Nope, Not Dead Yet

For most folks, no news is good news;
for the press, good news is no news.
-Gloria Berger

I logged into my blog email account tonight for the first time in about 2 months, only to find out that a number of people think that there must be something dramatically bad for me to drop off the face of the (blogging) world.

All evidence to the contrary. Life has been so good, and full, that blogging has just taken a (distant) back seat. I'll have a longer post later this week, but in the meantime, here are the recent highlights:

1. My husband returned home from Iraq, safe, sound, and thrilled to be back.
2. Weekend trip to Catalina.
3. My orders changed.
4. Realized that grocery shopping is much more involved when there's a husband around.
5. Had houseguests 3/5 weekends.
6. Graduated from residency.
7. Started my new job as an attending in the Internal Medicine clinic at the hospital, which is good, but busy.
8. Gave my husband his second anniversary cotton sweater.
9. Studying for my boards.
10. Knitting, some.

I have a longer post planned for later this week, but I wanted to let folks know that life is good. I may not be returning to blogging in any serious way, but we'll wait 'til things calm down a little to determine that.

Smile, and Pass It On

If you only have one smile in you, give it to the people you love.

Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street

and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers.
-Maya Angelou

Thank you for all the lovely comments on my new sweater. I keep meaning to post in more detail about my grand plans for NaKniSweMoDo, with sweaters #2 and possibly #3 nearing completion, and #4 just started (and having bought yarn for #5 and #6, of course), but I'm spending all my days and 1/3 of my nights in the ICU. Which can be surprisingly good for sweater knitting as I wait and watch. But I digress. I'm loving my new sweater, and the fact that this week it's been a delightfully cool 50s and rainy.

I mentioned in my last post that I thought making two sweaters in the same brilliant peacock blue (as gorgeous as it is) at the same time was overkill. So I cast about for a new yarn for Acer, and settled on Peace Fleece. It's the original, called-for yarn. It's reportedly soft and wooly. And I like the company - no one loves peace more than those of us in the military.

It came quickly, within a week or so. And it was as perfectly, delightfully, soft and wooly as I had hoped. I went with pink, for variety.

Inside was a delightful surprise:

You probably can't read that, but apparently my order was selected during their Tuesday staff meeting as the "Smile" order - it was sent free of charge. I say again, free. No charge for the yarn. No charge for shipping. Completely free.

I was amazed. Astounded. Tickled pink, if you excuse the pun.

So tickled pink, in fact, that I feel compelled to pass on this smile. . . . and, er, try to do some stash compensating at the same time. Ironically, a company like Peace Fleece that I feel good about patronizing, sent me my money back. So, let's try to send them more, shall we?

Comment on this post, and tell us something that made you smile today. The random-number generator and I will send you the sweater-quantity of Peace Fleece in the color of your choice. That way I can support a company I like, and not add to the stash.

In order to even out the stash a bit, and to add to the fun, here are five skeins - karmically, the same number as my Peace Fleece - of Briggs and Little 4-ply in a gorgeous charcoal gray that I bought on the way to PEI on a memorable yarn-shopping vacation a few years ago. The stash is getting upset that this lovely yarn sits unused in San Diego, so I will happily send it to yours full of the good memories of times when I lived in places where wooliness was so desirable.

Contest closes at midnight PDT on Sunday February 15, 2009. If your stash is as crushingly-huge as mine and you want no more yarn, feel free to mention that in your comment, but tell us something happy anyway.

Planning Ahead

The secret of success is constancy of purpose.
-Benjamin Disraeli

It's the last day of NaBloPoMo, and I think we can safely say it's been a success. I've posted every day even if I did sort of forget my third blogiversary. Regardless, it's been fun to get back into the rhythm. And to start thinking ahead to what I want my knitting to do and be in 2009.

So fun, that I almost got sucked into the idea of NaKniSweMoDo. Almost. The idea of knitting 12 sweaters in as many months appeals to me. It's complicated, and my husband assures me that the more complicated something is, the more I like it.

But then I stopped and pondered. And realized that I have like two or three more Dales I want to make, including the adorable baby Dale I'm starting today.

So then I made my plans: I'm going to knit whatever I want in 2009, whenever I want to. So there. And in celebration, I'm about to have a little cast on party. Right now.

I'm also going to be reducing the stash quite a bit. Right now I'm at 501 skeins and 96,417 yards, with 26 balls of Mission Falls 1824 cotton in the mail (another 2,200+ yards). Assuming I buy no new yarn in 2008, that'll keep me well under my goal of <100,000 yards on December 31st. The goal of <500 skeins will be a little closer, but I think it's do-able based on the projects on the needles and in the wings for December.

Of the remaining stash, more than 20,000 yards is laceweight. Will have to ponder that. But this past year of attempting (and pretty much succeeding) to reduce the stash has made me decide that my ideal stash size is probably around 50,000 yards. Enough to cast on whatever I want whenever I want, but also to buy tweedy yarn for the new IK whenever I want. That would be about 50% less than I currently have, which would be a little extreme for a single year of stash reduction. So I'm thinking that my goal for Dec 31st 2009 will be to have reduced the stash by 1/3 compared to Dec 31st 2008.

Oh, and because I still can't resist a joint complicated goal, I'll be doing the Knit 100 Balls of Yarn in 2009 with the Ravelry Stash Knit Down 2009 group!

OK, off to cast on . . .

A Weekend in Pictures

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
-St. Augustine

As you know, last weekend I went here

(Santa Fe, New Mexico), to see these folks(my parents), and these folks(flitgirl's parents), and drink good coffeeand show off a new finished object.(Ignore that I really need a hair cut. Thanks.) I guess you know that a finished object is successful when it gets stolen within a day of being cast off. In a fit of excitement last week, I decided that November's yarn of the month was destined to be a cowl. It was delightful - this cushy handspun merino singles that I bought in the Union Square Greenmarket about 3 or 4 years ago. And feather-and-fan. And speedy. I'm so in love. (And so is my mom, wearing it above.)

Greenmarket Cowl
Pattern: Luxe Neck Warmer from Knit 2 Together (Ravelry link)
Yarn: handspun merino from the Union Square Greenmarket
Needles: US 10 (it's like knitting a hat, without needing dpns for the top!)
Notes: No changes.
Best Thing About This Project: I've already made another one of these (if my mom liked it that much, she's definitely getting one for Christmas), and started Nova's Birthday Cowl in some other yarn. This is the best bandwagon I've been on in a while!

Wow!

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed
is more important than any one thing.
-Abraham Lincoln

Oh yeah, that too :) But getting back to the knitting, I count this year's Socktoberfest as a complete success.

I finished one pair of socks that was on the needles at the beginning of the month, started and finished two more pairs, finished a single sock, and even got the cuff done on a 5th pair. Clear as mud? Here are the photos of the finished ones:

Garter Rib Socks in Koigu
Nine-to-Five Socks in Paton's KroyOld Navy Socks in Socks that Rock

Great patterns, great yarns, and, of course, all from the stash!

Hi-Ho November!

Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more;
Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours.
-Swedish Proverb

Gosh I'm happy it's November! Let's think about the good things:

1. No one died last night at work. Yeah, that's always a good thing.
2. It was my last call for a while. I get to sleep at home every night for the next 24 days.
3. Except when I'm going to Santa Fe next week to experience the following - cold weather, sweaters, hats, mittens even?, visiting my parents, and some very good friends.
4. Rachel had her twins - how cute!
5. I'm halfway done my Christmas shopping.
6. Now if only I was halfway done my Christmas knitting . . .
7. It's NaBloPoMo - National Blog Posting Month. Get ready!

And, to start November off right, here's the very last knitting of October:I finished these socks at 11:30pm last night while waiting for a patient to get transferred up from the ER. I was unable, however, to kitchener the 16 sts and weave in 2 ends. So, it's either the last knit of October or the first of November.

What's the difference? The stash. The stash has recently suffered some major setbacks in that it is bigger than before. The 350 yards of Koigu in those socks take the revised stash total from 100,039 yards to a much nicer 99,689 yards. Remember how good it felt to get under 100,000 yards? I'm hoping to stay there.

So, executive decision made - since, through no fault of my own, the weaving in waited until today - these will be the last knit of November.

And so we start with 99,909 yards of yarn in 510.25 balls. Not counting partial oddballs. . . And about to order the yarn for the manly sweater. That executive decision will be coming tomorrow.

Funny Feet

Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.
-William Cullen Bryant

I warned you that a summer of much knitting and little blogging would leave a large pile of knits to go through. For me, the hardest part is going to be remembering what I have or have not taken photos of. The second hardest part is that they are competing with all my current projects.

In honor of Socktoberfest I picked four pairs of socks that I'm going to make, and just cast on for the Williams Street Socks from Knitting Daily last night. Even toe up, like the pattern is written (which is true dedication on my part, since I do not love toe-up socks).

Since, as you might expect of someone who had one sock in progress and then cast on for three more, that equals three single socks, 3 partial cuffs, and a single toe, I'll go back and show you some of my summer socks.

First, the not-quite-so-boring work pair:

Uniform Socks
Pattern: basic rib
Yarn: Wildfoote in black, and unknown remnants in blue (Sisik?) and yellow (pretty sure this is Regia)
Needles: US 1
Notes: As you note, the contrast heel starts halfway down the heel, so as not to poke out of shoes. The toes are a happy accident due to being worried about running out of the blue.
Best Thing About This Project: Definitely my new favorite work socks.

More Fraternal Twins
Pattern: Standard Stockinette
Yarn: won from Beth in a blog contest a while back
Needles: US 2 Lantern Moon sock sticks (which are so going on my Christmas list)
Notes: There are 3 colors here - two solids and a varigated. I had planned to do the stashbuster spirals, but the colors were too close in value and the pattern was invisible. So I embraced simplicity and went with fraternal twins.
Best Thing About This Project: I love using my special yarns.

A Winner!

Better an ounce of luck than a pound of gold.
-Yiddish Proverb

Wahoo, I'm a winner!
After lusting after box bags for the past several years, I finally got one. And without having to test out my rusty sewing skills. I won a blog contest over at bySarah, with my fabulous Jersey Summer Peach Salsa (recipe on Sarah's blog here).So I love my box bag, the sock yarn, the tea and biscotti, and the stitch markers - all in coordinating colors - but what makes this so perfect is that Sarah is actually my blog twin. We knit the same projects. Lately we've been cooking. And I get a Rhode Island fix by reading her blog. Good times all around.

In honor of Socktoberfest, here's my first of four intended pairs of socks to celebrate. I've been in the mood to knit simple things lately (the Dale is just hanging out in its basket), and these Garter Rib Socks are fitting the bill. I've decided that Koigu is it's own reward, even in a delightfully simple pattern.And, one more thing, speaking of cooking - check out the pumpkin bread: Pumpkin bread may also be its own reward, but it's even better in heart-shaped pans bound for Iraq. And he wondered why I put them on the wedding registry . . .

The Face of the Earth

I can see how it might be possible for a man to look down upon the earth and be an atheist, but I cannot conceive how he could look up into the heavens and say there is no God.
-Abraham Lincoln

They say it takes 30 days to create a habit. Is that how long it takes to get out of a habit? Perhaps.

I have not quite fallen off the face of the earth, but I've been busy.What? You weren't distracted by an archived Hawaii photo? Sheesh!

In no particular order:

1. My husband is getting ready for an all-expenses-paid business trip to the cradle of civilization. That would be, uh, Iraq. I hear it's lovely this time of year. And he's leaving pretty soon.
   
2. There's a lot of pre-deployment paperwork.
3. I'm knitting too fast to take blog photos. Seriously. Burning through the projects.
4. The stash is down to about 97,000 yards.
   
5. I'm rotating at a civilian hospice this month. Picking out my own clothes every morning is a challenge. Matching is hard.
6. I've been cooking.
   
7. And baking peanut butter cookies as a pre-business-trip treat.
8. And I finally started running again. No amount of time on the elliptical machine can kick my you-know-what like a little running.
9. There's a large pile of to-be-blogged handknits sitting on my dresser.
10. I'd say I'll take photos this weekend, but I won't.
11. We're going to Palm Springs for a little getaway.
    
12. Maybe next week. If not, then certainly I'll be back in full form when my husband's away.
    

Dishcloths Galore

There is something wrong when honesty wears a rag, and rascality a robe;

when the loving, the tender, eat a crust, while the infamous sit at banquets.

-Robert Ingersall

The Second Annual Dish Rag Tag is about to begin. Remember last year? The pain, the heartbreak, the troubles with the US Postal Service? Well, it's a whole new year. And I am ready.
Never fear, these aren't early entries for the Dish Rag Tag, these are just my two new favorite patterns, both free patterns from Abigail. Aren't they lovely in the varigated yarn?

There's no such thing as working ahead in this Dish Rag Tag - that would be cheating - but I have been refreshing my dish rag knitting skills. Last year I won the enviable title of Dish Rag Queen for admitting that I had some 30+ dishrags in their bin under the sink. As a prize, I got the world's most enormous ball of dishcloth cotton. Well, way back in June when my posting was sparse and my working was the stressful and time consuming Night Float, I took that ball to work, set it next to my computer, and knit the occasional row between phone calls, notes, and waiting for lab results.

So, just how many dish rags can you knit with a pound of dishcloth cotton?

Eight. Plus two Mason-Dixon baby bibs not pictured here, for variety in all that garter stitching.

Then, I turned my eyes to the rest of my cotton stash, and, feeling all Mason-Dixon-y, I made a log cabin out Mission Falls 1824 cotton scraps (last seen here as Christmas gifts).
I love using every last bit of leftovers, don't you? So I took the leftovers from the contrast color on my basketweave dishcloths, and made the cutest wash cloth ever.

Jen's already gotten this is the mail - hopefully it'll be a nice compliment to all that pink she's been knitting!

There were more, but perhaps we'll keep them a surprise until later in the exciting August dish rag races?

Egads!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
-Proverbial

Time flies when you're . . . having fun, working lots, knitting quite a bit, enjoying long summer San Diego days, and, oh, did I mention how much better it is to have my husband home? Much better.

I do have lots to blog about - a finished Bed and Breakfast, finished Lacy Kerchief scarf, finished socks, finished baby sweaters x2, and all sorts of in progress stuff. I've had a good amount of knitting time, but the camera battery isn't charged, the long days aren't quite long enough for sunlit shots . . . or maybe they're long enough so that I'm out and about and doing other things, and then I've gotten distracted. You see, I've been cooking a lot, like dinner on a pretty much nightly basis. It's so much more fun cooking for 2! And did you know there are all these cooking blogs out there . . .

So, the good news is that I'll be working nights starting June 1st. That means maybe I can take some daylit photos? But in the meantime, I've discovered that the bonus of leaving a post at the top for 10 days is that I get a lot of comments - Thanks!

Fun On the Side

If it's not fun, you're not doing it right.
-Proverbial

I've been knitting and knitting and knitting. All the big projects like we talked about. But everyone needs to have a little fun on the side, right? Conveniently enough, the May Loose Knit Group project is baby knits. And I was jonesing for some baby knits. And some stash busting. And I had a couple skeins each of a couple coordinating colors of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. A great baby yarn. And then I found this pattern. And then I cast on.But that's not all the fun around here. I got my May Day sock swap! Check out the gorgeous socks and great package I got! Coffee and a mug, two kinds of sock yarn, nice lotions and creams, jelly beans, and Nikki Epstein's Knitted Flowers book - which is super creative and cool. Go check out my swap partner's blog, too!

Let's Talk About Books

A book is a gift you can open again and again.

-Garrison Keillor

It's Monday. A whole new week. I'm feeling all sorts of motivated this morning. Maybe you are, too? Many readers and knitters and many more readers are knitters, and after sharing my new favorite things with the lady at the post office, I thought I'd share with you.

Book Swapping/Trading/Mooching

I've gotten hooked on a few websites that let you trade your books for other books for only the cost of postage. The general concept is the same - list books (any books) that you want to get rid of, and people will request them. You mail them the book (media mail = $1.47) and get a point. Then you use that point to get any other book in the entire system from anyone else. Each site has its own small vagaries, but they all work about the same way. Now that I've gotten my postal lady hooked (she wondered why I sent so much media mail, and she's a big reader, too), I thought I'd be remiss in keeping this all from you.

Bookmooch - This is my favorite site, the most transparent and easy to use, and it gives you the most control over what's going on

PaperBackSwap - This is probably the biggest site, but I find it a little hard to navigate, and it's never really clear how many copies of a book are around. That being said, lots of available books.

WhatsOnMyBookshelf - This is the smallest of the sites. The good part about that is that your copy of a book is more likely to be the only one available, and thus more likely to get mooched. I just found this site about a month ago, and the first weekend I listed my books I got 6 takers.

For me, these take the place of the capricious staff at the local paperback bookstore (plus I never found one in San Diego). Instead of turning in three books to get one, I get 1 for 1. Even books that don't seem that desirable get mooched eventually. I take the approach of listing the same inventory at all three sites, and then deleting a book when it gets mooched on one site. (Hence the reason for the three sites - three times as many chances to get rid of books I don't want and get books I do.)

The best part? People want the weirdest books! And I get new ones for free.

And, if anyone is so inspired as to want to participate in a paperback book chain letter sort of thing (total comittment to you = 1 book), let me know. I need some volunteers.

Random Wednesday

A hotel isn't like a home, but it's better than being a houseguest.
-William Faulkner

1. I feel so very far behind on the blogging relative to the knitting. There's just been so much knitting going on.
2. Here's the project that took my whole bathtub to block. It's a gift, so we'll save the big reveal for later.
3. Like my Bird in Hand Mittens.
4. And other mittens, photos coming later. Because my Selbuvotter finally came in the mail. And I love knitting with KnitPicks Telemark. More on the way.
5. And while I'm waiting for more yarn to finish those mittens, I pulled out a whole bunch of yarn for otehr mittens. Think I'll ever stop?
6. Did you know that Lantern Moon will replace broken dpns for free? Just email them.
7. I just got my Hogwarts Swap 2 from my pal. It's awesome.
8. And also awesome, she felt bad it was late, so she sent me a Blue Moon Fiber Arts. Check out my new Socks that Rock!
9. Stay tuned for a wrap up of a very successful kniting January, and some new exciting plans for February!
   

Big Plans

Be always at war with your vices,
at peace with your neighbors,
and let each new year find you a better man.
-Benjamin Franklin

I was trying to think about how to sum up my plans for 2008, when Jen did it for me. Less whimsy, more things people want. That pretty much sums it up for me.

You may also recall that I had plans for a Clean Slate for 2008. I'm pleased to say that I did it . . . by mid-December. I finished the Christmas knits, my Denim Aran, and searched around for a new project. I found it in the Four Seasons Throw made of Manos del Uraguay. I saw Disentangled's in person, and was completely won over. A long road trip, and having my husband around to drive, and before you know it I'm done 6/12 squares. Then I did wait until it was nearly January to start my 2008: A Year of Yarn. As I said earlier, not all the yarns are particularly hard to find or unique, although some are, but all are somehow special to me. For January, I'm knitting up Mountain Colors Bearfoot, in Glacier, in Nancy Bush's Rib and Cable pattern. My first time knitting with Bearfoot, and I'm loving it.

And, perhaps most significantly, my January Project: Salt Lake City from Dale of Norway. For that husband who drives me around so I can knit. Let a year of yarn and sweaters begin!

The Year in Review

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.

-Abraham Lincoln

2007 was a great year. I did, after all, get married, and that pretty much trumps all the knitting. And my best friend got married. And my other best friend had a baby. And it turns out that all these great events make it a great year for knitting. So great, in fact, I've put off writing this post because it seemed so daunting. But a lazy Sunday on the penultimate day of the year provides just the opportunity to review, and to plan ahead.A review of 2007, with thoughts for 2008.

Sweaters - Five for adults. Three were complete successes - Rogue and the Shaped Denim Aran are in regular rotation, and Rowena is perfect for my sister. The Ribby Cardi found a new home with Elinor, and the Rice Stitch Sweater is, eh, there. Sweaters will be the new focus for 2008, so expect much more coming.

• Rogue
• Ribby Cardi
• Rowena
• Rice Stitch Sweater
  
• Shaped Denim Aran

Lace - There are two shawls in progress, but I'm just not feeling the lace lately. The Chuppah does count as one of my master works, however, and I'm sure I'll return more to it later. After all those sweaters . . .

• Branching Out
• The Chuppah (in action)

Socks - A total of 21 pairs for this year. This puts my lifetime total somewhere around 122, although I do confess to be losing track. For all that there will also be socks in progress, I'm working on the bigger and special projects this year. I do love the sock swaps, though, and that husband of mine keeps clamoring for more.

• Railway Stitch Socks
• Engagement Socks
• New England Socks
• Hogwarts Swap 1 Socks
  
• Feather and Fan Socks
• Retro Rib Socks
• Black Uniform Socks
• Rainy Day Socks
• Hogwarts Swap 2 Socks
• Monkey Socks
• Jaywalkers
• Little Arrowhead Lace Socks
• James' Christmas Socks
• Merino Lace Socks
• Meida's Socks
  
• Mini Socks
• Scrappy Socks
  
• Mini Socks
  
• Log Cabin Socks (times 2!)
• Apres Sock Swap (still a secret!)

Winter Fun - The best knit gift of Christmas this year has to be the Hallard Mittens. My sister-in-law (of cold, cold Calgary) loves them and they fit perfectly. As for the rest, I credit the Stained Glass Hat with getting me back into colorwork with a vengence.

• Backyard Leaves Scarf
• Hallard Mittens
• Stained Glass Hat
  
• Fake Isle Hat
  
• Shedir
• Simple Cabled Hat
• Stripey Mittens

Babies - This is a great year for babies, and I think I went a little crazy with it all. No complaints, though - these are fun!

• Baby Hooded Jacket
• Little Boy Blue Vest
• Baby Bobbi Bear (in action!)
• Baby Cable Vest
• Baby Kimono
• Chenille Baby Cardigan
  
• Ladybug Sweater
• February Sweater

Miscellaneous

• Felted Mitt and Trivet
• One Wee Tiny Sock
• The Humbug Pillow
  
• Lizard Ridge Pillow

And, the snuck-in-at-the-end favorite knit for 2007? Our matching Christmas stockings. Sweaters come and go, socks need darning, but these are heirlooms.Coming soon, 2008 has already started with a special yarn of the month and a brand new project.

I'll Be Home For Christmas

I'll be home for Christmas.
-Walter Kent, sung by Bing Crosby

I'm feeling very festive this weekend. A number of events conspired.

1. My husband came home for Christmas.
2. I just learned that Monday is a federal holiday, and I got off. That means a 4 day weekend from one of my hardest residency months (ER consultant).
3. We're taking advantage of the time and taking a mini road-trip up to Solvang. Tell me that doesn't look fun! (There's even a yarn shop.)
4. Rebecca's Ornament Tag
My mother-in-law sent us a bunch of these quilted squares. I really need to get better on the sewing machine . . .
Mini-mittens I made a while ago. Can you guess the yarn? My first attempt at the circle ornaments from Handknit Holidays. I misread the directions, but I like how this one turned out anyway. And an old favorite, an ornament my mom made before I can remember not having it.

So, play along with the tag:
Do you have a favorite Christmas ornament relevant to our knitting hobby? Would you like to play ornament tag? If you do, here is how you play:

1. Take a picture of your ornament and put it on your blog telling us about it.
2. Post a link to the person on whom’s blog you found out about Ornament Tag.
3. Post the rules.

And, before we know it, there will be knitting ornaments to treat all of our knitting eyes all over knitting blogland!

Two of the Same

We all live under the same sky,
but we don't all have the same horizon.
-Voltaire

After a whole month of blogging, I feel as if I have so much to catch up on after taking only two days off. I also had quite the productive knitting weekend. There was some knitting group, some nice long phone calls, and Harry Potter on TV. Delightful.

Mostly. I did do a bit more knitting than I exactly have to show here. Why is that you may ask? The photo on the right isn't entirely clear, so let me orient you. On the top is half of the right side of the cardigan, with buttonholes, just before the armhole and neck shaping. Underneath is the "finished" er, right, front of the cardigan.

Oops. Two of the same. Momentarily distressed, I pushed forward. With the buttonholes there was no way to make the new right the left, so I frogged the first half back to the armhole shaping and knit them both up together. Lots of denim knitting. My hands might be permanently dyed indigo.

There's another lesson in here - at least for me. In another knitting time and another knitting place, I might have temporarily abandoned this project. Right now, I can't really. I have very few projects on the needles right now, and my Clean Slate by 2008 goals keep me from starting too many more. So I kept at it. The lesson? That I get my projects done way faster if I have fewer of them. Not one, mind you, just fewer.

This is all taking shape into some Grand Plans for 2008. Details to follow. In the meantime, try to make one of each pattern piece. Sheesh.

The Wayback Machine

Every baby born into the world is a finer one than the last.
-Charles Dickens

This is a meme I saw a while back, and while I'm definitely too late for the associated contest, etc., I thought it was a neat idea.

Last year this time I was not quite so on top of my Christmas list knitting, and I was also making strawberry hats for brand-new triplets.

This year, the triplets are big enough to finally wear them: Yes, I know this is probably the worst photo to ever appear on my blog, but it's actually raining in San Diego. A nice, good, drenching rain with a dark grey sky. I am utterly delighted. Another cause for my delight, I get to curl up with some hot cocoa after work and knit Christmas stockings. Kits available here.

Today's the Day

When you fall into a river, you're no longer a fisherman;
you're a swimmer.
-Gene Hill

We've been talking about it all month, dancing around it, having contests, giving out yarn, and joining in the general fun of November NaBloPoMo and NaSweKniMo. Today is the day we've been awaiting. My blogiversary.

It's actually my second blogiversary. Last year I think I was on call in the CCU, or something, because it totally slipped my mind. This year I've embraced it. There are a couple of reasons for this. Mostly, I have a pretty good schedule this month, and my husband is away. (That explains, by the way, the knitting productivity several of you have noticed.) I've been focusing on several fun knits, amazed, again, at how fast a project can go with some dedicated attention. And I've been blogging every day, reminding me all over again about how much I enjoy blogging. This is fun. You guys are fun. Inspiring. And it makes me a much better, much more engaged knitter. Thank you.

To celebrate, let's have another contest. I'm in the groove with my Ladybug Sweater, thrilled with my first steek. What's your favorite project at the moment, and why? Comments will close on Friday November 23rd at midnight PST.