A Review of My 2007 Knitting

One of the reasons I started this blog was to keep track of my knitting progress. The advent of Ravelry has made that so much easier. I've also found that by writing this blog, I've become more conscious about my knitting and life in general. For years I resisted New Year's Resolutions or goal setting of any kind. By keeping track of the things I make or accomplish I've found that setting goals is satisfying rather than frustrating. Before I set any goals for the coming year, I thought I'd review what I've accomplished.
So, here is the list of the Things I Made in 2007
1 and 2) Fuzzy Feet for Danny & Caitlin
3) Dog sweater for Billy
4) Reversible Cable Scarf
5) A hat for me
6) Corporate Camo
7) Noro Striped Scarf for Dustin
8) Noro Striped Scarf for Caitlin
9) Fetching glovelets for Caitlin
10) Garter glovelets for Danny
11) Chanel-ish Cardigan Jacket for Tate
12) Watercolor socks for me
13) Shibori scarf for Tate
14) Hyde Park Pullover for me
15) Stolen fingerless mitts
16) My So-Called Scarf for Danny
17) Socks for Tate
18) Nikko Wrap

WIPed

I thought I'd dig through the marination chamber to evaluate all of my Works in Progress (WIP) and give you a peak.

Here we have Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style that I cast on a few days ago. I'm using Paton's Soy Wool Stripes, which is a cheaper alternative to using Noro Silk Garden. I like the colors. And the technique is not hard at all. It would have been nice to use the Noro, but I didn't want to spend over $100 to make a wrap. I'm about 1/8 done.

Next, is the Knitting Pure& Simple Top-Down Cardi. This would have been a fast knit if I hadn't been impulsive and cast on for so many other smaller projects. I'm not sure how I feel about the stripes on this one. The yarn is very thick and I'm planning on wearing this instead of a coat. I've got the body completed and have started on the first sleeve.

The Landscape Earth socks are at a stand-still. And I simply had to have this yarn for my birthday.

The next few projects have really been sitting around. Here is the crochet blanket. I have made this thing too damn big. It's over ten feet long. And it takes for-freeking-ever to do one stripe. I was considering just giving up on this one. But, I received some encouragement from one of my dear co-workers, so I'll plod along on this one. Plus, I think I want to make each of my kids a blanket before I kick the bucket so they can have a keepsake of some sort.

Here is the Ribbi Cardi. This has been sitting around for well over a year. I have the back, the fronts and one sleeve finished. All I have to do is finish one sleeve and put it together.

The blue is a Koigu baby surplice cardigan from Vogue Knitting Spring 07. The sleeve portion is perplexing me. I saw some completed baby cardigans at the KC Fiber Guild's annual sale, so I think I may have figured it out. Then, there is Tate's sock. I just have to graft the toe of the second sock. And last, we have the ruffles scarf. I just need to bind this one off. I slept in late this morning and awoke to the smell of caramelizing onions. Sam had started a pot of French Onion Soup. He loves making it. I'm enjoying a bowl right now.

I've entered 44 projects in my queue on Ravelry. I wonder what Evil Knitting I will complete in 2008.

Happy Boxing Day

Leave it to the Canadians to have an extra day to box up your gifts and get the house in order. If only we had that holiday.

On Christmas Eve, I received my first package from Spunky Eclectic. Sock yarn in 80's Party Dress colourway. I'm not so sure it suits me. It was a nice treat, though.

This Christmas, I didn't receive most of the fiber-related gifts I asked for. Alas, no spindle. I was expecting that. Maybe next year I'll put all the things you need to make Meth on my list. My love for knitting and spinning has been labeled "an obsession." I guess it's all in how you look at things. I call it a passion.

I did receive Nigella Express for Christmas. Tonight, I'm making Red Shrimp and Mango Curry for dinner. I'm off to work on Lady Eleanor. Entrelac is a new technique for me. It looks difficult, but it's not hard at all.

I leave you with a picture of a puppy bum.

Christmas Crap

I believe it's a wrap. Yep, I've got everything done, including the wrapping. This year, I made gift giving easy by stopping off at the Licorice Door to get booze. Buy it, stick it in a gift bag and Bob's your Uncle.

So, now I can sit back and relax. I'm not spending much time cleaning this weekend. It always seems like the house turns into a wreck on Christmas Day. So, I figure I'll just get to it then.

We had another snow storm last night. Both of us were nervous because the lights flickered many times. And since it was about 18 degrees, the house would get mighty cold fast. Even though I wanted to have a fire, I'm saving the wood in case we have another stupid power outage.

I haven't been up to much besides getting the Christmas Crap done. In addition to shopping and wrapping this also includes last-minute blocking and finishing of knitted projects. I try to steer clear of knitting projects close to the holidays. I try to knit them throughout the year to have on hand for birthdays and Christmas. Less pressure. That being said, I cast on and finished a hat. I'm not sure that I will use it as a gift. I think my yarn choice was bad for this particular pattern.

Sam loved the French Onion soup so much he made it himself during the week. We have both been inspired by the current Cook's Illustrated and Fine Cooking magazines. Last night we made Cobb Salad Wraps because I was craving blue cheese.

The parental units are not having Sunday Dinner tonight because Christmas is so close. I can't remember the last time they did not have a Sunday Dinner when they were home. That leaves me all day and all evening to putter around here. Tonight we are either having Chinese Pork and Shitakke Mushroom Wraps or Sweet Potato, Chipotle and Apple Soup.

Yesterday was the Winter Solstice, which means that the days will now get lighter. Thank goodness. I am really hating seeing night time come around 4:30.

Caitlin sent me pictures of the knitted items I sent them. I see that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

I've Got the Power

For now anyway. We lost our power at about 5 a.m. Wednesday. The reason that I knew this is because the stupid janitor at the elementary school we back up to was running the snow blower at 4:30 a.m. Always the optimist, I figured that it wouldn't be long before it was restored. However, it was around 11 p.m. when it came back on. So, I took the day off and watched the temperature drop. Once it dropped about 10 degrees, I built a fire. Without power and very little sunlight, there's not much to do. But, I had my trusty Beagle and wiggly Basset to snuggle with.

I managed to finish the Corporate Camouflage shawl. I really like it. It was an easy knit. I'm thinking of making another. Maybe with some of my hand spun yarn.

I joined the Spunky Eclectic Fiber club, so I will be getting fiber to spin in January. Hopefully, I will get the spindle I want for Christmas. I also got the pencil roving I bought from Etsy. in the mail.

I'm back to working on the KP&S Top-Down Cardigan. The weather is perfect for a nice thick cardigan. I'm going to make French Onion Soup for dinner tonight.

Ice, Ice, Baby

The ice storm hit. Thankfully, we still have our power. It's days like this that I'm glad that I work from home. Since the weather was so crappy, I've just been puttering around the house. We recently made an extra tray of chicken enchiladas just for this occasion. Piddles has had an awful time trying to get around in the ice. She's already uncoordinated. The ice has just kicked it up another notch. Precious and comical.

In my surfing around the Internet recently, I've located the Menu For Hope charity. Food bloggers have put together prize packages and for each $10 you donate you get a raffle ticket for the prize of your choice. I realize my very small readership isn't much interested in cooking, but the prizes are fabulous. I won't tell you what I've bid on, because I intend to win it.

United Nations World Food Program (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, they give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 56 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People. Check it out.

Poor Little Kitten

I went to Whole Foods yesterday to get supplies to make a seafood gumbo. Now that the weather has turned cold, I've been taking out the hand knits to wear. Instead of a coat, I was sporting one of my heavier sweaters. I was also wearing the hand made fingerless mittens I'd just finished. So new that I hadn't even snapped a picture yet. Well, I took them off in the produce section somewhere. I remembered I'd left them about two blocks away from the store. But, alas. They were gone. Always the optimist, I've called a couple of times to see if they were returned. I hope you enjoy them, whoever you are. But, you can bet that I'll be checking out every one's mittens for a while.
It's a great pattern and they knit up quickly. I've already cast on for another pair. I'm using some of the yarn I used for the green Hyde Park sweater. I like them out of Noro Kureyon better. The first ones I made used some Kureyon with a lovely reddish colourway.
Ravelry has tempted me to cast on for a bunch of projects. Aside from the mitts, I've cast on for this hat. I'd better get back to the thick top down sweater now that it's cold. I'd really like to wear that instead of a coat.
I think I've got most of my Christmas presents. I'll have to run to a couple of stores in a couple of days when the weather gets better. Plus, I found a 30% coupon for Border's. Gotta love that. I feel a CD or a book coming my way very soon. Part of the fun of Christmas shopping is buying yourself a present or two. Over the weekend I bought some pencil roving from Etsy. If all goes well, I'll receive a groovy hand spindle for Christmas and try (again) to learn to spin. I figure I'll learn on a hand spindle and then move on to a wheel, if all goes well.
We attempted to make gnocchi over the weekend. What an unbelievable mess. It left the kitchen such a wreck I wondered if it would ever get clean again. I think we're going to try again soon now that the dust has settled.
Now that there is snow on the ground, the birds are using the bird feeder I have attached to my office window. This provides the cats endless entertainment, and I've enjoyed looking at the pretty birds while I clack away on my computer.
It's been a busy two weeks. Out to dinner at a glamorous French restaurant and a trip to the salon for a cut and color being some of the highlights.