Not Much Knitting Progress

I have finished the first of my Paradise Carolina socks. I am working on the second one as I make this post (got to love waiting for those pictures to upload, huh?).
I really like this yarn and it is very bright, but I am a Frank sock person, so that is probably why I was drawn to this yarn.




The reason why I don't have much knitting progress???? Little Buddy and I are working on a project together. He is doing most of the work I am just helping. Go Little Buddy you are doing great.




I am learning lately that God can work in amazing ways. When I am frustrated or disenchanted with my life he puts a little something to remind me that He is in charge. I really have no control over anything. Yesterday, He gave us a beautiful sunset that this picture doesn't even begin to capture.

A Good Day

Every now and then you just get blessed with a good day. Today happened to be one of those days.






We got some snow this morning. It was so pretty just watching it fall. The wind wasn't blowing and it was just pretty. There were some big flakes and I always like those.




I also got to do a little knitting. I worked a little on all three of my obsessive projects that I am doing now. I do realize that one row on a scarf really doesn't make that much difference but all those rows add up after a while and you end up with a finished scarf. I have got the gusset decreases done on the sock and am hoping to finish one of them this weekend. I have a feeling this will be my Super Bowl knitting for Sunday.



I also got in a little spinning today. I love spinning. I am really starting to 'get in the groove' of spinning. I like the whole relaxation of the process of watching roving turning into singles. I am also enjoying all the variations in this roving that are really hard to see in this picture.



This afternoon was a big day in Kindergarten. It was the Annual Kindergarten Potluck. The potluck is when you bring your favorite foods and share them with the other children and their families. Punkinbug chose to take Crockpot Mac and Cheese. There wasn't much of it left when it was time to put the food away. After the lunch, we decorated Valentine's Day boxes. I hav to say that her box is quite snazzy. I forgot to take a picture of it though. BAD MOM Little Buddy got to go along too and he had a great time playing in the housekeeping area.

Enjoying My Knitting

Isn't it great when you are really enjoying what you are knitting? Right now I am so enjoying being a knitter. The three projects that I am working on right now are all projects that I am really enjoying. I was working on this sock while the pictures were uploading to Blogger and I didn't want to put it down to finish this post.




I have also been bitten by the Lace Bug. I have to admit that this project is keeping my attention. I still have a very long way to go with this project but I am still excited to see what it will look like after "just one more round". The sad parts are the rounds are getting longer and longer. I am on the 290 stitch rounds and they go pretty quickly, but the next chart has rounds that are 574 stitches and I know they will go much slower added to the fact that I have to do 48 of those rows, plus the 115 repeats of the edging. I really have no where to wear lace, I might just be the snazziest person at the grocery store.

Done and Begun

Done.I have FINALLY finished the Mountain Monkeys. They only took me the better part of six weeks and knitting one of one and a half times. When I started these I just needed to do this pattern again for some reason. I think I am over that now.



Begun. Since I finished the other pair of course I had to cast on another pair. I am knitting the Carolina, Last Queen of Naples socks. I am using Scarlet Fleece in the Bird of Paradise colorway. I am sure these will help with the winter blues too.



We have had a couple of nice days and that has helped alot. If more of winter was like yesterday and today, I don't think I would mind winter so much.



I am still working on the Sick and Tired of Winter scarf. I had to do some tinking but it is back on track. I am a third to halfway done with the yarn that I have so I am not sure how long it will be. I am excited to finish it though.

Edited because I Forgot a Title Post

My Sick and Tired of Winter scarf is moving along quite nicely. I never thought that the Clapotis pattern would be so engrossing. I just want to keep going to see how it will look after I drop the next row of stitches.




I have also embarked on my next large lace project. It isn't very big yet, is it? I will admit I am a little intimidated by it. It is the Shetland Tea Shawl from the Gathering of Lace book. There are several patterns that I would like to knit out of this book. I just need to remember that lace projects take a little more time.




What would my blog be without an occasional shot of Little Buddy. He is really starting to use his imagination when playing. Yesterday he was pretending that an old computer was a gas pump and was using it to fill up his cars with gas.




How do you know that you live in Minnesota???? When it is 32 degrees outside and the wind is blowing 20 miles an hour and you consider it a beautiful day.

Did You Know????

That -8 is really cold. Not quite STUPID COLD, but still really cold nonetheless. I think we might hit stupid cold really soon.






That the best way to combat really cold weather is to cast on another project. I finished the Branching Out Scarf so I rewarded myself with casting on my Sick of Winter Clapotis. I just started it this afternoon. I don't really care if it doesn't go with anything I own but I have decided it is better than white. Snow is white and snow is cold. Enough said.





That you can buy whole bags of the Green M&M's. No Janice, you can't have them to stick in the microwave. Wonder if what they say about them is true??? Anyway, every girl needs chocolate in times like these. Living in a deep freeze.

The Scarf that I Never Thought Was Going to End

Do you remember that song?

This is the song that never ends,
It just goes on and on my friend,......



I seriously thought that this scarf was like that song. It was never going to end. I have been knitting this scarf for TWO YEARS. Yes I said two years, it wasn't a figment of your imagination.

I finally finished it this afternoon. So I win. This is my first finished project of the year. It should have been done last weekend but the scarf was sneaky. I had to rip out six repeats this last weekend.

Yippee!!!!!!!! Now I need to decide where it wants to live.

Neglected

My spinning wheel has been neglected the last few weeks. It has sat quietly in it's nice padded bag just waiting for me to spend some time with it.







This is the fiber that I finished up before it had to go into hiding back in the bag. I am still overspinning some. The overspinning is frustrating, but I am hoping to get more practice and hopefully fix that problem.




This is the fiber that I started spinning before I put the wheel away. I am thinking this wheel needs a name. I also spun on it this afternoon for a bit. I always forget how much I enjoy spinning. The color is called English Garden and I had 8 ounces of it when I started.



I am still working on the Mountain Monkeys. I think my obsession might be over with the Monkey pattern now. It may have something to do with having to knit this second sock twice, huh??? I am working on the heel flap and I am going to try to get them finished up in the next couple of days.

Convenience Wins Again

My felted slippers have holes in the bottom. They lasted about a year or so. I am not really fond of knitting on size 13 needles so I decided that this time I wasn't going to knit a new pair. I probably wouldn't have gotten them done before the hole wore all the way through anyway.


When I went grocery shopping today, I picked out these. Actually the kids picked them out. They are soft and squishy so they will do for a while and they have rubber bottoms so they might last a little longer too. I like the knitted ones, I just wasn't in the mood to knit any right now.



I got that stinker sock frogged and started again. I am starting the third repeat so hopefully they will be done soon.




I am really trying to make an effort to have the kids do small chores around the house. Punkinbug really enjoys helping with the laundry. Punkin likes to help with dishes and cooking supper. Buddy is good at picking up sometimes. I asked Punkinbug to help with a basket of laundry and her little brother wanted to help. They were so cute, I had to take a picture and share it. Wish all movers were this cute and happy to help.

New Beginnings or Starting Over????

New Year's Day always makes me wonder about new beginnings or starting over to do better in the new year. I know that every day I should try to do better than the day before but I guess I just think about it more this time of year.



This year I will be knitting with a new iPod thanks to my wonderful family. It is good for video too. I tried it out last night and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the video.




The girls and I are also starting out the year with new manicures or pedicures. We were able to go have some "girl time" with NaNa and Auntie A on Monday. It was great to be pampered a little. Punkin is already asking when she can get her toes done.




Unfortunately, I will be doing a little "starting over" this year too. The sock on the left is quite a bit smaller than the one on the right. This means I will have to start it over. I am thinking of putting this pair in time out but I will probably plug on.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and I hope that good things come to all of you in the New Year. God Bless.

Third Time is a Charm

Well, it seems that Noro Kureyon Sock has a mind of its own. This yarn did not cooperate much in the pattern and yarn matching department. First, I thought it wanted to be the Undulating Rib Socks. Apparently not. They ended up in the frog pond.




Thinking that the second pattern (Ravelry link) I picked would work, nope. I admit that I was constantly messing this pattern up. It might have had something to do with not liking to knit my socks toe up.



So the third time was the charm with this yarn. I was able to complete the Cabled Rib Socks from the Favorite Socks book. I will probably knit with this yarn again (in a very simple rib pattern or a plain sock). The reason why you ask??? These socks are warm. I think living in Minnesota a girl needs warm socks.

Y is for

Yippee!!!!!!






I finally finished Kiri yesterday. It is now in the process of drying. I will admit that I have no vague clue how to block lace so this is a new adventure in itself.

I have to admit that I was scared of knitting lace. All the yarnovers and knit togethers scared me a little. I think that I will be knitting more shawls and stoles. If only I knew what to do with them afterwards. I am not the "shawl wearing" type. I tend to lean towards jeans and sweatshirts most of the time. I might just have to change what I wear just so I have an excuse to knit more shawls.

After finishing Kiri, I am motivated to pull this(Ravelry Link) out of hibernation.

X is for

eXtra. I need some extra knitting time. I am not a "Christmas Knitter". If I give something to someone I have knitted it is usually "just because". So none of these are on a deadline. I am just doing my own thing.



Word of wisdom: Rows of 300 stitches plus take a while to knit. Even when you knit 10 to 20 of these rows it still doesn't look any bigger. I am down to the last two repeats and the edging and then I am done with this project. I am already thinking about the next one.



Haven't been knitting on the Noro socks since Saturday. They are coming along nicely. I think I won't have to rip them out again. I have a feeling when these are done they will become one of my favorite pairs.




I gave into the Monkey again. I have the cuff done and I am working on the first repeat. I think just casting them on has kind of let some of the intensity behind knitting them lessen a little. Hoping to wear them on Christmas.




This is my second attempt at a sweater. If I knitted one, I wanted to be able to wear it when I was done so long sleeves was a must, since it is Minnesota.

I must go knit now.

W is for

Want. This yarn wants to be Monkeys. I tried to resist the third pair of Monkeys but I have decided that it is futile. So I plan to cast these on tonight or sometime tomorrow.




This yarn just wanted to be wound into a ball. I think it thinks if I wind it up it might get knit up soon. We shall see. I am still looking for a good pattern for it.




This sock just wants to be finished. It wants to be worn in my Ariat's that I always seem to have on. I am trying to accomodate all three of these, but they are all being pushy.


P.S. If someone knows where my scissors are can you please fill me in??? I can't find them.

Where the Yarn Speaks

I have always heard "the yarn will tell me". I never believed it until now. My friend Linda sent me this yarn. I guess it wanted to move up here in the cold. Maybe this yarn needs a therapist because I would have stayed where it was warmer. I am really glad that it wanted to come here though. Thanks again, Linda.



This yarn finally got an "attitude adjustment" and is becoming a pair of socks FINALLY. I am using the Cable Rib Pattern from Favorite Socks. I do enjoy the pattern but I am not enjoying the cables stitches on size 0's too much.




This yarn has dreams of being a Christmas ornament, little does it know that it will be my next sock project. I am thinking Diagonal Cross Rib Socks or Embossed Leaves from the Favorite Socks book. Do you see a pattern developing here? All of a sudden I have been wanting to make the patterns out of this book. I got this book last year for Christmas and it wasn't until the last pair of socks I made did I get the "bug" to make so many of them. I am still trying to avoid making another pair of Monkeys. I should just give in and make another pair though, huh?




Last, but not least by any means, what would a blog post from me be like without a gratiuitous picture of Buddy.

Busy Wednesday!!!!

The little people got out of school at 12:50 this afternoon. Punkinbug helped bake pies. I think she is going to be the one that likes to cook the most. Punkin is getting good in the kitchen also.








I think they turned out well.




Since we have been getting ready for tomorrow, very little knitting has occured today. I think I have knit five rounds on this sock today. So far it might be a keeper. I did have to rip it out since the last post due to a dropped stitch that I couldn't fix. I am on the second repeat now.






A day just wouldn't be complete without playing a game of "Squash Your Sister".

Kind of Sad

My favorite pair of pajama pants are just about worn out. They were too big but I love them. They were really baggy just the way pajama pants are supposed to be. I think after the winter is over I will throw them in the trash unless they just can't make it that far.




I have knit more today than all of the whole weekend. I only have one and a half repeats before I start decreasing the toe. I will be glad when they are done so I can focus on the next pair of socks.


Which I happened to cast on this morning. I am not letting this Noro Sock yarn beat me. I think I have finally got a start that I am going to want to finish. More details later if I stick with them.



I have a feeling that this turkey at some point was kind of sad too. Now it is sitting in my refrigerator thawing out for it's big day on Thursday.