One Finished Project!

Wow!  It's only the 3rd of January and I've already completed 5 posts!  I do hope to be blogging more regularly this year!  It's quite amazing to see that my blog has had over 500,000 views since it started in November 2007.  There have been over 650 posts and over 500 followers!  Thank you all!  

One thing that taking inventory of all the unfinished projects does, is to spur one on to getting some of them finished.  As promised, I finished posting yesterday and sat down and worked on my hat and got it finished!  

The pattern is Norie, which means Puffin, by Gudrun Johnston of The Shetland Trader which I ordered through Ravelry.  Here's the link: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/norie  The yarn I used was Cascade 220 Worsted Heathers in color number 9452.  It took a little over 1 skein.  I've got enough of the same yarn to make a scarf and maybe some mittens or fingerless gloves... but not until I finish another knitting project or two! 

Taking self portraits is not my forte, but as you can see, the hat fits well and I am really happy with it!  I have a big head (!) and so many hat patterns don't fit me very well.  I've knit many that I ended up giving away because they didn't fit.  I was hoping that this slouchy hat would be big enough and it was!  

I also got the Whispering Hearts block stretched.  I use a technique I learned from Karen Ruane at Contemporary Embroidery ~ directions here:   http://karenruane.blogspot.com/2010/01/phew.html

The paperwhites are in bloom and filling the house with scent!  It smells like spring to me, though I know many people find it a bit overwhelming.  Several more pots are in the works, so there will be blooms through January and February!  

The first of the forced hyacinths are in bloom as well!  They didn't get quite the long chilling that they need, so the blooms will be a bit smaller this year.  Last year, I had all the hyacinth glasses in a cabinet in the garage and they froze and broke.  This year, I had to buy new glasses for them and I put them in the crisper drawer of the garage refrigerator, but then they started to freeze there too, so I brought them in early.  So glad to see that there will still be some blooms!  

One last look at the Christmas trees.  All the Christmas decorations will get put away this weekend.  I was going to do it today, but it's 65 degrees outside ~ blissfully warm for January!  I'm going outside to enjoy it for the rest of the afternoon!  Tomorrow, the cold weather arrives once again, so it will be a good time to stay inside and freshen up for the new year!