I’m tired, guys. Like my brain and my body are just…tired. And it means I’m not functioning at my best in any aspect of my life. Nothing’s falling apart, but I’m just getting by at the moment. And that’ll have to be okay for now.
Duncan is three weeks out from surgery and recovering pretty well, but there’s still one spot on his incision that hasn’t closed up, which is why I’m so tired. He either needs to be supervised or coned to be sure he’s not licking it, and since he’s in the cone all day while we’re gone, I can’t in good conscience make him try to sleep with it. I mean, it’s kind of ridiculous for me to be sacrificing my good sleep for his good sleep but that’s how moms roll a lot of the time, right?
The knitting is going fine, when I have the energy to do any of it. I’ll show you some tomorrow but today I wanted to share my newest purchases. I’ve coveted the Cube bags from Thimble & Thread Make for ages. They’re handmade, they come in fun colors with contrasting linings, they’re sturdy canvas, and best of all, they have a lining with snaps so you can put your pins on the bag without your knitting catching on the backs! But they’re from the UK, so I’ve resisted for a long time. Then, they made a PURPLE one. And I’m not buying yarn, which means I’m more susceptible to knitting accessories. So I caved and ordered the large Cube bag, and it arrived two weeks later.
Look at that beauty! I love it. I can’t wait to get it all decorated with some pins; I just have to decide which ones to put on there. And it means I have room for more, should my collection grow.
I did get further distracted while on their site, and since I was paying for international shipping anyway, these little goodies slipped into my cart as well.
The notions pouch has an actual wax seal on the back! And hopefully you can see the detail on the clay Sorting Hat charm, the wee face carved into it. There’s also an R carved on the bottom, since I’m a Ravenclaw.
I’m not sure how this all works into my current yarn diet philosophy, but at least my stash isn’t growing. Do you get tempted by other things when you’re not buying yarn?
This is about 16 inches, and I need 19 before I split. That’s just one color section; I can do that. Or can I? Yesterday I did not work on my Faded Boxy. Instead I cast on a new worsted weight cowl, because those are my jam right now.
This is the 
Not everyone marks these days, the birthdays and death days of people they’ve lost. Maybe they think it prolongs the grieving process. It’s different for everyone but for me, I think of Dad often. I’m going to be sad about it sometimes regardless. And recognizing those days means they’re still important to me, and that Dad’s still a part of our family, even if just in this tiniest of ways. I like having this special day where I remember Dad fondly and with intent, and I allow myself to feel the loss a little bit. So, Happy Birthday, Dad. Wish you were here.
I LOVE this yarn. It’s so soft and lightweight, it’s like wearing a warm cloud. I had a little over a skein and a half so I just kept knitting the top part until the yarn was almost gone. It’s been done for a few days, even washed and blocked, but I never found a good time to take photos, until yesterday, when I wore it for the first time.
It’s perfect, just perfect. I can pull it up to cover part of my face and it’s super warm without being heavy. And I just now looked up the fiber content: it’s 55% merino and 45% Pima cotton. I had no idea there was cotton in there! Well, this is the best yarn I’ve ever used with cotton in it and now I want more. Except not because I’m not adding to my stash right now! Right? Right!
The pattern is 
But, well, I’m a knitter, and I kept thinking I could do better than a t-shirt, especially as that t-shirt got grungier. So last night I whipped up a little doggy leg warmer and by some miracle, it fit!
I mean, look at all that yarn!! I shouldn’t need to buy more at all for a long time! But I don’t want to stop buying new yarn completely. That’s not realistic or fun, especially since I’ll be going to Knitting in the Heartland this year. No, my goal this year is to simply use more from my stash than I add to it. I’m going by skein count rather than yardage and to increase accountability, I created a page in my knitting journal to keep track of skeins in and out. I’m off to a good start, especially after a week of lots of knitting time: I’ve used five skeins from stash and added none! Last night I wound two more skeins and this morning cast on for a new project, a Malabrigo Rasta hat that I’ve been planning for about a year.
What are your goals for stash this year?
Not sure what I’ll do this afternoon when I have no more new toys to give him, though!
I love knitting with alpaca. I love the thread of sparkle in the Grande Glow. Sadly, I can’t wear it next to my neck, so this one is for a friend at work. And now that this is done, and the yarn untangling is done, maybe I’ll get back to the Bandana cowl I cast on this morning!
The next one will have the accents reversed, just for fun! And to spice things up, I switched the rib pattern to 7×1. Wild, right?? This yarn isn’t silky soft, but it feels thick and durable, and I’m guessing they’ll wear really well. I cast on the second sock last night and I’m looking forward to having a new pair of socks…partly because all my handknit socks are dirty and I haven’t had a chance to wash them! I might have to make an exception and put them in the washer this time.
The break was lovely because now I’m back on the mattress. The husband and the girl are at work and the boy is hoping to go visit the girlfriend, so it’s all me today. Don’t worry, I’ll make the boy give me a break before he leaves! And I did manage to get Duncan in the crate this morning while I had breakfast, just to get him used to it. He looked sad and pathetic but was very calm and resigned. He didn’t whine or paw at the door or bark. So I’m cautiously optimistic, and my next step will be to put him in there and then go upstairs for a while and see how he does without a person around. Overall, managing his recovery has gone more smoothly than I was expecting. Here’s hoping it stays that way even after I have to go back to work!
bonnyknits 