Should Be Could Be but Not

Ok I should be cleaning, packing, folding laundry, I could be at the farmhouse washing walls, hanging curtains, stripping wallpaper, but I am NOT. I have decided on this second day of the new year, after having worked last night, to be a couch potato of sorts. It has been far too log since knitting updates and pictures and I miss you all. So here we go.
2007 wrap up

2007 was the first full year of blogging and KALs and swaps....I have made many new friends, a group I truly want to meet one day. I have learned about life as well as knitting from you all and so appreciate the lessons. I have been an eager student and hope to continue my studies. For all this I say thank you. I wish you health and wealth of family harmony and love. I wish you knitting hours with exquisite yarns and needles that don't break. I wish you peace and laughter shared with those important to you. Happy 2008.

I accomplished a lot of knitting, I have been keeping track over there on the side. Two FOs aren't listed so there is a grand total of 32 FO's, pretty good in my mind since only a few were projects of a week or less in time to do. I am quite pleased with what I have done and refuse to dwell on what has not been finished. I learned two handed color work and attended a Bohus workshop. This coming year I will be attending Sheri's Spring Fling at the Loopy Ewe and meeting many of my Internet friends.
I saved all my yarn wrappers from yarn used during the course of the year and am planning a contest. Sometime before the end of the month I will post a picture of the pile of bands. The closest guess to the total yardage used will win some yarn. I will increase your stash by decreasing mine :). Pass the word....

Stashes...ah...how often is this the subject of our blogs? Mine increased by leaps and bounds...almost embarrassingly so. I don't want to guess at the monetary investment so won't. I would like to nit up more of the stash this year. I am not sure the approach I will take though....

Big year on the home front, DS1 received his Master's degree at 22 years of age, so cool, DS2 graduated high school at 17 and has just turned 18 after completing his first semester of college. He also, unfortunately is recovering from some major facial surgery....I saw the images and there are 24, yes 24 screws in 8 little plates in his face now. I cry thinking about it but he is trying to be brave and enjoy his blenderized food.....Ds1 GF received her undergrad degree and is actively pursuing her Master's and she is still here with us...My sons are wonderful people and deserve all the good life has to offer them.

DH and I purchased our very first home last month.
We are working hard to get the farmhouse into move in shape and having fun doing it. I see lots of good times ahead for us in this new environ.

OK time for some photos,
My new obsession is in the farmhouse, it is 108 years old and these are three of the ceilings, they are tin. There is a tin roof on the barn as well.

living room

kitchen

DS2 bedroom, now painted flat white

Aren't they grand! Thus far, the ceiling in the bedroom is painted, the room is papered and curtain hung. DS1's room has been painted and measured for carpet, it is the only room needing carpet, the rest have old wood floors and I am secretly hoping when we tear up the carpet we will find more wood floors and fore go the carpet.

On my ten stash busters list I finished the branching Out Scarf
and the Christmas stocking for DS2. Can you guess what his chosen field will be?

So there are 8 more WIPs to be finished on the list before March something...On that front I have not touched mermaid in nearly a month, Foxie even longer. I am embarrassed and ashamed....((hanging head)). But they are on the stash buster list so who knows right?

My Tiffany mittens made it to their rightful owner and honestly there are some times I just wonder. There was no spontaneous announcement of their arrival(I still haven't heard from the Christmas knitter Pal who received the Branching Out Scarf amongst many other things) I did receive a wonderful box from Jane for my Christmas box. The mitten receiver has not posted to the blog to confirm their arrival or the other things sent. I know we do not get involved for the thanks, but it is disheartening to put so much time and effort into something and not be acknowledged. I am still waiting for my mittens but the knitter has been sick and is expecting to ship them this week. Woohoo, there is still so much winter left to use them. I had to air my feelings on the subject and won't mention it again.

This is what dear Jane sent along.

An amazing array of holiday glitz, beautiful ornament, origami star, so many packages...
Jane hand dyed some wool for me, sent along some wool to be dyed with KoolAid, I have never done this,tea, markers, needle gauge and...
Glorious, eh? Jane designed this most wonderful cabley purse, she even knit pockets inside!! I am so looking forward to using this as my summer bag...my good summer bag. Thank you Jane, you are a terrific Santa. Oh nearly forgot, I had been lamenting the scarcity of ribbon candy, did you notice the BIG tin Jane sent along? I will enjoy th tim almost as much as the candy. Thanks again.

There was a link on the mitten swap site to these mittens I had to order the Wild Roses mittens. They came in such a cute little kit set up. I have received some yarn from the Loopy Ewe sometime in the past 6 weeks...as always wondrous stuff. This is from Sundara Yarn...glorious...
I had a quiet Christmas with the family as we left the hospital Christmas afternoon after DS2's surgery on Christmas Eve. He needed to rest but insisted we all open gifts, he dozed in between rounds of gift opening..it was sad. but I did receive among other things these books from the boys. DS1 GF also added to my Mr Potato Head collection AND DH and I had agreed no big gifts due to home purchase but I received these under the tree.....

Egads right! What did you do? We AGREED!!! He had been working on this for some time before we even thought about purchasing a house so followed through with it. This is what was inside.

They are hand forged from Celtic Swan(I have been drooling over these for some time) and he requested the 00 and 1 be made in bronze and the 0 in sterling so as to differentiate....and as though that were not enough, I had to locate the final needle in a haystack which hung mysteriously on the tree. Can you see the engraving on them all? DH felt the needles were as beautiful as jewelry thus the boxing of them.
AND THEN, being the dear sweet man he is, he felt badly giving those boxes without actually giving jewelry so there was one more....

I know I know, I am spoiled rotten and many would tell you undeservedly so.

I leave you with pics of WIPs other than the well known ones.

Multidirectional scarf(pic soon as I locate it)
Jaywalker Socks for DS2 in Jack Skellington colorway by Cosmic Fibers.
Two projects in the bag at a time that is one of the new thoughts. Not quite knitting monogamy but definitely an improvement.