Right as Rain

I'm a Weeble, People, a Weeble. You can knock me over, but you can't keep me down. This sick thing took its toll; bleary eyed and hacking away for over a week, nary a stitch was stitched. But now I'm back and ready to rock. Except for the hacking. And a wee dip in stamina. So where were we...

First of all, I missed my anniversary. My first year blog anniversary. Was it only last January that this adventure began? And less than a year earlier that I took up knitting as a Serious past time? There have been a lot of hits and misses since then, I have decidedly grown as a knitter during that time. So while I hold on to the new stuff just a little bit longer, lets take a brief walk down memory lane... (And, as always, you can click on any picture to view it in full size.)

January brought my first FO of 2007:

childHood by Natalie Wilson

Like most of my beginning projects, this one came from Knitty. And like many of my first offerings, this was made up in acrylic. Hard, icky acrylic. I made this up in both the hooded and hood less version (I much prefer the hooded one.) Given the right circumstances, a do-over may be in order. I still think it is rather a cute cardi and for the right little girl and the right yarn I'd give it another go.

February's cold was a natural inspiration for scarves and Scarf Style was the first pattern book I bought. Having it shipped to me in Israel made the anticipation that much greater.

Of course, Knitty was still a major force on my life and I was already a true Argosy addict. In February I completed my 4th. (I've picked up my snoozing 6th again, BTW, and I fully intend to knit a minimum pattern repeat per day so I can finish this up.) I also knit up my Funky Chunky Zigzag scarf (by Debbie Bliss,) Midwest Moonlight (by Ivy Bigelow) and started a few more.

Still in the scarf groove, March brought Lacy Ocean (much of which was done in Eilat, on a surprise mini-break UM & AB sponsored,) Elbac (by Laura,) and Backyard Leaves (by Annie Modesitt.)

I would venture to say that it was Backyard Leaves that turned me from a knitter to a Knitter. My first chart and first true lace pattern, where each row, RS and WS, was different. It inspired the book purchase as well as the first on-line yarn purchase. Yes, it was Knit Picks, in Andean Silk Lettuce colorway. And though more exotic yarns would come, this scarf is still a treasured favorite.

April was the month of the ughs. Endless hours were spent in pure joy working on Nora Gaughan's Capecho.

Imagine the bitter disappointment when I, like so many others, learned that VK's cover shots were a wee bit misleading. Although I toiled into the next month, I never finished it and am still sad every time I see the pictures or the miles of frogged yarn; a lovely, not inexpensive, dusty rose yarn from Gedifra (Airmix, a merino, cotton mix.) April also saw the failed Entrelac experiments. The technique I got down cold, but never completed a project using it. The desire is still there. Next try will be Eunny Jang's Entrelac Socks (IK Spring '07.) Shapely legs I've always had, but the calves run to the large size so I'll not be making the knee high version, nor will I be using the tassel!

May, the month of my birth, brought all the joy that is Arietta. Though she remains a UFO I love her no less.

Why, you may ask, if I love her so much does she remain unfinished. Two reasons. First, all that cotton was drying out my fingers and as the weather turned colder I needed some squishy wool goodness. Second, try as I might, I have yet to lose the girth that stands between me and my love. So, though this is not a forum for resolutions, (goal will be addressed in a couple of days,) I hope this year to lose the necessary bulkage to fit into my Arietta when the time comes. Other UFOs remaining from May are the Windchime scarves and some TBD skinny version of Clapotis, just to say I did.

June saw no photo shoots as my mind was mostly on the, finally public, impending departure from Israel.

Tomorrow should see us through the balance of the year, followed by goals for 2008, including a virtual UFO Hall of Shame to get me back on track with some forgotten friends.