Holiday WIPs

Last night, after surviving the first day back to school, I got down to brass tacks and started my holiday crafting. This is an entirely different category from the holiday knitting, so it requires a different frame of mind. And a different set of tools.


These little pockets were inspired by Jenny at allsorts. When finished, they will turn into this. So cute! We don't have anything other than a paper advent calendar, so I am looking forward to having this finished. Last year I attempted to create some decorations, but ran out of steam. The advent calendar is the first thing I have planned (I don't have too much planned), but I have other holiday crafting to do - some of which is gifts.


Speaking of gifts, I have another complete!



Pattern: Sophie (I know, it's really getting old)
Yarn: Paton's Classic Merino - 1 skein
Needles: Sz 6.5mm Circular and DPNs
Mods: none
Thoughts: my favorite quick gift project. All of my gift Sophies are finished. I do have a skein of red Paton's to make a christmassy Sophie for me, but we'll see.

I have another project nearly done, but it requires a trip to JoAnn's, which hasn't happened for the past two nights, since we've had unexpected family stuff. Hopefully tomorrow after school.

Off to finish up another!

Weekend wrap-up

This week, some projects were nearly finished.



And others were barely started.


There is more, but much of it is secret, so I can't show you right now. Hopefully, some fully finished projects later this week!

I'm feeling a bit recharged, and hoping I can make it through the next four weeks with a fairly positive attitude. I'm also hoping to get some crafty holiday things done around the house, and will share those with you as they get finished. I even have a few plans for my December blogging, in an effort to make it "more exciting" for mom (and the rest of you).

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving, and have that holiday knitting list finalized!

Thanksgiving socks

Pattern: Generic top-down sock over 72 stitches
Needles: ChiaGoo sz 2.25mm dpns
Yarn: Trekking XXL
Mods: none
Thoughts: love the colors. The perfect fall socks!


Just in time for 34 degree temps, sleet and snow! I'm all bundled up in my new fall socks and my orange hourglass.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving - we did, and I'm looking forward to some snuggly knitting this weekend!

FO for momma

Pattern: Basketweave Pullover from a pattern leaflet mom sent me (I don't have it handy to look up - I'll try to find it.)
Yarn: Manos Cotton Stira, Tahki Cotton Classic
Needles: Sz 8 Clover Bamboo Circulars
Mods: lengthened sleeves
Dates: sometime this summer - end of September. Seamed November 17.
Thoughts: DONE!

This was actually a fairly quick knit, when I would work on it. I striped in the Cotton Classic, since we were worried I would run out of the Stira. As it turns out, I have a skein and a half left.

The sweater fits mom really well - which I was tremendously worried about. Perhaps that's why it took almost 2 months for me to seam it?

She seems to like it, right mom?

In other news, an unloved knit has gone on to live with my MIL, whom I hope really likes it and isn't just saying so.

I'm trying to finish up a few more things this week, cross your fingers !

Wicked awesome!

See? There has been knitting! I'm through with the body of Wicked, now I just need two sleeves (and yes, I'm making long sleeves, 'cause if you're going to make a wool sweater, I feel like you should go all the way. And besides, even though I live in Texas, I'm usually always cold.)

I'll probably work on the sleeves this weekend and next week, when I DON'T HAVE SCHOOL FOR A WHOLE WEEK! Woo Hoo! Plus, my mommy is coming to visit, so I desperately need to finish her sweater, right mom? So there'll be that too hopefully. Can you imagine? Two finished sweaters? Be still my beating heart!

Also in the wicked awesome category, I'd like to give myself a wee pat on the back. You see, I've been trying to get motivated to loose what I like to call the "knitting weight" (you know, all the weight I've gained since I took up knitting and starting sitting for long periods of time. Because before the knitting it was the reading weight). I rejoined my old gym this summer, and was going on a regular basis and getting to take yoga class 2-3 times/week. Unfortunately, they only offer yoga on Tu/Th/Sat mornings, so I don't get to go anymore (I'm at the LYS on Saturdays). Poop. I called and tried to talk them into evening classes (like they used to offer) but they aren't interested. And I'll be honest - it takes a lot for me to want to go to the gym (but I feel guilty about spending the money and not going, so that helps a little). But I really want to fit back into some of my old clothes, so I need to drop just a few pounds, and be healthier. I know I mentioned the getting up at o'dark thirty a few days ago, and this is why: I've made a deal with myself - go to the gym four days a week, for four weeks and I get to take a personal day from school. Very excellent motivation. Though I won't get to take my day until well after the holidays, it looks like, that's OK. In fact, I was thinking today that maybe I don't need that motivation anymore. Maybe I just want to go. I've been reading on the elliptical machine, which I don't make time for anymore, so that's been nice. I've almost finished a book, and I can't tell you when was the last time that happened!

So wickedness all around! Only 3 more days until VACATION! And mommy!

What I've been up to

Prepare yourselves: I've ripped some projects. Still breathing? OK.

Last Sunday, with my extra hour, I ripped. Ripped and ripped and ripped. Off the needles? Kyoto, the grey hat, mystery stole, Myrtle Leaf Shawl, 2 secret projects, the Somewhat Cowl, Jumbo Elephant and my sock log cabin blanket. Whew.


Of course, I had to start some new projects, but I don't feel guilty about them since they're both gifts.


Snowman Hat from Itty Bitty Hats for a Christmas baby, and another Sophie (someday I'll get sick of this pattern. Someday).



So, this brings up the question: What am I knitting for Christmas?


Socks: done
Sophie: done
Dishcloths: done
Bottle Cozie: done
baby hat: done
Sweater for hubbo: in progress
Scarf for The Girl's teacher: yarn bought
Scarf for friend at school: started
Socks: yarn bought
Slippers: started
Socks: started
Slippers: yarn bought
Hat: yarn bought
Hat: not started
Scarf: started
Sophie: started
Baby Hat: started
Baby Hat: yarn bought
Slippers: not started
Hat: not started
Kid's Hat: not started
Ornaments: not started


Whew. Writing it all down like that sure seems like a lot. And I'm sure that there are thing's I'm forgetting, but for now, that's it. And that's plenty. I've also got some sewing to do, but I'll post more about that after the holidays.

So, what are you knitting for Christmas?

Single Sock Club

I have a problem. When I knit socks, I get stuck in the gusset. For some reason, all those extra stitches slow me down considerably. I had several pairs stuck here, so I spent last Sunday trying to get them all through the heel flap and turn, and most through the gusset. That allowed me to finish two single socks since then. Woo Hoo!



Plain sock - must finish second for Thanksgiving - according to hubbo.



Monkey sock. Nothing new to see here.


Now if I only had the motivation to knit the second one.

Give them all your money

I had a delightful surprise last week - Jillian over at Sknitty posted about the haul she got from a new yarn shop. I hopped on over to check it out, and not only were there gorgeous yarns, but the shop is run by Kris, my very first sockpal! Of course I had to check it out, and give her some of my hard-earned cash - and so should you!


Left to right - Chewy Spaghetti in Meandering, Mama Llama in River, and Zen Yarn Garden in Maraca. Oooh so pretty.

Where did I get it? Sonny and Shear which wins my personal award for best yarn shop name ever. Go. Give. Money.

Do not adjust your screen

These are real finished knits you are about to see.


Pattern: Bottle Cozy from Yarns Ewenique
Yarn:Cascade Fixation
Needles: sz 6 Chiagoo DPNs
Mods: none
Dates: September-October 2007
Thoughts: One more for the gift pile.



Pattern: Sophie from Magknits
Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool
Needles: Sz 10.5 Clover bamboo circular and DPNs
Mods: none
Dates: September-October 2007
Thoughts: Another gift compleated



Pattern: Little Pumpkin from Itty Bitty Hats (one of my most favorite books ever)
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in discontinued Orangeade and Rowan Calmer for the stem and leaf
Needles: Sz 7 Clover bamboo circular and DPNs
Mods: none
Dates: October 2007
Thoughts: Super cute!

My Halloween treat

Madelinetosh in Bullion, Socks that Rock in Lenore.

Bubkis

For all my talk last week, I've managed to finish nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. I'm still close to finishing a few (and may actually accomplish that this week), but I didn't get anything of note done last week.

In all honesty, this school year is kicking my butt. I'm under constant scrutiny from my administration, I have the pressure of three state standardized tests weighing down on me, and the constant data gathering, benchmark taking, etc. on top of weekly day-to-day teacher tasks (grading, planning, meetings - and, well, teaching), mixed in with a new reading curriculum, and I'm exhausted. I'm lucky if I make it through 1, maybe 2 TV shows a night, and if I'm not in bed by 10, I'm a wreck the next day. (Man, I'm whiny.)

I'm also trying to get back in shape, so I'm getting up at the ugly end of dawn (4:45) every day to go to the gym before school. In an effort to make my family not the thing that suffers, my knitting is taking one for the team. Other than two socks that were really almost done, I don't think I've finished anything since school started two months ago.

I felt bad for a few weeks when I thought seriously about the number of projects I have going, (and one night I nearly had a heart attack when I counted them) but I've decided that if this is the way I deal with stress (as opposed to copious amounts of drinking) that this is the better choice. So cast on I will, and finish I might. I will try to refrain from buying more needles, in order to keep the WIP list below 100.

I know the blog's been boring for the past few weeks (few months if I really think about it), and I apologize. I really appreciate those of you who check in still, and leave a note every once in awhile. I know there's not much to see here, and there are many other blogs to read, and your time is valuable, so I feel unworthy that you spend it here (but I'm not complaining). I'm trying to stick to an every-other-day schedule, in order to motivate myself to do something. I'm going to not stress so much about the quality of the pictures in order that I might have a post about something.

There are several projects that you've never seen, so I'll try to dig them out every once in a while. I'm also working on a few secret projects, but I may tease you with them. I keep telling myself that there won't be a lot of Christmas knitting this year, but I told myself that last year, and that didn't stop me. So we'll see.

As Dory would say, I'm going to just keep knitting, just keep knitting, and if all I get is a few rows a night, someday it might equal a sweater. And if it's this winter, or next winter, I'll love it just the same. No pressure. Just knitting.

In which no one is surprised

While I'm trying to be "good" this week and not start any new projects, this clearly wasn't a priority last week.



The beginnings of Anemoi mittens in Louet Pearl (or whatever they're calling it now). For the record? I hate purling in colorwork. But I'm through the cuff now, so I get to start the chart.




The beginnings of the Superlong Wrap (Ravelry link) from the Knitting To Go deck, with the yummy alpaca I bought on the crawl. This one is on temporary hold because the lovely big cake of yarn was pulled apart by one of our four-legged friends (and not the usual culprit, as he was in his kennel when this happened), and I have to rewind it. Blech.


There is also a new sock around here somewhere that hasn't had its picture made yet.

I'm trying to stay true to the finishing feeling I had Sunday, but I haven't finished anything but the socks yet. I'm hoping for some good knitting time after school today, since we don't have meetings and I'm caught up on my grading.

Don't worry though, I'm sure a new project will sneak in there sometime. Wouldn't want to let y'all down now.

Just in time

The high today is 55. Good thing I have new socks to wear!


Pattern: Generic top-down over 64 stitches
Yarn: ONline cotton
Needles: 2.5mm Brittany DPNs
Dates: June-October 2007
Mods: none
Thoughts: Very soft, not very splitty for a cotton yarn. Love the colors.



Plus, they go perfectly with my new shoes!


I'm on a finishing kick this week - stay tuned to see what manages to get done!

Tease

Fall briefly ran by on Monday and Tuesday, bringing terrible thunderstorms, and cool enough weather for wool socks and handknit sweaters. Too bad it's going to be nearly 90 again today and tomorrow.

Anniversary Socks

By some miracle, I managed to finish these up before bed on our anniversary Tuesday. Whew!



Pattern: Generic stockinette sock - top down, over 80 stitches.
Yarn: Trekking XXL
Needles: Chiagoo DPNs sz 2.25 mm
Dates: June-October 2007
Mods: n/a
Thoughts: Again, much love for the Trekking. But hubbo's socks seem to tak so much longer than mine! He's worth it though.

I did have to start another pair right away (couldn't leave those needles empty for long!), but I don't have a picture yet. Hopefully soon.

That's one pair down for socktoberfest. Way too many more to go.

Stress can kill. Or make you start a lot of projects

We all have seen how I dealt with the kitchen stress this summer.

School stress has been at severe levels for the past two weeks or so (really, all year), so you can imagine what I did last week. Besides the three new scarves, it is apparently sweatertober as well.



Wicked started in Malabrigo. Can we all say YUM? (Hubbo really wanted to know why my book was in the picture. 'Cause I'm reading it and knitting it! Duh!)



Union Square Market Pullover (three million stitches on eeensy needles - this one may take years).



Bristow (something easy for when hubbo's around and I can't work on his sweater).



Somewhat Cowl (because it's pretty)


Where are the folks in the white jackets?

I did finish some socks this week, but since it is o'dark thirty, and I have a four hour inservice tonight (after school - just what I want to do on a Friday), and all day tomorrow, and hubbo has a soccer game tomorrow night, it will probably be Sunday before I can take their picture. It's probably better that way - it will allow me to take pictures of everything else I start this weekend.

All crawled out

Home from the yarn crawl/shop hop, and moderately caught up with school work, so here's a quick look at my goodies from the weekend.



We left from Hill Country Weavers, where I managed to only purchase two skeins of Nature's Palette in a chocolately brown. Such restraint!


Our first stop was Yarn Barn in San Antonio. A large combo shop of needlepoint and yarn, we nearly destroyed the book and sale areas (there were about 35 of us). I managed to score an Interweave I don't have in the sale bin, along with seven skeins of Rowan Denim for the Indigo Ripples Skirt. And well, that Trekking couldn't be helped. It's orange after all.



From there we headed to Yarnivore in San Antonio. This is a small shop in a strip mall area, but it is clean, well-lit, and the owner was very sweet. I did manage to find more yarn here I needed (shocking, isn't it?) Some Kraemer Tweed (cotton acrylic blend) that is more pink than the picture shows, and a pretty pattern book.



On to Boerne, where our first stop was Rosewood Yarns. A new shop that is crammed with yarn, and we completely took over. I did restrain myself from yarn here, but I managed to find three patterns and a beautiful needle-felted notions case made by a women's cooperative in Nepal.



A short jaunt down the street, and we were at Ewe and Eye. A charming shop, filled up with toys, needlepoint, baby items, and yarn. The owners were lovely to us, and I came away with another back issue magazine I don't have, sock yarn for the hubbo (to make up for being gone all weekend, and spending money!) and a 660 yard hank of the softest alpaca I've ever felt. It comes from Switzerland, and has no tag, so I can't tell you about it, other than to tell you to call the shop and get you some. YUM. I'm envisioning a wrap to wear in my classroom. Hubbo wants me to make him a pillow out of it. Ha.

And that's it! We didn't get to Bluebonnet Yarns in Cedar Park, or Stonehill Spinning in Fredericksburg, due to the tight bus schedule. Ah well, just another excuse to do it all again next year!

Yesterday was a difficult day. Today is Friday.*

After a spectacularly awful week, I'm looking forward to running away for the weekend to the Hill Country Shop Hop.

Lots of knitters on a bus, seven yarn stores, and (hopefully) margaritas and mexican food Saturday night. Sounds great. See y'all on the flip side.

*One of my all time favorite books is Lily's Purple Plastic Purse, in which Lily has a bad day and her teacher tells her "Today was a difficult day, tomorrow will be better." When I said that to hubbo last night, he said "tomorrow will be Friday." TGIF.

Scarftober?

It's not all socks around here these days - several scarves have jumped on the needles this past week.



Out of the frogged Claudia's Sport - Isobel from Cider Moon's free patterns. I am really enjoying this, and it is working up fairly quickly.



Also from the failed Chevron scarf - Branching Out, restarted for the upteenth time. I'm finding it much easier this go-round.


And finally, I could resist the call of the Noro no longer. Two colors (for now) for a Striped Scarf. I love it. My only disappointment is that one of the colors has pulled apart on me FIVE times since I started. That's way too many freakin' ends to weave in for a scarf. It'd better stop it.

Socktoberfest!

Just a quick peek at what's on the needles sock-wise. I've got two single socks, and about 5 pairs of half done single socks. There are also two pairs in hiding somewhere I'm going to try to dig up. My goal for the month is three finished pairs. I think this is doable.

First up - finishing those grey socks for Hubbo's anniversary present!