March 2019

See you later March!
I need renewed motivation for the Lestrange that is for sure. I still love it to pieces, but the sleeves have got me down.I am hoping that by finishing some larger lace items that I can pick away at this and get it over with. Strangely enough though with the lace doilies I have become a fairly monogamous knitter, which I see as a great aspect to life, or I am just enjoying them so much that I want to knit them exclusively. Who knows though.
I also signed up for a 5 week boot camp, which is very impressive and has me at the gym 3 days a week, and running 6 days out of the week. Which is far better for oneself than sitting a knitting all the time.
As for hat's I am now knitting little baby hats, they go a bit faster and I don't have to change colours for them as they are solid and solid ribbing is okay.

March:

1. Finish Lestrange by the end of the Month - This has been moved to April 
2. Burn 600 - 1000 calories 6 days a week  - I think I managed this which is amazing
3. Finish a book - Anne's House of Dreams
4. Start Cheese making photo book  - These photo books are going to be the end of me. 
5. Continue working on the 2019 yearbook of photos- So I need a better plan for this. 4 pages every Friday is not quite working...but I will get there
1. Work on last years ;), and the year before, and the year before, and the year before
6. Loose 5 lbs - Okay so this did not work out, my body decided to go crazy and I think it has settled down now. 

FO's:

1. Panda Party Socks for Charlotte
2. Panda Party Socks for Lynn

WIP's:

1. Lestrange Cloak
• Started:
• Finished: 
2. Rose of England Lace Doily 
• Started: 03/03/2019
• Finished:
3. Tardis Afghan
4. Pickachu Blanket - 01/13/2019
• I have made amazing progress here! Thank goodness something is coming along. 
5. Plum Yummy - 02/12/2019

Languishing WIP's:

1. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
1. This is not going to be a blanket I finish in the blink of an eye, it is going to be a process. 
2. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks - so pretty! I cannot wait to see this finished.
• The 4 year sweater...it was cast on in January of 2014

Future Cast On's:

1. Touch the Sky Cardigan
2. Crazy Stripes Cardigan
3. Princess Pullover
4. Mesh Pullover

Books:

1. Anne of Windy Poplars
2. Moll Flanders
3. DragonFly in Amber
4. Gone With the Wind
5. Curtsies and Conspiracies
6. Crazy Rich Asians
7. Tess of the D'Urbervilles
8. Anne's House of Dreams
1. I started reading (audiobook) Anne's House of Dreams before being finished Windy Poplars, because Windy Poplars, was written and published after House of Dreams, so it has no bearing or plot twists in it that will affect the reading of House of Dreams, it will be fine. 

Colouring Book Page:

July 2018

July, good bye July.

I have got 0 Medallions completed for my quilt...
I did though finish about 4 hats, yes I am still knitting hats, goodness knows why or what for, but I am, and that is okay with me. 

I have also got my butt in gear and am making progress on the last quarter of the Hue Shift in 5 colours, so with any luck the blanket itself should be finished quite soon, and then just the boarders to put on it, and a home to find it as well.
As for August, I will be away for the first 2 weeks of august, and I am debating taking knitting with me, but I am also debating cutting out loads of fabric, and focusing solely on my EPP for 2 weeks, if I get 2 medallions done great, if I get 5 done great, but it takes up much less space than knitting, but is not as travel friendly as I can knit socks in the dark, but I cannot sew EPP in the dark. This is more for plane entertainment, or I could glue on the plane, you never know. I have no idea what I want to do.

FO's:

1. Dino Teal socks for Charlotte
2. Streckle Socks for me
3. Figarita - she is adorable

WIP's:

1. Lestrange Cloak
• I really want to say that I finished this, but I did not. 
• I soon will have 5 sleeves for this sweater not just 2 or even 3. The first one was too short, the second too are not wide enough to go around the tops of my arms, and as much as I want to just be able to fix them as they are now, that will make me unhappy. So I shall get there, but it will take me longer
• The sweater as it stands now, a sleeveless one is gorgeous and I would for sure wear it with no sleeves, but 
2. Camp-side Cardigan
1. Woops this just slipped and fell onto my needles, there was nothing I could do. 
3. Tardis Afghan
4. Hue Shift 5 colours
1. 1 quarter to go!!!
1. CO is 18 stitch maker CO 17 with a CDD (I keep forgetting what my cast on is, so here we go, never to forget)
2. Seeing as how it is now Spruce Meadows season this will be my knitting for while I am sitting in the trailer, waiting for people to give rides too :)

Languishing WIP's:

1. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
2. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks - so pretty! I cannot wait to see this finished.
• The 4 year sweater...it was cast on in January of 2014

Future Cast On's:

1. Touch the Sky Cardigan
2. Crazy Stripes Cardigan

Books:

1. Fanny Hill
2. Moll Flanders
3. Worlds of Ink and Shadow
4. DragonFly in Amber
5. Gone With the Wind
6. Curtsies and Conspiracies

Colouring Book Page:

June 2018

June is busting out all over! If anyone gets that reference please let me know.
I am also thinking of reformating the blog a little bit. There is something appealing about crafting just to craft and have the accomplishment, but I was wondering if at the beginning of the month I should set out my intentions for what I want to finish that month. This could be stressful though, but then it would be a bunch of mini goals leading to a bigger goal which may or may not have some incentive.
Who really knows.
Also can you believe it a year ago June 3rd I was off to Scotland, and I still have not finished creating my Scottish adventures photo album, I managed to sit down and make the England one, but the Scotland one I am not sure what is stopping me. Maybe writing it in here will make me feel guilty enough to get it done ASAP, and then know that it is done for ever. June 18, 2018 I finished it it is being printed and soon will be on the way!!! Three cheers for me.

FO's:

1. Weasley Jumper for Charlotte
2. Unicorn Lemon Curd Socks - for me
3. Unicorn Lemon Curd Socks - for Charlotte
4. Grey Hat for goodness knows who

WIP's:

1. Lestrange Cloak
1. The collar is cast off and I am working on the sleeves. 
1. The sleeves are going to be the end of me. 
2. Dino Teal socks for Charlotte
3. Streckle Socks for me
4. Tardis Afghan
5. Hue Shift 5 colours
1. 1 quarter to go!!!
1. CO is 18 stitch maker CO 17 with a CDD (I keep forgetting what my cast on is, so here we go, never to forget)
2. Seeing as how it is now Spruce Meadows season this will be my knitting for while I am sitting in the trailer, waiting for people to give rides too :)
1. I have knit 4 of 25 squares!!!

Languishing WIP's:

1. Illuminated Lines Blanket: Thank you Knit Picks
2. Circlet Cardigan: Thank you Knit Picks - so pretty! I cannot wait to see this finished.
• The 4 year sweater...it was cast on in January of 2014

Future Cast On's:

1. Camp-side Cardigan
2. Touch the Sky Cardigan
3. Crazy Stripes Cardigan

Books:

1. Fanny Hill
2. Moll Flanders
3. Worlds of Ink and Shadow
4. DragonFly in Amber
5. Gone With the Wind
6. Curtsies and Conspiracies

Colouring Book Page:

Socks: Second Attempt....

So I used the exact same sock yarn as before: Patons Kroy Sock, and this time I followed the pattern down to what needles I should be using, 2.25 mm.Now the pattern calls for 100 grams of sock weight yarn, but that is for a midcalf length sock, which I find far too long and would probably never wear. So having 26 grams of sock yarn in this skein, it was perfect, well at least I thought so. 

I did as I was told, got out my yarn (food) scale and measure out two 23 gram skeins of yarn, wound them so they were centre pull balls, determined that I would just make the cuffs shorter and next to no leg and all would be well. Everything started off brilliantly. This picture shows you 10 rows of cuff 6 rows of in the round and then the start of the heel and that it does go on my foot, which is amazing. It fit really well. 

Well then the toe happened. I was very nearly out of wool, and so I began the toe, hoping against hope that there would be sufficient to close off the toe and make it fit. Well it 'fits' in the sense that you can get it on your foot, but your toes are for sure bent double. You can even see the curve of the toes.                                                                                                                                                                                        I have left my row indicator on, as I would like to get a pair of socks out of this ball of yarn, at least make me feel like I finished something, but sadly, they do not fit me. I may keep them as a testament to the fact that I knit socks, or they may go to someone who has smaller feet than I do. 

The lesson today was, when buying yarn for socks, always buy 2 skeins, and if you have left over, add it to the left over pile, and be happy that you made something instead of having an eternal 1 sock floating around. I can see the bonus to 2 at a time socks, but I am not that organized with yarn management. 

Cannot wait to see what the next sock installment brings. 

Socks....

So I was ill in bed the other day, and after watching Inside Number 23 on youtube, I thought okay if she can knit socks while she is sick so can I. Having previously downloaded a vanilla sock pattern I got that out, a set of 9 inch circulars, and some sock yarn.

Well, I should have taken pictures as it was hilarious. everything went really well, other than the fact that after I turned the heel and had completed about 7 rows of the foot of the sock I was a) almost out of yarn, b) THIS SOCK WAS MASSIVE c)there was just no way it was going to work out into a sock. So I have learned a lesson.

My first mistake was following the size of the needle on the yarn wrap, not on the pattern. Second mistake was thinking that just halving the leg of the sock was going to make everything better and make a sock out of 23 grams of yarn, after the pattern called for a total of 100 grams of yarn for 2 socks, math was not on my side, again I WAS ILL. Really not an excuse but there you go.

I could have made a stunning pair of toeless socks, or heeless, and toeless socks, but an entire sock out of 23 grams of yarn was out of the scope of my amazing talents.

I shall try again, but it does not help with my knitting monogamy at all.