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Sunday, May 21, 2017

Year SIX: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #21

Happy Sunday! I'm admittedly running a bit late this morning due to a number of factors but we can talk about all that in a mo'. For now, let's get started.

Finished Objects (FOs):
1. Pussy Hat: started January 10, 2017; finished January 16, 2017
2. Hermione's Everyday Socks (v2): started November 14, 2016; finished January 28, 2017
3. Frene Creek Farm Corriedale (spinning): started October 12, 2016; finished January 16, 2017
4. Pikachu Hat: started February 3, 2017; finished February 10, 2017
5. Trusty (v2): started December 22, 2016; finished February 24, 2017
6. Pussy Hat: started February 13, 2017; finished February 27, 2017
7. Pussy Hat: started March 2, 2017; finished March 8, 2017
8. Pussy Hat: started March 9, 2017; finished March 21, 2017
9. Pussy Hat: started March 21, 2017; finished March 30, 2017
10. FlockSock Yarn #1: started April 5, 2017; finished April 5, 2017
11. FlockSock Yarn #2: started April 5, 2017; finished April 5, 2017
12. #initiateknitdesign challenge from ArohaKnits: started April 3, 2017; finished April 11, 2017
13. Knit Picks Bare Palette Fingering: started April 9, 2017; finished April 9, 2017
14. Malabrigo Rios: started April 9, 2017; finished April 9, 2017
15. Nashua Creative Focus Superwash: started April 9, 2017; finished April 9, 2017
16. Pussy Hat: started April 13, 2017; finished April 30, 2017
17. Pussy Hat: started April 30, 2017; finished May 13, 2017
18. Messed Up Moss: started January 4, 2017; finished May 17, 2017

Confession time: I did not finish the Pussy Hat last Saturday night, as I stated in last week's post. I, in fact, didn't get the top Kitchenered until maybe Tuesday or Wednesday this week. I 100% intended to get it done after I finished writing last week's post but it's been rough around here and sleep was more important. I'm keeping the date and everything the same because, really, the knitting was finished by that point. But, it wasn't truly finished finished finished until mid-week this week. Oops. I did snag a photo of the six finished ones (before I threw them all into the bucket for a soak - they're currently still in the dryer and I should check to see if they're actually dry).



Okay, confession over.

I also finished the Messed Up Moss scarf for Little Man this week.


I really have no excuse for this project taking five months. None. The pattern is easily memorized, it's easy to tell if you're on a RS/WS row, and it's bulky yarn on big needles. For crying out loud, I knit over a foot of length in less than an hour. Buuuuuuut, it's me and nothing can be quick. However, it's finished and I have a gauge to work with for updating the pattern (literally, I have a gauge I can use but also I can figure out how to adjust it for length/width based on these measurements and how much yarn I used). The scarf turned out to be about 60" long (just over 150 cm), which is perfect because it's for Little Man. And for an acrylic yarn, it wasn't that awful to work with. I mean, I knew I was working with acrylic but it didn't make my winter dry hands angry like some other ones have in the past. So, I've got that going for me...



Works-in-Progress (WIPs):
1. Wink: started January 5, 2015
2. Oh, She IS a Bad Nut: started August 11, 2016
3. Fall in San Francisco (prototype 3): started October 4, 2016
4. Smooth Operator Socks: started October 13, 2016
5. Stormageddon's Vest: started October 17, 2016
6. Morvarch Aardvark: started January 1, 2017
7. Stomping Grounds collection: started February 26, 2017 (no project page)
8. Hat Design: started March 20, 2017
9. BMFA Handpainted Roving: started March 23, 2017
10. Vanilla Socks: started March 30, 2017
11. Pussy Hat: started May 11, 2017

Sooooooooooooo, you may noticed that there's another Pussy Hat listed. We need to discuss what happened. If you've forgotten, I had a request from a friend of ours to make Pussy Hats for Pride (either in Los Angeles or Washington, D.C., whichever one they go to this year). Now, normally, these hats only need about 80 sts to fit a female's head......but these are all for our gaggle of gay friends so they needed to be bigger because men. So, they're all hovering around 100 sts. Anyway, I finished the sixth one, posted photos on the social medias (Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook). I did the count in my head of where each would wind up..........and then one of the other guys commented that he was laying claim on one. He wasn't in the list in my head but I knew awhile ago I should just make more than the accounted six. So, I'm making a seventh because we love these guys dearly. And, actually, I'm going to make as many as I can between now and Saturday when we go up there to see everyone. So, expect a flurry of finishes of Pussy Hats in next week's post (which will also probably be late).

Outside of the Pussy Hats and finishing up the scarf, I've done very little. I did bring Viktor down and one day and I did a little spinning. I may have thought about the Vanilla Socks, as well, but was too busy working on Pussy Hats...

Soon, my little list, soon.......



17 UFOs in 2017
1. Wink: started January 5, 2015
2. Oh, She IS a Bad Nut: started August 11, 2016
3. Fall in San Francisco (prototype 3): started October 4, 2016
4. Frene Creek Farm Corriedale (spinning): started October 12, 2016; finished January 16, 2017 **DONE**
5. Smooth Operator Socks: started October 13, 2016
6. Stormageddon's Vest: started October 17, 2016
7. Hermione's Everyday Socks (v2): started November 14, 2016; finished January 28, 2017 **DONE**
8. Trusty (v2): started December 22, 2016 **DONE**
9. Design: Susan's Hat
10. Design: Little Man's Baby Blanket
11. Design: Paradiddle Socks (aka Little Drummer Girl)
12. Design: Pacific Waves Hat
13. Design: Fall in San Francisco Hat
14. Stash Inventory (photos, in Rav database) **DONE**
15. Dystopian Novel
16. Doctor Who blanket (1)
17. Doctor Who blanket (2)


And in my "OMGLSGWTFBBQ" lists...

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. Baby Surprise Jacket (using....htNEVELE something something)

These are the only ones that are currently set up. I have plans to make a few more but we'll see how things go. With all the WIPs and such I have going, this may not be a good idea at this point. Or maybe I'll pull things from the lists below and put them into bags. I don't know.


Stranded Knitting
1. University of Wisconsin Ski Hat (kit)
2. University of Wisconsin Christmas Stocking (kit)
3. University of Wisconsin Button Beanie (kit)
4. Xanadu Snowflake Cowl
5. Unknown Christmas Stocking for Little Man (see also: Designs)
6. Unknown Christmas Stocking for Stormageddon (see also: Designs)
7. Unknown Christmas Stocking for Husband (see also: Designs)


Children's Items:
1. Stuffed toy for Miss C (SIL's foster child)
2. Stuffed toy for Mr. K (SIL's foster child)
3. Stuffed toy for Miss E (SIL's adopted daughter)
4. Stuffed toy for TAZ (brother's daughter)
5. Undetermined hat for Little Man
6. Undetermined hat for Stormageddon
7. Mittens for Little Man
8. Mittens for Stormageddon


Items for ME (selfish knitting FTW!):
1. Park Slope (fingering, specifically Mountain Colors Crazy Foot)
2. Worsted weight house socks (worsted, of course - maybe something like Lumberjack)
3. Classic Silk Mayfaire Camisole (Miss Babs Northumbria with modifications)
4. Evangeline (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
5. Lichen (Aran or Sport/DK; solid or semi-solid)
6. Moyen Age (fingering; one of my Vice Yarns? Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20?)
7. Ginny's Cardigan (DK; solid or semi-solid)
8. Drip Drip Drop (sock; solid or semi-solid)
9. Celtic Myths (worsted; solid)
10. Jag in Garter Stitch (DK; 2 colors)
11. Cobh (fingering; 2 colors)
12. Offhand Lace (bulky; solid or semi-solid)
13. Whitman (DK; any color)
14. Flax (worsted; any color - Misti Alpaca Harry Potter-esque one?)
15. Hoar Frost (Wollmeise that's wound in the bag)


Christmas/Charity Bin:
1. 198 Yds of Heaven (worsted; solid)
2. Comfort Food (Aran; solid)
3. Tombreck (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
4. Premie Spiral Hat (DK; any color)
5. Pumpkins & a Pattern (any weight, any color - gauge doesn't matter)


Designs:
1. Susan's Hat *started* - need new prototype & write pattern
2. Little Man's Baby Blanket *started* - write pattern
3. Paradiddle Socks - need prototype & write pattern
4. Pacific Waves Hat *started* - need another prototype & write pattern
5. Fall in San Francisco *started* - need another prototype & write pattern
6. Stormageddon's Baby Blanket - need prototype & write pattern
7. Cabled pullover (grey look-alike sweater) - need sketch, grading, swatch, prototype, & write pattern
8. Christmas stocking for Little Man - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
9. Christmas stocking for Stormageddon - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
10. Christmas stocking for Husband - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
11. Stomping Grounds collection (everything: charts, prototypes, swatches, etc.) *started*


Spinning:
1. Miss Babs BFL
2. Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk (1)
3. Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk (2)
4. Faerie Mountain Fibers Crazy Batt
5. Wash & start processing Alpaca fleece from Lambtown
6. Wash & start processing Merino fleece from Lambtown


Other:
1. Stitch markers
2. Make sure my vintage patterns are in Ravelry (Workbasket magazines, leaflets, etc.)



In still knitting news, I'm starting to look at projects beyond the Pussy Hats, as I'm sooooooclooooose to finishing those. I've decided that I need to hit the toys hard next. I have three nieces and a nephew to knit toys for. Husband's sister and her husband have three kids. I don't know if I've mentioned this before. They are foster parents; two of the kids they have are a brother and sister set (same mother, different fathers). The little boy is just a couple of months younger than Stormageddon, and the girl is four years old. In addition to that, they also have a little girl that they've adopted. She was a Safe Haven baby and what that is is that her birth mother went to the hospital, gave birth, signed away all parental rights, and left the hospital without the baby. Once that happened, my SIL and her husband got a call that said, "uh, we have a 1-day old newborn in the system; want her, too?" and of course how could they say no (even though the little boy was only 7 months old at the time). So, that accounts for two nieces and a nephew. In addition to them, my half-brother and his wife had a baby girl in November (Guy Fawkes Day). If you remember my Gex for Niece sweater, that was for her. So, I'm hoping to start working on toys for all the kids. I think I'll do the four year old's first because she's the oldest. Then I'll probably continue down the line in order of age. So, four year old girl, two and a half year old boy, almost two year old girl, and six month old girl. I may have even decided on which toys for which kid: Slo'Moe for the four year old, Wasabi for the boy, Dandy Sir Cephalopod for the almost two year old girl, and I'm tossed about the six month old girl. I'm thinking of: My Little Slug, Jinx, or Octopus. These make sense if you know my brother and SIL. I'm hoping to have everything done by Christmas but we'll see how things play out. I have a few other things I want to work on, as well.

I suppose this would be a good time to mention that I'm thinking about partaking in Stash Dash this year (the link goes to the Ravelry Group for the Knit Girllls podcast). Admittedly, I've never listened to the Knit Girllls podcast. Jasmin & Gigi of the Knitmore Girls podcast have talked about Stash Dash for awhile now. I remember them participating last year and they've started talking about it for this year....and I might join in. I have a few things that need some extra motivation. I have no plans right now for how this is going to go because........well, mostly because I just decided yesterday that I was probably going to do this and it starts on Friday and goes until August something. I expect I'll try to make a dent in the WIP pile and probably start a few other things (and hopefully finish - because I think it only counts if things are finished). I'll have to think about that....

And, of course, in the middle of all my knitting and Stash Dashing will be Tour de Fleece. I've started a loose plan for that. I'm hoping to over-plan this year because I was caught with my pants down after a couple of days last year because I didn't plan to have time to actually spin every day. I'm hoping to finish the BMFA project I've got going before TdF even begins so I can start with a clean slate. I have a bag in my yarn closet that has a bunch of fiber so I think I'm going to work from that first (which I think is also the Spinning list above, minus the fiber prep stuff). So, I have two braids of Sandy's Palette, Miss Babs BFL, and a crazy batt from Faerie Mountain Fibers. I'm also thinking about adding my two balls of multi-colored merino top that I bought from Mielke Fibers a few years ago. I've not decided if I'm just going to spin singles and ply them with themselves (meaning 2-ply with two bobbins of the same colorway) or if I'm going to ply them together (meaning 2-ply with two bobbins of different colorways). I'll probably do the former but I might change my mind when I get around to actually spinning. Beyond that, I have several spinning projects I could attempt to take on during TdF. I hope that's enough, though....



And now for "real life." This past week has been a fairly busy week but, at the same time, a good week.

Husband and Little Man got back from camping on Sunday. In the meantime, Stormageddon and I went to Ikea to pick up some new shelves for the shed (our wooden ones are....showing their age). Husband screwed up his knee in the middle of the night so he wasn't walking too well. I wound up unpacking the car and putting things away in the shed. We arrived home from Ikea just a few minutes before they arrived.

On Monday, Husband took off from work so he could see Little Man's Wee Theater performance. It was the last one of the year and he was excited that Daddy was going to come. He was adorable and I don't have photos because I was also wrangling Stormageddon a bit. Husband has a couple, however.

Tuesday, this happened:

















To be fair, the hair photo of my brown hair was taken on Monday night. But everything else happened on Tuesday. I'm pretty sure I was in the chair for just over five hours from start to finish.

So, yes, I now have unicorn farts for hair and it's lovely. Also, why not?! It's not like I have a job to go to that has some requirement on hair being a "natural" color. Although, I do find the idea of running the Auction Committee with my hair like this rather amusing.

Anyway, moving on......

By Wednesday, my hip was all jacked up from something. It still hurts today, actually. I went to the chiropractor for some relief.....yeah, I'm not sure how much that helped. Suffice to say but I was in a lot of pain that day...and Thursday...and Friday...and yesterday....and today. It's lessening as the days have gone on but it still hurts pretty good. As a result, not much happened on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. I did some knitting, I did some laundry, I tried not to kill my children, the usual.


Please note that Stormageddon is, in fact, wearing Husband's (dirty) socks. Pulled up to his thighs. And he did most of it himself.




And I caught a photo of Little Man. He was busy playing Minecraft but I caught him for a hot minute.

Yesterday, Husband took Stormageddon on a Porsche Club run with our friend, Thom so I had a date with Little Man. We went to breakfast.


I caught him putting salt in his hand and licking it. To be fair, he has seen me do it (well, I don't lick my hand) and he's most likely salt deficient so I don't have a real problem with it.

After breakfast, we went to the library. We've been meaning to go and I wanted to look into their summer program. It's different than last years program, which was good to know. He also needed to pick up a few books about sloths for a project at school. And we came home with a huge pile of books. He got a free comic book from last weekend's free comic book day, two books on sloths, a book on spiders (facing his fears, good boy), a couple of easy reader books (Ameila Bedelia, Oliva, and the Saggy Baggy Elephant), and a big fat chapter book. The chapter book is The Sword in the Stone, which is about King Arthur as a kid (much like the Disney movie of the same name). As his real name is Arthur, he loves King Arthur stuff so I'm going to see if I can get him to sit still for this one. And if not, we'll try again some other time. I'm not too fussed about it, actually.

When we got home, we bummed around the house for a bit, watched a movie, I did some knitting, he did some Minecraft, Husband and Stormageddon came home, we hopped in the pool for a bit, blah blah blah. The boys had a sitter last night, as well, because Husband and I went to an anniversary party for a friend/former co-worker of Husband's. They got into a water fight while we were gone so I have little boy clothes drying in various places on the back deck.

And that brings us up to this morning. Today, we have to go to Costco and/or Safeway (grocery store), Home Depot, and maybe one other place. I have laundry to do, Little Man has homework to work on (hence the books on sloths), we're having a nice dinner with our Airbnb people, the usual. Oh, I may not have mentioned the Airbnb thing. So, we have this back room where our guest bed is located as well as our projector/movie screen and we don't use it that often sooooo we decided to try out the Airbnb thing. Usually we get international travelers that are on an overnight layover from SFO, sometimes we get people that are just in the area for a few days. This time around, we have a couple for a month. They're both pilots, training at Virgin America, which is just a mile and a half away from our house. Because they're here for a month, they have access to things like the kitchen and the washer/dryer and, in addition to that, they're fabulous people. The boys adore them and will talk their ears off if they let them. So, one is leaving on Tuesday for Miami for more training and the other will still be here. We're having a steak dinner with them tonight, hence all the shopping. Also, our pool ladder is showing its age so we need to get some epoxy to fix it for another season (hopefully). We'll probably look into replacing it next year.

Anyway, I hope you're all having a lovely weened :) I'll probably be late next week, as well....sue me, we have a social life all of a sudden :)

5 comments:

  1. Your hair looks awesome!! as do all those fabulous pussy hats. You go grrrrllll!

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  2. Fabulous hair!!

    Also really like the scarf. :)

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  3. If I sat in a chair for five hours on Tuesday, I'm pretty sure my hip(s) would be hurting on Wednesday, too. And probably until the next Wednesday. But I'm an old thing compared to you. ;^) I hope you feel better soon. And you rock the purple and pink hair. Enjoy having fun with your new colors!

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  4. Or, I guess it's blue and purple. Or is it blue and pink? Regardless... have fun!

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  5. Love the scarf and your hair is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete