2012 Resolutions

Aside from my normal new year's resolutions to get more exercise, lose 5 lbs, have more sex (ok maybe that isn't in your list but I'm betting it is)...here are my knitting resolutions.


1-Finish the Alpine Lace Stole. Absolutely! I started it in Sept 2009. It is time!

2-Design a sweater. I have it planned out in my mind. Just gotta do the swatching & figuring. Can't show you a picture because that would spoil the surprise. But here is the yarn I'm planning to use. If it behaves nicely in the swatch.




3-Do something in entrelac. I'd love to do a scarf like this from Lion Brand.




Or these socks...or both. Speaking of socks....I also want to do toe up socks.




4-Make a fair isle hat for my son in law.



5-Design a shawl. I really do want to design a shawl/stole. Really.


6-I want to make a small throw for my living room like this except in my earth tone colors. I may have to move this up to number 2. Or 3. Yeah it's number 3. But, I'm not re writing this.




7-Make this scarf  with my SS yarn from Carrie K.


8- Make this scarf  with the yarn I got from my SS (Jackie C) in 2009.

9-And the biggie....buy no more yarn except what is needed for the above four five six items. 

2011 In Pictures

Here are pictures of most of my knitting projects from 2011 in no particular order. If you want more information they are all on my Ravelry page.

Five Hour Baby Sweater
done in pink camo yarn-fun knit

Drops Bolero

Gilet Noeud Noeud
very cute little sweater

Hats for Susie

Lace Cardi
a royal pita!

Leaf Yoke Top
fun knit-love the yarn!

Luggage Blossoms

Openwork Shrug
love this!

Quickie Baby Sweater

Soften His World Baby Blanket
cutest baby blanket ever!

30 minute Baby Hat & Cape
darling little hat

Ruffled Scarf
very fun & quick knit

Another Ruffled Scarf

Another

Again

One More Time

Just One More

Paneled Cabled Afghan
almost 3 years in the making

Lion Neck Cardi
crap picture but another quick knit

Please...somebody stop me!

Absolutely the last ruffled scarf!

Progress Report

I've been working on this afghan off and on for a little over two years! Definitely my longest WIP ever!!  A few weeks ago I finished the next to last panel (the green honeycomb panel on the left) and decided that in order to get some motivation to finish the thing I needed to seam together all that I can at this point. Whew! That was a really long sentence! I really love it! I've started the last panel which is another honeycomb cable in the green yarn. I really think it will need a border in the green to tie it all together so I've been looking at edging patterns & have found a few that I like. One possibility is the Spindles border from the Sleeping Beauty Baby Blanket.  Here is a close-up pic of the panel details. Here's the link to my project page on Ravelry if you are really interested.

In A Funk

I've been in something of a funk lately with my knitting. I still enjoy it when I'm knitting something that holds my interest. BUT, and it's been a big but, I have countless shawls & sweaters that I've knitted for myself & only worn one time. Like this one. Because it's too hot in Texas!  

So, I have been a little depressed and wondering what is the point of all this knitting if I make stuff that just sits in a drawer unused? And honestly, most of the things that I've gifted, I've felt were not appreciated.  I still remember going to the Hospice center & donating the afghan that I made while Angie was in the hospital. The reception was less than thrilling! I should've just taken my afghan and walked out!

I am still working on the Paneled Afghan but I'm so tired of it. I only have 2 more small panels to go & it'll be finished. I swear that I will never knit another afghan! And the Alpine Lace Scarf/Shawl is over halfway finished but I still have lots of yarn left & the miserly way I was raised insists that I use up every last drop of that $42 yarn! It's a really slow knit because of the laceweight yarn & the beads. But it'll be gorgeous. Wonder where I'll ever wear it?


Well, after several days of pattern searching & soul searching I've decided it's ok if I knit just because I enjoy it. TAA DAA!! It's really hard for me to do something just for me. As it is for most women. I have a large queue on Ravelry & many things that I've bought the yarn for. So, I pulled out my #1 and cast on. And I'm loving it. Leaf Yoke Top from Knit. 1/Spring Summer 2009. I bought the yarn on an impulse last November in Fredericksburg because the LYS had one on display & it was so gorgeous. They didn't have the pattern but assured me it only took 1 hank. Oh yeah, this yarn was $40+ per hank. But the hank has 560 yards. I digress...Got home found the pattern, ordered it. Lo & behold I would need more than one hank for the medium size. Called the LYS. They didn't have any more. Found a gal on Ravelry who had a partial hank. Pm'd her & asked if she'd sell it. She GAVE IT TO ME!! However, the dyelots are not the same. It's really really different. So, I'm alternating the two and so far it looks great! I don't have a picture yet because it's not far enough along to look like anything. So, here's a picture from the magazine. And I'm going to look as snooty as she does when I wear it!
 And look at this little top from Caron. It resembles the Leaf Yoke Top. I think I'll make it too! I don't know who it's for and I don't care! Well, maybe a little bit....

Catching Up

I've been MIA for awhile but just been way too busy to update the blog! Grin...So many friends doing it lately, that I thought I'd update mine. We had a wonderful 2 months in South Texas dancing every day. We were really into Round Dancing (aka choreographed ballroom dancing) this year & learned so much. We had a wonderful time! The weather was cold there but nothing like it was everywhere else so we felt lucky. We had ice one day & were without power for about 4 hours.  

Orange tree with icicles all over!

Surprisingly to me, they said the ice on the orange trees actually protected the trees from damage from the freezing temps.

On the knitting front, I managed to whip up a few things in between dancing. Like the fingerless mitts using some yummy soft Royal Fiber Spinnery 100% Baby Alpaca that I got from my Secret Santa MB. So soft & they sure were useful this winter!

Yummy soft mitts!

Another pattern that I love is the Openwork Shrug. I've made several of these now & they are so great for wearing at dances where it is chilly when you first walk in. Then, once you warm up a bit you can toss it aside. This one was made from an aran weight yarns so it's especially warm & cozy. Then I made another one using awesome Brook Farms Acero fingering weight yarn that I adore! It's the perfect weight for spring! I have modified the pattern a little bit because I found that the double yo's weren't to my liking. Instead I did k2, kf&b for the increase rows. It is much nicer, imho.

Love this!

Last but not least is the Knot Knot Vest. The "real" name for this pattern is Gilet noeud noeud. But being the dork that I am I wondered what it translated to in English. So, from Google & Reverso I found that Gilet translates to Vest & noeud is either node or knot. Anyway, this is my interpretation of her pattern. I'm also making a hat to go with it called Knot Knot Chapeau. I plan to donate the set to my square dance club for a silent auction on the 9th of April.  

Adorable little sweater

Well, that's it for today. If you stuck it out....you have my sympathies!

On the Road Again….

Haven’t checked in with the blog in quite a long time. Not sure anybody reads it anyway….and that’s ok because it’s for me mostly.

We’re traveling at the moment but I am finding time to knit a little. Finished a pair of fingerless mitss using the yarn that Marsha gave me as Secret Santa. They are cute & I’ll post a pic on of these days! Thinking on my next project…