By Hook or Needles

July Goals

2009-07-01T08:11:00.002-04:00

The news about my July goals is that I have decided not to set any goals for July. My left foot has been bothering me the past month. It has been swollen frequently, and the top of the foot has been tingly off and on. I injured the foot 9 years ago, and I was concerned that I had reinjured it (although I didn't remember doing anything to it.) So I went to the orthopedic doctor yesterday afternoon and got the good news that there is nothing wrong with my foot. (Since I had been having visions of my foot in a cast all summer, this was indeed good news.) However, he feels that my back is a problem. I have possibly slipped a disc. There is definitely inflammation and a pinched nerve, which is making my foot tingle. So I am now taking Alleve twice a day, which is a treatment I can live with. While I am relieved to know that I'm not crazy and that there is something wrong, I am also still tired and not feeling quite like myself. The 3-day weekend coming up should help me to get rested out, however. (Nice of the 4th of July to fall on a Saturday this year!)

So, as far as my projects go, I have decided that I am just going to work on what I feel like day to day. I would like to finish Eva's shawl for the conference in August, but if it doesn't happen, that's ok. I am also contemplating making squares for another afghan. But if I do, then I am telling myself that I have to spend some time in the fall and winter sewing afghan squares together to straighten up the craft room. This does put the 52 Projects in 52 Weeks challenge in jeopardy, but at this point, I'm really not sure I could keep up the pace, so that's ok too. Stash reduction will continue, and that's what's important.

Happy Fourth of July to all of you who celebrate! Have a great and relaxing holiday weekend.

Squares and Contemplation

2009-06-29T07:41:00.007-04:00

Well, I am still mulling over what I want to accomplish this summer and how I want to proceed with my projects. I did, however, make 2 squares this weekend. I really like Saturday's:

Sunday's, not so much:

The square is fine, but it doesn't lie nice and flat, which bothers me.

The variegated yarn, that looks almost white in the pictures, is Simply Soft Baby by Caron. I only had 1 skein, and I am glad that I am playing with it in these squares before I bought enough for a big project, because it turns out that I don't like the yarn very much at all. The white yarn is soft, but the color flecks seem to be fabric, and they are hard. This would not be a good yarn for preemies, that's for sure.

Otherwise, this weekend, I did my chores and laundry, and I read. I finished the 2nd crochet mystery, Dead Men Don't Crochet, and then read most of an older Jayne Ann Krentz called Family Man. Once I start a Krentz, I just can't put it down. Even though work did settle down late last week, it was nice to have some time to sit this weekend and rest.

Summer Projects

2009-06-24T08:40:00.002-04:00

I was so happy on Sunday when I finished my mittens. Somehow, I had it in my head that I needed to complete 4 projects a month for the 52 Projects in 52 Weeks challenge, and I had finished my 4 projects for June. I thought that I could take a couple of weeks off, work on some of my bigger projects, and decide what my goals would be for July. Then it occurred to me that 4 projects a month times 12 months in a year equals 48 projects, not 52. I really do need to complete a project a week, even if some months that means 5 projects. So that set me a back a bit in my thinking.

Then, over the last 2 days, the summer reading season started with a bang at work. This is my 12th summer at the library, and I'll admit that we get busier every summer. Nothing in my experience has prepared me for this week, however. I have never seen the library so busy. Yesterday was the kick off party, and 300 children showed up. We were so busy helping patrons that we couldn't even keep up with returns, let alone any of our other tasks. Lunchtime is the only chance I have gotten to sit down. Since it is only the first week, I haven't hit the wall of exhaustion yet, but if this pace keeps up, I will hit it soon. So I have to factor that into my plans for July and August as well.

Then, while reading my blog subscriptions this morning, I found a new blog that I had to subscribe to. It's called 365-A Crochet Odyssey. The woman who writes the blog is making 1 crocheted block a day this year, just to be creative. She picks a pattern and yarn each day and makes whatever she feels like. Not every pattern works, but overall her blocks are beautiful. But they aren't made for any other purpose. She doesn't know what she is going to do with them. This idea has intrigued me. I don't want to just copy what she is doing, but I think it would be fun over the summer to do something like this, to be creative first and determine the purpose later.

So I'm still going to take the next couple of weeks off from the 52 Projects challenge and work on my larger projects. I will also be mulling over how I want to proceed over the summer. And I have to think about what project I want to take with me to the Knit and Crochet Show in Buffalo in August. So much to think about, so little time!

#4 of 52

2009-06-23T07:54:00.005-04:00

Despite having a very busy weekend last weekend, I did find the time to make a mitten and finish my 4th project for July.
These are sized for a man and will be donated to charity eventually. I used 146 yards of Plymouth Encore (unfortunately less than 1 skein). I have to admit that the gray got a little boring, so I'm glad these are finished.

And there was yarn waiting for me when I got home from work on Saturday.
3 skeins of sock yarn from Elann. It was a nice treat at the end of a very busy day at work.

Baktus Clarified

2009-06-19T08:23:00.003-04:00

Sandy left a comment on Wednesday's post, and I thought a more detailed explanation was in order (since I might have confused others as well). I mentioned that Baktus was knitted end to end rather than bottom to top. Typically, when I knit a triangular scarf, I start at the bottom point of the triangle and increase up to the shoulder. Then I knit both ties one at a time. This gives me a scarf that looks like these:

Baktus starts at the narrow end of one of the ties. You increase to the widest part of the triangle, then you decrease down to the end of the second tie. I think this will give me a shallower triangle than the scarves pictured above, which will be a nice change. I think Baktus will be more flexible in how I can wear it.

I also wanted to thank Taph for her comment. I think that I don't mind using sock yarn for other projects because I'm just not a committed sock knitter. I know how to knit socks, well enough to help others, and I have made several pairs. But I don't find it as addictive as some knitters do. However, I have to try making a pair with a more detailed pattern one of these days. Outside In from the new Knitty might be the candidate. The plain vanilla socks that I have made get a little boring to knit. So making socks a little more challenging might just make them a little more addictive as well. And I have plenty of sock yarn in the stash to play with to try this theory out!

Baktus

2009-06-17T08:30:00.004-04:00

Last week, while searching Ravelry at work, I found a pattern that got me excited. This is actually fairly unusual. I look at a lot of patterns, most of which don't interest me all that much. My Ravelry queue is only about 30 patterns long, so I am rather particular about what I want to make. But Baktus really grabbed my imagination, and I couldn't wait to get started. The pattern originated in Norway, as far as I can tell, and Baktus was originally a character in Norwegian mythology.

Baktus is basically a large triangular scarf that is worked end to end (rather than bottom to top) in garter stitch. I decided to use a self-striping yarn, and I got this far:
Then I hesitated, because the stripes look a little unusual because of the construction of the piece. So I went digging further into the stash, and found another yarn to try.
Then I went back to Ravelry and looked at all 400 projects listed on there. And I finally reassured myself that the FOs all looked fine and mine would too. So I now have 2 versions of this project started, both of which I want to finish. Luckily this is a quick and fun project to knit, even if I am using fingering weight yarn and size 3 needles.

However, I also now have self-striping sock yarn on the brain and wouldn't you know that elann.com put some self-striping sock yarn on sale yesterday. I fell in love with 3 of the colorways, so I now have 3 skeins of sock yarn coming my way. I just couldn't resist! Since I don't think I have bought yarn all year, I don't feel too bad. But I will be good now until August, when I go to the Knit and Crochet Show.

#3 of 52

2009-06-16T07:49:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post to show off my FO from last weekend. This is the One Row Lace Scarf. I used 1 skein of Lion Brand Microspun, for another 168 yards out of the stash. I hadn't intended on finishing this one so quickly, but I found another scarf I want to make last week on Ravelry. (More about the new project later.) So I decided to be a good knitter and finish this one first, before I started the new one. It was so close to being finished that I was able to get it done despite a fairly hectic weekend schedule.

I lost my internet connection last week, and I ended up spending most of the weekend getting it restored. It only took 2 calls to AT&T, a new patch cable, a new surge protector, and a new router, but by late Sunday afternoon, I was finally back in business. Now I just need to finish backing up my files and replace the battery in the laptop, and I will be completely wireless again. However, all this is still cheaper than buying a new computer, so I'm not really complaining. But please be patient with me, because I am still catching up on my Google Reader subscriptions and Ravelry groups, so it may be a few more days before I am completely back up to speed.

#2 of 52

2009-06-08T07:45:00.004-04:00

On the one hand, I'm starting to feel like I'm on a roll with the 52 projects challenge by finishing my second project this weekend. On the other hand, the summer solstice is about 2 weeks away and I'm making mittens. My seasonal knitting seems to be a bit off right now. However, I will be great shape when the cold weather rolls around next winter. And I actually decided that mittens aren't a bad choice for summer knitting because they are small projects that don't spread out all over your lap.

So, without further ado, here are my Malabrigo mittens.
Started 12/08 and finished 6/7/09. I stopped working on them because I took it into my head that the first mitten was too big. It then took 6 months to convince myself that it was exactly the right size.

The mittens used up 168.5 yards, leaving me with 47.5 yards to use before I can count the skein finished. I am thinking about some sort of crocheted motif, maybe hearts, that I could put aside for future use as a pin, fridge magnet or applique. (And if I do that, would it count for another project? I think it would!) When I come off my yarn diet, I definitely want to acquire more Malabrigo. It is just so soft and yummy to knit with.

And amazingly, there was other knitting this weekend, too. (Amazing because there was also a major shopping expedition on Saturday morning and a birthday celebration for my mom yesterday.) I managed another 20 rows on my Classic Elite Premier vest, and I am now just 1.5" away from decreasing for the armholes. Once I set up the King Charles Brocade stitch pattern, I think the back of the vest will be finished very quickly. I made the mistake of reading the end of the pattern, and now the finishing has me a little concerned, although I will try not to psych myself out about it. I just need to do some research into the best way to block cotton/tencel. And I have time, since the two fronts won't be finished for a while yet.

#1 of 52

2009-06-04T07:40:00.004-04:00

I finished my striped socks yesterday, for my first project of the 52 Projects in 52 Weeks challenge. These were knitted toe up, with a short row heel, using Janet Rehfeldt's instructions. (I don't have a link, but her book on toe up socks is finally available.) I think I need more practice binding off toe up socks, because the top edge just looks a little wonky to me. (Or maybe the socks just need blocked.) However, the socks look just fine on. (Pardon the white legs above the socks.)

I used Regia Crazy Color yarn for these socks. The socks used a total of 272 yards, which was just over 1 skein of yarn. So I now have 188 yards in the second skein that I still need to use up. I'm thinking about a pair of fingerless mittens in the near future.

Kreative Blogger Award

2009-06-03T08:22:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, Sandy very graciously bestowed an award on this blog - the Kreativ Blogger award. The rules with this award are simple:
List 7 things you love
Link back to the person who gave you the award
Pass it along to 7 other bloggers.

I've been mulling over my answers ever since. 7 things I love:

My husband.
My family.
My pussy cat.
Knitting.
Crocheting, and the people in my life who share my passion for the fiber arts.
Books and reading.
My job and my coworkers. (I can't believe I just typed that, when there are so many things I could complain about when it comes to work, but the truth is that I would be lost without it right now.)

And the 7 bloggers I think deserve this award, in no particular order. Please consider visiting them and prepare to be inspired:

Crocheting with Dee - Dee is a good friend both online and in the real world. I can't think of another blogger promoting the art of crochet more fervently than she does.
A Little Yarn on the Side - I found Toni through the Stash Knitdown Group on Ravelry, and her efforts to both stash bust and finish WIPs have been an ongoing source of inspiration for a lot of us.
Unravelled - Another Stash Knitdowner, Taphophile is currently wrestling her WIPs into the ground and is providing me with inspiration to tackle my own.
Yoelknits - Yet another Stash Knitdowner, Yoel actually used up her stash last year during the course of the challenge. She makes beautiful and occasionally whimsical projects that also continue to inspire me.
Creating Lace - Lacey was my first swap partner, and I have followed her from blog to blog ever since. She is currently blogging about her life and her adorable puppy dog, and her blog is still a joy to read.
Knitikas - Valerie was my swap angel during my second swap, when my original partner went completely AWOL. She has since become a friend, and I always enjoy her posts. As it turns out, she is also a librarian, so we have several things in common.
Prairie Gumbo - Criquette has been a blog friend for several years now, and I always enjoy her blog. She is an animal lover extraordinaire, and her posts about her animals make me want to be a better person.

So there you have it. Thank you, Sandy, for giving me this award and the opportunity to share it with the bloggers I look forward to reading each day.

One Last FO...

2009-06-01T07:54:00.004-04:00

...before the start of the June challenge today. This is a scarf that I started in March and finished May 13th. I put it down without weaving in the ends, so I finally finished it at the end of last week.
And it represents another 3 skeins out of the stash. (Yes, I am back to counting skeins as well as yardage as of today! I was very excited when I finally finished a skein of sock yarn yesterday as well.)

And in other news, I spent a lovely day yesterday with Jen, Nancy and Grace at Jen's house, teaching another sock heel workshop. Heels were turned, plans for our trip to Buffalo in August were made, and a wonderful time was had by all. It was the perfect end to my vacation week, and I actually feel up to facing work again today.

Pictures Today!

2009-05-27T08:47:00.008-04:00

One of the guidelines of the 52 Projects in 52 Weeks group is that we should only work on 4 projects at a time. My goal is to finish something every week, and then add another project to the 4. Hopefully this will give me time to continue working on bigger projects as well. So I have been giving careful thought to what my first 4 projects will be. (Once I clear out some of the UFOs that I have once again found in my yarn room, I will actually get to cast on some new projects, which will be very exciting.)

One thing I know is that I always need a small traveling project ready to go. Right now, that project is a One Row Lace Scarf.
I'm using some Lion Brand Microspun that I found in a drawer. I have 2 skeins, but I may only need to use 1 for the scarf. I'm just going to knit until I think it's long enough. I am very pleased with the pattern, so I might keep this one or put it in the gift pile. But in the meantime, I'm not in any hurry to finish it.

I am also working away on the Classic Elite Premier Vest and enjoying it immensely, so this will definitely be #2 of the 4.
Classic Elite Premier is a cotton/tencel blend that is the softest cotton I have ever used. I love working with it.

I am doing another sock workshop on Sunday for some of my friends, so I have been working away on a sock for teaching purposes.
I should turn the heel on Sunday, so I want to finish the sock next week. Then it will be the first of my 52 finished projects and will be replaced by a mitten probably.

Then I come to #4 of 4, and I am facing a hard decision. I have 2 shawls in progress right now. Eva's shawl, which is crocheted, is getting close to being finished.
It's actually big enough to wear as a shawlette, but I want to finish the skein of yarn and have a bigger shawl to wear. So I really should concentrate on this one and get it finished.

However, it's going to be really hard to stay away from the Estonian Garden Shawl until I finish Eva.
I am about halfway done with the body of the shawl, and then I need to work on the edgings, which will be a bit more challenging. (My first nupps!) This project has also been a delight to work on. I love watching the lace grow. But I will try to be good until Eva's Shawl is finished.

I Guess I Needed A Rest!

2009-05-26T08:32:00.002-04:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted. I don't know where the time has gone, but I think that I really needed the break. Nothing has really changed, but this year, life has felt increasingly hectic. It's hard to put my finger on what is wrong, but I think the feeling starts at work and continues into my spare time. However, today is my 3rd blogiversary (which blows me away - where did the last 3 years go?), and if I am ever going to get back to blogging, today seems like a good day to do it.

So, I have been doing a bit of knitting on some larger projects, and I have been doing a lot of reading. I can't remember the last time I have enjoyed reading this much. I am currently working on book #35, so I think I am going to surpass 52 books for this year. I am reading The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler (as a break from all the Regency romances I have been reading), and I am enjoying it immensely. I just watched the movie again Sunday night, and although the story in the book is somewhat different, I can see why they made some changes for the movie.

Now, however, it is time to get back on track with my fiber projects and with my stash busting efforts. I have found yet another new group on Ravelry. This one is called 52 Projects in 52 Weeks. We are starting on June 1st and continuing until May 31, 2010. The enthusiasm in the group is infectious, and I am really looking forward to meeting this challenge. In order to make it a bit more challenging for myself, I am going to limit my 52 projects to any knit or larger crochet items. I can make smaller crocheted items, but they won't count towards the 52 project goal. I'm hopeful that this will get me to continue working on my larger projects. I have also rejoined the Stash Knitdown 2009 (although I am still struggling to catch up on reading all the posts). I am going to take up the 100 skein challenge again, but my year for accomplishing that will also run from June '09 until May '10.

I will post some pictures later this week of my current projects and where I am going to start for the 52 project challenge. I am off from work this week, so job one is to get myself organized and ready to go!

More New Projects

2009-03-23T08:01:00.008-04:00

Yes, I seem to have developed a slight case of startitis! None of last week's projects are close to being done, but I have started another 3 projects.

One of my patrons who knits and crochets has been making hats this winter in an effort to teach herself Fair Isle knitting. She has brought in at least 3 of her hats to show me lately, and of course this has lit a fire under me to try my own hand again at adding some color to my knitting. I decided that for my first attempt, I would make a plain vanilla solid color hat and just add a band of Fair Isle to the middle to jazz things up. Here's where I am so far:
I am using a basic hat pattern from Ann Budd's book The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns and a motif from Sue Pearce's The Knitting Stitch & Motif Directory. I really have to concentrate on the colorwork, and I haven't done everything correctly (which is why I'm not putting up a picture of the inside of the hat). But I am happy with how it is coming along.

Then, on Saturday, we had a crochet program at my library. Dee has a great post up about the program, complete with pictures. We had a lovely day teaching people about crochet. While we were there, one of my sock students, Nancy, decided to start her sock again. Apparently, I am really open to the power of suggestion, because when I got home after the program I just had to start the second sock of my pair. Here is the start of the second one:

Finally, yesterday, I decided to start another crocheted scarf, which I will hopefully get finished and donate to my crochet guild to sell on April 2nd. The yarn was staring me in the face, so I went on Ravelry and found a suitable pattern on Bernat's website. (The pattern is free, but you need to sign up for a membership to get it.)
Unfortunately, the color doesn't show up very well in the photo. The color is a lovely blend of blue, yellow, and green, which makes me think of the ocean. So far, this is growing very quickly, and it will get another 3 skeins out of the stash. I am going to modify the pattern slightly. I am going to work half the scarf and then go back to the starting edge and work the second half of the scarf down from there, so that both ends of the scarf match. I'll see how that works.

A Catch-up Post

2009-03-16T07:57:00.006-04:00

Despite the lack of blog entries lately, I have been working away on some projects. I have realized that I truly have become a lace knitter, and that knowledge pleases me no end. I have 3 major knitting projects right now, and all 3 involve lace.

First up, the Estonian Garden Shawl by Evelyn Clark. I started this shawl several years ago as my first lace project and promptly screwed up the pattern. I put it away for a long time, but I pulled it out again this year. I had to start from scratch, but this time I am not having any problems with it. (Well, except for the YO I missed yesterday afternoon, which I didn't figure out until about 5 rows later. But I ripped back and fixed it, so everything is good again.)

I am also working on the Classic Elite Premier Vest. (This pattern is out of print, so I don't have a link for it.) This one has lace and cables, although I am not quite up to the cables yet. Right now, I am working on the back, and it seems to be a little big. But I am hoping that the cables will help pull it in a bit. If not, I think I can adjust the top part of the vest to fit. I should add that I am getting gauge, which is why I am going ahead with the knitting and will adjust if I have to.

Finally, I am still working on the Japanese Waves scarf. (PDF link) However, I think it is too wide, so I am seriously considering frogging it and trying again with fewer pattern repeats across. Luckily, I really enjoy knitting this pattern!

With these 3 patterns, I have truly become a process knitter. I am taking my time with them and just enjoying the knitting. In other words, they will be done eventually but probably not any time soon.

There's been some crocheting, as well. My crochet guild is having another sale at the local hospital at the beginning of April, so I have been making a few baby items for them.
Hopefully I will get a few more items made before April 2nd.

And I am continuing to read like there's no tomorrow. I have finished 19 books so far this year, and yesterday I started #20. I am finally taking a break from Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick. Since I am leading a book discussion on The Daughter of Time next month, I picked up Nicola Upson's book An Expert in Murder, which features Josephine Tey as the main character. So far, I am really enjoying it, and I feel like I am getting to know Josephine Tey better as a person (bearing in mind that it is a novel). I will have to see how well the novel stands up to reality once I do some research on Tey myself.

Tunisian Preemie Blanket

2009-03-04T07:47:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Monday being a snow day here in CT, I had time to start a preemie blanket using the Tunisian Simple Stitch. There are other Tunisian stitches, but I decided to start with the most basic stitch and work my way up. I got out Pauline Turner's book How to Crochet, read through her chapter on Tunisian, and got started. Here's what I have so far:
All I can say is that it's a good thing Pauline says that "Tunisian crochet curls while being worked". Otherwise, I would be really freaked out right now, because all I have is a tube. When I spread the tube out, the stitches are nice and even, and the blanket is going to be dense and warm, which is great for a preemie blanket. I am already planning a shell stitch border, which should cure the curling problem. But I don't think the blanket will look good in a picture until it is completely finished.

I'm Not Sure Where February Went To...

2009-03-02T13:53:00.003-05:00

...but I have decided to start March off right. I decided yesterday that, after 2 months off, I am ready to do some stash busting this month. So I got busy yesterday and finished the scarf that I had started last May to work on during the MS Walk. I had finished the first skein of yarn before the end of December, intending for this to be one of my first FOs of 2009.

I also finished my 15th book of the year last night. It was Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Gaiman's book Neverwhere is one of my all time favorite books. While Stardust was no Neverwhere, it was a very sweet take on a fairy tale. I've been meaning to read Stardust ever since I saw the movie in 2007.

Reading in March is going to revolve around Josephine Tey, since I am leading a book discussion on The Daughter of Time in April, and I think it might be a good idea if I read some of her other mysteries as well. There is also now a mystery series featuring Josephine Tey as the main character, and I would like to read the first book in that series as well.

Crafting in March is going to revolve mostly around crocheting. March is, after all, National Crochet Month, and I can stash bust much more effectively if I crochet. My guild is going to be teaching a class at my library on Tunisian crochet at the end of the month, so I really need to brush up on my Tunisian crochet before then. I think I will try a preemie blanket and see how it goes.

I Got Busy Last Night...

2009-02-04T08:26:00.004-05:00

...and I finally finished another 7 WUA squares, bringing my total to an even 20.

These were supposed to be finished in January, so I only missed my deadline by a few days.

I haven't done much other crafting lately because I am still reading Jayne Ann Krentz like there is no tomorrow. I have decided that if January was any indication, 2009 is going to be my "year of reading frivolously". But at least now I have something to talk to my romance readers at work about!

However, I did have an epiphany of sorts last week. It occurred to me that if I am going to continue to do all this reading, I am going to have less time to knit and crochet. I'm ok with accomplishing less with my crafting this year. I actually think that I am feeling burned out after making 100+ projects for each of the past 2 years. However, I realized that I need to choose my projects more carefully if I am going to make fewer items. So this weekend, I am going to try to organize my thoughts and make some decisions about what I want to work on.

One Row Scarf

2009-01-23T07:02:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to report that Mom's surgery yesterday morning went very well. The only unfortunate thing about it was that we had to be at the hospital at the ungodly hour of 6:15 in the morning. But we were home by 11:00 A.M., and she only has a small incision. So other than still feeling tired this morning (and very grateful that it is Friday), I am well pleased.

I had taken the entire day off from work, so I had some time at the hospital and at home in the afternoon to finish up one of my scarves. It was so close to being finished that I decided to focus my attention on it yesterday.
I used the Yarn Harlot's One Row Scarf pattern, and the leftover yarn from this project. The yarn was from Blue Sky Alpaca, and it's an alpaca/silk blend. The scarf ended up being 5" X 50", which is a nice size. The yarn color is called "garnet", so it's not quite such a bright red as it looks in the picture.

I also started The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards yesterday. I was prepared to feel lukewarm about it, but I found that it is an extremely enjoyable book to read. I'm hopeful I will have time to finish by next Wednesday so I can attend book discussion. The real trick is going to be keeping my hands off the romance novels for a few days, so it's a good thing that the serious book is a good read!

Putting Some Romance Back Into My Life

2009-01-21T07:41:00.004-05:00

One group that I didn't drop out of over on Ravelry was the "52 Books in 52 Weeks" group. They are a nice group of people, and getting book suggestions by the bucketful really helps me at work. And so far, I have read 3 books in 3 weeks, so I am still on target for the challenge. Granted, I have read anything particularly intellectual, but happily that isn't part of the challenge.

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey was a very interesting mystery. It was not a typical mystery by any stretch of the imagination. But I really enjoyed the application of police procedure to an historical enigma. I think it will be a very successful book for discussion.

And then I started reading Jayne Ann Krentz. I have read two of her books in a row. I don't know what has gotten into me. I haven't read romance novels since I was a teenager. And I never read books by the same author back to back. But I enjoy spending time with her characters, and there is enough suspense in the books to keep this veteran mystery reader interested. One of my usual complaints about romance novels is that the men aren't written in a realistic manner. But Krentz's characters all seem realistic to me. So I am happily putting some romance back into my life with Krentz's books.

Now I need to select my next book. My mom is having some outpatient surgery tomorrow, so I should have some time while I'm waiting to both read and knit. At least, I'll bring both things with me to keep me occupied. (It's so nice to have hobbies - I'm never bored!) I should be good and read The Memory Keeper's Daughter so that I can go to book discussion next week. But I have a sneaking suspicion that another romance novel might just win out! I'll let you know what I decide.

And This is Why I Blog...

2009-01-20T07:19:00.009-05:00

...because nothing else really motivates me to finish projects up.

I got busy yesterday and got some things ready for their photo op. Here's my first FO of the year, which has been waiting since January 7th to have 4 measly ends woven in.
It's a crocheted V-Stitch scarf, made with Elsbeth Lavold Hempathy. The Hempathy was interesting to crochet with. It felt very stiff in my hand, but the scarf itself is soft and drapey, which I wouldn't have expected.

I have also been making WUA squares. I started with a box of scraps,
and so far, I have made 13 squares.
I have made a small dent in the box, but I still have plenty of scraps left. However, I am going to take a break from making squares. I am working on mittens for The Bridge Project, and then I want to make some chemo hats to donate to my crochet guild. And I'm still working on my various scarf projects. So more FOs to come!

Crying Uncle and Feeling Better

2009-01-19T08:03:00.003-05:00

After all my enthusiasm for my 2009 challenges that I felt in December, I've spent the past 2 weeks wrestling with, well, malaise seems to be the best word for it. It took some time to figure it out, but I finally had to admit that I was feeling overwhelmed. Not only was I stretched too thin, I was spending way too much time trying to keep up with everything online and failing miserably. So this weekend, I have pared way back on the groups I am trying to participate in, and I have a new resolution for 2009. I may belong to fewer groups, but I intend to be a better member of the groups I do belong to. I also decided that I miss blogging here, so I intend to get back to blogging regularly, too.

So, to begin with, I have dropped out of all but 7 groups on Ravelry. The hardest decision was to give up on my beloved Stash Knitdown group. But with over 2600 members in the group this year, I simply could not keep up with reading all the posts, much less posting myself. If I missed even a day, I was a hundred posts behind. I also decided that I had gotten about as much as I could from the group. So my stash busting will continue, but this year I am going it alone (no doubt with a little help from my friends in the real world). I wasn't sure how I would feel about it, but as soon as I left the group, I knew I had made the right decision.

I have also given up on the Winter of Lace. I tried swatching for the February Lady Sweater and couldn't get gauge, so there went my major lace project. I also got way behind reading all the posts over there, so I have given up on that KAL as well.

Hopefully I will have some FOs soon. I am busy making WUA squares for Homespun Helpers, using up all sorts of scrap yarn. I have also started some mittens for The Bridge Project. And I'm still working on scarves. Most importantly, I am enjoying my projects again and feeling more in control of my crafting life. That's a good place to be.

Slower Going

2009-01-05T07:57:00.002-05:00

So after I posted about my 2008 FO totals and my 2009 challenges last week, it occurred to me that I can actually make fewer items this year and still meet my 2009 goals. Really, I am looking at making 52 small items and 4 sweaters. If I can do that, I will be happy. In turn, this will free up time for the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge. Maybe, just maybe, I will finally achieve a balance this year between all my hobbies!

So right now, I am happily working on 5 scarves and 1 shawl, mostly in the evenings. I will hopefully start my first sweater next weekend. And I read most of The Daughter of Time this weekend. I feel much less rushed about everything, which is very nice and relaxing. And it actually feels good to give myself permission to read, and to rediscover how much I enjoy a good book.

I Did It!

2008-12-31T16:41:00.002-05:00

I couldn't wait until tomorrow, so I started tallying my yardage this afternoon. It took counting yardage used in some WIPs, but I got the total up to just over 10 miles for the year. Yeah! Anything I use up this evening will just be gravy. Now, next year, I'm going to try again for a mile a month. Just add that to my list of challenges for 2009.

And speaking of the 2009 challenges, I completely forgot this morning about Winter of Lace. I really don't have a clue how I'm going to keep that many balls in the air, but I intend to have fun trying!

I'm Kind of Stunned!

2008-12-31T11:36:00.002-05:00

I just went through all of my 2008 posts and tallied up my FOs for each month. The final numbers have me a bit stunned. So far, I have finished 122 items this year. (If I get off this computer soon, that number might yet increase.) I made 12 items for me or my dh, and I made 2 gifts. That means that I made 108 items that I either donated to charity or to sell to raise money for nonprofit groups. And I wasn't even trying to reach a particular goal. (I should add that these numbers are the best I can come up with. I really kind of lost track this year.) Wow!