Y2: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #36

Happy Sunday :)

It's another hot one here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Seriously, yesterday, our high temperature was supposed to be 90°F (that's approximately 32.2°C for you non-American types). I wouldn't be surprised if it was warmer than that...I think my little Weather Chanel app on my phone said it was 91 at some point...ick.

We spent some time in the pool because of the heat...and in the back room with the little window air conditioner on...and the fans going...it's just hot. Ickickick.

Anyway, it's Sunday and that means it's time for another installment of my Self-Imposed Year of Projects. Today marks my 36th update and things have been happening :)

Finished Objects (FOs)

1. San Francisco Fog Fingerless Mitts: started January 2, 2013; finished January 10, 2013

2. Don't Blink: started January 16, 2013; finished January 16, 2013  (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
3. Dalek Dishcloth: started January 16, 2013; finished January 21, 2013 (links to one I made last year using the same yarn)
4. Woven Rib Dishcloth: started February 8, 2013; finished February 11, 2013
5. Icarus Shawl: started March 15, 2010; finished February 14, 2013
6. Little Granite Dishcloth: started February 16, 2013; finished March 2, 2013
7. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth: started March 4, 2013; finished March 27, 2013
8. Garter Stripe Baby Socks: started March 3, 2013; finished April 4, 2013
9. Petal Dishcloth: started May 21, 2013; finished May 22, 2013

10. Petal Dishcloth: started May 22, 2013; finished May 23, 2013
11. Mama's Vanilla Socks (round 2): started June 29, 2012; finished May 24, 2013 
12. Petal Dishcloth: started May 26, 2013; finished May 29, 2013
13. Mini Petal Dishcloth: started June 6, 2013; finished June 10, 2013
14. Eat Your Monkey Socks: started November 29, 2012; finished June 15, 2013
15. Sand Stitch Dishcloth: started June 18, 2013; finished June 20, 2013
16. Roman Stitch (Variation) Dishcloth: started June 21, 2013; finished June 23, 2013
17. Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth: started June 28, 2013; finished July 25, 2013
18. Choose Your Own Adventure Dishcloth: started July 26, 2013; finished August 4, 2013  
19. Greyson: started July 5, 2013; finished August 27, 2013
20. Pumpkin Cloth: started September 1, 2013; finished September 1, 2013 

You might notice that I started and finished another project since last week. To be fair, it was a little dishcloth and it only took me a couple of hours. But, it's from the Halloween Creepy Cloths, which is on my Year of Projects list :) I have plans to make at least three or four more but we'll see how things go.

Works-in-Progress (WIPs)

1. Freeport Vest: started March 7, 2013
2. Baby Surprise Jacket: started May 27, 2013
3. Traveling Vines Socks (Adult): started May 31, 2013
4. Dragon's Egg Socks: started September 2, 2013
5. Soooooper Seeeekrit Swap Project: started September 4, 2013

In the midst of the glow of finishing Little Man's Greyson Sweater and then the Pumpkin Cloth, I wanted to start ALL THE THINGS! It didn't help that I joined in the September Shenanigans thread AND the Unofficial Harry Potter KAL thread AND the Secret Sock Club thread on LSG (this group is not for the faint of heart - lots of swearing, bewbsquishing, and other pearl-clutchy things happen here). At least two of those threads contributed to my additional two WIPs...

But, we're not here to talk about that. We're here to talk about my WIP List. My Freeport Vest is still in pseudo-hibernation. It's not on time out and it's not fully in hibernation. It's just that it's summer and it's been too warm to work on it so it's been sitting in its bag. Also, I need to wind more yarn...which means playing with my fancy new ball winder. I did, however, pull it out yesterday afternoon while Little Man was taking a nap...not that I got all that far. I still need to wind that yarn...

I worked a couple rows on my Baby Surprise Jacket. I'm still in the middle of the increases so nothing new and exciting yet. 

I'm working on the gusset decreases on the first of my Traveling Vines Socks. I had to suss out some math before I could turn the heel but it all worked out fine in the end. Now it's just the decreases and knitting to the toe. Nothing exciting. Just more knitting...

I started the Dragon's Egg Socks from the new Unofficial Harry Potter Knits magazine. I'm not very far along due to some stupidity earlier in the week. Basically, I was working on them and had to keep putting them down and picking them back up and I managed to get turned around to the point that I was knitting back and forth on the same needle. So, they went off to the frog pond for restarting (which I did the next day). I'm currently in the midst of the first chart. It's nothing difficult yet...but there are four bobbles that I'll have to make during this chart section and I'm kind of bobble-stupid. I've done them before but I don't know how well these will turn out. I'm just going to close my eyes and follow the directions...or something like that. 

And then, of course, there's my Sooooper Seeeekrit Swap Project. All I can tell you is that it involves US #6 (4 mm) needles and a couple skeins of Premier Yarns: Everyday Soft Worsted (Solids) in Aubergine. That's pretty much all I can say about it until it's received which won't be until sometime in November...I think. Let's hope I remember to photograph it this time :)

Anyway, my remaining lists still look like this:

 

Children's Items 

1. "Little 16" Newborn Socks
2. Alvin Sweater
3. Milo

Items for Me (Selfish Knitting FTW!)

1. Rose's Wrist Warmers
2. Zombie ViXen Fingerless Mitts

 Household Items
1. Halloween Creepy Cloths (1)
2. Halloween Creepy Cloths (2)
3. Assorted Harry Potter Cloths
4. Assorted Doctor Who Cloths

 Designs (which may or may not be sooper seekrit - obviously the sooper seekrit ones aren't listed)
1. Little Man's Baby Blanket
2. Susan's Hat (4 versions)
3. Assorted dishcloths (set of 12?)
4. Traveling Vines Scarf
5. Traveling Vines Socks (baby and adult-sized as well) - yes, this is a WIP...still working on it...
6. Pinwheel Market Bag
7. Anything else that comes along (I have a notebook or two or seventeen somewhere with potential designs and random ideas)



This last week has been strange. The holiday threw me off, of course, and Husband worked from home two days in a row, further throwing things off. By the time Friday came around, I thought it was Monday again (even if I did take a trip across the Bay to spend some time with Miss Angela and her boys). ::sigh::

The good things that came out of this week: I joined a gym here in town. It has on-site daycare. And Little Man loves it. The on-site daycare can be used for 2 hours/day, 7 days/week (it only costs $35/month). If we use it to it's fullest extent, it only costs 58¢/hour. Even if we use it 20x/month, it's only $1.75/hour. That's cheaper than any daycare or babysitter or nanny I've ever seen. Totally worth it. Also, even without the gym, I dropped some more weight. I'm the lowest weight I've been since I was pregnant with Little Man and I've lost 15 lbs so far. Woo-hoo. Go me.

Otherwise, it was just another regular week. Oh, and the Rim Fire that I mentioned last week, the one that was potentially threatening the power grid and water supply to the San Francisco Bay Area, is something like 75% contained now (up from 7% last week). So, there's no need to panic and worry as much. 

Anyway, I hope you're having a lovely weekend and that your week was fabulous and that this week is wonderful and all that stuff :)

FO Friday!

Happy Friday!

It's been a rather screwy week around here. The holiday made me get the days all messed up (it was Labor Day on Monday here in the United States). Then we had Husband's friend (and best man in our wedding) up on Monday for a slumber party. Okay, it wasn't really a slumber party. He had a job interview in Milpitas (which is just north of San Jose and about a half-hour's drive southeast of us). Also, traffic finally went back to "normal" around here with the opening of the new Bay Bridge.

But, we're not here to talk about how screwed up I am this week. It's Friday and that means it's time for another installment of FO Friday! Today, I have not one, not two, but THREE FOs to share with you. So, it's going to be a long post and it'll have some photos and, you know, information and stuff like that :)

First up:

Choose Your Own Adventure Dishcloth (link to project page)

Pattern: None - I made it up as I went along, literally
Time Frame: started July 26, 2013; finished August 4, 2013
Yarn: Unknown kitchen cotton, probably Lion Brand or Lily
Needles: US #8 (5 mm)
Size: Dishcloth size
Modifications: None - it's my pattern
Thoughts: Although I like the idea of what I did, it didn't come out quite how I was hoping. I think I know how to fix that, though, so I expect that I'll make another version of this eventually. So, what was the problem? Well, the idea is that you just randomly add "opposite" stitches onto a stockinette background. In theory, this is fine but it doesn't look quite right in practice. I think when I make this again, I'll just add random purl stitches on the knit side and not add random knit stitches on the purl side.

Next up:

Pumpkin Cloth (link to project page)

Pattern: Pumpkin Cloth from Halloween Creepy Cloths by Kris Knits
Time Frame: started September 1, 2013; finished September 1, 2013
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Snow
Needles: US #8 (5 mm)
Size: Whatever size it came out
Modifications: None other than using larger needles than called for in the pattern
Thoughts: I think if/when I remake this (or make others from the collection), I'll go down a needle size or two and add a couple more border stitches to compensate. I think the resulting fabric was a bit too loose so the pattern doesn't show up as well as it could. Other than that, it was a quick and easy knit. I mean, honestly, it only took me a couple of hours to make :)

And lastly:

Greyson Sweater (link to project page)

Pattern: Greyson Sweater by Julia Stanfield
Time Frame: started July 5, 2013; finished August 27, 2013
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a burgundy and dark grey color
Needles: US #5 (3.75 mm) and US #7 (4.5 mm) - Knit Picks interchangeables
Size: 4T/5T
Modifications: My gauge was almost perfect (just a titch too large) so I made the stitch count for the 4T but in order to get the stripes to be the right width, I had to add about an inch in length to both the arms and body. So, it's more of a 4T/5T size. Right now, it goes down to Little Man's knees and hangs over his hands. He will grow right into it and it'll be fabulous.
Thoughts: I am in love with this yarn and this sweater! I think I'm going to be making a few more of these for Little Man and maybe to put in the Etsy shop (if I ever get it going)...and yes, the designer has said it's perfectly fine to do that as long as we don't claim the pattern as our own. It was a much quicker knit than I thought it would be and the stripes make it adorable (though Husband says he'll look like Freddy Krueger). The only thing that really sucked? Weaving in all the ends...I found a couple knots in the yarn and then I would have to add balls while I was knitting. In the end, I think I wove in something like 45-50 ends.

End pieces

Anyway, that's all I have for you on this lovely Friday :) I'll link up with Tami as soon as I can (as of 8am PDT, the link still isn't up)! I'm also linking up with Wisdom Begins in Wonder's Fiber Arts Friday :)