HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A little late - I know - but just as heart-felt. Wishing you all the best for 2007, good health and all the things you need and want plus a load of fiber fun.

Last year was a good one for one main reason - I met a lot of great knitters and spinners. I got inspired last January through a bunch of crazy bloggers to start my own blog, and here I am almost a year later and still lovin' it. I would never have dreamed that one day I would actually write about my knitting and people would read it, too.

So, what happened over the holidays at Casa Claudia? As I've said before, not much, but finally I kicked my lazy butt off the sofa and organized my stash. So now I am so-o-o-o-o with La:


I will work with my stash yarn for at least the next six months - you can find all the rules in La's post. If you see me buying yarn somewhere, grab my credit card and buy yourself some fiber! I had no freakin' idea how much yarn was stuffed in my closet. It finally came out of the closet last weekend, and I spent many long and grueling hours making a detailed list of it. Hubby, bless his heart, built an Excel spreadsheet and will enter the data for me. I also took pictures of each different yarn, and the spreadsheet will include links to the pictures.

So there! I can be organized if I REALLY want to. And the shocking news - I have enough yarn to make at least 15 sweaters or cardigans. I swear, I can knit socks all year - I have a drawer full of sock yarn. How could I have accumulated so much yarn??? - it is really scary. A ton of cotton for dishcloths for years to come - not only 2007. Spider-poop-weight yarn for a bunch of lace projects. Yarn for at least two big afghans. And a box full of yarn for scarves. You know how it is... You walk into your favorite LYS and you see a new yarn. You buy two balls to try it out - just enough to make a scarf. Before long you end up with a box...

I have to admit I did not go through my felting yarn stash, and I have two plastic bins of odds and ends that I will probably give to my friend Shari, who is a teacher and started a knitting circle for her students.

And while I was sorting, I also found several UFOs, which I ripped, and now that yarn awaits a new purpose as well. I already have a mental project list for 2007. We'll see what transpires. I'll keep you posted.

And have you noticed, I have not mentioned a word about my roving stash.... Whee-e-e-e....

But now for something completely different...

What does a knitter do on New Year's Day? She goes to a New Year Knitting Party. My friend Jacquie hosted another little party and here are some pics for you:


Princess Pixie - so cute in a purple tiara to match her jacket - knitting a hat for her nephew
I am glad she's back from her cool trip to Europe - missed ya girl! She brought me back nice gifts from London:


Hot off the press, the latest issue of Simply Knitting and some gorgeous Jaeger Trinity Yarn. THANK YOU!
And here are more party animals:


Three very talented and enthusiastic newbie knitters - Jackie, Jessica & Erica


Katey (yay, she finally made it to one of our outings) & our gracious host Jacquie


Sally & Debbie


Tammy & Daye


Tammy & me - working hard on a fringe for a scarf.
BTW - see the red fluffy top I am wearing? My first FO for 2007. I finished it that morning for the party - it was in the closet (yes, that closet) for 2 years. Originally it was supposed to become a sweater, but the yarn is so warm that I decided I'd have more chances to wear the thing without sleeves. I guess you could call it a tank top or a slipover. Strangely, in German it's called a pullunder. Wonder where that word comes from... Because you have to pull something under and you can't wear it by itself?


Zimba, the main attraction of the party - at least in his doggie mind. He is a cute little Shih Tzu with quite a bit of punk attitude. He reminds me very much of an Ewok. Remember those little guys from Star Wars?

Katey whipped out a dog sweater for one of her knitting classes, and since Zimba is a small dog, he was turned into a hoodie model:


"Katey, please take this off - NOW!!! Or else..."
It was a nice relaxed start to the New Year. And it's already payback time for me at work (my biggest excuse for not blogging earlier, HAH...) because our office is already super-busy, my co-worker is vacationing in Germany, and I am trying to juggle 4 attorneys, the office and the clients, and hoping that I don't drop any balls. :-) But I truly like my new job. That was another good thing that happened in 2006.

Did you know about the knitting tradition that you have to start a new project on the first day of a new year? No? Well, now you know... I started a long vest with Noro Kuroyon, based on a pattern from Knitting with Balls. That is a really cool book full of patterns for men - although nothing says you can't adapt them for a gal.


And last but not least, I have a pretty short list of UFOs for you. Six projects slipped over into 2007. We'll see when they get finished:


A pair of toe-up socks, based on a pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks


Fingerless Cashmere Mitts, from Interweave Knits


A big ol' tote - to be felted later


A top-down poncho with a chunky cable running down the center in front and back


The Kiri Shawl


And yes - the white cable sweater is still not finished!
OK, that's all folks for tonight. Oh no - wait... I have to brag!!! I won two Jen/La awards:

5. The Jaws, aka Fresh Blood Award, and
67. Head Troublemaker Award (which is extra cool because I was born in '67 and guess what's coming in July...)

YAY-YAY-YAY... I didn't know that those gals host a yearly award ceremony - I am still a newbie blogger! On January 1, 2007, was the Third Annual JenLa Knit Blog Awards. I especially love the my new title, "Lone Arranger". Ha-ha-ha-ha - you have to go read their blog. This award list is the best! Way better than the Oscars and not just because I was mentioned twice. ;o)

With this I am going to rest my spinning head for today (which reminds me that I haven't touched my wheel in weeks...) - after all I've been up since 5am... Snoozzzzzzzzzz...