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!!

Binge post

If you don't want to read all about how I am a yarn glutton (aka wool pig) and see photographic proof, then this is not the post for you...if you do, then dive right in!

First up-my StitchesWest haul! I went a la Laura and Leslie and had my best friend be my personal shopper since she was there and I wasn't. I wanted things from new-to-me indies and she mega-helped (I've been looking an Invictus for awhile online so it was most excellent to have her in-person squish for me). And we all know I love bright and/or sparkly. The skein from a Fine Fish Yarns is definitely a pair of socks...the other one, I'm tempted to put together with a skein of something and make a large shawl.

A Fine Fish Yarns in Cyber, Invictus Yarns in Mystic

 Next up are some minis I found in a Ravelry destash to use on my Barn Raising Quilt. They're all also from new to my dyers so that's pretty exciting! And they're some different color ways than what I currently have going so I'm looking forward to the change (according to my mom and sister, I have too many dark colors going so...)

Phydeaux Yarn in Figue, Celestial Strings in Horeshead Nebula and Oink Pigments in Goldfish Bowl

 Here we have a single skein of worsted weight from 716Knit who I've been eyeing to try for awhile-it was sale yarn and those colors are so bright! I think this going to be come a cowl and maybe some mittens. I'm kinda beyond excited.

716Knits in Winning Friends Through Telepathy

This next picture may ignite a little bit of rage if you've been trying to get Lollipop Yarns and always either miss the update or get mega cart-jacked (because that's what usually happens to me). Apparently fortune was looking down on me that night because I managed to score 4 different skeins. I don't know what I did to deserve such luckiness, but I'm definitely not going to argue with it!!

Lollipop Yarns in Puddle Jumper, Living on the Edge
Blarney and Tranquilty
I plan on casting-on Blarney for St. Patrick's Day

Here's the whole big binge together! I have a lot of walking and knitting to do now to try and get back to even!

Happy knitting/Sunday!