TWELFTH Self-Imposed Year of Projects: It's true! I did the thing! (Update #15)

 OMGOMGOMG! I did the thing! 

FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Josh's Winter Hat: started 20 December 2022; finished 2 January 2022
2. NEYCO Hat: started 31 December 2022; finished 20 January 2022
3. Hat: started 15 February 2023; finished 25 February 2023
4. Linen Stitch Scarf: started 2 June 2020; finished 12 April 2023

I finished something! I even have proof!

The Linen Stitch Scarf is finished and, as I planned, I turned it into a cowl. I'm not 100% satisfied with the seam but it works and I'm not interested in undoing it and changing it. In the end, I sort of did a Kitchener. I had the live stitches on the one end and I picked up stitches from the cast on row and did the thing. It works. I've even washed it! Well, I soaked it in a sink filled with hot water and some Eucalan, let it soak, squeezed everything out, and now it's laying flat to dry on the counter in the bathroom. 

So, you know, that's exciting and all.

WIPs (Works-in-Progress) These are carried over year after 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. Sand Drift Blanket: started 17 January 2021
9. Dishcloth: started 25 February 2022
10. Mixed BFL (Annie): started 18 March 2022
11. Lakeline Tank: started 18 March 2022
12. Socks: started 28 September 2022
13. Bonbon 2: started 15 October 2022
14. Smile & Wave: started 15 November 2022
15. Kitty at Christmas: started 28 January 2023
16. Wasabi for Mr. K: started 10 March 2023

In addition to finishing off the Linen Stitch Scarf, I also worked on my Smile & Wave Fingerless mitts. I'm maybe halfway through the cuff, which isn't that far, honestly. It means I've worked about 25ish rounds. I had a small yarn barf while I was working on them the other night. So, you know, I had to just knit it until I caught up.

 

It's the one thing I truly dislike about center-pull balls. Yarn barfs. ::sigh:: 

In addition to that, i also worked on the dishcloth. I'm decreasing at this point, which is good. It's mostly mindless knitting, which is about all I can handle at this point. 

In other knitting-related information, I'm a little bit miffed right now. About twoish years ago, Husband's sister had a house fire. What wasn't actually taken by the fire itself was likely taken due to smoke or chemical damage. We were told this included all fabic-related items: furniture, bedding, linens, clothes, toys....see where I'm going with this? Yeah, the toys I had made for her kids were taken due to the fire. 

I told her I would remake the toys for the kids. So you can see that I have the bunny, Bonbon, and whale, Wasabi, listed in my WIPs and a third one, Bugle for Ms. E, listed below. My sister-in-law and I discussed this because I remember telling her that the yarns would likely be different because they were either unavailable entirely or the colorways no longer exist. I know we talked about it. 

Buuuuuuut, come to find out that, no, the toys actually weren't tossed due to damage from the fire. So, I've been making toys that I don't need to make and I'm rather miffed about it because she knew I was doing it. At least, I'm pretty sure she knew. Whether she remembered is another story. But I'm still miffed. I don't need to make them. ::sigh::

OMGLSFWTFBBQ

Items for ME (FTW!)
1. Nottingham (worsted weight, ~1200 yds; Cascade 220 Heathers)
2. Ishbel (fingering weight, ~610 yds; Happy Hands Yarn)
3. NIN Hat (worsted weight, 2 colors, ~220 yds + scraps; partials bin)
4. Boneyard Shawl (fingering weight, ~750 yds; KP Hawthorne Fingering)
5. Wilf's Hat (worsted weight, ~240 yds; Psych Ward Yarns)
6. Skoufaki (DK weight, ~175 yds; handspun)
7. Kaweah Hat (DK weight, ~240 yds; Houndstooth DK)
8. Chunkeanie (bulky weight, ~160 yds; madelinetosh Chunky)
9. Sockhead (fingering weight, ~400 yds; so many choices)
10. Stranger Things Hat (worsted weight, ~200 yds; Malabrigo Rios)
11. Huj Tub (laceweight, ~900 yds; Laceweight Cashmere)
12. Rose City Rollers (fingering weight, ~250 yds; so many choices)

Children's Items/Knitting for others
1. Flax for Little Man (worsted weight; Baah Yarns Shasta)
2. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
3. The Mandolorian (sport weight, ~165 yds; need grey/black, white, and green...which I might have)*
4. Zelda Beanie (worsted weight, unknown yardage; black/grey and yellow)
5. Bugle for Miss E (worsted weight, ~150 yds; htNEVELE worsted)
6. Baby Bear for Mr. T (fingering weight, ~220 yds; anything will work)
7. Pig for Earle & Duane (worsted weight, ~300 yds; need pink, of course)
8. Hippo for Sweet Girl (fingering weight, ~400 yds total; purple & pink)
9. Elefante for Sassy Girl (worsted weight, ~250 yds; maybe if I can find the original...otherwise, something new/different)...but she's requested a cow as a replacement so we'll see how that goes.

Utilitarian/Household Items
1. Garter Chevron Blanket (worsted weight; KP Mighty Stitch - may need to get some more black or white)
2. Diagonal Knit Dishcloths (any weight; cotton of some sort, possibly a cotton/bamboo blend, depending on use)
3. Reusable Produce Bag (worsted weight; cotton or acrylic)
4. Harry Potter Blanket (worsted weight; superwash or acrylic - based on several dishcloth patterns to make blocks)
5. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth (any weight; cotton or a cotton/bamboo blend, again based on use)
6. Pop Blanket (worsted weight; superwash - a little of this and that?)
7. Holiday Countdown Stockings (worsted weight; various colors from partials bin)
8. Cat Butts (worsted weight; "cat" colors and pink for the butthole)
9. Yer Mom Licks Cat Butts (worsted weight; "cat" colors and pink for the butthole)

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

 

First up, a one-paragraph health update: my shoulder is still pretty mad at me. The good news is that I'm mostly functional. I can't do a lot of lifting or reaching with my primary arm but I can do quite a bit more than I could at this time last week. I suppose that's a good thing, right? On the flipside, spring has decided to pollinate all over my face so my eyes have been an itchy, watery mess....but, according to the allergist, I'm not allergic to anything. ::eyeroll:: Uh-huh. Sure. Tell that to my face. It's not been a fun time the past few days. 

So, that's the health update...

And now the rest of the story. This past week was a bit wonky. Husband's great uncle passed away almost two weeks ago but the funeral was on Thursday. His children and grandchildren are scattered across the country, which was part of the reason for waiting. I took off work on Wednesday and Thursday for family-related activities. 

On Wednesday, Husband, the boys, and I met Husband's sister and her three children and Husband's brother, sister-in-law, and their two children at the Milwaukee Zoo. The age range was 7-15 years old. Husband's brother's daughters are 15 and 10, Husband's sister's daughters are 10 and 7, and her son is 8, and then Little Man is 12 and Stormageddon is 8. No photos of the kids because I don't have permission to share those.

We spent the majority of the day at the zoo or driving to/from there. It was a long day but the kids were amazing. 

When we got home, we did some yardwork because the weather was nice. And by "we" I mean the boys did most of it because of my shoulder. We had some decorative rocks that Husband kept hitting with the tractor while plowing so those needed to go. I helped dig them out a bit but the boys did most of the work loading them into the tractor for our rock pile.

Thursday was the funeral. The boys got to meet their great-great aunt, their great-grandmother, and some other extended family. It was also a very long day. It didn't help that that particular branch of the family is very Catholic and it was a full Catholic mass funeral. Sit, stand, sit, kneel, stand, kneel, sit, stand, ouch ouch ouch. Also, communion (which we did not take - Husband could have but chose not to; the boys and I are not Catholic in any sense of the word). 

Oh, and Husband picked up his new toy...

 

Friday evening we went to see our friends and have dinner and shoot the breeze. Husband and the boys drove the new toy over and I came in the car when I got done at work. We sat outside in their "Tree Room," which is a huge area surrounded by trees and it has a fire pit. And, obviously, we can park the side-by-side there (as well as theirs). While there, we discovered that the Madison Farmers Market was starting up again on the Capitol Square. So, we made plans and did the thing. And went out for lunch. The weather was beautiful the past few days. 

And now, it's Sunday...and we've had a 50ºF temperature drop, thunderstorms last night, and now it's snowing. Because why not?! Mother Nature is on my last nerve. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad for the break in spring pollination...but really, snow? ::sigh::

Anyway, I hope you've had a good week and weekend!