My reading challenge for 2008

A Year of Living Dangerously. Time to push outside my comfort zone on reading. What's first? Great Expectations by Dickens. Better get going, I've got a late start.

Woot Woot one more blue item

  I think I predicted more blue items coming off my needles. and I'm meeting that prediction. The right hand mitten. still needs to be felted.
  Pattern: Hand Jive by knitability. Yarn: Farmhouse Yarns.

In other news... I recd an email this weekend informing my of my impending death.... can't wait to see my new socks!

Death by Socks spoiler

  received the pattern yesterday but couldn't start until last night. woot woot. first time in this game that I could sit down and just wip something out in an hour or two. problem? love the pattern and this yarn. kind of cried. and my husband actually said, honey just go buy different yarn tomorrow and start over. hmmm... then I thought... no way, I'm not going down this time. I can get cool yarn any time. Claire, watch out!
  aren't these monkey socks turning out cool? I love these in the zitron trekking... and in my colors too. imagine that...

I love a finished sock

 

even if it is just the first one... and I dug right in and started the second one.

Garter rib. sensational knitted socks by Charlene Schurch

claudia's handpaints in boot camp. (soon to be my one and only sockyarn choice I think...) with contrasting yarn, lorna's laces in charcoal. I had a minor problem going to the lorna's laces that resulted in my favorite word being used once or twice. for the toe on the second sock, switching to wood needles or going down in one size, whichever works best.

best part, fit my husband's foot perfectly. yes.

First Knitted FO of 2008

  Yeah my first knitted project of 2008. A hat for Jess. The first of many blue projects that will come off the needles.
  I modified the sweetie pie hat from the purl bee. I'm definitely going to use this pattern again. I used this yarn from Spritely Goods.
  I love the crown portion on this hat. I would like to get it back and finish it closed more, but I can't have it back. It simply won't be returned.

I've also finished the Jessica project as much as I can. The rest is now simply up her.

Iowa Votes

And while I'm disappointed about how Hillary's placement, I'm also way pumped about the turnout. I don't know about everyone else's precinct but ours was PACKED. My husband had to drop us off and park two blocks away and we were at a new middle school! and all the kids my daughter's age that showed up--what an effect on them--for them to think they actually had an impact, because they did... and they'll come back due to the fact they were part of a transformative event! and that's cool. I know my daughter was excited and chattering with friends all night on the phone.

BUT Obama will have to come up with plans now... its one thing to say we want something different, we all do, but whats he going to bring to the table?

the other states voters will have to ask that question now. Meanwhile Hillary will continue to provide answers and be the Democratic candidate who can be the president on the first day.

GO HILLARY.

Our family word for 2008

is Food source...

and here's a post that really sums up our continuing thoughts on food. We made a pledge as a family a few years ago to move our dollars to local foods and coops as much as we could. every year we do a little more. This year, we'll take these kinds of thoughts into our heads. we buy very little processed food as it is... as Pollan says, holding food in our hands and asking if our great grandma would have eaten it... that's a great question!

Happy New Year.