A package arrived today . . .

I am a big procrastinator. In fact, during college when I first began dating my then-boyfriend/now-husband, one of my professors called us the procrastinator couple.

I can't help it - I just work better on a deadline.

Several deadlines? No probs.

So, this month, I'm already doing NaNoWriMo (over 50,000 words right now but not finished) and participating in a SavvyGirls Podcast Swapetition. The theme was "Winter is coming" and I had a lot of fun planning my package. Then, I decided to knit something for my swap partner. And bake something. And it was all due by November 30.  

A friend asked me to run in a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving with her as well, so - 

Me and Miss Steph, the most cheerful running companion ever. Also, very fast!

that meant making time to train. Toss in some random charity and family Christmas knitting and I'm existing on coffee fumes. 

Today, after I returned from mailing my own swap package, I found a sweet surprise waiting for me.

My own swap partner, PJ from New Hampshire, had sent me a lovely gift.

Everyone lurking to see the big reveal . . .

First off, a card with a scene from Nashua, New Hampshire

All the goods -  my favorite Rowan yarn, candy, tea and fabric and a hand knitted Washington Square hat.

Youngest Daughter thought she'd be the best model for it.

I had to tuck my hair up - maybe it's a sign I should get my hair cut?

I can't wait to tell you what I sent as well. All in all, a very successful Swapetition!

As Tuesday was my birthday, I have a little more yarn to show you.

Dear Mr. Daisy bought me this lovely Cephalapod Yarns Bugga sock weight yarn from Knitty City in New York City. Great choice! I am going to be knitting the Advent Scarf from Lila & Claudine's this year and this will be the perfect yarn.

Sew, sew, write, write, write, KNIT, write, write

Whoever thought of having NaNoWriMo in November was seriously disturbed.

First, Halloween always demands a costume - or two.

Youngest Child asked for a Newsies costume. Basically, they don't make vests for little boys anymore. So, I bought a woman's vest from a thrift store and then dyed it gray. Then, I found out what a paper boy's bag looked like and sewed one. Then, I stenciled it with the name of the newspaper that the news boys were striking against back in 1899. 

Luckily, he already had the hat!

Then, it was time to set up our little version of Godric's Hollow. Since we made all our tombstones before the movie version came out,  I think we might need to update them next year!

And, then it was time to finish up another pair of mittens for the Children's Comfort Tote Project. As I didn't have a camera handy, I had to use my computer's camera to take this terrible photo of a soft, soft pair of mittens.

And, now, I'm all tied up with NaNoWriMo 2013. Yep, third year of crazy non-stop writing.  Time to say good bye for about - three more weeks. 

By then, I'll also have a mystery project knitted for a knitting gift exchange and, possibly some more of my Benedetta sweater. Crazy, of course.

A bundle, a baby, and a book

In October, I committed to the 2 Knit Lit Chicks Gradient Shawl Knit a Long. No problem, I bought some excellent yarn from Desert Vista Dye Works and I decided on the Wilhimina Shawlette from "What would Madame Defarge knit?" for my pattern.

Well, I finally finished the shawl yesterday - it isn't blocked but that's okay. It looks like a bit of a bundle but it will block out beautifully.

And at the same time, we got a new baby in the house, 

Meet Nico! 

So, far, it's been a bit of nap off at our house. Our older German Shepherd, Zelda, has been studiously ignoring the new boy.

And, yesterday was also the end of 

National Novel Writing Month!

(NaNoWriMo)

This was the second year I've participated and once, again, I finished right on the dot. Basically, give me a deadline and I'll walk right up to it.

Today - time to nap, bake some muffins and knit some socks. And walk that pup - again!

Another road

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

- The Road Not Taken, Robert Frost

Can you sense me slowing down? Coming to a critical juncture?  Deciding what step to take next? 

For me, November is a month that represents just those feelings. Where do I go next? So many activities to chose from . . .

It's NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month, so I'm writing as much as I can. When I can. And let me tell you, I'm not on the downward slope yet.

It's the pre-Christmas rush. Like most knitters, I have some holiday knitting to finish up. Actually, I'd need to start it first.

It's the start of hockey season for Youngest Child - lots of hoiking gear from house to car to rink, etc. This isn't as much fun as you might expect.

I'm doing a Knit-a-long - the 2 Knit Lit Chicks gradient shawl Knit-a-long. Goodness knows why but I'm inching my way to the bind off. I'm thinking this shawl might make a two-fer as a holiday knitting project.

And there is that *&%$#@ blue sweater hanging over everything. I can only knit on it when Oldest Daughter is around to try it on. Those sleeves are killing me!

But there is the bright side of November as well:

Yarn! 

I bought some Roubaix Wool sock yarn from Winterwind Farm in a lovely heather cream color - which I have now dyed purple for Youngest Child's second pair of requested socks. The boy's on a purple kick, what can I say?

Soap!

I've been experimenting with using herbs from my garden in home made glycerin-based soap. So far, I've produced a lovely fresh Lemon Basil soap.

Marmelade!

 I am a big fan of using things up and when I discovered the bag of oranges I'd bought was none too sweet, I used them to make marmalade. Yum! (And please, please set up!)

Quilts!

 I've been hacking along on my Craftsy.com Quilt Block of the Month project and I'm practically done. The last two in fact, are on my cutting table right now. 

Special Dates! 

Yes, November is my Blog-a-versery and my birthday month. Yes, this blog started way back on November 14, 2005. Some things never change - the first problem project profiled?

The first blue sweater for Oldest Daughter!

Happy November!

Which one?

Which one of these excerpts represents how I spent this past week?

1) "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents--except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness."

2) Attach sts of left front to sts at top of sleeve cap using short rows as follows:
Row 1 [WS]: Work in pattern to 1 st before first marker; p2tog, removing marker and replacing it on left needle after p2tog is worked; turn work.
Row 2 [RS]: Work in pattern to end.
Repeat these 2 rows 3 times more.

Next Row [WS]: Work in pattern to 1 st before first marker; p2tog, removing marker; p to next marker, slip marker. Proceed to Row 1 of next section. 5 sts remain for left sleeve cap.

3) 'With a leap that startled Lucy and almost pulled her off her feet, Penny dashed forward the last few yards and began to bark ferociously. The pile seemed to shiver for a moment – and then something small and brown jumped up. Frozen, it stood hissing at them with small dark eyes that glittered and a mouth almost too full of sharp teeth.  Whatever animal it was, it was quite large – Lucy thought it seemed almost Penny’s height – and it seemed to clutching the bundle of rags. Almost as if it was gnawing the collection of greasy rags and tattered clothes . . . Penny’s barking ratcheted up even louder and she lunged to the end of her leash. In the confines of the alley, the sound echoed off the brick pavement and walls and seemed to sound like two or three large dogs.

For a moment, Lucy stared straight into an oddly bare face full of teeth and hate and then the animal – what was it? – turned and dashed halfway down the alley, jumped the low wall and escaped through the backyards down the block.

“Hey, who’s out here?” A voice called from above. “Hello?”'

Okay - the answer is both 2) & 3). Two is a section of the Turn of the Glass cardigan. The section where I went wrong. Yes, I was knitting in church and I got caught up and by the time I got home, I discovered a serious problem. The good thing about this? If you contact the pattern's author, Kathleen Dames, she emails you back with some help!

Three is from my first entry into NaMoWrimo! That's where you write a 50,000 novel in a month. Now, I hit that word count on Sunday but in order to finish my story, I was writing until 1:15 a.m. this morning. It's not the best story - but then, I was only "In it, to Finish It!" Basically, you write, write, write and don't bother to edit because you are forcing yourself to get 50,000 words.

This writing challenge was developed by The Office of Letters and Light and their motto is "Thirty Days and Nights of Literary Abandon." Yes, I am lucky in that Mr. Daisy enjoys cooking the Thanksgiving turkey because I spent most of the holiday weekend writing.

I haven't been writing much since graduate school and it was fun, albeit tiring, month!

Now, it's time to finally catch up with my Christmas movie viewing (I've been saving the ones from the Hallmark Channel since before Thanksgiving!) and my other knitting projects - perhaps a few Christmas presents?

(#1 is, of course, the opening lines of Edward George Bulwer-Lytton's 1830 novel, Paul Clifford. Its distinctive awfulness is what inspired the The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Their motto is "Where “WWW” means “Wretched Writers Welcome” and I recommend their site!)