To frog or not to frog?

Have you ever been knitting and just not enjoyed the project? I've got two projects on the needles at the moment that I just am not enjoying knitting. First off are these socks, Aquaphobia.

I've got a little more done than in that picture. The pattern is so tedious, I just cannot for the life of me get a good rhythm going on it. I love the yarn, but not the pattern.

I started this lacy scarf, Juliet. I just don't like it. Even when I stretch it out and look at it, it just looks bunchy and icky to me. Once again, love the yarn, not the pattern.

So tell me, how long do you knit something before you know it's just not something you want to continue with? When do you say, ackkkkkkk I just don't want to knit this anymore? To me knitting should be enjoyable, relaxing. Take my stress away. These two projects just don't. I see them jumping into the frog pond in the future.

I did get a hat done. I really like this hat! It won't be going into the frog pond.

I made that hat with Patons Classic Merino Wool. It worked up really quickly. The yarn is double stranded. An enjoyable knit.

I am starting a knit-along tomorrow in a Ravelry group, Malabrigo Junkies. This will be my first time using Malabrigo yarn. I'll be using the apricot colored yarn for the hat.

I have a feeling this project won't be in the frog pond.

Yarn Binge

A local yarn store is going out of business. This makes me so sad. I will miss the place. Everything is 25% off at the moment, so I went yesterday. This is all I bought since I don't get paid again until next week . . . when I'll go back. It's a sickness. I can't stop buying yarn lately.

I'm hoping to cast on a lacy scarf today with the Alpaca Baby Twist. So yummy soft!

I also received some yarn in the mail that I bought from an etsy shop. I'm so addicted to etsy. Can't stay away.

Sock yarn. The colors are just gorgeous, and it's so soft. That will become socks in the future. Gotta find the right pattern.

I finished a hat I was working on. Winning Ticket Hat is the pattern. My friend Cathy wrote it. The hat was worn in a local lottery commercial during the holidays which spurred her to come up with a pattern for it. Isn't it cute? I just love it! It's made with Shepherd's Wool, color Milk Chocolate.

It's a lazy weekend around here. Had another snowstorm yesterday, so I had to dig out of that. My new cat had her surgery, spaying and front declaw. Come to find out, she was already spayed. There was no way to know that until they cut her open. No charge for it anyway. She's home now. Resting. With a lampshade on her head.

Poor kitty. She sure is happy to be home! She also has a pain medication patch. When I take the patch off, I'll take the lampshade off. She's doing well! I missed her while she was gone, and I'm happy she's back home too.

Old Man Winter

We've got Old Man Winter knocking on the door again. Snowstorm coming tomorrow. That means I better just stay inside and knit. It's an omen. Right? Right.

But first I'll show you some things I've finished but haven't shown you yet because they were gifts. I made these fingerless mitts for my sisters for Christmas. They are now keeping their hands warm and cozy.

And for Valentine's Day I made my daughter her first apron. She can use it while she heats food in the microwave or cooks on the George Forman grill in her dorm room.

I added fancy little dingle balls or whatever those thing are called to the hem. It's so cute and girly!

She loves it!

For myself I got the Booga Bag done. I love this thing! I want to make more in all kinds of different colors.

But wait! Look what's inside. I discovered these Cherry Cordial Hershey's Kisses right before Valentine's Day. To die for. OMG, so good.

Buy some if you see them. You won't regret it. They're like eating a chocolate covered cherry candy without all that choking, those things are so sweet, I don't know about you, but they make me choke. The little Kisses are just right.

Time to go stash diving and figure out what I'm going to cast on. Hope you have a great weekend!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you got some chocolate or something fun. I had tons of fun today and it had nothing to do with Valentine's Day. I went yarn shopping with my friends Cathy and Ava. And boy did we have fun buying yarn! We all had gift certificates to a local yarn shop, so away we went. We all came out of the store carrying a bag of yarn. Lots of yarn. Beautiful yarn. We were overcome by the yarn fumes. See what I bought:

Shepherd's Wool, Malabrigo, Alpaca. I just want to roll in it. It's all so soft and beautiful! I can't decide what to pick up and knit with first. But I will be casting something on tonight. And see the beautiful rose! My friend Ava gave that to me, it smells really nice.

And Mia just had to stick her nose in the yarn and see what's what.

I can't bring anything, including yarn, into the house without a cat sniffing it. After I put the yarn back in the bag, Shadow had to come sniff too.

Don't they know it's MINE! It's put away now. I don't want any kitties chewing on my pretty new yarn.

I have nothing on the needles at the moment except the pink cloud, but that can wait for another day. I finished the Dreams of Spring hat last night. Hmmmmmm, I don't think I like it. It's kind of big. I may block it and see what happens. Maybe I can find someone with a big head to give it to. It's really soft, and the pattern is nice, but I'm just not feeling the love.

I got a late Christmas gift last night! My sister came over and gave me these plates! OMG, aren't they cute! I just love little plates, and Snoopy and Woodstock are just so adoreable. I need to bake a cake or something so I have a nice little treat to eat on them.

So that's it for this time. Hope you're having a nice weekend!

It's the Dreary Season

We had some warm weather and the snow melted! All gone! There are a few lumps and bumps of it here and there where there were big mounds in parking lots, but we can see the grass around here again. It's just blah looking out there. Blah and dreary. Good knitting weather!

I got the Booga bag felted and it's drying. Hopefully tonight I'll get to it and finish it up, put the strap on it and it will be done!

While that's been drying I've been working on a hat, Dreams of Spring. I wanted to do some colorwork so I don't forget how to do it. I'm just not sure I'm liking this hat, one minute I like it, the next I don't.

But there it is. What do you think? Maybe I'll like it when it's done and blocked. And luckily I'm remembering the color technique.

Things are settling down with the cats. Not as much hissing and growling, but still some. Here's a sign of progress:

An old one on the couch with the new one. And they stayed.

Hissing and Growling

My new kitty is adjusting to life in this house. She does not like the other cats. Lots of hissing and growling at first, but she's calming down and becoming a little more accepting of them. They keep their distance from her. I'm very smitten with her. She's such a love. She now has a name. I call her "Shadow", she follows me everywhere, just like a shadow. She even lets me photgraph her with yarn.

I'm sure you will see more of her in the future modeling yarn for me. That yarn in the picture is some Cascade I will be using to knit a hat. Hopefully starting today.

My daughter came home this weekend and got to meet the new kitty. She is also in love with this cat, and they have bonded very well.

That makes me happy.

I've been working on the Booga Bag this week. I've finally gotten all the knitting done. Time to felt it.

This will be my first felting project. I'm eager to see how it turns out. If it's good, I'll share a picture.