November 2021 – Knitting Is So Fun

2021: Wk of 11/21-27; WIPs, Thanksgiving, and Christmas In The Air

November 29, 2021November 29, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Baby Knitting, Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Knitting tools, Notions, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting

HELDIG TANK #2

Completed the hems and have joined for the body. This is a simple knit although the Daisy yarn is a bit fiddly. Thus this will not be a car knit project. It will get worked on possibly the day of rest at my daughter’s or once we get to Florida.

MARY MAXIM CHRISTMAS SOCKS

I’ve decided to continue the Christmas socks. My husband might like them as house socks in December. Blocking (twice) helped some. They are in the car just in case I get a break from driving.🤞

KNITTER CHRISTMAS

My friends did like their “12 Day” Advent set. Hopefully they will still like the eclectic mix of yarns after they open them all. One of my friends gave me these thoughtful knitting aids – a foldable ruler and a magnetic dish to hold my stitch markers. I have 2 sock rulers, and I like them, but they are too long to fit into my sock project bags. This foldable ruler will be more useful since I can keep it in my sock project bag. The magnetic dish is great! I have a magnetic necklace but found that I accidently end up knocking the stick markers off it so I don’t use it. The dish has a much stronger magnet so even if you knock it off a table, the stitch markers won’t fly off. If you have a metal tray table, like I’ve been using from IKEA, there is no way that dish can even get knocked off!! Then another knitting friend made us all these adorable knitting basket ornaments.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

We had a wonderful time for Thanksgiving. Just 3 of our boys on Thanksgiving. Then the same boys with my dad, brother (and SIL), and nephew yesterday for a delayed Thanksgiving. I just love Thanksgiving foods!! My diet took quite the hit this week but I know I’ll get back to more moderate eating once we are in Florida.

We did not visit my step-daughter and her baby just prior to Thanksgiving. Enough said. As my son who still lives with us while attending college said, “I never want to get on your bad side”.

TIS THE SEASON

I adore Advent season. Christmas lights and decorations. It will be interesting to see how I feel spending Advent in Florida but I think it will be fine since I know I get to spend Christmas in Ohio. There is a multi-street neighborhood near where we rent that does the whole “Christmas With the Kranks” thing so I will definitely be touring the neighborhood. I will miss my northern friends but look forward to seeing my southern ones.

This is a year of projects (YOP) update. YOP is a Ravelry Group – make a plan for the year ahead for all your fiber activities, then update your blog each week. Plans can be calendar year (like mine) or mid-year start (like many). Following the plan is optional and creates some of the fun of posts. YOP is in it’s 11th year. It’s my second in the group.

2021: Wk of 11/14-20; WIPs and It’s Beginning to Feel Like Christmas

November 21, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Baby Knitting, Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Knitting Plan, Sock Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn

Since I’m neither a fast knitter nor a focused knitter, I’m afraid my next few posts will be progress reports rather than FOs. I did update my 2021 Knitting Plan status and I’m very happy with myself for the year. I had planned 41 “points” worth of knitting and I have completed 46.5 “points” so far. I think the annual plan and daily knitting calendar are helping me be focused. My “points” system is roughly based on stitches required for a project and complexity of the project. A goal for 2022 will be to do a better job of determining the stitches needed for each project so that I more accurately plan how long each project will take.

CHRISTMAS SOCKS

I am loving Cinnamon’s Say Yes To Pie pattern on my self striping Christmas yarn socks. Turn’s out I am a fan of 9″ circulars if I’m not worried about the pattern matching between the 2 socks. (I’ve already made a mistake in the pattern). Also it does need to be a near vanilla pattern at least for my skill level. I find it hard to manipulate the needles for stitches other than knit. But I’m liking the project compactness of knitting a single sock. I am going to soak the first sock before starting the heel to see if I like the feel of the sock yarn before doing any more. If I don’t like it, I’ll frog it and use the yarn for ornaments/garland.

BABY BLANKET

I alternate between the Christmas socks and the baby blanket. This has the benefit of giving my hands different needle sizes as well as a tight round knitting versus a long straight knitting. Practicing my Continental knitting is much easier on the baby blanket too. Added bonus is my daughter-in-law will get to see me knitting with the yarn she gave me for Christmas on the baby blanket when we stop for a visit the end of the month.

HELDIG TANK #2

I did cast-on this week my second Heldig Tank. This will be gifted to my oldest stepson’s wife as she said she’d like one after seeing the first one I knit for my youngest son’s girlfriend. I might be it done by the end of the year.

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

Because we are going to Florida a month earlier, my Christmas activities have also moved up a month. Never in my life have I wrapped a Christmas present before Thanksgiving. Usually it’s literally Christmas Eve and I’m cursing that they will be opened anyway the next day so why don’t I just put bags under the tree!! This year I needed to wrap early as we will drop off Christmas presents as we travel first to Evansville, IN on Tuesday (looking unlikely – stepdaughter just informed us we should have gotten the t-dap vaccine updated within the last 3 years even though normal vaccination is every 10 years. Hubby and I are past the 3 yr cut-off) and then in Charleston, SC and Orlando, FL (fingers crossed because DIL has informed us she wants a negative Covid test before seeing us. I was able to score free self test kits!!) the following week. Plus I’ve gotten presents for my youngest son and his girlfriend prior to our leaving and have wrapped them so hopefully a little less stress during our short visit home at Christmas. Christmas cards are usually something I’m lucky to get out by the middle of December. This year they are ready to be dropped into the mail on the 27th. Thanks to slow mail delivery, I’m hoping they won’t arrive to anyone before Dec 1. I am usually a last minute person, drives hubby crazy, so this feels very weird. At least our cold weather and snow flurries has helped make it feel like Christmas. Here’s the chocolates, nuts, teas, and hot cocoa garland I made as an Advent Calendar for my daughter and her husband.

FINAL FALL PHOTO

Yarn did arrive this week but I wrapped it as a Christmas present to myself so I won’t share until Christmas. Since it is not Christmas/advent yet, I leave you with a last shot of fall on the driveway. I am thankful the original owner of the property planted oak trees along the entrance of the driveway. He planted them too close together stunting many of them but they still make a beautiful and amazing canopy of trees. The oaks turn red and then brown and hold the brown leaves until spring. Makes it kinda dangerous when we get snow but oak tree branches are strong. We do have to have a tree trimmer clear the interior branches as fire code requires clear space in case a fire truck has to get back to our house.

2021: Wk of 11/7-13; FO, Cast-ons, Florida Packing

November 14, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Baby Knitting, Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Sock Knitting, Yarn, Yarn Advent Calendars

ADVENT 2019 SOCKS FO !!!

Finally finished my Advent 2019 socks. I can’t wait to wear them. The feet are an eclectic mixture of leftover Christmas sock yarns. Adds to the fun of the stripes I think. They will be too hot to wear in Florida but I’m hoping to wear them on the drive to Charleston, SC the end of the month on our way to Florida. Then I’ll bring them back with me when we fly back to Cincinnati for Christmas. I’ll get to wear them at our Christmas party for hubby’s church choir.

CHRISTMAS SOCKS CAST-ON

I got to cast on a pair of Christmas sock yarn. Sadly I don’t like the yarn at all! It is the cheap Mary Maxim yarn. I’m learning I’m very spoiled by hand dyed yarns. The Mary Maxim yarn is very “wooly”. I can’t image wearing the socks and it certainly is no fun knitting them. I am using Cinnamon’s Say Yes to Pie pattern so I’m looking forward to how it knits up. I plan to complete the pair and block them to see if the yarn softens up.

BABY BLANKET – WESTERN HILLS

I cast-on the baby blanket for my niece. It’s the Western Hills pattern – a free pattern on Ravelry. I am making myself knit it Continental to give my shoulder a break from my usual English (throw) method. I’m enjoying knitting it this way. I use the Norwegian purl which is a bit slow but let’s me keep the yarn in the back for both knits and purls. I want a nice easy pattern to knit in the car or while visiting our children on the drive down to Naples, FL. I’m using the multi color minis my daughter-in-law game me last year for Christmas. Not much to see so far.

Don’t know that I’ll get much car knitting. I typically have to do all the driving. I’m thankful that we are able to break up the 18 hr drive by staying a full day with my daughter in Charleston, SC giving me a day off from driving. Then this year we will stop at my son’s near Orlando, FL spending the night before making the final 3 hr drive to Naples. So a 2 day trip becomes a 4 day trip but we get to visit with kids we rarely see. I haven’t seen my son and his wife in person since pre-Covid, so almost 2 years.

FLORIDA KNITTING

Not surprisingly I’ve got my knitting planned for wintering in Florida before what clothes to take. Can’t believe we leave in 2 weeks. A goal for 2022 is to knit a pair of socks per month. That will be aggressive for me. Even so, I’ve caked and packed yarn to make 4 pairs of socks in addition to the Christmas yarn socks I’ve just cast-on. I also packed the yarn to make my hubby’s sweater plus a tee top for me. I will be casting on a tank top for the wife of my oldest stepson before we leave as well. I’m hoping to finish it by the first of the year. I have no doubt all these projects are more than I can complete during my winter in Naples. But I’m looking forward to completing some and starting others.

Time is really rushing by as annual doctors exams, Christmas shopping/gift making and Florida packing is cutting into my knitting time. I’m currently making vegan “soup in a jar” kits to give as Christmas presents to my daughters. Plus I’m making a candy and nuts Advent Calendar garland for my SC daughter.

Today was our first official snow flurries making us that much more anxious to get to Florida!! Have a great crafting week.

YOP Wk 10/31-11/6; FOs, Advent Calendar, This and That

November 7, 2021 by knittingissofun, posted in Christmas Knitting, Knitting, Sweater Knitting, Yarn Advent Calendars

COZIES

I did finish the 2 Cozies for my seatmates. I will be giving them this afternoon at our final soccer match. Uh, yeah, I used leftover yarn requiring some mixing.

12 DAY ADVENT CALENDAR

I am making advent calendars again this year for my local knitting friends. This year though I’m only doing 12 Days. We all have too many minis so truthfully we were all avoiding a yarn advent. Hoping they won’t mind too much. This year it’s a very eclectic mix. Some worsted weight, some mohair, and some fingering. Again purchased from our local yarn dying friend. Hoping they find uses in hats, mitts, or cowls. I’ve thrown in a couple stitch markers/ progress keepers for a 13th day. I’m using advent calendar drawings my children’s book illustrator niece drew a few years ago. I printed them on sticker paper to adorn the tops of the gold boxes. This year no fancy wooden box for the gold boxes since these are intended to be “refills”.

SAILORMOON SWEATER FINISHED !!!

YEA!! Got my daughter’s Sailormoon finished!! Still need to weave in some ends and block it. Fingers crossed it will fit like I envisioned. Not sure if I should mail it down to her so she can let me know if it fits or if I should just wait until we see her in 3 weeks. I hate to trust even FedEx and certainly not the postal system. I’m thinking I’ll just bring the yarns with me as well. (I have enough to knit another sweater!!) If major adjustments are needed, I’ll have to do them in Florida and mail it back to her.

BABY NEWS

My niece had a gender reveal party yesterday. She is having a girl. They didn’t know either. Apparently they gave permission for a friend to be informed. She took care of getting the pink desserts and the pink “cannons”. It was so nice to a) have an excuse to get together as an extended family, and b) share in her and her husband’s excitement over becoming parents. As I have mentioned previously, a baby blanket is now on my 2022 knitting plan. I gave them two children’s books illustrated by my other niece (Megan Higgins). (The one that drew the advent calendar drawings.)

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

Fortunately not all our home improvement projects ended in disaster. We replaced our roof in June. The siding that was ordered back in May finally arrived, supply chain issues, and was being installed this week. After 28 years, the old siding had faded to a chalky grey. Now it’s back to it’s original “Colonial Blue”. This photo was taken early in the week. They are almost done. Still need some trim completed and the gutters put back on.

We also splurged on a “swim spa”. My husband is an avid swimmer. A “swim spa” in kinda like a treadmill for swimmers. You swim against water jets so you swim in place. We had one for years but it “died” about 10 years ago. Once we retired, hubby chose to swim laps at the YMCA but he is frustrated with the times swim lanes are available. Now that we only have one car, that’s really a problem. Again due to supply chain issues it won’t be delivered till May/June ’22. But by ordering it now we get a 2021 price which will be at least 10% below 2022 prices. Kinda like yarn …. did someone say “Sale”?!

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Now I get to focus on finishing my Advent 2019 socks. Then I’ll be getting out my new ball winder and wind the yarns for my next sweater CAST-ON!! I will also wind any skeins that I plan to take to Florida. I did update my preliminary 2022 Knitting Plan so that I know what projects I want to work on while in Florida. I know I’ll take more than I can finish but I enjoy wishful thinking. Wishing you a great crafting week.