July Knitting Update
Hey, Julie does one of these. I figured it might be a good idea, just so I can see what I get done in the month.
First up, an almost-FO: the Liesel scarf is done! No pictures yet, I like to wait until it's finished blocking. Which it is currently doing on a piece of foamboard, a smaller piece of cardboard, and part of the downstairs rug. Why? Because some dipshit threw away my other foamboard. (The dipshit in question is my dad who, when he moved the foamboard and science fair boards to the garage in preparation for my grandparents, swore up and down that he would remember to keep them. All the science fair boards, which will never be used again, are inside. Guess what I found broken and in the trash this morning?) The only reason I have this one is because I had to block socks and a hat while they were still here. I vote I make him spring for a real blocking board, or at least some of those interlocking foam floor things. Y'know, the ones that look like huge puzzle pieces.
Und now, the list! (That was supposed to be a crappy German accent, nevermind...) Obviously, if the item listed is your Christmas gift, don't click the link.
Item #1: Hobbswyllin socks. (Hey Janette, remember these? They're still not done.) These absolutely HAVE to get done this month. First, because I'm sick of knitting them. Second, because I'm not letting myself start my sweater project until they and maybe one more thing get done.
Possibilty of finishing: high, considering I only have another repeat and a dozen rows of ribbing on both. (Making them two-at-a-time on two circs. This method is genius, and eliminates second sock syndrome.)
Item #2: River Rapids socks. The second one is about 1/3 up the gusset, approaching the heel.
Possibility of finishing: also high, because this is my travel knitting. You know, in the car, in checkout lines, during boring church sermons when I am attempting to pay attention...
Item #3: Mum's Christmas gift. It's this, for the curious. I have 1.5 skeins of Homespun yarn, and I'm attempting to use it all up. Currently at 10 repeats, or 35-ish inches. It's hard to do, though, cuz every time I start to work on it when she's napping or out, she reappears before I can really get anything accomplished.
Possibility of finishing: moderate, depending on how much time I get and if my wrist holds up. (Bulky yarn + big needles = heavy. Not so good for CTS people like me.)
Item #4: Dad's Christmas gift, aka this. (All hail the Harlot!) Haven't even bought the yarn yet, but I know what I'm getting, so that's a good thing, I guess. And it's only a one row pattern, so no needing a chart.
Possibility of finishing: moderate, depending on how much I like the pattern and if I get the yarn in a decent interval.
Item #5: Alex's Christmas gift, aka Skull Isle mitts to go with his hat. (He knows what he's getting.) Currently hibernating after I frogged back the plain bit. They were huge. I know I have small girly hands, not big guy hands, but they were still huge.
Possiblity of finishing: not real high. Depends on if I'm still mad at them.
Items #6 and #7: Carly's Christmas gifts. (One is a way overdue birthday gift.) #6 just needs a spot of embroidery, #7 needs a good bit of sewing.
Possiblity of finishing: moderate, depending on time.
Item #8: Janette's Christmas gift, just cast on last night. Originally I was going to give her the Liesel scarf, but then I remembered Janette = pink and cast on this with the last ball of yarn from the Snowdrop Shawl. It calls for 36 repeats; I'm currently at 1.5. That might get cut short if I run out of yarn.
Possibility of finishing: moderate, depending on time.
Keep in mind, this is planning for a full month of knitting. I still have a week of morning VBS and a missions trip right at the end of the month. (Gladly taking suggestions as to what I should knit on that. I need something simple for evenings and a plane ride, no charts, and preferrably not requiring extra things like stitch holders. I'm thinking another pair of Leyburn socks, in a different colorway. Or maybe Anastasia socks... Yes, socks are excellent travel knitting.) So my estimates might be a little high.
Yesterday went really well. I got a little freaked over the IV (last time I had teeth pulled, it really really hurt), but the guy dumped some cold stuff on my elbow and I didn't even feel it. (Trust me, when they say "this stuff is a little chilly" they mean "THIS IS REALLY FREAKING COLD.") According to mum, the needle was tiny (I decidedly did not look, looking freaks me out even more), but it left a nice big bruise in the crook of my elbow. I wa surprisingly groggy when I woke up, and I'm honestly amazed they had me walk out as soon as they did. I was having problems telling if I was dreaming or not, and kept asking mum later "Did I really do that?"
Getting your wisdom teeth out is a bit like getting your tonsils out; no dairy products, so ice cream is out for another day or so. Yesterday was water, Koolaid, a Coke slushy from Speedway (whoever came up with those needs a medal of some kind), and mashed potatoes. The swelling is surprisingly low, and I can talk fairly normally now that there's not gauze stuffed in my mouth. So, as long as I don't do anything stupid, I should be better by the missions trip prep this Friday. (My god, is it Wednesday already? Where the heck did my week go?)
On that topic: in case you think I'm exaggerating as to how bad my hormones are (go back down a few posts), they get so bad that I was thinking of backing out on the missions trip. We're going to the Navajo nation in Arizona for ten days, the last 3-4 of which are backpacking. Not the time when I want to be depressed, lethargic, grumpy, an insomniac, not eating, and achy all over, not to mention the really bad acne flareups. (Last time, when we went to Kentucky and my hormones were fairly normal, the lack of showering really screwed over my skin and hair, and it took me a month to get back to something remotely resembling normal. Add hormones to that, and you can understand my trepidation.) Fortunately, mum hit upon a solution that *should* work, knock on wood.
And a final note: Happy Canada Day, to all our neighbors up north! I find it a little amusing that our two countries' birthdays fall within a week of each other. The Harlot has some excellent quotes about Canada here. And wow, also the anniversary of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. (I've learned so much from Hetalia.)
First up, an almost-FO: the Liesel scarf is done! No pictures yet, I like to wait until it's finished blocking. Which it is currently doing on a piece of foamboard, a smaller piece of cardboard, and part of the downstairs rug. Why? Because some dipshit threw away my other foamboard. (The dipshit in question is my dad who, when he moved the foamboard and science fair boards to the garage in preparation for my grandparents, swore up and down that he would remember to keep them. All the science fair boards, which will never be used again, are inside. Guess what I found broken and in the trash this morning?) The only reason I have this one is because I had to block socks and a hat while they were still here. I vote I make him spring for a real blocking board, or at least some of those interlocking foam floor things. Y'know, the ones that look like huge puzzle pieces.
Und now, the list! (That was supposed to be a crappy German accent, nevermind...) Obviously, if the item listed is your Christmas gift, don't click the link.
Item #1: Hobbswyllin socks. (Hey Janette, remember these? They're still not done.) These absolutely HAVE to get done this month. First, because I'm sick of knitting them. Second, because I'm not letting myself start my sweater project until they and maybe one more thing get done.
Possibilty of finishing: high, considering I only have another repeat and a dozen rows of ribbing on both. (Making them two-at-a-time on two circs. This method is genius, and eliminates second sock syndrome.)
Item #2: River Rapids socks. The second one is about 1/3 up the gusset, approaching the heel.
Possibility of finishing: also high, because this is my travel knitting. You know, in the car, in checkout lines, during boring church sermons when I am attempting to pay attention...
Item #3: Mum's Christmas gift. It's this, for the curious. I have 1.5 skeins of Homespun yarn, and I'm attempting to use it all up. Currently at 10 repeats, or 35-ish inches. It's hard to do, though, cuz every time I start to work on it when she's napping or out, she reappears before I can really get anything accomplished.
Possibility of finishing: moderate, depending on how much time I get and if my wrist holds up. (Bulky yarn + big needles = heavy. Not so good for CTS people like me.)
Item #4: Dad's Christmas gift, aka this. (All hail the Harlot!) Haven't even bought the yarn yet, but I know what I'm getting, so that's a good thing, I guess. And it's only a one row pattern, so no needing a chart.
Possibility of finishing: moderate, depending on how much I like the pattern and if I get the yarn in a decent interval.
Item #5: Alex's Christmas gift, aka Skull Isle mitts to go with his hat. (He knows what he's getting.) Currently hibernating after I frogged back the plain bit. They were huge. I know I have small girly hands, not big guy hands, but they were still huge.
Possiblity of finishing: not real high. Depends on if I'm still mad at them.
Items #6 and #7: Carly's Christmas gifts. (One is a way overdue birthday gift.) #6 just needs a spot of embroidery, #7 needs a good bit of sewing.
Possiblity of finishing: moderate, depending on time.
Item #8: Janette's Christmas gift, just cast on last night. Originally I was going to give her the Liesel scarf, but then I remembered Janette = pink and cast on this with the last ball of yarn from the Snowdrop Shawl. It calls for 36 repeats; I'm currently at 1.5. That might get cut short if I run out of yarn.
Possibility of finishing: moderate, depending on time.
Keep in mind, this is planning for a full month of knitting. I still have a week of morning VBS and a missions trip right at the end of the month. (Gladly taking suggestions as to what I should knit on that. I need something simple for evenings and a plane ride, no charts, and preferrably not requiring extra things like stitch holders. I'm thinking another pair of Leyburn socks, in a different colorway. Or maybe Anastasia socks... Yes, socks are excellent travel knitting.) So my estimates might be a little high.
Yesterday went really well. I got a little freaked over the IV (last time I had teeth pulled, it really really hurt), but the guy dumped some cold stuff on my elbow and I didn't even feel it. (Trust me, when they say "this stuff is a little chilly" they mean "THIS IS REALLY FREAKING COLD.") According to mum, the needle was tiny (I decidedly did not look, looking freaks me out even more), but it left a nice big bruise in the crook of my elbow. I wa surprisingly groggy when I woke up, and I'm honestly amazed they had me walk out as soon as they did. I was having problems telling if I was dreaming or not, and kept asking mum later "Did I really do that?"
Getting your wisdom teeth out is a bit like getting your tonsils out; no dairy products, so ice cream is out for another day or so. Yesterday was water, Koolaid, a Coke slushy from Speedway (whoever came up with those needs a medal of some kind), and mashed potatoes. The swelling is surprisingly low, and I can talk fairly normally now that there's not gauze stuffed in my mouth. So, as long as I don't do anything stupid, I should be better by the missions trip prep this Friday. (My god, is it Wednesday already? Where the heck did my week go?)
On that topic: in case you think I'm exaggerating as to how bad my hormones are (go back down a few posts), they get so bad that I was thinking of backing out on the missions trip. We're going to the Navajo nation in Arizona for ten days, the last 3-4 of which are backpacking. Not the time when I want to be depressed, lethargic, grumpy, an insomniac, not eating, and achy all over, not to mention the really bad acne flareups. (Last time, when we went to Kentucky and my hormones were fairly normal, the lack of showering really screwed over my skin and hair, and it took me a month to get back to something remotely resembling normal. Add hormones to that, and you can understand my trepidation.) Fortunately, mum hit upon a solution that *should* work, knock on wood.
And a final note: Happy Canada Day, to all our neighbors up north! I find it a little amusing that our two countries' birthdays fall within a week of each other. The Harlot has some excellent quotes about Canada here. And wow, also the anniversary of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. (I've learned so much from Hetalia.)