Addicted to yarn...

As with most knitters, I am addicted to yarn. It is hard to decide on a next project when there is so many beautiful yarns to choose from, and I am just talking about the yarns in my stash. I have tried to not buy any new yarns...for the most part it has worked. It takes a lot of restraint to walk into a LYS with my friends and leave with nothing (well almost nothing).

I am starting a new project. I finished Joe's hat and it looks great. I just need to wash/block it and send it on its way. I am still working on the lace stockings and the giraffe. I am proud to say that 3 of 4 legs for the giraffe are done. My new project is using Hand Maiden's Sea Silk. The yarn is fabulous...smooth and soft silk and the most intoxicating varigated blues. The yarn was a gift from David after our horrid Tahoe trip this year. He spent a lot of time in a LYS in Northern California trying to decide what to purchase. He sent me 2 skeins of this decadent yarn. I haven't had much urge to knit with it though. However, we have been talking recently...we have even spent time together...and it has been really nice. I think this summer caused him to grow up a lot and realize a lot of things. We are taking things slow, but it is nice to have him in my life. I don't know where things will go, but it feels like the right time to knit with this yarn...time to make it into something beautiful.

Hello again!

OK, so for real this time lets go. I have just finished a great scarf in this yarn trio from my LYS. It is ocean colors with soft greens and blues. It was a simple garter stitch pattern but I used one #35 and a #11 needle (the #11 came from needing a smaller needle and finding a #11 with a butterfly decoration on the end). It came out nice. It is very soft and scrunchy. I hope to get a pic up soon, but it's currently drying.

There have been a lot of changes in my life recently and I am just trying to get my feel planted back on the ground. My husband and I filed for divorce, I found out he had a girlfriend, and more recently I re-established a friendship with a friend I thought I had lost forever. I am learning to put me first, and for the first time in a very long time I can say that I am happy. Being happy I have noticed I want to knit all the time. I am currently working on a hat, some lace stockings (I have one done and the second is almost halfway done), and a giraffe that I am at war with. The giraffe should be my priority as it is for a friend who should be having her baby any day now, but after having started the thing 6-7 times I needed a break. I have 1 of the 4 legs done and that is it so far. I'm hoping that after I finish the hat I will finish the giraffe.

Well, I really should be in bed as I have to work tomorrow, but I just wanted to say hello again, and we will hopefully talk again soon.

A new beginning!

Hello again. I know it has been a very long time since my last post, but a lot has been going on in my life. My husband and I are currently separated and all the changes that go along with that have been consuming my life. However, now things have settled down and I have started knitting again in every free minute I have.

I am currently attempting to finish several projects that I have on the needles and put aside for one reason or another. On of these projects is a funky-sock monkey for my father. I gave up on the monkey when I didn't have enough yarn to finish the arms according to the pattern. I have been able to modify and only hold one strand of yarn, but I had to put the monkey down for awhile.

Last month I went on a very interesting vacation to Lake Tahoe, and spent way more than expected on yarn. Yarn shopping as a stress relief is only a temporary fix- for any of you that ar thinking of trying it. However I do have some wonderfully beautiful yarn to show for it. I have also received some beautiful "guilt" yarn from my husband. It is blue and grey seasilk yarn. I now have to start the process of deciding what to make with it.

Well, I'm off to attempt to finish my modified anthropolgie made with my camelspin yarn. More fun to come soon.

Trips!

Recently I have found myself traveling a lot. First for pleasure then for my husband. My husband and I have been going through a rough patch in our relationship, so I was excited about the first trip. I headed to Texas for a week to play with my Katie-bug without my husband. I found by the end of the trip I wanted to be home. Then I was informed that my husband was getting an award and I could tag along to Washington D.C. if I wanted. Never being to D.C. I agreed to go. Preparing for a very very difficult few days I went with a heavy heart. While there I think we both discovered a lot about ourselves and each other. I believe that we are now back on the same road and headed towards the same goal.

This trip was very productive for my marriage not for knitting. The very long flight there was a red-eye flight, so I pretended to sleep. I stole away a few moments here and there to knit. On the flight back I was excited over 5 hours of knitting. Nope. The reading lights of half the flight were out and we were in the center of the plane (besides the sunset made it really dark). It was impossible to knit. It was a VERY, VERY long flight.

Now that I am home I have to get started on presents. I have also started a scarf with my camelspin, but I am having trouble falling in love with it. I don't know if I want to use this yarn I love for a scarf or for something else. Finding the perfect project for my favorite yarn is really really hard!

Knitting on a deadline...

So I had plenty of time to knit a baby kimono for a friend. So what happened- life is the simple answer. Therefore I found myself finishing the sweater 2 hours before the baby shower.

My quest to finish my WIP's continues. I now halfway finished with Sarah's baby blanket. The socks, well lets just not talk about them. I thought I was almost done with the camisole- then I tried it on. I still have several inches to go. Who knew the pattern was right.

My husband is out of town for the week and I am off of work. So I better get the needles moving.

When did my ADD set in?

I don't remember being this ADD when I was a kid (and yes I mean attention defecit disorder). Since I have been knitting I have noticed it has flared up. I don't mean that I can't seem to sit and knit for a long period of time, but that I can't stop from starting new projects. I am currently attempting to get my WIP's under control. I am finally almost finished with the Vixen camisole, the never-ending socks finally have a heel, but not a foot yet. I have been good at only starting one baby project at a time. That is if you don't count the Camo blanket for Sarah. I allowed (yeah right) myself to start on the baby things since there is kind of a deadline. I am on the last Kimono that I have to make right now. Christmas presents will be my next projects. I hope to get the camisole done very soon and the socks will hopefully follow, and then I will start something new. I also have a wrap that I need to finish. I think that is it so I currently have 5 projects going (2 of which get ignored the most). That's no so bad, right?

My stash has also sat me down recently to tell me that it is lonely. I haven't been able to really really spend the time needed with some of my favorite yarns. I'm not sure at which point my stash got so large either. I blame it on the yarn fumes from the yarn stores. I keep telling myself that I am not allowed to buy yarn until I can get some control over my stash. Yes I know it will not be total control, but just to start using some of the yarn I have hidden away. I am also planning to de-stash some yarn and tyr to sell or trade it. The stuff I know I will never use I will easily be able to part with (as long as the yarn fumes don't take over).

Well, I should go work on a WIP. Christmas is coming very very soon.

Prayer Shawl

My mom has an autoimmune disease that attacks her muscles. She was very excited several months ago when her doctor told her she was in remission. Lately she has been having more weakness and the doctor did more blood work. Today my mom called crying because the doctor wants to see her in her office tomorrow. This can't be good- this is a doctor that it takes weeks to get an appointment with. I'm sure whatever she has to say won't be good.

I have been thinking about what I can do for mom to help her smile right now. I thought of flowers- but they will die. Then I thought of a plant- but she already has a lot and is moving soon. So on my drive home I thought of it- a prayer shawl.

I have recently made her a different type of shawl that she had seen and loved, but this will be different. This will be something that she can wrap around her shoulders whenever she needs a hug. The other shawl was made from ribbon and rough and not very cuddly. This will be made of a warm soft yarn that begs to wrapped in. This will be something she can wear in the middle of the night when she can't sleep because of the steriods that she will no doubt have to take again.

It is hard to watch the woman who loved and nurtured me hurt so much. She has not had an easy life and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. So I will make her a shawl and fill is with prayers and thoughts of love that she can keep with her always! This will be my gift to her, my never-ending hug.