Black Cavern Knitting

So I'm working on the Cavern cardigan right now, and I'm loving it! Thank you so much Lisa for mentioning this pattern! I see a few of them in my future. This is a top-down seamless raglan in worsted weight, I'm using Caron's Simply Soft in Black.
Here's where I am so far (3/4 through raglan shaping):

And a keen(e) eye may notice her stitch markers in action...Thank You!!! I love them, and I get to think about you whenever I knit now :D I'm going to have a hard time going back to my hack plastic markers ;) And I think you have repaid my getting you into knitting by getting me into making stitch markers - that has just soared to the top of my "I'm gonna..." list.

I also have a finished object that I managed to capture before gifting:
Pattern:Creative Knitting Magazine (Nov 2005), Precious Baby Jacket, p 46
~beware check the website there is an important revision on the front(s) shaping.
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft in Bright Ombre and Bernat Softee Baby in White
Needle: Size 6 (4mm)
Time: Honestly I was in such a holidaze and Gracie was in rare form for most of the month so my best guess is 4-5 sittings at approx 2 hrs each so not much more than 10 hrs and it would have been quicker if I'd checked the website before I started and if I didnt have a toddler who tried to throw her schedule out the window ;)
Notes: Other than the revision in the pattern this was a great knit, the pattern is interesting enough to not be boring, but I was still able to watch TV/movies throughout. I love baby knits, quick, simple and oh so cute! DH wants me to make one for Gracie :)

As well as one of my lovely Christmas gifts from my in-laws:

That is Lion Brand Jiffy in El Paso and a pattern book from Leisure Arts Touchable Knits.
I think I like the cardigan on the front, and the shell on the back cover, but I really feel this yarn is destined for Hot Lava unless I get a few more skeins and make the ballet wrap cardigan on the cover of the current Interweave Knits (Winter 2005).
But that project will have to wait as I am madly finishing 2 more gifts (this was planned to be late, I promise!) before I head to CA Jan 21 :)

Happy New Year!

Yeah!!! 2006 is here!!!

I'm excited about this because I'm very glad to have 2005 behind me. It wasnt a horrible year, but it wasnt the best year either so I'm very happy to have a fresh start.

Good thing #1 ~ I am no longer horribly home sick. I do still miss my family and friends very much, but I dont want to throw up anymore when I think about how much I miss them.

Good thing #2 ~ Gracie got a potty chair for Christmas...which means the end is in sight of diaper duty. I would very much like to not have 2 children in diapers at once and we do plan on baking her a sibling in the near future. Which brings me to...

Good thing #3 ~ We will decide this year when to make our family grow. As much as I am a little nervous about this because I didnt take the hormonal fluxes very well last time, I really want a sibling for Gracie and I'm holding out hope for a better pregnancy this time around.

Good thing #4 ~ I am very comfortable with my knitting now, it is like breathing to me, so I am very much looking forward to what my hands/mind will create this year. I hope to get braver with designing my own patterns this year. I've already started tweaking other's patterns and I'm starting to get the math and structure down :)

Good thing #5 ~ I've finally met some moms in the area and I look forward to our playdates and mommy night outs. The best part is we get to chat everyday online and then get together when our schedules allow, so it is very flexible and just what I need right now. Plus I really want Gracie to start working on her social skills. I'm also realizing that I really need this myself and have already become much happier with myself now that I've found this outlet.

Here are some things I am going to accomplish this year (goals, not resolutions, because resolutions are broken too easily ;))

Goal #1 I will pause before I speak this year. I keep interrupting and/or talking over others, and I dont want to do that anymore. I am hoping this will also help me clean up my mouth - when I get tired/frustrated I curse (shocking I know) and lets just say I've been rather tired/frustrated lately and that paired with Gracie expanding her vocabulary is not good.
This "pause" will also hopefully stop/reduce the amount of hot-headed rudeness that I express towards my hubby (and unfortunately from time to time Gracie) by allowing me to realize what I'm saying before I say it.
~penalty - 10 cents for every curse word, I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do about the other stuff, just try real hard for now, I'll update when I come up with something.

Goal #2 I will do at least one fair isle/intarsia project by summer. I am very intrigued by colorwork, the biggest thing holding me back so far is probably budget because if I'm going to put that much work in a project I dont want it in acrylic. So I'll probably be placing my 1st order with KnitPicks this year :)
~penalty - havent come up with one yet...other than if not done by summer, I will have to purchase project for my birthday and not allow myselft to work on anything else until it gets rolling. may update later

Goal #3 I will design something that I can share on this site for free. I want to show my appreciation for other blogger's free patterns by offering one of my own. I will also appreciate any feedback generated by the project.
~ penalty - this one will either happen or not

Goal #4 I will blog at least once a week, with an aim for getting back to every/every other day. I really have a passion for blogging, I enjoy this outlet and love "meeting" other knitbloggers. Lately my very mobile toddler and my knitting obsession have just gotten in the way of making it to the keyboard (I am a loyal reader of many though - but I need to comment more).
~ penalty - I will have to blog before I can read my bloglines if I fall behind.

Goal #5 I will do better at keeping in touch with my friends. I get "too involved" in my own life and let too many weeks/months pass without emails/calls and I need to do a better job of letting my friends know how much they mean to me.
~ penalty - If I dont naturally get better at this I'm going to have to make "dates" on the calendar and hope this gets the ball rolling for it to become more frequent and not "required"

So that's what I have going so far, I also hope to read more books this year, and get some non-fiction in there, but I've always read a lot so that isnt much of a goal, it is more an effort towards intentionally reading instead of reverting to old habit.

Happy New Year! Knit something!