January Socks...Autumn Sail socks

I finished my socks for January! Okay, to be fair, these were really my socks for NOVEMBER and I just finished them in this last week of January, but at least I am knitting again. It feels good. And I checked one thing off my list for my 2008 resolution.

I am calling them "Autumn Sail" socks because I used the 'Sailor's Rib' pattern from A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara Walker and the colors remind me of sailing in the fall here in Maine.

So here are the details:
Pattern: "Autumn Sail" (my own); cuff down, magic loop, standard flap heel and toe
Yarn: Nova Socks (100% merino superwash wool), 1 ball
Color: Hercules
Gauge: 7 st/inch
Needles: US#2.5/3.0mm

I know I've said it before, but I really do love this yarn. Light weight and warm! I'm using this same yarn for my February socks. More on those later.

Fleece Artist Thrum Mittens

Here are the mittens I made for my Ravelry swap buddy:

And the inside....

I LOVE Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester Aran yarn! It is such a soft wool and very nice to knit with. This was a quick and fun pattern, but the kid sliver thrumming made a mess. One complaint I have heard about this kit is that there is not enough roving for all of the thrumming. Here is my experience: I have made thrum mittens before, so I knew to make my roving pieces thin to keep the mittens from becoming too bulky. I made the largest size mitten and did not run out of roving. I cut the roving in 4 inch lengths and split each section into 32 pieces. As you can see with the inside picture above, the mittens had plenty of fluff! I definitely will be making more of these.

So here are the details:
Pattern: "Thrum Mittens" by Fleece Artist
Yarn (by Fleece Artist): Blue Face Leicester Aran (100% wool) and roving for thrumming
Colorway: Peacock
Gauge: 5.5 st/inch unblocked
Needles: US#5/3.75mm

Comments: I liked the nice long cuffs and loved the yarn!

Happy New Year!

Yes, I'm a little late with this post. I fell out of the digital/electronic world while I was moving. I underestimated how consuming moving during the holidays would be. Wow. It was not easy, but we all survived and I am finally beginning to feel a little settled. I now live in Portland -- a great city!

A lot of my knitting projects were put aside during the past couple of months, but I'm back and ready to go!! One quick note: I did finish my Ravelry Mittens. I will post my details and comments tomorrow.

The projects I will be focusing on for the rest of this month:
1. Pair of socks (It is my goal to finish a pair a month this year--sadly, I missed Nov and Dec in 2007).
2. Finish the bottom body of my Faroe cardigan (remember this? It was supposed to be completed months ago...). I love knitting this pattern, there just hasn't been enough time.

I sat down today and listed all of the projects I wanted to complete in 2008. I will keep this list in my knitting room as inspiration and motivation. To keep it stress free, I will only share 2-3 projects at a time on the blog. And I will NOT start any new projects without completing or recycling an UFO.

Each new year I set 1 major knitting goal for myself. It usually involves learning a new technique. Last year it was to learn twined knitting and steeking. 2006 it was to become more competent in stranded knitting. 2008's knitting goal: to finish or rip out the misc projects from over the years. I'm not sure if I have 12 UFO's hanging around, but each month this year I will grab at least 1 old project and decide it's fate, until all of the old UFOs are gone. I know, it will not be an easy goal. Wish me luck!

What are your plans for the new year?!