Life is too Short

I was on facebook this morning and a friend had posted this picture.

I just have to say as a knitter it has always been a goal to make each sock match. It is highly frustrating when you have enough yarn left over to make one more sock. With this new fad, I think I'll just use up the extra yarn and have a stack of mixed socks.

Christmas 2012

I honestly can't believe that it almost Christmas and this is the first time I have posted this year on my blog. I have been a very busy girl this year.

Nate and I are planning our wedding for next year. My son is now in 10th grade. I bought a house in my home town of Excelsior Springs. I have a wonderful job as an office manager for an awesome Chiropractor. It has been a exciting year.

I have knitted all year without buying new yarn. I made a promise to myself to only use what I have this year and I stuck to that goal! Yippie!! I am surprised with all the knitting that I did this year I can hardly see a dent in the stash. But with our new house I now have a yarn room. (I do share it with the laundry room, but it's big enough.)

I still have 3 tubs of yarn that I didn't even crack the lid on this year. I have cubbies still full of hanks, and a ton of organization left to do to get a real count of remaining yarn.

My goal next year is to keep knitting with yarn I already have and finding projects to fit the yarn, until all the tubs are cleared out. I have lots of cotton yarn left and I have been working on wash clothes designed after pie shawls. Using this idea I end up with round dish/wash clothes and they have been a hit this year. I have had more requests for wash clothes then I had anticipated. Hats have also been a highly requested item this year. I have made them with left over sock yarn, cotton and some cotton acrylic blend that I found in my stash. I found a lovely pattern on Raverly called Cable & Cross that the boys in my family love. The pattern is an easy repeat and the fabric has enough give that they can wear the hat in several different ways. I did find out that if you use a tweed yarn the pattern gets lost. If you use a painted yarn the pattern looks busy, but if you use a semi solid or solid both the yarn and pattern show up beautifully.

I made my very first pie shawl this year. I used Buffalo Gold and it took me over 3 months. It was finished just in time for my fiancés Mom's 80th birthday. She loves the shawl and understands the work and detail of the piece. She was excited to wear it to church and beamed with pride from the attention.

I love making things for people that understand the time and love that goes into making the items.

My soon-to-be sister-in-law, owns Missouri Star Quilt Company http://www.missouriquiltco.com/ and has tried talking me into learning to quilt. I love her, but knitting is my gig and sewing machines scare me...lol. I'm trying to talk her into selling yarn.. maybe someday ;-)

I love my soon to be new family. They have opened their hearts to my son and I, and have made us feel warm and welcome and that we belong. I am truly blessed to be entering this family in the next year.