...It's Another Year of Projects!...

I am really excited because the group Blog-A-Long is gearing up for a second round of Year of Projects! I definitely slacked in the blogging area after a few months, but of course, I am convinced I will stay on top of it this year. (insert a roar of laughter). Oh well, it is still a lot of fun to make a list! I am listing things in the order I would like them accomplished...that's right... I have 30+ items I want finished before October. Eek.

Here is!!

...2012/2013 Year of Projects List...

WIPS: (0/6)
*AD's Tie Sweater
*Hat--Sister
*Garter Stitch Afghan--charity
*Giraffe
*DH Scarf
*Afghan for our Room

CHARITY KNITTING: (0/5)
*The Miranda Hat
       This pattern is by Project: Stash and she is hosting a KAL through September. PLEASE JOIN US!!!

CRAFT SHOW KNITTING: (0/30)
*Not entirely sure on WHAT I will be knitting, but I am shooting for 30 items. Will keep a tally here.

CHRISTMAS KNITTING: ( Definitely NOT a complete list )
*Bengals Tiger Hat--Brother
*Fingerless Mitts--Mom
*Earflap Hat--Brother
*Hat--DH
*Bulky Scarf--Friend
*Christmas Stocking--A
*Leg Warmers x 3 (maybe 6?)

PROJECTS LIST:
*Cardigan\Sweater for Me
*Fingerless Mitts for Me
*Pair of Socks
*Sweater for DH
*12 for Self List

If I count correctly, not including the craft show knitting and the charity KAL, I have 25 items I would like to complete this round. I believe last year my list included 36+ items, so see, I have learned my lesson! Looking forward to seeing everyone else's lists. Interested in joining the fun? Check out the Blog A Long group here!

...Miranda Hat KAL...

I have always liked KAL's but I seem to sign up and then never start! Today is NOT the case though!

Project: Stash is hosting a KAL for her pattern The Miranda Hat, which begins TODAY and ends September 30th.  Our group KAL is planning on knitting these for either her charity or a charity of our choice.  I am hoping to knit around 5 of these for the Sanford Children's Hospital in a nearby city. She is also graciously holding giveaways each month of the KAL.

(Plymouth Encore Worsted in Purple Orchid. I am hoping this will smooth out after blocking.)

Please consider joining the fun. Details can be found here or by clicking on The Miranda Hat link above.

...Year of Projects: A Recap of 11/12...

If you remember a year ago (and if you do, props because I don't!) I wrote about joining the Year of Projects Group. Basically, we came up with a list of projects that we would like to complete in a year's time and then blog about our progress.

Like many YOP members, I created a MASSIVE list (I believe the original list included 35 items) and just knew I would get through them all.

LAUGH. OUT. LOUD.

I did not even finish HALF of my list, even after a few changes. I would say however, it has been a successful year of projects! I have been able to knit quite a few items, even with a one year old toddling around and am quite proud. It has been fun to learn new skills and 'meet' other fiber enthusiasts through their blogs. 

Currently, I am working on knitting several Snuggle Sacks for a friend and co-workers and know that I will not touch my current YOP list before June 30th.  I thought I would share with you one more time my Year of Projects list and all that was (or wasn't) accomplished:
 
Top 6 Blog A Long Picks:
*Aiden's Afghan (WIP)
*Fingerless Mitts for Me (12 for Self)
*Pillowcase for Bedroom (12 for Self)
*Socks for Me (12 for Self)
*Ballband Dishcloth
*Leg Warmers--inspired and motivated by a fellow blogger and Blog A Long member (12 for Self)

The In-Case I Finish List:
*Sweater for Me (12 for Self)
*Learn how to knit entrelac
*Coffee Koozie
*Breast Cancer Dishcloth
*Baby Sweater\Vest
*Windmill Bag
*Baby Feet Dishcloth

Christmas 2011
(keeping this here as it was part of my original list...these are going to be moved to next year's YOP list I am sure!)

*Yarn Swap Gift--August 1st
*Hawkeye Scarf--September 1st
*Owlie Sack for Baby Smith--November 1st
*Special Occasion Scarf for Grandma Faye--December 25th (WIP)
*Owlie Sack for Baby Ruyter--December 1st--Changed to Headbands and Petal Bib
*Jingle Bells Hat for Aiden--December 1st
*4 Secret Christmas Scarves--December 25th (only NEED to make 3) (WIP: 1 down, 2 to go!)
*1 Secret Christmas Scarf--December 25th (Eliminating)
*Mittens for Mom--December 25th
*3 Hats--December 25th (For: Joshua, Jason, Daniel) One hat has been eliminated...
*Hanging Dishtowel for Z--December 25th
*Leg Warmers--4 sets for my nieces...not entirely sure about this, but my husband thinks it would be neat, so I am adding it.(eliminated...maybe in 2012)

Final Tally: 13/30. Eek.

There you have it folks. The last time you will see this exact list. Several, if not most, of these items will be deleted. I am starting to realize I did not plan this list out very well. ;) Come back again to see my list of Year of Projects 12/13!!

One Year Old!!

We have been busy this month! To start, our son turned ONE!! He wasn't so sure how he felt about cake but enjoyed having all the kids help him open his presents.

He loved his rocking chair...which is more of a rocking stand to him...

 and his Case IH Tractor from Grandpa was a big hit too.

I cannot believe he is one already...time has flown by. I have been absorbed by knitting recently. A friend asked me to knit up 6 Snuggle Sacks as gifts. I love making these and look forward to knitting them up for her! Will post pics soon!

...year of projects update...

 ...wow, I started this post two weeks ago...

Woot Woot! Finally something to cross off of my list!! I finished the Special Occasion Scarf a couple weeks ago.
If you remember, I started this scarf in JULY of 2011...this was one item I had to get done for this round of Year of Projects.

It was tough to get good pictures of the color but these are pretty close. My intention is to gift it at Christmas! Yay, one item down!!

In other knitting news, I have made several baby items and am about halfway through Boys Can Wear Pink for A. I was hoping he could wear it for his ONE year pictures, but it is looking a little big. Guess I will save it for next year's pics!

...Learning Me Some Skills...

Thanks to everyone who has been checking in on my posts for this year's KCBW! I have had a lot of fun putting them together and reading others!

Today's Topic: Improving Your Skillset

I have known how to knit 4ish years now and have only been serious about it for 2 years (?). To say that I need to improve my knitting skills is an understatement. I will say I have come a long way in 2 years, just look at some of my early posts. Wow. Was I really THAT bad?

I have learned a few things year, to name a few:

• Cables
• Top-Down, No Seams (thank goodness) Sweater Construction
• Jogless Stripes (Thank Goodness!)
• Several different cast on, increase and decrease methods

I like today's topic because it gives me a chance to record what I would like to improve on (perhaps a secondary YOP list?). Bahaha!

• I would LOVE to improve the general look of my knitting. Sometimes it just doesn't look even and smooth!
• I would enjoy trying some Fair Isle.
• Seaming. If there is a fool-proof way to teach a fool how to do this, please let me know. I am terrible at it.
• And if you read my son's post from yesterday (Can't believe he hacked my blog. Smartest 11 month old I know.) I would like to learn Amigurimi.

This looks like a list I can work on throughout the year, in fact, I will add them to my second Year of Projects list now! (Oh, you know you have already started! And if you haven't, check out Blog A Long at Ravelry!You should join us! )

I Hacked My Mommy's Blog!--3KCBWDAY4

Excuse me all you grown-ups who read this thing my Mommy writes on, I demand your attention. Do any of you know when my Mommy knits?
I know it happens...the evidence is clear. She makes me wear these goofy looking hats. See, look at this one:

And then she totally embarrassed me at Christmas when I just HAD to wear this to THREE different Christmases!!! If Dad took it off (and thank-you Daddy for rescuing me from that hat!) Mommy was right there telling him to put it back on! She's nuts!

Then I had to wear this awful thing. I had a long sleeve shirt on and it still felt scratchy. What is her deal?!

Seriously, people, I really do not get it. Those cool looking sticks she uses do not taste good. And if I ever get close to one, she freaks out. I don't even know where she keeps them now.

And this stuff? Oh my gosh, I thought the sticks tasted bad, this stuff is gross. Attention babies, do not eat this junk!! .

I need your help adults. I can't take it anymore. If you ever see my mommy knitting, will you tell her to stop making me all of these dorky things and make me something cool? Like a puppy dog?

Thank-You,

A

...Knitting in All Seasons...

Today's KCBW topic poses the question, "How does your local seasonal weather affect your craft?"

I took a look at my current (perhaps I should state active, as they are about 6 in a dresser drawer that have been there 6 months plus) WIPs to see if they held the answer. They include the Special Occasion Scarf and an afghan. 

 

The scarf is Spring-like and the afghan is obviously Fall\Winter. 

My guess? Seasons do not really affect my knitting. I am more "list-driven" (which my husband can attest to...he apparently believes he saw me making a list of my lists once...that is so not true). Even today, my grandma said she was looking at my Year of Projects tab and commented I wasn't very far on it ;) I have my current (and ever-changing) knitting project list in order of completion\deadlines. If I have to knit a pair of fingerless gloves in July I will do it. 

I must admit, it would be nice to be season driven...then those fingerless mitts would have been done in December.

...My Knitting Hero...3KCBWDAY3

Today's KCBW topic is all about our knitting\crochet heroes. Of course, I immediately think of the person who taught me the craft.


My Knitting Hero: Corinne.

Coronado Island, California

I can remember the day she taught me how to knit. I had barely been crocheting (and was really terrible at it, honestly, I likely still AM terrible at it) and I saw her knitting one day and knew I had to learn. We were sitting in my living room (with my "I Taught Myself to Knit" packet and HUGE needles in hand. For some reason I thought it would be EASY to learn with sz 16 needles...) and she starting to teach me. I read in my book about "purl-ing" and inquired on how to do it. Her response? "I don't really know, you just place the yarn differently."

Well, I LIKED knitting but eh, didn't really have a passion for it. So the sz 16 needles and abundance of Red Heart yarn sat in a basket, unloved. Fast forward almost 5 years and I LOVE knitting! I am not sure what happened to make me fall in love with it so much.

We laugh now because I am a knitting nerd. I like to talk to her about new yarn, needles, patterns, the fact that I knit my first sweater this winter and she is content knitting her occasional scarf. (and Corinne, they are fabulous beauties! However, if you EVER want to nerd out a little more, you know where to find me). 

So THANK-YOU Corinne for being my Kntting Hero!! Without you, I would not have an abundance of needles, a small dresser (or two?) of yarn, a Ravelry account, my first sweater and a cute striped project bag.

...My Most Prized WIP...3KCBWDAY2

Today's challenge involves taking a picture of my craft of choice (knitting, der!) in a creative way. I thought the best way to approach this challenge was to include my most prized Work In Progress,  my son.

Here is my best WIP amidst other WIPs...

"I think you should work on THIS one Mom!"

Thank you for coming back! If you are interested in looking at other Photography Challenge blogs, type in 3KCBWDAY2 in Google. If you like this picture, consider nominating it at Eskimimi Makes! Come back tomorrow for: My Knitting Hero.