Wow!  I always get excited with anything new and we have a brand new year--fresh and unspoiled spooling out in front of us.  I have a whole new list of projects I want to make and yarns I want to use.  Forget the fact that I didn't get everything I planned  done last year and some of the projects I did start are still lingering around--I didn't sew any of the 3 summer tops together (maybe they will look and seem new next summer) and there are a few others put aside for one reason or another.  Ah well, too bad!  I think I finished enough to make me happy and there is still hope for the old projects--not just now though!

Some new yarn should be arriving soon--just in time for spring knitting.  Included in the list is some gorgeous recycled silk from Frabjous, some new  Magic Ball colors from Be Sweet.  We also have some roving and new weights and colors coming from Pagewood Farms and Great Adirondack.  The Great Adirondack is special because they now have an association of some sort with Kreinik threads.  When we were looking at the yarn sample and were trying to figure out which yarns had metallic threads from Kreinik.  We were not successful, but will ask next time we see Doug.  There is a new coffee table style book from Noro which has some lovely and different projects.  It is sitting on the counter driving me crazy--I am restraining myself and trying not to start one of everything in the book.  Maybe one project?  What do you think. 

 Hopefully, everyone had a wonderful Holiday season!  We sure did enjoy ourselves--visiting with family from out of town was especially nice!  I got presents made for everyone on my list and, I believe, everyone was pleased.  The only trouble is, when you make presents for everyone you barely get done and it is time to get started again.  The pictures below show some of the completed projects and new yarns.  The first is a beret and the Triplicity shawlette made of Ella Rae's Latte.  I gave my first Triplicity shawlette away as a Christmas gift, but liked it so much I made another.  The first one was red and as you can see the second is blue.  I really don't care much for the color blue, so I may have to make a third shawlette.The second picture is a picture of the sock yarn for the February Skacel KAL.  We are using two colors of Austermann Royal for the socks.  It is one of the nicest sock yarns I have used.  I love it.  The third picture is the cuff of the January Winter Buzz mittens we are making for the Januay KAL project.  We got the first set of instructions yesterday.  It only took a few hours to cast them on and get this week's work done.  The last two pictures are of Georgianna a shawlette out of the Jane Austen Knits magazine.  I can't imagine ever wearing this shawlette, but I thoroughly enjoyed making it and now I enjoy looking at it.  It is one of those things that just makes me happy!  I don't know why!

Speaking of happy!  We had a great break through in our alpaca husbandry this morning.  Picchu, finally, ate some alpaca food for us.  He and Machu have been totally disdainful (and Machu still is) and wouldn't touch a bite of alpaca food or any treat we took them.  They would stick their little noses in the bowls, pull them out,  and then look away with scorn as if to say--what do you think I am, I am no fool, If I touch that food, you will have a form of control of me!   Forget it, and get over it!  But, this morning little Picchu stuck his head in the bowl and started eating.  He ate and ate until every morsel, every crumb was gobbled up.  I don't think we could have forced his little head out of that bowl.  It made us feel so pleased!