First F/O of the Year?

It would appear so! I could hardly believe it myself! My little shopping spree at Knit Picks got me started  on my new home accessories. I grabbed a ball of CotLin in Kohlrabi, and took it to work with me. (Yes I have managed to get caught up with my work, after a fashion, and found time to knit). CotLin is a blend of cotton and linen, which I have to say, I did enjoy the feel of. I am used to a heavier weight yarn in cotton so the dk weight took some getting used to. 

This little project was a breeze to finish and is darn near mindless, you know how I like those mindless ones. I used a size 7 needle but I think I would have liked a tighter weave for the fabric.  

Now I am not saying that I have actually been functional in the last week or so but I have been somewhat productive.  I have New Girl Lisa trained and on her own -Yay!  That means Jeanne gets a little bit of a break, or at least I can take a personal day or two.  This weekend was the Special Olympics Polar Plunge, usually I pump that up quite a bit before hand but the energy has been lacking in that regard. Even tho I am not the one plunging into Lake Michigan  (just playing the part department photographer) it is still a completely exhausting day. Standing on the ice for hours waiting and watching a group of crazy law enforcement personnel dress silly and jump into 32 degree water then compound that excitement with a complete turnaround in waking hours and you get one pooped out chick with sticks. Is it any wonder I am unbalanced??

Ya'll know I suck at project stats so this year- since this is my first Finished Object of the year (pathetic I know) I am going to start out right.

Kohlrabi Dish Towel

Pattern: Basket Rib Hand Towel Rav Link

Yarn: 1 Ball Knit Picks CotLin in Kohlrabi

Needles Size 7

Size 11x17

I got my March installment of Art Walk Sock Yarn from Zen Yarn Garden. This month is another tribute to Gustav Klimit, Musique. 

Another beauty out of Canada!  Some day I may actually knit with these yarns...in the meantime, I shall become a collector of affordable art...LOL 

This picture does not bring out the beautiful greens and blues to it's full advantage. The colors are much closer to the painting that this shows. 

Another no brainer project-  A new place placemat! Same CotLin yarn but in Swan. This project is a winger, meaning a no pattern project. It may also be a do over because I am not sure that it will be wide enough to suit. Do you think 16 inches (unblocked) will be wide enough for a placemat?? I wanted this to be a tighter fabric than the dish towel so I am using a size 4 needle. I like how the fabric is turning out, I am just unsure of the size. Give me your thoughts. 

Another Winger- Impulse yarn buy of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick n Quick. I bought this a while ago when it was still frigid outside ( I think spring is finally here). Big yarns make my hands tired when I knit so I don't get very far with with them at any one time. A few rows at a time and eventually I had a scarf. Not enough yarn left to make a hat to match so I may have to go back to the store. 

 
Chocolate and Vanilla Scarf

Pattern: Simple garter stitch stripe

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick n Quick in Wood and Linen

Needles size 13

Size 6x58

CA Dawn's question about my thrummed mittens prompted me to get out that one lonely mitt and finally finish the thumb. That was all that was lacking, so I did that this morning. Like I mentioned, they are not going to be pretty but damn they're warm! With any luck I just might have a pair by summer!

I think I have about 3 days of mids then another flip for the CAD training for a week and then I can finally settle into a single shift. That will be a blessing! At this point I don't care which shift, as long as it is only one shift.

Maybe then I can get caught up on all my blog reading :p

Knitting? What's that??

I know...I can't believe it has been so long since my last post!! Where in the heck does the time go!

All this shift bouncing has me so discombobulated (remember when that wasn't even a real word) that I don't know if I am coming or going and I have not done much of anything besides work and sleep. I have way too much going on at work to be very productive at home. My brain is generally on shut down by the time I get home, so I have not even done the simplest of knitting. Mix in training New Girl, which has been my top priority, then throw in learning and training on new computer system for dispatching ( my other top priority) and you end up with one burned out knittereze person!

We are in crunch time for both training the New Girl, who goes live at the end of the month, and getting everyone up to speed with CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch), a much long awaited and longed for system, which is going live in mid March. I personally am very excited about both!I am so looking forward to scrapping the old and inefficient computer/paper system I can almost taste it.

New Girl (Lisa) is turning out to be a good fit with the rest of us unbalanced folk. She has been a joy to train, and after this week she will be ready for the Shadow Phase.

In between all these important goings ons, I also have the Special Olympics Polar Plunge coming up in a month. YIKES! ....Can you say follow the bouncing ball?

(IlovemyjobIlovemyjobIlovemyjob)

I managed to get one Tidal Wave sock done, but it took me so long to get the foot done that I am pretty darn sure I will have to learn the pattern all over again. Or I could just walk around one footed for a while...who needs a pair of socks anyway.

If you look real close...you can almost see the wavy pattern.

And did I mention I joined a sock yarn club? No? GUESS WHAT??? I joined a sock yarn of the month club. Oh Yah...Like I needed more sock yarn, and wait...Is that another hole in my head? Yup, I joined Art Walk, which is Zen Yarn Garden yarn (very yummy), and I really liked the idea of the colorways being inspired by materpiece artwork. Still, not your run of the mill sock yarn and maybe I will get some motivation by it... I could sure use some right about now. 

All my bloggin' friends seem to have motivation in droves and I am needing some of it to rub off on me. Dawn and Carrie always seem to have so much going on and manage to knit up a storm. I don't know how they do it. Kinda makes me feel like a slug-a-bug.

Here is my first shipment from them....Yum Yum! The Febuary selection Petunia, Don't ask me when I am going to knit it up...no clue there. But I like it!

...and a little art history to go with it...Taken from Art.com

Georgia O’Keeffe (1887 – 1986) was a groundbreaking Modernist painter who digressed from realism to express her own visionary style. Raised in rural Wisconsin, which gave her a love of nature and formed the basis for her revolutionary artwork, O’Keefe is best known for flower paintings which made up a significant percentage of her work. Expressing what she felt, rather than what she had been taught, O’Keeffe painted enormous close-ups of flowers, transforming their contours into fascinating abstractions, and highlighting their importance in a manner that commanded attention. One of the most influential and innovative artists of the 20th century, O’Keeffe was the first woman to have her own exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Now... if I could just get caught up with all my blog-pals...

I'm In Yarnitopia!

There's some kind of Christmas conspiracy going on!!

Yesterday I went in to work early so that I could "work my magic" on yet another last minute Power Point for the Chief (oh - yea) and the girls at work tell me I have presents. What??? Presents??? "What happen to we exchange with our partners?" "Well... we love you". 

So I open my gifts and what do I find? The cutest ever Brodie picture frame from Jackie!

Look how they go together..."Like peas n carrots"

Pammy had this for me...a bounty of Andean Treasure!!! I absolutely LOVE Andean Treasure, baby alpaca is the softest ever yarn.  Mystery Heather, Embers and Woods! All my favoritest colors too!

And this adorable glass ornament- Which Brodie thought was real interesting too. 

Then I get home and find this in the mail box!

This I knew was coming from

Irishgirlies Blogaversary Contest. 

Socks that Rock Hollyday yarn!!! This is even yummier in person than it was on her blog!

Accompanying STR was a lamp work (looks like) stitch marker by Sunneshine in red, a pad cutey sheep note paper and a sample of Soak to wash my finished Frismasy sockies in. This is my first STR yarn so I am pretty darned excited about it.

The biggest surprise by far was this package of goodies.

TN Dawn -queen of cutey socks and berets, sent me these yummy Lornas Laces in Watercolor

These adorable stitch little dice markers...obviously for the gambler in me ;)

And this crazy Jingle Bell pen!  This is such a Jeanne-like pen, I played with it half the night...Already I have had to move it out of Brodies reach and he tried to snatch one of my skeins of yarn. I think he thought it was another bungee baby.  

I'll tell you why this was such a surprise...Dawn is a sneaky girl...I would have sworn I just exchanged address' with her on the ...oh -15th according to my email. Yet this little surprise package was shipped on the 12th!! SNEAKY SNEAKY DAWN! How did she do it?? There is no way that I am that forgetful! (somehow I think I am going to be really embarrassed when she finally tells me)

I am so blessed in my friends! And do they know me or what! I could not have asked for anything better!!  

Many many thanks to my dear friends!