New Year . . . . New Challenge

Tomorrow is the official start to my stash down challenge!  I probably wont be able to start them tomorrow :( I really want to finish some mittens for my BIL.  They were for Christmas I just haven't been motivated to start them!

So here it is my finally selection for January with yarn choices!

Emma's mittens with Cascade Eco in a light brown (I love this yarn for mittens) - Mitten pair #1

Inside out Cowl with Paton's Classic Wool in Deep Olive - this one is for Charity

Happy Knitting!

All my Christmas Knitting was a hit!

Everyone loved their Christmas gifts!  I wish I could have gotten pictures of them with the gifts but most were far away and I got to see them open the gifts over Skype.  Future SIL loved the cowl I made her, FIL loved the hat, and MIL loved the hemlock ring blanket I made her!  My sister loved her fingerless mittens.  I still have a few that I need to gift.  I have to find buttons for my mom's cowl and finish up my BIL's mittens.  The other cowl for my other BIL was wet still when he was leaving so I will need to give him that as well.

Right now I am finishing up my UFO's getting ready for the Stashdown!

How was your Christmas?

Mine was really great!  My husband spoiled me!  I got a really awesome Knit Happy project caddy, sheep tape measure (cute!), Vogue Knitting lace stitchionary, Knit Happy post-it kit, Jaquard Dye kit, and a Size 1 nickel plated fixed circular.

He did a great job in picking things that I would really love!  

I also got a really awesome tea set from my sister and brother.  It is a cast iron set lined with ceramic!  It is super elegant and I love it.  I also got a lasagna pan from my mom that has three compartments to make different kinds of lasagna and a knife with cutting board attached.  Super awesome!

I can't wait to use them all!

The Stash Down Rules

So I have finally decided to set my stash down rules.  Better get it done now before the Christmas and New Years rush starts.

1) Must start and finish 1 regular project and 1 charity project a month.

2) Blog the progress of the projects and finished object.

3) Must choose the pattern and yarn one month in advance.

4) No new yarn for at least 3 months . . . . unless gifted ;)

5) Use only yarn from current stash.

6) Incorporate the 11 pairs of mittens in 2011.

So those are the rules!  January 1, 2011 I will be starting this challenge and finishing December 31, 2011 with a lot less stash.

My first projects will be Emma's Mittens (#1 of 11) and Inside Out Cowl for charity!  I will be posting about the start of the projects on January 1st!

Shameful Knitter

For a knitter I don't have very much that I keep!  You wouldn't even know I was a knitter really.  I have one pair of mittens and a neckwarmer . . . . thats it!  My husband has several scarves, hats, neckwarmers, and mittens.  Almost all of my family has more of my knitting than I do.  That is going to have to change.  I am going to start knitting more for myself!

So I am going to have to come up with a list of things I want to knit for myself and complete them this year!  This is going to be part of my stash-down in the new year.  So far my rules are:

2 projects a month  minimum (one for Charity and one regular I am going to start out finishing one project already on the needles)
I have to knit at least 4 things for myself
I must use stash yarn
I have to blog each project

My list of wants are:
Citron
Bergen Street Cardigen (finish)
Meta Mittens (new different colors than the ones I am doing)
Flamingo
Abalone (finish)
Fall away Cardigan
Folha Luz
Ruffle my Feathers

I have so many patterns favorited but these are my current favorites!  I need a hat too.  I don't have one hat knitted for myself, thats pretty sad.  So I am thinking maybe Ashley?  Or maybe the Sutro Heights Hat?  I have almost finished another neckwarmer for myself Desmid and I want to use the rest of my twist to make a hat!

So now to finish Christmas knitting.  Only a few projects left!

Another post about Christmas knitting

I am starting to realize how little time I have for Christmas knitting!  I am in the process of finishing up the Christmas cards now!  Just need a few more addresses but the majority are ready to go out.  I am going to end up sending out about 40 cards this year.  That is a lot of writing.  As I was doing that I realized I have to have the presents for my in-law's done by the 18th!!!  Yikes~ So I cast on for my FIL's hat tonight and finished up an inch of it.  Decided to go with two strands of DK yarn held together and size 10 needles to get this bad boy done fast!

I still have to figure out what I am going to give to my future SIL Caitlin and do something up for my BIL Sean.  I know what I want to do I just have to get it done!

Hmmm I have noticed that my posting has gone up since I started Christmas knitting . . . . couldn't be procrastinating could it . . . . . oh no not me!

Going to bed now!

Charity Knitting

I wish I would have thought of it sooner but i really want to do some charity knitting! River City Yarns is collecting items for the youth emergency center. But all of the knits need to be in December 20th. So I won't have any time to get stuff done this year. But I would like to add a charity knitting goal into my stash down. Every month I want one of my projects to be for charity. That is just a minimum. Then by this time next year I should have a lot to donate!

I will add it into my regular posts!

Christmas Knitting Slump

So I don't really want to do Christmas knitting anymore.  I just want to knit for myself!  I know I could become a selfish knitter, but I love knitting for people.  I am just having a hard time figuring out what to make people.  Or the project doesn't turn out cause I am allergic to gauge swatching.  I really do need to start doing that but I just want to get the project started!

The Knotty but nice hat is going to be too small for Corey!  It barely fits me.  The cabling turns out really tight and I even went up to a size 8 needle for it.  Oh well I guess this might be another one for my nephew . . . or me ;)

But now I must find another pattern to do for Corey.  Maybe I will just make a cowl!