Total time!

There's going to a LOT of totals this time round, mainly to take in the end of the month as well as the end of the year.

December:

Bought 0g, zero, zilch, nada!!!
Used 1,095g
Completed 6

I thought that was quite an achievement for December and totalled 0.9 miles. As I flicked through my diary/knitting book, I discovered that the amount I knitted this month isn't the largest total I had... August was 1500g ( thats what happens when you're on holiday you see, lol)

Anyway, the YEAR's total:

Bought 10,714g
Used 10,692g
Completed 56

There's a difference there of 22g... 22 measley grams. If I had just made the cuffs on my last pair of socks longer I would have used that 22g. But what's done is done.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased that I haven't significantly added to the stash. Effectively, I've used what I bought and my plan for 2009 is to have bought next to nothing and knitted the same weight or more.

Ta da!!!

I've another WIP ticked off the list! My fetchings are done and dusted. Just a baby cardigan to do (once I rip out one side) and the donegal blanket. I think I'll frog the rose tyler arm warmers though, too fiddley for me at the minute.

I got the parents foot measurements, so maybe one of the many pairs of socks will be for them this year - the mother's birthday is in April so I might try and get a pair for her.... not handwash socks though (she felted my brothers pair earlier in the year)

So... pic of the fetchings. My camera is crap so you've been warned!

I skipped a cable repeat and the picot edging, but I like them!

Another sock done!

I've completed another sock.... in less than a week! This excites me greatly since it was a big ugly sock for me and not a nice Siobhan sized sock.

This makes me even more hopeful that I'll manage to knit all my sock club socks in 2009.

Of course, this week I've knitted nothing BUT socks, so maybe when I start something else the sock tally will drop, lol.

Sock Club 09

I've just managed to sort out my sock club for next year. It's not really that exciting (more scary than anything) as 5 pairs are patterned, some with cables, some with twists and other mad things. For a bit of a break, the other 7 are plain.

I've put a plain and pattern together in an envelope with the yarn/pattern on a slip of paper and sealed it. I've also written "pattern then plain" on it, just in case I cheat, lol. The patterns are now in my ravelry queue so I can just hit a button and they're in the notebook.

Now the difference with my club is this: Because I don't think I'm that fast at sock knitting, the next pair will be started when the previous one is completed.

Hopefully by this time next year I will be on my 12th or 13th pair of socks!

I have left a slip out of the envelopes - Trekking XXL. That yarn was a pain for me during the year so those are the first 2009 socks to be knitted!

Blogging on Christmas day?!

Yes I am and thats because I rock, lol.

I managed to knit a sister sized sock in a few days which is the quickest I think I've knitted a sock before. Last night I was 3 rows into the ribbed top before I fell asleep and today, moments ago, I finished it. I rock!!!!

Now the photos aren't great (cuz they weren't taken in broad daylight but they're bright and happy little socks and she likes them)

Please note the disgarded toy packaging lying beside her!

Merry Christmas and happy knitting 2009!

(I'm off to cast on sock 2 of the Russian's)

By the end of the year

I have decided that I would love to start 2009 with no Wip's, none at all. So between now and midnight on New Year's eve, I want to finish:

1. Siobhan's regia socks. The first is done and the second was cast on last night. Hopefully be done by the end of the week.

2. My Russian sock. Sock one is done but no sign of two being started yet.

3. Donegal blanket being sewn up ready to learn the crocheting thing for the boarder

4. Fetchings finished. I've most of the first done but have to do the thumb and the entire second mitt.

Am I mad? Yes. Am I slightly ambitious in thinking that this will all be done? Again, yes.

I'll give it a good shot though!

Ahead of the game!!

This week (and its only Tuesday) I have managed to finish knitting all 3 work people presents... and managed to use half a mile of yarn in the process... I love the knitmeter you know. The yardage I knitted is a quick walk for my dog!!

So tomorrow I'm taking another present with me to start. I think I'm on target but we'll see how we get on tomorrow!

New Year's Resolutions!

I know its a tad early for the resolution business, but I'm going to throw these ideas that Nicky and I came up with out into the ether.

Socks
We're going to do our own sock club, and some of the patterns will be coming from the Simply Knitting calander that came with an issue a couple of months ago... since all I can do is plain socks, this is going to be a challenge. I'm asking my mum to bring home lunch bags from Washington next week - if I can see the yarn, I'll not want to knit it so its best to hide these things, lol.

Stash
We're also going to try the Stash Knit Down 2009 ravelry groups "Knit 100 balls in 2009" challenge. I know I have more than enough stash to keep me going to for a while and I'm going to not buy any yarn. However, there is a clause here. Nicky and I are hoping to go to Toronto at some stage, so it is my plan to not buy yarn until I go, I can buy when I'm there and then when I get back, its no yarn again. Unless I need a ball or two to finish a project, thats allowed.

Our challenges/knitalongs!
To make 2009 slightly interesting, Nicky and I came up with a list of 13 challenges/knitalongs for us to do over the year. One challenge starts whenever the last one ends, so it could take 18 months but on the other hand it could take 9 months!

So we have, in no particular order:

1. fairisle and steaking in the one project, we're nothing if not crazy, lol.
2. the pi shawl
3. crocheted starghan (I can't crochet so should be interesting for me)
4. baby suprise jacket
5. Dream swatch headwrap
6. Clapotis
7. Endpaper mittens
8. Hoodie time! We both have hoodies we want to knit, just different ones
9. Emerald cardigan
10. More cardigans!!! (it gets cold here you know, lol)
11. Gift challenge - knit gifts for birthdays/Christmas
12. WIP finishing marathon
13. Pinwheel blanket

So there we have it, the 2009 crazy train!

If we add all the yarn from the 13 knitalongs AND the socks then I think I'm well over the 100 ball mark and therefore have succeeded in knitting down the stash in 2009, knitted some pretty nifty things AND learnt some new knitting skills as well as how to crochet! Win/win I'd say.

Current WIP's
I have a few wip's on the go now that are starting to take over my life, lol. I have 2 different socks on the go, trying to knit a Christmas present and have a birthday present to start. Then, once those are done, I've a few things to knit for the ones I work with (which they demanded I should add) Although the socks aren't desperately needed by a deadline, they see m to be the only thing I want to knit. I think I need to hide them until Christmas is over, or at least until I get everything else knitted!