I'm still here, sometimes

For the goal of blogging at least once a week, I sure have slacked off. I haven't even managed once a month for a good six months. Oh- who am I kidding? It's been 10 months. Friends, truly I am sorry. I do have a bunch of good excuses. Though I am sure that no one really wants to hear them. So I am just putting this out there so as it comes as no surprise, Dude is on the short list for another move. I am praying that we don't have to move, but am preparing myself just in case.

On that note, we are staying here for the holiday. Felt it would be bad if we did move for Dude to never have celebrated a Christmas in a house he has been paying the mortgage on for 2 years. HA! In reality, we are just so thrilled to have him home safe and sound in one piece that we are treasuring the time together. The travel schedule is still pretty hectic but when he is home, he is completely focused on home.

With so much that has been going on, the knitting, dyeing, and designing has not been the center focus. I really have been knitting, but larger projects that take more time. Since the last post I have finished four sweaters:

The February Lady Sweater here in Madelinetosh Yarn Tosh (original worsted weight but really a DK weight) in Tart. I LOVE this color and the sweater but Meredith gets to wear it. It won't go around the 'girls'.

The Seed Stitch V-Neck Topdown Seamless Cardigan in Classic Elite Yarns Classic One Fifty in Green. (Real original color name, huh?) This only took 3 years to complete (maybe it was four) but I became frustrated with it and really it was probably everything else that was going on in my life that I unfortunately took out on the sweater. One day, rooting through the stash I came upon it in a ziplock bag un-finished. I was encouraged to frog it but I had already gone past the shoulders. (That's the hard long boring part) I decided to finish it before working on anything else. Needless to say it was greatly received by the recipient as well and worn frequently. (Or so I am told.) I wasn't able to keep a single sweater. I think that was the most frustrating. But the recipients are quite happy.

Hey Teach! in Mission Falls 1824 Cotton in Sand. Again one of these sweaters that I just HAD to have and was really a very easy knit. I swear I really am doing the gauge swatches and even going so far as to block the swatch. Yet, it just didn't fit right. So another lovely friend was able to take it off my hands. I have now become the laughing stock at my knit circle. They are ALL encouraging me to knit more sweaters "practice makes perfect" is what I am hearing. In reality, they just want to each have a hand knit sweater. Even becoming so bold as to suggest what yarn I should use (in their favorite color) and suggest what pattern I should knit (so the style looks good on them) so they too can become the proud owner of my next screw up. What great friends I have!

So yes, you can count correctly. I have only posted three of the four. I will leave the fourth sweater for another post to keep you in suspense. (Or you can read that statement for the truth that isn't said- I haven't uploaded the picture yet. said very sheepishly.)

Knotty or Knice Socks knit out of Three Irish Girls Cary BFL Mulled Wine. (Though I read and re-read the color name to be Whine. Which I thought was hysterical and knew I had to do this pattern with this colorway.) Only 1 pair of socks were accomplished this year. A pair that was begun last year but due to the flood was put on hold. When I began reconstruction of the house, I took it as an opportunity to finish another project that had been put on hold. I am glad that they were completed in the spring as I have enjoyed wearing them all year.

I did finish another pair of German socks. I forgot that I did them until coming across this picture of the Confederates of Fort Pulaski in Savannah, Georgia holding them for me. We did do a bit of traveling when Dude came back. I went with him to Florida while he chaired a conference on what he did while deployed. Since it was our anniversary we stopped off in Savannah on the way home for the weekend. Never stay at this bed and breakfast. It was HORRIBLE!!!

This little guy is called 'Sackboy'. For the gamers in your life, they know him from the Playstation game titled 'Little Big Planet.' He really is a knitted character in the game and of course, my gamer says to me "I bet you can't knit something like this." WHAT? Who does he think he is? Me? Not able to knit something like this? Seriously? Oh- yeah! What this! And I proceeded to knock it out. Though I didn't tell him or show him until it was done. He went away for a ROTC event and when he came back I surprised him with it. OH- I could have shot myself when I saw the smile come over his face. I played right into his hands! But as mother of a teenage boy- I got an authentic smile from my son. And a hug with a sincere 'thank you.' What is that credit card commercial say? "Some things are just priceless." Yes, this was one of those things.

A couple of shawl/scarves are missing from this post. Looking through the pictures there are a couple of photos that haven't been uploaded yet. I guess that just gives you something to look forward to next month as well. Hopefully, there will be some new finished projects to be added to it. (I did say 'Hopefully.')

Here are the three sheep that I knit up. One for each of us girls. I also made another one for my favorite artist, but forgot to get a photo of it before gifting it to her.

I asked her to paint me a picture and she did. I LOVE it. It's title is "Home at Last". I now own 7 of her originals. Not the largest private collection. (That belongs to my friend who has now 12. But I do get to visit them.)

And so I leave you with a photo of our latest adventure. We took the opportunity to visit a friend who is stationed at Lajes Air Force Base in Portugal. The entire family flew Space A this past July and stayed two weeks with Tess. We had the BEST time ever. Two weeks of just relaxing and playing and exploring and swimming and hiking and knitting and cooking and visiting. Everyone was quite sad to leave when we did. Each child came away asking if we could move there. I think that means they had a good time.

If I don't post before then, I bid adieu with Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Just an update

This is the first morning in WAY TOO LONG that I have had absolutely nothing to do. No where to go. No one to shuttle. And what am I doing? Updating the blog. I do hope you enjoy this photo as much as I do.

I have my knitting mojo back. I am sure it helped being the recipient of an additional 5 inches of snow. Yes, I know it is not as bad as the rest of the nation. But may I remind you, this portion of the state is NOT equipped for such occurrences. My local county has ONE snow truck to the entire county. And more often than not, it gets loaned out to the surrounding counties as well.

With such wonderful, hunker down type weather, I cranked out two scarves, one pair of fingerless mitts, and one pair of felted clogs. (unfelted for the photo. Felting is a very personal step. You really do need the feet there for great sizing. So, I am gifting them unfelted and will assist when they are ready.) Once you see them, or once they see them, they will know immediately who they are for. Hee hee hee.

I tried to locate the two scarves, but I have a feeling that they may be found wrapped around two little heads that are on their way to school. They two little heads were quite ecstatic to be the privileged to wear such a beautiful and wonderful creation. They also pinky promised not to loose or tear them. I will try to obtain pictures within the next couple of days of such little heads happy in wearing them to post at a later date.

And as an update that I spoke of earlier, and mostly because I realized that I had not shared these yet, the finished Belletrix socks. This was the only pair of socks that were completed for me during the deployment.

Luckily, they were finished (by the skin of my teeth) in time to wear for Halloween. The only problem with finishing them was that I wanted to wear them. This past Halloween gave us 85 degree weather. It was the FIRST time in my ENTIRE life, I wore flip flops, a tank top, and shorts out trick or treating. The kids had to stop at a neighbor's house and ask for water it was SO hot. I still get a chuckle out of that. (It sure beats having to wear a sweatsuit under your costume and a heavy winter coat over your costume so that by the time you actually went out to collect candy, you couldn't see the costume.)

Enough updating for the moment. Off to knit some on a sock. I am gearing up for the Olympics to begin on Friday. I have challenged myself, as the Olympic athletes do, to start and complete an adult sweater within the timeframe the Olympics will be broadcast on television.

Who's going to join me? What can you challenge yourself to do?

Happy Knitting.