Better Late Than Never

I actually have been knitting since February, I just haven’t posted about it.  Can I take a moment to blame my computer?  It’s a wee bit out of memory right now, so uploading pictures takes for-ev-er.  And with Little Miss Evelyn walking/running/climbing everywhere all the time (I swear the girl does not stop), it’s hard to wait for pictures to load at the end of a long night.  More often than not I look at my computer, glance at my finished projects, and then flop into bed.  But enough complaining, let’s get to the point of this here post – the finished project!

Citron – finally!!  I started this just after Evy was born (in March of 2010), and it became my pick-up-when-I-have-a-moment project.  For an entire year…

I know the pictures are not the best, so bear with me here.  I live in the basement and it's been raining forever.  We've actually started work on our ark.  This project was a great first shawl.  It was also my first use of lace weight yarn.  I used Knit Picks Shadow – 100% merino wool.  And this shawl is for me, thank you very much ;-)

Although I do think it looks much better on Evy.

I'll update Ravelry and links sometime...maybe.

First Project of 2011

Hooray for finished projects!  I've recently decided to up the challenges with my knitting.  Why just admire cables from afar?

This is my first finished project of the year - the Breckenridge Cowl.

Of course I just realized that I sewed the buttons on differently than the designer...but hey - who's to know?  I don't think Nancy, my mom-in-law, will notice!

And the buttons look ok I think.

This is a thank you gift for Nancy, I hope she likes it!  The cables weren't that hard at all!  I've been putting off learning how to make cables for years now, but they were really very doable.  This was a great first cable project.  There is absolutely no shaping, so you can focus on the cables alone.

Goals

It’s still January, so I feel like I can still post some goals for 2011.

Goal #1:  Be happier.  My default state of mind seems to be “stressed.”  I would like to change this to “happy.”  It might take me all year, or the rest of my life, but I’m really going to renew my efforts this year.

Goal #2:  Be more organized.  I’ve got myself a mommy planner, I’ve updated my ravelry queue, and I’ve started an account on Mint.  Surely this is my year for organizational success.  I used to be organized.  But then I graduated, and slowly began to unravel all the organizational skills I had picked up over the years.  So 2011 is my year to change my lens from “student” to “mommy” and get my home and my mind into shape (organizationally speaking).

Goal #3:  Knit myself a sweater.  Seriously, 2011 is my year.

Goal #4:  Knit a pair of socks.  I’m thinking I might tie this in with Goal #5.

Goal #5:  Knit Kev something.  Sorry Kev, baby knits are just so tempting.  But this year, you’ll get one too, I promise.

Goal #6:  Be a nicer, more patient momma.  This is directly connected to Goal #1.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m no terror, but patience has never been a strong suit of mine.  Maybe this year, I will learn patience.  Hey, it worked for Luke Skywalker, the learning patience part I mean.



And now let’s check in on my goals from last year:

Goal #1:  Success!
Goal #2:  Well...almost.  No projects for me, but one is in the works!  And no projects for Kev.  See Goal #5 above ;-)
Goal #3:  Ha!  I've just deleted the list entirely.  I think I read about 3 books, maybe.  It's read or knit.  We all know what wins.

Updates

And it's about time.  No apologies, life moves on as quickly as a river in spring.

A few finished projects to round out last year!

I made a hat for Evy some time ago.  It kinda turned out not so great...

Winging out a little, isn't it?  But I do like the fleece lining I sewed in.  I just wung it pattern-wise.  Wung it?  As in "wing it" but past tense.  Anyways, I wound up buying Evy a fleece hat from Old Navy, which is working out nicely.

Evy's Christmas stocking came out great!  After a few false starts, I wound up with this:

(I know, bad picture.  We don't have a fireplace, so the bookshelf is our mantle.)

It's made of two lovely yarns - Stitch Nation's Full O Sheep and Hobby Lobby's Enchantress.  The Enchantress is the red yarn, and it has tiny little sequins in it :)

The only trouble is that it doesn't come in green, so I shall have to find a different yarn for Kev's stocking (next year).  The pattern is loosely based on the Striped Christmas Stocking in Holiday Knits.  Mostly I looked at the stocking my Grandmother made for me years and years ago and went from there.  Holiday Knits helped with some of the more math orientated sizing stuff.

Last but not least, I made Evy's First Christmas ornament.  No pictures yet, but they're coming soon!

Christmas Stocking #1

I've finished something!  I love finishing projects.  Since baby girl came along, my rate of finishing projects has declined dramatically.  But that is perfectly ok, as my time is now taken up with other very pleasant things like learning how to crawl (yep!) and pull ourselves up (brilliant!).

I have in my queue no less than three Christmas stockings.  I finish a project, on average, every one to two months.  As it is now October, I'm not really sure how I'm going to be completing all three stockings.  But Christmas deadlines are all a part of knitting!

Christmas Stocking #1:

And yes, I know this is a horrible picture.  Becoming a fantastic photographer is on my to-do list.  After learning how to sew, grow my ownfood, and raise chickens.  Someday.

Right, back to the knitting.  This stocking is for my sister's little girl.  I made stockings for her two sons, and so this little one needed a matching stocking too.  An odd note about these stockings - they're not blocked.  That's right, I didn't block any of them.  I know, I know, but I have a good reason.  Ok so the first two stockings were made when I was new to knitting.  I hadn't yet grasped what blocking can do for you, how it smooths everything out and really "finishes" a project.  I was in college and a little bit lazy and I didn't want to make the extra effort.  Now this stocking I would block, but then it wouldn't match the others in their lumpy imperfection.  Plus, and this is really more to the point, the product I use for blocking (Kookaburra, which is very nice), contains nut oil, and one of my sister's sons is allergic.  So long story short, I'm committing some knitting sacrelege and not blocking this stocking either!  That's right, I'm a crazy lady!

Project Details

Pattern:  Striped Christmas Stocking
Yarn:  Frog Tree Alpaca that I bought from Kaleidoscope Yarns (love this store)

Patience

Mine seems to be all used up, for today at least.  Interrupted nights, no naps, and too much house work with too little time makes me feel like I have no patience left.  But, as I like to remind myself, tomorrow is another day.

But enough complaining.  Kev made me a super smoothie tonight with homemade whip cream on top, just to make me feel better.  *Beam*

So I totally geeked out over this book.  A knitting book about vampires that mentions Edward, Angel, Spike, and Oz?  Love it.  And yes, I am that geeky.  I've decided to make the Lore Hoodie first.  It looks like the kind of sweater I could live in.  Course, this project is waaay down the line in my queue.  I still have several Christmas stockings to finish, my Citron shawl that has gone into semi-hibernation through no fault of its own, and a sweater for to make Little Miss.  But that's why I love Ravelry.  I can log on very occasionally and look at my lovely list of projects that are, not forgotten, but saved.

Almost finished with Anna's stocking.  Pictures to come!

September Morn

September already?  Well alright then.

So about a month later, I can actually post an update about a finished project!  Let's not kid ourselves that I will actually get around to updating things on ravelry.  Maybe later.

But for now, here they are:

I know, I know, not the best picture.  But hey, at least I remembered to take pictures of this project.  These adorable little booties are from this book.  I made them for a friend's baby.  And as she finally has them in her hands, I can post about them.  They were very fun to knit.  I used knit picks swish, which I love.  The yarn is a lovely wool, but it's very soft - perfect for babies.  My Little Miss has pretty much outgrown her sweater made from this wool, so I'll have to make her another.  Of course, by the time I get around to that...