What's the point in ignoring the plan

 ... if you don't bother to make one in the first place?

Let's talk knitting goals, shall we?  (Or rather, let me write them down so I have a fighting chance at figuring out what the knitting plan was supposed to be, the better to ignore it.)

First up, GiftMoose.  I have one firetruck scarf for an 7/8 year old, one Paw Patrol sweater for a toddler, and one Star Wars hat for a nearish to 9 year old.  T

he firetruck scarf is going wellish.  Icord for the sides of the ladder and I figured out how to attach them so that both sides of the firetruck have a ladder without showing signs of sewing stuff on.  I need to figure out how to do the rungs.  I fear a lot of seaming in my future.  The wheels and cab window should be easy enough to do, even if fiddly. 

I think, ideally, the firetruck scarf should be knit in the round.  Garter is squishy and nice, but double layer is also nice and warm and easier to make things line up.  Having a nice, neat color change on one side of garter stitch means the other side is less pretty and I am not so pleased with that. 

The Star Wars hat will be fingering weight yarn and three colors, but I think it will go pretty fast.  I have two of the three colors and I think I have the third as well.  If not, that should be fairly easy to get some of the correct color.

Paw Patrol sweater should go fairly quickly as well.  I have yarn for it, at least.   Again, toddler size.

There's also a chance for a Hufflepup sweater for a large black lab.  That one might be a bit late, not sure I can get it done by GiftMoose

Friends have been busy reproducing, so I have one baby hat, one baby sweater, and one baby pair of jeans planned.  Due dates vary from Thanksgiving to late January, so I foresee some post GiftMoose knitting happening.   There are a few other things I'd like to knit as well, but time might be an issue. 

While in Scotland, I got some West Yorkshire Spinning Croft yarn to make an Aran sweater for the Weirder Half.  That ought to be on the list as well, as he seemed pretty excited about it.  That is scheduled for next year already and I am not expecting to be super fast. 

A friend recently cleared out her stash by shipping it to me, so eventually, I shall need to make her a cardigan.  But there's a lot of other yarn in the to-knit list right now.  Because I would be shocked if a few socks didn't end up showing up between now and then.

And I have a lot of sock yarn to make into garter bias squares for a leftovers blanket...

It has nae lugs!*

 We spent a week driving around Scotland because Scotland is pretty and we have so far always had nice weather while there.  (Sometimes nicer weather in Scotland than the neighbors report back at home.)  And also because back in March when we had to cancel our planned April trip to Scotland with friends, we had higher hopes for September.   Guess we really didn't know yet what a shitshow 2020 would be.

I managed to knit most of a selfish sock in the car - we drove around 1500 miles.  I'm debating mirroring the chart for the second sock.  The pattern is written for top-down but I evidently have gone to what earlier me would consider the dark-side and knit socks toe-up now.   However, I think the personality traits that has me debating a mirroring of the charts would have done the same thing for top-down socks, even if I hadn't gone to the dark side.

Sock is the delightful Teton Yarn Company's sock in Mermaid.

I also managed to knit the entire skein of red Berocco vintage that I got for a firetruck scarf.  I like that it is garter stitch, I do not like that it is not reversible as the pattern is written.  So I am trying to figure out how to knit or crochet a ladder (well, two, actually) so I can sew it on both sides.  The fact that there is a crochet stitch called ladder stitch is not super helpful.  But that's one of the three remaining GiftMoose presents I have to knit, so progress.  And a garter stitch scarf is simple enough to knit while gaping at the beauty of Scotland.

I also finished knitting, since we got home, a tiny Flax sweater for the incoming baby of friends', as I was able to talk them into purchasing the Whisky in a Teacup colorway from Gauge Dye Works and shipping the yarn to me.

There's just enough yarn left over that I am now knitting a tiny Barley Light hat for their sprog as well.  The sweater did not go to Scotland with us, as I had finished the body the day before we left and didn't think two sleeves would take long enough to bother with the packing.

I've asked someone on Etsy to make custom cloud buttons from polymer clay, as that seemed the perfect button for an adorable (but not twee!) rainbow sweater.  I am debating if the hat will need a button as well?

*related to the ram statue in the center of Moffat, one of the delightful places we stayed in Scotland.

FO: GiftMoose Socks

 The Specs:

Pattern: None
Yarn: Regia 4-Ply Color, sock yarn that is 75% wool and 25% nylon
Color: 03655, Fall, dyelot 188

Amount: 1.52 skeins, 349.6 yards, 76.95 grams

Size: Women's 8.5/8

Needles: US 0 - 2.0mm, Kollage square DPNs.

For: GiftMoose 2020

Start to Finish: 02Sep2020 to 09Sep2020

Notes: I have not knit with DPNs for a while.  I forgot how I can't have a hairband on my wrist because the DPNs will hit it.

Standard sock pattern for me - toe-up, cast on 6 stitches with JMCO, increase 6 stitches every other round til big enough.  In this case, big enough was 66 stitches.  Plain stockinette foot, short row with shadow wrap heel over 33 stitches, 22 of them wrapped.  K4P2 ribbing on the legs, JSSBO at the cuff.

Since these were self-striping, I went to my normal lengths to make sure they matched as much as possible.

I was pretty much exactly spot on.  I had recorded in my notes that I was 2 stitches into the start of the round where I increased to a total of 24 stitches when the red started on the first sock and the same thing happened on the second.  I also started the heel when I finished the blue stripe just before the heel, regardless of where I was in reference to the toe.  Same for the bind-off - I finished the black and started with the two stripe white section.  This confirmed that JSSBO takes about two rounds worth of yarn, which is not a huge surprise.

Regia is not the softest yarn, but I have found that it tends to wear very well, so I don't expect these socks to require mending any time soon.  I am slightly concerned about fit, but I think they will be alright.  I can get them on my feet, even if they are smidge too small for me and I don't find the cuffs super tight.  I often don't wash socks before giving them to their intended recipient, but I like to wash Regia (and Opal) socks with a bit of hair conditioner to soften them up a little bit.

This is the last Required pair of GiftMoose socks.  I might make one or two more pairs, just because it is September and I have some measure of time.

There You Go*

 In retrospect, doing an arm workout and then sanding a door wasn't the smartest move.  But it did mean that a dirty, dusty self wasn't doing pushups and getting dust all over the new-to-us antique rug we just got.  So I guess some points for planning there?  (I probably lose an equal, if not more, number of points for vacuuming up the sanding dust without making sure there was a bag in the shop vac.)

I am trying to make a coat tree thing from an old door.  Sanded the flat parts, trying a paint and varnish stripper on the nooks and crannies that would be a nightmare to sand by hand.  Might have to try another one, as the first attempt with this one didn't do a lot.

I've gotten UFOs all over the house.  Door coat tree is taking up space in the garage.  We're building a custom crate topper for the pupperdo's crate.  I need to get something for the top, cut it (or have it cut) to size, attach it, then fill all the nooks and gaps, sand, and paint.  That's taking up space in the conservatory.

We also picked out a cool old beam that will become a custom, narrow table for behind the couch.  It just needs to be cut in half and lightly sanded, then finished with something like 17 coats of poly.  It has a beautiful old patina that I don't want to sand off, but it also is a bit rough.  I figure enough coats of poly and it won't snag on the fabric on the back of the couch.  Oh, and I need to find and order legs for it.

We also picked up a cool, old writing desk shortly after we first got here.  Someone removed the old, small knobs and installed big brass handles on the drawers along the side.  They did a crappy job filling the holes left from the knobs and of course drilled new holes for the handles.  It won't look perfect, but we've got replacement knobs.  I need to take one of the drawers with me to get stain for the knobs and possibily the drawer fronts.  I plan on wood filler, light sand, re-stain, and ignoring the patch job.  Worse case, we have to paint the desk.  I hate painting beautiful wood, but some people are jerks.

Thinking of the number of wood-based projects that are lounging around the house...  The two pairs of socks, one tank top, and hat that are languishing in the WIP pile don't seem like a major deal at all.

I am also more than halfway done the cuff of the second sock of one of those pairs, so that's close to being finished. 

*Johnny Cash, the man in black

Party Pit*

 I've already knit about half of the list for GiftMoose this year, but it is suddenly September and I feel like I am way behind.  Admittedly, time is very weird in 2020, but I also need to worry about shipping times and well, 2020 is weird in multiple, BINGO-game-ending ways.  The goal is to have everything done by the end of October.  I just ordered yarn from WEBS this week for the last few things, so there might be some deadline knitting this year.

I just started a new pair of socks last night.  About a year ago, I was wandering around Caernarfon, Wales one morning while it seemed that the rest of the city was watching a ruby game.  I stopped into the British Heart shop, just to see what they had, and found two skeins of matching color AND dye lots of Regia sock yarn.  I think they were about £1.50 each, so these were an excellent find.

While I took careful notes of exactly where I started the toe (and where I was when the next obvious color change took place), I have little faith in my ability to make a perfectly matching pair.  

I also can never decide if K1P1 ribbing is better at keeping the look of the self-stripping pattern, or if something like K5P1 would be better.

Knowing that the intended recipient of these socks likes to have roomy sock tops, I've gone with K4P2 for the leg, since I have a multiple of 6 stitches. 

I also had Some Level of Concern last night about the length of the foot.  I was about halfway through the bigger band of white and blue when it was time to start the heel.  Should I continue and finish that before starting the heel?  Should I frog and start the heel on start of the blue/white? 

Obviously, I opted to not frog and I think it was the correct decision.  This is when I almost wish I had a cast of each of the 'normal' recipients of socks, so I could make sure things fit before having finished both socks.  

Also, that ruler sticker was one of my better ideas ever.  (And I am lucky to have a friend who agreed enough to buy it for me.)  I am still sad it doesn't fit on the inside of the laptop, but there's not quite enough room between the trackpad and the keyboard or the trackpad and the edge.

This is the first pair of socks I've knit on DPNs in quite a while.  I've found that a long circular and magic loop makes trying on socks a hell of a lot easier and using US 1s means the math is the same a lot of the time.  But Regia is a thin enough yarn that I wanted to use US 0s and I don't have a circular in that size.  The downside to using DPNs is that I have a lot of DPNs, so I don't have to finish this pair before I start another pair...

*the Hold Steady

Finished Object: Bittersweet Freedom to Be

The Specs:

Pattern: None
Yarn: See Jayne Knit Superwash Merino Nylon Sock (4 Ply)

Color: Freedom to Be

Amount: 314.8 yards, 68 grams, 0.68 skeins
Size: women's 8.5
For: ME

Needles: US 1 - 2.25mm, magic loop
Start to Finish: 26 June 2020 to 30 June 2020

Notes: Man, where to even START?

This colorway is meant to celebrate Pride and Ravelry and the freedom to be whomever you are.  Supposedly a freedom supported by Rav.

However.

The new design (NuRav) was released June 16th and it quickly became evident that what I though Rav stood for and meant .. is NOT what TPTB at Rav actually stand for and mean.  Oh, sure, they do some great lip service and say all the right things.  But when it came to actually Doing The Things, they have failed.  So hard. 

I know I am not the first person to post about this.  I won't be the last.  I am not alone in my anger and I am not the only one tilting at windmills by sending emails and bug reports and asking them to actually change the parts of the design that are actively hurting people.

But the excitement that I started this project with - I wound the yarn in the beginning on June - was completely gone by the time I cast on.  They are a memory of what I though Ravelry stood for, that it is now clear wasn't ever actually true and honest. 

But the yarn is awesome and I love the rainbows.  I did my standard star toe, starting with 6 stitches, increasing to the left for one sock and the right for the other.  Increased to 66 stitches, then did a twinned short row heel.  14 rounds of k2p1 ribbing before JSSBO.

I am in awe of how quickly I was able to knit these - 5 days!  for a whole pair of socks!  But I also wasn't on Rav as much because of the whole disaster that they are now.

Finished Object: BFF Rainbow Socks

The Specs:

Pattern: none
Yarn: Must Stash Yarn & Fiber Perfect Sock Self Striping

Color: Vespa
Amount: 382 yards, 83 grams, 0.83 of a skein
Size: men's 10.5
For: the Weirder Half
Needles: US 1 - 2.25m, magic loop
Start to Finish: 07 August 2020 - 21 August 2020

Notes:  Standard star toe with increases to the right of the start of the round on the first sock.  Increase to 66 stitches, continue in stockinette. Toe started at the start of the paler orange color, last increases occurred a few rows into the yellow.

Twinned short row heel over 33 stitches.  First attempt took 45 rows and all of two colors and only a few rows of the third.  So I counted and frogged and re-knit with exactly 15 rows of each color.  More ends to weave in, but it looks a lot better.

Knit to the orange color that the toe started with, then knit one plain round before starting k1p1 ribbing.  Knit orange and yellow in ribbing, then tried JSSBO for the bind off just as the color changed to green.  First tried Tubular kitchener, but it wasn't stretchy enough. 

Weirder Half confirms it fits.

I always struggle with self-stripping sock yarn like this, because the heel is always going to throw off the stripping pattern.  Of course, in shoes, you'll never see it... but I will know.

I had so much fun watching the color changes in both the sock as I knit and the ball of yarn.

This ended up being item number 20 of my attempt to knit 20 projects in 2020.  Some items were kinda small (baby booties for friends), so I might keep going, but it was fun to have a challenge.  I've not posted some of the items because they are to be GiftMoose gifts and I don't want to give anything away just yet.

Finished Object: Urban Aran

The Specs:

Pattern: Urban Aran by Jared Flood

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted

Color: Jalapeno green

Amount: 11 skeins, 1210 yards, 550gm

Size: me-sized

Needles: US 5, 3.75mm

For: me.  ALLL MINE

Start to Finish: August 2008 to 2009?  2010?  Seaming takes forever

Notes: This was a fun knit!  It went way faster than I expected it, once I account for the delay that always happens when it comes to finishing the seams and so on.  Even sewing in the zipper wasn't too bad, since I got to hang out with other CPaAG people in a Panera in Chicago and borrowed a sewing machine then and there.

Unfortunately, I washed it in the washer a few too many times and it felted and shrunk too much to fit anymore.  I still have my paper copy of the pattern and I think I might end up re-knitting this one in a super-wash option at some point.

Finished Object: Odessa Hat

The Specs:

Pattern: Odessa by Grumperina (in library)

Yarn: Knit Picks Andean Treasure

Color: Fog

Amount: less than one ball

Needles: no idea, but probably similar to Blaze.

Start to Finish: January 2008 to January 2008, a few days

For: me

Size: head-ish

Notes: Knocked this out in a few days.  Omitted the beads because I didn't have any.  

Unfortunately, it didn't cover my ears and what's the point of a hat that doesn't keep your ears warm?  Ended up giving it to a friend (I think DJ Cool Beans?)

However, I think I might have some of this yarn left in my stash, I could make another one.  Or use different yarn.

Finished Object: Print O' the Wave Stole

The Specs:

Pattern: Print O' the Wave Stole by Eunny Jang

Yarn: Taiga Yarns ALPACA

Color:  Lavender

Amount: 5 skeins, 1040 yards, 250g

Size: stole sized

Needles: US 5, 3.75mm

For: me

Start to Finish: Feb 2008 to October 2010

Notes: I am pleased with myself for this one!  Wore it for BFF's wedding, so it sat for a while before I finally finished and blocked it.  It lived on the top of my dresser for a long time, before enough items spilled and the cat threw up on it and a stain set in.  Would definitely knit this pattern again.