So, how many people are making knitted gifts this year? I decided this summer to make my mom, step mother, and Mother in law shawls. I picked their favorite colors and dyed the yarn myself and started. My goal was to be finished by December (HA). I wanted to pick different patterns for each of them (similar but different and still equal is my gift giving goal for those 3). I wanted one triangle, one rectangle and one farose shawl, similar but different.

Mom's is the leaf shawl by Evelyn Clark, a triangle shawl, knitted in an orange/brown/tan yarn that I handpainted. I used Henry's Attic Kona and it is so perfect for Mom. Okay, I finished it in August. Great I thought! I have months...

Fast forward to now. I am finishing my Step Mothers shawl tonight (I need to bind off). Her's is the Flowerbasket shawl by Evelyn Clark...another triangle shawl. Yeah I tried to make it a rectangle shawl and quickly realized that I was going to run out of yarn, so another triangle shawl. Her is turquoise, green and browns, her fav colors.

So that leave my dear MIL. I will hopefully dye her yarn this week and I am going to make a farose type shawl from INKnitters, definitely less lacy, but I hope she won't mind. Hers will be browns.

I will try to post pics of them soon because I am very proud of my dyeing :)

Everyday Cardigan by Peace Fleece

I started this in April and finished it last month (right before Halloween). To be fair I really didn't work on it too much during the summer, who wants to knit with Wool/Mohair yarn in the hot humid summer? Well not me :)

I love love love this sweater! I jused about 5 skeins of Peace Fleece Father's Gray. It is gray with flecks of green, so full of depth, this pic really doesn't do it justice!

I would definitely make this sweater again (and I probably will after the Holidays), but I hated weaving in all 20,000 ends (a slight exageration). I did learn that I love seaming (who knew).

Tommorow the knitted gift saga! It will involve a lengthy discussion on fairness in gift giving between moms, step moms and mother in laws...

Well, just what the internet needs, another knitting blog! Let's start with a meme from Theresa. A little get to know you...

1. FIRST NAME? Melissa
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? It has been a long time, I'm not much of a crier.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yeah, it's pretty good for a lefty
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Honeybaked ham
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? no
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? no
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? cinnamon life
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? no
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? yes
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? ?Cherry Garcia
14. SHOE SIZE? 7.5
15. RED OR PINK? red, cranberry to be more specific
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I am sometimes unreliable
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? my college friends
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? No
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? white top and red fleece pants (AKA jammies)
20. LAST THING YOU ATE?taco soup and corn bread
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The dryer
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? purple
23. FAVORITE SMELL? right now, kookuburra wool wash
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? my best friend Lynda
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their smile
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? yep
27. FAVORITE DRINK? alcoholic? beer. Non-alcoholic? COFFEE.
28. FAVORITE SPORT? college football...Go buckeyes
29. EYE COLOR? hazel
30. HAT SIZE? umm???
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes
32. FAVORITE FOOD? dark chocolate
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? winter
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? molten chocolate cake
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND??
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Everyone
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? nothing, it is plain blue
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? tivoed Grey's Anatomy
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? DH saying my name
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Italy
46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? being able to find something positive in almost every situation
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Ohio
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Theresa called me out :)

So this is a knitting blog? Welll I am Melissa an average knitter, but I love to knit. Some might say I am obesessed with it (and they would be right). I have projects planned for months maybe years in advance (but something always pops up and I have to break into the schedule).

I am currently working a shawl for Christmas for my stepmom and have 2 more shawls planned for Christmas (and 4+ pairs of slippers and a few hats and maybe a child's sweater...)

That is all for now, I need to figure this blog thing out! :)