Where has time gone?

Happy New Year (almost)! It's hard to believe I haven't blogged in a month. I've been busy with Christmas preparations and have been "playing" on Ravelry. Since becoming a raveler, project pictures seem to get uploaded there instead of here. One of my New Year's resolutions is to get back onto my time management track. So Saturday mornings will be blogging/computer play time. Here are the past month's completed projects:

This is Rachel's Knitting Room KAL for December. Yarn is PnC Ecru. Designer is Marilyn Wallace. These are Autumn Leaves socks designed by Debbie O'Neill for The Knitter.com SOTM club. The yarn is Classic Elite alpaca sock. I used size 1 needles and used magic loop for last sock. I really liked magic loop.
This is a gift. Soap sack is from Rhonda White's Spa & Bath Sets to Knit. This one is Refresh Soap Sack. Yarn is PnC. I can't remember colorway.
This is another Christmas Tree hat. This one I made for my mother-in-law for gift. This one was designed by Norma Brinkley-Staley. I had some issues with the pattern and had to wing the last few rows. Hat is made from Red Heart Supersaver worsted paddy green. I liked Reenie's hat pattern better. I used this one because I had some worsted in my stash and didn't want to drive 25 miles to craft store for bulky.
This soap sack is a gift. Pattern is from Rhonda White's Spa & Bath Sets to Knit. Pattern is Tranquility Soap Sack. Yarn is PnC.
This is another TheKnitter.com SOTM selection. I love this sock. I will make another pair later with longer cuffs. I wear, wash, feel them every day until they dry and put them back on. Yarn is Reynolds Soft Sea Wool, pattern is A Little Twisted Sock by Debbie O' Neill.
This is another gift. Pattern is Diamonds and Lace Fingertip from http://www.knitwits-heaven.com/. Yarn is SnC painted desert.

This is dishcloth to go with fingertip above.

My mother-in-law's gift funded the purchase of a spinning wheel which I'm learning to use. The wheel is named "Rusty" after her. Thanks Rita.

OTN--Julie's Pi Shawl which I hope to finish by next post and Monkey socks by Cookie A.

In the queue--theknitter.com SOTM Tea Time kit, some toe up socks, more prayer shawls, a sweater project starting February 1.

Another resolution is to work socks, KALs and charity knits on odd months. Even months will be used to make sweater projects. I also will work on Christmas gifts on Sunday afternoons. Saturday afternoons will be used for sewing/spinning projects and rubber stamping. Hopefully this time management plan will work out. I'm usually good at adhering to schedules. Weekends will have to be a little flexible due to trips, spinning classes and stamp camps.

Again HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas tree hat is from http://www.materialwhirled.com/. Isn't it cute? Yarn is unique handspun by Reenie and tree ornaments added during spinning.

This is angel of love dishcloth from http://www.knitwits-heaven.com/ using PnC Ecru.This is mid-November monthly dishcloth KAL. It was designed by those ladies at knit-wits heaven. There was a mistake in the rows that we didn't catch till finished so I intend to frog this and make another later using different color yarn. That's why ends aren't woven.
This is fishtail lace bookmark using DMC traditions and size 1 needles. It is the monthly bookmarks KAL mid-November.

This is Rachel's knitting room's KAL for November. It too was designed by Alli and Lisa at Knitwits Heaven. Suggested yarn was solid yellow which I didn't have so I used this. It's SnC. I'm not up on my cartoon characters so I don't know the name of this.

This is the other half of the mid-November monthly dishcloth KAL. I was expecting Christmas theme so will frog this and make another using different color.

This is Pretty Kitty fingertip made with PnC ecru. Pattern is from http://www.knitwits-heaven.com/ (yes, I like their patterns).


OTN--pi shawl for Julie, Little Twisted socks, Tranquility soap sack. I have about 4 more Christmas projects to make. Then I can knit more socks which I truly love to do.

Shopping's done--still knitting

I'm still doing Christmas knitting. I finished Pretty Kitty dishcloth this week and started a matching fingertip. Pretty Kitty was designed by www.knitwits-heaven.com. I also finished sock 1 of A Little Twisted Socks and am working on my pi shawl. Christmas knitting is caught up but still have some to do. So I'd better go knit.

Christmas is a coming

Busily making Christmas gifts here as well as making a pair of a little twisted socks for me and a pi shawl for a friend. Here are projects finished the last few weeks.

These are not a Christmas gift. Well, maybe they are. They're my Dublin Bay sock-a-long socks made with Regia Bamboo on size 0 needles. They were a little big in the foot so will probably cut back about 8 sts for next pair. I tumbled them dry and that helped.
This is Nativity washcloth from www.knitwits-heaven.com using PnC ecru. I made three of these for gifts. Recipients will receive matching fingertips on their birthdays.There's little squirrel in there. I liked this pattern. It's the November KAL for monthly dishcloth group. Yarn is Bernat Handicrafter sage green. Yes it's a UFO. This is November KAL from monthly bookmark group. Designer is Liz Hanson. I was short about a yard of this very special hand-dyed DMC Traditions dyed by my friend Brian (www.brileyknits.blogspot.com). I will frog this and rework using about 6 stitches less.

Another Christmas gift. This is Lighthouse washcloth from www.knitwits-heaven.com made using PnC ecru.

OTN--a little twisted socks, Pretty Kitty dishcloth, and Pi shawl for my friend.

Another shawl finished

Happy All Saints Eve! Here's the completed baby shawl using pine cone stitch for Harmony Guide vol 3 using 10.5 US needles and white TLC Amore. The shawl is used by our local hospital's chaplain to give to parents who have lost a small child. Gotta go to work so I can support my yarn addiction!

Where does time go?

Have had a crazy few weeks. Had a health scare that turned out okay but was blue for a couple of weeks and focused on projects that had to be done--socks, prayer shawl and Christmas gifts. I have finished a few things since last posting. This is a hairdryer dishcloth designed by Lisa Millan (www.digknittydesigns.blogspot.com). It's made of Bernat Handicrafter.
This is also a Lisa Millan design and is a curling iron in Bernat Handicrafter cotton. Both of these are gifts.

This is Eva Hat from SnB 2007 Desk Calendar. The white yarn is TLC Amore, and the red is Caron Simply Soft. This is for Tristan.
Another version of Eva Hat in Caron Simply Soft. This is a gift.
This is monthly bookmark group KAL. It is called Pine Tree Bookmark and designed by my cyber-friend, Annette (www.annette2u.blogspot.com). She won the group's design contest. It's made on size 1 needles with #10 crochet cotton.
Frog bath puppets above and below are designed by another cyberfriend, Brian McGaunn (www.brileyknits.blogspot.com). They're gifts for a couple of kids I know along with some kid-scented goat's milk soap in the shape of a frog. They're made with Sugar n Cream. Brian has several other free puppet patterns.

Since I last posted, I received my Ravelry invite. My id there is Knitter4Him. I'm gradually getting my projects loaded.

On the needles, a white baby afghan (prayer shawl), nativity washcloth, and my Dublin Bay socks. All of these will be finished by end of the week. Future projects are a twisted little sock (the knitter sock of the month club selection), more nativity cloths and a prayer shawl based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi for my friend Julie. Since Julie is from UK, I thought an EZ design appropriate.

Grace and peace to you all.

Been A While 10/7

This is a prayer shawl for a lady who lost her teenage son in a car accident. It's made from TLC Amore persimmon using a pattern based on the Pine Cone stitch from the Harmony Guide Vol 3. A close-up of the stitch is below. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/KNITTER4HIM/pine-cone-prayer-shawl
This precious little guy is my great-nephew Tristan who was born in June. He was a preemie but is doing super now. His mom took lots of pictures of his smiling face.

This is my Monthly Bookmark mid-September KAL. Yarn is Grace. I probably should have used #10 cotton on this one.
This is the October Monthly Dishcloth KAL. I used red SnC.
This is a Christmas gift for Debit's sitters/groomers. I made three of these. All are made with Bernat Handicrafter. Pattern is from http://www.knitsbyrachel.com/. Rachel van Schie is designer. I know this dog is a lab but head shape and ears are a little like Debit.
Finally a picture of the twin set!!! It was made from Filtes King Kim. The pattern called Mella Cardigan and Shell is from a pattern book by Needful Yarns. Now if it would just get cool enough for me to wear it.
On the needles are Dublin Bay socks, a cute hat for Tristan's Christmas gift, monthly bookmark KAL and a baby blanket shawl which will be donated to local hospital and given to parents who've lost infant/toddler. I'm also finishing up this year's Christmas cards and gathering supplies for Christmas gift projects.

Pray for my friend, Julie, who has cancer and may not be with us much longer.

What's up 9/23/07

Here they are--second pair of socks. They're made from Elann Esprit using Cat Bordhi's Sinple Socks pattern and size 2 needles. I really like the 2 circular method. Of course, a couple of times I used the "resting" needle to knit from the working one. That wasn't a major problem. I started my Dublin Bay sock-a-long socks last night for the First-Time Socknitters group.
This is mid-September KAL from monthly dishcloth group. Pattern from Knit Sew Studio. I almost frogged this when I discovered what it was. I've tried this before and had trouble with the crochet. This one did okay. Yarn is SnC Painted Desert. I'm thinking of making a hand towel and dishcloth to match for a gift. There is a witch on this cloth somewhere. She's in profile from neck up and right facing. This is Rachel's Knitting Room KAL 6 and designed by Marilyn Wallace. Yarn is Hot Orange SnC.
This is knitdishcloth KAL. Pattern is creation of Kayleen Clements. Yarn is Bernat Handicrafter Twist.
This isn't a knitting project. When I'm not knitting, I do a little rubberstamping. Usually I do this on Sunday afternoon but lately I've been knitting more on Sunday. This is my Christmas card for 2007 and 2008. Members of my church exchange cards so I start in January making "church" cards. I'm almost finished with 2007 ones. This card will be mailed to friends who do not attend my church this year. I go to a friend's home for Christmas Club once a month on Monday and this is card I'm working on. The design can be found on www.splitcoaststampers.com in the gallery. The stamp set is Stampin' Up City of David. I'm sorry I can't remember the "designer's" name. I'm not very good with designing cards.
I had an interesting thing happen this week. I welcomed Flo who works for Elmore-Pisgah in Old Fort, NC to monthly dishcloth group. In my post, I mentioned that I lived in Reidsville. Another Reidsville knitter responded and hopefully she and I will meet. I want to start a knitting meet-up group here. My new cyber-friend knows the young man who mows my lawn. This was just TOO COOL!!!!

I've really been working

It doesn't look like I've done much this week. Here's my bookmark KAL. It's done in DMC Traditions size 1 needles. This is my first DW cloth. Someone sent me one in an exchange and I really liked it. So I made one of my own. It is a great cloth for variegateds.
I'm not resting. I have projects OTN--scarf KAL, prayer shawl, dishcloth KAL and sock 2 of Cat Bordhi simple socks. Tomorrow is another KAL start up and will start another on Monday. Hopefully next week will have more finished.

In memory of Sunny D

I lost my 17 year old Himalayan last night to old age. Sir Sundance Kit-of-Rosedale, as he was officially known, (aka Grumpy Cat, Sunny D, Big Guy, Sundance) was a good cat. He was almost like a dog. I miss him but have Izzy and Debit to keep me company.

I don't have a picture of him that can be posted. In his younger days he was a beautiful cat. He adapted to most things--Debit (the dog) took a while. Debit for some reason was a little frightened by Sundance. If Sundance was laying in a doorway, Debit would bark until he moved.

I love you Big Guy and will miss you...

Fruit of the needles 9/10/07

This is Eleanor the Elephant designed by Rhonda White. I recycled a KAL that was Yin Yang kitties. I think I had some problems so decided to use this lovely SnC blue (in NC we call this Carolina Blue) to make a birthday gift for my friend who loves elephants.
This is September KAL for Monthly Dishcloth KAL. It was also given to my friend.
This is my first completed Christmas gift. The pattern is Fore Towel from Knit Wits Heaven. It will be given to a golfer for use as a golf towel. It' s made from Bernat Handicrafter Sage Green. I really haven't been resting. I have on the needles a scarf KAL, dishcloth KAL, sock 1 of a pair, a prayer throw, and a bookmark KAL. I also did test knits for Monthly Bookmark design contest. I can't post those pictures. I did get my twin set assembled and will work trim as soon as I finish my socks.

This week's completed projects

Monthly dishcloth KAL. This colorway is SnC Rainbow bright ombre. It worked up nicely and will match. Handtowel I made earlier. One Christmas gift--done!

Below is mid-month KAL from Knitdishcloth group. Bernat Handicrafter. I suspect this one will be sailing on the Just B Gunn. Capt Noah Gilligan Gunn did me a favor so this dishcloth and M&Ms will be his reward. I may try to work out a handtowel.

Here they are my first pair of socks. It's 90+ degrees so can't wear up yet. I'm pleased with how they turned out and am starting pair two tonight. I'm going to try the Cat Bordhi method. This is a prayer throw I made using persimmon TLC Amore and size 10.5 needles. Pattern is flickering flames from THE HARMONY GUIDES vol 3.


The bookmark to the right is mid-August KAL designed by Liz Hanson. I have a couple of children that will receive one of these. I'll probably buy some brighter yarn and use #10 cotton. Both of these were made with DMC Senso which is fairly heavy. Bookworm was on size 3 needles. The other bookmark is Brian McGaunn's flowering vine. I'm going to try this one also with #10 cotton or Grace. Rachel's Knitting Room KAL is a Kool K-9. Yarn is SnC Robin's Egg Blue.
I also made 4 more prayer throws from the Serenity Prayer panels. My flannel shrank badly so these are small than first. That's what I get for buying cheap flannel. I get to work on socks next weekend.

I went to stamp camp this afternoon. We made Halloween favors. Taped a scalloped and stamped piece to a sucker. Also made a get well card and matching envelope.
I'm up to the neck shaping on my twin set. I hope to finish it over my long weekend. Next week I'll start Christmas projects in personal knit time.