Too crazy not the share ...

I know you are thinking ... OMG, hope she is alright!!!  Posting the very next day.  Something must be wrong.

Nothing wrong ... just had to share. Remember the Boxy Boyfriend Sweater that I indicated might abandon?  

Well, it got unraveled last night. 

As crazy as this sounds, the difference in dye lots showing in the picture were not as evident in person, but they still were there if you looked for them.  But I am happy to save this yarn and just be aware of shading changes so I can alternate hanks and disguise shading differences.  I also had misgivings about the pattern. It wasn’t well written and it was designed as a "one size fits all" - which it wasn’t.  

So after publishing the previous post, I set about dismantling this project - balling up the yarn for another project yet to be determined.  Even as I was pulling out the knitting, I couldn't tell when it switched to a different shade.  But the change in shades happened within a hank.  I have never seen that before.

After the yarn was totally recovered I set about looking for a replacement pattern. I wanted a vest. When I saw this one, Aiko Cape by Katrine Hannibal of Online I knew it was the one I wanted. While I am not much a color knitter, I love knit stitch patterns. The pattern seems to be a cross between a vest and a cape.  Views from the back looked very much like a cape.  It is appealing design and something I would use a lot.

 

I did my due diligence.  I checked all the stats - they matched what I had supply-wise.  I checked comments and finished projects.  It was a design that seemed to look good on all body types.  It looked like it was part of a KAL in 2019 - so not so old a pattern. There may be some online assistance if needed - but it is just a vest - how hard can it be?

I purchased the pattern and downloaded it!

ALL 29 PAGES OF IT!

Yes, 29 pages in total. I was stunned!  Never had I gotten this small a project with this many pages of instructions!

I started to look for a reason for so many pages.  This is a Danish designer.  So maybe there are differences in formatting and level of instructions that are significantly different from US instructions.  

I quickly skimmed the pages.  The first 15 pages are the pattern instructions.   The last 14 pages are abbreviations, diagrams, tables and techniques.  I wasn’t sure if those 14 pages made me feel better or worse.  If a knitter needs that much hand holding to complete the project - this probably calls for experienced hands.  Very experienced hands.  My hands are more intermediate.  And lately I would describe my brain as an Experienced Beginner.  

No doubt - the project will be stretch for me. But I like this so much I am willing to try.

But not today.  Want to finish some other projects first.

Knitting - Were I am now and Were I am heading

After almost a year of hardly knitting,

 it feels good to be back on the ‘always knitting’ wagon. 

I thought I would summarize my current knitting plans as well as projects in my queue, and then periodically check back this year ... and document what progress has been made.  Hopefully having this list will discourage random additions.   

In addition I am seriously considering using an excel worksheet to document all my yarn at present.  The last time I did an inventory I probably had double what I own now.  Much of it was given away because I had just lost interest in them. What is left is loved and a list would be helpful when I see a pattern I like.  If I don’t have the yarn in stash for it - no point buying extra patterns - that at some point would force me to acquire more yarn. But the inventory would take time away from actually knitting.  And progress is my goal this year. Still the lure of having a completed inventory still beckons me.

My current WIPs are: (% complete a guesstimate.)

Mosaic crochet blanket, The Queen by Tina - 15% complete   link I don’t need another blanket, but I love this technique and the pattern. I should be further along than my current 18” inches, but crocheting makes my hands hurt worse than knitting.  Still, this is on my radar to finish. The picture shows the front side and the back side.

Einstein Coat - 30% complete Link I started this project with my knitting group.  God knows,  I don’t need another knitted coat, but I love the pattern and I have the yarn and it is started.  The yarn is a combination of 2 yarns that I believe together are prettier than either separately.  I definitely will finish this.

The Boxy BoyFriend Sweater by Aisling Yarns -  70% complete  The yarn is Cozy Color Work in Speckled Pecan.  The picture does not do this yarn justice.  It is beautiful yarn, but I am on the fence about finishing this project.  My problem is two fold: it is a one size fits all - which it doesn’t, and it appears I have a dye lot problem I didn’t notice until I took the pictures. It is not as dramatic in person  but it is obvious. I hate the idea of pulling out all that work - but if it is going to bother me after it is made - I should cut my losses and find another pattern.

Set Sail Shawl by Erin Johnson - 20% complete  Link by Erin Johnson using Plymouth Select Worsted Superwash Merino Yarn - kettle dyed.  I don’t need another shawl, but this one is designed for wearing in the house - and for warmth. It is mindless and good for TV watching and time in knitting group.

Satie Lace Shawl by Dee O’keefe - 20% complete -  Link using Classic Elite Yarns’ Waterlily also kettle dyed but not as obvious as the Plymouth Select in the previous project.  Ditto - being made for home use and for warmth (and to make a dent in that Waterlily yarn that I have so much of.) Also a mindless project, this shawl is not terribly impressive unblocked, but once blocked I suspect I will love this shawl.

High in the queue but not started are the following but this list can easily change:

Shawl Andromeda by Birget Freyer Link by Birget Freyer - using a Gradient 60% superfine merino / 40% silk lace weight yarn - purchased at the Alpaca Fair last year.  This yarn is so yummy. Actually the yarn came with a different pattern and matching beads, and I decided I like this pattern better.  But, yes, another shawl!!  Whatever was I thinking when I bought it the past November.

Stolen Stitches Dacite Sweater by Carol Feller   Link by Carol Feller out of Ireland - using Classic Elite Yarns’ Waterlily.  I fell in love with the sweater the moment I saw it.  It has been a long time since I knitted a sweater for myself.  Looking forward to this project very much.  Classic Elite in Waterlily will also be used for this (yes, I have THAT MUCH Waterlily.)

Rhaegal’s Wing Shawl by Jennifer Ansara Link by Jennifer Ansara of Fireworks using Shimmy Yarn, 100% Superwash Merino. This is MDSW purchase from 2024.  It was the last stall we visited.  I had made it all the way through the fair without purchasing yarn!  But I didn’t leave the fair without falling into a trap.  The yarn is fun and I have some plans to use some beautiful fiber locks in colors that match the yarn mixed into the knitting..  

A new project grabbed my attention while creating this post.

The Temperature Blanket  Link Have you ever heard of this?  It is new to me. Although I linked you to a paid pattern, you can easily find free instructions on Ravelry or YouTube. I discovered the pattern on a fellow bloggers site. Karen of Life is Good  Link was recently introduced to this blanket. This is a simple stitch stripe blanket (stitch is your choice) with each color representing a specific high temperature (or low temp or medium temp) for each day of the year - with 365 rows or stripes.   I immediately thought it was a cool idea but tabled it for myself because of my numerous WIPs and projects in queue.  Then I remembered my enormous supply (56 skeins - at 220 yards each or 12,320 yards) of brillantly colored Pima Cotton that I purchased eons ago and have not used.  Since it was only mid-January I was not too far behind.  I went out to the web and gathered the high daily temps for the January so far.  I joined a Facebook group for this pattern.  I printed out a few beautiful blankets on Ravelry as examples.  I took pictures of the yarn I could to use.  I discovered you only need 10 colors - I have 11.  Yeah!!  But then a little voice in my head that I can’t seem to ditch, wondered if the colors transitioned the way I wanted them to - and should I purchase better transition colors ... just maybe a few skeins! Right! More skeins added to the 56 I already have. (I am sure you see my problem.)

(SEE HOW EASILY DISTRACTED I CAN BE!) 

Still more ... YouTube has various video logs on this blanket as well.  I was kind of surprised at the volume of offerings considering just how simple an idea this is.  But there are all sorts of variations on this and it is fun to check them all out.  I discovered that you can pick any year you want and make that blanket just by looking up weather stats on line.  So who cares if I am getting behind on this year!  Will I do this?  Only time will tell, but it seriously is an ideal, mindless, yarn eating choice for someone like me who has the desire to use up yarn inventory. 

Some of this post is driven by my hands!  In the last few months arthritis in my hands has become an issue. It is developing way faster than the arthritis in my back and knees.  Scary fast I would say.  I remember my mom’s hands.  They were swollen and painful with arthritis.  When she lived with me, I tried to get her interested in knitting and/or crocheting.  She was a knitter earlier in life.  She wanted to do it but her hands would freeze up and she couldn’t manipulate the hook or the needles.  She couldn’t even let go of the tools without help.  She was in her 80s at that time.  I can’t help but worry the clock is clicking on my hands.  How long will they work for this dearly loved hobby.  

So this year - I am all about the progress!!  It is one thing to give away yarn I felt luke warm about - that was easy.  It is entirely another thing to give away yarn you dearly love but can't use any more.  Heartbreaking.

Books for 2025 - A Preview

I decided to provide a Preview of my 2025 reading list. 

 The next time you see this list - it will be at the end of the year.

At the beginning of this year I saw a book list on a blog that I follow - 5 Acres and a Dream.  This was the first time I encountered a blogger’s book list. Leigh’s 2024 books list was HUGE.  Suddenly I wondered about my own reading stats.

And my list for 2025 was born.  Initially it was only going to be Title and Author like Leigh’s list  Then, because I couldn't leave well enough alone, I thought I could put a number rating to help me remember the quality of the author’s work in my estimation.  I wanted some indication of my impressions - without a wordy review. 

A few observations about my ‘reading’ list.  

• My Kindle Reader is filled with escapism stories like devestating national or global events - apocalypse, zombies, EMPs - you get the idea. These are mostly free Kindle Unlimited Offerings by authors who are independent and building a following.  I read these before bed, while I eat, while waiting for appointments and during quiet times at home.
• Actual books are mostly non-fiction.  These are book I want to keep and refer back to. This list is small.
• Audible books are a mix of escapism, best sellers, biographies, history, thrillers, etc.  I enjoy these books while cleaning, cooking, driving and crafting.
• If you don’t see a number after an author’s name, that means I am currently reading it.
• I love long books so finding an author that provides 9 or 10 books that follow the same characters is ideal for me.  You will notice that some books in January are continuations from my 2024 reading. 
• I have no problem having 2 of any of these options going at the same time.

I am mostly an Audible and Kindle reader and began this practice about 20 years ago when my husband was going blind and he trying to find audio past times.  With Voice Over on his iPad, he can listen the Kindle books.  I began 2025 with 258 unread book titles in my Audible Reading List. Yes, 258!  That number was actually in the 300s and I did a reorg and declutter of those electronic books.  How did I have that many titles you may wonder.  I think the only explanation I can offer is that I can buy faster than I can read!  (This is true also of yarn and knitting. 😂 )

The numbers ratings are:

(1) - Just awful, not my type of book, didn’t finish

(2) - Disappointing. Finished it for the end of the story but will not follow the author

(3) - Just Ok. Enjoyed but will not follow the author

(4) - Very good.  Enjoyable.  Fun. Informative. Will definitely read other books by this author

(5) - Exceptional.  Can’t wait for the next book.  Will haunt this author’s works going forward

*********** 

THE 2025 LIST

Paper Books

Thriving Beyond Fifty - Will Harlow Mac, MCSP, Cert. MA - this is 422 pages long and will take most of the year, I follow him on his YouTube station and he is excellent.  So far this book is also excellent..

Audio Books

Glock Grannies: Cozy Mystery, Book 1 - Shannon VanBergen - (2)

Baskets and Beignets: Miss Fortune Mysteries, Book 27 - Jana Deleon  (4)

The Naturalist - Andrew Mayne (1)

Night Watch - Jayne Anne Phillips (1)

The President’s Daughter - James Patterson and Bill Clinton

Kindle Books

Chaos Gains: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller, Book 5 - Harley Tate - (4)

Chaos Evolves: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller, Book 6 - Harley Tate - (4)

Hope Sparks: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller, Book 7 - Harley Tate - (5)

Hope Stumbles: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller, Book 8 - Harley Tate - (5)

Hope Survives: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival thriller, Book 9 - Harley Tate

“Be Boring” and a new yearly list!

Happy New Year, All!

“Be Boring"

This might be the year of Navel Gazing for me.  

In my post before New Years I made a causal brief reference to the goal of being boring in the eyes of my medical professionals.  It was a comment that was randomly dropped while writing and I felt it would be a very positive development for me health wise to be boring (or healthy) in the coming year.

Oddly that phrase - be boring - stuck with me for a while.  

Being perceived as boring has slightly negative connotations in almost all other situations.  After all, who doesn’t want to be perceived as interesting, charming, the “life of the party!”  Popular people are definitely not boring people.  Others are drawn to them, seek out their attention, desire their company.  It is an external shell that can also be described as charisma.  Definitely not boring.

While in my life time I haven’t ever been described as the life of the party, I have gravitated toward leadership roles both in my professional life and private life.  Even until recently I found myself invited to join the community board of directors and did so willingly because I was not a stranger to those kinds of activities.  Stunningly I discovered that my actions on the board were noted by residents I didn’t even know.  They knew my name, but I but I didn’t know them.  I guess doing the hard actions, saying the hard things, and making a difference made me one of those “not boring” people. 

But with all the health drama of the last 2 years, I believe my focus has changed.  I think it has made me a bit more of an introvert than before.  Yes, I was described as in extrovert by others and by personality testing.  Now that label feels like a weight too hard to carry.  I am more comfortable letting others grab the spot light.  At least it feels like I am gravitating towards that as time passes. Focusing on my own needs, family, life and letting go of other stuff is the way I am heading.

None of this has happened intentionally.  It is mostly an observation of where my life seems to be taking me.  And it most definitely isn’t a New Year’s goal of any kind.  It is more of a gentle observation of the evolution of my personality. Maybe a pulling in - a contraction - a letting go of previously held needs.  I also think there is a shedding of some friendships that were not really friendships before - but I didn’t see that. Cultivating close friends, ideas, activities with a much smaller boundary than before. 

Being more boring. That is what it feels like.

A New Yearly List

I follow a blogger named Leigh at 5 Acres and a Dream.  While her life style is entirely different from mine, I really enjoy reading some of her posts in her effort to live more responsibly and off the grid.  In a recent post she provided a list of her 2024 books that she read.  It was TOTALLY amazing how many she had. It included paper, audio and kindle.  I got to thinking ... I wonder how many I read last year.  That inspired me to create my own list for 2025!  Her list is just titles and authors.  No reviews or pictures.  Just a simple list.  Mostly a list that gives her the scope of her reading for 2024.  So I am off and running on my own list for 2025.  Thanks for the idea, Leigh.

If you are curious about her blog or the list she provided - click on the link below.

https://www.5acresandadream.com/2024/12/my-2024-reading-list.html