TWELFTH Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Memorial Day Weekend (and a Two-fer!) (Updates #20 and #21)

Apparently because of who I am as a person, I cannot update once a week lately. I'm trying and failing miserably and I'm okay with it. To be fair, I did have surgery and I'm still recuperating from that. 

Whatever, let's goooooo!

 

FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Josh's Winter Hat: started 20 December 2022; finished 2 January 2022
2. NEYCO Hat: started 31 December 2022; finished 20 January 2022
3. Hat: started 15 February 2023; finished 25 February 2023
4. Linen Stitch Scarf: started 2 June 2020; finished 12 April 2023

Nope. Nothing new. Yet. Maybe someday?

 

WIPs (Works-in-Progress) These are carried over year after 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. Purl & Loop Weaving Project: started 28 August 2018
8. Sand Drift Blanket: started 17 January 2021
9. Dishcloth: started 25 February 2022
10. Mixed BFL (Annie): started 18 March 2022
11. Lakeline Tank: started 18 March 2022
12. Socks: started 28 September 2022
13. Bonbon 2: started 15 October 2022
14. Smile & Wave: started 15 November 2022
15. Kitty at Christmas: started 28 January 2023
16. Wasabi for Mr. K: started 10 March 2023

Admittedly, up until Friday, there has been no knitting. None. Nope. Nada. N.O.N.E. 

And then this past Friday came along and I spent some time working on my Returning Shawl. I finished up the first whole skein of yarn. And I started working on the leftover partial that I had (from when I made Curlew). So the plan is to continue working until I run out of that yarn and then switch to the other color to do the lace on the edge. We'll see how that goes. I fully intend to put a lifeline in before I switch colors in case I screw up or I hate how it's turning out. But that's a good 200 yds down the line. Ish. Maybe more, maybe less. 

That was it for actual knitting. I did bring along the Smile & Wave fingerless mitts but I didn't actually work on them. 

 

 

OMGLSFWTFBBQ

Items for ME (FTW!)
1. Nottingham (worsted weight, ~1200 yds; Cascade 220 Heathers)
2. Ishbel (fingering weight, ~610 yds; Happy Hands Yarn)
3. NIN Hat (worsted weight, 2 colors, ~220 yds + scraps; partials bin)
4. Boneyard Shawl (fingering weight, ~750 yds; KP Hawthorne Fingering)
5. Wilf's Hat (worsted weight, ~240 yds; Psych Ward Yarns)
6. Skoufaki (DK weight, ~175 yds; handspun)
7. Kaweah Hat (DK weight, ~240 yds; Houndstooth DK)
8. Chunkeanie (bulky weight, ~160 yds; madelinetosh Chunky)
9. Sockhead (fingering weight, ~400 yds; so many choices)
10. Stranger Things Hat (worsted weight, ~200 yds; Malabrigo Rios)
11. Huj Tub (laceweight, ~900 yds; Laceweight Cashmere)
12. Rose City Rollers (fingering weight, ~250 yds; so many choices)

Children's Items/Knitting for others
1. Flax for Little Man (worsted weight; Baah Yarns Shasta)
2. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
3. The Mandolorian (sport weight, ~165 yds; need grey/black, white, and green...which I might have)*
4. Zelda Beanie (worsted weight, unknown yardage; black/grey and yellow)
5. Bugle for Miss E (worsted weight, ~150 yds; htNEVELE worsted)
6. Baby Bear for Mr. T (fingering weight, ~220 yds; anything will work)
7. Pig for Earle & Duane (worsted weight, ~300 yds; need pink, of course)
8. Hippo for Sweet Girl (fingering weight, ~400 yds total; purple & pink)
9. Elefante for Sassy Girl (worsted weight, ~250 yds; maybe if I can find the original...otherwise, something new/different)...but she's requested a cow as a replacement so we'll see what I can find.

Utilitarian/Household Items
1. Garter Chevron Blanket (worsted weight; KP Mighty Stitch - may need to get some more black or white)
2. Diagonal Knit Dishcloths (any weight; cotton of some sort, possibly a cotton/bamboo blend, depending on use)
3. Reusable Produce Bag (worsted weight; cotton or acrylic)
4. Harry Potter Blanket (worsted weight; superwash or acrylic - based on several dishcloth patterns to make blocks)
5. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth (any weight; cotton or a cotton/bamboo blend, again based on use)
6. Pop Blanket (worsted weight; superwash - a little of this and that?)
7. Holiday Countdown Stockings (worsted weight; various colors from partials bin)
8. Cat Butts (worsted weight; "cat" colors and pink for the butthole)
9. Yer Mom Licks Cat Butts (worsted weight; "cat" colors and pink for the butthole)

Other Fibery Endeavors:
1. Stash Fit
2. Create a project bag inventory
3. Update library inventory (on Ravelry)
4. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry) and reorganize yarn
5. Stitch markers: make kits and individual for Etsy shop
6. Destash as necessary/needed

 

The past few weeks have kind of flown by and I'm not really sure why. I don't know if it's because I'm doing the same things day after day with going to work and all that, but.....yeah. I go to work, I come home, we have dinner, wash, rinse, repeat. 

I'm officially over two weeks post-surgery. My stitches are out of my ear (well, from what I can tell). Both my nose and my ear are sore. I'm still dealing with some blockage in my nose (of course) but I'm breathing much better than I have in decades. That was kind of the point of this whole thing. 

So this first photo is from a week after surgery. I still had the bolster in my ear and the tape on my nose. I was also still having to occasionally wear the bandage underneath to catch any bloody nose issues I might have. The second photo is from this past Thursday, when I was officially two weeks out. The bandage is off, the bolster is out....yeah.

My nose did change shape a bit, which was expected. I'm not sure how much if it is an official change of shape because it still hurts so some of it might be swelling. Either way, I'm not fussed about it. It's not like I did this for aesthetics. 

Last weekend, I took the boys to my hometown for the annual Syttende Mai celebration. We had doughnuts and I bought a loaf of bread and some lefse, we went to the Norwegian Heritage Museum (Livsreise), the craft fair, we had cheese curds from the FFA stand (Little Man had a cream puff), and wandered in and out of shops in town. We had a good time, and that was the point. 

We found a couple of painted rocks around town and a couple of crocheted caterpillars.

And yes, Little Man's hair is long. We are all well-aware. He's refusing to cut it, which is fine as long as he takes care of it. He had cream puff all over his face and I couldn't resist a photo. He was less than pleased about it. He won't let me take photos otherwise so I have to sneak them. ::sigh:: Silly children. 

This weekend is Memorial Day here in the US. We have been down with some sort of ickiness, unfortunately. Husband was tested for Covid, flu, RSV, and strep. He has none of them. And now I'm coming down with it. I'm less than pleased. But it is what it is. 

I hope you've had a lovely week and weekend! We'll see if I can get back on a normal schedule....

TWELFTH Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Just make it a Two-Fer! (Updates #18 and #19)

Firstly, and most importantly, I'm still alive and kicking! I had surgery this past week, which does not excuse me from missing the week before but it it is what it is and we're just going to go along with it. 

Secondly, there has been some actual knitting and such. Not a lot. But there has been some. 

 

FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Josh's Winter Hat: started 20 December 2022; finished 2 January 2022
2. NEYCO Hat: started 31 December 2022; finished 20 January 2022
3. Hat: started 15 February 2023; finished 25 February 2023
4. Linen Stitch Scarf: started 2 June 2020; finished 12 April 2023

Thirdly, the knitting was not a finished object. Keep moving.  

WIPs (Works-in-Progress) These are carried over year after 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. Purl & Loop Weaving Project: started 28 August 2018
8. Sand Drift Blanket: started 17 January 2021
9. Dishcloth: started 25 February 2022
10. Mixed BFL (Annie): started 18 March 2022
11. Lakeline Tank: started 18 March 2022
12. Socks: started 28 September 2022
13. Bonbon 2: started 15 October 2022
14. Smile & Wave: started 15 November 2022
15. Kitty at Christmas: started 28 January 2023
16. Wasabi for Mr. K: started 10 March 2023

Over the past couple of weeks, I have worked on three projects. That's it. Just three. And nothing new. I pulled out the Returning Shawl again and worked a bit on that here and there. The rows are long, so while I've spent time on it, there hasn't been a lot of visible progress. I found the partial ball, so I'm still planning to work on it until I run out of the main color, and then switch to the contrast color. That should work well. I'm almost finished with the first ball. So I've got that going for me. And there's even proof! This was pulled out at Knitters Guild last Monday. It was my meeting project. Well, most of the meeting. I did switch to a different project...

In addition to that, I also worked on the Smile & Wave Fingerless Mitts. I don't remember where I was when I worked on them, other than Knitters Guild. I know I worked on them more than that but I don't remember where or when. That's fine, though. I think I've got something like 15 rounds before I start the thumb increases. 

Also. Also. ALLLLLSO! I pulled out the Purl & Loop Weaving Loom and did some weaving. I know. I'm amazed with myself, too! I find the small loom tedious due to how I have to weave. With bigger looms, you....I don't know what the word is....open and close the weft you weave through. I have to do it all with a needle on the small loom. It's not difficult and I know the motion but it's still tedious.  I also have to remember not to pull in the edges so tight. It makes further weaving more difficult and makes the product pull in and look weird. 

And because of who I am as a person, I bought some yarn last weekend. One of my localish yarn shops was doing a swap/sale (where they sold whatever didn't get swapped). The money went to one of the local charities for domestic violence and I was more than happy to help. So I picked up five skeins of yarn for $25, which is a good deal since I know that the Wonderland Yarns cost that on their own (and I picked up at least two). Little Man helped me pick out the yarn. He's a good enabler like that. 

OMGLSFWTFBBQ

Items for ME (FTW!)
1. Nottingham (worsted weight, ~1200 yds; Cascade 220 Heathers)
2. Ishbel (fingering weight, ~610 yds; Happy Hands Yarn)
3. NIN Hat (worsted weight, 2 colors, ~220 yds + scraps; partials bin)
4. Boneyard Shawl (fingering weight, ~750 yds; KP Hawthorne Fingering)
5. Wilf's Hat (worsted weight, ~240 yds; Psych Ward Yarns)
6. Skoufaki (DK weight, ~175 yds; handspun)
7. Kaweah Hat (DK weight, ~240 yds; Houndstooth DK)
8. Chunkeanie (bulky weight, ~160 yds; madelinetosh Chunky)
9. Sockhead (fingering weight, ~400 yds; so many choices)
10. Stranger Things Hat (worsted weight, ~200 yds; Malabrigo Rios)
11. Huj Tub (laceweight, ~900 yds; Laceweight Cashmere)
12. Rose City Rollers (fingering weight, ~250 yds; so many choices)

Children's Items/Knitting for others
1. Flax for Little Man (worsted weight; Baah Yarns Shasta)
2. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
3. The Mandolorian (sport weight, ~165 yds; need grey/black, white, and green...which I might have)*
4. Zelda Beanie (worsted weight, unknown yardage; black/grey and yellow)
5. Bugle for Miss E (worsted weight, ~150 yds; htNEVELE worsted)
6. Baby Bear for Mr. T (fingering weight, ~220 yds; anything will work)
7. Pig for Earle & Duane (worsted weight, ~300 yds; need pink, of course)
8. Hippo for Sweet Girl (fingering weight, ~400 yds total; purple & pink)
9. Elefante for Sassy Girl (worsted weight, ~250 yds; maybe if I can find the original...otherwise, something new/different)...but she's requested a cow as a replacement so we'll see how that goes.

Utilitarian/Household Items
1. Garter Chevron Blanket (worsted weight; KP Mighty Stitch - may need to get some more black or white)
2. Diagonal Knit Dishcloths (any weight; cotton of some sort, possibly a cotton/bamboo blend, depending on use)
3. Reusable Produce Bag (worsted weight; cotton or acrylic)
4. Harry Potter Blanket (worsted weight; superwash or acrylic - based on several dishcloth patterns to make blocks)
5. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth (any weight; cotton or a cotton/bamboo blend, again based on use)
6. Pop Blanket (worsted weight; superwash - a little of this and that?)
7. Holiday Countdown Stockings (worsted weight; various colors from partials bin)
8. Cat Butts (worsted weight; "cat" colors and pink for the butthole)
9. Yer Mom Licks Cat Butts (worsted weight; "cat" colors and pink for the butthole)

Other Fibery Endeavors:
1. Stash Fit
2. Create a project bag inventory
3. Update library inventory (on Ravelry)
4. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry) and reorganize yarn
5. Stitch markers: make kits and individual for Etsy shop
6. Destash as necessary/needed

 

 

So it's been a few weeks. Our land doesn't even look like we had a control burn done. It's all green and growing. I suppose that's a good thing. That was kind of the point, actually. Burn down the weeds, figure out where the edge of the wetland actually is, and go from there. We had our wetland delineation done this past week. We had to have it done for both the addition as well as the solar. Unfortunately, we don't have a spot for the solar in the field. We have plenty of field...but we have to be 75' from the center of the county highway AND 75' from the edge of the wetland. We don't have it except for way out on the other end of the property and then we'd have to run a line and it's going to be a large pain in the ass. So, we'll likely do roof-mounted on both the addition and the house. Not what we were hoping for but here we are. 

My 22,000 new girlfriends have settled in and are very busy. In order to put the queen box in, I had to take a frame out...and then they decided to start building comb from the top lid down into the space. So, I had to break out some comb. It was fine. But they're very happy and busy.

I will say this: they're not freeloading this year. And the honey is good. I had to break off three comb pieces (new ones) to fit the frame back in so they're currently in the house, draining honey into a bowl. 

The only other big thing to happen over the past two weeks was surgery, which was this past Thursday. I had my deviated septum fixed and a butterfly graft placed, which is really just a fancy way of saying they took cartilage from my ear and made a Breathe Right strip for inside my nose. Honestly, my nose is sore but my ear is the really painful part. I pulled the packing out yesterday and it's been mostly fine. I do have to keep my nostrils covered because of drainage. I'm taking tomorrow off and I have to go back into the office on Tuesday. Don't even get me started on that. I had hoped to work from home but it wasn't granted because even though my doctor said I should probably work from home, there was nothing keeping me from commuting to work (like being on narcotics from the surgery)....so I have to go in. Less than pleased is a very light version of how I feel. 

Anyway, that's about all I've got going on right now so I'm going to wander off. I think I'm going back to sleep soon. So much sleep. 

Maybe I'll get myself back on track...maybe. I hope you've had a lovely couple of weeks and weekends!