Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016

2015 for me was a good year, except for a couple bad weeks in February/March when my sister-in-law died unexpectedly at 44.  We are still dealing with the grief, my mother-in-law especially....

But 2014 was a very tough year for me personally, so I was glad to see it gone....not as much for 2015...my marriage has strengthened and we are planning a 25 year anniversary trip to Nova Scotia for the summer of 2016...so really can't wait for that!

I got to meet some incredible people in 2015.....the best part of 2015 was my trip to Norway to meet my longtime penpal Tone...

I had the best time and saw so many incredible things....but the best was spending time with Tone and really getting to know her....we have been penpals since about 1983.....

I climbed a mountain while there, never thought that would ever happen...hardest physical thing I've ever done in my life!

Viking Swords

So many trolls!

Iron Age home

fjord cruise

This year I also got my GEEK on in a major way!!!!!  First I met Felicia Day!!!!

I also participated in my first GISHHWES...so much fun!!!!!

I went to two conventions, first Walker Stalker,,,where I met Michael Cudlitz...been a fan for years!

I also met a few others and saw several more and just had a great weekend with my friend Danae and her daughter Rebecca....

Then the Hubs and I went to a Supernatural convention and I met Mark Shepperd...what a great guy...absolutely loved his panels!!!!!

Yes, Jared, Jensen and Misha were there too...but they were so far away! Pictures aren't even worth it, as you can't tell who it is... Mark walked around the space and got up close with the fans...I know J2 and Misha probably can't do that anymore because of security...but it was fun to see Mark do it...

My favorite book or books, as it was a series was The Lunar Chronicles....I didn't read as much as I usually do...

Sad to see the end of The Hunger Games films, but I was satisfied....and can't wait to get the last DVD....

As I said on a previous post, my favorite project was my Owligan....oh, how I love this!

I added an incredible amount of yarn to my stash....and can't wait to use some of it this coming year!!!

I have a good class of students this year and look forward to the rest of the year with them...

So all in all...2015 was a satisfying year with one incredible low...but many, many highs....I will miss it....and will always have great memories of 2015.

Stitch Along Wednesday - Last one of 2015!

Welcome to the last Stitch Along of 2015!!!  Wow!  The first one this year was Jan 7, 2015 and eleven of you linked....most of you have been linking off and on since then...and I went through the couple of months where I was not very reliable....I promise in 2016 to be much more on top of it...

I also have lost a couple of readers....oh well...but now I am stuck at 99...and every time I open my page, I see it and 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall goes through my head....not a great earworm!!!!

Well I could have this one instead - this is the German version...I listened to both....I am a child of the 80's and proud of it!

On with the stitching...I am still on my WIPs bent and have completed a hat, a pair of mitts, and a scarf this week...

I am now going to work exclusively on socks....today I worked on these...

My Dork socks...I'm on the decrease of the gussets....I will actually be a passenger in a car on Wednesday, so will take them with me....I think I'll have another sock finish for this year...

I have also worked on these...

These will be the next WIP push....

Then my Zombie Vixens

Then maybe finish up one of my shawls, before I allow myself to start another...we'll see.....

So how about you this past week?  How did the holidays treat you?  Have a wonderful new year!

I'm still on break until Jan 7...so yeah!!!

Knit From Stash 2016

Yarn Yenta's picture, permission to post

 So I'm going to try this....I was too late last year to join...I found out about it through a Facebook group..Addicted to Sock Knitting....it is sponsored by Yarn Yenta.....you don't need to be in the Facebook group to play along...you can go to her group on Ravelry too...

You can buy the patterns (there is a discount code for a limited time) from her or knit any sock pattern you choose....

I put together 12 skeins of sock yarn that is already wound...if I didn't, I may not use it, as I can be lazy like that...

Top Row: the first two are from Friday Studios Hunger Games club: Capitol Couture and The 75th Arena, the teal blue is Play At Life: You Can't Distract Death with Fried Pickle Chips, the blue/tan is Unwind Yarn in 8 Maids a Milking, then two Madcolor skeins
Bottom Row: Nerd Girl Yarns It's Just Your Heart Withering Away, IndigoDragon Fly Laugh It Up Snowball, the bright pink is Enchanted Knoll Farm Beledi, then Fable Fibers White Birch, another Madcolor The Pack and then The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga in Autumn Tiger Beetle

The theme is botanicals, can't wait to see how these turn out....

The Yarn Yenta also has some interesting ideas for packaging the yarn...I think I'm just going to go with ziplock bags inside a tote and just reach in every month...I know I won't do all 12 months, but I can try....

And there they are, ready to be plucked....might have the Hubs pull one out each month..

We'll see how far I get...the Hubs just came in and I explained it to him and he said..socks are boring....haha.....

My Car

On November 13, I was standing in my bedroom, when it sounded as if a train went by my window...I went out to the living room and the Hubs was on the front porch...we couldn't see anything, so we went to the back..and this is what we saw...

We weren't sure how bad it was, and we had to wait for morning....

The neighbor's tree had sheared in half....my car is in the right side of the garage...there was no car on the left side.

We weren't sure they would be able to get it out....this happened on Friday night...on Sunday...

and my car was out...there is damage to three sides...somehow the roof escaped any damage and no damage to the backend.....

 I scheduled the bodywork for my vacation, so I don't have to rent a car....we did not have car rental insurance....they estimate it will take about 10 days to be done....so I am carless for awhile...

YOP: End of Year Post

Since I go Jan-Dec, this is my 52 or last weeks post....next Sunday will be my first post for my third year.

So let's do a wrap-up post, shall we?

2015 Completed Projects:
White mittens - 1/10/15
Quick Crochet Cowl - 1/12/15
Stripes Cowl - 1/22/15
Frosty, the Snowman - 1/24/15
Head Wrap - 1/24/15
H's Everyday Socks 2/7/2015
Stepping Stones 2/17/15
Ita's Shawl 2/18/15
Speckled Eggs 4/11/15
Stitch's Rock Collection Hat 4/16/15
Hawk Baktus  5/17/15
Far Side of the Moon 5/17/15
Estrella's Turtle 5/20/15
Quick Hat 6/1/15
Adele Socks  6/11/15
Zuzu's Petals 6/13/15
Humphrey 6/14/15
Olivia Owl 6/24/15
Shoulder Poncho 7/26/15
Freedom Rollers 7/30/15
Boot cuffs 8/1/15
Those Socks 8/13/15
Sockhead KAL 9/30/15
Bride and Groom 10/3/15
Bridal Garter 10/15/15
Owligan 10/18/15
Pebble 11/1/15
Seed Stitch Cowl/Hood 11/12/15
Flaming Arrows 11/17/15
The Boyz Shawl 11/21/15
Web Cowled Shawl CAL 11/21/15
Bedrock 11/28/15 
Foot Blankies 12/13/15
Gift Cowl 12/26/15 

So 34 projects...I think there were a few smallish projects that I did not add to the list....
23 were for me and the rest were gifts....

My proudest project this year?  Hands-down my Owligan

The color is truer in the first picture...I adore this and wear it often....

Looking at my beginning WIPs list

WIPS: Crochet:
Mission Falls Poncho: (Started 2006)
Round Ripple: (Started 2006 (?) Aiden)
Around the World Afghan: (April 2010): about ¼ done
Betty Shrug: I don’t know how long I’ve been working on this, but it only has an arm and a border to go.
Sunrise Sunset Afghan: this has been hibernating awhile, 6 squares done.

Orange cotton wrap (started ?) DONE
Tis the Season (11/10/13)
Tabard Tunic (NW Diss 2/1/14)

 Knit:
Learn to Knit Afghan: (started 2010): 3 squares done
Light in Shadows (1/14/14)
Garter Path (6/1/14) FROGGED

Turtleneck Capelet #2 (8/12/14)  
Willow Fields (9/6/14)  
Shark in the Woods (11/27/14)
Olivia Owl (12/14/14) DONE

Socks:
Kai-Mei: (April 2012)
Faces in Wallpaper (Sept 2013) FROGGED
Adele Socks (April 2013) DONE
H's Everyday Socks (Jan 2013)  DONE
Johnny's Socks (Jan 2013)

Stepping Stones (1/1/15) DONE

 

Scarves/Shawls:
Splashy Flowers: (May 2011)
Larry Stashbuster Scarf (2012)
 

Bags:
Beach Bag: (started May 2010)  Just needs lining sewn in
 

KAL/CAL:

Fire and Blood (5/4/14)

Outlander MKAL (8/8/14) 

Zuzu's Petals (1/1/15)DONE

Downton Abbey (1/4/15)

Misc:
Sunflower: (August 2012) Need a back and to felt 

6 WIPs were completed and two were frogged, most I did work on at some point of another...

In my Works in Mind list, two projects were completed this year.....

I still will have a massive list....I do have bags with yarn and patterns organized....I may continue that, so I can just pull a project out....I still have several days of vacation...today I plan to finish a charity hat, start the second fingerless mitt for the Hubs...and maybe pull out another WIP.....there is a Harry Potter marathon on....I thought about going for a walk, but doubt I will...we may go for a short hike tomorrow...and then a small storm is expected into Tuesday....

So my new list will be up next Sunday....still ruminating on how I want to organize it....see you then...

Stash Saturation Saturday

So I posted a Christmas Themed Yarn Stash post......and well. to fully come clean, here are the rest of the purchases....

I joined Mad Color's Hobbit club....

First month - The Lonely Mountain

Second month - Eye of Smaug

I am waiting on the third month's shipment, which also includes a Jesslu bag...the club had actually closed, but when I had mentioned I missed the deadline, Heather opened it up for me...so not sure what type of bag I will receive....Not doing the next club, as it is Monty Python...and well...not a big fan....full disclosure, have never seen a Monty Python movie (bits and pieces)...just not my cup of tea...when Heather and I were discussing it, I mentioned I'd rather watch a movie about serial killers than slapstick comedy...although I grew up on Benny Hill...the slapstickest of comedies... and these guys make me roar with laughter.....I watch very few half hour comedies...my tastes run towards more dramatic stuff....don't get me wrong, I can enjoy a good comedy...just tends not to be my first pick...

So, this one has a story....I went to my uncle's funeral...and decided to stop by at a local textile museum on the way home (it was about an hour away).  The textile mill was a mill that many of my ancestors worked in...I was a bit underwhelmed...the tour is self-guided and you don't get to go into the actual mill...which is an absolutely beautiful building and has been sub-divided and turned into other places of business....and there is a second building where you can see some of the machines, but they are in disrepair...so much potential.....anyway, they were also having a craft fair, so I wandered in and wandered out with this yarn and pattern....so I'd say it was a successful venture...It is Ellyn Cooper's Yarn Sonnets....

Another bit of wandering resulted in this purchase....after deciding not to take the highway, but a backroad, we stumbled upon a local yarn shop, Sheep and Shawl in South Deerfield, Mass...this is Bartlettyarns and may result in a cowl...it's a bit crunchy....

Well, that same day of wandering, we ended up in Northhampton, Mass...and that always means a trip to WEBS....

Zen Yarn Garden - I am in love with this color! It's Serenity 20 in Nightfall, as exclusive color to WEBS
MadelineTosh Pashmina in Chicory
MadelineTosh Home in Maple Leaf

I believe I have now caught up on my purchases for 2015...but there is four more days....and there will be sales....and the Hubs did not buy me any yarny products...(he can and does fabulously when he does...he has nice taste, just didn't)....and I have a yearning for more Walking Dead inspired yarn...just realized didn't share that purchase...

This is Desert Visa Dyeworks in "If They Kill Carol."  I think I also need the Glen one and the Abraham, and maybe Maggie...because it's not looking good for them...and well Abraham, there is this...

Yep, I met Abraham or Michael Cudlitz this summer at Walker Stalker....

PS:  And....while I was waiting for my idrive library to update, yep, I bought me some Abraham and Glenn...Maggie has too much peach...not a fan of the color....

Now to go back on work on this, started yesterday....

Quaere Fibre self stripe in A Modern Christmas....hope you all have a wonderful weekend....we have a 2 week break this year....woohoo!!!

Christmas Yarn Stash

This is my willpower, or absolute lack of, on display....these my fine dears are all Christmas or Holiday themed yarn....

From left to right....
Desert Vista Dyeworks self striping in "Victorian Christmas"
Andi Pandi Crafts Andi DK in "Oh Christmas Tree"
Blue Moon Socks That Rock in "The Gnome of Christmas Present"
Witch Candy in "Tartan Tidings"
Knitmona Mona Sparkle in "Silver and Gold"
Quaere Fibre self striping in "A Modern Christmas" was a kit with a triangle bag from That Purple Girl
Knitmona in "Deck the Halls" and Groovy Hues Fiber in "Bearly Polar," also a kit with Otterly Adorable Knits

You will notice, none are wound for a cast on....well because even though I ordered them all, I was trying to finish some WIPs...

I did cast on early this morning...

A pair of fingerless mitts for the Hubs...even if I don't finish them both...I will wrap one..because that's how we roll...

I am done wrapping.....and since I am sans car, I'm going to spend the rest of the day working on the mitts....and watching the Doctor Who marathon....

I am still absolutely knackered from work...we put on a play on Wednesday, it was absolutely exhausting.....