (with two exceptions) in 2008 until I had knit a good portion of the projects I have already purchased yarn for and have not even started. Some I had even forgotten about until I started digging around. The two exceptions are: purchases of yarn for small projects from yarn shops found during trips is allowed, as I like to make something that reminds me of the trip when I use it; purchases of yarn for dishcloths for the monthly dishcloth kal is allowed.

2. I will knit each pattern for the monthly dishcloth kal in 2008 and not fall behind, then never knit patterns like I have the past 2 years.

3. I will be better about blogging (LOL killed this one already didn't I?)

4. I will be better about commenting on blogs that I read (Ummmm pretty much killed this one too)

5. I will be reasonable about my monthly goal setting. I got too optimistic in 2007, then quit setting the goals because I wasn't meeting them.

So, where do we stand? It is February 14 and this is my first post of the year (kill #3). It is February 14 and I have 1000 unread blog posts in my bloglines account (kill #4). It is February 14 and even though I was reasonable with my January knitting goal, I only finished the 3rd of 4 objectives last night (kill #5). It is February 14 and I am ready to cast on the 2nd of February's dishcloths (yea!! I am fulfilling #2) It is February 14 and the only yarn I have purchased is all the colors suggested for the 2008 monthly dishcloth kal (yea!!! I am fulfilling #1)

Not too shabby considering I can fix the ones I've not kept up with, all in all.

Now for a few photos that I've had on the camera for about 6 weeks that need to be posted.






Several dishcloths finished.



Wove in the final ends on the Annemor #11 gloves last night.






Finally finished up the Leg Cozies for Jenn (these were actually done just before X-mas).



Finished the hat for Paul with the yarn he chose in Texas.



Love love love these gloves. I finished them up just after X-mas. All the ladies at work keep threatening to steal these.



Very fuzzy photo, but get a load of that halo. Gotta love 100% angora!!

I promise to blog tomorrow about what my January goals were, what my February goals are, and where I stand on them. Plus, I'll pull out the projects in question and post some in progress photos.

Good Grief!!

I did one heckuva lotta knitting since my last post, but my WIP list grew!! Oh well, I guess I should give up on the idea of not casting on new projects until I finish some already started ones. I'm starting to depress myself with my complete lack of willpower when there is beautiful yarn within my grasp.

I finally have a photo of the finished Clementine Shawlette that I made for my MIL's birthday. I think she wore it every day we were there.




During the drive to Texas (yes, we're crazy and drove from Columbus, OH to Dallas, TX), I finished up Megan's Mitts. I sent them home with her Dad, who was visiting too. Should hear soon if the kids like their handknitted gifts. It's a good thing I'm giving up on that not casting on thing, since now I am itching to cast on a pair of these, complete with fingers, for myself.



Sitting in the hotel during the evenings, I finished up the knitting of the Fyne vest, with the exception of the armbands and collar. I didn't knit this flat like the pattern stated. Instead I knit it entirely in the round, adding steeks for the v-neck and armholes. Since this yarn wasn't really made for steeking, I had to wait until I got back home to sew and cut my steeks. Wore it to work today, and got some nice compliments on it.




Of course, I had to buy some yarn while there so I could make a little something for Paul and I to remember our trip. For myself I chose some scrumptious angora yarn to make the girliest mittens I have ever seen in m life. I've finished the first and should finish the second in a couple of days. These photos don't show the halo on these things very well, but I will get a shot of that once they are complete.






Paul chose to have a hat made just like the one I made Brian. I was amazed when he brought over a skein of Tonalita and told me he wanted his hat made of those colors. I think he's a secret fiber enthusiast, since that's the yarn I used to make Brian's hat. He did choose some nice colors though, no?



The new project I decided to start on the trip was a pair of gloves (which was abandoned as soon as I got that angora on the needles!). I'm hoping to have this first glove done this weekend, and perhaps I can get the second done by next weekend. Not sure though, since I'm not taking any time off work for the holidays this year.



I picked up some Rowan Tapestry about a week before we left with the intention of knitting a great tam designed by a Ravelry acquaintance. It doesn't look like much now, but I think these colors are really going to be beautiful in this pattern. A couple more knitting sessions and we shall see.

I have a couple more photos on the other camera, but the batteries died so I can't download them tonight. Those should be posted tomorrow, and I'll give a few more details about the trip and my next probably impossible goal regarding knitting.

Goodies, a FO, and progress reigns again!

I received my Ravelry Mitten Exchange package yesterday afternoon! My pal frisianfrillies did a great job! She asked me about sports teams I might like to use as inspiration for colors and ran with my answer. I told her I liked pro football and my favorite team was the Indianapolis Colts. Like me, she loves Peyton Manning, so she used that as the theme of my mitts and the goodies she sent along with them.

It was so much fun taking a box from the postman, shipped from the Netherlands, that had a picture of Peyton on it lol. Inside that box were some handmade stitch markers, an adorable stuffed kitty wearing an "I Love Football" sweater, chocolate letters "P" and "M", other assorted sweets, a bag of Pepermunt ballen (from the makers of Mentos) which I am addicted to now, a nice note on a Peyton Manning postcard, and of course the mitts.




Aren't these the greatest!!



This morning I finished Brian's hat while having my Holiday Mint coffee. I really like this yarn, Trendsetter Tonalita, and might try to find some to make a sweater with. The striping is so much fun, and it came in several great colors. Hope Brian likes it.






Megan's mitts are coming along nicely. At the rate they are working up, I should be done with them Tuesday night.



And, I pulled out the Fyne vest again. It's so close to being finished, I don't want it to languish too long. Besides, finishing this and getting the leftover yarn taken to the craft room will give me more space in the knitting bag I keep upstairs. And, I need the room!!



Paul and I are going to Texas next weekend for a much needed vacation and visit to his mother. I'd like to have a couple of my WIPs finished before we leave so I don't feel guilty starting something new to take with me!