Pie crust promises? Only time will tell.
As I take stock of this past year (and yes I do think about more than just the knitting of the past year but that's a different story), I am forced to face the fact that I am an unfaithful knitter but more importantly, an unhappy unfaithful knitter:-( I can't seem to stop jumping into new projects when I'm not done with others and when I know this will drive me crazy. Having lots of loose ends (ha! punny) in any part of my life tend to get me nervous.
So why don't I stop doing it...So ok, resolution one: no more than two or three projects started at a time. I like that because I do think it's fun to be able to switch between a few projects, have one that can travel easily, one for the couch, etc. but not overwhelming or embarrassing like the number of projects on needles at the moment. Last year I finished 31 projects, including everthing from lace curtains to dish rags to stuffed sheep and dogs. However, the dregs of the year add up to SEVEN! AHA and they're all driving me crazy. To some this may seem paltry. I know the Harlot does this much in a week for Christmas. I actually was surprised it wasn't more but for me, it's too much! So perhaps chronicling the sad state of affairs will help me keep not only resolution one but resolution two (here's the biggy): I won't start any new projects until all seven of these are done!! Whew! I said it.
Ladies, I present to you the first seven knitting projects of 2007!
From smallest to biggest/most complete:
Mosaic socks made with yarn all the way from Zimbabwe where yarn enough for two pairs of socks costs $140,000.00 (yes that's the right number of zeros:-(
NOT PICTURED: insert picture of the second Pheonix sock. It'll look just like the one you've already seen providing I can remember what I did! It's not even on the needles yet but since one sock is completed I feel like this is a started project.
The Morehouse Merino scarf which I loved at the time I started in May and which I slowly hate more and more as each unending row crawls by.
Don't even know quite what this is. guessin' sweater.
The beginnings of the red/orange handspun. GOT to get this done soon because Carolyn surprised me with beautiful hand made glass earrings for Christmas to match the sweater just because she'd seen on the blog that I was making it! Isn't that the most thoughtful thing. (Hi Carolyn!)
Remember this? MDSW in'05? maybe? started this past summer and it always gets pushed aside
Worst of all cause it's been on the needles so long (but closest to done). Started this back in the spring. Geeze. Sleeves are all it needs but I have a sinking feeling that I'm running out of yarn and I used a discontinued Debbie Bliss. It will be so sad when the first project of 2007 can't be finished for lack of yarn.
Not so bad I guess, even the projects that have lingered for months. Actually, one of the things I like about knitting and spinning is that it takes time. In a world of instant everything, projects that actually take time are grounding. I've often thought about ages past where time was marked by seasons as the smallest unit, not seconds. Part of me longs for that and knitting speaks to that part. I have to plan now for things I might want to wear next fall and that large scale is connecting and comforting.
Knitting stock taken, resolutions drawn, and now...the spinning...
New Year's Resolutions or...
sheep for Christmas
It sings or rather bah's "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" too! Can't get better than that. (Sorry the picture's blurry-it's the only one I have)
But it wasnt' just me. When Max unwrapped his present he also found a sheep! He loved his just as much as I loved mine. Of course I didn't immediately chew the nose off of my sheep but everyone expresses love in their own way.
I love this last one because you can see he is playing so hard his ears are flying! He even still has ribbon wrapped around his leg!
I did get other fibery related Christmas gifts: a Barbara Walker treasury I didn't have from Mom/Dad, some knitpicks yarn from sis-in-law Carolyn, a ball winder from Mark's brother, and several nice things from Mark's mom and dad like a blocking board, new needles, and a magnetic board to hold patterns. I'd take a picture of the haul but honestly we're still unpacking (do not shame me, I am embarrassed enough already!)
the year in scarves
My family draws names for Christmas and I got my mom. For weeks everytime she walked past me she'd pretend to cough "scarves" at me! So I decided to make her a scarf for every season, knitting it in that season. Here she is opening them - you can see she is putting them all on as she goes!
This was the winter scarf. It's a mobius made from kid mohair. Red is her favorite color.
The spring scarf was inspired by redbud trees against the kelly green newly leaved trees on the mountains between here and home. I even stopped and bought the yarn in Cumberland which is roughly half way there. It's rayon. Nice drape!
I was determined to buy the summer scarf materials at MDSW because that is the start of summer to me and I succeeded in finding a pretty little silk boucle yarn in late summer colors. Mom's really not a pastel kind of gal. I almost missed knitting it in summer though and didn't finish it 'til Labor Day, the end of summer to me!
I tought she'd like the first three scarves but they were all lacy and a bit foofoo so the fall scarf had to be straight forward, chunky, warm, and in neutral colors.
Then I discovered from Dad that he was getting her a new camel colored long coat for Christmas and I thought she really needed a soft little alpaca blue scarf to match her beautiful blue eyes. The "Christmas season" scarf. I can pretend there are five seasons if I want to!! I finished this one the day before Christmas and worked on it while moving my brother from Texas!
The project was really fun because it lasted all year and all the scarves have fun memories attached. She seemed to like all of them! So there are five projects completed last year that I couldn't show because Mom sometimes looks here!
The camera's debut!
So we finally entered the digital age with a digital camera. Merry Christmas to us! Merry Christmas to us!
Thus, this post contains pictures with actual details! Imagine that!
Remember these?! 
"Up from the ashes, up from the ashes, grow the roses of success!" (50 balls of left-over yarn from various projects to anyone who can name the children's musical that's from...come on Brandy, you got to start knowin' this stuff)
I give you the Pheonix sock
love it! made up the pattern with some help from a Nancy Bush pattern.
requisite gratuitous close-up just because I can
so two for the price of one really...the post shows both the crappy old sock project compared to the new good sock AND the crappy old camera picture with the new good camera which will hopefully actually get better! Those pictures are just with the thing straight out of the box just point and shoot. Imagine after I actually read the directions!!
The blanket's debut
Typing one-handed here girls...
Here is a photo of the blanket's first day out. I haven't used it a lot because it doesn't go with all the pink outfits she has.
It's not a great pic of the blanket because apparently the real subject is the baby.
From yesterday's paper...
Really, I can sympathize with poor Leonard. I keep trying to figure out how I can nurse the baby and knit at the same time. My mom assures me that with more experience I will get it.
It's official.
I've become a true yarn hoarder. I just broke the hinge on the cedar chest where I try to corral the stash. It's mighty hard to actually overstuff something like that with stuff that is (supposedly) soft and fluffy like yarn but I've achieved it!! Oh well...I guess if you haven't yet broken door hinges on the house, there's still hope for you.
I'd offer this as proof that I'm doing my best to reduce the stash by finishing projects like this little sweater but actually I bought the yarn last week just for the project. It was my birthday - I was loose in a yarn store with my husband's presence and pledge to buy me stuff - it was on sale!! What do you want from me?! 
As is often the case, I wasn't happy with the finished project. I just made it up and I liked the color change in reverse stockinette. But in the end it all seemed a little too sweetsy. I liked the two colors but together with those buttons...
Anyway, Latrice seemed to like it. She's Joanne's (from church) daughter and she was expecting but had the baby back in Sept/Oct at 23 weeks. The baby only weighed 2 lbs. She's actually still in the hospital but she's doing extremely well and should come home soon!. Her name is Laila. (God bless, little one!)
Happy Birthday (to me too)
No pictures of curtains but AHA, The birthday booty! Abby, we are blessed indeed. The Vintage Knits book is from my sis-in-law Carolyn (hi!). It's by Sarah Dallas and I really like her stuff! The other book, Pluckyfluff's Handspun Revolution, was actually a gift from me to me (I'm shameless). My mom and dad gave me the vacuum. They also gave me Unexpected Knitting by Debbie New, unpictured for really no good reason. I just forgot it, probably because it's huge (really a large, lovely, gorgeous book full of wonderful art) but maybe my conscience is getting to me too, making me picture the vacuum which will mostly likely get far less action than the knitting books!! Mark was wonderful for my birthday, taking me home to visit AND stopping at the yarn store on the way!! What a man! I bought the two rovings at the store. I couldn't make it to Stitches last weekend because of the Lit/Film Conference I needed to attend at Towson and my biggest regret was missing out on whatever yummy stuff Mama-E took for Cloverhill to sell. But low and behold, they'd saved some for me!!! I really can't express how beautiful this stuff is. It's the same merino/tencel blend that I made that little orange/green shrug out of in Oct. These color's are "platinum" - a wonderful silvery shiny color that absolutely isn't captured in the picture. The other is a purpley greeny blue combination that is also stunning!! But the most favorite and loved presents are those weird green spools in the front. Storage bobbins!!! I've been wanting something and finding no good solution until I decided "heck, my daddy could make these!!" and make them he did...and more are promised! This could only be so exciting to a true spinning geek...oh well, such I am!
close ups for your enjoyment!
I have all manner of on-the-needles projects that I could show but the constant battle with laziness is being lost at the moment!! Soon perhaps soon!
Happy Birthday! (to me)
So, here's the birthday haul:
Yes, those people were birthday presents. Lexi and Lolita traveled from far and away (ok, New York and Washington) just for me! Aren't they the best? Other presents include Tracey Ullman's book (from Vijay), some handmade yarn and a beautiful little bag (from Sam), and Debbie Bliss Cashmerino (from mom and grandma). Non-knitting presents include a tshirt from Loli and a sweatshirt from Angela. THANKS EVERYONE!!!
I've recently finished some projects:
I made up the cable rib pattern on my own and wasn't sure if it would work, but it seems to so far. Blue socks! Yeah!
This scarf is made from the wool I bought at the Algonquin Mill Festival. It's long and large and awesome. Hmmm...I guess I'm not so humble, am I?
remember this?
Ah yes. The never-ending lace project finally ended! I finished them in time to take them to my aunt at Halloween. I was hoping to have pictures of them actually hanging up but the weekend was too crazy. Maybe I'll get some this weekend since we're leaving today for another weekend visit. You can get the idea from this picture though!