On A Wing and Several Prayers

Oh Melissa, I am not blaming you at all! Of course I am thanking you - if you weren't having that discussion about when to have the skein wound, I never would have seen my beloved bag...it is your fault - in the very best of ways!!! Smooches!

Happy New Year! Yes, I know we're six days into and I am starting off the year already behind, but can you see what I've been up to?

Prayer shawls are popping up all over the place. These are just four of the eight, I think there are eight - it's at least eight - and there's one more on the needles. It's a great way to get some knitting in if you're in the mood to be productive. I mean the yarn does all the work and you get credit for making something really stunning. It never ceases to amaze me how such beauty lies in such simple things. You take the yarn in your hand and you just go about your business then a few hours later, you have something really lovely and you don't know how it happened and you know you had something to do with it but still...

and you get another surprise when you photograph it because you see colors you don't see with the naked eye. Leave it to man to create something which shows us what we don't see when we're looking directly at it. For example, the prayer shawl that looks like red and purple striped? Doesn't look anything like that to the naked eye. In fact, it's very stunning in person and that will be one lucky recipient who receives it.

I have made several New Year's resolutions and I am happy to say they are all still intact - trust me, it's almost a record that they've last this long. One of the first is to eliminate the yarn stash.

I'll wait until you stop laughing. I know you've seen this movie, too.

But I am really quite serious about it. I am going to eliminate, not reduce, but eliminate the stash. There's quite an easy plan about it and it can be done in a few steps:

1. Don't buy any yarn unless it is to match up with yarn already in the stash which is being used immediately on a project.

2. Do projects which require the use of scrap yarn - such as squares or leaf patterns or learning how to make that darned elusive granny square.

3. Stay out of temptation's way by not going to yarn stores.

See? Simple - OK, you started laughing again at the third one and I can't blame you. But I'm not going - I'm pretty sure. Oh, Melissa is reading this and already planning on my demise. I'm sure she thinks she must get me back for the blaming incident which isn't really a blaming incident.

There are other resolutions: in fact I may have gone overboard on the resolution train this year. I made several on New Year's Eve and they're still coming. Perhaps if I write them down I will see I'm making the same one over and over and that would relieve the pressure.

I also made an adorable hat. I tried following the pattern - I really did but I am tempted to write the designer and ask why she made it so complicated. I ended up doing my own thing and ignoring half the pattern instructions - and it came out very cute. I am bringing it Friday to the StitchCraft meet up - if the coming snowstorm doesn't bury me inside.

Let me offer my sincere wishes for a wonderful New Year. I would love to say something clever about yarn, knitting and life, but it's 4 in the morning and I don't drink coffee - so we'll have to stick with the familiar - have a terrific year, everybody!