I'm Still Here...

I still don't know where the days go.  They just run one into the other; each one much like the other.  That actually sounds kind of depressing, doesn't it?  Well, I'm not depressed, just trying to become a bit more efficient and effective.

My only New Year's Resolution was to make myself To Do lists so that time didn't just waste away.  It is working, but this is the first time I actually thought to put "blog" on the list.

It's winter here in western New York state, so that does involve a lot of gray and snow occurring at pretty regular intervals.  No storms, just an inch or two or three at a time.  February may be the shortest month in days, but the longest for those of us in the north.  Even tough-girl Gypsy has decided that a coat is not a bad thing when the wind gets to howling.

There has been some business planning, end-of-year paper arranging, errand running, spinning, weaving and knitting.  Actually a fair bit of all of those.

Knitting projects have ranged from mittens (lots of mittens/mitts) this year, a shrug and a vest.

These are a pair of mittens for SIL...the final project in the hat/scarf/mitten series.  Next year, I'll actually have to think of something for a Christmas gift!  Wouldn't you know it, she was just ecstatic over mittens...said that she could stop darning the ones I knitted for her years ago.  I reminded her that all she had to do was ask and there would be mittens for Christmas.

I've even finished our guild's exchange project for this year.  This year we exchanged fiber to spin, then knit into a gaiter/neckwarmer.  A new twist for this year is that we know who we are creating the gaiter for.  This helped me quite a bit to decide on a style that would work for the recipient.  Can't show a picture as there is a chance that they would read this post.

Weaving is still quite new to me, but I still think that it's magic.  I wove these table runners/dresser scarves recently.  I'm quite pleased with how they came out.  This one is an overshot pattern, the others were point twills.  Currently, I have a more complicated (at least to me) project on the loom that is almost done.  It is a 3/1 reversible twill.  I made many, many mistakes, but learned much (including how to fix mistakes) along the way.  I think it will be a computer case (likely to show up on Etsy).

A few years ago, I purchased a Border Leicester lamb fleece at Rhinebeck.  Well, it's finally yarn.  14 skeins, just over 3 pounds of 2-ply, light worsted weight.  Some of it is destined for one of those sweaters from Knitter's Arans & Celtics.  No, I have not decided which one...there are many in the running!

I may even wait a bit to knit it up.  Our Fiber Fest has an entry where you spin a pound or more of yarn, describe the project and display nicely as the first year's entry.  The next year's entry is to have a finished item.  We'll see.  I do have 2 sweaters in the queue that the yarn is ready and one that I've just started to spin up.

A bit of felting has happened in between larger projects.  My SIL's dog got skunked just before Christmas, so what better way to commemorate the event that to needlefelt a skunk?

I've also needlefelted a little something for Valentine's Day.  Mini-garlands that are just plain cute (and available on Etsy).

On that note, Happy Valentine's Day to all of you that still had faith that I was lurking around the blogosphere somewhere!