I’m so tired. I did weights and ran today, and it’s just hitting me hard. While I did push and run a 5k in 30:06 with about 30 seconds of walking to fix my iPod, I’m most likely tired because I’ve been very inconsistent with exercise lately. Actually, through most of 2011. I let too many things get in the way–work, baby, illness, laziness–and I just kept putting it off. I have too much cholesterol and cancer in my family to do that, so I’ve decided that I will work to be more consistent with exercise this year.

With that decree out there, I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s resolutions. I do admit to making goals at the start of the new year, so I guess while I say I’m not a fan of resolutions, I do do them. At least I try to make them realistic. Last year I decided I wasn’t going to buy any yarn in 2011, unless I had a specific project in mind and no yarn in the stash. I met that goal with flying colors. I also planned to get my photography in a show. Sadly, I did not have time to build a strong portfolio, and I realized that I don’t think my work is that good. You can’t pimp yourself if you think you’re sub-par. On a positive note, I did get my work in a show at the Y. That’s something.

So if I’m setting goals and consistent exercise is one, I will continue my yarn limitations. I’m at 51yarn items on Ravelry (down from 53!!!) , but I still have more to add in. And the Husband bought Cookie A’s 2012 sock club so I’m getting 6 skeins throughout the year. I need to spend 2012 stash busting, cataloging the last of my yarn yarn, and knitting knitting knitting! Even if it drives me crazy, which it will. The Husband’s scarf will slow me down, but it will be so pretty when it’s done.

2012 is going to be a crazy year. Now through June, work will be insane. We’ll be rolling out new designs, a new content management system, and new apps. Plus I’ll be taking a class and doing homework for a grade. Do we all remember how crazy I went in my sweater class last year and there was no grade? Yeah, I’m doomed. At least I only have 2 goals to contend with and my class on exercise science may help with my fitness goals.

Okay, my chai is kicking in. Time to do some dishes. What are your resolutions this year?

Hat Pattern: 1×1 Ribbed Hat
Handwarmers: Sucky Thumb Mitts
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids, Heathers & Twists
Needles: US 6

And why are you making me wear these things?

My nephew moved from a warm climate to a colder one, Chanukah was coming, and I needed to use up my stash that is still going strong at 53 items (with more on the way) *ahem*. Enter, handwarmers and a hat!

She knew these weren't for her and gave them back after modeling them.

I used my standard 1×1 ribbed hat pattern because it just works so well. And that totally sounds like a shameless plug, but I didn’t mean for it to be. Of course now it is a plug. The Sucky Thumb Mitts pattern is a really good one, and I highly recommend it. Between that pattern and my last fingerless gloves project, I think I understand the idea behind the hand warmer construction and may try my hand at creating a pattern that’s in my head. But I’ve digressed, haven’t I?

The finished pieces

I guess I don’t have much to say about the project. It went together really fast and really well. I’m happy with the finished product. I’m a bit of a yarn snob and have had bad luck with Lion’s Brand in the past, but they redeemed themselves with this yarn. It was a good, solid yarn without any breaks. AND I liked the color. I bet it was because my Godson bought it for me.

Handwarmers on my kid.

We’ll see how the nephew takes to them. He may find the yarn tastes better than anything.

In a Jewish household, Christmas can be the most boring day of the year. Everyone is busy and pretty much nothing is open. Growing up the day was sometimes spent volunteering at one of the churches to serve Christmas dinner to locals who had nowhere else to go. I miss volunteering like that, although I don’t miss everyone in town knowing who I was. When your Dad worked in one social service area and your Mom the other, everyone at that dinner knew the Sister and I.

Other years, Christmas days included watching a Muppet Christmas Carol. Why, you ask? Well, for one thing, it’s the Muppets. For another, it’s a good movie. I introduced it to OP a few weeks ago. She seemed to like it, but the ghost of Christmas yet to come scared her. We skipped those scenes.

No matter what we did though, our Christmas Day ended with corned beef and cabbage and Daddy’s Chocolate Cake for dessert. My Dad’s birthday was December 25, and in our family the birthday person got to pick dinner. Even when I’m 103, I will still think about corned beef and cabbage on that day.

When I met the Husband, he introduced me to “Jewish Christmas,” which is his family’s tradition of going out to the movies and eating Chinese for dinner. It’s a lot of fun. We did that a few times with his parents. Last year, I was on a plane to Austin to help my sister with her new baby boy. The year before that, I was home with 4-day-old baby girl and a sliced abdomen.

While I have whiled the hours away on Dec 25 in so many different ways, every way was with family or friends. I hope, dear readers, no matter how you spend or celebrate the day that you are with those you love and cherish. I wish you a happy day and happy thoughts that your year to come will be a good one. To my Dad, I wish you Happy Birthday wherever you are.

Dad and his girls (I’m the one who looks like a boy)

I am a one project kind of gal. I wasn’t always that way. When I started out knitting I’d have two or three projects going, but with multiple projects going, I never seemed to finish anything. Eventually, they’d get done but with my time split among projects it always felt that I wasn’t getting anywhere.

A few years back I decided to stick to one project at a time. Of course, sometimes I would work two projects. For example, a project would end up in time out and I’d move to something else for a break, or I’d go on vacation and didn’t want to bring the intricate piece I was working on in case I lost it so I’d start socks. For the most part, however, I focused on a single project.

Comparing the two phases of my knitting “career,” I think I’ve been happier focusing on one project at a time. I do admit being jealous of my friends who would have 3 or even 5 projects going on at a time. From the outside they looked so prolific!

Recently I’ve begun to regress. I’m working on 3 projects. 4 if you count the hand warmers I have yet to weave in ends for. I have the handwarmers, a hat, the Husband’s scarf, AND Skew is back out of the naughty bag. I’m stressed. I have too much on my plate and I’m not able to focus as well. I need to get them all done ASAP, but I only have two hands. (Why couldn’t humans have been built with more hands!!!) I need a plan so I can stop feeling overwhelmed and focus. I will weave in the ends of the hand warmers and then focus on the hat. Maybe I can get the hat finished by Friday. Once they are done, I’m only down to 2 items. I want to get the Husband’s scarf done ASAP, and with the addition practice I’ve put in knitting with two colors I’m feeling confident. But I also really want to get Skew done before the new year. I do need to get that scarf so the Husband can wear it while it’s still cold. Argh!

Maybe it’s time for extra knitting sessions with the girls and OP can live at Grandma and Grandpa’s for a couple weeks?

Um, I would like that very much. Grandpa let's me do anything I want.