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.

A New Year Begins... Again!!

I have never really been good with resolutions. I tend to do better when I set goals. They just seem more obtainable.

Where did this last year go? I swear I just turned 30... I had just started my job... I had just made a list of goals and was going to get to writing them down...

Goal 1 for 2013 is to blog more. I would like to actually write down my thoughts, show off my crafts and maybe have a few more ideas. I would also like to see if I can keep track of this year a bit better. I try to do so much at once that I tend to overwhelm myself and forget the little things that are going on.

Goal 2 is to watch what I eat and get more exercise. I have set a minor goal of loosing 40 pounds. If this goal is reached. I will set my next weight goal.

Goal 3 is to knit a sweater for Shawn and for my Grandma. (2 adult sweaters)

Goal 4 is to knit purely from stash (minus the yarn for Grandmas sweater, she will be purchasing that.

Goal 5 is to try to cross-stitch more. I used to do this and would like to pick it up again. I have a HAEID Chart that was given to me ages ago and I would love to get it started and maybe completed this year. (Completed is wishful thinking, but it may happen :)).

Goal 6 is to spin more. I was able to purchase a SpinOlution Bee in the summer of 2012. I have loved spinning on this wheel. I would like to be a better spinner and to also work through my fiber stash and to knit something with my hand spun by the end of this year.

Goal 7 is to learn a new to me programming language. I have been thinking about Ruby or Purl and possibly Python.

7 Goals to start with is all that I have come up with so far for this year.

Its a good beginning to my list, I am sure will think of more over the year. As I sit here thinking about the next year I am already thinking of what I want to make for the next Holiday season. I think I am going to go little, but I am going to go complicated with the little projects. I am in the mood for some color work hats... I had the idea for this season, but I started WAY to late with that. I also have a few projects that need to be finished as well. January and February will be for finishing these few projects up and see how many needles I can get back.

Yep, so bad at this!

So, it looks like my goal of actually writing...

Yep, gone the way of the ... Well, lets not point fingers and call myself names, thought I do deserve them, sometimes.

I have been just test knitting away. I have completed three other socks and I am diligently working on a wrap.

I have been working on some personal projects as well just to have a break in between.

I have completed one Hermione's Everyday Socks in the Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball in U Boot color way, plus one stripy sock without the afterthought heel in 3 Ewes Twisted in Fiber in the Viva Las Vegas color way. I have started another of the stripy socks out of 3 Ewes Twisted in Fiber in the Golightly color way, they reminded me of some Lilys I had just gotten (I cast this on for a sock to knit a doctor/dentist appointments). I completed a Magrathea shawl by Martina Behm, I have also stared and frogged about 4 Trillian shawls by the same person. Nothing wrong with the pattern, just wrong with the yarn.

I think somewhere in my pile of projects is a two different DayBreak shawls by Steven West. Again, nothing wrong with the pattern, just with the yarns I keep choosing. I have started and put aside a Modern Log Cabin blanket. I do want to finish it for my bed. I do like the colors. I have started and fizzled on a felted hedgehog, for my nephew, I really should get back to that. I had an idea to do them for the kids for their birthdays this year. I have also started a Piper's Journey shawl. I do want to get this finished as well. I have a Beekeeper's quilt stared, you know those dreaded hexi-puffs are here too. I have been on a kick to use up my kitchen cotton since it had taken over a complete tub out of my stash!! I have a few done that I have thrown into a box that I can grab to give as gifts if I need to.

I have queued up a Calligraphy Cardigan and Wonderland Socks to knit for myself.

I have been commissioned by a friend to knit a baby blanket for her daughter (same age as me). The colors are not something I would normally put together, but I think I can make them work. Hot Pink, Black and Yellow. I have decided to do a Neat Ripple baby afghan with 4 to 6 stripes of Hot Pink, then 1 black, 1 yellow, 1 black, then back to hot pink.

Oh and to top it all off, I have decided to knit sweaters for the 5 kids in the family... WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!!!

Not only all the above, but I have added a Trindle Spindle to my collection and have been spinning away on some roving that a friend got me in Austraila. It's purple and spinning lace weight singles. I just love this thing. My cat on the other hand has issues with me spindling. I am not sure if it makes a sound he doesn't like, but he acts like it's a big dog or something to come and attack him. Its funny.

I have signed up for the CloudLovers fiber club and my first shipment is on its way. I also have a giant order from Knit Picks on the way. with over 9,000 yds of fiber. Mostly for the sweaters for Christmas. I did buy some red yarn for a Clapotis for myself. I have been on some strange kick of wanting a red scarf of some kind, and why not have one of these as well.

Yep, I have lost my mind... :) Just check out that list on the left there...