Sock On!

I actually remembered to bring the camera to work with me today, so let's enter this one into the books as the first FO of 2009 (even though technically it's No. 2). I think my first FO of 2008 was also a pair of socks, so I'd like to keep that trend going! Sadly there was not enough of the silk garden sock yarn to make a pair of knee socks like I wanted. But the end product will still go nicely with my mid-calf boots. I wonder if I can block the heck out of them to get them a bit longer?

Here they are:



Pattern: 64 stitch toe up socks with a 2x1 rib. I did a short row heel for the first time which was just as quick and easy as everyone says and actually fit my feet pretty well despite some caveats I had heard out there. I added a few increases up the center of the back to fit around my rather shapely calves.

You can see that the socks are essentially the reverse of each other which I think is actually kind of fun, though I can see how it would drive some people nuts.

Piece o'cake! And actually I may start up another pair of socks soon since this pair went so well.

Nothing to see here

Please pardon the lack of activity. I swear that there has been much going on, not all of which is blog-worthy, but much of which is and I have been severely disappointed in my inability to get any interesting pictures up to describe said goings-on. Problem is that I somehow managed to massively screw up my computer by, of all crazy things, doing a disk cleanup. It no longer recognizes my USB ports, which means no camera (and no ipod for that matter) updates. This means that even if I did remember to take pictures, I'd never be able to get them up here for all to see! But can I describe to you what I've been up to without pictures? Not really. It doesn't seem like nearly as much fun for either of us, now does it?

There has been baking. But all that I'd be able to show you now would be an empty springform pan that contained this little marvel. Or the nearly gone chicken pot pie that was made from leftovers of my first roasted chicken (the carcass of which also produced some stock that's currently frozen in some ziploc bags). Actually I should clarify. The chicken was technically steamed, but whatever. It was delish.

There has been knitting. But it's really just a big blob right now so even if there was a picture, it wouldn't be particularly interesting. Instead of the Venezia sweater, I decided to start a blanket as my first major longterm project of the New Year. It was nearly impossible finding a pattern I was totally on board with. It had to be warm and cozy obviously. I preferred some sort of lacy pattern but not too lacy that it sacrificed the warm and cozy. And as much as I love what Brooklyn Tweed's been doing to elevate the doily, I wanted something in a more standard blanket shape. That's when I happened upon this shawl. It's perfect. It's also just interesting enough to keep me from being bored to death while not so complicated that I can't knit while watching some Arrested Development on dvd.

There has also been progress on more personal levels. I'm doing pretty well on the diet and activity front. Still haven't gotten around to checking out some yoga studios as I'd like to broaden my exercise repertoire, but I'll get there eventually.

I also signed up for match.com... yeah. I know. So far I am less than impressed but I'm clearly not giving it a chance. I need to be a bit more open to possibilities. Tonight before going out to dinner, a friend who did online dating and I are going to sit down and evaluate my profile and some of the dudes who have been emailing me. Also, is it weird that I don't want to click on dudes' profiles because then they'll know I was checking them out? It is, isn't it? I knew it.

In addition, it looks like my completely useless/selfish roommate will be leaving next month which means that my other roommate and I are evaluating our options. I'm putting an apartment with decent light all day long on my wishlist. This means that once my computer decides it wants to recognize my camera again, I can upload glorious naturally-lit pictures of my knitwear instead of pictures that look like they were taken in a cave. Huzzah!

The Year Ahead

I think this was such a worthwhile tool last year to keep me focused. Otherwise I worry that I lose focus and fall victim to chronic startitis.

January: Finish Nantucket Jacket. Start Venezia Redux and Thrummed Mittens
February: Start Blanket and Francis Revisited
March: Shalom Cardigan or similar. Finish Venezia Redux.
April: Spin 1 batt of fiber. Start Wallis Cardigan w/ blouson sleeves
May: Finish Apres Surf Hoodie. Start Lace Project
June: Socks
July: Socks
August: Finish Lace Project. Start Rhinebeck Garment
September: Spin 1 batt of fiber
October: Finish Blanket and Rhinebeck Garment
November: Urban Aran
December: 5 pairs of socks completed.


There are lots of other resolution type things that I've promised myself that I will do this year. First and foremost, I'm getting back in shape. I know this is the kind of thing that people say every new year's, but I mean it. I recently had a rather unpleasant fitting room experience that has made this imperative.

To accomplish this goal I'm doing a few things: 1. Keeping a food journal, 2. Making a workout/gym schedule, 3. Making more prepare ahead meals

After 1 week of this program I've actually put on a pound. How frustrating is that? But I've got to do some serious lifestyle changes or I'll be stuck in this rut forever. I have a feeling that my knitting will have to languish periodically. But them's the breaks. I just discovered the Body and Soul Challenge over at Whole Living. (35 days to a new me? I hope the new me is Heidi Klum!) It starts today and you know what, I'm going for it. Kind of awesome that I'd already replenished my cupboards with a wide variety of legumes. It's as if I knew that this was in my future ;) That and some Beano, I guess.

One last recap of 2008:
If there's one thing I love, it's a family who appreciates the handknits.

And that family is my mother's-best-friend-from-college's-family:

Note: The photo is a little fuzzy b/c I was dumb and left my camera out in the cold car which made it very unhappy when it eventually came indoors to defrost.