End of January Update

January was a weird month.  Actually, all the months are weird.  They go by super quick (days, too) and before I know it, it's more than half-over.  I don't know if it's because my job's busy (in a good way) or just because I'm old now.

We've been doing a lot of decluttering at home and I've been analyzing my stash.  A lot of the yarn I like and know I will use.  Some of it, though, had overstayed its welcome.  I donated about 10 stash lots.  Not a huge amount of yardage, but enough to lower everything by almost 6000 yards!  I knit up a bit, too.

 WIPs (new ones are bolded)

Ten Stitch Blanket, Caron Cakes (started 2019)

Sockhead Slouch Hat, Wandering Cat Yarns Solo Cat (started 2019, frogged and restarted 2024)

Oranje, Estelle Yarns Andean Heathers (started 2017, frogged and restarted on smaller needles 2024)

Vanilla Toe-up Sock w/ Fish Lips Kiss Heel, Mirasol Yarn Hachito (started 2018)

Home (Again) Cowl, Debbie Bliss Rialto DK (Solids) (CYW2024) (started 2024)

Stretchy Bag-Like Thing To Help Wrangle The Stuff In My Car's 'Trunk', Caron Cakes (started 2020)

Hibernating

Dancing Bees MKAL, Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace (started 2015 - oops)

Daughter of Thrain MKAL, Crystal Palace Yarn Lace (started 2017)

January 2024 mini-achieve goals:

1.  Finish mittens by January 7, 2024 (should be totally do-able, as they're almost done already).

2.  Work another two inches on the socks by January 31 (currently at 10 inches).

3.  Figure out what row I'm on for Dancing Bees (it's the oldest project, and I feel like it'll fly once I get started again), also by January 31.

4.  Don't buy yarn.  Should be easy, eh?"

Knocked out 4 of the 4.

End of month yarn stats:  49 entries, 70 skeins, 23,600.30 yards. 

February 2024 mini-achieve goals:

1.  Continue to not buy yarn.

2.  Eliminate (by using or donating) two more skeins of yarn.

3.  Knit up to the sleeve section again on Oranje.

4.  Resist casting on a new project - maybe knock out the hat, first?

5.  (Bonus) Upload pictures from camera's SD card - there are pictures from last summer in there.

January

WIPs (new ones are bolded)

Mittens with Picot Edging (started 2023) finished!

Ten Stitch Blanket, Caron Cakes (started 2019)

Sockhead Slouch Hat,Wandering Cat Yarns Solo Cat (started 2019)

Vanilla Toe-up Sock w/ Fish Lips Kiss Heel, Mirasol Yarn Hachito (started 2018)

Home (Again) Cowl, Debbie Bliss Rialto DK (Solids) (CYW2024) (started 2024)

Hibernating

Eden Scarf Design 9 (started 2021) frogged December 31, 2023

Dancing Bees MKAL, Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace (started 2015 - oops)

Stripes and Diamonds Scarf (started 2021, I think) frogged December 31, 2023

Daughter of Thrain MKAL, Crystal Palace Yarn Lace (started 2017)

Oranje, Estelle Yarns Andean Heathers (started 2017)

I combined the way I used to lay out my WIPs with how I laid them out last week, and I like this approach with the date started (and without the categories).  I will try to remember how to link patterns for the next update.  Last week I wrote out some January goals, but ....

"January 2024 mini-achieve goals:

1.  Finish mittens by January 7, 2024 (should be totally do-able, as they're almost done already).

2.  Work another two inches on the socks by January 31 (currently at 10 inches).

3.  Figure out what row I'm on for Dancing Bees (it's the oldest project, and I feel like it'll fly once I get started again), also by January 31.

4.  Don't buy yarn.  Should be easy, eh?"

So, yeah, kind of knocked two off that goal list before 2024 even hit.  I've still got two, but I'm nervously side-eyeing #4 as we're going to be visiting Mary Maxim on Wednesday.

Edit (January 3, evening):  I didn't buy anything at Mary Maxim!  For me, anyway.  The young one wanted two skeins for himself to start learning on.

Yarn Stats:  61 entries, 87 skeins, 27,160.10 yards. 

Necromancy At Its Finest

I'm not going to try to appease anyone with excuses, reasons, or whatnot to explain my absence.

It's been almost five freaking years!  What happened?

I've been slowly getting my life back on track - I didn't realize until recently how much of me I'd lost after having a kid.  I've started picking up knitting again, joined a local concert band, lost a bunch of weight, got back into playing Guild Wars 2, and I'm finally starting to feel like my own person.

This is still a knitting blog.  I've been back on Ravelry pretty consistently (y'know, for a lurker) and I've been finishing up old projects and updating the stash.

So!  Here's where we're at:

WIPs

Mittens with Picot Edging (started 2023)

Ten Stitch Blanket (started 2019)

Sockhead Slouch Hat (started 2019)

Vanilla Socks (started 2018)

Hibernating

Eden Scarf Design 9 (started 2021)

Dancing Bees (started 2015 - oops)

Stripes and Diamonds Scarf (started 2021, I think)

Daughter of Thrain (started 2017)

Oranje (started 2017)

With those on the needles, I've also got 60 different yarns stashed at varying amounts, half of which were encouraged by my son (he loves to shop for yarn for me to make him stuff with).

Okay, so what's the plan?  I'm going to try what I was doing before (like, back in 2016 before, not like 2019 when I went AWOL).  I've got a main goal to achieve this year (well, next year I guess, because this year's pretty much over).  My main goal for 2024 is to finish two of the hibernating projects and three of the current WIPs.

January 2024 mini-achieve goals:

1.  Finish mittens by January 7, 2024 (should be totally do-able, as they're almost done already).

2.  Work another two inches on the socks by January 31 (currently at 10 inches).

3.  Figure out what row I'm on for Dancing Bees (it's the oldest project, and I feel like it'll fly once I get started again), also by January 31.

4.  Don't buy yarn.  Should be easy, eh?

I did frog a couple of projects from previous years, like the grey sweater, and I did finally finish (last month!) the shawl I needed to block five years ago.  I will be updating monthly to start, and I'm determined to keep this going now.

New Year Update

Current WIPs (new ones are bolded):

Sweaters/Cardigans:

Rosemary Cardigan, Cascade 220 Heather
Oranje, Estelle Yarns Andean Heathers

Shawls/Scarves:

Dancing Bees MKAL, Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace
Mini Mania Scarf, all my leftover sock yarns
Daughter of Thrain MKAL, Crystal Palace Yarn Lace
Endometriosis Shawl, madelinetosh Tosh Merino - Technically finished, need to block
Organized Chaos, Patons Merino Wool
Winter Raven Walks MKAL, JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk

Hands and Feet:

Generic Cuff Down Sock, Red Heart
Vanilla Toe-up Sock w/ Fish Lips Kiss Heel, Mirasol Yarn Hachito
Stockinette Hand Warmers, Sugar Bush Itty Bitty

Hats:

1898 Hat, Andre's Alpacas Sock (held quadruple) - hibernating

Ahem.  Um, whoops.  So, it's September (not even the beginning anymore!) and I've been neglecting this blog for a few months.  Sorry!

I started a few projects, including another lace-weight MKAL (I swear I'm going to finish all of them ... one day), and I've finished absolutely nothing.  It's been hot.  Too hot to comfortably knit.  But now it's cooling off a bit and I'm out of excuses.

September Goals:  Finish something.

I get distracted easily.  I started several 1898 hats in November and December and finished (or frogged, in one case) all of them.  I did manage to finish the hand warmers though!

January Goals:  Block the Endometriosis shawl and start actively working on Oranje for this winter's CYW.

Picture Post

Update For The Last Few Months

Current WIPs (new ones are bolded):

Sweaters/Cardigans:

Rosemary Cardigan, Cascade 220 Heather
Oranje, Estelle Yarns Andean Heathers

Shawls/Scarves:

Dancing Bees MKAL, Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace
Mini Mania Scarf, all my leftover sock yarns
Daughter of Thrain MKAL, Crystal Palace Yarn Lace
Endometriosis Shawl, madelinetosh Tosh Merino
Organized Chaos, Patons Merino Wool
Winter Raven Walks MKAL, JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk

Hands and Feet:

Generic Cuff Down Sock, Red Heart
Vanilla Toe-up Sock w/ Fish Lips Kiss Heel, Mirasol Yarn Hachito
Stockinette Hand Warmers, Sugar Bush Itty Bitty

Hats:

1898 Hat, Andre's Alpacas Sock (held quadruple) - hibernating

Mittens are finished.  Work is great, and my son loves daycare.

April Goals:  Make another hair tie (stashbusting and growing out my hair).  Finish the worsted weight shawl.  Work on the socks.  Buy no yarn.  Try (ha!) to not start another project (except for the hair tie).

Ahem.  Um, whoops.  So, it's September (not even the beginning anymore!) and I've been neglecting this blog for a few months.  Sorry!

I started a few projects, including another lace-weight MKAL (I swear I'm going to finish all of them ... one day), and I've finished absolutely nothing.  It's been hot.  Too hot to comfortably knit.  But now it's cooling off a bit and I'm out of excuses.

September Goals:  Finish something.

March Update

Current WIPs (new ones are bolded):

Sweaters/Cardigans:

Rosemary Cardigan, Cascade 220 Heather
Oranje, Estelle Yarns Andean Heathers

Shawls/Scarves:

Dancing Bees MKAL, Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace
Mini Mania Scarf, all my leftover sock yarns
Daughter of Thrain MKAL, Crystal Palace Yarn Lace
Endometriosis Shawl, madelinetosh Tosh Merino

Hands and Feet:

Mitten (my own design), Patons Classic Wool
Generic Cuff Down Sock, Red Heart
Vanilla Toe-up Sock w/ Fish Lips Kiss Heel, Mirasol Yarn Hachito

Hats:

1898 Hat, Andre's Alpacas Sock (held quadruple) - hibernating
Tie-D Hair, Patons Classic Wool

Blankets:

Star Blanket, Caron Cakes

Still trying not to freak out about Monday (going back to work).  Finished the hat, started and finished three more projects (two were for a birthday present), and worked a bit on the cardigan.

March Goals:  Finish those mittens!

Mittens are finished.  Work is great, and my son loves daycare.

April Goals:  Make another hair tie (stashbusting and growing out my hair).  Finish the worsted weight shawl.  Work on the socks.  Buy no yarn.  Try (ha!) to not start another project (except for the hair tie).