Sunday, December 30, 2007

Sniffle sniffle...

I caught a Christmas cold! Merry belated Christmas everyone! I just finished a pair of socks and got to reflecting on the past year of knitting...

10 pairs of socks knitted. Some of them were given away in swaps. I started sock knitting in February when Josh purchased me some Collinette Jitterbug in Lagoon and a sock class at Yarn Mart. It was all downhill from there. Besides the sock obsession, I finished a cat bed, several hats and scarves, and dishrags this year.

What's on the horizon? I have enough stashed for a sweater, several scarves and mittens, 7 or 8 pairs of socks, various baby blankets and the like, the Ogee Lace Wrap and Celtic Tote from Interweave Knits, Pretty as a Peacock Shawl, about 10 dishcloths, and who knows what else is hidden in my cedar chest. Unfinished objects left from 2007: an entrelac scarf, a Branching Out, and the beginnings of a Kitty Pi. I'd like to get some bigger projects going, along with the socks. I'd like to not overbuy this year. So here's my schedule, resolutions, or master queue for 2008. Needles up!

1. Finished Branching Out, the 2nd Kitty Pi and Entrelac Scarf
2. Keep socks on the needles at all times
3. No more swapping! Knit for Christmas instead.
4. Cast on for Pretty as a Peacock, Ogee Lace Wrap and Celtic Tote and finish at least one of them by Mid February.
5. More thrummed mittens
6. More hats
7. Use stash
8. Take more classes from Yarn Mart
9. Shop locally!
10. Avoiding casting on before finishing up an UFO or whipping up something small for the gift closet.

Tomorrow, pictures of the year in review and the story of Tick's missing ear.

Friday, December 21, 2007

As charming as a cactus, you're as cuddly as an eel....

Describes me perfectly, no? Here's the latest news.

1. I bought some needles. I have yarn to make a large array of projects, but no needles. I now have needles of various sizes and brands. I cast on for the Celtic Tote from the Winter issue of IK. So far, so good. It's my first cabling attempt. This piece shall definetely be the back of the bag, something wonky happened in the first cable row. I also have the necessary needles to cast on for the Ogee Lace Skirt from the Fall issue of IK, but I don't have the needles for my shawl yet (see #3).

2. I finished one nuppy sock and cast on for the second. It's the oddest colorway (see picture in post previous to this one) but it's enjoyable. I wouldn't pick orange myself, that's what sock clubs are for! The purple and green in the colorway make it interesting and somehow work with the orange. I hope to finish up by Christmas and cast on my DK weight socks and finish those before coming back to work on Thursday.

3. I bought the Pretty as a Peacock shawl pattern. Yes, ambitious, much? I also just paid for some Zephyr from a nice person on Ravelry in Williamsburg Blue. I'm debating whether I will dip dye the bottom half a forest green, but I'll probably leave it as is.

4. I did not holiday knit. There shall be after holiday knitting though. I forgot about my Pay it Forward Swap, need to start on my Loopy Ewe swap, and I have a friend to knit a small project for. Add to that the two pairs of socks I have in my head, the tote, and a few other things and I predict a busy 2008.

Monday, December 17, 2007

brr...

So today at work, we were without heat for two hours. It got down to a nice 56 in here. It made me wish I was at home in front of the fire, knitting away.

My husband is in Salt Lake City for the week. Yesterday I had the idea to finish up the shopping on Amazon. I was shocked to discover nothing will arrive in time unless I pay $180 for shipping. So I'm trying to get out and get a few presents each day at lunch. Today I was caught in bumper to bumper traffic, but made it to Sam's Club for a few things. Tomorrow will be Target and the post office, Wednesday Wal-Mart and Thursday lunch with a friend. So I suspect I will be doing some last minute shopping on Saturday when Josh gets back.

I finished my thrummed mittens. I was HATING them near the end. I suffered a knitting injury of a seperated nailbed on my left index finger. And one is definetely "better" than the other. Neither is perfect, but that is typical of my knitting. However, they are warm and very cheery, though not too functional, as they are STUFFED with BFL. I hope my swap pal likes them. I have cookies to bake for her package tonight and then off it will go to the cold North!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

On Localness..a New year's Resolution

It's easy to be caught up in the excitement over a Loopy Ewe sneakup or the latest Woolgirl shipment. I've been thinking lately about why this is and I've come up with some insights:

1. Dogs. Anyone whose had a dog knows that they, unless they are very stupid, are mirrors of our own emotion. My dogs don't jump on me, but when my mom comes to visit and uses that high excited baby-talk voice, watch out! A low toned voice is what I was always taught to use when training my dogs. Excitement is contagious. Maybe knitters and yarn addicts are even more so. I know reading everyone's excitement on Ravelry over a Sneak-Up and I find myself looking and loading up my cart even though I know I don't have money to spend.

2. Disconnect. There's something about getting something in the mail. Well, besides bills and junk mail. I'm convinced that online stores that cheerily wrap their items and include little extras make us think that these sellers are our friends. While they may be friendly, this is a cleverly crafted business model. Don't get me wrong, they are nice people, but they are nice people wanting to make a profit off of that niceness. There's nothing wrong with that, it's much better than the big box stores brusqueness and impersonality, but it's a means to an end.

So, where am I going with all this? Buy local! I've had too many stores in Arkansas close before I could visit them. I don't think it's my fault, but lines I can find in my city, like Regia or Noro, I need to buy in my city. There is my New Years Resolution. I'm still a proud member of Woolgirl's Sock and Yarn Clubs, because there is no way I'm finding Yarntini or MissBabs in Arkansas, but yarns I can find across town, I will order across town.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Still here!

I'm still here. Between my stomach and massive amounts of knitting, I've been busy. I'll take some finished object pictures, I've finished two pairs of socks and almost finished some thrummed mittens.

In mail news, I received my last package from my SP11 pal, which Ace is peering into. It had the most yummy cookies, beautiful etsy yarn, dishcloth yarn and other coolness.

Then, I got my Ravelry Christmas swap package. Look at that knitting bag. With my name on it! As a Camille, it's a sad rite of childhood that I never had anything with my name on it. No one makes Camille pencils, bike plates, etc. That was before the dawn of the internet where that problem is easily solved.
Oh, there was also a mass of kitchen cotton (swoon! new brand I've never tried!), and purple and green Tofutsies. Purple and green always make me happy. The cookies are gone and I'm about to delve into a cuppa tea.




That blurry picture is my new sock project from Woolgirl's Sock Club. It's hard to see, but there's nupps on them. They are a royal pain in the wrist, but it's gorgeous. Just hard to photograph with my poor camera.

Work is busy, home is busy. I've been mainly happy with everything except my spending habits. This week I switch to cash only. I'll make any online purchases and then everything else will be cash. Fun, eh? I'm considering some other financial plans for the new year, but that's a little personal and not too yarn related. So that's where I'm at.