What was accomplished on my 1st day off.

The hemlock ring was what I worked on the most, but I pulled out a UFO and added some to it.
Also known as the I-wish-it-was-Noro scarf. I had stopped during my trip to the snow last month, as I had to join new skeins, and I was getting tired of it. I am determined to finish it, so it is back in the rotation. I want a long scarf, so I probably will knit another 6 inches or so.

The thing that kept this going at first was I liked to see the color changes together. Then, on a particularly long wait for the Matterhorn, my affections began to turn. The pink strand wasn't changing. I knit and knit and waited and waited. No change. The brown changed, but not the pink. I became angry and wanted to throw the scarf down for it's betrayal. However my logic prevailed. I saw there were more colors in the ball; it would have to change eventually. A foot, I had to knit a foot before the pink changed. And while logic did a happy dance at knowing I was right, the relationship had changed. My trust had been lost. Oh, I stayed, but only because it was the status quo. New beginnings can be frightening and can bruise your ego. "Can I do this? Am I worthy? This is more complicated than my last one, can I manage?" I just couldn't let go. However, as soon as the status was no longer quo, I dropped that scarf like a bad habit.* I was no longer in love with the scarf, heck, I barely liked it. It was only a poor man's imitation anyway. Joining a new skein was like admitting I cared about it, and liked it.

My dislike for UFO's won out. And I might like it more when it is done.

But I still wish I could afford Noro Silk Garden.

My sil is having a baby, the first in our family, so I'm thinking some of the brown left-overs may go into a hat. I'm not fond of the yarn, but it is machine washable, and brown is gender-neutral. I'll probably have enough yarn for a few, so I'll whip one up and see how it does in a cycle of washing and drying machines before actually giving it away.

January Socks (WIP)

My goal for 2009 is to buy NO* new yarn, knit up my stash to only 50, and knit at least one pair of socks a month.

So far? 100% success! I CO a pair of Pomatomus for the Sockaholics Anonymous, thought I didn't post until February so it doesn't count for the contest.

This year could be a very trying one. The husband is over a year away from graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering, and I may be laid off. I don't talk about my career, as this is a knitting blog. However they are connected, as the job allows me the funds for knitting. Hopefully my job will be safe, and the yarn buying will commence! (OK, not really, but I can pretend.)

*There are three exceptions. 1) I got into the Loopy Ewe's sock club for 2009, and this was stipulated before I made the promise. 2) Any gifts that require a purchase is allowed. 3) I earned one exception from the husband on a bet. I don't plan on using it.

Hemlock Ring Blanket blues

91 stitches. That is how many stitches I had left too bind off before I ran out of yarn. I have a couple lines on the same dye lot on Ravelry, so I just have to be patient.

I am NOT buying yarn this year, so this will have to be the exception. Actually, I won a bet with the husband that allows me for one exception up the $50. Hopefully he won't consider buying someone's partial skein to be that exception.

I finished a pair of socks! They turned out too big, but I should have expected that. The pattern in lacy and the yarn has a good deal of elastic in it. They fit my mom's size 9s! FO info
Pattern: Ribbed Lace by Charlene Schurch
Yarn: Patons Stretch Sock in Plum
Started: January 15th
Finished: January 27th
Modifications: I made one on the first sock. The pattern says to have an extra purl stitch at th beginning on the foot, but I accidentally made it at the end.

Notes: I had to get used to not pulling the yarn completely. The colors really hide the pattern, but I knew it would happen on anything but a plain vanilla sock, and I really wanted a pattern. These socks actually stay up, and you can see the pattern when I wear them over trouser socks. Because of my calves (I consider them heifers), these socks won't stay up by themselves. They slip to just below the swell of my muscle. I have large calves, 14 inches, compared to my ankles, 8 3/4 inches, so I will have to add increases (decreases) to make over the calf socks.