KnittingNutter

We collected our new puppy yesterday and it's been a real rollercoaster since he arrived. He's an 8-week old yellow lab. Last night was an experience - and a half. I haven't been in this haze since Natalie was an infant and it's only been one day... Oh, but what a beaut he is and such a little bundle of fun.

I did get three rows of knitting done last night, though, whilst Max was taking a nap. So, now I'm nearly ready to show off the body of the Norwegian sweater. Photo coming on my next post.

With the Monkey's for my sister and the gloves for my father out of the way - my family has too many Spring birthdays (sorry forgot to take pics before they made their way across the Atlantic)... it was back to the Norwegian sweater. I now realize why we call them sweaters - boy have I sweated over this one. The first part was fun, a nice pattern for the bottom part, but then 55 cm of knitting in the round in one colour.

I've knitted and knitted and knitted on this thing and haven't really felt like I was making any progress. So, this weekend with 20 cm left to go, I dug deep and picked a couple, or three (or was it four?) reality TV shows and finished the required 55 cm. It was the perfect weekend for knitting as Vancouver was hit by freak Spring snow followed by quite characteristic rain.

Now it's onto the fun part - top chest and shoulders full of wonderful Norwegian patterns. And I promise to take photos as I progress on this one.

This is sort of unrelated to knitting, but certainly related to what I'm doing right now - blogging. I'm really excited about the conference I'm going to tomorrow - called Northern Voice. It's a conference about social media tools, including blogging and I will be attending all the 101 sessions.

Of course, what I learn I will pass onto my fellow knitting bloggers.

In knitting news, I've now got myself into a knitting frenzy (again - remember Christmas?). We have lots of Spring birthdays in my family, so it's time to get those needles clicking in double-time. I'm really late now, as my father's birthday is March 1 and I haven't even started on the gloves I intend to give him. However, I'm 3/4 of the way through the Monkey socks for my sister who is next - March 23. After that in quick succession come my brother and nephew. Then it's a breather til the Summer.

I'm starting to wonder if this knitted gift thing is such a good idea?!

I love new projects. New projects mean new yarn, new patterns and newfound knitting energy. I've finally got round to knitting the Monkey socks and you Monkey knitters out there, you are so right, the pattern is so much fun. Once I've gotten a little further I'll take a photo, but so far so good.

And the next big project is another Norwegian Sweater - this time for a local charity that I knit one garment for a year. It's for a male and it's a beautiful pattern designed for the 2004 Norwegian Olympic ski team. It's knitted in the round and three-quarters of the body is one colour, so I'm now trudging through that part - looking forward to the bring patterns on the upper chest and shoulders. Pictures to come once I've got some progress to show.

New projects also means a growing pile of dormant WIP. The Norwegian sweater for myself is now relegated to the back benches - collecting dust until I muster up the energy to finish it off.

I finally have some progress to show on the Norwegian cardigan I'm knitting for myself... Yes, you heard me right, I'm actually knitting something for myself. OK, so here goes:

The body and one arm pinned and waiting to dry.

I'm halfway through the second arm and then I have the edge knitting to do - and I'm done!

The project in waiting is another Norwegian sweater. This is for my annual charity, where I knit a sweater to the highest bidder - the proceeds go to a local charity. The yarn is on its way from knitpicks.

Oh, and we bought a breadmaker today. My first loaf of bread is slowly rising in my new machine as I write this. I just got so tired of the terrible bread you find at the local supermarket and the price you pay for a loaf is incredible for what you get - Cdn$4-5 for slices of bread that fall apart in your hands - not worth it.

I was talking to a friend on the phone the other day and it occurred to me that I don't have any of my own friends anymore. All of my friends are the parents of my daughter's friends - and my daughter is only 4 years old.

So now I'm wondering, can I actually find some of my own friends - away from my daughter's activies or am I destined to be Natalie's mom forever? With that, I've decided I need to create some of my own time and have signed up for a spinning course. I'll learn a new skill, connect with people that are as passionate as I am about wool and hopefully make some of my own friends.

In other knitting news, I've been drawing a big sigh of relief as recipients of various knitted goods have graciously thanked me for the items. I've had the leisure of pleasure knitting, rather than panic knitting, for a couple of weeks. So, I've taken up reigns on the Norwegian cardigan I'm working on for myself. I've finished the body and now working on the first arm.

And I'm slowly working my way through Cat Bordhi's new sock book: New Pathways for Sock Knitters. It's one of these books I am constantly having to put down, think through the instructions, take a deep breath, get back to the instructions, pick up needles and work through each line by line. Fascinating, but hard for my little brain to grasp. I bet it's like everything you do, once you've got it, it'll stick. Just waiting for the "getting it" part to dawn on me.

OK, I've calmed down now. Half a sock to go and a few days left til Christmas. Thanks all for your kind comments.

Knowing me, I need to feel the panic rising before I finish the last half of that sock, so what am I doing? I'm surfing and playing with some new online tools. Like Squidoo. Have you seen this? It's like a forum for people to share their interests. So I created a Squidoo lens (basically a page) on knitting.

Check it out: http://www.squidoo.com/nutsaboutknitting

There are also a few knitting groups on Squidoo, which you can join and add your lens to. However, it doesn't match up to Ravelry, which I've also been spending a lot of time in today.

See you surfettes - I'm heading back out to Cyberspace!

My brain is turning into wool - I swear. 10 days to Christmas and I'm starting to make Rookie mistakes. I have two socks left to knit - one of each set for my brother in law and mother in law - yes, I know the dreaded present for the mother in law (why did I leave her gift to last?).

Yesterday, I slipped the wrong stitch over from each of the needles, leaving me with purled stitches on each end, when it called for knitted stitches. I'm completely oblivious of this as I knit the heel and then comes the dreaded moment - gah!

Yet again, I'm frogging like a mad woman and then trying to catch up on a full evening's work, whilst not trying to panic about the little time I have left - and the things that will take me away from essential knitting time: the Lucia party we're going to tonight, Christmas shopping, food preparations, office party... oh, and work.

Fingers crossed I won't be giving my mother in law one sock for Christmas.

I'm knitting the Columbine Peak lace socks from Cat Bordhie's knitting with two circular needles book and I thought I was nearly done with the first sock... and then horror of all horror, the lace right on the front of the sock is wrong. I've knitted one of the holes in the lace pattern one stitch over. Gah!

And that was 40 rows ago! If it wasn't quite so visible I may have just left it, but really who wants a displaced pattern, in pride of place, on the front of your sock!? Not me and certainly not my mother in law, who will be the lucky recipient of this sock (although she may tell me that she's allergic to wool and then I get to keep them - but that's another story altogether).

Guess what I will be doing tonight? Can you say F-R-O-G! Let's hear it for Asa - nicely done!

Wow, life took over and it's been a whirlwind Fall. Before I forget. Happy Thanskgiving to all my American knitting friends.

OK, so between ferrying my daughter around from school to various activities, to a trip to Europe to visit family and attend my uncle's funeral, dealing with some pipe issues up at the cabin and a couple of major work projects, the last couple of months just wizzed by.

You'd be proud to hear that I did not give up my knitting time - just a little less of it. Unfortunately the blog suffered tremendously.

So, let's get to it - here's my list of Christmas gifts and progress:
- brother in law - socks (still to start)
- brother in law's fiance - socks (finished - yey)
- mother in law - socks (yet to start)
- father in law - hat (hmmmm)
- hubby - gloves (getting there...)
- daughter - scarf (completed - another yey!)

Do you think I'll finish all gifts in time for Christmas? I think I'm walking a fine line, but then, what's new.