Knitting Nuns on the Run

I know I promised to post photos today - alas, the camera was forgotten, BUT -Did you see this?!

Wow. I knew knitting could be a compulsive hobby and all, but this is too much.

The short version is that a group of 55 nuns from Greece are on the lam because of debt caused by their knitting venture. Oh yeah, and they are all named Maria.

I promise not to go on the lam if I rack up too much knitting debt, I will just hide behind the yarn (but, shush, don't tell!)

It's a boy!

Tyler Dean Johnson was born today! He is very cute and I will post a photo soon - hopefully tomorrow. Danielle looks tired but very beautiful. She is a wonderful mother and I am very proud of her. I told Tyler that I am his great Aunt, and that that was an adjective. ; )

And in case you are wondering, no, I am not yet done with the shawl, but I'm getting closer! I am hoping that it will accompany mother and baby home...

I've Got Yarn!

Yup. SOME of the yarn for the Spanish Christening Shawl came in, a certain someone misordered and only received half of it... Oh well- I have faith faith I tell you that this will work out perfectly! I have been knitting and knitting away on this project so that I can have it done in time. And this shawl, like Danielle, is getting BIG!

Baby Countdown: 12 days It is actually a nice repeating pattern (this shows about 8 pattern repeats). I don't find it boring at all. It is just interesting enough to keep my attention, but easy enough to work on while watching American Idol, I mean PBS. I am looking forward to seeing it wrapped around Danielle and the baby at some point in the future. I also recently received my shipment from Knitpicks that contained the magnetic cart holder. Wow. Why did I wait so long to get one of these? Only $10 bucks and really makes my life easier...

Now, I have to tell you, we have also had some finished projects around here!
(Drum roll.............)

Anna finished her Fuzzy Feet:(she ran out of the green and so instead went for a purple toe. I kind of like it!)

I finished my socks:
First finished project for 2007! Yowza.

And Winter seems to have finished with us. As I was waiting for my daughter to get out of science class this moring I smelled the sweet heady scent of Narcissus blooming. Wow! Really?! Yup, they were there right behind me. When I came home I took a look around the garden and saw the unmistakeable signs of Spring. She is peeking her way into our lives and finally warming us up a bit! Lovely.

Too many projects.

Well. It seems that I am not the only one suffering from knit project ADHD. I have so many projects I want to cast on.

Socks (always, I have sock yarn for quite a few feet and no centipedes in sight!)
Mitts
Scarf
Wrap/stole
Vest (2 actually)
Sweaters

But then Jeni came over today and showed me her possible projects... Love ya gal - you have me topped!

Seriously though, I have been scanning different books/sites for potential patterns for a scarf I need (the one I currently have is alpaca - boo hoo) and Jeni was great at helping me to narrow it down and make a decision. I will be swatching soon.

In the meantime. Despite my interest in starting a new project or six, I have decided to finish the socks I am currently working on, (they are almost done- I will post a picture soon-) and then only cast on a small project while I continue to wait for the yarn to finish Danielle's Christening Shawl. The yarn had better get here soon, cause that baby is going to be here no later than January 31st!!! Eeek!

In the meantime, here is a picture of HANNAH's finished project... the cozies!

And here is the pattern by JENI!

Dang. The Harlot and I are linked. I just read her post to her daughters (I laughed so hard!). My husband is also out of town/country. Although it is a bit strange, usually there are at least 5 or 6 teens around here (but we tend to attract extras- which is actually kind of fun) but this week it is awfully quiet. Isha went back to school on Sunday and won't be back for at least a few months (although this means that I will actually talk to her on a regular basis because she will call me to say "Hi.") Ygrayne and Giselle are visiting their mom and stepdad in DC and so it is just me and the three youngest kids - okay, okay, young adults.

It seems so calm, so do-able, so almost normal, and they are behaving so weird. I have witnessed, in the last 24 hours, the following:

Ari asking Conner to come with her to the store (for his company)
Conner and Anna "hanging out" on her bed, reading Anime books and listening to music.
Various children saying "Okay" when I ask them to do something,
and then actually doing it!


I am wondering if I should be checking for signs of the Apocalypse or something.

On another note: I just have to share the following photo. It is from Christmas, there were four of us knitting. Can you believe it? How cool is that?!

(from L to R: Danielle, Hannah, Pete "my non-knitting cousin" and Isha)

Alpaca Resolve and curses

Well, I have decided, no RESOLVED (in honor of the New Year) to hearby abandon all projects that involve alpaca.

Those who have been reading this blog for any amount of time will know that while I love alpaca - for all of those wonderful soft, warm, light, reasons we know so well - will also know that I am allergic to it.

Major bummer.

I completed several projects with alpaca last year:

The Helmet Hat












The Reversible Scarf











(dang, I thought there was another completed one...)

I also have two incomplete alpaca projects: (which I can't take a picture of because my son is taking pictures of his rocket... argh)

The German Clock vest (100% alpaca-absolutely divine stuff)

and yes, The Husband Sweater (aka, the Black Death, the black fog, oh yeah- Interweave called it Ribbed Cables or something)

On this "husband" project I have the back, right side, and about 1/2 of the left side completed (those of you counting will have 1/2 a side and 2 sleeves remaining) Yep. About 60-70% done. This one hurts. But, everytime I pull it out to contemplate doing a few rows, my throat feels all scratchy, my eyes get itchy feeling and so I quickly tuck it back away. Dang, is this a variation on the Boyfriend sweater curse? I would LOVE to knit my husband a sweater. I don't even mind if it means long, boring bits of knitting! I just can't bear the thought of working with the alpaca!

So, I am in search of a new pattern. I like the Irish love song pattern (Amhra'n Gra pullover) in Knitpicks, although he would prefer to have a cardigan, so I may need to find something else or maybe just design my own... Hmmm. That could be interesting. Although it could also be drawing down another knitting curse as well.

In the meantime I have, available for adoption, an incomplete sweater and some yarn that could go to a new home...

Starting the New Year with a BANG!

A new year is here! Happy 2007!!!!!

Yesterday I was inspired with the new year and got much done around the house in terms of organizing. My lovely husband put together the new shelf from Ikea, so I was able to do some re-organizing with that. I love having space for all of my things for a change! But today, I was going to finish it all up... Was going to being the key. Instead I am sitting and being rather bored.

Last night something funny happened. I got up to use the toilet and somehow wound up on the floor. I don't remember falling or anything else. I just remember waking up on the floor and being completely disoriented, not knowing where I was or anything. I hit the back of my head pretty hard and when I went to the doctor this morning was told that I have a concussion. All I know is that it hurts, I feel very disorieted and am not going to be driving for a couple of days and that I feel like I CAN'T KNIT. I just feel like my eyes, my fingers and my brain aren't all quite working together and I'm afraid to knit anything for fear of getting completely confused. Not a good way to start off the year afterall.

I have made many typos in this post... dang this is frustrating.