Playing Catch Up

I only have time for a quick post because I'm busy, busy, busy! But it's been a while and I've finished a few things so I wanted to try to get back in the swing of things.

With Christmas successfully behind me (whew!), I have turned my attention to a myriad of abandoned projects and am trying to conquer a few WIPs before the year ends. What can I say... I'm definitely a wait 'til the last minute kinda gal. So with the assistance of my annual sinus infection which requires me to do lots of nothing, I've been knitting! Finally.

The pictures aren't the greatest because, well, I'm not a good photographer to begin with, but I've had problems with the lighting and I don't want to show my sick face either. But I figured if I kept waiting for great pics, I may never blog again.

First, my Wavy Feathers Wimple knit with The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga in "Horned Beetle" that I knit in just a few days last week. (It was my pre-Christmas de-stresser.)

This was a really fun knit. It was like knitting the leg of a sock without having to worry about the heel or matching sock. It's also a very warm variation on a regular scarf. I plan to carry this with me to our spring baseball games with the unpredictable evening winds.

Next up is one I started a few months ago but just pulled out to finish for the beginning of the winter Seasons of Lace KAL. It's a Finnish pattern called Hyrna Herborgar. I don't remember if I mentioned here before or not (and don't have time to look, sorry) but it was a great lace knitting experience.

I used 1 skein of Handmaiden's Mini Maiden in Cedar. I am thrilled with the results! Unfortunately, I haven't really been able to capture the color and I can't get a son to properly model it for me. (Go figure.)

I'm also determined to finish this sweater, Baby Cables and Big Ones Too (Ravelry link) before the end of the year.

I'm using the wonderful Rowan Calmer and I think I may actually get quite a bit of where out of this sweater. Unless, of course, I spill something on it right away.

Now I must go begin the sleeves. I have a pair of socks to finish this week too! Then there's the planning and sorting of what WIPs I'm going to finish and what I'm going to frog and forget... not to mention planning what I'm going to start next. Lots of plans... lots of ideas... and I promise to do better about sharing!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday!

40 Degrees and Raining!

And yes, that is big news for a Southern California afternoon. We even live high enough above sea level that we have an actual possibility of snow tonight. Snow! Here! It's rare, but it has happened. I woke up to snow one morning about 20 some years ago and nearly fell over at the sight. It was a pretty decent white coating too... definitely enough for a fair snowball fight. It was pretty much gone by noon, but I'll never forget it.

Anyway, it never made it out of the low 40's today and has been raining off and on all day. I can't remember the last time we had cold weather and rain at the same time. I got a chance to throw on a handknit scarf for more than a touch of style but I do have a question for you cold weather dwellers...

How do you manage shopping when you're wearing a winter jacket? What a pain.

Anyway, I had to take my teens out because their youth group was having a formal Christmas party and they needed some new pants.

(Ignore the short sleeves... they always wear short sleeves.... we're in So Cal. And I had to go on YouTube to learn how to tie a tie.) Don't they look sharp? Don't they look like they can't stand being near each other? They can't. It's sad really, but I figure they'll outgrow it. Someday.

Maybe it's their different personalities?

Maybe. We got a new youth group leader at our church about 4 months ago... he didn't even know they were related until last week. Niiiiice.

Anyway, I whipped up these mitts out of a hank of Noro Cashmere Island. Wonderful stuff.

They don't match at all though. I was going to buy a second hank to try for 2 matching pairs but I kinda like the mismatched look. They were super quick to knit so I may grab some more of the yarn to have on hand for gifts.

Well, DH just got home and we have a date for some internet gift shopping. Gotta run.

A Good Start

Today was an extremely lazy day... but I did manage to engage my youngest in arranging our first and most important Christmas decoration.




Then he told me the story and acted it out over and over again... very gently with the ceramic pieces. The tree will wait another day.

Throwing in the Needles

I'm gonna be up front and tell you all a little something about me. I'm not a fan of big holidays. I especially don't like the big ones that slip up on me when I'm not looking. I found myself at a loss for words today when trying to explain to a friend how I could not know that Christmas was only two weeks away. But such is my life.

I was chatting with one of my son's teachers this morning (one that I was going to knit up some cute Koigu mitts for) and became painfully ashamed of my empty hands as her other students traipsed in the room with gifts. Today was the last day of classes before Christmas! I re-lived this experience 3 more times over the course of the day. The last being when I dropped off my youngest for Awana and realized that we never did make the cocoa-in-a-jar gift that we were going to make together for his leader. (Actually, I think he has one more week of Awana so I may be okay here.)

Anyway, I have managed to knit one gift. But aside from that, if you think you might be getting something handknit from me this year... think again. I give up. I tell myself every year I'm not going to knit gifts and then I get all crazy and go for it anyway. But I'm stopping the insanity now and returning to the relaxing, selfish knitting that brings sanity and justice to my world.

And since Christmas is only 2 weeks ago, I'm thinking we better get a tree. I'm pretty sure there's no way around that one.

I'm Old... and more Knitting

So, I took my oldest son to the DMV last week to get take his written permit test (don't ask)... and while I was there I discovered that I am no longer able to pass their vision test without my glasses on.

Actually, I think it's time for a new prescription because mine are starting to give me a headache. This time I want to get a pair Kawasaki 704s... otherwise known as the Sarah Palin glasses. Not because I'm a fan... but because I love rimless glasses and I'm just that much of a dork.

I generally only wear my glasses when I'm reading or knitting (or driving or on the computer too much), so I usually leave them in my knitting basket. If I'm lucky. If I'm not then I leave them wherever I happen to take them off which then results in much searching the next time I want to see something.

However, I made a terrible mistake the other day and wore them into the bathroom where I saw myself in the mirror. I did not look like I thought I looked. For starters, my complexion is not quite as smooth as I thought and my eyebrows needed to be plucked. But even worse... much worse... were the stray hairs growing where I didn't know I had hairs growing. I mean, sure I remember plucking a stray hair off my chin at one point some time ago. But I did not know that more had joined it and were taking up residence.

I feel old.

On a lighter note, I started a new sweater. The pattern is Baby Cables and Big Ones Too (Ravelry link) and I'm using Rowan Calmer. I'm hoping that a cotton sweater will get more wear than my wool ones do. The sweater is knit from the top down in the round and is fun, fun, fun so far.

But now I must take a break for a wee bit of Christmas knitting (which, truth be told, I'm doing mainly to justify buying some yarn).

Go Longhorns!