Knitter in Progress

Here's what I accomplished in 2005 with some needles and yarn(and I am so close to finishing my Jaywalker socks I have turned the heel but there is no way I'll be done by midnight--too much to do today--I guess it will be my first finish of 2006!). The finish line: **Aran Baby Blanket--Encore yarn--from Knit Baby Blankets **Counting Sheep Blanket--Stylecraft yarn--from Vogue Knitting On the Go, Baby Blankets 2 **Hearts and Stars Baby Blanket--LB Pound of Love--from Adorable Knits for Tots **Baby Roll Brim Hat--Artful Yarns Candy--from the yarn label **Baby Roll Brim Hat--LB Pound of Love-from Candy label **Child's sock--Lorna's Laces--from Classic Beginnings, Socks for the Family **Stashbuster Spiral sock--sock yarn leftovers--from Six Sox Knitalong **Chutes & Ladders sock--Knit Picks merino--from Six Sox Knitalong **Adult sock--Socketta(I think, can't find the label)--from Classic Beginnings, Socks for the Family **Log Cabin socks--Cascade 220--from handknit H...

hanne and Chris 2 : I need blogs from you in order to sign you up--there are none in your profiles. Everyone already signed up: Happy shopping tomorrow--if you are so inclined. I will probably be posting progress reports on Tuesdays--so if you have anything you would like to report you can leave me a comment OR I'll figure something out as I do a weekly blog patrol :) Anyone wanting to sign up: Sign ups will close at 5pm Mountain time on January 1. Happy early New Year! aloha :)

Stashalongers--first off--WOW! I am blown away by all the people that already signed up--thanks :) I know how hard it is to "not" buy yarn--especially when you are making an effort not to--hee hee. I figure that I'll be strong through January, February I'll start to waver, and March will be downright difficult. Enjoy tomorrow and Saturday--finish any last minute ordering and stocking up :) A few thoughts on some comments: Andrea : No pressure to finish too many things(maybe finish something you have on the needles--like, I don't know, Rogue for example)--no pressure though LOL) I don't think some things are finishable(is that even a word?) in three months. Wanda : Buying yarn you had on hold--not a problem--I mean you "have" to buy some yarn with that first paycheck, right? Kate : My husband is beyond thrilled that I'm on a yarn diet--of course, he's not thinking ahead--shouldn't tax refunds be here by the end of March ;) Joanne :...

My Christmas stuff(which is actually for family who read this, but you're welcome to peruse if you like): (1) 30mg iPod(which you all knew about as I got it in November)and two iTunes certificates iPod how I love thee :) (2) Sirius Black's wand( Teri you were so right--separated at birth, I say!) Useless(yet cool) HP item (3) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Special Edition (straight from the UK) (4) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Special Edition (also from the UK) (6) Random knitting goodies(mini Kacha-Kacha, orange chibi(with awesome needles), and Koigu) stash fodder (7) 5 HAED charts( QS Tomboy, QS Storykeeper, QS Motherhood , Faery Tales , and Forest Light -the last was a very pleasant surprise)and some Piecemaker needles (8) Pittsburgh Penguins Uniform for Merino the Lamb(seen here hanging with Tolkien the Bear who belongs to Little Rage). Merino and Tolkien I think I had a some type of regression this year all I wanted were toys :) Special thank yo...

Sign ups have ended. EDIT: Sign ups end January 1 at 5pm Mountain time. Anyone interested in using some of your stash in order to make room for some new spring stuff? Join me in a very informal knitalong. Here are the rules: (1) Must start and try to finish something from your stash yarn(I say "try" to finish because if you pick something huge like an afghan or sweater finishing in three months may not be realistic). (2) You have 3 months and during that time you cannot add to your stash in any way(things ordered before January 1 but not yet delivered do not count--hence the early warning--get it out of your systems, ladies). Of course realistically there is no way to police this, so the honor system is in place. (3) I am beginning on January 1, 2006 and ending March 31, 2006(if there is interest, I'd be glad to start another one after that). (4) Keep me posted on your progress and I will post it once a week--probably Mondays or Tuesdays. I've never attempted to s...

Now … Year in Review meme The drill: Go back through your blog and post the first sentence of the first entry in every month. January and February: No blog. March: Well, I'm not exactly sure how one starts a blog. April: As promised April will be the month I attempt to start Albertville(Dale of Norway Olympic Sweater Pattern). May: Yes, it's true. June: I finished my daughter's socks today--normally I am pretty good at knitting socks, BUT I had to unravel the toe decreases on both of these socks TWICE because I kept getting the length wrong. July: Happy 4th and Happy Belated Canada Day to all who celebrate those things :) August: During my morning bloglutions, I find Margene's post about her knitalongs and in that post I find a link to Eris. September: Firstly, hooray SBQ was suggested by me this week :) October: Arwen and Aragorn have made an appearance this week. November: I finished these last night but waited until today to post so I could get a daylight pi...

I held off on this post because I was hoping to have one finished sock to show off and now I do :) Jaywalker 1 There are things on the hobby agenda this weekend: (1) stitch on Storykeeper (2) finish 1st Jaywalker sock--done Will both of those things get done? I'm not really sure. I have to get my Christmas cards done. I used to be so on the ball with that; I used to have them done by December 1st. That hasn't happened in the last two years. My goal for the last two years was to have them out before New Year's--pretty lame, huh? I also need to find time this weekend to start the XMAS '05 wrapfest. You know next year I am sorely tempted to get everything online and have it wrapped--wouldn't that be awesome! On the plus side I am almost done with shopping. The kiddos are done--well, except for an outfit for Little Rage(but what little kid actually likes getting clothes for a gift--that's why I am not too stressed about it). The kiddos aren't the only o...

Today's SBQ isn't about stitching: It is about blogging and was suggested by AngelSan (http://angelsan.free.fr/blog.php ). Take a minute to reflect on your blog reading habits and preferences. What do you prefer to read in stitching blogs? (Progress, tips, family life, experiences, etc.) How much do you think you are influenced by other stitching bloggers? Great question this week! I actually read more knitting blogs than stitching ones; I'm always searching for really interesting stitching blogs. I love Big A** Projects and blogs that cover that are my primary stitching blog interests. I think that works in progress are what primarily draws me to any blog, but it's also fun to read someone with a sense of humor(which you usually see in stitching mishaps or family stuff). Most blog stuff with me has to do with a connection I feel with the writer: similar interests, similar family issues, similar choices in projects, interesting writing style. Booking Through Thursd...

I finished the Christmas Rose Bag from Handknit Holidays. I did it in lilac and hyacinth Palette yarn from KnitPicks. I only did one repeat of the pattern because I needed a small gift bag for a small gift :) I'm using ribbon for the ties because, frankly, I didn't feel like doing the i-cord. It was fun to knit and great practice for two color knitting. I think this would be a great bag to do in Lamb's Pride Bulky--it would be pretty large. Mini Christmas Rose Bag I started my Jaywalker socks, but I'm a little nervous considering all the problems people have been having with size. I'm a tight sock knitter anyway--I can usually get 10 stitches per inch without trying too hard, so with that in mind I'm knitting this with the help of: size two needles, the largest size cast on, and a bottle of Captain Morgan's(to be mixed with diet Coke or diet Pepsi, of course)--the Captain will help me relax so that I'm not hitting the 10 stitches/inch mark; at least...

I just received the most fabulous gift from my Secret Pal who I now know as Valerie . Pop by and check out her cool blog--very mod indeed. She's also going to be a published author; so send congrats her way! Thanks again, you were an awesome pal!! In this package I received: Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road(very cool book by an author from my old stomping grounds), 2 skeins of Opal sock yarn(which will be placed on a pedestal and worshipped daily, until they are made into socks), a disposable camera, a little photo album, Christmas soap, bath confetti(in a cute Christmas bulb no less), lip balm(which is especially cool since the picture on it is very HAED oriented--reminds me of my cross stitch stuff), and last--but definitely not least--stitch markers(which I love, love, love--seriously you need to come here and give me lessons, they are absolutely beautiful!!) EDIT: Forgot to add the bottle of Eucalan woolwash--which I have been dying to try--I think I'll give Rogue ...

I was in St. Marks Hospital in Salt Lake City waiting to give birth to my Little Rage. It was a pretty uneventful induction; except for a few heartrate problems near the end. At 8:16pm, Little Rage popped out; all 8lbs. 5oz. of him. I think the best line from the delivery was from DH; when the head came out he said he was thinking(even though he felt bad saying it)that it was a pretty homely girl--although honestly who would look stunning in that particular position. Imagine our surprise when a boy showed up :) We both started tearing up when we saw him. We didn't find out what we were having with either kiddo and I was wrong both times--so much for a mother's intuition. Happy Birthday Little Rage--may the terrible twos be a thing of the past :) We went out yesterday to see Goblet of Fire; DH and Little Diva wanted to see it and I wanted to see it again. Any of you who have know that 2.5 hours is a long movie for an adult, with a 5 and nearly 3 year old it was a crap sho...

TEN random things you might not know about me. 1: I can't stand tardiness. 2: I love red velvet cake. 3: I can't stand apple pie. 4: I really can't stand barbecue sauce. 5: I can't eat pineapple without tasting Vodka(college drinking issue). 6: I taught aerobics/step for almost 3 years. 7: I am prone to road rage issues. 8: I don't like it when adults act like children. 9: I played the clarinet from 5th-12th grade but I've always wanted to learn cello. 10: I am really picky in my music/reading choices NINE places I've visited 1: Toronto 2: Montreal 3: Las Vegas 4: Los Angeles 5: Disney World 6: Disney Land 7: Nashville(if you know my taste in music you'll get why that was a slice of hell) 8: Maui 9: USS Missouri and Pearl Harbor EIGHT ways to win my heart 1: bring cake(not chocolate though) 2: bring yarn 3: bring stitching stuff 4: bring addis 5: iPODs(wait dear husband got that one) 6: be funny 7: be intelligent 8: be supportive SEVEN things I want to d...

I finished Little Diva's mittens, which she has worn to school daily since their completion. Finished object: Little Diva's Mittens WIP Friday--on deck for this weekend: (1) Knitted Gift Bag from Handknit Holidays--I'm using some of the Knit Picks Palette yarn--I chose lilac and hyacinth. (2) Debbie Bliss sweater for Little Rage--Still haven't worked on it; but I'm getting very close to the neck decreases. What I need to start: (1) Jaywalker socks--I already have yarn picked out; I just need to start them. (2) Little Diva's sweater Nano postscript: I was taking a final look around the Nano site yesterday and I noticed that there were 59,703 authors registered and only 9765 actually had verified novels. Just a stat for me--for posterity :) Have a great weekend. I'm off to stitch, knit, grocery shop, Christmas shop, read, parent, and all the other required things :) aloha :)

Sorry I've been MIA most of the week. My eyes and brain needed a break from the monitor after the month long Nano madness. Back to the regularly scheduled programming :) I started another project from Handknit Holidays today. It's the Christmas Rose gift bag. I thought it was going well then I had to rip it out and start over. Stranded knitting and I have a love/hate relationship. I love it but I hate that I'm not very good at it which is a catch 22 because the only way to get better is to do it more. I'm knitting on sz. 3 dpns which is kind of a problem because I've never stranded around the joins--does that make sense? Anyway there are some tension issues there. This weekend I'm starting to stitch on Storykeeper--which I am really looking forward to. AND that's not all, I actually get to start reading a book this weekend. Earth shattering I know, but I put myself on a reading diet last month because I didn't want it messing up my novel. I th...

Starting December 1--in celebration of the finish of my first Nanowrimo Novel I am going to begin stitching Selina Fenech's Storykeeper courtesy of the charting geniuses at Heaven and Earth Designs(HAED). Storykeeper: Artist Selina Fenech, charting HAED Fabric(check) Pattern(check) Floss(check) Gridding(check) Finish Nano(check) I did it!!!!! I did it!!! So the next big challenge will be finishing it before next year's Nano :)

I did it!!! 50,549 words and counting! I'm still not finished with the story--it will take a few more months, but I made it to 50K!!!! It's been officially verified and everything. I cannot even begin to tell you how absolutely thrilled I am. This has got to be one of the coolest things I have ever done--Hurray for me!!! Excuse me while I go chug a celebratory Molson XXX and dance around the house--quietly of course as it's 12:30am!! aloha :) You are an Iris: You are logical, analytical, dignified, and wise. You are studious by nature and may prefer books to people. You tend to be a serious person but are capable of making others laugh with your dry sense of humor. Friends always benefit from your advice. Symbolism: Over the centuries the iris has come to symbolize faith, wisdom, hope, and promise in love. Which Flower are You? brought to you by Quizilla

First--thanks to everyone who commented on my iPod. Besides my engagement ring it's the coolest present dear husband has ever come up with, seriously. A finished object: Little Rage's Mittens I-cord still in progress. I used Dreambaby DK and the mitten pattern from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd. I think that I am going to make Fridays a WIP day. So here's the full disclosure on what's on the needles as of right now: (1) Debbie Bliss sweater for Little Rage--I haven't worked on it this week; but I'm getting very close to the neck decreases. (2) Rogue Revisited--I have one sleeve done and that's it--it's been kind of back burnered until I get the kiddos sweaters done--they grow faster than I do :) (3) Hooded T--those of you that have been around for a while know that I started this in the spring. I have everything done but the hood--so why don't I work on it? As dumb as it sounds; I don't want to work on it because it...

Here is something about me. I have no patience when it comes to surprises; it drives me crazy when someone knows something that I don't. So for the last couple of weeks, my dear husband has been dropping cryptic comments about my Christmas present. Now as a parent of little kids who has not even begun shopping for them, I realize that the next month will go by at warp speed. But as an impatient adult, there is no way I can wait a month before I find out what my Christmas present is. So on Saturday when my husband called and said he had my Christmas present in the car, well you can only imagine the temptation there. I wanted to know what it was and therefore I pestered him until he finally showed it too me(it wasn't that hard because I think he wanted to play with it too). So without further ado, I'd like to intoduce you to my Christmas present. It's one of the new iPods, the 30gb one to be exact and an iTunes gift certificate. I spent all day Sunday loading my N...

Tonight I will be standing in line(with some knitting no doubt)waiting to get into Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire at midnight. Stacey got the tickets and Cyn is coming along too. I can't wait to see Viktor Krum and the students from the other schools. Plus the dragons--I love dragons. I am so excited; I'll be feuling up on Starbucks all day in order to stay awake because. . . I stayed up until 2am writing(yes, another late writing night); I'm getting so into my story now. Last night when I was writing I just kept thinking, I am doing it. I made this story up from nothing--blank page, idea in my head--and turned it into 31000+ words so far and I haven't even scratched the surface of everything I want to cover. Reaching 50000 will just be a milestone in getting this story done the way I want it. It is really an awesome experience; I'd recommend it to anyone who has ever wanted to write a novel. On the stitching front--if all goes well I should finish pag...

Ribbon and Sirius are no more. It's a sad day; Little Diva has informed me that she would like me to knit her a boy doll with brown hair and blue pants. Both Ribbon and Sirius are taking the breakup very well. Nano writing is trucking along: 21707 as of last night, I still haven't written today. Here's the thing, I know that I will make 50000 words by the end of the month, but my new worry is whether the novel will actually be finished. You see the story I'm writing has been in my head for a few years and I never envisioned it as a one novel piece--it will be at least two maybe more. My problem is that I am not sure where I should end this one. I'm kind of hoping a good stopping point will be really obvious when I get there. Not that it matters for Nano--50000, that's the only goal there. Stitching: I have actually pulled out Arwen and Aragorn this weekend--I'm hoping to have page one done by the end of the month. Oooo and before I forget, check the...

I'm sure that most of you have seen this: My inner Goth is loving this; I hope they can keep it up. I have actually picked a project and think I even have the yarn for it. Snowballs Chance in Hell fulfills two of my favorite things: fingerless gloves and skulls(although my knitting skulls thus far have been limited to my 'stealth skull' on my modified Skully from Stitch 'n Bitch). Hopefully, I'll be able to get these done before winter is over. My coat will be covering most of the armwarmer, so I won't scare any of the mommies when I pick little Diva up from school. Everyone needs to indulge their inner dark side every once in a while, or am I the only one that has one. You know the one that listens to Marilyn Manson, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails. The one that reads vampire/werewolf fiction and loves it. The one that loves to wear black even though they don't all the time. The one that occasionally thinks about dying their hair any number of bizarro ...

I'm sick. I seem to have come down with the cold from Hell. Sunday I was fine; yesterday I woke up and it felt like someone put an icepick through my sinus cavity. Are drugs working--nope. Yesterday I managed to get Little Diva to and from school, cook lunch and dinner, and that's it. I went to bed at 7:30 last night--about 15 minutes after darling husband got home from work. I really hate getting sick. I don't have time to get sick. Today is a little better because I can actually move around without getting too dizzy, so hopefully it's one of those quick in and out illnesses. I really need to write today, so I've decided that my main character is going to become ill as well--after all, why should I suffer through this alone :) So onto things to do: 1.) Write 3000 words. 2.) Complete the front of Little Rage's sweater. 3.) Finish gridding Storykeeper. 4.) Get better ASAP!!! Have a great day and take some vitamin C so the nasty cold germ doesn't find ...

Here's the update: (1)Nano writing: up to 5200 words. I'm probably jinxing myself by saying this but things are flowing pretty well. Some of the characters in my book have been in my head for so long that I feel more like I'm introducing old friends rather than telling a story. I've really only had to write for about one uninterrupted hour a day in order to get my daily quota in, but believe me I KNOW that will change over the course of the month. I have to say that writing without the pressure of an audience or criticism is pretty liberating. It feels great to just "let the story take its own course"; I think that even I will be surprised where it ends up at the end of the month. (2)Knitting: I have been working on Little Rage's sweater in the limited free time that I have. Hopefully, I'll have the front finished soon. In a perfect world, I'll have it done by Thanksgiving, then its on to Little Diva's Barbie pink(you know the color I...

Log Cabin Socks I finished these last night but waited until today to post so I could get a daylight picture. My husband actually wore them last night :) Well, the NaNo madness has begun. I have about 400 of the 50000 words I need done and I have to go so I can bring that total up a bit :) Happy knitting, aloha :) What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with? Heilo or Baby Ull; although lately I'm having a love affair with Cascade 220. Your favorite needles? Addis--no competition there. They are the Rolls Royce of needles in my opinion. The worst thing you've ever knit? Well, I did this baby cardigan once. It was LB Homespun Baby--blah :( It was impossible to knit with and a royal pain to work with all around. The sweater would have been cuter made out of anything else--even garbage bags cut into strips would have been easier to work with! But I was a newbie and didn't know any better--live and learn :) Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like w...

Secret Pal Package #2 Okay--I just may have the coolest secret pal ever. I got my last package on Thursday, but saved the post for today because of it's theme--Halloween. I got two balls of a fabulous merino/alpaca/silk blend(which may very well become my Log Cabin socks), some DMC floss in Halloween colors, some Jelly Bellys, some tic tacs(orange of course), some Halloween themed hankies, a LOTR bookmark(loving that, by the way), some stitch holders, some stitch markers(which Little Diva loves because she is learning how to read and they spell knitting terms), and possibly the coolest bit of all--all the fixins I need to start beading(what will I be making--stitch markers of course). And she packaged some of this glorious booty in the very cool pumpkin bag(which Little Rage keeps carrying around and yelling, "Scarey!!" at the top of his lungs). You ROCK, Secret Pal 'o Mine!!!

As a reward for finishing my NaNo novel(I gotta have some incentive you know), I'm going to add another project to my stitching list at the end of November(if I make it to 50K, that is). I may need to order fabric and/or get more floss so I'm planning ahead. I'm leaning somewhat towards Motherhood as I already have the fabric for it, but I'd love to hear some opinions. Before you comment, let me just say that I LOVE all three of these, but there is no way I'm starting all three--one is enough until I finish something else. Motherhood: Artist Selina Fenech, charting HAED I just love this picture; I have even thought about purchasing the print. To me, it captures that feeling you have with your newborn--the peace and beauty in having been blessed with something so miraculous. Storykeeper: Artist Selina Fenech, charting HAED When I first saw the print of this, it spoke to me. Reading teacher, recreational writer, English teacher. . .this captures all of that f...

Log Cabin Sock Here's my contribution to Socktoberfest--hopefully, I'll have its partner done by Monday. It's the Log Cabin Sock from Handknit Holidays--awesome book, by the way. I made it with Cascade 220 on sz. 6 needles. These are the men's size--they are for my husband to keep his feet toasty this winter :) Happy knitting, stitching, and reading, aloha:) Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Outi (http://www.livejournal.com/users/snowprincipessa/ ) and is: Have you ever stitched something as a gift and later realized that receiver doesn't respect your stitched gift a bit (for example it's never on show, or you have other reason to suspect that it may even be nonexistent or at least placed in some dark storage room corner)? I usually only stitch or knit gifts for family and/or people I am sure are going to give the piece the proper respect it deserves. If so, what have you done? If you've been lucky enough to avoid ...

I have been stitching for most of the week and this is what I have to show for it at the end of the weekend. It's not as much as I'd hoped, but it's quite an accomplishment considering that Little Diva was off from school this week and I couldn't stitch everyday. The big revelation of the week for me was "parking" --if you're stitching a monster piece like this that is chucked full of "confetti" then you definitely need to learn how to park(at least in my opinion). I had never tried it before(I didn't really understand the description), but after reading the above linked post, it just clicked. If I hadn't been "parking" this week, I would have gotten about half of what I've accomplished done. I am a parking convert and I will sing it's praises from the roof tops--to anyone that cares about these things anyway ;) Let me put it in perspective, last month I stitched about 2500 stitches(for the entire month)--last week...

9 years ago today my first babies were born. They are twins--a boy and a girl--and they are their mother's only children because she started hemorrhaging after they were born and had to be fixed. I adopted them when they were 12 weeks old. I had done months of research into exactly what I wanted and that's exactly what I got. These two kiddos have really traveled the US--Texas, New York, Oklahoma, Utah, Colorado, and Hawaii(including an excruciating one month quarantine)--if only they could get frequent flyer miles. They are spoiled rotten and they know it. They have put up with countless hours of screaming and craziness that their human siblings inflict on them daily and they never complain(although they do hide under the bed quite a bit). They were my first big purchase after I got a "real" job. So today on your 9th Birthday I salute you both--Dreamkatcher's Bailey and Dreamcatcher's Kahlua(AKA BB and Cracky(as in crackhead--if you met her you'd ...

I have added yet another knitalong to my list. It's been a while since I have knit socks and frankly I am having sock withdrawal. There are a few that I've had my eye on: Mim's Razor Shell Socks , quite a few pairs from Sensational Knitted Socks, and I'm sure there will be a bunch in the new Nancy Bush book(which should be arriving here within the next week). My newest knitting love right now is handknit HOLIDAYS--what an awesome book. I am doing my Socktoberfest socks from a pair in this book. Anne Woodbury's Log Cabin Socks to be exact--we're not slipper people, but a thick, toasty pair of socks to pad around in. . .that's nirvana :) Don't be turned off by the book jacket of this book--that hood thing on the cover is weird at best--remove the jacket and there is a very decent picture there :) For those of you who didn't know me last year(pre-blog days), I thought it would be a great idea to knit everyone socks for Christmas and I was also kn...

I feel like I'm finally making some progress. I know that every time I knit I am making some progress, but when I actually finish a part of something THEN I feel like I am really progressing :) One Sleeve Done I'm limping along on my second Rogue; it's only taken me, what, two months to complete one sleeve. But that's okay; I raced through the last one and I really don't mind taking my time with this one. Little Rage's Sweater(back) I finished the back of Little Rage's sweater this week. It's a Debbie Bliss pattern from one of the "Knitting on the Go" books. I wasn't sure if I liked the cabled rib on the top but it's kind of growing on me. I'm using Plymouth Encore; I love this yarn for kid's stuff. It's not too expensive, it knits up well, and it holds up to washing well. This week will be mostly a stitching one--I'll knit if I need a break :) Well, it's off to get some haircuts. Let me just fill you in on t...

I got a box from my Secret Pal today!!! Let me just say, it was AWESOME!!! I got the cutest card(even the envelope had a sheep on it!), an awesome hula girl postcard, some post-its with my first initial, 4 tropical ocean blue stitch markers(I'm a total stitch marker addict), A Treasury of Rowan Knits(I've already found about 15 things I love in this book and that was just on a quick flip through), and 3 skeins of NORO!!! I have been wanting to knit a booga bag and now I have just enough yarn to do it!!! This was way above and beyond my expectations--thank you so much! aloha:) Thanks bunches!

I know it's only the middle of October, but already I am thinking ahead. About Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, holiday weight gain. . .Nope(well maybe a little). I have decided to take part in the mental marathon also known as "National Novel Writing Month". Which means that my posts in November will probably be less frequent than they are now: (1)because I'll be using my computer time to write, (2)because I will have minimal knitting/stitching progress(see #1), and (3)because my family will need some time to bond with their sleep deprived, caffeine fueled, zombie of a mom/wife(see #1). I figure that most of my writing will have to be done at night after the kiddos are in bed; so it's time to stock up on coffee, tea, and diet Pepsi. But what an accomplishment it will be if I can complete the challenge. Any other aspiring novelists-to-be willing to take the 50,000 word leap? Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Outi (http...

Okay, there is no knitting or stitching content in this post--I just need to blow off steam. There are two days a year I like snow--Christmas Eve and Christmas Day--that is it. What am I looking at right now on Columbus Day? At least 6 inches or more of snow!!!! I HATE SNOW!!! I have hated it ever since I had to trudge through feet of it to go to school(elementary through high school), since I have had to brush it off my car 2 or more times a day(when I started working), since I have had to drive through lake effect(also numerous times), and since I have had to shovel untold feet of it on numerous occasions. The only time snow is cool is when you get to look at it but don't actually have to deal with it. Moved to Texas in 1996--no snow and if it "slushed" which really, people, is what you see in Dallas; everything closed--so I didn't have to go out in the snow. Moved to Hawaii in 1998--well, duh, totally no snow there. Moved to Utah in 2000--lots of snow in the m...

Sirius Stern Ramone Black Here is my Sirius Black--I went a little crazy with the hair--I used almost a whole ball of Patons Cha Cha. I was just having too much fun to stop. To me he looks more like Howard Stern or Joey Ramone, but I'm sticking with Sirius. My Little Diva has commandeered Sirius as a "husband" for her shoebox doll that I made earlier--they are quite the pair: Sirius and Ribbon(her doll's name). So the hardest things for me are faces--it is really hard to put a good looking face on a knitted item. I really kind of like making dolls though--it lets you experiment with things on a smaller scale. Anyone besides me getting anxious to see Goblet of Fire? Isn't it supposed to be out next month? Here is a picture of my feet for Miriam --she'll have to explain why she wants them. Can you see the tan lines my Birks leave on me feet(not that anyone would want to look that closely at them)? my feet So on this week's needlework horizon: Cros...

Preemie Pumpkin Patch My preemie knitting is done, boxed, and ready to head out in the mail tomorrow morning. I knit the 3 smaller ones first and when I finished the biggest one(sized for a newborn)it felt HUGE! It was so much fun; I only wish I could see the ICU with all those preemie pumpkins Halloween week :) In a few weeks I'll start the holiday preemie hats. Anyone who is interested in knitting preemie stuff feel free to join us on the preemie project(link in the sidebar). Happy knitting, aloha :) Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Bea (http:// beastitching.blogspot.com") and is: When you have almost finished a pattern and start thinking about the next one to stitch, how do you select it? (a list, most recent purchase, etc.) Well, usually I don't wait until I finish one project if I want to start something else then I do--I mean check out everything I have in progress it's getting a little ridiculous :) I usually am draw...

Arwen and Aragorn have made an appearance this week. This is my first month's progress(mind you, I have not worked on it everyday; I have aimed for a couple of days a week). I have (almost) half of page 1 done--hurray!! It would have been the whole half page but the single thread over 1 combined with a large area where a color is used only once has really slowed me down. Celebrate the little victories, I say: 10/2 Progress This week is going to be a knitting week for me. I want to work on most of my works in progress. With Rogue, all I have to do is the shoulder shaping and I'm done with the first sleeve. My Sirius Black needs arms, a leg, hair, and a robe(which I'll have to make up as I go along--the doll itself is a modification of another pattern). Little Diva's "Queen of Hearts" scarf will see some action--so I can keep up with my two handed knitting skills. Preemie knitting will be slipped in there and I'll be sending in my pumpkin donation by ...

Fair Isle Class A finished object--I feel like it's been forever!!! This is the hat we made in Joanne's class. It was so much fun seeing how differently they all turned out--it's amazing how things look when everyone can choose their own colors. Today's "Stitching Blogger's Question" was suggested by Cheryl and is: Have you ever just quit a project while in the midst of it? (We're not referring to UFOs here, rather projects that you know that you'll never work on again.) Why? What did you do with it - throw it out, give it away, put it away? How about one you call a UFO, but probably have no intention of finishing because every time you work on it you want to hang yourself? Is that the same thing? Honestly, I have never had a project that I have totally bagged; I keep it around in hopes of someday making more progress on it. I put it away actually, but it occasionally creeps out for a few stitches then goes back to the abyss until I can stoma...