Year of Projects - Here we go again

Welcome to my opening post for A Year Of Projects - Year 7. (Although only year 2 for me).

This week I finished one of my slipstripespiral socks and I am about 3 inches in on the second sock.



So here goes!




WIPS

Iona blanket

SlipStripeSpiral socks


Socks
In all I want to make a dozen pair of socks this coming year.

Tibetan Socks - a few pairs

Taxi Socks for my son

A pair from my Op-Art Socks book by Stephanie Van Der Linden

Shawls

Antarktis

Another shawl from The Book of Haps

Doubleknit Potholders

Tree of Life

Zodiac - a couple of these

TPHPE Hot Pads

Cowls


Seattle Cowl


Spinning

Wash,Card and Spin my 5 fleeces

Spin hemp I have

Spin Shetland roving in my stash


Dye

Dye two skeins of bare yarn


Sweaters

Knit Cowichan style sweater with homespun made with above fleeces

Scottish Ale for my hubby

Darning

four pairs

Destashing

make something with three balls of brown alpaca

made something from all the cotton I have or else give it away!

Charity

Knitted Knockers

Baby

Hat to match my Dizzy sweater

Leftover fingering odds and ends

Start another (smaller) sock yarn blanket



So that's my list as things stand on July 2, 2017. If you would like to follow other Yoppers or if you would like to join in you can check us out here on Ravelry.

Year of Projects - Final Update #52

Well here we are - the final update of a Year of Projects.

This week I finished the twelfth Iona square which means I am a third of the way done!

I finished my Double Heelix socks


I quickly decided to cast on another sock, again one with lot of new things to learn.

This Slipstripespiral sock started with a new toe (at least for me). Cat Bordhi's Personal Footprint toe.



It also used the idea of Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato Heel, but incorporated Japanese short rows which was also a first for me.



I am using the Red Kroy I got from my sister's island free store, and my blue alpaquita. I love this stitch!







I mailed off the Knitter Knockers and am waiting to see if the size is correct. Then I will make another.

Looking back over the past Yopping Year I have the following tallies:

5 hemp Zodiac potholders

Prince Potholder (my design)

15 1/2 pairs of socks

3 shawls

2 blankets

5 illusion knit kitchen cloths

2 sweaters (for me)

6 cowls

4 adult hats

3 baby sweaters

1 pair diaper pants

2 baby hats

2 teddy bears

2 knitted knockers

12 Iona Squares

1 C2C doll blanket

2 crocheted Star Wars characters (Yoda and Stormtrooper)

I am pleased that I was able to blog every one of the 52 weeks. It was so great to read other Yopper's blogs and to meet and make new blogging/crafty friends.


I am looking forward to joining and Yopping along for year 7 starting July 1, 2017. I almost have my list ready.

Stay tuned.

And....if you want to join the fun check out the Ravelry Group here.

51 Yops - Old dog, four new tricks

First of all Happy Father's Day to all who father in whatever capacity. My dh must have liked the socks I knit him for Father's Day because they were on his feet seconds after he received them.

I know I should have been working on Iona squares this week, and I did get one finished and another started, but then as I was making my list of things to do for next year's YOP challenge, one item became a thing I had to cast on immediately.

I have had the Double Heelix in my list of things to do for years, and the Kroy yarn I received a couple of weeks ago seemed like the right combination. I love fraternal socks - they appeal to my weird sense of symmetry. And the helix? That appeals to the math geek in me.

This sock starts......are you ready for this.....at the heel! First new trick.


And to make things really interesting it forms a helix, where the colours chase themselves around the centre using four strands of yarn. This picture is my first attempt which I ripped out and re-did. Second time was better. Third time better still.

Once the heel is done you do a crochet bindoff, and them make a crochet chain bridge (second new trick) so you can go on to knit either the foot or the cuff. These crochet bindoffs are provisional so you can pick up the stitches and knit the other direction seamlessly.

For the first sock I did the foot first, which ends with a short row toe - third new trick.




Then for the leg, it ends with an interlock bindoff - fourth new trick. Thank goodness for Jeny's videos to help me with both the helix heel and the bindoff.



I am almost finished the leg of the second sock and then I will go onto the foot. This means my helixes (is that even a word?) will go in opposite directions. This was a challenge for my left/right issues, but I figured it out with only having to tink back one row of knitting and all the crochet chains to get the helix going in the right direction. (When in doubt follow the directions).



This week I also made a knitter knocker for a dear friend who had a mastectomy earlier this month. I have finished one, and I am making a second a bit smaller. I will mail them off to her, and then make another the size she prefers.
y.

My doctor started me on a new anti-anxiety med and it seems to be helping (fingers and toes crossed, knocking on wood, etc. etc.) Despite both of us having the flu this past week (I think our honorary grand-daughters passed it on to us), things feel lighter somehow. So that is a good thing, even though the team I was rooting for in the Stanley Cup lost. :(

On a personal note I have had a candle lit all week for my dear brother-in-law who is very ill. If you have prayers or angels or a meditation practice I know he and his loved ones would appreciate all the good thoughts sent their way.

Yopping Update number 50!!

Well I am pleased to announce the completed Dizzy sweater modeled by my dear little blue bear.


and another with Otis doing his best photobomb imitation:


And, no, it isn't blocked yet, but I will....eventually. I think blue bear is going to wear it for a while as is.

And while blue bear was in the mood for trying on things, here is the child's hat I made out of the leftovers from my slouchy hat. It incorporated two different patterns to make this - Mountain Nights and Wurm


and I had to take this top down photo because I really like how the top of the hat looks:


I finished the work socks for my dh. These were made with a lovely homespun from a friend who raises her own shetland sheep. They will be given to him for Father's Day, so shhhhhh, no giving away the secret.



Because of his giant hobbit feet (sans the hair) I had to finish the toes with some leftover Spud and Chloe I had in my remnants basket.

I did finish another Iona square and I am about 1/4 way done on number 10. Only 25 and 1/2 more to go! (This blanket will be number one on my list for the next Year of Projects that starts in three weeks!)

My sister scored me some Patons Kroy sock yarn at the free store on her little island. I will make yet another pair of Tibetan socks with the Red, and I am going to make the Double Heelix with the Grey and Blue. I have had this pattern for ages and I have decided no time like the present to learn something new.


I wish I could report that my anxiety is improving, but alas, no. I have a doctor appointment on Tuesday to discuss how the medication change is working (not) and hopefully he will have some suggestions.

I have been meditating everyday, and thanks to some inspiration from my sister I have been de-cluttering my bedroom and getting some books and clothes ready to send off to good will.

My three honourary grand-daughters are visiting later today and I know their snuggles will help.

Also it is game six of the Stanley Cup tonight , and I, ever the optimist, am rooting for the underdog. Go Nashville Go!

Okay, two more weeks and I will have posted every week on the challenge.

Now, I have to start making my list for next year....

Happy Yopping everyone!

49 down. 3 to go

It is hard to believe my first year of participation in A Year of Projects is almost over.  I suppose I need to start making my list for the next year. Because yes, I am in for next year.

This week was only about the Dizzy sweater. Front done. One sleeve done.  2nd sleeve half way there.

I am posting this from my phone.  A first.  Hope it works.