Techniques, Helpful Links

While perusing Fitted Knits at lunch today, I came across a few things that I've read about or seen, but require a little more study before actual practice is done.
Links to improve my knitting ability: -KFB information
I know this probably isn't too difficult, because watching the video on The Knitting Help video seemed fairly straightforward, but I want to check out these other links to make sure I understand it.
KFB Bar Increase

Another KFB explanation

Third example

TechKnitting misc. links:
Increases here
and here
Flat knitting on circs
Efficiency
Pattern reading

Correcting Errors

Here
also here
another and here
Article on gauge
One of my knitting resolutions is to learn how to correct mistakes. I already have one book of knitting tips, but there are a couple of books I'm thinking of adding to my library on this subject.

I can't believe I forgot

When I wrote yesterday about the knitting gifts I received, I somehow forgot to mention the best gift, from my boyfriend. I got a KnitPicks Options needle kit!! It's so glorious. I can't wait to use it. I asked for yarn from him as well, but honestly, I'm glad he didn't buy me any, as I really do have enough for the time being. I hope to use a good deal of it in the coming year. My ravelry queue is getting longer by the day. :\
In non-knitting news, I found a home for Fox. I took him to my grandparents' this past weekend, and my cousin decided she needed another kitty. I was sad to see him go, but I'm grateful that he has a good home.

Christmas Goodies

Well, for starters, I gave Jan her hat, and she LOVED it. She almost cried, and said she was so flattered. :D Success. That feels good. It motivates me to make other knitted gifts.
Sarah gave me an awesome gift, including some bare Knitpicks yarn, several packs of assorted koolaid, and instructions on how to dye yarn! She also included Sensational Knitted Socks, which I've been wanting, since learning to make socks is one of my new year's resolutions. What a great present. Thanks, Sarah!
I also got some great yarn from Jan: Malabrigo Worsted and Sockotta. Woo!
Additionally, I got two other knitting books: Cables Untangled and Fitted Knits. What a great way to start post-holiday knitting!
Currently, I'm working on the pillow for my bedroom and a hat for Jill, since the one I made her is too small. That will teach me to check gauge (maybe).
While I was at my grandmother's this past weekend, she gave me several embroidery patterns that she's had for years, some thread, and a hoop, so that I can try my hand at it. I think I'll really enjoy it, and it seems like yet another crafty activity I can amuse myself with.

Kitty Rescue

Monday afternoon, there was a kitty stuck in the tree outside my back door. He was very high, probably near 15 feet up. He was there most of the afternoon (I was off work, and knitting in the living room). I went out to check on him every thirty minutes or so, and he would meow at me, and just sit there. He eventually tried to get down, as the sun went down and it got cold. The boy came home from work and rolled his eyes at me as I held up a pillow in the air under the cat, and said "come here,kitty, kitty", and made other aimless attempts to lure him down. He saved the day, though, by climbing the tree and saving the cat. We think he is about 3-6 months old, judging his size, and the fact that he's not been neutered. He's so sweet, and purrs like a motorboat. Adorable. Bellacat isn't too keen on him, but Ninja (our dog) is VERY interested. I've been bringing him to work every day in a kennel, so Bella can have some peace and quiet. We're trying to find his owner, or a home for him, but it's looking more and more hopeless, and more and more like I have a new cat. Just in case, I've dubbed him Fox.

Knitting resolutions

Generally, I'm not big on new year's resolutions. However, since knitting is a new thing for me, I thought some goals might be a good gauge (har, gauge) of my progress for the new year.
With that in mind, I hope to accomplish the following in oh eight:
1) knit a sweater for myself
2) take (at least) one knitting workshop/class
3) learn how to knit socks
4) make baby/toddler gifts for the people who had kids last year (Tricia, Linsey)
5)allow enough time before Christmas so that I don't give up on knitted gifts
6)learn entrelac
7)become better equipped to fix mistakes in my knitting, rather than "ribbiting" my way to insanity

Less stress

Considering this is my first Christmas as a knitter, I decided that I was being pretty hard on myself about knitting gifts. There are many years ahead of me in which to knit lovelies for my loved ones. I think the scarf I was making for my mom will be frogged, and reknit, as I realized it is entirely too wide to be functional. I'm working on a hat for my cousin, and I may make one or two more hats, but that's it. Everyone else will just have to wait. Feeling like I HAD to finish was sucking all the fun out of knitting. In the meantime, I started a new and fun project.

*Note Bellakat's paw pointing to the yarn. She's become quite the ham when I bring out the camera.
At some point in the near future, this will be the front of a pillow to match my bedroom. I plan on doing the back in a sea gray color. The yarn is Shine Worsted by Knitpicks, which I got on sale a few months ago. I wasn't sure what to do with it, but this makes great sense, and it helps use up yarn. Even though I'm very new at knitting, I've racked up quite a stash, and I've decided to stop buying yarn (mostly), and focus on using what I have. I bought it for a reason, right??

Things I've learned

I'm improving at determining how much yarn to pull when casting on. I used to pull way too much, and then I'd have a really long tail. I'm not perfect at it, but there's definitely a difference.
I know that I should trust my instinct on knitting. If it seems too tight, it probably is. If I think I should wait before attempting something complicated, even if just until the next day, I probably should put the knitting down.
I decided that I'm probably not ready for the Central Park Hoodie, so I've put that down, and am starting a very basic sweater, which I found in a Paton's pamphlet. I don't want to jump into something so ambitious that I get discouraged, but I've picked something that I think I'll be able to wear often.
I've determined that the scarf I've been knitting for my mother is entirely too freaking wide. She'll never wear it in it's current state. I'm just glad I didn't get all the way to the end before I decided that. I may just knit her a hat instead. That seems to be my favorite thing as of late, but it's such a nice, small, manageable project.
I'm blocking the hat I finished for my sister, because it is pretty tight. I'm going to knit a few rows of this new sweater I'm attempting, and then I should probably go to bed, since we'll have lots of company tomorrow.