A Little Yarn On The Side

....because it guarantees that you'll get one.  Last Sunday was our 12th wedding anniversary, and I rounded out the evening by coming down with a sore throat and cold.  Clearly, celebrating milestones with wild abandon is a BIG part of our marriage.....:) We had declared Saturday a DAY OFF, so I spent the day with the quilt and went on a towel marathon: My embroidery machine is having issues again, but I'm able to coax it through designs with only a few color changes.  I'm seriously thinking about getting a new machine in December as I'm now avoiding projects because of the machine's problems, but getting a few things made helps.  The fur-brigade was thrilled: They're pretty certain the sewing room is just for them.  Isn't everything? Being sick did give me extra knitting time, so the birthday trip scarf is now done. Yay!  And before jumping straight to the new sweater, I spent some more time with the Kauni cardigan, then finished ...

Can you believe it took over a year to make a single pair of socks?  The stripes aren't even close to matching, but when it takes the span of a year, it's probably a miracle that they are even a bit similar.  So, to update the fall stashdash: Love at First Sight - pick a yarn in your stash that was truly an impulse buy--a yarn you just fell in love with. Find a pattern that will do it justice.   I'm going to count the travel scarf for this--I think one could argue that pretty much ALL of my lace yarn was purchased on impulse, so Soul Mates - make a pair of socks, slippers, booties, or stockings from stash yarn--the deeper the better    Done! Glass Slipper - Match a pattern you already have with a yarn you already have and put them into a project bag to surprise yourself with in 2019 ’Til Death Us Do Part - complete TEN rows on a WIP that is at least one year old, or your oldest if they’re all more recent DONE - socks “Are You Lones...

Last week we took a quick trip to Portland to celebrate my birthday.  We've traveled a lot for Andy's birthdays but never mine, so it made for a nice change.  Work has been busy for both of us so it had to be only a few days, but even that made a nice change. As a crafter, you know you've picked the right city when you find this in the airport: It's made from rolls and folds of felt.  There were several, but this was my favorite.  Not only do I find it lovely and clever, I admire anyone who can handle a glue gun without permanently removing his fingerprints.  The artist's name is Xander Griffith.  Clever, isn't it? Knowing we were going to Portland, a good friend sent me a gift card for a Portland yarn shop, so after a 3-year streak,  I have new yarn.  I'm showing great restraint though and working on my existing second sock to finish it before casting on. There's also this now, which was my travel knitting project.  I'm going...

Getting my knitting and phone or camera in the same place seems to not be happening right now, but I have turned the heel on the second sock and might even get it finished for this dash.  My progress so far: Love at First Sight - pick a yarn in your stash that was truly an impulse buy--a yarn you just fell in love with. Find a pattern that will do it justice. Soul Mates - make a pair of socks, slippers, booties, or stockings from stash yarn--the deeper the better Glass Slipper - Match a pattern you already have with a yarn you already have and put them into a project bag to surprise yourself with in 2019 ’Til Death Us Do Part - complete TEN rows on a WIP that is at least one year old, or your oldest if they’re all more recent “Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Complete TWENTY rows on a second WIP “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling” - Complete SEVEN rows on a third WIP “Killing Me Softly” - complete SIX rows on your most frustrating WIP or project Kauni cardig...

Meet Finished Project 33: and because 60-degree ruler projects tend to need enough triangles for a second project, project 34 could be done this weekend.  50 projects is still within striking distance!  Especially with a three-day weekend coming up...... The Fall Stashdash has been really motivating--or at least for some of us, so I've probably done more knitting in the last month than I have in the last year.  I've gone back to keeping knitting in the car.  For Boise, I have a long commute involving a lot of stoplights, and it's surprising how much knitting one can do at a stoplight.  Bonus points for totally freaking out other drivers--I think they think I knit while driving.  I have seen people doing all kinds of crazy stuff while driving (reading a book on the freeway, texting, applying makeup), but so far no handicrafts, though I honestly wouldn't say it doesn't happen.  But I've been in outside sales for a long time and have learned to...

In case you're feeling daring enough to pack up all your possessions and move to a new location, let me warn you that it takes about a year to achieve any sense of normality.  That doesn't mean you'll have figured out where you stashed things when you unpacked, or know how everything works, or anything of that kind--that will still be happening.  But to go back to any sort of activity that you would have done before the house prep/sale/move saga rather than something dominated by the ordeal.  This morning I visited blogs while eating breakfast.  I haven't regularly done that in a year and a half.  I've barely done any knitting all year, but last night I sat down with the Kauni cardigan and got 5 more rows in.  I cooked TWICE yesterday--the new house has the kitchen of my dreams, but we just haven't been "settled" enough to get back into the swing of cooking rather than "scrounging."  It's August and stupid-hot, so gardening is at a mini...

110--that's how hot it got last Friday.  110 degrees, in Idaho. Blech!  In spite of enjoying the flowers, I think I'm ready to break up with summer.  To be fair, hiding inside with the air-conditioning did give me time to finish two more table runners, but still..... So, I'm ready for fall, and as a special request, I brought back a challenge I'd created several years ago on Ravelry - Fall Back Into Love Stashdash. From August 15 until November 30, it’s time to fall back in love with the things you already have. New yarn cannot compete with a long-term love. Complete as many of the following as you choose. As always, please feel free to involve other hobbies or crafts as well: Love at First Sight - pick a yarn in your stash that was truly an impulse buy--a yarn you just fell in love with. Find a pattern that will do it justice. Soul Mates - make a pair of socks, slippers, booties, or stockings from stash yarn--the deeper the better Glas...