Working On Presents

I've been working on presents non-stop, for what seems forever. I love making presents for others, especially my family, and with my budget being what it is, I try to make everything I can. I managed to get a sweater made for my niece in time for her birthday. Kind of amazing for me to manage to get something done on time! So yeah! (See the pictures) I'm also working on Christmas presents. My plan is to get all the presents done before December 15th. Not even sure that's possible, but I figure it's worth a try! Last year I was frantically trying to finish presents on Christmas Eve. I really don't want to do that again. Awful. We exchanged names this year, so we have four presents to give from my family. I've finished the scarf my son is giving my brother, so that's one down. (See picture.) I don't think I can come up with something knitted to give my 14 year old nephew, teenagers, at least boys, don't really enjoy hand knitted things as presents. So for him we'll need to come up with something else. Then there's my Dad, who owns everything! He's always a hard one to get a present for. I'm thinking a pair of comfy, wear around the house, and maybe to bed on a cold night socks. I've also got a present for my sister-in-law to make, she's another one who's tough to give a present to. I'm thinking a pair of the comfy socks might just be a winner for her, also. I'm pretty sure it's something she doesn't have and it's something she might actually wear. So now all I've got to do is get all these things made (ha-ha). I'm getting faster, but I'm still not what anyone would consider fast. Oh well, I'll just have to work as fast as I can! I've got to get all this stuff finished so I can start some of the projects I've been wanting to do for myself. So, knit faster, knit faster!

A pretty good weekend

I actually got out of the house two weekends in a row! That's got to a record for me, (at least in the past few years). I went to a retirement party for a couple I've known for 30 years and saw people I haven't seen in what seems like forever! Some of them looked just the same and some had changed do much, I didn't even recognize them at all. I thought to myself, it's probably the same when they are looking at me. I've changed myself in the years since I saw most of them, I just hope it was for the better, at least physically. I surprised my self by actually having fun and since I'm going out next weekend to a family reunion, maybe I'll have fun again there. I'm going to try my best to get out at least 2-3 times a week, I think I'll be better for it. I've been working hard on the blanket I'm making for my nephew's birthday, but I have a feeling I won't get it done in time. If not, I'll finish it for Christmas and send something else for his birthday. But if I'm close to done, I'll go ahead and send it late and blame the post office. He lives in Maine, it takes forever to get mail there anyhow. I must admit that a blanket can get a little tiresome at times, it seems like so little progress because of the length of the rows. I'm using different stitch patterns as I go along, both to make it look nice and to keep it interesting so my attention doesn't wander to the other projects I've put aside to finish this blanket. I've go so many things in the works, right now I just want to be able to say that I've finished something!

Didn't realize how long it had been

Life has been going along on it's usual path and I just didn't realize how long it had been since I had last posted here. The high- (or perhaps I should say low) lights of June were finding out that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, and my favorite cat Chuck Norris dying. His death is still something I can't talk or even write about without falling apart and crying. So we will go on to something more cheerful, my new diagnosis. I was so hoping that the pain and difficulty in using my hands was not Rheumatoid Arthritis, but my doctor sent me to a specialist and yup! that's what it is. On a positive note, the med the specialist put me on is used for malaria (in much larger doses), so my PCP says I'm now protected against getting malaria. Great isn't it? I've been trying really hard these past few days to find some kind of positive in life, and I have to say it has been hard. But as least I'm trying. We did go to the Ohio Hills Folk Festival yesterday, at the urging of my Mom and Dad, and it was fun. I'm trying to get an afghan made in time for my nephew's birthday at the end of the month and so I'm working on it at every opportunity. May sound strange, but I took it with me to the fest and got quite a bit done. I figured there would be times I would need to sit for a bit and rest, and I also worked on it while we were watching the square dancing. I had to fix a few mistakes then, it was sometimes hard to concentrate while watching, those people really get into their dancing! It was fun to watch. It was good to get out of the house, and even though today I feel like I've been hit by a truck, I'm glad we went. I took some pictures, some of which are posted here, the rest can be seen on my flickr page at this address: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fadedlily/

Knitting as therapy

Have you ever just sat and knit something, usually a swatch for nothing in particular. I found myself doing that the other night. I literally knit for hours, and yet made nothing. I'd get to a certain place in the swatch and rip it out, then start over again. All the while I was doing this, my mind was focused on some problems I was trying to come to terms with. Even when I'm actually knitting on a project, I usually find myself in this "knitter's zone", and sometimes don't even notice what's going on around me. I find I'm calmer if I have needles in my hands. If I'm in a situation that makes me anxious or uncomfortable, I either grab my knitting or I wish desperately that I could. So I've decided, as no doubt many other knitters have in the past, the knitting is my therapy, my Xanax, my method of coping with pressure. I just hope I never have to do without it, would be to horrible to imagine. Of course, with the size of my stash and the number of needles that I've accumulated, it will be along time before I'm without the equipment I need to cope with life.

Making Progress!

I'm making progress on the Lion Brand KAL. The blog posts from the designer really help. I've substituted seed stitch for the textured rows. I think it is a more subtle effect that will work better with my chubby arms.

Great Lakes Fiber Show

Yesterday I went to my very first fiber fest. Now I want to go to all of them, and I want to take tons of money with me! I was taking a class at pm, so I spent the time before that wandering from vender to vender wishing desperately for more money and trying to remember where the things I really liked and considered actually buying were. There were tons of beautiful things, roving, hand spun and hand dyed yarns, baskets, and woven items. If I had had more money, I probably wouldn't have been able to get everything in my car. I only had a small amount, but I hit the jackpot when I found some Lamb's Pride which is a mohair/wool blend from Brown Sheep Yarns in this really great shade of purple for only $4 a skein! I bought as much as I could and only had change in my wallet, but I didn't mind a bit. Here are some pictures of my big find! I really did have a great time. Took a lace class, also from Annie Modesitt. I learned a lot about reading charts and figuring out the pattern in a lace design.

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!