Sweater Progress

Day Six

I don't work today so I am going to see how much I can get done by devoting a large amount of the day to knitting this sweater!!!! I'm hoping by the end of the day when I post again, I will have the back done and part of one of the front sides!!!! Wish me luck!

Happy Day!

Sweater Progress

Day Two

Only got a few hours to work on it because of work and a evening meeting.

New Project!

Today I began a new project. It's a sweater for me! I bought the yarn to make it at the end of last summer but never got around to it.

Day One

I know I'm supposed to be watching less TV but I can't wait to watch the premeire of Cashmere Mafia! I can probably get several more rows knitted while watching!

Happy Day!

Ker Plunk!

Everytime I use double points I think of that game I used to have when I was a kid....

KerPlunk

Two Days in a Row!

I finished an unfinished project today!

I started this purse in the summer and ran out of yarn. Had to buy it at the LYS at the Lake so had to wait a while till I was back there...of course that meant I had to start a new project. Picked this up again in the last couple days and finished today. It was from a free pattern at my Michaels store created by Paton Yarns. The pattern shows a ribbon around the body of the purse so I will add that as soon as I find one worthy. I'm pleased with the color choice and how it turned out. It did take some time with the cables and I just couldn't get the rows memorized so I was constantly looking at the pattern. I also had a couple minor mistakes that I had to troubleshoot. All in all, it's cute!!!

Here's my new 'reading/knitting nook'! We have a sitting room at the top of the stairs which was under utilized so decided a couple chairs would make it nice and cozy. LOVE IT!

Love those Kids Meal toys!!!!

Stay tuned, I might just post again tomorrow!!!

Happy Day!

Let The New Year Begin!

I have no excuses for not posting EXCEPT for the fact that I work in retail and that's all I need to say about the holiday season!

Wrapping up the past year....here's some stats:

Books read: 65.....4 more than last year.
Books not finished: 1....'Inglorious', just couldn't get into it.
Knitting novels read: 5....all were good but my favorite was The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. It's a tear jerker that challenged my thinking about making assumptions about people.

Favorites:
Most chilling: Skin by Ted Dekker
Most intense: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hossein
Best Memoir: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Most disappointing: Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides

I love reading 'Chick-lit' and couldn't pick my favorite so here are a few that I gave 5 stars to:
Good Things by Mia King
Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter
The Blue Bistro by Elin Hilderbrand
Julia's Chocolates by Cathy Lamb
Elements of Style by Wendy Wasserstein
Little Pink Slips by Sally Koslow
Because She Can by Bridie Clark

Read and enjoy! They are all fabulous!

Knitting projects:

8 scarfs, most successful, a few not.
9 felted bags completed, several not.
3 childrens sweaters, all completed.
2 left socks.....I having a feeling the right ones won't be completed in 2008
10 socking caps.
1 adult sweater vest...remember the red vest diaries?
1 baby blanket
1 adult short jacket
Countless in the process projects!
As I look at this run down, I have to say I am pretty impressed. My goal this next year is to actually make myself a sweater. I usually do small projects because of my crafting ADD but I want to challenge myself to complete an entire sweater.

Why do I continue to make resolutions each year?

For the last several years it was all about being on the magical diet that would make me look like the slim, sleek model body I am not!!! My genetic inheritance from one of my grandmothers, thank you Grandma, was the pear shape body! So it seems no matter how much I starve myself, I will never have thighs that don't touch!!! Cordoroy is a no no! Sparks will be flying!

This year is more about being realistic about things!
So hence.....
A little more of this A little less of that

A little more of this A little less of that

A little more finishing projects A little less - 20 things going at once

A little more spreading JOY A little less passing judgment

A little more liking myself A little less hating myself

Here's to a great 2008.

I am looking forward to it being a fabulous year filled with love, laughter, family, friends, knitting projects, art projects and lots of books!!!!

I'm a BAD, VERY BAD BLOGGER!

Yes, I know you thought I had fallen into the endless depths of my yarn stash but no, I have just been LAZY! Yes, I said it!

I have taken a couple of side journeys (see below) in the last couple weeks and have not gotten much knitting done.
BUT.....here are some new things. I have completed the back of the baby dress (except for the finishing which has to be done at the very end). I think the skirt is going to be a little long but it's turned out okay.

In this picture you can see the placket opening in the back. A button will be at the top when the finishing happens. And the 'holes' you see are where I will thread the satin ribbon through and which will gather it up some. I'm hoping when I block it some of the 'unevenness' of the stitches will go away.
Remember the Red Vest Diaries? Of course you do! You have the misadventures of this knitter memorized! I finished it and I am less than satisfied. The finishing around the neck looks TERRIBLE! Thanks to me really. I have a difficult time with 'pickup then knit' which is what this pattern called for. What I did instead was pick up all the stitches put them on a needle then went back and knit and it's way too loose! I am going to rip it out since it is separate from the body and retry. I am going to try to just do a crochet finish around the edge which I think will work. Any advise on picking up and knitting? I can't seem to get the hang of that.

I think too if I made this vest again I would make the 'straps' longer so the scoop in the neck is deeper. It looks like that in the pictures but somehow mine didn't come out that way.

So here is one of my side journeys........don't laugh, it's not very good but I have been trying to give myself 'permission' to try and not be so judgmental about how it looks. I'm not done with it yet but am working on it slowly so I don't get too overwhelmed. If you remember (yes, I know you do!) I talked about my Grandmother and how she was an artist and how I wish that I could draw and paint. I keep going back to trying to make it happen.

I will try hard to be better about posting more. I know you wait with baited breath to see my next post!!! I have a couple scarfs I am going to start tonight!

Happy Day!