Overflowing knitting basket vs overflowing overdraft...

My knitting basket has issues. I listened to the Franklin Habit post on an early edition of Cast On the other day. He talks about your 'stash' growing and coming alive in your house and I think I definately believe that a similar thing is happening in my house.
I have three storage places for my yarn (as well as a few bags stored in the odd place around the house). I have a 'work in progress' basket in my living room full of projects I am currently working on and things that I will start soon. I then have a big box full of half finished projects, some I like and will finish, others I'll never finish because they're awful! I then have my chest of drawers. THis is the mothership as far as my collection is concerned. It is a large set of drawers which stores all of my main stash. All the wool is arranged by manufacturer (a drawer for each) and within those drawers the wool is ordered either by type if I have a lot of one particular yarn or colour for oddments. Everything is sealed in clear plastic pouches.
My husband thinks I need help.

Well, my 'work in progress' basket just isn't big enough anymore, it's overflowing. I have my suspicians why - £97 since new year has been spent in my LYS. Need I say more.

I am now on a self inflicted yarn-resist programme.

Socks socks socks

I now have one finished Cascade 220 green sock, one half finished Opal tiger sock and one half finished Trekking blue stripe sock.
The tiger sock is fantastic - I want to knit that one and only that one but the blue socks are a birthday present for my dad (Thursday next week is the deadline) so I must press on with that one.
The only problemo is that I hate the opal sock pattern I have. I have been changing it - it has no reinforced heel so I have added that and I'm sure there will be other things as I go along that will need changing. I just find it so hard to follow. Maybe because I found a really well written sock pattern and now it's hard to follow another one not so well written.

By the way, the pink socks are still keep my feet warm and toasty!

Pink Sock day

Yesterday was the day of pink socks. I finally finished sock numero uno and by the evening had forged ahead to sock number two!
This is a really HUGE deal for me - it's my first pair of socks I have knitted for ME. It's also the first pair of socks I have knitted fully on dpn's. I have knitted other socks before but only on 2 needles. I have started other socks on dpn's but never finished them. These socks just called out to be finished though. They are knitted in Cascade 220 in bright pink. I bought the yarn ages ago when I was determined to knit myself a pair of socks, I then even went back and bought another two balls of cascade in a lovely bright green (I'm saving that for my hubby!). I got the pattern from the Knit Socks book by Betsy Lee McCarthy. It's got tonnes of great pattern and is in a lovely sock shape too which just adds to the cuteness factor.
The first sock knitted up fine but was the small/medium ended up a little long for my foot which was surprising because I have HUGE feet! So in the end I ripped out a few rows and decreased the toe a little quicker than the pattern called for. The one sock looks great though and kept my right foot warm and toasty all day yesterday. Sock number 2 will be finished today (hopefully).

The hubby's cardigan is an ongoing project. I have put it aside momentarily for the sock knitting but must have it finished for our anniversary (Feb 4th) so will plod on today and hopefully will have the front finished by the end of the week.

My cardigan is definately on hold for the moment!

Self Control - I do have it!

I actually entered a yarn shop today and only came out with a magazine and 1 ball of wool (pauses for shocked gasps of breath).
I did check my forehead for a temperature but no, I must just have started the year off in a more reserved way!
It was a particularly lovely magazine though - Interweave Holiday Gifts. Wasn't going to buy it but got sucked in by a gorgeous pair of socks and that was it. Also there was an advert with a pug in it so that was it, I was lost! I went into auto-pilot and blindly handed over my debit card!

Also to make matters worse the ball of wool wasn't even for me really - it was for baby bump!
I am going to do the nightcap hat from the Simply Baby book. I just can't stop knitting for the bump - it's 2 months away from being born too! Someone stop me! No don't actually, you know I really don't want to be stopped.

Knitting Podcasts

Okay, one more post for today then I shall bother you no more I promise (unless it's to post the pics I promised that is!).

Another part of my New Years activity so far this year has been catching up with my podcasts. I subscribe to MANY and I mean MANY! I have a podcast problem. Here are my two favourites though:

-Cast On by Brenda Dayne
-Sticks & String by Dave Ready

I found Cast On September last year and have been subscribing for a while but Sticks and String I only found around episode 3 and instantly fell in love with it.
So far this year I have been catching up with old episodes which I can't believe I haven't got around to doing yet! I have listened to the first 10 of Brenda Dayne's show and I think I have slightly overdosed (but it a good way).
Why are these podcasts so good then?
Well, firstly Cast on. This is an excellent podcast. Brenda is a great host who has a good natural style of broadcasting. The music is great and the features are funny and heartwarming. I must say that the latest episode Granny's Book had me in tears over the two essays. The best ever episode Brenda - thanks!

Secondly, Sticks & String. Firstly, I love the Australian accent, which was a major plus for this podcast from the word go. After I had got over that initial sigh of happiness over listening to Dave's lovely voice I realised that the podcast is really good. Dave also is a natural broadcaster and his podcast is so relaxing to listen to. I love the essays and so far the interviews have been interesting and fun. I can't wait to find out how this new podcast will evolve!

Happy New Year

Well, the rush and stress of Christmas passed and left our household with a quiet almost odd lack of Christmas-ness. I am usually THE Christmas person, I start singing Christmas songs around September, the house is decorated and the tree is up by December the 1st and I do everything I can to get my hubby in the Christmas mood (not an easy task!). Something was lacking this year though and by Boxing Day I had deflated like a huge balloon. What went wrong? I have no idea really, I think I just peaked too early this year. It's only January 3rd and our decorations are already down, I left the tree up though, and one string of fairy lights.
Anyhoo, what has kept me going in this post-Christmas downer? Yes, knitting of course.
I have knitted like mad, as if my fingers were about to fall off. Boxing day I started knitting the teddy bear from the Debbie Bliss 'Simply Baby' book. This is going to be a present for the baby bump due at the end of February. I finished it on New Years day, sewed him up and named him teddy (very imaginative I know!). He's now sat on my shelf and waiting to be taken to my sisters.



I then later that day finished by Colinette scarf which has been one of those ongoing projects that I never got around to finishing. It was a made up scarf project which I needed to do because I fell in love with the yarn. Here is the embarassing admission though - I can't even remember what yarn it is made from - my memory is awful at the best of times let alone when it's trying to remember what yarn I bought over a year ago. So apologies for that.



Then that evening I decided to start my hubby's cardigan. This is the cardigan that was supposed to be knitted for his Christmas present so I am only a little late aren't I?
In two days I have almost finished the back which has made me very proud yet also slightly annoyed. If I hadn't spent so much of the last two days surfing the net for cheap New Years sale yarn then I would have finished it a lot sooner. Well, today I am going to brave on with the left front so will keep you posted.

The cardigan is from Rowan magazine 36, Design no' 17: Finn by Kim Hargreaves (my fave designer!) It's knit with Rowan scottish tweed aran in a gorgeous blue shade which the hubby picked out himself. I am still unsure whether the blue will go with his gorgeous ginger hair but it's the colour he wanted so I will reserve judgement until it's finished. Will post pictures soon I promise, I just need to get off my bum and plug the camera in to the apple upstairs because I have no image software on my ibook so until then, you'll have to just imagine it!