Oh there you are

So I forgot I had this blog... 

Guess that's a great thing about google. Everything in one account. Instead of using my husband to vent I am going to try this blog ... We will see

Cold Weather

So now that the post Christmas Knitting is a memory I find myself reinvigorized to knit some more. I finished several fingerless gloves post christmas, and a the Brattleboro
Hat from new england Knits, and i am makeing excellent progress on my purple sweater. It must be the cold weather cause its certainly not the Snow or lack there of. Its hard to believe its mid January and there is barely any Snow on the groud. Oh well its cold enough to knit, and who knows maybe if its warm again in the next few weeks again we can go camping with our new Scamp. Well maybe we will wait until March.

Happiness is cold smothie and warm wool

This winter I have been on the quest for happiness. I've been reading books on happiness, changing your life, changing your mind, being more mindful, being more spiritual etc. etc. By far the most helpful book has been Gretchen Rubin's the happiness project. Where she postulates that there are degrees of happiness and that really what keeps us from happiness is ourselves. Our own inability to worry less enjoy the here and now more. In order to overcome this she says simply divide your life into 12 convenient areas you want to work on, and work on one each month.

I don't work so linear but its not a bad idea. For the biggest issue has been my ever growing; never shrinking, list of to dos. So I started off with something simple separate my to do's have a work to do list, and home to do list. I don't need to really think about my work to do list, even when I am at work its more of the warm cozy feeling knowing that I am not forgetting anything cause its all written down, and I am such a workaholic that work list is not an issue. Its the home list. So to make myself happy this year, I have decided to scratch one thing off that list each week.

And this week I re-potted that plant that's needed re-potting forever. Hurray for me.

On top of that I am in happiness project style adding on to that. I keep swearing I am going to work out, well this is the week it happens. But not 3 times on the bike and 3 times of yoga this week, no we are keeping it simple. Ride the bike (in front of the tv) for 10 mins 3 times this week. Then you may read a trashy magazine, knit and drink a smoothie (probably not all at the same time but maybe).

So here I am on the couch post 10 min bike with a no sugar added homemade blended smoothie, a half finished wool shrug, and people magazine all about the soon to be Princesses of Wales.

Happiness defined.

Loose Ends

When I lived in Chicago I knitted a lot. At least a lot more than I've knit in the last few years. I suppose this is because Chicago was too expensive and we were too poor to afford to go out very much, and now of course we have a house to care for and that takes time. So I had several project that I began around the time we moved from IL to MN. And this winter I vowed to finish those projects.

Of course what I didn't think about is since the summer of 2007 my knitting has changed. Mainly I've learned to knit the continental way by picking not throwing, and so everything has changed.

But I plowed ahead determined to finish some projects. I finished a pair of blue socks and green socks for hubby, and to be honest no one except a very experience knitter would be able to tell the gauge change in the socks. And after all no on is really looking at them that closely.

But then came the sweater. poor poor orange sweater. Not only is my gauge completely off, but I couldn't find my needles to finish the arms of the sweater, so i got new ones. But worst of all once I did finish it and try it on I realize I am not the same size I was 3 years ago (surprise!!). So I finished knitting sweater, but there is no way to save it, unless I suddenly loose like 15 pounds and the cheesecake in the fridge will not let that happen. So alas I will rip it.

As I sit here typing watching the snow continue to fall (even after a 50 degree day last week) I push on to finish the last project from the summer of 2007. Chuck's blue socks. I am done with one sock and I am almost at the heal of another.

With this weather I will certainly beat spring, and then I will get the sanctification of checking something off my "to do" list. I love that feeling.

Here we go again....

I actually forgot I had a blog. Isn't that silly. Well I didn't really forget, I mean I sort of kind of remembered in the back of my head that I had one. But it took up too much time, and I didn't really want anyone to read it. I am really just doing this for myself, so no guilt no worries. No expectations of this blog turning into a book deal like the yarn harlot or the pioneer women. However in the back of my mind I think well whatever I put up here is on the interent for all to see forever and ever and ever (or until I delete my posts)

So since I should do things I in enjoy (and I like writting for no reason other than to write) I will try not to be awol for years, but No commitments, no promises, just some fun. We all need more of that. So here I go again....

Finished Socks

Aren't they beautiful! Okay these are socks I made for James, and knitted up really quickly, I think it took me about 2 weeks (including the trip to and from st. louis). I used Cascade fixation yarn, which I dig because its 97 % cotton and 3 % eleastic. For James' odd size feet I cast on 36 and worked on 3 needles, I belive I made the heel flap about 2 inches, and closed the toe when I got near the bottoms of his toes. Yes I made him try it on several times. I didn't work from a pattern, because I am still scared from the Knit Socks! book experience over Christmas. Currently I am working on another pair of socks for James using Lornas Laces, and then I have yet another pair planned for him, and then some purple socks for me. Yes I ve gone sock crazy. Somewhere in there I need to start a baby blanket. Ahh so much knitting so little time.

Finshed Fingerless Gloves

Aren't they beautiful! These are my fingerless gloves from the AlterKnits books. These knitted up very quickly. I followed the pattern in the book for the most part. I choose to mix the colors up a little just because I could, so I used one of the variagated Manos del Uruaguy yarns, and matched that with a solid of the same yarn. I cast on 32 like the pattern called for, but since I used size 7 needles instead of 8, I had to adjust the length a little. I just kinda eyeballed it. But I really like how they turned out. You might notice that one of the gloves has the varigated striped into the body, and the other one is solid. I did this mostly because after doing the stripped one I got sick of weaving all the ends in and decided to make the other one soild. I think it adds a little punkness to the gloves. Okay well the ribobn was bought at the local fabric store (hancock?) and I just got some sheer ribbon. Well hopefully these will keep my little fingers warm as I type at work!