I'm not sorry to see March go!

A day late March round up! Late is better than never right?

This month came in like a lion and went out like a lion, especially emotionally. Maybe next month will be better. I like April a lot.

First things first about this month! I learned to cable!

An Antler Hat  from TinCanKnits for my great niece. 

And a Classic Cable Knit Hat  for my husband! (Thanks for the pattern Jess !) 

It was on my list of things to do this year and I feel really accomplished I did that.

I finished a few other things that are worth mentioning, a Grain Shawl  for my sister, a honey cowl with friend yarn for myself, and I learned to crochet!

See? A crochet dishcloth!

I also got a huge knit picks order from my husband.

So many goodies!

And as an added surprise he got me Mothy and the Squid  minis! Deadly nightshade, industrial accident, and Easter egg! With markers!

And My Dear Friend Logan  sent me a hug cowl! It's so soft and lovely. And scraps for hexis and squares!

I got quite a few hexis done, and blanket squares.

But that's pretty much all I've gotten done as far as fiber. It's been a long month, that ended with my husband being ill for a week. I'm pretty tired.

These are my current wips:

A virus shawl, Hitchhiker , and a yellow hexi.

I don't have much else to say. Everything had been fairly miserable on the homestead. Especially for someone who suffers with OCD, and Bipolar Disorder. I've been trying my best and hanging in there.

But we did do some fun things this month.

Like go out for sushi

And go to the park

And play Pokémon Go

And I won a really cool poke ball from Zoe.Creates on instagram ! 

Here's the round up:

March Round Up:
3 hats (1 charity one)
1 softie
0 coin purse
0 pair of socks
1 shawl
5 dishcloths
1 cowl
0 scarf
0 blanket
7 mitered blanket squares
5 hexipuffs

Year to date round up :
3 pairs of socks
3 softies
3 charity hat
5 unrelated hats
4 dyed yarns
2 shawl
1 blanket
0 sweater
1 scarf
2 cowl
0 glove/fingerless gloves
5 dishcloths
1 coin purse
 27 mitered blanket squares
 11 hexipuffs


Total things knit = 14 (not counting blanket squares and puffs)
Total dyed yarns = 4
Total things loomed: 6
Total things crocheted: 4

Things out of 2017 goal list completed: 8 out of 13

So that's about it. See you next month. (Whoops, it is next month).

P.S. look what husbando bought me to cheer me up and as thank you for taking care of him! Books and yarn!

The yarn is Easter Moon Rocks and Mochi by TiltingPlanet ! Isn't it pretty?!

January Round Up

As January wraps up its time for me to stick to my resolution and make one blog post a month.

It's been a good month for yarn, if a bit of a hard month for mental health and the country I live in.

I got to go on dates with my husband quite a bit this month. Some of which involved dying yarn together.

And sushi.

Rasengan, the yarn my husband designed. 

The Kazekage 

I got to make a Voodoo Who Loves Me doll for myself with yarn I love from my friend I love. I decided to make 4 for my family for valentine's day and quickly changed my mind LOL.

Pattern: Voodoo you love me? by Susan Claudino.

I am making one of Rasengan for the husband for Valentines Day though! 

I made my sister a cat instead, which involved my first ever cable! 

I also worked on a pair of socks for my husband for Valentine's Day. They turned out lovely!

Pattern: Rye Socks  by TinCanKnits . Yarn is Kazekage!!

And I'm working on a PussyHat Project Hat for my sister on my loom!

I also decided to make myself a pair of socks every month this year. The first pair, January is a bit baggy on me. But they are cute. A pair of rye socks to match the husbando!

I have so much in store for next month too and so much exciting things to do with yarn this year overall!

Here is the round up:

January round up:
2 pairs of socks
2 softies (plushies)
1 charity hat
2 unrelated hats
4 dyed yarns


Year to date round up :
2 pairs of socks
2 softies
1 charity hat
2 unrelated hats
4 dyed yarns
0 shawl
0 blanket
0 sweater
0 scarf
0 cowl
0 glove/fingerless gloves
0 dishcloths

Total things knit = 4
Total dyed yarns = 4
Total things loomed: 3
Total things crocheted: 0

Things out of 2017 goal list completed: 4 out of 14

Until February friends! Xxx

Goodbye 2016!

I've clearly left this blog quite abandoned. I'm sorry about that. I have made it a goal of 2017 to post at least once a month here.

So much has happened since I left that I don't know if I can catch you up. So instead why don't I just round up 2016 as a whole?

Bare with me if you read this on facebook.

My grandmother used to make the most adorable things for us when we were children. My most vivid memories of her involve fiber dolls and Christmas ornaments. When she passed, being the first person I was personally close with to pass, I was deeply effected and continued to be for years. In 2015 I had come to grips with my emotions and decided to honor her memory by seeking to make the same yarny goodness she made. Knowing very little to absolutely nothing about the fiber world, I assumed she knit. Wasn't crochet some weird new world invention anyway? My father told stories of my grandmother sitting on knitting needles and such. It was knitting. Totally.

This Christmas after closer inspection of the things she made, she very clearly favored the crochet world. Whoops.

Anyway, so for Christmas in 2015 I asked for what was proudly marketed as a "Learn to Knit Kit! With everything you need!".

January of 2016, around the 25th to the 28th. I opened the kit. Inside were two plastic knitting needles, two balls of acrylic yarn, and a booklet of three patterns. It assumed I already knew how to cast on and what a purl was. Ha.

To youtube! I watched upward of 5 different tutorials. Hours later I had some very tight stitches on one plastic stick. Now what. In true Jack fashion, I tossed it in a box and ignored it. For a day or two. But there it sat glaring at me in all its red acrylic-ness. Whispering. "You want to make things! Yarn!"

So I picked it up and gave it a go. Listen, I don't remember how exactly I got it so wrong, and I don't have a picture of it anymore unfortunately. This finished project hours later was some kind of lumpy mesh disaster. I loved it. To the Internet! I posted it on a blogging platform. I figured it would probably get criticism the way the art community online or most communities are, or at best ignored. I forgot I posted it.

Then a day or two later, I was introduced to my first taste of the fiber community. There was an outpour of support for my little tangled mess. People said I did good for a first thing! They said it was cool! They urged me to keep going, that they couldn't wait to see where I ended up a year from now! I was moved beyond words.

Now, I'm not saying I was any good for like half a year. One time I got a skein of yarn and tugged on the end like a ball of yarn. It ended up a tangled mess.

But every time I got stuck or confused I went back to that unwavering support from the fiber community. They gently took my hand and told me about things like swifts, ball winders, fiber content, stitch markers.

And now we are coming up on a year in this weird fiber world.

I have knit: 35 things. Crocheted 1. Dyed 6 skeins of yarn. Spun my first hand spun yarn (note: not very well, but I did) Learned to loom knit. Learned to knit in the round on double pointed needles and circulars. I've made a shawl. I've learned to rip back and fix mistakes. I made a blanket. I made socks, I turned a freaking heel and did the kitchener!

And none, absolutely none of this is possible without a beautiful and completely loving and accepting fiber community. I've made friends I know without a doubt I will be friends with for all eternity (special mention: Logan, Tory, Sarah, Jessica. My fiber group is so special to me ). I've been a part of knit a longs. I've seen the community call to arms for charity, give away bits of happiness in times of great sadness. And I have felt this great tug at my heart so many times, that I never gave up thanks to this community.

This is a world where I know my grandmother fit in, in all her astounding silliness and kindness and love. And this is a world I am so happy I am a part of now.

So from the absolute bottom of my heart: thank you. Thank you to my friends, thank you to the random Internet fiber artists. Thank you to my family for never doubting me and for encouraging me and giving me the tools I needed. Thank you to the Fiber Friends group which started as something entirely different and morphed into people I will love and be friends with for the rest of my life. Thank you. This means so much to me. And it always will.

Next year: learn to make cables, knit my first sweater, and 12 hats over 12 months for warm up america.

In fact, I've named this year The Year of The Sweater, and a Flax Sweater by TinCanKnits is my last cast on for this year.

Pattern: Flax by TinCanKnits

I already have the ribbing done on the collar of it! 

I'll end this by rounding up my current wips. 

The flax sweater pictured above.

A Skellington Shawl using Madeline Tosh Tosh DK Cosmic Wonder Dust and Expression Fiber Arts Rainbow Love Dewy DK.

A Basic Throw from a encore chunky pattern book using Lion Brand Scarfie.

Fresh Off The Needles:

A Simple Yet Effective Cowl in some lovely Backyard Fiberworks yarn I got as a part of their advent giveaway on Instagram. This will be going to Logan! And will have matching mittens!

And a loom knit hat and scarf in Lion Brand Woolease for The Husbando.

Well, that's all for now friends. Have a safe new year! 

P.S. guess what? It turns out I've been purling wrong all year. But I can purl now! 

A Finished Herald Shawl

I have finished, completely, The Herald Shawl. I used a Blueberry Cheesecake Caron Cake. It's gorgeous and soft and warm.

I even blocked it, it was my first experience with blocking. 

Elenvty billion pins and thank you to my sister and The Husbando for helping me. 

This project has meant a lot to me. Through brain fog and depressive episodes and Resentment and Darkness and Mixed Emotions and Adulthood.

It means a lot. I love it so much. It's like giving myself a huge.

It's been a cathartic experience. It's helped me heal. It's helped me in ways I can't describe. I know a lot of people would say "it's just knitting, get over it" but it was a lot too me. And I'm really happy I stuck with it and it turned out so pretty. 

Now that it's over I'm going to finish the partner to my first sock, finish my mom's slippers, work on my sisters mistake rib scarf, make a dishcloth, and maybe cast on my husband's birthday Honey Cowl. That is until my birthday. Because I will be hopefully going to a nearby yarn shop for the birthday and I want to buy some new yarns to play with and that will lead to new projects. My birthday is in under ten days!!!!!! 

My Amazon Wishlist ///
My Knit Picks Wishlist  (this is under the husbando's name but is mine)

My First Sock!

I've been knitting diligently on the Socktober sock, thanks to the encouragement of my instagram friends! And thanks to them, I am proud to say there have been a lot of firsts for me.

Like turning my first heel, and shaping the gusset!! 

My first time knitting in public AND shaping a toe AND using the kitchener! And not messing it up even a little! 

Which resulted in...............

MY FIRST EVER SOCK!!! TOTALLY COMPLETED!! AND IT FITS! Sure, it looks a little wonky, but it fits and it's comfy and it's mine and I made it and I'm so happy with it. I've dubbed it the I Want To Believe in Socks Sock because it reminds me of Aliens and the X-Files. It's super awesome and I really enjoyed knitting it and I can't believe I got a WHOLE SOCK DONE IN JUST THREE DAYS!!! 

I will totally knit it's matching patner as soon as I finish my Herald Shawl. I want to get the Herald Shawl done and wearable by my birthday, I have a bit to knit before then and I have to block it then. And my birthday is only 11 days away so the next socktober/operation sock drawer sock will have to wait just a bit!!! 

I leave you with these pictures (and shameless a little shameful links to my wishlist for my birthday) 

My Amazon Wishlist ///
My Knit Picks Wishlist  (this is under the husbando's name but is mine)

Socktober 2nd!~

Yeah, that's right. I said I need to finish Christmas present knits and my husband's birthday knit.

Instead I cast on for my first sock for Socktober and Operation Sock Drawer. Like I said I'm using Silver's Sock Class although I'm tweaking it a bit to make it a bit easier. I made the cuff k1p1 and then the ankle garter down to the heal since that is easier for me with dpn. I'm using a worsted red heart yarn since my last attempt at socks with actual sock yarn was a disaster. This time seems to be going much easier, I'm still nervous and excited at the same time.

I also am now rereading Library of Souls! I really love this series and forgot how much I loved it.

I've knit this much of the ankle today. The pattern says to go for 8 inches- or less if desired which leads me to wonder what I should do from here. I know this part is your ankle which leads to your heel, I don't normally wear socks with very big ankles, so I wonder if I should stop here and go to the heel. It just doesn't seem like much cuff. Hmmm. I suppose I'll knit some of my Herald shawl and think on it some. Either way, I'm quite proud of how my first ever sock is turning out!! 

I've had a runny nose and migraine all day and it's making me a smidgen cranky. 

October-Pumpkin Festival and Birthday Wishes.

Today is the first of October! My favorite month in the entire year ever. Because I LOVE AUTUMN AND I LOVE HALLOWEEN AND I LOVE MY BIRTHDAY WHICH IS OCTOBER 15TH! (P.S if you want to totally buy me a birthday present I have wishlists! The knit picks one is under my husband's name cause he's the card holder/yarn sugar daddy but it's mine Here's a Linky to the Amazon Wishlist and here's A Linky to the Knit Picks Wishlist. I also have some patterns on my rav wishlist but I dunno how to link them haha.)

Today being the first day of October our town had a Pumpkin Festival! Unfortunately, The Husbando had to work, but the rest of the family and I went. On the way I continued my work on The Herald Shawl in the Car, it's getting quite large now, and almost done! I'm hoping to have it done and blocked in 15 days-by my birthday so I can wear it to the yarn shop I want to go to! I even contacted the local artist guild about the handmade shawl pins and prices just for it.

In the car

With ruler for reference 

But back to the pumpkin festival! It was quite fun! My parents bought me cotton candy and a pumpkin bracelet, my sister picked me out a gorgeous blue alpaca yarn from a local vendor that will make a beautiful shawl but I can't have it until my birthday! There were rides and everything! The town was hopping!! 

I've been also thinking that since I don't have enough on my plate with knitting Christmas gifts, and The Husbando's birthday, and etc, I might try participating in Socktober and make my first pair of socks using Silver's Sock Class. I have some yarn already balled and ready to go for it. I just have to commit. Oh jeez.

I'm really hoping with the help of the Herald Shawl and the start of October I'm coming out of the depressive episode I was in. The fog is starting to clear and my energy is coming back. I am blessed and I am thankful.