Happy 2009!!! Whew, We Made It!

I almost feel as if I've climbed to the top of the mountain and can finally descend the other side! What was it that made 2008 such a nightmare? I think, besides the fact that I never, ever thought the election would END (that campaign was the longest in history), it was the nearly constant, day-in-and-out, depressing economic news. Fall is always a challenging time for me, with the light fading (I only have a touch of SAD, but it's enough to set me lower in my enthusiasm and energy levels...with all the rest of this stuff this past fall? It's been a real challenge to stay positive).

But you know what? I LOVE New Years. It's all about hope. It's all about new beginnings. And while I'm not a complete Pollyanna (I hear you in the back of the room, shhhhh...I'm not! *wink*) and I recognize that we've a long way to go to dig out of this mess, I have a lot of hope that things are going to start getting better - and smarter.

I heard someone this morning being interviewed on MSNBC - on the subject of just what the comedians were going to do with the lack of material now that the election is over (was it just me, or was it appallingly stupid stuff going on there?) - but the interviewee said, "I think it's going to be smarter, if only because we have a president-elect who can speak English."

Amen.

(Who knows? Intelligence may just come back into vogue?)

Ok...enough of the political stuff...

I have made some PLANS (remember, I do not do resolutions) for 2009. And as to the knitting ones, I'll detail them here. Over on Nana Sadie's Place, you'll be finding a new "A-long" - give me a few hours to get that post up, okay? - not related directly to knitting so it's not a KAL. It's a SAL. (haha) It's a Save-A-Long.

My knitting plans start with this really cool new concept from Ravelry's Stash Knit-Down group:
1. Participate in the Personal Sock Club 2009
2. Participate in the Personal Lace Club 2009
3. Complete Boing!, complete Diamond Fantasy Shawl (Ravelry link), and I promised my sis-in-law a Faroese shawl...in pink. I have the patterns to choose from, and the yarn, so that might be the extent of my lace this year, we'll have to see.
4. Do a bit more charity knitting. I didn't do a lot last year. I'm hoping to use the charity yarn we got at NoSo to make a Baby Surprise Jacket (my first), I want to finish the prayer shawl in Blue Ridge Homespun that I've been fighting with for 3 years, more chemo caps, and dishcloths.
5. Finish the Log Cabin blanket. I'm getting there. It doesn't have to be huge (and since I really don't want to buy a lot more of the black Mission Falls, that means it'll be finished soon).

Otherwise, the biggest and most important knitting goal/plan I have? To finally, once and for all, get the office/knitting room organized and set up for business. I won't show you photos, because it's such a disaster I don't want to even own up to it. I've got help coming (when I call, supposedly) in the form of my son-in-law, to swap out chairs (from the living room) and to help move bookshelves and storage around. I was hoping for this weekend...but

I had a little accident. And you know what? You gals were right...I'm sore today. So I'm taking it easy.

Today? I managed to complete these three Kerri bags:


So here's the start of the New Year's Plans - the Personal Sock Club, all wrapped up identically - 12 months of stash sock yarn, for me to pick on the first of the month and knit to my heart's content. Most folks are adding in sock patterns. I didn't. Partly because many of the yarns are self-striping and I'll just do stockinette (there's a sanity-inspiring factor there, too - I prefer a plain vanilla sock most of the time, and it's the one thing I can carry anywhere without worrying about keeping my place in the pattern!). But then, you can see that ticker up there, right? I'm reserving the right to knit ANYTHING I want from Wendy's new Toe-up sock book when it's published. So there's NO restrictions on my pattern choices:

I've already opened January 2009's edition of the club:
I have to admit, I kinda cheated on this one. The 12 purple lunch bags I bought at Micheals? The very first one had been faded by the sunlight streaming in the window and I didn't catch it when I bought them. I knew that if I left another skein of yarn in this, I'd know which one it was, and I'd be picking it (or not) all year, but there would be no surprise there. And I knew that I really really wanted to knit up this Berroco Sox yarn, as the two pair I've already knit in this yarn are very soft and warm. It's January. I need warm. I put the two together, photoed them in the first picture, then opened this one. It's going to be my plain vanilla pattern! Okay, I owned up to my "cheat" and I hope you can forgive me for it...?

Now. Because I'm a bit sore, and achy today, after I finished sewing the bags, and then wrapping up the bags (teehee!), I realized a certain Meezer was very very interested in spending some quality time with me....
yes, that's her tearstrip...
Oh! Goody, Mommie! We can Play!!!
...The Meezer.