100 Day Project, Day… Um… One?

My apologies, I had intended to be better about posting, right up until we got sick. Not “a bit under the weather” sick. Not quite on par with the first round of Covid where we tried for the fever temp survival world record either, but still, we slept through much of the last few weeks. Better now, if still revisiting what I recall as that hangover long Covid thing I remember from last time, and perhaps with one or two fewer spoons at my disposal (do people still count spoons?)

Hiccup: I wrote this for Day 1 of the 100 Day Project (though admittedly I plan to follow my own path) but am only actually posting now, on Day 3. I’m still calling it a go, for writing and intent and actually getting this set up and posted, but case, point, and unneeded explanations — this embodies the why of the challenge thing.

Back to original post: I will (aim to) do a few things that would fit into the #100dayproject (#weaveeveryday / #draweveryday / #tapestrydiary — yes, you three, I’m looking at you…). And sometimes, often, much of the time, these are a challenge; they certainly will all show up regularly as part of the 100 day thing. But the behavior I’d really like to make a reliable part of my routine, the one that I find the most challenging to keep up with, is just this. I intend to post regularly, but when there is any sort of a hiccup in my systems, posting is the first thing to fall aside. 

So… If we’re gonna do this, let’s make some plans and rules.

• Blog post weekly: I had planned to post on Thursdays but for various and varying tidbits, that seems to be a rather rushed day these parts. Today is Wednesday and here I am posting, but I think I am going to run with Monday is Blogday instead as of next Monday* (note to self, learn how to link footnotes in Blogger…);
• IG/FB post daily — just a short check in and perhaps just for as long as we’re running with the project. Link to blog on Blogday;
• Start putting a blog roll together: so I can share, of course, but also so I can go back to checking the places I like to visit regularly myself;
• Remember to photo, photo, photo, draw: post in my other hashtag “everydays” and write regularly so the Blogday’s post is ready to schedule for Monday.

Are you 100 day-ing as well? It’s definitely easier to be accountable in numbers with others, so I figure I’ll be wandering around the hashtag to see what everyone else is up to. Let’s do the thing!

The Thing: Gratuitous color draw on for the day:

(Someday cartoony watercolor thing… )

* Sarah Swett publishes her own wonderful The Gusset on Tuesdays, and the temptation of Twosday Tooday monikers aside, I will choose to follow Sarah’s Tuesday writings with my own on Mondays going forward. Moonday it is!

It’s Been a Long Short While

 Tap tap tap… Is this thing on? 

I missed you. It has been a long while and I haven’t even the foggiest how to begin catching up. So, as someone once posted, we shall this time be condiment(ketchup)-less. 

Not, though, to say that I have nothing to “ketchup” about. I’m rarely knitting, complaining hands and all. I would like to be knitting and I’m told maybe trying something with bigger needles than socks prefer might help. But one must move forward, so enter the looming of the looms with their different hand motions.

No one told me most people don’t have to keep trying out new looms the way one tries out new needles, to find the very best suited… We may have a few more looms about than I often admit to, though the number is now intended to be decreasing as I think, I think, the stable is somewhat stabilized. (As of last week? Or is that next week?) 

Order of ketchup-ness (did you know that ketchup used to be white, not red… How is that possible, when were tomatoes not red? I digress…) State of the looms:

• There is a Toika (Eeva) upstairs waiting to be assembled. Well. Partially, as the frame has already been framed. Still waiting are: the brain (if it only had a…), shafts of 32-ish-ness and appropriate cordage for each, and sectional rails for two warp beams. Oh, and a test run, which means a warp would be handy;

• There is a Toika (Eeva) upstairs waiting to be assembled. Not seeing double. This was the loom that used to live where the loom in bullet the first is now residing. And this one really is disassembled — someday parts will come together, but for now this loom lives in the bedroom (gables) and the library room (sticks) and the living room (more sticks) and the studio (wedges and other small parts). Poor thing is probably quite confused;

• There is a Toika downstairs in the living room that is now mostly assembled. This one is a Maria. Have you heard of a Toika Maria? Nor had I, but now one lives with me. Admittedly, it is actually labeled Toijalan Kaidetehdas, but that is the moniker that ultimately became Toika, yes? This one is a rug/tapestry loom and I am so chuffed that it now lives here… 

Admittedly, it will probably be happier when the warp is warped and once I order springs with which to suspend the beater. (Chains, not yet shown, work for now, but the beater is effectively only functioning as a reed holder. Safe, but immovable.);

• The Fireside jack loom has been moved to its hopeful home space next to Maria. I am determined to run one more warp with it, towels probably, to test if it is more comfortable to weave with if I have a more appropriately arranged bench height. I expect that the Fireside bench with commuter seat and park bench top is too tall for me (perhaps that is why its previous owner rarely wove with it —remind me to tell you about that sometime, the loom has a cool history). This loom is so pretty, I want to like weaving with it, I want to so very much…;

• Yet remaining is to clear space for the next addition. Just as we were planning out Maria assembly, a friend texted that there was a Fireside cantilever tapestry loom listed for sale. In spite of hunting and wishing and hoping (oh my…), I had not really expected to ever luck into having one, they move from sale to sold so very quickly. Steven also moved quickly in this case, and I’m very excited that this one is now sold and hopefully will be here in a little over a week. Crossed fingers that it makes it here soundly — we’ve had good luck with shipped looms so far, but waiting until is always such a worrying event;

• Which leaves the one that’s been partially assembled in the attic studio for about a year(?) now, the Ulla Cyrus (plus the two Cyrii<sp?> in stasis ahem-I-mean stick form and hiding in the storeroom). We are hoping to add electric, finish window frames and ceilings, and install a slop sink for dye space use in the attic, which will, I hope, allow the space to be used year round. (Attic is to have the dye space and fiber processing, as well as this Cyrus and the Toika that is awaiting reassembly.).

Coincidentally, end of year is traditionally when one recounts the updated list of looms on a few of the online weaving lists, so the timing of this post worked out fortuitously…. Also, on this list, an Ashford tapestry loom, Zeus Mirrix loom, and assorted small Mirrix or pipe looms. Yes, this past year has somehow become the year of tapestry…

Not yet mentioned, there are a few looms to be rehomed. Choice of several smaller ones has been offered to Steven’s son, who I’m excited also has an interest in weaving. But there is a 60” AVL 16 shaft manual dobby, with fly shuttle and older format cloth advance system that is wanting a new home, and also an 8 shaft Baby Wolf with its own dobby, a new and never installed AVL Baby Dobby. Not that I expect this post to have wide enough coverage that someone will see the loom they’ve been drooling over for sale here, but in the interest of end of year updated loom lists, one should be complete.

And now, if I can just re-figure-out how to assign tags and topics, we should be set to go!…

Sheepless Nights

My little girl has a blog of her own -- see her here: http://4joylove.blogspot.com/. I'm guessing this means I'll have to start up again, just to have a place for her to comment (it's only fair, if I get to bombard the Smidgereen's place with comments, she'll need something to comment on here as well, hmm?).

Lots has happened since I've last written, life changes, major adjustments; it's mind-boggling to me when I think about it, and I'm working on making some more big changes even still. I'm thinking that maybe it'll be better to add them in slowly and play catch up gradually. At any rate, nutshell version, Smidge and the Boy live elsewhere now and are heartily and heartbreakingly missed (until the summer, they come back for the summer!), I live elsewhere as well, with a wonderful elseone (a perfect knight for sheepy nights and days as well?) and am learning a lot about basilisks and stuff you might not expected to be relatively related. Are you confuzzled yet?

Oh, and it's March. March is full of mind-blowingly important dates, a Smidgen birthday and two related anniversaries. And a rush to complete a pair of socks, March's Madness lives through socks in these parts, and the first heat is up to just past the second heel. Must be finished by Friday. More to come, dates and data and dabbles, oh my...

You'd Think...

That having a collection of FO’s would offer sweet incentive to write a chattily witty post declaring them. You’d think… I’m not totally sure about the chatty (ask me again at the end of the post), but I’m pretty sure you’ll have to forego any inspired wittiness. There is a post – that’s one of the factors at least, right?

In no particular order:

Tall Tibetan Socks ala Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways For Sock Knitters -- second sock complete (finally!) Sadly, they still need blocking, so I’ve plugged the photos of sock 1 in for my FO shot (I promise, the second sock looks nearly identical to the first, with the exception that the spiral spirals in the opposite direction):



Kureyon Kozies: I wanted to make Knitty’s Kureyon Kozy for my MIL, but she keeps her house fairly cool and was concerned that the open spout would let her tea cool too quickly. We both agreed, though, that the sleeker Knitty cozy was quite the thing (doesn’t it sound more like I’m describing a racecar – really, when did I decide that a teapot cozy needed to be sleek?) and so compromised (Compromise? Waitaminit here…). I give you the Kureyon Kozy and the accompanying Kozy Cap. (For all my kvetching – MIL loves knit gifts, but has yet to accept one that she didn’t first redesign – the cozies were pleasantly quick and easy knits, quite enjoyed, and MIL is hip-hip-happy with them)



FlickaDot’s birthday socks – Lykkefanten’s Go Gryffindor Socks. They’ve been done for a while, but I was afraid to post them earlier as Dumpling still drops in here occasionally. Her birthday party was last Sunday (how many girls can boast that the Easter bunny visited them especially, for their birthday, and that their main party game was an Easter egg hunt?) and she’s already got them, so no secrecy needed anymore. And, yes, she loves them, and I believe she was saving them to wear to school today (hope she didn’t forget)…

Lykkefanten has also just released the Such A Slytherin version, yarn for which I’m currently hunting. I’d love Slytherin/Snape stuff even if only to hear how vehemently Flicka shrieks “But Maaaahm, how can you – he’s mean to Harry!” Boys are still icky, it’s not quite a Potteresque crush yet, but close – after all she’s a totally grown up nine years old now!...

Plain old no pattern traveling rib black scarf. I’m always griping about short scarves, so I finally got myself in gear and fixed the problem… It aimed to be 6’ long, grew a little more, and wraps and drapes and ties, you name it, all happily at the same time. And winter even hung around long enough for me to actually use it this year!


‘Nother plain old no pattern basic boy mittens. He needed them in a hurry, and there was some bulky handspun, but it was white. White for a little boy’s mitten set – I don’t think so. Carry along a strand of thin brownish stuff and voila!


One other… My first “Baby Surprise Jacket”. Teaser picture only as it’s a gift for a friend that stops in here sometimes and though it’s not a surprise, I’d like her to see it in her own hands first… Picture to follow eventually…


That’s all for now… The wait is on for Sock Madness 2 Round 2 and I’m having difficulty focusing on other things (I know, I did say it wouldn’t be all-consuming this year, and it totally isn’t, honest, truly!... Just, well, I need to swatch for the lace pattern, and I’m thinking about yarn, and I can’t wait to see the pattern for next round to pick the best match, and… Is it Tuesday yet? Should I start checking my In-Box?).

TTFN………………………………..

Z is for Z-Z-Z-Z-Zombie!

Sock Madness has begun again, so you’ll maybe understand and forgive any upcoming fits of babbling incoherence. I’ve promised myself I’d take it easier this year and knit for fun rather than for the sake of franticness, but, hmm… It feels much like we’ve picked up right where things paused last year (a lot of the same folks came back for more of the punishment… er… comeraderie… that is…) and I can already feel the adrenalin rush (even though the first round has been much more relaxed than what I remember from later on…)

Anyway, here are my Zombie Socks (a fab design, quite a fun knit) by blogless Emm1e (Ravelry link) as of March 14th bedtime:


And here they are at noon, March 17th:


Made it through Round 1 – phew!!!

Zombie also works for my other semi-along. 5 Element Knitter is hosting an Alphabet Soup Challenge, after proving on her own blog that it can be done... The goal is to title blog entries successively from A-Z without any miscellaneous in-between entries. She’s got prizes and all for the first to finish, but mainly I figure it’ll be a good way to get myself blogging regularly again, having the next letter as a challenge to figure in.

Me being me, inside out, left to right, and backwards, I’m starting from Z and working to A instead. I was debating doing it this way, just because, when the Zombie pattern was announced and “Z for Zombie” clinched ti. Not sure if my wrong-way-ed-ness will put me out of the contest, but it’ll be a fun challenge even if it does…

TTFN and TTTL…

Out of Hiding

I can’t quite figure how it’s been since August since I last posted. Ravelry happened (hey, it’s me, Sheepspyjamas there too), but I haven’t been all that active there either. There are a few projects and all, but I haven’t been writing here, there, anywhere. Burnout or some such – I love having posts to blog, but the writing isn’t as easy as it seems like it ought to be and I do have difficulty starting things that appear like they might be involved or discouraging of late (as anyone who has seen the state of my house and housework, or lack of, can totally attest to…)

Anyway, here’s another bit of ketchup (watch out, don’t get any on your clothes), and I’ll try to do better, promise:

Recently finished:




(Honestly, I did finish this for true, just needs a photo, but since Boy has already borrowed them from me, well...)



In the Works:



(I’m working my way through Cat Bordhi’s New Pathways for Sock Knitters, aiming to complete at least one of each “type”).



(Stalled Knitty's Hey Mickey... This will probably surface again when the dash to knit keep me warm stuff gives way to short skirt weather again...)


(His and hers, both semi-stalled...)


(All but finished, blog later...)

And, pictureless, a simple ribbed black scarf for me, mindless project, in between the mad dash to mitten the kids.


Time, also for a little virtual housecleaning; I suspect I’ve broken many of my previous links/pictures. Please bear with me as I revamp the sidebar and do some “darning” in previous posts…

‘Nuff blather… it’s good to be back!

Ketchup

Updates from yesterday...

Socks, completed version:


Forgotten bag, completed version:

The bag works out to be the perfect size to hold a ball of yarn while wandering -- I'm so pleased with it!
Pattern: Mine Own
Yarn: My Handspun
I plan to have the pattern ready to offer soon -- as with the socks, I want to try it out one more time, just because...

Forgotten project, in forgotten bag:
Knitty's Hey Mickey! child's skirt (not that you can tell much about it from the pictures)...


And, not leastly, Knitty's Prickly Girl child's tank, now all but completed:

Is it me, or are armholes longer than the overall garment length perhaps a tad excessive? Has anyone else read this pattern and interpreted it differently than I? I ended up with 15" straps on the front and 15" straps on the back that were supposed to be grafted together to complete the armhole. I'll be tying them together to accommodate a somewhat shorter length. I'm also waiting for a girly try-on before I "frill" the neckline and bottom edge a bit, just in case I need to firm up any gapping or somesuch. Almost fini... And even with my armhole concerns, I adore how it's worked out so far...

More later, I'm off to write a prize email I managed to neglect last night.