MOVING!!!!

I decided to get a Typepad account - I was able to successfully import all of my past blog posts and do a lot more formatting than I knew how to do on Blogger so I am a HAPPY GIRL.

Here's the new address:
http://yarncrawl.typepad.com/

I will start posting over there right away, so please join me there!

Knit from Your Stash 2007

I discovered that there's already a site that's consistent with the plan I had for '07 regarding knitting from the stash - and I'm in! Here's the link - I'm following the rules as posted here with one exception - that I will only do this for 8 months until Stitches Midwest instead of 9!

I don't have any particular weakness for sock yarn, but I do have a major weakness for sale yarn so I may be calling on the "fall off the wagon once" card. I have this freakish tendency to remember which yarns were called for in my knitting pattern books and recall this whenever perusing yarn sale web sites, etc. and feel compelled to purchase this particular yarn if on sale. Then it usually ends up sitting in my stash, I decide I really don't want to make that item and I repeat the cycle all over again.

Also, on the rule about being able to accept gifts of yarn - I will modify this to say " I'm allowed to accept gift cards and use them for yarn." Such as, Visa, Amex or Ebay gift certificates. I do get these from time to time, so this could become relevant.

This will be interesting...last year I planned a monthly spend of $200 for yarn and couldn't stay anywhere close to that most months (often doubling that.) So this will be very interesting to say the least.

Temptation is knocking on my door right away though, between the email from discountyarnsale.com regarding closeouts and the email regarding the second tier of Kool Knits' store closing markdown (not yet reflected on their site...now it's 50% off on some yarns and further reductions on the others.)

First Post of 2007: New Skirt and Stashbusting Project #1!

Happy New Year to everyone! I woke up my favorite way this morning - next to my husband on one side and my cats on the other, without a hangover, so it's a good day so far!

Last night we went to Blu Coral for sushi with our friends Tim and Paul, with the intention of staying for their New Year's Eve celebration, but after sushi and two martinis, I was just wiped out so we ended up going home at around 10. We had driven Jim's "beast" (93 Mark VIII that is our "leave at the train station, still running at 140K miles, beater" car) with the intention of tying one on, taking a cab home and leaving the car overnight to be picked up the next day. When we left we really were fine as we hadn't drank excessively, but just played it safe and called the cab as we knew there'd be tons of roadblocks out, etc., even earlier in the night. We'll just pick up the car this afternoon.

I'm so NOT a stay out late person anymore - I always think about what I'm going to feel like the next day now. UNLESS I'm drinking wine, in which case, all bets are off. With beer or mixed drinks, I usually stay in my right mind, but as my husband can attest, wine is an entirely different story.

In sewing news, I found this pattern and snapped it up as I love skirts with a wide yoke waistband (don't know what this is officially called - is there a better name?) I have some of these skirts and they fit me really well so I thought I would make one for myself. I'm going to try the one labeled "A" first.



Here's the fabric I am going to use - I actually had this in my fabric stash (although there is no "goal" for 2007 regarding no fabric purchases, I still would prefer to use what I have first.) It's a really really fine-waled corduroy so I think it will work for this. They list "baby cord" as one of the recommended fabrics.



This actually requires a zipper so I am going to be trying that for the first time on this project. The new classes at the JoAnn Superstore are now posted, but the 2nd one is making a vest. The instructor had thought it would be either making dress pants or a skirt, including learning how to put in a zipper, but a vest is something I don't really wear. I'd be more likely to wear a knitted one than a sewn one.

The class after the vest is something I'd like to do though - making a suit! Seems so complicated! I'm just wondering if I should sign up for the vest class as preparation for the next class that follows it. It is only two Saturdays and only costs $40. The suit class is $100 for four sessions, three hours each, which really doesn't seem that expensive considering how much instruction that is, and the fact that the classes are only like 5 people. I like that aspect of it a lot, and I really liked the instructor for this last one, so maybe I'll email her and see what she thinks about all this.


Now on to stashbusting project #1: I had some partial skeins of Noro Silk Garden left over from Klaralund, so decided to make this project from the latest Knitty. I saw Lynda's Calorimetry made from Noro Kureyon (same gauge as Silk Garden) and thought it looked cool so the wheels started turning on this little stashbuster while I was looking for some "mindless wool" for watching a movie with Jim.




I think it took me a total of 3-4 hours or so. I liked it because there were definite sections to it (kind of like a sock in that way) and when I was just starting to get bored with one section, I'd be almost done with it anyway. I had enough yarn too with the partial skeins, which I was worried about! I'll show a pic of me wearing it once I weave in the ends.

Bonne Marie's Felted Bucket Hat

Before....



And after....



It's still drying (as evidenced by the towel stuffed in it) so I can't model it yet officially. I would definitely make another one of these - it was a quick and fun knit.

Next time I make this, I would not use chunky yarn though as this made the brim a little too thick (as it's knit double stranded) and a little floppy - I used Peruvian Highland Chunky knit to the gauge recommended. I would just use straight worsted weight next time as the directions state. I usually am a big directions-follower but this time I lived dangerously as I wanted to make it in chocolate and I had the chunky yarn on hand. It may be OK when it fully dries though.

2007 Goals

I got inspired by other people's lists of resolutions for 2007 and thought I would post mine. I like calling them "goals" rather than resolutions as that resonates more with me and seems more achievement-oriented.

2007 Goals

1. Knit from my stash - no yarn shopping (unless for a gift or if I run out of yarn for a project in process) until Stitches Midwest in August

2. Start and complete one crochet sweater

3. Learn how to do crochet motifs (in the round, granny squares, etc.)

4. Learn how to put in a zipper and sew a pair of pants and a skirt

5. Finish two classes in the UWM state & local tax graduate certificate program (one more to go then in 2008 to finish)

6. Finish at least two more NIU MBA classes and consider taking another in the summer to finish in Spring 2008 instead of Fall 2008

7. Go out at least once a week for a nice dinner "date night" with Jim

8. Be a more consistent blogger - with more posts and pictures about my non-knitting life while continuing to show a lot of pictures of knitting projects...more like a diary of my life including knitting than solely a knitting blog.

FO/WIP Update

I was looking back over my old knitalong blogs and one was the Two Steps Forward, One Back blog, where you were to finish two projects for every one started. I think I did pretty well with this and have now gotten my WIP down to a reasonable level. I took the old list from that blog and updated it just to see how many projects I'd completed since September and was surprised! Here's the new list. I know I owe you guys pictures on a bunch of these as I haven't blogged about them - I highlighted these in blue so I'd remember!

WIPS

1. Somewhat Cowl in Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk - started two weeks ago on the cruise - working on front, almost ready to join to separate sleeves/work in the round
2. Knitty pedicure socks (working on 2nd sock)
3. Debbie Bliss lace/bobble jacket - working on back

Ready to start my husband's sweater for the Manly Gift Along and Eiffel for the SKC Knitalong!!!

Completed Projects
1. Stitch Diva Knitted Bodice
2. Bob's Big Wool basketweave cardigan from Men in Knits
3. coral CeCe in Calmer
4. Noro Klaralund V-neck (re-sewn correctly)
5. Jaeger Natural Fleece V-neck Zennor
6. Noah's v-neck Yarn Girls "Mikey Liked It" pullover
7. Chic Knits Ariann
8. Rowan Babies "Fame"
9. Tartalette scarf
10. Knitty Blackberry shrug

Projects that Just Need Sewing/Picking Up Stitches/Felting

1. fuschia Cork baby sweater - sew
2. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran baby sweater - finish sewing
3. Greek Pullover from Interweave Knits – finish sewing

FROGGED
1. Green Gable in Brown Sheep Lilac Haze
2. Plymouth Napa ballet pullover from Interweave Knits back issue
3. yellow/orange cork garter ridge sweater from Rowan Cork Collection
4. Peg's garter stitch vest
5. "Jessica" in Colinette Shimmer 5- (finished but didn't like end result)

Christmas Pics!

Me and Jim on Christmas morning before going over to Aunt Vicki and Uncle Frank's house. I'm wearing Ariann, actually buttoned. The length seems to have shortened up a bit since I wore it before, so it looks better.



McKenna, modeling her "Fame" sweater (Rowan Babies book). Look at that pose!


McKenna's little brother Noah, opening gifts with his Uncle Danny (Jim's cousin.)



Noah's V-neck "Mikey Liked It" sweater (Yarn Girls Guide to Kid Knits) - we missed getting the shot with him actually trying it on. It is a little big on him but should fit him next year. Last year's sweater was too small, so I guess I overdid it on the size.



Noah's twin sister, Mia, with her mom (Jim's cousin Tracy) and her Dress Me Up dress from the Yarn Girls Guide to Kid Knits.


Aunt Vicki with her new vest in Jaeger Natural Fleece.

Cruise Pics!

So here's where we were from the 16th to the 21st...



Our "home away from home" - we did a Sky Suite this time and really liked it. The balcony was big enough to have two deck chairs plus a square dining table, and we spent a lot of time out there on the sea days as the pool deck was pretty crowded.



Embarkation...



Getting off the ship at Grand Cayman (they didn't take a pic in Jamaica)



Formal night (only one on this cruise as it was only 5 nights)



"Informal" night at dinner



Grand Cayman's Seven Mile Beach - LOVED IT! We'd been to the island before but had done an organized air/sea excursion with a seaplane and submarine tour. This time we just decided to take it easy and hang out on the beach. What a fun day!

Last Christmas FO and a New Knitalong!

Here's my father in law Bob's finished Basketcase Jacket....got up at 5 am to finish it. It was hard to take a good picture of because it's so huge, so I hung it up, but now the shoulders look deformed. It looks better in real life. But it's being wrapped and sent up to northern Wisconsin as we speak (thanks Jim!)

Pattern: Basketcase Jacket from Men in Knits by Tara Jon Manning
Yarn: Rowan Big Wool ("Cloak" colorway)
Needles: Addi Turbo 15s and 13s (for edging)



Something new that I'm really excited about - I am co-hosting my first knitalong starting January 1st! Me and Jeanne started talking about knitting sweaters for our husbands and decided, why not set up a knitalong? I wrote an intro about it, etc. at http://manlygiftalong.blogspot.com/ and Jeanne did an awesome job formatting the blog and made cool buttons for it, set up places for links, and other cool stuff etc. Check it out, and post a comment with your email address (or email me or Jeanne with your email address) to join! It will also be listed on the 2007 list of knitalongs. Here's a link to the old list for 2006, but I'm not sure if it will be on the same site or set up on a new one.

And now, having finished my last "knitting on a deadline" item (this morning) and my marketing final (last night), I'm off! My last day in the office for the year is today, and Jim and I leave for our getaway Caribbean cruise tomorrow morning. I'll be checking email once a day (any more than that and I get in trouble) but will be back on Thursday.

Happy Holidays!