So...Many...WIP...

I started last night sorting through all the WIP that have been lurking around, some beside my chair, in my knitting bag, in my bedroom, etc and so on. What I found out is I've developed a bad habit of not finishing things that I've started! I think I'll try making a list of all these poor abandoned WIP and then hopefully get as many done as possible. It would seem that my spring cleaning this year should consist primarily of organizing and doing an inventory of my stash, (as it's out of control and spilling out everywhere), and doing the same with my WIP. I do have a few things that I have managed to finish over the last little bit. The first pictures are of a shawl I made with Lion Brand Woolease Thick and QuickYarn in Lemongrass. The bottom pictures are of a sweater that I made for my Mom. I started with a pattern I thought looked really great, but I ended up changing practically everything about it. But I think it turned out pretty well and my Mom does like it, and really that is all that matters. It was made with Tatamy Tweed by Kraemer Yarns, the color is Silver. The lace pattern on the front panels is Lily of the Valley, one of my favorites. So I do have at least a couple of projects that aren't WIP, now to roll up my sleeves and start work on the rest.....

Sometimes it's just one of those lives.......

Believe it or not, I used to be a really optimistic person. I KNEW I'd be able to figure out a solution to any problem that had the nerve to cross my path, that I'd soon have life running smoothly again. I had bumps along the way, just like anyone else, but the bumps didn't really shake my faith in my ability to fix whatever came my way. But, following the divorce, the ex trying to get custody of my boys, and most of all my disability that left me unable to work, and effectively took away a large part of my identity, and I'd be the first to admit that my outlook on life just isn't as cheerful as it used to be.

But every now and then, out of the blue, someone reaches past this newly formed pessimistic shield of mine and makes me feel genuinely happy. Brings a real smile when one is needed the most. And usually it probably seems like a small thing to the giver, but believe me when I say it's huge from where I sit.

A friend of mine from Rav, a swap partner, sent me a package that has made my day and probably the best smile I'll find for several weeks. Part of the swap was to be a "softie" , a small stuffed item, either bought or made. And I don't know what hand of divine providence put the wheels in motion, but she made for me the very softie I would have chosen if given a choice, and out of yarn that I really love! Meet my alpaca. There were lots of other goodies included in the package (which made it's way to me from Belgium!). There was a skein of lovely robin's egg blue yarn, some super cool pens, several nifty notepads and cards and candy. Yeah for candy! The candy didn't make it into the pix, but then, it seldom does, lol! I'll be sending my package to my very thoughtful partner this weekend, and can only hope she likes it half as much as I love mine. If she does, it will be a great success.

Forward progress?

I spent the past year making squares for the Baker's Dozen group on Ravelry, and I feel like I've really improved my skills and learned quite a lot. But I know I've got so much to learn! I've been on a kick recently buying knitting books, pattern books, stitch books, just about everything. And I've found some really great ones. Probably my favorite right now is 10 Secrets of the Laidback Knitters by Vicki Stiefel and Lisa Souza. Check out www.knitpicks.com My favorite place to buy knitting stuff, and they're having a book sale! A terrific book for the beginning knitter and for the more experienced as well. I've always felt that the journey of knitting the project is as least as important as the finished project. This book takes knitting and leads you on a journey of discovery into the aspects of knitting that other books don't touch on. It encourages you to look at knitting from another point of view, one that I found fascinating. I would recommend this book to anyone.

A Merry Christmas!

My Christmas this year wasn't filled with lots of stuff. I think that sometimes we get so distracted by all that "stuff" we forget to slow down and enjoy the holiday. So this year I went the no stress route. I didn't get lots of presents made this year, the only thing I made was an earflap hat for my little niece Brylee, and that took an evening. The little thumb-less mitts took only a couple hours, I worked on them as we drove to my parents for Christmas yesterday and had them done for her shortly after we arrived. Nobody had a lot of money this year, so we went with gifts for the little kids and just little things at that. Everyone still had a great time. We didn't have a huge feast that would have meant someone spending the whole day in the kitchen, that just seemed silly. I wanted my Mom, who does the vast majority of the cooking to spend time with us instead and it was great being able to visit with her while she relaxed. That was the best part, spending time with my family and laughing. So I have to say that it's been a great holiday and a peaceful one. I hope everyone else has enjoyed their holiday as much. Enjoy these pix of our Christmas.

Lion Brand Organic Cotton Swap- My part

I spent quite a long time on my part of the Lion Organic Swap. I wanted it to be very special as Jan is a very special person. I ordered organic soap from Mountain Mama at http://www.etsy.com/shop/mountainmamachic and some of the coolest pottery I've seen from The Muddy Muse at http://www.etsy.com/shop/muddymuse For the knitted part of my swap package I chose to make a shawl/scarf called Saroyan. It's such a cool pattern, and my first that included lace on such a large scale. The pictures of the package I'm including are the ones taken by Jan, her's are much better than mine! The lovely girl modeling the scarf is Jan's daughter. I also included a skein of the organic cotton, and a scarf pin that was my own. I wanted to give Jan something of my own. Here are the pics, enjoy!

Lion Brand Organic Cotton Swap

Wow and super wow! I'm a little late getting this posted as I received my package some time ago, but it's so wonderful, it still gets a wow! It really couldn't have been more on target if my partner and I had been friends for years instead of just having met on-line for a few weeks. The gauntlets/fingerless mitts are exactly what I've been wanting for ages and have never taken time to make for myself. Even the style is right on target and they fit perfectly! The lacy cowl/collar is so lovely, I've already thought of several things I will wear it with. The earrings (made of rose quartz and sterling silver), are in my ears even as I type. I'm using the stitch markers in one of my current projects. I've placed the sachets in my dresser drawers and the smell when I open the drawers is so wonderful. The dish cloth looks wonderful in my kitchen and the soap and facecloth are terrific in my bathroom. All in all the best swap I've been in, it will be hard to find a better partner in future swaps I'm in, and I really hope that my partner and I can keep in touch!

New projects galore!

Well, I've gone from doing nothing, to doing quite a lot! Too much? I guess we will find out. I've mentioned before the square swaps which are really great. I've been meeting some very nice people and I'm having a chance to both try new stitches and even use some yarn from my stash (yeah!). I'm also doing a Lion Brand Yarn swap that I'm really excited about, it's one on one and that part is nice. It gives you a chance to get to know someone a little better. I've got a great project in mind for my partner, just waiting for the needles I'll need to arrive in the mail. I'm also working on a special gift (this swap is a recycled theme), I really hope she likes it! But I didn't stop there in my new activities. I've also adopted a soldier! This is something that's pretty important to me as my youngest son Mike is planning to join the Army Airborne after graduating next year and the soldier I've adopted is in an Airborne division. I'm hoping I can really send this soldier a little bit of home while he's over there and maybe raise his spirits once in a while. The group I've joined is called The Strength Behind the Strong, it really is a great honor to support these brave men and women who are risking their lives for America. May they stay safe.

Montgomery Scott's Hat

I mentioned this hat in my previous post, but didn't have a pic. Here it is!

Another KAL?!

I signed up for another KAL! This one is on Knit Picks and is based on the book Knitting Goes Large. What was funny was that I had ordered the book just a few days before finding out about the KAL. There are many beautiful patterns in the book, but the one I was drawn to was the Cabled Bag. I've been wanting to try cables for a long time now, but I found them quite intimidating on a garment. To me, this looks like a more doable option. Still, can't believe I've signed up for this. I already have more projects going that I need. Aside from the other KAL, I'm finishing a sundress for my niece, a purse for another niece, a baby layette, a beaded wristlet, and was toying with some patterns for a skinny scarf. My knitting bag runneth over! Maybe, if I knit non-stop, with only bathroom breaks and with my boys occasionally throwing food my way, I might finish by the time I'm 80!
I've decided on the yarn and found a fabric that I'll use as the lining. Really love the colors!

Another day, more frogging done...

Okay, started a sweater for my Mom's birthday. She's great, and I love her, but she's not the easiest person when it comes to gifts. We have very different taste when it comes to clothing and while I might enjoy a sweater in an interesting color or style, she prefers something that can be worn with everything in her closet, something very neutral, and something that is wash and wear. So instead of using something from my stash, I bought some Vanna's choice in a color called Pearl Mist and started knitting. I'd been working on it for several days and then found that I had made an error several rows before. It wasn't a catastrophic error, but it was bugging me, so I decided to un-knit a few rows and fix it. But the more I un-knitted, the more errors I found. (I would often fall asleep while working on the sweater, as I said a very neutral color.) Finally I said the heck with, or words to that effect and just ripped the whole thing out! I'll save the yarn and maybe try the sweater again in the fall. So now I'm in the process of finishing a spring/summer cardi that I had, in fact, started last fall for my sister-in-law. I ended up giving her something else for Christmas as I hadn't finished this cardigan, but my son reminded me that my Mom had really liked it when she saw me working on it. Sooo, with a few alterations for sizing, I will hopefully get this gift finished in time for her birthday later this month. Actually, I have a much better chance of finishing this cardigan than I would have had finishing the other sweater, so maybe the errors were really for the best!

How to Survive With Your Mind (Mostly) Intact

I think the thing that is most important is to keep your mind busy, even if you can't do much physically. I was unable to move about much, so I turned to crocheting, something I've been doing since I was a child. I made blankets, lots of BIG blankets, for my sons, my Mom, my brother, etc. I'm talking blankets so big they covered my 6'2" sons from head to toe with room left over to tuck the blanket in on both ends. I let them choose their own colors and I think that the colors they chose where really interesting. It was really fun to see their interest grow as their blanket got closer and closer to completion. And it is very gratifying to know that their blankets are always on their beds, except when they want a blanket downstairs to cuddle under while they watch a movie. After I had made blankets for most of my family, I started to think about knitting. I'd wanted to try it for some time, but of course with work, I'd never found the time. But now, with all this time on my hands, I thought why not? I found a web site www.lionbrand.com that has very extensive and easy to understand instructions with clear illustrations, bought a kit that was titled, "I can't believe I'm knitting!" from my local Walmart, and some yarn, and then I was on my way. Just a matter of keeping mind and hands busy together.