Knitsox is Moving

The new place is still kind of a mess, but you are more than welcome to stop in and check it out.

Isn't it amazing...

...how you can take two weeks off and only two days after you return, be right back into the same old routine?!

Before I could say Happy New Year, I was right back to it, up early, on the road to a client meeting, writing another proposal, editing a spreadsheet, and ducking to avoid the office politics. That explains the need for this at the end of the day. Really, to be completely authentic, this blog should be titled Knitsox and Chocolate and Wine.

To try to bring my mind and heart back to that feeling of vacation joy, let's review some of the projects from the blissful two-week break.

First, there was Honeycomb.





The second photo shows more stitch detail.








I finished the back over the weekend. It is knit in Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed, purchased during the amazing Webs blowout sale the day after Christmas.









Second, there is a pair of socks that will be gifted to someone very special, very soon. The first sock was knit plain old vanilla stockinette.

Then I saw this pattern for Campfire Socks by Cider Moon in a broken rib pattern that looked so much more interesting. So, of course, I began the second sock in the new pattern, which means I have to reknit the first sock, which just means more knitting, which is really what its all about, right? More Knitting!! Yippee!!

Here is a closer look.

The yarn is Araucania Ranco Multi, color 314. Jeff says they look like Grateful Dead colors and I have to agree. The first pic shows the first 28 sts in the broken rib pattern. Mostly pink and green, right? But flip the needles over to opposite 28 sts and it is blue and purple.

Some people call that pooling. I just think its cool.

So to everyone else out there who is trying to ease back into the usual work-week routine, I raise my glass and my needles in salute. Hang in there. Tomorrow is Wednesday. We are almost half way through.

A Much Needed Break

For the first time ever, I took time off between Christmas and the New Year. With the holidays falling as they did on Thursdays, that meant almost two weeks off. In other words, a long break from my usual routine.

I didn't travel or do anything that most folks would consider super-exciting. Others might be bored just hanging around home for two weeks, but for me, this was the best vacation I've had in a very long time. It was a perfect stretch of relaxing, day dreaming, knitting, blog reading, organizing, and preparing for the new year.

Resolutions

For what it's worth, here are some thoughts for the new year. In no particular order, I resolve to:

1. Knit with solid color yarns
2. Say thank you
   
3. Knit a sweater that fits me, that I actually will wear in public
4. Volunteer
   
5. Write and publish a knitting pattern
6. Sell at least one skein of hand-dyed yarn
7. Appreciate my wonderful friends and family
   
8. Use more coupons
9. Listen
   
10. Be patient

All the best for a happy, healthy, peace-filled 2009.

Decisions

On December 26, C and I headed off to Webs for the annual blow out sale. OMG. What a scene. I'd been to Webs for the first time just a few weeks ago. That first time, the store was quite and peaceful, yet still overwhelming in its abundance of yarn. This time, the store was packed to the rafters with crazy knitters. It was true insanity. 99.9% of the shoppers were kind and friendly, but there was that one crazy lady who made a very rude comment to me and C about our use of a shopping cart. A very loud and ridiculous comment. It is the first, and hopefully only time I will come this close to slugging someone in a yarn shop.

Anyway, the bargains were incredible. In the first room, there were piles of Noro Silk Garden. Bags upon bags of color 246 for a mere $50 a bag. My friends, this stuff normally sells for close to $12 a skein and I scored a whole bag for $50!! Jeff, the ever vigilant entrepeneur wondered why I didn't buy all of it to sell on Ebay for a profit. Honestly, that thought didn't even cross my mind, though I wonder if others were doing just that. There was also boxes and boxes of free yarn. Yes, that's right. I said free!!! It was all ribbon shiny yarn. Not anything I really wanted, but I'm sure some creative crafters will put it all to good use. There was one lady who was stuffing her shopping cart full of the free yarn. She must have had twenty or thirty bags. I was a little embarrassed for her. Maybe she is going to sell it on Ebay??

So now I'm wondering what to do with all this bargain Noro...it is color 246. Green/grey/purple/and a just a hint of very ugly mustard yellow. I wonder about those nutty dyers at Noro. Do you think they all sit around and say, "hmmmm this looks beautiful just as it is, but wait, let's really screw with all those addicted knitters and throw in a pinch of baby poop yellow! Ha Ha Ha, do you think they'll buy it?? Of course they'll buy it!! They are like crack addicts. They can't control themselves." And then they add an extra knot in the skein, just to make us all extra crazy.

So, yes, I bought ten skeins of the lovely 246 with the ugly yellow and now I need a pattern. Any ideas out there? I did a quick search of Ravelry and found mostly the lovely Noro striped scarf, designed by Jared and much loved by the Yarn Harlot. But honestly, I think I have plenty of scarfs. Maybe another Klaralund? Or a Clapotis? Maybe a Gesta?

Fellow addicts, I need your advice.

Finished Just in Time

Whew. It is 3:15 PM on Christmas Eve and the nephew and niece socks are done and wrapped. Apologies for lack of photos, but I was on a roll, what with the finishing and weaving in, that I just jumped right into the wrapping and never got the camera out. Maybe tomorrow I will photograph the socks during the unwrapping.

In addition to the socks I've finally finished wrapping all the other gifts, baked a tray of candy cane peppermint brownies (yum), hand washed three sweaters and finished a full load of laundry. All that's left is to make a salad to bring to dinner tonight at my sister's and I'm done. Jeff is probably right when he says why bring salad, no one ever eats it anyway. But I was asked to bring salad and bring a salad I will. Salad and peppermint brownies. (Yum).

Merry Merry Happy Happy. God Bless.

Go Elf Yourself!

I should be wrapping gifts and finishing up the last pair of nephew socks. Instead I am doing this.

And, despite photographic evidence to the contrary, Jeff does not have a giant melon head and Max really is a good dog.

Happy Holidays!

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