ELEVENTH Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Come what may..... (Update #42)

Fall finally arrived and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I mean, I love fall.....but within our view, we don't have a lot of trees that do much other than go from green to ground. Some do manage to go to a brown or yellow but it lasts about a hot minute and then they're on the ground, too. Our walnut trees are particularly good at going from green to ground...and we have at least eight of those. 

Aside from the leaves, it's also been cold in the mornings....the kind with frost. And this isn't even the worst of it. Actually, I showed you this picture last week but it's still true and that's what the mornings have been looking like.

 

It's unusual for me to start out with photos. But I thought y'all needed to see this. Again. Crazytown!

Anyway, let's continue on our merry merry.....

 

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
6. Baby Blanket: started 4 September 2022; finished 25 September 2022
7. Pattern for Baby Blanket: started 25 September 2022; finished 26 September 2022

Nope. Nothing new to see here. Keep dreaming and keep moving.

 

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. Socks: started 28 September 2022
15. Colorfun Hat: started 7 October 2022
16. BonBon 2: started 15 October 2022

Because I don't have enough going on, I started another project. Apparently the Startitis got me like whoa. 

To be fair, the newest project is a replacement for one that was tossed due to smoke damage after a fire (not ours!). I have three toys to (re)make and I pulled yarn a few weeks (months?) ago for all three projects and stuck them in the same bag. So today, I pulled out one of the balls of yarn and started whichever project's yarn I pulled. Turns out it was Bonbon. I'm a little worried I'm going to run out of yarn (when aren't I?) but I'm pretty sure I have a full skein of this one somewhere yet. I'm likely going to need to buy stuffing because I know the last time I checked, I was running low. That's fine, though. I have enough to get me started and I can get more this week sometime. I might have enough to stuff this first project but don't quote me. I'll definitely need more for the other two, though.

Aside from that, I worked a few more rounds of the new hat. I also put it in a project bag like a responsible, proper knitter. I'm still working on the ribbing and I rewound the yarn. It should be fine. We'll see how it turns out. 

I also worked a bit on the Lakeline Tank this week. I'm still in Stockinette Hell but at least it's growing. I think I'm just past 14" from the cast on so I've got a few more inches to go before I split for the arm holes and all that. I suspect that I need to find the extra skeins of yarn but we'll deal with that when I get to that point. 

I also had a small knitting attack this week. Well, I had more than one but this one didn't involve any actual knitting. We had an awful smell coming from the general area of our recliner...kind of like shrimp that's been left out a bit too long. So, we tipped the chair to see if we could find the source and discovered that Puppy had peed there at least once and it needed vacuuming under there (and neither thing was the smell)....we also discovered a shirt of Stormageddon's shoved down into the chair as well as a heavier weight paper folded into thirds...turns out it was the beginning/ending directions for my UW Ski Hat, which I hadn't realized were missing as I've still got the chart. So, it had the information about the cast on for the earflaps, where/when to add stitches between to continue, as well as the directions for the crown. I can fake the crown decreases. That doesn't bother me. But the rest of the directions I'd like to have. And, of course, the designer is nowhere to be found. I managed some basic Google-fu and found that the yarn company she owned has changed ownership so I contacted them to see if they had any way to get my hands on just that page. I also emailed the one other person that has the project listed via Ravelry. We'll see what happens. In the meantime, I grabbed my packaging tape and taped it up as well as I could and while most of the information is there, some of it has been eaten by the chair. I might be able to figure it out, though.

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 have a small bin with all my "stuff to dye" in it)

 

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

 

 

The boys had a half day on Monday so we took them to Cave of the Mounds. It's not that far from us and Little Man wanted to go again. Stormageddon was actually the one that brought it up so with the half day, we decided that afternoon would be a good time to go.

It's a natural cave. The land was part of a huge family farm and at one point, around the turn of the century...and I mean 1900, not 2000.....they were doing some work on the farm that involved blasting with dynamite and lo, they found this HUGE natural cave. And it's absolutely amazing. There are a couple spots where it gets tight but there are ways around it, which is helpful for someone that is 6'4" tall (like Husband). 

I'm glad to say Stormageddon enjoyed it. He was originally 100% not interested because he was scared it was going to be dark and tight and scary. We tried to tell him differently but he needed to come around on his own. 

In addition to that, we took down half a walnut tree this week. So, we had a walnut tree where there were two trunks right on top of each other. One of them was 90% dead....so we cut it down. And I got to play with the chainsaw!

It was a fun time. Or not. I got covered in walnut bits and then I had Knitters Guild....I was able to get in a quick shower, thankfully. 

And now it's Sunday....and I think we're building a bridge later today. Husband went up north with our friend to pick up some telephone poles from their farm and they'll be back later today. So, bridge.

Anyway, I hope you had a lovely week and weekend!