Hello, 2008!

I've been a bit absent lately, but not because I've been doing nothing. I've been working, thinking, and finishing "stuff" that's hanging around. I have so much going on, and so many demands on my time, I just haven't gotten the time in one block to post to the blog!!

So here come a long, multi-subject post, in which I'll attempt to throw out some of the things on my plate lately.

I have some pictures to share of more 2007 projects, I have some ideas for the new year, and the blog itself has a new look.

Kid Mitts

Cold hands, whiny child - new mittens.


Three, of course, since they always lose at least one.
I pulled this yarn from my stash of handspun. It's three-ply superwash, made from beautiful stuff I bought at the Spinning Loft. The colors change gradually, and the pattern is not repeating. As evidenced by the three, non-matching mittens. It sure was a fun knit, though!

Christmas Towels

I gave away almost all of the towels before taking pictures of them. I have pictures of the last three that haven't yet left the house, but that's it. Most of them are gone. They were, however, very well received, and I've gotten several comments about how wonderful they are to use! I was toying with the idea of making new towels next year, with a different unifying pattern, and giving them out again, since I enjoyed making these so much...now I definitely will!

I ended up prewashing some, but not all of them, as part of my experiment. Every towel has that long vertical yellow stripe in it - the unifying warp, and that's what I'll change next year, to signify the year. I did start to get a little bored there, by the end of weaving, but I'm so glad I did it! Friends and family were thrilled and amazed that I'd made them myself. I enjoyed watching the mprovement in my weaving skills from the first towel to the last. Selvedges improved, patterns got a bit more complicated, and it got easier. The first batch were all woven in plain weave. The second warp-full were all twill of one kind or another. The only thing that remained the same was the warp pattern. I like it that way.

Most of them were given away on December 23-25th. I hosted then annual Christmas Eve (eve) brunch for my friends from college. We get together every year, whoever is available and in-state, and have brunch. All day. The last folks left at 6:30pm. This is brunch, folks - and it's never over before supper. I think that's why we love it so much.

That's also the day I knit my most controversial bit of knitting. Ever.

I knit a Cozy.

It's cashmere (100%), ties with a silk ribbon, and I hope I never, ever, EVER, know if it gets used.

Little Boy Socks

I finished these, and added them to the sidebar some time ago, but hadn't taken a picture yet.

He's worn them several times, and still likes them. Good thing.

I knit a mini-pair for Felito* in the same yarn, but haven't nabbed a picture of them yet.

Monkey Socks

Another pair of socks I finished on the sly. I found them in my UFO pile recently, and just plain finished them. I don't even remember why they ended up in the UFO pile. But they fit nice, are confy, and I've worn them several times.

New Year's Thoughts

I've decided that 2008 will be the year of tying up loose ends and finishing unfinished projects. Of all kinds. I have several unfinished embroidery projects hanging around (yes, I do that, too), a couple of knitting projects, dozens of sewing projects, and ideas enough ot fill several sheets of paper with my list.

Unfinished projects cause me stress. They make me nervous, they make me feel guilty, and they increase clutter. I want to declutter even more than I did in 2007 (and I did get rid of quite a bit of stuff!) and finishing or getting rid of things that bother me will continue to be an important part of it. I like the fact that my house is getting to be tidy on a regular basis. That I don't have to clean for company anymore. That we've almost reached a point where everything has a place, and is usually in that place. Where the biggest mess is whether or not I did the dishes before going to bed last night (which can mean alot, when you live on a road with antique water mains that break and wash out your front yard at random...like yesterday...).

Life is good, and getting better. It feels good to have made so much progress in the last year. If I can say the same thing a year from now, it'll be awesome, and I will have reached a new level of enjoyment of life, where old clutter and dreams no longer inhibit me from reaching my current goals and dreams.

And to leave you with two more cute pictures: we have three Sheepherds, a gift from a good friend,

And my Little Boy's 8th birthday cake.

Eight?!?!

Already?!?!