There's No Time Like a Pandemic to Resuscitate Your Old Blog

It's been almost ten years since I updated this blog! And the old saying rings true: The more things change, the more they stay the same. My last updates in 2011 were about meal-planning and knitting. I jumped back in to this blog to write about knitting; we'll see if I write about meal-planning too ; )

I'm feeling new energy for knitting right now. No doubt because of the current Stay-At-Home orders. Looking at my Ravelry projects page, however, is filled with old feelings.

 

That Summer Top. Yes, it now says 100% finished because as of Wednesday, it is, but a few days ago it was sitting there at 90% finished for years. There was no way I was going to frog a project that closed to completion, so I picked it up this week. I was shocked to see just how close I was to finishing it! I could have continued with the eyelet pattern, but why bother: just end it! I knit garter for 10 or so rows and bound off. Finally! I let it soak in the sink for a few hours and then hung it to dry. Because the top was started in 2011, I made a size large. Now that I'm 40 pounds lighter, it's slightly big. I can get away with wearing it with a tank top underneath, but it's probably best suited for a swimsuit coverup.

Souvenir is also finished. I'm not going to block it, but I may add some tassels since the whole reason I chose the pattern (Color Block Bias Blanket) was for those lovely tassels. 

The Hexipuff Quilt is nearing completion. Half of the puffs have been connected to one another.

 

And it occurs to me that I have many other projects that I have finished but never photographed or logged on Ravelry. I'm tempted to make a spreadsheet to tackle this, but I think ultimately it would keep me from actually "catching up", so instead, I think I will tackle one item day. That could mean working on a ufo or photographing a finished piece.

My overall goal is to be a zero-stash knitter. I don't want to own any unused yarn, and I want to finish each project before I start another. I think Part A is attainable; I'm more dubious about Part B.

Now what to do about this?

I purchased this yarn on our family trip to San Francisco in 2018. I intended to make a giant Clapotis (hence the large amount of yarn), but the lady at the yarn shop convinced me to make a Terraform because it also had the dropped stitches. I have no desire to continue knitting anymore of this project, especially because I now know how terrible dropping these stitches will be (subject for another entry). My quandry: Do I bind off and block this and call it finished? It's plenty big enough for a shawl. OR do I frog it (gasp) and consolidate the yarn and make something large? I've been perusing several different sweater, poncho, and swoncho patterns, but they all call for more yarn than I have. So this will have to sit a bit longer. I just realized this project doesn't even have a name! 

Okay, I think I may make a spreadsheet...

Meal Plan: June 13 - June 17

Monday:

Queso Blanco Chicken Sausage

Rainbow Chard sauteed with Garlic

Roasted Salsa and Chips

Tuesday:

Fusilli with Broccolini, Cherry Tomatoes, Oregano, and Lemon

Wednesday:

Mushroom and Fontina Quesadillas

Spinach and Arugula Salad

Thursday:

Whole-wheat Couscous

Roasted Carrots

Spiced "Meat"balls (made with chickpeas)

Friday:

Orzo with Shrimp, Bell Peppers, and Feta

Grilled Zucchini with Herb Dressing

A Year of Knitting Generously

I've decided that instead of having a selfish goal like last year (10 shawls in 2010), I will make it a goal to knit for loved ones this year. I don't regret or feel ashamed about having a selfish goal last year - it was just something I needed to do. But this year, I'm ready to put the focus back on others. That's not to say I won't be knitting for myself, I will, but I will be shifting the balance. My side goal is that if I'm working on something for myself, I must be working on something for someone else as well.

Starting with my family (and that may be as far as I get this year), I want to make one item for each person. Here's what I've done already:

• a vest for Clint and I am working on a second
• a headband / warmer for Kelly
• I'm working on socks for my dad
• a toy for Cash (that is almost done)

I'm still trying to decide what to make for my brothers. If the current vest I am working on goes well, there is a strong possibility that I will make those for the bros. I can just picture the next winter holiday - with all the boys wearing their vests. But then I would need to make one for my dad and Rodney as well...decisions, decisions.

I am also feeling a Finley project coming on - maybe a short sleeve sweater, so she can wear it now but then also into the winter with a shirt underneath.

Before I settled on the knitting generously goal, I thought maybe I would try to go a whole year without purchasing any new yarn. It started kind of by accident when I didn't buy any new yarn in January (except some for a potential project for someone else, so it doesn't count) and then I made it most of February before I splurged (big time) at The Tinsmith's Wife in Comfort. So I think the idea of the yarn diet is not sustainable (according to Tom, it wasn't a diet, it was yarn bulemia), but I am better off limiting my yarn purchases and trying to use up stash first if I can.

Holy Yarn Crawl!

I just completed my first official yarn crawl! Nine yarn stores in two days! I am overwhelmed to say the least! Along with the gifts skeins we received at each location, I purchased more on my own. I tried to resist, but I couldn't. But as one very wise knitter said after she transferred more money to her account, yarn is our jewelry.

I don't even know where to begin about what a wonderful experience the yarn crawl was - I can't wait to do it again next year! Stacy and I had fun on the bus and made new knitting friends. I saw and purchased spectacular yarn. We appreciated small towns and dreamed about moving to one.

At one store I was introduced to an old craft: rug hooking. Stacy and I were both intrigued as the women of Stonehill Spinning in Fredricksburg demonstrated the art on a piece in progress. Rug hooking involves pulling strips of wool up through linen or burlap in small looped increments to create beautiful rugs. It looks to me what would be the predecessor to latch hooking. Stacy bought some tools; I think I will wait and see if I can find a reasonably priced starter kit. I was telling Clint and my dad about it and my dad said that his mother used to do rug hooking in the 60s and 70s! She even had her own fabric cutter which cuts five or six strips at once. So fiber arts are truly in my blood!

I can't imagine how long it's going to take me to photograph and catalog all of my yarn spoils, but I'm looking forward to the task!