"Finish What You Started" Month

I hereby declare January "Finish What You Started" Month. No button, no rules, no KAL. Just giving you all the freedom to step up to the needles and take it on for yourself. Set your own rules and guidelines. Just leave me a comment if you finish something so I can come over and sis-boom-ba(a) and pick up your mojo-vation!

Here's what I have planned to finish for January:

1. Kidsilk Fan and Feather Scarf
2. Red Scarf #4 (from the leftover Aztec)
3. 3rd Time's Mock T-neck
4. Re-knit the neckline for the Lullaby Tank
5. Make a decision on what to do with the OCD squares.

My last 2006 FO is McGinny's socks for one of my girlie friends here in Vermit.

Project Specs: My favorite sock pattern (surprised?) done in Lana Grossa Colortweed, color 1004 (turquoise blues and greens), on #2 Brittanys.

The best-laid plans

Plan #1 - My own pair of Urban Rustics. The yarn I originally picked (some light green homespun from VT Sheep and Wool) wasn't enough. Barely. Grrr. So I changed the plan by picking up some Red Heart Aztec (78% acrylic/13% mohair/9% poly). I thought "I'll make sure I have enough" and bought 3 skeins. I used just over 1. So the rest is going to be Red Scarf #4.

Here's a closeup of the buttons. I love the buttons (A JoAnn's find).

Plan #2 - Knit myself the perfect scarf. After 5 frogs, I gave up. The pattern just didn't work. Actually the pattern worked, it was the person knitting that had the problem. I needed a no-thought project. One of the people we visited during our time in PA asked for a black scarf. So while at AC Moore (home of the Aztec), I snagged some Patons Allure in Sapphire. It seemed to be a very dark blue with black. However in the bright sunlight, the blue appeared lighter. I loved the coloring, but I had a feeling the person who requested the scarf would not. So I finished the scarf for the 2007 Red Scarf project.

Project specs: 3 skeins of Patons Allure, color 04110 Sapphire on 10.5 Brittanys. Cast on 20 stitches and knit in garter until all gone.

Plan #3 - Finish the McGinny's socks. Well I'm about ready to start the heel flap on the second sock. Maybe by New Year's Day?

And I'm done..kinda

Crazy Landlady Socks using 2 skeins of Regia Crazy Color in #5404 on #2 Brittanys. Jude's tried them on with her Crocs - they fit and look very funkadelic. We have a winner! With the purple Koigu from the stash, I have enough to make my own pair with striped cuffs. But I don't know about the Crocs part...

The knitting bag is packed for the trip home tomorrow. I've got another pair of socks on the needles (a New Year's giftie for someone), the green VT Sheep and Wool yarn for my own pair of Rustics (wait til you see the cool buttons I've got!), and some rust brown silk alpaca I've been saving until the right pattern came along.

I'll see you all next weekend. Until then, have a wonderful Christmas! I hope Santa brings you all something for the stash!

Here on the West Coast of New England

Vermont is the only New England state without ocean-front property. I'm not complaining - I see enough flatlanders just by living on Lake Champlain. But in the scheme of things, I'm an ocean girl. The CatMan is all about the mountains; he did a preternaturally good job of locating a living arrangement for us on VT's largest body of water WITH amazing views of the Green Mountains AND the Adirondacks.

By The Shore is my new 2007 calendar which will hang by my desk space here at home (replacing my 2006 Tropical Islands.) The scarf is an 'off-the-radar' project; I saw the yarn last weekend and immediately thought of blue sky, bluer water, sand, and wet rock.

Project Specs: 4 skeins of JoAnn's Sensations Confetti, a wool boucle blend in color #601 (I hereby dub thee "Beachcomber"). Using #10 1/2 needles, cast on 10 stitches and garter stitch until it's all gone (over 6' worth, thankyouverymuch).

Happy Birthday!

My sister is a Christmas Baby - born a few days before the holiday, she came home on Christmas Day 40 years ago. My mother tells us that I was more than happy to play with her until she started crying, then I calmly informed my parents that I was done playing with my baby sister and could I have the real doll I'd asked Santa for? I never got the doll, but I still have the sister. We've had our share of ups and downs (I'm finally over finding my black angora sweater, stained and stuffed between the mattress and box spring. Really I am.) Sister expressed an interest in the Urban Rustics I knit for my niece (who I am convinced is probably the sister I should have had, but that's another story) so here's her pair.

Specs: Lion Brand Landscapes (50/50 wool/acrylic) in "Summer Fields". It took a smidge over 2 skeins (the remainder of the third skein made its way into the charity knit box) on 10 1/2 Brittanys. I think I like the look of the Rustics with this yarn moreover the Foliage I used for my niece's gloves.

I still have one more pair of Rustics to make (for me!) using some homespun from the VT Sheep and Wool. But that's going to have to wait until I'm done with rest of my holiday knitting!

1 FCO - hohoho!

That would be "Finished Christmas Object" in case the hohoho didn't give it away. Here's a pair of (k)Nucklewarmers for my workplace Secret Santa exchange. I think Nita will like them. Or maybe she'll just like the Ghiradelli chocolate wrapped up in the box with them.

Project specs: less than one skein of Regia Crazy Color yarn in a peach/blue/creamy toasty colorway done on #2 Brittanys, 2 x 2 rib.

And no, you aren't seeing things - this colorway is very similiar to this one. What can I say - it's my new favorite color combo!

Grammie

Irene Nell Holcomb Cryder
April 22, 1912 - December 5, 2006

The CatMan and I are headed to PA for my Grammie's funeral this weekend. Grammie Cryder was the woman I wanted to be when I grew up (still is!) so there is sadness in the Catty world right now.

I have packed the knitting bag with small, relatively brainless projects - the second CrazyLandLady sock, wristwarmers for my work's Secret Santa giftie, my sister's Urban Rustics. Hotels booked, Xanax consumed, litter changed, catsitter prepped.


I finished Mom's Koigu scarf just in time to take home.
Project specs: 2 skeins Koigu KPPPM dye code P210 on a #3 32" Addi.

I also whipped up some little beaded stitch markers for a co-worker's girlie friend who has just taken up knitting.

Ninjas and the face of a Sock

The helmet liners for Kimberly. The CatMan and I were going to model them, but really? Do you need to see two middle-aged pasty white Vermiters doing that? I think not. I'm writing up a little note to go with each of them, defuzzing them of white Persian Cinco hair, and mailing them off on Monday. I highly recommend this project if you are interested in a charity knit. The pattern was supa'easy and fast. Regardless of your political opinions (of which I have many), it is a lovely way to nuture the people who have signed on to represent this country. As I was knitting, I also thought the pattern would make a great Dulaan project.


Details: Helmet liners knit on #6 and #8 Brittany DPNS (with the facial ribbing picked up and knit on #6 Inox circular). Yarn: Encore (wool/acrylic blend)

And Christmas knitting has started. I love these socks! I love the random surprise of the striping. I love the colors. I love the vertical ribbing with the horizontal striping. I love the fact they will be perfect for my crazy (in a very good way) landlady and will go with many of her 50-bazilliony pairs of Crocs (seriously - a least one pair IN EVERY COLOR.) And you thought I was making up the crazy part.

Hi! I'm the sock face. Notice my great kitchener smile.