happy, happy

happy new year!

i've been pondering that whole concept these past couple of days and, frankly, i just don't know why we should be sooooo happy about starting a new year. ok, so 2009 wasn't a stellar year but we really shouldn't wish things away so fast. we should spend some time contemplating the ups

and downs of the past year and what actions and events we want to repeat and what we want to totally forget and never revisit. hopefully the 'want to repeats' will heavily outweigh the 'total regrets'! hey, i'll be pondering that one for months!!!

then there is the issue of new year resolutions! why do we enjoy setting ourselves up for failure each and every january? i mean really! don't we get beat up by others enough - must we continue to self-inflict more pain and suffering? i just don't get it, but each and every january there we are making lists of what we hope to accomplish - shoulda, coulda, woulda!!

one thing i do know... i started 2009 knitting and i ended 2009 knitting - god willing, i will repeat that in 2010! i did complete the first part successfully, knitting in the new year! whew, i'm half way home on that one!

here's another thing i know for sure - i've got a really, really, really bad yarn addiction! i have never met a yarn shop that i didn't love!!! and if i am forced to go shopping, the only stop that really interests me is a lys!! i am amazed how velma (my volvo vehicle) manages to incorporate a swing by a lys on all of our travels - amazing how she knows all the shops around town and she isn't even equipped with 'gps'! go figure!

soooooo.... where does this leave me?

well, before i move into the new decade, let me reminisce a tad bit about december, 2009.

december is when i take my big vacation of the year and spend two whole weeks laying under a palm tree, watching and listening to the ocean while drinking drinks with paper umbrellas in them! it also affords me with lots of uninterrupted knitting time (isn't that what a vacation is supposed to be - doing what you want to do?). here's what is truly amazing about this year's vaca - i only took yarn for three projects and i completed all of them! (excuse me while i break my arm patting myself on the back) perhaps i'm finally getting my act together and developing the ability to judge just how much i can really accomplish and not over pack my suitcase with oodles of yarn that will come and go untouched. tada, this is what i completed:

#1 - 'scroll lace scarf' by ysolda. i am also addicted to patterns by ysolda (well written and wearable). this one certainly didn't disappoint. i knit it out of malabrigo silky merino in the color 416 - indiecita. this yarn is such a pleasure to work with - like knittin with butta! i would throw the word 'addiction' into this mix but really, i think you already know how i feel about malibrigo yarn!! yum! yum! yum!

here's the rub - was i able to cast on and knit away? well, of course NOT! i got about half way through the lace edging and realized that things looked a little loose and that if i didn't change my gauge i probably wouldn't have enough yarn - argh! so, after a visit to the only yarn shop on the island (not too tough an assignment) for a size smaller needles, i was on my way! oh, yay, another little problem, the skeins of yarn were indeed the same color but from two different dye lots - an error on my part, been a long time since i've committed that faux pas!

#2 - 'traveling woman shawl' by liz abinante (free on ravelry). nice yarn and easy pattern to follow. the yarn is: araucania ranco multy in a sock weight in a mouth watering combo of roses, reds and purple. luscious. certainly a much better match for this yarn than what i originally had planned. this was a quick knit that i managed to get right from the getgo - i checked my gauge (an amazing feat for me) and as usual, had to back down a size or so on needles!

#3 - 'old shale scarf' by tiennie (another ravelry find). the yarn for this scarf is artyarns ultramerino 4, both skeins from the same dye lot but here's where it gets funky - they may have been from the same dye lot but they were way, way, way different! this presented quite a problem when the original shawl i had intended to knit was about three quarters complete and the difference in the skeins became glaringly apparent! argh! so.... i spent several unenjoyable hours froggin' my original plans! since my fall back 'vanilla' pattern seems to be 'feather and fan', i decided that i had plenty of yarn to knit a scarf of a reasonable length by alternating the skeins every two rows so the differences were undetectable! voila! a beauty that left me with about a foot of yarn left over - now that's the way to totally use up yarn!

enough is enough!

exactly when is enough enough?

that's what i'm pondering at this point!

recently, you'll know if you've been paying attention, i've been taking on knitting projects that have involved multiple repetitions of the same pattern.

here's the latest - the "ishbel" scarf by ysolda, a lovely young woman i'm sure has a great

future ahead of her as a designer. she really has her act together.

this pattern really blows my hair back! and this yarn, blue moon fiber arts silkie is delicious!! just delicious!

so... i zip through #1, feel absolutely fabulous and empowered as i head into #2, start to feel the drag with #3, and by #4, well, it is like pulling teeth to get through that one!

so, i ask, when is enough enough?

how does one determine when one has 'hit the wall'? when one can't possibly knit one more of the same object?

i, for one, haven't quite figured that out but i know that i am really, really, really happy when i have reached the end of the assignment i have given myself. perhaps that's the problem, i need to have a chat with myself about goals and expectations!

nah, not right now! i'm too busy basking in the glow of bustin' my stash!!

yahoo, buckaroo!!

there is no 'free lunch'

don't i know it!!

isn't this an adorable baby sweater? soooooo cute and quick to knit!

the pattern is from the book, 101 designer one-skein wonders, and is titled 'feather-and-fan baby sweater' designed by kimberly conterio. a well written pattern that was easy to follow and fast to knit with no seams to sew - being seamless puts it way high on my list!!

here's the rub - the yarn sucks!! it was like knitting with straw - it truly felt 'yucky'!

and why did i use this yarn? because it was a 'freebie'! when will i learn my lesson - there is no 'free lunch'! in hindsight, which is 20/20 of course, i should have just tossed the skein in the goodwill bag and got on my way, but, ohhhhhh noooooo, 'waste not, want not'!! so i decided to knit this little number to contribute to an upcoming silent auction. my conclusion after enduring this yarn is, (mark my words) never, never, never again! the old adage 'you get what you pay for' is definitely true in this case. i am too much of a tactile person - if it doesn't feel good to the touch in the skein, hey, it ain't gonna get any better when you knit with it!

i've learned my lesson, hopefully, but this whole experience makes me wonder, "how many new knitter's, trying the craft for the very first time, have picked up this yarn, needles and a beginning knitting pamphlet at a big box store (kmart or walmart) instead of a lys and have been totally turned off by the difficulty of using this yarn?" i'm willing to bet that it has been more than i want to imagine!!

i find this so sad! a future that could be filled with hours and hours and hours of knitting enjoyment ruined by a single skein of crummy yarn! truly a travesty!

a tad bit of heaven on earth!!

mmmmmmmmm....malabrigo!

gotta love it!

gotta love it, big time!

definitely, gotta have it!

once you've touched it, you're hooked! it is addicting but fortunately, besides draining one's pocketbook, it really doesn't do any damage to the physical body but it may cause damage to the psyche when one doesn't have it!

the touch! the feel! truly a sensory delight!

and, behold my latest tactile experiences...

i am not capable of keeping my hands off of the stuff - i just can't seem to make it out of a yarn shop without one skein (be it sock yarn, worsted weight or silk blend) in my hot little hands!

so...as i saw my stash of worsted weight expanding i decided that i would share the wealth with those i love and relatives, in the form of the lovely undulating cowl. the perfect holiday gift! the pattern is: wave by rebecca hatcher, a freebie on ravelry. just the ticket to keep one's neck warm on a blustery winter day and much more practical than a scarf because it can't be lost once it is put over your head! ahhhhhhhhh!

i hope you are seated while reading this because the fact that it is november 6 and i have basically finished my holiday knitting is indeed a shock in itself! it's not christmas eve!! it's november.....early november! wow! i have to thank the ravelry group, malabrigo junkies, for throwing down the stash busting gauntlet for the month of october - seems a tad bit of competition seems to light my fire! and, since it is november and we are looking for things to be thankful for, i can put this up there at the top of my list!! by and large, christmas knitting done! go pati! go pati!

anyhoo, on to the pictures! i would like to give a big 'shout out' to hedwig for volunteering today as the model for these bundles of joy! thanks, heddy!

as i lined the cowls out for picture taking i realized that there are 7 of them - gosh, that would be one for every day of the week! hmmm...perhaps i should reconsider this gift thing! just kidding!!

here goes....

saturday finds heddy ready for the beaver game in her 'glazed carrot' cowl. go beavers!!sunday heddy is off on a walk to explore nature in her 'pagoda' cowl. enjoy it while you can heddy because if we don't do something about global warming there might not be anything to explore!!monday finds heddy coaching the kid's soccer practice. the kids are freezing but heddy is nice and toasty in her 'azul profundo' cowl! girls soccer rules!
tuesday finds heddy meeting friends for lunch looking ever so dapper in her 'geranio' cowl. eat your hearts out, girlfriends, heddy is stylin'!!
on wednesday, heddy beats the blahs with her 'indigo' cowl! the perfect way to get through hump day!
thursday, finds heddy in a 'velvet grapes' cowl, snuggling a starbucks! the feel of velvet or the taste of a chai tea latte has nothing on malabrigo!

and finally its friday which finds heddy finishing up the week in a 'lettuce' cowl as she ponders what her next knitting project will be!

as for me, i need not ponder as my mind is already made up! time to get my 'knit on'!

tell me why......

Sailing heart-ships thru broken harbors

Out on the waves in the night

Still the searcher must ride the dark horse

Racing alone in his fright.

Tell me why, tell me why

Is it hard to make arrangements with yourself,

When your old enough to repay but young enough to sell?

Tell me lies later, come and see me

I'll be around for a while.

I am lonely but you can free me

All in the way that you smile

Tell me why, tell me why

Is it hard to make arrangements with yourself,

When your old enough to repay but young enough to sell?

Tell me why, tell me why

Tell me why, tell me why

and, while you're at it, neil, tell my why it is that i can't seem to stay on task! argh!!!

i start out with such good intentions or ideas and i just can't seem to focus to see those ideas through to completion! argh!!! all i can say is that i'm really lucky that they weren't diagnosing 'adhd' when i was young or i would have been in a world of hurt!!

ya know, october is a 'big' month in the world of knitting, being 'socktober' and all! and have i finished just one pair of socks so far this month - well, not exactly but i do have one of a pair done and at this point that may have to count! that is a sad state of affairs! had you asked what my intentions were on october one, multiple pairs would have been at the top of my list. and, putting a dent in my malabrigo stash during 'stocktober' smackdown would have been right up near the top of that same list!

but, alas, a mere week left of the month and where am i? not very far!

and why would that be? distractions, plain and simple!

if a teacher were filling out my report card, i'm sure that the comments would include a line like, 'pati needs to spend more time in her seat, completing her assignments, instead of being such a gadfly'. i would have to say i'm more like a butterfly - i flit from here to there and back again!

and what have i been flitting to and fro with? shawl patterns - all of a sudden they have become a compulsion - i am working on my third one this month alone! tsk! tsk! tsk! and, i see more in my future!! i am doomed!!

oh, yeah, i did spend a wee bit of time knitting these:

for these - the little punkin heads!

and the others for another little set of punkin heads!!

now, what was i supposed to be focusing on?.....

surrrrrprise!

stick a big ass fork in it - it's done!the adult surprise jacket! elizabeth zimmermann is an absolute genius!! this sucker was knit in one piece - unbelievable - a little bit freaky while it was on the needles but the results were well worth it! the only seam was the one up the top of the arms!
and i am very happy and very pleased! in many, many ways!!
and the weather has finally cooperated and cooled so that i can actually wear it! yippee!!
and here is the really freaky news about this sweater - i actually followed all of the directions - to the letter - and that, in itself, is a miracle!!

i knit the prerequisite - the baby surprise jacket. what a terrific idea and great advice. it helped instill the concept of layout and knitting methods and procedures. it was somewhat deceptive however - the bsj was knit in a flash and was nice and tiny. that was not the case with the adult version - the garter stitch just seemed to go on and on and on and on as the jacket got heavier and heavier and heavier!!

the pattern also suggested that one include all the colors in one's closet so that the jacket would be versatile and could be worn with everything. i think they were referring to the basics, like brown, black or navy not the whole 9 yards!! since my plan was to do a little stash busting, i decided to really include all the colors in my closet which didn't seem to be much of a problem since i have oodles and oodles of leftover bits of odd ball yarn! why not use them all? great idea, i thought, until i had to work in all of the ends! not such a good idea!

i successfully used 4 skeins of gray paton's wool and made a dent in my tidbit bin! wow, i'm actually stash busting! gosh, i hope i don't break my arm patting myself on the back as i need to be stash bustin' on a much bigger scale!

oh, yeah, did i mention that there was math involved? i actually sat down and did a gauge swatch (another miracle) and did the math - me, doing math! i think that that is why i usually knit from patterns that have all of that business taken care of so i don't have to dig through the cobwebs and engage that part of my brain!! in this case, i'm glad i did.

all in all, i think that this sweater is 'the bomb'!! it's stylish, it fits and is nice and toasty warm! perfect for all those fall days ahead! and....thoughts of knitting this again keep wafting through my mind......someday.....maybe.....

better late than never!

at long last, i have completed the task - i have knit socks with all of the yarn from the 2008 rockin' sock club! it only took me a year and two thirds but, hey, who's counting? and i didn't exactly use all of the provided patterns but, here they are in all their splendor!

first up - 'serendipity' by adrienne fong with bmfa str lightweight in dragon dance. a delightful, fast moving knit that created a lacy pair of monochromatic madness! feel like dancin'?

'leafling' by jc briar in bmfa socks that rock mediumweight in the colorway 'lucky'. indeed, these socks certainly were lucky and quite lovely! the pattern was smashing with a lovely vine of leaves twining down the fronts. what a way to welcome spring!

more monochromatic goodness in shades of violet moving from blue-violet back to red-violet. i wasn't blown away by the intended pattern with this shipment so i deviated!! i used the pattern, 'spring forward', from knitty.com by linda welch. a lace sock that undulates around the leg and looks really, really complicated but is really, really simple with an easily memorized pattern stitch! it even worked for my brain!! the yarn is bmfa socks that rock lightweight in the color way, the incredible shrinking violet - absolutely, no shrinking on this one!!!

next up - 'gumdrop socks' by jc briar in a pastel!! wow, a pastel, pretty out of character for this cowboy as well as for the depraved dyer, tina. the coolest part about these socks is that they are reversible, should one so desire to do so!! the color is called 'sweet tarts' and is a bmfa socks that rock lightweight with pastel shades of a variety of colors - very easter eggey!! in hindsight (and now that i have knit one) this would be a great color for an ez bsj! can't you just see it on a new born babe?

now we're talkin'! my kinda color - yum! yum! yum! gold, burgundy, blue-violet and pond scum! yum! yum! the colorway: tide pooling; the pattern: 'cloning anemone rib' designed by team blue moon - i'm over the moon with these - i love, love, love the color - so rich and saturated! yum!

last but not least - muddy autumn rainbow, a mediumweight bmfa socks that rock. a color way that called out 'fall leaves' so once again i deviated and knit these socks in the pattern, 'embossed leaves' by mona schmidt. i think i accomplished my goal - these truly remind me of fall in the great northwest!

one last look at the gang from rockin sock club 2008!

and one last sock! this yarn wasn't part of the 2008 group (it's a mill end from a bmfa sale) but the pattern is. it is the 'sweet tart anklet' by hot flash (aka marilyn kaleikilo). a great sock with a yarn that is a tad bit zippy! i like it!

so, now that i have finished this race, am i done? heavens no, i'm already 4 socks behind in the 2009 sock club mailings so i had better run, i've got another year of socks to start!!! yippee and yikes!!!