I feel so used. I'm a "B" (or part of one at least) in the ABC Along!

There's a million things I probably could have blogged about over the last few weeks but I am at a loss to remember them all. I know I spend a great day hanging with Kathleen and her family. No knitting was done but many embarrassing pictures were taken of me playing Rock Band. I've been catching up on the Knitting Blog's Ring in the evening instead of knitting. My brain is completely fried this rush. I can't even read a book. I've been working on the same one since Christmas break.

I did get my Sox Stix replacement, yay Lantern Moon! They even sent 2 since it must have been obvious I was a klutz:



On those rare occasions when knitting has occurred it has been on my RPMs. I managed to find my Knit Picks needles. You can see how little I've done:



I did bring the camera this morning to take better pictures and to show you Avery's hat but the batteries were dead. Par for the course on a Monday morning right?

Chante pointed out to me that Avery was captured on video, as was she. Check out this video podcast and you'll see Avery doing his own Rhinebeck video. If you really pay attention to the background you'll see Maribel and even me but only my back.

Happy Monday!

Carla made the mistake of giving me a place to put my soapbox. I may not be posting here but I'm posting somewhere, lol.

Why liberals are ticking me off...

If it's a drive by post it must be rush at work, right? I haven't knit much at all. In fact I seem to be having a really, really bad run of knitting karma.

I told you about the needle incident on Monday. Carma of Lantern Moon(who is the only good karma I've had this week) is sending me a replacement shortly. Thank you Lantern Moon for excellent customer service just as Sue told me. That's been the lone bright spot.

Yesterday I brought the robe I started for Ian from And So To Bed. I worked on it in the morning. It didn't fit in my bag so I was carrying my favorite little bag that I got from Book Expo. When I left I grabbed it but when I got to the train I realized I didn't have it. I assumed I left it here at work in the bathroom but I don't find it this morning. I've got no freakin' clue where I could have dropped it. I am so damn upset about it. Thankfully it only had a ball of yarn, a copy of the pattern (not the book), my needlemaster #7 and my favorite pen on earth!

It could have been worse, true, but I am seriously upset people, seriously upset.

This week kind of sucks...

I really had no intention of blogging this morning. I had no pictures, nothing exciting to report although I did actually cast on for a couple of things but then this happened on the train this morning:


Here's a slightly better shot of the damage:


My Lantern Moon Sox Stix snapped right in half, on the second row of my frakkin' sock! I don't have my emergency sock kit with me. I could only find 2 of my Knit Picks metal ones last night so I'm having a panic attack. What do mean I can't knit my socks!!!

I just need to share with someone who understands...

Goals for the New Year

I've been sitting on this post in my head for awhile letting it percolate a bit. I don't really do resolutions anymore. They're pretty pointless. I will do the occasional goal setting. Particularly in knitting terms which has had a far share of success for me but in my life New Year's is just another signpost in the passage of time.

This year however I have been inspired to do something a bit different. Cate's solstice post put into words what I have been feeling for the past few months. Life is chaotic by nature, life with children and family even more so. It's nice to say I'd like to be in control but frankly it's impossible. However I can choose how I deal with the things thrown at me. I can work at having more purpose day to day and actually live with intention as Cate so eloquently put it.

One of my co-workers was in this morning talking about the goals he's setting for himself and the program he's working on to get them done. I'm not that organized, nor disciplined and I don't even want to be but there are things I want to happen and I can work on making them happen. Even while accepting the fact that life is going to toss obstacles in the way and I can go around them, over them or switch paths as I choose to.

Another article that inspired me a bit was this one on being a bitch. I am well known amongst my friends and co-workers as being blunt. I'm the one who gets right to the point and I like being that way. I take this article as an affirmation of the validity of that aspect of my personality. I am a bitch and I am not in the least bit apologetic about it but as my boss once told me he knows I would never stab him in the back, I would stab him in the front right where he could see me. Yes, I took that as a compliment. I'll continue to call it as I see it and maybe hesitate even less than I do now. It has served me well so far and I think the times I've hesitated it's typically backfired later.

How well have I done with the intent thing so far? Not too bad. I can't go to the gym during rush because an hour is more than I can take for lunch but I'm attempting to take a walk for 20 minutes at some point of the day. It's better than nothing and it makes me more productive when I get back to work as well.

My knitting mojo is a bit low at the moment but January is always like that for me. I finished Avery's hat. I was going to do some swatching last night for Tomten and the Bedtime Robe for Ian but the yarn just sat next to me while I watched TV. It'll happen. I'm not worried about it.

I will be doing the knit from my stash thing again this year. It cleared quite a bit out of my stash last year. So between now and my birthday in June no yarn purchases unless they are needed to finish a project or if I have a gift card (which I do, lol) or credit or something. I was going to do the mission possible thing but there's that discipline and organization thing again, just not me.

We'll have to see how this new plan goes. We all know what the road to hell is paved in, don't we?

Blehh...

That's how I'm feeling today. I was sick last week but it really caught up with me on Friday. I called out and slept the day away. I had every intention of going in for a few hours on Saturday but I didn't wake up until 10:30 so I decided I must need more rest since I never sleep that late. I'm definitely better today but still a bit foggy and queasy. Poor Ian seems to have picked it up so he maxin' and relaxin' at home with Grandma.

I did manage to get those damn buttons on the booties. Please don't point out the different colored thread on the buttons. I'm calling it a design element ok?
They are so tiny. I did the larger size on a larger needles and still, tiny, but babies are tiny for at least a minute or two so I'm hopeful that she'll actually get to wear them once or twice.

Avery's hat has been going slowly. Not because of the pattern, I love the pattern. It's the lady hat that I love so much sans the lacey parts(scroll down it's number 3 the Man Hat) . It's simply that I screwed up at first. I read the pattern as Row 1 - cable Row 2 knit purl alternating and repeat from 1 but actually its Row 1, then 2,3,4 are the same. Yes, I should know better, yes I felt like an idiot. Whatever. I ripped and started again. Then I realized a ball of SWS was actually not enough so I kind of shoved it to the bottom of the bag. Rinaldo kindly ran me by Michael's this weekend and I picked up a second ball. So here we are today nearly at the decreases:

Since I have no issue begging for sympathy. This is the report I need to get through so I can send orders to publishers by 6 today:

...before I start however I need to get through all this crap:
I wish I was a praying woman I could use some divine intervention...

2007- Year End Wrap Up

Oddly enough I only bested last year by 1 item. Last year's final count was 30, this year was 31. I did 4 pairs of socks last year and I did four again this year. Funny how those things work out. I did amazingly get Cherie Amour done. Here's a shot taken by my good friend Amanda, be kind to subject and photographer, it was nearly midnight on Saturday. I'll spare you the shot that includes my head, believe me you should thank me:



I actually re-blocked it yesterday. It seems to have unblocked itself somewhat along the way. You couldn't see the lace in the bottom or the arms at all. In fact they contracted as the evening went along. There are many things I would change if I made another. I would eliminate the cuff on the sleeves. I think they would work better if they were bell sleeves. I would make them longer and I would make the bottom longer. I'm also still toying with crocheting an edge on the neckline to get rid of some of the rolling it has going on. All these flaws aside I love the sweater. It's super comfortable and I received lots of compliments on it. I think it will look even better if when I lose a few pounds.

I also managed to sneak in a pair of Saarjte's Booties. A co-worker of Rinaldo's had a new baby so I finally had an excuse to make them. They still need buttons because well I'm lazy but they are cute nonetheless. I'll take a picture as soon as I button them up.

Here's the complete list of finished items for 2007:

• Ian's Socks
• Red Scarf
• Ear Flap Hat
• Clapotis
• Wubbzie
• Placket Sweater
• Gyrid
• 2 Soldier Squares
• Soy Wool Stripes Hat
• Calorimetry
• Baby Kimono
• RPMs
• Baby Garter Cloche (2)
• Baby Kimono II
• Cabled Booties
• Anastasia Socks
• Mini Cables Soap Sack
• Mini Cables Washcloth
• Gryffindor Book Scarf
• Loksins
• Dalek
• Handspun Mitts
• SWS Wrist Warmers
• Calorimetry (SWS)
• Multidirectional Scarf
• Charade Socks
• Playground Mittens
• Saartje's Booties
• Cherie Amour
  

If you're curious to see them here's the link to my flickr set.

Wednesday as the start of the work week kind of works for me. It's already half over:D

Happy Wednesday!

2008 - Year End Wrap Up

My knitting output this year has been pathetic to say the least. Last year I finished 31 projects including 4 pairs of socks. This year a whopping:

10

Pretty sad huh?

I made

1 cabled hat
1 Ice Queen
1 Swallowtail Shawl
2 washclothes
1 beaded bracelet
baby kimono
2 pairs of booties
1 pair of rpms

What is sitting around waiting?

2 shawls
1 nutkin looking for a mate
2 socks at a time on a magic loop
1 cat (Edaniel to be exact)

The 2 socks on one circ are at the decreases after turning the heel. They should be done shortly. Edaniel is a gift for Avery's cousin and he's nearly done. I'm just working on his front paws and then his tail and head. One shawl will probably be frogged, the other I hope to continue.

I owe Avery and Ian hats and scarves and a new pair of mittens for Ian. I have tons of yarn for sweaters. Therefore I am declaring this year to be the year of the sweater. I hope to start Rinaldo's as soon as I finish off some of these smaller things. I am hoping to manage my time a bit better this year so I can continue to do things I enjoy, like knitting and blogging.

Here's to a better 2009!