Christmas knitting complete

I've gotten everything I'm knitting done for the holidays.    My aunt's getting the shawl my mom wanted me to knit is now a birthday gift.   

I'm knitting myself a trail blazer jacket.    The back & left front are done.   I need to unseam it tomorrow when I hopefully have the right front done as well.   I got the left front and back reseamed. So now all I have left to do tonight during Grey's & Scandal is work on the right front.

Christmas Knitting 2013

Oh dear it's been a whisk since I've updated my blog.    It's been crazy busy & just plain crazy in my life.

Ok Christmas knitting.....Dad's gift is done.   Clockwork by Stephen West.

Mom's gift is a shawl she saw at sheep & wool in September.   It's on then edging. Aunt Laurie is getting dish cloths.   That's about all I have planned for Christmas knitting right now considering Christmas is a month & a half away!

Garter stitch monogamy

I started Scott's birthday present yesterday. Back in September Dennis & I went to the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool festival. I bought to patterns; both by Steven West. I got the clockwork scarf & daybreak shawl patterns.

I had decided on colors for Scott's clockwork as well as one for my dad. Apparently my brain took a vacation when ordering yarn because I ordered the colors I was going to do my dad's clockwork in. I'm almost done with the first section & it needs to be done by February 4th.

Before I started the clockwork scarf, I got a bee in my bonnet about knitting a Christmas tree skirt. Oh yes, I can now use it as a lap blanket while knitting on it. I didn't expect it to be done before Christmas. I put it aside to knit Scott's gift. I will more than likely go back to it when the clockwork is done.

Christmas knitting oy

I should've been done with my Christmas knitting by now, but in a few days I hope to be with gifts that need to be mailed.

Aly's elephant just needs eyes, dish cloths need to be finished.

Jen's sweater is almost done, body is almost done, just the sleeves& blocking left.

3/4 done

I have 3/4 of my Christmas knitting done. I am on the last little bit of Jenny's sweater. I then have dish cloths to do along with something for my little cousin. Thinking of a blanket for him. We'll see though.

Christmas knitting part 2

Started part 2 ofJen's gift & bought yarn for Aly's second gift. Went to the yarn shop because I left beaded & cabled cuff pattern there. I need to tinkle several repeats cause apparently I cannot read or remember things correctly. _

Christmas knitting

Christmas knitting is in high gear. It's another handmade gift year. Let's see: Aly - stuffed elephant (my daughter is obsessed with elephants) (done w/ the knittking need to put eyes on) Dad - dishcloths Scott - dishcloths Eric - dishcloths Bob & Jill - dishclths Leah - 198 yards of Heaven Mom - 198 yards of Heaven Jenny - Sedona sweater & pair of socks (I think) Will - sweater (done just needs to be blocked) Matthew - sweater (done just needs to be blocked) I will get Jenny's done soon I'm sure. The dishcloths are movie knitting & no big rush since I don't have to mail them out. I think along with the dishcloths I'll also make homemadde hot chocolate mix as well. I will also send a jar of that along with Jenny, Will & Matthew's sweaters & other gifts.

Shawl KAL

Tommorrow starts the shawl KAL and I'm almost done with mine. I am 4 1/2 rows away from starting the lace section. Hoping to get it done by the 23rd. I am hoping to wear it to grandpa's memorial on the 24th.

Shawl & sweater knitting

I haven't blogged in a while due to my grandfather passing away. I have frothed my shawl at least three times, but have finally gotten the hang of it (even with smaller needles than i it should be on at the moment - waiting for my Knitter's Pride size 7 tips to come).Sweater is my favorite pattern to date. I'm doing my second Sedona sweater for myself. It's being knit on US 6 & 7 needles. Coloresy is Cloud in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes. I have knit 3 of these so far. This sweater is being modified with a longer body & longer sleeves.

Hospital knitting

I've gotten a lot of knitting in over the last 9 days while staying with my grandfather while he's in the hospital. I finished my mom's Sedona sweater. I started my shawl for the shawrl KAL that the owner of. my lys is starting next month. I'm doing the Eyelets & Lace shawl in Hearthside Givers Star Dust yarn in the Teal we meet again colorway. So far so good. Love the hint of sparkle in the yarn. I was planning on socks for a knitting project, but right now the shawl is like a prayer shawl for me. I'm sure I'll knit a few more of this at some point.

consumed in knitting

I am not much of a monogamous knitted, but lately I have been. The only project I've been working on is my mom's sweater. Think my next project is some slippers. Although the Sedona pattern has become like potato chips. I will probably knit a longer one for myself with a longer collar. Although, I have 3 other sweaters to knit first.

Happy New Year & 2012 Goals

It seems like 2011 went by in a flash....I'm sure it didn't but it sure as heck seems like it did. I don't normally make resolutions or goals, but here are some for 2012

Not knitting related:

-Get healthier in all aspects of my life.

Spend less time with my parents (but that's not likely to stick)

Knitting related:

-Finish the shawl of doom (aka Firaments Lace Shawl)

-Get Will & Matthew's sweaters done

-Get Mom and Jenny's sweaters done

AND

Knit another sweater for myself - like I need ANOTHER sweater)

It's a Stargate & Knitting Marathon

I got some yarn yesterday for Christmas, but knew it ahead of time because I filled out the KnitPicks order form for my mom so she could get it for me for Christmas.   I got 5 skeins of Palette in Silver.   I need to get two more balls of it for a Little Mermaid Shawl.  Today I'm watching ALL Stargate series and movies.  Well when I'm not out and about with my mom and daughter getting seed beads for my shawl as well as some size 6 dpns.  

Right now on the needles:

Daughter's Sedona sweater (almost complete - at the bottom ribbing, what's left - sleeves)

On Deck:

Mom's Sedona (had her pick out her color yarn of two choices - nice daughter aren't I)

Sedona for Jen (sent her a picture of five or six colors of Deluxe worsted by Universal yarn and had her tell me what color(s) she liked.  She asked what it was for and told her a sweater, but neglected to tell her it was a sweater for her)

I am watching Stargate Continum right now, then I think I'll watch SG-1 (probably should have started with that first and then watched the movie, but oh well) then Atlantis, and then finally Stargate Universe.

Christmas knitting is DONE!!!!

I got everything done, which includes weaving in ends. All I née now is yarn to finish Aly's sweater. I started working on Matthew's Christmas present for next year. I don't crochet a lot Sao this will be interesting.

I can't believe Ii'm starting next years gifts already (so not me).

Christmas knitting

Ok, I've neglected my blog again. Christmas is less than two weeks away and I am slowly finishing gifts. I just noticed I am missing one dish towel. I don't know if I'll have time to knit another one. Done so far: Jenny's gift (and mailed) Henry's gift (needs a button) Dad's gift To finish: Scott's Cherie's Leah's Eric's Bob & Jill's Aly's Aly will probably be getting a spa set like I did for Jen. Her sweater will be her birthday present. I need to order more yarn. It will be Sao pretty. I hated the color way when I first started knitting it up. But thanks to some input at a VKN I started to like it again. I also need to get started on Will and Matthew's gifts for next year. I have some yarn to start one of their sweaters but we'll see how it goes. Won't be buying yarn til May anyway. I will be getting yarn for Jen's sweater then too.

Sweater KAL progress and a few other things

My sweater is really coming along. At last check I was at 9 inches for the body. I have 4 inches left to knit until I start the ribbing again. I am loving the color, not so sure about the 100% wool though. Not that I don't love wool, I'm just getting tired of it.

My Firaments Lace Shawl is in the edging stage, although ripping it out at the moment. I dropped a stitch somewhere and not sure where. So it's coming out only to be redone again, at somepoint, just not sure when. Probably when my sweater is done.

Okay back to my sweater, I can't believe how fast it is knitting up. I may have it done before a football game on Aug. 26th. I will probably be done with it, but we'll see.

Time to go get stuff knit up before knitting group.

Online Friendships: What makes them so invaluable?

My friend Carolyn and I were IMing on Yahoo last week and she told me about a comment she posted on someone elses blog about our friendship. She also mentioned to me that she was going to blog on her own blog on Monday to watch for it. So now it's my turn to blog about the subject :).

I've had some frienships come and go, both online and real life frienships. I've got one friend who I met while Role Playing soap operas (something I have not done in YEARS). She and I have been friends for about 10 yrs. And have lived somewhat similar lives. I tell her just about everything, there are somethings I don't tell her but most of the time I do tell her.

I have another friend who I met online and then met in person. I was going through a rough time in my life, and realized I needed to lose weight, so I joined TWO weightloss sites. One of them no longer exsists, well the site does but the forums don't (Carolyn, correct me if I'm wrong). Tiffany I met on the slimfast site. We emailed every day and she was helping me through some personal things and when it came to Christmas cards she asked for my address, so she could send me a card. I sent it to her and asked for hers, and she sent it to me and then I got her phone numbers with "in case you need them" which I did. My grandmother had been pretty sick and did pass away shortly after Tiffany sent me her numbers. So I called her, and let her know. We had to have two memorial services for my grandmother one here in Wisconsin, the other in Florida to lay her ashes to rest. I was able to meet Tiffany the day after Christmas. We had a fabulous time. Our friendship has only grown stronger since 2003.

My other online friendship with Carolyn is similar, but haven't met her, YET, although who knows if the opportunity to meet will present itself. Carolyn and I have been friends for close to 10 yrs, I started somersizing in 2001, but then with the health of aforementioned grandmother I was really stressed out, and fell off the "wagon". In 2003, after dealing with my grandmother's death I revisited the somersize site and somehow started communicating with Carolyn more regularly. I knew of her in 2001 through the chats we'd had with other members, but then when I came back to the site something changed. We became co-leaders for the somersizing board on ivillage.com. I was asking carolyn to put in a word for me to help co-lead another board when she asked if I would be interested in helping her with the somersize board, so of course I jumped at the chance. When she told me and the Community Moderator that her husband was being transferred to London, I was crushed. Don't get me wrong, I was happy for her, but I felt like I was losing a part of something. I never told Carolyn how crushed it made me though (well til I posted on her blog earlier today). It didn't change our friendship in anyway, she was just SEVERAL hours away. We would send emails and catch up through IMs and on the board, but like I said, I felt like I lost something. When she said she was coming back to the US I was estatic, probably because she was just an hour ahead of me instead of the said several before.

Are Sarah and Carolyn's friendships any different to me than my frienship with Tiffany, ABSOLUTELY NOT! Just because I haven't met them does not mean that they are any less of a friend than she is. I may get to talk to Tiffany a bit more because I can call her or say "hey I want to come visit", but I know that Sarah and Carolyn have my back when something in my life goes crazy. Carolyn and I have daughters that are close in age, actually about a year apart, so if I'm going through something with my daughter I know I can always ask her what to expect. But that hasn't happened lately. I may not be able to call her up and ask if I can come over to just talk but I know that I can leave her an email or send her an IM and know that she'll respond.

Holy no posting! I forgot my password, OOPS

I've been knitting up a storm lately, which is good. I started my Kalediscope Fibers KAL sweater June 25th. Um, slight problem with that, I may be done before the KAL even STARTS! The KAL doesn't start until the 27th of this month. I am almost half way done with the sweater. I have two more to knit though so maybe if the one i'm doing now (for me) is done, I can do my daughter's. Then hopefully I have time to do a few more for gifts.

Speaking of gifts, it's almost 6 months out to Christmas (Carin I know you're gonna say something next week possibly about the Christmas countdown, oh well). Let's see....

My mom... a tank to go with her Dofuku kimono from TWO years ago.

My dad... a pair of socks, I think (don't normally knit for him)

My brother in law.... a pair of socks (knit him a pair two years ago, time for a new pair)

My sweet little girl... a sweater and possibly more wrist warmers

My cousin and his family... dishcloths and baby things (Rachel will also get a shawl)

My cousin... dishcloths and a shawl

My uncle and step aunt....dishcloths and a shawl for my step aunt

My inlaws are NOT getting anything this year handknit wise, they have been terrible to me (the one brother in law I'm knititng socks for is on my side of the family not my husbands, so it's all good)

I'm doing the Sedona Knit by C2knits. SO fun and easy. I have the collar done and the sleeves are on stitch holders for later, and about 2 1/2 inches of the body is done. I have 11 1/2 inches yet to go. Should fly, although it's in stockinette stitch for most of it and 2x2 rib for the edging. But I'm sure it'll go fast. I just need to get more yarn whenever idiot husband can send me some money (stupid inlaws are being terrible about his spousal support to me, but whenever a marriage goes south with him, they always blame the ex, dont' get it cause he's the one that fouled up with the affairs not the other way around).

I am also working on a Firaments Lace Shawl for myself, which is ALMOST done, I just have some more of the last pattern row of repeat eight to go, then a plain knit row then I can start the LAST repeat of the body and then work on the dangblasted perpendicular edging, that sounds like SO much fun!!!

Shawl, Baby items, and a broken shoulder

Okay let's start with the last thing, my broken shoulder is getting better, but I suppose I shoudl back up.... the Tuesday before New Year's I was in a car accident and managed to break my right shoulder. Lucky me, huh?

Okay, now to the shawl. I am ALMOST done. Will be glad when the doctor okay's me to start knitting again, cause right now I'm staring at it along with a pair of unfinished socks that I really want to finish. I am going to send it to my mother-in-law for her birthday, which ironically is the same day as my ex's.

The baby items..... I have stuff to knit for baby Shawn, a sweater and some bibs, Chase is getting a baby blanket, a sweater, and some bibs, and my favorite baby (who isn't made his arrival yet) Henry, a whole SLEW of baby things, think I'm spoiling cause Henry's family. Doing my basic baby sweater pattern for all three, with a crochet edge around the botton of the sweater, the edges and the sleeves. Same with the baby bibs although Henry has one already (gave it to Eric and Rachel as a Christmas gift). I suppose I could knit some stuff for Brookelynn (my grandaughter) but I'm not sure I'm ready to go that route yet. The only reason I am giving the shawl to my MIL is because she's done so much for me (on the lookout for certain yarns for me when I run out).

Christmas Knitting end in sight

Just finished knitting Aly's wrist warmers. YAY! I also figured out where her sweater was (thanks to a phone call with my mom where she stated there was a project of mine in her office at her house). So now that's currently my focus to finish.

We are having our family christmas with my uncle and his family the day after Christams, which means I need to get working on gifts for them. Which means eitehr baby sweater for Eric and Rachel or a baby blanket or both. For my uncle and his wife I think I'll make fudge. I am thinking that maybe I'll make a pair of wristwarmers for my cousin Leah.

I am now working on Aly's birthday present. A Dofuku kimono from Knit Kimono by Vicky Square in Lorna's Laces Sheperd Worseted in the colorway Midway. Have a month to finish :)