YOP LIST 2023-2024

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Moving right along



What a week I have had.  It was very productive but not because I planned it that way.  I was forced to lay low until Thursday last week.  I had some teeth extracted on Monday and was not allowed to do much of anything for the first 3 days post operative.  So what is a crafter to do?

Craft!!!!

I was able to complete a few items and make some good headway on others.  Of course, I do have pictures for you.  But please excuse the cruddy photography.  I used my cell phone and was kind of in a hurry to take the photos before people came in and saw their gifts all laid out.


These are the man socks I have been complaining about for the past month and a half.  This person has large feet and it takes a 100 gram skein of sock yarn for each sock.  It also takes me forever to complete one.  I still have about 2.5 inches to go before starting the toe on sock number 2.  I will be glad when they are off the needles.  Don't think I will be making this person another pair anytime soon.

The American Flag..............this baby is six feet long and already 3 feet wide.  I have 4 more stripes to put on it and then sew all 50 of the little stars on the blue.  It is a pretty quick crochet but once again it has been in the 80's the past few days so this is on the back burner again until it cools down a bit.

Mermaid lapghan.  This was a really fun crochet and the girl it is for is going to love it.  I still need to attach the tail but other than that, it is completed.

Snoqualmie falls socks.  This has got to be one of the quickest knits I have done on a sock.  I think it is because each row is so different.  I truly loved this pattern and will be doing more of this one.

The only other gifts I have to complete for Christmas will be done on the sewing machine.  I have all the material for them and they are really quick projects, so I am not stressing about them.

I have other projects that I want to get to but until Christmas gifting is finished, they will have to wait.  

I talked to my daughter in law yesterday about this home made Christmas idea that we thought was so peachy last year.  We are both so burned out with it.  We have agreed that we can do homemade next year but only if we really find something that is perfect for the person.  Otherwise, we will be free to buy a gift that fits the person's needs.  

Normally, I make dishcloths each year and gift those to my friends (they even ask for them around August).  I like to make bed socks for my mom as she so loves them.  I make at least one pair of socks for someone during that time of year.  But I also like shop for special items that I know a person needs or wants.  This year, there are no dishcloths made at all.  I did get the bed socks made and as you can tell, I made other socks for gifts.  But there are a couple of people that are getting gifts that I hope they will love and will use.  It's not something I think they would normally ask for, but it is so close to Christmas and I have run out of brilliant ideas.  Especially for MEN!  So Pajama pants will be made soon and THEY. WILL. LOVE. THEM!

As for my oral surgery.................I am healing just fine.  I didn't even have much pain with it so that was a good thing.  Today, I am actually getting to eat food that is not mushy.  Still have to be a little careful as the sites are not completely closed yet, but it is almost there.  One good thing from all of this....................it forced me to quit smoking.  I have wanted to stop for some time now and today marks 1 week smoke free.  I don't even really miss it.  

OK, I need to get back to my Big Man Socks so I can move on to something else.

Until next time....................Happy Crafting!

Sunday, November 8, 2015

YOP 19



Another week down and this time I have completed some things.  BUT........I haven't taken photos of them yet because I just finished them last night and I wanted to go to bed.  But, I can tell you about them.

I completed the crocheting of the mermaid tail.  I completed the Snoqualmie Falls Socks.  I am working on the American Flag Afghan and have cast on the second sock for the man socks.  Things are going well and I will have time this week to do more crafting on my gifts.  

I just realized, I have not even looked at my list since the day I posted it.......Let's take a little look and see where I am, OK?  My current comments are in RED

2015-2016 YoP list

Socks
Once again I can not tell you how many I will do.  But these are my favorite items to do during the hot summer months here in the desert.  I do know that I need to have 2 pair completed before Christmas as they are gifts.  I already have 1/2 of one pair done and have started on the other pair this week, just to get them on the needles for the road trip.

One pair is done and the other pair is half done and hoping to complete it in the next 2 weeks

Shawls
Diving In  (this is already cast on, also for the road trip)
It is still sitting at the bottom of my project bag waiting for me to complete all my gift crafting.  I really enjoy doing it also.
Haven't even cast on for this yet.
SWEATER
After I frog the sweater I started, this is what it is going to turn into.  It even asks for the fiber that I already have in my stash.  But I will be making this longer, as at my age, no one wants to see my tummy.

Found this the other day and was so tempted to start back in on it....................but I am waiting until gift crafting is over.

Sewing items
Another gift for Christmas this year
I have the pattern and the material for this................It shouldn't take that long to complete (I hope)
Crochet
I have had a request for at least 2 of these for Christmas.  Now that I am not on yarn restriction, I can purchase the fiber for this and get going on them.


Completed one of them..............don't know if I will be able to do the other one before Christmas.  Although the second one is a much smaller size.
Wood Work
Staining and decorating treasure box for Wedding in October

Done!!!!!  Both the box and the wedding!


So it doesn't look too bad.  Totally doable by the end of this years YOP.

Until next week...........................Happy Crafting.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

YOP week 18







Happy All Saints Day!  I am back to my normal self as of about 5 minutes ago.  The last of our out of town guests has been taken to the airport.  The wedding is over and it was beautiful.  My shawl got finished by the skin of my teeth.  So I am ready to start back into my Christmas crafting.

Let's take a look at my past week.........................Monday & Tuesday were spent getting linens washed and placed on beds.  Dusting and mopping happened as did making sure there were items in the guest bath that might be needed by our guests.  We also had to clean up the remainder of our remodeling items and get everything put away.  Not much knitting got done those days.

Wednesday morning.............................early morning......................our first guest arrived. Our son from Texas came in.  So, Wednesday was spent catching up with him and what was going on in his life.  I did get some knitting done but not as much as I needed.

Thursday, our daughter and her mother (yes, I am a Step Parent) needed to come over and use my sewing machine to make adjustments to daughters wedding dress.  Her mother had made the dress just from the measurements she was given over the phone.  Daughter lives in Arizona and mom lives in Washington State.  So they were here for 3 hours doing the adjustments.  I tried to knit, but as I was doing lace work, it seemed every time I was getting my groove on, they needed me to help pin or hold parts of the dress.  After they left it was petal to the metal to complete the shawl.  I did not make it as large as the pattern (and I am glad I didn't)  I completed it, soaked it and blocked it and got done about 2 on Friday morning.

This is how it turned out.

It is 100% silk and was the slipperiest item I have ever knit.  It was light and just what I needed for the day of the wedding.  I had a choice of making it curved on the bottom or points.  Guess which one I went with.

So today I will get back to my socks for a while.  Our Daughter is bringing her cute little dog over for us to babysit while they take a mini honeymoon at a resort here in the area.  That means I will need to kind of watch my male dog with her as he is extremely jealous of any dog that might take some of my time away from him.

So the wedding...............................it was lovely and I have a couple of shots to give you the flavor of it.  First off, let me tell you that my new Son In Law is a crafter.  He loves to sew.




He made his Kilt for the wedding as well as the vest.  He also made the grooms men their kilts and vests too.  Granted, he is not wearing the traditional socks with the kilt.  These two are a bit of comic con geeks so he is wearing superman socks.  Each of his grooms men had different super hero socks too.  This was the couples first dance together.

The next photo made me cry.................................


This is her and my hubby (her father) dancing to Jennifer Juniper.  It is the song my husband named her after.  Her middle name is also from a song he loved at the time "Michelle"  As he danced with her he sang the song to her.  Quite touching.

So after the wedding, we all rushed home and got changed and went trick or treating with our grand daughter.  We had a blast but boy was I one tuckered out MiMi by the time I got home at 10:30 last night.  This morning was even worse as the first trip to the airport was mine to do and it was at 4 this morning!  Then I got home and got hubby up and we went to 7AM Mass.  He is now taking the last guest to the airport and we are done for the day.

So I will close for now and got and pick up my needles and work on the Snoqualmie Falls Sock that is darn near finished.  It should be done by the end of the week and the second man's sock will be cast on.  I am doing pretty good with the Christmas list so I am not in panic mode.......................yet.  Still have 2 afghans to complete but it is still darn near 90 degrees here and I am melting below them.  Maybe in a couple of weeks I can get back to them.

Until next week......................Happy Crafting!