Heading Down South

In just a few hours, I'm heading to New Mexico to visit Mot. I hope to return with amazing photos of Ghost Towns, White Sands, Sunsets and a having had a fantastic time with the Motski!

Until then, enjoy yourself!

Tackling the UFOs

Elizabeth of Gee You Knit! gave me great ideas for how to tackle my UFOs. She suggested that I work on the Mitered Square Blanket when I was sick of everything else (Elizabeth, it's for me so no deadline), ONLY carry socks with me and work on them when I'm out and about and finally give all my other projects 48 hours of focus before rotating onto another project.

I love these ideas! It keeps me working on my projects and admitting that I don't have the proper focus to work on one thing at once. I just don't, I get distracted by shiny things so easily!



Now my only adjustment to this idea is that I'm going to take a few items out of rotation and work on them only after I whittle my UFO list down to less than three items. Also items with assembly only needs will be dealt with in one session.

Items for 48 hour rotation:
1. Hilltop Wrap
2. Irish Hiking Scarf
3. Kidsilk Scarf
4. Baby Hat
5. Touring Wrap
6. Harry Potter Scarf
7. Chevron Scarf
8. Alterknits Scarf/Shawl

Items to carry with me:
1. Dublin Bay Socks
2. Scoutj Knee High Socks
3. Project Spectrum Cabled Socks



Items to be assembled:
1. Louisa Harding Plush Toy
2. Clothspin Bag
3. The Darn Purple Sweater
4. TKGA Master Knitter I

Items to deal with later:
1. Mitered Square Blanket
2. Mariah

UFO Status -- Part Two

Part two of the UFO freak-out session is here! Tomorrow I will discuss my plans to deal with these UFOs. Reader Elizabeth had some great advice that I plan to follow (with a few Supergirl adjustments).



1. Hilltop Wrap -- I'm about halfway done with this project. Unfortunately I'm a bit lost as to where I am in the project so this one will require some thinking before I can start knitting on it again.





2. Mariah -- I'm about 4 inches into the sleeves which are the most complex of this project. However like the Hilltop Wrap, I need to locate my starting point again. Yikes!



3. The Darn Purple Sweater -- I just need to seam up the arms and do a bit of finishing on this. I think I'll need to take it to a finisher.



4. Irish Hiking Scarf -- I'm about halfway done with this scarf and I love the pattern. I just need to liberate my size eight needles from another project and start knitting on this again. I guess I could always buy more size eight needles if that helps me work on this again.



5. Kidsilk Scarf -- This was a free present from Rowan which I started when Harry Potter 6 came out. I really need to get cracking on this one again. I love this pattern. It's so simple in its complexity.



6. Baby Hat -- I started this hat two jobs and a few years ago when a co-worker had a premie baby. The kid is now in preschool or something. I need to finish up this hat but there is no rush. It's for a premie and luckily I don't know any right now. I'm sure I'll be able to donate this hat when I'm done.



7. Scoutj Knee High Socks -- I'm through the inital ribbing and am into the leg. This is the pattern that January One uses for knee highs but it's a bit too smart for me so I'm struggling with it. I'll make it through eventually!

So that's it -- 17 UFOs. Whew that is a ton!

Now before you think that I just start projects, I have finished one too!

I finished the Orange Scarf which will be a birthday present for a co-worker. I love how it turned out.




I'm making a face because it was super hot and the wool scarf was making me sweat!

Tomorrow -- the plan to attack UFOs and bring them to a reasonable level!

Eye Candy Friday

Here's to a weekend of sun and warmth!

UFOs - Part Deux to continue this weekend, after I go home and find the rest of my UFOs!

UFO Status -- Part One

It's that time again, when I freak out because I have so many things on the needles and then SWEAR to finish them before casting on for anything else. It's a vicious cycle and we all know how it goes.

In an attempt to be honest about my UFO's, I'd take the time to list them with their status. I have so many that I'm breaking this post into two parts.



1. Mitered Square Blanket -- I have knit 23 squares out of the 80 needed squares. Last night I cast on for my 24th square.



2. Touring Wrap -- I'm about three inches into this wrap. It's something that requires my attention when I knit so I haven't been working on it as much. I do still love the pattern though.



3. Harry Potter Scarf -- I need 14 stripes total. I have 5-6 stripes completed. It's boring to knit this scarf but one day, I'll be done and it will be great to wear.



4. Chevron Scarf -- I've only knit about four inches on this scarf. It's an easy pattern but there is that one row that requires attention. It is slowing me down.



5. Alterknits Scarf/Shawl -- I'm about 10 inches into the scarf. I love this yarn. I love this pattern. I just need to make time to knit it.



6. TKGA Master Knitter I -- I totally missed my one year deadline and now need to readjust this project based on the new directions. Shouldn't be too hard. I need to give myself a new deadline.



7. Louisa Harding Plush Toy -- This toy is knitted and just needs to be assembled. Shouldn't be that hard but I just can't seem to get it DONE!



8. Project Spectrum Cabled Socks -- I started these back in February and haven't knit on them since. This is my favorite sock pattern so one they are complete, I know that I'll love wearing them.



9. Dublin Bay Socks -- I'm on the foot of the first sock. The part where you knit round and round measuring every 10 minutes and never getting close to the desired measurement. Yep, that part.



10. Clothspin Bag -- I've knitted up the pieces for this bag and have cut out the fabric. I just need to get the right sized hanger and assemble this sucker!

Tomorrow, part deux. Yes! I do have many more UFO's at home. Frightening!

Meeting in Portland

After spending an afternoon in the Gorge and a restful night in the hotel, Scott and I got up on Saturday and headed over to his family's homes.



I got to meet his delightful niece who is a pretty, pretty princess so we got along famously. She had me play Barbie, My Little Pony and Fishies for hours. I really enjoyed myself and had a few good laughs with Hailey. Let's just say that Hailey knows what she wants and how can one argue with that?



Scott's niece is working on becoming a photographer herself and took my camera to take some pictures. Considering that the camera was almost as big as her, I was quite surprised when so many of them came out.



I also played with Scott's nephew who was so adorkable with his glasses. He has to wear them for about six months and he does not like that!

I also met the rest of his family who were quite wonderful. It was a good trip down to Portland. We even made some time to visit Powell's and I found the most adorable dog on the street! He was old and missing teeth but full of character!

Road Trip to Portland

This past weekend, I made a road trip to the crafter's mecca - Portland. At least it seems that way with so many crafty bloggers either moving to Portland or coming from Portland. Scott drove on the way down to Portland so I was able to knit along the way. I finished up the co-worker's scarf but that is a topic for another day.

Scott and I made a side trip to the Columbia River Gorge where I gasped and sighed at all the beautiful sights.



The waterfalls were absolutely gorgeous.



The company was goofy and made me do goofy things! (Who puts a gorilla tripod on their head? Goofy People!)



Multnomah Falls was fantastic even though my blood sugar was dropping and my stomach was crying out in pain. One can't ignore beauty like Multnomah Falls no matter how jittery they feel.



I'd highly recommend this side trip for any trip to Portland. It was beautiful!

Tomorrow, Actual Portland!

The SKY is FALLING! (or Seattle Traffic Woes)

I live in a city where watching traffic reports and planning alternate routes are part of everyday life. I have spent hours sitting my car just trying to get home while cursing traffic. This August, the DOT has undertaken a project to fix some expansion joints on I-5.

People have been freaking out, FREAKING OUT! about the construction for the past three months. At work, I've been receiving emails about alternative work schedules, alternate transportation plans, etc. Now in my opinion, we should always have the opportunity for alternate work schedules and using alternative forms of transporation is a wise choice (I do try to take the bus though I must admit that I've been lax about it lately since driving is so much faster in the Summer).

The news coverage has also been overwhelming and the local newspaper even has a blog called The Clog to keep everyone up to date about the construction.

You can hear the news shouting about "CONGESTION!" "BACK-UPS!" "TRAFFIC JAMS!" and yet yesterday there wasn't any congestion or traffic jams. This morning my commute was very normal. I'm beginning to wonder if the world is setting my expectations too high. Are they going to lull me into a false sense of security and then BAM! traffic jams for 20 miles?

So me, I'm trying to live life normally but I have this twitch in my eye from keeping an eye on it all.

OMG!

If I was getting married, this would so be my cake topper. I would do it just to see the look on my Mother's face. I have a feeling she'd love it.

OK back to your regularly scheduled knitting. It is Purly Girl night and I am quite excited about knitting tonight.

Eye Candy Friday

Just a bit of eye candy for you! Happy Friday!

Knitting for Others

My co-worker's birthday is coming up in October so last night I decided it was imperative that I get cracking on her birthday present. I decided to make her a scarf even though I rarely knit for co-workers. I had some orange yarn in the stash that just called out her name. It wanted to be a scarf for her.



I'm knitting this on US15 needles so it should be completed fairly quickly. I'm making up the pattern as I go along. Basically I cast on 24 sts, knit 1x1 rib for 8 rows, added in Teva's Lace Leaf motif and then I'll finish by knitting st st for a long time and finish with 8 more rows of 1x1 ribbing. Pretty simple but to a non-knitter, I know it will pack a punch!



I do need to add in a seed stitch border to the scarf to keep it from rolling. I'm just going to ladder down to the parts that I've already completed and then go from there.

I now want to finish this before the end of the weekend! I need to make a scarf for another friend's birthday that also falls in October but that scarf is destined to be more complicated and with smaller yarn.

Interweave My Dreams

On Monday night, I came home to find my Interweave Knits waiting for me and I must say that I am so very pleased with Eunny's first edition as editor.

I am lusting after the Tangled Yoke Cardigan and this is definately something I will be starting shortly, well right after I get the yarn! I want to wear this sweater now and I want to make it even more.



Another item I want to knit are the Tyrolean Stockings by Ann Budd. They are just beautiful. I feel Christmas Knitting coming on! I know I have yarn on hand for these babies.

Creation of Lace

I've been watching Good to be Girl work on the Touring Wrap from the LYS tour and lusting after her beautiful wrap. Then I remembered, I bought that yarn at the same time Amy did and so with that, I found my yarn and cast on.



I am in love with this pattern. I often come home after a long day and think, "I can sneak in just two quick rows." I think about my wrap when I'm driving to work, when I'm at work and whenever I'm away from my knitting.



I would be much further along if I could stop making so many silly mistakes. I did wise up and start using a lifeline which has already saved me once!

Eye Candy Friday

On the first day of August, we headed down to the water where we left a memento that is just between the two of us. I hope it stays for a very, very long time.