Monday, March 31, 2014

YOP #39 or Finding the Gold Vein in the Rubble

This past week should have been fired except it managed to redeem itself at the end. It seemed to be a week full of slip-ups, fires and forgetfulness. I managed to forget over the course of several days the following:
  • Music for a rehearsal
  • Keys for work
  • Camera to document work
  • Double pointed needles to finish hat
On top of that, the apartment building that my bonus kids live in with their mother caught on fire. The apartment two floors above theirs to be specific. That led to dashing about trying to rescue a hedgehog (I knew they weren't going to let us near the building let alone inside but if I drove the teenager down there, I knew she wouldn't be able to just try to run past the police). The hedgehog was rescued by a building caretaker and came to stay with us for part of the week, so that at least worked out. There was also teenager drama (trying to establish boundaries with teenagers who aren't use to them is fun, really). So by yesterday, I was definitely going to fire the week. But then something amazing happened yesterday.

I started to think of all the good things that had happened.

Earlier in the week, after the last post I wrote, I went and looked at my TARDIS shawl. I think I may actually know where I am! I've been so intimidated by it, that I haven't even bothered to look. Feeling frustrated (and a bit flippant about the project), I pulled it out and looked at it. I could clearly see where the increase ended, so it was just a matter of counting. It's actually a fairly easy pattern once I looked at it again. It's intimidating because it's lace and there's so much of it and it looks all the same. I blame my desire to get my craft room clean again as the culprit. This desire forced me to actually look at the project again.

I finished another project this week. The gray alpaca tam is finished. It's the one that I was hoping to donate to my church for a fundraiser. They needed it yesterday but I didn't finish it until last night. I emailed the person in charge of donations and said I could bring it by today. I'm sure I'll hear something either way at some point today.

It's finally starting to warm up, though it did snow on Friday. I wore my Blood Orange Newtons to try to keep the snow away. Someone who I told this to commented that at least the snow wasn't sticking.

Possibly the most comfortable socks I've made for myself to date.

I'm hoping that this week I'll finally get to taking pictures of things that I haven't documented yet. Perhaps even today. Rumor has it that it's suppose to get up to 60 F. 

Instead of casting on another Cookie A pattern (I might as well wait; I believe I've got another week until the next patterns are released), I've cast on what was going to be just a Plain Vanilla Sock. I got done with the cuff and realized I'd go cross-eyed in the brain if I did that, so I've added an eyelet pattern. This would be my first sock design. If I like it, I'm going to write it up and have the pattern tested.

There were other amazing things that happened yesterday and actually earlier in the week that are related to work (I got to hear Osmo Vanka, former conductor of Minnesota Orchestra, play clarinet yesterday) but the thing that really pushed my mind back into a happy place was something written on the sidewalk in chalk on the University of Minnesota campus. It simply said "You're Amazing". That little innocent street writing changed my outlook for the entire day. Husband doesn't know that yet (he will once he reads this post) but I'm sure he'll appreciate knowing that something helped my spirits when it was such a hard week.

Finished Objects

Works in Progress


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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

YOP #38 or Progress Equals Happiness

I may have delayed this post by a couple of days just so I could say I had finished something. No pictures of anything yet that has been finished during the last month or so but that will happen soon (I hope).

Much thanks to everyone who cheered my up with last week's entry. It's very easy to be hard on myself, which I believe is true for everyone. It's much harder to look at the things I've accomplished or to give myself a break because it's been busy at work and home. There is such as a thing as too exhausted to knit.

Last night I finished my Blood Orange Newtons. They are very lovely. I can't wait to take some nice pictures of them to show off. I'm very proud of them. It's also the 4th Cookie A 2013 Sock Club pattern that I've finished. I can't decide if I should wait and see what the second set of 2014 patterns look like (it's only a week or so away I believe) before casting on a new pair of socks or just cast something on and knit them. I want to use this yarn the bonus kids got me as a Christmas gift but I think it's going to be best suited for plain vanilla socks due to the way it's been dyed. In theory, that shouldn't take me too long to make. I don't know if it's yarn that I could do intentional pooling on or not. I can no longer remember what it looked like in skein form though I believe the color repeats would be rather short. It's also 100% wool, which I read a lot of people will avoid making socks out of as they are prone to wearing out faster.

I cast on another of Grandma's Tams. This one is double stranded fingering weight alpaca. Should I get it done in time, I'm going to donate it as a silent auction item for a fundraiser at church. If it doesn't get done in time, I guess it'll become the start of my stock for selling. I'm about halfway done with it and I'm very happy with how it's turning out and with how quickly I'm making progress on it.

The shawl is still...stuck. I did realize that I can probably figure out where I am by counting the rows past the decrease. It just doesn't sound very pleasant. Nor do I think it's something I can do with bonus kids around who are on their spring break (and therefore, apparently, must be entertained. It's cute how they think Husband and I shouldn't work so that we can spend time with them).

There is progress on the second dog, Trip. Pointers apparently have very long necks and bodies. Sewing on the belly is easier now that I've done one but still taking forever since it's so long. I think the order I've done the dogs in has been the correct one. At least I hope so. There is still a Beagle to make and I hope that it will easier. If nothing else, there should be less stranded knitting on that one.

The goal for next week is to have pictures of everything that I've yet to take pictures of and post them here. And maybe to have one or two more finished objects.

Finished Objects

Works in Progress

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Monday, March 17, 2014

YOP #35-37 or Finding it Hard to Care

Lately, things have been tough for me. I'm going to blame the Eternal Winter. I'm feeling frustrated because all of my current projects are more complicated ones. That being said, when I don't update every week (this is partially because I just don't want to sit down and write. I don't know why. Once again, I blame Eternal Winter), I do end up with some finished objects. Eventually I'll take pictures and post those but for now, the list.

I finished my first tam based off Grandma's pattern. I haven't responded yet but to those who left such wonderful comments on my last post, thank you for those. It's been a bit of an emotional process to make the hat. I also want to make more hats except I don't need more hats. This has led to the idea that maybe I could sell hats online. Mom and Grandma had a hat business when I was younger and it seems a little odd to me that now I want to make and sell hats but I'm sure it actually makes sense. I'm thinking that they'll end up on Etsy eventually once I figure out pricing (when you buy yarn at retail prices, it kind of screws up the price for the finished item) and have enough of an inventory to sell. The tam only took about 1/2 a skein of yarn so I made a matching neck warmer. It's a ridiculously simple pattern and it made Husband happy that my cowl and hat matched. He may have twitched when he saw the hat with my previous cowl and mittens. None of the colors matched, which is par for the course with me. I've never really been into matching things.

I have finished one of the Blood Orange Newton socks and I've nearly finished the second one. It's still amusing to me that a year ago I was terrified of these socks. No, seriously, I didn't want to make them. There was a chart and it's a lace pattern. I'm glad I didn't attempt it last year because I don't think it would look as lovely. My skills have definitely improved over the last year.

I'm working on my second dog for my friend. While the patterns are essentially easy and kind of quick, I do feel a bit overwhelmed by them. My dogs aren't looking much like the ones in the book. I'm hoping to have the one I'm currently working on done sometime today. That leaves one more to make and it will hopefully be quicker as it's a smaller dog breed.

My TARDIS shawl hasn't been touched in ages. I had been using a counter on my phone to keep track of where I was and of how many repeats I had done. My phone had been acting up so I called tech support and they had me to a factory reset. My contacts and texts were backed up but my counter information wasn't. I didn't think about this until after I had done the reset. I really don't want to frog it but I'm not entirely sure how to count the lace rows to figure out where I am.
Current progress on the TARDIS shawl















Close up of the lace pattern.




























































So until I figure out how to count it (or a dear friend of mine who I sent these photos too manages to figure out where I am), this project seems to be on hiatus.

I think this is leading to some anguish (Husband's word) over my knitting. I don't feel like I'm making enough things. Husband suggested that I sell some of the yarn especially since I keep getting more yarn from the clubs I'm in. I feel behind in my knitting but it's not as though there is an actual schedule. There are people in the Cookie A club, for instance, who have yet to knit a single one of the patterns. I had to tell Husband last night that it wasn't about the nail.




He did eventually hear me after coming up with a few different ways to sell the yarn. I don't want to sell the yarn though. I want to make things out of it. I think it's because all 3 of my current projects are very detailed that I don't feel like I'm making any progress. I don't have a mindless knit that I can just sit down and knit with. There have been a few times in the last few weeks in which I haven't even wanted to knit at all. Husband asked if I was dying. This Eternal Winter thing is what I'm blaming. Funny as you would think more cold and snow would make me want to knit lots of warm things but all it really is making me want to do is curl up and hide under the covers until the Real Spring comes. I recently saw a meme using a picture from the Fellowship of the Ring movie in which the Hobbits are explaining about Second Winter and they don't think Aragorn is aware of Second Winter or all the other things that are to follow before Spring really comes. Hopefully things will get better soon and I'll actually post on Sunday.


Finished Objects

Works in Progress

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