4 Weeks and One Day

Four weeks and one day until Christmas.....oh, boy, I've got to get IN GEAR!!  I have a few more knitting projects to finish up and I'm having a terrible time getting it done.

I did finish the diamond brocade scarf and I've got another scarf (mistake rib pattern) about halfway completed.  The other projects are relatively small, and I'm hopeful that I can make good progress on those during a business trip this week.  I think I'll have about 8 hours on the road, and I'm not driving.  Love that kind of travel for knitting purposes!  :-)

I hope you all had a safe and Happy Thanksgiving and that you've made better progress on your holiday knitting than I have!!

The Scarf Continues

I'm still knitting the fairly mindless Diamond Brocade Scarf and am beginning to look forward to finishing it so I can move on to the next Christmas gift scarf.

I had a doctor's appointment Monday and it dawned on me then that I had a LOT of UFOs (UnFinished Objects) from which to choose my "waiting room knitting".  Hmmmm.  Maybe I need to take a little time to get my UFOs organized and get them finished up.

.....after my Christmas knitting is finished.  *LOL*

It really is a little nutsy when I think about how many partially-completed pairs of socks I have on needles.  Right now ALL my sets of sock needles are tied up with socks of various styles and colors.

I guess I have the dreaded "startitis".....I love starting new things.  Okay, I hereby resolve to organize my UFOs and get them finished up, one at a time.

Which reminds me that I have one set of circular needles tied up with partially completed dishcloths I'm making for Christmas.  Sheesh!

Okay, maybe my FIRST task should be to make a list so that I can prioritize what needs to be finished first.  I have a nifty little notebook right in my knitting bag beside my recliner that should be ideal for that.  Then I can mark them off as they're completed.

I've been a bit lackadaisical about knitting after work, and the truth is that I feel better when I knit for an hour or so each night after a hard day at the office.  I'm just out of the habit for some strange reason.

So, that will be one of my goals for the upcoming weekend.  I'm going to organize my knitting projects, make myself a prioritized list of UFOs, and get down to business.

After all, it's only 2 months, 4 weeks and 1 day until Christmas!!

Saturday Morning Knitting

Last night was a relatively sleepless night, so this morning has been very low-key in my little corner of the world.  I happily discovered that Netflix had added Season 5 of "Doc Martin" to the titles available for streaming.  So, I decided this would be a "Knitting and BritCom" kinda morning.

Not that I don't have PLENTY of household chores waiting for attention, but I'm tired.  The chores will wait a little longer.

My week was too hectic to allow any productive after-work knitting, so this morning was the first real progress I've made on the Diamond Brocade Scarf since last weekend.  I've developed a rhythm on it finally, so it's going quite well.  Very good "in front of the TV" knitting.  :-)

I did knit one mini-Christmas tree last weekend, and it turned out really cute.  I'll knit up a few more of those for office gifts.  But for today, I think I'll just continue with the relatively mindless scarf knitting.

I need the rest.

Have a great weekend, Knitsters!

Knit, Frog, Knit

Well, after finishing my sweater last Saturday, I decided to cast on a scarf (one of my Christmas knitting projects).  Because I wanted to do something new, I pulled out my stitch dictionary and found a lovely stitch called "Cells" and cast on.

The fabric that was produced by this stitch was lovely, sort of a honeycomb effect.  Due to the slipped stitches in the pattern, it worked up as a double-thick fabric.  After about 15 inches of knitting, I decided that even though it was lovely, it would probably prove to be too thick to be comfortable to wear as a scarf.  This morning I bit my lip and ripped it back out to start over with a new stitch.

Back to the stitch dictionary.  I found another stitch I liked called Diamond Brocade.  I started the household gadgetry (washer, dishwasher, and Roomba), then settled onto the deck with a cup of coffee and my freshly frogged yarn and cast on again.

I've only knit one pattern repeat, but I can already tell that it will be more suited to wearability.  I just hope that it's as easy to memorize as Cells was!  I still like Cells, and I think I'll find myself some thicker yarn and use larger needles to knit myself some new rugs for the bathrooms.  I think that stitch would be just perfect for that.

So, back to my Diamond Brocade....have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, Knitsters!

Hooray! The Jacket's FINISHED!!

Yesterday my Knit Meter said that I've knit 986 yards of yarn this year.  Today it says that I've knit 2,777 yards.  Why?  Because this morning I finally hid the last end on my adult version of Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket!

*HAPPY DANCE*  I haven't photographed it yet because frankly I don't want to look at it again today.  *LOL*

I have to admit that I was a bit horrified when I went into Ravelry to update my Projects page and found that I'd started the jacket almost a YEAR AGO.  Of course, I wasn't knitting on it steadily.  I had to stop and do my Christmas knitting, then there were various birthday and retirement items that had to be completed, not to mention a few baby gifts.

But all the same I'm glad to have it finished and to know it will be waiting in the closet when sweater weather finally arrives in my part of the world.

Next?  Christmas knitting.  I can't believe it's already time to start Christmas knitting, but it is.  So, off I go to check my stash to see what to start first.

Have a lovely weekend, my knitterly friends!

Nearly Finished!!

After almost a year of on-again, off-again knitting, my adult version of Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Sweater is ALMOST FINISHED!!  The knitting is completed, and I'm now hiding the ends.  *happy dance*

I was on leave last week, so I was able to dedicate a few more hours of knitting time than usual to the sweater/jacket.  I was determined to get it finished in time to actually wear it this winter!  I also knew that I had to finish it pretty quickly because I need to get started on my Christmas knitting.

It's hard to believe how this summer has zipped past, but I must confess that I always look forward to fall.  Love those crisp mornings!

Okay, I must get off the keyboard now so I can get back to hiding ends.  Photos soon!

I Need Some Knitting Time!!

It seems that lately any time I've had away from the office has been spent recovering from time spent at the office.  :-(  I've had many more migraines lately than usual, and it's getting really tiresome!

But this is going to be a three-day weekend, and I'm hoping to get enough household drudgery out of the way tomorrow that I can spend Monday with my knitting needles.

I would really love to get some serious progress made on my sweater jacket.  All I need to do is to knit the extra length on the sleeves, sew the shoulder seams, and decide what I want to do about the collar.

I'll be glad to finish it up, and I think it's going to be really nice.  Sure hope so.

I need to get it finished so I can start my Christmas knitting.  Can you believe that it's already time to start thinking about CHRISTMAS KNITTING???  Well, when you knit as slowly as I do, you have to start early.  *LOL*

Well, I have a scrumptious Greek pizza waiting for me to indulge, then I might just kick back and watch something on Netflix and knit a few rows.  If I can stay awake.  :-)

Have a great weekend, fellow knitsters!

We Now Return to Our Previously Scheduled Sweater.....

Last Sunday while visiting my parents, I was knitting a couple of dishcloths. Side Note: I knit them two at a time on a circular needle, and usually knit "Granny's Favorite", which you can find in "Cricket's Favorite Freebies", link on the right.

The other day, though, one of the talented knitters I follow online, Pretty Knitty, made a few adjustments to the pattern and improved it. So, I felt the need to try it out. As I was sitting there knitting, Daddy asked what I was working on, and I told him. "So how are you coming along on that sweater?" he asked innocently.

Good question. The sweater has been languishing in a tote bag behind my couch for some time now. You'd think with a broken leg, I'd have had plenty of time to finish it. You'd be wrong.

Since it takes me practically forever to do ANYTHING on crutches, I actually have less time for knitting right now than before. But today I'm off work. I did a little household drudgery this morning, resting my leg between chores, and now I'm in the recliner. I've had a little nap and have now decided the time has come to pull the sweater out of its hiding place and get back to it.

I'll keep you posted. :-)

A Strange Few Weeks

It's difficult to believe that it's been nearly two months since I've posted to my blog!  Time seems to get away from me lately.  In my defense, it HAS been an unusually busy time.

Things at the office are still very hectic; still lots of issues with the latest version of the dreadful comuputer system that was inflicted on us last year.  The first of May proved to be unusually busy; it was a time of preparing for all the additional duties our department must perform in the summer (our busiest season).  We also were gearing up for a statewide gathering of our counterparts which involved a good bit of preparation.  In addition to this flurry of activity, I had a week of annual leave scheduled for May 14 - 18.

My plans were to head for a local campground on Monday the 14th, set up camp, and relax and knit all week long.  My week of leave began with a deluge of rain as I arrived at the campground.  Determined not to be swayed from my week of camping, I proceeded to set up the tent in the rain.  Luckily, as I drove the last tent stake, the sun popped through the clouds.





I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon...the cicadas were in full song, the temperature was just perfect, and the campground was nearly empty.  A gentle rain fell that evening, making it perfect sleeping weather.  I awoke Tuesday morning refreshed, relaxed, and ready for my day.





The park ranger came by that morning to see how I'd fared through the night.  I mentioned that I'd seen some cyclists and hikers going by the campsite and asked if there was a trail just past the brush at the edge of the site.  He told me there were lots of trails in the park and provided me with a great map of them.  I laughed and told him that now I had no excuse to lie in my lounge and knit all day.

It was threatening rain later in the afternoon, so I decided if I was going to go hiking, I'd better go preety quickly.  I changed into jeans and sturdy shoes, grabbed my cellphone, the whistle I always wear around my neck when camping (in case I need to signal for help....I laughingly call it my "bear whistle"), my camera, and a bottle of water.

I studied the map and chose a trail marked "easy" that ran from an area further down in the campground to the picnic area.  It was only 1/2 mile long from the point it left the campground road and ran down by the creek.  It should be a nice little walk.

And it was.....the trail had washed a little from the rain the day before, but roots were easily seen and avoided.  I saw tracks, but little wildlife.  The only actual creatures I remember seeing were a millipede, a lovely orange lizard, and a cicada.  At one point the trail veers away from the creek to go around a large tree.  There's a very steep incline, and as the path passes the tree, the path has an equally steep decline back toward the creek.

I made the incline quite well, but when I reached the apex I lost my balance and fell, twisting my ankle.  To make a long story short (too late!!) I had no cell service and wound up walking out on a painfully swollen ankle to the park ranger's check-in station, which was about a half-mile from where I fell.  He very kindly gave me a ride back to my campsite.

I phoned my parents, and after a trip to the local Urgent Care I learned that I hadn't only twisted my ankle, I'd broken my leg!  It's a spiral fracture of the fibula, just above the ankle.  All things considered, I was very, very lucky.  I'm in an Aircast and on crutches, but at least I can remove the cast for showers and I don't have to wear it to bed.





At this point, I'm really tired of having to wrap my Ace bandages (two of them) and put the cast on each morning, and I REALLY tired of walking on crutches.  I had no idea how much WORK it is to walk on crutches!  But I keep telling myself it could have been so much worse and trying to be grateful for small mercies.

Because I'm so slow in getting around, it takes me much longer to do anyting than usual.  This tends to cut into my knitting time.  Funny, isn't it?  You'd think with a broken leg I'd have TONS more knitting time, but it hasn't worked out that way!

I did manage to find time to knit myself a cast cover, and am about 2/3 finished with a second one.  Which reminds me that I should wrap up this entry and get back to work on it.  :-)





So, knitsters, I hope your month has been much less eventful than mine!  Have a great weekend.

Just a Quick Note

Just a brief catch-up entry before I pull my Adult Surprise Jacket from its rather untidy puddle of yarn beside my recliner and start knitting a few more miles of garter stitch.

I'm honestly not complaining.  This is a day I need the lovely mindless knitting of rows and rows of garter stitch.  Today is a day away from the office and I decided at 5:00 am that the most productive thing I intended to do today was dress myself.  And "dress" is a relative term.  I'm in sweatpants and a t-shirt; I could open the door if UPS decides to make a delivery today, but I'd be embarrassed to be seen by anyone who actually knows me.

But I don't care.  I was off work yesterday, and that day was spent running errands, getting a set of tires put on the car, and going to have my eyes examined.  So I DESERVE today in the recliner.

So this morning I caught up on some home computer work (I can't believe how fast my Hotmail inbox accumulates stuff) and watched a little TV.  I also downloaded three library books to my Kindle and an audiobook to listen to while knitting this afternoon.  "Angela's Ashes"....a favorite movie, and I'm anxious to hear the book.  I sometimes have actually put the DVD of the movie on to listen to while knitting.  Maybe it speaks to my Irish ancestry, but I just love the rhythm of the words in that movie.  I'm sure the book will have the same effect.

And so, off the PC and onto the knitting!

Have a great weekend, knitsters!

Cast On!

Okay, I'm notorious for finally catching onto things long, LONG after the rest of the world has already been enjoying them for awhile.  Therefore, I am probably the last knitter in the world to discover the perfectly delightful Cast On podcast by Brenda Dayne.

Brenda has a perfect podcasting voice, clear diction with a soothing tone.  She refers to her listeners as "knitsibs", which I find to be a perfect title for us.  We're siblings under the skin because of our affection for knitting, right?

I only started listening last night, and am listening to the episodes in reverse order.  I know, I know, I should start at the beginning and work forward, and maybe I'll do that after listening to a dozen or so episodes, but for now I'm enjoying listening to her remarks about the current season in Wales, where she lives.

Her music choices in the episodes I've heard so far are lovely (some in Welsh) and appropriate to the subject matter of each podcast.

It's perfect to listen to while knitting during much-needed breaks from household drudgery on Saturday mornings.....like today.  :-)

Okay, back to drudgery so that I can work my way toward another Cast On/knitting break.

I hope you all have a wonderful, safe and Happy Easter weekend!

I'm baaaaaaaaaack....

It's been awhile since I posted (a MONTH!) because I've actually not been able to get in much knitting time lately. Which tells you a little about how MY life has been lately. :-)

The horrific computer system they forced on us at the office about a year ago is being "upgraded". Not "fixed", mind you, but "upgraded". So, there's been lots of training, a trip out of town for a few days, and many, many teleconference calls. Sheesh.

On top of that, my beloved Dell desktop computer bit the dust, taking with it a ton of things I hadn't backed up. I have a terrible tendency to become complacent about backups when my computer is working well, and this is the second time I've been caught in this situation. Luckily, while out of town on my training I made a visit to Staples (there's not one close by where I live) and bought myself a new Toshiba laptop....ON SALE!! *happy dance* So, I've been spending a lot of time getting it set up with all the little goodies I like to have on a computer. Oh....and I bought myself an external hard drive a couple of days ago. Just in case. *LOL*

Now, back to knitting, both as a topic and as recreation!! The last time I picked up my needles was EIGHT DAYS AGO. It's been that kind of a week. However, I'm going to visit my parents this afternoon and already have my knitting bag ready to take along. I'm still working on the grown-up version of Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket for myself. I doubt that I'll have it finished before the weather turns warm for good here in my corner of the world, but I'll have it ready for next fall. It's a lot of garter stitch, but it's good relaxing knitting and believe me, I could use a little relaxation right now!

I hope you all have a great Sunday!

Hard to Believe

It's hard to believe, looking out my living room windows at the bright sunny Saturday morning, that snow is predicted for tonight. Not a lot of snow, just a dusting, but snow all the same. February. 'Nuff said.

I've been knitting this morning because my favorite Saturday morning activity is knitting and sipping good coffee. This morning I've been working on my adult version of Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket. It's a lot of garter stitch, but it's good relaxing knitting. I've made enough progress on it that I can't carry it around very easily. (I usually carry socks to knit in public.) I'm going to visit my parents this afternoon since the weather's predicted to turn semi-ugly tonight, and I plan to take my Surprise Jacket along to work on it while visiting. I'm hoping to finish it in time to wear it a few times before I have to switch to my spring wardrobe. *LOL*

And so, fellow knitsters, I wish you all a terrific weekend with lots of sticks and string!

A Peaceful Morning

I'm starting my Saturday in a lovely mellow state, having begun by listening to James Horner soundtracks on my Zune and sipping a delicious cup of coffee.  I'm actually waiting for it to get a little later in the morning so I won't disturb my neighbors by doing noisy household drudgery.

My only concern currently is that I am so content and relaxed that I might find it difficult to haul myself out of this recliner and do some actual WORK.

Hmmmm....my knitting basket is within reach.  Maybe one more cup of coffee and knitting a few rows before starting housework.  Sounds reasonable, right?  :-)

Happy Saturday, everyone!

2012 Begins

This evening I noticed that my KnitMeter currently says "I haven't knit any this year."  That's not true.  I HAVE knit this year.  I just haven't FINISHED anything yet this year.  *LOL*

I have, as usual, several different things on needles.  But this weekend I had to be out of town due to a death in the family (a dear cousin who lost a hard-fought battle against esophageal cancer).  None of the projects I had on needles were a good size to pack for travel, so I started a small cowl to work on during spare moments at the motel.  I didn't get much done on it, so I now have one more WIP.

That's okay.  It's January.  :-)