Year NINE: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Is this thing on? (Update #29)

Happy Sunday! I cannot use the "we're traveling" excuse right now because we've been home a few days. Let's just say I'm trying to recuperate from our trip. That works, right? No? 

::sigh:: Let's get going!



FOs (Finished Objects):
1. Ewetopia Stripey Socks: started 15 November 2018; finished 29 January 2020
2. Tiny Turtle: started 7 November 2019; finished 30 January 2020
3. Mirkwood: started 9 February 2020; finished 17 February 2020
4. Campfire Socks: started 17 October 2018; frogged 9 April 2020
5. Sockhead: started 8 January 2020; finished 25 May 2020
6. Baby Yoda: started 14 March 2020; finished 13 June 2020
7. Abracadabra Socks: started 7 August 2018; finished 18 June 2020
8. Multi-Colored Merino Top (Viktor): started 16 January 2019; finished 30 June 2020
9. Oread Hat (test knit): started 2 July 2020; finished 11 July 2020
10. Prototype Something Something Raindrops: started 11 April 2019; finished 18 July 2020

I finished up the prototype cowl last night! It currently needs a bath but otherwise, it's done and ready! 

In addition to that, I washed the Oread Hat last night and it's currently drying. I'm hoping that it grew a little with the wash. The fit was fairly decent but the bind-off was a little tight and it wasn't quite what I wanted (which is my own fault, rather than the designer's). So, we'll see what happens when it dries. Worst case scenario is that I donate it or one of the boys steals it. 



WIPs (Works-in-Progress) (These are carried over year to 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. Herbivore: started 15 November 2018
9. Linen Stitch Scarf: started 2 June 2020
10. Rose City Rollers: started 18 June 2020
11. Greenwood Fiberworks Dark BFL (Viktor): started 28 June 2020


With the cowl off my needles, I'm down to a much more respectable number of WIPs (and then she laughed and laughed!). We all know I'll probably start something new this week. 

In the meantime, I had a decent amount of car knitting as we drove back from our trip northward. It's around a twelve hour drive and I only drove for maybe four of those hours on the way back. So, lots of car knitting. I finished up the cowl, for the most part. I had the actual bind-off left and I didn't want to do it in the car in case I did it too tightly and needed to undo it. Not something I want to do in the car. 

I also worked on the Linen Stitch Scarf. One of these days I'll pop in a photo of that. It's not terribly exciting but it's still a WIP. It's a fairly meditative project as I can find the rhythm and just work on it. 

I also worked a bit on the granny square. I didn't finish the one square I had been working on but I'm okay with it. I think I'm on the last round for that square. Maybe this week I'll finish that up. 

I also worked on the first of the Rose City Rollers socks. I think I'm at the point where I start the toe decreases. I'm not positive because I didn't quite have enough room to take off my sock and shoe to try it on in the car but it's at the number of rounds I've used for socks in the past. I'd like to double-check. Maybe I should just do that now. [Insert pause while I check] Nope. I need a couple more rounds...maybe five at most. That's fine. This is why I check. I might have a HFO next week, if I work on these. 

But that's about it for crafting. I didn't take my wheel with us so there was no spinning, and I'm not a huge fan of my drop spindles so no on those, as well. It's fine. Everything is fine. FIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNE! 

*ahem* Moving along....

OMFGLSGWTFBBQ Lists

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)


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. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
4. Mittens for Stormageddon (worsted weight probably)
5. I Love Stockinette Baby Bibs (worsted - cotton, acrylic, something)

Items for ME (Selfish Knitting FTW!):

1. Autopilot (worsted weight - Sincere Sheep Cormo Worsted or htNEVELE Worsted in Reveire)

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

3. Perianth (fingering weight - Knitcircus Trampoline in The Whole Enchilada)

4. Pembroke Scarf (fingering weight - Fresh From the Cauldron Schoodic Sock in Sookie)

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

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

7. Socks (fingering weight - I have tons...pick something!)

8. Washcloths/chewcloths (worsted weight - cotton)

9. Sockhead (fingering - I have tons...pick something!)

10. Age of Brass & Steam (Handspun purple/white barber pole)

Designs:

1. Christmas Stocking for Husband

2. Christmas Stocking for Little Man

3. Christmas Stocking for Stormageddon

4. Baby Blanket

Spinning:

1. Wonderland Dyeworks BFL

2. Mixed BFL

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

4. Alpaca (from Lambtown 2014)

5. Fiberlady.com 100% Bamboo 

Dyeing:

1. Sock Blanks
2. Skeins of sock yarn

3. Anything else I find along the way

Other Fibery Endeavors:

1. Create project bag inventory

2. Update library inventory (on Ravelry)

3. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry)

4. Stitch markers

5. Destash as necessary

6. Stash Fit 

We spent most of this past week in Washington state, visiting our friends. They're pretty much the only people we've seen in close contact since March. So, basically, they're in our "bubble," even though they live 700 miles away. 

The boys rode horses, which was a first for both of them. Stormageddon technically rode a pony but Little Man was on an actual horse. 

I'm pretty sure the boys had fun because the wanted to do it again a couple days later. 

Aside from the boys riding the horses, we played with doggies (our friend's mom has two schnauzers, her aunt has a schnauzer and a dachshund, and her cousin also has a dachshund), picked berries, visited the river (the beginning of the Columbia River), went swimming (not in the river), made s'mores, and hung about in a place that was not home. 

It was much needed.

Stormageddon declared that he didn't like the roasted marshmallows but he likes the regular ones. ::eyeroll:: Silly boy. Who doesn't like roasted marshmallows?!

A few nights this past week I caught the boys asleep in places with the lights on. Little Man was in the bed he and I were sharing, lights on, blankets piled over him, out cold. Stormageddon fell asleep while watching a childhood classic: Bon Voyage Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!). 

We also saw the other side of Mt. Shasta on the way home. This side had much more snow. I don't know if it's because it's the "north" side or not (I'm not up on how snow works on tops of mountains - though I suspect it's because it's the northern side as that's how snow melt works on the ground in Wisconsin). 

Overall, we had a good trip. I think we all just needed to get away. Unfortunately, it was "back to the grind" for me on Friday, not that I ever really got out of it as I was working while we were in Washington. It was fine, though. I worked in and around all the activities we did, which is what I usually do anyway. 

This week, though, it's definitely back to the grind. Husband's two weeks off are done and I never got vacation. The only "house" thing we have left to do is fix a spot of dry rot we have outside. We started yesterday when I bought the board we needed and Husband painted it. We pulled off the board that needs replacing this morning and decided we should probably pull the other one off, too....which means we need another board. In the meantime, we sprayed the dry rot stuff (Killz) and put up the one board we had. We'll put the other one up tomorrow and I'll try to do some caulking and painting on Tuesday. I hope. That's the plan, anyway. 

We're also going to put a final round of tile in the bathroom but that's not something we need to do right this minute. It's fine the way it is but this little round of tile will just finish it off. 

Aside from that, the school district finally decided on how the school year is going to look. Everyone is starting off with distance learning in mid-August and around fall break, we're going to reevaluate whether it's safe to go back to the buildings in a hybrid model or not. The hybrid model would be two days in person and three days distance learning for one cohort, while the other cohort would have three days distance learning and then two days in person. The distance learning option is always there. Then there will be another reevaluation in January and probably again in April. Regardless, we'll be doing distance learning as Little Man is considered high risk. 

Sooooo, that's where things stand around here. I hope you all had a good week and a delightful weeked!