Lucky Thirteen - Mother Nature is off her meds (Update #8)

Yes, yes, it's Sunday! And given the weather we've had this past week, it's obvious that Mother Nature is off her meds because we have basically had all four seasons this past week. 

For now, let's talk about knitting. Or lack thereof. Whatever.  

 

Finished Objects (FOs)
1. Irma Hat: started 23 December 2023; finished 15 January 2024

I did actually make a pom for this hat. I think. Maybe. If I did, I haven't attached it yet. I might be lying. I don't know if I actually made the pom. I thought I did....

 

Works-In-Progress (WIPs - 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. Dishcloth: started 25 February 2022
9. Mixed BFL (Annie): started 18 March 2022
10. Lakeline Tank: started 18 March 2022
11. Socks: started 28 September 2022
12. Bonbon 2: started 15 October 2022
13. Star Stitch Shawl: started 8 June 2023 (link to the kit)
14. Vanilla Socks: started 7 October 2023
15. Baby Blanket: started 28 October 2023
16. Rose's Wrist Warmers: started 10 February 2024

There was very little knitting this week. In fact, I don't think I picked up needles until last night. And I only knit a few rows. 

What did I knit? Well, I pulled out the Lakeline Tank, which I haven't worked on in a hot minute. It's kind of a silly reason, actually. I had been working around and around in stockinette for like 17" and then I was supposed to split the front and back so I could start working on the arm holes and all that. Okay fine, no big thing....except my pattern hadn't been printed. I could have printed it but I didn't. I have no excuse for that. Saving paper, maybe? In addition to that, I only had the pattern on my laptop. Again, something that could have been easily fixed. Last night, I was sitting in bed, thinking about what to knit and I pulled out the Lakeline Tank....and went to my Etsy receipts and downloaded the pattern onto my phone so I could use that. So......I worked on my Lakeline Tank. When I picked it back up last night, I was at the point where I needed to split for the front and back. The back stitches needed to be slipped onto a scrap length of yarn (or, in my case, another needle) and then you work the front section, working on the decreases on each side, which really turns into further splitting for the shoulders. I think you knit something like 2-8 rows for the front section before you further split it for the armholes. 

But that's all the knitting I did.

However, I do want to talk about something and it's kind of like the elephant in the yarn shop that is occasionally discussed but still, there are people that don't know it's a thing. 

I have several types of needles with several types of tips. Most of my ChaioGoos are regular steel tips. Actually, I think they're all steel tips. I have some Knitters Pride (both wooden and steel). My Clover Takumi needles are almost entirely bamboo, but I only keep US4 and thicker for those because otherwise I'll snap them. I have my Signature DPNs. And far too many Addi needles in wood, steel, and brass. 

And it's the brass I want to talk about. I have issues with the brass needles (I only have the Addis in brass so I don't know about other brands)...like they turn strange brownish colors and get, for lack of a better word, sticky. Apparently some people have different acids in their hands that react with the brass, making the needles sticky. And because it's literally part of my body, there's nothing I can do to combat the issue. I mean, I can clean the needles with soap and water, even harsher chemicals if I wanted....but the acid in my hands will still react with the brass and my needles will still be sticky. 

::sigh::

Guess which needles I'm using for the Lakeline Tank?

 

OMGLSFWTFBBQ

Items for ME (FTW!)
1. Musselburgh (any weight - check pattern for details)
2. Danu Fingerless Gloves (fingering weight, possibly Koigu Painters Palette)
3. Stranger Things Hat (worsted weight, possibly Malabrigo Rios)
4. Wilf's Hat (worsted weight, probably Psych Ward Yarns)
5. Dumbledore's Christmas Socks (fingering weight, in Opal Dumbledore)
6. Antler Mittens (worsted weight, probably Knit Picks Swish Worsted)
7. Flax (worsted weight, Misti Alpaca Worsted)
8. Park Slope (fingering weight, Mountain Colors)
9. Fili Socks (finger weight, Holiday Yarns Flock Sock that I dyed)
10. Classic Octopus Hat (worsted weight, two contrasting colors)

Children's Items/Knitting for others
1. Flax Light for Little Man (fingering weight, using the yarn I dyed for him)
2. Pig for Earle & Duane (worsted weight, Molly Ringwald?)
3. Hippo for Sweet Girl (fingering weight, purple & pink of some sort)
4. Replacement toy for Sassy Girl (she's requested a cow so I'll need to see what I can find)
5. Hipster for Little Man & Stormageddon (DK weight, Anzula Cricket)
6. Regular Guy Beanie (Aran weight, Malabrigo Twist that I dyed)
7. Dandy Sir Cephalepod (any weight)
8. My Little Slug (worsted weight, any color)
9. Knitted Knockers (DK or worsted, neutral colors)
10. C*nt Dishcloth for Rachel (worsted weight, any color as long as it's cotton)
11. F*ck Dishcloth for Rachel (worstedweight , any color as long as it's cotton)
12. Santa Hat (worsted weight, red and white)

Utilitarian/Household Items
1. Pop Blanket (worsted weight, preferably superwash, Knit Picks Brava set?)
2. Holiday Countdown Stockings (worsted weight, bits and bobs)

Other Fibery Endeavors:
1. Stash Fit
2. Create a project bag inventory of some sort
3. Update library inventory (on Ravelry)
4. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry)
5. Stitch markers: make kits and individual sets for Etsy shop
6. Destash as necessary/needed (because I'm allergic to silk and I'm super mad about it but it is what it is...but that means the silk has to go and I'm still super mad about it......)

 

This past week has been fairly quiet. Monday was a US Federal Holiday, which meant I had Monday off because I work for the Federal Government. Husband also had Monday off.......but I still had to get up early because the boys had school. And I had a dentist appointment. 

But weirdly, the boys had off on Friday. I'm not entirely sure why they had Friday off instead of Monday but here we are. I feel like it was something like a teacher inservice day but the school district could use it as a make-up snow day if needed (we didn't need to)......so the boys were off. 

In addition to the house news, the insulation and drywall started going in this week. 

The photos are only of the upstairs. I didn't feel like traipsing downstairs because I would have had to go through the entire house to get there (the spiral staircase hasn't been placed yet). But the downstairs has also had the insulation and drywall started. Actually, the insulation is done because the drywall has been started. We also ordered the hot tub for the downstairs and something else...can't remember what it was. 

So, I mentioned above that Mother Nature is off her meds and we've basically had all four seasons this week. I wasn't kidding. We have had damn near balmy temperatures in the upper-50s (that's Fahrenheit, not Centigrade/Celsius), which is highly unusual for February in southern Wisconsin. We have had snow and ice....the same day we also had a good amount of rain (driving home from work on Friday was not a fun time). There has been wind. The only thing we didn't have were leaves falling from the trees....because there mostly aren't any to fall at this point. 

This week, it looks to be more of the same except it's going to get up into the mid-60s and I don't think we're expecting snow, it's going to get cold again. I have a love-hate with spring for this reason. I have to plan my wardrobe in lots of layers. 

Oh, I know what else is happening! I meet with the surgeon on Tuesday to figure out when forcible eviction of the gallbladder is going to happen (because it's going to happen). I spent most of Tuesday in an obnoxious amount of pain to the point that I was thinking if it hadn't let up by the time I was done at work, I was going to drive myself to the emergency room. It finally let up about a half hour before I left work and hasn't come back (except for a small burst here and there). I seriously thought I was going to vomit at work that day. No bueno. Zero stars. Do not recommend. At all. 

At least there will be knitting this week? Maybe? I hope? 

We sent the boys outside this afternoon because it was relatively nice weather. They wandered up into the woods to their new favorite spot....and they didn't come back completely covered in mud so I call that a win. They also brought back four rather large rocks. Two have some crystaline structures in them (likely quartz because of where we live), and one of those also has a couple fossils, another has a weird round shape stuck in it (likely a fossil of some sort), and the last one has a weird shape carved into the rock that looks like a toe.

 

 

I don't even know what to think of this last one. It really does look like a fossilized toe with a long toenail (if you look at it from the top of the toe-like shape, it looks like someone's ingrown toenail). My kids love fossils, and there are a lot around here. The only problem is that they bring them in and want to keep them all...which we cannot do. Some of the cooler ones, yes, absolutely...but they find a lot. 

Anyway, I feel like it's time for bed. I hope you've all had a lovely week and weekend!