Working the WIPs

First, let me just say, I am so, so happy February is over!

Now, let's talk knitting.

I'm so proud of myself!  Remember my plan to finish something from the WIP pile then knit something new, then something from the WIP pile....?  Well, finishing the Rambling Rows afghan that had been hanging around since 2020 felt so good, I've just kept on grabbing WIPs instead of starting something new.

I finished a simple scarf made from Homespun yarn that was given to me a long time ago.  (Big box store Homespun, not hand-spun.)  It feels good to have it off the needles because it's been hanging around for a long time too.  

And the beaded cowl is finished.  Obviously still needs to be blocked, but it's off the needles.  It's an infinity type scarf without the infinity twist.  I used Palette yarn and randomly placed beads on it.  I really enjoy doing beaded knitting.  I'm slow as molasses with it, but I enjoy it.

By the way, if you shop at crochet.com, which is affiliated with Knit Picks, use coupon code CROCHETMONTH during the month of March and you can save 10 - 20% depending on the amount of your purchase. A $75 purchase gets you 10%, a $100 purchase gets you 15% off and $150 and up gets you 20% off.

I am trying very, very hard not to visit crochet.com because this coming Tuesday will mark 150 days (basically 5 months) without buying yarn.  My goal is to go six months.  We'll see if I can make it that long.

But back to today's topic.... finishing WIPs.

I've beaded eleven more pairs of socks.  Okay, they weren't exactly considered WIPs, but I did have the socks laying around plus some of the beads, and I desperately need to get my shop restocked.  Plus, Hayden's birthday is coming up and she asked me to make her some more.  She specifically asked for rainbow, but I am head over heels in love with that blue/greem combo.  Just looking at them makes me feel like I'm on island water.  I could use some island water right now!

Anyway....

Not exciting looking, but exciting to me.... I'm on zebra striped sock #2.  Just three days ago, sock #1 was only a few rows past the ribbing.  These socks have been in the WIP pile for quite a while too.  Not sure why.  The yarn is Patons Kroy Socks which I like so.... Maybe I found the black and white stripes to be too boring.  Or the US 1 needles too small and slow.  Who knows.  Whatever, I'm on a roll with them now.

Once those zebra socks are done, all that's left in the WIP crate is one more pair of socks, a hat, and 2 shawls.  I really hope I can keep motivated to get them all finished.  I would love to end up with an empty crate.  

Happy March and happy knitting!

Busy, busy, busy

 I've been a busy little beaver lately.

Remember the slip stitch hat pattern I mentioned designing a while back?  I'm totally obsessed with it.  TOTALLY!  And yes, I realize I sound like an '80's Brat Pack movie and I don't even care.

I was going to wait until I'd launched the hats into my Etsy shop but who am I kidding.  I can't stop knitting the hats long enough to photograph them for the shop, much less to 'launch' them.  After knitting five or six, I decided I needed to order more yarn.

I beaded socks while I waited for the new yarn delivery.  By the way, if you are ever beading socks and eating peanuts at the same time, be very, very careful.  You're likely to get confused and break a tooth.

Sadly, the new yarn went on quite an adventure in New Jersey.

According to the tracking updates, it arrived in New Jersey three different times.  When it finally arrived on my doorstep, it wasn't even in a Knit Picks box anymore.  The only label on the box was from the local postal distribution center not 20 minutes from my house.  And it was torn open on the bottom and the tape on the top of the box was only on one side so that the box wasn't sealed and yarn was poking out and stuck in the tape.   No worries though.  Knit Picks has excellent customer service and new, fresh, clean yarn was on it's way to me after just one quick phone call.

While I waited for the replacement yarn, I grew a tomato.  Yeah, don't laugh.  That one tiny "Big Boy" tomato cost about $45 and hours and hours of time and attention.  It's pretty obvious I need to stick to knitting and not farming.

The replacement yarn arrived and I started hat knitting again.

And again.  And again and again and again.  I have now made 16 of these hats and I'm not even the slightest bit bored with the pattern.  There are just so many possible color combinations!  

It's probably a good thing I've signed up to be a vendor at several Christmas bazaars craft shows.

And while I knit, I watched Hayden play in the pool.  She absolutely loves the water and while you wouldn't know it from this photo, she happily floats around all by herself.  She doesn't jump in from the side of the pool but she does like to take a step or two down the stairs and jump in from there.  Needless to say, the deck security has become like Fort Knox.  Not to wish her life away, but I sure will be glad when she's three feet taller and can stand with her head out of the water.

Until next time, happy knitting!

I got a new shirt

 Wow!  It's been over a month since I've posted.  I've been busy.  I got a new shirt.

I went back to work.  Food Lion (a grocery store) this time.  I'm a closing cashier and I love the job.  Not sure what it says about me that I absolutely Love running a busy cash register, but I do.  The job is fun and the people are nice.  But my arms are falling off!  I'm on my third week there and my arms still haven't fully adjusted.  I knew I had no upper body strength but...  Good grief!  Gallons of milk and cases of beer are heavy and, well, wow!  My arms and shoulders are sore from the nightly workouts.

We are also house hunting once again.  That takes up a surprising amount of time.

Between the new job, a recent craft fair and another one coming up mid-May, I haven't been doing any exciting knitting.  I just keep making the same few things over and over and over again.

There's been soap bags and f-bombs,

and beaded socks.

Lots, and lots of beaded socks actually.  They sell well and it's been difficult to keep up with demand.

And of course, lots and lots of pot holders.  They sell well too.

And while I deeply appreciate all the sales success I've had, I am looking forward to May 16th when the last craft show I'm signed up for is over and I can go back to knitting for me.  Or at least knitting something different.

So no, I don't have anything new and exciting to show you.  But I do have the day off from work today so I'm going to wind this up, go get another cup of coffee, knit another f-bomb or two and maybe crack open a bottle of wine later on.

I hope you all had a nice Easter.  And I hope those of you in the path of yesterday's blizzard survived.  My idiot husband was trapped in his truck, wearing shorts and flip flops when they closed the roads in western Pennsylvania.  That will teach him not to watch the weather before he heads out!  No worries though.  He survived and made it home this morning.

So.... Happy knitting and I'll check in again on my next day off.

Busy, busy, busy

It's been a busy week!  I cleaned out and rearranged the pantry.  Doesn't sound like that big of a deal but...  You should have seen the pantry before I started!

After cleaning out the pantry, I spent a few hours Googling recipes that use huge quantities of potatoes, bread flour and powdered sugar.  Yes, amoung many other excessively purchased things, I found four 2 lb bags of powdered sugar, a 5 lb and three 10 lb bags of potatoes, and four 5 lb bags of bread flour.  

The pantry looked so clean and organized, I decided to rearrange and reorganize my room and craft supplies the next day.  My room proved to be a little bit more challenging than the pantry.  And took quite a bit longer.

I watched the daffodils bloom - and practically blow away in the wind.  That whole "March comes in like a lion" thing has certainly been true, wind-wise at least.  I couldn't even get a half way decent photo because the wind was moving them around so much.

I listed several new items in my Etsy shop.

I watched gas prices rise almost 75 cents over a four day period.

I went to the store to buy trash bags.  The next day I went to get a trash bag and couldn't remember where I'd put them so I had to go buy another package.  And when I got home and went to put them away in the cleaned out pantry...  Yep, you guessed it.  There was the original box, sitting just where they were supposed to be.  Aack!

I went to a local craft show, bought a few things and talked to the lady in charge of organizing the event.

And I immediately went home and applied to be a vendor at the April craft show.  I also signed up for the Hanover Strawberry and Wine festival in May.  That one is a much larger, two day event.  And because wool hats and scarves probably won't sell well at either event, I've been frantically crafting non-winter things.

That's only a few of the things I've finished so far.  I've made four potholders, seven pairs of beaded socks, three sunflower gnomes, two sets of crocheted coasters, four chapstick holders that attach to your keyring, four garden soap bags, four knitted market bags and I've tie dyed the fabric for twelve more fabric market bags.  Later today I plan to sew those market bags.  And maybe take a nap.

How about you?  What have you been up to?

This week's knitting

Thank you all for the prayers and warm thoughts for my mother-in-law.  She passed quietly in her sleep, which is about the best way things could have gone.  She is at peace now and that's all we can ask for.

I haven't been able to get as much knitting done this week as I'd hoped.  I am, however, on the very last section of the mohair and wool scarf.

Pardon the poorly lit photo.  It's raining outside so it's dark and gloomy inside.  I think this scarf is going to be awesome when it's finished.  And it may be finished tonight!  Maybe.

I've also been beading socks.  These are for Easter.  I just love how the beads are pastel colored but also bright.

And since I've been asking for prayers lately, let me ask one more time.  How about we all pray for the troops in Ukraine.  I know the families of several service men and women who have been sent over and the news is looking a little scary.

In the infamous words of Elizabeth Zimmerman, "Knit on with confidence and hope through all crises."

Who Knows

Who knows what's about to happen to this blog.  Today is the day the domain expires and I still haven't been able to communicate with the current domain company.  

I also haven't had the time, energy or nerve to attempt to change the domain address to the new name on my own. Plus, I'm torn about changing the name.  I just handed out over 500 business cards at Winterfest with the old name and I still have 1,000 more on hand.  I hate to waste all that.

And because, as I've mentioned before, I'm lazy.  I don't look forward to the hassle of changing the name on all my social media accounts and every where else it shows up.  Heck, I don't even know the locations of all the places the blog name shows up.

But I also have never been able to figure out if I can re-purchase the old name with the new domain company the day after it expires with the old company or not.  Confused yet?  I sure am!

And then there's the fact that I've been considering changing blog hosting companies for years.  Maybe this is the push I need.  Simply shut this one down and start completely fresh with a new name and a new location.  

Who knows what I'll do.

Meanwhile, instead of thinking about/doing something about the domain name issue, I've been preparing for Valentine's Day.

Well, preparing my Etys shop for Valentine's.  I've been making these little fur faced gnomes.  I think they are adorable.

And beading Valentine's socks.

But mostly, I've been hanging out with my favorite little Valentine.

And yes, I realize January 14th is a little early to be talking Valentines but.... seeing as though this could potentially be the last post, Happy Valentines! 😍

And don't forget, if I don't show back up here, you'll be able to find me at jeanniegrayknits.com.  Eventually.