Pride goeth...

I didn't mean to brag. We had company today, and I told them (very happily) about how well The Monkey was sleeping lately, and now that DH and I switch off nights, I am getting some quality sleep, which makes me very happy. Giddy, even!

So, there I am, chatting with adults (with adults, can you imagine?) and I got a little out of hand (like I do) and went on, and on, and on about the sleep. Can you guess what happened tonight?

Last night was DH's night. TM woke up once, for an hour, and went right back out. Tonight? Not so much. I'm up for the fifth? time right now, (it's 4:30am) and have gotten about 3 hours of sleep (not contiguous). I just had to go and open my mouth! Next time, I'm sticking to talking about the weather...

Brain Fart

Wendy is making a gorgeous sweater called Cromarty by Alice Starmore. Love it! I looked in Aran Knitting for the pattern, and just could not find it. Figured I missed it. Looked again. Went to bed. Got up, convinced it was there, and searched again. No Cromarty. So, I searched Wendy's blog for mention of the pattern. It isn't in Aran Knitting! It's in The Celtic Collection. Duh!

Well, searching for Cromarty has exhausted me so I can't tell you about my finished projects right now. (Multiple. Finished. Projects. Can you believe it?) I'll post pics tomorrow!

In baby news, The Monkey has discovered doorknobs. And he's tall enough to reach them. So much for stashing things in bedrooms to keep him out of them! Maybe I should stash stuff in the attic now. It should be at least a month until he figures out a way to get up there...

Disciplinary Action

Finishing things has never been my strong suit. I like to start things. Starting things is way more fun! You get a sense of accomplishment with a finished project, but there is a rush to starting a new project that is pretty great. I've been holding off starting a new project until I finish one. I am trying to be disciplined, which is new for me. This is very clear by the large amount of WIPs I have. I am also trying to alternate big projects with small ones, so I don't go crazy and cast on for more projects than I'm finishing. It's all part of my master plan: finish as much as possible and make room in the stash for some new yummy yarn!

To stave off boredom, I've also started swatching stitch patterns. I'm using some kitchen cotton so I'll have a mess of washcloth/dishcloths instead of swatches laying about. Hmmm, does this count as starting a new project? Dang!

I finished one of the rayon shawls I was working on. Yep, just one. I started a blue shawl after the rust one (don't ask) then worked on them both at the same time, so I still have a ways to go on the blue. The blue got more than one pattern repeat last night at Knit Chicks, so it's cruising right along!

This rust one is for someone very special! Sorry, can't tell you who yet!

Didn't the picture come out nice? I draped it over a tree branch and just as I was about to take the picture, a breeze pooched the shawl out nicely. I love it when stuff works out like that! Especially when I didn't want to stay out in the cold to take another shot... brr!

I also started a helmet liner for Margaret, who is sending a bunch to Korea for US service persons stationed there. I'm trying to put a rush on this one. Some projects are a little more important than my having new washcloths, don't you think?

Let's see: Project tally... Finished: 1 Started: 2. I am soooo grounded...

Getting Inspired

Thursday is my night off. I run errands, dine out, then go to knit with the Knit Chicks. I look forward to Thursdays. Sometimes I don't think I would retain my slim grasp on reality without them. So when life got in the way of my last three Thursdays, I was not happy. Baby wasn't sleeping, errands, last minute preparations for the big first birthday party, bad weather threatening, all kept me from where I really wanted to be. I was teetering on the brink of going quite insane. I wanted to talk to adults, about anything except diapers, boo-boos, naps and formula. Maybe pretending to be an adult for one night might bring back some creative inspiration too, but I'd settle for a conversation that didn't revolve around poop.

I wasn't away from home more than two hours when I got my first flash of inspiration. I was reading Cat Bordhi's book while I ate dinner. Side Note: People seem to be stunned when I say I went out to dinner by myself. I used to do it all the time, not so much now. Is dining alone something to be embarrassed of? Does the dining public expect me to stay home just because my friends weren't free tonight? Or do they expect me to eat fast food by myself in the car? That does not sound appetizing... ANYWAY, Cat has written a lovely book "A Treasury of Magical Knitting" which is very interesting reading, and I got really inspired to knit some mobi-eye. (what's the plural of mobius? any idea?)

I thought that was great, then I saw what all the Chicks were working on! We celebrated Irene and Elaine's birthdays with yummy cake. Happy Birthday ladies! It was a pleasant night of chatting and knitting, and I got home only a little after bedtime. My head was so full of ideas, I couldn't sleep. I was up until three in the morning.

I joined this Design Along with some pretty darn talented knit designers. Now that I have lots of inspiration, I'm ready for the challenge. Just have to narrow the potential design projects down a bit... details on those so you can vote for your favorite tomorrow!