Done and Done.

I finished the scarf I mentioned last week, and a hat from an oddball of Big Twist Lollipop Twistie in a colour called "Clownfish Coral".  I didn't like the Lollipop Twistie (so I am not sad that it is discontinued) and decided to use it all up, hence the little topknot on the hat:

I started another scarf of chunky, and very soft, chenille yarn that a neighbor gave me when she decided her hands were too arthritic for knitting.

I also finished a book, which was fine, and turns out to be part of a series, but I don't know if I need to read any of the others.  I do need to read the book for the library's Science Fiction Book Club.  I picked up a form for their summer reading program - fill in a space for every ten minutes you read, turn in the filled sheet, and get a token item (last year it was a choice of some cool bookmarks) plus entry into a prize draw.  I decided that given how much I read, I would just record every session where I read for at least ten minutes.  That way I don't have to keep adding together reading sessions.

From June 14th to morning of June 23rd.

More art: I decided to try different media to complete each chart.  This one is watercolours.  I have not used those in a very long time, many years, except a token bit as part of a book art piece.  I wanted to practice a bit and this is a very low-pressure way to do it.

I went to the gallery for another round of putting things together to fuse, adding to one of the pieces I did two weeks ago and creating another for this four-panel light box I'm creating:

I've done some more practice pieces for the DFW Fiber Fest class.  I may be doing a variation of it at the gallery.  One of the owners is really interested; she's the one who encouraged me to try fabric also, because she thinks it will be more useful to people.  Since cellulose fibers need a more toxic mordant (soda ash) to prepare, which means people may not be able to do it at home, I searched and found a lightweight 100% wool in a light enough colour to dye, but it turns out to be a deeper beige than I thought it would be from the online photos.  Well, that happens.

First, I did some testing of single-serving beverage powders:

Light blue ReVive and the three options I chose.

Not too much water because I wanted the dye to stay put
and not float all through the pot.

I sprinkled half of each tube, then flipped the yarn and 
sprinkled the other half of the tube.

Simmering.  I wasn't sure how much the dye would spread.

Final result, after drying. You can still see some of the
original colour.  The grape is unimpressive.

Then I did a quick test of the fabric, one piece tied and one loose, with two different dyes in the pot:

I need to remember to photograph the final results.  I showed it to the owner and she liked the effect, so that may be what I offer to the students at the gallery.  Now, what to do with the pieces?

Small accomplishments.

This has been a week for finishing projects.  First, the wee green cardigan for a friend's cleaning lady:

When my friend noticed the lady is pregnant, she offered (through an interpreter, because my friend does not speak Spanish, despite being a native Texan and Dallasite!) to knit something, and the lady asked for a sweater, which my friend does not do.  So my friend offered a blanket and booties.  When I heard this, I thought that I'd knit a sweater, especially to try a pattern.  The teddy bear buttons make it supercute.  The cleaning lady chose the colour because she doesn't know if it is a boy or girl.  They don't know it's coming - the sweater, I mean!

This is the Yoked Cardigan and I may knit an adult size for me.

Next, my current carry-around hat, a simple 3x3 rib in leftover chunky superwash yarns:

I knit the first row when I changed colours, to
smooth out the transitions.  3 rows each.

And the second strip for an afghan, probably a donation to Warm Up, America!

That may not look like a small thing, but there wasn't much left to finish on the second strip.

I started the shawl I am planning to wear in Paris in May:

It's the Tour Eiffel Shawl out of a miniskeins pack from Destination Yarns of their multicoloured "Paris" colourways.  There isn't enough yarn for the full shawl, so I will do as much as I can.  Maybe in Paris I will buy enough yarn for the whole shawl.  The pattern requires attention so it's not something I can carry around, at least not yet.  I'll see once I get past the startup section.

Fiberuary - Week 3

 

Day 15 - Cozy Corner

This is Judy's sunroom.  I thought it makes a perfect location for "cozy", with the addition of crocheted (not by me) afghans and a mug of tea, and my knitting.

 

Day 16 - Reading/Watching

I knit while watching the opening of the Maria C. Vallejo Lace Collection, and during class (but no photos), and then knitted and read on my flight home.

Day 17 - Monochromatic

I almost forgot to take a photo, then thought I might have to re-use something and I want these to be unique as much as possible.  As I was trying to find something else I noticed the piece of felted wool I'd purchased at last year's Carolina Fiber Fest, to use for shoe insoles and padding.

Day 18 - Twos Day

Photo shows the in-progress scarf to match a hat I knit last year.  I had two skeins of yarn in different colourways and decided to work them into a set.  First the wedge hat, and the rest for a scarf.  I tried to do a scarf in wedges also, but it was more of a challenge than I felt like managing.  So I changed to this pattern, in which I started with one colour, added the second, and when the first colourway ran out, finished with the second.  Bottom photo shows the finished set, which I didn't complete on Tuesday.

Day 19 - Wear It Wednesday

It was a cold and snowy day, so wearing a thick handknit sweater was perfect.  I've seen baby and toddler sweaters with the leaf pattern at the yoke and wanted one in a grownup size.  When I found one, I was very happy that some well-aged yarn in my stash would work nicely.  Lower photo is a better one of the sweater; in the selfie I am at the storm door but the glare prevents you from seeing the snow.

Day 20 - Fiber Friends

I have many photos of people I met through fiberarts, and groups and events I have attended.  Many are just of two of us; this is of the DFW Fiber Fest board and guest teachers from 2011.

Day 21 - Now & Then

The Sock Yarn mittens that were in one of my first blog posts also appear in the "Favourite Things" photo for Day 13.  One has a moth hole I need to repair.

Fiberuary - Week 2

I am traveling at the end of this week, so had to plan ahead a bit to meet the challenges while on the road.  At the beginning, I am home.

Day 8 - Flat Lay Fun

These are ten triangle pennants I knit for the Triangle Fiber Guild's display at Carolina Fiber Fest next month.  I created some in crochet; the original pattern is knit only.  Most of these are scraps of yarn and here they are pinned out to get the proper triangular form.  They should dry by Monday's meeting.

Day 9 - Sunday funday

Of course I was knitting as I did many things.  I watched the film for my cinema class and attended class.  I took a walk in the sunshine, and planned to sit and knit by a nearby pond, but I liked the view of their manmade waterfall.  I also knit during Franklin Habit's weekly Patreon chat, and during the SuperBowl but I forgot to take a picture of my knitting there.  It was the sweater again which is easier to do when paying attention to something else, than the mittens are.

Day 10 - Mood Board

I don't generally do mood boards; I don't understand how to put them together.  So I just collected a bunch of pictures I have of things that I enjoy, from other people's art to inspiring sayings to woodworking tools.

Day 11 - Texture

Close-up of a blanket my maternal grandmother knitted, a long time ago, and she gave to me.

Day 12 - Unfinished Business

This is my Thisaway Shawl from the DFW Fiber Fest 2024 Make-Alongs.  Obviously I didn't finish it in time, and I thought about finishing it today but for two things.  One, I want to finish the hat for my bestie whom I am visiting this weekend.  Two, I cannot find the pattern!  Yes, I can print it out again, but I was tracking where I was, and although I can figure it out again, I also had notes of where to add the yellow, which is helping to stretch the multicolour.  I will look for it when I return.

Day 13 - Favourite

I love to knit mittens for myself.  Also for other people, but these are the pairs I have that I have knitted over time, and I knitted at least one other pair that is somewhere I couldn't find it quickly this morning.  The mismatched multicoloured ones are the most recent, from handspun yarn by a vendor I like; they came from a single ball, and I had enough for a hat with some other of her yarn to complete it.  I am sad that the brown-striped ones were moth-munched some time ago, because I love how fraternal and almost mirroring they are.  I knit them of one ball of sock yarn.  I've had the orange-and-gold ones for a long time and no longer remember the yarn I used; the orange-multi ones are Morehouse Farm yarn that I bought at New York Sheep & Wool many years ago.

Day 14 - Love

This is a photo of the hat and mittens I have been knitting for my bestie of alpaca yarn from a farm where she used to work.  Currently the hat is still in-progress; I will have it finished before I leave on Sunday.  These are a secret from her until given.  😍

Fiberuary - Week 1

I learned of this challenge late in the day, but still on February 1st, so jumped into the swarm:

The creator addressed going forward with the event even though energy might best be directed elsewhere:

These are my first week responses:

Day 1 - Hi!

I realize it's funny that somebody who modeled as a child hates being photographed, but here I am.  Since I learned of this very late and hadn't planned, I decided I needed to show that I knit and crochet.  Hat is one of my basic hats that lives in a coat pocket and is worn often; sweater is the one I test-crocheted last year.  A bit itchy but very warm - handdyed yarn, of course.

Day 2 - Looking Forward

For me, this means project planning.  Top Row: A skein of Miss Babs Neon Tweed in "Franklin" for a carry-along project; Miss Babs Tarte in "Franklin" paired with Destination Yarns First Class Silk in "Sainte-Chappelle" for a shawl; and three assorted DK weight hanks from UP North Yarns with the remainder of a DK hank from Forbidden Fiber that will be either a really big shawl or a small cardigan, or a bigger one if I add some more hanks.  Bottom Row: Destination Yarns' "Paris" minis set for a Tour Eiffel inspired shawl, and a couple hanks from Fiberlady for another simple top.

Day 3 - Monday Morning

I finished the hat this morning.  Not as simple as most of my "Zoom hats" or mindless knitting projects because of the overall ribbing.  I used doubled sock yarn leftovers, 90 stitches on US#3 needles in a 3x3 ribbing, then changed to 9x9 ribbing and US#5 needles for the body.  I really like how the decreases came together at the top.  Other project is one of the current ones that seems to work colour-wise and which I also did a little bit of this morning.

Day 4 - Inspiration

These two men are inspiring for ways outside of knitting - for being good and kind, for encouraging children to read and to be compassionate and thoughtful.  Since they are wearing sweaters, and it is National Sweater Day, I thought I'd include a couple sweaters that are inspiration for ones I want to make someday: a heavily cabled one that Franklin Habit is knitting, and one of Mick Aston's:

Yes, someday I will collect lots of little bits of yarn, or just use a pile of miniskeins, and knit something like this one.

Day 5 - Work in Progress

No wonder I am feeling overwhelmed!  Left-to-right:  My "car scarf", garter stitch with Red Heart "Americana", to work on while waiting.  Corner-to-Corner blanket piece of Caron "Latte Cakes".  Garter stitch scarf knit of two colourways with transitional changes, to match a hat of same.  Below, that, my "pocket hat" or "Zoom hat", a basic beanie on a circular needle that takes no attention and can be worked anywhere, including audience, dentist, and book club.  All four of these are destined for charity.  Next is a mitten in progress, which I need to finish and get the second one finished, hopefully this weekend.  Next to that my DFW Fiber Fest 2024 shawl, maybe a UFO given how much time has passed, but it is almost done so I am bringing it out for Finishing February.  Finally, the cardigan I started out of some thick-thin wool I purchased in Argentina, and decided I may as well do something simple, plus I want a cardigan.  I may use some plain yarn for the border - or not.

Day 6 - A Pop of Colour

This yarn is a bright pop of colour and it's not even mine!  A friend asked me to pick up a couple things for her at DFW Fiber Fest last year.  She is just learning how to make granny squares, because crocheting is difficult for her, and really wanted the Whimzee Stitches bags.  She also wanted the neon yarn braid, which is blacklight reactive.  The last item is one I picked up at the Carolina Fiber Fest and it's electric purple with a splash of pink - very similar to her hair colour.

Day 7 - Mood Booster

A beautiful sunny and warm day, with clear skies, is enough of a mood booster especially in February!  Let's add some yarn - a "Rainbow Ambrosia" hank on an incredibly soft base from Always Be Kind Yarn.  The dyer supports LGBTQ+ and anti-suicide organizations, and is really supportive of the fiber community and the LGBTQ+ community and individuals.  The other is some handspun from Knitting Lagniappe, somebody I know in the DFW area who is an amazing person.  I've really enjoyed knitting her yarns in the past.  Unfortunately work didn't allow me time to sit in the sun and wind up yarn, or knit, but just looking at them and petting the yarn is a mood booster.

Gifted and Grifted.

I went to three fiber people groups this week.  On Monday, the Triangle Fiber Guild met, and in the meeting reminder we were told that the topic was planning for Carolina Fiber Fest and the beginning of making triangles for banners to decorate the guild's display and information table.  I decided to take a box of leftover bits, mostly from a friend's holiday knitting of facecloths, because I have less use for cotton yarn.  The person who was supposed to bring yarn didn't attend, so my box was welcomed and well-rifled by the end of the meeting.

On Wednesday it was Yarn Buddies at the community center.  Somebody who couldn't come in the evening is moving and sent a pile of books and yarn with a friend.  At the end of the evening, the others decided that I should take the remaining books and leaflets:

Also, the remaining yarn:

I've turned some of it into pennants, along with some of the cotton yarn that people didn't select:

I also finished a hat this week.  All still need to have ends
run in - and there are a lot on the sock yarn beanie.

Next up, I am going to try to crochet a pennant.  The pattern is only for knitting, but should be easy to convert.  This shows the group is not only knitters.

On Thursday I went to the Twisted Threads Fiber Arts Guild.  It was a show-and-share of fibers, and since I didn't take any and my wheel is out of commission, I came away without anything new.  I wound some yarn while I was there, to make something for myself, likely a shawl.

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And for the Grifting:  Somebody I knew in Connecticut, whom I supported through his formal conversion to Judaism (which he said was a 'reversion' because he found Jewish persons in his family's history), then we drifted apart, asked if I could help him get to California to visit a seriously ill cousin.  He told me the ticket cost $400 but he has only $200.  I've helped people get on flights in the past, when I can due to my flight credits, so I said yes, and asked which part of California.  Of course, it's Los Angeles, which has been under wildfires and flights can be questionable, or full of relief workers.  I pointed out that this might be complications.

However the fires have died down and he found out the cousin is at home (still very ill) and which airport is closest.  I checked and flights this week - of course, short notice! - are closer to $1,000 for that airport.  Maybe another would be cheaper, but he wants to get to the one closest to her.

I had a rough night of berating myself for agreeing to help before I knew the true cost.  And it's the second time for him, although the other was a much cheaper ticket.  As a rule, I limit people to one gift ticket, but I know how much family means to him since his mother died and he's not sure about his father.  (I met his parents during the conversion process, and attended his mother's memorial.)  So he managed to talk me out of a second ticket, and I tossed most of the night dealing with my responses.

Part of it is that he hasn't been in personal contact for most of the last two years, and when I scrolled back, the last message I have was when he was on the trip for the first ticket.  He has mentioned me in some public posts, but checking I saw that he hasn't responded to mine.  I think he's one of the people I've left on my feed out of inertia, or sympathy, and I just let myself get suckered.

This morning, I sent him a message that I would live up to my side of the bargain, because I am a woman of honour, but that it is the absolute last time.  Late in the day, he replied "Fair" and we've tried to connect to finalize his plans.  What he doesn't know is that once this is over, I don't care how much he claims I mean to him personally - I'm blocking him.