Ummmmm... There's a theme here. ITS April!!!

No, this wont do. This must stop now. I can't keep up with all these months just breezing by me anymore. I need to find something to slow down time. Anyone got any ideas? Time machines?

This is not going to be like the last few posts. Because to tell youths truths am not sure what went on over the last month. I swear I should have more done than I do.

Maybe I should just follow a friends' idea of a list that I just update that each month.

March List:
1. Cadence Socks - FINISHED 3/14/13
2. 36x36 Mitts - Started and frogged a few times. But are on their way now. Have one up to thumb and the other is on its way.
3. Melisandra Socks - feet and turned the heel on both. Just need to finish the leg.
4. Featherweight - ready to split for sleeves.
5. Gma Sweater - FROGGED. Need a different pattern.

Started and Finished in March:
1. Ribbed Hat for my brother (LATE Christmas present)
2. Nibles the Turtle for Jayson's 5th BDay!
3. Mizzle Hat for me. I don't have ac in my car, and have short hair that isn't long enough for a ponytail. Need hats to keep it out of my face when driving.

April's List:
1. 36x36 Mitts - NEED to finish.
2. Melisandra Socks - NEED to finish.
3. Twinkle Twinkle Blanket - Need to finish.
4. Featherweight - need some progress on this.
5. Martine Hat - For me. Wind and hair issue.
6. Trillian Shawl - For me. Mindless knitting.

I will add some pictures later as I am writing this on the iPad and the app sucks with placing the pictures.

March!! Its March!! Its the middle of March!!

Ok, I know February is short, but what the heck!! I totally did not see where it went. Not much happened obviously! So project wise...

Yep, progress, but no finished objects. I have had some issues. I have had to keep myself from casting on everything that comes to mind. I MUST finish these commissions!!

I made progress on the Cadence Socks. They are sitting at the toe decreases.

Cadence Socks at the toe decreases. ALMOST THERE...

I had to rip out the 36x36 mitts due to them being too small. Ready to get started again. They are going to be beautiful, but they were not going to fit. I have the same measurements as the person I am doing them for (or roughly anyway) and they were NOT going on my hands very nicely. Too stretched for color work mitts. So, going up an needle size should fix that issue.

36x36 Mitts FROGGED and ready to be started again!!

I started and frogged a Vodka Lemonade for myself out of some wool from Bindigo Mills in Australia. I liked this, but the fabric was just to stiff. I didn't think I would wear it much. It is not technically frogged, just in the pond to be, so I may still change my mind. But for now, I am not going to be working on it.

Vodka Lemonade - FROGGED

I started a Vodka Lemonade for my grandma in Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks in Oyster Heather. Really should get back to this. She is not expecting it any time soon. She is realisitic about how long a sweater takes, but should would like it before Fall this year. I think I can manage this.

Vodka Lemonade for Grandma :)

Started another commission piece, Melisandra Socks. I received a skein of STR in return for this. It is pretty. Not sure what I am going to make with it... Hitchhiker or something along those lines...

Melisandra Socks in Rainy Days & Wooly Dogs Strychnine - Gothsock in Multipass

I have been bitten by the Featherweight Cardigan!! I was able to purchase some Wollmeise Lacegarn in the Fritzi Frizzante color way. Its beautiful!! But this is what I have been working on instead of my commission knitting!! What is wrong with me? Ain't it pretty?? I NEED to put this down and work on the other stuff above, but I just can't. I swear I am trying. Maybe after I get to splitting of the sleeves I can put it down for a few and finish up the above projects... Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, I am actually almost there, I am at 38 of 45 sts for the front pieces.

My Featherweight in Fritzi Frizzante Wollmeise Lacegarn. LOVE IT!!

I have also started a tunisian square blanket. I am trying to have enough squares at Christmas time to be able to put a blanket together and give away if I so choose. Or to have one for me and my SO.

So, there has been no cross-stitching and no spinning for February and March is not shaping up either. But I am starting to REALLY want to spin. I may do that this next week as I will be staying home one day to receive some packages.

What?! Its February 1st!!

Ok, so what happened to January? Who stole the month of January? Ummm... with this rate, I may want to start on Christmas stuff now, as I may not realize that it's tomorrow...

So, Lets see, January, what did I do...

Well New Years was uneventful. Shawn played Boarderlands with Adam, via the internet, on the PS3, while I was thinking of changing where my blog was, how it looks and making my goals for 2013. A few days later a box arrived with my new Tunisian Crochet hooks!! I started a blanket for SILs foster baby with Lion Brands Pound of Love and the J hook. I had started a blanket for baby back in December after Christmas, but have changed my mind several times since then. I am going to stick with the Tunisian blanket.

Then came going back to work (which consisted of 1 day then the next few off... Strange schedule of mine, but it works. That weekend was my 31st BDay. Had a great time with Amy, Robert (Amy's Date), Adam, Shawn (DD) and me. Was sloshed on 3 shots and 4 mixed drinks, then we went to have breakfast and after dropping Amy and Robert off, we headed home. So, not such a bad start to the new year. (I had even cast on for a hat for myself as a BDay present).

Then after the epic BDay, which the next two days may have been a hangover may have been me getting sick, I had the flu. Crappy week of it. Was starting to feel better on the Friday, but stayed home from work to be rested and ready to go Monday. Come Sunday night/Monday morning I end up with vomit sick. So, there goes another week of feeling like crap and worse.

Not much crafting was done during the 2 weeks of sick, but I did start and finish a few projects. I didn't have much brain power so that limited what I worked on. Also didn't want to pass on the sick, so didn't work on projects for baby or the commission I have either. I finished my hat, a pair of fingerless gauntlets and a cowl during those two weeks. I didn't really feel like knitting most of the time, but was able to work on some personal and simple ribbing projects for myself.

Cowl, Hat and Fingerless gloves knitted for myself.

I finally get to go back to work the following week. Still not feeling so great, but I am sick of my bedroom and I need to get things done there. I had started another cowl (these are using up a present from MIL for Christmas 2012). I have finished that cowl, but I don't like it and I am going to frog it and find something else.

The weekend before I went back to work I went through my fingering weight tub and made sure they were all on Ravelry. This is part of wanting to have my stash up on Rav and to knit from it this year. I know there is more that is not up and I will go through the tubs a few at a time and see if I can get it all up there. This way I just have to search for patterns then see if I have some yarn for them to use.

Here is the yarn stash tubs. 

During the stash diving/picture taking, I found some projects that are not finished. I am going to take pictures of them and start deciding if I want to frog or finish them. I have a few that are single socks left over from my test knitting that need to be finished as well as some that I started for myself.

This was just the Fingering weight box. I still have many others to work threw and I know there are more projects to add to the Frog or Finish pile. I first want to work on the commission knitting and the Tunisian Blanket before I really dive into the Frog or Finish idea. I am also still working on the Stash knitting. I have made it through January with out buying yarn or roving. I am happy with myself.

I have also worked on my Pipers Journey Shawl. I have completed the first ball of yarn and I am getting ready to add the second and figure out when I am going to stop with the garter and add the boarder. I believe I am just a few rows from that point, but will do a count and make sure I have enough added to make the boarder even.

I have stared a sweater for myself. I am excited to be working on it. The yarn is from Bendigo Woolen Mills in Australia. It was brought back by a friend who visited another friend over there. When she visited us, she was working on a sweater out of the same yarn and I loved it. I like the sweater, but I don't think I would have finished it since I would have had to knit the cable separate then sew it on. I am not a pieces kind of gal. Though I may want to do it in the future, its in my library. I have chosen to do Vodka Lemonade. A person in my knitting group is also doing this sweater and we have agreed to push each other to get it finished. It is from the top down and I have finished the collar and I have 3" of 11" for the raglan seam done. I am enjoying the knitting on this.

Vodka Lemonade sweater.

I was commissioned last year to knit a pair of socks and mittens for a lady on Rav and she would weave me a scarf. She has mostly finished the scarf, it just needs to be "blocked" and some fringe work. I on the other hand have not touched my projects for her for a bit. Christmas had some thing to do with that. I have vowed to get these finished, which means I will be putting the sweater and other projects down until these are finished.

Cadence Socks

I had also started a pair of socks last year with the hopes to wear them for Halloween. Yeah, that didn't happen. They haven't been touch in forever. I would like to get them finished in the next few months.

I have frogged, or plan on frogging, a few projects too. Or at least plan on doing it. First up is the cowl that I finished, It just isn't right. I will frog this and knit something else up. I frogged a cowl that was being knitted in Lorna's Laces Shepard Sport in the River color way. I just wasn't liking the way the color was turning out on it. I do plan on casting on another cowl, but I am just not there yet. I also had started the Hope Shawlette by Stefanie Japel in Lorna's Laces Soulmate in the Flamingo color way. I just wasn't excited by the way the color was turning out. I am going to frog this and do something else with the color way. It was purchased as "Boobie Month" kit.

Frog it pile. I still have to do the cowl and the shawl.

There has been NO spinning in January. I have been itching to get back to it, but some things have to be finished first and I was not in the mood to spin while I was sick.

Must finish this so I can get started on other stuff.

Project Goals for February:

1. Finish Cadence Sock.
2. Finish 36x36 Mittens. Then packaged and ship 1 & 2 to Commission in Washington DC.
3. Progress on Vodka Lemonade.
4. Progress/Finish? on Tunisian Baby Blanket.
5. Choose yarn and start Afghan Blocks (5 minimum) and plan for the rest of the blanket (I worked out that I would have to complete 5 blocks a month plus 4 others to do the big afghan by the end of this year. I didn't do the blocks for January, so those will be added. It will be 5 blocks for February and 6 blocks a month for the rest of the year.
6. Spin up the roving that is on the wheel and start on some Loop Bumps.
7. Work on some cross-stitching.
8. Purchase and set up the Victory HAED cross-stitch.