Valentine’s YOP

Knitting

I’ve progressed a few inches on my Arrowhead sleeves. I try to knit four rounds on each sleeve every day, which is a decrease repeat, but missed the last two days. I’m going to try to make it up today.

Freya liked my Lodge sweater so much, she asked me to knit her one with a few modifications. I told her it would have to be her birthday present. She wanted purple yarn, so we picked out this Cascade 220 superwash together in Purple Heather.

Dyeing

I wanted to join in on the Who Ya Gonna Shawl? knitalong, but needed the yarn to come from my stash. I decided on 80’s neon with this skein of black and red variegated, which I overdyed to be solid black, for the contrast.

To exhaust the dye bath, I grabbed a variegated skein from my stash which I’ve never liked. I think the resulting yarn is lovely: a deep charcoal with hints of the blue, yellow, and pink showing through. I see a beanie in my future.

Sewing

I did sew my PJ pants in the floral flannel I shared last time. They came out great. I only had flimsy elastic, but in the spirit of using it up, I serged the elastic directly to the fabric edge to prevent it from rolling. I also sewed this gift bag for Bob’s Valentine’s Day present.

DIY Hair Care

I like natural skin and hair care products, but they are so expensive. I decided to start making my own. Today I made a natural conditioner from avocado and argan oils, emulsifying wax, and water. It seems good, but the real test will be how it performs on my hair tomorrow. I also made some beard oil for my middle child (another March birthday gift) based on his favorite kind, which he says is too expensive. This is a mixture of avocado, jojoba, and argan oils, which was easy. I scented both with bergamot and amyris essential oils. Next up is shampoo with Bob’s homemade castile soap, argan oil, and water. I found this website with some great recipes. Once I get the basics down, I’ll start experimenting with other ingredients, like aloe gel from my aloe vera plants and soapwort from my garden.

Gardening

Gardening is hard work.

We had a couple of nice days this week, so I spent some time in the garden. I made a dent in the weeds and managed to get daikon radish, lettuce, kale, broccolini, and mustard planted under the greenhouse. Today, Bob and I moved the Elderberry bush out of the garden and into the yard. It was getting too big where it was, but not getting enough sun to flower. Hopefully it will do better in the yard. We picked a place where the drainage will keep the ground moist like it likes.

Yesterday, Bob and I had our Valentine’s date. We went to our favorite theater to watch Saturday Morning Cartoons: Cupid Edition. It included old cartoons from our childhood plus old commercials. Some were before our time. Included were Underdog, Pink Panther, Popeye, Schoolhouse Rock, and an oldie from the 1930’s. This one made me cry nostalgia tears. It was fun seeing them on the big screen. Then we went out for Thai food. I just received my gift, which is an Addi Express knitting machine! I’ll play around with it and report back later.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can read my updated project list at this link. You can find out more about the group on Ravelry.

Happy New Year! Year of Projects (YOP) 2023

I’m ready to start the New Year right with an impossible list of items I will never accomplish. At the same time, having a list ensures I will be somewhat productive. I do love the feeling of checking items off a list. Perhaps I will start adding gold stars next to completed projects. Plus, it gives me an excuse to blog weekly when I can’t think of anything else to say.

I’m grateful the Year of Projects group is loosely organized, and I was able to take a break last year. My approach this year is to divide and conquer. I’ve divided my full list of knitting projects into separate lists for 2023 and 2024. 2023 (below) includes works in progress (WIPs), and new cast ons I hope to complete this year. Add to this list socks, since my plan is to knit a pair of socks every month this year. That’s not realistic, but that’s never stopped me from trying. Some of these WIPs probably won’t make it this year. There’s a reason I’ve set them aside, but I’m not ready to rip them out yet.

Knitting To Do List

Arrowhead Cardigan
  1. Powdermill (New Year’s cast on)
  2. Willow in Moonstone Arcadia
  3. Super Simple Summer Sweater in Cestari Ash Lawn
  4. Hansel Hap in Ramsay Farms fawn katmoget Shetland with Jamieson and Smiths for trim colors
  5. Knitter’s Dude in Knitpicks Comfy for Bob
  6. Auchnaha in Schiehallion in Mooring
  7. Fall Favorites Sweater in La Bien Aimee Merino Sport (short-sleeved purple cats version)
  8. Cozy Autumn Socks
  9. That Old Christmas Moon Shawl in In Betwixt Yarn Advent (I want to be wrapped up in this by December 1.)
  10. Christmas Pudding Socks
  11. Streely Maid Trigger Mitts in Holiday Doodle Cowl colors
  12. Stash Aurealis
  13. Alaska Hat in Knit Circus kit
  14. Spisa Oven Mitts from stash (gift for Freya)
  15. Advent Scarf

Completed Knitting

Sewing To Do List

Ottobre Casual Cotton Pants

I’ve noticed my approach to sewing is to make a pattern to see if I like it. If I do, I make multiples so I don’t have to learn something new every time I sew. It’s more enjoyable for me if I can skip the instructions. So my plan for 2023 is to mostly make multiples. Also, I’d like to sew a trench coat, but I don’t have the fabric for it right now. Maybe next year!

  1. Ottobre casual cotton pants in black brushed cotton twill
  2. Liz Jacket in gray Shetland flannel
  3. Rachel Shirt in apricot linen
  4. Rachel Shirt in Liberty blue paisley lawn
  5. Ottobre summer tops in cotton prints
  6. Ophelia Overall shorts in Virginia cotton canvas with black walnut ecoprint accents
  7. Pym Pants from Lotta Jansdotter’s Everyday Style in deadstock denim
  8. Rui Shirt Dress from Lotta Jansdotter’s Everyday Style in Essex linen
  9. Ophelia Overalls in navy wool flannel
  10. Audrey Pant in Heavens to Betsy plaid wool, color Sophia
  11. Martina Coat in black wool floral embossed coating

Completed Sewing

Weaving List

I wove this scarf!

Spinning List

I’ll finish spinning my Pumpkins for Sale BFL and maybe participate in Tour de Fleece. I think I would also like to dye my natural rovings and spin skeins for gift giving this year.

Happy New Year! We’ve had a lovely weekend, with a gathering at a friend’s in Canton, then an overnight stay with kids in Cuyahoga Falls. New Year’s Eve was spent eating pizza and watching Bloody New Year and Terror Train. Neither of us had ever seen these, but they were an enjoyable diversion. I impressed even myself with my facial recognition gift by pointing out John from Shaun of the Dead in Bloody New Year. (I have a gift for pattern recognition. I am currently using this gift in my role as part-time Remote Bookkeeping Elf — title my own. I log in to computers remotely early in the morning and work on other people’s bookkeeping while they are still asleep. They wake up and their bookkeeping is all done for them! I would love to have an afternoon job that is more creative, and I’m thinking about knitting pattern tech editing.) Today we’re going for a New Year’s hike. Bob will make black eyed peas and collards for dinner.

I usually choose a word for the year, although I don’t think I chose a word for 2022. I spent most of the year focusing on my mental and physical health, and made some progress. I was able to stop taking medications. I was able to get off social media except Facebook. I think about closing my Facebook account, but there are connections with family and friends there I would miss. In fact, a friend recently shared this article that plays into my word for 2023. My word is Voice. The goal is to recognize and reaffirm my own voice, and share it if I want to. No pressure, though, if I don’t feel like it. My resolutions for the year are to knit from stash and have more fun. We’re also having a “no buy” year, as we have a new furnace and electrical system to pay off. This means we can buy food and necessities, but not anything else. Bob pretty much lives like this, so I think we all know who is going to be struggling the most. This was my idea, by the way.

Also from the Wool and Fiber Arts group on Facebook. I’m in it for the memes.

This has been a Year of Projects update. You can find out more about the group here (Rav link) or here: Backstage Kath’s YOP bloggers list.

Boxing Day Round Up

I can now share my other gift make. This is yarn I knit into Rose City Rollers and a shirt we picked up while in Pittsburgh for Nova Scotia Nana who is a Steelers fan. Hi Nana! Yarn is Fibernymph Dyeworks Inversibles in black and gold.

Rather than list all my makes for 2022 — since I shared most of them on my Year of Projects Finale post — I thought instead I would share my totals and favorites.

I knit 15 projects and 8 miles of yarn in 2022. This is down from around 24 projects in previous years. It was a rocky year. My favorites are, below, Ocean Moon Shawl, Pumqueen Cardigan, Ghost Knitter’s Shawl, and Holiday Doodle Cowl.

I completed around 30 sewing projects in 2023, if you count multiples of the same pattern. This number includes project bags and shopping bags made as gifts or for sale in the shop. My favorites are, below, Plaid Flannel Shacket, Clare Coat, Spoopy Project Bag, Zero Waste Gather Dress, and Felix Dress.

I dyed fabric and yarn this year — some naturally, and some with low impact dyes. My favorites are the colorways for Chestnut Hills Farm and Fiber, the black walnut fabric with iron mordant, and the wool and cotton yarn dyed with tansy that is complemented by the Hi Summer colorway. (I’m going to knit a Visser or Halvis out of these, as they look so good together.)

I did manage to improve my spinning this year, and just started with weaving. Not much to show right now, though.

Hand spun local Blue Faced Leicester (BFL)

I will blog about 2023 plans in another post. I miss Year of Projects and am considering rejoining, even though I needed the break. If you are still with me — either on this post or as a subscriber — thanks for reading and sticking with me this year.

We had a lovely low-key Christmas Day with all the kids and Granddog Cannoli. I hope you enjoyed your day!

Merry Christmas!

I finished knitting Henry’s Cthulu for Christmas hat. Pattern: Lovecraft’s Bane. Yarn: Banshee Fiber Arts, Yeti base. It’s wrapped up and under the tree.

I sewed new gift bags this year from quilting cotton I had in stash. The young’uns never really liked these, since they don’t get the full experience of ripping paper. But Bob and I prefer them since they can be reused. No pattern. I sew them the way my Grandma did, which is basically a pillowcase with a gusset, plus a casing with buttonholes for the drawstring closure.

I also sewed myself what I’m calling a “Christmas Lounge Suit” out of some green velour from stash. Tried and true PJ pant pattern from Ottobre. Top is Hemlock Tee from Grainline Studio. Rookie error: I cut the back of the pants with the nap reversed, which gives it a harlequin effect. Now I wish I’d done it intentionally on the top, too.

Merry Christmas Day. Happy eighth night of Hanukkah. Happy Kwanzaa tomorrow. And Glad Yule! 2022 completed Holiday watchlist below. We didn’t watch Elf?! 🤷🏻

  • It’s a Wonderful Life
  • Black Adder’s Christmas Carol
  • Christmas at SCTV
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1968 animated)
  • Violent Night (new favorite)
  • A Christmas Carol (1938)
  • Pottersville
  • A Christmas Story
  • Bad Santa
  • Elves (Nisser, Danish 2021)
  • Die Hard
  • Becoming Santa (2011 documentary)
  • Batman Returns
  • Christmas with the Kranks
  • Joe Bob’s Ghoultide Get Together – Don’t Open Til Xmas
  • Bob’s Burger’s —The Bleakening
  • Bob’s Burgers – The Plight Before Christmas
  • Ghosts Christmas Special
  • The Adventures of Pete & Pete: O Christmas Pete
  • A Christmas Horror Story
  • Pee Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special
  • At Home with Amy Sedaris Holidays
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas
  • All is Bright
  • Krampus
  • Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
  • Hjem til Jul 1 & 2
  • Gilmore Girls holiday episodes
  • Great British Baking Show holiday episodes
  • Great American Baking Show holiday edition
  • A Christmas Story Christmas Movie

Saturday Share: Wool Tech

This textile designer is pioneering sustainable building materials from wool and fungus.

Scientists are creating wool rope for seaweed farms to help reduce plastics in the oceans.

Woola creates sustainable wool packaging supplies.

Links via Hand Spinning News and The Wool Wire, respectively.

Textiles are one our first technologies, and I’m sometimes surprised people don’t realize they wear cloth constructed from knitting or weaving on a daily basis. (All hail the knitted t-shirt!)

Speaking of wool, I’ve wanted a green wool coat for a few years now. I’ve found a pattern and ordered some fabric swatches, but I’m having a tough time finding a green wool coating that is appropriate. The emerald green contains nylon, and while I won’t be washing the coat and shedding nylon plastic into our watershed, it doesn’t feel right to use it. (Also, it’s way out of my price range.) (Also, the lining fabric is Bemberg which is viscose which has its own environmental production problems.)

The olive green is too lightweight. It’s also not as green as I’d like, although olive is a color I enjoy wearing.

The navy is perfect (100% wool, lining is silk) but it’s navy. I do love navy and have been told it is “my color,” but it’s not green. Would it satisfy my desire for a green coat? No.

I’ll keep watching for the right fabric at the right price, and save my pennies in the meantime. I have some black wool embossed coating leftover from an unfortunate fabric purchase that will make a nice coat. I can use it to make a muslin.

I still want a little flock of Shetland sheep. Bob says I’d be sleeping with them to try to protect them from predators, so I’m not allowed. I fret too much about the frogs as it is.

Beachcombing Slacks

I finished sewing another pair of Free Range Slacks, this time in the cropped, wide-leg version. I made these with the intention to wear them on the beach. They are sewn from Cestari’s Virginia-grown cotton canvas. I love this fabric. It has a soft hand. I dyed it myself in Cerulean procion dye. I didn’t have a large enough tub to get a consistent color, but I knew this going in and felt it would be okay for this project.

I left the hem raw so it would fray, though I sewed one line of stitching at 1/4” from the edge to control it.

I’m happy with how they turned out! I am glad wide-legs are back in style. These will be good spring through fall, though they won’t be warm enough for our winters. I don’t think any cotton pants, including jeans, are warm enough for our winters. That’s why I’m on a mission to make myself some wool trousers or overalls this fall.

Wednesday WIPS

I’ve picked up knitting my 2 Spooky hat again. I’m now on the crown decreases. Maybe I’ll finish it today?

I dyed this Virginia cotton canvas and am planning to sew another pair of Free Range Slacks, this time in the wide leg, cropped version. I need some beach pants for an upcoming trip to Michigan.

I’ve almost finished spinning my Pumpkins for Sale BFL. I’m going to try chain plying. Liz says I can keep it a gradient that way.

I harvested most of the Anaheims. I’m going to de-seed and de-vein them, and freeze them. I also harvested the indigo. I’m drying the leaves so I can dye with them later.

It stayed in the mid 50s today, which is cold for this time of year — even for me! I’m not complaining.

Saturday Night Shirt

I finished sewing Bob’s second birthday shirt this week. It’s a good fit! Pattern is Tropical Shirt from Wardrobe by Me. Fabric is Mid-Century Modern Boomerangs on cotton lawn from Spoonflower. Buttons are teal shell from Button Bird.

I didn’t do a very good job matching the pattern. I did try with the fabric I had, but I needed more. I decided to make do.

Hope you’re having a good weekend!

Fall Fiber Fête

This week I’m recovering from a wonderful weekend full of friends, fiber, and fun! We met up for Wisconsin Sheep and Wool, and spent the weekend frolicking with fiber. (All the F words today, because alliteration is fun.) (Maybe not ALL the F words.) I got to meet Liz and Marilee in person for the first time!

These shopping bags were one of the secret projects I was working on before the trip. I made one for each attendee as a gift, and included a packet zinnia seeds.

I was also commissioned by Jess, another attendee, to create and dye this yarn colorway as gifts for everyone (including me!)

And There Was More Yarn

I was fairly restrained with my purchases, but I did buy a sweater quantity of Weekend Wool from Green Mountain Spinnery. These will be a Mountain Mist sweater. Last year, making the Back Porch Shawl in this yarn was the knitting highlight of my fall, so I decided I should knit a sweater with it. Also, Green Mountain Spinnery is a worker-owned cooperative. Just one more reason to buy from them! Definitely my favorite booth at the show.

I also purchased a couple of skeins from the Ewetopia booth. I thanked the owner for offering nonsuperwash yarn. I carefully picked out a couple of skeins without a project in mind. Then I decided I could knit a slip stitch cowl with these, and they would be shimmery together. The skein on the left reminds me of the twilight color of St. Clair that I tried to knit into a bobble hat. The universe is giving me a second chance at this color.

The only superwash I purchased was this gradient “Something Wicked” from Knit Circus when we went to The Sow’s Ear. I’m a sucker for a Halloween gradient. This notions pouch was from Mitchell Wool Company. As I was explaining to another guest why say no to superwash, the owner told me I’m her favorite person. I didn’t get any yarn from Mitchell Wool, but I’m linking it for another time. They have some gorgeous Targhee I know Sarah enjoyed knitting into a hat.

Speaking of hats! This guy was purchasing wool for his felt fungi hat creations. I was impressed enough to ask him if I could take his photo.

Travel Knitting

I ended up frogging my fall striped sock. Even on a size 0 needle, the 64 stitch recipe was too big. I’ll try again with 60 stitches. Luckily, I brought a small cake of Qiviuk yarn: qiviut, merino, and silk and cast on, yep, another blue beanie. It’s so soft and I’m always happy in a plain blue beanie.

On Monday, everyone else headed home and I was on my own until the evening. I stopped by Fiddlesticks Knits to say hi to @superradleesha who I met last year. She gave me a tour of all her current WIPs that were on display with the yarn in the shop, which was so fun! The shop was brand new when I visited last year. It has really filled out with lots of selections! Also, there were boob candles. Yes, you can have your boobs molded into custom candles, which honestly I think sounds like a lot of fun.

I purchased this Woll Wichtel from Fiddlesticks, because nonsuperwash + autumn colors = happy Alissa.

I also stopped into Mad City Music, and look at the treasures I found! Although I can sing along with the songs from the other three CDs, Rockabilly from Hell has surprised me with my new favorite spooky season selections.

My last stop before the airport was a trip to Sanitarium Hill to get my paranormal on. This is a working building, so I didn’t try to go inside. Instead I walked the grounds and took some photos. I did not see any ghosts or feel anything spooky. It felt very peaceful to me. I also wanted to have a drink at a haunted bar, but unfortunately it is closed for business.

Madison is a really fun place to visit. I would go back there in a heartbeat. Have you visited? If so, please leave a comment of your favorite places!

Happy Birthday, Bob!

Today is Bob’s birthday! I’m sewing another Tropical Shirt for him from some mid century boomerang print. It was supposed to be a surprise, but it was a busy weekend with kids coming and going, which was great! So I didn’t get it done. I did surprise him with the fabric. He really likes it. I did good! I’ll post deets and a finished photo when I get back from my travels.