A Decade Gone - Time Flies

I can't believe that we are going to be starting a new decade. Time sure flies as you get older. I can remember being a kid and time went so slow. Things looked bigger than too. It's amazing how your perspective changes as you age.

Well, I haven't been knitting much over the holidays and soon it will be tax season and I don't know how much knitting I will get to do then, but I'm sure going to try.

My plan is to finish up some works in progress and only start one new project and finish it before starting another new project, while I'm doing that. I also plan to knit from my stash. I will be in two sock yarn clubs and a cotton yarn club and except for getting the yarn prepacks from Peaches and Creme for my KAL group, I won't be buying any yarn. Oh, I almost forgot I have two gift certificates to use and I have some Sweet Georgia yarn on order. Let's see how well I do.

I did get some purchases in before the end of 2009 though. I bought more Madelinetosh worsted from the Loopy Ewe as well as a skein of Spirit Trail Fiberworks. From left to right: Spirit Trail Fiberworks Sunna in Tuscany color, Madelinetosh worsted in Cobalt blue, Silver Fox, Turquoise, and Sequoia.

From the Knitter's Edge I got some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky and Encore worsted. Both are in red for scarves or cowls or mittens (not sure what yet).

I also got the Claudia Handpainted French Scarf kit from The Knitter's Edge. It uses a Boucle yarn and a kid mohair yarn. The colorway is called Copper Pennies. I love the name since I lived near a restaurant called the Kopper Penny. It's no longer there anymore. It burned down, but if anyone gives directions in that area they refer to the Kopper Penny and amazingly enough people know what they are taking about. What's with that?

I got a cute yarn holder from the Knitter's Edge. It's made by Lantern Moon and it's called a knit out box. This should keep my skein of sock yarn from getting messed up as I knit a sock.

Last but not least, I have to end the year with a picture of Maggie in a new bed I bought her for Christmas. At first she only wanted to lay on top of it, but gradually she is getting use to going inside of it. In fact she is in it now. She likes to sleep under the covers at night, so I figured that she would like this too. Doesn't she look content? When she goes in it now, she is all the way in the bed so you can't see her. She doesn't want to admit it, but she likes it.

Maggie and I hope you have a Happy and Healthy New Year. 2009 sure was interesting. I hope 2010 gets better.

Merry Christmas

Not Much Knitting Going On

Not much knitting going on here. I still have to wrap some gifts and do some cleaning. Christmas is coming too fast. I did get to finish the Mid Month KAL for my dishcloth group. I don't know the name of the cloth, but Janet Nogle designed it. I used size 7 needles with Victorian Christmas from Peaches and Creme. I love how this turned out.

I have been buying up some yarn though. I got more Bugga from the Sanguine Gryphon. From left to right: Milkweed beetle, Daring Jumping spider, Dainty Sulphur, and Longhorned Beetle.

Then from Sundara yarn, I got Tree House and Sleep Walking the baby.

I bought some Encore yarn to make some kimono sweaters. I got Color 1204, which is a brown color and Encore Tweed in color 789, which is a gray color.

And finally, I got Handmaiden Lady Godvia in the Cedar colorway to make the Cedarleaf shawlette.

Off to do some more cleaning as I am running out of time.

Acapella Groups

I'm falling in love with acapella singing groups. First I found the Perpetuum Jazzile. They are on YouTube with their song Africa.

Then I found the group Straight No Chaser. They are know for their 12 Days of Christmas. Two of the members are from the Lehigh Valley area in PA.

Are you watching the Sing Off on NBC? I am in love with the Beelzebubs. I hope they win.

I have albums from the first two and plan on buying an album of the Beelzebubs. They are just great!

Christmas is Coming.....too fast

Geez, I can't believe that next Friday it will be Christmas. I think I have all the presents I need (although a few haven't arrived yet....yikes!). I just have to wrap and pickup the cookies I ordered. Much easier than baking.

I have been busy and not knitting enough, but I was able to finish the prayer shawl I started last year. It's the basic prayer shawl pattern (k3,p3) and I used Lion Brand Homespun in Candy Apple Red with size 11 needles. This was the first prayer shawl I made and there are a few minor things I would do differently next time.

I also finished the December KAL in my dishcloth group. It's a cute pattern called the Wrapper Cloth by Rhonda White. I used a size 7 needle with peaches and cream peppermint yarn. It's a good cloth to wrap a bar of soap in for a present.

I am currently working on finishing a scarf and the last dishcloth of the year.

I did buy some new yarn. I got Debbie Bliss Aran Cashmerino in a purple colorway to make a shawl.

And some Silky wool in a purple colorway to make a vest. Guess I like purple.

I also got some Pima Petite yarn from Unique Sheep's Rubber Ducky club. The yarn color is Toy Land and I also got a candle and some soap with it.

It finally started snowing here today. It's hard to say how much we will get, but it's nice to be home and not have to worry about going anywhere. Guess, It's a good day to do some knitting.

18 More to Go

Yeah! I finished the last sock that I am going to knit for 2009. I used a basic sock pattern with Punta Merisock in color HP68 with size 1.5 needles. This yarn is nice and soft.

While I'm not going to knit any more socks this year, that didn't stop me from getting more sock yarn. I have been dying to get more Sanguine Gryphon Bugga yarn and was able to snag 4 skeins. The colors from left to right are: Rough Fungus, Malachite Butterfly (picture is not good, but this is green), Nebraska conehead, and Ruddy Jaggerwing. I love this yarn because it has cashmere in it (20%!).

I also got the Color co-op yarn for December. The yarn is from Mama Llama and the color is Snowflake. The yarn is 80% merino, 10% cashmere, and 10% nylon.

I also got Unique Sheep's Verve Gradience yarn in the color Hurricane Meadow. The colors are coordinated and will knit up really nice.

I feel good that I have been finishing off old projects. I don't know how many I will get finished by the end of the year. I'm not going to rush, but I will be glad to put a good dent into these projects. I only have 18 more to go.