2010 knitting resolutions

You know how it is at the first of the year.  Everyone makes resolutions for all sorts of things:  losing weight, getting out of debt/saving money, quitting smoking, etc.  I don't know about you, but I usually make knitting resolutions.  I wrote my list like weeks ago, but hadn't gotten around to making the list public ... till now.  So here goes:

• learn brioche stitch – and knit something with that stitch. I’m thinking something simple like a hat although I would LOVE to have this capelet: Shadow Dance
• knit a sweater for myself – specifically: Incredible Custom-Fit Raglan
• knit (or crochet) 1 Christmas gift each month (except January)
• knit a sweater vest for myself – specifically: Veste Everest or Ticuna
• start cataloging yarn/fiber stash on Ravelry – perhaps one per week
• learn to knit 2 socks at a time on 2 circulars. I already know the 2 circ method (Cat Bordhi is my hero!) so the next step is to do 2 socks at once

That's it!  Seems easy enough now, but we'll see how it goes as the year progresses!

Oh, I've also been meaning to show y'all my new Rio bag from Jordana Paige.  What can I say?  I. LOVE. THIS. BAG!!  Here's Rio at work:

I have my regular purse stuff on one side of the center divider (from left to right you see my red Moleskine notebook, a small pack of tissues, keys, cell phone, orange makeup bag and iPod-- in a knitted iPod cozy of course).  Inside the zipped-up center divider are my wallet and a compact of my favorite Chantecaille lipglosses. The other side of the divider has my bag of knitting tools, my Kindle, 2 knitting projects in vinyl bags and a folder of some of the various patterns I'm sorta working on. This is a true carry-it-all bag!!!  There are tons of pockets, and even the pockets have pockets ... seriously.  I am already looking forward to getting another Rio.  My only wish is that the garnet red wasn't discontinued.  But there is hope for maybe being able to purchase one during the upcoming sale ... 100% of the sales are going to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti so it's for a good cause.  I'm gonna buy one, and you should too!

But now, I'm gonna cozy up on the couch, watch the fire burn in the fireplace, and maybe knit on my mitten.

G'night!

~mz

Happy New Year!

I am totally wondering what happened to the past year -- actually I'm wondering what happened to the past TEN years.  Time flies indeed!

I wish I could say that I've spent nearly every spare moment of my vacation knitting (working on the few projects that are currently on my needles.  Part of my vacation was spent sick in bed, unfortunately!  My mom successfully doctored me back to health and after a few days under her care, I felt halfway human.  But I still didn't do much knitting, which means that I still need to finish 3.5 dishcloths for Momma's annual Christmas gift.  Also have to finish Eric's second sock (I was going great guns on it but messed up a cable and couldn't fix it so I had to rip and re-knit), and also need to finish my laceweight Clapotis.  I'm prioritizing those projects in that exact order and would love to finish all of them by the end of January, so that I can start my "Incredible Custom-Fit Raglan Sweater" for my "Ravelympics 2010" project (careful, that's a Ravelry link!). 

So in other news, I will share what "Santa" brought me for Christmas ... gee I must have been very good this year!  My parents bought me some cute stuff, including a "Porn for Women" wall calendar, a neat mug that I can use for sipping my morning tea, and a couple of charms for my Pandora bracelet!  I got some Christmas money from other family members too,  and my honey gave me an Amazon.com gift card.  So what did I buy?  Knitting stuff of course!  I got 4 of Cat Bordhi's books:

• Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters: Book Two in the New Pathways for Sock Knitters Series
  
• New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One
  
• A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting
  
• A Treasury of Magical Knitting 

I also bought myself 2 charms for the above-mentioned bracelet. And today I bought a Rio bag from Jordana Paige.  Boy, I can't WAIT for that to arrive.  It seems like it will be the perfect solution to carrying my purse, my knitting bag and often a work bag.  I'm a total bag lady but from all accounts this bag is woooooonnnnderful and is the only bag a knitter needs.  I can't wait to try mine out!  I'm afraid I will get hooked and maybe feel compelled to buy another in a different color :-)  I got black because it goes with everything, but I would love to find a red one.  Apparently Rio used to come in red but not anymore.  How sad!    Anyhoo, I think this bag might make me get rid of some of the others that I've tried and don't like for various reasons.  I'll definitely give y'all an update as soon as it gets here! 

That's all for now, dears.  Methinks it's finally time to cozy up in bed and head off to dreamland.  Hope your New Year is productive, fun and full of knitting.  May your yarn never tangle, and may your dye lots always match!

Until next time,
~mz