Calorimetry FO!

I'm really loving vacation for the amount of time it allows me to knit! Well, there is that and there is also that I have deliberately chosen quick projects. In the time it took to not really watch Miami Vice (what an awful movie. lots of staring. not lots of action.) I was able to whip up Calorimetry and I've even worn it out in public too!

My dog is such a good sport.


Seriously though, I got the button on there and here it is on an actual person:


I used yarn that I had received in a swap / secret pal package. It's a great purple / green mix of "Handspun handpainted pure wool yarn" from handpaintedyarn.com Color HH01 Uno. I could make another one too, it really does not use much yarn, and in two hours - voila! done!

It's almost hard to believe that it is New Year's Eve! I think I'll do my resolutions / to-do in '07 list tomorrow.
This weekend I met up with my brothers in New York and we had Ethiopian food! - really interesting and delicious! We also went to see an improv show at Upright Citizens Brigade". Always a good time with them.

Tonight we're staying in (actually my favorite type of get together!) and having friends over - enjoy and stay safe!!

Fetching!

Fetching!
Originally uploaded by nutmegknitter.

Pattern: Fetching from knitty.com
Yarn: GGH Cashmere (1 + maybe 1/3 of a second ball?)
Time: 2 days - had I kept better track I could estimate the hours - quick knit!
Recipient: Me!!!

Me Me Me

I love the fact that vacation allows me more time to knit, but I want to count these items as the first FOs of 2007! I've completed a pair of Fetching, from knitty with some of the cashmere yarn from Dan. I've also made up Calorimetry, also from knitty - it just needs a button! Photos to come.

Make Me's Pledge
I promise to knit for myself in 2007. I promise to make at least two items for myself for every one item I make for a friend. I promise to use more luxury yarns on myself than on others. I promise to laugh wildly every time someone says, "oh that's nice! Can you knit one for me?" I promise to feign illness whenever I see someone coming toward me with a sweater pattern and 20 pounds of Red Heart yarn. When Christmas time comes I will not panic and will give those who clamor for handknit gifts, yarn, needles, pattern and a coupon for free knitting lessons. In the year 2007 I promise to model more handknitted items than ever before. I will be glad to be known as "That Crazy Knit Chick."

Santa Dachshund

Santa 3
Originally uploaded by nutmegknitter.

Merry Christmas!

Jackson & Tree

Jackson & Tree
Originally uploaded by nutmegknitter.

We looked over and noticed the pup sat himself under the Christmas tree quite nicely... Good Boy!

It's a good day for yarn

I got to open a gift early from Dan...

Dude! That's cashmere!! I am so so so excited!! And, there's a gift certificate to my favorite yarn store, Yarns Down Under. I'm thinking that I want to make a scarf and fingerless gloves for me.
I had been looking at Dee-Luxe or the Woven Cable Scarf or maybe even the irish hiking scarf.... ideas?? Help!

I finished up the knitting project gifts for those who (I hope) will appreciate it:

A scarf for my brother (Harlot's pattern), a scarf for my cousin, and flower facecloths for my cousin and aunt. I had planned to make a few more items, but they didn't pan out and / or I changed my mind about the recipient actually liking getting something handmade...

The mail came and brought goodies from The Loopy Ewe:
Carbon Dioxide - Interlacements Tiny Toes sock yarn.

Berry Sweet Georgia Yarn & Rainforest Fleece Artist Yarn

She also included a little sample card and a DPN inventory card - excellent. Everything was packed so lovely - will use them again!

And, Scout's Indie Swag Club arrived too!
Glampyre "Rock the Stars" sock pattern, gorgeous yarn:

And the cutest snowmen stitchmarkers from Goodtobegirl.com


We went out with my folks last night to see The Santaland Diaries - excellent! It's going to be a busy weekend - party tonight, working then going to RI on Sunday, going to Long Island on Monday - but that is part of the fun!

Planning Ahead

On my computer I have a folder for bookmarked sites titled "2006ideas" - it's stuff I marked as a reminder of things that I wanted to knit. With Christmas vacation here (YAY!!) I have the best of intentions to work my way through the stash - get it organized / matched up with patterns / maybe even get it into that Excel spreadsheet - so I'm ready for the "Knit Through Your Stash" and the "Lime & Violet Sock Marathon"... Maybe when I get the spreadsheet together I'll print out the patterns and attach them... I don't know. This also doesn't include much of the archives of knitty or magknits
In no particular order - I'd like to knit (online patterns):


Scarves & Shawls
Argosy
Lace Scarf
Grape Hyacinth
Skinny Scarf (This is an UFO)
Lacy V Scarf
Cinnabar
Party Lace
Uniscarfity
My So Called Scarf
Vegan Fox (Sub. yarns)
Candle Flame
Crazy Aunt Purl's Magic Scarf
Kiri (pdf)
trellis
Snowflake Illusion
Liesel
Seaweed & Shells

Socks
Socks of Doom
Brigid
Sell Your Sole
Lacy Scallop Socks
Cable Twist Socks
Sock Tips
Hourglass
Lombard Street
Aran Socks
Alhambra (pdf)
Dublin Bay (pdf)
Jaywalker(I tried this twice and had to rip both times... still like them though)
Diamond Fixation
2CircularsPattern - these I will make again - they work up so fast!
Boogie's Mega Sock Link List


Sweaters
Lucy in the Sky
Custom Fit Raglan
Bulky Green Cables
Green Gable (actually, this is an UFO...)
Alexi Cardigan / Scarf

Hats
Malagaiter
Fake Isle
Odessa

Decorations
Halloween Bag
Mitered Square Bag (this is an UFO)
1201 (pumpkin bastket)
Dog Cloth (shorter legs / longer body so it's more dachshund like)
Felted Fortune Cookies
Fish (blanket?)
Tilting Afghan / wall hanging
Garterlac Dishcloth
Stars
Tape Tote
People & Places
Log Cabin Baby Blanket Love the blues!

Accessories
Whitewater Fingerless Gloves
Newfoundland Mittens
Noro Mittens
Calorimetry

Good ideas

Chunkster Challenge (Maybe it's time I read "Harry Potter")

TBR Challenge (to be read) I will be able to do this one, I'm sure! Gotta get a list together - 12 + extra credit.

New Blogger (and Retail therapy)

Wow, so blogger has changed itself a bit. First IE gives me an update that totally changes the webpage (I miss the toolbar File, View, Edit, etc) but I'm getting used to it. Now, this. I think I like it so far. I find the font much more appealing.

Be good to yourself this holiday. I did (after being good to others via Yarn Harlot asked us to. By the way, I would totally wear a tee shirt that said "Be nice, I'm a knitter, we're a big team" sort of thing.)
Support another good cause: Violet's Pink Ribbon.
There's a new sock club: Knitting Sunshine
Shopping with benefits (Sock yarn doesn't count for the knit your stash!) Loopy Ewe.

**Edited to add - Must, must, must go to Crafty Alien (on etsy) and buy the patterns!!!! Or kits!!! Or notecards!!! So cute!!!!!
**I also bought a copy of "Knitting" magazine that had a mouse pattern - was thinking of making that for my mom. Now these. And over the summer I won a kit off ebay to knit a dachshund. Perhaps the beginning of 2007 will be about animals and socks.

*Edited: Crap - I just posted a bunch of knitted amigurumi links then hit something and now they're gone. Reminder to self: Knitted Garden Gnomes (etsy), Panda Pirate (etsy), crochet me online magazing, roxycraft.com

Cool Stuff

First, I received gift tags today from ShopDoxie.com - I love all dogs, but the dachshunds have a special place in my heart. The tags are so cool - funny and sturdy!! Good quality - they came all nicely packaged and a "Dog Says Hi" button too! I will be shopping there again soon!!

Second, I'm in love with this video:

here's the wiki info
U2 band members are in there - I spotted the Edge and Bono in the crowd scenes.

Elf Yourself

My mom sent me this and I totally copied... well, I used Jackson as a model - spread some elfish cheer!
Here!

It's Coming on Christmas...*

Life is busy, as expected. It's a crowded month - birthdays and holidays and knitting projects to finish. School is a zoo. I'm behind on the grading and there's knitting that needs to be done...

Last night, Dan & I met up with friends from high school - our Christmas gift to each other was to meet up in New York and go see Company - which was pretty good! It was fun to be in New York again, if only for a short time. We're actually going back on the 29th to visit my brother.

There was a package waiting for me when I came home last night - Kimberly of wovenspun.com sent me a great package for the Swap-bot Coffee & Yarn Swap. She sent two Kona coffees (yummy! We do miss this since our honeymoon!) and some of her hand-dyed yarn - a fingering weight in a "Summer Haze" colorway - so cheery - I can't wait to make some socks with this in the upcoming dreary New England January / February months!

I think I consider this sort of idea every year (Knit from your stash 2007) - but I like the sock exclusion rule. Still considering.

Timet to do something, but I'm pooped. Blog reading is something, right?

*Lyric from "River" by Joni Mitchell - I'm really digging Sarah McLachlan's version of it - great album!