My first FO since the dawn of time...

Yes, I'm being a bit sarcastic. But in all seriousness, the last time I posted about an FO waaaaas... ummmm... hmm...

May of 2009.

May. Of '09? Really??!

Really.

I guess that shows how I was feeling in 2009 because I had many-a bad boy flying off the needles since that post. I will also blame Ravelry. Because it has kinda made me lazy. I blame them mostly because they are not here to defend themselves and fully taking responsibility for my laziness doesn't seem right. However the whole thing about me being lazy is pretty darned true.

Excuses aside, this FO has been years in the making. Yarn was bought as a kit at Rhinebeck in 2007. The kit I bought was two skeins short, so I ordered two more skeins as fast as I could. Not sure when I started knitting in 2008 but by January of 2009 I had this:

I was probably 75% done with it and then I came to that realization that one never wants to come to. I knew in the deep recesses of my heart that I was never going to wear this. So I riiiipped. And then immediately cast on for what I thought was going to be a kick-ass, fairly straightforward and easy sweater. But did I do a gauge swatch? Noooooooooo. I thought, "Why do something as silly as that?" No surprise that the new sweater was too small. In addition, I couldn't get the cable/increase combo down so it was a bit of disaster. So I riiiipped again and promptly stuffed the yarn back in the closet so I wouldn't think about it any more.

Fast forward to December 2009. After a year of small projects, I decide that 2010 would be the Year of Sweater and every sweater made will be for me. I decided that if I'm going to kick this sweater year off right then I am going to kick it right in the groin. I yelled out to no one in particular, "YOU WILL NOT CRUSH ME!!1!" Immediately, I whipped out the yarn that had given me so much trouble and did a gauge swatch. Then I copied the pattern from the web into a Word doc and rearranged things so I could cable and increase at the same time without any tears. Then I was off. Like lightening! Like a cheap toupee!! I knit like a madwoman. I admired what I completed and glared at the small pile of yarn cakes I had left. "OMGNOES... I am going to run out of yaaaaaaaaaaarn." I just kept knitting as if the faster I knit the more yarn I will end up with. (We've all been there. Don't deny it!) Then to my horror (the horror!) I discovered one of my skeins was spun at a thinner gauge then the rest. It was spun so much thinner that I had to double it to be the same gauge as the rest. Now there was no way I had enough yarn. I ordered a new skein which, no surprise with it being over two years later, ended up being a totally different color. I trudged on, grumbling, cussing and shaking my fists. Telling myself over and over that maybe I shouldn't knit this, or any, sweater because clearly knitting is stupid and I'm a big dummyhead.

Then the skies cleared, angels sang and I had a sweater. With too much yarn to spare. Like almost a whole skein. Not including the one bought in a panic.

The End.

AMUSED AT MYSELF...
Started: Dec 29, 2009
Completed: January 24, 2010
Pattern: Amused by Jordana Paige
Yarn: Morehouse Farm Merino Merino 3-Strand
Color: Brown Heather
Skeins: 7.3
Needles: 6 mm/US 10 Knitpicks Options
Ravelry deets here.

Betty Sitting!

Betty is staying with us for the weekend. She has already made herself at home.

We are already putty in her paw.

Mah 'hood!

A short article about my street. Nice to get props in the paper!

2009 Round up!

So 2009, you tried to make me pretty miserable and you mostly succeeded. My emotional state during your time was low and I found that I didn't blog that much. I kept telling myself, "Who wants to hear about THAT?" So thanks to you I did a lot of negative self-editing that I'm sure didn't help. Sometimes one needs a frowny-faced navel-gazing year and I guess this is how I will remember you.

But you couldn't have been all bad! This is probably going to be one of those wordy posts that you haven't seen from me in a while, soooooo get a snack and a stiff drink.

January: I start the year by going brunette. I jump into exercising. Work is busy but good. Ravelry introduced me to the Personal Sock Club and I jump in feet first (har-har!). I attempt my first short row heel and I dominate. I find my groove with the Tuesday knit night.

February: I catch the Death Cold and I knit through it. A man, who stabbed an off-duty police officer, gets arrested on my street and I witness it. I have a job interview for a place I would have loved to work but I fail to sell them on my amazing talents. They decide to hire someone else. I'm sad.

March: Starbucks took away my favorite bran muffin but the internet saved me. I head up to Tahoe for a girl's weekend. Because of a record snow drop, we almost get stuck on Donner Pass (yes, that Donner Pass), have issues with snow chains and traffic, resulting in a four hour trip taking over 8 hours. I kick ass and take names on the FO front with 5 projects already completed. February Lady Sweater puts me in a trance. I cook up a storm with mixed success - chocolate chip muffins are a disaster but the Indian feast was pretty much a success.

April: This month passed with not a significant note on the blog. I train to be a NERT. I plan a trip to Toronto and that makes me happy. However, that doesn't last long. My Grandmother's health begins to fail and my mother, not surprisingly, has a hard time dealing. I feel far away and small against the emotional waves that crash against me. To deal, I begin my secret X-Mas knitting. I stop exercising.

May: I continue to focus on knitting with 3 more FOs checked off and ignore the outside world. I find out I'm not allergic to anything (even though I still break out in hives and rashes). I go to Maker Faire.

June: I see an opera simulcast at AT&T Park. I make marshmallows. I jump on a plane to Toronto. While I'm gone my Grandmother passes away. Garage constructions starts in our building which means lots of jackhammers. I finally see David Byrne in concert. I don't blog. I continue to knit.

July: Paul's dad comes for a visit and it's difficult on many levels. We run into problems getting our taxes done. We start to panic. I still don't blog. I still knit. By the end of the month I have 15 FOs.

August: It's my birthday and I need a break. Paul takes me away for the weekend. We go to the the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, which is one of my favorite places. It was a well needed break. I go whale watching. I have another interview at another company I would have loveloveloved to work for. Once again, I fail to impress. I'm sad again. Still have issues with taxes. I still don't blog.

September: I head to my folk's place to give my mom some support. I jump back into blogging by announcing my Grandmother's death. I counter the sad news with a post on "what knitty.com means to me" inspired by Indigirl. An old friend who lives far away visits with his new girlfriend. I cook all day, we eat and catch up. Surprisingly the visit is much better and more relaxed than expected. I Ride The Duck as a mystery shopper. And I'm still knitting.

October: Two things I do that aren't surprising: I don't blog and I do knit. Work keeps my mind busy. Garage work starts getting sporadic as there is permit problems and the SF building department turn into wankers. I mystery shop two of the Ghirardelli Square cafes and I go into a sugar coma.

November: Michelle comes to visit! Thankfully work deadlines are pushed back so I can make an awesome itinerary. Sadly, I don't blog about it. However we do have a kick-ass time and I take some awesome photos. Paul and I celebrate Thanksgiving in Portland with an old friend. Ever had a turkey cooked on the BBQ grill basted in champagne? Well, you should. We also go wine tasting. By the end of the short trip my pants are tight.

December: I don't blog... and yes, I knit. I don't complete all the gifts I'd like to knit but I'm pleased with the final number. I get so pleased with my gifts that I forget to do holiday cards. Even though its far from complete, the garage gets a door and now its actually usable. Tax situation is still not completely taken care of but at least we're not panicking any more. Paul takes two weeks vacation so we can do fun things around town. He comes down with Hell Cold, flops around the house for more than a week and then hands the Hell Cold over to me. We celebrate Paul's birthday and ring in the New Year with homemade boeuf bourguignon, no-knead bread, beer and friends. I knit a cat sweater for my Portland friend's cat and make Elena try it on. I decide that I am not a nice person.

The way I want you, dear reader, to remember my 2009 is how awesome I was in the knitting department. 29 FOs, baby!

1. January is for Karen, 2. RPMs, 3. Generic Socks for Paul, 4. Sherbrooke Cowl, 5. Gloria Cowl, 6. February Lady Sweater, 7. Beatrice Bunny, 8. Generic Socks for Me, 9. Baby Booties #1, 10. Helena, 11. Baby Booties #2-#4, 12. Purple Purl shop sample, 13. Generic Socks for Paul #2, 14. Sunday Mittens, 15. Woodland Shawl, 16. Jaywalkers, 17. Herringbone Mittens, 18. Lavalette, 19. Just Enough Ruffles, 20. Springtime Bandit, 21. June is for Jag, 22. Embossed Leaves, 23. Father and Son Socks, 24. Foliage Hat, 25. Parrotfish Hat, 26. Bitterroot shawlette, 27. Cat Sweater

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

A record, for sure. And the best part? Most of them were gifts. In fact, only five of those projects stayed home with me. The other 24 were sent far and wide as baby welcoming, birthday and X-mas gifts. And it seemed that the recipients loved them (or so they said) and that was a lot more rewarding than I expected to be.