Y4: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #45

Happy Sunday :)

Things are all cattywumpus up in here. My college friend came into town a little over a week ago and heads back to Minnesota later today. It means that some things have been happening, other things have not been happening, and we'll just leave it at that for now.

But, let's get going...

Finished Objects (FOs):  
1. Elefante: started December 19, 2014; finished December 28, 2014  
2. Hat #1 - FoH: started December 31, 2014; finished January 1, 2015
3. Hat #2 - FoH: started January 1, 2015; finished January 4, 2015
4. Hat #3 - FoH: started January 7, 2015; finished January 10, 2015
5. Hat #4 - Stitch's Rock Hat: started January 16, 2015; finished January 24, 2015
6. Vanilla Fingerless Mitts: started January 23, 2015; finished February 3, 2015
7. Paradiddle Hat: started January 24, 2015; finished February 7, 2015
8. Stitch's Rock Collection (of Hats) - Variegated: started February 22, 2015; finished February 24, 2015
9. Sorin Fingerless Mitts: started March 8, 2015; finished March 31, 2015
10.Stitch's Rock Collection (of Hats) - Variegated: started February 27, 2015; finished April 1, 2015
11. Stitch's Rock Collection (of Hats) Pattern Test: started sometime in February, 2015; finished April 18, 2015 (pattern is live and can be purchased via Ravelry)
12. Traveling Vines Socks (pattern for publication): started sometime in February; finished April 15, 2015 -- full disclosure Friday, October 18, 2015
13. Sacrificial Goat #5: started May 29, 2015; finished June 4, 2015
14. Baby Hat: started June 4, 2015; finished June 6, 2015
15. Elvish Leaves Dishcloth: started June 10, 2015; finished June 12, 2015
16. Baby Hat: started June 19, 2015; finished June 27, 2015
17. Homework for Alana Dakos Class: started July 1, 2015; finished July 5, 2015 and it's all finished
18. Traveling Socks: started December 23, 2014; finished July 28, 2015
19. Sacrificial Goat #6: started August 23, 2015; finished September 1, 2015
20. Petty Harbour Socks: started July 29, 2015; finished September 5, 2015
21. Curlew: started September 10, 2015; finished September 26, 2015
22. Little Man's Hat: started July 8, 2015; finished November 2, 2015

It appears I've (finally) finished something. Little Man's hat, which took far too long, is finished, ends woven in, and washed/blocked. I've even taken photos....but I've not done an official FO Friday post (of course, to be fair, I've not done one for Curlew yet, either). I'll get there soon enough. But they are finished and that's lovely.

I also made some more stitch markers but I haven't photographed any of that :)


Works-In-Progress (WIPs): - carried over from 2014...and maybe earlier...*shifty eyes*
1. Dragon's Egg Socks: started September 2, 2013
2. Pacific Shawl: started June 8, 2014
3. Snape's Stockings: started August 20, 2014
4. Wink: started January 5, 2015
5. Fire & Ice (Fire) Socks: started April 15, 2015
6. Bunny: started September 8, 2015

A few little things have happened this week. Firstly, I had an epiphany about the not-yet-designed Ice Socks (to go with my Fire Socks). In case you don't recall, I've been trying to write a chart based on written directions for a certain stitch pattern I found and, of course, haven't been able to do that and it's been driving me bonkers. So, what's one to do in the era of the internets? I Googled it...and I found a couple free versions that I need to tweak to my specifications but, really, why didn't I think of that sooner?! But I told you about that last week. This week, I looked at one of the charts I saved and I think I know what I'm going to do for part of the pattern...I just need to chart it out and the chart is probably going to be HUGE. ::sigh::

Secondly, my Pacific Shawl continues to grow. I'm almost finished with the second pattern repeat. Then I'm going to move the lifeline and play a round of yarn chicken. I'm really hoping that I win at yarn chicken because I've only found a couple of people that have the yarn in their stash and none of them look close to my pot of dye....so I may have to come up with another idea for the last border repeat. I think if I lose at yarn chicken, I'm going to do the last border repeat in white to represent the crest of oceanic waves. It works in my head; just go with it.

Thirdly, that's about all I've worked on...though I did buy some yarn for a hat for Stormageddon, signed up for an Erin Lane Bag club for the new year, and a few other random things. Woo.


Anyway, moving along...

In my "OMGLSGWTFBBQ, crazy lady?!" lists...

Children's Items
1. George's Vest (for Stormageddon - sock/fingering; solid or semi-solid)
2. Nottingham (for Little Man - worsted; solid or semi-solid)
3. Nottingham (for Stormageddon - worsted; solid or semi-solid)
4. Harry Potter Blanket (for The Family - worsted; solid) - from various Harry Potter inspired square blocks
5. Albert the Absent-Minded (for Stormageddon - any weight; self-stripe, variegated, solid, or semi-solid)  *need pattern*
6. Mirkwood (for Stormageddon - bulky; solid or semi-solid)
7. Smaug (for Little Man - worsted; solid or semi-solid)
8. Dandy Sir Cephalopod (for Little Man - any weight; self-stripe, variegated, solid, or semi-solid)  *need pattern*
9. Moe the Mustache Monster (for Stormageddon - worsted; self-stripe, variegated, solid, or semi-solid)
10. Another Goat (for Little Man - worsted in white/cream, and brown)

Items for Me (Selfish Knitting, FTW!)
1. Vanilla Socks (using one of my Harry Potter yarns)
2. Drip Drip Drop Socks (using either a solid or semi-solid sock yarn that I haven't decided on yet)
3. Hermione Hearts Ron (sport; solid or semi-solid)
4. Ginny's Cardigan (DK; solid or semi-solid)

Secret Sock Club Bags (Pick a bag at "random")
1. Scotch and Soda Scarf (using Briar Rose Fibers Wistful - leftover from my Icarus Shawl)
2. CashSilk Fern Scarf (using a skein of Online Supersocke 100)
3. Jabberwonky (using KP Felici in Abracadabra)
4. If You Know Where To Go (in KP Felici in Green Veggies)
5. Gardener's Socks (using Malabrigo Sock)
6. Paradiddle Socks - my own design (using Malabrigo Sock)

New Techniques (one of the following stranded/multi-yarn kits)
1. University of Wisconsin Ski Hat
2. University of Wisconsin Christmas Stocking
3. University of Wisconsin Button Beanie

Because I love Husband and/or My Children
1. Sacrificial Goat #7 (for Little Man)
2. Sacrificial Goat #8 (for Stormageddon)

Christmas Presents
I have absolutely no idea what's going to end up here, if anything. I suspect something will end up here and I might pull it from other lists but we shall see. Maybe I won't do any Christmas knitting. Maybe all I'll wind up doing is Christmas knitting. I suppose this is a wait-and-see section :)

Designs
1. Susan's Hat
2. Traveling Vines Socks (done, see FO #12)
3. Little Man's Baby Blanket
4. Paradiddle Socks (see Secret Sock Club Bag section)
5. Paradiddle Collection of Hats



In "real life," a few things have happened this week. I already told you about the 5K we did last weekend but other things have happened as well. 

Last Sunday, we went into San Francisco to go take some photos new the Golden Gate Bridge. On the way home, Little Man started in about his ear hurting. He had mentioned it briefly on Saturday before the 5K but I didn't think much about it. Unfortunately, his complaining turned into crying which then turned into outright wailing about the pain. I wound up taking him to the pediatric urgent care where we were informed that he had an ear infection. I absolutely was not surprised. As a result of that and puking all over his floor on Monday morning, he stayed home from school on Monday. ::sigh::

Looks so sick, doesn't he?

On Wednesday afternoon, my college friend, the boys, and I went to the San Francisco Zoo. We walked a whopping 6.83 miles in a couple hours, Little Man and I rode the train, Stormageddon had his first trip down a slide, and we saw karma in action.

So, the karma story.....we were close to being "done" at the zoo, meaning the only places left to go were past the penguins, the hippos, and the rhinos, before heading to the park. We were by the wolverine enclosure when this lady looked me up and down, looked at Stormageddon in his stroller, and said that I shouldn't have bothered bringing him to the zoo since he couldn't see anything as he was strapped into his stroller. She then said that I should take him out and toss him over the fence into the wolverine enclosure as he'd get a much better view (as he was being consumed, I assume). I kind of laughed it off and said, "no, I rather like this one." We moved on but we happened to overhear her telling another zoo patron that she shouldn't have bothered coming as it was obvious she was blind. To be somewhat fair, she did have the cane that blind people use, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's entirely 100% blind. Both my friend and I thought her comments were quite brash and rude, almost bordering on harassment. So, we got around the penguins and fishing cats and were just past the hippo's pool, when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the brash and rude woman coming up kind of quickly. She wasn't coming toward us but it was apparent that she was trying to get away quickly from zoo security. She was coming fast enough that she tripped over her own feet and long skirt and went flying. She landed quite hard and I'm surprised she didn't break her glasses when she went flying. She then starts screaming that security pushed her, though there were at least a dozen adult witnesses that would tell you she tripped over her own feet. When we were much closer to the park, we saw her again, crying hysterically, and muttering about how she was going to sue the shit out of the zoo and the zoo security and so on and so forth. I swear she tripped again but that may have been my imagination. Either way, that was karma. 

But, anyway, have some zoo photos!

Little Man and the Komodo Dragon

Pelicans!

Panamanian golden frog

Polar bear!

Train selfie!

Mama, I'm a peacock!

And now I'm a butterfly!

Capybara :) 

Penguins

More penguins

Stormageddon's first trip down the slide

Swinging in the swing

On Thursday morning, while Little Man was in school, Husband, college friend, Stormageddon, and I went to a rather famous hole-in-the-wall oyster place called Swan's Oyster Depot. It's a no-frills lunch counter and fish market in San Francisco. I'd link to a website but they have a HUGE sign on the wall that says they don't have a website, though there is, apparently an unauthorized, one out there. None of us had ever had oysters before so it was an experience. 

Three dozen oysters!

The one thing about this place....you need to get there early because lines can go out the door. We were a little too early and, as a result, stopped into a coffee shop just up the street called Moka Coffee. They also do not have a website but it's just up the street. I had a lovely chai latte and Husband had a white mocha. Both were wonderful. Unfortunately, this happened...

Yeah. I accidentally ordered two. Oops. They were delicious. Chai lattes may be my new favorite thing. 

Yesterday, we sort of celebrated Little Man's birthday (which is tomorrow) by going to Chuck E. Cheese with our friends across the bay. We didn't do anything spectacular other than go but he'll get his presents tomorrow sometime. 

It was also Nine Rubies' local designer night, which is the yarn shop here in town. I met Christine Marie Chen (@bayareakntiter on Instagram, needle2needle on Ravelry). There is evidence of this on Instagram but blogger is disagreeing with me about posting it. Oh well.


Anyway, it's been a long week so I think it's time to stop. I hope you've had a wonderful week and weekend and so on....hopefully I'll be back on Friday with something (anything!).