Knitting

Sunday evening I realized I had FOUR knitting projects in progress.  This is so unlike me.  I’m a one project at a time kind of girl.  I start something, finish it, and move on to the next project.  How I ended up having four at one time is beyond me.

I took a deep breath and started working on the one that was closest to being finished.  Before I knew it, I was down to THREE, then TWO, then ONE!

I hardly ever knit anything for myself, so after the handmade holiday rush, I decided to start a pair of knucks.  After I finished one knuck, I started on some baby socks.  They had to be made for Miss Emma’s teacher as she returns tomorrow after being on maternity leave.  Then I got two hat orders thanks to Joshua’s teacher.

I made a flower power hat in some very soft and squishy Charisma yarn (same kind of yarn I used for Joshua’s afghan).  Then I made a Chess Play hat using Fair Isle knitting, a technique that I had never used before.  It was quite simple and I love the way this hat turned out.  Knit in one of the local high school’s colors, I think it will be the perfect mix of warmth and school spirit!

I’m now left with just one knuck to make.  Knitting is my evening wind down so I love having a project to work on.  Although I’m not advertising knitting orders, you can certainly email me if you want something made!

*Baby sock pattern is from the book, More Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

The minute I saw this pattern I knew it was the right one for Miss Emma.  After finishing Joshua’s afghan, however, I thought maybe I should find a simpler one for the sake of time.  After browsing Ravelry, there just wasn’t one that caught my eye, and so I began the Honeycomb.  I made a little goal that would ensure it’s completion.  If I knit so many inches a day, I could finish it in time for Christmas.

Goals are great, but sometimes there’s a time when they just aren’t realistic.  And that’s exactly what happened.  I chose to be a happy mama, enjoying the holidays, rather than a driven, crazy woman trying to finish a blanket. 

So you know what I did?  I wrapped that unfinished honeycomb and put it under the tree.  You know how hard that was to do?  Very hard!  And you know what Emma G did?  Right after opening it, she promptly brought it over to me, not uttering a single word.  She’s hilarious, that girl.

If only Christmas would have waited two weeks…

Linking up with Jennifer @ Studio JRU for Sneak Peek Friday.  It’s a great place to share your creativity with such an encouraging group of ladies.  Please check it out!

This past summer I decided that I wanted to knit the kids blankets for Christmas.  They are always fighting over the one I made back in 2010, and I thought this would be a great gift because it would be their very own.  There was only one problem.  Texas must have had the hottest summer ever.  With over 40 days of 100+ degree temps, breaking records, and causing a major drought, only a crazy person would start knitting an afghan.  I wasn’t crazy.  (Although if you read my post on the afghan I made in 2010, you would see that I finished it in 100 degree heat.  What is my deal with knitting afghans in the summer??)

So I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  I finally started his cabled afghan the end of September (even though it was still quite warm) and finished it in about 6 weeks (how I did that I don’t know).  I love the Loops and Threads Charisma yarn in red, and the cables definitely give it some masculine style.  What’s more important is that the recipient absolutely loves it.  The photo below was staged and all his idea. 🙂

Linking up with Jennifer @ Studio JRU for Sneak Peek Friday.  Look for another afghan post next week!