Y5: Self-Imposed Year of Projects - Update #22

Hello and happiest of Sundays to you and yours! It's a holiday weekend around (Memorial Day) here so, generally speaking, lots of things are going on...people are having BBQs, the Warriors are playing this weekend (which is important if you live around San Francisco), and the weather is absolutely gorgeous!

Let's get going on today's update!

FOs (Finished Objects)
1. Fire Socks: started April 15, 2015; finished January 6, 2016
2. Nottingham for Stormageddon: started January 12, 2016; finished January 14, 2016
3. Design proposal for Fire Socks: started January 13, 2016; finished January 18, 2016
4. Purple merino/silk spinning (singles): started toward the end of Tour de Fleece (July 4-26, 2015); finished January 29, 2016
5. Nottingham for Little Man: started January 17, 2016; finished February 1, 2016
6. Swirl Hat: started December 16, 2015; finished February 4, 2016
7. Swatch for Marly Bird class at Stitches West: started January 8, 2016; finished February 7, 2016 (no project page)
8. Fire Socks design (the actual pattern writing & photography part): started February 6, 2016; finished February 12, 2016 (link to the preview; pattern went live on Saturday, April 2nd)
9. Mountains Beanie: started February 9, 2016; finished February 17, 2016
10. Rathmore: started February 25, 2016; finished March 4, 2016
11. Dragon's Egg Socks: started September 2, 2013; finished March 9, 2016
12. Creeper for Little Man: started March 4, 2016; finished March 10, 2016
13. Mother Bear Project #1: started February 22, 2016; finished March 12, 2016
14. Asshole Corriedale (spinning project): started March 23, 2016; finished March 24, 2016
15. Pacific Waves: started March 9, 2016; finished March 25, 2016
16. Freeport Vest Frogging: started March 29, 2016; finished March 29, 2016
17. Pacific Waves: started March 31, 2106; finished April 2, 2016
18. Vanilla Latte Socks: started November 19, 2015; finished April 6, 2016
19. Snape's Stockings: started August 20, 2014; finished April 11, 2016
20. Pacific Waves: started April 3, 2016; finished April 15, 2016
21. Creeper Hat: started April 28, 2016; finished May 4, 2016

Nope. Still nothing new. Not surprising, really.


WIPs (Works-In-Progress) - carried over year-to-year
1. Wink: started January 5, 2015
2. Finn & Suffolk (spinning): started April 1, 2016; singles finished May 27, 2016
3. CashSilk Fern Scarf: started April 7, 2016
4. Gex for Little Man: started April 8, 2016
5. Bridal Shower Lace Cloth: started April 27, 2016
6. Caffe Macchiato Socks: started May 7, 2016

I'm still looking for my long circular so I can finish the button band on Gex. I might just break out the interchangeables and do it that way. It'll probably be easier. I will also facilitate picking up the same number of stitches and attempting to match them up if I use the interchangeables, as I can leave the cord in on one side while I work the other. So, really, I haven't worked on Gex. I have, however, worked on the Caffe Macchiato Socks. In case you've forgotten, I've modified the pattern to better suit my "no right sock/left sock" deal.

It's not quite as bright as this photo indicates (the red, especially) but you get the idea. I'm not that far into the pattern, obviously, but I've not been knitting often so, really, this isn't bad.

Also, I've decided I'm going to attempt to participate in Tour de Fleece again this year. You can find a pretty good summation right here, though it's run through Ravelry (the main group is here). That means I want my bobbins cleaned out and ready to go by July 2nd. I spent Stormageddon's nap on Friday afternoon with Viktor, my Majacraft Pioneer, and my new kitchen scale. Turns out my old scale was crap and wasn't even close to measuring correctly. So, I weighed both bobbins (which both had part of the Finn & Suffolk blend on them) and found they were roughly the same weight. So, I took the remaining fiber and split it in half and added to both bobbins. I was all ready to ply, found a spare bobbin, got my Lazy Kate out, got all ready to go...got about 30% of my singles plied and my Scotch tension string snapped. I believe I uttered a string of curse words unbecoming of a lady (but certainly not unheard in knitting), looked to see if I had enough length to retie the string (noooooope!), and ordered two more sets from The Village Spinning & Weaving, which isn't far from me if I remember correctly (Solvang, CA).....because I really don't want this happening during TdF. I will most likely have the order on Tuesday (maybe Wednesday) because they were shipped on Friday. So, I'm not thrilled but it's okay. I will survive.

Other than that, not much else has been happening with the WIPs.

Children's Items
1. George's Vest (for Stormageddon - probably the largest size; YOTH Little Brother from Stitches)
2. House Hat (one each for Stormageddon and Little Man - worsted, two contrasting colors)
3. Arthur the Alien (for Little Man - worsted; any colors)
4. Holiday Countdown Stockings (for the family - Aran/worsted; four colors)
5. Mirkwood (for Little Man - worsted or bulky; any colors)
6. Something for a baby (brother's baby!) - sweater probably, maybe a toy or socks or lots of things...KNIT ALL THE BABY THINGS!

Items for ME (selfish knitting, FTW!!)
1. Vanillaish Socks (using one of my Harry Potter Yarns)
2. Paradiddle Socks (using a solid or semi-solid sock yarn)
3. Hermione Hearts Ron (sport weight; solid or semi-solid - Plucky Primo in Petunia?)
4. Hermione Hearts Ron Fingerless Mitts (sport weight; solid or semi-solid - Plucky Primo in Petunia?)
5. Classic Silk Mayfaire Camisole (Miss Babs from Stitches Midwest)
6. Stormont (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
7. Sockhead Hat (sock; any colors)
8. Moab Shawl (sock; any colors) *need pattern*
9. Prowl (DK; solid or semi-solid) *need pattern*

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. Gardener's Socks (using Malabrigo Sock in Indiacita)

Stranded Knitting
1. University of Wisconsin Ski Hat
2. University of Wisconsin Christmas Stocking
3. University of Wisconsin Button Beanie
4. Xanadu Snowflake Cowl

Christmas/Charity Bin
1. 198 yds. of Heaven (worsted; any colors)
2. Phillip and Mr. Grum (sock yarn; any colors)
3. Comfort Food (Aran; solid)
4. Fine Fella (worsted; solid or semi-solid)
5. November Leaves (Shelter from stash) *need pattern*
6. Skinner Hat (sock; solid or semi-solid) *need pattern*
7. The Shoemaker's Hat (bulky; solid or semi-solid) *need pattern*
8. Roll Out The Barrels (cotton; any colors)
9. Sweeny Todd Scarf (worsted; any colors)
10. The Snowmen Cometh (worsted; any colors)
11. Sunburst Dishcloth (cotton; any colors)
12. Starfish Cloth (cotton; any colors)
13. Seamless Circular Cloth (cotton; any colors)
14. Tombreck (Aran/worsted; solid or semi-solid)
15. Premie Spiral Hat (for hospital donations - sport or DK; any colors)

Designs
1. Ice Somethingsomething (knit prototype and pattern for submission)
2. Susan's Hat (make proper - photos, pattern, etc.; knit new prototype from Babs K2 from Stitches)
3. Little Man's Baby Blanket (make proper - photos, pattern, etc.)
4. Paradiddle Socks (knit prototype - see "Items for ME")
5. Pacific Waves Hat (knit prototypes in various weights/sizes, pattern for submission? self-publish?) *I've started this*
6. Stormageddon's Baby Blanket (design process, knit prototype, etc.)

Spinning
1. Spin approximately 4 oz of either a grey wool or white merino to ply with the purple silk/merino listed in the FO section above.

Other (for things that are fibery/crafty in nature but not specific to knitting or spinning)
1. Organize my handmade stitch markers
2. Make more stitch markers (to sell? donate? hoard?)
3. Organize my books/magazines/loose patterns. *started*

We probably shouldn't talk about these right now.....




In my non-knitting life.....well, we survived the trip back from Carlsbad and Legoland. Legoland is expensive for what you get. Little Man loved it but Stormageddon was mostly too little for everything. So, he hung out in the stroller with Mama and we walked around, had some ice cream, and that was about it.

This is Little Man when we were arriving at Legoland. I wish I had caught the beginning of the entire conversation because it was adorable. But, this is pretty good, too.

Here are some more photos from Legoland.

Overall, the trip was quick and involved lots of driving. I wound up driving part of the way home and it was exhausting. I actually needed to go to the chiropractor to help relieve some of the pain. ::sigh::

In other random events, Little Man had his first trip to the dentist this week. He was a fan of the little sucker tube that sucks the spit out of your mouth. He was not a fan of the floss. I've only ever met one person that likes flossing.

Oh, and Little Man's parent-teacher conferences were this week so he didn't have school on Thursday or Friday. We spent some time at the park, we did some things around the house, and that was about it.

In addition to that, we found this little guy while watering the hops. He came scuttling out and enjoyed his little rainshower.

I hope to be back a couple times this week. I've had my Indie Yarn Carnival shipment come, as well as the monthly goals and......maybe something else. We'll see what happens :)

I hope you're having a lovely weekend!