Am bogging down on how much I’ve got to do.  Here’s an inventory.

My updated Project List (December 4 - 21 days until Christmas):

• 12 pairs of socks to do  D, A, K, W, J, B, M-C, J, T, T, C, Work (4 pair completed – 4 socks of different colours on needles.)
• 1 happy hooker red hat (have yarn, ripped out last effort, need to re-start)
• 6 +2  kids hats (easy peasy helmet pattern, just add crochetted ears – sooo cute!) (D x 2, B, B, N, V)
• 1 poncho caplet thing for A – have got yarn but keep hating result…maybe crochet?
• 2 ideas for something else for 2 brothers in law (might end up being another pair of socks)

Completed: (Maybe this’ll help)

• J’s caplet (yummy pink mohair – will sew silky fabric at lining as slightly itchy.
• Mom’s socks – Red ones
• A’s Socks – Green ones
• J’s Socks – Orangy Ones
• M’s Slippers (ok, must sew up)
• S’s Slippers (need sewing)
• Blanket for Dylan
• So cute pink blanket for future girl baby (mutter, mutter…I was sure Dylan was going to be a girl…probably not something to share with his parents)

Projects for future consideration (or things to do whilst at Mom’s for Christmas)

• yellow crochet caplet for MEEEEE
• socks for MEEEE – self striping, hugely expensive, beautiful yarn (Maybe Santa will pay for this?)

I hurt my back in a dramatic (ok, not so dramatic) bending over to pick up my knitting accident.  Cripes.  I was fine one moment and then I leaned over and my lower back is SCREAMING at me.  I think I tore a muscle or something.  Youch!

Anyway, as a result of not being able to move, I finished a blanket for K’s new son Dylan.  I can’t wait to see the baby.   I had a lovely pink item already made up and ready to go but, oh well.  Note for next time, use the SnB pattern for all future babies and add a pink or blue embelishment added after sex is determined (Auntie C’s boy/girl radar is crap!  I’m 1 for 8 in predictions and should have known)

The pattern is from the Stitch n Bitch Knitter’s Handbook.  Picked a Bernat Cotton Acrylic in a nice creamy colour.  Really simple pattern.  Used 5.5 mm straight needles.

• Cast on 126 stitches.
• Seed stitch for 18 rows (k1, p1) – bottom border made.
• Body – k1 p1 5 times, then knit 53, purl 53, k1 p1 5 times.  Do this until whole length is about 14 inches. 
• Body part 2 – k 1 p1 5 times, then purl 53, knit 53, k1 p1 5 times. 
• Top border – seed stitch for 18 rows.  Bind off.

Very simple – very cute – very elegant. 

I know (knew) two people who are pregnant and K just had a baby boy.  8lbs 5oz.  Dylan.  J’s is due tomorrow. 

Knitting progress…not much.  Knitted at lunch but spent some time showing another lady how to cast on.   I have about 4 projects on the go so nothing finished but I’m not getting bored with just one project.

 C

House is somewhat less messy but still needs a good cleaning.  My best cleaning happens when I run home at lunch and do a 45 minute flury cleanup. 

After Brownies, I wanted to take a crack at a lacy pattern for a very elegant poncho.  Used a red heart acrylic but just wanted to see the result.  Might do nicely for A’s gift in a pink or similar.   HMMM…  Clean or shop for nice yarn for poncho?  Clean or shop?  Clean or shop?   I’ll let you know the result tomorrow.  (Actually, have a meeting tonight so probably neither will get done).  C

But I made a pretty shrug for J.  I got home last night and couldn’t face the cleaning.  I figure I’ll be less stressed out if I have some of the huge list of projects done.

I changed it up a bit…crocheted the Happy Hooker shrug for my sister.  Used a yarn that I can’t think of the name of – wonderful blend of yarn and wool.  Very cozy.  I want it.

 Brownies tonight so doubt I’ll get much done. 

My updated Project List:

• 12 pairs of socks to do (4 pair completed)
• 1 happy hooker red hat (have yarn, ripped out last effort, need to re-start)
• 8 kids hats (easy peasy helmet pattern, just add crochetted ears – sooo cute!)
• 3 ideas for something else for 1 sister and 2 brothers in law (might end up being another pair of socks)

Eleven days in and I actually have 8 socks completed!  Not exactly 1 sock per day but pretty darn good, considering it took me three days to do the first one.

I’ve become a little obsessed with making things and my house is truly showing the lack of care.  

• Problem 1 – I came home from camp and immediately began knitting - completed the second orange tones verrugated sock last Sunday.  Result – camping bins everywhere!
• Problem 2 – Monday (Nov 23) -resolved to do a quick tidy before knitting.  Didn’t do said tidy.  I made a green sock instead.  Nice sock.  Loved watching Heroes.  No tidy.
• Problem 3 – Brownie night on Tuesday and had to unearth Brownie gear from under pile of Camping gear.  More mess created.
• Problem 4 – Girls night on Wednesday.  I made second green sock.
• Problem 5 – Thursday, attempted tidy but found my yarn bin – which quickly spread around room.
• Problem 6 – Friday – went to candle party (and knitted) – red tones verrugated Wool/Poly blend.  Nice sock. 
• Problem 7 - This weekend I should have cleaned.  Did I?  NO!  My house is a disaster.  I’m ashamed.  It makes me ill to look at. 

Answer – Clean tonight!  Clean tonight!  Not allowed to knit second of the fingering weight Bernat Sox yarn socks in lovely blue.  Clean Damnit!

 Cara

My updated Project List: (I guess I hope my family doesn’t see this)

• 16 pairs of socks (4 pair completed)
• 1 crochet Caplet (have yarn, need time – Happy Hooker pattern)
• 1 happy hooker red hat (have yarn, ripped out last effort, need to re-start)
• 8 kids hats (easy peasy helmet pattern, just add crochetted ears – sooo cute!)
• 2 pair phentex slippers (Found some in my last year’s pile.  Done!)
• 3 ideas for something else for 1 sister and 2 brothers in law (might end up being another pair of socks)

How’s that for a schedule?

My Project List: (I guess I hope my family doesn’t see this)

• 16 pairs of socks (2 pair completed)
• 1 crochet Caplet (have yarn, need time – Happy Hooker pattern)
• 1 happy hooker red hat (have yarn, ripped out last effort, need to re-start)
• 8 kids hats (easy peasy helmet pattern, just add crochetted ears – sooo cute!)
• 2 pair phentex slippers (not due until January so definitely on Christmas Break list)
• 3 ideas for something else for 1 sister and 2 brothers in law (might end up being another pair of socks)

How’s that for a schedule?

C

I’ve got a heck of a lot of knitting and crochetting to do if I have any hope of accomplishing my goal of handmade gifts for everyone.  Yesterday I wrote that I have about 15 giftees…well today I actually wrote it down and it is more like 25.  Huh.  That’s a lot of socks.  (and in negative amount of time to do them). 

So I’ve downgraded some of them to (will be recieving gift IOU before I leave on Christmas break – I always need something to do at Mom’s over Christmas).  Just hope I don’t run out of steam.

Budgeting for all this…I know handmade gifts are way cheaper (unless you count the value of time) but this Christmas is still going to cost around $140.  I know people spend thousands on gifts but I just don’t and $140 is a lot of money. 

Was at Yarn Forward last night and hoooeeyy, yarn, (good yarn) can be expensive.  I realize that good quality work deserves good quality yarn but next year I think I’ll watch the sales a bit better.

Weekend is here!  Can you guess what I’ll be doing?

C

I’ve been away for a very long time … not from my desk, or my job or home or anything, just from my blog. This thing was set up in a fury of learning to do this blog thing and then, well, it got neglected in favour of being Brown Owl for 12 seven and eight year olds. Who I adore.
Anyway, this year, Brown Owl has decided that for Christmas, my family and friends will be getting socks. My Grandmother (dear, sweet Nanny) died two weeks ago and I’m pouring my grief over the loss into socks.
I did the math and realized that if the 15 or so people who I give Christmas gifts to are to actually get them, I’ve got to do at least one sock a day until Christmas. Funnily enough, Yarn Harlot (http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/) is doing the same thing. I love her blog.

Currently am getting my feet wet on 100% Acrylic sport weight self striping yarn (Bernat?) with 3.75 mm double pointed needles.

Tally so far…

4 completed socks

• pair orange tones self striping
• pair funky green (not lime, not apple, not mint…just very fashionable green)

Abandoned (or put on hold) projects:

• 1  sock (blechy “denim” – too thick…what was I thinking?)
• 1 on the go (yummy lemon yellow) – yarn is too heavy but will push on.

Current Project

• Polyester/Wool Blend in cool Christmas colours.  Am reinforcing the sole with knit 1 slip 1, purl on the return.  An experiment.

Am off to Yarn Forward tonight to see what I can find.

=)

Cara

I just spent a relaxing weekend in Algonquin Park with my parents.  It was a nice, quiet, uneventful weekend.

Except on Friday night when a group of boys went down to the beach at around 11:30PM and started making a lot of noise.  I don’t know what possessed me to do it but I got up from my tent (I happened to be wearing all black and probably looked like a bear in the dark) and crept down to the beach where I crouched down at the edge of the trees.  It took a moment for them to notice me but they did… “WHAT’S THAT??” My response… (again, I don’t know what possessed me) “It’ssss Meeeee” in this sort of deep (voice of God?) voice.  They squealed like girls, I cautioned them to be quiet.  They shushed for a bit but then got louder.  I walked away and then crouched down again.  “It’s still me”.  They were a group of boys from Toronto who had never been camping before.  I’m not sure what they were expecting – a hooting and hollering good time probably.  I bored them with a lesson on the stars.  They got the message and went away.  Very funny.

And then I spent a couple of hours in a canoe at dusk with my Dad on Kearney Lake on Saturday night.  Paddling quietly with my dad was special – he fished, I paddled.  The lake was glassy.  The sky was clear and full of stars (and shooting stars – Persied meteor shower!).  I need to get out of the city more often.Sigh.