Definitely a Schlump

 Mid-winter blues?  2020 hangover?  Stuck at home too long?  Whatever the cause, the lethargy is quite real. Trying to push through it, while having any sort of focus, is proving rather difficult.

I do know I used it as an excuse to replace my acrylic paints (I got rid of what I had the last time we moved); that and I had this idea for a raven-themed entry sign, but I hadn't the supplies to make it, (except for a wood circle I could use as a canvas that's been kicking about in our garage).

Can you paint your way out of a corner?

While waiting for paints, I bought a bag from Fibre Space because it made me snort:

I got banners for my ever-growing enamel pin collection:

The Spells pencil bag was from Evil Supply Co.   They no longer make them. :-(

I put a sleeve on one of the Ripple Crop Top Worsted:

And got out the yarn to cast on the next one:

Progress is being made on my Ladyhawke shawl and knitted sweatshirt as well:

I've even picked up Gaia's Garden again, albeit for rather short stints of time at a go, as my focus is prone to wander, (which is why I ordered paints).

I also convinced myself, for a whole three days, that if my house was dusted and orderly it would help.  Not so much.  I do feel less guilty about just sitting and knitting, but that's about it.

Zoe it wholly behind the sit and knit plan:

And now I'm knitting a sweatshirt.

 It was a pattern I bought before remembering, that as much as I like fuzzy, fluffy yarn in socks, in a shawl, as fluffy little toys...as a sweater, not so much.  I do have one, in mohair, and it's lovely.  The singe marks on one cuff let you know why it's not in standard household rotation.  

Then, during one of my marathon podcast listening bouts when my back or neck were giving me fits (a problem a little too often this year already), I heard one knitting podcaster mention she was living in leggings and sweatshirts, sadly ignoring most of her handknits.  

My brain very helpfully wanted to know, why not knit a sweatshirt?  Something soft, nice and over sized, but an upgrade from standard, off the rack sweatshirts. 

Then I remembered that pattern.  Why not just look to see if there would be a suitable substitute yarn somewhere?  Maybe something with some plant fiber content so it wouldn't be too warm to wear while working in the house or a cool Spring afternoon in the garden?  And could be worked nicely with three-quarter sleeves.

I may have found some Berroco Vibe on clearance, in Fern, one of the few colors left in any quantity.  It is exactly what I needed.  The yarn is soft, light and easy to work with.  The pattern is uncomplicated, once you cast on the correct size.

So...now I am knitting a sweatshirt, technically it's bespoke?:

The idea is that is will gently and successfully carry me through the last of a month I was done with once Inauguration Day was concluded with joy.

Yerba Mate Flowers and New Towels

 

My little yerba mate tree has beautiful little flowers!  Honestly, I had no idea what it was going to do, so it's been highly enjoyable to see what it does.

I bought new towels!  Mainly because Daughter bought new towels, in a lovely blue, proclaiming how soft they were, while not being overly pricey.  So I promptly went to see if they had a color that would suit.

I chose a bright green they had.  Is anyone really shocked?

Turns out, it is almost the exact shade of green as the accent tiles in our bathroom.  Definitely a bonus as we were due for replacement bath linens.  The bath sheets are not as big as I hoped, but still a more than serviceable size.

I finished my cream colored Trescao (only three more to go! Which is likely why I am knitting on something else entirely):

I am making these out of Berroco Remix Light, so they are comfortable, yet slightly fancy tee shirts, that will not look odd with the cycling skirts I am making.

I am about to get ready to start sewing the pieces for my Evie outfit (at least the first one).  The reading glasses and locket I already owned, (the locket does not have any pictures in it, but it does have art of the hemlock plant on the front).

I also bought a new tarot deck illustrated by a favorite artist of mine:

I haven't had the time yet to play with the deck much, but the artwork is stunning and makes me incredibly happy.

Really I have had everything bouncing around in my brain: from "yay! I have found the perfect deodorant!" to "what is wrong with being an anti-fascist exactly?" then rounding to "what color would Out of Cheese (redo from start) be?" 

 It's definitely been quite a start to the year.

Goji sprouts, knitting and a little fabric

 

Teeny, tiny, almost not there sprouts!  I soaked them in warm water before planting, like the instructions said, dropped them in dirt (couldn't really see where they ended up, those seeds are small), left the pot next to a big window and a heat vent.  Goji berry sprouts, in Idaho, in January.  I feel quite absurdly accomplished.

Managed to finish the first of the keep those joints warm fingerless mitts, winter gardening is a bit rough around here.  I pulled a couple of light fingering weight yarns out of the stash, one is alpaca, the other is wool, found a random free pattern that had sort of the right look/gauge and ran with it.

They are tightly knit and super warm!  The second one is already on the needles.

I've also made progress on the first Nott cowl:

Also knit at a super tight gauge, but with heavier yarn, so I can only manage about five rounds before my hands start to hurt.  Only three more to go, once this one is done.

I finished the body and front of one of four Ripple Crop Top Worsteds I have planned.  It's not really crop length.  The yarn is from Blue Moon Fiber Arts in their Ravenscroft colorway.

I've got one sleeve left on my second ( of five) Trescao tops.

Which I probably would have finished if I hadn't felt the need to cast on The Jumble Sale cardigan.  It is just the perfect thing to go with my Evelyn Carnahan  (scroll to the bottom)  inspired outfit(s).

The decision to put together said outfit is why there is now stripey fabric waiting to be washed:

The green will be a rather simple, self-drafted henley style top.  The striped stuff will be the ladies shirtwaist pattern.  As I already had this skirt pattern cut out (I'm adding pockets of course), appropriate shoes in my closet and accidently perfect eye glasses at hand, figured I may as well run with it, (I do absolutely adore the character).

I'm hoping the shirt pattern won't be too fussy to put together, as I would love lots of them.  Guess I will find out once the pattern actually gets here!  Not sure what buttons to put on the top yet either.  More pondering to do yet I suppose.

Of course this is the year I decide it's ideal to dress like an early 1920's adventuresome librarian.  Makes as much sense as anything thing else right now.

Happy First Tuesday in January?

 I lost the first few days of the new year to a rather unpleasant headache (my neck muscles have finally unclenched, mostly), which is entirely unfair as I stuck to water for New Year's to avoid that kind of start. 

My official number of completed knitting projects goal for this year is twenty ( I managed twenty five last year); the list I actually wrote out has thirty-eight items on it.  The list does not have any Dolores related items.  The fourteen Dolores kits I plan to complete this year are, apparently, an entirely separate list/goal/time stream in my head.  We shall see how things work out.

There are at least four patterns waiting for me to make muslins, that I might make garments that actually fit, about a dozen pieces (likely more than that) when the sewing is all done.  Once I get to them.  A couple of the patterns do need to be drafted from scratch, which does slow down the process a bit.

Which is likely why I checked the weather, went digging through my ever growing seed collection, picked out a lettuce, a kale and a tomato variety known for their cold tolerance, and plopped them in the surprisingly soft dirt in the pots on my sheltered porch.  

I may not see progress on the craft front as fast as I would like, but I may manage kale in February.

I mean, I've got vanilla and yerba mate in the dining room:

That is a pot of alpine strawberries I started from seed last spring in the background.

And yarn for another sweater will be here by the end of the week.  It's purple.

Seeds and Sewing Plans

 I recently purchased seed for various types of plants that will do well in our Spring/Fall weather.  Part of that purchase were also purple tomatillos and hot peppers, because Daughter requested plants to make salsa verde, but had seen the purple versions of the ingredients and could I possibly get those?

Purple it is, with a heavy dose of black and a bit of blue too!  As well as kale that grows leaves up to three feet long.  Should keep us in greens, right?

The seeds are from two of my current favorite gardening sites Baker Creek Heirloom and Urban Farmer.  

The difficult part is waiting to plant at just the right time!  So maybe I can actually do some sewing finally, while waiting for the ground to thaw out?

I have had goals to dress like Evelyn from The Mummy for....well, quite a long time.  I was frustrated by the blouse she wears in the first part of the movie though.  Really, all it is, is an over sized man's button up shirt.  But I am a history clothing nerd, I had to go find the likely inspiration (found a random page out of a Sears catalog for Spring 1918) and then find a pattern for that.  Of course.   And I finally did!  The New Idea Ladies Waist One Seam Sleeve pattern from Past Patterns.  I haven't contemplated fabrics or colors yet...and I still have to actually purchase said pattern.  The other positive is that I have discovered I am exceptionally fond of Edwardian era (and really till the beginning of the 1920's) clothing.  

Maybe it's the hats?

Almost...

 Cards are written out.  Small gifts made and ready to go.  All sit, waiting to be mailed.  I almost got everything done as expected. I worried so much about getting things done "on time", I burnt out before the finish. When the time constraint is gone, the feeling of obligation lifted, Friday or Monday, things will likely get mailed out (provided things continue to work as usual).

I've barely been knitting.  I sit in a yarn fort, surrounded by a dozen works in progress and just can't be bothered.

Son made gorgeous (and super delicious!) caramel pecan cinnamon rolls for this morning:

Daughter is making beignets tomorrow.  I have plans to make an eggnog cream pie.

The house smells like my latest incense purchase:

It will get better.  Things will be sent out.  Knitting oomph will come back.  There are the spring and summer plantings to plan.  And, in my case at least, pondering where to put giant kale and watermelons masquerading as pumpkins helps.  May you also find what helps.

Holiday Crafting...of a sort.

 Like many households this season, there isn't much enthusiasm for the holidays around here.  Realizing that we are about a week out from Proper Festivities, I figured I should put together one of the holiday decorations I bought supplies for more than a month or two ago.  Maybe that would add a bit more cheer?

What could be more festive than a new seasonal wreath, using holly as the base?

Extra holly berries added, including on the bow as it was on clearance and looked it a bit.

Teeth cut out and triple starched.  Floppy teeth just aren't as festive.

Eyes drafted, cut out and given a coat of glow in the dark paint (because glow in the dark is not just for Halloween!)

Little extra garland, a stringer of LED mini holly, and a fair bit of hot glue later...

It sort of starts with a sheep...

Dolores is a creation of Franklin Habit.  I have enjoyed his cartoons featuring her (and his other writings) for many years.  And then...this happened.  I was truly tickled!  My very own stuffie Dolores!  So, I got the kit.  Woohoo!

But then they started coming out with different outfits for Dolores... uh oh.  At first it was just one.  No big deal!

Darlings.  There are twenty-six numbered kits (I am currently eagerly awaiting the most recent release #26).  I have eleven and the original stuffie kit.  And the umbrella. And a couple of drawstring bags.  I still lament not being able to get the Hamptons holiday kit.

It's not just me.  She does have her own FaceBook page.

I finally put together a binder for the patterns:

The bags are filled with yarn.  And little roller skates.  And a mini rolling pin.  As well as Dolores' umbrella and glasses for her Suffragette outfit.  I have grand plans for staging her at various places in the house.

The only thing I have actually knit from the collection, I gave as a gift.  (I may have yarn stashed to make another.) 

My family rolls their eyes and snort almost in unison when I mention a new Dolores pattern, with loud variations on "What is the outfit this time?"  I then giggle slightly maniacally and show them (of course).

Does this slow me down? Of course not!  If I am smitten with the winter holiday outfit that comes out will I try and get my (slightly) obsessed hands on it? Yes!

One of my personal knitting goals is to try and knit one kit a month in 2021 (assuming more are not produced that make me hit Add to Cart in less than a blink of an eye), because even better than Dolores-in-potentia is Dolores modelling her glorious outfits for the neighbors in our front window. :-D

Goodness, is my sense of time skewed! (just like everyone else) Oh look! Yarn!

 I somehow managed to miss the fact that Thanksgiving is next week.  I remembered it was going to happen towards the end of November as usual...only to realize exactly how close that was about two days ago.

I've been diligently knitting bits for gifts(Daughter is helping), that will hopefully get shipped out in the next month.  There has been plotting for some indulgent projects after those bits for others are finished and I manage to cast on the sweater I have planned for Husband; the small fortress of works in progress gathering dust around me not withstanding.

After a bit of a rummage through the yarn hoarde I pulled two project bags.  One was the yarn for the Ash & Fire pullover,  Malabrigo Silky Merino in the Redwood Bark colorway.

It is a purple-toned red-brown that is kind of amazing.

The second bag was for Lillet, the yarn is Malabrigo Washted in the Selva Peruana colorway (a colorway I visited almost daily until I found the sweater pattern for it).

The colors just glow. (Why yes, I am a huge fan of Malabrigo!)

I also pulled out my Leeloo cowl to work on, only to realize I had over-compensated for my usual tight knitting gauge, ripped out what I had, and started the whole thing over on a size smaller needle (which is still four sizes larger than the pattern recommends).

The yarns are from Nerd Girl Yarns Hunger Games inspired colorways, Twirl for Me and Girl on Fire.  Sadly, Nerd Girl Yarns is not currently dyeing. 

The end is finally in sight for my Henwife shawl!  Only...it's huge.  Like, coat size.  I used worsted instead of DK and went up four or five needle sizes.  Two or three needle sizes would have been sufficient. Too late now. I've hit the lace border, I am not ripping out.  The plan is to full it a little (start the felting process), block it out, and then fold the wings into sleeves and sew them down.  Voila! (Sort of) instant cardigan!  It's been in progress for more than a year now. /sighs

I may have also indulged just a little bit.  The colors were just so lovely!  

The dyer is Dragon Hoard Yarn.  With a name like that, is is really surprising I love their stuff?  The colorways are Fire Vixen and Spirit of Fire.  

Spirit of Fire is planned to become the main color in a Winterthorn hat.  Fire Vixen will be the bright contrast in The Doctor Is In mitts.  I've also already planned out what to do with the leftovers from the Leeloo cowl, the Winterthorn hat, and The Doctor Is In Mitts.  A cowl with mitts looks pulled together.  Gloves or maybe mittens, in yarn from your colorwork hat?  Charming!  A lovely, simple hat to show off hand dyed yarn that I may or may not be planning to slap a plague doctor on?  Thematic!  

Then my brain reminds me that we still don't have a turkey or sides (or really anything) for next Thursday.  So, I start planning recipes instead.  Simple ones, maybe ask the others what they want to make.  Right now, (like everyone) we are all tired and enthusiasm is not bubbling.  Time moves oddly, some days last a year, but the month only started yesterday.  A week seems endless, till you start the next one all of a sudden.

So, homemade cranberry sauce and stuffing?  I'll make a list, that always helps.

May you be able to focus on what you need to and have lovely distractions to help you through the next bit of time, however long or short it seems.  

So.....how are you?

 Better than earlier this week I hope?  A little less stress this weekend?

I've been knitting on projects that require bits and pieces to be knit and then sewn together.  Progress always feels slow.

I did finish a pair of replacement hats for a friend.  Now I just need to get them posted out!

The pattern is the Invader Zim GIR knit hat.  I am really hoping I got them right.  Ten years is a long time between projects!

With snow predicted, I went stash diving and knit a pair of non-felted slippers.

They are not the most elegant looking project, but as the predicted snow showed up right on time, thick wool slippers are quite welcome!

I also designed a mati pillow.  I found one in crochet, but it didn't look like the ones I grew up with and my grandmother is fond of...and my crochet is not that great. Now I just need to test the pattern I wrote out.  The urge to make buckets of little ones and just hand them out to people is strong...but most people look at you funny when you hand them an eyeball and tell them it's for their protection.

With this as the landscape already:

I think I need to get back the the Nott cowls for the family and the knee high (at least), DK weight, boot socks I am cobbling together; bits and pieces and protective eyes may take a back seat for a bit.