Year of Projects: Week 38

Look at me, two weeks in a row!  And I have knitting content.  I still have not had a ton of knitting mojo, but the weather finally cooled down on Thursday!  So it's bearable now to have woolly goodness in my hands...

I have been fighting the exhaustion part of my disease this week....I've been in bed between 8 and 8:30 pretty much all week....I'm also congested, so that doesn't help...if it's not one thing....I got the flu shot for the first time last year and I suppose I should get it again.  It's recommended because of my compromised immune system.

But I did pick up a couple of socks last night and put some heels on them.  So I am trying out the Fish Lips Kiss heel, but am having issues with holes.  I do pull the last stitch as recommended, but the issue is when I go back to working with the main color...So attaching the heel back to work in the round, I get a hole...how can I fix that?  I know I can go back and close it, but how do I fix it while knitting..

So I actually put on two heels, one of the yellow yarn and now both heels are on my Irish socks...I am knitting these concurrently...I think that is the way I will knot most of my socks from now on..

I had done one heel already, which I hadn't realized until I pulled them out of the bag..so onto the feet! I'll have another pair done before the end of the year....

Then I put my first heel on my dia de los muertos socks....the red from mini skein from Two Sisters matches perfectly the red in the  Desert Vista Dyeworks.

I have to order some more mini skeins, but that will be it until Rhinebeck....

So my finished list for this year remains the same...

2018 Finished Projects:
Millennial Slytherin Mitts - Jan 6, 2018 
KG AMi - Jan 10, 2018
Shamrock Hat - Jan 20, 2018
Snowflake Hat - Jan 20, 2018
Elephant Reserve - February 11, 2018
Bunny Hat - February 12, 2018
Blue Wave - February 12, 2018
Folding Chairs - March 4, 2018
Jessica Jones 2 - March 7, 2018
Chicken Scratch Sock (test knit) - March 8, 2018 (only one sock)
Zombie Latte Socks (Zombie Valentine) - April 8. 2018
Fortune's Shawlette - April 11, 2018
Hudson Bay Socks - April 12, 2018
Chemo Hat for Deirdre - April 16, 2018 
Farewell Sockhead - July 4, 2018
Multnomah - July 10, 2018
Colourscape Cowl - July 24, 2018
A & C Vanilla socks - July 30, 2018
Swap Gift - August 20, 2018

Works In Progress:         
WIPS: Crochet:
Round Ripple: (Started 2006 (?) Aiden)-not sure he'd want this anymore, being a high school freshman and all, but I think I'll finish it for him. He is now a sophomore.
Around the World Afghan: (April 2010): about ¼ done - I looked at this recently and I'm still liking it, so I'll keep it...maybe make it a baby blanket instead.
Sunrise Sunset Afghan: this has been hibernating awhile, 6 squares done. I still love the look of this.
Tabard Tunic (NW Diss 2/1/14) - Haven't made a final decision on this yet.
Throwback Poncho 2/19/17 - would like to finish for the fall
Venetian Cowl (July 1, 2018)

Knit: 
Learn to Knit Afghan: (started 2010): 3 squares done, I put this in the giveaway yarn bags..not thrilled with colors....will use squares at school for water bottles..
Shark in the Woods (11/27/14)- I really love this, but it's a lot of cabling and I'm not a fan..about 1/2 done.
Vanilla fingerless mitts (12/25/15) - Think I'm going to frog and do different mitts or crochet them.
Zombie Vixen mitts (10/17/15)- why I may crochet the others...have these and still working on them, again cabling
Garter Path Shawlette (5/30/16)- I have frogged this a couple of times...
Swinging with Winkle (6/4/16)- I love this so much!  Just need to finish it! Added a few rows
Meandering Top (5/20/16) - Took it out, at the separation of arms, looks really big!
Bulky Cowl - this hurts my hands to work on...think I need slippery needles...
Splediferous Blanket - (4/15/17) Roald Dahl club, mitered blanket
Selbu Mitts - 3/26/18
Beekeeper Cardigan - 7/1/18 
Lucy's Elephant - 7/24/18


Socks:
Kai-Mei: (April 2012) - has not changed, 
Espalier Socks (Jan 10, 2016) - started and stopped...
Just Keep Swimming - (6/16/16) - 1 done
Muertos - 8/13/17
Games Socks- 2/15/18
I'm Irish - 3/3/18
Cloudy Rainbows - 5/11/18 
Sunny Skies - 5/12/18
Northampton Socks - 5/26/18
 
Scarves/Shawls:
Splashy Flowers: (May 2011) - add a motif scarf, don't see that being finished soon...
Light in Shadows (1/14/14) - I love this so much...need to start the new direction, so need to sit down and figure it out.. 
Willow Fields (9/6/14) - ran out of yarn, waiting on yarn 
My Shelly Valentine (2/10/16) - should finish for this year's Valentine's Day, yeah, that did not happen

Bags:
Beach Bag: (started May 2010)  Just needs lining sewn in, I used it this year without the lining...so may just call it a day on this.... 

 KAL/CALs: 
Fire and Blood (5/4/14) - not anytime soon
Outlander MKAL (8/8/14)  - possibility of finishing this..the yarn is so yummy

Stash Acquisition Saturday

Good morning!  So the latest acquisitions came from a destash from one of my groups on Facebook.

It was a lot of three yarns.  I have some Biscotte, but the other two dyers were new to my stash. Although I had heard of Kirby Wirby.

And then when I found out the Kirby Wirby was called, "Follow the Yellow Brick Road." Well the deal was done!

Biscotte and Cie in Cerise et Citron

and this one from AlaskanNancy called Zak...which has some great colors in it.....just looked her up and it seems her company name is Fireweed Dyeworks

I think that will be it for awhile....as Rhinebeck is in a month.....I don't know if I have anything else on order right now...I do have a swap box sitting here, but I can't open it until September 30....

What have you stashed lately?

Stitch Along: Week 37

Hello!!  It is Tuesday night and I am ready to go to bed.  But I'm determined to keep on my schedule after taking that six week break.

Today, we had administration doing walkthroughs.  They have specific "look-fors"  I was not teaching at the time, so it was kind of relaxing for me.  I'm sure I'll get another at some point...

So, if you read my Sunday post, you know why I had such a long break....and I really have not been working on much, except tv marathons...I've watched lots of movies and caught up on a tond of series.

One thing I have been working on is my latest pair of rainbow self stripe socks...

This was at my friend's house last Sunday for the fish fry.  It's been slow going.  I've also started another FLK heel, but haven't finished it.

This was me today waiting for the Union meeting to start.  I am one of the Union reps at our building. It finally started.  I was so tired and in pain today because of the weather....

Isn't this awesome?  My students created their Me Museums and this student decorated his box to look like a camera!  How creative!  This is the same kid who looks for bugs at recess.  He wants to be a "bug scientist."

One of his finds

And our Fergus has been a naughty bird!  He loves the remote and when we hide it, he still finds it!

And I leave you with my naughty boy!  Have a great week! Come join in!!!

Year of Projects: Week 37

Good morning!!!!!  It has been six weeks since I last posted an update....wow...as I said in yesterday's post, it's been an unintentional break.  Between the weather and my health, I just was not crafting....

One of the side effects of the PsA medicines has been extremely high blood pressure (like stroke region).  So I am now on medication for my blood pressure.  I also was having some issues with perimenopause (menopause) and I was having suicidal thoughts.   So I am also on some medicine to help with that....so it's been a bit of a roller coaster this summer and then with the heat and humidity, the last thing I wanted to do was hold wool yarn in my hands.

I'm not disclosing this for sympathy, but I think we need to be open about these things.  Women's health, especially sometimes gets swept under the rug.  And definitely mental health issues are taboo to talk about.....I was not in any real danger, but the thoughts happened enough for me to be concerned and seek help.

There have also been some family medical issues going on with my husband and his father.  So I have had lots of other things on my mind this summer.....

But I'm back in school, my health has stabilized (as much as it can for an auto-immune disease) and my husband's issues may be coming to an end soon.....so I am ready to get back to the yarn...and just because I haven't been crafting doesn't mean I haven't been buying yarn...you can check out yesterday's stash acquisition post for the latest....

2018 Finished Projects:
Millennial Slytherin Mitts - Jan 6, 2018 
KG AMi - Jan 10, 2018
Shamrock Hat - Jan 20, 2018
Snowflake Hat - Jan 20, 2018
Elephant Reserve - February 11, 2018
Bunny Hat - February 12, 2018
Blue Wave - February 12, 2018
Folding Chairs - March 4, 2018
Jessica Jones 2 - March 7, 2018
Chicken Scratch Sock (test knit) - March 8, 2018 (only one sock)
Zombie Latte Socks (Zombie Valentine) - April 8. 2018
Fortune's Shawlette - April 11, 2018
Hudson Bay Socks - April 12, 2018
Chemo Hat for Deirdre - April 16, 2018 
Farewell Sockhead - July 4, 2018
Multnomah - July 10, 2018
Colourscape Cowl - July 24, 2018
A & C Vanilla socks - July 30, 2018
Swap Gift - August 20, 2018

So, yeah the only thing I finished was a swap gift.  I actually made three things, but didn't take any pictures.  That's how out of it I was.....

I did work a bit on some socks, but that is it.....so no goals were met, except to finish the swap gifts...I'm going to skip September goals for now.....

So that is where I have been.....

I went to a Gansey sweater talk on Friday night at Sheep and Shawl in S. Deerfield, Mass with Beth Brown-Reinsel.  It was good, but I was not feeling well, so missed some of it.  I had invited two friends along and they really enjoyed it.  But I did buy this gauge tool I've been seeing online and wanted to try.

We had a fish fry at my friend's house last Sunday.  It was very good!!!!

I think that is about it...I need to do lesson plans, we have administration visiting our building on Tuesday, so need to make sure everything is good....and I'd like to catch up on reading some blogs....

Hopefully I will be back next Sunday....

Stash Acquisition Saturday

My goodness, it has been weeks....I didn't purposely stop blogging....the weather was just so gross and it affected my hands, so I wasn't crafting at all.....and I wasn't doing anything because it was too icky to go outside of my air conditioned bedroom!!!! And then school started.....

The weather continued to be icky.....we had several half days.  Here is the first day of school...at 7:30 in the morning, before the students came in...

Yes, that was my look for several days...I'd come home every day and take a shower and just veg out, had no energy in the heat and humidity...

But I did do some online shopping, so let's see what I added to the stash.....(and I just received one in the mail as I was typing this)

So Freckled Whimsy posted on Instagram that she had some Pride, Prejudice and Love Actually based on the Keira Knightly movies and I snapped it up...but it's because Colin Firth was also in those movies...so it's my Colin Firth skein!

I also bought her Spring Fling the other day because GREEN!!!! There's about three shades of green in this!

And unfortunately several indie dyers have recently stopped dying....I was able to snag a skein of Gynx Yarn, she had some in her shop...and sparkly green! So I bought C-137, I had no idea what the reference was, but I guess it is from Rick and Morty....

Yeah I know, green...but I can't help it!  And if it's close to chartreuse green, I'm utterly helpless against resisting!

I also received my last two Tits Out Collective yarn

Nomadic Yarns Electric Boobaloo and Rusty Ferret.  The Nomadic Yarns was a dyed-to-order and took awhile to come in, but so worth the wait!  The Rusty Ferret re-opened her listing.  I was so glad I was able to get it, as I was bummed I hadn't ordered it in the first place.

I also won an online giveaway from The Yarn Badger.  It is a Frida Kahlo themed kit.

I really like the sock pattern she used in her giveaway picture, but I haven't been able to find one similar (I think hers is an unpublished pattern)

 So I think that is it...I have bought a couple other skeins to finish up some projects....

How about you?  Any stash acquisition lately? I'll set up a link, just in case...

Monday, What Am I Reading?

I haven't joined in on this in awhile, but I actually did some book reading this summer.  I read a lot of online articles and things, so I'm always reading.  But I haven't been actually book reading in awhile....

Several years ago I read Game Change and Double Down  by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin.  I was really looking forward to their book of this past election.  But then Mark Halperin got caught up in the #metoo movement and the publisher canceled the book,  I am hoping that John Heilemann can some how release some kind of book at some point.  So when I saw that Katy Tur released a book about her being embedded in the Trump campaign, I was interested.

It was a good read.  At one point, I actually had to check to see if she was still working for NBC because she was very blunt about the business and her bosses....(she actually has a show on MSNBC now)

I'm not going to get all political....those of you that have read my blog, know which way I lean....but the book was very interesting for that behind-the-scenes look....and yes I know since it is one person's experience, it can be biased....but she tries hard not to be....

My husband brought me home a book to read:

He said, "It's your kind of book."  Which it is.  It is based during WWII and concerns the hiding of Jews. I've read many, many books about this topic.  Non-fiction and fiction...I am fascinated by the different ways people acted during that time.  I also think it is the highest honor that anyone can receive to be considered a Righteous Among Nations by Yad Vashem. 

It's also a fairytale that has been re-imagined.  I also love those kinds of stories.  I collect Cinderella tales.  In almost every culture, there is some type of CInderella tale.  I own about 30-40 different versions.  This is a re-imagining of the Hansel and Gretel story.  I'm only a little into it..but it was engaging from the very beginning....

The other day I was Netflixing (can you believe that wasn't flagged as improper?  The words we can turn into verbs...) Anyway I saw...

I remember LOVING this book!!!  So I watched the movie...it was very good....and Lily James is a great actress...I had just seen her in Mama Mia 2.....she was perfect in both roles....and of course, she does a great job as Cinderella too ;)

I do recommend the movie, but decided to pull out the book again to re-read...

Obviously there are some differences...but I am enjoying the re-read very much....

So here's the thing...the medication that I take for the auto-immune disease that I have affects my memory.  It is a low-dose chemo drug and you get "brain fog" and memory loss.....so I don't actually remember the book...I just remember that I LOVED reading it and thought it was one of the best books I'd ever read.  So this is like reading a whole new book.....and enjoying it immensely....

How about you?  What have you read lately? Join in with Kathryn at The Book Date

Year of Projects: Week 31

Good morning!  I did not post last week.   I was exhausted on Sunday, as we traveled all day on Saturday.

So where am I at? Let's update those monthly goals:

July goals:
- finish or close to finish the Kiss Me, I'm Irish - did not work on these.
- figure out and work the Fish Kiss Lips heel on Keep Swimming - WOOHOO, did my first one yesterday!
- swatch for the Waves Tank, then knit- cast on for the Tegna top,- nope
- swatch the Vintersol sweater and the Rainbow Cardi - nope
- finish the Beekeeper Cardigan - I put another couple of repeats on it
- finish the Venetian Cowl - I have been working on this, but it is slow going
- finish the Colourscape Cowl - DONE!
- start kid gifts, bear sweater, elephant sweater, sheep hat, girl sweater - Started the elephant sweater

So moving into August, knowing that unpacking the classroom is coming and I go back the last week of August.

August Goals:
- finish the Kiss Me, I'm Irish socks
- FInish the Keep Swimming socks
- Work on the Beekeeper Cardigan (finish?)
- swatch for the other projects: Vintersol, Waves Tank, and Rainbow Cardi
- Cast-on Tegna
- Cast-on the Bear Sweater
- finish partner gifts for swap

2018 Finished Projects:
Millennial Slytherin Mitts - Jan 6, 2018 
KG AMi - Jan 10, 2018
Shamrock Hat - Jan 20, 2018
Snowflake Hat - Jan 20, 2018
Elephant Reserve - February 11, 2018
Bunny Hat - February 12, 2018
Blue Wave - February 12, 2018
Folding Chairs - March 4, 2018
Jessica Jones 2 - March 7, 2018
Chicken Scratch Sock (test knit) - March 8, 2018 (only one sock)
Zombie Latte Socks (Zombie Valentine) - April 8. 2018
Fortune's Shawlette - April 11, 2018
Hudson Bay Socks - April 12, 2018
Chemo Hat for Deirdre - April 16, 2018 
Farewell Sockhead - July 4, 2018
Multnomah - July 10, 2018
Colourscape Cowl - July 24, 2018
A & C Vanilla socks - July 30, 2018

So look at that, I do have a couple of finishes!  A pair of vanilla socks started back in July of 2015!!  Got to get faster with my vanilla socks! Which I posted about on Thursday

I also finished my Colourscape Cowl.  I posted about it here. This only took me about a month...this was my travel project...so I'll pick up my Jessica Jones Cowl 1 to use for that now....

And yes, I have finally done my first Fish Lips Kiss Heel!!!!!

Now to see if it actually fits me.....as the heel flap, I've got it adjusted to fitting me well.  So I'm going to finish this one up today and then if it does fit me well, I'll use that heel on the Kiss Me, I'm Irish....so I can get going on those....

So updated the Works in Progress list, took off the completed items and added the new items....I'm hoping to have another finish for Friday....let's see if that happens!!

Works In Progress:         
WIPS: Crochet:
Round Ripple: (Started 2006 (?) Aiden)-not sure he'd want this anymore, being a high school freshman and all, but I think I'll finish it for him. He is now a sophomore.
Around the World Afghan: (April 2010): about ¼ done - I looked at this recently and I'm still liking it, so I'll keep it...maybe make it a baby blanket instead.
Sunrise Sunset Afghan: this has been hibernating awhile, 6 squares done. I still love the look of this.
Tabard Tunic (NW Diss 2/1/14) - Haven't made a final decision on this yet.
Throwback Poncho 2/19/17 - would like to finish for the fall
Venetian Cowl (July 1, 2018)
Swap Gift 7/23/18

Knit: 
Learn to Knit Afghan: (started 2010): 3 squares done, I put this in the giveaway yarn bags..not thrilled with colors....will use squares at school for water bottles..
Shark in the Woods (11/27/14)- I really love this, but it's a lot of cabling and I'm not a fan..about 1/2 done.
Vanilla fingerless mitts (12/25/15) - Think I'm going to frog and do different mitts or crochet them.
Zombie Vixen mitts (10/17/15)- why I may crochet the others...have these and still working on them, again cabling
Garter Path Shawlette (5/30/16)- I have frogged this a couple of times...
Swinging with Winkle (6/4/16)- I love this so much!  Just need to finish it! Added a few rows
Meandering Top (5/20/16) - Took it out, at the separation of arms, looks really big!
Bulky Cowl - this hurts my hands to work on...think I need slippery needles...
Splediferous Blanket - (4/15/17) Roald Dahl club, mitered blanket
Selbu Mitts - 3/26/18
Beekeeper Cardigan - 7/1/18 
Lucy's Elephant - 7/24/18


Socks:
Kai-Mei: (April 2012) - has not changed, 
Espalier Socks (Jan 10, 2016) - started and stopped...
Just Keep Swimming - (6/16/16) 
Muertos - 8/13/17
Games Socks- 2/15/18
I'm Irish - 3/3/18
Cloudy Rainbows - 5/11/18 
Sunny Skies - 5/12/18
Northampton Socks - 5/26/18
 
Scarves/Shawls:
Splashy Flowers: (May 2011) - add a motif scarf, don't see that being finished soon...
Light in Shadows (1/14/14) - I love this so much...need to start the new direction, so need to sit down and figure it out.. 
Willow Fields (9/6/14) - ran out of yarn, waiting on yarn 
My Shelly Valentine (2/10/16) - should finish for this year's Valentine's Day, yeah, that did not happen

Bags:
Beach Bag: (started May 2010)  Just needs lining sewn in, I used it this year without the lining...so may just call it a day on this.... 

 KAL/CALs: 
Fire and Blood (5/4/14) - not anytime soon
Outlander MKAL (8/8/14)  - possibility of finishing this..the yarn is so yummy