Sunday, December 30, 2007

Knitting is a Sport!?

Lil k was at gma's for the weekend, so hubby & I did all sorts of things we wouldn't otherwise - like shopping, watching loud action movies, eating dinner out, knitting without interruption, etc. In the midst of this, I think I got a knitting-related injury yesterday...I'm knitting a sweater for lil k (Accordion from Fall 2003 Knitty.com) while watching The Bourne Ultimatum, in the end I was knitting so furiously (all caught up in the action), that I had to get a heat pack for my shoulder and my forearm was all hot and achy...D laughed and said knitting must be a sport now if I can get a related injury!

This morning I'm finding my back behind my left shoulder blade feels bruised...guess I didn't "train" for all the knitting I was doing this weekend...I guess toddler interruptions are necessary "breaks" to prevent knitting injuries

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Happy Holidays


It's been a long busy day, and an overly excited toddler is overtired and cranky...but, in his overtiredness, he still realizes that I have finally finished uncle jeff's socks, and now can knit him a new pair of socks. Supposedly he wants red, black, white, brown and purple socks...I can't seem to find all those colours in my stash of yarn, so either I have to mix sock yarns, or go shopping tomorrow :)

And yes, the stocking is bigger than the boy....for now...

All the best for the holidays, and hope you and yours had a wonderful time!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Eggnog and socks

I'm sitting beside the fire, sipping rum and eggnog, knitting socks while waiting for my traditional shortbread to finish baking...is this Christmas or what? Finally got back to these socks, hope to finish the second sock tomorrow so I have Christmas Eve 'free'.

Managed to get whipped shortbread done before breakfast, now the traditional shortbread tonight, I just might skip making anything else, although I really, really, really love the caramel shortbread bars...hmmm, I sense a theme here...we seem to like the buttery stuff!

Back to knitting these socks - the recipient doesn't read my blog (to my knowledge, and it would seem out of character for him anyhow), so that's why I have no issue posting it as is for now!
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Thursday, December 20, 2007

5 more nights...


My grand plans for the holidays did not pan out, I missed every single craft show I planned to attend, I didn't complete my shopping yet, I gave up knitting a gift for David, and I'm now realizing I have tripled what my budget was for Keiran's gifts, so I will not worry myself about knitting him a sweater to open on Christmas morning. Although he does need a new sweater since he's outgrown one and Daddy lost the other, it'll be a 'just because I love you' sweater...those are the best kind :)

Still working on socks, surprisingly thought I'd have them finished last weekend, but somehow didn't get to knitting them! I now realize planning knitting time is impossible with a toddler, so knitting will have to revert back to 'whenever I can' and I not set deadlines .

But then I said that last year when I didn't complete 5 knitted holiday gifts...Sad to admit this, but only one got mailed in January, and three others just went out with this year's gifts...I still have one sitting in my knitting basket. Unfortunately, being the size it is now, it is not a portable project, and not one I can easily do while a toddler is running around. So the only time I could work on this is
1) if the toddler was not in the house, but if he's out of the house, I'd take the opportunity to get a really good cleaning done on the house! or
2) once dear toddler is in bed. But after a day of work and toddler wrangling for bath/bedtime, I just want to go to bed and knit socks or something 'light'.
I think I'll have to apply the "Flylady" 15 minute rule - you can do anything in 15 minutes! at a time...

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Knitting Envy...

It's the time of year knitters' are at a frenzy either trying to finish their holiday gift projects, or if they are 'normal' knitters, frantically coming up with gift ideas to knit in the dwindling days we have before the day arrives...

I have one gift done! and I swore I wouldn't do knitted gifts this year due to last year's fiasco (3 gifts of which still haven't been mailed and have been travelling in the back seat of our car for a couple of months now...)
However, I've now since read YH's blog, and seeing that she has a very good and organized friend who has created a schedule for her to follow to get her gifts done, I'm now in the 'mood' to knit gifts again...but alas, I have no friend who can schedule me, and for some strange reason, this year my work is busier than ever!!! I thought people slack off in December or go on holiday so I'd have a 'slow' period...not that I want things to be slow, but being so busy means working extra hours and losing valuable knitting time for the busiest knitting month of the year (well busiest if you don't think ahead of time and plan the knitting earlier!)

I have knitting envy...

Saturday, December 01, 2007

SNOW!!!

It's snowing here in Victoria...it's beautiful. I've never been able to TRULY be ready for the holiday season without some snowfall. That's likely why I was always ready for Christmas in November when I lived in Ontario. My son is sitting in his room, looking out the back window at the neighbour's yard, snow falling and singing Wassail, Wassail. Is it wrong that a toddler knows the words to two verses of the Gloucester Wassail song, Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Coming to Town, yet his song of choice right now is the Wassail song?

I'm knitting by the fire looking out the window at the snow :)

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Roll Top or Straight Up


My socks have options I happily knitted along until I got itchy to start a new sweater for Keiran....I knew I shouldn't have been looking at patterns on Ravelry today, but I saw a sweater for Keiran that I have exactly the perfect yarn for (and the exact amounts required too!!!) so I believe it was meant to be....but I am knitting socks, and a sweater, and a shrug, and facecloths and had already started a sweater for Keiran. So instead of knitting the socks until I ran out of wool, I knit, tried them on, knit, tried them on, and finally decided to bind them off - now I need to get the 2nd one done so I can start that sweater!!!!

On a happy note, the socks have a dual personality, they can be straight up, or rolled down, and I actually like them either way :)

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Socking along...

My celebration on the progress on my socks was a little premature...being that this is my first time doing short-row heels, and that I was not only sick when knitting, I was also attempting to do so while looking after a sick toddler. So, I wasn't sure what to make of the heel...then I read Yarn Harlot's blog, and after looking at the photograph of her 'horrible, horrible' sock heels I realized they looked EXACTLY like what I had done, so had to frog the thing back and redo the heel. I wondered why it looked so odd, being that I've done short rows on soakers, and never had that ugly pucker along the side, let alone a 'line'. Anyhow, redid the heel, fits my foot better, and am progressing along up the leg of the sock until I decide either it's long enough or I run out of wool. I'm thinking I'll stop short of using the full ball since I think I'll make matching socks for the lil dude...not that a boy should have matching socks to his mama, but it'll make for great photographs at his future wedding or even earlier, when he brings dates home to meet the mama

Still sick btw, and attempting to knit instead of working...

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Sickies


Our household has been sick. Dear lil k had not just one, but TWO ear infections (poor little guy) and full sinuses. He's on mega-antibiotics now.
I, on the otherhand, have a sinusitus, with my ears bothering me, but not necessarily infected. I'm desperate to get some work done (too many deadlines come/gone and I'm not done!), but with a sick toddler in the house, and my head feeling like it is a 50lb deadweight on my shoulders, writing any sort of document is beyond hope (I'm just hoping this blog isn't something I need to fix later!)

So, on a good note, I got more of my sock done :)

And, my 2.5+ year old wants to knit 'for real' - so he now can recite the poem "under the fence, around the sheep, bring it on through and off it leaps"...AND he's attempted finger knitting as well, although he seems to have more success knitting with needles (with my helping). It was cute at first, but now anytime I want to knit, he wants me to help him knit...so now I no longer can knit in front of him??? :(

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Evil, Evil, Evil

Okay, maybe not evil, but Ravelry is an enabler...I was so pumped when I first got on there, having to post photos of my stash, listing projects completed, listing projects in progress, that I felt I needed to complete those WIPs and got myself down to 2 projects not yet completed.

Then I started filling out the 'queue' portion of my 'notebook' - ie what projects I want to do....and then got sidetracked by patterns and other people's projects.

Needless to say, I now have 15 projects queued, and 5 WIPs and dangerously close to adding more
AND I have NOT added the projects I saw in YH's blog/Ravelry list...nope, not gonna make it worse...it'll be too disheartening to have more queue'd than I've completed in the last 2+years...

Although....I don't think I put ALL my projects in there... so if I add projects, I can add more into the queue, right?

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Ravelry Rocks!

I'm just getting all my stash, etc up on Ravelry - I've had good intentions for logging my needles, patterns, yarn, etc - but never got around to completing it - now with the fun I'm having with Ravelry, I'm actually getting organized!!! :)

I'm also amazed at the projects other's have (not to mention the stash envy I have!!!) I'm itching to get knitting! So, short blog post, then off to knit (I've spent enough time photographing stash yarns today!)

Monday, October 01, 2007

Sept 30th, 2007


Little Brother got married! Here's the Groom's side of the family - tartans galore!
Lovely day at Arbutus Ridge, the wee kilted one was very well behaved for the most part, and quite enjoyed himself! The socks seemed to garner alot of attention as well!
Lil k even attempted golfing! Pics to follow!
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Thursday, September 13, 2007

Wee Kilty




I picked up the lil man's kilt today! Photo taken by daddy with socks and a bottle of wine for 'scale' (we couldn't use something more relevant than a bottle of wine????)


I had forgotten to show how the socks looked on the lil man's feet, so here's a photo captured while he giggled and kicked his nice new 'soft' socks...I think he likes the socks.

I can't wait to see how this outfit pulls together for the wedding :) Is it wrong to keep a toddler up later than normal bedtime to try on an outfit????


Sunday, September 09, 2007

Knitting Nightmares....

I kept meaning to blog this week, but ended up being distracted by yet another knitting 'issue' that I thought needed more attention...so I now sit with things 'resolved' but no blog entries to share my turmoil...


So let's summarize what I can 'remember':


1) Sept 3rd - My toddler is no longer satisfied with 'his knitting' - ie since 18 months he's had a bobbin with some yarn to play with as his 'knitting' while momma knits. He now realizes he needs needles to click with - here he is with his NEW knitting...
You do see this correctly - two large knitting needles and TWO bobbins now (supposedly there has to be yarn on each needle) I tried to find something that wouldn't be a hazard in my needle inventory, but even these scare hubby (and me). At least these were the largest needles I had, so don't figure he'll put them in his mouth (yeah, choking is the least of my worries with these weapons...)
His knitting has disappeared (ie bottom of momma's knitting bag) to no avail...he remembers he has knitting when he wants to knit - so I look for new options still, but have to observe him while he knits (momma does NOT take her eyes off boy and knitting!)

2) Spinning wheel dilemma - went to the Saanich Fair last weekend, most especially for the toddler to see animals, and for momma to see the Sheep to Shawl demonstration by the local Spinners' Guild - toddler and momma enjoyed watching the demo - so much so that ds was happy to sit on my lap when one of the spinners offered for me to sit beside her at one of the vacant wheels (someone went to get food). He was very, very well behaved...but where's the dilemma you ask??? Well, momma is ITCHING to get her wheel in working order and start spinning, and although I have happily loaned my wheel to the daycare as a 'natural display' piece - I want to work on it....NOW dear little boy is complaining that we (ie me, and the daycare staff) are not USING the wheel and that it needs to be fixed....nothing worse than being pressured by a toddler to get over one's procrastination...

So I have spent a good number of hours trying to find out what to call my wheel, where to find parts, where to even know the name of the parts since my wheel has absolutely no markings on it (I bought it used knowing the treadle was missing the treadle connector - this I learned in my research last week, before I knew only that the foot thingy wasn't attached to the thing that hung from the big wheel).

This is an exact picture of my wheel! Someone else got one I see - and has a name for it and everything!!! http://theboogerblog.blogspot.com/2004/07/day-outwho-says-i-dont-get-out-of.html So now I have a hold at our local library for the same book to see if that will help me out. However, I am only 1/2 an hour from Cowichan, and could just drive up to the cultural centre and ask for help...maybe that'll be a task for next week...

3) My 2nd clapotis is back in full swing again (it was a Christmas gift that got somewhat delayed!!!) I am near completion, the end is in sight, and....
I RAN OUT OF YARN!!!! GROAN!! I have now posted to 3 local and some not-so-local LYS, dropped by one LYS; googled, found out it is discontinued and someone is selling a lot of 10 balls (I need maybe 1/4 of a ball to complete this thing)...and since DH said no to buying the lot and using the 'extra' yarn for something else, I emailed a few of my friends on yahoo :) I received a few emails of where they saw online retailers selling the yarn, and have now since placed an order...now, shipping for one ball of discontinued yarn makes for a pricey yarn...so that means YARN SHOPPING!!!!! well, I guess no-one would see THAT as a dilemma...except when I dropped into the LYS looking for the one ball, I already did end up buying some sock yarn that was 2 for 1....now really, how could I resist buying 2 for 1?? and it's bugging me that I left the rest of those 2 for 1 balls there....

4) Now that I have more sock yarn, I want desperately to knit some new socks....however, I'm still working on the new set of socks for my friend...DH just does NOT understand the lure of multiple projects - it eases some of the monotony of repeating patterns....I made the mistake of saying I get bored easily and he now thinks knitting bores me....NOOOOOOOo that is not what that means!!!! geez.... as YH would say "damn muggles"...

Friday, August 31, 2007

Sock Solutions...


I knit my friend's sock, started the second one then realized I didn't have enough yarn...silly me was doubling a fingering weight to create a dk weight for the pattern, but 'duuuuh', the pattern required just over 1 ball, and I was doubling...that means I should have had 3 balls in my stash at the very least!!! So, I have options:

1) frog, wind and use the yarn for standard sock pattern

2) frog just the length to fit MY foot, and make a second sock in another colour so I have a mismatched pair of bedsocks (no problem to me!)

3) use the single sock for another purpose?

but, after chatting at our Knit Night (every 2nd Monday evening at the Bent Mast), everyone agreed I should make a second sock in another colour and give them to my friend because they are boot socks afterall and then she can wear 2 colours (it's a anthroposophical colour thing that I don't understand yet). Her daughter had stopped by Knit Night and agreed that I should give her 2 different coloured socks... she also commented on the knitting as looking interesting - so, I gave her a set of needles, some cotton yarn to get started on a cloth for the daycare...she's now hooked - one of the others in attendance mentioned to me that her facebook comments said "What HAVE YOU DONE TO ME - I'm hooked - need to go out and buy myself knitting needles!!!" Interestingly, each new knitter makes their first few discloths for the daycare, then when they get good, they start making them as gifts for friends/family so the daycare has some misshapen cloths, but it doesn't matter, it's all good for washing little faces!

BTW, I did go out and buy some dk wool/nylon yarn to make a different pair of socks for my friend - I don't know about mismatched socks yet....maybe for her birthday it'll be funny...

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Playdates and boot socks...

We had a playdate this morning (lil k and I). Met up with the friend who had knit lil k his socks (see post) and her dd. I thoroughly enjoyed myself having someone to chat with at the park watching toddlers doing their thing in the playground. She said she hasn't knit since dd was born and is sorely missing it!!! Strangely enough, I've been knitting MORE since ds was born!

I had finished ds's socks last night, and he had them on this morning for a brief stint until I asked that we put his slippers on to keep the socks from getting dirty - silly momma, he now is afraid to get the socks dirty so took them off :( Didn't get a chance to even take a photo of them on the feet! (will do that tomorrow!)

So now that my other friend asked for a pair of boot socks like lil k's, I've spent a good chunk of time stash sifting and pattern surfing to decide to make her a pair of the 'International Socks of Doom' from last year's Sock Wars. It took me 3 cast-ons, but I'm now knitting happily along using 2 strands of Paton's Kroy that I picked up from the church thrift shop (2 skeins for $1 ).

But now I'm feeling guilty - I've now made 2 pairs of socks for lil k, one for me, one for a complete stranger in sock wars, a pair for my dad, then now I'm going to make a pair for a friend before I make a pair for DH? He's already bugged me about the fact this coming September will be 10 years since we met and I have YET to knit him a sweater (or even a vest he pleads!). I have made him one pair of felted slippers in all the time we've known each other...so I look at these socks on the needles in this 'odd' brown colour (not quite brown, not taupe, not sure what it is, depends on the light)....and I think to myself that this sock is a unisex pattern, so perhaps I should make them for him? I knit along and think about it more, I could knit my friend a different pair of boot socks. I knit some more and know that I really don't want to knit the same thing twice. I know, I'll make them for dh, and find another pattern for her, besides, I think she'd prefer the turquoise wool/mohair I have peeking out the top of my laundry basket (yes, I have a laundry basket with yarn in it! Another complaint of DHs, but that's a story for another day).
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Thursday, August 23, 2007

Boats and socks


My friend Ralph has a boat. He likes to fish. I've been in the boat once, we spent all of 11 minutes fishing, and instead spent the rest of the day playing good samaritans to 2 other boaters in distress. That was about a month ago. Yesterday morning (Wed), he invited me out in the boat to fish again. He managed to catch one pink and lost 5! Weather was cloudy but very nice and even though I didn't get a fish, I managed to get 3/4s of a toddler sock done!
Last night I finished the sock, but dear lil k was sleeping and even though I was very tempted to try his sock on his sleeping tootsie, I decided it wasn't worth the consequences of him waking up at 10:30pm!!!

So at breakfast this morning, we tried on a sock and lil k went "ooooooh, where's my other sock?" He's only 2.5yrs old...

Unfortunately, the sock is slightly too short to be a 'knee sock', and I don't want to rip apart the toe and reknit (anything to avoid frogging), so instead I'm almost finished the second sock, will let him wear them once they're done, and in all likelihood, I'll start knitting another pair, slightly longer, for the wedding...

Oh, and btw, ended up knitting 2" with the Galway on Tues night, and knew toddler tender tootsies would NOT wear that sock, so frogged it, and wound the skein of purewool crudo into a ball. It is so very, very, very soft and lovely to knit with. I originally didn't want to use it for fear of the sock felting - but oh well, better he be willing to wear soft sockies, than complain about itchy feet...

I now have requests to make adult versions of these socks...I've been carrying them around with me - it's amazing how much knitting time one can find waiting in lines, sitting chatting with friends, sitting on a boat waiting for the fish to bite, etc

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Wee kilty ordered

Well, lil k has a kilt ordered for him to wear at my brother's wedding! It's only a 12" long kilt it'll be sweet! Now he needs white knee socks. The lovely lady at Touch O' Tartan said we should not try to dress him like an adult with jacket, kilt shirt, kilt hose, etc...but...this gives me an excuse to start a new project!!!! Wee kilty hose!??

So yes, DH is away, I dove into the storage and fished around looking for all my plain wools, wondered about using the Galway Irish Wool, the 100purewool Crudo, or the Henry's Attic Kona Sock yarn that I haven't gotten around to dying yet....

I came out with two skeins (decided against the Kona). No, I'm not going to make mini kilt-hose - instead I'm just using my Galway irish wool in the toddler spiral tube sock pattern In plain wool, they'll look so perfect with his kilt!

Shhhhhhhhhhhh, I'm not supposed to start a new project...but then, that's what DH gets for going away to volleyball

Monday, August 20, 2007

Socknitters are the nicest, most creative people


I have these socks for lil K, love them, they're so soft, and were a gift at my baby shower. A friend made these (one of the first pairs of socks she had knit after taking a sock knitting class). But lil people get such little wear out of the beautful baby things made for them (case in point, the bunting bag I made for bringing baby home - at least it was too big for him when born, but he quickly outgrew it in his first month!!!)

Anyways, I was debating what to do with the socks when I was clearing out outgrown clothing. I didn't want to give them away, but didn't want them sitting inside a baby album (again, case in point, what the heck am I going to do with the shoes that *I* had as an infant, totally didn't fit lil K, that's for sure??)

I thought long and hard, and wondered about re-using the yarn in a spiral tube sock for toddlers so that they would get more wear, and still he'd have his handknit socks...so I posted to the group to get feedback before asking my friend (in case it would have been outrageously rude!!!)

Some thought it was a great idea, some thought it should be saved for my son's son, but someone came up with a wonderful idea that really works for us!!! Putting them on our Christmas Tree!!! Now considering the fact I'm singing Jingle Bells year round, I love the holiday season, nearly kill myself coming up with surprises and tokens of holiday spirit in unusual places, why didn't I think of this????

I must be getting old...

Did I ever tell you about the time I played Santa in our apartment building and left a stocking with goodies on everyone's door??? It was a small complex, so I didn't break the bank, but no-one ever figured it out (I got a gift too ). Hmmm, perhaps mini-socks with candycanes would be nice on my tree this year.....DRATS!!! I now have another new project....

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Russian join

Oh I'm really beginning to like joining my balls of yarn this way!!! There's nothing that depresses me more than finishing a project, I'm all excited, and then I have to weave in the ends So from one of the many knitting lists I belong to, I decided to search out this method of joining, and wow, this makes my excitement in finishing a project all that much better 'cause as soon as I cast off - quick glance at the item and it can be worn/used immediately!!! I love it!

And for those of you in my little world who don't knit, this means anything that I knit for you that involves more than one ball of yarn can be yours as soon as the item comes off the needles!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Guild Newsletter

Got an article published on my knitting and how knitting is incorporated into the curriculum in a waldorf school...however, it was in the Victoria Knitter's Guild June 07 newsletter Unfortunately they aren't at a point of posting their newsletters on the website. I've had a number of people comment on how they liked the article...I was just more impressed in my research that my darling toddler will one day be able to say knitting socks for his momma is actually "Homework" .

http://www.victoria-daycare.com/VKGNewsJune07.pdf - we posted the newsletter to the daycare website for now.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Down at the Station

We've finally deciphered the "song" Keiran learned at daycare this last week - momma finally looked it up - we hear it constantly now...although it took awhile to figure out poppabelly was 'puffer-bellies' - Song is Down by the Station by the Four Preps - Keiran sings the last verse over and over and over and over again - followed by "I like that song"...


Down by the station early in the morning
See the little puffer-bellies all in a row
See the station master pull the little handle
Chug, chug, woo, woo, off they go

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Breakfast at Keiran's

My little man is a huge breakfast fan...good news since I'm not, but because of him, I make breakfast for him and eat with him each morning :)
Cereal, toast, fruit, juice and then he still asks for more!!! Maybe it's because it's all over his face??
Was thinking perhaps we should knit 'dinner shirts' (aka bibs) for the daycare - we are knitting facecloths to wipe the children's faces/hands after snacks/lunch, perhaps the dinner shirts could be knit too??hmmmm, I think I have a project to create this weekend - need to replace the bibs at home anyways, he's been destroying the velcro tabs and I do not have a snap press to ooooh, maybe I can do that too...
Off to create :)
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Sunday, March 25, 2007

Eric the Octopus

Well, the octopus was a hit with the boy!!! He even took him to bed with him :) Keiran chose the colour out of my choices of spare yarn (100purewool in Aquisgran colour). We named the octopus "Eric" in memory of a rubber octopus that sat on hubby's old beater Volvo - eventually someone stole the rubber octopus, but his 'spirit' remained with the car (we figure Eric was the only reason the car still ran!)

Now I can work on finishing some other things - Keiran was very happy with the knitting fairies and didn't ask for anything else yesterday!


Eric is done without seams, with 8 i-cord tentacles knit into the body - I may have made it more difficult than necessary, but when a 2 yr old is playing with it, I didn't want to sew on the tentacles and risk having them pulled off. Believe me, knitting the tentacles into the body was like knitting with a porcupine in my lap (I knit socks with dpns, but having the extra dpn with the tentacles on it was cumbersome!).
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Saturday, March 24, 2007

Farm Animals



I'm playing catchup on my posting - been doing alot of reading/experimenting on knit toys for the daycare (www.victoria-daycare.com). One great book I've been working with is Toymaking with Children by Freya Jaffke - we made some wonderful knitted lambs for the daycare 'spring display', however as soon as the children saw them, they had to play with them. Even Keiran didn't want me to take them to the school so I made a set for him, along with a duck. Keiran now would like the 'Knitting Fairies" to make him an octopus - so I'm now creating a pattern and will post once I finish experimenting and obtaining the 'test results' (ie once Keiran critiques it!!)

Monday, January 29, 2007

Birthday weekend

Hubby & I both celebrated our b-days this weekend - although celebrate is not a good word to use for my mood!!! But finally managed to get myself some time to knit up a cute little make-believe crown for my little prince (who's turning 2 on Feb 7th!) Going to make more for the daycare as soon as I find some more 'royal' colours for the little princes and princesses...

Thursday, January 04, 2007

gifts update

Finished felted purse, just need finishing touches and it goes in the mail :)

Monday, January 01, 2007

Happy New Year!

I attempted to write a summary of our 2006 (aka christmas card newsletter), but it was so full of 'new things' I just couldn't get it all down. Having a toddler learning new things really motivated me to learn new things too!

I got inspiration from SockKnitters about focussing on what were the top NEW things we did in 2006!

Momma:
1) Knitting: I started knitting socks; learned a whole bunch of new knitting techniques like twisted german cast-on, 2socks on 2 circulars; found some awesome yarns (although it's now become a new addiction for me), learned about different types of needles, and met some wonderful new friends online, at the knitting guild, and at the Knit-Out. As well I played in SockWars 2006 where I was assasinated by a lovely grey wooly pair of socks, but not before I sent my killing shot out with a green pair of superwash socks that I managed to knit in one weekend!

2) Daycares: I learned more than I probably wanted to learn about daycares, private schools, montessori, waldorf, etc. I became president of the daycare society, and am busily putting my MBA back to work to do a feasibility study on opening a second location as well as funding models for the current location.

3) Geocaching: I started another new 'hobby' called geocaching - well actually, that was Ralph's (coworker, friend, co-conspirator) fault, he kept talking about it and going out at lunch on these missions that I just had to tag along. I now have my own GPS unit and have found 17 'caches'. www.geocaching.com

4) Charities: I've been doing more charity and volunteer work - from donating items for auction, to donating my time, to running for the cure, to running Tupperware fundraisers. In fact, to help do fundraising for the daycare, I got myself a Tupperware account in order to eliminate the commission part of the fundraising and have all the proceeds go to the daycare!

Keiran:
Well, let's say the list is very long on new things this little guy did - walking, turning 1, starting at daycare, talking, running, visiting places like Butchart Gardens, Santa Claus, etc...

As for next year, it's anyone's guess, but doing new things will be a priority! I love this line borrowed from Linda Edgecombe "when was the last time you did something for the first time?"

So hope you have a wonderful 2007, with lots of 'new things' to see/learn/do, while still appreciating the old (like keeping in touch with me )