Woodstock

I’m tired, so I’m going to drop a few thousand words in picture format. 

Daphne and Jasmyn came to collect potential yarn, aka fleece. 

We’re looking a whole lot less identical these days 😏

Helen called in her order, and gifted me 4 skeins! I know - a generous gift that idk how I’ll ever repay. Hopefully my joy will be a sufficient down payment. 

Uschitita

Uschitita yarn finally arrived at The Needle Emporium ! So happy that I had the day off; I stopped in Milton to pick up mi amiga Joan, and we enjoyed a good catching up on the drive.

I went with the mission of picking out a colourway for the What the Fade MKAL coming up at the end of this month. The purples called to me and with some help fromJulie, I put this kit together. Using black and white photography, I ended up switching the last two skeins for a more totally accurate tonal gradation. I;m a bit of a stickler for fading from dark to light ... unless you're fading from one colour to another.

Then Julie walked away to help customers and this one just sort of happened.

It may not end up being a What the Fade, it may be another fade or just stash, but I love them. 

This single skein of Hedgehog sock caught my eye - fairly screams Gryffindor, yes?

I put these for skeins of Hedgehog Singles together. 

Westknits is doing another MKAL come the end of September, and while he doesnt usually do fades, this caught my eye, but I managed to leave them behind.

My next project for Julie is a So Faded Sweater in a stunning green Merino Mia Gradient Kit from Prism Yarns  I wound up the first few colours and got started straight away last night!

On my way home, I ended up here:

I always seem to end up at Krispy Kreme when I go to Julie's. 

Since there was a Staples right there, I had the screen protector replaced on my phone. WOW!!! The original one was go cracked and abused that it's like having a new phone!! I also bought an external keyboard for the phone. I love it - it makes blogging so much easier! 

I have taken my flute playing back up; it's been a year!! I have missed it and am enjoying the playing immensely. My teacher, Myrelle, had suggested that I record myself playing, mistakes and all, so I did.

This is my favourite song (that I know how to play) and it is not bad considering that I've been not playing for awhile. https://youtu.be/Tt5NnEllCgw

It will give me a baseline for measuring my improvement.

Back to my So Faded Sweater before I head to work,

Sunday

Nothing planned today so we watched the French Open final, then headed out to Dog Tales Rescue and Sanctuary  I follow them on Facebook and Instagram, and I've been wanting to go see the dogs for awhile. 

You know that feeling you get when you know you want another child? Yeah. I wasn't sure if I wanted to fall in love or not, but it was a lovely day to visit dogs. 

I didn't fall in love, but these two caught my eye. I'll think on it and maybe go back for a visit. 

 

 

Craig had his serious face on. 

 

I am making progress on my last Clue of the Starting Point MKAL. I love my colour #2, Sin. It's so bright and I love it! 

 

We went to see Wonder Woman this aft. I'm not usually one given to emotions when watching films, but when Wonder Woman ran across No Man's Land, hit her mark and crouched into her power stance, fending off a barrage of bullets with her shield, I got struck with some feels. 

I love a movie with a strong female lead, and this one goes to the head of the class. Though Kill Bill is still a strong fave. 

I started knitting on my sock but I couldn't keep track of 2x2 ribbing 🙄 and there were mistakes. I knit the tail into the fabric 

 And something wonky happened here.  

So I just watched the movie. Sigh. 

The new kobo is fantastic! The balance of it in hand makes the larger screen a total win. The yellow-tinted night-mode lighting is a noticeable upgrade and my eyes are grateful. 

Settling in now for an easy evening, making some visible progress on the shawl.  

Trending

Born Trippy is knit, blocked and ready to wear!! I loved knitting this pattern, and the yarn ... all the love!! 

Once I had decided to start with Hush (lavender) as the first CC, then realized that there was a solid MC section, I had to rethink my plan to go with a tonal

progression. I went with the brights in the centre, which if I was wearing it myself would have them on my face, finishing with Coral, so that it lays and compliments Hush when worn. At the end of the day, it still works out as a tonal progression! Go me!! 

 The living alone life kinda sucks for taking modeled FO pics, but Julie rocks this, so I'll leave it to her. From me, this is what you get - functional shot. 

I cast on for Amanda's Messy Bun hat last night. This style of hat is super hot and trendy at the mo, and Amanda was so excited when I tagged her in a Facebook post about it. 

 It doesn't look like much yet, the Charly print melange gives it a less than flat-black look. Those Signature Needles sex it up tho!! Amanda specifically requested "black" so I took that limit as far as I could and still stay true to what my client asked for. I *do* want her to wear it and love it when it's done. I also chose this yarn for its superwashness - Amanda isn't really the hand-wash kinda girl. 

With the work schedule that I have and the long days I'm putting in lately, I use weekends to go to the shops and cook. I love cooking and am still unable to cook for one or two, which works out well for meal prep. Yesterday I made another batch of curry, the sausage mix that I use to make omelets, and a new recipe - chicken parm stuffed peppers. They turned out fantastic and I'll definitely be making them again! 

I have a remarkable amount of food in my home for a woman living and cooking for mostly just herself. 

 

I buy a lot at Costco, then use my FoodSaver to portion it down and keep it freezer-fresh until I use it. I have a lot of ready to grab-and-go meals in the freezer. Working nights and not being able to pop out for something if I don't take food is a massive motivator, and saves money in the long run.

Trending

Born Trippy is knit, blocked and ready to wear!! I loved knitting this pattern, and the yarn ... all the love!! 

Once I had decided to start with Hush (lavender) as the first CC, then realized that there was a solid MC section, I had to rethink my plan to go with a tonal

progression. I went with the brights in the centre, which if I was wearing it myself would have them on my face, finishing with Coral, so that it lays and compliments Hush when worn. At the end of the day, it still works out as a tonal progression! Go me!! 

 The living alone life kinda sucks for taking modeled FO pics, but Julie rocks this, so I'll leave it to her. From me, this is what you get - functional shot. 

I cast on for Amanda's Messy Bun hat last night.

 It doesn't look like much yet, the Charly print melange gives it a less than flat-black look. Amanda specifically requested "black" so I took that limit as far as I could and still stay true to what my client asked for. I *do* want her to wear it and love it when it's done. I also chose this yarn for its superwashness - Amanda isn't really the hand-wash kinda girl. 

With the work schedule that I have and the long days I'm putting in lately, I use weekends to go to the shops and cook. I love cooking and am still unable to cook for one or two, which works out well for meal prep. Yesterday I made another batch of curry, the sausage mix that I use to make omelets, and a new recipe - chicken parm stuffed peppers. They turned out fantastic and I'll definitely be making them again! 

I have a remarkable amount of food in my home for a woman living and cooking for mostly just herself. 

 

I buy a lot at Costco, then use my FoodSaver to portion it down and keep it freezer-fresh until I use it. I have a lot of ready to grab-and-go meals in the freezer. Working nights and not being able to pop out for something if I don't take food is a massive motivator, and saves money in the long run.

Top to Toes

Born Trippy is trippin' right along! I'm on to the last colour, Coral. It still is a remarkable thing how  blocking transforms wrinkled, undefined stitches into ordered loveliness.

 

 

Another bit of knitting magic that I shall never grow weary of. 

I finished Marks first sock, but I gave it to him last night to take home and try in before I thought to take a picture. Sigh. Hopefully his narrower leg translates into as narrow a foot. 

But I had a fantastically productive night on dock last night and am to the heel flap! 

 I don't know how it happened, but I have a slight bend on the tip of one of my Signature needles!!  

The needles were in the socks, which were in my TARDIS sock bag, which was in my backpack. I certainly don't use these tools as pry bars for anything. It's really a mystery!! Fortunately it doesn't adversely impact my knitting; it's an odd feeling on the tip of my finger as I shift the stitches along, but the knitting clearly goes on. 

We celebrated Craig's birthday a week late because we were both feeling so sick the previous week. The Keg had a prohibitive wait time, so we chose Montanas. Good thing too - there's a Birthday helmet tradition there!!Craig is utterly immune to embarrassment and soaked up his moment. 

 

 

It was a lovely meal and a memorable one. 

So Not Boring

So I blocked out Born Trippy last night. OMG - the magic of blocking rivals only the magic of turning a heel on a sock!!

 

 Here it is folded upon itself to show the colour progression. I am thrilled with how it's turning out, and I rarely get so excited for a project before completion! 

While it was blocking, I got a bit more done on Marks sock. I'm loving it as well!! 

 This is the one that I had thought he would pick; there's no way this is going to be considered boring!! I'll have to hit up the stash to find a heel/toe yarn; I don't want to run short.

I had to run out, do a couple of errands today and make a Costco run. I had really been hoping for a whole weekend of couch-surfing rest, but needs must. 

I am home now, wild rice and pot barley simmering for the soup that I made yesterday. 

Ah yes, shit got real. Cold 2.0 vs Wannietta has been stepped up a notch and I brought out the big soup pot. 

Frozen chicken carcasses, celery and extra onions.  It turned out well, even without carrots, but needs the carbs, fibre and toothy bite that the wild rice and pot barley will provide. 

Okay ... now for hopefully my most difficult decision of the day; sock or scarf? 

Magenta

So I got started on Marks socks last night. I got this far into them,  

he inquired about what I had started on so I showed him. "Well, that's rather boring."  

So. Clearly since I know him only in a work capacity, and his wardrobe is ALP standard, I clearly made an inaccurate assumption. He said he loves wild and crazy colours. He named his first child Magenta as it's his favourite colour. 

Ok. Back to the stash. 

I have made some selections, significantly less sedate boring, and I will give him the choice tonight. 

 I've got my guess about which one he might choose ... 

Fret not, my evening was not spent idle! I pulled out Born Trippy and set to.

 It's coming along nicely, if I do say so myself. I was getting tired from the relentless coughing that this cold has gifted me with, so the last 1/4 was spent on being exhausted. Can't wait to get to Sorry, not Sorry, because pink!! 

If I had not had a back up project, like if I was a rookie or delirious from fever, I'd've just restarted the socks in my size. Hey, I can be sedate. Maybe not boring, but totally sedate. 

Great Week

It's been a productive knitting week!! 

I have finished a sock, started the 2^nd one AND gotten through the increase sections of the Born Trippy scarf.

 

I also used the bread maker that Craig bought me for Xmas. It won't get used overmuch with just the two of us, but he was well impressed with the initial offering. 

 

Born Trippy has a section using just the MC, and I considered starting with it - that would have eliminated a few ends that are created in the increasing. I might still, but I'm going to need a scale (which is at mine) to track my usage of the MC. Having the solid MC section inside the scarf will also break up the length of the striped sections. There really is more to this than one would initially assume. I'm quite certain that I'm overthinking this ... I shall sleep on it and let

My subconscious be my guide. 

Craig and I are going to have a lovely evening in for New Years Eve. I had asked him if he had any plans or thoughts on what he'd like to do and he said no, we could do whatever I'd like. I just gave him that, "Really? You know what I wanna do" look, combined with a lopsided grin, and he picked up what I was putting down and said, "We can stay in and knit". He really is a keeper!! 

Bits an' bobs

Heads up - Westknits MKAL spoiler pic below. 

The Woodstock Fleece Festival was wonderful! I love the yarn shows - all the pretties and seeing wonderful people in real life that I keep up with the rest of the year online. 

And Craig came with! He is my first SO to actually accompany me to and into a show. This bodes well for his prospects ;)

 

Actually he drove while I slept most of the way there and back. He had fun checking out the animals and did a massive walk around the town, taking pics of the old buildings. That is my finished Hitchhiker - the Cheshire Cat kits were quite popular at this show! 

I am enjoying the Westknits Building Blocks MKAL. I've been a bit slower at each clue than the last one, but that hasn't diminished my delight in the project! 

 

It is the same neon in the 3^rd section as the 5^th!! Amazing the difference that the CC makes!!

And super exciting - I drive the first 2017 CRV production model off of the line last night!! They are not quite perfected, but the kerfuffle about them finally rolling some off was something. It was a moment.