Sunday, January 21, 2007

A trio of Soap Sacks



These are my work knitting. I decided to knit one of each pattern from the Fiber Trends Bathtime Blossoms pattern. My favorite is the Blossom pattern, easier to knt while chatting at lunch. I also liked the Scattered Flowers one. The one called Flowered Wreaths I just didn't like knitting as much. One is going to my secret pal, one to a girl at work for her birthday and one to my mother to donate to her groups table at their church fair. I now have 3 peach ones to make.

I have a few other items finished or very close that I will be posting next time. Needing a picture has been great for having me adding the finishing touches to a project.

It has been cold here and I haven't been feeling to well, a bad cold which had led to the dentist, endodontist and then ended at my doctor last week. I had a fever of 103 and didn't know it. I can never tell, I always think I do but then I take my temperature and I don't have one. Oh well, I have a prescription to use only if I don't feel better and I feel a little better today. Back to exercising tomorrow as long as I feel better.

Monday, January 15, 2007

EZ Baby Surprise FO



This baby sweater is for my cousin and his girlfriend. I knit one years ago when it came out in Knitters magazine and it was an interesting knit. I wanted to make something for my cousin so I decided to try it again. The buttons are little blue and pink octopus and they are so cute.

I updated my Exercise ticker and now it shows 10 miles so far instead of the 5 miles that it had when I posted it yesterday.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

100 Miles by April 1st





Well, I finally managed to get going. I had a bad cold and then some tests done that delayed my start. I did a 2 mile Walk Away The Pounds tape followed by a 3 mile ride on my reclining bike.

I hope to have a FO tomorrow. I have finished the knitting and bought the buttons for an EZ baby surprise that I made for a cousin whose girlfriend is due in March.

I went to the YS that I had a discount coupon for and bought just the 3 skeins I went for plus one more to match one I had bought the last time. I don't want to start the scarf months from now and not have enough. The only other YS buys have been patterns, needles, notions and books.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Yum, Fiber



Today was a good mail day. No yarn, but the fiber in the picture is from the Spunky Eclectic. Great colors, they just make me want to spin again. The pink/orange color is Tahiti. The other one is Upside Down Frown. Very cool.

My other delivery was a padded denim bag for my Louet S-10 wheel and a Schacht Lazy Kate which works with my Louet bobbins. The wheel looks huge in it's new bag. I sold my Ashford Joy last week. I just wasn't using either one and I have fast bobbins for my Louet so I decided to keep that one. I want to eventually get another travel wheel but am not sure what I want.

This year hasn't started off too good with me having a really bad cold including a toothache which sent me to the dentist yesterday and an endodontist today. Yech, no root canal yet which is good. Next week I have a Colonoscopy and Endoscopy (I think that is what it is called). I am hopeful that the new year will improve after next week.

Even with KFYS 2007, I have still been shopping. I just bought some more needles and a book from Knitpicks and I also bought some cute stitch markers from an Etsy shop.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Knit From Your Stash 2007



This is some Mango Moon that I received in a Secret Santa swap at a LYS this year. It goes into the stash but I have an idea of the scarf I want to make with it.

Following Wendy and L-B’s idea, here is how I will follow along. I am really trying to just stop my impulse purchases every time I am in a yarn shop. I tend to go to visit friend’s shops a lot and usually will make a purchase and if there is a sale, even more. I now have more than I could possible knit up in the next few years. So, if I stop those impulse purchases and only purchase yarn on the days I mention below, then I will be very happy.

Knit From Your Stash 2007

1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 1, 2007 and run through September 30, 2007 -- a period of nine months.

2. We will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:

2.a. Sock yarn does not count. What? You think we are made of stone?
No sock yarn unless it is a gift for my sister. I recently ordered some needles and yarn from Knitpicks to teach myself to knit socks and don’t see me going through it in nine months. I have so many other things I want to knit that I think I can put off any sock yarn purchases for me until Rhinebeck. Of course, if I happen to see some Socks That Rock or the new Colinette sock yarn, I may pick up some but I will try to wait.

2.b. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that we really and truly do not have the yarn for, we may buy yarn to knit that gift.
I am in for this one, too, though I will check the stash first. I recently went to a YS that I haven’t been to for many years. I bought a few skeins of a new to me yarn to make a scarf and I think I will get 3 more to make a gift for next year for a friend of mine. I was planning on making her another pink/purple scarf but I have given her one with those colors for the past two years and this new yarn comes in a multi-color that will go great with her winter coat.

2.c. If we are knitting something and run out of yarn, we may purchase enough to complete the project.
This one, too.

2.d. We each get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- we are each allowed to fall off the wagon one time.
I am giving myself the following exceptions:

1) My favorite yarn shop is having a sale that ends in February and I have Xmas money from last year plus a gift certificate that I want to use. I plan to buy the yarn for a sweater in the new knitty that also involves me spinning the contrasting color.

2) I also will be visiting the yarn shop I mentioned above that I haven’t been to in years, I have a discount coupon to use and I would like to use it by February so I will probably go and buy the yarn to make my friend a scarf for next Christmas.

3) MA Sheep and Wool – my yearly visit to WEBS but only for something I can’t live without and I will have a limited cash supply that I can’t go over, probably $50 only. I usually try to buy something that I don’t see around here. Usually sock yarn for my sister is included during this trip.

4) Knitting Retreat in July where a local artist comes. She has some beautiful handpainted yarn and if she has something I like, I may pick up enough for a sweater or a few skeins for gift scarfs. I have never seen her yarn anywhere else and it is just gorgeous.

5) Plus one extra “Get out of Jail Free” card if I just see a sale I can’t resist but with the above exceptions, I don’t plan to use this if I can help it.


3. We are allowed to receive gifts of yarn.
I never get any so this one may be a moot point.

4. Spinning fiber of any sort is exempt.
I have a large spinning stash but just in case I see a color and fiber that I can’t resist.