Do you ever just wish you could go back in time...

... and smack your past self upside the head?

Also, I had to untangle it.

I've had this mystery yarn in my stash for a long, long time. I could have sworn that I bought it at my first Rhinebeck, but it's not in the post where I took pictures of my haul. Then I remembered I used it for a project in summer 2010. But I never posted where I bought it! I'm so annoyed. I could've sworn this was good stuff - I remember winding it from the hank. But since I can't PROVE to myself  that it is, I can't get a twofer for this project!

Late night progress photo on our kitchen island.

It's going really fast, so I can't complain! I'm making Matchstick Socks, by a lady that I've followed for a long time, Sara at knottygnome. When this pattern came out in 2010, I remember thinking "I wish I had the money to spend on this..."  Well, now I do! :)

The pattern looks so nice with the painted part of the yarn. It's just ok for the stripey part that's solid, but that's kind of what I expected. It's going great, and I love it. Like I knew I would!

My past self... I could like a little more.

In other news, it's spring! The lilac at my back door has baby leaves! And last night, we had a thunderstorm! It was so nice to sit on the porch and watch it roll in. 

16in2016

1. Knit something for charity.
2. Knit something just for yourself.
3. Knit something you can finish in a weekend. Then spend the weekend working on it!
4. Knit something that's been in your queue forever. (Can be a Ravelry queue or just something you've been wanting to try.)
5. Knit something and then yarn bomb somewhere! (Be sure to get permission. I'm going to do something on my own property.)
6. Knit something that uses a technique you've never done before.
7. Knit something silly. (There are so many possibilities!)
8. Knit something to give to someone as a thank-you. Everyone has someone that they can thank for something!
9. Knit something useful.
10. Knit something that uses a vintage pattern. 
11. Knit something that uses game knitting. 
12. Knit something from a pattern you tried before but gave up on. I have a lot of these!
13. Knit something from a pattern that you tried before and loved. I have some of these...
14. Knit something that uses indie yarn.
15. Knit something with someone else (through a knit along, mystery knit, etc.)
16. Knit something from a pattern that you buy. Spend money on a book, magazine, or independent pattern!

Something Useful

For those of you that we're up all night yesterday wondering what I was making,  here you go! Classic dishcloths.

I've had the Sugar and Cream in my stash for ages, after I got it in a swap package. It's the perfect yarn for dishcloths. I can't even imagine making dishcloths out of anything else. Just like I couldn't imagine making anything else with this stuff. It's cheap, yeah... but it hurts my hand to knit with it. Thankfully, the skeins are small and I can use one up on two hours or so (or two dishcloths or so!)

Anyway, no good dishcloth photos. We were on Rt 88 in Upstate NY, which is not a very good highway. Plus, the fact the sun was setting didn't help much.

P.S. - Happy Easter!

Oh My Goodness I Finished Something!

My socks are done!

We're heading home to visit family for Easter, so that means knitting and listening to audiobooks. And I finished my Marlene socks and they fit! I changed the second sock a bit,  since the first was a little loose. But you can hardly see the difference.

I just love this pattern.  Love the way the ribbing turns into swirls when you pull them onto your leg.

And now I'm starting a new project, something quick to make up for the 3 months I spent on this one. :) I'll probably be done with them before we get to Binghamton! Guess what it is...

16 in 2016: something just for myself. 

http://aly-oops.blogspot.com/2016/01/16-things-to-knit-in-2016.html?m=1

My weekend in photos

Remember when I used to take photos ALL THE TIME? Now I carry a camera around with me 24/7, and I seem to be taking less photos. I think it might be a lack of wonder and awe. Which is a huge shame, I think. I'm constantly surrounded by amazing things, but I don't stop to take a photo. I don't take that second to separate myself from the event and commemorate it with a photo. In a way, it's more zen... but it also is a little sad. I don't have a scrapbook worth of photos at the end of the year.

Anyway, Dan and I went to Maine for the day, and hiked out to a really nice lookout point with his family. It was great. After that, we had dinner and napped and then went home. I did some knitting - but this post isn't going to be about that :P

The view from the lookout point

This basset hound, Hinga, lives at the start of the trail and if you want to go to the cliff you have to stop and say hello to her.

Family huddled on the dock to say goodbye to us as we took the ferry back to reality.

JT the cat was happy to have us back. He sat down on Dan's legs and then fell over and went to sleep.

Anyway, hope everyone else had as good of a weekend as I did! :)

Stitch Along Wednesday - 2016 Week 5

Oops, I skipped week 4 because I was just SO DONE with everything. I had really bad carb flu, and was just miserable. But now I feel great! Yay, Whole30!

Anyway, here are my updates:
1.) Most of my Bunny Mittens work has been technical - writing the notes down, adjusting the charts. I'm going to try and get some people to test knit it on the Ravelry forums when I think I have all my ducks in a row (and when I think that I have the second sample done!) I did make a cute little fork pom pom for it though!

2.) Another square on the blanket! I'm almost at the point where I've caught up all the work I had to tear back.

3.) My Marlene sock's heel is turned and I'm decreasing the gusset. I'm really surprised that I can knit this while reading! Well, until my hands get tired and I just read.

4.) Yeah - I have a fourth project (kind of) - my next 16in2016 is going to be Purple Baby Hats!

 

I really liked making these last year, and my friend gave me some very fun purple hand dyed yarn, so I figured "easy come easy go" and that I should get some karma back by donating it to CLICK. I found out that you can send in hats any month of the year, so I can work on one at a time. (The improvised pattern I do is really easy, and takes about 2 hours to make a hat)

There's my update! Make sure you check out the other updates here!

My First 16in2016 Project!

... It's a hurricane hat!

I made this hat almost 6 years ago, and remembered how easy and fast it knit up. When I was frustrated with my Marlene socks last week, I was fantasizing about an easy, quick knit, so I banged this out in a day. I used some nice Madelintosh that I had in my stash from a failed design.

The only problem? I have no idea what to do with it.

I need to send W a package, I have a series of books I think he's like and a flash drive of hedgehog photos. I guess I'll send him this, too. If he's still wearing his old hat, it might be a little worn by now. Maybe he needs a new one. Maybe he'll just throw it out. Doesn't mean I didn't have a good time knitting it.

Anyway, I'm happy to cross off something from my 16in2016 list!

1. Knit something for charity.
2. Knit something just for yourself.
3. Knit something you can finish in a weekend. Then spend the weekend working on it!
4. Knit something that's been in your queue forever. (Can be a Ravelry queue or just something you've been wanting to try.)
5. Knit something and then yarn bomb somewhere! (Be sure to get permission. I'm going to do something on my own property.)
6. Knit something that uses a technique you've never done before.
7. Knit something silly.
8. Knit something to give to someone as a thank-you. Everyone has someone that they can thank for something!
9. Knit something useful.
10. Knit something that uses a vintage pattern. 
11. Knit something that uses game knitting. 
12. Knit something from a pattern you tried before but gave up on.
13. Knit something from a pattern that you tried before and loved.
14. Knit something that uses indie yarn.
15. Knit something with someone else (through a knit along, mystery knit, etc.)
16. Knit something from a pattern that you buy. Spend money on a book, magazine, or independent pattern!

Stitch Along Wednesday - 2016 Week 3

3 Weeks into the Year! Whoa. Here's the status of my projects.

1. I finished my first 16in2016 project! I'm going to post about it later this week.

2. My little design is coming along well... Bunny mittens! (In the same vein as Kitten Mittens, hehe)


3. Added a square to the blanket! If I knit a square a week, I will some day finish. That's the level of project management on this baby right now. I just work on it when I can in the car.

4. My first sock is growing! Hoping to turn the heel this week.