Sunday, December 30, 2007

End of another year

Each year at this time, I do the usual review of the previous year's events--good & not-so-good. I'm releaved most of the psycho shoppers/drivers will retreat to their homes and post shopping debt--now if I could only outlaw the number of displays in the aisles at the grocery store & the race car grocery carts that get caught on the displays when zooming past me.

I spent some santa money on fiber stuff--went to the yarn sale @ Webs last week with the main purpose of picking up a part for my Louet wheel and bought a sweater's worth of yarn in purple & 2 scarves worth of cashmere/silk for $15/scarf (sorry no pics...spent too much time spinning this afternoon and it's too dark now).

I picked up my new spinning wheel on Saturday AM & I love it! It's a Kromski Sonata & it's so much easier to use. I'm much more relaxed at this wheel than the Louet. I originally thought I would continue to use the Louet for plying since it's bobbins are much larger....now I'm not so sure.

Well, off work on the deep breath sweater. It'll probably take me all evening to figure out where I left off in June.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Sunday Sleet


The weather today is complete crap. Although I must admit that I did have fun baja-ing into work at the hospital this morning & then back into my parking lot. I love my Subaru! The only thing that could make it better would be snow tires. I advocate practicing driving maneuvers in an empty parking lot when the weather turns snowy/icey. I feel more confident driving in wacky weather when I know how my car will respond under certain conditions.

I finished nearly all my holiday knitting!!!! I even got Salta to model the alligator scarf for me today! I only have a bath mitt & the other shadow knitting pot holder to go. I dropped the idea of making mittens for my BIL & FIL 'cause my hubby said "no one wears mittens". So, I'll make a pair of mittens for myself & possibly a hat for the hubby.

I am finding myself already thinking about what my next project will be. The urge to cast-on is strong! I think my will power is stronger. I have other distractions: laundry, making soup for dinner, finishing Xmas gifts. Crap! I just remembered that I still need to sew a lining into the small felted bag.

I've been giving some thought to resolutions for 2008. Usually I settle on something completely attainable & fairly simple to integrate into my life--drink more water, floss more regularly, etc. However, next year we are hoping to leave condo life & get a house of our own. That means that I need to de-clutter the craft corner of the bedroom, replace the carpet, and begin to pack little things. I started 2 weeks ago by packing up the fly tying supplies. Now I need to organize the yarn & finish up some loose ends. I'm still trying to formulate my actual resolution, so you will just need to stay tuned.

Here is the finished canadian hat(s) by Sallie Melville.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

How to stop non-knitters in their tracks




This week I transplanted the orchids. The one in the back of the photo still has the battle wounds from a hail storm this past summer.

I photographed the completed gauntlets.

I have been working frantically on the alligator scarf. I hate the acrylic yarn chosen for the project even though the color is good. I have been on a mission to finish this scarf so I can work on other gifts for the holidays. I take it everywhere & sometimes I don't work on it much due to showing it off to people who want to know what it is, who it is for, & answering the "did you make that?" in a way that doesn't make the person feel like he/she is the hundredth person to ask.


I intended to work on alligator this morning with my new knitting group that was meeting this morning, but I never found the meeting spot. Thus I got an early start to my day & I am using my time that I would have spent knitting with them writing this post.






This is where I was last weekend





In two days I got this far by working in public & @ home, even with the "help" of the dogs.





Stay tuned next week for the photo finish--I have to get back to knitting.