Year the TENTH: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - The Final Countdown - part the second (Update #50)

Remember in my last post where I said we had eleven days? Well, now we're at nine days, even though almost a full week has passed. We'll talk about that in a minute. For right now, let's talk about all the other things that come with updates :)

FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Greenwood Fiberworks Dark BFL (Viktor): started 28 June 2020; finished 17 January 2021
2. Boo-Yah: started 26 January 2021; finished 27 January 2021
3. Minecraft Socks: started 12 August 2020; finished 6 March 2021
4. Alpaca (Viktor): started 17 January 2021; finished 17 March 2021
5. Dyeing Project: started 9 April, 2021; finished 9 April 2021
6. El Panal Cowl: started 5 April 2021; finished 29 April 2021
7. Rose City Rollers: started 7 March 2021; finished 1 June 2021
8. Unknown Wool (Viktor): started 26 June 2021; finished 27 June 2021
9. Abstract Fibers Merino Tencel (Viktor): started 27 June 2021; finished 29 June 2021
10. Frabjous Fibers Merino Top (Viktor): started 30 June 2021; finished 2 July 2021
11. Allons-y Fiber Arts Merino (Viktor): started 4 July 2021; finished 7 July 2021
12. Rose City Rollers: started 1 June 2021; finished 12 August 2021
13. Flax for Stormageddon: started 29 April 2021; finished 31 August 2021
14. Waiting for Winter Mittens: started 11 September 2021; finished 21 September 2021
15. Waiting for Winter Mittens for Stormageddon: started 25 September 2021; finished 28 September 2021
16. Rose City Zombies: started 13 August 2021; finished 21 October 2021
17. Sockhead: started 27 September 2021; finished 10 December 2021

As predicted, I finished my Sockhead. I've had more time to knit (more about that in a minute, too) so I spent it on the Sockhead because it's easy to do in the dark while watching Hawkeye and I can do it in the car while I wait to get Stormageddon at school and so on. 

Look! I made a frickin' pom for the top! I have never done that for a hat. I've made poms before (it's been like 35 years but it's not like it's changed much)....but I've never made a pom for a hat. And I decided this one needed a pom so I made one. And yes, I did it entirely by hand...no fancy pom maker.  I have a good sized ball left, as well, which may be a good thing because if the pom falls apart, I can make another one.

 

WIPs (Works-in-Progress) *these are carried over year after year, as 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. Vanilla Socks: started 9 August 2020
11. Sand Drift Blanket: started 17 January 2021

With us being so close to the end of the line, I've actually had a bit more time to knit. With the majority of our things packed up, there hasn't been a lot for me to do, really...so it's been TV and knitting, which...I mean, I'm not going to complain about that. However, keep in mind that most of my projects are also packed...so I have a very limited selection to work with.

That's how I wound up finishing the Sockhead. Not a lot to choose from. 

I believe I have the Linen Stitch Scarf, the Granny Square Blanket, and Herbivore out as WIPs but I also have two skeins of sock yarn wound and needles for socks, fingerless mitts, or a(nother) Sockhead. So, I do have the ability to start a couple new projects to tide me over until I unpack. We'll see how that all turns out. 

But for now, the only knitting I really did was on the Sockhead :) 

OMGLSGWTFBBQ

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. Paradiddle Socks: started 19 October 2017 - write pattern (iteration: here)

 

Design Ideas:
1. Christmas Stocking for Husband
2. Christmas Stocking for Little Man
3. Christmas Stocking for Stormageddon
4. Baby Blanket
5. Stomping Grounds Collection

 

Items for ME (Selfish Knitting FTW!):
1. Rose's Wrist Warmers (DK weight - using Aran instead; hand-dyed Malabrigo Twist?)
2. Perianth (fingering weight - Knitcircus Trampoline in The Whole Enchilada)
3. Stranger Things Hat (worsted - Malabrigo Rios in Archangel)
4. Autopilot (worsted weight - Sincere Sheep Cormo Worsted or htNEVELE Worsted in Reveire)
5. Fine Tune (fingering weight - uses minis so maybe a rainbow type one with the Canon Hand Dyes?)*
6. Flax (worsted weight - Misty Alpaca in the Harry Potter colors)
7. Park Slope (fingering weight - Mountain Fibers Crazyfoot in Shamrock)
8. Undone (bulky - maybe the reclaimed yarn from the Freeport Vest?)
9. Socks (fingering weight - Bob knows I have enough so I should use it - maybe with the CSM)
10. Age of Brass & Steam (Handspun purple/white barber pole)
11. Radiate Shawl (fingering weight - Artfibers Carezza maybe?)

Children's Items/Knitting for others
1. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
2. Maybe a Flax for Little Man...maybe...

 

Utilitarian/Household Items
1. Garter Chevron Blanket (KP Mighty Stitch - may need to get some more black or white)
2. Diagonal Knit Dishcloths (cotton of some sort)
3. Reusable Produce Bag (cotton or acrylic of some sort - worsted)
4. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth (cotton or maybe bamboo, depending on the use)

Spinning:

1. Wonderland Dyeworks BFL

2. Mixed BFL

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

4. Fiberlady.com 100% Bamboo 

Dyeing:

1. Sock Blanks (I think I have 5 left)

2. Random worsted/sport skeins (I have maybe 2-3 left)

3. Anything else I find along the way (I don't think there's anything else)

Other Fibery Endeavors:

1. Create project bag inventory

2. Update library inventory (on Ravelry) *in progress*

3. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry) *needs to be redone - after we move*

4. Stitch markers: kits and individual

5. Destash as necessary (it's always necessary)

6. Stash Fit

 

 

 

 

So. Here's what's been going on. We had a few changes this week. The original plan was that the moving truck was coming sometime between December 13th & 16th. We hadn't gotten a solid date yet and the moving company was increasingly difficult to get a hold of. In addition to that, they wanted a finalized box count, which I can't really give them until everything is actually packed, which I can't do if they won't tell us when the damn truck is coming! Then, we were going to leave after picking the boys up on Friday. 

But the difficulty of getting a hold of the moving company prompted us to look into them. Turns out they're not a moving company. They're brokers, basic middlemen, really. And then we started looking at the Better Buisness Bureau for information...not accredited, tons of complaints, and a fairly new company (started in 2019). The complaints were mostly of the "they quoted me $X, had us make a down payment of $Y, and when the movers came they wanted $Z in addition" and it was usually double or triple the estimate. There were also quite a few complaints of "company will not tell us when our stuff is being delivered" or "company will not release our property." 

Basically, big red flags over and over! 

So, Husband made some calls to some of the big, accredited, national companies and got quotes (he called North American Van Lines, Allied, and Arpin). All of them said the same thing - get rid of those brokers! So, we definitely did that. We went with North American in the end. The only thing is that it changed the date for when the truck would come. Instead of not knowing the date between the 13th & 16th, we have a set date of December 21st......but that means our plans of leaving on the 17th are now moved back. We may still make it to Wisconsin by Christmas Day but we'll see how things go. 

In the meantime, I've not got a lot to do, really. I can't pack the things we need so I've been doing some of the cleaning (like inside cabinets and drawers) but that still leaves me time....so I've been knitting. Of course. 

The boys have their last week of school before our move. It's going to be a rough week. I expect there will be lots of tears throughout the week, especially on Friday. I'm not quite sure what to do, honestly. It's going to be rough, though. 

The boys had a playdate at the park last Sunday. It was great for them to get together with their friends for some time together outside of school. I'd post pictures but I know people can get weird about photos of their kids that they didn't post and I don't have time to edit everything. Just know that they had a ton of fun. 

 

Husband also had people over for BBQ last weekend. That was also a fun time.

 

Last night was my party. The moms threw me a party, which I was aware of (because I curated the invite list). We had so much fun.

So, I need to tell you about this mom in the parka here. Last night it was about 47F. I'm in denim capris and my sweatshirt and I was cold, particularly my feet. Keeping in mind I'm from Wisconsin. This mamacita in the parka here, she's from ALASKA....and she was absolutely freezing. She had on her parka, long pants, her boots, her scarf, a hat, the hood of her knee-length jacket pulled up over her head, the whole thing.....and she was still freezing. 

::sigh:: She's been in California too long. I mean, I have too but I wasn't that cold until I got home and tried to go to bed last night. I kept sticking my feet under Puppy so I would warm up. That was what was the coldest: my feet! 

That's where we are this week. I hope you've had a lovely week and weekend!