YEAR SIX: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #1 (Introduce ALL THE THINGS!)

Happy Sunday! Happy 2017 (because it's New Years' Day)! WOOOOOO!

For those of you that know why we're here, ignore my rambling for a bit while I explain what the Year of Projects is all about.

A Year of Projects (link to the group page on Ravelry) was started in 2011 by a small group of bloggers that set a year-long challenge of projects (knitting, crochet, weaving, card making, underwater basketweaving, naked sewing, etc.) and blogged about it. The majority of the group is on a July-June schedule but I was a little late to the party when I started SIX YEARS AGO and their six month mark coincided with my birthday so I started just after the new year. There are a couple of people that have joined me on the January-December schedule, as well. I think the original idea may have come from Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and her quest to knit a pair of socks every month (which, as many of you probably know, is not necessarily a difficult feat for her), but I could be wrong about that.

There are some "rules" for the group, though I use the term quite loosely as the rules are not all that specific. You can join in whenever you want, introduce yourself in the group thread for introductions, make your list(s) and go.......


Finished Objects (FOs):
Nada. New year, nothing new....keep moving.


Works-in-Progress (WIPs)/17 UFOs in 2017:
1. Wink: started January 5, 2015
2. Oh, She IS a Bad Nut: started August 11, 2016
3. Fall in San Francisco (prototype 3): started October 4, 2016
4. Frene Creek Farm Corriedale (spinning): started October 12, 2016
5. Smooth Operator Socks: started October 13, 2016
6. Stormageddon's Vest: started October 17, 2016
7. Hermione's Everyday Socks (v2): started November 14, 2016
8. Trusty (v2): started December 22, 2016

Yes, I carried over things from last year....and the year before (I'm looking at you, Wink...I will finish you someday). This is the important list, in addition to the previous list (FOs) and the next list (17 UFOs in 2017). These are the lists that keep you up-to-date on my crafty events. The rest of the lists...well, we'll talk about those in a minute.

As for my WIPs...I worked a little bit on the SOS socks while at Little Man's swimming lessons. I'm almost ready to put in the waste yarn for the heel. Almost. I also pulled out Stormageddon's Vest (you'll see a photo down below). I'm probably 8-10 pattern repeats before I split for the arm holes. I think. If I measured correctly....which I may not have done. Hermione's Everyday Socks are both finished with gusset decreases so I'm working on the foot. This may be a project that I finish early this year. Maybe. We'll see if I run out of yarn. I shouldn't but I worry. And the Trusty hat is growing, albeit slowly. The official pattern has been released and you should totally go knit it (worsted weight, less than 220 yds, even for the slouchy version). 


17 UFOs in 2017
1-8: WIP list UFOs
9. Design: Susan's Hat
10. Design: Little Man's Baby Blanket
11. Design: Paradiddle Socks (aka Little Drummer Girl)
12. Design: Pacific Waves Hat
13. Design: Fall in San Francisco Hat
14. Stash Inventory (photos, in Rav database)
15. Dystopian Novel
16. Doctor Who blanket (1)
17. Doctor Who blanket (2)

This list may or may not change throughout the year. I mentioned this a few posts ago (here, if you're interested) but over at Pomegranate & Chintz, they are doing a "17 in 2017" challenge but it's based on your crafty UFOs (UnFinished Objects). You don't even have to finish them but those long-standing WIPs/UFOs will make substantial progress. So, I'm joining in. Hence the list above.


And now, the real reason you're here right now.....NEW LISTS! Also, let's all just keep in mind that there are significantly more potential projects here than I can knit in a year. I need choices, y'all!


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)

These are the only ones that are currently set up. I have plans to make a few more but we'll see how things go.


Stranded Knitting
1. University of Wisconsin Ski Hat (kit)
2. University of Wisconsin Christmas Stocking (kit)
3. University of Wisconsin Button Beanie (kit)
4. Xanadu Snowflake Cowl
5. Unknown Christmas Stocking for Little Man (see also: Designs)
6. Unknown Christmas Stocking for Stormageddon (see also: Designs)
7. Unknown Christmas Stocking for Husband (see also: Designs)


Children's Items:
1. Stuffed toy for Miss C (SIL's foster child)
2. Stuffed toy for Mr. K (SIL's foster child)
3. Stuffed toy for Miss E (SIL's adopted daughter)
4. Stuffed toy for TAZ (brother's daughter)
5. Undetermined hat for Little Man
6. Undetermined hat for Stormageddon
7. Mittens for Little Man
8. Mittens for Stormageddon


Items for ME (selfish knitting FTW!):
1. Morvarch (calls for laceweight but I've pulled some Wollmeise Twin for this one)
2. Park Slope (fingering, specifically Mountain Colors Crazy Foot)
3. Worsted weight house socks (worsted, of course - maybe something like Lumberjack)
4. Classic Silk Mayfaire Camisole (Miss Babs something or other)
5. Evangeline (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
6. Lichen (Aran or Sport/DK; solid or semi-solid)
7. Moyen Age (fingering; one of my Vice Yarns?)
8. Ginny's Cardigan (DK; solid or semi-solid)
9. Drip Drip Drop (sock; solid or semi-solid)
10. Celtic Myths (worsted; solid)
11. Jag in Garter Stitch (DK; 2 colors)
12. Cobh (fingering; 2 colors)\
13. Offhand Lace (bulky; solid or semi-solid)
14. Whitman (DK; any color)
15. Flax (worsted; any color - Misti Alpaca Harry Potter-esque one?)


Christmas/Charity Bin:
1. 198 Yds of Heaven (worsted; solid)
2. Comfort Food (Aran; solid)
3. Tombreck (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
4. Premie Spiral Hat (DK; any color)
5. Pumpkins & a Pattern (any weight, any color - gauge doesn't matter)


Designs:
1. Susan's Hat *started* - need new prototype & write pattern
2. Little Man's Baby Blanket *started* - write pattern
3. Paradiddle Socks - need prototype & write pattern
4. Pacific Waves Hat *started* - need another prototype & write pattern
5. Fall in San Francisco *started* - need another prototype & write pattern
6. Stormageddon's Baby Blanket - need prototype & write pattern
7. Cabled pullover (grey look-alike sweater) - need sketch, grading, swatch, prototype, & write pattern
8. Christmas stocking for Little Man - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
9. Christmas stocking for Stormageddon - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
10. Christmas stocking for Husband - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)


Spinning:
1. Finish up the Frene Creek Farm Corriedale (see also: WIPs)
2. Miss Babs BFL
3. Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk (1)
4. Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk (2)
5. Faerie Mountain Fibers Crazy Batt
6. Wash & start processing Alpaca fleece from Lambtown
7. Wash & start processing Merino fleece from Lambtown


Other:
1. Stash Inventory
2. Stitch markers
3. Make sure my vintage patterns are in Ravelry (Workbasket magazines, leaflets, etc.)



Yes, yes, I know.....there's so much there. No lie, I may or may not be going overboard. Also, this appears to be the year I want to knit all the sweaters and not knit all the socks (but we all know I'm still going to knit all the socks). Either way, the plan is to work from stash. My stash is out of hand, as usual. It's gotten better. I don't have things hanging out in shopping bags all over the floor (okay, there's one but I just got it this past week). But, the fact of the matter is that my yarn closet is very full, there's really no room for anything else, and I need to use what I have. And I need to knit faster, of course.






So, there's that.

As for this past week, it's been......well, let's be honest, this last week was a wreck in so many ways and wonderful in so many other ways. I lost track of the days. It happens every year, really. That weird week between Christmas & New Years where people just don't remember what day it is and what they're supposed to be doing. It leads to some interesting interactions while out and about.

With last Sunday being Christmas Day....yeah. Christmas. The boys got a metric ton of stuff. Luckily, most of the stuff Little Man acquired was in Lego form. And Stormageddon received little toys (Star Wars, Peanuts, Elmo)...I'm trying to cut down on stuffed animals ever since we found Frankie dead in Little Man's room a few weeks ago. I just don't want to deal with that again. We went across the Bay to Fremont to see our friends for Christmas. Nothing terribly exciting.

Husband's brother and sister-in-law sent Stormageddon a new rocket car to drive around the house. I'm pretty sure he likes it. He'll outgrow it soon enough, however.

And Little Man with his buttload of Lego Dimension figures. I think he got something like 9 or 10 boxes (and we still need to trade one because he got two of the same because Mama couldn't remember if had one or not so, you know, I bought it...oops).

Sunday night, however, was a bit of a different story. We pulled out the bottle of Egg Nog from Costco, which was lovely and not part of the problem. I went to wind a couple skeins of Wollmeise Twin for the Morvarch shawl listed above.

That is the first skein. It wound just fine.

The second skein, however, was tangled all to hell and I wound up having to hand wind it into a ball. The scissors were not involved except to cut the yarn holding it into what should have been a nice loop. It took forever because I had to keep going under and in between and over and around. I was not a happy camper. I'm going to use that skein first, once I get around to starting the project.

But oh no, it gets better. Stormageddon was being a little puke that night and we wound up keeping him in bed with us. He was refusing to stay in his crib, screaming his fool head off. So, he slept in our bed. I was uncomfortable all night. Oh well.

On Monday, Husband took Little Man into the city for the day. They went to see Rogue One at the Metreon in San Francisco. That left me with Stormageddon all day, which was fine. I spent time working on his vest (Stormageddon's Vest, noted in the WIP section above), which suited us both just fine.

Tuesday was more of a normal day around here. Well, as normal as you can get with a child on break and Husband off from work. I spent more time knitting and Husband kicked me out of the house for a few hours. I wandered to the Starbucks about a mile from our house, ordered a Skinny Peppermint Mocha, curled up in a chair, and did some knitting.

The project is Stormageddon's Vest, knit with Big Brother from Yarn On The House (color: Caviar). The bag is one of the Bag of the Month (BOM) bags for Severus Snape from Slipped Stitch Studios. And my mocha.

Wednesday was a fabulous day......without my children! We have friends that live across the Bay in Fremont. He and Husband have known each other since elementary school, they were college roommates for awhile, Husband introduced him and his wife......and now they live near us (we spent Christmas Day with them, as well). The wife is a crocheter. Guess what we went out and did? If you read the blog on a regular basis, you'll already know we went to the yarn store (because there was a stash update yesterday). I picked up some sock yarn and some DK, just so you know. We were gone for six hours and it was glorious. We went to the mall, had lunch, went to the yarn store, and then the thrift store. Exciting times all around.

By the time Friday rolled around, things seemed to be going much better, really. We drove down to Monterey and went to the aquarium. We were able to get out earlier than we had originally planned. The original plan was that we were going to go to the gym at 9am, shower there, and leave from there to go to Monterey. If all went well, we would have left around 10:30am, arriving around around noon:30. But, I got up early and went to the gym (I went around 6:45am). When I got home, Husband went (around 8am), and we were leaving for Monterey by 9am. It's a good thing we left when we did. We got there around 10:45am, found parking, and the aquarium was already pretty busy.

We walked along Cannery Row, stopping for a couple photos along the way.

When we first arrived, the otters were sleeping but they woke up eventually and started playing. I think the otters are probably a favorite of both boys.

There's a long touch tank on one end of the aquarium. Actually, there are two. One has stingrays and the other has an assortment of things like coral, sea urchins, shells, etc. Little Man was fascinated by the sea urchins. Stormageddon didn't want anything to do with anything in the tank.

After the aquarium (and some Pokémon hunting, of course - the place was crawling with Santa-hatted Pikachus), we had lunch at Bubba Gump where Stormageddon threw an epic tantrum that culminated with me taking him out front and letting him kick and scream on the ground. I suppose it could have been worse. At least I was able to bring him back so we could eat.

The traffic coming into Monterey Bay on Friday when we were leaving was....well, it was pretty backed up. I'm glad we left when we did because getting stuck in traffic with cranky children is muy no bueno.

Yesterday, being New Year's Eve....well, we didn't really do anything exciting. I mean, we had a nice dinner (at home) but we didn't go out and do anything. We stayed home with our monkeys, playing games, doing housework...nothing exciting. I tried to teach Little Man how to play Connect Four because he got it for Christmas. He got mad after I beat him twice (out of four games) and stomped away. I wasn't even trying to win. That's the worst part. Husband and Little Man also went and had haircuts. They both needed it. Christmas cards....cleaning....yeah. Nothing exciting.



So, there you have it. My first update for my sixth Self-Imposed Year of Projects. I hope you're all having a lovely New Years Day :) Oh, and I have a FO Friday that I need to post (the first Trusty Hat, the original test knit)...maybe that will come out this week.