I feel like I’ve been blog-jacked.  My perfectly nice resolutions post was hijacked by a Zac Efron photo.  I’d blame my husband but he rarely reads the blog.  I’d blame the blog and put it in time out, but it’s an inanimate object and well, that would just make me look silly.  I suppose I could blame myself, but that’s really no fun.

Let’s talk resolutions instead.  Here’s the short version of what I’d like to accomplish in the next year.

1.  I want to knit 12 big things.  Not all sweaters, I want to leave some room for a fun shawl or a random KAL that might pop up.  I know I want to knit a sweater out of lace weight yarn, and it might take me longer than one month.

2.  I’m not giving up buying yarn.  I can’t handle the responsibility of putting the yarn economy into that kind of slump.  I will, however, make a concerted effort to search the stash first.  I now have several sweaters worth of really yummy yarn.  I’m not going to save any of my yummy yarn for when the Pope visits.  Or for when Zac Efron visits.  Because let’s face it, these aren’t going to happen.  I’ll love that cashmere and quiviet even more when it’s knitted into something amazing.

3.  I might make myself some socks.  Probably not out of cashmere though.

4.  I’m going to make a good faith effort to blog more and take pictures of my knits.  I know this year is going to be a busy one.  I’m hoping to not come screeching into every month with my hair on fire.  I want to take the time to plan and even dream a little.  Which applies to the blog as well as to life in general.  Taking time to plan blog posts and photos makes for an less hectic me.

And for no particular reason, I’m sharing something I came across.  A Downton Abbey Knit Along.  Or just view the Pinterest page of Downton Abbey inspiration.  I’m not personally taking part in the Knit Along, or the one from Jimmy Beans Wool, but it is fun to see the projects.  I’m queuing projects as we speak.

“The best way to spread holiday cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”  - Buddy from Elf

I’m in a good mood, a really good mood.  I spent all day Saturday baking quadruple batches of Christmas cookies with a friend. We gave about half of them away at 3 different masses this weekend. It’s part of a Cookie Sale fundraiser that we do for the school.  We baked them so that people could try before they buy.

Tonight I got the house partially decorated for Christmas.

But this is what makes me really proud.

1st project

Busting my buttons proud.

Lily decided that she wanted to knit again.  Not just sit on my lap and have me keep my hands on hers while she goes through the motions but really LEARN to knit.  I taught her the little rhyme I know:

In through the front door

Once around the back.

Peek through the front,

And off pops Jack.

Howevery, Lily didn’t like the name Jack so she decided to rename the stitches Pinky.  It doesn’t quite have the same flow, but it works.  The picture is of her practicing with 2 strands of yarn held together.  When I felt like she had the basic knit stitch down we went stash enhancing.  We found some Malabrigo Rasta in pinks and purples.  She borrowed my needles with the understanding that if she keeps finishing projects then she will get her own needles.  We cast on for a cowl.

Every day for a week Lily knit.  Then she was done.  She was finished with the yarn and wanted it to be done.  Since her cowl wasn’t tall enough to keep her neck and mouth warm (which is what she wanted it for) I had to do some secret knitting at night while she was sleeping.  Unfortunately I was caught – my knitting is much tighter than hers and the difference in tension made it tough to pull the cowl over her head.

Lily’s Cowl

Somehow she manages though!  She’s extremely proud of herself.  Now if I can just convince her that she should make a cowl for her sister for Christmas….

Since no photo shoot is complete without a few outtakes, I’ll leave you with this one.  I’m not sure what is funnier, Lily’s giggles or Addie trying so hard to be in the picture.

Cutting Room Floor

By the way, we’re decorating for Christmas, which is why we have the rubbermaids in the background.

It’s amazing how fast the time goes.  It seems like I had just finished a sweater and was starting on a new pair of socks; that was a month ago.

Vine Lace Vest

My poor duct tape bust has seen better days.  Someone tossed it into the closet and it got squished so that it looks like I have very bad posture.

Vine Lace Vest

Yarn:  Classic Elite Yarns, Kumara – 85% extrafine merino, 15% baby camel

Modifications:  None.

I picked out an October sweater at the end of September.  It’s gorgeous.  It’s one that I picked out in January as part of my 12 in 12 challenge.  It’s Zephyr.  I <3 this sweater.  I swatched…. and decided I needed to go down one needle size from what the pattern called for.  Then, Addie started talking about Halloween.  The swatch got put aside.

Addie wants to be Strawberry Shortcake this year.  Strawberry Shortcake wears lots of pink with green and white striped knee socks (or tights depending upon the artist).  Do you think it’s possible to find green and white striped tights in my area?  Nope.  Not much that I could easily find online either.  At least not at the children’s stores that I normally shop from.  What’s a knitter to do?  Make socks!

Addie and I trolled the stash and found some striping yarn… not something I keep a lot of on hand.  This Zauberball I bought intending to make legwarmers for a friend’s child.  I got bored at the time with the endless k2p2 and set it aside.  Addie felt this was appropriately “Strawberry Shortcake colored.”  Since a friend and I had been talking about making Houdini socks, I cast on for those.  Oh my.  You need to check out this pattern.  The way it works is it’s a toe up sock, but you make the sock as a closed piece from toe to heel.  You then (gasp) cut your knitting to pick up live stitches for the leg.  The sock I made for Addie was only slightly smaller than the ones I would normally make (she’s growing like a weed!), yet this seemed to go so much faster than any other socks I’ve made.  I think these are socks she’ll wear more than just on Halloween.

As for my 12 in 12 Challenge, I don’t think I’ll make it.  I’ve got several Christmas projects perking in my brain and none of them really are sweaters.  Since we’re just over 2 months out from Christmas, I think I need to start making my list of needed gifts and checking it twice.  I might have to put in a call to the North Pole to double check who’s been nice enough.

I almost titled this post “Who Woulda Thunk?” but it was killing me to use that bad of grammar in the title.  I know, I’m strange that way.  I’m really not sure that “Go Figure” is any better, but at least it’s not using made up words.

I digress.  Who would have known that finishing items would be so much fun?  In the last 2 days I have finished 2 projects!  I’m about to block each of them…. well I will as soon as I’ve finished this and have cleared off a flat surface that I can block on top of.  Both shawls will be donated to silent auctions in the area.  I’m excited to take pictures as I think they both turned out great.

A 1st Day of School picture to distract you from the lack of knitting photos.

I’m moving on to finish one of my sweaters that got abandoned when the Olympics started.  I just have some ribbing on the front and on the sleeves to do. I have a February Baby Sweater for Addie that I would like to finish before the end of the month.

I’m also thinking of another knit a long for October, the Houdini Socks.  I love the idea of knitting the footprint first.  I’m not sure that I’m crazy about the leg pattern on this particular sock, but I think I’d just swap out for ribbing.  Would you want to join in the knit a long?

Another fun picture. They’re so excited to see all their friends again!

I also need to figure out a October sweater.  I’m thinking something simple and maybe small.  I’ve got 1,000 yards of bright red sport weight or 540 yards of a pink dk weight that I could use that are calling out to me.  I think it’s indicative of my busyness that I cannot make a decision.