back to knitting

I'm back from a very long vacation and already have been knitting up a storm. I only took one (well, 2, but only one ended up coming out of the bag) knitting project with me on vacation, a garter stitch 35-square blanket that was easy mindless knitting. I think I got 12 squares done, maybe more. maybe 14. I took my vest with me too but didn't end up knitting any of that. I did however get to a FANTASTIC yarn shop in Scottsdale AZ, got some wonderful yarns. It killed me not to be able to do anything with them until I got home! I got some stuff to make a couple hats or maybe a poncho or something for Meg including a funky pink yarn with ribbon knots on it, another of that yarn in a purple/green colorway, some yarn with sequins already on it a la that expensive tillie tomas yarn but this stuff was only $8 a skein. Mind you it is a carrying yarn and not georgeous silk, but it's just for meg so she'll be happy with it. I got a purple one and a white one with multi colored sequins. then I got 2 skeins of a really pretty shiny cotton in pink and purple, to go with the other yarns, a pastel-y funky yarn and the best of all was a skein of this wonderful stuff, it's like 12 different yarns, all about 10 yards long, so that if you do a scarf lenghtwise you have long stripes of each yarn. I debated and debated with myself about it, I wouldn't have looked twice at it except they had samples of the scarves up, one in a solid pink colorway and one in a multicolored purple/blue/green colorway. OMG I fell in love. It was $34 a skein which is at least double the most I've ever spent, but I figured I was making it for myself so I could spend a bit more than I would on say, something for the kids that they'd outgrow or lose, or somethign for the bazaar that I'd need to keep costs down on. Plus I only needed one skein for the scarf. I couldn't decide which color to get, but I finally chose a white/cream/silver/gold colorway that will contrast beautifullyw ith my black wool coat.

On my needles now is my mom's shawl, which I have restarted 3 more times since my last post and ended up giving up on the diamond pattern as my children kept distracting me or clicking my counter and making me lose my place, and it was not a forgiving pattern for that sort of thing. I'm doing a more simple yet very pretty eyelet triangle shawl, also from the lion brand website. Its a lot easier than the diamond one to work on with the kids around, you put markers before the main changes in the pattern so if I'm paying attention to them the marker reminds me to do the YO. I've done 4 reps of the pattern and already have it memorized which is handy since my daughter likes to run off with my patterns. I also have my scarf on my needles, since I have to have at least 2 projects going at all times, but that is just a simple garter stitch that requires no thinking for when I don't have any attention span. Mom's birthday is the 8th and I want to have the shawl finished by then, my scarf will probably be done by then too, and then I have to get all the knit food done for my friends. I WILL have that done by the end of the month, I WILL I WILL I WILL.

My new years resolutions are:
1. be more picky about which patterns I make: only make ones that will be USED, by either a family member or a friend since I am not doing the bazaar this year. Yes, those knit cupcakes are adorable but what the hell am I going to do with them??

2. splurge once in a while. Not go crazy, but not feel guilty about, say, a $35 skein for a scarf :-)

3. LEARN TO MAKE SOCKS! I started a pair before I left and they're already a disaster. I'm not going to finish them until I finish the knit food for my friends. Then I'm diving into socks. I have a great book and new needles thanks to my Grandma and the Christmas money she sent me :-)

4. not stretch myself too thin or take on too much. I did that with the knit food, I really wanted to have it all done by Christmas but wasn't able to. I should have realized that ahead of time.

5. branch out, make a sweater for someone who is bigger than a toddler. Make something complicated, even if it takes a while. That's what I'm doing with the vest for myself. I can't let the original mom shawl debaucle prevent me from trying long projects.

6. keep up with the secret of the stole 2 that I joined ( my first knit along). The swatch came out beautifully with the georgeous yarn mom got me for Christmas, so now I need to make sure to keep up with it. I think they said the first part of the pattern will be released Jan 18th so hopefully I will have the knit food done by then, or mostly at least.

OK thats all I can think of for now. If anyone wants I will look up the names of the yarn I bought (its all downstairs and of course I'm not) and take pics of it. Leave a comment and let me know if you want me to. I will take pics of the projects I'm working on as well soon, I promise. Hugs! Happy knitting!