Where is Merlin when you need him?

Oh it would be so great to have him kicking around when you are just feeling too lazy to knit, but desperately wanting to finish up a number of projects!

I have, like a complete nut, decided I would knit Christmas gifts this year... early start for sure! There are over a dozen people on my main list alone... and that is not including my parents, siblings or siblings families!!! This list consists of my husbands side of the family and our kids only!!!
I definitely love the big family, but when it comes to knitting for them all and making deadlines... ugh!!! I've almost scared myself straight.. but I cant bring myself to knit goodies for some and not others :(

I will most likely be putting on hold projects for others... (maybe :p ) until I'm well on my way to getting all these others done... I do admit I have a huge time frame to work in.. and if I keep at it, I should at the very least get a pair of socks or mittens done in the span of a week. Give or take a few days depending on the size and detail of each project...

Considering that I'm pretty sure none of them, aside from my parents (mainly my mom), will be peeking at my blog... so as long as I keep it pretty vague until the big day, I'm sure I can give you all a sneak peak into what I've got planned.

For all the little kids, consisting of about... oh eight of them, will get generic socks or mittens. For the older kids (three of them), I'm thinking more intricate socks or mittens..
My sister-in law.. who just so happens to be about half my age.. so funny trying to explain that one to people.. I'm going to make her a pair of bright green ascks.. http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Samaria/owlie-socks She loves the neon greens and I believe oranges (blue is just ugly, according to her). So I got a green that is as bright as possible, keeping in mind I can't exactly spend $20 or more on each person.. My husband would probably feint at the idea.
As for my husband himself.. he was a tire guy until sadly, the company was bought up and the new owners ran themselves into such a dept that they had to bail... So, I figured if I could find just the right (gotta be an easy one) tread from a tire.. I would work it into a cable pattern on a pair of socks for him. If I can get it to look like a tread  pattern, he would definitely get a kick out of it.

As for the rest.. mostly socks.. a nice pair of http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/selbudeath in a pink and black...

So here is hoping I can manage to get them done this year!!!

It appears I am going to a busy little knitter once again... Along with all the baby socks I have in the works, I have finally decided to haul out the socks I was making for my son. I ran short and never did finish the second sock.. what a pity too... but I did manage to get them done today!
After giving them to my son, his little brother was in such distress because he didn't have any socks! So I took him downstairs to my stash and pulled out the ball of yarn for his socks. After a bit of convincing that he too would have some socks knit, he was so excited about it. Soon enough though, he was back to bugging his brother, wanting those socks.. and what a sweet boy, he took them off and gave them to his little brother! And now, they are off playing with ants... So, all is well that ends well :)

~More Babies~

Wow, I just got a request for more baby socks!!! A friend of mine has another grand baby on the way.. so, I'd better get out my needles and get knitting! Will keep you all posted on the socks.. pics will also follow. Now that I've done a few simple/plain socks.. I think I'm wanting to try a little something diff.

OK, so I fibbed a little... I didn't just lay around recovering all day...
I didn't knit yet today. Sort of feel like I'm going through with drawls lol. But I did just upload a pdf for "Logan's Run". Since I've figured out how to do that I'm kind of on a roll I guess..

The pdf pattern for "Logan's Run", can be found on Ravelry.
Happy knitting!

Today does not look as though it is going to knit filled..

I just got back from having my first wisdom tooth extraction lol... what fun it was.. and still concerned about the night before...

There was an explosion at one of our mills.. scary stuff considering it was loud enough that not only did we think someone ran into our house, but at the very least someone just broke it... Really was too loud for someone to have only broken in.. but at the time that was our first thought. After checking into it further and finding nothing.. we headed outside to find a huge black plume of smoke rising up from the other end of town.. There were rumours of a restaurant blowing up.. but it was one of the mills.. I don't know how many casualties.. but they did say they found everyone that was there, than goodness.. But I also know there were some deaths.. and that is always tragic to hear..

So, other than that, I don't know that I will pick up the knitting today.. at least not just yet.

My prayers will certainly be going out to the families who have suffered from this..

~Candy Stripes~

OK, so here it is... turned this one out faster than I thought I would, and after looking through it, I'm pretty sure it makes sense.. So please, if anyone does decide to download and make this patter, or if you just for kicks want to read through... please let me know if something just doesn't make any sense.

This is also my first go at uploading a pdf file.. and I can't seem to be getting it to work :(
Well, here is a pic to tease you while I figure this out...

Ok, well, I was able to get the pdf onto my Ravelry account.. and until I can figure this thing out on my blog, here is the link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/candy-stripes-5
I hope that will help.

Well, aside from getting a pathetic blister on my hand from raking the back yard, I've spent a good amount of time working up a fingerless mitt pattern.. This has been sitting on the self for a long time and really needs to get done soon! So, after a really botched plan, I ripped the first one out, added more stitches and am well on my way to getting the right hand mitt done.

I keep wondering to myself, can I possibly handle going deaf?? Cause it sure sounds like a great idea to me right now.. kids are just too loud and annoying today. Pretty surprised I have managed to get as much done as I have.

Aside from that though, I will definitely be posting pics and pattern soon as they are done!

Here it is! I finally finished it.. decided to just get that last foot or two of bind off done and out of the way. Wove in all the loose ends and no longer have it looming over my shoulder every time I decide to try and relax.
And oh am I ever happy it turned out better than it looked like it was going to.

~ Lazy Dayz ~

OK, so seriously, nothing new at this point... got me a hang up here. I haven't been working on my kitting for the past week and probably wont be for another week and a half... oh sad days ahead :(

Got me this most delightful wisdom tooth though.. seems to be begging for some attention, and oh is it going to get it! Will thankfully be going in to get a check up (been a while), and hopefully have the damn thing ripped out while I'm at it. Perhaps if I put up a fuss and whine and cry about it they will take pity on me? Or maybe they will just have to take a look at it... Either way, they will most definitely ask me how on earth I've lived with it so long without doing anything... Funny thing is its only started to fall apart on me about a month ago.. I think?

I mean who needs these teeth anyway? And here I go, ranting about a wisdom tooth in serious need of a yank on my knitting blog! Oh wow, I must be losing my mind lol.

I must be feeling a bit off these past few days.. I'm really trying to get these projects done, but just can't seem to convince myself to do it.. Perhaps it's just the weather. It sure is starting to look really inviting out there.. sure it's not all green and sunny yet, but the snow is gone!

I suppose I will have to get some more work done on some of these projects before the weather is really nice out there... so close to getting this baby blanket done. As ticked as I am with it, I really need to get it done.  Very glad I bought three balls of yarn for it since I seem to need it :( So not exactly going to have enough to get a little cardigan out of that last ball... and I am only slightly disappointed in this.

Still have two balls of yarn left for baby socks, but they are so quick and easy to knit up.. and a very easy project to carry around and travel with... now if I can only bring myself to do just that lol.

Kinda being sucked into my tv at the moment.. so here I go. Knitting in hand and feeling rather lazy today... (bread rising on the counter as I type, and kids screaming.. such fun).

Yay! I've finally finished my new shawl... cause you know, you can never have too much of a good thing right!?

Well, since I had most likely already bought a whole bunch of new yarn when I had decided to make it, I wasn't really able to buy more. So I went ahead and, being that I wanted it a bit larger anyway, went ahead and made it out of worsted weight yarn. Already had a pile of it in my closet so why not right?

It turned out pretty great really, well... I did find a few problems while knitting it, but those problems seemed to get noticed rows later. Not wanting to tear out that many rows, I decided to correct the amount of stitches as I went ( I was almost done ). Aside from my horrid mess up in counting, it still looks really cool... Also found myself another really cool idea from some one else's project.. very cool! So I think I will have to make myself another one some day here.. only out of a really sweet lace yarn instead!

Well, without ranting further, here it is...

~Just Another Day~

OK, so I have spent the day knitting until my eyes want to fall out... cross eyed and ready to call it a day. Yet I still find myself looking over at this project, both disgusted with the mistakes and some strange need to just finish it!

Still, looking over and reading the instructions, I can't figure out where on earth I went wrong.. How I wound up with nine large holes and yet ten petals... BLEARGH!!!

Al right, I give in... I will quite for the day and busy myself with some other project? Perhaps think about what to make for dinner.. not sure yet since I can't seem to put my needles down for more than a minute or two at a time...

~Baby Blanket~

Well, not a lot of knitting has been happening, at least not until a day or two ago... I've bought some yarn and started work on a baby blanket.
Trying to find just the right one to make was the hardest part so far. I do not like the typical or simple styles.. so finding one unique and one of a kind (hehe right...) was a huge must for me. If I'm going to go through the process of making and gifting a baby blanket it has got to have that certain "brag" factor to it... It's got to be something they will look at time and again and be talked about time and again (all for the right reasons of course).
I think I have found just that.. and here it is....

And here is the one I am working on...

Well, this is how far I've gotten :)

Hmmm.... I've just noticed something about mine in comparison the the other one... ugh. Well, pretty sure it will turn out really great anyway... and I don't think I want to take it all out just for the reason I have found, considering I don't believe it will cause any problems if I just continue on.