Yopping #52 - Almost done

A quick update as I just got wifi as were camping (in the rain) until today.

I have been working on my three crochet blankets and I also started a pair of soakers for the upcoming grandbaby. 

I have made my list for next year which is mostly baby things and advent knits. 

Next week I will post my wrap-up of this past year and have my new list ready. 

I am very happy that I will have posted all 52 weeks of the year. 

I am off to Fabricators with my son and sister today.  I am going to be drop spindling because I HAVE to spin 2 oz before the end of the month to stay eligible for the scavenger hunt I am playing. 

I have signed up for Tour de Fleece with the group that is working with raw fleeces and Tour de Sock.

I am cheerleading  for TdS but no doubt will knit a couple of the sock patterns because SOCKS.

Hope you all have a good final week. 

Here's to Yopping 2018/2019. 

Some of the Yoppers have already posted their roundup posts here.

Yopping Update 51 - What? A new addiction??

Well I think this becoming a Grandmother thing has brought out the inner crocheter in me.  That is ALL I did this week once I finished the ubiquitous Paton's slippers.

I finished Princess Leia:

But I had to go to Michaels to get some more white yarn - and then this happened.

So I HAD to start some modular crochet blankets:

I had to rip this one out and restart because I realized it was a different size than these two and majority rules. 

I also joined the June Mandala CAL and this was my first attempt (well actually my second because I ripped it out after first attempt because it was wonky).  This one looks wonky but I think it will block out when joined with others to make a blanket. 

When I went to my Croatian lesson I told my friend about my new love of crochet and she showed me this cute fridge magnet called 'Nonice'. Nona is Croatian for grandmother so Nonice means The Grandmothers.

I think I am the one in the middle.

My friend also showed me some blankets she had made for her children using Tunisian Crochet.  I have a tunisian hook that I got at the FreeStore on my sister's island and so this happened when I got home.

I am going to make a sampler baby blanket with strips of different tunisian stitches.


There was an awful fire in our neighbourhood this week and many many families lost everything so a friend of mine had a yarn auction to raise money for them. 

I came away from the auction with 4 lovely skeins of Mad Tosh Vintage. I think there is enough here to make a cropped sweater.

This week I also went for a long walk with a dear friend and we saw these six cygnets with their parents:

and on Friday a beautiful swallowtail butterfly visited my hummingbird flowers.

So add to that two aquafit classes and last night's Polka Time event I can confidently say that this has been a good week. 

I have started to think about my list for the soon to start  Year of Projects 18/19.  I think there will be little advent knits/crochets and of course shawls, socks, sweaters, baby things and toys. 

To follow the other yoppers as they head for the finish of this year go here.

Have a great week everyone.

Update 50 - Baby things

I finished the booties:

can you see a problem?  I made one with 2.5 mm and one with 3 mm.  Oops - guess I have to make another pair to match.


the diaper pants:

made with the leftover yarn from my classic tee.

and this owl hat:

I am very proud of my crocheting ability on the little owl.

I purchased two new skeins of sock yarn:

Each ball will make a pair of socks plus a pair of anklet socks.   So I guess I will be casting on some socks in the very near future.

I looked through my year of projects list and with two weeks to go I hope to finish a few more and the unfinished projects will begin my list for Year of Projects #8.  Who is with me?

To see how my partners-in-crime are doing check out their posts here.

Yopping Update #49 - Casting on ALL the things

I finished another potholder and I am pleased with the size of this one because I think the design shows up much better:

I can finally share the big news around here.  We are going to be Grandparents in December and so of course I had to cast on a few baby projects:  booties, a bonnet and some diaper pants.

We will go to Croatia in December to meet the newest member of our family and I am very excited and have already started packing.

Casting on seems to have started me down a startitis rabbit hole, so I have cast on two more shawls, a pair of slippers for the mother-to-be, and another hemp potholder.

This is what my coffee table looks like at the moment:

The flashcards are from my croatian lessons because I am determined to be able to speak Croatian with my grandchild!

I did finish my May spinning and I am especially pleased with spinning the baby doll (gray) fleece that I had carded on my sister's little island.

The green is ounce three of the yarn I have been spinning.  One more one ounce bobbin and I can try my first ever 4 ply yarn.

I have signed up for Tour de Sock this year as a cheerleader for the Double-Double, eh? team (we are a Canadian Team and "double-double" (two sugars, two creams) is how one orders coffee at Tim Horton's - a Canadian phenomenon.  I like signing up to get the patterns - six patterns for ten dollars and I usually knit one or two, but I don't join the race.  All profits go to Doctors without Borders.

I will join Tour de Fleece in July - to spin every day during the Tour de France.  I won't join a team, but will spin for myself.   Part of July I will be on Vancouver Island so I hope to pack my spinning wheel, but if it won't fit with all my teaching supplies I will take along my drop spindle. No stress, just a few minutes of spinning everyday as I work my way through all my fleece. 

If you read my previous post you will understand that I do not need to put any more pressure on myself to meet deadlines or participate in challenges.

So that is it for this week.  I have been thinking of what I want to be called as a grandmother.  My brother suggested Grand-M-A  since my name is Mary-Anne.

I like it!

Or in Croatian it is Nona.  I like that too.

If you are a grandparent, what are you called?

To follow other yoppers as we head towards the finish line go here.

Oh ya, and I am going to join Year of Projects #8.

It isn't stressful, and I love following my other blogging/crafting friends.

Goals and Challenges are my Albatross

It seems like everything in my life right now is goal driven. 

Duolingo - I am learning French and Duolingo keeps track of my progress by how many days in a row I have practiced.

Memrise - I am learning Croatian and Memrise keeps track of my days in a row.

Headspace - Keeps track of how many days in a row I have meditated

Carrot and Fitbit - Can I make 8200 steps a day?

Am I drinking 8 glasses of water a day?

Am I doing yoga every day?

Am I planking 30 seconds when I wake up and 60 seconds before I go to bed?

Am I doing 10 squats every time I go pee?

Am I exercising 150 minutes a week?

I can become quite manic about keeping all my streaks alive and have found myself trying to 'fudge' my Headspace streak by going to the app and starting the lesson but not listening to it, or trying to get in my steps without really stepping. 

Really? 

Really. 

So, I am trying to let go of all the expectations I put on myself.  I have been feeling quite manic lately and even my knitting is getting away on me.  I have cast on three projects as of yesterday and I have three others I want to cast on RIGHT NOW.

This manic activity is kind of freaking me out. I can't trust that this is just what good mental health feels like, or if  "Houston, we have a problem."

My headaches seem to finally be gone.

That is a very good thing. 

My blood work is all normal.

That is a very very good thing. 

I feel like I have too too many balls in the air and I am waiting for one of them, or all of them, to drop.

I am waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. 

I don't trust myself. 

I don't trust feeling good. 

I don't trust.

Oh sure, I am getting things done but still and all I feel somewhat out of control. 

So for now I am using the Serenity prayer as my mantra:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.

I am letting my streaks go.

I am being honest with myself about what I can and cannot do in a day. 

I am listening to that still small voice that is whispering to me that I am ok.

Not perfect. 

But ok. 

And getting better every day.