WEEK 43.............IT REALLY IS!

Last week, I titled my update 'Week 42" and then went back and changed it to 'Week 41".  I should have gone with my first instinct as, last week truly was week 42 for those of us that go from July 1 until June 30.  So, today is actually week 43 for us  That means, there are only 9 weeks left before we start a new YOP.  The next YOP will be year 10.  To think I have been blogging about my crafting for 10 years is unbelievable.  In full disclosure, this blog has been up and running since February 27, 2007.  Way back then, this blog was meant to be about my journey of crafting as a left handed person in a right handed world.  The only change I have made is, finding other like minded people with which to share my writing with.

So, let's talk about my crafting this week.

Monday, I cast on a pair of socks for my hubby. (I know, he is such a lucky guy).  The yarn is Gluttony Sock Yarn from Leading Man Fiber in the colorway Butterbeer.  I had no real pattern in mind for the socks.  By Tuesday, I had the toes of both socks completed and needed to make a decision as to a pattern.  I decided to just 'wing' it.

These are the socks as of this morning.  I chose to do a K3 P1 through out the entire sock.  I am even doing the ribbing on the sole of the foot.  Hubby likes his socks to 'hug' his feet.  Since these are 80% SW Merino and 20% nylon, I wanted to make them where they would expand and contract with his foot.  The yarn is not the softest merino I have ever felt, but seems to be softening up a bit as I work with it.  It feels like it will wear quite well too.  Yes, I am back on my DPN's.  I love working socks this way.  Confession........I started them on magic loop to get the toes going.  Doing that part on DPN's had me all sorts of mixed up.  Once the toes had about 4 rows on them, I transferred them to DPN's.

Tuesday evening, I succumbed to startitis and cast on another project.  This time a shawl.  Tell me you are shocked.  Shawls are my utmost favorite thing to make.  On Thursday, I frogged the entire shawl and started it again.  It has a lace pattern for the first 84 rows and counting is REQUIRED.  I learned to ignore my phone, the TV and any other distraction while doing those 84 rows.  

By dinner time, last night, I had completed the 84 rows of lace.  It is very hard to see the pattern but it will pop once I complete the shawl and block it out.  This is Diva Fingering weight yarn from Leading Men Fiber Arts in the colorway Spring Thaw.  It is 80% SW Merino and 20% silk.  The fiber is so soft and scrunchy.  I look forward to wearing this shawl and pray my skin does not have a reaction to the wool in it.   

After dinner I started the next section of the shawl.

Short rows all in garter stitch.  There will be three sections for the short rows and then it will have another lace section at the top of the shawl.  The pattern is Boneset and I purchased it from the same place I got the yarn.  The short row section is the perfect TV viewing knit.  Another confession, this is the first time I have ever done a W&T.  When I hit section 2 I will let you know if I have mastered it yet or not.

The 'speckles' on this yarn make it quite 'busy'.  I am hoping once it is completed and blocked, it will settle down a bit.  I have stretched it by hand and it does quiet down a bit when I do that.  The colors in it are all the colors I wear which is why I chose it.  This way I can wear it with anything.

I did do a small amount of knitting on my feather and fan shawl but since you have seen photos of that each week, just imagine it with another 2 pattern repeats on it.

That is all the crafting for this week.  Otherwise, all I did was laundry, baking more banana bread (this time with chocolate chips in it), baking our regular bread, ran to the grocery store once, made out menus, bought a new TV (our old one died), and read books.  This coming week is about the same other than tomorrow.  I take my car to the dealership for it's scheduled maintenance.  Maybe I will take my camera with me as the dealership is out in the middle of nowhere.  Hopefully the desert will be in bloom and I can get some lovely shots of the flowers.  (Not to mention the exercise would do me a world of good).

In about 60 minutes hubby and I will be tuning into our parish to watch Mass.  I think this is the one thing that is the hardest for us.  We love going to church and being with our community of believers.  We will be there again, someday.

The other thing that is becoming quite hard for me................I need a haircut so bad.  I am starting to look like this:

when in reality I am supposed to have my hair like this:

(disclaimer: neither of these photos are of me)  So, I wonder if this stay at home stuff will bring the mullet back into fashion?  All I know for sure is............I hate my hair touching the back of my neck.  Hubby's razor is looking more and more appealing each day.  I have trimmed my bangs once. (thankfully I had a stylist show me how to do a fringed bang a few years ago)  It has been 2 months since my last cut.  Normally I go ever 3-4 weeks.  With our weather reaching into the high 90's this coming week, I am thinking of my hubby's razor even more.

How is your 'stay at home' going? Anything you truly are missing yet?  Our church's music director put this out today.  I think it is something I may need to print out and hang up.

Until Next Time...................Happy Crafting & Stay Well!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS:  Becki, I promised you the URL for Stefanie's blog.  This is a great blog about knitting and card making.  Stef is extremely talented and also gives great advice about books she has read.  Here is the Link

TTYL