I haven’t written because I haven’t had time to sort out the photo thing and describing what I am doing seems so boring. BUT I just have to bite the bullet and use up the rest of my available space and sort it out later. You all have been so patient with me.
Here’s what I have been up to – so much fiber crafting happening!
I finished the Alaska hat a few weeks ago, but just got photos of it this weekend:
I am halfway through a pair of socks that I just LOVE. This yarn is custom dyed for me to knit socks for my BIL. He is a huge Liverpool football fan (soccer to those of us heathens in the USA) the team colors are red, with aqua and gold. I asked magic Debbie at the Purple Fleece to dye me some yarn, and this is what she came up with! I love it! I love the little bits of other colors created in the transitions, and I think these socks are lots of fun. Even more so, because BIL is a gray and black kind of dresser, and these are so far out of his comfort zone that he will think the package was meant for his daughter. I know they might wind up on her feet, but he will have fan socks if he wants them.
I am plugging away on Durrow, which grows tedious. I have one more square to do, and then there will be different sections to work on. These squares have been on my needles since January 2018. It is embarrassing to admit.
So I set myself a goal and gave myself a reward. I could cast on a sweater for me when I finished the 6th square (maybe this is why it has taken me more than a year to get this far…) I finished the square in the middle of last week. Whew! And I had long ago swatched the yarn I want to use, but had never picked out a pattern. So I went pattern diving and found Hankshaw pullover. It was perfect for what I wanted. Right weight yarn, a simple yoke pattern that I could modify as needed, and it would be easy to incorporate the 6 shades of blue and green that I wanted in the yoke. I had vacation from Wednesday through the weekend, so this happened. I did have to fiddle a bit with the size, as my row gauge was off, and my arms are larger than miss average’s. But I am going to divide for the sleeves tonight when I get home, and then it should be math-free knitting.
I wonder what i will do as a reward for the next square? I have enough gray sport weight yarn for a sweater… perhaps that will be next.
I have also been working away on my Japanese mystery knit along scarf, I am nearly done with the second clue. And my Droplet hack is getting close to done. I will show you those another day.
I did do some weaving this month, and I think I am pretty close to finishing this fabric. It was originally going to be place mats and napkins, I think it might be place mats and dishtowels now. Not quite sure… I like the colors, but I want to do more experimenting with stitches, so I need this to be done.
And spinning – still spinning! I am working on an 8 ounce spin with two different colored braids, creating a three ply, 4 skein gradient. So far 1/4 is done and plied, and the second 1/4 is about halfway done. Slow going, I am spinning sewing thread again…
My brain is always looking at what I am doing and imaging the next project. I could use 5 days weekends every week!
In other news – the snow has melted! At last! I have begin scooping leaves out of the pool, as much as I can reach from the edges, no getting in it yet! And if we get a non-pouring rain weekend, I will begin raking the yard and looking about for outside chores. the screen doors need some attention. We plan to dismantle most of the front deck this spring/summer, and rebuild it smaller, then add a patio/terrace thing. I want big raised beds in the transition area, which means carpenter world. So lots going on. In my head.
Tax season is really over, we had our celebratory luncheon last week. My weekends are my own until June when fundraisers and picnics kick in. So I think I can say that the sweater will get finished in short order. 🙂
I will keep you posted. Promise!