Yarn along 5 - Sweaters are scary

I have been focusing on this sweater and it is really coming along. The title of this post is two-fold, one I have been focusing on this one as the color-work in the other sweater is scary and I don't want to screw it up and rip it out again, and two the armhole row of this sweater was terrifying! It made no sense. I eventually, knit a sample and went for it. It worked but I will think long and hard about knitting from a pattern by this designer again. It works and it is lovely, buut the pattern is confusing and now help ore clarification is available and while looking I found lots of people got stuck exactly where I did. I have four balls left and more to go, so I am hoping the yarn holds out! Until I tried it on I was thinking if necessary I could skip the sleeves but I think it needs them, so fingers crossed. After all the stress of the armhole rows and all the double twisted rib, getting to stockinette for a while is great. Photos by the girls.

I am still reading Aiden Amos' Big Book of Handspinning. I also have broken with not reading fiction and am re-reading the Sign of Seven Trilogy by Nora Roberts.

I finished my second video, this one shows me dyeing, preparing, spinning and ply wool into yarn.

Joining Ginny and the other Creative Ladies of the Yarn Along! ~ Julia

Monday Morning Musings- 13 Feb

Now...
My dishes are half-done and my house is half clean. I am on my second cup of coffee. Feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything I have to do today and this week. Best roll up my sleeves but I have multiple to do lists and not enough time.

Weekend...
Mouse has been sick so I ended up staying home with him on Friday while Jim and the girls went to our friend's for game. They came home in high spirits and Mouse slept through the night. I got some knitting and mystery watching done - and skipped the dishes!  Saturday Jim and the kids played board games and did some work on the school work Mouse missed being sick. I got together with friends from college and had a nice time, we do this event once a year. It started as a birthday party as a lot of the people had spring birthdays within the club, and has evolved into a get together. Very small turn out this year due to adulting and sickness, but those of us who did come had fun. The family is invited but it never works out that we all go. Sunday we got some chores done around the house and I got more knitting in, this sweater looks like a sweater now!

Plans...
I have a show on the weekend and it always seems like there is a ton to do for that, especially as it has been a few months. Things always seem to wander. Time to track them down. I need to make new table clothes, in order to do that I need to actually clean up my studio, rather than shake my head and run out of the room! I want to organize it to be more work space and less storage.
I need to finish and up load a few new videos.
I have spinning guild this Friday.
The house needs to get all the way cleaned - my parents are staying the weekend.
I also want to finish cleaning the cellar.
We have 4H tonight, the kids are making Valentine's day cards for a local nursing home, so I have to get all that stuff together.
I need to update my budget sheet for Jim - we have a weekly budget meeting - and did not do that this weekend. We are trying this to curb my random spending - I am much less likely to buy junk if I know I will be telling him at the end of the week - and he needs a better picture of what we need to spend money on to help us plan and save. I think it is working we are not fighting about money anymore and I think having a spreadsheet of what we are actually spending money on (ex $19 on present, $3 on wrapping, and $1 on candy is likely more useful for planning next year than $23 target) One side effect is I have started my Christmas planning already.
And likely a thousand things I haven't thought of.

If I get some time to myself...
I will go to the gym, this has been sliding lately with other responsibilities getting in the way, but I need to make time to strengthen myself.

I am grateful for...
computers, paper, old friends, new ones, and coffee oh and Hedge-Kittens (we saw a set of pictures of a orange tabby cat who adopted hedgehog babies -CUTE- and everything has been Hedge-Kittens since. Badger loves cats and Bunny loves anything cute.)

Prayerful intentions...
I Pray for civility and understanding for the people and leaders of this nation. In that order, if they can't understand their opposition's view point they can at least be civil and polite to each other.

Yarn along 4 - Socks! a bit late.

I am a bit late! I finished my socks! and got through the decrease row on Mouse's sweater, So I will have pictures that are more interesting than endless stockinette in blue next week. I am pausing the book Bloody Old Britain as I have read about two pages since last week. Hoping that leaving it on the nightstand will prompt slow progress but a book about a breakthrough in the way archaeology was conducted through aerial photography should have more photography and less flowery turns of phrase. I am re-reading or perhaps reading as a novel instead of a reference book, Aiden Amos' Handbook Of Handspinning, working towards my COE.

I did this too.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xscHYIi-5ts&t=8s)


I started a podcast on crafty- fiber-y goodness where I talk about what I am working on and challenge myself to stretch, there will be more working videos & tutorials in the future. 

Joining in on the yarn along a bit late week! ~ Julia