Thought #2

 Why does that one hair growing out of my boob grow faster than the hair on my head?

Thought #1

 Have you ever heard a song on the radio and gotten almost violently thrown back into a memory?

It almost hurts sometimes, that feeling.  Every time I hear 'Paparazzi' by Lady Gaga, I'm tossed back to 2009, working at that donut store, dipping flower-shaped donuts in white fondant.  (That was a dark time, which is why it probably happens so consistently.)

When I hear 'Happy' by Pharrell Williams, I'm back on the cruise ship.  I'd never been on a cruise before (haven't been since, either, but I'm not dead yet).  At least that's a happy memory!

'Eight Miles High' by The Byrds has me back on a Sunday morning, listening to records with my Dad.  It's a good, calm memory.

I've heard of this happening with smells, too, but music is way more powerful for my brain.

End of February Update

  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)

Liesl, Cascade Yarns Color Duo (started February 18, 2024)

Hibernating

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

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

End of month yarn stats:  49 entries, 70 skeins, 23,600.30 yards. (No change.)

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.

Um, regarding #2, I realized that this would only work in conjunction with #4 if I finished the hat and succeeded with #3.  Didn't matter, though!  I was not able to resist.  (Actually, I think I was starting to get a little bored with the current projects, and a new one is the best way to avoid frogging everything.)

Ooh!  Also, I remembered to make the projects links so that you all can see what the pattern will (maybe one day) look like.  But I'm not sure if Ravelry links can be viewed if one doesn't have an account - let me know.

March 2024 mini-achieve goals:

1.  Continue to not buy yarn.

2.  Finish something?  Like Liesl?

3.  Sharpen the reed knife and work on a reed.

Last Year's Pics

 I finally pulled the pictures off my SD card.  Here are some highlights from last summer's trip to Montreal, and visit to the Halton Radial Railway Museum!

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.