The New Normal

 Today was my new version of a rest day. It was time to recover and rest from a busy week. I had 3 activities outside of the house since Monday.  This did not use to be considered a busy week for me, however since March 1st this is my new and hopefully temporary normal.  Spaced throughout the day I managed to bring the clothes from the clothes line and get them to the right closets.  Fold 2 loads of laundry, 1 load separated by an hours rest and then the second load.  No I did not get all the clothes put away.  

My major accomplishment was finishing the last of Fibber McGee’s closet. Now when the closet door is opened nothing falls out. No need to get out of the way of falling objects.  Although John did remind me that I still have a slew of UFO’s to finish so that when my sewing room becomes the guest room a closet will be available.  The point is well taken. I can’t start anything new until the closet is empty of knitting projects.  No that does not include the cones of yarn on the shelf.  Just the project bags on hangers in the closet.  Thank goodness. 

I had lots of mandatory rest time. My body was pretty much in charge of that.  So I listened to music and tried to relax and not think about what needed to be done or what I wanted to do with my day.  I personally find this really very hard.  I am used to being in motion until I sit down for a minute or 2 and wake up a few hours later.  This is the same but not the same now.  I can’t clean or move for hours at a time. I am literally living my life by the Zenning 5 minutes at a time book.  This is a book I highly encourage everyone to read.  I have found it extremely useful.  

UFO Day and Wishful Thinking

 I am declaring tomorrow, Wednesday to be UFO Day.  I have at least 10 projects that need 30 minutes or less to finish up.  Six dog pillows that just need a 6 inch seam closed.  Then 4 knitting projects that are almost done.  The scarf on the loom has at least 4 hours to finish, so it may not get done.

 Of course there will be laundry too, but let’s face it the washing machine and dryer do most of that work.  Now what I need is some very cleaver engineer to make a system where I put the sorted load in one end. Out will come the clean wet clothes that need to be hung up on hangers. Then put the wet clothes on the clothes line. The rest of the clothes sent to the dryer to be hung up or folded depending upon the article of clothing.  The folded clothes will go neatly into a basket and the clothes on hangers will go directly to the clothes line to be put away later. Of course all the socks will be matching and folded too. Now how hard could that be with all those and/ or variables? Easy peasy right. We just have not asked for it yet. 

Then I can going with my last minute holiday gift projects.  

Progress

 This is progress at a snail’s pace.  I started spinning this beautiful Masham dyed by Indigodragonfly before COVID19 when I was still teaching drop spinning.  I found it during the organizing of spinning baskets.  I decided it must be finished.  I spun it on 5 different drop spindles of the same weight by 3 different spindle makers.  Today I finally finished the first spin.  

Now to get it off the spindles to ply the 5 skeins.   

The spindles from left to right: 2 Foresters, 1 made by a midwestern maker, 2 Kurdants

The Hunt Starts

 The hunt for smaller clothing started today with p.j.’s. I really lucked out on this one. Because of the sale at Kohl’s and the only fabric that I could wear, I got 2 pairs of p.j.’s for the cost of one pair.  This is a good thing.  I just don’t know how long I will stay in this size. I also lucked out by finding Simply Vera by Vera Wang.  She knows how to design for curves. The p.j.’s are well made too.  

Next on the agenda are pants and a warm sweater. Yes, I know that I have enough yarn to knit a couple of sweaters but the chances are that after a month or 2 of knitting that they will be to big. I have done that twice before.  So I am going to get a sweater to tide me over along with a couple of pairs of pants.  Wish me luck on those.  

So instead of knitting for me I am knitting for the kids again for next winter. At knitting guild we tend to knit a year ahead.   I have 2 scarfs going for young teens that are going to be long enough to wear in different ways. I also have 2 hats going. I hat needed to be tinked out about 3 inches because I was not paying attention and lost a stitch marker. I did not notice it until I had 4 stitches on 2 double pointed knitting needles and a whole bunch on the circular knitting needles.  That is all fixed and ready to go again.  I also have the 2 weaving projects going.  

It’s going to be busy tomorrow.  Do it is time to call it a night.  

Helping Younger Artists

As an artist I know how a fabric store, big box craft store, local yarn shop, local bead shop, you can fill in your favorite shop if I failed to list it can be like a Candy or Toy store to a kid.  I really get that. Finding projects to do is an art project in it self. Completing that purchased project is another project in it self.  Which leads to the beginning of a conversation with artists over the age of 60. Yes I did say 60.  

Now is the time to evaluate all your art supplies. You need to start asking rational questions like am I going to finish this project? Do I still love the project? Was this project a splurge because you weren’t feeling well? Did you buy the project when your kids were little and you knew you’d find time to make it for them? Do I still want to do the project? Does your kid want the completed project now that they are adults? That fabric was lovely and I know I can find something to go with it, but never did. I love the yarn, but I’ve torn out that sweater three times. I am not teaching that anymore, do I still need to keep the supplies. You can add whatever questions you want here. I know everybody’s will be different. The item was on sale for a really good price.

I don’t expect you to do it in a day, after all it took decades to accumulate all these supplies. However, you aren’t getting any younger. Your spouse and kids are hoping that you’ll get rid of a lot of it. My humble suggestion is to divide your art into different areas. Focusing only on one drawer or one tub at a time will make the job easier. I have a 5 minute Zenning rule that I go by. I set the timer to 5 minutes.  If at the end of 5 minutes I am frustrated, I stop. If at the end of 5 minutes, I am into it I keep going.  I know I’ve been doing this for a couple years now, so I feel like in talk about it. This is an evolving process. You might look at some thing 10 or 12 times before you decide to either finish it or it Has to leave the house or the studio. 

When it leaves you have many options. You can amass stuff and having a yard sale, I did not find this very successful. What I did find successful was gifting to friends. Gifting to mothers with young kids who wanted to learn a craft but had no money to buy supplies, Be sure to try to doing this when we are not on holiday surge postage it will save you about 20%. You can give some of the simpler items to adult day programs.  You can send upscale supplies to younger artists who have no money for supplies. You can Donate to Goodwill. I have a friend who I know I can give lots of yarn to for other weavers.  You can use yarn or material as package padding if you are sending a gift to a crafter. You can donate to church quilt groups, material is so expensive right now. I got rid of 2 car loads this way and the church ladies loved the fabric. 

I know that everyone one will have a different route.  However you choose to go on this journey is fine.  This is a journey that can be gut wrenching at times. Don’t beat yourself up for past purchases. Don’t beat yourself up because your eyes were bigger and faster than your hands. Don’t feel you have to do this in a day. I have been on this journey for almost 3 years. Remember to give bins away so you won’t have the urge to refill them. Redesign your work space. 

This will clear a lot of mental weight off your shoulders. You will start creating more when you know where everything is. You will have less UFO’s. You will feel better about you. You will have more time to create.  This will make you very happy. If it doesn’t, at least your spouse and kids will be happy. 

Finishing UFO’s Creates Problems

 There is a downside to finishing a lot of UFO’s very quickly.  

The first problem is just how many knitting needles do I really have? Yes I need all of them.  I know I have several in every size. There are times when they are all in use in one size an I contemplated getting another pair.  Yes, the beginning of the UFO problem. 

The second problem is knitting bags. When I am finally finish a project, I then have an empty bag that either needs a new project or a new home.  The last 5 out of 6, went to new homes.  Bag six had yarn sneak into it saying knit me. Sometimes yarn is worse than chocolate when it speaks to me. 

The third problem is knitting accessories. Take the Fisherman’s Wife’s scarf that I finished earlier in the week.  I freed up some cable needles, scissors and stitch markers. Yes, I know I have some others in the house, but they are all in project bags of UFO’s. So now I need a system to keep track of them and other accessories so that I don’t go buy what I already have.  The craft store holders just don’t cut it.  Maybe a sportsman’s box or a small toolbox would work. 

The fourth of my problems, but not the least of my problems  is stitch markers.  Yes, I do know that are classified as accessories, but are they really accessories? In my humble opinion definitely not.  They are stitch markers.  They are knitting jewelry. An art form of their very own.  I must have enough to lose a stitch marker a day and still have too many at the end of the year.  I even give stitch markers away randomly and to large groups of friends.  This is what my stitch marker cups look like when I finish too many projects at once.  I normally like to keep about 20 out at a time  rotating them every so often. This is how it looked today when I finished knitting a new pattern. This is at least the second project this week.  It’s time to thin them out yet again.  Perhaps start some new UFO’s.  It’s just a random thought   

Passing Supplies On and More

 Today I filled the back of my car with quilting supplies, mostly fabric  to give to a friend. I even gave her a few storage containers to put the fabric in.  There was more in the back seat too. I did not realize that fabric  had gone up to $15 a yard. So I came home and started going through the rest of my quilting fiber to see what I really won’t use in the near future. It will give 3 church groups fabric to make blankets for those in need. It will make John happy and give me more space. We are going for less is more around here lately. 

At guild today I also gave away 4 more knitting bags each with a skein of yarn to make a scarf for Operation Gratitude.  Less is more.  For those counting that totals 6 less knitting bags.  4 less skeins of yarn and 2 unfinished blankets. 

Talking about less. I have 1 less UFO ( unfinished object ) Yesterday I finally finished a scarf in the Fisherman’s Wife pattern on Raverly after over 4 years. It was a cool 89f when I finally finished it last night.  It fits perfectly.  It is going into a drawer until the end of October when it gets cooler in Tucson.  Next time I make it I will use a solid color to show off the cables better. 

UFO’s

 With my limited knitting time my goal is to finish as many UFO’s as possible. Some of the empty project bags I will keep. Others I will destash with enough yarn for a charity project. So hopefully you will see lots of project pictures in the coming weeks. 

Going Old School

 I have been hiding out in my knitting room listening to an audio book alternating between knitting a UFO That was started before Eric went into hospice.  Then was tinked because I should never knit lace work when I am taking care of someone going through hospice.  Then thinking it is time to spin on every drop spindle I currently own.  Maybe even fill up a basket and ply them later.  

I am so totally exhausted and out of sink that I totally forgot about Tour de Fleece. At this point 11 days in I am not going to stress myself.  I will just look at my lovelies as I spin on the drop spindle of the day or 2 it takes to fill them.  I will pull one braid at a time and spin until I run out and then go to the next one.  

I am currently on an Orson Scott Card binge. Currently Invasive Procedures. The last book was Stone Father. Both good reads. 

Below is the first spindle filled in this endeavor. A Golding that has an amazing spin on it.  I did not think I would be able to spin lace weight on a spindle this heavy.  I spun a blend of merino wool and silk.  

Works In Progress

 These are my current couch works in progress. These are the projects that I work on at night while watching television.  One wash cloth,  One drop spinning project. One shawl in the Indigodragonfly bag that I am making with hand spun yarn. One scarf destined to be 60 inches long, yes I have a bit to go.  

My stitch markers and darning needles are in the Altoids tin.  A great way to recycle them. 

Serial Knitting

 Today I seemed to jump from one knitting project to the next.  I did a few stitches on a hat.  Had lunch then finished the hat pictured below.  I cast on and started a new hat, I did not want the knitting needles or stitche markers to be lonely.  I knit about one half inch of the brim.  Then I worked on the baby blanket for about an inch.  Then after dinner it was a new pair of gloves for my self.  Lots of frogging, I got caught up in the television series we were watching.  Not a good thing for a pattern that the rows need to be counted. Then I went to finish off my night of knitting with a charity scarf.  All totaled I worked on 5 different knitting projects and only finished one.  Lots of progress though.  

The hat pictured below is the first charity hat for 2022. It may not seem like it from the first paragraph, I am really doing less knitting so far this year. I am enjoying it more.  It is no long a job to finish 100 or more projects a year.   I have only completed 7 projects so far this year verses 14 at the same time last year.  

I know I have a lot of projects on knitting needles. Sometimes I need an easy no thinking involved knitting project.  Other times I have a gift that I am working on. Other times I need to knit while John is driving   Other times I just want to stretch my skills.  Other times I just want to finish UFO’s.   

I am thinking about selling a few kits on eBay for things that I thought that I wanted to knit but changed my mind on.  I will start going through them soon.  I am also continuing to look through knitting books to destash too. I think Destashing is how I am going to clear my backlog of projects. I will sell them as kits for about 1/2 the price  plus postage that I paid just to get them out of the house. I might also consider an Etsy store. I will keep you updated   

B.B.D.

 I took the opportunity to sleep through most of my bad body day.  There are times when I am sure that I am not over doing things, however my body says not so much.  I did manage to finish another chapter of The Witch Ash. It has taken some unexpected turns.  It is a real page turner.  

Another scarf was finished.  Tomorrows UFO has been found and put on the knitting table.  I am not sure what I will do with this project when finished. It’s just so close to the finish line that I need to get them done.  Yes there are 2 small projects in one bag. The leftover yarn will go into the hat bag.  

I did start a charity box for art supplies.  Once it is finished I will drop it off at Eric’s old day program. His friends like to see what treats I bring. They like deciding what to do with everything. 

And to cap off today, the cap that fell off 2 weeks ago fell off again tonight. I am not happy about that at all.  How can the adhesive agent fail so quickly?  Well back to the dentist I go.  

UFO’s Progress

 Today I worked on 2 UFO’s.  One was a charity scarf for and older child. Once the scarf is 60 inches long it will be done.  That way it can be folded in half and worn in a stylish fashion. This should be done by the end of the weekend.  

The other is a poncho knit in linen with lots of lace.  I started it when Eric was in hospice.  I have learned that there are 2 things in knitting that don’t go together, lace work and hospice.  I finished the first side, it was something besides a rectangle that the pattern had called for. I had to  Tink* the first half. Today I finally found my rhythm, it only took 2 years and a quite room. I almost finished 1 pattern repeat.  A week or so of quite knitting time and it will be finished.  *Tink is knitting backwards, in other words ripping out the 1st half.

I also have to say that the photos look great  under the Ott light.  They came out nice and crisp.  Also my attempt to shrink the sweater was a total failure.  It shrank about 8 inches in length and not enough in the width.  I put it in charity.  I am done with it.  

UFO’s

 Well now that my knitting room is more put together I find myself looking for unfinished projects in bags, in the hiding place I put them. So from now until the end of the year I plan to finish as many of the projects as possible.  With the exception of charity hats which I knit when John is driving and charity scarfs that I knit when watching television, no new projects will be started.  I have started stacking the bags at the sides of the temporary work table and I don’t want to lose the table.  

This comes with a heads up. There is a good possibility of a lot of new knitting patterns that will be released next year.  I know of 2 without even looking in the bags.  

I have also figured out why some people only have on project bag for knitting   Am I headed that way? Don’t be silly, of course not. 

Wish me luck because I am so good at starting knitting projects, but so awful at finishing them. 

 Today was a busy but fun day.  Well almost.  A house issue slowed down my start.  Then it was off to Bryn Walker for some smaller sized tops. Yes the tops that are too big are starting to go into the Goodwill pile. Then off to the post office to drop some outgoing mail in the mailbox.  Then off to Joann’s for an Ott light for my new work space.  

Then there was a very brief check in with my friends at Grandmas Spinning Wheel.  Then it was time to get my 6 month supply of soap at Tracy’s shop Artemesia,  the only winter favorite not in stock was gingerbread, but I got some pumpkin spice soap instead. If you are not in Tucson go to byartemesia.com  If you are in Tucson you can visit her shop at 6538 East Tanque Verde Road.  It’s in the same plaza as Grandma’s Spinning Wheel. After you finish shopping stop by a Tucson favorite of mine, Savaya Coffee.  They roast their own coffee and brew their tea by the cup.  It is well worth waiting for the tea to be brewed.  

Then home to do some cleaning and organizing.  I rested by starting a new charity scarf while listening to an audio book. . So my active UFO’s are 2 different charity Scarfs, a charity hat, a new pattern and too many more to list. Since I made a couple of small upgrades the knitting room is more comfortable.  

I have a busy day tomorrow. Also the cold weather of winter will arrive.  Burr.  

Blankets on My Mind

 I am currently working on three different blankets at different stages of completion.  The closest one to being finished is one that came with 3 different sized 8 inch blocks.  One would think that 8inch blocks would be a standard size, but not in this case. So I made three 36 inch strips and am in the process of sewing them together.  Then I will add a broader. 

The second blanket is by my computer.  I work on this one when I am working with students.  I also have a scarf that is almost finished that I work on while taking classes.  

The third blanket is going to be a modified log cabin block blanket.  I started the center with 2 patterned blocks.  I will just add more yarn on each side turning it as I go. I started this tonight while watching television.  I do not have to keep track of anything. The first color addition is almost done,   When this blanket is done I might have a basket back.  

Hopefully I will finish at least one blanket this weekend.  

Ahead of Schedule

 I decided in the beginning of January that 100 knitting projects was a reasonable amount of knitting for 2021.  About one project for every 3 or 4 days. I am trying not to over use my hands.  At the same time I am trying to finish my UFO’s and do a major stash down.  At the same time making sure I have at least 5 dozen hats for the Flowing Wells School District Clothing Bank.  I have a lot of knitting wishes for the year. 

To that end I choose a basket with three partially finished blankets this week.  I finished the fourth missing square for the first blanket tonight. I will sew together the blanket tomorrow.  Then add the edging by picking out the 3 main colors and adding a Crocheted boarder. Then it will be washed, bagged and labeled.  I have started a box for a local nursing home for the blankets and shawls.  

Tonight I pick up the second blanket from the basket. I decided not to make a whole bunch of squares, but instead make 3 strips. I am doing this because the three blocks that are finished are different sizes.  So as long as the strips are the same length, I should be golden.  This means less sewing too. That is the problem with having a blanket project made by so many different people.  The thing is that even though five other people worked on the  two blankets I an knitting the majority of the squares.  Note to self never ever do this again.  

I will also go stash diving tomorrow to find stash yarn that will go with the second blanket.  I am really hoping that I will not have to buy yarn to finish the second blanket.  I do have a lot of cotton yarn in my stash. Wish me luck. I am hoping to find dark blue and purple.  A turquoise blue, and medium blue and purple.  I already have the white, I just pulled a cone out.  

Well it’s time to call it a night.  

Eleven

The 11th project of the year was completed tonight. It is also 5th hat of the year. It is also Rich’s birthday present.  He picked the color and style so I can show you.

Let’s see how many I can finish next week.  I have a lot of UFO’s and small projects.

Scattered Knitting

I think that John has it right. I am a very scattered knitter. How did he come to this conclusion you might ask.  Well it occurred tonight during Super Bowl 53.  I was working on the remake of a pattern do to a lack of copious notes, see yesterday’s blog post.  I got up to get my last Yarn Butler not in use, I have 3 for the record.  They are now all in use.  Plus I have various baskets and bags most filled with multiple UFO’s.  I also have knitting projects in more than 1 room of the house.

I think it might be time to finish all my UFO’s in progress before I start any new projects.  Then sell off some of my soon to be extra bags and baskets. I need to learn to focus.  Being focused, squirrel, is not one of my fortes.  The exception to this would be hats and scarves  for the clothing bank, that is my take along project and a device I use in restaurants not to eat chips or bread before a meal.  It’s just a way to keep my Carib count down.

Wish me luck.  Since this is a short month my goal is to get 3 patterns written and posted to Raverly. Then finish my sweater.  Hopefully there will not be to many squirrels this month.

*Squirrels is a term use to say a distraction in a somewhat funny way.
*UFO is short for unfinished projects or objects.

14 and 15

Projects 14 and 15 have been completed.  They have also left the house to head to there new home. I have more that are almost done. But I also started 2 new projects today, yes I know I have a lot of UFO’s and need to spend at least an hour a day finishing them.  Maybe I should just set office hours to knit and get projects done.  I wonder if Eric would corporate?  The only way to solve this problem is to knit and spin more.