Just a quick note to say that I’m still here! Hav…
Just a quick note to say that I’m still here! Having a crazy day so far but hope to post a real update later today!
30 Dec 2003 Margaret comments off
Archive for December, 2003
Happy Holidays! We are going away for a couple …
Happy Holidays!
We are going away for a couple of days so I’ll give you another update on Friday!
24 Dec 2003 Margaret comments off
T-38 hours until Christmas! Are you ready? I…
T-38 hours until Christmas!
Are you ready?
I’m not quite there but moving along. Secret Project #4 (no that isn’t the sweater) is about 75% complete and needs to be finished by tomorrow afternoon. I’m pretty sure I can finish it in time but we’ll see.
I spent last night baking cookies for folks at work. I did short-bread (which I moved to soon and broke, oops!), Peanut Butter cookies, Ginger Bread Men and Chocolate Chip Cookies rolled in red and green sugar. I also went up stairs to MIL and got 2 kinds of Italian cookies that she had made, I don’t know there names. And I had a garter stitch Dune scarf that needed to be finished for today and was fretting about finishing it. She offered to work on it for me while I was baking, and wouldn’t you know it, she finished it a little over an hour later! It would have taken me until at least midnight to finish everything if she hadn’t been helping!!! Sometimes having a MIL upstairs is a very good thing! Having a second knitter in the house is certainly an advantage, esp. when they knit as fast as she does.
I’ve added some things in the sidebars of the blog. On the left is the Holiday Knitting list count down. As you can see I have finished a number of projects but there are still plenty to go . . . . and on the right you will find my growing list of Knitting New Years Resolutions.
Being that this tends to be a reflective time of year, I’ve been thinking about what things about my knitting habits I would like to change in the coming year. I’ve considered Grand ideas like not adding to my yarn stash (who am I kidding, I wouldn’t last a week) or spinning all the fiber I have before buying any more (again, I must be dellusional! I already have several fleeces reserved for the spring shearing so that won’t work). Then I decided that in 2004 I’d like to have some reasonable, more obtainable goals with maybe one tough one tossed in for a challenge. So far, and since it’s not New Year’s yet I am still working on the list, I have the following:
1. I will knit 1 pair of mittens and 1 hat, in any size and pattern and for no particular recipient each month of the year. They will be placed in the plastic tub where I store finished gift objects and be available for holiday/birthday and charity gifts.
2. I will knit a minimum of 2 adult sweaters during 2004. The one I started for DH does not count. The two sweaters will be 1 aran and 1 fair isle. One will be for myself and one will be for DH, he gets to choose which style he would prefer and then I’ll give him a selection of 4-6 sweaters to choose from in that style. (If he chooses the Fair Isle I will likely do a Fern for myself, its at the bottom of the page)
3. To learn to knit and purl continental style. I don’t expect to knit the sweaters this way yet, but by the end of the year I’d like to be able to complete a project or two without “throwing” the yarn.
I may come up with one or two more before the end of the year . . . . What
are your resolutions?
23 Dec 2003 Margaret comments off
Happy Monday! Yikes! Just a few more days to ge…
Happy Monday!
Yikes! Just a few more days to get the presents done? Are you finished with your holiday knitting yet? I have a few pairs of mittens, a shawl, a scarf and a hat to go. Fortunately, we are stretching things out into next week so it isn’t all due by Thursday! I would like to have all the gifts (with the notable exception of Mom’s shawl) finished by the first week in January. That would be big progress over last year! 
Oh, and since the cat is out of the bag, I can finally mention that I’ve been working on a sweater for DH. I started spinning on July 1st. and rather than waiting until all the yarn was done, I started knitting it as well. Trouble was I changed my mind a couple of times about how I wanted to construct this sweater and then decided I wasn’t sure if I had the size right. Yesterday I took it out and showed it to him. As luck would have it, it was a good thing I did. What I had done was about 8 inches too big around!
Now I’m working on reknitting it, with yet more design changes, and doing it following Barbara Walker’s suggestions for a classic Raglan, top down. I’ve finished the yoke last night and waited for him to come home so he could try it on. It fits! So now I’m going to begin the sleeves. We are talking about adding some sort of cabling or design to the ribbing on the waistband, cuffs and neckband. In order to make that work out better I’m probably going to spin some smaller yarn and add to the number of stitches at each edge to give me a bit more room in the number of stitches and rows to make a design with . . . and at least now that he knows about it I can have him try it on as I go so there is a much greater chance that it will fit! ; ) By the way, for those who didn’t know, this will be the first adult sweater I’ve done!
With a bit of luck I might finish his sweater by the end of the year!
22 Dec 2003 Margaret comments off
Thursday! So have you seen The Return of the Ki…
Thursday!
So have you seen The Return of the King yet? Sad to say, I have not, yet. I think we might have to do something abou that soon!
I did finish another pair of gift mittens last night. I’m debating whether to put a sting on them, they aren’t for a little kid, but I really like the whole string concept . . . either that or I’ll knit a 3rd mitten. Tonight I’m going to cast on my step-dad’s 2nd mitten and work on that during the Spining Group at Mind’s Eye, this time of year not much spinning happens at spinning group
Guess thats all for now, more later if I have a chance. . . .
18 Dec 2003 Margaret comments off
