Y5: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #44

Happy Sunday :) I think I had another busy week....maybe...I don't know...life is a blur sometimes. Let's see what's happening around here.



FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Fire Socks: started April 15, 2015; finished January 6, 2016
2. Nottingham for Stormageddon: started January 12, 2016; finished January 14, 2016
3. Design proposal for Fire Socks: started January 13, 2016; finished January 18, 2016
4. Purple merino/silk spinning (singles): started toward the end of Tour de Fleece (July 4-26, 2015); finished January 29, 2016
5. Nottingham for Little Man: started January 17, 2016; finished February 1, 2016
6. Swirl Hat: started December 16, 2015; finished February 4, 2016
7. Swatch for Marly Bird class at Stitches West: started January 8, 2016; finished February 7, 2016 (no project page)
8. Fire Socks design (the actual pattern writing & photography part): started February 6, 2016; finished February 12, 2016 (link to the preview; pattern went live on Saturday, April 2nd)
9. Mountains Beanie: started February 9, 2016; finished February 17, 2016
10. Rathmore: started February 25, 2016; finished March 4, 2016
11. Dragon's Egg Socks: started September 2, 2013; finished March 9, 2016
12. Creeper for Little Man: started March 4, 2016; finished March 10, 2016
13. Mother Bear Project #1: started February 22, 2016; finished March 12, 2016
14. Asshole Corriedale (spinning project): started March 23, 2016; finished March 24, 2016
15. Pacific Waves: started March 9, 2016; finished March 25, 2016
16. Freeport Vest Frogging: started March 29, 2016; finished March 29, 2016
17. Pacific Waves: started March 31, 2106; finished April 2, 2016
18. Vanilla Latte Socks: started November 19, 2015; finished April 6, 2016
19. Snape's Stockings: started August 20, 2014; finished April 11, 2016
20. Pacific Waves: started April 3, 2016; finished April 15, 2016
21. Creeper Hat: started April 28, 2016; finished May 4, 2016
22: Finn & Suffolk blend (spinning): started April 1, 2016; singles finished May 27, 2016; plied May 31, 2016
23. Gex for Little Man: started April 8, 2016; finished June 5, 2016
24. Bridal Shower Lace Cloth: started June 20, 2016; finished June 27, 2016
25. TdF 1: 25%/25%/50% purple merino/silk & white merino (~ 540 yds; ~ 8 oz; DK/lt. worsted): started during TdF last year and finished the purple singles January 29, 2016; started the white last weekend, plied them on July 4, 2016
26. TdF 2: 25%/25%/50% leftover purple merino/silk & leftover kelly green merino (~ 20 yds; unknown weight; DK/lt. worsted): leftover bits that were plied on July 4, 2016
27. TdF 3: 100% merino, 50% hot pink, 50% grey (~ 50 yds; ~ 1 oz; DK/lt. worsted): started & finished on July 5, 2016
28: TdF 4: 100% merino, 50% rose pink, 50% navy blue (~ 50 yds; ~ 1 oz; DK/lt. worsted): started & finished on July 5, 2016
29. TdF 5: 25%/25%/50% leftover purple merino/silk & leftover hot pink merino (~ 10 yds; unknown weight; DK/lt. worsted): the purple was started during TdF last year and finished January 29, 2016; the hot pink was spun on July 5, 2016; they were plied on July 5, 2016
30. TdF 6: 100% merino, 50% leftover hot pink, 50% leftover navy blue (~ 10 yds; unknown weight; DK/lt. worsted): started & finished on July 5, 2016
31. TdF 7: 100% merino, rainbow gradient (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, and white) (~ 220 yds; ~ 4 oz; worsted): started July 5, 2016; finished July 6, 2016
32: TdF 8: 50/50 merino/tencel, Fat Cat Fibers in Razzmatazz (three different skeins: two skeins are three-ply, one is around 245 yds of worsted and the other is around 120 yds, also worsted; one skein is chain plied, probably also a worsted weight, about 25 yds): started July 8, 2016; finished July 12, 2016
33. TdF 9: 100% white merino (~ 446 yds two-ply, probably sport weight; ~ 15 yds Andean Ply, also around a sport weight): started July 15, 2016; finished July 18, 2016
34. TdF 10: Superwash Merino/Bamboo/Nylon from Happy Hands Hand Dyed (~ 166 yds two-ply, probably Aran weight; ~ 14 yds Andean Plied, also Aran weight): started July 15, 2016; finished July 19, 2016
35. TdF 11: 60% BFL/40% Bombyx (Mulberry Silk) from Corgi Hill (~ 298 yds two-ply, probably DK/lt. worsted; ~ 25 yds Andean Plied, also DK/lt. worsted): started July 18, 2016; finished July 20, 2016
36: TdF 12: Unknown BFL, possibly from Yarn Hollow (~ 144 yds two-ply, probably Aran weight): started July 21, 2016; finished July 23, 2016

37. Rainbow Gradient Cowl: started August 5, 2016; finished August 6, 2016
38. Gex for Niece: started June 28, 2016; finished August 19, 2016
39. Diagonal Owl Dishcloth: started September 1, 2016; finished September 2, 2016

40. Fall in San Francisco (Prototype 1): started September 18, 2016; finished September 21, 2016
41. Fall in San Francisco (Prototype 2): started September 28, 2016; finished October 2, 2016
42. Design Proposal: started September 26, 2016; finished October 3, 2016
43. Caffe Macchiato Socks: started May 7, 2016; finished October 16, 2016

There's nothing new to see here. I did wash the Caffe Macchiato Socks and they're currently (still) drying. It's been rather damp here...I might have to blow a fan on them for good measure. Once they're dry, I'll do a proper FO Friday post. I hope.


WIPs (Works-In-Progress) - carried over year-to-year
1. Wink: started January 5, 2015
2. Corgi Hill Polwarth/Tussah blend (spinning): started July 21, 2016
3. Oh, She IS a Bad Nut: started August 11, 2016
4. Fall in San Francisco (prototype 3): started October 4, 2016
5. Unknown grey wool (spinning): started October 7, 2016
6. Frene Creek Farm Corriedale (spinning): started October 12, 2016
7. Smooth Operator Socks: started October 13, 2016
8. Stormageddon's Vest: started October 17, 2016

I've been a bit all over the place this week with my WIPs.

My little prototype hat....yeah, I pulled that apart. I need to spend some time doing math. In the meantime, I've still not heard back about my pattern submission. I'm going to guess that means a big, fat, "NOOOOOPE," and my submission materials. Whatever.

I did a good amount of work on a few projects this week. I worked about 10 rows of my Bad Nut shawl. I'm on section 3 and it starts out with short rows so, really, it wasn't like I knit 10 full rows because half of them were short rows. Still, it's 10 rows of pattern that I knocked out. No photos but that's mostly because I'm lazy. I do, however, have photos of the other three projects I spent time working on this week:

I'm actually further along that this on my Smooth Operator Sock. I've actually worked through the color repeat once (which means the light blue, dark blue, and multi-color happy town) and I'm back to the first color (the light blue). I snapped this photo earlier this week. I should take new ones.

I'm a good 4" into Stormageddon's Vest. I snapped this photo Thursday night during swimming lessons. It was just after I had switched to the larger needles. As long as I keep track of my rows, it's a pretty quick knit. Don't get me wrong...I still need to knit to 10" before I do armhole shaping and such. It's going to take a bit. But it's going pretty quickly for sock yarn.

This is the first half of the Corriedale from Frene Creek Farm. It was a 126ish g braid so this is about 63g. I finished this up on Friday afternoon. I'll probably sit and spin the other half soon. Maybe after I finish getting the Polwarth/Tussah blend Andean-plied. Maybe. We'll see. I have plenty of bobbins so that's not the issue.

In my "WTFCRAZYLADYOMGLSGBBQ" lists:

Children's Items

1. House Hat (one each for Stormageddon and Little Man - worsted, two contrasting colors)

2. Arthur the Alien (for Little Man - worsted; any colors)

3. Holiday Countdown Stockings (for the family - Aran/worsted; four colors)

4. Mirkwood (for Little Man - worsted or bulky; any colors)

Items for ME (selfish knitting, FTW!!)

1. Vanillaish Socks (using one of my Harry Potter Yarns)

2. Paradiddle Socks (using a solid or semi-solid sock yarn)

3. Hermione Hearts Ron (sport weight; solid or semi-solid - Plucky Primo in Petunia?)

4. Hermione Hearts Ron Fingerless Mitts (sport weight; solid or semi-solid - Plucky Primo in Petunia?)

5. Classic Silk Mayfaire Camisole (Miss Babs from Stitches Midwest)

6. Stormont (worsted; solid or semi-solid)

7. Sockhead Hat (sock; any colors)

8. Moab Shawl (sock; any colors)

9. Prowl (DK; solid or semi-solid) *need pattern*

Secret Sock Club Bags - Pick a bag at random; do pattern with yarn

1. Scotch & Soda Scarf (using Briar Rose Fibers Wistful, leftover from my Icarus Shawl)

2. Jabberwonky (using KP Felici in Abracadabra)

3. If You Know Where To Go (using KP Felici in Green Veggies)

4. Gardener's Socks (using Malabrigo Sock in Indiacita)

Stranded Knitting

1. University of Wisconsin Ski Hat

2. University of Wisconsin Christmas Stocking

3. University of Wisconsin Button Beanie

4. Xanadu Snowflake Cowl

Christmas/Charity Bin

1. 198 yds. of Heaven (worsted; any colors)

2. Phillip and Mr. Grum (sock yarn; any colors)

3. Comfort Food (Aran; solid)

4. Fine Fella (worsted; solid or semi-solid)

5. November Leaves (Shelter from stash) *need pattern*

6. Skinner Hat (sock; solid or semi-solid) *need pattern*

7. The Shoemaker's Hat (bulky; solid or semi-solid) *need pattern*

8. Roll Out The Barrels (cotton; any colors)

9. Sweeny Todd Scarf (worsted; any colors)

10. The Snowmen Cometh (worsted; any colors)

11. Sunburst Dishcloth (cotton; any colors)

12. Starfish Cloth (cotton; any colors)

13. Seamless Circular Cloth (cotton; any colors)

14. Tombreck (Aran/worsted; solid or semi-solid)

15. Premie Spiral Hat (for hospital donations - sport or DK; any colors)

Designs

1. Ice Somethingsomething (knit prototype and pattern for submission)

2. Susan's Hat (make proper - photos, pattern, etc.; knit new prototype from Babs K2 from Stitches)

3. Little Man's Baby Blanket (make proper - photos, pattern, etc.)

4. Paradiddle Socks (knit prototype - see "Items for ME")

5. Pacific Waves Hat (knit prototypes in various weights/sizes, pattern for submission? self-publish?) *started*

6. Stormageddon's Baby Blanket (design process, knit prototype, etc.) *started*

Spinning

1. Given that TdF happened and I SPUN ALL THE YARNS, I think I'm going to take a break from spinning for a bit (well, goals, anyway)...Viktor needs a tune-up anyway. At least my parts have arrived.

Other (for things that are fibery/crafty in nature but not specific to knitting or spinning)

1. Organize my handmade stitch markers *mostly done?*

2. Make more stitch markers (to sell? donate? hoard?) *started...never-ending?*

3. Organize my books/magazines/loose patterns. *started*

4. Toss the stash (fiber & yarn). *started*



I feel like I've been woefully neglecting these lists. Like, I kind of feel like I make lists and then think, "hahaha, I'm funny......what's new and hot and what do I need to make OMGNAO?!" Oh well. And then I keep adding and changing things and....

Nevermind.

California life.....

Last Sunday was crazytown around here. Epic amounts of cleaning happened, we had people over for good food, I unloaded several boxes of baby clothes. It was a seriously exhausting day.....which turned into an exhausting week.

Little Man was on fall break this past week. Don't even get me started on that. Six weeks in and they have a week off for no discernible reason. Soooooo, I had intentions of doing all the things out of the house so the boys wouldn't kill each other. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Husband came down with something nasty. He didn't have the full testing done for strep but he was put on the antibiotics for it and was told that if he got it two more times within the next year, he'd probably have to have his tonsils out. ::sigh:: So, he was home and grumpy and sick. He actually stayed home Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (he usually works from home on Thursdays anyway, though).

As part of our sanity fix, I took the boys to an indoor gym place here in town on Tuesday afternoon. We actually went out for lunch first at the Mexican restaurant up the street (Husband, the boys, one of my mama friends and her two kids, and me...all of us went out for lunch) and then to the play area. It was lovely. The boys played, I knit and talked to my friend...all was well.

I had originally intended Wednesday to be a day at the zoo or the aquarium but the weather was somewhat non-cooperative so we stuck near home and ran errands, including picking up Little Man's pants from the alterations place...the ones he needs for his Halloween costume tomorrow. So, it was all very exciting. Or not. Whatever.

Thursday was a lazy home day. It was rainy and generally crappy so we had a fire in the fireplace, I did some cooking (made French Onion soup, specifically), cleaned out the fridge, did some spice inventory because gingerbread cookies needed to happen (and did!), all the exciting things that happen on Thursdays. Little Man and Husband were originally going to go salmon fishing but the weather was uncooperative and Husband still felt like crap. Sooo, I cancelled my doctor appointment and Little Man's swimming lessons for nothing...but I was able to get Little Man back into his lesson. The exciting news is that he has officially passed into the next level for swimming. He got a bunch of ribbons for things he can do (roll overs, pop ups, blowing bubbles, back float, front float...I think that's it). So, I adjusted his class (still at the same time and on the same day but with a different teacher). He's so excited and I'm so proud of him. I can't swim for shit because of my ears...I mean, I probably could if it were life and death but if I go to the gym and want to do laps.....yeah, not a good idea.

Friday was kind of a mess. The trains and busses heading into the city were all screwed up so I drove Husband to work...but the highways were a mess from various things including a semi that was overturned on the Bay Bridge and a bunch of collisions in the city. A drive that normally takes about 35 minutes took over an hour and a half...and then it was another hour just to get home. By the time we got home, we didn't have enough time to get to the gym before the Kids' Club closed so that didn't happen. Instead, we went to the mall for a bit, stopped at Michaels to pick up some cookie decorating necessities (those little icing tubes thingies), stopped at Heidi's Pies for a late lunch (3:30pm).....and I was just not feeling very well. It worked out in the end but for awhile, I was wondering if I was going to throw up or collapse from being so hot. It may have just been a reaction to not eating and/or drinking enough. It wasn't fun.

Saturday, our friends from Fremont joined us for a trip to the San Francisco Zoo. It was Boo at the Zoo and Zootoberfest this weekend. However, the weather was a bit wonky and we didn't stay that long. We did wander about for 2.25 miles and the kids got to be in their costumes and such. So, I suppose it wasn't all bad.

And that, dear readers, brings us to today......which is today.

Here are some photos from this past week (and if you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen a few of these....and you've probably also seen that I'm participating in the #CraftyBlissChallenge again - see Miso Crafty Knits or Knitted Bliss for more information).

When we went to the Mexican place on Thursday, Stormageddon thought it appropriate to put the tortilla warmer thingie on his head as a hat. I don't even know where to begin with that boy. And Little Man isn't sad. He had a chip in his mouth and was mid-chew. 

In addition to that, here is proof that my children are nuts. Little Man wants to make Hallowe'en cookies (gingerbread cut out cookies) and he discovered my Harry Potter cookie cutters. Stormageddon, on the other hand, discovered (one of) Little Man's Iorn Man costumes and put himself into it. 

This was from our trip to the zoo yesterday. Little Man wore his Luke Skywalker costume that I picked up at the most recent Just Between Friends sale. It was fitting as Stormageddon was in the Yoda costume Little Man wore four years ago. He's actually going to be Doctor Who (David Tennant version) for Hallowe'en but it's a suit and it's not good for running around. Luckily, he has a hoard of costumes he can wear (and does). 

And lastly, a couple friends we found along the way:

With all the rain we've been having, the slugs and snails have been coming out. This guy wasn't very big, honestly and I didn't want the stupid flash to go off but my phone was not cooperating with me.

Peacocks are commonly seen around the San Francisco Zoo. This guy was in front of the rhino enclosure, not a care in the world. They walk around like they own the place and I don't know if they're tracked or not. 


I hope you're having a lovely weekend. Little Man is having his ear tube surgery tomorrow morning. It was originally supposed to be at 7:30am but it got shoved back to 9am. I'm not thrilled about that buuuuuuuut, he's got some accommodations that most kids don't get, including being allowed to have Gatorade (and other clear liquids) until two hours before the procedure (so he can have it until 7am). So, you know, good mojo for that. 

Anyway, I will probably be back this week with another stash enhancement as my latest Erin Lane Indie Club Carnival bag arrived yesterday and maybe I'll sneak in for a WIP Wednesday or an FO Friday....we'll see how the week goes. I know I've got a monthly goals post coming on Tuesday morning. Other than that....wait and see?