Goodbye 2007, Hello 2008!

Happy New Year Bloggy Peeps! 

What better way for me to say goodbye to 2007 than to finish out the year by sharing with you the last of my 2007 FO’s as the year winds down?  I was a busy little stitcher this Christmas, really pushing the limits of timeliness (1 of my Christmas knits is yet to be finished and I have 3 “special orders” that the recipients are still patiently awaiting….. No rest for the weary!).  But I admit, the heightened productivity in these parts has been greatly refreshing and rewarding and though I’m looking forward to a book binge as soon as the special orders are finished, I’m also looking foward to many many more FO’s too!

So, without further ado, here’s the last of my 2007 FO’s for your scrolling pleasure…..

 

Frosty Falling Leaves Scarf

 

 

Pattern:  Valley Yarns Falling Leaves Scarf/Shawl

Yarn: Valley Yarns Stockbridge in Natural – 2 skeins and a few yards

Needles:  Size 7 bamboo; gauge unnecessary

Comments:  Worked the called for number of rows in pattern, but if I’d chosen to do 34 repeats instead of the 36 I would probably have been able to get away with using only 2 skeins of yarn.  This pattern is incredibly easy and produces a really lovely lace scarf.  I made 6 or more for gifts last year and one more this year.  One of these days I should make one for myself!  Also, I got to test out my Knitter’s Block  (that I mentioned in this post) on this scarf.  Sooooooo cool!  You totally need one if you haven’t gotten one yet.  Made blocking this monster so much easier!

 

Blocking Frosty with my Knitter’s block

 

 

 

 

More Fetching Mitts!

 

Pattern:  Fetching from Knitty –  Summer 2006 

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Pure Cashmere in Lt. Pink & Red  – approximately 2.25 skeins per pair (though yardage varied widely)

Needles:  Size 6 metal dpn’s ; gauge not noted 

Comments:  What can I say?  This pattern is one of the quickest and easiest ever and everyone I’ve made them for seems to love them.  A great quick gift when you need one and, in cashmere, even better!

 

 

(sorry for copying you Kasia, but your drinking photo was just too cute!)

 

IK Little Green Clutch a.k.a. Black “Disco Bag”

 

 

Pattern:  Little Green Clutch from IK Holiday 2007 (p. 38)

Yarn: Tilli Tomas Disco Lights in Black, 1 skein

Needles:  Size 10.5 straight bamboo needles & size 5 – 16″ circs ; gauge not noted 

Other supplies:  7″ zipper & lining fabric

Comments:  The knitting on this project was very simple and though I did have to refer to the pattern often for the herringbone stitch (which really can’t be seen in its full glory when knitted in black) it went fairly quickly.  The major source of anxiety and difficulty was actually putting in the zipper and lining.  I really didn’t see how this could be done in any way other than handsewing, which I am pretty good at, but which takes a lot of time (especially when it is Christmas Eve and you need it finished and wrapped by 12:30 the next day!).  But overall, I think it turned out rather nicely and I actually ended up giving it to my MIL rather than my FIL’s girlfriend after all the work involved.  I knew my MIL would not have as many occasions to use it but would appreciate 100 times more, the effort that went into it.  I would maybe make another one someday, but not on a deadline! 

 

Whew!
If you made it this far, you must really love knitting!!

It’s been nice to have my little blogging break, but I have certainly missed all of you so I’m glad to be starting a new year tomorrow!  Hope all of your holidays were merry and bright and that the coming New Year brings you all the most wonderful of things!

Merry Christmas!

Santa and me around 1977 or 1978

 

Happy Holidays everyone!  I hope you are all having a joyful and magical time this season and I wish you and your loved ones all the best for a successful and happy New Year too! 

I’m taking a short break but I’ll be back after New Year’s for some more bloggy fun.  Until then, best wishes to each and every one of you! 

Walkin’ In A WIP Wonderland

“OMG. What is that girl across the street doing now?”

“Holy crap, she looks like a deranged carny in that getup!”

“What the hell is she doing with the lawn chair?”

 

This is what I imagine goes on in the heads of my neighbors as I’m contorting myself in the front yard in search of that perfect photo. Because, believe me, I’ve noticed some of them.

There’s “Gaijin McGee” a few doors down. He likes to crank the music in his garage and jam out in there with the door wide open and the lights blazing. I think we’ve seen his wife a grand total of 2 times since they moved in a few years ago and we are a bit suspicious she might have been “hand picked” if you get my drift. Then there’s “The Hammers” next door. An elderly couple who are entirely too busy hammering things for their own good. When I’m old you can bet I wouldn’t be caught dead actually building things. I’m just gonna hang out in my pj’s all day long. And of course “Naked Baby Lady”; she’s unforgettable. Hey, it’s cool with me if your kid wants to run around in your yard naked, but when he’s shaking his thing at me over by the mailbox, you’re a nickname waiting to happen.

So keeping in mind my penchant for noticing my more “distinctive” neighbors, I’m sure I was probably the source of some inspired dialogue last Saturday. In search of that perfect photo, I was standing on a trashy green plastic lawn chair in the front yard carefully positioning hanks of handspun in a maple tree. At least I had the decency to change out of my blinding pink pj bottoms first. I like my crazy subtle. You might not see it at first, but it’s there.

But no artsy photos today. It’s business time (speaking of Business Time, this is my new favorite video obsession)! Casa de Knittymuggins has become a Christmas sweatshop. It’s a wee bit stressful here, but that’s why they make alcohol and coffee!

 

 

Another pair of finished Fetching mitts in Debbie Bliss Pure Cashmere for my SIL. These are wrapped and ready to go!

 

 

The IK Clutch in Black Tilli Tomas Disco Lights – This one needs the seams sewn, a lining and a zipper and it’s done. It won’t be delivered until after Christmas so I’ve got a little extra time.

 

 

Sheldon for my niece – He’s a bit further along now with eyes and a fully stuffed body. I don’t know when I’ll see my niece so I’m not too worried about finishing this one by Christmas.

 

 

Debbie Bliss Pure Cashmere for one last pair of Christmas Fetching mitts. I’ve started the first of the pair and have to finish them by Christmas. Shouldn’t be too much trouble though…..

 

 

A hat with earflaps for my MIL. This one isn’t a “must finish” for Christmas, but I’d like to finish it if I can.

 

 

O.k. This one’s totally not a Christmas knit, but it’s a WIP I haven’t mentioned yet. This is Juliet that I started for the recent SKC KAL but put down in order to finish my Christmas knits on time. I figure I have about 4 more lace repeats left and I’ll be finished.

 

Hmmmm. Now where’d I put that drink?

Trouble With A Capital “T”

 

 

And I’m in it.

Yesterday Mom and Dad came and dragged my grinchtastic ass out of the house to try to instill some “Christmas spririt” in me after my bah-humbug episode last weekend.  I wasn’t entirely up to it after a tiring week, but I don’t spend enough time with the fam and R. Darling was working anyway, so I knew it would make them happy. 

We went to the Allied Arts Holiday Festival of the Arts to see what the local artisans have been crafting up and then over to the Pacific Arts Holiday Market which we didn’t even know existed, but is apparently in its 11th year here.  There’s always a lot of interesting things to see because we live in a very crunchy (read: granola, read: nouveau hippie, read: tree hugging free spirits – not that there’s anything wrong with that) sort of burg filled with lots of green sorts of folks and artists that make interesting variations of traditional arts as well as some whimsical and occasionally frightening items that you would never see anywhere else.  There are definite uniqueities here (new word, hee).

Imagine my surprise, after rounding a corner of white trashy bead work and potholders, to find a booth with the most gorgeous handspun staring right back at me.  Spincycle whispering softly: Here I am.  You know you want to stop.  Astonished, I stopped in my tracks and mumbled to Mom and Dad that they’d better move on without me.  “Oh, does that mean you want to spend some time here?” Dad says.  “Um yeah”, I mumble, already mesmerized and drooling uncontrollably.  How could I not know they were here?  How did I miss such magic in my own town?  Even Glampyre knows they exist, and Interweave too.

OMG.  I am in Trouble with a capital T.  In a daze I dropped a fat load of cash on 3 skeins of this and the pattern for this.  My mouth is going dry right now thinking about it.  And I want more.  NOW.  Oh why did I have to discover handspun?  Because now I need to find about 4 more jobs, one of them possibly in a seedy dark bar where they “tip” really well, forget about my mocha habit, and eating for that matter, to find the money to feed this new habit.  I’m a handspun junkie now.  Life will never be the same.

 

But could you resist this either?

 

Why You Have To Buy Yarn On December 8th…

Yesterday I spent the day trudging along beneath a rather bah-humbug-ish sort of veil.  Like cobwebs, it couldn’t be brushed away but clung with sticky perseverence despite the fact that I watched “A Christmas Story” with my parents, made candles with my mom, and came home and penned half of my Christmas cards.  The Christmas tree seems like too much work to put up, only to take down in two weeks; I could care less about Christmas shopping.  The sheer grinchery is appalling.  This is a mind-boggling turn of events for someone who practically spends the entire year from December 26th on, anticipating next year’s Christmas.  What’s the deal?  I just can’t explain it.

So last night after I burst into tears the moment R. Darling walked in the door (poor Mister!), he offered to take me out to dinner and to my local LYS for some cheering up.  I know retail therapy is supposed to be a vicious spiral that only leads to debt and the need for more retail therapy, but sometimes, dang it, it’s really nice to be nice to yourself.  Unfortunately the LYS was closed, but R. Darling took me to Olive Garden and then Michael’s where he waited patiently while I dithered over yarn and beads.  Did I mention I love my man?

 

G-R-I-N-C-H-Y!  What’s that spell?

 

So this morning, as we were waking up I mentioned how much I wanted to knit Dahlia and that I thought I might go to the LYS today and buy the yarn I’d need to make it. R. Darling was planning on kayaking today and with my cold still lingering, freezing my ass off in the 30 degree sunshine just didn’t sound appealing, much as I love stiff frozen fingers and a snotty nose.  With R. Darling occupied it seemed like a good opportunity to waste some time pawing and smooshing the yarn at my new LYS. 

I was agonizing over how to justify the yarn, “I really don’t need it”, “But I have a gift card so I wouldn’t really be spending any real money”, when he said, “You have to buy yarn today.”  I would have looked at him shocked, but he is King Enabler when it comes to my yarn habit or anything I want, actually.  So I just looked at him and said,”Well, I don’t have to.  I just want to.  But…..”  Before I could get out more reasons why I shouldn’t go, he said again, “You have to buy yarn today.”  Now I was curious.  “Why?”  “Because today is December 8th!”, he gleefully chortled.  “So?” I say.  And he says something which still has me smiling as I’m writing this: “You have to buy yarn today because it’s December 8th and the eight looks like two balls of yarn stacked!”  “Or a skein, or a twisted hank!” I say, getting into the spirit.  “Yes!”, he says.  “So see, you have to buy yarn today!”  (I know I mentioned I love my man, but I’m just going to have to say it again)

And that’s just what I did. 

Winter Knitty Is Up!

 

“Nature Girl” at Bowman Bay – November 24, 2007

 

Well even though it’s not official yet, it certainly feels like winter here.  So how appropriate that the Winter issue of Knitty is up!  Hooray!  Something to brighten your day!  Doesn’t it seem that there are quite a lot of patterns this time around?  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.   My love at first sight picks are: Dahlia, Azure, Square Cake, Matrix and Fair Isle Rapids. Of course, there are some other really great ones in there that I’m sure I’ll warm up to eventually.  I always do!

 

But first: 

Must.Finish.Christmas.Knitting.  Must.Resist.Evil.New.Project.Temptation. 

Just.MUST.

It’s Beginning To Look Something Like Christmas…..

 

 

For the last 4 days I’ve done nothing but shuffle around the house with my box of kleenex and pocketful of cough drops, drinking cups of tea and exhausting my Christmas movie supply.  My boss brought some nasty bug to work last Wednesday where it got busy with the other bugs in our humid laboratory, and proceeded to launch a full on sneak attack on my normally iron-clad immune system.  So I didn’t make it to the Deception Pass Dash yesterday to cheer on Mr. CrazyPants (R. Darling), which I felt pretty bad about, but he managed to complete the grueling 5.8 mile race in high winds and miserable conditions where many others dropped out.  Hooray for Crazy!!  I’m proud of you honey :)

Saturday we had a little taste of the holidays as we woke up to a dusting of snow and a day filled with soft white flurries.  For once the snow came on a weekend when we didn’t have to drive anywhere so I could just smile and enjoy the fluffy white marshmallow world outside.  Nothing inspires the latent photographer in me more than a fresh snowfall.  So I dragged my photography assistant (R. Darling) outside with me to snap a few photos of one of my recent FO’s while the light was nice.

 

 

 

For knitty specifics, you can visit this previous post

 

I love how these photos turned out.  If you look closely, you can see R. Darling and me reflected in the ornament.  I guess we should have smiled for the camera! 

In typical Pacific Northwest fashion, the snow disappeared by Sunday afternoon and now we are back to the rain and wind that characterize winter here in our little corner of the world.  Between sniffles and hacking up a lung once or twice, I was able to finish the Valley Yarns’ Falling Leaves Scarf that I’ve been working on since last weekend.  That was a relief because I expected it to take me much longer to knock that one out and with it behind me now, the future of The List doesn’t seem nearly as bleak.  It’s not blocked yet, but I hope to do that soon with my nifty little Knitter’s Block.  I’ll let you know how that works out.  But for now here’s the Frosty Falling Leaves in its unblocked glory:

 

 

 

I started the Holiday 2007 IK Clutch yesterday and it’s going fairly quickly, so that’s encouraging.  I also expected this one to take me some time but I think the most complicated part will be hand sewing in the lining and zipper and that shouldn’t be too bad since I’m starting on this one early in the month.  Then a couple more Fetchings and a hat and I should be set for smooth gift giving. 

 

 BTW:  Whatever idiot made up that law of the universe that says you will have some kind of nasty skin eruption the day you are scheduled for a dentist appointment, needs a severe spanking.  I can just hear the dental hygienist behind his magnifying glasses, staring at my volcano sized pores and saying to himself, “Eeeewwww.  Gross.  Hasn’t she ever heard of Benzoyl Peroxide?”   

 

So…….how was your day?