2023: Wk of 7/30-8/5; July Review, Smilla’s Sleeves, and Knitting Stuff

JULY REVIEW

In some ways July was a back slide month. I knit significantly less stitches than in previous months. I think I spent more time playing board games with my son and having friends over for dinner and cards. Not going to complain about that. Son starts his teaching job next week so there will be no more afternoons spent playing board games. He’s starting to appreciate what a hot mess he’s walking into and getting a little apprehensive. When the assistant principal tells you the only goal they have for you is classroom management, that educating the kids isn’t even an objective, it’s not a teaching job you want. He just learned that 30% of the students live in foster care. He is committed to completing the year but is starting to agree with the MANY teachers and staff that have told him he won’t stay beyond a year. Both teachers he observed before taking the job in the spring are no longer there.

My stash took a hit with more yarn in than out. There was that sale at the beginning of the month and I haven’t completed Smilla’s sleeves. Finishing Smilla should help me get my yarn out in better shape this month.

I went into the month with three projects and came out with two. I finished my FCC socks but started my FCC cowl. I dropped the Sojourn cowl. Smilla’s Sleeves started in June and still continues into August.

SMILLA’S SLEEVES

I decided to start the second sleeve so I’m pulling yarn from both the center and the outer. Fortunately it’s going pretty well. I am definitely worried that I will run out of yarn so I want to make sure that I have equal amounts for each sleeve. Even though the pattern doesn’t call for sleeve decreases until right before the cuff so that the sleeve is a balloon, I’m thinking to throw in a few decreases to help save yarn. I’ll see today if I can live with the way the decreasing honeycombs look. I’ll be alternating between sleeves after each decrease to make sure I make any decreases at the same row. I do use graph paper to list every row so that it’s easier to keep track of which rows are cable rows and now to track which rows have decreases. I check off each completed row in addition to using a row counter. (Never can have too many methods for tracking what row I’m on.) I have picked out a mini skein that I can use for the sleeve cuffs if I need 20gs more yarn. It’s a pretty good match to the main color and the mohair should further help it blend in. I think I will knit the sweater to the cuffs and then have my daughter try it on to confirm the sleeves fit okay. I can finish the cuffs during our visit in two weeks.

ANDREA MOWRY BIRTHDAY SALE

Did anyone else bite on Andrea’s birthday sale of 40% off for her 40th birthday? I already have 4 patterns bought on previous birthdays that I still haven’t knit. But a Florida knitting friend knit Andrea’s Pink Fizz and it is indeed beautiful. I already have the yarn I want to use. Of course, it’s the wrong weight, worsted instead of sport, thus I’m going to have to figure out how many stitches I really need for the width I want. Since I want it tunic length, the extra row gauge shouldn’t be a problem. The second pattern I purchased was her Vintage ’83. I like this pattern because it has a striped brioche yoke and an interesting slip stitch body. I think this might be a good pattern to use to relearn brioche. So more patterns into my library and projects onto my 6+ year queue. At least this purchase didn’t add to my yarn stash since I plan to use yarns already in my stash.

Pink Fizz

Vintage 83

MINI SKEIN STORAGE UPDATE

Haha. It didn’t take me a couple of weeks to decide. Like most of you, I preferred the glass jars to the acrylic cubes. The glass candle jars are actually more efficient storage as well as look better. By deciding now, I could return the cubes to Amazon so the experiment cost me nothing. Not sure what I’ll do with the mini skeins I’ll be opening in December. I’ll be keeping an eye out for a cute glass/acrylic container.

MORE SEASONAL CHARMS

Couldn’t resist making myself some seasonal stitch markers and progress keepers. August is sunflower season here in Ohio. Picking up half priced charms at Hobby Lobby makes these pretty inexpensive.

SIDE NOTE

This is Leo the Lop. 33 years ago my stepchildren’s grandma gave this to me for my firstborn. Leo made it through all 3 of my children including the youngest pulling his ears off. I reattached the ears thinking someday Leo would be passed on to a grandchild. My stepdaughter has recently been asking if she could have some of the ceramic Christmas decorations that we have that her grandmother made. This made me think of Leo. Sadly I found that one of his eyes was chipped. I don’t know how to crochet but I figured an eyelid didn’t need to be perfect. So I used some old (like 40 years) embroidery thread I had and crocheted an eyelid which I sewed on to protect the edge of the broken eye. Long ago I got rid of the book that came with Leo but found a set of books that included Leo the Lop which Amazon delivered yesterday. Even though the story was written in 1979, it’s about being accepted when you look different from others. I’ll be taking Leo and the books to Evansville this coming weekend for my granddaughter. I suspect there will be a lot of tears from my stepdaughter.

That’s it for this week. Hope you have a great week of crafting. I’m so looking forward to the coming week as the temperature will be in the low 80s (~28C). I’ll be able to knit in my outdoor “knitting nook”. This is a Year Of Projects Ravelry post. Create an “annual” plan for your fiber crafts and then make “weekly” update posts. Sticking to the plan is not required. 😉