Getting it all Completed

The ankle socks, Toby's orange sweater, and the soldier's helmut liner all finished today - I even reworked the toe of ankle sock #1 - it was too pointy for my satisfaction. I would have finished the Christmas Stocking, but it has gone missing.

The handspun/hand-dyed silk lace weight yarn has been frogged and will actually be used for a lace shawl sometime in the near future (must search out a great pattern) and I am about to cast on a couple of birthday gifts in the morning. I even did laundry - what's wrong with me?

I guess cutting back my hours at the shop has helped free up lots of time and energy. I now only work Wed & Sat and it is very nice. I've missed my kiddos more than I realized. We're getting caught up on Dora and Story time very quickly! I LOVE it!

I hope to update my blogsite this week and weekend with some pictures, etc. Stay tuned!

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

Progress So Far

Twisty Cable Scarf (our of Baby Alpaca Grande - yummy)

Tartelette Self Fringing Shawl
Casey's afghan (long term project - not worried about getting finished anytime soon)
an ankle sock (#2)
Iceland felted clutch (finished to use as "before" sample in shop)
Felted Christmas Stocking (only the toe decreases left to finish)
Silk Ruffle Scarf (has been frogged and will become lace in the near future)
Purple Purse from you-know-where (anyone else crazy enough to try knitting with satin cording?) 30% finished but it will keep
Elaine baby sweater
Scarlet baby sweater
Plush chidren's vest
Two crocheted purses
Toby's Orange sweater
Soldier's Helmut Liner

If I get any decent knitting time today I can finish just about everything (that will finish) on my list.

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

I must be dreaming

It seems that after about Tuesday - I'll have NOTHING (except Casey's afghan and the purple purse from you know where) left on the needles. Oh wait - I just remembered the Plush baby vest - I may not finish it by Tuesday night - phew! I was getting nervous.

I've left about 1/3 of the ankle sock for completion during an orientation meeting for Anna's new art school (I'm told it's fairly excruciating and I should bring LOTS to knit). I'll also cast on the last sleeve for Toby's sweater tomorrow morning and try to keep my hands off of it until meeting time.

I'm down to the DPNs on the soldier's helmut project and then just a few rows of picked up ribbing until completion. Good grief! I may have to resort to housework - someone please stop me :)

I'm going to get everything wrapped up and then re-evaluate where I'm going from here. It's really time to start knocking out the Christmas gift list and I have two birthday gifts to knit ASAP. Those will definitely be among the next group of "to do" items.

I don't know what I'll do if I get everything knitted in time for Christmas w/o a meltdown - there's still time though :)

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

Ok - so I'm also over ambitious - sue me!

OK OK - the sock isn't finished by this morning - it will be before the weekend though - I was getting an ache in my wrist. I did finish most everything else that I had planned though - it would probably help if I hadn't cast on a new project in the middle of it all, but that's what happens when you work in a yarn shop. Stuff comes in - you get excited and you START a bunch of stuff. Unfortunately - you then have to finish it all.

Fortunately the new project is a baby sweater on size 17 needles (it's really cute). I'm making it out of Skacel's new yarn "Big Ball" I can't wait to see it finished. I also know that there is a project waiting for me at the shop. When I arrive this morning there will be a soldiers helmut project waiting for me to start and finish ASAP. Maybe the sock will be finished by the end of the weekend instead of before, but one way or another it won't move into next week.

Off to watch Heffalumps.
I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

Moving Right Along...

(anyone else remember the Muppet Movie?) I seem to be on a music theme lately - go figure?

Anyway, The heel of the ankle sock is turned and hopefully (kids cooperating) I'll finish it up before work tomorrow. I've got lots of knitting to do yet, but it's fun and I'm checking items off my to do list of Christmas gifts so...

Casey's first day was GREAT! He is so happy and when 5:30 came - everyone left and actually came home. That's something that hasn't happened in 5 years. Now we can actually have a family dinner at a reasonable hour - it is all very exciting.

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

And so it Goes, and so it goes

"And so will I soon I suppose" Sorry - a little Billy Joel flashback there. The self-fringing shawl is finished and turned out gorgeous - Tartelette is one of my very favorite yarns. My Aunt will love the shawl for Christmas.

I'm turning the heel on the ankle sock and should have it finished tomorrow. One sweater is seamed and the other is waiting for the children to take a nap today. I'll also finish up the toe on that felted stocking (it's only been waiting since last Christmas right?) tonight as all I have to do is transfer to dpn and work a few more rows. Things are getting checked off my list one by one and it feels great! Of course I ordered more yarn Saturday night so I'm not really stashbusting huh?

I ordered from knitpicks and ybtb.com From knitpicks I got yarn to make a lace shawl for a Christmas gift and sock yarn - also for Christmas gifts. From yarn by the bag I got some thick & thin wool to make more sweaters for the kids - I was going to get one color and make a sweater that I could hand down from one child to the next, but Anna wouldn't be swayed from the pink - so they'll have matching sweaters in different colors. Now I just have to keep knitting (and faster even) to get everything finished by self-imposed deadlines.

On a new note: Casey started his new job today and I am a nercous wreck waiting to hear how it's going!

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

So Far...

OK - so far I've finished the twisty cable scarf and the iceland clutch. The Self-fringing shawl will be finished today and I'll get to working on the last ankle sock. I'm going to do all of my seaming tomorrow.

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

On The Needles:

So currently I have the following projects "open" or on the needles,
Twisty Cable Scarf (our of Baby Alpaca Grande - yummy)
Tartelette Self Fringing Shawl
Casey's afghan
an ankle sock (#2)
Iceland felted clutch
Felted Christmas Stocking (only the toe decreases left to finish)
Silk Ruffle Scarf (may get ripped and become something lacey)
Purple Purse from you-know-where (anyone else crazy enough to try knitting with satin cording?)
Elaine baby sweater (just needs seaming)
Scarlet baby sweater (just needs seaming)
Plush chidren's vest
Two crocheted purses (just need seaming, lining & handles)

With the exception of the afghan, the plush vest, the silk scarf which has a dream of being a lace shawl, and the purple purse from - well, you know - I hope to have everything finished by the end of the weekend. I might have forgotten to mention that I'm obsessive and that I knit really fast. We'll see how it goes - the seaming projects may do me in.

You think that's alot? Wait until you see the "next in line" list...

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

My Stash is Stressing me Out!

As I look around my room(s) at all of the yarn/projects I have amassed I am unduly stressed out. I have lots of projects that I want to finish for Christmas gifts, etc. I have lots of projects I want to make just for fun. Those two categories are fairly under control - it's the projects I need to make before my children outgrow them (because of course I can't get more yarn for the next size up) that are really starting to get to me.

I find myself racing to get it ALL done - or at least started (any monogamous knitters out there?) and then I end up with 10+ projects "on the needles" and if that REALLY causes me stress.

Unless I somehow figure out how to get my kids to stop growing (maybe if they only eat every OTHER day???) I guess our new T-Shirt motto is going to ring true for a while - "Life's Short...
Knit Faster!"

I'll Keep You Posted!
AmyDe

A Whole Day Off for Everyone!

WOW! Still not quite sure what to think of it all! Today is the first day that Casey doesn't have to go to work and it's pretty cool. We're not quite sure what to do with and entire week of luxury. Of course I'll knit, but I suppose there's more than that to see and do around here and those things can be made MORE enjoyable by taking my knitting with me right?

Still working on the long list of projects to finish, but I'm checking them off one at a time.

Time to go have sime fun!

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

So Much to Knit - So Little Time

I've been making a list of all the projects to finish and projects in progress and it grows everyday. Sometimes I wonder if I'm crazy to try and knit something for everyone on the gift list this year and other times I'm certain of it. I'll try to find those progress bars this weekend to put on the side of the blog and maybe then I can keep track. For now it's off to church and then to a special Sunday Knit-in at the shop.

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

He Got The Job!

Yeah!!! Casey got the job he's been wanting and it is so very perfect for him. PTL! We are very excited. I can't wait!

I've been knitting like mad lately and have several things to finish up this weekend. I've got a second ankle sock to knit, two children's sweaters to seam, a cable scarf to finish off, a small felted bag to finish (started while teaching a class today), a crochet washcloth to finish up, and 2 flower washcloths to seam up and weave-in ends. Not a great deal of work - just a little bit of many things. That's OK - I've got 2 hours of sci-fi TV to watch with Casey tonight so I'll get tons done during that.

I'm saving the sock for last as it's the project I most want to work on right now. It's my incentive project so...

I'll keep you posted,
AmyDe

Will the stress ever end???

Oh this stress of Casey Job hunting! He's been interviewing with one company for several days/weeks now and we should know within the week. The waiting is almost killing me! I've been knitting like a madwoman to keep myself sane and it's only barely working.

I've completed one cute ankle sock, am almost finished with the capelet in the current Creative Knitting (making out of Dune), am more than half-way finished with a giant twisty cable scarf made from Plymouth's Baby Alpaca Grande (YUM!), and have completed 3 cotton chenille flower washcloths (weekend knitting - only I rewrote the pattern so I could knit it on straight needles) all withing the last two weeks. - I told you I was insane!

I hope we hear today - I don't know how much more waiting I can take. This job is the answer to many prayers and we want it so very much. Casey will be happy there and that's most important to me (of course nearly doubling his salary doesn't hurt, but...).

I'll keep you posted!

AmyDe

If only there were more time!

I was just window shopping online for yarn and havecometo the conclusion that I could easily spend upwards of $2000.00/week on yarn - discounted at really GREAT sale prices mind you. If I had that kind of money I might consider spending it all on yarn as well, that is, if there were enough time to knit it all.

At some point Imust admit to myself that I can only knit for so many hours in the day before my children say- "Mommy we're VERY hungry." As it stands I have a hard time finding the children now as I've given up housecleaning in favor of knitting. Granted we can't have friends over anymore, but hey that would take time away from knitting anyway so...

Casey's interview went well yesterday and even WHEN hegets this job - the salary increase won't be enough to support my "window shopping" habit so...

I suppose sanity is relative anyway so for now I'm ok!

I'll keep you posted!
AmyDe

Hello All

Hello All & Welcome! I'm Amy and I work at The Purly Gates in Marietta, GA. I'm starting this blog to have a little fun and meet some new friends. I knit like crazy and am always up for a good laugh. Please read my profile to find out a little more about me. I'm having fun and am off to knit my nerves away (Hubby is in a job interview RIGHT NOW!).

I'll Keep you posted!
AmyDe