Some Friday Humor

 I could totally win this show...

A New Knitting Bag for Me

At the beginning of November I went down to Baltimore to spend a day at NeoCon; an interior design convention; hoping to see something new or learn something interesting. Unfortunately it took me about 3 hours to walk the whole floor and there wasn't anything useful for my current design projects, and nothing I hadn't seen before.

The trip was not a total wash, however, since my sister, Megan, works in Baltimore and I got to spend time with her on the drive to and from, and also meet up with her for lunch. Second best, I also got a great new knitting bag at the conference.

After lunch instead of going back to the convention center I headed in the other direction and went shopping instead. Got birthday presents for both Megan and my Mom, bought a crab cookie cutter; perfect for the crab feast next summer; and got an iced coffee at Barnes and Noble to rest my feet.

Once my feet felt better, I set out for the yarn shop Megan had told me about. It was about a mile away from the bay but the walk went quick, and I had finished my shopping. Unfortunately, the shop was more of a teaching shop then a yarn shop so instead of browsing, I had a nice chat with the owner and then picked over the small selection before settling on a pretty hank of gray mohair lace yarn.

I'd say half of my trip was a bust, the design show and yarn shop were not what I wanted them to be, but the time with my sister, shopping, and my new knitting bag still more then made up for them. Now I'm packed and ready to head to the Christmas tree farm for the weekend, I think I have enough yarn...

The Art of Sharing and Not Telling

As I stated in my last post, my needles are happily clacking away on holiday projects as fall has sped right on into November and we're now less then two months away from Christmas. Eek!

This is what my Christmas gift list looks like at the moment, with the names stealthily swiped off so those who read and will also be receiving won't know what they're in for.

Here are a couple of snapshots of what has been made, bought, or dreamed of to this point.

What are you dreaming of gifting for the holidays?

Lazy Post

Today I'm tired, so I'll speak in pictures.

My knitting has taken over the living room, but yesterday I got to flip on the fireplace for the first time this fall, making it a very cozy place to curl up and knit. (I think I was watching the Sing Off on hulu. Really awesome show if you're looking for something to watch with seriously talented people.)

They're multiplying!!!

A restock was in order, can't wait to try the Magic Hat beers from the seasonal Night of the Living Dead case we bought. Mmmmm octoberfest beer...

Some mini pumpkin pies left over from ladies knitting night yesterday.

Lastly, some pretty roses still persevering in my back yard. Everything in the yard is completely overgrown (I like to think of it as Halloween decorations) but the roses needed to be cut back. 

I couldn't just toss these guys in the bucket, so I'll enjoy them in the house for a bit.

Things I'd like to Knit

The past couple of days I've been a bit overwhelmed by the amount of knitting on my plate. On the plus side, I've finally found a good use for the chalkboard Chris and I registered for when we got married over seven years ago, and have never really done more then doodle on.

As you can see, it is going to keep track of the knitting I have to get done and how far along I am. This may only last till I'm done with the certification requirements which should hopefully be the end of November, but with my Ravelry list getting longer rather then shorter, it could take a while before the chalkboard is not needed.

So in the mean time, to keep me from starting projects I don't have the time or the attention span to finish right now, I'll just dream about the projects I'd love to be working on...

I'm loving this bag. I could see this being a great weekend bag, or just for keeping my in-progress projects in one place that's not a shopping bag. I really like how the color pattern gives it a little interest without totally intimidating me with a complicated fair isle pattern.

How cute is this coat?? I have a weird obsession with outerwear. Even though I hate the cold weather, I do enjoy getting to wear my snazzy winter coats and rotate through my collection of scarves. So of course I had to save this pattern in Ravelry for a time when I had someone small enough to fit into it. (Or enough ambition to make a large one for myself!)

Lastly, this cardigan is beautiful and looks like the perfect sweater to snuggle up in as the weather gets chilly. It's the kind of cardigan I would carry around everywhere with me, just in case I get cold. The collar has a great design and I think it'd be a lot of fun to knit.

Someday I'll have time, and a clear chalkboard, so I can knit these projects, but for now, I'll just dream about them.

Is there anything on your crafty wishlist?

Will Knit for Beer

Except for Interior Design, which I have a Bachelor’s degree for, I consider myself a jack of all crafty trades and a master of none. I stick to the sole use of the left side of my brain since the right side doesn’t always work well, and I married an accountant to take care of those sorts of things anyway. I love to do anything that involves creative thought, bright colors, working with my hands, and creating something out of almost nothing. I was taught to knit by my Aunt in December of ’09 and haven’t quit since.

I consider myself somewhere in the in-between phases of experienced, expert knitter, and still trying to figure this thing out. Scarfs have long since been exchanged for more challenging patterns resulting in misshapen sweaters and a semi-understanding of how a pattern gets altered and fitted for me. I don’t know how to crochet (but I’ll learn) I just recently started taking the extra time to block my projects (I was anxious to wear them or ran out of time before present giving) and I am desperately trying to get up the courage to learn how to knit socks (they just seem so complicated what with the crazy heel shape and that mystical toe bind-off *shudder*).

An explanation of my chosen title would not be complete without also stating that I am a lover of beer, and while I know very little about it, I enjoy drinking it which could always provide some good fun along the way.