Soon there will be big changes around these parts, including a new name.? Yes, another new name, in less than 6 months.? But this one suits the future of the site better.

Be patient, all will be revealed shortly.? In the meantime, how about a cute cat picture?

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But if clogs aren’t your style, here’s something I spied in a magazine recently:

Clear Converse All-Stars! Here’s a close up shot:

I can’t seem to find them online anywhere (even at the website listed in the ad).

Granted, this magazine is targeted at a young, male, video-game playing demographic. But I can’t help but think that there are going to be quite a few pairs of these shoes sold to sock knitters.

To start off the new year, the standard “look back” to get things in perspective.   My favorite part of the new year are all of the news and entertainment specials that recap the long, long year in a quick little list.  So I’m going to do the same here. 

As seen at Knit Lit - here is my 2007 Knitting Year in Review.   

1. Your best FO of the year.  Definitely my Twinkle Toes.  I made them with Socks That Rock Heavyweight in a color they don’t have on the website that I found at The Fold – Cotton Candy.  These were easy to make, knit up fast, and had a stunning result.  This summer I gave them to my mom to wear as slippers on “chilly” Florida mornings. 

2. Best yarn you tried.  Oh, wow.  I tried a lot of great yarns in 2007.  The two at the top of my list are Brooks Farm Four Play and Sheep Shop Sheep 2. 

The Four Play is a gorgeous silk/merino blend that is incredibly soft and silky with a gorgeous drape.  I can’t imagine this yarn as a sweater, but it was just perfect for my Clapotis (FO pic coming soon).  Plus, it has excellent yardage for the price.  Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! 

The Sheep 2 is a bulky, 2-ply wool from Uraguay (it also comes in Worsted weight as well).  It’s evenly spun and plied, which I love – I hate thick & thin yarns, for some reason.  Plus, the variegated color I’m using for my latest project has absolutely no pooling whatsoever.  It’s soft enough that I think wearing it as a hat and scarf won’t be the slightest bit itchy.  It knits up like a dream.  Love it!

3. What inspired you the most over the past year?  Ravelry, Ravelry, Ravelry!  Somehow, by sheer chance, I was lucky enough to get an invitation on the first day they announced the site to the public.  I’ve watched the site grow and change since April, and saw how hard Casey and Jess worked (and continue to work) to make this site everything it can be.  I can’t wait until it’s open to the public so I can link there directly!

For the uninitiatied – Ravelry’s database of knitted projects has saved me so much time fruitlessly Googling to find images of yarns to see how they look knitted up, and Googling knitting patterns to see them in different sizes and colors and yarns.   Now it’s all available with the click of a few buttons, thanks to the user-generated content on Ravelry.   I have spent hours clicking from a pattern, to a yarn, to other patterns, and have discovered so many yarns and patterns I’ve never heard of!

I know many like the forums and social networking aspect of Ravelry, but I’m really not a forum chatter.  But I do check out the forums every once in a while, I’m still amazed at the lack of trolls and the politeness I see when I go there.  Amazing.

4. Knitting resolutions for 2008–what’s next for you and your blog? 

a.  Take more photos, and try to take more creative photos that really show off the yarn and knitting.  It’s been difficult now that winter is here and there is less daylight, but I need to learn to make/use a lightbox so that the grey skies don’t keep me from taking more pictures.

b.  Finish my sock UFOs!  I have not one, not two, but three socks that need mates.  I joined the Sock a Month Knitalong in the hopes of getting these done and on my feet!

c.  Despite (b) above, only knit what I want to knit.  No “I should” knitting.  I don’t need to knit a sweater just because everyone else is knitting sweaters.   I think this year I finally learned that I just don’t like knitting garments like that for myself.  I’m much happier turning a heel or knitting a scarf.  I’d like to learn entrelac, as well, and do a little more lace knitting.  There’s plenty to keep me occupied without knitting sweaters, that’s for sure!

And there it is – my 2007 review, my plans for 2008.  Now to get knitting!

The yarn is a dream to work with, but I’ve found the ladders are a little sticky.  I’m not getting the satisfying “Rrrrrip!” I was expecting.  Instead, a few stitches will fall, but I end up having to help most of them to the bottom.

Because I have no status pictures to show, since my camera is sitting next to my knitting, and my knitting is on my sofa, and I am not on my sofa (alas) – how about a Ruby & Zelda classic shot?

I just wanted to point out that while Ruby gets all up in my business when I’m knitting, Zelda could care less about it.  Even when she’s in my lap while I knit, she usually just chills out and falls asleep, and only gets slightly annoyed when the yarn tickles her ears.

I was locked out of my own site for awhile there. Why?  Because it thought I was a spammer.  I admit I’m not the best writer, but you have to give me a little credit, blog. 

In the meantime, I’ve been knitting!

Last night I dropped a stitch:

And while most knitters would panic at the site, I whooped it up, because it’s part of the pattern for the “Oh Good Grief, You Haven’t Made One Yet? That Pattern is SO 2004″ Clapotis:

The pattern has been fun so far, for the increases and the first set of straight rows.  I predict a slog, as I still have 11 more repeats to go until the decreases.  But dropping the stitches should keep it fun.

The yarn is Brooks Farm Four Play, a merino/silk blend that is heavenly.  I have no idea what the color name is, as it’s just a bunch of letter and numbers on the band.   There’s great yardage in each hank (270 yards) so I should have enough to make the Clapotis as sized in the pattern.  Which, from the looks of it, is HUGE. 

Since I plan to wear this in my subzero freezer office, huge will be PERFECT.