What happened to July?

Where did July go?! I'm impressed with everyone who has kept plugging away at their gift list! I have to admit mine has completely been waylaid by lack of knitting time due to the baby, and then we just moved last week so now I can't find anything! I do have plans for the holiday season and I hope to get back on track soon.

Here's my very short list for August:

• Koolhaus hat / Brother / Christmas
• 2 advent baby socks / Family / December
  

I might as well post the rest of my list as well!

• 2 felted strawberry bags / Nieces / November (need time to ship!)
• Market bag / SIL #1 / November (same as above)
• Log Cabin Socks / FIL / December
• Socks / Mom / December
• Mittens / Aunt D / December
• Teapot Cozy / Aunt S / December
• 24 advent baby socks in total (so far I have done 6)

Of course there are other ideas out there -- I want to make some things for my boys and my hubby but I haven't decided what yet. I considered taking part in the Q3 challenge in that I'm trying to finish a cardigan for me, I should finish the felted squirrel for the lad, and I need to do that hat for my brother! But I'm not sure I should commit because I might not get there! It would help if I could find my needles first.

Carrie's July List

I didn't post a June progress report because... there was zero progress! Of course I had a ridiculously short list anyway so no worries on rolling it over. I really wanted to work on something for me, so that's what I've been doing.

I'm still thinking small because the baby is still very young, so my July list will be short as well.

• Advent calendar socks (two), the entire project to be completed by December
• Koolhaus hat / brother / December

I'm considering the Q3 challenge. The only problem I have is I don't have an "old" gift that I can think of! Maybe some other UFO can be turned into a gift? I will think about it because it sounds like fun!

Carrie's appallingly late june gift list!

June is going to be over before I know it! Since I have such limited knitting time right now, and I'd love to make some things for me and my boys, June is going to be my minimum:

• 2 baby socks for the advent calendar.

Of course I'd like to actually make 4 and if I find time to work on a gift I'd like to start on the felted strawberry bags for my twin nieces, but realistically I think I'm basically taking June off!

Carrie's May Update

My list for May was short -- finish a felted yoga bag and do two more socks for my advent calendar.

I'm really happy that the bag is almost done! Just the felting left, and I'm saving that so I can do a few other felted items at the same time. So I'm calling it done.

I also finished my baby advent socks. I love not having second sock syndrome!

There is still dis-satisfyingly little knitting (and no picture taking, of knits anyway!) going on with the baby, but it's all good. A little bit at a time :)

Carrie's April Progress

My April list was short!

1. Yoga bag for MIL
   
2. 2 baby socks for holiday advent calendar

We did have our baby, so only number 2 is done! I've actually started on the yoga bag but it's nowhere near finished. I'm only finding time to knit a few rows per day, if at all, so knitting is going to be slow for a while, I'm afraid! And no pictures.. I'll have to get proper pics of the advent calendar progress some day :)

Carrie's April List

My April list is short, short, short!

1. Yoga bag for MIL (first listed back in January -- maybe I'll get to it this time!)
   
2. 2 baby socks for holiday advent calendar

That's it! We're expecting a baby so I'm not expecting much knitting to happen.

Carrie's March Progress

Here's a recap of my list for March:

• Shedir hat / SIL #2 / Christmas / December
  
• Fetchings / friend's mom / Christmas / December
• Baby hat / baby / baby due date / April 18th
• Golf club cover / Mom / birthday / mid-March (for mailing)

I can't believe it, but everything is finished!! That's a first :) I only have pics of the first two though. Here's Shedir (my first Q1 Challenge submission!):



And here's the Fetchings (second Q1 submission):



Both of these were knit to spec with the suggested yarns, another first! Loved both projects. Hope the recipients do as well! I LOVE having something done for December in MARCH!

The baby hat also turned out fabulously; and I've even started the baby sweater. The golf club covers are up for debate. It's clear that 1) I don't do duplicate stitch very well, and 2) I have no idea what shape a golf club is. Hopefully my mom will give me some feedback so I can make some more and add changes if necessary :)

Next to ponder is the April list! I'm expecting a little one so the list will be short. Very, very short.

Carrie's March List

Here are my goals for March! Entries for the First Quarterly Challenge:

• Shedir hat / SIL #2 / Christmas / December
  
• Fetchings / friend's mom / Christmas / December

Other goals:

• Baby hat / baby / baby due date / April 18th
• Golf club cover / Mom / birthday / mid-March (for mailing)

I think I better stop there! There's more to do (will I have time to make a baby sweater as well?) but we'll have to see how it goes. I always overestimate!

Carrie

Carrie's February Progress

Here was my list for February:

• Two baby socks for the Baby Sock Advent Calendar / Family / Holiday season / December 1st
  
• Bonnet and booties / friend's baby due in March / Baby due date / March ??
  
• Golf club cover / Mom / Birthday / late March
  (ultimately will be a full set but for this goal it's just one to determine if it fits properly!)
• Felted Yoga Mat Bag / MIL / Birthday / late March

So far I'm running a consistent 50% done, 50% rollover rate! I'm not sure if that's good or bad! At least something is done, I suppose.

Let's see.. some FOs. Here are my advent calendar socks for this installment:



I'm not at all sure about them, to be honest. The lacey one is larger than the others, although that may not be a bad thing. But I also ran out of the green scraps I was using for it so the heel is ridiculously squashed. It's not to be worn so no big deal there, but I do think it looks sorta funny.

The other sock uses yet more stashed leftovers and I'm concerned that the green there is too dark. But maybe not. I think I'll have to make a few extra as the year goes on and just pick the best ones when it comes time to display!

On a more positive note, I did finish the baby gift. I'm so happy with it!



The bonnet is from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and the booties are Saartje's bootees. The booties used STR mediumweight in Bunny Foo Foo (pink and brown) and the bonnet used Cotton Ease in some brown color and pink Tahki Torino (superwash merino) for the ties. They are both super tiny so I hope they actually fit!

And... that would be all from my list! Doh! The golf club cover is up next for me, the yoga bag may in fact be shunted off to Christmas. Depends on how well I'm prioritizing my knitting in March! Lots of other things on the go as well and running out of time for an April baby due date.

Two other things I just wanted to mention. I checked my January list and seems I had some rollovers I managed to neglect to roll over! I did finish one of them: socks for my mom. These were originally going to be a birthday present but then she requested the golf club thingies, so I finished them in time for Valentine's Day instead! I'm very pleased:



This is the Sweetheart Socks pattern from Interweave Knits Holiday 2007. The yarn is Tofutsies, can't remember the colorway. Love the hearts:



So, that went over well and I suppose it counts as an FO! I don't know why I didn't write it down for the February list.

I also made something for Valentine's that was a spur of the moment thing. Not on the list but thought I'd share anyway! A kitty cat for my kiddo:



It's the Wee Wonderfuls pattern called Pointy Kitty. This is the second one I've made so this one only took one night, hurrah! My boy loves it :)



And I love the heart :)

I think I may try and be more sensible for my March list, but somehow, I doubt it will happen. Thanks for all the inspiration to keep it up!

Carrie's February List

I have some carryovers from January, but I have high hopes for this month!

• Two baby socks for the Baby Sock Advent Calendar / Family / Holiday season / December 1st
  
• Bonnet and booties / friend's baby due in March / Baby due date / March ?? (won't matter if it's too late but nice to have it there before the actual baby!)
  (Saartje's booties and bonnet from either Last Minute Knitted Gifts or Hello Yarn, depending on yarn I decide to use!)
• Golf club cover / Mom / Birthday / late March
  (ultimately will be a full set but for this goal it's just one to determine if it fits properly!)
• Felted Yoga Mat Bag / MIL / Birthday / late March

** I'll be glad when spring is past -- my entire family seem to have birthdays this time of year!

First Quarterly Challenge:

• Shedir hat / SIL #2 / Christmas / December
  
• Fetchings / friend's mom / Christmas / December
  

January List!

It's officially January, so here's my list for this month:

• Monkey socks / Mom / Mom's birthday / March
  
• Baby set (booties, hat, sweater) / Baby / April
  
• Yoga bag / MIL / MIL's birthday / March
  
• 2 socks for 2008 holiday advent calendar / December
  

I want to use this idea of spacing out gift knitting throughout the year to enable me to do some holiday decoration knitting as well! I really want to do one of those sock advent calendars so I figure 2 a month will get me there :)

ETA: Sock Advent Calendar information! I got the idea from Anny Purls who got the idea from Martha Stewart via Whip Up!



Isn't it adorable? I think I'm going to do something different for the numbers, but I love the idea! I was thinking about having the socks hang from a banner or similar that would have the numbers on them. Also, no second sock syndrome if you don't care about making pairs :)

Thanks so much for this most inspirational KAL!

Carrie