Cast On Fever aka Cabin Fever

What ya working on? What's sitting on your needles? How many pairs of needles can you fill up?
Why are you looking at patterns? Why are you stash diving and coming up with three different yarns to make something with? Me thinks I have Cabin Fever. Winter is getting to me. Lots of snow, cold temps and not being able to get out among people. Maybe I should hibernate...no I must find something to knit. Something new, fun and well, nothing I have on-the-needles already. I must have Cast On Fever!

• One sock done! I need to get the other one started....(whew, that was close...came close to sock withdrawal). The second sock of the pair is on the needles!

• Two prayer shawls are in the works. One in jewels tones, the other in taupe, cream and white. Basic garter stitch with a yarn over at the start of every row until desired length.

• A pillow! Yeah, that's the ticket. Lion Brand Suede and Fancy Fur trim!

• What's this? Oh I want to make that! Where's some cotton? Shoot, need to get some. (need to pick of three skeins of Peaches and Cream cotton while out on errands). Got it! Casting on a sweater for baby Hannah.
  

• A felted purse? What size needles? Where did I put that yarn? Found it! Happy to be casting on!

• There is the hat for Phat Flag Hat that I'm working on. Wonderful alpaca yarn - yum.

• To add to the Hat project a pair of fingerless gloves. Their more of a tip-less type. My very 1st attempt at designing! I'm having a blast! Not a scary as I thought!

When cast on fever hits, it hits hard! Can't seem to focus on a single project. I'm hopping from the sock, to the shawl, to the sweater, to the other shawl and then to the purse. That doesn't count the Works-In-Progress I have been working on either. Frogging a sweater, remaking it back into balls to use again. Finishing that skirt that's actually for Fall. Another pair of socks that the pattern is soooo boring that I am going rippit and start them again. Why? Because I love to knit socks!

Who knows what tomorrow will bring! I'm happily casting-on until all my needles are full!

Almost forgot the pair of mittens for kids. An extra pair around is always handy!

Knitting Frenzy

Having a blast and enjoying myself:

Casting On (CO) - socks. The pattern I picked suggests warm colors liken to fire. I'm using a cool greens and blues skein. Totally coloring outside the lines.

CO - fingerless gloves. From the Phat Hat swap on Monthly Adventures group on Ravelry. Using the deep red alpaca skein for them. Designing my first pattern! Many rip-pits will be done I can just feel it!

CO - the off-white and blue skeins from the Phat Hat swap and yes, it is a hat! A pattern I found in Spin Off magazine.

CO - a felted purse. I love felted purses! This one is in pinks, reds, oranges and browns. Paton's Classic Merino Wool.

Read in one of my Ravelry groups - Yarnaholics Anonymous of a possible Heads + Hands + Handbags + and Feet Crochet/Knit Along in a team theme I guess. I want to be going as an individual entrant and do all four! Oh yeah - already am knitting that!

Then there is the squirrel that's almost done,the poodle that needs it's legs and the sleeved wrap that needs a few inches done.

Variety keeps me happy. Variety keeps the needles clicking. Variety is easy to pick up one project, shove it into the knittin' bag and hit the road. Variety gets done! I definitely am not a monogamous knitter!

Merry Knitting New Year!

Been reading the posts at Ravelry about New Year's Yarn Resolutions in many of the groups I'm a member. I rarely, if ever, make "Resolutions" - I make Adjustments!

So in keeping with the New Year spirit, I will adjust:

• Get my Works-In-Progresses (WIPs) done or frogged back into skeins. The frogged skeins would be like getting new yarn and not spending a dime! One sweater is getting the frog treatment and I already know what it wants be knit into!
  

• Twelve months 'til Christmas 2009: An item a month will be created so I won't be giving yarn, picture of future gift and a note stating, "Sorry the knitting fairies dropped the needles". It's doable and yes, I have the list started!

• I buy yarn for a certain project. I rarely buy yarn just because it's on sale, new, some fiber I haven't tried yet, or because someone else is eyeing the last 15 skeins in the super sale bin of a mustard yellow rough acrylic. If I do find something I love: I get out my knitting journal to see what project the yarn would be best in. I do buy yarn when I have a project in mind and the yarn is on special even if I have 5 projects OTNs (On-The-Needles) and I won't get to the new yarn and project for 6 months. Which brings me to the reason I just rattled on....I have a few projects...okay...6 projects that are still waiting for me to get started on and now I will finally cast-on and finish them one a month.

• Not doing a yarn diet. I have missed specials while on the last diet. When you like natural fibers and like to save a couple of bucks...you hit the specials! No yarn diet for me! I don't have that much in my stash anyway. It would be cool to be reading late at night, find a pattern I have to Cast-on asap and have a yarn to do it...but just can't pack rat myself into it.
  

• Spin my fleeces that are waiting to become yarn. Some I will prep myself; the llama, and alpaca. The sheep and the mohair will be sent to Frankenmuth Woolen Mills and made into tops for me to spin. Then I can make colors and such just for me! Anyone looking for hot pink, yellow and orange yarn?

• Enjoy my creating! Even if I have to rippit, rippit, rippit before I get the project done

Adjustments are written down. Now to find that size 7 - 16" inch circular needle that I misplaced in the last week....I want to make a hat!