My Maine weekend

I knitted these for my best pal Becky's daughter, Mikaela, who is having a baby boy sometime around February 21st. I got an invite to her shower a week or so ago, whipped open my Sock Wizard plugged in my gauge and needle size etc., and voila, a basic baby sock. Quick knit, and she loved it! I'm doing the matching sweater before baby arrives in Feb.

It was great to be with her family again. Becky died in 2003 of breast cancer and I miss her a lot. It was really wonderful to be with her sisters and their children for the afternoon.

Then in the evening, my 2 Maine sisters Elisabeth & Gail and husbands Roger & John respectively, and my neice Sarah, her SO Brian and his daughter Madyson, and my nephew Alan and I all gathered for a fun evening of food and laughter and football. I don't get up there as often I have in the past, so it was good to see all of them for a bit. Sarah, too, is pregnant, due in early June. Lots of excitement.

The funniest part of the weekend was my trip up. Somehow, even though I've done the drive a few bazillion times in the past, I decided that I should take Rte 495 East off the Mass Pike, rather than the usual 495 North. The result was I ended up near Cape Cod, and more than 60 miles out of my way! YIKES!!! I should have arrived around 10:30PM instead, I didn't get there til after midnight. Pretty silly, huh?

The ride home was uneventful, despite the early snow and freezing rain and heavy fog.

My gluttony

All over my knitting lists hand knitters are speaking of yarn diets and knitting from stash and such. I have taken the pledge, not counting my STR club, which I simply could not pass up. I read handknitbyafailedfeminist blog today and chuckled. I'm guessing I could easily cover my kingsize waterbed, and perhaps go to 2 layers of all the sock yarn I've been hoarding. Not intentionally hoarding, lovingly gathering, with the fullest intention of knitting each and every gorgeous skein. And then I get distracted, off to another project, ooh there's a new kit on Whenever, and then I go to a festival or fair and ooooh look at that yummy yarn, and... well you know how it is, and how it goes and suddenly, as I take stock, I realize just how gluttonous I have been. I confess, despite my best intentions, I am a confirmed yarn pig!! I have it everywhere -- all over my house, and crammed under my desk in my office. YIKES!

2007 is my year of destashing, trimming down and thinning out. I've started this project more than a dozen times. The truth is, I don't even know what I have anymore, and any list that I started is long since outdated and obsolete. I'll let you know of my progress and I'll post pictures as I get more organized.

Yarn Focus Challenge 2007

Ok, I admit it. I'm a confirmed yarn-aholic. My New Year's resolution included the promise to knit from my stash, not to purchase new yarn following the guidelines of the Yarn Focus Challenge for 2007 and once I figure out how to put a picture and link on this blog, I'll keep count of how many days I've gone without purchasing yarn!

My current projects include socks for my DMil, and several baby sets. My neice is pregnant and my best pal's daughter is too, AND I have a nearly completed set for a friend in Texas. I will picture them all and post here.