Year End Knitting Stats

For December I finished a cowl and a shawl. In total I used up 3 balls of yarn/ 966 yards.

For the 2014 in total, I knit up 52.5 balls of yarn/ 15,480 yards. I've knit up more this year than I have in the past few years. I hope I can keep it up and knit a similar amount next year.

Golden Orchids

Pattern: Golden Orchids from Aino Haikala

Yarn: Neeley's Knits in The Big Bang Theory inspired Blue Russian Kitty

Started on: Dec. 9th

Finished on: Dec. 23rd

Comments: This was a fairly quick knit. My SIL was gracious enough to model the shawl for me.

The yarn was suer soft to work with. I think the pattern and yarn combination worked out well.

WIP Wednesday

Things are hectic with the holidays. I think this also reflects in my knitting. It's the time of year where we try to decide our resolutions what we want to tackle in the new year. It also makes me want to cast on and knit ALL THE THINGS. So I started a bunch of projects, only to find that many of them aren't feeling quite right.

I then decided to go back to the focus of knitting down my stash. So I pulled out some yarn I bought in 2006 and started a scarf. This is one of my oldest yarns. I've saved this yarn for so long because I never felt any project was worthy of it. It's Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Black Purl. This is one of my favorite Lorna's Laces Color ways. So far I really like how this yarn looks in this scarf pattern. I have already memorized this scarf pattern.

I'm still working on my Golden Orchids Scarf. As I said before the holidays are hectic. I have a feeling that I won't finish either of these  projects until the new year.

Holiday Stockings

I can't resist posting a photo of the three stockings I finished this year. It puts me in the Holiday mood! They were so much fun to make! I still need to stitch names on them, but that can wait.

WIP Wednesday

 Golden Orchid - I just started this yesterday, but this is my primary focus right now. It's my "G" in my Lace A-Z project. The yarn is Neeley's Knits Silk Wool Blend in The Big Bang Theory Inspired Blue Russian Kitty.

Morning Glory Wrap - I just started this wrap. I'm using Kent DK which is my favorite lines in the Bare Naked Wools yarns. It's so soft and comes in beautiful colors. After using such luxurious yarns, it will be hard to go back to regular yarns.

Garter Rib Baby Blanket - No new photo of this. It looks the same just longer. I'm almost finished with the second ball of yarn. I have five balls of yarn dedicated to this project so there's still a ways to go on this one. 

FO Friday: Honey Cowl

Pattern: Honey Cowl from Madelinetosh

Yarn: Lamb and Wolf in Lamb DK Pastel Party

Needles: US Size 8

Started on: Nov. 29th

Finished on: Dec. 3rd

Comments: I realize that this never made it onto my blog as a WIP, because it knit up so quickly.

I started out casting on the small size. Then when I was 2/3rds done, it occurred to me that I hadn't even used up half of the ball of yarn. I love the yarn and colors and knew I wanted to use as much of it as possible.

So I frogged the cowl and re-started it, knitting the large size. I love how it turned out! The size is perfect and used almost the entire ball of yarn.

I was extremely motivated to finish this project, since it's been raining all week. This cowl is a nice way to help keep warm and add a bit of color to my wardrobe.

Timeouts, not just for kids

Last night, I picked up my sock to start working on it when I noticed something. There was a hole around where the gusset decreases start. So I held it up to look closer to examine it. See that green stitch marker? It is now holding a single stitch that apparently was dropped or somehow came loose during a gusset decrease round. UGH.

I must have been getting too confident in my sock knitting abilities or something. That's when stuff like this happens and humbles you. Anyway I'm so annoyed, I can't deal with this sock right now.  It's in timeout until further notice. Onwards with other knitting....

WIP Wednesday

Now that it's December, I'm really feeling the end of the year coming on fast. It reminds me that I want to knit all the things before the end of the year. And I know it's not possible. I'm fighting the urge to cast on all the things.  

Here's where I am working on:

1) Baby Blanket - I'm using 5 skeins of yarn for this. It came in two different dye lots. They are quite different, so I'm using two skeins at once and alternating skeins every few rows. I think it's turning out well so far. This is a relaxing mindless knit. I can't wait for this one to be done.

2) Gilmore Girls socks - This is the simple K3, P1 ribbing. I'm on the gusset decrease of the second sock.