why I haven't finshed

I was planning to finish the kitty bed last night but, I have a very good reason for not doing that.
Here is that reason.

I went over to my desk to get it and I found Orange cat checking it out, giving it a good sniff and finally planting her self in it. You can see the knitting needles sticking out of the front there. I put point protectors on the tips to keep her from wiggling them out.

She slept in there all night. So now this morning I have to try and finish it cat hair and all. I hope she likes it as much after it's felted.

And TA DA a finshed UFO. I dug this one out from the bottom of the pile. I probably started it 2 years ago. All I needed to do was finish the flap and add a handle. I felted it last night. I don't love it but at least it's not a UFO anymore. I haven't photographed all of the others yet.

Because I couldn't finish the cat bed and I was feeling so proud for having completed the bag I started swatching for a new project. I know CRAZY I do not need a new project. It's from the knnitting nature book by Nora Gaughan. I love that book. It's the Basalt Tank. I'm using some Bamboo, so far I'm having trouble getting gauge though so will see it it actually gets started. I should check the yarn stash maybe I have something else.

end of the month

So January is almost over. I have done alot of knitting this month. I have quite a since of accomplishment. So what's the plan for the shortest month of the year. I joined two swaps of Crafster. One isn't really a swap so much as a destashing atempt. Its called givers and needers ( I think) the idea is that you put together a box of supplies that you have too much of and send it to some one who needs it. I think it's a great idea. I have lots of other crafty materials that I don't use anymore it would be great to see it go to a good home.
The 2nd swap sounded fun it's the yarnies scavenger hunt. You have a set of categories and you find items that fit thoes categories to mail to your partner.
I also joined hat attack on ravelry. Its the same idea as the sock wars but it's with hats instead. Because we all know knitting two socks is a problem for me. I'm working on that though.

In my knitting a mile goal I have now knit 1781 yards. My needles are smoken!! That's 21 yards more then I needed and I still have 2 weeks.

I would like to set the goal of finishing one UFO a month. This month I finshed a felted Noro Bag that has been waiting for a strap and the flap to be knitted for 2 years. I finished that yesterday and even felted it. So sometime this week maybe even later today I am going to take a picture of each of my UFO's and post them. I will decide if it's to be finished or frogged and then I have to finish it this year. With the exception of maybe two big projects.

knitting a mile

I'm getting close to have knitted a mile of yarn. I am at about 1462yards right now, not counting the ball I used on my tree jacket. I need to look that yardage up.

I joined the stash down on Ravelry and the challenge for January was to knit a mile. I have untill Feb 15 ( I think) To knit a miles worth of yarn. I started another cat bed, they are a great stash busting project. You hold two strands of yarn together and knit around and around. Both cats are now good size so I am making this one bigger then the original cat bed. I have some odd colors of wool of the andes and cascade that I wanted to either use or get rid of and this is perfect.

I also made a rasta hat for G. This is just the practice version. She wants it striped but I wanted to work out the pattern first. This one is crochet, I used cotton yarn. I think I'll try comming up with a knit version next and then decide which one I like better.

I also made a pair of baby socks but more about socks later.

pictures

These first pict's are of Gretel this is such a cool pattern. If you have ever wanted to make this hat but didn't, you should make it. I used Rio De la Plata yarn, Yummy! You can find the pattern at http://www.ysolda.com This is a close up taken when I was working on it.
This is the top of the finished hat.

Modeled by G. Such a good sport. It's very warn and soft. I can put all my hair up in this hat, which I think is very cool.

And now for some slippers. Pre felted green ones. Patons, classic merino yarn.

After felted blue ones. Same brand of yarn different color

Orange ones for G. This was cascade 220.

Yestarday as part of my knit a mile stash reduction I started another cat bed. I made one last year?? Year before ?? CXan't remember, anyway I started another one last night. I also made a rasta hat for G. Crocheted it in orange cotton. It's just the paractice one though. She wants a striped on and I wanted to try this pattern idea out on cheap stash yarn before using something good. I also have an urge to start Babette. Every few months I bring that pattern up. It's from interweve crochet, spring 06 ,I think. I should finish the oversized shrug and the tree jacket first though!

where have you been?

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post. YIKES!!
I have a pretty good excuse for part of the time. I had been really sick and losing lots of weight ( I got down to 108 pounds) . Right before Christmas I had to go in for emergency surgery. I wasn't even done with Christmas stuff yet. I missed Christmas with my family and ended up not even giving gifts to several people. It sucked.

Since then I have done some knitting. 3 pairs of felted clogs, I am working on the tree jacket again, I started the over sized shrug from sensual knits ( love this book) swatched for the seeded cables cardigan also same book.
I finished Gretel, fetching and....something else, I can't remmeber.
Now I am going through the yarn stash and cataloging it on Ravelry and deciding what to get rid of. I also need to get rid of half or more of the quilting fabric I have and most of the rubberstamps and Scrapbook supplies I have. I just don't use them enough to justify the space they take up. So any suggestions for selling or getting rid of craft supplies, let me know.
Pictures comming in next post.