Knitting, Sci-fi and other stuff...

     With only two days left before 2013 I thought it would be a good idea to look back at 2012.  I made a list of goals back in April so lets see what I accomplished: -Double Knitting -Socks! (There is a deadline on this one 12/21/12, its a long story and it involves the Zombie Apocalypse) -Felting -Color work, stranded knitting and I think its called Swiss Darning, where you follow over existing stitches with a different color. -Real lace knitting, shawls or wraps with small needles (I have a small needle phobia) -Knitted Ami, not sure if my little Red Blood Cell counts. -Sweaters, I tend to do smaller projects so I want to do some more time consuming ones. -Crochet, I was intending to keep focusing on knitting but I found out I do enjoy crochet. -Finishing, its what makes an item look handmade not homemade, as they say. -Traveling cables, the Celtic ones Socks check:  August 2012 Felting check and check:  July 2012 ...

     The world didn't end!  Christmas is over!  (In theory Christmas music should also be done, but alas, St. Joes didn't get the memo.)  Hubbs and I celebrated Christmas early.  We don't do much to begin with and we normally wait 'til January since we can actually get home to Lo'ville and have some money.  We exchanged gifts a couple days before Christmas and I went yarn shopping on Sunday.  I gave him two Xbox games and volume 7 of Futurama.  I got two History Channel sets and diamond earrings.  (Really nice ones too!)  My favorite yarn shop, Sheep Thrills! Yarn Company, was having an open house on Sunday 12.23.12.  There were cookies, eggnog and a chance to win a $50 gift certificate.  I got called into work that day, but told them I had to go to the yarn shop first.  (Ya know priorities.)  I really did need to go though since I needed 32" US8s for Abalone.  While I was there...

     Maybe at some point I should mention that if anyone can name the song and or band that I throw into my tittles I'll give you brownie points.  (Note that brownie points in my household actually turn into brownies.)      So anyway, round three started back on the first of December.  I've already made two challenge submissions.  Hooray for me, motivation!  I finished the Twisted Wristers , which were the KAL for the Fingerless Glove Fanatics Group in November and what I sent to my Swappee Hale.  I used these for the WIP challenge.  I also busted out a dishcloth as a stash buster for the other project in order to get max points.  Here are the mitts completed and blocked.  The mock cable was very crinkly so I wet blocked them to make everything even out and lie flat.  I'll show you before and after pictures so you can see the difference. So that's the right mitt completed minus the thumb....

     Round two finished last night.  I completed three challenges and started a project for a fourth, but I didn't have enough done for partial credit.  I restarted the Baby Bella's Mittens with Lion Brand Amazing and US6 needles.  This combo proved to be much better.  I've decided to make a hat from this yarn as well, to match these mittens.  I placed these in the "You Made That With What?" challenge.  I used a coffee stir as a cable needle for the these.  It worked pretty well, but I still prefer real cable needles.        I've mentioned the dishcloth I was working on in my last post.  I used the Lacy Star Dishcloth pattern.  I made two from this pattern, the first with a seam and the second with a provisional cast on and garter Kitchener to close.  Both versions are detailed in the pattern.  The Kitchener way makes the seam truly invisible....

     Today is Thanksgiving.  As a family we celebrated last weekend since I'm at work today and both myself and the hubs are working this coming weekend.  Hubs did cook me something before I ran off to work for my 13 hour shift.  He made ham and green beans with bacon.  Not very thanksgivingee but we had turkey already, so it was nice.      Onto more yarny news.  I've now got pictures of the yarn I purchased recently and some project photos.  I got a gift card from a friend for my birthday, I finally got around to getting some yarn.  It was a gift card to Michaels, I don't shop there much anymore.  Here is what I got: I got two skeins of Vickie Howell Sheep(ish), its mostly acrylic but it has some wool.  Its very soft in the skein.  It is a single and it turns out I abhor this yarn, more on that in a little bit.  This is just plain old cotton, but I love this colorway Moondance.  ...

     Round 2 started November 1st.  Where did the summer go?  Round one now is done, I didn't melt the cube this time.  I did get five projects done though.  I only have one to share since I made a monetary donation to Giving Geeks.  I already explained the challenge details and tie-in for Sheppard's Cuffs, so here is the photographic evidence. I made the second cuff in SU colors on purpose.  I never did get around to making a single band cuff.  Maybe one of these days, if people like them.       I also have a picture of the cotton I picked up at Walmart, despite the fight I had with the display case, harumph. I've started a new dishcloth pattern with the orange colorway Poppy.  Its a modification of the first round dishcloth I ever made: Sunburst Dishcloth .  I downloaded the PDF to my phone when I started this originally, had I read the note about it being a modification of the ...

     There are only seven days left in Round 1 of Tournament 6.  I was hoping to have more done by now, but alas, real life has taken its toll on me for the last two and a half weeks.  There are a few colds going around at work.  I think I keep getting re-infected with a mutation of the same thing.  I was feeling better now I'm getting sick all over again, with different symptoms.  It probably doesn't help that I've been living at work either.  This overtime is appearing at a good time though, since the front struts on the Bonneville decided to snap in two at 3 in the morning.  Thank goodness it was in the morning.  On occasion, when one of the night shifters are on vacation, the evening shifters stay 'til three and one particular day shifter comes in at three to relieve us.  The few evening gluttons get rotated and this particular morning was my turn.  Hubs and I are lucky in the fact that we work at the same hospita...

     So it's October now and Nerd Wars has started again.  I've been busy on the knitting front.  Before T6 began I made another pair of Elf Clobbers.   I used Berroco Vintage for the wrist and crochet sections and Queensland Collection Soft Comfort Mohair for the fuzzy mohair section.  This is my second go at this pattern.  I made sure to do a very loose bind off at the top of the 2X2 knitted rib section.  I also made the mohair portion looser and longer.       I never really got to all the finishing I wanted to do.  The tea towel toppers and the Star Trek Pot Holder taunt me every day.  I keep them out as a reminder of the things I need to complete.  One of these days they'll finally get to me and I'll finish them.       As I said Nerd Wars started so I've been plugging away at projects and another dissertation.  I was able to go yarn shopping twice, yes twi...