Busy, Busy, Busy Bee (Part II)

With the kiddies starting school again in two days and many household events the past couple of weekends, I feel a bit frazzled, overwhelmed and tuckered out. Not in a bad way, though. I like to stay busy. (Ask my hubby...he knows how hard it is for me to relax....)

If you don't mind, I want to chat a little before sharing my list (I love lists...) of finished/in progress knitted objects. If I could get off of my butt and make myself a cup of tea right now, I would....but, I'm so damn hot and sticky that I don't think I could really drink anything warm at the moment...even some tasty, slightly sweet Country Peach herbal tea. (My favorite next to Peppermint).

We had some guests over this weekend...my sister, Kim, visited on Sat- Sun and we had a great time. We don't get to see her very often and it's always a nice treat when she can drive up and sleep over. We got Chinese take out for lunch (I made a change from my usual Spicy Stir Fried Green Beans to Green Jade), went in the pool and then off to the Derry Flea Market. That was incredibly interesting...I've never seen so many "hot", brand named purses in my life. Whoa. Needless to say, my sister had a blast and found, what she thought, were some fantastic buys. The kids and Ian were more interested in going over to Clam Haven and having some creamy, tasty ice cream. I loved how Ian's chocolate dipped soft serve was melting all over his face, hands and lap onto the ground. Niiiice!

Yesterday, Ian invited some friends over from work for a BBQ, swim in the pool and night of furious Wii Sports playing. It was hilarious watching the guys compete over who could do the best dives/jumps off of the diving board. I wish I'd taken pictures!! (or videos) I think Ian truly beat them all - he's goood! It was a bit of a fight to get Ben to leave all of the activity, but I lured him upstairs with baby carrots and whole grain goldfish - and the new Sesame Street podcast to watch on my iPhone. It was really nice to get into our air conditioned bedroom after the day was over.

The best part of the whole weekend (I know this will sound crazy) was that our house is looking so nice and clean and organized. Ian did A LOT of yard work in the front and back and it looks pretty good - we need some more pretty colored plants (maybe some geraniums would look nice...) and mulch under some bushes but, all in all, it's much more attractive. We spent time cleaning up the "playroom" which is a completely white room (walls, curtains, and tile floor -what the heck were the previous owners thinking??!!!??) and, as you can imagine, gets dirty (and looks dirty) within literal seconds after having cleaned it. With a bunny, cat, and 2 kids in the mix, it's truly a nightmare and sometimes I can't even bear to clean it out one-more-time. It should be o-kay for at least one more day - I hope. Having everything clean and organized is essential to my well-being. Anyone else like that? I feel like I can't sit and relax for a second if I know there's any kind of mess somewhere in the house waiting for me to clean it up. Maybe I'm just weird.

I'm both not looking forward to the kiddies going back to school and also looking forward to it at the same time. I'll be happy (and relieved) to have some peace and quiet (no bickering or fighting!!!), but I'll miss them a lot. Especially Ben - who'll be going into 1st grade this year. And that means he'll be gone ALL DAY! (excuse me while I cry a little) Tim's starting his Junior year in high school and has some great classes - AP Java (which he's getting college credit for), as well as French 4 and other interesting classes. He's excited that this will be the first year that he'll have a study period and, though I hope he'll use it to get some homework done, I'm not counting on it. LOL!

I'm going to use my free time to try and teach more yoga classes and organize the house. I have these things in mind:

1. Clean out Ben's closet - get rid of old baby toys, clothes and donate old baby books.

2. Clean out art cabinet- it's currently filled to the top with Ben's artwork and art supplies thrown in everywhere. You can't even open it without everything falling out. That will change and I will organize and catagorize everthing to the DEATH!

3. Donate more old clothes and books from the rest of the house.

4. Fill boxes with things to donate or sell at yard sale - anyone interested in 3/4 full bottles of perfume? I have many. I always change my mind about what fragrance I like. You can have them for free. Just let me know.

5. Get my sewing area ready - I haven't decided yet where to set up my new sewing machine (and sewing basket, fabric, pattern books, etc.) yet. It's a choice between a corner in the kitchen or a corner in the living room. Both would work out (outlet-wise), though I think the kitchen would get more sunlight/light. But, the living room would be more out of the way of traffic. Any suggestions?

6. THE BIG CHORE - cleaning out MY walk in closet, which is currently full to brim (Ian, don't read this part) with yarn, fiber and books. This might take a few days. (gulp)

Well, I think that's it for now. I will follow up all of this talk with a picture of my one finished object and a knitted project-in-progress.

Buttercup



Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in colorway #70
Needle: Size US 6 and 5
Size: Large (though it came out to the correct measurements for the size, it was much too big for me...and I'm holding it to the side with my hand. I'm thinking of trying to wash and dry it so it'll shrink a little)
Details: You can see more pics and read more about my experience with this pattern HERE on Ravelry.

Lizard Ridge Afghan



Yarn: Noro Kureyon
Needle: Size US 8
Size: I'm making 5 vertical strips, each 10.5" by 74" and each using 6 full skeins of Noro Kureyon. So far, I've made 3 full strips plus almost done with 1/3 of another.
Details: You can see more pics and read more about my experience with this pattern HERE on Ravelry.

WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE:

I'm up to over 85 pounds lost and I have only 19 pounds to go. Or a little less. I feel like I'm getting closer and I'm trying VERY VERY HARD so that I can reach my goal by the end of the year. Thanks to everyone for always encouraging me and cheering me on. You're wonderful! I keep trying to re-motivate myself, which is not always easy to be sure....and I truly could NOT do it without my husband. He's been my number 1 supporter and daily compliments me, helps me and keeps me on track. I think Weight Watchers needs to give HIM and award! : )

Have a great night and hope that you're all doing well...big hugs from me!

P.S. The top picture is of the newly acquired yarn that I bought (and was gifted) from Heather of Sereknity. The top pic is of a new skein of Malabrigo Worsted that I'll use for a new Amanda Hat for myself for the winter and the others (in the "Perfect" yarn base) are: Alyssa, Indigo-go and Posy - all new and simply gorgeous colorways that Heather has created. I can't wait to knit them up!!!

Almost there....kinda.

I thought it was about time that I did a "BEFORE" and "AFTER" picture - just to motivate myself. This month has been good and not so good, very difficult and exhausting, but also sometimes pretty smooth. I'm up to 83 pounds lost since October 15 and I'm hoping to reach my goal, if not by October 15th of this year, then definitely by December 31st. I have about 20 or so pounds to go.

Can I do it??? I sincerely hope so!!

So, here is a picture of me while knitting on my Swallowtail Shawl in Kauni around about the beginning of October. (This is the closest I could get to a truthful picture...the rest have been de-let-ed!)

BEFORE:


Now, here is the most recent picture of me from Monday at Hampton Beach. (Oh, the boobs!!! Why can't I get better support??)

ALMOST AFTER:


Also, a few other pics of me and Ian while on our anniversary vacation to Mystic, CT - we had such a relaxing and wonderful time! (and no kiddies - just us!)

Ian and I at the Stonington Lighthouse Museum "beach" area:



Just me with my knitting bag (see the purple Namaste bag with blue knitting in it on the left???):



And, now, I'll share some of my newest FOs and progress on the Lizard Ridge Afghan -which is close to halfway done!!

1. Quant from the newest Spin-Off Magazine and also Knitty.com:



Super quick and fun to knit with my own Rambouillet handspun!
(See details and more pictures on my Ravelry page here.)

2. Mousie from Ysolda Teague's "Whimsical Little Knits":



and, Mousie loves Ben...and Ben loves Mousie....



Ben loves this toy and it only took me a few hours - it's extremely fun and quick to knit using just a little bit of yarn (Katia Mississippi 3 Solids in gray and bright pink).
(See details and more pictures on my Ravelry page here.)

3. Icing Swirl Hat from Ysolda's book, "Whimsical Little Knits" (I've almost done half of the projects in the book!)



Super, super fast and very soft and warm. I loved using the Misti Alpaca Chunky for this- gorgeous. I wish the store had the Lipstick colorway, though...that one is awesome!
(See details and more pictures on my Ravelry page here.)

4. Sea Urchin from Ilga Leja Designs:



This top didn't take long at all and was enjoyable from start to finish. Very light, very airy and so comfortable to wear. I used the Katia Mississippi 3 Solids again in the bright pink and I was really happy with how it came out.
(See details and more pictures on my Ravelry page here.)

5. Lizard Ridge Afghan from Knitty.com:



I've got 2 full panels done now and will be knitting at least 2 more, probably 3. I love using the Noro Kureyon - the colors just make this blanket so impressive and stunning. Plus, it's not that scratchy and will be soo warm!
(See details and more pictures on my Ravelry page here.)

Whew! That's a LOT of damn knitting...LOL!

I'm also working on my October Frost Cardigan, my mom's Fudge Swirl Mock Cable Pullover and the Buttercup knitted top in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in a bright blue, which is coming out awesome.

Do you think I'm slacking???

(Hugs to all....thank you so much for your comments and constant support!)

16 Years Has Gone by SO Fast!

I can't believe (well, maybe I can....) that I haven't blogged in SO long! (Do I always say that???) I feel like I'm being sucked into a time warp of too-much-to-do-not-enough-time. Have you ever felt like that? Ugh. It's frustrating!

But, besides being busy, I've had a pretty productive and really nice month.

And here are the reasons why:

1. I'm up to a 63 pound weight loss on WW in the past 6 months. I'm hoping to reach my final goal by October 15th, which I when I first started. Yippeee! I'm very, very lucky because Ian is incredibly supportive of me - he gives me compliments every day and cheers me on even with the smallest of weight losses - like 0.2 or 0.4. I love you, Ian!!

2. I got a new haircut and I really like it. I wasn't sure if I was going to at first.....it's really short....but, I've gotten so many compliments on it. And - most importantly- the hubby likes it.



3. I finished the Amy Beret by Diane Mulholland - using my 2 ply worsted weight Polwarth handspun (which was AWESOME to spin, by the way) - and, although it doesn't really look that great on me - I loved knitting it and it was really fun to make. Diane is a truly talented designer. I just bought two more of her handspun patterns.



4. I've gotten ONE WHOLE PANEL of my Lizard Ridge Afghan done! I need to make at least 4 full panels before Christmas (I'm in the A Year in a Blanket group on Ravelry) and then add the trim in Cascade 220. Most of the people seem to be making only one square a month but, for this blanket, I need to make 2 a month - there are 24 pieces (at least) in all. The first panel is huge! About 10.5" wide by 72" long. Yikes! Should be sooo warm, though. And, really, I think it's gorgeous. (It's for my oldest son as a gift)



So.....the only thing that hasn't really gone my way....is.....dun dun dun.....

THE DAMN DRAGONS!!!!!

I am incredibly irritated with the Hai-Riyo knitted dragons. They were such a fun, quick knit and I was excited because the yarn was nice to knit with and all of the pieces were very easy.

BUT....(a big but)....

They are a pain in the ASS (yes, ASS!) to sew up! My boss had already made one and told me how hard they were, but it was her first knitted toy, so I thought that maybe I wouldn't have such a hard time. I was very, very wrong.



The pieces are in a bag (for both of them) and I'm trying to get together my courage to continue sewing them up again. Hopefully (for the kids' sake), it'll be before I die. (Maybe)



I was also planning on getting out a new pattern for Earth Day on the 22nd, but (alas), it was not meant to be. Maybe next week. I'm planning my oldest son's 16th Surprise Birthday party (eeeek!) for this Saturday and I'm slightly freaking out.

There is so much to do and I'm doing it all myself....balloons, ordering cake (thank goodness Jackie is picking the cake up for me!), favors, decorations for the house, banner, food (ordering pizzas and getting ice cream for the sundae bar), drinks, cleaning the house, uncluttering the house (harder than cleaning!), and trying to keep all of this from Tim. My mom is bringing some snack stuff for me (thank you!!!) and ice cream toppings. Ian and I still aren't completely sure what we're getting him for his birthday, either (it's actually on May 7th) and that's up in the air for now.

But, I can't wait to see his face when he comes in the door. He thinks I'm having my knitting friends over for lunch. He he!!!

Well, wish us luck on the party and I'll have tons of pictures to show next time. And, hopefully, the FREE pattern will be done by then.

I hope.

Have a great weekend!!!!

New Year's Resolutions-Knitting Style!

Happy New Year, Knitting Friends!!!

Can't believe it's already January 1st of 2008! Where has the time gone?

I'm starting off my new year on the right path! The FO Path!

My first FO of 2008, highly recommended to me by the fabulous Melissa, whose birthday we celebrated on Sunday. Happy Birthday, Lisha!! (Also, a very Happy Birthday to Sarah and Amy, as well!!)

These are the Noro Fingerless Mitts from MimoKnits:



DETAILS:

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, color 205 B
Needles: Knit Picks Options size 7 and 9 (magic loopin' it)
Dimensions: 8.5 inches long and 3.75 inches wide (there was no gauge or finished dimensions on the pattern, so I can't be sure if I was knitting to gauge. I tried knitting more tightly than usual (I'm VERY loose...lol), but it still seemed a bit large.
Time: Two Days
Rating: B+ (great fun!)

*Notes: The scale that Jackie got me certainly came in handy with this pattern. I wasn't entirely confident that this single skein would make the two mitts, but once I made one, I weighed it and...sure enough...I had a little more than half the skein left over for the other mitt. My hand seems to be much smaller than MimoKnits and I needed to take 5 rounds off the final top part, before the ribbing. Also, I wish I'd used only 7 rounds, instead of 11, after the cuff...my mitts are a bit on the long side. And, for the thumb, I knit 3 rounds less of the ribbing...to shorten the top. (I think I have freakishly short thumbs). Besides these adjustments, I LOVED the pattern and it was fun and easy. I especially liked the way the increases for the thumb is made....super attractive and MUCH simpler!

A close up on the yarn and pattern of the thumb:



Now, on to my New Year's Resolutions. This year, instead of making a HUGE list of things I won't do (while knowing full well that I will probably end up doing them anyway), I'm making a list of 10 things that I'm definitely doing....with knitting and spinning, that is!

NEW YEAR'S KNITSOLUTIONS:

1-3. I am going to finish at least 3 wip's....preferably....my Lizard Ridge Afghan, my Tim's sweater, and my RockStar Scarf...all of which have been on the back burner for some time.

4. I am going to blog more....2 posts a week at least, instead of 1, which I've ended up doing this past month with all the craziness.

5-6. I will knit at least 2 (yes, count'em, 2!!) lace shawls this year. One, a functional, warm and cozy one...the Spinner's Shawl. And the other, something really beautiful. I have 3 "beautiful" shawls in mind....the HoneyBee Stole, the Icarus, and the Wings of the Moth shawl.

7. Since my Ravelry account is coming along really well (over 100 fully finished projects with pics now!), I want to learn to take some better pictures with my digital camera.

8. It's going to be a very selfish year. I'm calling this the "Year of Knitting Selfishly 2008" and start knitting projects only for myself....and not have to feel that ever growing panic, arm pain, neck tightness and very slight "obligation-feeling" that comes with Christmas knitting...no matter how loved the recipient or how wonderful the project. (The exception to this is knitting for babies, in which I feel little or none of this for some reason.)

9. Yarn and Fiber will be bought in very minimum amounts and some will be donated to high school knitting clubs (Hannah, I'll have a bag for you shortly!) or traded for something else. I'm trying very hard to use up what I have...or at least make the output more than the input. (Is it really possible?)

10. SPIN MORE! I used to dedicate at least one day a week to spin, but have gotten out of the habit and I sorely miss it. I'm thinking...which day do I have the least amount of work to do and errands to run...and when I'll REALLY need some stress relief. Make Friday afternoon? Or maybe Tuesday?

And...now....make sure to come back on Friday to check on the new Sleepy Eyes Knit Along....grab a skein of Malabrigo (or some other very soft, slightly heavy worsted yarn) and a 16" size 9 (or so...please check your gauge!) circular needle. I'm starting the 2008 "DO the AMANDA" Knitalong....for my Amanda Hat pattern. I'll be correcting a mistake and changing the pic on the pattern so hold off on grabbing it until Friday, if you can. If you don't mind the slightly "off" version, then go ahead and get it now. See you then!