Caturday

Pippin's in the laundry basket because he feels kind of dirty. Why does Pippin feel dirty?


Because he ate Eve's feet! Oh, no!

Run for your life, George! Pippin is a feet-eating fool!

Success!

I would like to present my first sweater!

Yes, there are lines on the front because I had it folded. Ignore those, please, and focus on the pretty! The sleeves fit me! The length is reasonable! It goes around my torso exactly once! All of the pieces are attached to the other pieces! It's warm and fuzzy and cute and I made it!

I might have to wear this every day for the next year or so, just so you know.


Now, on to other matters.

I resist making New Year's Resolutions because it just seems like making them would be setting myself up for failure. However, I have been thinking about making some goals for myself, and this seems like a good opportunity to record them for posterity. (Goals are nice because, if you're not doing so well, you can redouble your efforts without feeling too guilty. Not like a resolution--those are much firmer and more serious, and breaking them leads to serious guilt and self-recrimination, which are no fun unless you're Catholic. [Just kidding, Mom!])

1. Knit more from my stash rather than buying new yarn. A large subset of this goal is to whittle down the sock yarn stash. I can do this by knitting more socks, and by making things like scarves and wraps from the sock yarn I already have. Added benefit: more handknits to wear!
   
2. Eat out for dinner no more than once a week. This will be good for my pocketbook as well as my waistline, with the added benefit of making me feel more settled. I will have leftovers to take to work for lunch this way, too, which will be nice.
3. Try to keep my house tidier.
4. Be more social. Go to SnB at least once a week, and hang out with the non-profit crowd more. Host a dinner party.
5. Try to be more active. Deliberately exercise, even if it's only for a few minutes every day. Work up to longer time periods and a habitual workout.
6. Increase savings so I have a comfortable cushion, just in case.

That about covers it, I think. Nothing too onerous, but a several of them involve breaking habits or forming new ones, which is always a challenge. But hey, if I can make a whole sweater, I can do anything!

Scheduled Caturday #3

By the time you're reading this, I'm back in Lexington, but I thought I'd set it up just in case I got forgetful!

Pippin sometimes sits on top of the scratcher I bought the cats. He's not scratching--just sitting.


George is... not doing anything remarkable here.


And here's a super close shot of Eve to round things out. Happy 2009!

Scheduled Caturday #2

Just like last Caturday, I'm writing this in Lexington, but it will be posted the Saturday after Christmas. I hope everyone's holiday was magical!


Eve has been sleeping next to me some nights. It's very sweet.


George is very interested in cribbage.


And Pippin likes getting the love, even if he has to sit on a lap to get it!

Vacation Knitting Roundup: Day 10

First, I have to show you how tough Wisconsin sparrows are. It's very, very cold in the picture below, and you'll notice that the sparrows are nonetheless eagerly bathing in the only-thawed-because-it's-slightly-heated birdbath. Also, I understand that I have witnessed history in the making. With the snow we got last night, Green Bay has broken its all-time December snow record--our 39.7 inches beat 1887's 36.4 inches. And there are still 5 days of December left! Whee!


Now, the knitting. On the first day of my vacation, last Wednesday, I didn't knit; I drove, and drove, and drove. Since then, here's what I have accomplished.

I knit a hat. (See previous entry.)

I finished my last sweater piece. (Ditto.)

I finished the first half of my lilac silk scarf
If this looks way off, color-wise, I apologize--my parents' monitor is darker than I'm used to, so it looks funny to me, too, but I didn't want to mess with it too much.

I finished the first skein of the yarn I'm using to knit my latest pair of socks. One and a half socks from one skein!


I knit as far as I could on the second half of Anne's Christmas present.

Notice the trailing yarn on the last three photos. I have more to do on each of these, but no yarn handy to do it. What's a girl to do?

Start a new sock!

And maybe two more, for good measure.

I had no idea I could knit this much this quickly. I haven't even spent all my time knitting--I've managed to be sociable, bake, have family dinners, make 5 billion tiny meatballs for the Italian wedding soup, visit with friends, have family Christmas, read, sleep, and bathe, too!

Bloggity-blog

I have lost all ability to be creative with entry titles. Sorry about that.

But look! Knitting!

Because I am home with the folks and far from responsibilities, I have been knitting up a storm. Last night I finished the last piece of the sweater I cast on in February!

Check it out--two sleeves! They're even the same size! I would love to say that I would be spending today blocking the pieces and assembling the sweater, but as it happens, I left the front and the back in Lexington. Not a lot of foresight, here.

I also made a hat the other day.

It's all nice and warm. Which is good, because it is freaking cold here. When I got up this morning, the actual temperature was -3, with a wind chill of something ridiculous like -22. Gah! Good thing I packed every pair of wool socks I own!

I've also been working on my silk scarf.

Mmm, shiny and soft. I'm nearing the end of the first skein. Where is the second skein? Why, it's in Lexington!

I've also worked a bit on a sock that's been riding around in my purse for a while. I haven't worked a ton on it, because it's a second sock, and there's not enough yarn left from the first skein to finish it. Where's that second skein? Lexington! Are you seeing a pattern here?

Luckily, I have the second half of one of Anne's presents here as well. I plan to work my little keister off on that and finish it by January 5, when I go back to work. Of course, I might run out of the main color before I leave Green Bay, because I left Skein Two... all together now!... in Lexington! I'm so freaking smart. Actually, I choose to believe that I didn't pack any more sweater pieces or second skeins because I truly didn't believe I would need them. It looks like, for once, I may have actually underestimated the amount of knitting I would be doing! Crazy.

Scheduled Caturday #1

As you're reading this, I am in Green Bay getting ready for Christmas with my parents. I'm writing it before I leave town--ooh, blog magic! I hope everyone's preparations are going well!


Eve looks seriously evil in this one. Basement cat lives at my house!


Pippin is not evil.


George likes to climb on my lap while I'm at my computer.