The new floor!

Photos of the new floor. It is all I wanted - darker, but not too dark, textured enough to be interesting, no seams, and somehow, it actually feels softer. I don't understand why, but I like it. And the transition with the other surfaces - carpet and hard wood - somehow look better too. Good all around.

The blue rug may have a limited life though...

All sorts of exciting things!

A bevy of activity in the home.

Here's the new pillow I made under the close tutelage of my quilter extraordinaire mother. The fabric doesn't match the room, but I love it.
Here's my new kitchen floor. Yes, that is the foyer. The latest scheduled installation date is tomorrow. Updates to follow.
Here is the Icelandic sweater to date. Very exciting. However, I am unsure if it can become a cardigan at this point. Based on some articles I've read, I should have planned for that earlier. Updates to follow.
And most exciting - here's the SO on the final stretch of the 24th Annual Frostbite 15k (9.3 miles for the English among us). He finished well ahead of his goal at a speedy ~1:08. The official times and photos are not posted yet.
An exciting day!

Just an update

The bird feeder is slowly becoming part of the landscape and after a week, a few birds have shown interest. The first creature to the trough, however...I'm happy someone is enjoying it!

Oh, so many things!

Another lovely state holiday today!

Many options, a very relaxing day. I went to the gym for spinning, knit, caught up on recorded television, shopped a bit, met my parents for lunch, knit some more, napped, then installed a new bird feeder!

Well, first let me share a few photos from the snowstorm that hit the homefront yesterday, but never made it to the office. I simply walked to lunch in cold rain. Very pretty at the house.
Yesterday:

Today, with new bird feeder:

With the promise of more snow, I hope the birdies will be happily fed for the event.

I also bought this bright, lovely primrose while shopping for the bird feeder. The whole rack of them was so colorful, I could not resist! Unfortunately, I napped during the remaining daylight hours, so the photo does not reflect its total vibrancy:
The Icelandic sweater is coming along. When I finish the second sleeve, I will join the body with both sleeves then begin the colorwork of the yoke.
With the weekend plus another holiday on Monday, she may be coming together!

Happy Lee-Jackson Day.

Blast!

With much Christmas knitting completed, I'm in search of mobile projects again. The sleeve is one option, but I like to have several options. So I pulled out a sock-in-progress. The first one is done, the second ready for the turning of the heel. I've done some socks, but still need to refer to the pattern. Well, since I worked on the first sock, I've done some tidying. No idea where the pattern is. Searched the stack. No pattern with a heel flap that looks like this one. Clearly tidying is overrated.

I've unearthed some generic sock patterns and think I can make up the rest. They're mine, so they don't have to look the same, but I do prefer they fit similarly.

Crap.

A case of the "I want's"

I have a whole day in front of me. No plans, no commitments. All day. Blissful, but oh so overwhelming. I have so many things I want to do, I'm paralyzed. What to do first? The options are just too numerous.

I face the same challenge with life. So many things I want to do. So many things I must do. All take time. Although I do have all day today, I do not have all day every day to do just what I'd like. I want to knit more. I want to read more. I want to learn to sew. I want to work out more. I want to learn more about web design. I want to visit friends out of town more. I want to visit friends in town more. I want to bake. I want to cook. I want to make cards. I want to write more notes. I want to make an album of our last trip. I want to plan our next trip.

So, between 9:00am and 9:00pm today, what will I do? Will I take a challenging route or sit and knit on an existing project and watch recorded television shows all day? Will I do wants or musts? At the end of the day, will I have flitted to each of my wants and a few musts and accomplished just a little bit on each? Will the household be any better for a productive day of activities?

Bring on the day!

Author's note: Did I mention that I want to do these things in addition to the other activities I am already fortunate to enjoy: knitting by myself, knitting with friends, napping, having afternoon tea, or a beer, depending on the day, visiting with parents, surfing the web.

Forward and back

The mitten yarn is in! What brilliant colors. Mine are pink and brighter pink. AM chose red and green.
I started a swatch in Marta Stina's technique.
Not such a great technique for this knitter. With these little needles (my new Christmas needles!), control is sort of important. With this technique, I've got stitches in multiple sizes. In shapes I've never seen before. Since every pattern stresses gauge, gauge, gauge, I'm thinking that means that one gauge over the course of the project is preferable. In my amateur status (not having my own named, published technique), I'm reverting back to one color in each hand. Having only completed one small, stuffed animal-sized fair isle project, I'm clearly not ready for the specialty method. Writer confession: I do not claim to be a creative writer, so I'll admit I often reach out to available resources. A favorite of mine is merriamwebster.com. Check out the sample sentence for a synonym for "technique."

The knit-along is in a bit of a static status given some birthday knitting and Icelandic sweater knitting. I purchased some 9 dpns to get going on the sleeves. I worked through the patterned cuff at home, then was ready for the endless rows of stockinette for lunchtime walking-knitting. I was strolling and knitting happily, then had a clever thought. Since this is going to be MY sleeve, why not try it on? Blast. Not such a good fit for my wrist. So walking-knitting turned in to walking-unraveling. Ready to re-cast on. Didn't count how many stitches I had so I could figure out the new number. Pattern in the knitting basket at home since I was simply knitting endless rows of stockinette. Blast. Another point for my wonderful husband who pulled out my Icelandic pattern - in English, but with a twist. He patiently read through the Cast on 30(36, 36), K1, P1 for 8cm, switch to 6mm twin pins, inc to 42(48, 48) (since I was changing the ribbed cuff, I needed the increased number). In case you need to know, pins are knitting needles. Twin pins are dpns.

A highlight of the day - I went to see Kate Jacobs, the author of Friday Night Knitting Club at a bookstore in Shockoe Slip last night. Delightful. This is her first novel. The movie rights to the book were purchased by some association with Julia Roberts to produce and star in the movie. Talk about beginner's luck! I'm eager to read it. And I did manage to get the cuff of the Icelandic sweater cast on, again.

Moving forward!

Back to real life

Well, the holiday euphoria has diminished a bit. But the house is clean, so there's a new high associated with that. On the knitting front, I finished the first ball on the Icelandic sweater - I'm back to where I was when the frogging started. The stitches are smaller, so I think it's safe to start ball two. Celebrate the small successes.

I am a multiple project knitter, so in that spirit, I am going to start the sleeves even while the body is in progress. It will seem almost like different projects due to the circumference difference. Perhaps even mobile knitting once I get past the wrist detail. I need to get maximum knitting done before the mitten yarn comes in since I can barely keep up with AM even without distractions like a job and an Icelandic sweater and sleeves.

On that note, does anyone have size 9 and/or 10 dpn's I can borrow?

Welcome 2008!

We had a blast of a time on New Year's Eve and have the quintessence of party favors to show for it.
We played with friends, ate, drank, and were merry. We discovered Wii. Wii, oh Wii! Much boxing and bowling. Big fun! And I have the soreness to prove it. Somehow Amy, it does make one a bit tender, even without the eight-pound ball. I think that says something for my lower-body weight routine, but I suppose that goes under "Resolutions."

I welcome in 2008 in a state of euphoria. I've worked a record few number of days since October (up to and including today), knitted more Christmas gifts than ever before, received fabulous gifts, visited lots with friends and family, and have nestled in at home with Robert on several cloudy days and cold nights. I got a teapot for Christmas which has brought a joy to me every afternoon at home since. I enjoy just gazing at it in the cabinet even when I do not have the time to sit for a spot. I handled all of my returns (I think). I have several knitting projects on the needles and yarn coming in the mail.

So, I'm off for a New Year's Day run (for a guilt-free afternoon) in my new running shirt and socks and with my shiny new ipod.

Happy New Year!