Last Post of the Year

Wow - another year is over. A lot happened this year. For one, I started blogging. I got a new job. We got a new car (and had to say goodbye to a good old car). No one in my family died. I became a knitting fanatic. My needlework suffered mightily. My scrap booking slowed down a lot. We explored the northern coast of California and became familiar with Southern Oregon. Did I mention I became obsessed with knitting?

Let's get the latest finished objects out of the way, shall we?



Heelless Sleeping Socks for my mother-in-law. Yes, I was in a rut. There's one additional pair to follow. The pattern is from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. These are the easiest things to knit, and they are soooo comfortable. I will make more of these in the future, no doubt. The yarn used was Scarlet Fleece It's Tubular X2 in the colorway Favorite Jeans. Knitted on size 3US needles.



A pair for me - Interlacements Tiny Toes in Reds Plus (#205). All other info is the same as the previous pair.

Charity knitting - Chemo Hats from Knit Picks, yarn is Knit Picks Shine Sport:


Colorway Sand


Colorway Orchid

I also knitted Christmas ornaments - mini socks. I also knit a Sock Blocker Key Chain Sock for my MIL.





It takes approximately 35 minutes to complete one sock. I really learned to appreciate the 2 hours of commute time on weekdays.

Also, for my mother's birthday, I made her an Advent Calendar. She loves the albums I put together for her, and this year I went all out. Last year, I removed all the negatives and slides from her house. The place is devoid of humidity (she lives near Palm Springs and either the air conditioner or heat are going). The Bay Area is very moist compared to her region, and we don't have the dehydration unit in our house. My Dad loved to take pictures, and had a thing for slides. I brought home 18 reels of slides - 1800 pictures. There were about that many negatives as well. I have been a busy bee. Anyway, after some restoration work (dust, scratches, fading, etc.) I came up with a small selection of goodies from the early years and slapped them in a book with fancy paper and ribbons and such. Here is the title page, as an example:



If you want to see the rest of it, you have to go here. I have to admit, it's probably my finest work to date as far as "creating" an album.

This was a rough year, and I am thankful I discovered the community of knitters. The craft and those that belong to it made my world a much richer place. I certainly improved my skill level, and have truly begun to appreciate the feel of a well crafted wool sock. I almost wish it would stay cool enough year round so that I could always enjoy my knitted creations. Alas, I love my sandals far too much. My stash, which was insane prior to the beginning of the year, grew enough so that I am now scared. I really need to bust it out in 2008. Having a real job again should curtail my shopping sprees. Then again, as long as I have Internet access, I'm still in trouble (Loopy Ewe order placed tonight - 4 more skeins - damn, but they were pretty).

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what I am up to. Drop a comment every now and then. It's fun to get them.

Happy New Year!