ELEVENTH Self-Imposed Year of Projects - *sniff sniff* Is that spring?! (Update #19)

 Happy Sunday and, if you're a USian, Happy Mother's Day!

FOs (Finished Objects)

Nope. I usually have something done by now but, well, yeah...it's not happening yet....

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
12. Vanilla Socks: started 12 December 2021
13. Dishcloth: started 25 February 2022
14. Mixed BFL (Annie): started 18 March 2022
15. Lakeline Tank: started 18 March 2022
16. Baby Blanket: started 22 April 2022

I finished up my granny squares...meaning I ran out of yarn, mostly. I have a small ball of yarn left but it's definitely not enough to make another square, and 37 squares doesn't make sense anyway (if I've counted correctly). I'm hoping to lay them all out sometime this coming week and decide if I want a square 6x6 blanket or a 9x4 blanket (using all 36 squares) or if I should toss another square out and make a 5x7 blanket (using 35 squares). I need to see about how big each one would be. I feel like the 9x4 may be too narrow but we'll see. 

I also finished a sock the other night (#12 on the list) and started the second one. So that's plugging along, I guess. I was going to work on it last Monday when I went to knitting group but I knew I was close to the toe decreases and I really didn't want to be taking my sock and shoe off to try it on so I opted for other things.

 

I worked on the Lakeline Tank instead. It has a ribbed bottom but the neckline and the armholes are i-cord. I'm thinking about changing those to ribbing, as well. It's not a big change and I have time to decide if I really want to go that route or not. I'm still on the ribbing for the bottom. The pattern calls for just a few rounds of ribbing and I don't think it's enough so I added some more. I think I'll probably double what the pattern asks for. I need to see how long it is. Then I'll be in stockinette hell for awhile (16" if I remember correctly). 

I also worked on the baby blanket, obviously. I need to measure the length but there's a possibility that it may only wind up being three stripes instead of five. But like I said, I need to measure first. ::sigh:: I can't believe I agreed to make two of these. I grossly overestimated my knitting ability on a deadline. Again. It doesn't help that the babies were a week early (which isn't surprising because twins do that). I'm going to wind up with a bunch of leftover yarn, too. I suppose I can make a scrappy baby blanket and sell it or donate it or something. We'll see. I suppose I could attempt to return the yarn (it's Big Box Store yarn). Regardless, I'm working on the baby blanket.  

In other related events, Stash Dash (hosted by the Knit Girlls on their Discord) will be from 27 May - 31 August 2022. I'm planning to try to partake. We'll see how things go. I set up my spreadsheet, which is always a good start. I need an extra excuse to finish things up and work on things that I've not touched in awhile. I need to get my rhytym going around here. 

Oh....and I went to the yarn store this past week.

Twice. 

When I dropped Husband off at the airport on Monday, I went to a new-to-me shop in Madison called Fiddlesticks. It's near downtown, which is about 40 minutes away so it's not super close but it's not super far, either. My closest shop is The Sow's Ear, which is only about 20 minutes away. I picked up four skeins of yarn, three of which were done by local dyers. It was a good day. And then yesterday, Husband had the boys out so I picked up my college roommate and we went back (she hadn't been in yet). I picked up two more skeins of yarn (local dyers, again) and a bottle of wool wash because I can never seem to find mine and it's always good to have it. 

Oops. 

But that's it. I swear!

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. Park Slope (fingering weight - Mountain Fibers Crazyfoot in Shamrock)
2. Flax (worsted weight - Misty Alpaca in the Harry Potter colors)
3. Musselburgh (any weight - likely DK or worsted)*
4. 3 Color Cashmere Cowl (fingering weight, 3 colors)
5. Gradient Band Cowl (fingering weight - Safronie Fairy Tales gradient and a solid)*
6. Fine Tune (fingering weight - uses minis so maybe a rainbow type one with the Canon Hand Dyes?)
7. Stashbusting Helix Hats (worsted weight - bits and bobs of worsted)
8. Hüj Tüb (laceweight - maybe that 100% lace cashmere I've had forever?)
9. Undone (bulky - maybe the reclaimed Freeport Vest yarn?)

 

Children's Items/Knitting for others
1. Flax for Little Man (worsted weight - likely Baah Yarns Shasta in London Blue)
2. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
3. The Mandolorian (sport weight - need grey, white, and green...which I might have)*
4. Zelda Beanie (worsted weight - black or grey and yellow, which I'm sure I have)
5. Wasabi for Mr. K (worsted weight - Cascade 220 in Moss Agate if possible)
6. Bugle for Miss E (worsted weight - multicolor; htNEVELE in Reverie if possible)
7. Bonbon for Miss C (worsted weight - Cascade 220 in Vinci if possible)
8. Baby Bear for Mr. T (fingering weight - anything will work)
9. Pig for Earle & Duane (worsted weight - need pink, of course...maybe a good use for the one skein of Molly Ringwald I have?)

 

Utilitarian/Household Items
1. On-Trend Chair Socks (worsted weight bits and bobs) - I have a lot of chairs that could use these
2. Garter Chevron Blanket (KP Mighty Stitch - may need to get some more black or white)
3. Diagonal Knit Dishcloths (cotton of some sort, possibly a cotton/bamboo blend, depending on use)
4. Reusable Produce Bag (cotton or acrylic of some sort - worsted)
5. Harry Potter Blanket (worsted weight - based on several dishcloth patterns to make blocks)
6. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth (cotton or a cotton/bamboo blend, again based on use)
7. Pop Blanket (worsted weight - a little of this and that?)
8. Holiday Countdown Stockings (worsted weight - various colors)

 

Spinning:
1. Wonderland Dyeworks BFL in Stream Bed
2. Wonderland Dyeworks BFL in Winter Night
3. Timber Ridge Farm Alpaca Roving
4. Ashland Bay Fiber 100% Merino Top in English Garden
5. Anne's Fiber Expressions Elynenium

 

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, but maybe?)

 

Other Fibery Endeavors:
1. Stash Fit
2. Create a project bag inventory
3. Update library inventory (on Ravelry)
4. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry) and reorganize yarn
5. Stitch markers: make kits and individual for Etsy shop
6. Destash as necessary/needed

 

Let's start with something totally unrelated to my fiber enthusiasm. A bee update! 🐝 I had checked them last Sunday morning, before I posted and all was as well as expected. I had intentions to check on them Tuesday or Wednesday (really, it was to check the syrup feeders) but the weather was less than cooperative so I didn't get out there until Friday. I got my bee smoker working and headed out in the early afternoon. I checked both hives, saw both queens crawling around, and saw evidence of my girls building out their comb(s). And no stings. My girls were in a collective good mood. The smoker may or may not have helped with that. I also decided that it was time for them to survive without their syrup feeders as there are enough flowers and blooms happening, plus the weather is behaving. So I brought those in and washed them. 

The unfortunate part is that the bee stings I have sustained are grumpy. The one on the back of my knee and the one on my stomach are itching like crazy. The two on the back of my neck (because I got two, not one) are swollen and painful, but not really itchy. So, who knows. 

Each kid spent a day at home this week due to coughing. Stormageddon was at home on Tuesday and Little Man was home on Friday. They're not sick otherwise so I suspect these are lingering symptoms from Covid. Both Husband and I are coughing as well. Throw in the weather changing and everything blooming and seasonal allergies.....and here we are. I expect the next couple weeks are going to be a bit of a hot mess with regards to this coughing and snot thing. 

Husband was gone from Monday afternoon until Thursday afternoon. I spent most of those days knitting and watching TV. I remembered we have Hulu so I started watching Castle Rock and I'm almost finished with the second season. I may or may not be binging a bit. I also baked banana bread, went grocery shopping, and did laundry. The "usual" things, I suppose. 

Here are a few photos from this week.

This was Tuesday, when Stormageddon stayed home from school. We snuggled for a bit and he allowed me to take his photograph.

I may or may not have drank an entire bottle of wine on my own on Thursday. Maybe.

My maternal grandmother and I painted this cast iron, 150(ish) lb. nisse when I was around 12 years old. I picked out the colors, of course.

I took a selfie with a weird filter thingie turned on. This is how it turned out. I was being silly...

Also, the sandhill cranes have been back to visit a few more times. They were all over the backyard this week.

I hope you've had a lovely week and weekend! And Happy Mother's Day if you're a USian :)