Year NINE: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - This and that (Update #7)

Hello and happiest of Sundays to you!


FOs (Finished Objects):
1. Ewetopia Stripey Socks: started 15 November 2018; finished 29 January 2020
2. Tiny Turtle: started 7 November 2019; finished 30 January 2020

Keep 'er moooovin'



WIPs (Works-in-Progress) (These are carried over year to year if needed):
1. Wink: started 5 January 2015
2. Shetland Neck Wool (support spindle): started 8 September 2017
3. Returning: started 14 January 2018
4. Faerie Mountain Fibers Crazy Batt (EEW Mini): started 13 April 2018
5. Granny Square Blanket: started 28 April 2018
6. UW Ski Hat: started 11 July 2018
7. Abracadabra Socks: started 7 August 2018
8. Purl & Loop Weaving Project: started 28 August 2018
9. Campfire Socks: started 17 October 2018
10. Herbivore: started 15 November 2018
11. Multi-Colored Merino Top (Viktor): started 16 January 2019
12. Prototype Something Something Raindrops: started 11 April 2019
13. Sockhead: started 8 January 2020

14. Mirkwood: started 9 February 2020

I couldn't keep the Startitis at bay this past week. I had some yarn in a bag with big needles and I wanted/needed a palette cleanser. So, I picked up a pattern I had tried before and was unsuccessful (I had lost a stitch on that version). Mirkwood is touted as an adult sized hat but I'm not sure that's actually true. Mine appears to be coming out a bit smaller than adult. I'm actually almost finished with it, even though I just started it this week. It says I'm supposed to do the pattern repeat 1.5 times and start a stockinette section, even though that is not what the pattern photograph shows because the stockinette section is just a round or two before the decreases, which I'm finding rather impossible...but like I said, mine looks like it's coming out small. If I knit it as specified, I would have had about 3" of stockinette before starting decreases, which looks like the Smaug Hat by the same designer. Because of that, I made some adjustments, like adding more pattern repeats. If I wanted a large stockinette section, I would have knit the Smaug Hat (which is still a possibility). It's almost finished, though. I have maybe another round or two before I start the decreases. It should be an FO by next week. 

Aside from that, I worked on the Sockhead hat. I've finally moved past the ribbing into the plain stockinette section. Now it's just fairly mindless knitting until I get to the decrease section. But, again, it looks like it may be coming out small. It's not necessarily a bad thing, other than it was potentially going to be a Christmas gift (yes, yes, I know it's only February...). 

It was also kind of a good knitting week. Sort of. I pulled out the UW Ski Hat this week and worked maybe two rounds. Because the chart is so teeny tiny, I've actually taken to writing it out in color code and working from that instead. But that means I need to sit and decipher the chart, which means I'm not knitting. But, I did work a couple rounds and it's delightful. I kind of like colorwork for that reason...you keep thinking, "just one more round to see what it looks like" and then you've knit a bunch. So, that was the good knitting. 

Then there's the not-so-good knitting. I finally decided what I was going to do with the Returning Shawl. I pulled it out, double checked my stitch count (it was right), and started the second section...only to find out that after knitting the entire first row, I was somehow two stitches off. So, it's in time-out until I can tink back that row and put a lifeline in. I was looking forward to progressing on that but I guess the Knitting Gods had other plans. ::sigh::

Maybe this week will go better?

OMFGLSGWTFBBQ Lists

Design WIPs:
1. Messed Up Moss: started March 2009 - write pattern as PDF (iterations: first, second)
2. Susan's Hat: started 31 August 2010 - need new prototypes & write the pattern (iterations: first, second, third, mini, fifth, sixth)
3. Little Man's Baby Blanket: started July 2010 - need new prototype & write pattern (iteration: here)
4. Chunky Scarf: started 6 October 2012 - need new prototype & write pattern (iteration: here)
5. Pacific Waves Hat: started 9 March 2016 - need new prototype & write the pattern (iterations: first, second, third)
6. Fall in San Francisco: started 18 September 2016 - need new prototype & write pattern (iterations: first, second)
7. Stomping Grounds Collection: started 26 February 2017 - need prototypes & write patterns 
8. Unnamed Hat Design: started 14 August 2017 - need various weight yarn prototypes & write pattern (iterations: first, second)
9. Rastarmulke: started 20 November 2017 - write pattern (iterations: first, second)
10. Paradiddle Socks: started 19 October 2017 - write pattern (iteration: here)


Children's Items:

1. Oliver for Stormageddon (worsted weight - Stunning String Studio from Stitches West 2018)
2. Minecraft Socks for Little Man (fingering weight - Tosh Sock in Plaid Blanket?)
3. Baby Yoda for Babies (Loops & Threads)
4. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
5. Mittens for Stormageddon (worsted weight probably)
6. I Love Stockinette Baby Bibs (worsted - cotton, acrylic, something)

Items for ME (Selfish Knitting FTW!):
1. Autopilot (worsted weight - Sincere Sheep Cormo Worsted or htNEVELE Worsted in Reveire)
2. Rose's Wrist Warmers (DK weight - using Aran instead; hand-dyed Malabrigo Twist?)
3. Perianth (fingering weight - Knitcircus Trampoline in The Whole Enchilada)
4. Pembroke Scarf (fingering weight - Fresh From the Cauldron Schoodic Sock in Sookie)
5. Flax (worsted weight - Misty Alpaca in the Harry Potter colors)
6. Park Slope (fingering weight - Mountain Fibers Crazyfoot in Shamrock)
7. Socks (fingering weight - I have tons...pick something!)
8. Washcloths (worsted weight - cotton)
9. Sockhead (fingering - I have tons...pick something!)
10. Age of Brass & Steam (Handspun purple/white barber pole)


Designs:
1. Christmas Stocking for Husband
2. Christmas Stocking for Little Man
3. Christmas Stocking for Stormageddon
4. Baby Blanket


Spinning:
1. Wonderland Dyeworks BFL
2. Mixed BFL
3. Allons-Y Fiber Arts Merino, Trilobal Nylon, Silk

4. Alpaca (from Lambtown 2014)
5. Fiberlady.com 100% Bamboo 


Dyeing:
1. Sock Blanks
2. Anything else I find along the way


Other Fibery Endeavors:
1. Create project bag inventory
2. Update library inventory (on Ravelry)
3. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry)
4. Stitch markers
5. Destash as necessary
6. Stash Fit


This has been a busy week. We had our usual suspects with swimming lessons but Little Man also had his monthly Cub Scout Pack Meeting, which meant the start of Pinewood Derby. Because it's on Tuesdays, we go directly from swimming lessons. Stormageddon is not in Cub Scouts (yet) but he goes to all the meetings and so they allow him to "participate" in things like Pinewood Derby (meaning he gets to make a car and race but he can't place or anything like that). On Tuesday at the meeting, we got cars drawn on the blocks and the rough cuts made (Little Man's was being done at this point). 

I spent Friday in Stormageddon's class for Valentine's Day. They spent the morning making cards for their friends and working on a few other Valentine's Day themed things (tracing/coloring, a memory game, a matching game, snack, etc.). I saw something interesting while in his classroom...

This is how he naturally tries to hold scissors. He gets surprisingly decent results, too. I know the OT and his teacher are working with him to correct his scissor grip (and his pencil grip but he's got that down pretty well - he only needs a reminder once in awhile). Husband is trying to insist that he's left handed and that's why he's having issues....except he's not left handed. Not even close. He can do it correctly but he needs to be shown how to hold the scissors. 

Those were the two big things this week: Cub Scouts and Valentine's Day. 

But, there were other things...

That is Little Man, holding a dart in his hand. 

Husband bought this fancy dart board that we can hook up to an app on an iPad and not only can we play, we can play against friends that also have the same dartboard/app that live elsewhere. Husband's planning on playing with a college friend later today. We played a bit on Friday. Little Man has never played and it's been quite awhile since either Husband or I played. 

I'm actually kind of sore from playing. But, at least I got to win one of our games. 

Yes, it was this game that I wound up winning...but I was losing at first and it was fine. 

I don't know how I managed to win that one but I did. 

It was Cricket. We also played a couple rounds of 301, which I came close but ultimately lost to Husband. Oh well. Aside from being sore, we still had fun.



This week looks to be....well, I'm not sure. Stitches West is coming up this week/weekend and I do plan to go, probably on Saturday and/or Sunday (quite possibly both). Little Man and I also have a tour at Roblox on Friday as a Count-Me-In event for school (we pay a certain amount that is donated to his school and we get to do cool things - in this case, a Roblox tour; one of the moms I know works there and she set up the event for the school). I think aside from that, the only other thing happening is that there's no school tomorrow for President's Day. 


I hope you've all had a lovely week & weekend!