2007

WARNING: Long Post, Lots of Pics, and Some Non-Knitting Content

I'm back home and trying to get my life organized. Teddie survived his vacation at the vets, although he literally has not been more than 2 feet from me since he got home, except to use the litter box. The tree is coming down today and furniture is getting rearranged to make room for the new computer (of course, the cable jack is on one side of the room and the DSL jack is on the other!). New shelves are also going up to make the apartment look less like a dorm room and more like a grownup's place. (Gotta love Target and their stackable Cubicals!) It doesn't help much, but it's better than pastel colored milk crates. I can't wait to get everything set up just right!

Okay, last year's resolution of an FO a month didn't work out so well. I had ten finished objects in 2006, not my ideal twelve, and rarely did I have one a month. So, I ended up with more UFOs than FOs. I'm also going to try to get a decent chunk of my credit card paid off this year, if not completely paid off, so the majority of the knitting for 2007 will be from the stash. And yes, this does count sock yarn, unfortunately. I'm saying "the majority", as I am going to buy enough nice yarn to make a sweater for myself this year, I just don't know what kind yet. With this in mind, I joined up with Martheme from the KR Forums for her KnitUFO group. I took some time off to make buttons, and you're welcome to them, but please be warned that I have no idea anymore where I got the original images, so I hope no one gets upset that I am using them!

I spent yesterday going through my stash and WIPs, re-organizing and re-inventorying them. I went over to Michaels and found some cute baskets at 50% off, so I got a set of three (one big and two small) as WIP baskets. Large projects such as Rogue and my afghans go in the big one, socks go in one of the small ones, and scarves and shawls go in the other small one. Apparently, they meet the inspection criteria:
I have a current count of 13 (ooo!) WIPs: 3 afghans, 1 sweater, 2 scarves, 1 shawl, and 6 pairs of socks.

1. Scrap Sock Yarn Log Cabin Afghan. This one lives in my desk drawer at work, so I don't have a picture. This is a very very low-key project, as it depends on my leftover sock yarn and I knit socks very slowly. It will be done when I say it's done, which will probably be ten years from now or something.

2.

Rogue sweater. In all fairness, I had this completely knitted according to pattern in November of 2006. Unfortunately, the sleeves were too short, and I'm now in the process of unseaming the sleeves, frogging back the cap, adding two inches (12 rows) of length, redoing the cap, reseaming the sleeves, and setting them into the body. Really, not much work, but I just haven't sat down and done it. Lion Brand Wool-Ease Blue Heather (much much bluer than in pic, I wanted to show off the cables), US 8 & 9 needles.

3. Jaywalkers Take 2. Another pair of Jaywalkers. This one is actually turning out pretty decently, but they got put on hold when Mom asked for socks for Christmas. Figure 8 cast-on, YO short row heel (will probably frog and try a toe-up heel and gusset again), magic loop, 25% complete. Spunky Eclectic Spunky Sport Green Gables, US 2 circs.

4. Mom's Socks. Almost done with the first one. Need to measure to see if it's the right length to start the toe. Gorgeous colors, fun knit. Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport Lakeview, US 2 circ, magic loop.

5. Dad's Socks. Need to be frogged and restarted. Work out the stitch count to an even number for the heel. May do them cuff down instead.

6. Regia Socks. My first sock ever, need to make a mate for it. Regia Jacquard 5181, US 2 circ, magic loop.

7. April Fool's Socks. Two at once on one US 1 40" circ. Yarn = great, pattern = wearing. Have to pay attention, as it changes every two rows and goes very slowly. May get frogged, as I've barely worked on them at all, but I love the colors. Spunky Eclectic Spunky Sock Berry Pickin.

8. Simple Stripes Socks. Started to test the striping effect. Slightly too big, may have to frog and restart. Taken off the needles to rescue them for another project, I think US 2 circ. KnitPicks Simple Stripes Storm.

9. Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf. Love the pattern, love the yarn, may go into a gift pile. Paton's SWS Natural Denim, US 9 circ.

10. Tumbling Blocks Scarf. Lots of progress, eh? Seriously, I had almost four repeats done, but something kept nagging me about it. Then I realized that although I had read the pattern correctly, I had not been interpreting the pattern correctly and not repeating certain stitches in the right places. So, it got frogged and I will have to restart this soon. I love this project and this yarn. Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere Lagoon, US 4 circ.

11. Snowdrop Shawl. Again, I love this pattern (I'm thinking I need to do more lace), and the yarn is just gorgeous. It's a much more royal blue. I may not do the edging, though. KnitPicks Shadow Jewels, US 5 circ.

12.
Winter Night Afghan #2. I have 13 squares done. That's enough for me. I'm going to seam these up for a lapghan and call it done.

13. Chunky Diagonal Stripes Afghan #2. The problem with this project is that it isn't very portable, what with five skeins of yarn needed and never knowing how quickly the stripes will knit up. I love the project, but it probably won't get done for a while.

I haven't really set up a deadline for these projects. I've noticed that the projects that I have completed in the past have actually been done fairly quickly, but I usually am focused only on one project at a time. There are a few projects that I would like to start this year as well, such as Pomatomus socks, a basic sweater, and a designed sweater. I have the yarn for the Poms and a stripey basic sweater, and the designed sweater will be my reward. I also have six or seven cross-stitch projects that I really want to work on again, as well. I haven't even begun to inventory all the floss and whatnot I have, although I did get a new organizer for it.

On a totally unrelated note (if you just read this for fiber and kitty info, you can tune out now), I signed up for a beginning adult taekwondo program yesterday. I can't wait to get started - I've always been interested in martial arts, but never went through with actually learning any. With my schedule, regular classes are usually out of the question. This place, though, will allow me to come once a week on Monday evenings for at least the first part of the program and possibly private lessons if I want them and can't fit the regular ones into my schedule. I have an orientation tomorrow, where one of the instructors will take me one on one and introduce me to what I will need to know to participate effectively in class and not feel totally stupid, and then I will start class next Monday. I'm very excited and very nervous, but this feels...right.

I've also been thinking a lot about some of my other interests. Specifically, history. I love history. It's always been my favorite subject. If one of my professors hadn't lost one of my term papers, blamed me, and failed me for it, I would have had a second minor in history. Ancient history, specifically learning the truths that legends are based on, is my favorite, but really, anything is fair game. To me, history is very easy. It's just stories. True stories, but stories, and everyone in every time in every place has one. It's fascinating. I think this is also the basis for my interest in the paranormal as well - what is a ghost story if not a part of history? If I could do anything I wanted right now, given unlimited time and resources, I'd go to school for archaeology and continue working in theater while I was in school. I'm seriously considering looking around for such opportunities. I think one thing I can do right now in my downtime is start doing some local research. What stories are here where I live now? How old is this town? What about my hometown (probably where I'll actually start)? Who lies in these cemetaries? What stories did they have? With this in mind, 2007 is also going to be my year of historical facts. I'm going to put together another blog/site to try to get my historical interests organized. Big job, and who knows if I will actually be able to do it and keep up with it and even stay interested for a whole year, but it also feels...right.