Rule Changes...

So I wrote earlier this week about no new yarn till I finish five skeins…well, I'm changing that a bit. No  new yarn (with the exceptions of necessary to finish a project and for holiday knitting) until I finish 5 full skeins…and for every full skein, a partial skein must be finished as well. Mini-skeins will not count nor will any skeins count that have been finished before this date. Additional partial skeins may be finished but will not be counted in except as partial skeins that have been finished. I have yarn in my closet in multiple locations, I have yarn hiding in clothing drawers, I have yarn hiding in my backpack as well as sitting in two separate bags in open view. I also have yarn in storage in Oregon! I have more than enough yarn so it's time to start turning it into items!

In exciting news, I found the perfect scale on sale at Tuesday Morning the other day so I'm hoping to work on figuring my yardage for projects. I would really love to track my yardage for the year starting January 1.

Happy Sunday!

Oh Happy Day

I have an FO…I am so excited and stoked…and it feels awesome to have something crossed off the WIP list!!

This is my favorite picture. The pattern is The Noah Sweater by Nikki Van De Car from her book What to Knit When You're Expecting and I used my favorite, the Caron Simply Soft. I love this sweater, I love how it looks and feels and I overall liked knitting it. I did not however love all the seaming. The next time I knit this, I will definitely figure out how to adjust the pattern to knit it in the round.

Here's a picture with the button undone. The opening for the head is nice and roomy so it hopefully should not be too difficult to get on.

I am definitely looking forward to doing more of Nikki's patterns. I've been super lucky to be able to borrow this book from the library, but I'm thinking I need to get it from Amazon; I'm in love.

That's all for now, y'all! Prost to the weekend!

Enabling

I was bad and I will full-heartedly admit it. I bought yarn and needles and I haven't even finished the second skein of yarn like I said I was going to do before buying more yarn…
In my defense, at least one of the skeins is going to go to Christmas present knitting so there is that!
And the needles are for more socks because really, who can ever have enough sock needles?

My new beauties (plus a unicorn tail I totally forgot to photograph!)

I hate to write these words but I think I am officially on a yarn diet until I can clear out at least 5 skeins of yarn. I know lots of people do their yarn diets by date, but I gotta do mine by yarn skeins. I have so many full and half used skeins sitting around…it's an epidemic. Anyone feel like joining in?

Real, Actual, Visual Progress!

Lots of WIPs this week! Most with real, actual, visual progress as well which is truly the best feeling. I am getting so excited to being close to potentially crossing an item off my WIP list! Lots of item still on (and an ever growing Ravelry queue…which we are just not going to talk about how long that has become!). Without further ado, the real reason you came to this blog today…the WIPs!

Oh So Sparkly

Okay, so I didn't actually do that much work on this one so maybe it looks the same as it did last week. It is in fact growing though! How do I know this? Because the skein I'm using is getting smaller and the rows I'm knitting are getting longer! Sadly, I have at least 1 more skein to make my way through before I can even consider binding this off. It's a lovely no-concentration knit and I am very excited to wear it so I am happy to be knitting it…it just currently is not one of my favorite projects.

EKP Baby Blanket

Now this little knit is growing! Four more stripes since you saw it last week…I love the yarn (Caron Simply Soft is simply the best) and I really like the needles I am using as well. They are some of the Prym needles. I absolutely adore these needles…and I'm adding to my collection of them! I just picked up another in size 2 for socks yesterday. I like the actual needles, the cables and joins are perfect and they're very comfortable in my hands. 

Vanilla Latte Stripes

Yes, you are correct…that is a sock with a completed and gusset decreases completed as well! I love heel flaps, I love heel turns but man do I hate picking up stitches! I'm not the biggest fan of gusset decreases but I tolerate them. I'm curious as to trying some other heels-particularly Fish Lips Kiss and the Afterthought. Does anyone have a preference? Please let me know!

Rainbow Latte

Last, but certainly not least are these socks! I made it all the way through the gussets decreases on one sock and partway through the gusset decreases on the other sock. I'm really enjoying these socks and I'm definitely going to have to pick up more of this yarn as my mom has already claimed this pair for herself! I'm also thinking I've made a lot of Vanilla Latte socks and should probably try and branch out into something different (yes, I know I have my Business Casual socks; they sit and stare at me and constantly ask why I won't knit them…). 

Linking up with Ginny and Tami. Happy Knitting!

Sockerday

I hope you're all sitting down right now because I have a major shocker coming for you. I have not 1, not 2, but 3 heel flaps finished!

And the even bigger shocker? I did all three of these heel flaps in less than 24 hours. Also, I apparently am going to need to get more of the Kroy yarn as my mom has already claimed these socks when they are finished.

I didn't end up going to my brother's this weekend so I ended my little deal to finish two skeins. However, there is quite a bit of sock yarn that I'm looking at online (Blue Moon Socks that Rock still has some mystery mill ends grab bags available and Knitterly Things has some beautiful Vesper sock yarn in some awesome Halloween color ways). I am totally blaming Aimee and Darren from the Knitting in Circles podcast. They are the only podcast I currently watch as I am slightly less than two years behind…I just found out about the podcast in April of this year and have been watching from the very beginning. Once I've caught up to their podcasts, I'd like to add in some more. Anyone have a favorite podcast?

FOs for Days!

Three FOs this week and one of them isn't even a hat! Which means…something is getting crossed off the WIP list on the side (WHOO-HOO!). Without further ado-

These two hats are both headed to Marine Corps Kids…also, this is the end of the yellow skein of bulky yarn! Hip-hip-horray!

The baby fixation socks (aka the project I started based off the random number generator) are done. The first sock took me over two months…and the second took me less than 24 hours.  Basically, I just let the first sock sit around because I wasn't really sure how long I wanted to make the foot. I just finally made a decision yesterday to finish it off and after that these flew off the needles. They are not exactly even socks (the first sock had some counting problems too which is part of why it sat forever) and the pattern has some issues. I might use the pattern again, but I would definitely rework the areas I am less than fond of. I am super stoked to have taken an item off my Ravelry queue which seems to be getting longer instead of shorter. I'd like to say that I am going to try and finish some of my current WIPs before I cast-on something new, but who knows…

Happy Friday and Happy Knitting!

Wednesday Again

I'm always just a bit in shock when Wednesday rolls around and its time for WIPs again! I have a few in store for ya so without further ado…

EKP Baby Blanket

Another 2 stripes were added in since you last saw this baby…slowly but steadily, I am making my way through it!

Rainbow Latte

Both of these lovelies are on row 48 of the leg…probably go up to somewhere in the 60s before starting the heel-flap. I am so excited! I'm thinking of potentially doing the heel-flap and toe in a solid color way…although I kinda want to see the stripes through. Luckily, I still have a little time to decide.

Oh So Sparkly

Skein #1 is almost done (yes, I have skein #2 ready to go). It's very bunched up as it's getting to big to try and stretch out. It made for some great car knitting though.

That's all my WIPs…at least 2 FOs are ready to go for Friday! Linking up with Tami and Ginny as usual. Happy Wednesday!

Victory!

Skein number 1 is done!! And it wasn't even a mini-skein!!

Nothing Too Crazy...

Just 3 little hats for FOs. One is going to Elephant Tears (preemie and micro preemie) and the other two are going to Marine Corps Kids (baby and kid-sizes).

I'm cuddled up in bed to finish Saving Mr. Banks and hopefully another baby hat (and maybe even a skein of yarn!). Good night and happy Friday!

I have a Confession...

…I already broke that little self-imposed yarn diet! I did however only pick up one skein of yarn though because I really, really want to try it out! And I'm still pushing for finishing two skeins before the 23rd (otherwise no super awesome yarn shop for me). I am almost through one skein…and I have another one that I have my eye on! I would really like to look for a small kitchen scale as next year I'd really like to track my knitting yardage. And seeing as how I generally never finish skeins, I gotta measure my remnants in some way…and unwinding the yarn to measure does not seem to be an effective method.

Giving a shout-out to Kim (KSD) over at Hand Eye Crafts. She is hosting her annual Knitter's Hunk/Knitter's Chick Contest. Want more info or to submit your own nominations? Go check her out! Knitter's Hunk and Knitter's Chick Nominations close at tomorrow so hurry on over!

Happy Thursday, y'all!

WIP Wednesday (aka Return of the Knitting Mojo!)

Two WIPs this week…at least 2 that I actually worked on. There are quite a few that are sitting on shelves staring at me.

EKP Baby Blanket

Get ready to see lots and lots and lots of this sucker. It will probably be in Wednesday posts until I finish it (baby is due in early November). I just finished strip 12…out of probably 60. Hoping for some Molly Weasley action to come hit these needles!

MCK Baby Hat

Nothing too fancy here…just a simple baby hat for Marine Corps Kids. I'm using the Heartland line by Lion Brand Yarns which is new to me. I really, really like the yarn and I love how it looks. Very tempted to pick up a whole slew of this stuff next time Michael's has a sale to make a big blanket for me!

That's all on the WIP list this week. I have two FOs for Friday, though! Linking up with Tami and Ginny. 

In Every Way

You are so very, very loved. Please, if you ever have any doubts that you are loved or worthy of love, I hope you can find the strength to call.

US: 1-866-488-7386

Canada: 514-723-4000

US/Canada: 1-800-273-8255
                    1-800-784-2433

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Germany: 0800-1110-111

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You are loved. You are loved. You are loved. 

Sometimes...

…I make little deals with myself to allow for yarn buying; I am currently in the middle of one of these littles deals. The rules for this round? If I finish two skeins (partial, full, whatever) but the 23rd (when I'm going to go visit my brother), I'm allowed to go to this totally awesome yarn shop and buy more yarn.

The fun/terrible part about making deals with myself? I'm allowed to change the rules if the possibility of success (i.e. winning the deal and therefore being allowed to buy more yarn) seems unlikely. So for now i'm still totally holding onto this two skein thing (even though it seems less than likely). If however, I get to somewhere between the 15-20th and I really seem far away from this whole two skein thing, I'll probably change it to something like finish 2 puffs or a baby hat or something.

Ooh…I bet if I make like four puffs I'd be able to finish two mini-skeins and that would totally count!