TWELFTH Self-Imposed Year of Projects - When federal holidays fall in the middle of the week....(Update #26)

Happy Wednesday! If you're in the US, Happy (belated) Fourth of July. If you're in Canada, Happy (belated) Canada Day. 

As it stands right now, it's Wednesday and I'm running late for a multitude of reasons including one of my college besties visiting, mid-week holiday, and then I got sick on top of it. Because why not. But, we're not here for that. We're here for knitting/spinning/crafting (and if you're not, why the hell are you here?!). 

 

First up.......

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

Nope. Not yet. Move along.

 

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
17. Star Stitch Shawl: started 8 June 2023 (link to the kit)
18. Baby Blanket: started 30 June 2023

Yes. I know. I see it, too. I started another project, specifically a(nother) baby blanket. Husband conscripted me several weeks ago and I just hadn't gotten around to starting it...so I started it. I'm not very far into it. I just did the first color change, which means I'm somewhere between rows 9-12. So, nothing fancy. 

In addition to that, I also worked a bit on my Star Stitch Shawl. I found a knot in my yarn. I was not thrilled about the knot but in the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal. I was able to cut it and the end of a row, which helped. It's still not very big. I want to say I have 4/18 pattern repeats finished. And every pattern repeat adds 12 stitches. So....by the end, I'll have at least 216 stitches (plus whatever I started with). It should be a good size. Or, rather, that's the plan. 

And then there were the fingerless mitts. I finished up the wrist portion and the thumb increases. I've even put them on scrap yarn...and I even started the hand portion. Barely. 

Lastly, it's Tour de Fleece. And I had loose plans to actually spin and I did. I started out spinning a day early (because that's how I roll - no rules!). I brought out Annie, my Spinolution Bullfrog, and the BFL mix I had already started.

 
Annie can easily be moved about, which is helpful as the setup is downstairs right now. So I've been picking her up and moving her back and forth from the craft room. Or, rather, I was....and then I got sick. And that's why this post is late. More about that in a bit. 

In the meantime, I've just been spinning the BFL, trying to fill the bobbin as evenly as possible. I already finished up one bobbin. I'm tossed about whether I'm going to ply on Annie or ply onto Viktor (my Majacraft Pioneer). Of course, that is a discussion for later as I'm not finished with the singles yet. And at the rate I'm going, that could be awhile. My elbow and shoulder are disagreeing mightily with my spinning. So I can spin for about 15-20 minutes and then I need to take a break but that break can include knitting so I actually spent time alternating between spinning and knitting on the baby blanket. I mean, I'm glad I can still knit in between spinning sessions and I don't have to cut myself off completely...but it's annoying that I can't sit and spin for a couple hours. 

Getting old sucks. 

OH! And because of how I operate, I've finally figured out what I'm going to do for the earrings for the Kitty at Christmas hat. Originally, I was looking into knitted snowflakes or even (*gasp*) crocheted ones...and I looked at patterns and I let ideas marinate for awhile when it occurred to me that I could cut them out of felt. So, over the weekend, I picked up some white, sparkly felt, and some felt that had rainbows on it. So I'm actually going to make two pairs of earrings for the hat: stars/snowflakes out of the white and rainbows. 

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. Pig for Earle & Duane (worsted weight, ~300 yds; need pink, of course)
6. Hippo for Sweet Girl (fingering weight, ~400 yds total; purple & pink)
7. 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 what I can find.

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

 

Now that we're at the halfway point, I kind of feel like I need to reevaluate what's going on here. I have a lot of things on this list. A lot. And I'm okay with it. I've only made a few changes to the list, actually. Since I don't need to actually remake the toys for my SIL's kids, I've removed them. I'll likely give my nephew Bonbon, since it's 98% finished. I may donate Wasabi the Whale. Or sell it. I don't know. I haven't decided yet. I'll still likely finish it. Most everything else I've left alone. I'll get around to things as I get around to them. I know that there's an ebb and flow to this and some years are more productive than others. This is looking to be a less than productive year. I'm okay with that. I think.

Anyway, moving along......

The boys continue to be on summer break and I continue having to go to work. And now I'm adding going to the gym on top of that. It seems that I am a glutton for punishment. It's fine. 

I spent the last few days feeling like crap. I have to be within 15' of a bathroom because...well, you can imagine why. Yesterday (July 4th) I was in bed all day, freezing for most of it. Up until like 2pm today, I was still in bed, though I was no longer freezing. My body temperature was like 2º below normal, which may have contributed to being cold. At least that's done (for now). I may have eaten something that didn't agree with me. I am feeling significantly better, which is good. 

Stormageddon has been drawing lately. He keeps wanting to make books, which I'm not opposed to if he would actually use more than a page. I think he filled this one. He was making a book about where the Amiibos came from for Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. So the cover is one of our actual Amiibos, as opposed to the Amiibo cards.

I've also been trying to make use of my coasters I got from one of my college roommates (the one that lives near us and married Husband's bestie). Also included, but not seen in the photo: peckers, boobies, hooters, and shags.

And then there's this.....

I don't know that I've ever really talked about our neighbor up the hill. So, we have 16ish acres of land. About 5 of it is "usable" in that we mow it, and can use it for things. Another 5 is marshy wetland around the creek. And then there's the hill, which is the remaining 5ish acres, and is mostly wooded. There's lots of underbrush in the woods. That's fine. Well, the neighbor on top of the hill has about 150 acres currently (probably more), mostly along the top of the hill going south toward our neighbors that way, which also includes wooded areas with a lot of underbrush. He owns a staffing agency in the area and has quite a bit of money.......and what you're seeing in the above photo is across the creek at the bottom of the hill (on our property). Those white bodies are goats. See, our neighbor rented goats, 77 of them, to clear out underbrush in the wooded areas on his property. And then he said, well, if I'm renting goats, I could have them come down the hill and clear the underbrush in the woods on your property (and the neighbors south of us that also boarder his property). So, the goats have started coming down the hill to clear underbrush in our woods. And I may or may not be excited about having goats. 

But, of course, goats are cute and he said to Husband that he was considering buying them. We both told him to watch Clarkson's Farm on Amazon. If you've not seen it (and you should because it's hilarious), Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear and The Grand Tour owns a massive farm in the UK and took over running it himself. He decided to get sheep as one of his great endeavors. They eat everything, fertilize the land with their poop, have babies, and you can see them for meat. It's a great investment, right? Yeah. No. So our neighbor binged the two seasons of Clarkson's Farm, asked when the new season was coming, and said that he probably wouldn't be getting goats except to rent. But he keeps buying out all the carrots at Kroger and bought goat treats off Amazon....he just adores them. 

::sigh:: 

 

So. That's what's going on in our little world right now. I think I'm going to work tomorrow, whether I want to or not. I'm better than I was so I suppose that means I need to go. Woo. I hope you've had a lovely week and weekend.