I Cheated!

Ok, I admit it. I cheated. I started working on my 2009 sweaters 6 days early. I just couldn't wait anymore. I hope that no one will throw me out of the group!!

This holiday I seemed to be quite together in getting most of my knitted gifts done in time. I ended up making several cowls (two with the Forest Canopy Cowl pattern, one with the Spiralicious pattern and one that buttoned for a friend that would hate pulling something on and off over her head). I also made three of the Noro striped scarves (the third one was finished on Christmas Day for my Dad) and a Ravenclaw hat. I'll have some pictures and talk more about those when I get home to my computer.

Now I am visiting in NJ for a while and I brought the yarn for my first sweaters of 2009. Yeah, I could have brought something else to work on and I wouldn't have been tempted, but it really is the perfect time to get some quality knitting in and I just couldn't help myself. The first two sweaters I am working on will be the Central Park Hoodie in Shaba Green Peace Fleece and Amy King's striped Noro vest from Knitty in Noro Silk Garden. I figure they should compliment each other since the vest will be great for mindless knitting and I'm not sure how much I will need to concentrate on the Central Park Hoodie. I have decided to make the button closure on the hoodie and will actually not make the hoodie - so I guess it's actually a CPNH instead of a CPH. I loved Norma's and have since seen Anne's and Karen is finishing up hers and I think that I will get much more wear out of it and love mine more with the buttons and collar.

Please forgive me for breaking the rules but I am having fun and that is definitely one of the most important rules for this 12 sweaters in 2009 marathon!

Reading

I can’t tell you how happy this picture makes me. I have always loved reading and of course I read to my daughter to help develop her love of books and reading. It wasn’t until the past year or so that she will voluntarily pick up a book and tell me how much she loves it. Right now she is reading the Judy Moody books and it makes me smile when she tells me how funny the story is and how happy she is that I bought her these books. I'm so glad that we have another reader in the family!

Question of the Day

Why is it that I have to argue with my daughter about cleaning up her room and yet I can leave her at the barn where we take horseback riding lessons and she will clean out the horse stalls with a smile on her face?

A Public Safety Announcement

We interrupt this blog for a public service announcement. The knitter known only as knittingbythesea seems to have lost her mind. Sources wishing to remain anonymous have revealed that someone calling herself “knittingbythesea” has joined the group known as NaKniSweMoDo (Ravelry link - see *Note below). There are currently over 100 members of this extremist group and each member is planning on knitting 12 adult sized sweaters in 2009. It is not known if there is some sort of Kool-Aid concoction being circulated or if it is the fumes of the yarn itself that is giving these knitters the strength to accomplish this task. Many of the members have talked of using “stash” and working on “WIPS” as part of their plan for 2009.

The pictured button is one of the groups identifying characteristics. If you see someone displaying this symbol, please consider them armed and possibly dangerous. This has been a public safety announcement.

*Note: For those individuals that would like to find out more about this group and do not have access to Ravelry, you can check out this link for more information.