Purrrl-plexed

Was it really less than a week ago...

...that we were dealing with this?

And now, it's almost gone.  Spring is peeking its head out everywhere I look.  A few weeks ago I was able to get outside and clean out the flower beds around the house.  Today, after sending the kids off to school, I pulled out my camera and took a few pictures of the little buds that are pushing their way out of their winter slumber. For those of you visiting from Margene's blog, yes, this is my iris garden.  I admit, it's not much to look at right now, but give it a few months, and the beauty will be stunning!

Iris Garden and daffodils.  Spring really is coming!

Speaking of Margene...YeHaw!  I won a prize in her blogiversary contest!  How lucky am I?  Thanks, Margene...Not only for the prize, but for sharing your beautiful knitting and landscape with us.

Blizzard Bandwagon

It seems that all of the "Ohio" blogs that I read are posting their blizzard pictures.  We've got at least a foot of snow here, and it's still falling.  We're officially in the middle of a "BLIZZARD!"  (Can I just say how glad I am that it's coming on a weekend???)

...But in our little cul-de-sac, everyone is ready for spring. 

(Or perhaps I should title this picture "Crazy Neighbors.")

Yes.  They've shoveled a clear spot in the middle of the cul-de-sac to play cornhole.  They really did play, too. 

As for me, I'm planning on hibernating today.  I'm still in my pj's (at 11 am!).  I *may* get out the snowblower after 4, when the blizzard has passed us by. Until then, I'm getting a lot done on my sweater.

Oh, let me leave you with another picture of my crazy neighbors....They're such fun. (Click for bigger)

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth...

...although I do feel like I've been living in a cave lately.  I have no excuse for not posting in almost 2 months.  I just haven't had motivation.  However, that is about to change. 

I have *gasp* finished objects.  Yes, that's a plural.  OBJECTS.  I have been knitting.

First, let me present my Xavier sox 2008:

Notice, they're identical twins down to the itty-bitty white part on the toes.   I've been continuing to knit from my stash for this year.  This yarn is from Beth...a Christmas gift from 2(?) years ago.  It's Opal Seide.  Yeah, 70% wool, 30% silk.  I'm so in love with these socks.  They're mine.  All mine. (I've got 'em on right now, as a matter of fact.)  The pattern is something from Charlene Schurch's book, Sensational Knitted Socks.  Sorry, no link.  I'm feeling lazy.

And then, continuing with the themes of (a) stash knitting, (b) Xavier Blue, and (c) socks, I present Xavier Sox 2008, v. 2.0.

Alright, so the pattern really is Marguerite's Old Shale Socks Pattern.  I wanted to use every scrap of the Opal, and I had some wonderful complimentary solid Opal (in the stash.) These socks are destined to be a gift.  The only modification to the pattern was that I used the solid for the heel, rather than switching back to the patterned.  The first picture was taken this morning out in the snow, and it looks a little too blueish.  The second pic was taken on the kitchen island.  Much truer colors.  Notice, too, the eye of partridge heel.  (My first ever!)  Fancy-schmancy, no?

I'm hoping that with all of this "Xavier" themed knitting that they continue to do well with their season.  Go Muskies! 

The Last and the First....

Finished Objects!

The last FO of 2007:

Bill's Socks.  Pardon the slightly blurry photo...there was a lot of activity, and this was the best that I could do.  I was really worried that these socks were going to be huge. As you can tell though, they fit him quite nicely.  I hope that you like 'em, Uncle Bill! I hope that they keep your feet toasty warm, too. Merry Christmas!

And...the first FO of 2008:

Pattern: Monkey Socks, from Knitty.
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill (A gift from Mindy from Christmas 2006)
Needles: US #2 DPNs

Modifications: None that I can think of.
What I will change if I do this pattern again: Smaller needles?  These sockies are a bit big on me. Not sure how I could reduce the pattern, so I would try it on smaller needles to see if it made much of a difference.   Overall, I enjoyed this pattern...especially after I *got* it.  I was halfway through the second sock before I had the light bulb moment and could finally memorize the pattern.  (Boy did I feel like a dork when I realized how intuitive it really was.)

Next on my agenda?  Well, I won't say it too loudly, I don't want to jinx anything...but I did pick up my sweater again yesterday. Yeah, the sweater that I started in January.  January 2006. Hush. 

Happy 2008.  Here's to finishing up some UFOs!

Mystery project revealed!

I can finally post a picture of the finished "mystery" project!

This is the Birch shawl, knit from knitpicks dye your own laceweight yarn.  I dyed it using their acid dyes.  It has some wonderful variation in the color.

It was hard to send it away, but I KNOW that the recipient is quite thrilled.

Another photo?  Sure!

What? Another post? No way!

Way!

But wait.  If you're my sister, Jamie, STOP READING NOW.  Go to another webpage.  NOW.

Seriously, Mamie Sue.  Turn off the computer.

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

Is she gone?  Good.  That means that I can show you one of her Birthday gifts.

Pattern: Coronet, from Knitty
Yarn: Cascade 220, Light pink
Needles: US size 5 dpns (yes, I know.  Don't say anything) for the main body of the hat.  Size 7 for the cable band.  I didn't have any dpns in size 7...or any size between 5 and 10.  So, I went with the 5.  It made an incredibly tight knit hat, that should be super warm.  I hope that she likes it.

Now...a bit about Jamie Sue.  Her bday was Saturday (the 17th).  This past summer, she walked in the breast cancer 3 day walk in Chicago.  She did a lot of training, raised a lot of money, and is planning on doing it again next summer.  She asked for a hat that she could wear while walking this winter, to keep in shape. Thus, we have a beautiful pink hat.  The braided cable reminded me of the Breast cancer pink ribbon.  I think that it turned out pretty well, don't you?  It was a quick and easy knit (I started it on Friday night, and finished it up on Sunday afternoon...with a lot of other activities going on in between).

Happy Birthday, Jamie Sue.

A new knitter...

Yep.  That's Matt.  Knitting away.  He didn't want to go to bed that night, because he wanted to knit more.  And when he got up the next morning, he rushed through breakfast to knit some more!  That's my boy!  So far, he's only tackled the knit stitch, but I'm going to indroduce purling next week.

In other knit news...there has been another finished object.  I finished another wash cloth.   I am also *this* close to finishing a project (again, a nameless for now project) that I started late on Friday night.  Pictures to come soon.

For all of you Ravelry users, find me there (I'm angbb) and see the pictures of Birch.  That's the big "FO" of the month! (And the photos themselves are worth the trip!)

Will miracles never cease???

YES!  I have a FINISHED OBJECT!!

AND

The Bengals WON!

As for the FO...sorry, no photo here (yet).  I'll post it onto Ravelry soon (I'm Angbb there), but I can't post a picture here.  It's lace, so I need to block it first.  You know how lace looks in its unblocked state.  Not pretty. 

Anyway, now that I have finished up one of the UFOs, I can really start "Juno Regina," can't I? 

Hi! Remember me?

Yikes.  It's been a while since my last post, eh?  "Why," you ask.  Well...let's see...I can't show my knitting progress.  The current big project is a gift, and the recipient reads the blog occasionally.  The other knitting happens to be dishrags, also for Christmas gifts, so I really don't want to show those.  My Monkey sock hasn't changed since the last photo...In short, I just don't have a lot that I can talk about or show.  Right now, I'm so overwhelmed with UFO's that I don't know where to start!  So, until I can finish some of those projects (I just counted 9 UFO's), I will not allow myself to start anything new.  And now I'm feeling bitter about that decision, too. I MUST knit Juno Regina. (Gorgeous, no?)  I have some Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace in my stash.  Can't I have just one more UFO???

Well, I can always use my kids to distract you from the lack of knitting content.  How about Halloween photos?

Matt wanted to be something scary this year.  I think that it works for him. Abby is Pippi Longstocking, of course!  We put wires in her braids and everything.  My sister, Caren, made the costume (of course!).  Isn't it just PERFECT???  Abby is already planning next year's costume.  She wants to be a princess. (Imagine that.)

And, to end the post, let's take a look at the final roses of the season, harvested last week from my rose bushes.  So beautiful.

School Picture Time!

Not a big post today.  No knitting photos (although there HAS been some knitting...a few more dishrags, nothing photo worthy), but photos all the same. 

It's school picture time again:

First grader, and fifth grader.

Oh yeah.  And me, too. ;)

Is my head *really* that much of a square?