Happy 2006!!

I wish you all a gorgeous, sunny, love-filled, fun & frolicky new year!! I hope you knit only perfection, find gorgeous yarn at estate sales and that multitudes of perfect-for-you free patterns are published everywhere you turn!

2006 to-knit list

2006 Must-Knit List
so far...

-Jaywalker
(yarn is here & wound, waiting for another project to be off the needles.)
-Two Boogie times
-Frida, as wrap.
-Glampyre's City Shawl

Huh! That's all I have definitely planned. I would like to knit a few pairs of socks. I definitely want to knit a sweater for myself that I will actually wear, perhaps Tubey. I think I'll join Rowan Intl, too, since I always love the pattern books. So, perhaps some inspiration there.

ayeeee, my head

Ok, let's be honest here. I am thirty-five years old and the mother of two small children. I drive a mini-van, for god's sake. Yet, I am nursing the hangover from hell today. My in-laws offered to watch all four kids, so scout and I went out with our hubbies. We had a couple drinks at Zinc, along with an appetizer and then headed over to a little Italian place for dinner. Well, I neglected the fact that rather than eat lunch yesterday, I hiked a couple miles at 10,000 feet (top of the Sandia Mountains), then hurried home to get ready to go out. I ate some of the appetizer, but 1/4 of a caramelized leek brie tart at a place like Zinc is not much food. I picked at my salad, but wasn't really hungry, and didn't eat much of my actual dinner, either. I did, however, drink a huge glass of Cabernet. My judgment was clearly very cloudy prior to downing the giganto glass of wine. I was messed up. I had to make poor scout's husband pull over on the freeway, literally staggered up my stairs and proceeded to puke all over my living room carpet. Oh. my. god. Ok, first of all, the last time I threw up due to excessive imbibement was about 10 years ago. I just don't do crazy shit like that anymore. Secondy, I have never not made it to the bathroom to puke, not even during those crazy college years!
What a way to end the year. Scrubbing red wine vomit stains out of my carpet while dying of humiliation. Ahem. Those of you who know me in real life, pretend you never read any of this and certainly, T, J & T, please pretend to have never witnessed any of it.

So, due to the fact that I feel headachey and one hundred years old, I am blogging rather than knitting or cleaning up.
Inspired by big geek, I am going to list all the knitting I accomplished this year, which due to working full-time and moving across the country was not all that much. Nonetheless...

Hats
Two Wavy Hats
A Preemie Umbilical Cord Hat
LMKG Cotton Hat
"Flapperjakk" Hat

Scarves
Airy Scarf
Casey
Midwest Moonlight
Several other quickie garter scarves I don't even recall.

Garments
Minisweater
Crumpet

I'll hopefully finish a Boogietime before the end of the year, along with one last holiday pressie.

Anyone else care to share?

who needs a magnetic ribbon

when you can sport one of these

on your car??!!
I met scout for a walk this morning & she had one on her car & I demanded to know where she got it so I could get one today, so we took my mother-in-law on a field trip to Village Wools and I picked one up immediately along with some sock yarn & size 1 dpns for Boogietime, which I'll be knitting for both my boy & scout's boy for their 7th birthdays. Can you imagine a cooler present if you were a 7-year old boy? I got some Regia for the boys' Boogietime, in grey, white black & royal blue, which will match nicely with their many blue camo shirts. Silly boys!
I am hoping my jungle stripe arrives tomorrow so I can start my Jaywalkers.
I didn't get a lot of knitting-related goodness for xmas, but I did get this:

and that made me happy.
I just got back from S&B, where Ramona finsihed Cherry Garcia in some amazing wool from Jacey. Hopefully she will post pictures soon. It's v. cute & functional.

even though jaywalking is a bad idea here in albuquerque,

I've joined Cara's Jaywalker Knitalong. I'll be knitting along in real life here with my S&B grrls, but I thought it would also be fun to see others' galleries and progress.
I ordered my yarn, too, from a cool ebay shop, Yarnbow. I bought two skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Jungle Stripe. I think they will look so cool.
My in-laws are staying with us through the 29th so my blogging time may be sporadic.
Happy Holidays!!!

**phew**

Ok, first of all, if you are named Helen or Susan AND you are my SISTER, do NOT (NOT!!!!)read this post! Unless you are a grinch! And like to ruin surprises!!
If you are not either of my sisters, carry on...
.
.
.
.
So, I've mailed off the holiday gifties and 2 out of 3 knitting projects were among them! For both sisters, I knit the Wavy Flower Hat from Pick Up Sticks, one in black with purple trim & flower, and one in olive with a rosey trim and flower. I only have a picture of the olive one, so use your imagination on the other. My non-grinchy sisters are certain to take a picture of teh two of them together intheir hats and send it to me.
The Olive Wavy Flower
Now, both sisters are getting accompanying gifts within the next couple months, not really for xmas, but just 'cause I love them and we are far apart these days. Susan will be getting Frida, but in wrap form, and Helen will be getting glampyre's City Shawl.

I have one other holiday surprise, but I have a bit of time since Hanukkah lasts until January 2.

You know what the most stressful part about getting those hats knitted and felted up and sent off for Christmas was? Finding a box into which to fit them! They finally got wrapped in Winterhook boxes. It was quite the challenge to get the wrapping paper round those boxes too, but I'm sure my lovely siblings will forgive my, er....creative wrapping.

sock query

Is Grumperina's Jaywalker pattern way too ambitious for a first-time sock knitter? I'm a pretty capable knitter, in general, I just haven't knit socks yet.

what NOT to knit!

I just had to alert the cool chicks over at You Knit What?

to this mindboggling atrocity:



Seriously? What the?

my knitting spot

My best grrl, Scout had a briliiant meme idea-- post a picture of where you knit!
I had a touch of reluctance-- 1) I'm living in this generic apartment and 2) I'm not buying any "real" furniture until the house is done. But I decided that was silly. My knitting spot is comfy, if not glamorous.
Here's the corner of the loveseat I generally occupy while knitting. Next to it is an end table that houses my knitting books, ballwinder and circular needles. The laptop sits there in case I need a break or need to look up a yarn or read blogs or whatever.


Here's a closer look at my books:


and here's what's hiding behind the end table-- my Lantern Moon tote, filled with WIPs and needles.


So there ya have it! I'm off to tag five of you now!

blither blather

I'm lying on the couch with a nasty stomachache. Is this karma for manufacturing a childhood illness for my daughter the other day so I could take a much-needed day off work? Ugh. Oddly, the warm laptop on my tummy is soothing, a modern-day hot water bottle of sorts.
I think I've figured out how to make the coveted sweater or a reasonable facsimile. I hope 500 yards is enough. If not, maybe I could make the ribbed portion of the sleeves a contrasting color. I can't even begin to look at it until January though.

New Knitty!!! Here are my must-knits:

Tempting II
How adorable is Jenna Adorno? I think I have a knit-crush on her.

Tubey
One word. Rock.

blu
Just add one adorable tot!

Danica
Scarf Lust.

Spike
And more scarf lust!!

And Wendy's Boogietime is genius! I wish I had time to make one for my son before xmas, but alas. Maybe in time for his birthday!

Ok, back to curling up in a fetal position. Wah.

That's a lot of knitting, mais non?

this is the sweater for my yarn

I so want to use the Yarn Noir for something like this, but with 3/4 length sleeves. Can anyone suggest a pattern??!!

random me

as seen on Margene's blog:

10 Random Things about Me…

~My favorite number is 8.
~I could happily live on great bread, cheese, fruit and dark chocolate.
~I have been (more or less) vegetarian since I was 12 and have eaten no meat whatsoever since I was 18. That's 17 years!
~I am extremely loyal.
~I'm also very easily irritated and even more easily soothed.
~I dreamed my whole life of owning an adobe home and now one is being built for me!
~I lack good kitchen small appliances, but I keep track of what I want on my Target wish list!
~I am something of a control freak.
~In February, I will have been married 10 years. Wild!
~I was an exchange student to Sweden my senior year of high school.


9 Places I’ve Been…

~Norway
~Denmark
~England
~Mexico
~Boston
~Fargo, ND
~Wyoming
~Montana
~Canada

8 Ways to Win My Heart…

~Laugh at my jokes.
~Hold my hand.
~Tell me I'm pretty.
~Argue intelligently.
~Do the freaking dishes! (oops, that slipped out!)
~Admire my knitting.
~Compliment me on my children.
~Dark chocolate.

7 Things To Do Before I Die…

~Travel to India.
~Ride in a hot air balloon.
~Climb a mountain.
~Learn Italian.
~Have grandchildren.
~Change someone's life for the better.

6 Things I’m Afraid of…

~Moths.
~Dying young.
~George Bush.
~Being poisoned.
~Being stuck underwater.
~Heights, but only intermittently.

5 Things I don’t like…

~Drivers who don't yield to pedestrians.
~People who lack manners.
~Patchouli
~Brussels Sprouts.
~Not getting enough sleep.

4 Ways to Turn Me Off…

~Bad breath.
~Smoking.
~Poor grammar.
~Combovers.

3 Things I Do Everyday…

~Kiss my kids.
~Drink coffee.
~Obsess.


2 Things That Make Me Happy…

~The sight of the Sandia Mountains every day.
~My best girl.


1 Thing On My Mind, RIGHT NOW…

~I need to address xmas cards!

mmmm yarny goodness

Thanks so much to my secret pal for the Kureyon!! Kureyon was the yarn I learned to knit with and a Booga Bag was my second project ever! I'm thinking maybe a Multidirectional Scarf!


I went to Stitch & Bitch the other night and bought 500 yards of this gorgeousness

from the extremely talented Noelle. I am soooo in love with this woman's yarn! What shall I do with it is the question! 500 yards... I know I could get a scarf and hat out of it, but I want to do something really fabulous. It's probably bulky weight. Any suggestions?
Ok, must get back to knitting my Airy Scarf. It's very nearly done.