January 2012- Indefatigability

Happy New Year! What a year 2011 turned out to be. I cannot tell an untruth, I am glad it is behind me. Yet, how exciting to begin anew with a fresh start. So much hope and plans for 2012. Not so much resolutions, but maybe indefatigability. (It's a really cool word- indefatigability. Look it up!) Anyway- back to the point- my Ravelry que has officially reached 300. My stash of yarn is well beyond that. My fiber has filled one too many containers. There is not enough time in the day, week, or year to even make a dent in it.

And that is okay.

That is part of the understanding and accepting of indefatigability. That I am here and that is not going to change without some cosmic interference. Since I know that I am here by divine appointment, accepting this assignment, this placement, is what needs to occur. Then indefatigability occurs.

So, I begin this new year with the post that will show off my last finished object of 2011. The Ice Queen.

This pattern had been in my que since it was first published. I instantly fell in love with it. I promptly purchased the yarn. Found the beads by accident while exploring a new store. Printed the pattern. Put the pattern with the beads with the yarn in a ziplock so as not to soil the yarn in storing it. Then promptly forgot about it. Until Christmas. My in-laws were visiting and I knew they would want to travel with us. So I went in search of a 'mindless' project to knit in the car. As I was pilfering my stash I came across the ready made kit and felt like an idiot. Here is was waiting so patiently for me while I was tearing across the world in search of something. How could I not knit it now? There were no more excuses.

And that has what brought me to my moment of self-discovery.

Indefatigability. There is SO much I want to do. Finish my degree. Complete the Master's Program. Publish a pattern on Ravelry. Visit 10 new (to me) countries. Speak fluent Dutch. (Remember my Spanish and German.) Run a half marathon. Attend SOAR.

How can I do it all? By being indefatigable.

Will I accomplish all of this? Probably not. But this time next year, all I can hope is that it will be said of me that I was indeed indefatigability.

Until the next time, happy knitting.

Another Christmas Holiday

Good Day good reader,

An update to what has been occurring. We are still here in Never-neverland. Some days are good. Some days are great. We are all healthy and here together so I cannot complain too much. Another Christmas holiday is upon us. I did no gift knitting this year for giving. Not that I didn't do plenty of knitting for others during the year. Oh- quite contrair! But most of the time, I promptly gifted said item to its new owner. This next year, I say, I am taking to heart that I am only knitting for myself. I will have finished out the year gifting two pairs of socks. Knitted in secret so they can be gifted as a surprise. We shall see.

I do have photos of some more finished items. Here are the Handcharmers.

They are knit with Storm Moon Knits 30 days of Night sock yarn. Only half of the skein was used. So now I am thinking of something else to knit up with this.

I finally finished up Dude's sweater vest that was started back in January as a knit-a-long with the spinning group. He is quite pleased with it, but a bit afraid to wear it. He chose the yarn and it is super wash, but he is afraid of snagging it or spilling something on it. He was warned last week that if he doesn't start wearing it, he wasn't going to get any more hand knits.

I also finished a baby sweater for a new friend. She is having her first daughter (due any day now) and does not have any parents to help spoil the baby. I just had to knit this up. Plus, somebunnyslove had knit two, or maybe three, and said they were a really quick knit. She was right. The only mods that I did was knit it in the round instead of in pieces. I hate seaming if I don't have to.

And last but not least are the socks that are just finished. Well- they have been finished for awhile, but I am just now posting about it. Really, I have had the sock pattern in the que for four years. I have also had the yarn for that many of years. I don't know why it took so long to get it done. It was really quite an easy and fast knit as well. I should have knocked these out ages ago. Instead it was just a couple of weeks ago. Here you go:

And now just because I can, I leave you with a couple of pictures from our latest adventures. Since moving here to Europe, I have tried to do as much traveling as possible. So we have two long weeks of holidays already and took advantage of it. The first three are when we went to Southern Germany and Austria. The last is my favorite from the latest trip, Cooking lessons in Italy. Yep, you read that right. I had cooking lessons in Italy. Really Cool! (Even better was meeting a couple of Aussies on holiday. I miss Australia.) Enjoy!

Until we meet again, happy knitting!