293 Days... and no longer counting

My last blog post was October 11, 2013 - 293 days ago. I am thankful I didn't go more than a year away. I admit, I got pulled in a few different directions and lost sight (and vision) of my blog. Losing Google Adsense didn't help any - and they still refuse to re-instate my account, which is a shame. The only reason I do not move to WordPress is because I do not want to lose the patterns and work I have put into this blog.

But in the end- I should never have let it affect me. It should not affect my sharing my work, reading about yours, and publishing patterns.

I have realigned some of my responsibilities since last I posted so hopefully I can remain on track this time.

So, what have I been up to?

1. Working
2. Working
3. Knitting
4. Crocheting
5. Working
6. Family
7. Family
8. Family
9. Family
10. Working

One thing I have done to keep my work organized (and reportable... and open to analysis... I am a sick sick person *laughs*) Is to start a tracking device. I will be linking that and referencing it as I move forward. I will do a summary post for YOP 3 and my intentions for YOP 2014.

One big goal was that I finished the Navajo Diamonds Afghan a few weeks ago.

I'm pretty happy about it, as you can see. *chuckles* I have this one in the State Fair which starts in a week or so. I drop the actual afghan off this weekend - so I'm pretty excited about that. Hopefully it does well. Knowing the amount of talent out there (from the year of the Beastghan), if I get second I'll be happy. Anything better than second will be fiber art gravy.

Even though it has been a long time since I last posted, I hope to reconnect with everyone and get back to enjoying the relaxation my blog always offered. I hope you are all well, readers and I look forward to conversing with you again.

Year of Projects 3: Update 3

Total Items on YOP List: 19

Items Complete: 5

% Overall Complete:  26%

Year of Projects 3: Update 2

Total Items on YOP List: 19

Items Complete: 4

% Overall Complete:  21%

Socks in Progress (SIP)

This post is serving two-fold. First, my twitter feed from my blog posts seems to be broken. It has posted automatically up until Jun 30th... and it hasn't picked up anything since. So - this is a test. This is only a test....

And of course, the part that is not a test - I want to share my current SIPs with you. For those of you who don't know, SIP stands for Socks In Progress. Wednesday's have traditionally been used to share Works In Progress, or WIP Wednesday - but since this isn't my only WIP, ... here is my SIP on Thursday. *smiles*

Year of Projects 3: Update 1

Total Items on YOP List: 19
Items Complete: 3

% Overall Complete:  16%

More Socks YAY

I have been on a sock knitting kick since... well, when I learned to knit socks. For any knitter that has not attempted socks, I would highly recommend it. They are small, portable, and somewhat quick as long as the design doesn't get too intense.

These are plain vanilla socks I made for a co-worker. I didn't get to work on them straight through but if I squished all the time together I probably finished them in about a week (week and a half-ish).

I think the most amazing thing that happened is that as I worked them, the stripes just lined up - and the yarn isn't really what I'd call "self striping" - but I think the sock was narrow enough to allow it to create small dark blue stripes.

Sadly, the photo doesn't do the color much justice because it has a little green in it, some grey, some orange, and of course, the dark blue.

Summer Flies

As many of you know I have been fiddling with the needles a lot recently in addition to the crochet that I have on the hooks. Because of this, I have had a few different "wins" as far as getting things off the needles.

With that said, I wanted to share with you my completed "Summer Flies" shawl.

It did not take long at all to knit up - a few days, 5 at the most. In fact, it was such a fun knit, I cannot even tell you how long it took. I would start a section and in no time (it seemed), I'd be finished with that section.

I knit it on size 9 needles using Patons Lace with Sequins. Yup - it even has a little sparkle to it.

I would recommend this pattern for any knitter. I cannot believe I had a good time knitting it.

3 years and DONE

I don't often keep a project on the hook or needles for more than a year although in the last 3 years, I've had 2 - both blankets... blankets created as one large piece, not as squares.

So one, that tells me if I am going to do a blanket and have any hope of finishing it in less than a year I should make it in pieces and two, well... there is no two.