The fat lady must be singing...

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Originally uploaded by callaghanse

[Drum roll, please]

Here it is at long last.

I finally managed to finish the albatross that has been choking me for over a year now. It sure is easier to breath now, that's for sure!

I have a few projects that got shoved to the back burner when I decided that I was cutting myself off to any other projects so I would be forced to finish the wrap... three months later. Not really the time frame I had planned for, but none the less it is completed. However, I can now dig out the sweater that would really come in handy right about now and the felted bags I hope to finish for Christmas gifts.

I also have multiple projects started in my head just waiting for the needles to be free.

In the mean time all my stifled creative energy kept me up til the wee hours of this morning crafting a Halloween Hat. I guess I needed some instant gratification, because I finished it in about 2 1/2 hours!

Up Next:
I'll probably pick up the sweater I started last July, but I might need to complete a few more mindless projects in the mean time...

maybe a toaster cozy?

And then there were two...

...Halves that is.

No, the pink-hued wrap is not completed... well, I guess you could say that half is!

After, devising this ridiculous bobble pattern-- which turned into a bobble pattern border, because, A. the pattern does not show up in the ribbon yarn I chose; and B. I didn't have the heart to rip it all out... again-- I realized when I was just about at the half way point for the desired length that if I didn't want to have a coronary trying to figure out how to reverse the invisible bobble pattern, I was going to have to knit it in two pieces and graft it together.

So, I did.

Unfortunately, it felt like I was starting all over again and I became a little distracted and discouraged. So, I stalled for a few weeks. In the meantime, I was very productive doing anything but knitting.

I seriously have to finish this damn... ahem, lovely wrap for my dear friend. I need to move on to bigger and better things... maybe smaller might be better... regardless, my sanity is at stake.

That said, I finally made it to the main lace pattern last night after fighting with the decrease pattern for about two days before I decided it was close enough. As the women from my knitting group say, "If it's not perfect, then make it Amish!"

I refuse to set a deadline because every time I do it blows up in my face and I drag my feet even more, but I only have about 12 more inches to go before I can graft the middle together and call it a wrap.

Pun intended, fingers crossed!

While the boys were away...

...I got to play with paint!

It was so much fun!! I forgot how much I love to draw and paint. I haven't done it in years. I used to keep several sketch books to draw or jot down inspirations. When I lived in NYC, I would carry a pocket sized drawing journal with me everywhere because there was always something crazy or interesting.

I still have all of them... somewhere... probably at the bottom of that box I still haven't unpacked. Even though we moved five years ago!

Here some highlights taken of Baby Boy-o's pond mural... or pond scum as his maternal grandmother fondly refers to my theme of choice... mother's-- gotta love 'em!

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Seamus, upon first sight of his mural, clapped his hands, started dancing and exclaimed, "Whoa! It's a bird!"

My mother even seemed genuinely surprised when she saw it for the first time and said she liked the "pond scum".

So, I think it was a hit!