Recapping Lent 2024

There is a stress when you limit yourself, by whatever means.  I really wanted to start some new things, especially when I didn't have a small easy-to-knit project when going to the theater this week.  I ended up repurposing a project for the evening, even though it ended up with a bit of a flaw.

Of the items I quick-started on Fat Tuesday, all have been completed:

Instead of two scarves, the Ferris Wheel in "Evergreen" became a scarf and a hat.  I decided to convert the started bit of knitting, then tried to knit the pattern during part of a theatre show, which did not go well:

Restarted and knitting with light and when I could pay attention, I was able to complete the pattern properly.  Then knit up to make the crown, and sicne it was long enough, just a bit of garter stitch to finish the bottom edge.

How did I do on the UFO pile?  Progress made, but there are still items in the pile.  I didn't finish the Raven Wings socks, nor the mitts, although I decided to restart the mitts with a skein of yarn I bought at the Carolina Fiber Fest which I thought would look better than the stash yarn.

That reminds me, I should post the things I purchased.  I tried to keep to one smallish fiber bag, but one vendor put their items into a drawstring bag that I like, and the kits at the end didn't fit:

Walnut-dyed on the right.

 

Buy three, third one is 50% off, so.....

 

I might skein and dye these.  Maybe just one of them.

Handspun yarns.  I do have plans for most!

  

The grey for the Raven Wings Mitts.
These are all handdyed on a commercial base.

Non-yarn items I couldn't resist.  Felt is for shoe lining.

These were in the fundraiser fiber tools sale.

As for completing UFOs, I finished the Ghost Ranch Cowl and will partly frog the hat and reknit it in the same stitch pattern, so they are more closely a set:

Another set finished is from a skein of hand-dyed acrylic I purchased at DFW Fiber Fest two years ago.  I bought two skeins from this dyer, and one made a scarf that I donated last year, with a hat from the leftovers that is going to the Blue Elves.  So I made a hat and scarf of this skein, having left it at my friend's house in North Texas, so it was an in-progress item:

I almost finished the blue baby blanket, other than not having enough yarn for the edging.  It's no longer made so I have requests out for people to check in their stashes for the yarn or something similar:

I made only a little progress on the Caledonian Cardigan, because I had trouble with the sleeve decreases, but with time to focus I hope to get it finished.

Something I didn't report as a commitment, but which I'd made, is to write out as many Thank You cards for the military as possible.  A friend of mine is a social worker attached to the Navy at Pearl Harbor, and she asks people to send handwritten cards that she can distribute to the troops.  I'd done a bunch in December and decided to try to write five a day during Lent.

I stocked up at dollar stores, and the cards come in packets of four, six, or eight.  I bought as many of the last two as I could, naturally, and since I have two messages decided it was easier to write a pack a day.  Some days I did more, a few days I had to catch up, and when I was writing at the North Texas Irish Festival during some downtime a couple asked if they could buy some of the cards to give to bands.  I gave them three.

My total through March 31st was 337 cards written.  I fit in another 42 so the mailed box contains 379.  Of course I've begun the next one.  And out of curiosity I checked what the postage would have been if I hadn't used a Flat Rate Box.  The machine said it weighed 9 pounds, 13.2 ounces.  According to the USPS site, the cost would be $33.20 for USPS Ground and $51.95 for Priority Mail.  The flat rate box cost $18.40, definitely the winning choice!