New Year FO's and new projects!

Hey everyone,
I have 2 FO's for you already. The first is a pair of socks - Elfine Socks



drying over the rack as I finished them on Saturday (and wore them to Knitch to show off on Sunday) - I began these socks in July 2007. I know, such a slacker.... I totally blame the other shiny knitted objects I have finished. Also the lace pattern is quite similar to the Titania Socks and I got very bored. They are knit toe up with a short row heel and I'm happy with them even though I did have to fiddle around with needle size because they took so darn long to finish.

FO the second - the February Lady Sweater -


Also drying on the rack - I do still have to attach the buttons, but that's it! Also, so you know, there are sleeves, I just tucked them underneath the rack so the weight of the damp sleeves wouldn't stretch out. Three weeks from start to finish - crazy!

Also - I have just joined the LimeNViolet Sock Marathon 2009, running February 1 through August .... (psst - and I'm a mod for the group too!) So here is my burning shame:



That's all my sock yarn laid out in a single layer on my bed.... over 30,500 yards of it... and as a disclaimer, this does include both fingering weight and sport weight yarn bought *specifically* for socks. I plan on knitting at least 6 pairs of socks this year and hopefully a few other things that will use up a lot of this stash.

Thanksgiving redux

Yes, it's almost Christmas, which means it's time for me to post a few photos from Thanksgiving! I got onto a plane and flew down to Florida to see all the relatives on my birthday and was *pleasantly* surprised with quite warm weather, it was much warmer than it had been in Atlanta and I really enjoyed my stay!



We had an ice cream social with all of my family - and this was my cake!



And here's the family!



This is me and my grandmother - she looks pretty good for 92!!



and me and my great-aunt Irene - she's only 90!

They're the main reason for the Florida trip.... I've been traveling to see the grands over Thanksgiving for quite some time now, except for last year when I went home to see the new parental homestead, but it's important to keep in touch with the family! I have the best relationship with everyone and I like to say my family IS crazy, but in the best kind of way possible!

It's been a long summer.

It's been a long, long summer - almost too much to talk about really. Lots of icky personal drama which is resolving itself now, the biggest thing is that my hours got cut back at Dad's Garage, so now I'm only doing the book-keeping (which is fun - really!) but it's not cutting paying the bills... and with the economy being the way it is, I've not had any luck finding a new job and I'm still looking.

Anyway, there has been some knitting, but with the depressing summer, not very much... I did go into Knitch the other day and had knitting group with everyone which was lots of fun. Regan (evilsciencechick) was there showing off a cute hat that was too small for her - somehow it landed on my head, and all of a sudden I have a cute new hat!!



Also, you might note, I am wearing a shrug I knit this summer - the Dream in Color Classy Shrug - I used Knit1Crochet2 Temptation, so it was a stash-buster for me...

This past week has been a busy knitting one for me - I've knit a pair of Fetchings for my grandmother and I do have to knit another pair for my great-aunt Irene.



They live in the same assisted living facility and I'm going to knit exactly the same ones for auntie Irene.... so they won't be jealous of each others' presents!

Also, I cast-off a baby surprise jacket last night. It does still need to be seamed up, but I've a photo of it:



I do have to knit another one of these as well - they're commissioned works and I need to finish them up....

Lots of knitting to be done before Christmas - I need to knit up some presents for the family, but my plan is hopefully to have some quick knits and I'll get them done in time....

I am keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be keeping the blog updated in a more regular fashion. Talk to you soon!

Lacking photos... but Finished Objects!

OK - I DO have finished objects (yes... that's PLURAL!) for you... but I am lacking photos, because technically... they're not blocked... but the knitting is finished and all the ends are woven in and everything!

FO #1 - Marina out of the "Noro Joy" book by Jane Ellison. Very easy knit - took 3 skeins of Noro Taiyo - I used the color #6... super fancy colorway names! And it's a cute vest with 4 buttons... I did not swatch, cause I live on the edge (and I've lost 12 pounds), so it's a bit big... I am hoping that blocking will help it out a bit otherwise I may have to start over. I am OK with this. This is my first project with major seams, so I took it into Knitch on Monday and the super-fabulous Marissa helped me out with it - and I bought 4 small black buttons that still need to be attached. :)

FO #2 - Cropped Cardi by Blue Sky Alpacas (Amy O'Neill Houck designed the pattern). I bought the pattern from Knitch on Sunday cause I've been ogling their shop sample. Also I had 15 skeins of a magenta-pink sport weight in my stash that was originally going to be a sweater, but it's been marinating in the stash for a while, and I figured this would be a good thing to knit. The pattern used the sport weight DOUBLED and it's knit for the most part on size 11 needles. This is a SUPER easy project! I started it on Sunday night when faced with the seaming challenge of Marina and I finished it last night! I totally could have finished it on Wednesday night but got sucked into reading Ravelry forums which totally slowed down the knitting. There is actually NO photo for this at all because the knitting went so quickly. I do need to buy a large button for it and perhaps crochet a loop to hold it closed, but it's really cute and I do need to have a photo taken... maybe that will happen on Sunday during knitting :)

I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday weekend! I am working today and tomorrow, but it's been quiet here so far today!

FO's - no pictures...

OK - So I've finally finished a few things, and because I am SUPER lazy, I took no pictures, maybe tomorrow... I just got excited about finishing things off!

Finished - the everlasting bagstopper! Super easy summer knit.... I sewed in the ends and then drawstringed the ribbon... I like the ease of drawstrings and couldn't find my sewing thread, so I took the easy way out! The knitting has been finished for a while, and I couldn't stand it looking at me 95% finished, so I finished it off tonight!

Also finished - 1 Azure sock (pattern from Knitty)... knit out of Panda Silk, this one lonely sock is a shop sample for Knitch. If I can't make it by tomorrow, I know I'll be by there on Sunday for knitting, and I'll take it with me then. No modifications and it's pretty cute. Not sure if it was the best match between the pattern and the yarn, but gosh darn it - it's finished! Ends woven in and everything.

I also spent a good 2 hours on the phone with my mom giving her a good intro to Ravelry (she's FairSea02 over there)... she's had an account there, but got a new job in late winter/early spring and hadn't had any time to do anything there, so we got a project entered and went here and there and I think she may have even joined a group or two! By the time we were finished I was pretty tired, but obviously, I still had enough energy to get some things out of the way....

Also I must say that my thoughts are with Claudia (BavGirl on ravelry) this week... she had been working in Germany and found out her husband had a heart attack and passed, and had to come home to take care of everything. I cannot imagine her grief during this time... she did post that she's still not quite sure what the final plans are going to be, she's waiting for some of his family to arrive to make the final details. Claudia, my thoughts are with you.

Surprise Sunday Post!

Hey there... I did really mean to post the other day, but Leslye came home on Friday and she's feeling so much better now. Also, we've had a very busy week at the theatre and I did start exercising so I've been a bit tired! But, true to form, I went to the sunday knitting group at Knitch and made some progress.... and a couple of purchases!

First off - I'm knitting Marina out of the new Noro book "Joy"



Don't you like it? I'm using the yarn called for - noro Taiyo, color 6. How do you like my swatch? Just kidding, I finished up the back, and cast on for the left front and knit about 3 rows before we all had to leave. But before we left, I did buy 2 skeins of yarn....... what can I say? They CALLED to me!



A skein of Saucy superwash in the color "Marinara".... and....



Yep - Handmaiden Casbah in Blackberry...

yummy!

Mom socks photo!

Yep - mom knit socks.... and then sent them to me to let me know she was thinking of me! And they're my favorite color! PINK!

That's all I know about them - so if you can identify the yarn or anything, let me know!