Lack of Resolution

Well, I ended 2010 with a completed project - the Sweater of Doom Mark 2 for DH was done in almost plenty of time for Christmas - in fact, it was sewed up, washed and dried by the 22nd. There wasn't even a sniff of deadline panic in the air. He said he loved it, and wore it often throughout the holidays - whether as proof/evidence, or penance for not getting me gifts from the children, I'm not sure.

As you can see below, the shawl neck, even when on a hanger, doesn't hang/fall quite right, and I haven't worked out why; in comparison to the picture on the front of the pattern, the neck starts earlier and is therefore longer/larger: perhaps that has something to do with it. Still, that is one big tick ticked, and now I shouldn't hear any nags about knitting him something for a while, I guess.




My first Finished Object (FO) for 2011 was a return to normal-sized things, a pretty little frilled shrug that is destined for my youngest niece as her birthday present later this month; my sister Auntie Fashion had gifted me 3 balls of Rainbow Glitz yarn






















which, although the colors look quite subtle in the ball, has a sparkly silver thread intertwined throughout, and I thought it would go admirably with the Sirdar Denim Tweed DK 2210 pattern that I'd picked up last year sometime. However, I added a ruffle/frill to the sleeves also, because they looked odd without, and also because without some kind of edging, the knitting rolled ...

















As you can see, the yarn is self-patterning (and see how clever I was matching not just the sides, but the sleeves as well ?) and the almost fluorescent pink doesn't show it's true jarring nature until the yarn is knitted up.

I am now working on a little cabled sweater for my baby nephew, whose 1st birthday is next month.

So having made such a promising start to the New Year, I wonder how long I shall be able to maintain it for ? I haven't made any New Year's resolutions for some years now - I prefer the relative informality and reduced expectations/pressure of setting goals instead. I achieved 2 out of 2 last year - and quitting smoking wasn't one of them, oddly enough; so I am casting around for a couple or three goals for this year: things that I want to do, that are achieveable, that are not a total drag or completely miserable in their worthiness, yet are realistic: so no suggestions for becoming a nicer/better person, please.

Deadline Approaching

I've been focussed on other things recently, like readings for clients, preparing and selling soaps for the little Xmas craft fair organized in our local library (I did quite nicely, thank you, and all proceeds already spent, of course; I also did well in my bartering/trading ... perhaps I am secretly a Ferengi ?) and DH's Big Four-Oh - he loved his voucher for a track day driving an Aston Martin and an Audi R8: so much so that he said that they'd have to surgically remove the grin from his face. Quite an accolade, from a man who specializes in 'smiling on the inside'. And this gift Win means that I can tell you that my own self-satisfaction has hit record levels: no surprise there, then.

But anyway, because I've been focussed on those things, progress on the SoDMk2 has slowed somewhat; as I've said before, obviously I can only work on it during the week while DH is away at work. I figure that this gives me just next week and about 2 days of the week after to complete it. Here is where it's got to so far:




Back, front, and one sleeve done; other sleeve half-done; collar unstarted. It is looking feasible that this might just get done in time for Xmas.

The other thing that is looking like it might be achieved before Xmas is my new dog. Inclement weather meant we could not drive down to Eastbourne last weekend, but it is all scheduled in for this Saturday; as long as all goes well ie. he doesn't eat the kids on sight, we shall bring him back with us. Superstition means I shan't post a picture of the dog quite yet, but suffice it to say that
he is not one of these:




















or these:




















as my taste in dogs (and men) runs well into L sizing and beyond ....

What's the Buzz ?

No blog posts since last week ! And I can't even blame NaNoWriMo, as I didn't take part, but only instigated the crime that Sara, Ania, Kristina and Alison committed; I waved virtual pom-poms from the sidelines instead, offering random plot twists, methods of delivering poison, and vocabulary, as their novels moved from beginning through 50,000 words until the end .... well done, ladies !

I have been feeling overwhelmed, and DH told me it was because I had taken on too much again. He was right (no, of course I didn't tell him that) and so now I am refusing to panic: it will be what it will be. Packaging is so not the fun thing it used to be: I just cannot get the hang of cellophane, and so I have scheduled tomorrow afternoon for my ripitallapartandtryagain session. The problem is soap gift baskets for a very small craft fair thingy at the weekend.
Hints and tips welcomed ....

Destructo Boy needs some 'Festive Cakes' for the 'Winter Wonderland' after school on Friday, as well as a raffle prize. I don't even know what the 'Winter Wonderland' is, but I shall drag my carcass along regardless. I need to finish putting up bookcases at my father's house, where the carpet cleaning firm has been booked, the Asda booze order done, the butcher yet to go. Destructo Boy has a party to attend on Saturday ... at the same time, I need to photograph and list my new soaps; housework is always there, lurking like a dead mouse decomposing behind a radiator on full. Not that I would know what that was like. Not at all. And on top of all this, the cold temperatures just close me down physically: I was hoping that the weight gain would render me more immune to the cold, but no luck so far.

In good news, DH and I have been discussing getting another dog, as it's been about a year since Maxie went to Dog Heaven. I want a dog, and DH doesn't: so we have come to a compromise - we are getting a German Shepherd from the lovely people over at the Sussex German Shepherd Rescue; it is my combined Christmas and birthday present, as the cats were last year. We passed the homecheck, and now have only to wait for the Right Dog to turn up. Actually, DH likes GSDs - we have both owned one before; and so this is also my reward to myself for having quit smoking: what I would have spent on cigarettes per week, means that I can persuade myself that we can afford to feed and insure a dog.

We also have a visitor with us this week. Meet Cuddles the Monkey:



who has come home from school with Destructo Boy for a week; I believe everybody gets a turn, and from the travel journal that accompanies him, I can tell that not only Cuddles, but several children in Destructo Boy's class, are seriously spoiled, and I am going to have to be at my most inventive and innovative to surpass Cuddles' previous experiences. Not that I am Howard Hughes, but Cuddles' first experience in our household will be a bath .....



and after that, I may have to ignore the ominous looming of self-imposed dread that is the SoDMk2 in order to knit Cuddles some raiment ... perhaps a scarf and a snazzy tank top, against the winter snow ....