Looking Back

First things first...the closet is nearly complete. All I need now are some brackets to attach additional shelves above the hanging clothes. I completely forgot to get any when I was getting the new system. :)

Clue 5 of Mystic Ice is complete, I am half way through clue 6 but she is too big to photo on the needles. :(

Now for the looking back.....

My only New Years Resolution for 2008 was to finish everything I started. Now, I allowed for complete frogging of projects that just weren't going to work, but only took that option a couple of times. Otherwise I did do fairly well, glancing through the blog there were a lot of FO's to talk about, several LARGE knit alongs, tons of socks (some of which never made it here before they made it onto the feet they belonged to), scarves, sweaters.....all in all I believe that there are only three that haven't been completed. Slow Bee 2 fell to printer issues, I tried just working off the computer and messed her up...she still waits for the corrections, my Mandala that was to be a large baby-blanket for a friend who ended up not having the baby and the green sweater for Dear Son number 2. Potentially all three will get finished.

It was a busy year for me, changing jobs, homeschooling twins, household repairs, several visits from Ex-husband, trips to zoos, science centers, concerts, monthly habits that I worked on (some for several months during the year). All in all I think that I can say that 2008 was a pretty good year!

Today is the day that many people in this world reflect on their failings and start new plans for the coming year. I would prefer to reflect on the successes.

What was good this year for you???

Happy New Year!

~M

Long time no blog

Christmas was fabulous! The kiddies liked their gifts, the food was great and we all enjoyed getting to spend time together...me knitting, them on their computers playing their new games. :) Ok, there was more to it than that, but it made a good line.

Several knitting projects ended up making it out of the house without being photo'd, there was another largish one that I can't share (when I can I will, you know I love to tease you!) and I have finally picked Mystic Ice back up, only two clues behind.

Unfortunately my knitting time was cut into by the picture above. One of the boys had been searching for a present he hid, and he claims the closet was fine when he left it, but the next time I went up the stairs I had a small shock! I never did like the wire shelving in there, so took the opportunity that presented itself and started putting in a laminate closet system. If I had bought some L-brackets to hold up the shelves it would be done, as it is the thing is useful but still not right. Maybe tomorrow I will get back to the hardware store (which is nearly as dangerous as a yarn store) and get the shelves in place too.

~M

Now we have Four

Hehe...all caught up on Mystic Ice. Isn't this pretty?

Yes, I am a terrible tease, part of it is excitement on my part - just being asked if I wanted to knit some things was huge for me. :) I will share the pictures when all is said and done, but I need permission first as there are some copyrights involved.

Two more pairs of socks and I will be done with the obligation for Christmas knits...not to tempt the knitting gods, but I think I am on the home stretch!!! YAY

~m

Blogger has been trying my nerves

Mystic Ice clue 3, yes LAST weeks clue.....it has been done for a couple of days, but blogger was sending my pictures to no-where again! This design really does remind me of Mystic Waters, which still ranks right up there in the top of my list of favorite patterns to knit!!!! Clue 4 came out on Monday and I am progressing through it.

Two more pairs of socks are on needles, one pair for me which don't need to be complete for Christmas. I have been so busy knitting them for everyone else that I thought I deserved the treat of some warm socks too.

The secret knitting was fabulous! No pics to share with you, yet, but maybe one day I will post them. Of course the reward for a job well done was some more secret knitting....maybe I will get that cast on tomorrow. :)

Distracted by variations

Clue 3 for Mystic Ice was posted on Monday, I finally printed it today, but I still haven't even looked at it! I have been distracted.

See the family of socks, it is growing and they are all a variation of this pattern. I made one pair and decided that maybe EVERYONE needs a pair of boot socks for the winter. :) Now how many knitting days were there until Christmas? None of them have been blocked yet and the bright green child size ones are even machine washable if you believe the label on the yarn!

There has been other knitting, but itsa secret. :)

~M

Around here it is not Gobble Gobble

Look closely, do you see it ??????

Yep, right there in the middle - not quite a dropped stitch, but a partially knit one. ACK?!?!?!?!?!? How do I miss that on the return row?

Excuse me while I gibber in the corner. I have to decide if I can fix it in place or if I have to rip back.

Other than that small mishap, we have been having a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mix food with family and usually you end up with happy people. :)

~M

Autumn in New York, Photo Shoot

Of course it is pouring down rain outside, so our plan of a middle of the garden photo shoot was canceled. :(

But the Drama Queen stood still inside just long enough to get three reasonable pictures. :)

~M
who is not ignoring that she has been tagged, just doesn't have the time to find the links right now..more on that later

They would share a bath.....

They shared a bath, but sharing the bed for blocking was just too much to ask!

Let me present Autumn in New York from Bad Cat Designs. Andrea, yet again, has done a wonderful job of morphing one pattern stitch into another so that the shawl flows from beginning to completion.

Stats : Autumn in New York, A November Shawl
Version One - Yarntopia Bamboo in Starbucks, two hanks with quite a bit left over.
US size 5 needles
Finished dimensions to be determined later today. :)
Version Two -Yarn Treehouse Melody color number Y01
US size 4 needles
Finished dimensions also the be determined later -

Hey the shawls are upstairs quietly drying, I am down here at my computer....I'll get there. :)

If you didn't jump right in and join the fun on this one, the blog posts are still on Andrea's blog and the full pattern will be available on Ravelry soon.

Now to either continue with Dear Son's nasty juggle five balls of yarn Christmas sweater or cast on another project...decisions, decisions!

~M

Finished Object Friday - well not quite

The question was posed to me...have you finished anything lately? And while the answer is yes, it is also but you can't see it. :)

I will let you look at Mystic Ice clue one, at least part of it. Although I know that I have ...ahem....several size 1 needles in various lengths of cable..the only one I could get my hands on this week was a 24 inch (or maybe a 32, not 100% sure) so you can only see half of my finished clue.

Anna of KnitandKnag is doing her usual splendid job of designing. If you liked Mystic Waters I can bet that you will like this one too. I am finding them similar even though the approach and pattern are different.

Oh well, off to finish up some more. :)

~M

AINY Chart D Part 2

Does Andrea come up with pretty designs, or what ?
~M

AINY Version 1

I finished my first version Chart D of Autumn in New York last evening. As usual Andrea of Bad Cat Designs is doing a wonderful job of "morphing" one pattern stitch into another. This one she says represents the chain link fences that are the staple of the New York area. This is the bamboo version - the Melody should follow later today if I get a chance to pick it up.

~m

Christmas stuff

The tea cosy is all done! A little loud for my taste, but the person getting it should love the colors.

The vest does not fit the Drama Queen, which is good as it isn't for her! It does however fit my sister, I had her try it on with her eyes closed and she doesn't read this blog :)

Chart D for Autumn in New York is up on Andrea's page - I have given you the link before - for anyone worried that they have too much on the needles already it is a fairly straight forward knit. I have been watching movies while knitting it, which is not how I usually knit lace.

~m

Ok Andrea, I am ready for the next chart :)

Autumn in New York Take Two is all caught up and ready for Chart D.

If you haven't joined the fun, run on over to Bad Cat Designs. All the charts are there just waiting for you.

~M

Remembrance

Growing up in various parts of the world, today is not "Veteran's Day" to me, but Remembrance Day. In The States, as far as I can tell, it is a day marked only by parades and a bank holiday. No two minutes of silence to reflect on those that have laid down their lives in order to defend the freedom of people they have never met. Hardly a poppy to be seen...

And mail delivery? Now, either my mail delivery came REALLY late yesterday or Veteran's Day has become a sham of a federal holiday, because in my mailbox this afternoon was the yarn that I have been waiting for. (You know it is a so-so holiday here when school is in session, and dear daughter checks the mail on her way in from the bus...or the yarn would still be cooling in the box.)




So I give you Autumn in New York Take Two, this time in Tree House Yarns Melody. Under artificial light I was a little concerned that the muted tones I was looking for were muddy instead of muted...the picture says it is the lighting as the flash brings out the tones I was looking for. Keep your fingers crossed for me that the colors look better to me in day light. :)

The loud-purple socks are done, waiting to be wrapped. The teal lace and cable vest is waiting for a test fit before I claim it is done. Half way through a red and black tea cosy...and yet Dear Son Number Two's Christmas sweater is no further along than the last time I spoke of it. :(

Chart C

The second part of Autumn in New York is up on Andrea's blog. This is a pretty relaxed pattern so far.

Ain't she purdy ?

Swatching

Wet pic and dry pic. :)

The yarn is Tencel Lace weight by Yarntopia Treasures in a colorway called Sapphires. How could I resist something in shades of my all time favorite gem ?

Knit and Knag, or Anna, comes up with some of the coolest designs....the first time I put cables with lace it was because of her, and as you can see from the patterned border of the "For Christmas Vest" I liked the idea!

I can't decide if I like the needle size I used (a US 2) and might attempt another swatch dropping down a size and see if I like that better. Good thing for me that I am short and skinny, I came in just under Anna's measurements for the swatch and dropping a needle size will increase the difference.

Come on, you know you want to join me, click on Knit and Knag and jump on in. the water is fine.

~M
ignore the photo names, I had Mystic Earth on the brain. :)

Christmas Projects

The swatch for Mystic Ice has been published, there is still time to join the fun....mine is blocking right now :)

Autumn in New York

Andrea, known to the world as BadCat Designs has released the first section of her Fall Quick Project. Click on the name and join in the fun.

You know how in the grocery store you can get the 100 calorie packs of cookies ? This worked just like one of those for me. Snack sized, leaving me wanting just a little bit more.

The yarn is a handpainted bamboo from Yarntopia Treasures in the Starbucks colorway. Being bamboo it is very much like knitting with shiny cotton, and not my first choice for Autumn in New York, but it was on hand and I don't think it looks half bad.

There will be progress pics on holiday gifts either later tonight or early next week. I am slowly making headway.

~M

I keep trying

So I have some better and some not so better pics of Mystic Earth, and blogger keeps dropping them into a black hole.

I will keep trying off and on thisevening to see if I can get them uploaded. :(

~M

She blocks

~M

A Quick Project from the BadCat

Andrea of Bad Cat Designs is filling up my needles again.

This time around she says it will be a quick project, and seeing as it is designed for fingering to sport weight yarn and only requires 600 meters I think she is probably right.

The first chart goes up right after Halloween and we will be done around Thanksgiving.

Check it out here : BadCatDesigns

~M

Knitter's Rule

Well I am sure that you know that I feel that Knitter's Rule...but the picture is of a different interpretation of the words. :)

This is my prize from the Secret of the Stole Three Knit Along that was designed and hosted by DK the Nautical Knitter, who it just so happens is having a contest on her blog where you can win a goodie for helping her pick her next project. Quick click on the name and run over there to vote, I'll wait for you. :)

Back ? Ok, as I was saying, the picture above is a Knitter's Rule from Karat Stix, sorry haven't looked for a link for that yet, and it is fabulous. Just the right size to be in with my traveling knitting (right now a sock that I am working on during my lunch breaks) and the snow flakes are very like the ones that are knitted into the stole.

Truth be told, this is not something I would have purchased for myself. I see no reason to NOT spend money on yarn, but would have made do with my plastic knitters gauge for the rest of my life. Now I have a nicer tool and I am thrilled with it.

~M

Just in Time for Tuesday

For the first time during this knit along I am ready for the next clue before it is published ! The final installment of Mystic Earth will be released Tuesday morning. :)

Bout time I caught up.

~M

Who needs sleep anyway ?

I shouldn't have, but I did......how could I not ?

Anna of Knit and Knag is staring another knit along once Mystic Earth has finished. Called Mystic Ice this shawl (square or triangle, your choice) draws it's inspiration from the icicles found in early and late winter.

You know you want to, so why not sign up here and join the fun.

Sleep is overrated, right ?

~M

Two things

You HAVE to read this I about died laughing, and if you know me you will know that what the poor Yarn Harlot went through would have killed me. I cannot function without the eternal cup of coffee at my side.

and

I WON ! I won one of the Theme Prizes for the Secret of the Stole Three knit along. Once I get my gift I will share pics with you.

Oh I am so excited about that!

~M

Behind-er

Can you see the theme in my bad pictures ? Mystic Earth is at about the half way point here, if you look really carefully you can see that the leaves start in spring and have matured through summer. Clue 3 is obviously then Autumn and the final clue will be winter. There is just enough back side patterning on this to keep it really interesting and to make it more than idle tv knitting.

Unfortunately the idle TV knitting hit a major snag - I really didn't have enough yarn to knit Dear Son Number Two's Christmas sweater all in the moss green. Rather than have half the front and one sleeve be different it hit the frog pond and I have located enough of a contrast color to make the design I want work, just differently.

Hope you have been having a good week, mine seems to have been spent running in circles....

~M

She does have a face

The Drama Queen had a concert at school - there are pics on the kids blog which can be found here

All school year I have been telling her to wear her hair up instead of that cloud around her face, after the concert she announced that she got so many compliments on the updo that maybe she would wear her hair up to school. :)

~m

She's done !

A beautiful day for a photo shoot, if only the camera and the wind had been cooperating!

Stats : Secret of the Stole Three by DK- The Nautical Knitter
Colourmart Silk/Cashmere/Linen/Cotton blend in a 2/28 weight
Knit Picks Size 1(US) needles
Pearl Beads from the local hobby store
9 weeks of knitting.
I forgot to measure how big she turned out, sorry. :(

Ain't she pretty ?

~M