My 2008 knits in review

When I created this mosaic of my finished projects, I couldn't help thinking that I had knitted more this year. I was not wrong, I have knit more, I just had not FINISHED everything! We are not going to talk about what is STILL on the needles. What are my New Years Resolutions you ask?

1. Examine what is on my needles unfinished, frog what I do not like anymore and finish what I think will work.
2. Get pregnant
3. Knit more socks for me
4. Get pregnant
5. Clean out all the clutter in the house
6. Get pregnant (Time is a wastin!)

And the first project to be finished in 2009??


This is going to make a certain 6 year old girl really happy, when I finish her. Deadline? January 3rd, 2009.

I wish you a happy and safe 2009 with much success!

Foggy Day Schedule???

Growing up in the Central Valley of California there is a love hate relationship with fog. Parents hate the fog and kids love it because that meant Foggy Day Schedules at school. There were many winter mornings while living in the Central Valley, that I would wake up, turn on the TV to the local Public Television station and watch and wait for my school name scroll along the bottom of the screen telling me that I could go back to bed for another hour and a half! If memory serves me, school would start around 10am on Foggy Days. Now that I am a grown up (sort of) there are no more Foggy Day Schedule for me, so today, I made one up!

This is a picture of San Jose fog…


Now here is REAL fog, the stuff from home (Central Valley of California) that we call Tule Fog...

And honestly, that is good visibility right there, I have driven in much much worse fog.

I will be posting about knitting later this week, Happy Knitting!

Won't you help little Sophie??

This is Sophie, she is a soft sweet thing that is missing an ear cause well, I ran out of yarn! That little bit you see is not enough to get half way down the last ear. So if anyone out there has a little bit of Cash Vero Aran weight in what I believe is the light pink they call Rose #11 please help little Sophie to get an ear so she can make a little 6 year old girl happy.

PS... I have attempted to buy another ball of this yarn at my LYS, but they are out of stock. Besides, I only need a small amount.

Merry Christmas

I am happy to report that all my Christmas knitting is DONE and wrapped. I only knitted 7 gifts this year which is lower than the previous years, so that helped. And this is my new Christmas tree, it is a fake for several reasons. We do not have a lot of space in the living room for a real tree that is wide at the bottom for one. This tree is 6' tall from base to tip top and is pre-lit with white lights and has a decorative urn base. So when I found this narrow tree I knew I had to have it, it fits perfect in the living room.

I wish you a safe and happy holiday season!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Well, not really a chicken dinner, but I thought it was funny. Not sure where I have heard that before, but it sure stuck in my head. The lucky person to win my Birthday Blog Contest is.....

JANET

Janet is a knit blogger from Texas and has a beautiful and inspirational blog Twisted Knitter.

And for the answers.

1.What happened when Sensei and I went to Disneyland?
I got sick, I mean really sick. We ended up staying at the hotel 2 extra days so I could get rest and meds before traveling home.

2.What color do I dislike?
ORANGE. I wore orange in high school almost everyday because I was a cheerleader and that was our school colors. It is not a flattering color on me.

3.Where did we go and what did we do for Sensei’s birthday?
We went to the Superbike races at Laguna Seca and rode in the Official Pace car. It was the most exhilarating experience that I have had, that track is really something.

4.What song did Juanita sing at the karaoke contest?
She sang Lady Marmalade and was FANTASTIC! If you have not seen it yet, click here.

5.Where did I take my niece and nephew when they stayed with me?
Looking back on it, too many places for such a short trip as it turned out. But we had a great time at the Oakland Zoo, Chuckie Cheese, Drive-in Movie to see Wall-E and a couple of parks to play. I can't wait to get them next summer.

Everyone, have a fabulous weekend!

Happy Friday, another FO!

It started out looking like this...

and then a few days later....

Pattern: Changeling Cowl

Source: Modified from Pashmina Cowl in Last Minute Knitted Gifts

Size: 13" long
Materials: Manos del Uruguay Manos Silk Blend

Colorway: 3105

Amount: 2 skeins -300 yards ( 1/4 of the 2nd skein left)
Needles: US 7 / 4.5 mm
Start Date: November 23, 2008
Finish Date: December 6, 2008

I am really happy about the way that the colors DID NOT POOL. I am not a fan of pooling at all, so this yarn made me happy and it was a pleasure to knit with, even in the dark! This is going to be a Christmas gift, so hopefully I will get modeled shots later, that is if I can find my charger to my digital camera...oops.

Ok, last chance to win some yarn! Contest ends tonight at Midnight. I will draw the name in the morning and post the winner. Need a last minute Christmas gift? Enter, you could win.

I am IT now...

I was tagged by Jasmin on this meme. What I’m supposed to do is find the 4th picture folder on my computer. I’m to put the 4th picture from that folder on my blog and tell 4 facts about the photo. Then tag 4 other people and comment on their blog letting them know they are IT!

1.This was taken the day after Thanksgiving 2008

2. Pictured is Sensei and his 4 year old niece Tia.

3. Tia LOVES to take pictures, I mean LOVES it!!

4.On that day at Sensei's dad's house, there must have been 25 people in the kitchen and living room all at the same time. Four of the five brothers in Sensei's family were there with their family's and I learned how to make "real" macaroni and cheese.

Ok, Carrie, Janet, Kristi, and Janice...You are all IT!

Oh yeah, you all still have time left to enter the contest!

Baby its cold out side...

This week so far feels to me like the coldest it has been since I have lived in San Jose (4 years.) It has been in the low 4o's and that is really cold for the Silicon Valley. With all these cold days I am sure these will come in handy!

Pattern: Toasty

Source: A Friend to knit with

Size: Adult

Materials: Plymouth Yarn Royal Cashmere

Amount: 125.0 yards

Needles: US 7 / 4.5 mm

Start Date: December 5, 2008

Finish Date: December 9, 2008

Christmas gift for my best friend. She has skinnier hands than me, so they will look much better on her. This yarn was nice, but I would not run out and seek to buy it again, well unless there was some really wicked good sale, maybe.

Only three days left to enter the Birthday Blog Contest. All the answers can be found in my past blog entries. The person who answers the most correctly wins, in the event of a tie, names will go into a hat and a winner will be drawn. What am I giving away? Yarn of course. What yarn, well, it will be a choice of Socks That Rock, Malabrigo or Rowan Kid Silk Haze (NOT my new Sundara yarn-sorry.) Contest will be closed December 19th at midnight. Winner will be announced on My Birthday, December 20th. Email your answers to: twistedstitches71 AT gmail DOT com

1.What happened when Sensei and I went to Disneyland?
2.What color do I dislike?
3.Where did we go and what did we do for Sensei’s birthday?
4.What song did Juanita sing at the karaoke contest?
5.Where did I take my niece and nephew when they stayed with me?

Turn A Square

This past weekend I Turned A Square.

It was so nice, I did it twice!

Pattern: Turn A Square
Source: Brooklyn Tweed (Jared Flood)
Size: Adult
Materials: Cascade 220 and Noro Silk Garden
Amount: 40g Cascade and 25g Noro Silk Garden
Needles: US 6 / 4.0 mm and US 7 / 4.5 mm
Start Date: December 14, 2008
Finish Date: December 14, 2008
Quantity: 2 Hats

This hat is super simple and super quick, I did 2 in one day (Yes, that means I did NOTHING else but knit, jealous??) The first one, I had some technique issues and by the time I did the second one, that was all worked out. The second one however does not change color enough in the stripe sections to be noticeable even though they really did change color. Over all I am happy with them and I hope my brothers will be too!

And don't forget my Birthday Blog Contest. Who doesn't like to win yummy yarn? And Christmas is so close, you can win and give it as a gift too (I won't tell) Contest ends midnight December 19 and the winner will be announced on December 20th.

Happy Monday...I got yarn!

Look what I found on my desk when I came into work this morning???

And this is what I found inside...

The Life Aquatic

Sundara Winter Seasons Yarn Club shipment

50% silk - 50% merino wool

500 yards, 150 grams

Now, what to knit with it??? Any suggestions, please comment, help a sista out!

Yes, it is that time again, my birthday blog contest. I like the scavenger hunt type of contest, it is my blog and my birthday, so that is the format again this year.

So this is how the contest goes, below are the questions, email your answers to: twistedstitches71 AT gmail DOT com

All the answers can be found in my past blog entries. The person who answers the most correctly wins, in the event of a tie, names will go into a hat and a winner will be drawn. What am I giving away? Yarn of course. What yarn, well, it will be a choice of Socks That Rock, Malabrigo or Rowan Kid Silk Haze (NOT my new Sundara yarn-sorry.) Contest will be closed December 19th at midnight. Winner will be announced on My Birthday, December 20th

What happened when Sensei and I went to Disneyland?

What color do I dislike?

Where did we go and what did we do for Sensei’s birthday?

What song did Juanita sing at the karaoke contest?

Where did I take my niece and nephew when they stayed with me?

Good luck!

One hot mess...

My birthday and Christmas is fast approaching. If anyone out there has me on their gift list or would like to add me to their list of people to buy for this year, I have a suggestion for you...

That is 100% cashmere in a wicked tangled mess! What does that mean? I need a ball winder and swift. Could I wait just a day or so to go to my LYS to wind this hank of cashmere? Nooooo, I had to hand wind it my self so I could cast on a Christmas gift. But instead of casting on, I am trying to untangle! %#$@ OK, stop laughing!