Stitch Off?

So today I read an interesting post over at A Little Yarn On The Side and it sent me scurrying around in my craft room in search of a long neglected project. Toni blogged about her never ending cross stitch project. I have one of those too! Back in 2005 when I wasn't working, I got this cross stitch wild hair you know where and thought it would be a great idea to get back into the craft. Now, anyone who knows me already knows that I didn't choose to ease my way back into the world of cross stitch. No way! Delana went out and purchased a Mirabilia chart that calls for no less than 70 bazillion colors of floss, eleventy million packages of seed beads, and a metric buttload of charms. Wheeeeeeeee!!

Here's how much of the project I have completed in the past 6 years.



Here's what the finished project will look like.



I asked Toni if she might be interested in a stitch off LOL. I'm actually going to try to complete a bit of this several times a week. Maybe I'll have it done before another 6 years passes.

Last night I finished the first square of the Chain Reaction afghan I started. Have plans to meet with Amanda tomorrow night for dinner and crocheting time. Can't wait to see the colors she's chosen for her afghan.



Also last night I finished up another square for the 2010 Block A Month afghan. Really been on a roll with the crochet blocks lately.



The UPS man visited yesterday afternoon and I did something so unlike me I've shocked the entire household. I started another project! Gasp!

The yarn for Paul's sweater arrived and I couldn't resist starting his cardigan. I am using Rowan Cocoon and I am in love with it. This yarn is so yummy and the sweater is knitting up so quickly on size 10 1/2 needles. Of course this means I now have 24 projects OTN now. Sigh, I was hoping to not go over 23.

What a Cutie!

Well, you can't see the pattern on the hat so well, but you can sure see this cutie pie's little face. Isn't he adorable? I see a whole bunch more baby boy knits in my future!



Finished a couple more squares for the 2010 afghan. I hope I stay this motivated since I have 3 crocheted afghans in the works right now, and the very last thing I need is all of them 1/2 finished and cluttering up my craft room.






It may not appear so, but I have made some progress on the Leaf Lace Tee. It's the mind numbing stockinette stitch that causes the problems with this. I get bored with it too easily so it feels like I've been knitting on it for hours when in fact it's actually only been 15 minutes. Oh well, it's a short sleeved sweater and we are in the middle of winter here. It's too cold to wear it and if I keep knitting on it (even if it is only 15 minutes at a time) it will be done in time to wear it this spring.



Haven't done as much work on Paul's gloves as I'd like, but I have gotten something done on them. I'm not liking working on this pattern as much as I thought I would. Sigh, the hazards of having knitting ADD.

Don't be a square!

Spent some time concentrating on some of those projects that were OTN at the end of the year and finished up 2 of them (21 projects left OTN).

First up is the slippers I made for Paul. He finally wore out the last pair I made him - they lasted 5 years! Hopefully these will have that long a life. It always cracks me up to see these before they are felted. Will get a comparison photo in a few days when they have been magically transformed to fit his feet.






The second project I finished is one of those 3 pair of socks that were left over from my 2010 goal. I really like the way this yarn knits up (Regia Hand-dye Effect). Have several more skeins left in the stash that will hopefully become socks this year.



Next I pulled out the bag of yarn and finished squares for the 2010 Block A Month Afghan (sad that I haven't finished that one and started the 2011 one already). I finished a couple of squares this weekend and took photos of all the ones I've completed so far. I am making a fairly large afghan so chose to make both 12" squares for each month and 2 of the 6" squares. I still have 25 (yikes!) patterns to make.

































As mentioned above, I started the 2011 Block A Month Afghan even though I'm not finished with the 2010 one yet. I'm hoping not to get behind like I did last year. Again this year, I am making both of the 12" blocks for each month and 2 of the 6" blocks. (22 projects OTN)









Met my friend Amanda Friday night for dinner and knitting time. While we were out, I showed her another crochet block afghan that I wanted to make. It's the Chain Reaction afghan that has been featured in the past several Interweave Crochet issues. We have decided to make it together. I bought my yarn and started the first square. (23 projects OTN)

Somehow my WIP list always seems to be stuck at 23!

Happy New Year!

Ok, so I'm a few days late, but better late than never I say. I was a horrible blogger during 2010, but I'm hoping that 2011 proves to be a better year for that.

I had a goal last year to start a pair of socks each month and have them all finished by year's end. Alas, I didn't meet that goal, but I did come pretty close. I finished 9 pair of socks completely, have just the toe decreases left on 1 sock of another pair to finish, am at the heel turn on a pair I am knitting toe up 2 at once on circs, and just barely started the last pair (which are monstrous mutant man socks that I shouldn't have left as my December start socks).

Out with the old, in with the new .... new goal that is. Each month of 2011 I want to finish at least one project. 6 of these must be WIPs on the needles as of 12/31/10 (23 of them OTN), and 6 of these can be newly started projects in 2011. A couple of rules I am imposing on myself. I am allowing myself to start 5 projects in January - 3 gifts, a crochet along project, and something for myself. Until I finish one of the prior to 2011 projects, I cannot start anything else new. I cannot complete projects "early". In other words, if I finish 2 projects in January, one of them does not count for February.

Ok, on to photos!

I'm off to a good start with my goal. I started a hat in November as a knitalong with a friend. I finished it in December, but didn't like it in the yarn I bought. Frogged it and made this one instead. The pom poms dangling from the chain stich cords were made for the first hat and since you can't very well frog a pom pom, and I thought they were cute as can be, I added them to this hat. Love it!! First FO for 2011! 22 projects left OTN.





Another project started in December and finished in January is a pair of mittens for myself. These were made from a pattern in the Vogue Mittens and Gloves book. The pair on the cover actually. Fell in love with them as soon as I saw them. I love them, but wish I had chosen a bulkier yarn to knit them in. 21 projects left OTN.





One of the gifts I allowed myself to cast on in January was this adorable hat for a coworker's son. I told her that I am his adoptive gramma and am allowed to knit him all kinds of cute things and can spoil him rotten. Can't wait til she sends me a photo of him in it! Still 21 projects left OTN.







I pulled out the leaf lace tee again and have been spending a bit of time on it each night. Doesn't seem like much progress is being made, but if I continue, this might be my finished project for February. The photos don't do the green justice. It is a bright apple green and contrasts nicely with the magenta. Still 21 projects OTN.



Another gift I allowed myself to start in January is a pair of gloves for Paul. He finally wore a hole in the pair I made him a couple years ago and it's too cold not to have some gloves. These are knitting up pretty quickly and I hope to have them done in a week or so. 22 projects OTN.



No photos yet of the 3rd project I've started because there isn't much to show yet. I cast on a pair of socks for myself (yeah, I know I have 3 pair still OTN from 2010, but I couldn't resist) from the book The Enchanted Sole. 23 projects OTN.

The last 2 projects I will start in January are the 2011 Block a Month Afghan Crochet Along, and a sweater for Paul. Hopefully I am able to finish a couple more almost finished projects before starting those so I don't get up to 25 projects OTN.

I am bound and determined not to have as many projects OTN at the end of 2011 as I did starting 2011 .... and yes, I do realize I say that every flipping year!

I really need to get back into the habit of updating my blog! It took forever to get photos and upload them. And, I even forgot one! Oh well, later this week (if I remember that is lol).

Paul was out of town this weekend, so I spent my time alone watching episodes of Bones Season 1 and Rockford Files Season 1 on Netflix, and finishing up some projects that have been languishing.

I started this adorable turtle bowl in August. Not sure why the poor thing wound up down in the craft room unfinished. It only took about an hour to finish up the pieces and sew him together. Made 2 of them ... one for a friend at work, and one for Paul.






Just in time for Halloween, I finished up a cute tam. Pattern available on Knitty. The ribbing is too big, so I am currently weaving elastic thread through it so the tam stays on my head. Guess I'll get to wear it next year =(



Since I was watching mindless tv and not football this weekend, I wound up not working on this cute t-shirt. Using up some stash yarn for this. The magenta is bamboo, and the green is corn. This has been my football knitting the past couple of weeks. Paul will be home tomorrow night, so it will get some attention yet this week.



Pulled out several pair of socks that were started this year and finished up the first sock of each. Next I will cast on the mate and concentrate on it to get the pairs finished. If I don't lose interest, I should actually make my 12 pair during 2010.

First up on the list was the sock I started for July. I had finished up the heel turn and most of the gusset before I shoved it in a bag to neglect it for other projects. Finished up the first sock this afternoon. Plan to cast on the second sock this week.










Next up was the pair I started for August. Absolutely love this sock! The yarn is gorgeous (Regia Hand-Dye Effect). I have several balls of this so will have plenty of colorful socks once they are all knit up. Since this is a straightforward sock and doesn't require a pattern, it will be my car knitting for the forseeable future. Plan to cast on the second sock this evening before going to bed.



Lastly is the sock for October. Was only able to finish one during October, but will have the next one done in a couple weeks. I am knitting this pair as an "along" with a friend. She cast her second on today, but it will be a couple of days before I get a chance to cast on.






A couple of weeks ago, I finished up a ribbed tank I was knitting for a knitalong in Ravelry. Lost interest in it for some reason way back when I cast on, but put my mind to finishing it recently. I adore this top and wish I had finished it when it was still warm enough to wear it without wearing a jacket over it.



Along with finishing up the first sock of several pairs that were started in 2010, I finished up the second sock of several pair too.

This was the first sock I cast on this year. Love these, and can't wait to wear them. The bobbles were tedious, but well worth it.






I was almost finished with the first of these socks when I realized I had lost track of the second ball of yarn. I put them away for almost a year and came across the second ball of yarn a month or so ago. Finished up the first sock, cast on the second, and made it my car knitting. Can honestly say, this is the longest it has ever taken me to finish a pair of socks lol.



Finished up my September socks in the past couple of weeks too. These were so much fun to knit.



So the sock tally stands at: Finished January, March, April, May, June, September ... One sock complete February, July, August, October. I have cast on my November socks a bit early, and have picked out my December socks. Wonder if I'll be able to finish them all this year!

A Tale of Two Sweaters

I've been trying to work on all those WIPs, honestly I have. But, of course, I do seem to be acutely susceptible to bouts of startitis. I've been able to keep it at bay somewhat this year since I am on that quest to make a pair of socks a month. I know that most of them are still OTN and I'm running out of dpns. No need to remind me thank you very much.

Everything I am working on lately is on tiny needles and seems to be getting no closer to being done no matter how long I knit on it, so I did indulge myself and cast on a quick to knit project. I've had this yarn (Elsebeth Lavold Angora) in my stash for a couple of years and have since lost interest in the sweater it was supposed to become, but every time I saw it, it reminded me of this cute little cardigan I ran across during a Ravelry surfing session. 1 week start to finish. Gotta love projects like that! It was just what I needed to give me the incentive to finish up another project (one that I don't have a photo of at the moment).




I will get a photo of the finished Zick Zack tunic later this week to post. A lovely laceweight concoction that drove me batty with its monotonous pattern that for some reason I just couldn't memorize.

Since I finished that project, I decided to indulge myself in another project that would be finished in a short span. Again, I dove into the stash and found some yarn that had been purchased for a sweater I no longer wanted, matched it with a project in my queue, and voila! We have a Leaf Yoke Top just in time to wear a few times before it gets too cool for sleeveless wear.




It knit up quickly in Berroco's NaturLin, a linen/rayon blend that will hopefully be soft and drapey once dried. I plan to wear it tomorrow to work =)