Yopping Update 22 - Putting it all in perspective

This is a shortish update. I have been working diligently on my sleeves and have about 12 inches done on each sleeve with all the increases, so I just get to knit for awhile (haha - just knit - what with the lace and cables and all), before I start to decrease for the cap of the sleeve. I should be finished by next update.

Last night I started a secret Santa gift for my knit group's annual Christmas get together. I can't post anything about it here, but I can tell you that it was a new technique that I have never tried before, and I am so excited about the finished product (I finished it this afternoon), that I cast on another one straight away. Profuse apologies to my sweater that I had promised I would finish before casting on anything new.

I was looking for this technique and this pattern on Ravelry and I found just the pattern. I went to the designer page and here is where I found a message from my angels.

You see, I have been feeling quite down these past weeks and thinking I just wasn't able to think of anything to make for the secret Santa, so perhaps I just wouldn't go to the get together this year.

But then I went to my knit group last Thursday and felt the love and warmth of this fine group of women.

So, I went home and starting to search for patterns on Ravelry.

And when I found the designer's page she had a long apology about being unavailable because her sister-in-law had committed suicide, and then her brother had died, and she was in the middle of settling the estate and taking in and caring for the two young children who had lost both their parents.

Kinda puts my problems into perspective.

So yesterday I went for a swim. And today I went to yoga, and then started to think about Christmas, and presents, and despite my sore back, and despite the rain, I am picking myself up and dusting myself off and getting on with things.

Because that is what we do.

Putting it all into perspective my problems right now seem mighty small.

Peace and love to you all.

It's Advent. The very best time of the year.

I shall light candles.

I shall eat mandarin oranges.

I shall drink gingerbread spice tea.

And on December 1st I will begin knitting the Project Peace cowl.

It can't hurt.

It can only help.

Update Twenty One - YOP and Life

My yopping update is small:

1) Body of sweater is finished and I am knitting the sleeves two at a time and have finished two lace repeats (17 to go).



2) I spun an ounce of Blue-faced Leichester, and 2-plied it. Fingering Weight - Yay!



3) I spun a fat single out of some unknown brown fleece I had lying around. I think I will spin more of this to make a child-size sweater/jacket.



4) I donated some worsted yarn to my friend who is teaching in a one-room school and wants to teach her five students how to knit.

5) I found my orifice hook that I thought I had lost when I transported my spinning wheel to and from the school last week, and it was making me very sad - but it was found on the driveway the next day, under the car, wet from the rain, but no worse for wear. Phew.



Lastly I have joined an Advent KAL on Ravelry called the Peace Project 2016. The designer will release four rows of the pattern every day of Advent. We will knit peace all around the world. Join us if you want. Here is the link to the project page. If you are not on Ravelry you can find out more details here.


Earlier this week I posted on facebook:

It's ok to not be ok, tell someone you're not ok. It's ok.

So ok.

I am not ok.

Well some of the time I am ok, but lots of the time, lately, I am not ok.

I am doing all the right things: swimming, yoga, sleeping, working, seeing friends, knitting.

But I can feel it when I wake up in the morning.

First thought?

In sixteen or so hours I can come back to bed.

It's nothing in particular.

It's nothing in general.

I just feel down.

I have felt this way before and it has resolved. Sometimes through a change in medication. Sometimes through talk therapy. Sometimes just time.

I know it's not just me.

I think the world is feeling this way too.

I think many of us just want to go to bed and pull the covers over our head for the next four or, God forbid, eight years.

So why don't I?

Because of the glorious hugs I get from family and friends, students - past and present.

Because of beautiful sunsets and fantastic moonrises.

Because of the joy I get from teaching.

Because of all who need hope

Because.

Because if I go back to bed, it means the bad guys have won.

And I can't have that.

Because deep down, underneath my sadness I believe what Samwise Gamgee believes.


So let's knit on, soldier on, keep on going forward together.

Shall we?

Baa Baa Black Sheep - Year of Projects Week 20

My year of projects update is pretty small this week.

I have added six lace repeats to my wayside sweater and I am ready to turn the heel on one of my charity knit socks.

But, the exciting thing is on Friday I received....

Baa Baa Black sheep
Have you any wool.
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.





Yup, three bags, of freshly shorn, unwashed and gloriously smelly Babydoll sheep fleece.

I have already decided that I will spin it in order to make a Cowichan sweater/jacket as I have a white fleece that needs to be spun too.

I am so excited to take on this sheep to sweater project.

Wish me luck.

Meanwhile....back to my sideways sweater. I have just started ball six and hope to be on the sleeves by next week's update.

Also a dear friend sent me this knitting gif.

A gift of a gif!

Yopping Update - Week 19

Well it is done!

Started January 22, 2014 - Finished November 4, 2016.

800 hours.

800 squares.

845,600 stitches.

A cacaphony of colour.

A blanket full of memories: socks, sweaters, shawls, mitts, purses, spinning, and Hornby Island free store- to name a few.

It is King-Sized, and so cozy to sleep under.

I made quite a bit of progress on the sweater as well. Finally got to the second armhole so now I can just knit without constant measuring. I am loving working with this yarn (DROPS Alpaca MIX - 100% alpaca.) It is so incredibly soft - I can't wait to wear this sweater.

So for the moment, besides the sweater, I have two pairs of charity knit socks on the needles, and little Yoda - my one and only crochet project.

Until the sweater is done, there will be no more cast-ons....

Famous last words.


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