Knit Fearlessly... Or Rather, Spin Fearlessly... I guess...

he, he. I got a spinning wheel. See?

It's got pretty stars on it and everything. Now if i could just figure out how to use the darn thing...

I have purple wool roving that I got one day at a street fair on an adventure with Paul, but I stored it all wrong and it really feels like it should be brushed or something. So I went to Clover Hill Yarns and picked up some pretty, new, soft wool that they got from Maryland Sheep and Wool from a sheep named Oreo. I also have a few tuffs of wool to play with that came with my spindle that I ordered for my Birthday, and DBF said that he got some sample fibers when he ordered the driveband (but didn't bring them over to my house. Strange...). So, in other words, i have more than enough fibers to keep me busy for a while. But again, i just need to learn how to use this darn thing!!! *sigh*

But i didn't want to just boo who about my spinning (or lack thereof). i have books coming in the mail t o help with that, and i should be able to head back to Clover Hill and meet other nice spinners who won't mind helping me out. What i did want to do is, in the spirit of 2008, list my current projects, and my to do list for the year (so far). With the Xmas knitting taking over for a while there, I've kinda lost touch with what all I *am* working on. So here are the list...

On the Needles

*Carter's Blanket - baby blanket for a kid born already. I'm ready for it to be done, cause, well, i need the cables.

*Brooke's mittens - i mean really!!! I've only been listing these darn things since August, so they need to be done by now.

*DBF's Winter socks - a very nice Xmas elf got me sock yarn to have something knitted for my honey and the socks just turned out too big. gotta do some fudging here and there.

*Tamar's mittens - words can not express what this girl has done for me over the years, and not ONCE has she even asked for anything from me - not even gas money!!! So I've started some mittens for her, and then i owe here bag that she was been waiting on since July.

*Mystery Shawl KAL - i just started Clue 2. All the clues are out now, but I didn't get my yarn until Clue 3 or so. Needless to say, I'm a bit behind.

*Michele's scarf - Started Christmas Eve Eve. With it being thick yarn, I thought I would have it done by now. It tricked me!

*Irish Hiking scarf - i casted on a few rows of this, but i don't know that i like it, let alone if i want to keep working on it. May get frogged.

*Paul's sweater - Just need more yarn.

Waiting to Cast On

*Butterfly knee highs

*Heidi's sweater

*Hemlock lap blanket

*arm warmers

*blue throw

*red sweater?- i haven't decided if i am going to make this or not yet.

And at Some Point

MY HOODIE!!!! - this will be done soon!!! i think i found the yarn i want for it. i just haven't swatched yet.

Jr's Mohawk hat

DBF's Mohawk hat

the dozen or so things in my queue over at Ravelry - but in all fairness, some of those things are listed above.

*****************

I think that maybe everything. Or at least, everything that I can think of off the top of my head. I need to update my Ravelry page with yarns and such, and I need to track down a manual and foot pedal for the old Singer I have at home so I can start *that* whole adventure. And at some point i would like to read a book or two that *isn't* fiber related. And go back to school. Dear god I've got a long To Do list.

It's begining to smell alot like X mas, if you know what I mean

For it being a holiday that i wanted to call out of, and feared that knitting would not be done, and that none of my presents were "good enough", it turned out not being that painful.

Guess who got a spinning wheel?

:-D

I'd have pics, but the wheel is at the DBF's house, awaiting a drive band, but will be at my house on Friday, and prolly taken on the road to West Virginia for the New Year. There looks to be a spinning store in Owings Mills, so well as Chesapeake City (where ever that may be). So we may be able to stop in and get some roving and such to play with while on the road. he, he. I got a pretty wheel :)

My mom got me a tea kettle and will be ordering me a boat load of books for Knit Picks, along with a ball winder. When I told her that I got a spinning wheel, she asked "do you still still need a ball winder?" She saw that in the the catalog, and she just thinks it's the "neatest idea".

My mom is not a fiber junkie, and when I took an interest in yarn at a young age, she took me to all our neighbors that she knew who knitted, crocheted, or needle pointed. And to their credit, they all let me watch and tried to teach me, and even gave me their left over yarn to play with and make Barbie items out of. But she never really took an interest herself. But she does brag about my knitting, and asks for blankets and sweaters. And since I don't have any Grandma types in my family, it's a bit depressing for me to not to have someone to share my passion with. I did find out that DBF's Aunt Janet knits and such, so that was nice on Christmas Eve, to have someone to talk to, and to Ohh and Aww over my new wheel :)

AAAANNNNDDDD, I got my Winterwonderland Coffee and Yarn Swap package. It came with some Cherry tree sock yarn, which I've been dying to buy, but can't since I'm being good :( And some Opal sock yarn that is named for the Blue Poison Dart Frog, so of course, me and my frog loving self is really excited to see how it lookes knitted up. And I got espresso coffee. What more could I want? (of course there is more - and everything had the cutest "snow kisses" design on it!!! Well, go look at the pic below!) And I know that my Knit it Forward buddy got her package and likes it. I'm still waiting on my Knit it Forward Item, and the holiday Swap item from the swap I'm hosting over at the Myspace.

So yeah. Over all, it was a good holiday. I'll be a lot happier once I get back for West Virginia. So I'm just faking thru work till Friday. *la sigh*

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this time of year.

I got Presents!!!!

THANK YOU NATALIE!!!

Lunchie enjoyed getting mail too :P

more later

knit on, knitter!

With possible icky weather coming this weekend, i'm hoping that i can get some good knitting done. the BF live too far away to want to come visit in bad weather, so i might have a chance to get my christmas knitting done. here's the list
*finish birthday toe up sock by monday (for BF's B day)
*knit three head bands (at 6 hours each)
*2 pairs of fingerless gloves
*knit two toy monsters
*dishrags for my mom and BF's dad
*shawls for BF's Sis and mum
*finish brookes' converable mittens
i have to order/buy yarn for two Lace KAL (one's on clue 2 - 3 will be posted this week) and for two swaps, and a pair of lace needles (i think) *not worried about getting these knitted before chirstmas.
*finish the baby balnket (for the baby born two months ago)
here's hoping for a snow day on monday. good thing i don't sleep :P and i still have a week and a weekend to go. Does this look do-able?
God i wish i could leave work already and get started!

Weekly Topic

What is the ideal setting for enjoying the perfect cup of coffee? Who would be there - or would you be alone? Inside or out? Morning or night? With food or just the steaming cup of joe?

It really depends these days. The last three months or so, DBF and i have discovered our shared love of the all might bean, so we've had many a great morning or evening having coffee together. Most recently, we sat outside a Starbucks (which we both hate, but was the only coffee to be found at 8 o'clock at night) and drank on a very nice, clear autumn night, on our way to get our Halloween pumpkins.

I can also really enjoy a nice mocha on the rainy days at work when the big bosses' are gone, and it's just me and Alec, eating chocolate covered espresso beans, him telling me about the latest adventures in suburbia, me telling him of my latest knitting misadventure or night out.

i rarely eat while drinking coffee. If i get a cup at lunch, i don't tend to eat much else - maybe a cookie. Again, too many years of working at a dessert place where all there was is cookies, ice cream and coffee.

oh

Sorry for the lack of updates. i know that i have at least one swap that checks here for status, and i haven't mentioned my poor little Harvest Sock in forever, let alone much else. I'm kinda drowning in knitting right now - all my own doing. Everything is beeing worked on at one time which means that nothing is getting finished.

I've finally made some progress on cathy's bag, and am going to for go sleep tonight to finish it

- but i also casted on for the DBF's birthday present, so i'm not making a dent in the knitting pile. *sigh*.
But Cathy's bag will be finished tonight. Then my harvest sock. I want to have that shipped out by the end of the first week of December. I also have the Knit it Forward swap that is due the same week, but that is *much* closer to being finished. I might pick that up tonight after i finish the bag and get that done.

i'm just knitting my life away.

argh.

Having home computer issues this week. Can't really post from the work computer. Should be fixed sometime over the weekend.

Just so you know.