Y5: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #23

Happy Sunday! A new day, a new(ish) post......though it might be another episode of "Same Shit, Different Day." We'll see...

FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Fire Socks: started April 15, 2015; finished January 6, 2016
2. Nottingham for Stormageddon: started January 12, 2016; finished January 14, 2016
3. Design proposal for Fire Socks: started January 13, 2016; finished January 18, 2016
4. Purple merino/silk spinning (singles): started toward the end of Tour de Fleece (July 4-26, 2015); finished January 29, 2016
5. Nottingham for Little Man: started January 17, 2016; finished February 1, 2016
6. Swirl Hat: started December 16, 2015; finished February 4, 2016
7. Swatch for Marly Bird class at Stitches West: started January 8, 2016; finished February 7, 2016 (no project page)
8. Fire Socks design (the actual pattern writing & photography part): started February 6, 2016; finished February 12, 2016 (link to the preview; pattern went live on Saturday, April 2nd)
9. Mountains Beanie: started February 9, 2016; finished February 17, 2016
10. Rathmore: started February 25, 2016; finished March 4, 2016
11. Dragon's Egg Socks: started September 2, 2013; finished March 9, 2016
12. Creeper for Little Man: started March 4, 2016; finished March 10, 2016
13. Mother Bear Project #1: started February 22, 2016; finished March 12, 2016
14. Asshole Corriedale (spinning project): started March 23, 2016; finished March 24, 2016
15. Pacific Waves: started March 9, 2016; finished March 25, 2016
16. Freeport Vest Frogging: started March 29, 2016; finished March 29, 2016
17. Pacific Waves: started March 31, 2106; finished April 2, 2016
18. Vanilla Latte Socks: started November 19, 2015; finished April 6, 2016
19. Snape's Stockings: started August 20, 2014; finished April 11, 2016
20. Pacific Waves: started April 3, 2016; finished April 15, 2016
21. Creeper Hat: started April 28, 2016; finished May 4, 2016
22: Finn & Suffolk blend (spinning): started April 1, 2016; singles finished May 27, 2016; plied May 31, 2016

My Scotch tension cord arrived and was promptly put on my wheel. As a result, I finished plying the Finn & Suffolk blend. It's still hanging out on the bobbin, waiting for me to put it on the Niddy-Noddy and tie it off and wash it and.....yeah, it's plied and otherwise finished. I've no idea the weight or skein length but I suspect it's around a DK and maybe in the neighborhood of 400 yds. We'll see when I get that far.

But that's it, I swear!


WIPs (Works-In-Progress) - carried over year-to-year
1. Wink: started January 5, 2015
2. CashSilk Fern Scarf: started April 7, 2016
3. Gex for Little Man: started April 8, 2016
4. Bridal Shower Lace Cloth: started April 27, 2016
5. Caffe Macchiato Socks: started May 7, 2016

I've worked on Gex here and there. I finished up the right button band and I've started the left. I've even figured out how I'm going to go about the finishing of the collar and such. So, there's that. Unfortunately, I managed to cock it up. I put the buttonholes in four rows earlier than I wanted but I'm going to call it a design element and move along. Other than that, I've not really worked on much. Apparently sleep is more important. Or writing. Something.


Moving on....

Children's Items
1. George's Vest (for Stormageddon - probably the largest size; YOTH Little Brother from Stitches)
2. House Hat (one each for Stormageddon and Little Man - worsted, two contrasting colors)
3. Arthur the Alien (for Little Man - worsted; any colors)
4. Holiday Countdown Stockings (for the family - Aran/worsted; four colors)
5. Mirkwood (for Little Man - worsted or bulky; any colors)
6. Something for a baby (brother's baby!) - sweater probably, maybe a toy or socks or lots of things...KNIT ALL THE BABY THINGS!

Items for ME (selfish knitting, FTW!!)
1. Vanillaish Socks (using one of my Harry Potter Yarns)
2. Paradiddle Socks (using a solid or semi-solid sock yarn)
3. Hermione Hearts Ron (sport weight; solid or semi-solid - Plucky Primo in Petunia?)
4. Hermione Hearts Ron Fingerless Mitts (sport weight; solid or semi-solid - Plucky Primo in Petunia?)
5. Classic Silk Mayfaire Camisole (Miss Babs from Stitches Midwest)
6. Stormont (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
7. Sockhead Hat (sock; any colors)
8. Moab Shawl (sock; any colors) *need pattern*
9. Prowl (DK; solid or semi-solid) *need pattern*

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. Gardener's Socks (using Malabrigo Sock in Indiacita)

Stranded Knitting
1. University of Wisconsin Ski Hat
2. University of Wisconsin Christmas Stocking
3. University of Wisconsin Button Beanie
4. Xanadu Snowflake Cowl

Christmas/Charity Bin
1. 198 yds. of Heaven (worsted; any colors)
2. Phillip and Mr. Grum (sock yarn; any colors)
3. Comfort Food (Aran; solid)
4. Fine Fella (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
5. November Leaves (Shelter from stash) *need pattern*
6. Skinner Hat (sock; solid or semi-solid) *need pattern*
7. The Shoemaker's Hat (bulky; solid or semi-solid) *need pattern*
8. Roll Out The Barrels (cotton; any colors)
9. Sweeny Todd Scarf (worsted; any colors)
10. The Snowmen Cometh (worsted; any colors)
11. Sunburst Dishcloth (cotton; any colors)
12. Starfish Cloth (cotton; any colors)
13. Seamless Circular Cloth (cotton; any colors)
14. Tombreck (Aran/worsted; solid or semi-solid)
15. Premie Spiral Hat (for hospital donations - sport or DK; any colors)

Designs
1. Ice Somethingsomething (knit prototype and pattern for submission)
2. Susan's Hat (make proper - photos, pattern, etc.; knit new prototype from Babs K2 from Stitches)
3. Little Man's Baby Blanket (make proper - photos, pattern, etc.)
4. Paradiddle Socks (knit prototype - see "Items for ME")
5. Pacific Waves Hat (knit prototypes in various weights/sizes, pattern for submission? self-publish?) *I've started this*
6. Stormageddon's Baby Blanket (design process, knit prototype, etc.)

Spinning
1. Spin approximately 4 oz of either a grey wool or white merino to ply with the purple silk/merino listed in the FO section above.

Other (for things that are fibery/crafty in nature but not specific to knitting or spinning)
1. Organize my handmade stitch markers
2. Make more stitch markers (to sell? donate? hoard?)
3. Organize my books/magazines/loose patterns. *started*



Life in San Francisco has been.....well, it's been rather warm, honestly. We've had the room air conditioners on (we now have two big ones and a window one). They actually do a decent job of keeping the house cool. It's not perfect but it's better than being outside. That also means we've spent some time in the pool. Stormageddon is being Mr. Independent lately. He doesn't want us to hold onto him while he's in the pool. He's in a full floaty suit so it's not like he sinks but he needs to get used to how it operates in the water. He's probably swallowed a bit of pool water but he's learning. Unfortunately, Friday afternoon I got a sunburn. Oops. The boys were fine (and well sunscreened)...but I am a little red. It could be a lot worse so I'm not complaining too much about it.

In other random events, Husband turned 35 this week. He wanted the strangest thing. He wanted me to go shopping for clothes for myself and he gave me a budget. Since I've lost a bunch of weight, I've had the fantastic problem of my clothes being too big. For shirts, it's not a big deal since so many of them are just t-shirts but it had gotten to the point that two of my three main pairs of shorts/capris were starting to fall off me and I had a few more in the drawer that I couldn't even wear because they outright fell off, even though I still have my booty. So, new clothes for me. I wound up getting 2 pairs of jeans, 2 pairs of capris, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 nice tank tops, and a cotton jersey dress. Oh, and bras. But you don't need to hear about that.

I've spent a lot of time at the gym this past week. I've started some "light" strength training, in addition to the elliptical (and walking to and from school twice a day). My legs don't notice so much but my arms....man, those get sore. The first day was fine. The next day was horrible but I pushed through it. I took a day of rest and went the following day, wherein I couldn't do as much as I did the first day but I was better than the second day. And now I'm sore again. ::sigh:: Story of my life.

Here are some photos from the last week or so...

Little Man made a "robot" out of some boxes, paper, and a bunch of my Scotch tape. It resembles Baymax from Big Hero 6.

Stormageddon and I took a selfie while we were watching the Warriors play the OKC Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. I think it was taken during the 7th game, which the Warriors won. This is only important if you give a crap about basketball or you live in the Bay Area.

Little Man discovered Pikman this past week. We have a game that has a bunch of mini-games of various Nintendo games for the WiiU. Little Man loves the section on Pikman. So, we picked him up Pikman 3....which is sadly too difficult for him. Oh well. He'll be able to play someday.

Did I mention Mr. independent? We went to Buffalo Wild Wings for Husband's birthday lunch (he wanted chicken wings) and Stormageddon refused to eat unless it was speared on a fork, including french fries. And he got mad if I tried to help him get things on said fork. Silly child.

Other than that, it was a pretty benign week around here. I hope you're having a wonderful weekend and all that :)


Additional (12:24am)

Gex is off the needles. I have a zillion ends to weave in, buttons to find, and dear Sylvia & Bob, I hope it fits Little Man......