How many do I need?

Just how many WIPs do I need? Apparently, FOUR. heh

There's a ruffly scarf that I ended up frogging last night. (Soon to be replaced on the needles by a cabled hat to match... this scarf:

Sort of. The yarn's the same, the pattern doesn't really match, but whatev. =) Different ruffly scarf pattern from the first, turning out better due to a more appropriate yarn choice. I'll definitely try that first pattern again... with completely different (much less droopy) yarn. =) Then, there's the dog sweater that I still need to finish:
Kinda stalled on that one a bit. I'm about up to the shoulders and need to figure out how I want to do the front portion. I'll have to go in search of buttons in Seattle. Luckily, there's a yarn shop just half a mile from my hotel!

And last, but not least (def. the one I'm most excited about!), my socks! Here's my second (much better) attempt after frogging the first. It's actually an inch or so longer than in this pic now. =) I'm starting to get the draw of socks. It's fun knitting round and round and seeing something wearable come of it (that's not a hat)! And so small and portable too! I see many socks in my flying future...

Love, love, love the colorway! It remains to be seen how many of these will need to make the trip to Seattle this weekend to be finished. The socks, surely. The sweater, possibly. The hat, probably. The scarf, doubtful. =)

Staying Sane

I used to laugh when people said knitting helped them keep their sanity in stressful situations. Now, I chuckle because I know exactly what they mean. Three solid weeks at home with my mother is resulting in multiple new knitting projects. Right now, I have four projects on needles and another ready to go - needles, pattern and yarn at the ready. I think I need the distraction of a new pattern. I have my toe-up socks, the dog sweater and two scarves (plus a hat ready to start). I get it now.

Sometimes, this happens...

I was knitting away on my toe-up sock, working my increases (way too often as it turns out) when I decided I just really didn't like how it was coming out. Thus, the beginnings of my secnod pair of socks...

...turned into this:

haha It's actually sorta satisfying to rip it out when it's just not working. My next attempt will be better. Stay tuned...

Toe-Up Socks!

I decided I wanted to knit a pair of socks this year. No time like the present! =) I'm using the tutorials from Denise Powell to learn toe-up socks. (The advantage to toe-up rather than the reverse is that you don't need to swatch to determine gauge or try to guess at the amount of yarn you'll need to finish the sock and run the risk of running out on the second sock... or having way too much left over. You could split the ball in half by weight and just knit until you run out of yarn!) After a few attempts working from the cast-on on her site, I tried out the Magic cast-on from knitty.com (16 st, 8 st per needle) and stuck with that one and I'm using the right/left twisted loop increases for the toes. I'll have to play around with the different increases to see which one I like best for the future, but this one works for now. =)

These will be only my second set of socks ever. My first pair was knit cuff down with variegated Red Heart acrylic. I still have the first pair, but they're definitely more slipper-sock than sock-sock. haha

Starting off right - Healthy Minestrone Soup!

Seriously, this couldn't be quicker or easier to make and it's so healthy and so very yummy! The best part is, it's a perfect recipe for hotel cooking (well, if you have a stovetop, that is). =)


Fast Minestrone

3 cups vegetable broth
1 14.5-oz can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup uncooked small pasta
1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 16-oz pkg frozen Italian-style mixed vegetables
2 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp marjoram
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
(recipe from The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook)

Happy New Year!

Wow. 2009, already! How the heck did that happen?! Time has flown by the past 6 months. I suppose living out of a suitcase in a hotel, feeling like you're always on vacation doesn't help. It all just blends together. I've been home nearly two weeks now for the holidays. Oddly, I feel more at home in a hotel than in the place I pay way too much for just to call it home - maybe because I have more space in most hotel rooms... or maybe it's that I'm alone in the hotel rather than sharing the space with someone who's constantly cranky (to put it mildly). Ahh, can you tell it's been a loooong two weeks? Yeah, ready to head back to Seattle to my nice, quiet hotel room. I saw my sister over the weekend. She wants me to move down to Kentucky and get a place with her. Not so sure it would be a great idea to be tied down with a 6-12 month lease in KY though. I kinda have another plan in the works. It doesn't include another (expensive) move in the next couple months.

It's resolution time! There were lots of changes last year, some expected, some not so much. So, what's in store for this year?

1. Cook more often and choose healthier foods. I've been eating out and buying junk way too often! I usually have a kitchen in the hotels, I just need to use it more often! New, healthy recipes will be popping up here...
2. Exercise! Again, the hotels nearly always have a mini gym... I need to get back to using it again!
3. Knitting! Lots more knitting! haha Yeah, I was gonna do that anyway. But I will be sticking to knitting things I want to knit and for those I know will appreciate it. No obligatory knitting!
4. Along the knitting vein, I plan to knit my 2nd pair of socks and my first (non-infant-size) sweater this year!
5. Stash containment - I will contain my stash to only what will fit in the suitcase I'm currently using for yarn storage (not including the yarn in storage across the country - yarn I can't get to without a plane ticket doesn't count!).
6. Save, save, save! Money, that is. I have a vague plan I'm working on. I need to prepare. Paying off my debt last year and getting decent paychecks will help this plan along. =)

It'll be another year of big changes! =)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Okay, so my birthday's not until Monday, but I already know what I'm getting... and it's something I want! haha There's a first time for everything! My mom finally listened to me. I had to order them since my mom doesn't do that sort of thing (and that's a really good thing, honestly). I ordered my ball winder (yay!) from Jo Ann Fabric on a decent sale and with a free shipping coupon... and I bought a wooden yarn swift from a seller on etsy.com. *sigh* Sadly, I won't get them until after I get back from my next trip to Seattle since I'm heading back this weekend. I've waited this long though, I can wait some more I suppose. =) So excited!! What a nice way to end 2008...

This year has definitely seen it's ups and downs with lots of changes along the way. I began the year as a full-time photography student, completely broke, living in a mobile home (the first place I ever owned) in Spokane, WA. Part way through the year I decided I was sick of being completely broke, took a new job that required nearly constant travel, moved back to my mother's house in Indiana and sold the mobile home. It took 6 months of basically living out of a suitcase in hotel rooms in various parts of the US, but I'm once again debt-free (woo hoo!!!) and contemplating more changes for the new year. I know I won't be where I am right now at the end of 2009. It remains to be seen however just where I will be...