End of the Year Review

I can't believe it's been over six months since my last post.

As the title says, I'm going to do a review and it's all about knitting today. This was a year of firsts for me. Being fairly new to knitting that isn't hard to do but I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone. I started the year with a lace cowl and when I gave it to sister I knew I was making progress. She commented on how nice it was and I know she loves anything I make but she's also honest about what things look like.

The next really big first was my first pair of completed socks. I finished those in February and they are wearable. I reworked a heel over the summer and I'm still not happy with the fit but again they are wearable and I will wear them if we ever have cold weather. Today's temperature is 70+. I had started and ripped out several socks before completing the first pair. This included a successfully made diagonal lace sock that took months before I decided to create its mate. The mate still isn't finished.

I entered Stash Dash 2015 and it was the first time I've pushed myself to knit so many projects. I did knit 3000 meters from the beginning of summer break to the start of school. I did my first side to side shawlette - Saroyan and my first applied edging on Piper's Journey.

I completed my first lace shawl - Pebble Beach and I love it!!! I started a second shawl as apart of a mystery knit along. But school was wearing me out and I needed to have an alert brain to knit the second one - Summertide.

I knit my first colorwork at the end of November - beginning of December. I finished my first ever sweater - 5 Hour Sweater. It did take more than 5 hours. I followed it up with a Newborn Vertebrae that went so fast I didn't have time to make a project page while working on it. I knit it in 4 days, really more like two. I started it Christmas Eve and finished it early on the 28th.

I'm going to spend the next few days reading and giving my hands a rest from knitting. I hope to post again tomorrow about my year of Bible challenges and for the most part failings. More on that tomorrow.

KAL Update

just a little knitting update

Sometimes I really don't like working on my iPad or on blogger. They often don't play nice together. I'm having trouble loading photos. So we'll see if these work.

As you can see I've been knitting on my Piper's Journey and it is blocking now. It has been very cool here in TN and it has taken a little while for this shawl to dry. I finished it and it counts towards the Knit Girllls Stash Dash 2015 KAL and the Around Your Neck KAL in the Suburban Stitcher group.

I also got very creative this week and ordered my own custom designed labels for my project bags. I used Winchester Lambourne on Etsy to design my label and I purchased labels from Ananemone. I am so excited to about them. I am waiting on delivery before I start making a few more project bags.

This a my Pebble Beach Shawl. It's had very little knitting because I've been focused on my Yowza Shawl.

The Yowza Shawl is almost ready for the ruffle and bind off. 40 grams more to knit before I begin that part of the shawl.


That's my Update. ;)

End of Year!

Yes, just two more days and this school year is in the books!! I'm very glad it's over and I look forward to next year.

My summer includes knitting, quilting and I'm really hoping cross stitch. I have new glasses (bifocals) that seem to be fit correctly. I really hope I can see to stitch. I'm also hoping to find a new recliner to stitch in but that's not high on my summer list of things to buy. Tires, new laptop and a vacation are at the top of my list.

My shawls are well underway and Pioneer Girl on the left is almost halfway through the garter rows. I splurged on some gorgeous Miss Babs Yowza skeins/cakes and cast on Yowza Weight It Shawl 2 by Susan B Anderson. Love it!!!

I'm heading to Mid TN Sheep and Fiber Festival Friday and I have no idea what to expect. But I'm sure I will have fun. Will post photos when I get back!

Summer of KALs

Last summer seemed to be a quilting summer and I do have quilts planned for this summer. But I also have been planning my knitting.

I have a thing for shawls and thanks to a trip to Stitches South, I have some gorgeous yarn to knit . I purchased a really pretty plum to knit Balsam Hollow by Paula Emons-Fuessle. It is in Bugga by the Verdant Gryphon.

I'm currently putting the applied edging on Piper's Journey, also by Paula. It is out of  Lana Gatto Super Soft in a beautiful Lilac. I was hoping to finish this piece soon, but I am being sucked into knit alongs, particularly Stash Dash in the Knit Girllls group. I'm thinking of trying for the 3K this summer. The timing aligns perfectly with my summer. So I'll finish this shawl after May 22, the beginning of Stash Dash.

There are three other KALs that play nicely with Stash Dash, the Around Your Neck KAL with Suburban Stitcher, the Little House Pioneer Girl KAL with Little Skein in the Big Wool, and the Pebble Beach KAL with Paula Emons-Fuessle Knitting Pipeline. It is kind of like a pyramid with Stash Dash as the peak.

I have to purchase more needles to be able to knit all the things! But I hope to cast on my Pebble Beach this week, having also acquired yarn for this shawl at Stitches. :)

New Year

2015 has rolled in and I remembered to write about it! Last year's blogging effort was a fail. I didn't do well journaling my days. I realize once again that I'm not a good journal keeper.

Four months have flown by since my last post. This school year has sped by and in a lot of ways I'm glad. I really enjoy my eighth grade classes. The others, not so much! But I'm determined it will be a good year.

Knitting is going well. I've spent Christmas break finishing WIPs before I allow myself to start on new projects with my Christmas gifts. Quilting has stopped while my machine is in the shop. It is ready to be picked up and I plan on making a few project bags as soon as my machine returns.

The pets are good although Asher gave me a scare during mid terms. He ate 20 inches of elastic ribbon and the result was extreme vomiting, dehydration and kidney failure. Thankfully, we have a fabulous vet who got him rehydrated which stopped the kidney failure. He passed the ribbon the evening he came home. It took almost a week before he got his bounce back. Still shaking my head over the entire situation.

I leave this post with a few pictures of projects and pets.
Stitch Markers
Fingerless Mittens
Baby Hat for Jaxon
Project Bags
Socks with a slightly bent needle, don't know how that happened.
Multnomah Shawl
One IV owie
Sister's Christmas Tree shirt
PomPom Hat minus the pompom to match my mittens
Lovely scarf that almost doubled when I blocked it!

Beautiful Weather

I decided today was finally the day to pressure wash the house and get it looking nice for fall and winter. I spent four hours washing and now my hands and feet are killing me. But boy it looks so good. I just need to wash off the porch furniture and then the evening porch sitting will begin.

Here's an update of my latest knitting project.

August and today:

This is a Hitchhiker shawl/scarf. Love it!

End of Summer

School has been in session for over a month! Time has flown and I've once again abandoned the blog. Here is an date of a few projects.





























Cast on my first sock, made dining room window treatments, a little cross stitching and a random quilt project.