Year of Projects Week 12 Update

Hello Dear Readers,

I have been Missing in Action since the start of Year of Projects for 2022-2023 but I am back now.  I may not post every week, but I have missed the comaraderie of this group and am looking forward to catching up on everyone else's posts. 

I won't flood this post with pictures of ALL the things I have knit for the past two and a half months, but I will focus on the highlights.  

Foxpaws is definitely a highlight and a shawl I am very proud of:

There have been a two pairs of socks completed:

Woven Mosaic

Knitloops Socks

And I have two singles that need mates:

Wetland Gansey socks

outside of doubleheel sock

inside of doubleheel sock

I am currently test knitting another sock with about 3inches done - but no pics because no spoilers.  Same goes for the Imagined Landscapes September Gnome KAL - you will have to wait until October to see it. 

I have added six little gnomes to my Advent gnome knits  (the six in the back)  

18 done, 6 to go

I am almost finished the pattern on the front of my son's Gansey and then I have to re-read Gordon's blog on the Rig and Furrow shoulder strap.  I have to say I have been doing a bit of fretting about whether it will fit or not, and I keep measuring and remeasuring the distance from where I have separated the front and back to get to the 10inches my son needs for armhole depth.  

(designing your own gansey comes with a bit of trepidation it seems).

My latest wee little gnome wanted get in on the pic

I knit a summery tunic by a wonderful Ukranian designer.  The front is plain stockingnette with a wee bit of lace on the bottom, but look at how lovely the back is!

Vroda

In further news I won a £25 coupon from Black Sheep Wools in the UK for my Tomte Christmas tree skirt.  It is featured in issue 229 of Simply Knitting magazine (so of course I had to buy a copy).  I already ordered two skeins of wool from them.  100gms of self-patterning sock yarn, and 200gms of lace to knit a summery sweater. The irony of the 'win' is that the shipping to Canada is £25 but still it was a good excuse to increase my stash. 

So you can see despite not posting for the past three months I am still knitting (when I am not spinning, or swimming, or generally taking care of myself). 

Speaking of spinning - last week I received in the mail 5 ounces of fibre that I won during Tour de Fleece!  

I love this colourway

I am currently combing and spinning some Fresian fleece my son gave me from a farm in the Yukon where he lived for 18 months. 

On the personal, non-knitting, front I have decided to become a 'wild' swimmer this fall and winter.  I ordered some neoprene gloves/booties/cap to use as the ocean temperatures dip into single digits.  I also bought a water thermometer so I will know exactly what I am getting into before I enter the ccoolldddd water.  I have two sisters and a brother that wild swim, and, well, they have convinced me to give it a go.  I did swim in the ocean yesterday for 16 minutes.  The ocean temp was about 14.4 degrees Celcius.  Of course my husband thinks I am a wee bit nuts, but he drives me to and fro and sits on the beach watching.  (He has made it quite clear that should anything go awry he will be no help as he is a sinker, not a swimmer!  Good to know, eh?

I will leave you with a picture of a visitor we had in front of our house on Saturday afternoon. 

And he was BIG

Signing off for now - I will try to be more timely in my posts from now on. 

This wildlife is much more welcome than Mr. Black Bear

Year of Projects Wrap-up and Start-up/Update for Month 1

 

Another Year of Projects has started and been running for a month so I am woefully behind.  I accomplished a lot last year - three more ganseys, and I did learn 3D crochet which is my new passion. 

some of these were done in July, but I just learned how to make a collage so I added them too.

I knit a lot of socks last year, and gnomes.  Looking at my to-do list I did very well and the things I didn't get too turned out to be things I thought I wanted to make but in the end other projects got my attention. 

I finished the year with a few WIPS - mostly FoxPaws (which is now done)

FoxPaws

and my son's gansey which is done up to the definition ridge so once this heat wave is over I can start the patterning.

You can have a look at my list of completions here, and my list for the coming year here

I cast on my Vroda, a few days ago and I am up to row 10, but with 347 stitches it just looks like this:

I took part in Tour de Fleece this year and I am happy that despite not spinning everyday I did manage to comb and spin these lovely bfl locks

and I spun right off the 292gm fleece these three skeins:

over 500 meters of sport weight yumminess

This is my 7th year joing the YOP gang althought it is the 12th year this group on Ravelry has been going.  I have links on the side of my blog to other intrepid yoppers.  I may not post every week as I have in the past - perhaps more monthly progress.

first pair of Yop 12 - Woven Mosaic 

Last pair of YOP 11 - Flames of Peace

Quick sock knit started June 30 but finished July 5.  Stretchy Travel sock made with Cascade fixation.  

 

I can finally share the test knit socks 

Patches

I do hope to do more painting this year - the banner at the top is my latest.  And there is still that novel to edit, and war letters to transcribe, but life has a way of getting in my way so I will continue to do the best I can. 

That is all that can be asked of any of us.

I will leave you with a picture I took last night (our 45th wedding anniversary) while we were waiting for the fireworks display to start.  The city kindly seems to like to celebrate our anniversaries too.  

love that Crescent Moon

oops.  My July gnomes wanted in on the action...