Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year! And 2010 FO# 15

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I can't believe that the next year is actually over.  Between starting a new business and spending much to much time at various medical establishments, the last twelve months have been challenging (to say the least!). Here's hoping 2012 is blissfully uneventful, quiet, and involves lots and lots of knitting.

A full update on the Christmas knitting will be following shortly.  Below is the first completed gifted present - Ben's Birthday socks knitted in Opal Prisma.  The recipient seems to like them!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

WIP Wednesday 7/8...ish

Just a short post, because I am busy knitting!  Only one week to go, and still much to do! (Yes, there are lots of exclamation points floating around in my brain right now! And I imagine will be until Christmas has passed.  So many things to cook! Presents to wrap! Drinks to drink!

Without further ado, I present to you 2011's 15 finished object which is also a completed Christmas present (yay!).


These are simple socks - standard 64-stitch top-down heel-flap-and-gusset.  The yarn is Cascade Heritage Paints, which is lovely and soft and gorgeous to knit with.


The recipient of this gift always seems very happy whenever I give her handknitted presents, but I never see her wear them, so these socks are a test to see whether or not I should continue to knit her gifts.  Seriously, though, who wouldn't  love these socks? They're gorgeous, even if I do say so myself.


The spreadsheet says I am 77% [62%] through my Christmas knitting. It looks like I'm not going to make it this year. At least the journey has been fun so far :)

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

WIP Wednesday 6/8

There's something about the particular insanity that messes with my sense of reason and reasonableness at Christmastime.  I think the sight of all the twinkly Christmas lights and the smell of gingerbread cooking that flicks a little switch in my brain, transforming me from eccentric and a little bit interested in wool to full-blown wackadoo crazy must knit to show how much I love! And, come Christmastime, I love everybody (except for the people who work in every post office I've been to.  Do they train you not to smile?)  Some may state that it's a batshit crazy a little bit silly to start a baby jacket for a baby that's due in four days with 4-ply wool and a pithy set of instructions, especially when there is still 40% of Christmas knitting to be completed.


Some may. Clearly not me.

Knitting completed: 60% of original plan, 49% of revised unrealistically optimistic plan.  Knitting time passed: six of the eight scheduled weeks.  I don't see a problem here at all...

PS: I've done a lot of my shopping online this year and I'd like to recommend T2. Their service was wonderful - my package arrived in a beautifully-wrapped gift box and included a free sample and a bonus $10 gift card.  Shipping was free (for orders over $60, which mine was) and I got a courtesy email checking that everything arrived safely and I was happy with my order.  I unreservedly recommend buying online from T2 and I will definitely shop there again.  Probably before Christmas, if I don't get all of my kntting done...

Thursday, December 1, 2011

WIP Wednesday 5/8...ish

Yes, it's Friday, not Wednesday, but the weather has been so cold and miserable for the last two days I haven't been able to stay outside long enough to take the photos.  Plus everything looks pretty much like last week!  The lateness of my blogging is not helped by the fact that I am having a massive slack day. I don't know why, but today I am find it incredibly difficult to motivate myself to do anything. I know I should clean the bathroom, hang out the washing, put away the dry clothes but really, all I can muster is a "meh".

So, here's a progress shot of all of the socks on the go:


According to my trusty Christmas spreadsheet, I have completed 57% of  my original knitting plans and I am 47% of the way through my crazy insane revised plans.  Not great but, really, today I don't actually care.  Meh indeed!

PS: Has anyone read the December issue of Donna Hay? Also very meh - I am kind of regretting asking for a subscription as an anniversary present...