Concentration has gone all to .....

Here I am right where I did not want to be. The Saturday before Christmas and Michael's vest is not finished. My whole knitting plan has gone out of the window....sigh

I am not happy with the steek treatment on his sweater and I am trying to soldier on. My mother has literally been ringing God's doorbell this week and that last minute decided not to move in. The emotional upheaval has been astronomical. I have a stiff neck and a frozen shoulder which makes knitting hard also.

My shopping is not finished. Baking isn't going to happen. The house looks like a tip and I have laundry to do. Tomorrow is back to the hospital to visit with Mummy. Today I have to go to the mall "the minute it opens" in the hopes of avoiding the insanity that is Christmas shopping. My budget is shot all to ---. No credit cards to fall back on so I am trying to figure out how to stretch a dollar even further. This is going to be creative.

I downloaded a pattern from Knit Picks for this bag. Only $1.99...ok $2.11 by the time tax was added. I see a stash reduction happening in the new year.

There are some interesting knit along projects for the the new year one is 10 shawls in 2010. Woo Hoo. Now there is a challenge. I will be working on the vest this afternoon in between laundry loads. Pictures to follow.

I've been a bad, bad, blogger....

I know I haven't contributed anything here for AGES.... Part of it was because of a book deadline. The other was because I had so many projects on the go, I didn't have anything finished.

Happily, edits are done and I finished some projects. *G*

Remember last year I was all about the hats. This year...Cowls. I'm taking a class at SPUN for a crochet thrummed cowl. Doesn't that sound cool? It's on the 30th. Pictures to follow after.

This is called "Cowl at the Moon" (Rav.link) I love the elegant swoop around the neck. It's all done with short rows that you cannot see. An easy knit ta ht I'll be doing a couple more of.

This is the Crofter's Cowl(Rav.link) and it's for my girlfriend at work. She loves that shade of gray.

This is one of a future pair of mittens. I really, really, detest fairisling but I loved this pattern. It's called Icewine Mitts. (Rav.link) My tension on them sucks bad, but I don't care 'cause there for me.
This is my contribution to HAT SPARRING, a non-lethal form of HAT ATTACK. Personally I'd have changed the pattern so that the cables show on the flipped up bit and on the crown, but the rules are to knit as written.
Finally, my socks I started on the train to Montreal all those months ago. I love the colours on them and they are really cozy, especially since I made them extra tall.

So that's it for now. I'm actively working on the miles and miles of border to accompany my Steampunk shawl, and my Hubby's Skull sweater. Perhaps a couple more cowls and a pair of socks or two. Look for more pictures in the new year. ;-)

~Daughter #1

I put it in a safe place....

How many times have I said that? My youngest has been known to reply with,"Mom, if you used the same place everytime this wouldn't happen." Bless him, he knows not where of he speaks. You can only get so much wool in the cedar chest.
Let me explain. Back in Connecticut last August I bought 2 balls of all the colours for this vest and four balls for background. Last night I finished ball #3 of the grey. You guessed it. While I was knitting someone must have broken into the house and put the other grey ball somewhere else. Cause it wasn't with the other colours. I looked in the closet, in all the knitting bags ( I have a plethora), top shelf in my den (which requires standing on a chair), behind my knitting chair, bed room closet, sock yarn stash, drawers in the secretary........panic is setting in...I know I bought four...I begin doubting myself....bad sign.
My mother always says,"If you have looked in the likely places and can't find something look in the unlikely places." Found it!!!! in a bag of bunnies I was going to dress for Christmas but will now be dressing for Easter. Don't ask... me I have no idea how it got there.

Half a motif to go and it will be time to crochet the steeks and then get out the Really Big Scissors. I will be sure to post pictures of the proceedure. Those who are faint of heart may look away.

Knitting with a hot needle

Pictures will be added later, suffice it to say I am knitting furiously on "THE" vest for Michael. I thought I had every thing planned out to the row and now it appears I need another motif to gain the required length. Grrr.

I have decided to crochet the steeks before cutting them. I have used the sewing machine in the past but want to try something new. I haven't even touched the double knitting scarf in over a week. Carls WMBSE is at the heel gusset on the second sock. woop-d-do

Once the vest is done the next big project will be the sweater for MOI out of the teal Galway wool. Me thinks Carl is looking for another sweater. The last one I knit him, an Elspeth Lavold Silky Wool, dk, with cables, was too short in the body and I have no more yarn to lengthen it. (weeping softly) So there it languishes on the shelf.

I found this picture and I am not sure if the needles are being stored this way. Perhaps it should be labled, "What to do with the straight needles you no longer use." I see a hot glue gun taking part in this project. I offer this for the crafty reader. If your into it I could donate an appaling amount of needles to the cause. Ugly little buggar isn't he? Not exactly something you could "kootch up" to.