Year Eight: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Let's Just Accept This "New Normal" and Move On (Update #13)

Happy Sunday! Let's just accept this "new normal" of me getting around to posting whenever I can get around to it and move on :) 



FO's (Finished Objects): 
1. Age of Brass & Steam: started 10 August 2018; finished 7 January 2019
2. Sockhead for Little Man: started 29 November 2018; finished 25 January 2019

I haven't finished a project since January. I don't know how I feel about that. 

WIPs (Works-in-Progress) (These are carried over year to year)
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 Spinner): started 13 April 2018

5. Granny Square Blanket: started 28 April 201

6. Clapotis: started 29 June 2018

7. University of Wisconsin Ski Hat: started 28 July 2018 

8. Abracadabra Socks: started 7 August 2018

9. Purl & Loop Weaving Project: started 28 August 2018

10. Campfire Socks: started 17 October 2018

11. Herbivore: started 15 November 2018

12. Ewetopia Stripey Socks: started 15 November 2018

13. Multi-Colored Merino Top (Viktor): stared 16 January 2019
14. Cowl for Miss Sylvie: started 18 January 2019

I've not done a lot of knitting but all of it was on the Cowl for Miss Sylvie. But, the delightful part is that I'm on the ribbing on the other end.....which means I'll have it finished in less than 15 rounds, which is absolutely wonderful! It's been awhile since I've finished a project. But that's it for knitting. Or crochet. Or spinning. 



Design WIPs  (New section, specifically for design WIPs):
1. Messed Up Moss: started March 2009 - write pattern as PDF (iterations: first, second)
2. Susan's Hat: started 31 August 2010 - need new prototypes & write the pattern (iterations: first, second, third, mini, fifth, sixth)
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: first, second, third)
6. Fall in San Francisco: started 18 September 2016 - need new prototype & write pattern (iterations: first, second)
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: first, second)
9. Rastarmulke: started 20 November 2017 - write pattern (iterations: first, second)
10. Paradiddle Socks: started 19 October 2017 - write pattern (iteration: here)


Let's just keep 'er movin', shall we? Let's just not talk about this right now, k, thx, bi. 

OMGLSGWTFBBQ Lists

Challenges (this is new for 2019)

1. Knit 2 granny squares a month (average) until I'm out of yarn (for the Granny Square Blanket in my WIP list above - I started with four cakes, I've finished two and started the third...I bought a fifth, though, for more choices): Now that tomorrow is April, I suppose I need to get going on these....I'm on my 7th square, which is delightful as it would be the first for April....but I need to get moving on these again :) 

2. Knit 1 dishcloth a month (average): So I'm super behind. I have not knit one yet....not a single one. I might need to get on this for April, especially as it appears I'm low on dishcloths and washcloths for the shower. Oops. 

3. Submit and/or publish 4 designs this year. 

Children's Items

1. Oliver for Stormageddon (worsted weight - Stunning String Studio from Stitches West 2018)

2. Minecraft Socks for Little Man (fingering weight - Tosh Sock in Plaid Blanket?)

3. Mittens for Stormageddon (probably worsted weight of some sort)

4. Tardis Beanie (worsted weight - Cascade Yarns Venezia in Blue Velvet & Grey)

5. Holiday Countdown Stockings (worsted weight - might need to buy yarn for this one...) x2 sets (because 2 children)

6. Smaug Hat (worsted weight - Malabrigo Rios in Archangel)

7. Mirkwood (bulky weight - MadTosh Chunky in either Charcoal or Lowland)

Items for Me (Selfish Knitting FTW!)

1. Fornicating Deer Hat / Basic Lined Hat (worsted weight - Barrett Wool Co. Worsted Weight in Huron & Stationery from Stitches West 2018)

2. Pembroke Scarf (fingering weight - pick anything 400+ yds, it should work)

3. Brickless (worsted weight - Miss Babs Yowza in Celebration)

4. Nightlock (fingering weight - Sun Valley Fibers Merino/Nylon Fingering in Onyx & Sunshine Yarns Classic Sock in May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor)

5. Honey Badger (fingering weight - one of the BMFA STR that I got from Carrie)

6. Park Slope (fingering weight - Mountain Fibers Crazyfoot in Shamrock)

7. Irisa Cowl (aran weight - pick something 200+ yds and it'll be fine)

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

9. Xandu Snowflake Cowl (as a hat; fingering weight - G. Sheller Merino/Silk Fingering in Natural & YOTH Little Brother in Caviar)

10. Spider Slouch (worsted weight - Plucky Scholar in One Hit Wonder)*

11. Moyen Age (fingering weight - Vice Yarns special order)

12. Pop Blanket (worsted weight - box of Knit Picks...may need to order more)

13. University of Wisconsin Button Beanie (came as a kit)

14. University of Wisconsin Christmas Stocking (came as a kit)

15. Morvarch (fingering weight - Wollmeise that I used the first time)

16. Down the Rabbit Hole (self-stripe fingering weight - White Birch Fiber Arts Merino/Nylon Self-Stripe in Rainbow Ash)

17. Tombreck (Aran weight - hand-dyed Malabrigo Twist or handspun Purple BFL)

18. Stormont (worsted weight - MadTosh 80/10/10 in Molly Ringwald)

19. Rose's Wrist Warmers (DK weight - using Aran instead; hand-dyed Malabrigo Twist?)

20. Northeasterly (Sock or DK weight - but really, I can use whatever as long as I have enough)* 

Dishcloth Patterns (for Challenges - these are just ideas!)

1. Grandmother's Waffle Washcloth

2. Kitchen Towel (as a washcloth - leave off the top/mirror bottom)

3. Tribble

4. Variation on a Theme

5. Checker-Square Garter Dishcloth

6. Seamless Circular & Hexagonal Cloths

7. Honeycomb Dishcloth

8. Almost Lost Washcloth

9. Leafy Washcloth

10. Sunburst Dishcloth

11. Starfish Cloth

12. Roll Out the Barrels 

Designs

1. Stormageddon's Baby Blanket - need prototype & write pattern

2. Cabled pullover (grey look-alike sweater - Old Navy hooded sweater with cable) - need sketch, grading, swatch, prototype, & write pattern

3. Christmas stocking for Little Man - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)

4. Christmas stocking for Stormageddon - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)

5. Christmas stocking for Husband - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)

Spinning

1. AVFKW Merino Silk

2. Abstract Fiber Merino Tencel

3. Allons-Y Fiber Arts 18.5 Micron Merino

4. Allons-Y Fiber Arts Merino, Trilobal Nylon, Silk

5. Alpaca (from Lambtown 2014)

6. Ambrosia & Bliss Rambouillet Top

7. Anne's Fiber Expressions

8. Ashland Bay Fiber Merino Top

9. BMFA Handpainted Roving

10. Bramble Wool Farm Shetland Wool

Dyeing

1. Sock Blanks (10) from Vice Yarns
2. Anything else I find in the stash...or pick up along the way....

Other Fibery Endeavors
1. Stitch markers and/or stitch marker kits

2. Vintage patterns into Rav database & my Rav Library

3. Update inventory of loose patterns & books (spreadsheet & Rav Library)

4. Update inventory of PDF patterns (Rav Library)

5. Update yarn inventory (make sure it's up-to-date)/destash

6. Inventory project bags (Erin Lane, I'm looking at you)

7. Get the Etsy Shop up and running with all the things! Or something. Maybe not an Etsy shop...

This week started out kind of rainy and icky...but we had a rainbow, and that's delightful. 

We could actually see the entire length of the rainbow from the top of highway overpass. One end was on the new Facebook building less than 2 miles from our house (ew - don't even get me started on the traffic nightmare that's going to cause) and the other was a neighborhood in Burlingame. 

We tried to go about our normal week. Now that the auction is over and I've finished up almost everything, we're trying to get back to our old routine...which would be fine if things would fall into place, but they don't. Monday, for instance, Stormageddon didn't have speech therapy because his speech therapist was out sick. But, we're trying...just in time for spring break. ::sigh::

Swimming lessons for Stormageddon continue to get better/easier/safer. We have a little talk every day before swimming about how to behave and what is expected of him. Benches are for butts. When we're not with Teacher Stephanie, we need to wait our turn with our butt on the bench. It's actually working pretty well. He was a little wilder than normal as there were three kids in his class (including him) on Tuesday...but he still did pretty well and he got to go down the slide as a treat for behaving himself. 

Thursday was a crazy day. Stormageddon had speech therapy, I fit a quick trip to the gym in before picking up Little Man at noon for a doctor appointment in Oakland. It's only 17 miles away, but it took us 45 minutes to get over there (and another 5-10 to park and get to the actual appointment). Little Man had an up-closeish look at a small homeless camp near the clinic (it's a medical complex - hospital, specialty clinics, regular clinics...takes up about 4 square blocks, plus parking ramps...and they're building more). That was hard to explain to him. There weren't a lot of actual people there (because many of the homeless people in and around the Bay Area actually do work a steady job or two or three), which kind of confused him but I told him that a lot of people were just a medical bill or car accident away from winding up in that position. 

Regardless, he had his appointment with his metabolic specialist. He's just a big kid for his age, which is perfectly fine. 

The good news is that we don't have to go back for a couple years, which is rare with the type of disorder he has. Most of the kids with the same disorder need to go at least yearly, if not every six months or more. Then again, most kids with the same disorder have common genetic mutations....Little Man's is completely novel, and the only known case. Soooooo, he's diagnosed with the disorder but he's been asymptomatic his entire life, even while sick, which is lovely. Hence, not going back until he's 10 but obviously keep the specialist in the loop if he gets sick or if he needs surgery or something like that. So, that's great. One less thing to deal with for awhile. After his appointment, he and I went to get ice cream and then he had swimming lessons. Thursday was busy.

  

On our walk home Friday morning, Stormageddon and I found the butterfly hanging out in the bush where the caterpillars were just a few months ago....so this was probably one of the caterpillars, as they lay their eggs where they were laid and their parents were laid and so on and so forth back as it goes. 

Friday was a busy day, too, actually. Little Man performed at Friday Morning Gathering, which he told me about as he was going to bed on Thursday night...so Stormageddon and I saw that. Then, in the late morning, Little Man's class had their music program performance. He specifically asked Husband to go, which he never does. So, Husband worked from home so he could go. And then, after school, we had an impromptu playdate because it was needed and necessary. 

Yesterday, we had kind of a lazy day at home. I mowed the lawn, did some housework (laundry, mostly), did some grocery shopping at Costco, and I took Little Man along for the ride. 

Yes, my child is trying to bite my head. I suppose it's warranted. I've been threatening to eat him for the last seven years....

Anyway, I hope you've had a lovely week and weekend. We're starting spring break this week so I anticipate lots of trips to the park and trying not to kill my children. Or something. Maybe some actual knitting. Or not.