Because I can't stand to not look ahead, I have opened up my knit calendar for 2005, BUT I have only looked at Jan 1-3! I am going to love looking at the new dates each day. This pic taken with old camera, cause I have not had time to do the software on the new one. Ssshhh! Don't tell Bob. 

Frustrated I am. I am sitting at my computer knitting. Why? Because it is so damn slow! I know I need more memory but I am thinking wouldn't a new computer be much nicer? What am I thinking? Somebody stop me.... Maybe just a little memory to start with.

Anyway, enough, enough of that. Only 3 days and it is back to work. I have so enjoyed this time off. I have spent it knitting, shopping and with friends and family. It has been so nice. I do have a list of things I have not yet accomplished from this vacation but there is still time. I really want to get the Pythagorean Therum jacket pretty much finished up so I can sew all the loose seams in tomorrow at my friend's New Years Get Together. Then I can post a pic for all to see. That is if anyone besides me reads my blog.

Some day I hope to see my blog listed on one of the ones I read daily that they also read mine. But of course, first you have to have something worth reading for others to go to. That is also a challenge for 2005 for me along with designing a couple of sweaters that are going around in my head. Most of them are knock offs from RTW.

Oh yes, my mind is always making more challenges. I like that better than opportunities or even new year's resolutions. Challenges, yes, challenges I like it, I think now I will challenge myself to get moving--there is only 12 .5 hours left to this year, make the most of it!!

Why is it when the year isn't even over and I barely got the Christmas stuff all put away do I already have my list of next year's knitting for gifts made. I have decided that for the family members outside of my house (read as neices, nephews and their children) 2005 is the last year that I give birthday and Christmas presents. Yes, I have said this before but I am saying it again and I will tell each one of them that I want them to do the same for us too.

With that said, I have decided that the final year will entail - socks for their birthdays. Afghans for the couples for Christmas! Which means I have got to get my butt in gear and start knitting afghans right away to get them all done. But the good thing is that when 2005 is done, their should be a dent in the sock stash AND a considerable dent in the large yarn bags that I have accumulated on various great deals.

Now, as my knitting friend Jo said tonight when I announced that I was on a yarn diet "I've heard that before". How true, how true, but as in somethings, sometimes just dreaming is the best part of doing something.

Stay tuned! Happy New Year!

My Christmas present from my husband. What a surprise? I bought him plumbing for our house and he got me a camera! He truly is a peach and it is times like this that I am fully reminded of it. Just on Christmas eve, my brother-in-law was showing me his new Pentax digital and I was telling him how I wanted a Canon Rebel Digital SLR when the price comes way down. Imagine my surprise when there it was on Christmas morn! I still can't believe it. It will take me forever to learn how to use the SLR part of it. But the digital automatic pics are great and anyone can use it! More in the days ahead as I learn how to get them from the camera to the computer! Happy Day After!! 

My new years resolution! Knit up the yarn on the bottom two shelves, the sack on the right hand side on the 3rd shelf, the bag of scarf stuff on the left side 2nd shelf AND the basket and bag on the floor. My gosh, that might take me two years! Who said I needed a yarn fix? I don't think so!

My Snoopy tree. I used to put it up in our dining room. Then we would have a real tree in our living room with the kids ornaments. And when I was sewing more, I had a little tree in the basement with my handmade ornaments that were smocked, knitted and related. Last year, when my son had his accident, I was lucky that I got my snoopy tree up. This year, I just didn't have the room. However, in the future, when one of darling sons makes his way out into the real world, I will take over his room for a knitting room, and will have my knitting tree again. Won't that be fun?

The last of the scarves for the gals at work. I wasn't going to do the one on the left, but sometimes you can give one and not the other. And I am so glad I did. She really liked it and that was worth the giving of it! Isn't that what it is all about? 

From left to right: Berroco Furz and Funny, A Lionbrand Yarn I cannot remember name and Encore Chunky and Poof! Below: Berroco Furz and Fizz in a kind of Gray!  

I finished 4 scarves this weekend and started 2 more. Neither of the 2 are for me. One is for Rog, one of my sons who requested it and the other is a duplicate of the green one. I knit it for a friend at work for her daughter and liked it so much that I am knitting one for me. I love the base fabric on the two cream ones. It is Berroco Furz. It is so soft! I will use it as a base for others (even though I have sworn off adding any more scarves to my knitting). Actually, I have sworn off any more yarn purchases until my chrome shelves are clean--pics of that tomorrow! I am starting my New Year Yarn Resolutions early! 

Okay, so you know I am knitting on all of these scarves for people at work at their families. In the last couple of days, I have publically stated that I am glad it is getting colder so I can wear my sweaters. BUT--did I think about my son who just this year got a job hauling in carts at our new Sears.? No--so son comes home tonight and says mom, you gotta a scarf that I can wear tomorrow? Preferably in the Ragg wool color of his gloves? Sure, you betcha. Of course not. I have been knitting on those cuddly soft and hairy things.

So, I go to my stash. I know I have a ragg wool from years gone by in a bulky. Do you think I can find it? Of course not! Now is it time to get a handle on it? So, I may have to search the world of Hobby Lobby and Michaels tomorrow night before knitting at Barnes and Noble in Peoria to find just the right ragg yarn. Or--place myself on the mercy of Mary and see if she has anything like it and bring it with her tomorrow night.

And because I AM a good MOM, I am gonna do my best to get scarf done before the next cold spell hits,(son is taking the old camouflage acrylic scarf I knit him about 10 years ago, along with my green Snoopy fleece scarf that my friend Norma made me, I told him NOT to lose it!) and before I knew it, I was telling him I would knit him some warm socks to go in his boots! Geesh, can I get anymore carried away.?

But you know, I swore that I wouldn't knit another thing for the boys until they asked me(a couple of years ago I knitted them both really cool sweaters that I never saw on them except for the picture one time), so now I have been asked. And as always, I try to do whatever they ask, they are good boys (due to their mother according to the ladies where they work), my mom would say it was all due to her, but I think I can take a little of the credit. They are good kids, so with that the search is ON!! Where is that Ragg Wool?

Okay this like official. 2 months from tomorrow my friend Betty and I fly off to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. From the moment I get up tomorrow until we leave, I will be faithful at watching what goes in my mouth. I know it is the holidays but I am not using that as an excuse to eat what ever is in sight. I will be a faithful Weight Watcher, attend meetings, weigh in and exercise in some way, shape or form every day! I will maybe take Christmas off and New Years Day only, but that is it!

And now for the knitting, I have scarves I have to knit, but seriously after these, I have got to stop this scarf bit. It is time to get back to my Twisted Sisters Jacket and all the other things just for ME! Today was a quick trip to Mary's in Eureka for scarves for friends and family to choose one.

It appears that winter is coming, so I can now maybe start wearing the sweaters I made for myself. You know it is difficult to wear woolly sweaters when the temp is hovering around 50 degrees!

Well, no pics of nothing. But it is that time of the year again to start the new year's list of things that I want to accomplish as soon as I get my holiday knitting done! Instead of having less to do on the 10th day of the month, I have more knitting added to my plate. The ladies at work liked my scarves that someone else bought (not the ones I have left) that I am making one more trip to Mary's Eureka tomorrow to scarf yarn shop for four that must be done next week and one that must be done the very next week!

Thank goodness Jan, Norma and I decided to wait until January to celebrate bdays, Hanukkah and Christmas. I swear I will NOT do this again year! Okay, so Norma has heard me say that every year since she has known me (at least 10 years), but really, I swear next year is all about ME. Knit for ME! Always, well except for those socks that I said I would do for everyone for Xmas and the afghans I said I would do. The afghans are absolutely the last things I will knit for family! Really, no I mean it! Okay--you all know me to well. It will never happen. But it sounded good for just a moment.