Here's a couple of shawls that I've finished so far this year. Both were made using Red Heart Super Saver yarn (and yes, I do love me some RHSS, don't be hatin' :D ).



Summer Flies Shawl in Petal Pink

Citron Shawl in Monet

Check out what I got for Christmas! :D I've been wanting some foam alphabet blocks for far too long but now I finally have 'em!!! And now I can actually block my projects (in an easier, more efficient fashion)!

Last week we got word that my store is closing. I think I'll be ok but I feel so bad about it ending this way. My family's been shopping there forever. And my co-workers...I love 'em like crazy and hate that we're all in the same boat. But it looks like I may have quite a bit of knitting time in the near future.

I also started doing something I've been wanting to do for over a year now. KnittingFool.com has a lot of stitch patterns, and I've been wanting to knit small blocks of various patterns. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do with them but there was a jacket from Free People that I came across years ago that has inspired me to make something similar. Anywho, these are the ones that I've made so far.

Alternating Motifs

Ascending Lace

Pre-blocking

Blocked

Bouquet

Pre-blocking

Two days ago I had to put my little Louis (kitty) to sleep. It's definitely one of the hardest things I've had to do. It's always hard losing a pet but I'm having an incredibly hard time coping with this. He was my little buddy, always by my side while at home. When my mom was going through cancer the first time, he was always with her. When she relapsed a few months ago, he started up his duties again. It's so hard to even open up about him...I loved him so much and miss him.

It's been a while since I've actually knitted because I've been so consumed with my "part-time" job that has me working full time hours...had a day off so I went out and bought some yarn to start working on a new project. I need the comfort knitting brings. Though it's also hard because I'm so used to Louis sitting beside me watching or curling up next to me as I knit.

Tonight I started working on a Summer Flies Shawl (...funny thing is that even though it's December, today coincidentally felt like Summer since it was so warm and sunny out). I started while watching Spider-man 3 (my first time watching it, total disappointment). I'm enjoying it so far. I just hope Louis is up in Heaven, as a little angel kitty, looking down and enjoying watching me knit like old times.

I finished binding off the Aeolian shawl a little earlier this evening and even took care of the loose ends! Yayness! haha, that is truly progress for little ole moi.






In this pic I have it draped over my shoulders with the edges wrapped around my arms and tied
in the back (ever-so-sloppily so).

I need to block it along with a gazillion other projects but I'm not too keen with my options of "blocking boards" to use right now. I want to be able to pin everything out onto a foamy surface. I'm thinking the best thing to get is a yoga mat (since they seem to be cheaper than those kiddie floor blocks).

A couple of months ago I got a new (and overall better) job and quit the other one. Though I still haven't has as much free time or energy as I would have liked but anywho...

I've been working off and on for a few months now on the Aeolian Shawl. Though I rarely did any knitting within the past 2 months (since the lack of free time and energy, oy) but earlier this week I picked it back up. I've been doing a lot of work on it while watching the BBC miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice (love this better than the 2003 movie). haha, but I'd always have to stop and divert all my attention everytime Mr. Colin Firth appeared on my screen (he is one mmm mmm yummy man!). But at the moment I'm on the last purl row and then I can bind off, wha hoo!

One of my recent projects is a knitted lace jewelry holder. I came across the pattern/project on Ravelry and thought it would be a fun project. I've already completed the knitted part. I found this frame at the dollar store (yay!) and had some fun mixing up some of my craft paints to get the dark bluey-green color.





I want to add some kind of shimmer and then a glossy overcoat before attaching the lace to it. *sigh* Can I have a vacation from work just to have some full-on crafty fun?

Ooo, and my first Granny Square! I finally had a small chance to get my edumacation on while learning the strings (haha, get it? *slaps knee* ...I know, I know.) of being a ~Happy Hooker.~


haha, this yarn is some variegated acrylic that I aquired yeeeeeeeeeeeeaars ago. I think there's some braided Beanie Babies leashes I made out of it floating around in our attic...

I finally got a job about a month ago (yay and boo at the same time). I haven't had a lot of time to knit or bead. :( But I was able to buy a few fun items that I've been longing for with my new (and extremely limited) income!

Before knitting I used to "crochet." Well, for years I thought I was crocheting (self-taught after watching someone else one time who could actually crochet), but long story short, I then found out that what I was doing was sooo different from what actual crocheters do. lol, it really was a major bummer. I decided to opt for buying Debbie Stoller's Happy Hooker since her other notoriously titled book was the first knitting instruction that I came across that actually helped me learn to knit after failing for 10 years. I also got the Art of Bead Embroidery since I've been longing for it ever since I started toying around with the art form. I love the pictures in the book.

I also bought some #3 circular needles and crochet hook at JoAnn's a few days ago. Oy, I won't even begin on the story about thinking I had #3 circulars...but now I finally have them (which is fantastic since a lot of projects I want to work on will require me to use 'em). And the #3 crochet hook will allow me to work on a project I so desperately want to create from the Happy Hooker book, yayness.

I also hit up my fave. thrift store and bought a few sweaters for a-fa-rogging. I think I did quite well with the fiber content of one of 'em in particular, hehe. But I'm exhausted now so I'll just end this post here. :)