ELEVENTH Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Well, that happened. (Update #38)

Woo Monday! I am here for it!

FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Baby Blanket: started 22 April 2022; finished 4 June 2022
2. Herbivore: started 15 November 2018; finished June 2022
3. Baby Blanket: started 4 June 2022; finished 25 August 2022
4. Venskab (test knit): started 12 September 2022; finished 16 September 2022
5. Vanilla Socks: started 12 December 2021; finished 17 September 2022

Oh hai, what's that? I not only started a project this past week, I also finished it. And it's even been washed. It's not dry yet, though, so no modeled photos. But, you can have this overly dark, unblocked photo.

This was a test knit for a pocket friend, Kathie, who has been primarily designing baby booties. She designed this hat in collaboration with another friend of hers and I caught her post about wanting testers. I used a lone ball of Madelinetosh MCN Worsted in Molly Ringwald, which is a significantly lighter pink than what you see above. You know, Pretty in Pink Molly Ringwald. This is the medium size and I had issues with row gauge, something I tend to have issues with. Unfortunately, this hat is based on both row and stitch gauge so I had to make some modifications and I noted where those were in our testing forum. But, like I said, it's currently drying after a good soak. 

Oh, but wait, there's more! I also finished up the pair of Vanilla Socks that I've had going for awhile. I finished them while watching Rogue One last night with Husband. They're currently drying but I do have some dark, pre-blocking photos:

Originally these were meant to be mine. Buuuuuuut, I think they were claimed by someone else. So, I'll be shipping them to California, along with a few other things, after they've dried. They turned the water a yellowey-orange color so I may do another wash and reset the dye with some citric acid or vinegar. 

 

 

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. Linen Stitch Scarf: started 2 June 2020
9. Vanilla Socks: started 9 August 2020
10. Sand Drift Blanket: started 17 January 2021
11. Dishcloth: started 25 February 2022
12. Mixed BFL (Annie): started 18 March 2022
13. Lakeline Tank: started 18 March 2022
14. Baby Blanket: started 4 September 2022

Aside from starting and finishing the hat and finishing the socks, I also made decent progress on the baby blanket. I'm just past what I figure is the halfway point, which is good. I re-wound the second full ball of yarn to finish the middle section and I should have enough of the two contrasting colors to be able to finish it the same way I started it. I'm kind of making it up as I go along but its a pretty basic design. I might even write it up as a free pattern. Maybe. We'll have to see how things go. 

I'm debating about which project to start next, which sounds ridiculous when you see that I have 14 current WIPs. I should probably reclassify some of them to UFOs or HWIPs (Hibernating WIPs) but it's all in one list, which works for me. Regardless, I have other projects I should get a move on, like the replacement toys for the nieces and nephew, as well as the toy for my nephew. I'm also thinking about which project needs to be revisited. I have a desire to spin again, which means I'll likely work on one of the three spinning projects listed (likely the Mixed BFL because it's the easiest to get to).....but I also want to pull out one of those "longer term" projects, like the Sand Drift Blanket or my Wink Sweater. Of course, we all know how that goes. We'll see. 

But, progress has been made and that's always delightful.

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

 

After last weekend's festivities, I'd like to say it was a quiet week but I'd be kind of wrong. I took my car in for an oil change on Tuesday afternoon, which wasn't exactly fun but it was needed. I spent time working on the test knit hat, so it wasn't all bad. 

Wednesday was when things went all to hell. I checked on my bees. I hadn't checked on them in about a month (oops). They're fine, no issues, other than not really moving into their honey frames yet. Everything was so late this year that I'm not entirely surprised. But, like I said, they're fine. After that, I went to pick tomatoes in the garden. Not a big deal, generally. We had tons of tomatoes that needed picking (and a few other veggies as well).....except I was brutally attacked by a wasp. Like this thing would not leave me alone. Followed me out of the garden and down the hill and stung the crap out of me. I wound up getting stung on my left temple. Once I ditched it, I went back up to continue picking tomatoes.....and was attacked by another wasp. This one didn't sting me but it definiately attacked me. And yes, they were wasps and not my bees. Bees usually boop and leave, only attacking if you go after them. Wasps are just assholes. After the second attack, I put my bee helmet on and finished picking and got the hell out of there. 

The damage was done, though. 

I took a shower and went to the grocery store and Walgreens. This was about two hours post-sting. There's some slight swelling around my eye.

 By the time 5pm rolled around, I looked like this:

Sooooo........yeah. I wound up going to urgent care as the swelling was spreading down my face toward my mouth & throat. Prednisone & Benadryl have been my friends the past few days. 

When I woke up Thursday, my eye was swollen shut, my face was swollen down to my chin, and I was a very grumpy something something. I had a follow up appointment with the doctor and I am now the proud owner of two EpiPens. Eventually I'll get around to going to the allergist but for now, I've got those, just in case.

I was still pretty swollen on Friday but it had come down a lot by Saturday, though I still had a black eye of sorts. As of now, the swelling is almost entirely gone but my left eye has "aged" a couple decades from the swelling/deflating and the left side of my face is rather dry from being itchy (and scratching at it, mostly in my sleep, of course). ::sigh:: If it's not one thing, it's another. 

In addition to that, Puppy is still limping around, though we've still got no reason for it. Oh, and he's started making a weird face, which is probably because he at some sort of sky raisin outside (of the stinging variety, most likely). So he's drooling all over and looking goofy, in addition to limping. 

Oh, and because why not, he got into the toilet this morning, which hadn't been flushed properly and decided to eat whatever poop was in there, and leave a mess all over the bathroom floor. I suspect someone small forgot to flush. As a result, Puppy puked all over the floor this morning....on white shag carpet. Ew. I got that cleaned up with the little carpet washer thing (not the big, vacuum-like contraption; this one is a small one that is hand-held). 

It's only Monday and it's already been a day. 

Anyway, that's enough babbling out of me. I'm going to wander off. I hope you had a good week and weekend!