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.

Finished Object: Eagle's Flight socks

The Specs:

Pattern: Eagle's Flight by Megan Humphrey

Yarn: Zwerger Garn Opal Uni Solid 4 ply

Color:  Brown

Needles: US 2, 2.75mm

Start to Finish:  2007 to 2008

For: me

Size: medium

Notes:  Man, these socks gave me a run for my money what with the LOSING AN ENTIRE SOCK, THE REMAINING YARN, AND NEEDLES.  I have no idea what happened to them, but I have knit this pattern enough to have at least two pairs.  And yet, there is only one pair.

Being Opal, they have held up amazingly well - I finished these nearly 12 years ago and they are still in the sock drawer.  Admittedly, one of them is sliiiiiightly smaller than the other one, so I am reminded on a regular basis to be thankful that my feet are not exactly the same size.

FO: Swallowtail Shawl

 

The Specs:

Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark

Yarn: Valley Yarns 2/10 Merino Tencel (Colraine Lace)

Color: Grey Teal,  a blue green

Needles: US 2.5 (3mm)

Start to Finish:  Finished Dec 2008.

For: my sister

Notes:  Really enjoyed this pattern.  Fairly simple and easy, but not boring.  Added beads rather than nupps because I hate nupps.

I'm packing for a flight to Seattle this weekend, and one of the more important parts of packing is figuring out knitting.  (Well, that, and carefully calculating the number of pairs of underwear required for the time spent away.)

So, looking at knitting goals for the year:

-fornicating reindeer hat for coworker's brother-in-law
-fornicating ______ hat for coworker's husband - thinking horny toads? Not sure, may need to chart this
-socks for Tina
-socks for my sister
-socks for HWIA
-wrist warmers for ME, ALL MINE.
-wrist warmers for TSD
-sweater for me
-baby stuff galore!
-cowl for boss
-wrist warmers for A2
-socks for me
-repair all dying, holey socks on dresser

Fornicating reindeer hat would require the purchase of yarn.  No time for that, plus coworker's brother-in-law hasn't given me the money for said hat yet.

Fornicating _____ hat for coworker's husband:  I do have the yarn for this one, and I just spent quite a few hours figuring out the chart for the horny toads and toadstool(s).

Socks for Tina:  One done, about 2/3 of the way done the foot of the second.  These are toe-up, so I hate them.  Also, on  metal needles so not appropriate for plane knitting.

Socks for my sister: One done, dipped into second yarn ball to finish first, thus insuring that I will run out of yarn for the second.  Have yet to decide on solution, and also, on metal needles, even if I am very near the toe on the second sock.

Socks for HWIA: going to be modeled after socks knit for my father, so will be using same yarn/needles/pattern.  Again, that means metal needles.  ARGH.

Wrist warms for me: have yarn, have wooden needles, have idea of pattern.  Just not sure if I want to figure that out on a plane/train to airport.  Hrm.

Wrist warmers for TSD:  ALL DONE!  And even gifted to him already as well.

Sweater for me:  need to decide on pattern.

Baby stuff galore:  Hoping to pick up baby stuff yarn in Seattle.

Cowl for boss:  Boss got another pair of wrist warmers to replace the ones she lost.

Wrist warmers for A2:  ALL DONE! and gifted as well.  They've even been worn.

Socks for me:  One of the few projects already going AND on wooden needles! However, feel guilty for knitting stuff for me with all the above not done yet.

The other option is the second pair of Bayerische Socks, but I dug those out and appear to be missing a needle.  I have sock, I have yarn, I have pattern, I have only 4 needles and that pattern requires at least 5.