Links to goodies I am loving these days

Sorry... no pictures today, it's dreary and cold out....

I started the pinwheel jacket with some Noro I bought when cheating on the yarn diet.  It's fun and really really fast!  I need to go pick up a bit more yarn, I ran short on the third color band.  Which also means running short on the larger bands.  So a trip to get what I need to finish things up is on its way!

Also cast on some traveling knitting, socks in Colinette Jitterbug, simple stockinette ankle length socks.

My friend Andrea turned me on to this fabulous website, a year of crockpotting.  For those of you who need easy recipes or ideas, the kitchen challenged, like me.  She's doing some interesting stuff in hers, like cornbread.  Worth a peek if you want some new recipes for yours.

Gryphon has friends who lost everything in a fire which consumed their business and devastated them.  She is donating 50% of what is selling in her shop to the family during this month.  So if you are looking for yarn, now is a good time to help a family while you are stocking up on some goodies for yourself.  

Also, there's a cool site for online classes here.  Fiber arts stuff that looks really fun.  The kind of stuff which might suck precious knitting time away but that I am interested in no matter what.  

Just a quick post to say I am still alive.  Next time lots of pictures...

Pat me on the back

Yes, indeed, the periwinkle sweater is done.  Finished.  All wrapped up and off the needles.  I love it.

I am still very happy with the yarn, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran.  The colors have numbers, this one is their periwinkle blue.  I'm happy with the way it fits.  I altered the whole thing a lot, lengthened both the sleeves and the torso, changed the number of buttons, the length of the ribbing, lost the pockets, pretty much everything about it.  The color is a bit richer than what's showing on my monitor.

It's not often I finish something that I know will get a lot of wear other than socks.  It doesn't get too cold here so things other than wraps are not used regularly.  I haven't got the patience for much finishing, I usually rip it out before I am done.  Knitting for PeeWee makes it hard to knit something big enough for me.  It is way too easy to set it aside and start something nice and small which will be done in no time.

What's next?  I have no idea.  I'm hoping to finish Marky Mark's blanket before his birthday at the end of March.  It's gotten so large that I have to sit in the chair and knit it like an old grandma.  It's over 4ft now though, so it's more than halfway done.  I'm just going to knit until I am either so sick of it I want to cry or until I run out of the yarn.

I may do a pinwheel jacket next.  Mulling it over at least.  I have a great mix of yarns I want to work with.  But I also want to work on something quick and sassy, maybe a scarf/hood combo.  Who knows, I did my happy dance when I cast off the last stitches of the sweater yesterday.  I may ride on that high for a few days and decide what I really want to invest my time and energy on this time.

The house that yarn built

When I leave the house I am usually rewarded.  Today was a winner.  I was running errands and I passed a man wearing a kitchen timer as a hat.  I was not brave enough to snap a picture, when I glanced back he glanced back at the same time or I would have.  It was on like a little bell boy hat.  Fabulous.

A while back I was rewarded with the giant Elvis head man.

I'm wondering... should I worry about PeeWee?  Seems like she may have issues with Big Brother, since that's what she has named this guy...

At least he bathes.

Do you want to help rebuild New Orleans?  Hope over to The House That Yarn Built team Make It Right NOLA.  It's Brad Pitt's rebuilding effort and a great thing.  We gave donations for Christmas gifts.  If yo can donate, make sure you choose the house that yarn built team from the choice of team pages so it gets the credit.  The goal is $10,000, but I think we can do more.  As in build a house.  

Hop on over to Christy's blog to get all the info, make sure you drop her a line if you donate, she's got a contest going on if you participate.  Even if you can't be a part of it, will you spread the word?  Thanks.  Check out the details on the Make It Right page, I think this is a good thing.  The property owners are very involved and it's bringing lots of good to the area.  Ellen Degeneres has a team up and I think it would be great to give them a run for their money.  Look at the Yarn Harlot's Medicines sans Frontiers.

I am a big whiney baby.

There, I said it.

We've had house guests who I barely know for the last few days and it has turned our house upside down.  I'm a bad hostess, I know it.  I really need a bit of down time every day.  Call me a baby but I like having guests I know who are happy chilling out for a bit of time, I get worn out when someone is 24/7 and I don't know them.  I like having house guests who would understand if I said- I am burnt out, it's cereal for dinner or here is a list of good places to go.  See ya.  (90% of our house guests are like this, they know me)  Staying up late and eating out has made me cranky.  And in a series of bizarre offers from Marky Mark and strange planning on their part, he is driving them home the 9 - 10 hour drive.  Don't ask, he's not even sure how it happened.  So next week is going to be ultra quiet, no guests and no husband!

I have not knit one stitch in ... who knows how many days.  I'm not even sure where the bag with the almost finished periwinkle sweater is!  How's that for a crazy week?  I did get a minute to work on some little hearts.  And I have come up with a great idea.  I have to keep it under wraps, because the execution may not be a simple as the idea and it may flop.  Plus, I tend to jinx things if I let them out of the bag too soon.  But the idea is in my head waiting to get tested out.

I think I have arthritis in my finger.  Anyone know how to find out for sure?  It's been hurting a while now and good and stiff.  It's not essential to knitting, so don't get too concerned.  Is there anything that can be done?

So any bets on when I can get back to knitting?  I finally secured a few minutes last night to catch up on reading everyone's blogs.  Not too big on the commenting because I was tight on time but I sent mental vibage out to those who need it.  I know by the end of the day I'll be backed up again but hoping to be a better commenter and catch-er-up-er.  Bloglines makes it easy to not comment when I am rushing, anyone else find this to be true?

Eh.

If you got a minute hope on over and vote for Christina for January Knit Girl.

I know she'd appreciate it!

More later when I get the house to myself, maybe Monday when school is back in...  Until then, happy Twelth Night tomorrow!  (I know that's spelled wrong but man my brain is frazzled...)

Two Thousand and Eight

Well, I hope everyone got to do and have the New Year's Eve they were wanting.  We stayed in but amazingly did stay up into the New Year.  We could hear lots of fireworks around but never could figure out where they were coming from.  That's okay.

Resolutions?  Nope.  Although this month is get it together month so when the resolutions hit on 2/2 I am headed in the right direction.  I'll be kicking into gear the yarn diet.  I started out with a bang and have managed to lose and keep off 8 pounds of it, making last year's loss 14, something I am happy with, though there are many more to lose.  Then it tapered off, but no gain so I'm motivated to kick it up a notch.

The Commitment to Loveliness lost some ground during Christmas.  Yesterday was a big organize and rearrange day here at Mom's house.  In fact we brought in the movers.  That big a day.  Now Big Brother has a dresser from his grandparents (who conveniently own the moving and storage company and offered it to us when it was landed in their laps- man you would be shocked how much nice furniture ends up with movers, they usually will end up with what you need if you are not too picky) a big piece that was taking up space in his room and had no function is now in the living room, and PeeWee's dollhouse extravaganza now has a home in a new quiet cozy play nook.  So things are looking up for us.

We'll be warming it up with a rug soon, and it's not as empty as it really looks- the acrylic furniture is in there, you just can't see it unless you click on the pic and make it a bit bigger.

Grampa had a big day moving stuff.  He earned this nap.

And, Whoa Nelly! A picture of knitting.  Yeah baby.  I have a bunch of headbands up on my etsy shop.  A few more things to wrap up and I'll feel like I have an actual shop over there, not the one lonely listing that was left.  

I'm still wearing my headband a lot, it's really comfy.  The seed stitch gives it just that stretch without the distortion you can find with knitted headbands.  I'm having fun with these quick knits.

Don't forget to eat your black eyed peas and cabbage today!  And enjoy the new year!  Hope it's everything you want and nothing you don't need.