One week

And all I have to show for it is 45 hours of work for what should have been a 32-hour work week. I did accomplish typing out the next 35 rows of the Leaves & Flowers Shawl (I'm not a chart girl), 20 rows of knitting on the Imagiknits scarf, and some Bubby work (hi Lori!) I really meant to have some pictures for today's post, but the daylight is gone. So I will leave you with some photos, courtesy of Stitchy:

Owen is the baby hippo, Mzee is the 100-year old tortoise. How freakin' cute is this?

toodles off singing "People, let me tell ya 'bout my besssssst friend"

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (not to mention, the Out-of-Control)

Happy New Year, my pretties!

First the Good(s):
This yarn is for the Top-Down Coat Pattern I purchased from KYarns a few months back. It's a blend of merino, microfiber, and cashmere in a soft, celery green color.

These cute little sunny beads are an impulse buy for me. Cinco's being sly by trying to snag the larger bead (which I've already designated for a book thong).

My parents gave me a Barnes and Noble Gift Card (thank you!) This little guide is gonna save me a patch o'work when I'm looking for conversion tables, baby head circumferences, and other knitting miscellania.

This is the CatMan and our friend, D. at the top of their New Year's Eve Day hike. They are very very happy. A few hours from this photo? They will be very very sore.

The Bad:
Unpacking. Need I say more?


The Ugly:

The Logs of Meat. These are not raw, though they look it (here and in person). They are homecured beef and pork products, tasting remarkably like beef summer sausage. They were part of the sustenance for the boys' hike. They are also very very good. If you can get past the ugly.

The Out of Control:
CatMan Aran - (20 more inches, if I go to the length the CatMan has requested) Did I mention this will rot off his neck because he will not be allowed to remove it?
Java Socks - (1 down, the other at the point of heel gusset)
Leaves and Flowers Shawl - Knitted through row 30-something. Starting this in the car on the way to Albany yesterday just about drove me guano loco. Once I got some markers placed and altered the edge stitches to YO, K2 it was smoother sailing. It's on hold until I can enlarge the chart and make some notations for myself.
Bubbies - Have to be finished this month. I'm 1/2 way there.
Imagiknits Scarf - Relegated to car project

So that makes 5!?! projects on the needles to start the new year. Sounds like my resolution is to get the WIP list to a manageable number by the end of the month.

Merry Christmas!

Making lists, checking twice

But not the kind of lists you're thinking for this time of year. It's the "time to pack up for vacation" list-making extravaganza, such as -
"Don't forget to take" list (digital camera, batteries, hotel itineraries)
"Errands to run on the way out of town" list (pick up hemmed skirt, bank, drugstore)
"Personal" list (trim bangs, manicure)
"Clothes to pack" list (cause if I don't make a list, I won't remember this skirt needs this slip or these shoes)
"House stuff to do before we leave" list (empty trash, take out recycling, leave contact numbers for Judy!)
And then of course, the Misc. list - the catchall for the other things that don't fit the above lists.

But in the midst of lists, I am doing a little knitting. This is the Imagiknits Scarf in the Dorchester Farms yarn I picked up in October. The pattern is easy, but I'm finding I have to pay attention during the knit row, or I forget a step and end up short a stitch. Rassinfrassinmumblemumble.

And one list (Christmas Trip Projects) was done weeks ago (I know my priorities!)

To all my virtual knitting friends and acquaintances, have a most blessed Christmas and party-filled New Year. I'll catch you on the flip side!

Elves!

Here's a pair of Koigu handwarmers for a coworker who's always cold. These were so fast and fun to knit: #2 Brittany DPNs, cast on of 44 stitches, knit in 2 x 2 ribbing with a 6-st buttonhole for the thumb. Hmmm...looks like I need a little hand lotion.

These are my Bernat Boa scarves for my landlady and her sister. I'm a yarn snob - stems from the days of huge skeins of acrylic. But the Boa is kissing cousin to my favorite Splash, and these colors were absolutely delicious. The yellow (Tweety Bird, according to the label) was more like Citrus Punch to me; it was a mix of lemon yellow, soft orange, and a pink grapefruit. Perfectly suited to my landlady's sunny personality. The purple (Parrot [?!?!] says the label) is a blend of wine colors: merlot, cabernet, shiraz. It made me thirsty just knitting it up!

Judy, the sunny scarf is 2 skeins long - fun and extravagant. Rita, the purple scarf is one skein with a button to wear closer to the neck. Here's a pic of Rita with button:

Both scarves are garter stitch done on 1) #9 and 1) #13 Brittany needle. This elf thinks she got the yarn/pattern/personality match just right.

Knitting Festivus

2 gifties down, winding the Koigu for the 3rd. Thanks Kaity for reminding me that although I don't have mini-skeins of Koigu, I can still enjoy the hand-dyed goodness!

I'll post some pics this weekend. C'mon Friday!!

Happy Nappies

Witness Jack. Since he's black, it's kinda hard to see his little face, especially since it's buried in the fleece throw he pulled down off the back of the chair. He's face-first in the blanket - I'm not sure how he keeps from suffocating himself.

In other news: trip plans are finalized, gifts are wrapped, knitting bag is packed.

Knitting for fun and relaxation

Yeah, it sounds good. Wish it was happening in the Catty house. Actually, I've been knitting as decompression before bed. Usually I read, but since life has been a bit chaotic the past few weeks, I'm finding the knitting is allowing thoughts to unravel and empty before sleep. I've finished the KYarns Charity projects and am 1/3rd through some quick holiday knitting.

I've decided in addition to the CatMan Aran, I'll be taking along the Java Socks and the Leaves Shawl pattern for the Christmas trip projects. I was seriously debating the shawl since it's lace, but I'm thinking focus might do me well. What's particularly funny is the yarn I'm using is the Koigu from the ill-attempted Oli-vest from last Christmas. Freaky, huh?

High Anxiety

I love Christmas Eve. I love my family. I love Pennsylvania. I do not love the whirlwind tour that happens every time we go home for the holidays. In the words of some dear friends, I celebrate the holidays with St. Xanax and Zoloft, the Advent Angel.

When I was in counseling a few years ago to deal with some depression issues and panic attacks, my therapist suggested I create some coping techniques. Since the panic attacks occur at points when I'm relaxed (panic attack = unprocessed excess adrenaline), I needed to create a structure to work through it. Knitting has been that Godsend (Thank you, God!) I can be perfectly at rest in a group of people, needles clicking away, focused on the task at hand but still part of the group...whooosh...can you hear that adrenaline being processed?

So, here we are. A little over 2 weeks away from the Christmas "vacation". I could either look at it as 9 days of anxiety or 9 full days of knitting! Which would you pick? I've decided the CatMan Aran is best suited to being a car project (I'm thinking with a 16 hour round trip to PA and back, I should be able to accomplish completion!) I need to sit down and look through the stash for other potential projects. Nothing too complicated (since there will no doubt be lots of picking up and putting down), or bulky (do I want to heft a sweater all over the place?). The Java Socks will definitely be one project. Maybe this scarf in the Dorchester Farms yarn I picked up at the Vermont Wool and Sheep Fest in October. I'm open for suggestions! Got any?

All good things...

must end. And so, the weekend comes to a close. Everything on the list was accomplished (+ some!), except for... c'mon you know you wanna guess... first two don't count... that's right... CatMan Aran never saw the light of day. But I did get one Bubby knit, and the second is at the point of needing the arms sewn on and the face embroidered.

Here's the first Bubby (or Bubbette, since it's going to a little girl baby)

I bet if I had another 4 days off, I'd get to the CatMan Aran. Uh-huh, ayep I would.

Some more ways to procrastinate

The Yarn Harlot
Wendy Knits
Stella Knits
Punk Rock Knitter

Knit TogetherCoffee Crazy Knitters

Or get inspired!

Progression

I'm making some progress - at least in the KYarn Charity knitting. The knit on the needles is a ski hat using some acrylic yarn left by another tenant (who also left a pair of #10 Susan Bates scratchy aluminum needles. No wonder the poor thing didn't take it with her.) You gotta have the right tools for the job!

Presenting the legless Bubby (and its companions, still in the embryonic stage)

And finally, Jack checking out the non-progress on the CatMan Aran.

Of Yarn and the 4-Day Weekend

I'm thankful. I'm thankful I have a four-day weekend of grand, glorious, fun-filled nothingness stretching ahead of me.

I've got a to-do list, cause that's the kind of girl I am. But I'm not compulsed about it. It's just a guideline/course correction for when I get to the point of 3 days in the same pair of jammies.

1. Finish the CatMan Aran (stop cackling now)

2. Finish another Bubby (ok, really? Finish Bubby 1 and hopefully Bubby 2)

3. Knit a hat for the KYarn Charity Knit (2 scarves done already, baby!)

4. Update the blog with some links (and hopefully some pictures if I can find where the CatMan put the camera)

5. Pay bills (Verily, 'tis better to pay bills by the due date rather than incurring the charges of the finance)

6. Clean out my desk's inbox (this will make me very happy!)

7. Watch the AKC Dog Show tomorrow (while in my jammies, knitting)

8. Start thinking about Christmas (I said "think", this implies no other action verb)

9. Go see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (mmm...popcorn)

10. Make a yummy T-giving dinner for just the CatMan and me

This is just a list. If this had been an actual take-action list, you would have been instructed where to reach the nearest exit. Happy long weekend, everyone!

Giving of the best kind

My LYS is hosting a holiday knitting bash for some local VT charities. Here's why it's a "good thing":

1. Use up the stash (sh-yeah...like that could really happen!)

2. Quick knits - hats, scarves, mittens

3. For every item you knit, you are entered in one of two drawings for $75.00 KYarns gift certificates. (and no, two mittens are not two entries BUT a pair of mittens and a hat are!)

4. Out-of-state? No worries - one drawing is just for the internets peoples!

5. Your lovely knitted items benefit someone who needs them terribly during the very long, cold winters here in the Green Mountains.

So go check it out! I raided the stash last night and I think I'm gonna have a great long Thanksgiving weekend of knittin'.

Nicknames

We've got a lot of cats. But we've got even more nicknames for them. I will probably be the crazy old cat lady who can't get any of their names right. The nicknames evolve on a regular basis as witnessed below:

1. Cashew = The Big Fat Shew or (insert Ed Sullivan voice here) The Really Big Shew.
2. Cinco = Senor El Cinco, Fluffy White Cat (usually sung to the Foreigner tune "Dirty White Boy"), and because he has two annoying habits, Chewbooka and ChewbookaPeeBoy (he has a little Alpha Male issue with the CatMan)
3. Jack = Jackalope, then JackaBlope, now just Blope.
4. Pip = Pipperdoodles, Doodles, sometimes Dudes (usually sung to the Aerosmith tune "Dude Looks like a Lady" Dudu, dudu, Dudes looks like he's crazy)
5. Meepus = Meepy, Meepy-deepy-dooze
6. Muffy = Duffy, Duff, Duffydooze (they're sisters - what do you expect?)
7. Isabelle = Bizzy, IzzyBellie, Belle, Bellie, and when she's spoiling for a fight? Belli Cose and Belli Gerent.

And our parents wonder why we don't have children...

Back to our regularly scheduled programming

Finished!! Grammie's Hearts knitted with 1 strand Antique Rose and Burgundy Alpaca from Peru held together, using #8 Addis. There is a 5 row seed stitch border all the way around, with alternating rows of stockinette and drop stitch (note: the part of Vanna White is being played by Bizzy Izzy Bellie).

And here's a quick knit - Nights can get a bit chilly up here in the North Country and with electric heat, we tend to keep it cool in the apartment. Ta-da! A Oranginee Beanie! This was made from a skein of Paton's Divine I picked up last Christmas at an AC Moore in PA. I love the fluffy orangey color flecked with yellow. I did not love the texture as it slid across the Addis. I used #4s, dropping down to my Brittany DPNs for the crown. The design is my own.

For those keeping up, there will be no snakes knitted onto this beanie.

And now a word from our sponsor

Actually, I'm sponsoring her and it's very well deserved. Please check out my friend Fan's stamping website to see some of the gorgeous work she does. She's finally put up a site - with a contact link to purchase! Click this here button to take you away (but be sure to come back and visit me!)

And I hate to tell you Fan...but I made out on the barter.

Not a whole lot of knitting goin' on the past few days. I did finish Grammie's Hearts - all that's left to do is block and take a pic. Worked a little on the CatMan Aran last night. And then ripped it out. Grrr (note to self - insert a lifeline. Stat!)

I spent tonight catching up on my blog reading. Girls - you are inspiration! You might be picking up old projects, you may be starting new projects, some of you are planning adventures, and others could be struggling with the current WIP but yea verily, are not being defeated.

I salute you! Oh, wait. I need a cocktail to do that properly, right? *toddles off to the kitchen to rustle up a gin and tonic and some of those loverly little garlic stuffed olives*

The Barter System

The Barter System works, people. Look at these loverly cards my friend Fan made in trade for 3 Bubbies. She does gorgeous work, and I'm encouraging her to sell them (whether on the Internet or locally).

In knitting news, I'm on the Grammie's Hearts home stretch and rounding the bend on the CatMan Aran.

A Confession and Confection

First the confession - I am not a cable girl. Nosireebobcattail. I'm enjoying the CatMan Aran, but it's not a mindless car project. It requires some focus and attention. So I'm thinking cabled projects larger than a breadbox are not for my needles. Sometimes, it's good to do a project that confirms these things.

The confection is this:

My nickname is "Dusa", short for Medusa so how funny would it be to knit this in a big person size? Of course I don't wear hats, and I would be even harder pressed to wear a hat with knitted snakes, but dang. This just made me laugh out loud.