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http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2006/12/23/print_at_will.html

Blogiversary

I keep forgetting. December 9, 2004 - this blog is already two years old - my how time flies!!!

Ayanna's birthday was great! She got presents and cake. She was soo tired, but you certainly couldn't tell - she was having so much fun! I will try to pick some decent pics, most of them are awful!

Malik was in a concert at school on December 14. It was a Beginning Band concert - 6th grade. He liked it. It was good.

That is Malik standing

Christmas was good. I got a bonus at work on Friday, so Saturday we went Christmas shopping. We also saw Santa.

I gave dad his sweater without zipper. I got some advice against the zipper I bought, so I bought a new one on Tuesday. I plan on installing it this weekend.

Holiday Meme

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Neither, really.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?
Santa always wraps, and in his own wrap, not the same as the rest of the wrap

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Lights are lights

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. I have some somewhere, but I can never find it from November through January

5. When do you put up your decorations? Between Thanksgiving and December 20

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Pumpkin pie

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I love Christmas.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I do not remember – in school, I think.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Usually, no, this year, yes because I knit my family stockings, and those should be opened before Santa comes

10. What kind of decorations are on your Christmas Tree? Hallmark, hand made by children, store bought cheap balls, candy canes.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread? DREAD – it is pretty to look at when you are in the house with no where to go.

12. Can you ice skate? Heck no! Tried once, but never again.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? no

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? That the kids believe in Santa

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pumpkin pie

16 What is your favorite holiday tradition? The whole thing.

17. What tops your tree? A star

18. What is your favorite holiday book? The Night Before Christmas

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Don’t know – maybe Nutcracker Suite

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yummy? Not worth the trouble

Ayanna's birthday

Today, she is ONE!!


day 2


baptism in february


first Christmas


mmmmm good!!


last June

Today for her birthday, we took her to Red Robin, so they could sing to her:

Apple Juice





French Fries


Oops, here comes that french fry back again


Macaroni and cheese


What are these people doing


Some kind of song


The crazies singing to her.

Sorry the pics are soo crappy. Blurry must be in this season

15 Knitting days until Christmas

I finished DeAndre's sweater awhile ago. He decided this was the best pose.

I finished knitting ALL 5 Christmas stockings. I have ends to weave in on three of them.



I am finished with all knitting, weaving all ends, and seaming most of the edges on Dad’s sweater. I still have to buy and install a zipper (I have never done this before), and seam the top and bottom edges. Sorry for the crappy photo, but it is black, what do you expect?



I started and finished a beret from the latest issue of Interweave Knits. Bought the magazine on Monday, December 4, and bound off on Sunday, December 10.



I am done with some gloves for DeAndre’ and have finished glove one of a pair for Malik. I would like to make a pair for Marcus (DH), but haven’t gotten that far, yet. I took pics of Malik’s glove, but the flash made it unable to be seen, so you will see it someday.

Startitis?

Ok, so, here is my question for the great blogership. I have a lot of projects going. I keep starting them. However, is it called startitis, if I am finishing them?

I finished DeAndre's sweater from the cone of yarn I bought a couple of months ago. I took a picture, but haven't gotten around to uploading it. I also should take a picture of the cone after, to compare with before. I think I used a little more than half of the cone. DeAndre' wore it to school yesterday, and put it on to wear again today. (I wouldn't let him).

I also finished yesterday the fourth of five stockings. Wove in the ends on this one and everything. I have left one stocking to go - I haven't cast on for it, yet. I need to weave ALL ends in on one of them, and a few left to weave in on another. So, I guess I am 75% done with that project.

I am REALLY close to finishing the yoke on Dad's sweater. Apparently, there is some more fussy work after the yoke, so I can't guess a % on that one.

I cast on for me some wrist warmer things. I haven't gotten very far on these, but no matter, they are only for me.

Last night, I found a pattern for a Sweater for Malik. Now, I have to figure out if I want set in sleeves or drop sleeves. Looking for that link, I LOVE the patterns there. Such a good range of sizes. I can make something for my large size step-dad! Of course, that means buying A LOT of yarn, and taking A LOT of time.

I have mentally put the fair isle vest for Marcus and the fair isle Dale pattern in the frog pile. I knit them both too tight, and I will need to start them over.

Haven't worked on Minimalist in awhile. That is all my projects (I think) that are currently OTN.

Updates

First, please go to Korin's site to read this post, then click (if you are so inclined).

Then, Knitting updates:


Here are the 3 1/2 of 5 Christmas Stockings


DeAndre's sweater. I have only a little left on the arm, then weave in 6 ends.


Another shot


I haven't gotten very far on Minimalist. It is kind of hard for me to do the increases and stay in 1x1 rib pattern.


See, not very far...


Done with Ayanna's hat. It is too big for her, and it kind of gathers on the top, but it works. I don't care enough to rip it out.


I don't really know the best way to photograph Avast. I have finished the body and both sleeves, now they are all together so I can do the yoke and the decreases for the raglan and finish the whole thing. It isn't the easiest project because the 79 stitches for the sleeves are in a place on the body where I bound off maybe 5 stitches, so it is a bit tight, and I am a bit worried about the joins on my needles. I am also worried that I put the sleeves on "wrong" so that the sleeves will be in reverse stockinette stitch while the rest is in regular St. St. I did it just according to the pattern, though, so we will see.




I am supposed to be working on some Toe-up socks for a class for www.needlecraftuniversity.com, but I have a little too much going on right now, so I am printing the instructions and saving the video clips until I can start them.

Today was rumored to be the last game for DeAndre's football season, so I made sure to take pictures. However, he has practice on Wednesday, so I don't know what that means.





Well, my DH is upstairs in bed, and I'd like to join him.

Good night.

How big is Ayanna???

SOOOO BIG!!!


YEAH!!!

I have made soooo much knitting progress.

I am finished with 3 of 5 stockings. I made LOTS of headway on the leg of #4. I have been pretty bold in knitting these in the living room in front of everyone, and no one has seemed to noticed. However, this weekend, while knitting on #4, DH says "what's that?" "Boy, are you observant - I get through 3 of these before it dawns on you to ask me about this!" I didn't say that, though, instead I said "I am not answering that question."

I am making good progress on Avast. This is the first sleeve. Of course, that isn't a great picture because the 12" ruler isn't really showing anything except that is longer than 12". It needs to be 19" before I start the decreases or whatever I need to do next.



I cast on for Minimalist from Mag Knits this weekend. It is a GREAT project in that I get to use stash yarn that I got in a Yarn Swap. I got stuck pretty quick, though, because I don't know the best way to stay in pattern (1x1 rib) after I do increases. I will find out, but I am stuck for the time being.

I also cast on for a hat for Ayanna yesterday. She has outgrown her other one.

I HAVE A KNIT GROUP!! Every Thursday from 6-9 at Knit Purl. I decided I HAVE to go to something, or I will go crazy!

This weekend we bought a pumpkin and I carved it yesterday night.



That is all, for now.

Blogging Around

In making the rounds this week, I found these two links that I felt were interesting:

I got this from Michelle. Move the socks around...
http://www.tomslighthouse.net/special/Socks.swf

I got this from Kim.
http://www.nationalknittingweek.com/

And, while reading http://loulou2.blogspot.com/ blog, I saw that I need to answer the questions from http://yarnyenta.blogspot.com/ blog, so here goes:

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
You mean I have to pick ONE!!! Okay, I guess since it never happens, it would be on the couch next to my DH while watching (almost) anything on TV.

2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead?
Read and play Sudoku

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
Right now, I would choose Germany because my friend is there and that is where we met. But she is an Army wife, so she will not be there forever, so when she leaves, New York for the experience

4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it?
I never had a goal.

5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
Ben & Jerry's "Half Baked" It is some kind of fudge ice cream plus chocolate chip cookie dough.

Now, let's see if I can post those pictures from last week:

Detail on Avast cabling


I believe I have made progress on this, but I haven't taken out the measuring tape, yet.

I know I am farther than this. I finished that sleeve, and started the other one.


I also know I am farther than this. This is done with all the knitting, but the yarn has not been cut, and no ends are woven in. I have cut yarn, woven most of the ends (not all), and started on another one.

And, just for good measure, some baby girl pics:

She so much loves to drive.

We got pictures done a couple of weeks ago, but we haven't been able to finish scanning/converting them so I can't post them.

Post, please post...

I keep trying to add pictures to this post, but for some reason Blogger won't let me. So, I have three more pictures with actual knitting content, but you don't get to see them in this post.

So, here is what I have...

Knitting Content:

I am working steadily on Avast. I really LOVE this yarn!!! It is Bartlett Yarns. It smells like wool, and you can feel the lanolin in it. I have a problem, though. I think my dad won't wear it much. It is wool, and you have to be careful with wool, and I made it, and he doesn't want it to wear out. I think I might have to get on him about that.



I have progress pictures to show you of a Christmas Stocking and a top-down sweater. Also, I have a picture of the cable in Avast. These are the ones I am having trouble with.

Knitting Content over.

Malik is in Cross-Country. They had their first (of three) meet last week. He forgot to bring shorts, so he was running 2000 meters up and down hills with no warm-up in cords. He walked A LOT, and he didn't get first place.


That is him in the white shirt and pants.


A couple of weeks ago, Miss Thing got her first tooth. Her second one broke through yesteday, but I don't have a picture of it, yet.



This is her daddy sharing his twinkie with her:



More later!

PS: I forgot to mention. I got a comment last week from ??? (Sorry, if I have to stop and look at my email, I might not press Publish). She said to me that she is surprised I have time to knit at all. I make time to knit. I knit and walk, I knit in church, I knit at games, I knit while DH drives, I knit anytime traffic stops (including red lights). I am fully addicted, and even if it is just one stitch, I knit. I tried to email you directly, but I didn't have your address. Thanks for reading.

Malik Fall 06

So, at the new job, the technology is a bit behind my old job. We don't have a color scanner here. Therefore, here is Malik's school picture B&W. He doesn't like it. We may be signing up for retakes.