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Mama, wife, knitter, blogger, spinner, wannabe something or other. That's enough, right?

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Year NINE: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Labor Day Weekend (Update #36)

 Happy Sunday! Happy Labor Day Weekend (if you're in the US) and Happy Father's Day if your in Australia (or was that yesterday?)! 

We're here for an update so let's get mooooooving :) 



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
11. Rose City Rollers: started 18 June 2020; finished 4 August 2020

Nope. Nothing new to see here. Move along now, sir.



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. Greenwood Fiberworks Dark BFL (Viktor): started 28 June 2020
11. Vanilla Socks: started 9 August 2020
12. Minecraft Socks: started 12 August 2020
13. Prototype Something Something (worsted): started 5 September 2020

Because I don't have enough going on, I started another project. However, if I keep working on it at the rate I was last night, I'll have it finished in another couple of hours. No joke, I'm already at the halfway point. As long as I don't run out of yarn, all will be well. I had planned to start this when I wound the yarn but found that I didn't have the needles I needed on hand. So, I ordered them from Webs, they arrived, and I started last night. I'm using some Mal Rios I had banging around the stash in the Paris Night colorway, which is a dark navypurpleish blue. The design is one of my own (the same design pattern as the Prototype cowl listed in the FO list above, just in a worsted weight). So, really, does it count if I have it finished in less than a day?

I also worked on the Minecraft Socks this week. I didn't get very far, maybe a dozen rounds, but progress is progress.

Lastly, I pulled out the Vanilla Socks. Because the yarn is so dark, I have to work on them in natural light. Artificial light just doesn't work for these, for some reason. I don't know if it's because of the yarn color or because it's single-spun or a combination of the two or what...but artificial light and these socks do not go together. Given that the aforementioned cowl is also a very dark yarn and I can work on it at night in low light leads me to believe that it's probably a combination of the color and the single-spun yarn. Regardless, I made some progress and that's good. 

There hasn't been much else beyond that, however. 



OMFGLSGWTFBBQ Lists


Design WIPs:

1. Messed Up Moss: started March 2009 - write pattern as PDF (iterations: firstsecond)
2. Susan's Hat: started 31 August 2010 - need new prototypes & write the pattern (iterations: firstsecondthirdminififthsixth)
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: firstsecondthird)
6. Fall in San Francisco: started 18 September 2016 - need new prototype & write pattern (iterations: firstsecond)
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: firstsecond)
9. 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) - I may change this to a different sweater using the same yarn
2. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
3. Mittens for Stormageddon (worsted weight probably)
4. 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!)


Designs:
1. Christmas Stocking for Husband
2. Christmas Stocking for Little Man
3. Christmas Stocking for Stormageddon
4. Baby Blanket


Spinning:
4. Alpaca (from Lambtown 2014)


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 are now heading into our fourth week of Distance Learning here in California. I'm not going to lie: it's rough. I'm having daily arguments with Little Man (well, almost daily). He's told me several times that he doesn't like 4th grade and that it's too hard, there's too much writing, he misses his friends....it goes on and on. And trust me, I get it. I miss seeing my friends, too. And 4th grade is hard but it's also going to be amazing! Really, though, his complaint is the amount of writing he has to do. Writing is hard for him and that's partly because his spelling is awful but also because it's like he doesn't know what the lines on his paper are for. ::sigh:: 

Stormageddon, on the other hand, has taken to Distance Learning for kindergarten very well. He goes to his meetings (morning & afternoon, plus PE and Library, and he also has speech and occupational therapy), he does his work in his workbook, he does his online work (mostly reading & math), and he will also do other things asked of him. Occasionally I'll get a little pushback from him but he'll take a break and then he'll be fine. 

So, that's where Distance Learning is hanging out right now. 

Husband is still working from home. I don't think that's going to end anytime soon, honestly. And we've come to peace with that. He had two office spaces set up. One is in the garage and the other is in Stormageddon's room. Ultimately, Stormageddon will get his space in his bedroom for his own desk space but not yet, especially as we're in the midst of a heat wave again so Husband will most likely be working from the inside office where there's air conditioning nearby. 

Aside from that, Stormageddon turned six years old this week! We did presents after school/work and we had cake. There wasn't much else we could do. 

This is how I found him that morning: 




He had been counting down for almost two weeks. He kept asking me, "mommy, how many more sleeps until my birthday?" and we would look at a calendar. Once we got to around a week left, he was able to tell me without the help of a calendar. 


One of the things he received for his birthday was a book that Little Man picked out. It's about the Lego Movie and I took some video of him reading it. Yes, my six year old can read pretty well. It's not perfect but he's six. I hope the video works...




We've also been doing a bit of yard work. So last week I mentioned that Husband had purchased a pole chainsaw and cut down all the tops off our camphor trees. I was hoping he'd wait until the weekend to rent the wood chipper but no, he decided that Wednesday morning was a good day. Wednesday morning was spent getting all the branches and tree tops into the wood chipper, then spreading some of the wood chips around the backyard. It was hard, loud work. But it's done....except all the wood chips. We did some of that this morning, actually. Most of what went into the wood chipper wound up being leaves so a lot of it isn't all that useful for our yard but what was useful, we hauled to the backyard and spread where it needed to be spread. We'll see how it goes. 

I know I mentioned Distance Learning already but I wanted to show you one of Little Man's projects. He has to make a map for Social Studies (making sure he has all the map features his teacher mentioned). This is his rough draft. He's missing most of the map features yet but he decided to make a map of Hyrule (Legend of Zelda). I just need to convince him that he doesn't need to make the entire map. We'll see how that goes. 




I think that's about it from me today. Hopefully this week goes well and I wind up with another FO. We'll see......

9 comments:

  1. Wow. I can't image the negative impact of distance learning on your little guys. And 4th grade is indeed much more difficult than the basic years of 1-3. We tried a speech to text program for my son (20 years ago). Unfortunately it mistranslated so many words that it didn't turn out to be better. Surely the programs/microphones are better now. Best wishes as you have to manage the impact of distance learning for many years.

    Blogger doesn't like me to respond with my wordpress url.
    https://knittingissofun.wordpress.com/

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  2. I know distance learning can be so tough...it's tough on the teachers too...while I liked not having to get up so early, because of my drive...I'd prefer to be in the classroom...we are starting hybrid on Tuesday...I will have 9 students at the most each day, unless some parents change their minds...I've had one already change from DL to in school..so we'll see..

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  3. Never a dull moment, huh? ;-) And yes, an FO counts even if it took you just a few hours to complete. It's finished, it counts. (Mind you, Ive decided I'll even count the shawl I crocheted last year because there are a bazillion ends to weave in, so once that's done, it's a FO.)

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  4. We just finished our first week of distance learning, and the kids are still on board. 1st and Pre-K. How long has your district committed to virtual? Ours is through the first semester, and then a reassessment. I think its a prudent move, better an over abundance of caution instead of none at all.

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  5. happy birthday to Stormageddon! and I am sorry, because it is not funny, but you did make me laugh out loud :-) hope you won't mind, but your story was funny!
    I can't see the video, perhaps it is only me, but I thought I'd let you know.

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  6. Happy belated birthday to your little guy!. Such a cute pic of sleepy boy! It is hard to imagine you can get any crafting done with how busy your life is so good for you for all your progress. Take care. Stay safe, and keep that lovely sense of humour of yours.

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  7. I can't help but wonder what camphor tree chips smell like. I'm imagining Vapo Rub, but surely not... I hope things get better for Little Man. I can appreciate that it's hard on him - and consequently, you.

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  8. The video says unavailable. I enjoyed knitting with Malabrigo Rios and hope you’ll share a photo of that once you’ve made more progress or finished it.

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  9. Happy belated birthday to your kiddo. How is your kids school with writing? I was astonished when my eldest went to school because they were stopped doing all the rote memorization I grew up with and were all about intuitive learning. Which I thought was crazy! And of course, eventually, they did get graded on spelling which was unfair to have spent years not worried about it and then bam! I would think that with distance learning it is typing and typing doesn't require lines? What am I not getting?

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