January Rundown

Trying something new this year-end of month rundown/wrap-up. This monthly post will feature the FOs of the month as well as the WIPs I worked on that month (look at my first post of this year for all my WIPs)...so lots of knitting! I made collages this month so its not super picture heavy

First up-the FOs!

Top left: 2 cat toy puffs stuffed with catnip for a local animal rescue
Middle left: My one and only barn raising quilt square for the month (Nomadic Yarns in the Campus color way-I made a great pair of socks out of this last year)
Bottom left: Two pink hats I sent to DC for the March on Washington. These hats were nice and chunky and I figured the stripes might suit some people really well
Top right: My January DVD socks in the Berlin Cathedral color way (worn them already and getting ready to wash them so I can wear them again!)
Bottom right: The Boardwalk Hat I made for a coworker out of some Superwash Cascade 220. She's a big fan and I definitely want to make one of these hats for myself!
Not pictured: A dishcloth I finished (because I'm not quite sure where it went..)
More information on all of these projects can be found on their Ravelry pages...or feel free to ask away in the comment section below!

WIPs

Tope Left: Block and Tackle Blanket out of Red Heart Soft in Berry and Turquoise. This thing is actually pretty soft, definitely warm and going to be amazing once its finished (sorry the progress keeper is really hard to see in the photo!)
Middle Left: My Stripe Study Shawl!!!! I did some unknitting on this on Saturday but I'm so happy and I can't wait for the FO. Just working on the border (that's supposed to be four inches long...insert gasp here). The gradient is Alexandra's Crafts Bling Bling Sister and the tonal is Frabjous Fibers Cheshire Cat in Contrawise. I want this shawl...now.
Bottom Left: A simple cable scarf for a friend out of beautiful yarn from Pineapple Yarn in the Wakiki color way. I'm totally addicted to this dyers yarn.
Top Right: Squish garter blanket out of various Lion Brand Heartland color ways-I'm holding the yarns double so this will be extra squishy blanketness for me!
Middle Right: Every Last Bit shawl in Done Roving Yarns Frolicking Feet in the Royalty color way. I finally have this pattern in my head and I think it will be a nice shawlette when I finish it. The pattern is not yet available for purchase.
Bottom Right: Socks! The purple and turquoise sock is for a good family friend-the yarn is Lollipop yarn in the Zen color way. She's having a rough year so I'm hoping they'll bring her some peace; they're a simple vanilla sock with a Fish Lips Kiss Heel. The blue and green sock (which is a cuff right now) is probably for me-KnitPicks Felici in the Lost Lakes color way. I'm contemplating adding some sort of pattern but haven't actually decided yet. The green and white socks are the Pinstripe Socks in the Blarney color way from Lollipop Yarns. I may keep these or they may go to Mom...we'll see.

That's this months wrap-up! Some things definitely got more love that others but I'm okay with that. I've been able to make some good progress on both blankets by committing to at least two rows a day on one of them. Hope your January went well and happy February knitting!

An FO on a Friday?!

Yes, I do actually have a finished object for Friday (shocking, I know). Remember those two skeins of gorgeous DVD yarn I showed in my last post? Welllllllll...one of them is now a pair of socks!

DVD Viso in the Berlin Cathedral Color way

Batkitty supervising knitting progress

Here's hoping you've all gotten some good knitting in this week! Have a happy weekend!

Poodles

As in "oi, with the poodles already". Two of my big knitting goals this year were to knit two rows on one of my blankets each day and to get my WIP pile down from 19.
I managed the two row thing for a whole week before getting distracted...and I've cast-on 3 projects since the new year (2 of which have already been cast-off, yes...but still!).

The Boardwalk hat was one of those-I love it so much! Gifted to a coworker but I think I may end up needing one! The pattern was so well written.
I'm sitting at 20 WIPs...and will probably stay there for quite a bit as I'm attempting the #thirdannualdvdmonthlysockclub hosted by Susan of Desert Vista Dyeworks. My yarn came Thursday and I wound up a skein and cast-on last night.

I decided to go with the bottom one (Berlin Cathedral)...it's so bright and happy and I can't wait to wear these socks! Here's hoping I can finish them before the end of the month!

Current State of Knitting Affairs

In other words...what am I starting 2017 off with on my needles...
19 projects!!!

All the WIPs (minus the washcloth)

I know there's only 18 listed on the side...that's because I found a washcloth as I was pulling everything out and since it's basic garter stitch that I have no idea when I started, I'm just not gonna add it.
The other 18 projects however, are listed on the side of my blog under WIPs. That's right, y'all 18 projects were started in 2016 or earlier that have yet to be completed. Now...I know I probably won't finish all of them this year (I'd have to do more than one a month and considering 5 of them are blankets that seems unlikely...), but I would like to get that number down to maybe a nice, manageable 12? Which means...no more casting on new things until something gets finished! And the list for things I want to cast-on (Girl from the Grocery Store, Tool Box Cowl, some hats, some gloves, more socks...) is definitely growing so hopefully that will be some good motivation.
The caveat (because of course I have one) is that as soon as my DVD (Desert Vista Dyeworks) yarn comes I am casting on because I want to try and complete her challenge (a pair of socks every month from her yarn).

So...

Good News:
I knit more yarn in 2016 than I did in 2015 (both in terms of weight and yardage...YAY!!!)

Not so Good News:
The amount of yarn I bought this year was wayyyyyy above the amount I knit.

Current Thoughts:
I bought a lot of really nice yarn this year and I don't regret any of my purchases. I truly have been accumulating a beautiful stash that I want to knit.
I'm never going to say that I'm not buying yarn because that's not realistic (and I joined a yarn club! and I got into SSK!), but I really would like to spend some serious time this year with the beautiful skeins of yarn I have. So I think my goal for this year is to use the beautiful yarn I have and maybe buy a little less than I did last year (no guarantees though!).

Here's to another year of knitting, swimming, kitty cuddles and adventures both far and wide (and maybe even a bit more blogging). Happy New Year!

Someone is supervising my work on my stripe study shawl which is almost done!

It's Official!!!

I have finally beaten last year's yardage and weight goals (in terms of finished objects for this year)!! And I still have two weeks left and hopefully another finish or two in me so yay!! I have less than 100 grams to go till I reach 5 pounds in FOs so maybe???
We won't even talk about how off my yarn diet I am...

Instead-I'll just post a picture of the Point Bonita Lighthouse I visited with my mom and sister when I went home over Thanksgiving.
It does look like Blogger finally grabbed a bunch of photos from my phone (yay!) so I might have an end of year show-off of FOs and WIPs (we'll see).
Hope you're having a lovely Saturday!

Now for Some Knitting

I am just a touch obsessed with these adorable Christmas Ornaments by Adriana Bon (nanoadri on Instagram). The pattern is Nanosock Christmas Ornament and is a free Ravelry pattern! This one pictured is done out of Oink Pigments Oink Sock in Goldfish Bowl-each one takes 3-4 grams of sock yarn and is so much fun. I would highly encourage you to check this pattern out for a fun, quick knit!

In other news, I'm getting ready to cast-on some Christmas socks for my Mom and then have mittens to finish for my sister and a scarf for a friend. I'd like to clear some of the other needles off because I bought a lot of yarn this year and need to do some serious work on it. I'm not putting myself on a yarn diet for next year (seeing as how this year's failed miserably), but I definitely do want to work on lessening the stash. And I'll be tracking 2017 like I tracked 2016 and hopefully keeping input/output a little closer. In good news, I've done more yards this year than last year (still need to catch up a little weight-wise)!

I'm off to drink some tea (the advent calendar from David's Tea is amazing!) and maybe wind the yarn for Mom's socks. Happy Sunday and knitting!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not just applicable to Mondays...thanks, C!

Sock Sunday

So I think I might have figured out a way around my photo issue-YAY! Just one photo for today-but I've been working on its mate all day. A mate, you say? Why yes! I wanted a new pair of Halloween socks this year because so many wonderful dyers have so many wonderful Halloween colors. I started this pair the beginning of the month and just finished the heel on sock number two so it might actually happen!!

Sock 1 (which has since been finished)

The yarn in Undead Ahead by Sarah of KnittyAndColor on her Glam Rock Sparkle Sock. The colors are absolutely incredible and the yarn is so soft and lovely to work with. It feels great on my feet, too! It's a little hard to see, but I threw in a little rib that goes all throughout the foot and leg on the front. I'm using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel which is so fast and smooth and just insanely easy to knit.

Hope you all have had a lovely weekend and a great week ahead!

Still Alive...

...and still a wool pig. And a total fail at being on a yarn diet. I'm keeping track (eek) but I'm so far off of where I was going to be...it's not even funny. I'm still hoping I can knit more in yardage and weight this year than last.
I was going to try and insert some photos of what I've been up to these past months (knitting and otherwise) but blogger is struggling a touch so....look for me on Instagram as ferber13 and Ravelry as pilots13 and hopefully my next post while contain some lovely photos.

A view of the Pacific Ocean from Pt. Reyes Lighthouse
(taken the last time I was home)
Talk about foggy!!