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Sunday, July 9, 2017

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

Happy Sunday :) We should know why we're here so let's get moooooving!

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
26: Malabrigo Sock: started July 3, 2017; finished July 4, 2017
27. Malabrigo Sock: started July 3, 2017; finished July 4, 2017
28. Sanguine Gryphon Traveller: started July 3, 2017; finished July 4, 2017
29. Sanguine Gryphon Traveller: started July 3, 2017; finished July 4, 2017
30. Bonbon for Miss C: started June 24, 2017; finished July 6, 2017
31. Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk Roving: started July 1, 2017; finished July 7, 2017

So, I've been a busy little bee this past week. I spent some time on Monday dyeing six skeins of yarn (two Malabrigo sock, and four Sanguine Gryphon Traveller), I finished up the little bunny for my sister-in-law's foster daughter (adoption process has started already), and I finished the first braid of Sandy's Palette and got it plied. Now, to be fair, it's still on the bobbin so I don't know the yardage but it's done. I didn't even really have anything left on the bobbin, either. So, I've got that going for me, which is good :)

I suppose that means I really need to get an FO Friday post taken care of......



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. Sandy's Palette Merino/Silk Roving: started July 2, 2017
11. Garter Stitch Baby Blanket: started July 6, 2017
12. Veggie Socks: started July 6, 2017

Finishing a project apparently means I need to start two more. That's how it works, right?

I decided I needed another pair of socks going because........socks. And something easy that I could take places (much like my Vanillaish Rainbow Socks). Thus, my Veggie Socks were born. I knew I had yarn in an accessible place (like a bag in my yarn closet that has been determined to be the "NEEDS LOCATION" location for yarn that isn't in a bin yet) and I knew I had more than enough needles......so, I cast on for another pair of socks. I might have a problem. I'm using Knit Picks Felici in Green Veggies and US #1.5 HiyaHiya Sharps. These are truly going to be vanilla socks so I'm going up a half-needle size and keeping my usual stitch count of 64 in hopes that it works out this time. Last time I did that, I also increased my stitch count and then the socks were too big (they were gifted to one of my college friends, and they fit her perfectly). So, here's to hoping!

In addition to that, I pulled out some more of that easily accessible yarn and some big circulars and started a corner-to-corner blanket (Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth pattern). In this case, the yarn is Marisol Hap'i, which is an Aran weight cotton yarn...and I have four skeins of one color and two of another color. I think I'll be fine. I have no idea where that blanket is going to wind up. Perhaps the Etsy shop or a gift or something. I don't know.

And because I finished spinning the first two bobbins of the first braid of Sandy's Palette, I started the second braid....and then promptly had to stop. I had to take a few days off to deal with a shin splint. Yes, you read that correctly: ONE shin splint. A couple doses of ibuprofen and a topical remedy and I was good to go by Friday...but now I'm behind for TdF. ::sigh::

My Vanillaish Rainbow Socks are past the heel flap and turn and I'm in the throws of the gusset decreases. I've finished the first part of that, though. Soooo, yeah.

Bad Nut is still on timeout while I work the math magic. Soooooon, I hope.

And then, OMG you're not going to believe this.......I pulled out Wink on Friday evening. I only knit three rows because charts and cables and several pages to flip through for directions but I pulled it out. And I found a mistake from the last time I worked on it (but it's a mistake I should be able to drop down to fix because it's stockinette - I have a couple purl stitches there that shouldn't be). Soooo, three rows doesn't sound like much but it happened!



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


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. Faerie Mountain Fibers Crazy Batt
3. Wash & start processing Alpaca fleece from Lambtown
4. Wash & start processing Merino fleece from Lambtown

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




This week was.....strange. I feel like the holiday threw everything and everyone off a bit. Husband took Monday off from work, was off Tuesday for the holiday, and worked from home on Thursday. Little Man had school except on Tuesday. A playdate was had on Friday afternoon. But the week was all over. 

I mentioned last week that we went up to Santa Rosa on Sunday. It was a successful trip:


Well, not fully successful. Stormageddon didn't fall asleep on the way home. Oh well. Can't win everything.


On Monday (and again on Tuesday), I made fancy huge pretzels. I used Alton Brown's recipe with a few slight changes: I used actual lye instead of baking soda and my cooking time was different. My cooking time is always different, however. We think it's because our oven is a gas convection, which seals better and, therefore, cooks faster. Almost everything I make in the oven needs a shorter time. I'm still adjusting to it. 

So, I made pretzels that should make any German proud. In fact, our realtor friend was......well, he's talking about cloning me because I can make the pretzels and he can't. He's Swiss-German (parents were born in Switzerland) and says they are exactly how they should be. 


Speaking of......that's him, messing with both boys. They adore him. 

Stormageddon has a tendency to have the iPad (and everything) really loud (full blast, actually). I had an idea and borrowed Little Man's headphones. 


They worked out very well so Husband ordered him a set of his own. That's going to make evenings much more pleasant because we won't have to hear Daddy Finger or whatever annoying song he's listening to on the iPad. 

We also had a Trunk Picnic this week. 


We went to Target, picked up a little personal pan pizza (Pizza Hut supplies the little cafe thingie), and ate lunch in the trunk of the car. 

I also mentioned briefly that Little Man had a playdate on Friday. Stormageddon is kind of a package deal so, at one point, we had five boys in the house (my two, her two, and her older one's friend). While Little Man and his friend were in the playroom and his friend's brother and his friend were outside, Stormageddon discovered the (finished) chess board. 


It's a little difficult to tell but he is meticulously putting the pieces on the squares that correspond to their color. Have I mentioned that he's not three years old yet? That takes some serious fine motor skill....and he can do it without much of a problem. Also, pieces didn't share squares. He wasn't perfect but, seriously, he's not even three yet. 


Saturday was a hot day. We kind of lazed about. Well, Husband and I did go to the gym (separately) but otherwise.......yeah. Husband worked on the Apollo Saturn V Lego set (the one I got him for his birthday), I did some cleaning, nothing terribly exciting. Oh, I did photograph the latest dyed yarns and the BMFA Handspun. I'll have to do a FO Friday post...but I've already said that a few times. 



And that brings us to now(ish). So, I hope you're having a lovely weekend and all that :) 

6 comments:

  1. So much going on and so many fo's and yes of course you need more cast ons and socks are well socks. They make the perfect summer accessory for out and about. Nothing quite beats a quick impromptu picnic. Ruth.

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  2. Your pretzels look good.

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  3. Yay for resurrecting Wink! And now I have seen the pic of that pretzel - I have to go get a snack!

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  4. That pretzel looks delish! Your FO list is impressive. I am in awe that you get that done with two little ones. I've got one, and I'm just getting back to knitting/crocheting now that she's a bit older.

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  5. Hi Renee Anne :) You have SO MANY PROJECTS!! I couldn't handle that much :) I know I'm here for the YOP post, but I can't get my eyes off that pretzel lol...

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  6. Yum......big fat soft pretzels. Good job. You have really cranked out the uarnthis week too. As always, your boys are adorable.

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