It's hard to believe it's the end of the month...

and that I've yet to finish reading one book. Grrrr. I did manage to get a bit of reading done yesterday while I was proctoring the SATs. It is a good chunk of time in which to do a quiet activity such as reading. However, I spent it reading several chapters of a book that a friend of mine has written. And I am still plugging away at Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I really need to pick up the pace if I am ever to get on with my 52 books in 52 weeks.

I managaged to turn in 3 scarves this week for the collection for the Rhode Island Special Olympics. I have a bit more to do on the last scarf..weaving in ends and such and if I manage to finish it I will send it off myself before the deadline. I may selfishly keep it however, as it is appropriate Patriots colors and I may need to accessorize myself for the Super Bowl game next Sunday.

I did join in on the Mystery Shawl KAL from Helen Bingham Designs that is on Ravelry. It took me most of the week to decide on my yarn choices, and even after I started it, I still keep changing my mind. I think I have finally decided on the final combination. It will be an eight part mystery with a new clue released every Monday. Here is the finished first clue.


My apolgies for the lousy quality of the taken-with-my-cell-phone photo.

We went to see "Hugo" today. I am hoping to see at least half of the nominated films before the Academy Awards at the end of February. I really enjoyed it, but I especially enjoyed all of the knitwear in it.Sandy Powell is an amazing costume designer. My daughter Caitlin even started a "Hugo Knitwear" group on Ravelry. She plans to make the beret worn by Lisette. I love several of the items including Hugo's sweater from the movie. There is also a lot of wonderful knitted accessories worn by the character Emma Swan in the ABC series "Once Upon a Time". I need to do a bit of research to see who the designers are and if patterns are available.

Off to watch my next installment of "Downton Abbey" and later the SAG awards. A new semester is about to begin at school this week..and I get to have the fun of a mammogram tomorrow. What a week!

In addition, here is the recipe that I made today to bring to school tomorrow. It's Eggnog Spicecake.

Taking a break from knitting...

to write this post. I just finished watching the AFC playoff game between the New England Patriots and the Baltimore Ravens. It was an extremely tough game with one team scoring and then the other, but in the end, the New England Patriots won the nail biter and are heading to the Super Bowl. I am not normally a football fan, definitely more the fair weather type. I may not watch consistently, but I do pay attention to the season and the standings and am thrilled that the Pats will once again be heading to a Super Bowl. I just hope the game isn't as stressful as this week's game was.

I'm still plugging away at the reading..so no new updates on my reading status. My attempt at 52 books in 52 weeks is not off to a very good start. Hopefully that will change.

Knitting wise, I've managed to finish 3 of the 4 Special Olympics scarves that I am knitting for the Rhode Island Special Olympics teams. They are due by February 11, but my knitting guild is collecting them as part of our winter charity drive. As our meeting is this Wednesday, I will be bringing them in at that time. I think I will manage to get the fourth one finished, but we'll see. Here's a not so great taken-with-my-cell-phone photo of the three finished scarves:

IMAG0197, a photo by n_tella on Flickr.

I did start a new project which I hadn't planned to do until I had finished a few more WIPs. But my resistence was low and the power of a new project was strong..and I succumbed. I am making "Cloos" from Berocco. It is knit in Berocco Vintage DK and I am making it in the colorway Chana Dal..which is a heathery golden brown. I am hoping to finish it for the Knitting Weekend at Slater Mill on February 10, but if not then, perhaps I will finish it for Spa weekend in Maine later in February.

We finally got some winter weather over the past few days. There is snow on the ground..only about 4 inches, but still, it's snow. That is why I live in New England..I like all four seasons. However, I prefer when it snows during the week and not on the weekends..what are snowdays for after all? But it is only January and there is still the potential for more snowdays before spring.

In addition to starting a new project, I also decided to join a Mystery Shawl KAL that Helen Bingham from Fresh Purls is hosting. She is the designer and it was hard to resist the appeal. I will be using strictly stash yarns so that should work towards my goal of stash busting and making 12 projects from stash this year. KALs help to keep me focused, all that pressure from fellow knitters, and when it comes to projects, I really need the extra incentives..plus I believe there are prizes involved.

Alrighty then, I am off to watch the third installment of Downton Abbey..I lurves it!

As promised..another post!

Surprise surprise! With only 7 days seperating my posts, here I am again. Hopefully my desire to post on a more regular basis will actually be a good thing. I am sure that some weeks will contain nothing much in the way of fodder to blog about. So I will try to keep it interesting.

I have managed to finish and almost finish several scarves for the Rhode Island Special Olympics. They are hoping to obtain over 1300 scarves for their winter games in late February or early March. Today I started my fourth one, although I have only completed two so far. The third one is still under construction, as I had run out of one of the yarns midway and just recently purchased some more. They both will be done by the next knitting guild meeting, which is when they are being collected. I hope to have all four finished, with maybe one more dependent on time and yarn available. Last year I managed to make 5, but I started earlier. I will post photos before they are sent off.

Reading wise..still plugging away at Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I am enjoying the book, just have been slow going since I have only been reading it at school during SSR. I need to pick up the pace and read more of it at home, as I am already two weeks behind in my 52 booksin 52 weeks challenge. In addition to that title, I am also reading a novel written by a friend of mine. It is a first for them, although the author is a published playwright. It is a science fiction mystery which I am enjoying very much.

Well, that's about it for this week. I am off to start dinner. Here are the items which I plan to prepare.

Spicy Thai Noodles from Leana on her blog, "A Small Snippet". They looked delicious and I pinned them on Pinterest hoping to make them soon...and tonight's the night.



This is also being made for dinner: Boneless Pork Loin Roast with Herbed Pepper Rub.


Alrighty then, I must get them in the oven or dinner will be at midnight. Golden Globes are on tonight and I plan to knit and watch and enjoy a glass of wine or two, as tomorrow is Martin Luther King's birthday and there is no school! Yippee Skippee!

Off the Shelf signup post

okay..here goes. As an added twist to my commitment to finish 52 books in 52 weeks, I am also hoping to read most, if not all, of those books from my already well established stash of books and e-books that have accumulated prior to 2012. I am planning on joining the Off the Shelf Challenge 2012.In the category of "Making a Dint" which is to read at least 30 books from my shelves. Perhaps I will upgrade to a higher level at some point during the year, but I thought I would start with a reasonable goal. Happy Reading!

New Year....New Post...New Attitude???

Whew...I can't believe my last post was December of 2010..talk about a lapse. I guess an entire year would be considered much more than just a lapse. That would constitute true neglect. So, that being said, with a new year comes a new attitude. This blog was started because I suck at finishing things. So to that end, I have resolved to stay more on track in my life..both physically and emotionally. Or maybe I should say get back on track..because I have certainly derailed a lot over the last 52 plus weeks. But I have also focused a bit and did manage some positive things in 2011.

On the health front, I managed to lose almost 50 pounds since March of 2011. I say almost 50 pounds because the holidays have wrecked some havoc with the scale and I have been fluctuating within a 5 pound margin since Thanksgiving. I have been trying to refocus my efforts, but damn those Christmas cookies and candies that still remain about the house. Next week will be a better week.

On the knitting front, I managed to finish 21 projects in 2011. Some were hanging about for several years in various levels of completeness. Others were started brand new for KALs and challenges. Five of the projects were scarves that were knit for the Rhode Island Special Olympics. So all in all, it was a fairly productive year knitting wise.

Quilting wise, I can not say it was very successful. I managed to make a couple of charity quilts, but they are still not finished. The two flannel quilts that I started for the girls are still not done, although the tops are finished. They just need to be quilted. My youngest daughter's graduation quilt is still unfinished as is my oldest daughter's grad quilt. Needless to say, I need to get on some of those projects in 2012.

On the book front..2011 was not my best reading year. I think I only managed to finish 20 books or so..pathetic! So, I am back on the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge. I am also going to add a bit of a twist to that challenge and try to only read books that I've had hanging about the house and on my kindle since before the new year. I am going to participate in the Off the Shelf challenge and hopefully it will help me clean up some of the piles of books that are strewn about the house. Wish me luck.

Ok..I think that covers most things. I am also going to once again challenge myself to keep this blog updated. So I will plan to post every Sunday, if only for a quick update on the week and the progress of my life. Hopefully with photos too. So here's one to start the New Year with:



It's a cute sheep from Rhinebeck's New York Sheep and Wool Festival 2011. No significance..just cuteness.