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Mama, wife, knitter, blogger, spinner, wannabe something or other. That's enough, right?

Sunday, April 11, 2021

Year the TENTH: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - It's only been a week? Are you sure? (Update #15)

Happy Sunday! I'm definitely a bit late today. I've spent a lot of this past week confused about what day it was. Again. So when today rolled around and I thought it was Saturday, here we are. Oops.


FOs (Finished Objects)
1.
Greenwood Fiberworks Dark BFL (Viktor): started 28 June 2020; finished 17 January 2021
2. Boo-Yah: started 26 January 2021; finished 27 January 2021
3.
Minecraft Socks: started 12 August 2020; finished 6 March 2021
4.
Alpaca (Viktor): started 17 January 2021; finished 17 March 2021
5. Dyeing Project: started 9 April, 2021; finished 9 April 2021

I don't have a project page of any sort for my recent dyeing project but I have tons of photos, because that's how I roll. I'm basically out of yarn to dye at this point so I'm going to have to start selling my hand dyed goodness. ::sigh:: They're all my babies!

 

 

 

The above skeins are all the same 75/25 merino nylon fingering weight base. I did the six skeins first, as a sweater quantity, and then I put in the remaining three and the next skein to soak up the rest of the dye. This is why dyelots are important and also why fiber content is important. The color of the one random skein is different than the three that went in at the same time because the fiber content is different, so it takes the dye a little differently. 


 

I also dyed some sock blanks and this other random skein. The only photos I have of the sock blanks are from when I hung them to dry. So, not the best photos. Oh well.







 

The six skeins were dyed with the intention of being a sweater quantity for me. I also wanted to try out some of the new-to-me dyes I bought from someone destashing. Actually, all the colors were from the same destash. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. Unfortunately, I only have a few things left to dye so I think I'm going to have to start selling my hand dyed yarns so I can buy more yarn to dye. Ha! 

But that was the only thing I finished this past week. 




WIPs (Works-in-Progress) *these are carried over year after year, as 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. Purl & Loop Weaving Project: started 28 August 2018
8. Herbivore: started 15 November 2018
9. Linen Stitch Scarf: started 2 June 2020
10.
Vanilla Socks: started 9 August 2020
11. Sand Drift Blanket: started 17 January 2021
12. Rose City Rollers: started 7 March 2021
13. El Panal Cowl: started 5 April 2021

As predicted, I started a new project this week. I bought the kit for the El Panal Cowl at Lambtown in 2019. I remember seeing the "live" version (the one on the pattern page in Ravelry) but the colors were not speaking to me....but then I saw the six pack of minis in the Mallard colorway...greens and blues and some brown and it was perfect for me and this project. And I've been sitting on it for a year and a half. I remember I was so excited about it and then I just put it away and let it mock me. 

No more. I wound the minis a few weeks ago (months? I have no concept of time anymore) and finally started it. It starts with an i-cord cast on, which is something new to me but I also quite liked. It took a bit longer, of course, but it gave me a nice, even edge.

In addition to that, I worked a little bit on the Rose City Rollers. Of course, now that I've stopped on the first sock, I'm 100% paranoid that I'm not going to have enough yarn to get to that point on the second sock, which isn't that big of a deal because it'll be in a shoe but it's still bothering me. ::sigh:: We'll see how things go. 




OMGLSGWTFBBQ


Design WIPs:
1. Messed Up Moss: started March 2009 - write pattern as PDF (iterations: firstsecond)
2. Susan's Hat: started 31 August 2010 - need new prototypes & write the pattern (iterations: firstsecondthirdminififthsixth)
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: firstsecondthird)
6. Fall in San Francisco: started 18 September 2016 - need new prototype & write pattern (iterations: firstsecond)
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: firstsecond)
9. Paradiddle Socks: started 19 October 2017 - write pattern (iteration: here)

 

Design Ideas:
1. Christmas Stocking for Husband

2. Christmas Stocking for Little Man

3. Christmas Stocking for Stormageddon

4. Baby Blanket
5. Stomping Grounds Collection

 

Items for ME (Selfish Knitting FTW!):
1.
Rose's Wrist Warmers (DK weight - using Aran instead; hand-dyed Malabrigo Twist?)
2.
Perianth (fingering weight - Knitcircus Trampoline in The Whole Enchilada)
3. Stranger Things Hat (worsted - Malabrigo Rios in Archangel)
4.
Autopilot (worsted weight - Sincere Sheep Cormo Worsted or htNEVELE Worsted in Reveire)
5. Fine Tune (fingering weight - uses minis so maybe a rainbow type one with the Canon Hand Dyes?)*

6. Flax (worsted weight - Misty Alpaca in the Harry Potter colors)

7. Park Slope (fingering weight - Mountain Fibers Crazyfoot in Shamrock)
8. Undone (bulky - maybe the reclaimed yarn from the Freeport Vest?)
9. Socks (fingering weight - Bob knows I have enough so I should use it - maybe with the CSM)
10
Sockhead (fingering weight - I have tons...pick something!)
11. Age of Brass & Steam (Handspun purple/white barber pole)
12. Radiate Shawl (fingering weight - Artfibers Carezza maybe?)


Children's Items
1. Flax for Stormageddon (Stunning String Legacy Worsted)
2. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
3. Mittens for Stormageddon (worsted weight probably)
4. Maybe a Flax for Little Man...maybe...

 

Utilitarian/Household Items
1. Garter Chevron Blanket (KP Mighty Stitch - may need to get some more black or white)
2. Diagonal Knit Dishcloths (cotton of some sort)
3. Reusable Produce Bag (cotton or acrylic of some sort - worsted)
4. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth (cotton or maybe bamboo, depending on the use)


Spinning:


Dyeing:
1. Sock Blanks 
2. Random worsted/sport skeins
3. Anything else I find along the way


Other Fibery Endeavors:
1. Create project bag inventory
2. Update library inventory (on Ravelry) *in progress*
3. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry) *needs to be redone*
4. Stitch markers: kits and individual
5. Destash as necessary (it's always necessary)
 
 
 
 
The boys were still on spring break this past week, which was a week too long for them, honestly. They were just over it. But, we still had a week of break so we tried to make the most of it. The boys and I went on two "hikes" this week. The first was to Pulgas Ridge, which we had never been to before. I just googled hiking parks nearish to us and picked one that looked relatively easy to get to. 
 
It wasn't particularly busy, which was helpful. But it was a much bigger/longer hike than I anticipated. I think we wound up doing 3-4 miles, which is a big deal for Stormageddon, who has never really been hiking before. But the day was nice, we had our water, and we could take some breaks here and there, which was helpful. 
 
 
 
 


 
Little Man wanted to go because he wanted to look for wildlife. We actually found quite a bit on this hike. Aside from puppies (because it's also a dog walking area), we saw deer right away. We also came across several lizards and even saw a snake poking it's head out of a hole. I did get photos of the deer and one of the lizards. 
 
The day was quite nice, which was also helpful, and it hasn't rained in this area in awhile so the trails were nice and dry. Stormageddon did trip at one point but he got up, brushed himself off, and said he was good to go. So we continued to go.

 
 



Buuuuut, that wasn't the only hike we went on. We also went to a different park and took a much shorter hike. Little Man and I had done this hike before and it's only about a mile and a half total. It's in a valley so cell reception is crap but the photos were lovely. It was a bit colder and windier when we did this hike, which was okay. I didn't take photos until we had finished. There's a massive tree that is great for climbing so, of course, the boys climbed the tree...






I'm surprised I didn't wind up in a lot of pain after all that. Don't get me wrong: my body was a bit sore but I expected to be in bed for a day or two after that, since I'm so out of shape. But, all was well!
 
I found some Ikea chocolate bunnies that you have to assemble yourself. I bought them for the boys for Easter but forgot and found them the other day. So, the boys put them together, admired them, and ate them. Silly kids.
 


 
 
 
I also dyed a turtleneck for Husband this week. He's been working on our Mandolorian costumes (3D printer and a few other things) and he needed a brown turtleneck...but finding one in his size is impossible but he could find a white one. So, a bottle of Rit Dye later, he has his brown turtleneck. I sat in the garage while the water boiled in one of the huge brew pots Husband uses for brewing beer. I actually did it twice. The first time, I did it in a huge pot on our stove and it worked pretty well but there were still some spots that needed some more color. The second time around, we used a much bigger pot, which worked better.

 
 
 
Speaking of our Mandolorian costumes......this is my helmet so I can be Bo Katan. It is 3D printed in a couple pieces, glued, sanded, and painted. The dirty secret is that there are about three different colors of filament used. One piece was purple, two were a bright sky blue, and another was red. I think. Something like that. 



 
Other than that, it's been a "normal" week. But, like I said, the boys go back to school tomorrow, which will be a welcome return to routine. I'm also making/baking bread tomorrow. We'll see how it goes. Oh, and we have dentist appointments tomorrow. 

Anyway, I hope you've had a lovely week and weekend!

5 comments:

  1. Sounds like a busy week! I really like the yarn you dyed, particularly the darker pink :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Its been so wet here that I haven't been able to get the kids out on a hike. I can't wait to get my kids on the trails again this year.
    The Ikea bunnies are ADORABLE! Good luck getting back to a normal routine, I seem to get the most done when there is a plan!

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  3. Make your own chocolate easter bunnies. I love that idea!

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  4. Those purple yarns are gorgeous! It would be hard to sell them. Your sock blocks look fun too.

    ReplyDelete