Busy Hermit

There have been many different things demanding my attention the last few weeks.
A computer that consumed much of that time, yet refused to be fixed. (A replacement has since been ordered.)
There was a bed to be put together:

Seedlings to be planted and tended in the living room in preparation of a Spring planting:

A year of socks planned out (yes there are several green skeins, I like green. No all thirteen are not shown, I picked a few more later. I need to take more pictures):

As well as three different sweaters put on the needles:

All of which happen to be top down, v-neck style sweaters, but three very different patterns.

Closets have also been re-organized, which paired nicely with a bit of a wardrobe re-do.  Sadly, a good portion of the re-do involves sewing.  Sewing which has been sitting out on my dining room table for the better part of a month waiting for me to finish work on the (now retired) computer.

I'll get to it.  Soon.

It's only February?

January was... a lot. My laptop battery began to die. Obtained a new one. The heating element went out on my dryer.  Bought a new heating element and replaced it myself.  My printer started arguing with me yesterday. Still need to sort that out.  Darling Son needed his bed frame replaced.  A new bed frame is on it's way.
Even my knitting was not spared.  Apparently my gauge was off, waaaay off on this Tea Leaves shawl

I ran out of yarn.  I bought another skein, Malabrigo Arroyo in the Coffee Toffee colorway.  And proceeded to run out of yarn.  The shawl was ripped, re-cast on smaller needles and at some point I will take a picture of the finished item...once it's blocked.
While I was waiting for the yarn for the shawl, I cast on something else; of course.

That is the start of a V-neck Boxy in Stroll Tonal, Thunderhead colorway.  Because it seemed entirely sensible at the time to cast on a huge, fine gauge sweater as a filler project.

I also wound the yarn and swatched for the Auspice shawl that will be my 2018 Ravellenics project.

That is actually the called for yarn in the pattern.  Not something I normally do, but the yarn was so incredibly pretty!  It's Northbound Knitting in their merino/silk fingering, Tanqueray colorway.

As it's a whole week till the official cast on time for the Ravellenics; I cast on a Radiant Dragon in my first skein of Junkyarn in her Sophie colorway.  I would show you pictures, but the yarn was so lovely when it arrived yesterday afternoon it was wound and cast on by the time dinner was done.  Eventually I will be willing to put it down long enough to photograph it.  Must. Keep. Knitting!

I was going to blog sooner....

But I got distracted and knit a sweater.

It's a Dockside sweater.  I started it last Sunday, bound off the second sleeve this afternoon.  Yes, it really is an adult size sweater.  I've tried it on and it sits quite nicely, though it still needs blocking.
The (almost) instant gratification of a sweater knit on size U.S. 17(12 mm) needles with no shaping and minimal detail work was really the counterpoint to the project I finished the first week of the year for Husband.

That is a pair of mens size 13 U.S. socks on my usual U.S. size 2 (2.75 mm) sock needles.  It's the Time Traveler sock pattern done in Dream in Color's Green Lantern colorway with an inserted Green Lantern device.  Yes, that is a standard size paperback book (good series by the way).  No, my colorwork skills are not as awesome as they could be.
We will not discuss how long it took me to finish these socks.

The sweater also has me off to a decent start for the 2018 Challenge on Ravelry that I decided I would participate in for some reason.  Admittedly, the list I have of projects to complete does not encompass all the projects I hope to finish this year, it's just a good reference to work from.  I've also decided that for some reason plain socks will not count against that particular official challenge.  Mentally, I've joined the Box O Sox 2018 hosted by the YarnGasm podcast.  I even have a boring cardboard box next to my knitting seat labelled, "Socks"...just in case they start randomly flying off the needles.  As there are only seven patterned socks on my official challenge list, that means another five completed pairs of socks that I only plan on counting for one of the challenges.

Talk about delusions of knitting time!  I suppose we will have to see what happens.

Starting the new year.....

In my new favorite pj's!  Once I saw the hedgehog onesie, it had to be mine!  It even has a tail!

Admittedly, I now think I need to try my hand at making a couple more.  Far too many of the ones I've found are pastels.  I don't do pastels and the patterns I've seen look simple enough.  Just more projects to add to my List (as it's hit rather epic proportions it deserves the capital letter).
The List is part of my vague plan to make all the things and get all the stuff accomplished this year; sleep may end up being optional.

And a Happy New Year!

Please enjoy your festivities whatever they are!  May the new year bring you joy!

I will personally be enjoying the gingerbread cookies I made with the cookie cutters I found earlier this year,(my piping skills need work but I think they turned out okay):

Maybe tomorrow I will show off the hedgehog onesie I have been wearing.  It's been agreed upon that the hedgehog is my patronus; cute to certain people and decidedly prickly.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Winter has arrived

It snowed last night.  More is predicted for the next couple of days.  Happily, the grocery shopping has been completed; as has the holiday shopping.  Son has successfully completed his latest round of college placement tests.  Daughter's business cards arrived early.  Husband's things he'll need for the next year have been packed up and shipped off to where they need to be.  I need to make white chocolate trees for mini-cupcakes for what can be called Drunken WinterFest (participation does not require alcohol; just finger foods, tasty beverages and silly pajamas) on the 28th.
For all those who have been celebrating, are celebrating or will be celebrating your holiday of choice, from us to you:

We went visiting...

It was just a week to visit family over the Thanksgiving holiday.

And then we all immediately came down with a decidedly unpleasant cold that lasted a tad bit longer than the visit had.
Boy spent much of his recovery time listening to Hardcore History and reading H.P. Lovecraft.  Both contained the phrase, "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin",  which, while fun to recite, always brings to mind the scene from A Knight's Tale: "You have been weighed.  You have been measured.  And you have been decidedly found wanting," which makes me laugh every time despite the seriousness implied.
There was also snuggling with the cat:

As well as hurriedly decorating for upcoming Winter Festivities:

It is important we have the right ambiance, as we are inventing a holiday in between Christmas and New Year that involves eating and drinking tasty things (that don't require silver ware) while wearing ridiculous pajamas.

I've not taken any pictures of finished projects (three embroidery pieces and a sweater).  Though in my defense, things are just a teensy bit over-whelming right now, as well as the light being downright awful for simple photos.
I have to catch up at some point, right?

Trying to find a little winter spirit

With Halloween having left me feeling flat, I thought I should get a run up to the next holiday/season (especially with us now having company for Christmas).
So, I dug in the craft stash; grabbed yarn, a pattern book, some fabric, a handful of embroidery floss and a couple of embroidery patterns, then set to work!
The knitting project is the Gothic Glam Yule Hat from The AntiCraft book

I don't own any furry yarn, so a mohair blend it was.  I also have decided to braid red and black yarn and add green metal scales to the tip top instead of a pom pom.  My colorwork isn't great, but this is also still un-blocked.
For embroidery choices, I decided to go with a couple of less conventional pieces:

I have also been slightly productive!
I finished my Nuka Cola socks (with Quantum colored heels and cuffs, of course)

The main colored yarn is Nuka Cola from Nerd Girl Yarns.  The contrast color is Electric Blue Stroll (discontinued) from Knit Picks.
I've finished other things as well, just haven't taken any photos yet. 
I'm going to try and force the ooomph to come back and get things rolling again in December.

It's November....

It's been a rather rough couple of months, for lots of folks, not just me(lots of candles burned and prayers said)!
Personally, it started with a couple unhappy announcements, after which my house phone died and had to be replaced.  More stress, more stuff, the fan on my laptop quits.
This morning, my power cable joined the fan. (This is being composed, less than elegantly, on my tablet.)
I also manged to spill hot tea on myself which left some minor blistering on my solar plexus,  (still not sure how I managed it really).
Yes, most of it is superficial, things can be replaced.  It' s just been quite a lot of one thing after another.  Even Halloween didn't grant the emotional boost I've come to expect, (I have pictures anyway).
In a few days, when I can use my computer again, I will post something with photos of knitwear and sewing projects I've completed. 
Hopefully nothing else breaks (and no more injuries are accrued)!

Purple Jalapeno!

There has been a heavy amount of trying to keep plants alive around here.  As with so many places this summer, it has been decidedly warmer than usual.  Which means being laughed at by others when I get over-excited by produce appearing when so many blossoms have burnt to crisps under unforgiving sun.
The purple jalapenos have been particularly pretty to watch as the blooms are a gorgeous violet color, with the fruit appearing almost black at first glance.
There are the container watermelons, not staying contained:

Some very wee tomatoes of a couple different types:

As well as cucumbers (there are lemon cucumbers in there as well now):

There hasn't been much new yarn, though I did take pictures of the Rose Anguish colorway skein:

There was also a goodie parcel from Eat.Sleep.Knit.for reaching the Float Falls level in this year's yarnathon.  The base of the yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Targhee Worsted (which I adore!) in the colorway, Molasses Swamp Monster:

I may have bought (and already knit a sweater vest out of) a skein of that same yarn base in the colorway Ish Kabibble, (whilst coveting several more colorways. Metaphysical Angst and Galactic Broccoli anyone?).  At some point I will remember to take pictures.  I keep forgetting that I finished something, surrounded by the endless hills of unfinished projects as I am.
Honestly, there has been too much cleaning and chore doing and not enough sleeping in my life lately, so my artsy endeavors suffer from lack of focus.  Knitting half a row on six different projects does not make for much progress on anything.
It will get better I'm sure.  Cooler weather will come, bringing the need for socks and sweaters and Halloween decorations...maybe I will sleep then.

Pie and shawls...mostly

First off, I made a variation of key lime pie that was quite good (this recipe is close to what I used).  I was out of graham crackers for crust, so I used some crunchy granola I had lying around and I did use actual whipped cream on top...because whipped cream.

Admittedly, it wasn't perfect, though close enough to make the household happy.

The other project I allotted myself was blocking finished shawls so I could actually wear them.  There were just a few:

Some where around eighteen I think.
Naomh has been blocked:

As has my Dragon Tail and Out of Gas:

Sadly, this made me realize that I bound off Out of Gas too tightly.  I will eventually pick out the bind off and re-do it so it has the lovely points.

I hung a couple new pieces in my livingroom;  one hand stitched, the other from Evil Supply Co.

The "hive of scum and villainy" cross stitch was a freebie found randomly one evening on the internet.
There is one more piece to go with them, though it still needs to be framed:

I also made a par of Mrs. Weasley Mitts  out of the Sweet Race prize skein from Eat. Sleep. Knit.

Not my standard colors but the yarn base,Steamer Trunk from Mrs. Crosby  was glorious to work with!  The pattern was also outstanding, the stitch pattern makes for a lovely, warm, squishy fabric.

Everything else has been trying to get some of the multitude of in progress projects (probably close to two dozen within arms reach) off the needles.  Yarn buying has pretty much stopped.  There was the stuff on closeout I bought for a Dark and Stormy  and the skein of cashmere blend bought using store credit (with a name like Rose Anguish how could I not?).  I've even been using patterns out of my (rather extensive) pattern library.
With this approach, there can be hope that potential knitting projects will not fall out of most available storage space....eventually...maybe.