Year NINE: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - I'm going for a Threepeat! (Update #26)

Happy Sunday! This week marks the midpoint of my Self-Imposed Year of Projects. Normally, I take this time to reevaluate everything and I might...but for now, let's just get mooooooving! 



FOs (Finished Objects):
1. Ewetopia Stripey Socks: started 15 November 2018; finished 29 January 2020
2. Tiny Turtle: started 7 November 2019; finished 30 January 2020
3. Mirkwood: started 9 February 2020; finished 17 February 2020
4. Campfire Socks: started 17 October 2018; frogged 9 April 2020
5. Sockhead: started 8 January 2020; finished 25 May 2020
6. Baby Yoda: started 14 March 2020; finished 13 June 2020
7. Abracadabra Socks: started 7 August 2018; finished 18 June 2020

No new FOs today. Maybe next week. 



WIPs (Works-in-Progress) (These are carried over year to 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. Herbivore: started 15 November 2018
9. Multi-Colored Merino Top (Viktor): started 16 January 2019
10. Prototype Something Something Raindrops: started 11 April 2019
11. Linen Stitch Scarf: started 2 June 2020
12. Rose City Rollers: started 18 June 2020

Apparently my Summer Stash Down wants me to finish all the things. I spent most of my crafting time this week working on the Prototype Something Something Raindrops cowl. I did the math. I have not quite 30 rounds and it'll be finished. Now, given that it's a cowl in fingering weight yarn, that still means a lot of stitches but it's doable. 

I also worked a teensy bit on the granny square I've been working on. I did a few rounds but, of course, as I work outward, those rounds get longer and longer. The good news is that I'm almost finished with another square. I'm not sure there is any bad news other than the rounds taking longer. 

But that's it, so far. 

OMFGLSGWTFBBQ Lists

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. Rastarmulke: started 20 November 2017 - write pattern (iterations: first, second)
10. Paradiddle Socks: started 19 October 2017 - write pattern (iteration: here)


Children's Items:

1. Oliver for Stormageddon (worsted weight - Stunning String Studio from Stitches West 2018)
2. Minecraft Socks for Little Man (fingering weight - Tosh Sock in Plaid Blanket?)
3. Honey Badger: (worsted weight - black & white acrylic I have banging around the stash)*
4. Mittens for Stormageddon (worsted weight probably)
5. I Love Stockinette Baby Bibs (worsted - cotton, acrylic, something)

Items for ME (Selfish Knitting FTW!):

1. Autopilot (worsted weight - Sincere Sheep Cormo Worsted or htNEVELE Worsted in Reveire)

2. Rose's Wrist Warmers (DK weight - using Aran instead; hand-dyed Malabrigo Twist?)

3. Perianth (fingering weight - Knitcircus Trampoline in The Whole Enchilada)

4. Pembroke Scarf (fingering weight - Fresh From the Cauldron Schoodic Sock in Sookie)

5. Flax (worsted weight - Misty Alpaca in the Harry Potter colors)

6. Park Slope (fingering weight - Mountain Fibers Crazyfoot in Shamrock)

7. Socks (fingering weight - I have tons...pick something!)

8. Washcloths/chewcloths (worsted weight - cotton)

9. Sockhead (fingering - I have tons...pick something!)

10. Age of Brass & Steam (Handspun purple/white barber pole)

Designs:

1. Christmas Stocking for Husband

2. Christmas Stocking for Little Man

3. Christmas Stocking for Stormageddon

4. Baby Blanket

Spinning:

1. Wonderland Dyeworks BFL

2. Mixed BFL

3. Allons-Y Fiber Arts Merino, Trilobal Nylon, Silk

4. Alpaca (from Lambtown 2014)

5. Fiberlady.com 100% Bamboo 

Dyeing:

1. Sock Blanks
2. Skeins of sock yarn

3. Anything else I find along the way

Other Fibery Endeavors:

1. Create project bag inventory

2. Update library inventory (on Ravelry)

3. Update stash inventory (on Ravelry)

4. Stitch markers

5. Destash as necessary
6. Stash Fit

Tour de Fleece started yesterday. I, however, did not. I just didn't get around to getting my wheel out and working on anything. I expect I'll do that later today. My wheel needs some maintenance first but it's mostly just dusting and a little oil. Nothing terrible yet. I've not even made a plan for TdF. I think I'm just going to wing it. Lord knows I've got plenty of fiber to spin so I think my goal is going to be just spinning. 

In California life, the state was starting to move into the next phase of reopening....and then promptly went back a step because of a spike in Covid cases. I'm not surprised. We do not have a handle on this virus and anyone that says we do is trying to sell you snake oil. For us, that doesn't change anything. We were still doing things like takeout (to support our local businesses), limiting outside exposure, and wearing masks when we are out. It's hard but it's what we're having to do. And we have plenty of things we can tinker with. 

I, of course, have plenty of yarn to knit and crochet and fiber to spin. Husband could brew beer. Or, we could do things like this:

Yes. The top is the necklace of the Mandolorian. The other is a very busty Zelda (apparently this is the one from Hyrule Warriors). Husband bought a 3D printer and has been having fun. In addition to these, he's also made a Red Baron Snoopy on his house, several partial Snoopy butts (learning curve!), a Boaty McBoatFace, a holder for AAA and AA batteries, a few things for a friend for his Ham Radio, and he's making something else right now. 

There is a bit of a learning curve (hence the several partial Snoopy butts) but he's pretty sure he's got it down now. So, it's basically been working almost non-stop since he got it put together. 

I know this doesn't look very appetizing but I made mushroom risotto in the instant pot the other day. I have a love of mushroom risotto and I made a double batch because nomnomnom! 

Our days have been fairly lazy. We get up in the morning, have breakfast, shower, and all that, and then I'll work for a few hours while the boys play and watch TV, then I'll try to make them do something other than video games, which sometimes works, and I'll knit. Then it'll be dinner, and Bob's your uncle. 

Puppy has been feeling the lazy. When it's been hot, he'll hop up next to me and chill while I work. Sometimes he'll go sit by the boys but they're known to get a little too rowdy when he's around. 

The pool has also been set up again. And again. We keep having to drain it every few days and move it because otherwise we kill the grass and the water gets gross. 

Stormageddon made a huge mess on the deck this week, thinking I wouldn't notice. Ha! I handed him the broom he and Little Man broke and asked him to sweep off the deck. He tried. But he didn't do very well. I would up getting the leaf blower. Oh well.

I'm hoping to try to get into a routine this week where the boys and I take walks and they don't spend all day fighting over video games or TV shows to watch. Also, cleaning. Lots of cleaning needs to happen.


I hope you've had a lovely week and weekend! Maybe I'll have another FO next week! 

FO Friday: Tour de Fleece Edition

Happy Friday!

I honestly don't have a lot to show for this FO Friday because, let's be honest, Tour de Fleece just kind of caught me off-guard and I didn't actually spin a whole lot.

But, I do have a couple finishes from Tour de Fleece this year :)


I started out TdF with a difficult spin. I didn't think it was going to be that difficult of a spin but, really, it was a hot mess.

My first spin started out as a bag of processed fiber. Seriously. I bought it after I had my wheel less than a year, from a lovely woman that lived localish to me in Wisconsin. I bought all the processed fleeces she had (3 of them). This one came from her sheep, named MaryAnn, who was mostly white (but there are definitely grey bits in there). I originally had just over 8 oz of fiber but I used it for Maker Faire this past spring so I didn't have quite as much. And, of course, I lost a little while spinning for whatever reason.

So, the basics: MaryAnn

Bobbin 1 (~ 102 g): started 9 July 2018; finished 9 July 2018
Bobbin 2 (~ 119 g): started 9 July 2018; finished 10 July 2018

Plied (2-ply): started 12 July 2018; finished 12 July 2018
        1st skein: ~ 226 yds (2 breaks), ~ 133 g
        2nd skein: ~ 94 yds (no breaks), ~ 56 g

Andean Ply: This wound up being a horrific mess. The singles were so overspun that when I tried to place it on Handy Andy, it just got tangled beyond belief. I wound up hand-winding the yarn into a ball and intend to turn it into a dryer ball (~ 30 g).

So, I wound up with about 320 yds of 2-ply yarn, 183 g. Based on 100 g/skein, I have an Aran/bulky weight yarn.

A few random notes about this yarn. I accidentally spun it backwards of how I normally spin. Normally, for singles, my wheel turns to the right in a clockwise motion. I spun it counter-clockwise for some strange reason....and didn't realize the mistake until I was getting ready to ply. That may be part of the reason it's so overspun but I doubt it. The yarn itself is very rustic and very itchy. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. I might be able to get some sort of stuffed toy out of it but I don't know any child that would want it near their face...maybe catnip toys for cats? I don't know.



My second spin was much nicer :)

I picked up this fiber from Fengari Yarns in Half Moon Bay with the intention of attempting to dye it. I want to say I picked it up about a year ago, maybe just a little longer than that. Regardless, during my last dyeing adventures, I pulled it out and gave it a whirl. It turned out this pinky purpleish color with some white bits here and there. I'm not totally in love with the color but it's not a bad color. Just not necessarily something I would have chosen if I saw it in a shop (not my colors).

The Basics: Malabrigo Nube, dyed by me, started out with 113 g

Bobbin 1: started 12 July 2018; finished 15 July 2018
Bobbin 2: started 15 July 2018; finished 17 July 2018

Plied (2-ply): started 20 July 2018; finished 20 July 2018
        1st skein: ~ 248 yds; haven't measured the weight yet

Plied (Andean Ply): started 20 July 2018; finished 20 July 2018
        Mini skein: ~ 18 yds; haven't measured the weight yet

I didn't lose a ton of fiber when I was spinning this, so I expect that it'll be just over the 100 g mark. If that's the case, I probably have a light worsted weight yarn. Not quite thin enough to be a DK weight but not heavy enough for a true worsted. Oh, the nuances of yarns. Honestly, it probably oscillates between DK and heavy worsted. You can definitely tell this yarn is a handspun yarn but it's not itchy and rustic. I might be able to use this for something...not sure what yet but I'll think of something. Then again, I have a bunch of handspun to use.......might want to get on that.



That's all I have for you! I didn't get a lot of spinning done during TdF this year. It snuck up on me and I had other things happening. Maybe next year.....

I'll be back on Sunday with my Year of Projects update :)

Year SEVEN: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #28

Hello, happy Sunday, let's just get going, shall we? Okay then :)


FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Adare: started 30 December 2017; finished 5 January 2018
2. Luck o' the Irish Cowl: started 31 December 2017; finished 14 January 2018
3. Rasta Scarf: started 19 January 2018; finished 10 February 2018
4. Rastarmulke (v2): started 10 February 2018; finished 10 February 2018
5. Gamer Bag: started 28 September 2017; frogged 16 February 2018
6. Oh, She Is a Bad Nut: started 11 August 2016; frogged 16 February 2018
7. Garter Stitch Baby Blanket: started 6 July 2017; finished 3 April 2018
8. Pattern submission: started 19 March 2018; finished 3 April 2018
9. Tiny Narwhal: started 5 April 2018; finished 6 April 2018
10. Tiny Narwhal: started 5 April 2018; finished 6 April 2018
11. Hat for Little Man: started 19 April 2018; finished 27 May 2018
12. River's Edge Fiber Arts Falkland Merino (wheel): started 19 May 2018; finished 2 June 2018
13. Smooth Operator Socks: started 13 October 2016; finished 12 June 2018
14. MaryAnn Wool (wheel): started 9 July 2018; finished 12 July 2018

I finished up some spinning this week. The wool from a sheep named MaryAnn. I wound up with ~ 226 yds on the first plying bobbin  (with two breaks in the yarn) and ~ 94 yds on the second one (with no breaks in the yarn) and, I had a bit left on one of the bobbins. The total weight of the two skeins was ~ 183 g (6.46 oz). I tried to Andean ply the remaining bit on the bobbin and it was horribly overspun and it got tangled pretty badly. So, I wound it into a single-ply ball and I'm going to make a dryer ball out of it. From the original 221 g of fiber I started out with, ~ 183 g became two-ply yarn, ~ 30 g is going to turn into a dryer ball, and I only lost about 2 g of fiber. That's pretty good, considering that this yarn is......well, we'll talk about that in a moment.


WIPs (Works-in-Progress) These are carried over from the last Year of Projects....or longer.
1. Wink: started 5 January 2015
2. Stomping Grounds Collection: started 26 February 2017
3. Hat Design: started 20 March 2017
4. Unnamed Hat Design: started 14 August 2017
5. Shetland Neck Wool (support spindle): started 8 September 2017
6. Paradiddle Prototype: started 19 October 2017
7. Returning: started 14 January 2018
8. Frankensocks: started 1 March 2018
9. Faerie Mountain Fibers Crazy Batt (EEW Mini Spinner): started 13 April 2018
10. Granny Square Blanket (1): started 28 April 2018
11. Clapotis: started 29 June 2018
12. Safari Duo - Ella the Elephant: started 11 July 2018
13. University of Wisconsin Ski Hat: started 11 July 2018
14. Malabrigo Nube (wheel): started 12 July 2018

Because I didn't have enough going on, I decided to start three new projects this week. I needed something kind of mindless for knitting group on Wednesday, hence the two knitting projects. Apparently I think colorwork knitting is going to be mindless. The beginning is kind of mindless, and that's all I needed for Wednesday. I've had this project on my list for awhile. It's time to do it. Not going to lie, though...the chart is something like 144 sts wide on US #3 needles. Can you imagine just how tiny this chart is? I'm going to need alllllllll the highlighter tape. Or something. I'd rather not mangle the actual chart. Maybe I'll go have a copy made.

Ella will be for my Devil Niece, probably for either her birthday or Christmas (her birthday is in November, a few days before Little Man's). I'm going to seam a toy for her. I'm following the directions as written. I thought about converting it to the round but I decided to give it a go as written this time around and if I want to make it again someday, I can convert it, if it makes sense.

The Malabrigo Nube is a spinning project for Tour de Fleece. I finished up the unknown wool from a sheep named MaryAnn and needed a new project. I had the Malabrigo Nube hanging in the bathroom because I dyed it. I bought it undyed last year at a shop called Fengari in Half Moon Bay (their Facebook page seems a bit more active than their password-protected website). When I was dyeing yarn, I also dyed this braid of fiber. I have no idea how to dye roving so I treated it kind of like yarn. I soaked it in the citric acid solution, squeezed out the excess water, dyed it, wrapped it in plastic wrap, steamed it, and hung it to dry. I didn't want to mess it around too much in the water because then I could have wound up with a felted mass of ick. I'm not sold on the color but it's a OOAK leftover bits of this and that. It's coming out a lovely shade of pink.

I split it by weight before I started spinning. I wound up with 60 g and 55 g. I could have made it closer but I know the second single is always longer than the first, even if they're evenly weighted. So, I spun the 60 g first, in hopes that the second bobbin will be a bit finer and, therefore, longer to make up for the difference in weight. It might not work. We'll see.

The Nube merino fiber spins like a dream, especially compared to the MaryAnn wool.....that one had a bit of veg matter left, even though it had been processed, and it left schlubs in my yarn. It was also overspun, overplied, itchy, and rustic. I have no idea what I'm going to do with that one. It's not something you can have close to your body so any sort of winter gear is out (unless it has a liner of some sort). I'm tempted to use it to make a pet blanket of some sort. We'll see. Regardless, the Nube is lovely to spin. It does have a few schlubs but I think that's kind of the nature of handspun.

In addition to the three new projects, I made some progress on the Paradiddle Prototype sock. The skein of yarn arrived the other day, already caked up and ready to go. I don't need it yet but it's nice to know that it's ready to go. I only did the heel turn but hey, it's done. I also did a few rounds on my FrankenSocks. Because I need to weigh things after every color change, I can't go too far with it. But I did finish up the first fat stripe on the second sock, which is lovely. And I may or may not have worked on Clapotis. I honestly don't remember.



OMGLSGWTFBBQ Lists:

Children's Items
1. Undetermined hat for Stormageddon
2. Mittens for Stormageddon
3. Oliver for Stormageddon (worsted weight - Stunning String Studio from Stitches West 2018)
4. Lancelot for Little Man (worsted weight - green Plymouth Encore)
5. Dandy Sir Cephalopod (worsted weight - Red Creek blue, maybe)

Items for ME (selfish knitting FTW!)
1. Brickless (worsted - Miss Babs Yowza in "Celebration") *
2. Honey Badger (fingering - BMFA STR L - one of the ones from Carrie)
3. Park Slope (fingering - Mountain Fibers Crazyfoot)
4. Maya's Shawl (bulky - Plucky Silk Merino Aran)
5. Companion Mitts (fingering - BMFA STR orange from Carrie) *
6. Forest Cardi (worsted - Baah Shasta in "London Blue" and....something....)
7. Flax (worsted - Cascade 220 in "Royal Blue" or Misti Alpaca Harry Potter color)
8. Jag in Garter Stitch (fingering - KP Palette grey and Artfibers Carezza)
9. Reichenbach (fingering - AVFKW Slick or BMFA STR-M in "Vintage")
10. Sockhead (fingering - Madelinetosh Merino Light)
11. Moab (fingering - Wollmeise in "Lavender")
12. Pumpkin Pie (DK - Kangaroo Dyer orange)
13. Age of Brass & Steam (DK - Berroco Comfort DK)
14. Anne's Sweater (sport - Artfibers something)
15. Moyen Age (fingering - Vice special order either grey or green)

Random Things
1. Pop Blanket (worsted - may need to order some yarn for this)
2. University of Wisconsin Christmas Stocking kit
3. University of Wisconsin Button Beanie kit
4. Xandu Snowflake Cowl (fingering - two contrasting colors)

Designs
1. Susan's Hat *started* - need new prototype & write pattern
2. Little Man's Baby Blanket *started* - write pattern
3. Paradiddle Socks  *started* - need prototype & write pattern
4. Pacific Waves Hat *started* - need another prototype & write pattern
5. Fall in San Francisco *started* - need another prototype & write pattern
6. Stormageddon's Baby Blanket - need prototype & write pattern
7. Cabled pullover (grey look-alike sweater - Old Navy hooded sweater with cable) - need sketch,
grading, swatch, prototype, & write pattern
8. Christmas stocking for Little Man - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
9. Christmas stocking for Stormageddon - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
10. Christmas stocking for Husband - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
11. Stomping Grounds collection *started* - need everything: charts, prototypes, swatches, etc.

Spinning
1. AVFKW Merino Silk
2.  Abstract Fiber Merino Tencel
3. Allons-Y Fiber Arts 18.5 Micron Merino
4. Allons-Y Fiber Arts Merino, Trilobal Nylon, Silk
5. Alpaca (from Lambtown 2014)
6. Ambrosia & Bliss Rambouillet Top
7. Anne's Fiber Expressions
8. Ashland Bay Fiber Merino Top
9. BMFA Handpainted Roving
10. Bramble Wool Farm Shetland Wool

Dyeing
1. Gaia (worsted)
2. Euro Sock 6-ply or BFL Sock (I can't remember which one I have)
3. Whatever else I find in the bag...I have a bag...or maybe a couple of bags....sock blanks, some more BFL sock....

Other Fibery Endeavors
1. Stitch markers
2. Vintage patterns into Rav database
3. Inventory of books & loose patterns (update)
4. Inventory of PDF patterns (update)
5. Update yarn inventory (make sure it's up-to-date)/destash
6. Inventory project bags (Erin Lane, I'm looking at you)

California has been pretty quiet this week. It's been warm and we've not done much. Little Man had three birthday parties to attend last weekend (one on Saturday, two on Sunday). After the first one on Saturday he said, "okay, mom, we have two parties left, right?" and I said that was true, and he said, "can we just....stay at home this week?" Absolutely we can do that. He was so over people by the second party on Sunday. I think he just wanted to curl up with me and call it good. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way but that's fine. 

One of the other moms took this photo of him at the first birthday party last Sunday. They had it at a local park, potluck/picnic style, and the kids ran around on the playground and splashpad. Yes, he's pretending to pee....as were most of the boys. The girls, on the other hand, were squatting over a few of them and doing the same thing. I guess they all kind of get how that part of their body works? I don't know. 

We went directly from this party to the next one, which was held at one of those indoor bounce house type places. He climbed the rock wall with out difficulty. 

When he was done, he kind of just collapsed on the floor. 

We did have an unexpected departure this week. The Pibble that we've been not-fostering went with his Daddy this week. He figured out how to jump into our pool (by hopping onto the ionizer and then into the pool). That's not necessarily problematic by itself. The dog can swim just fine.....but he couldn't figure out how to swim over to the steps and hop out. If he had done it while we were gone at the gym for a couple of hours, he could have died. I'm glad he did it when we were home. Stormageddon came in and said, "mama, Pibble's in the water" and I was confused because the hose wasn't on. So, I went outside and heard him splashing around like an idiot, having tons of fun. It wouldn't have been an issue if he did it once but 20 minutes later, he had done it again. He was a great destroyer of all the toys so keeping him in the house by himself for an extended period of time wouldn't be a good idea and keeping him in the kennel while we were gone wouldn't be fair to him. So, his Daddy picked him up that day. I felt really bad but I didn't want a dead dog, and his Daddy understood that perfectly. 

So, we're back down to our one "normal" dog. 

We also had some work done around the house this week. Well, we didn't do the work; PG&E did the work. They were doing maintenance on their towers, which meant they were being stripped and repainted....except the original coating had asbestos in it. So, our backyard was covered in plastic wrap for two days and we couldn't let Puppy outside in the backyard. He was fine in the house with us, and had plenty of outdoor playtime and bathroom time on Thursday but he was also refusing to poop in the front yard on Friday so we kept him in the kennel while we were out. And we were out for a lot of the day on Friday because CalWater shut off the water for the entire street to so dome work, which meant no showers or toilet flushing or hand washing or any of that. Luckily, that all got taken care of and we have our yard and life back. 

Yesterday was spent around the house, again. Husband was playing work host to one of his colleagues that's here from India. They went up to a winery in Napa so the boys and I were kind of lazy. We went to the gym but that was about it. I did some spinning, we did some reading (Little Man is finally letting me read Harry Potter to him!), and that was about it. Nothing terribly exciting. 

Oh, I almost forgot....Little Man got super lucky this week. 

One day this week (Wednesday, maybe) he found $3 on the ground outside the gym. That went into his piggy bank. 

They were very patient at the gym that morning. The Kids' Club worker was a little behind that day. 

Also, Stormageddon is still sleeping in our bed. 

I honestly don't mind it all that much because he's not going to do it forever and if I keep having to put him to bed, I don't get any sleep. At least this way, we all get some sleep. He's also potty training. He spends a good portion of his day naked. You know, unless we're out of the house. I've been putting a diaper on him and every place we go, I take him to go potty, which has worked well and it's what I did with Little Man. I expect he'll be good to go by the fall. If not, one of the first things I want him to work on in speech therapy is telling people when he has to go so that he can go. At home, he just goes to the potty by himself but he needs to learn to ask when we're at places like the gym or when he's in speech therapy. 

Anyway, I hope you've had a lovely week/weekend :) Maybe this week will be more productive than this past week. Or not. 

FO Friday: the Tour de Fleece edition

Happy Friday!

I've been meaning to get this posted for awhile but it just hasn't happened. Sue me, things happened along the way.

Anyway, we're here because it's Friday and that means it's FO Friday.....and today's post is brought to you by Tour de Fleece, which ended July 23rd.....it's now August 4th......I've been a little lax, I suppose.

Tour de Fleece did not yield nearly as much handspun as last year......but I still accomplished a satisfactory amount (by my standards).

My first skein of yarn started out as a 4.2 oz braid of Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk roving (70/30 blend) that I had purchased at Wisconsin Sheep & Wool in 2011. It's been hanging out in my stash ever since.....

So, the basics: Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk Roving (1)

Bobbin 1: started & finished on July 1, 2017
Bobbin 2: started on July 1, 2017; finished on July 2, 2017
Two-Ply: started & finished on July 7, 2017

I wound up with about 406 yds, which makes this a fingering weight yarn...I'm kind of excited about that. However, it's my usual thick-n-thin so there are spots where it's almost cobweb and others where it's almost worsted. It works.

I still have a little bit left on one of the bobbins so I'll probably do an Andean Ply at some point or I might just do an epic chunky with all my random leftover bits on my bobbins.

My second skein of yarn also started out as a braid of Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk Roving (again, a 70/30 blend) in a slightly darker color (more purple, less white than the first one). It was also purchased at Wisconsin Sheep & Wool in 2011.

So, the basics on this one: Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk Roving (2) 

Bobbin 1: started July 2, 2017; finished July 3, 2017
Bobbin 2: started July 7, 2017; finished July 9, 2017
Two-Ply: started & finished on July 10, 2017

This one wound up a teensy bit heavier of a yarn, with about 348 yds, making it probably a sport weight but, again, thick-n-thin...

I was also left with a fair amount on one of the bobbins so, again, I'll either need to do an Andean Ply or some sort of "clear the bobbins" deal...I've not decided yet.

These last two started out two braids of Miss Babs BFL that I picked up in a destash a couple years ago (I want to say almost 3 years ago now). This came in two 4ish oz braids so I split it into two skeins (and four bobbins).

The basics on these: Miss Babs BFL

Bobbin 1: started July 11, 2017; finished July 12, 2017
Bobbin 2: started July 12, 2017; finished July 13, 2017
Bobbin 3: started & finished July 14, 2017
Bobbin 4: started & finished July 16, 2017
Two-Ply 1 (bobbins 3 & 4): started & finished July 19, 2017
Two-Ply 2 (bobbins 1 & 2): started & finished July 21, 2017


I had some leftovers on two of the bobbins so I'll probably have either two Andean Ply minis or I'll ply them together and then have another Andean Ply. Or not. I don't know.

The first two-ply had about 306 yds and the second one was about 322 yds. These were a bit heavier than the Sandy's Palette, probably a solid DK weight on both.



Sooooo, there's my FOs for Tour de Fleece. I expected to have double that but injury and life got in the way. I'm satisfied with what I finished.

Do I have any idea what these are going to grow up to be? Nooooope.....

I hope you're having a lovely Friday :)

Year SIX: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #27

Happy Sunday! I'm the weirdo that is only at the halfway mark while everyone else seems to be on a school schedule. No matter, let's get going :)


Finished Objects (FOs):
1. Pussy Hat: started January 10, 2017; finished January 16, 2017
2. Hermione's Everyday Socks (v2): started November 14, 2016; finished January 28, 2017
3. Frene Creek Farm Corriedale (spinning): started October 12, 2016; finished January 16, 2017
4. Pikachu Hat: started February 3, 2017; finished February 10, 2017
5. Trusty (v2): started December 22, 2016; finished February 24, 2017
6. Pussy Hat: started February 13, 2017; finished February 27, 2017
7. Pussy Hat: started March 2, 2017; finished March 8, 2017
8. Pussy Hat: started March 9, 2017; finished March 21, 2017
9. Pussy Hat: started March 21, 2017; finished March 30, 2017
10. FlockSock Yarn #1: started April 5, 2017; finished April 5, 2017
11. FlockSock Yarn #2: started April 5, 2017; finished April 5, 2017
12. #initiateknitdesign challenge from ArohaKnits: started April 3, 2017; finished April 11, 2017
13. Knit Picks Bare Palette Fingering: started April 9, 2017; finished April 9, 2017
14. Malabrigo Rios: started April 9, 2017; finished April 9, 2017
15. Nashua Creative Focus Superwash: started April 9, 2017; finished April 9, 2017
16. Pussy Hat: started April 13, 2017; finished April 30, 2017
17. Pussy Hat: started April 30, 2017; finished May 13, 2017
18. Messed Up Moss: started January 4, 2017; finished May 17, 2017
19. Pussy Hat: started May 19. 2017; finished May 23, 2017
20. Pussy Hat: started May 24, 2017; finished May 26, 2017
21. Baby Pussy Hat: started May 26, 2017; finished May 26, 2017
22. Pussy Hat: started May 26, 2017; finished May 26, 2017
23. Bugga Bare (2 matching): started June 3, 2017; finished June 4, 2017
24. Bugga Bare: started June 3, 2017; finished June 4, 2017
25. Bugga Bare: started June 3, 2017; finished June 4, 2017
26. Malabrigo Twist: started June 3, 2017; finished June 4, 2017
27. Malabrigo Twist: started June 3, 2017; finished June 4, 2017
23. Vanilla Socks: started March 30, 2017; finished June 8, 2017
24. Stormageddon's Vest: started October 17 2016; finished June 9, 2017
25. BMFA Handpainted Roving: started March 23, 2017; finished June 23, 2017

I kind of left you on a cliffhanger last week. I intended to come back in and put the actual amount of yardage for the second skein but I kind of got distracted and forgot. So, the first skein was ~ 324 yds, the second skein was ~ 328 yds, and then I had teensy bit on another bobbin (plying leftovers from a bobbin one with leftovers from bobbin four)...and that would up being ~ 14 yds. So, in total, I had ~ 666 yds of the BMFA Handpainted Roving. Of course, I still haven't done an FO Friday and I really should look into getting one done before I start going crazy with Tour de Fleece, which started yesterday....so, here's to hoping? Maybe.


Works-in-Progress (WIPs):
1. Wink: started January 5, 2015
2. Oh, She IS a Bad Nut: started August 11, 2016
3. Fall in San Francisco (prototype 3): started October 4, 2016
4. Smooth Operator Socks: started October 13, 2016
5. Morvarch Aardvark: started January 1, 2017
6. Stomping Grounds collection: started February 26, 2017 (no project page)
7. Hat Design: started March 20, 2017
8. Vanillaish Rainbow Socks: started June 1, 2017
9. Twilight Socks (from blanks): started June 8, 2017
10. Bonbon for Miss C: started June 24, 2017
11. Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk Roving: started July 1, 2017

With Tour de Fleece having started yesterday, I expect that I'll be doing a lot more spinning than knitting over the coming weeks. I'm okay with it if you are (and even if you're not).

Last week, I finished documenting everything in the yarn closet (meaning I pulled out project bags and shopping bags and such) and while I did that, I also pulled fiber for TdF. Actually, the reason I even did it at all was because I was going to be pulling fiber for TdF. Anyway, I got caught with my pants down last year (see here). I had originally planned on two projects, thinking I wouldn't get much spinning time in......oops. I wound up having to pull for five more projects and I believe I had started a sixth. Soooooo....I pulled out several this time around.

I started with the Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk Roving, as noted above. I picked this up at Wisconsin Sheep & Wool in 2011, the fall before we moved to California. Actually, I picked up two and they are slightly different colors. One is a teensy bit darker in the purple than the other one. I started with the lighter of the two.

In addition to that, I pulled the other Sandy's Pallette, a Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Kit (that I picked up at Goodwill a couple weeks ago), a Faerie Mountain Fibers Crazy Batt (picked up in a destash a couple years ago), Miss Babs BFL (from the same destash), and I think I pulled down a ball of multi-colored merino top. I hope that's enough. A couple of them are 8 oz servings, however, so I should be okay.

This was my first day's worth of spinning for Tour de Fleece (meaning yesterday's work):

This is the first 2ish oz of the Sandy's Palette. I actually started the second bobbin but I haven't photographed that.

Aside from spinning, I started another project (because I didn't have enough going on). I have nieces and a nephew that don't have handknit toys from me (yet) so I thought I should get a move on that. I picked out Bonbon by Susan Claudino for the oldest. I'm using some Cascade 220 Superwash I've had hanging about. Aside from some difficulty starting with so fe stitches on my needles, things are going well. I've finished both legs, both arms, the tail, and I've started the first ear. The ears take a little longer than the other appendages. Oh well.

My Vanillaish Rainbow Socks continue to grow. I fascinated the kids in Little Man's summer school class on Thursday. I took them with me and I was knitting on them before and after school. Kids asked questions, wanted to know what I was making, how I could do it without looking...it was cute.

And then we get to Oh She IS a Bad Nut....which is still on timeout and is still thinking about what it's done. I contacted the designer and, sadly, no one seems to have done a stitch count between markers.....so, what's a girl to do? I opened up a spreadsheet in Google Docs and started figuring things out. So far, I'm through the first two sections. I have to do it in spurts because it can make me go cross-eyed. Once I get through the third section, I can pull back to my lifeline and get things back in order...I hope. That's the plan, anyway. So no actual knitting on that project but I have been working on it.



17 UFOs in 2017
1. Wink: started January 5, 2015
2. Oh, She IS a Bad Nut: started August 11, 2016
3. Fall in San Francisco (prototype 3): started October 4, 2016
4. Frene Creek Farm Corriedale (spinning): started October 12, 2016; finished January 16, 2017 **DONE**
5. Smooth Operator Socks: started October 13, 2016
6. Stormageddon's Vest: started October 17, 2016 **DONE**
7. Hermione's Everyday Socks (v2): started November 14, 2016; finished January 28, 2017 **DONE**
8. Trusty (v2): started December 22, 2016 **DONE**
9. Design: Susan's Hat
10. Design: Little Man's Baby Blanket
11. Design: Paradiddle Socks (aka Little Drummer Girl)
12. Design: Pacific Waves Hat
13. Design: Fall in San Francisco Hat
14. Stash Inventory (photos, in Rav database) **DONE**
15. Dystopian Novel
16. Doctor Who blanket (1)
17. Doctor Who blanket (2)

Yeah yeah, moving along...


"OMGLSGWTFBBQ" Lists

Secret Sock Club Bags - Pick a bag at random; do pattern with yarn
1. Scotch & Soda Scarf (using Briar Rose Fibers Wistful, leftover from my Icarus Shawl)
2. Jabberwonky (using KP Felici in Abracadabra)
3. If You Know Where To Go (using KP Felici in Green Veggies)
4. Baby Surprise Jacket (using....htNEVELE something something)

Remember how I said I was going to leave these alone last week? Yeah, I lied. Well, I didn't lie on purpose but when I was pulling out fiber for TdF and wound up finishing the cleaning/organization of the yarn closet, all of my bags were emptied and things were put away. So, these bags no longer exist. I still have the yarn but no Secret Bags. I might redo a few but we'll see how that goes.


Children's Items:
1. Stuffed toy for Mr. K (SIL's foster child)
2. Stuffed toy for Miss E (SIL's adopted daughter)
3. Stuffed toy for TAZ (brother's daughter)
4. Undetermined hat for Little Man
5. Undetermined hat for Stormageddon
6. Mittens for Little Man
7. Mittens for Stormageddon


Items for ME (selfish knitting FTW!):
1. Park Slope (fingering, specifically Mountain Colors Crazy Foot)
2. Worsted weight house socks (worsted, of course - maybe something like Lumberjack)
3. Classic Silk Mayfaire Camisole (Miss Babs Northumbria with modifications)
4. Evangeline (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
5. Lichen (Aran or Sport/DK; solid or semi-solid)
6. Moyen Age (fingering; one of my Vice Yarns? Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20?)
7. Ginny's Cardigan (DK; solid or semi-solid)
8. Drip Drip Drop (sock; solid or semi-solid)
9. Celtic Myths (worsted; solid)
10. Jag in Garter Stitch (DK; 2 colors)
11. Cobh (fingering; 2 colors)
12. Offhand Lace (bulky; solid or semi-solid)
13. Whitman (DK; any color)
14. Flax (worsted; any color - Misti Alpaca Harry Potter-esque one?)
15. Hoar Frost (Wollmeise that's wound in the bag)


Christmas/Charity Bin:
1. 198 Yds of Heaven (worsted; solid)
2. Comfort Food (Aran; solid)
3. Tombreck (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
4. Premie Spiral Hat (DK; any color)
5. Pumpkins & a Pattern (any weight, any color - gauge doesn't matter)


Designs:
1. Susan's Hat *started* - need new prototype & write pattern
2. Little Man's Baby Blanket *started* - write pattern
3. Paradiddle Socks - need prototype & write pattern
4. Pacific Waves Hat *started* - need another prototype & write pattern
5. Fall in San Francisco *started* - need another prototype & write pattern
6. Stormageddon's Baby Blanket - need prototype & write pattern
7. Cabled pullover (grey look-alike sweater) - need sketch, grading, swatch, prototype, & write pattern
8. Christmas stocking for Little Man - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
9. Christmas stocking for Stormageddon - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
10. Christmas stocking for Husband - need charts, prototype, & write pattern (maybe)
11. Stomping Grounds collection (everything: charts, prototypes, swatches, etc.) *started*


Spinning:
1. Miss Babs BFL
2. Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk (2)
3. Faerie Mountain Fibers Crazy Batt
4. Wash & start processing Alpaca fleece from Lambtown
5. Wash & start processing Merino fleece from Lambtown

Other:
1. Stitch markers
2. Make sure my vintage patterns are in Ravelry (Workbasket magazines, leaflets, etc.)



When we left off, Husband had gone to Wisconsin on an emergency trip home and was expected to return home last Sunday, which happened. The last week has been (mostly) uneventful, actually.

Little Man had another bout of the Skeeters loving on him. He woke up Monday morning with maybe six bites on his face. Luckily, they didn't swell like the have in the past but he still was sporting a few good red marks and bumps.

He also had one right above his right eye (you can kind of see the redness in the bottom photo). At this point, they've mostly scabbed over and they're not itchy anymore. The one on his chin still has a pretty good bump on it. 

I also caught a couple photos of him running around like a loon before school on Monday. He and a few of the other kids play tag or hide-and-seek almost every morning before school. He's pretty good at hiding for hide-and-seek...actually, he's pretty good with tag, too. And Stormageddon took a selfie...well, I pushed the button...

Most of the rest of the week was pretty quiet. Stormageddon keeps taking his clothes off and running around the backyard....

...and car rides still make him sleepy. I'm pretty sure this was taken at the gym parking lot on Tuesday. I think.

In addition to that, we had this done...

While Husband was in Wisconsin, I was poking down wasp nests and came across a section that was...squishy. Spongey? Whatever, it didn't feel right. I had our realtor friend take a look and he said, "it's dry rot." Now, dry rot on a roof is equivalent to finding moths in your yarn stash. And, just like moths, it spreads. It's actually a fungus of some sort. So, said friend knew a contractor that specializes in roofing, we determined for sure it was dry rot, and on Friday, we had it fixed. Most of it occurred in one spot....for which I am to blame. When I was very very pregnant with Stormageddon (like I wound up having him a few days after this incident), Husband wanted to go up on the roof to take care of our black hoses we use to solar heat our ghettotastic pool. Okay fine. He put the ladder up and it was seriously almost at a 90-degree angle. I moved it out a bit before he got on it. That was the first mistake. My second mistake was that I wasn't standing at the bottom of the legs, bracing it in case it slid. Guess what happened? He stopped the full fall by bracing on the rain gutter and I threw my arms up under the ladder and straddled it from the front (I had a large lump on my left arm for a month). So, when he fell, he smacked the gutter inwards, which broke away from the facia board somehow and then we had a ton of rain this last winter and when the gutters were full, rain would go up and over...and into the crack...causing the issue. So, this is 100% my fault. I mean, I could have let him fall but then I'd probably be a single parent at this point. ::sigh:: So, the dry rot was fixed on Friday...and it was not cheap (nothing in California is cheap, honestly).

Friday afternoon was....frustrating. With the roofers there, they had propped open the back gate, unbeknownst to me. So, Stormageddon let Puppy out for a pee and Puppy took off running. I had a very sore throat from screaming at the top of my lungs for him to come back. What got him back? Our realtor friend was over, checking out the work, and he was going to hop in his car to go look and when he started the car, Puppy came running right back and hopped into his car. He was worried that our friend was leaving. Dumb dog. And then, in the afternoon, I managed to lose my Costco card. Well, I didn't actually lose it but it wasn't in my wallet, where it should have been. I found it at home, in my purse...where it should not have been but I'm glad it was there and not lost Bob knows where. And then, on top of all that, I got my third jury summons in as many years. No, I'm not even kidding. I had my first jury summons when Stormageddon was 5 months old. My second one was just over a year later. And now my third one is just over a year after that. Thankfully, it's for the second week in August, right before Husband leaves for Wisconsin. And given the track record of the last two, I either (1) won't have to go in at all, or (2) won't be chosen. So, here's to hoping. I mean, I understand why we have jury duty and all that but, seriously, it's a major inconvenience to non-working primary caregivers....because it means Husband has to take time off work or I have to find a sitter, thus inconveniencing others. So, not too thrilled about that.

Yesterday was a somewhat "lazy" day at home. TdF started so I spent some time spinning, we had friends over for barbecue (smoked brisket, specifically), some more spinning happened, some laundry happened....the usual.

 And today, we're going up to Santa Rosa for some pool fun and brisket and friends and fun :) I hope you're having a lovely weekend!