Podcasts and Lazy Days

Today is a lazy day, with not as many chores as usual, and my mom has a half day at work which is nice. So I decided to start off the day by looking into some knitting podcasts and working on this week's dishcloth. The only thing I dislike about this morning is that The Husbando had another work meeting after closing last night, so he only got 3 hours of sleep and he closes again tonight. Poor guy.

I've been listening too Knitmore Girls Podcast and really enjoying it. They're quite long podcasts, but I like them even if I have to pause them every now and then to get up and do something. They make me laugh!

And I finished Leaning to the Left Dishcloth for my dad for Christmas! It turned out really well I think. It was a fun knit, I really liked working with Dishie. The yarn was so smooth and soft. My only problem with it was that it had two knots in it, but I don't know if that's common with the yarn or if it's just this one roll.

I didn't get to work much on the Honey Cowl today, and I wanted to work on Nell's Sea Silk Scarf but I got distracted finishing my dishcloth and a late start today. But there is always tomorrow, and now there's one WIP done so all in all that's good too.

Today did have its ups and downs, but overall it was a good day.

Ps sorry for the terrible night time picture I intended to post this earlier but so is life.

Fall is Coming!

Last night I got the garter borders done on the Honey Cowl and the Left Leaning Dishcloth.

So today I got to start the crux of their pattern! And my sister, the Husbando, and I sat on the porch while I knit the dishcloth. There were falling leaves and acorns and a nice breeze. It is so close to fall. It's wonderful. I can't wait for fall to be here.

And I got 14 rows done on the dishcloth today! It's coming along very nicely, the Dishie is a DREAM to knit with, I love knitting with is so much. It's soft and it is so easy to manipulate. I may never go back to anything else.

And I made quite a bit of progress on my honey cowl today. I even got to start on the second color, which is super fun to knit with. It's such a nice and easy knit I might even knit it while watching TV tonight. 

And today was a good day. My sister and I played with her makeup and had a silly time. It's just been a relaxed good nearly fall day overall.

I made this blanket square up. It's nice and squishy.

New Yarn Day!

Today I got new yarn!! Which makes today a GOOD DAY!!

After doing chores the post man dropped off a package from my friend AJ, or KniCroManiac! It had the yarn I wanted to try from Knit Picks called Dishie and CotinLin for the Dishcloth Knit a Long! I'm so excited and happy that she sent me these for free to try before buying them and she's so sweet for letting me have them! And she sent me a pretty stitch marker she made too!!!

I am seriously so in love with everything. AJ is the best. The knitting and yarn community has been so loving and sweet and open to me that I can't express my gratitude in words. I've made some of the best friends, the literal best friends through yarn. I don't know how I'll ever repay any of you all. I'm in awe.

And!! Even though we just ordered it yesterday, my order from KnitPicks came TODAY!!!! I GOT SO MUCH YARN!!!!!!!!!! SQUEEEEE!!!! I'M IN WOOL HEAVEN!

This Bulky Wool of the Andes in Wine is going to be a Mistake Rib Scarf for my sister for Christmas.

I was going to upload pictures of all the yarn but then this post would be quite long, you can check it out on Instagram, I'm GryffindorYarnie on there! 

I got three Bulky Wool of the Andes in wine for my sister's Mistake Rib Scarf, two Lost Lake Heather Swish for The Husbando's Easy Fingerless Mitts, a Cobblestone and Amethyst Swish I'm not sure what to do with but seemed appropriately Halloween-y, two balls each of wool of the Andes Pumpkin, Chesnut, Amber Heather, and Persimmon Heather I'm thinking might end up a Boneyard Shawl. And I got some cute tags for my hand knit gifts, and two sets of my most frequently used straight needles in their gorgeous Caspian wood! I use the 8s a lot for dishcloths and the 6s everyday for my mood blanket, so much so the aluminum ones have started to have the paint wear off them! 

I'm so happy and so thankful to my husband for buying me this present and for saying I'm brave and worthy of nice things like this, because of my past sometimes it's hard to see that myself. 

Today's blanket square is excited, because I am so excited my new yarn and all the creativity and the possibilities. It's all very exciting and fun!!! 

And the dishcloth I'm knitting with the new Dishie yarn is The Left Leaning Cloth and the blanket square today was made as a mini mistake rib!!!

A Much Better Day

Yesterday, when I walked outside a but tired and ready to do last round of barn chores there was a rainbow. So I just kind of knew things would be okay.

I didn't make it through yesterday without crying. I cried. A lot. So I was pretty insistent that I shouldn't get new yarn today. But The Husbando said that I was still brave and a good knitter and deserved yarn and needed to stop beating myself up so much, that everyone was bad days. Bad days happen. So I did order yarn! He even paid for the fast shipping! It'll be here Friday or Saturday! 

And then The Husbando, my sister, and I went grocery shopping today. It was actually a lot of fun to be out and about with them. They crack me up. They're my sunshine in bad days. 

My sister and I

The Husbando and I

I even got some car knitting on the Honey Cowl done, I love car knitting so much. It's so therapeutic and has such a nice rythme too it. I have still cried today but it's been much better. 

And today's square was loved. Even though I'm not feeling so good, my sister and Husbando have been keeping me feeling happy and laughing. Stockinette stick, and I'm learning to weave in ends so that's cool! 

P.S sorry this is late I fell asleep on the couch 

Can I Make It Through Today Without Crying?

It's true. I've had a rough couple of days. A rough couple of days where I've felt like just quitting knitting altogether. So I made a deal with myself today. I've been eyeballing some new yarn and if I could make it through today without crying, I'd allow myself to buy that new yarn tomorrow. I might even allow for express shipping.

So I took a deep breath and cast on the Honey Cowl again. And this time.....

WE HAVE HONEY COWL LIFT OFF! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! IT'S NOT TWISTED! WOOHOO! 

Phew. I mean, I checked twice and I'm pretty sure it's not twisted. Seems okay. And if it is, whatever. I'll have a twisty honey cowl. I'm over it at this point. I'm too tired too deal with it.

And then I tried to knit  This Dishcloth for this week's Dishcloth Knit a Long full well knowing I'm terrible with ssp, but thinking that I need to challenge myself even if I'm having a shitty week.

And the yarn was splitty and I had a miserable time and seven rows in I asked myself why I was making myself so miserable over this damn dishcloth when I could just pick a new pattern and wait for new dishcloth yarn. So I frogged it and said forget it.

It's so frustrating that I have almost nothing to show for three days worth of knitting. I'm seriously so disheartened and ready to give up at this point. I'm not a quitter, but this has got me really down.

I made a blue square today because everything has got me down. I even tried to make plain garter stitch and managed to mess up my cast on AND bind off.

The good things that happened are my sister has been wonderful and making me laugh so much. My wonderful friend is sending me yarn and another friend might be sending me something too. The yarn community is so lovely and supportive and sweet.

So far no tears. I still have to make dinner, do a last round of barn chores with mom, shower, finish laundry, so I guess there is still time. But I'm determined.

Casting on the Honey Cowl, So Many WIPs!

I didn't give up after yesterday's hat disaster. In fact I think I know what I did wrong. I didn't do the ribbed brim, and I was doing garter instead of stockinette so the body was shorter than the pattern called for when I started shaping the crown.

But I totally need a hat break. I'm going to work on some things for me I think. It's less stressful that way because I don't feel as compelled to have them be perfect. When I gift them, I feel like they HAVE TO BE THE BEST KNIT PRESENT IN THE WHOLE WORLD EVER. So for now I'm going to work on my Nell's Sea Silk Scarf, and a cowl for myself, and maybe passively some slippers for my mom and using the dishcloth weekly knit a long some dishcloths for Christmas presents.

The cowl I decided to make myself is the Honey Cowl using the wool from my mother in law and the indigo dyed yarn The Husbando bought me from a woman in town. I think it'll be really pretty.

So yes, lots of wips. The honey cowl, Nell's Scarf, mom's slippers, and the weekly dishcloth.

The yarn I'm using for my mom's snow day slippers. 

I had great plans to knit today. Seize the day and all that. But instead all I did was get one round on the honey cowl done. And I think I twisted the stitches.

My mom started here new job today and I'm very excited for her, but it means a new routine for us around the house which is jarring and is throwing me off.

Blargh. I feel like my brain is moving too fast. I WANT to knit but I'm just having trouble getting TOO it and enjoying it. It's like some weird form of knitters block.
(And let's be honest, after casting on and knitting a round of 110 stitches only to have to rip it out because it was twisted I'm feeling a little scorned too).


Today's blanket square is manic, and I made it in a mini honey cowl pattern.


I just wonder if my knitting mojo is gone. It's been a rough couple of days.

Kindness, The Hat, and Stress

I woke up this morning a bit irritated with some people being-in my opinion- quite rude online. This happens of course. Being on the Internet gives us all the ability to say whatever we want whenever we want with the ability to not see who we are saying it about.


But I was always taught the best way to say something was with positive reinforment.

For example: in karate if I was pivoting wrong during a sidekick my instructor might say "Your sidekick gets nice power behind it, and has a nice height, you just need to make sure when you throw your kick you also pivot your base foot to complete the sidekick in proper form" these two positive things to a negative thing leave me feeling good, and determined to be better, not discouraged away from karate.

It's the same with knitting. If someone is doing something people deem "wrong" or "sloppy" or whatever, instead of just saying those negative things and leaving it in the cold world of the Internet, they should say some positive things with it. These things help to leave the knitter from feeling discouraged from wanting to knit again. This is especially important on the Internet where tone is impossible to hear, people can't hear how helpful your tone was intended to be.

It's important in this world, to be kind. Especially with so much negativity in the world. The last thing anyone would want is to discourage someone from the joy of knitting, right?


And now onto today's disaster.

Today's hat disaster.

Today's bad news.

I shaped the crown. I sweat bullets and put all my time and love into those double pointed needles. I was filled with anxiety about using five needles at once.

And we ended up with this:

It's unwearable. It's bad. I'm a terrible knitter. I'm cranky. I should never knit anything but dishcloths.

So instead my dad is getting a very nice tassel bookmark for Christmas. He reads a lot and gave me my love for reading so I think he will like it.

I'm exhausted now. But one Christmas present is down. I'm stressed. And tired. And I've lost a tiny bit of faith in people and knitting in general.

I'm stressed. I'm stressed about these Christmas presents. I want them to be loved by my family. I want them to be loved. I'm stressed my dad won't like his bookmark. I'm stressed about a lot of things. Like my knitting ability and all the other things in life.

Blah. Plain garter stitch square today. If I don't just out my needles down for good in a fit of rage I might start my mom's Christmas slippers The Snow Day Slippers for her Christmas present. Which thankfully has NO ROUND KNITTING HURRAY!

Which reminds me I need to buy Christmas wrapping paper and another tote box.

So much to do. So little me.