Easy like Sunday Morning

Hey Everyone!

Sundays have become my favorite day of the week.

Beings that Saturdays are my friday at work, Sunday means getting to sleep in, drink all the tea I want, knit, and watch shows.

I had started the pair of “Kate” socks last weekend after I finished the “Santorini” socks. I had only knit about 5 or 6 rounds on the cuff, and then it sat my entire work week. I finished the cuff of this first sock and started the leg portion of it.

The song Easy (Like Sunday Morning) had come to mind as I was knitting and drinking tea yesterday morning.

Mondays can be busy. This morning I had a few things I needed to do. I took my vehicle through the car wash and vacuumed it out after (most of the sand is now gone from the beach trip I went on a month ago, which is sad), I took my bottle drop bags back. Here in Oregon, our cans and single use drink bottles have bottle deposits that we get back when we return them. Several years ago, they started the green bags, where for a small fee, the employees, as the bottle drop locations, will count the cans and bottles in the green bags for you. I got coffee from Black Rock, stopped at the pharmacy, made an appointment, and then came home. I thought about going for a drive but decided not to because I needed to use the bathroom, and I didn’t want to spend money on more gas right now. I also wanted to spend more time knitting.

After a couple weeks of very hot weather (in the 90’s for highs), the last couple of days have been dramatically cooler and cloudy which I have loved. It has made me wish it was Fall all over again. When it’s hot, I literally have no energy (which is in short supply anyway), and don’t feel like tea, or knitting. Any of you who have followed me for any length of time know that I am all about the tea and the knitting. This weekend has definitely made me want to knit like nobody’s business and has inspired me to want to do more craft projects.

I would love nothing more than to get out of the city rat race and spend more time doing the things I love. Those include knitting, being outside, growing a garden, cooking, canning, reading books, all the things that an introverted homebody enjoys. Then I would throw in coming into the city every so often to go to yarn stores and for supplies (can anybody say Smith Teamaker and Bob’s Red Mill).

Beach Day

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A few weeks ago I had put in to take PTO this weekend to make sure I got my storage unit moved. With some help I got it done a couple weeks ago.

This was all before this weekends weather forecast was even a thing. It turns out that Friday was almost 90° here in the valley.

Beings that I already had requested the weekend off (Thursday – Saturday shifts) to use rain or shine, I got paid for the days I was off and did not accrue any corrective action steps for going to the Beach on Friday. And yes, I was laughing at my coworkers who were stuck at work, the whole way to the beach and back.

It was 63° and perfect right on the beach, and about 67° on the highway, which was a few hundred yards up from actual beach. It was a perfect summer (in spring) day at the beach.

Thursday I had worked on my first sock from the passprt Mediterranean mystery kit I had ordered from Forbidden Fiber Co, part of the time while watching Mamma Mia. The colorway of yarn from this kit seriously gives me Mamma Mia and & Santorini vibes.

I always seem to have a hard time coming back from the beach, even if I go for a day. I don’t know why leaving the beach affects me so much, but it does.

My beach day, and going through the towns I lived in while I went to college on my way to and from the beach have definitely made me think about my life and the direction I am going. I never would have thought I would be where I am today, and each day I want to be a better person and to make a difference. I am still trying to figure out how.

Vintage Santa

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Today, I finally finished up the pair of “Vintage Santa” socks I have been working on for a couple of months.

The yarn is the “Vintage Santa” colorway from Forbidden Fiber Co, and the yarn base is the Pride base. This yarn is from a previous Christmas / holiday palette the company had put out.

While working on the second sock, I have had the Friends of Big Bear Valley eagle cam running in the background on my computer. It’s kinda cool to watch Jackie and Shadow when they come to the nest as I am working on my knitting.

Knitting has unfortunately taken a backseat lately as life and work have been keeping all too busy, and tired. Since life has hopefully calmed down a little bit now, and I put in for a few days off from work this week, I will hopefully be getting some more Knitting done and possibly go to the beach. Summer Weather is supposed to hit later this week, just in time for my anticipated beach trip. I am so not ready for summer.

How are you all doing? What projects are you working on? Reading any good books? Watching any good shows? I am wating for the copy of season 7 of Shetland that I ordered to arrive.

What Book could you read over and over?

What book could you read over and over again?

Gone With the Wind, Memoirs of a Geisha and The Samurai’s Garden.

I read all three of these books multiple times. I read Gone with the Wind and Memoirs of a Geisha several times each in college. I had to read The Samurai’s Garden in English class one year in High School, so eventually I bought my own copy and have read it a few more times since.

Life has been so busy that I haven’t spent much time reading over the past few years, unfortunately.

What Job would you do for free?

What job would you do for free?

If I didn’t have to worry about money and bills, I would want to work at a yarn store, yarn dyer or a tea shop.

I have applied to a few local ones over the years, but have never been hired.

Project Bag On The Go

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I had an interview this morning, across town. I knew where I was going as it was right on the route I took to one of my old jobs. I left early as usual, and took the sock I had cast on last night with me in my new sock project bag.

I got a couple rounds done while I waited for my interview time to get closer before going in. I have found that being early and getting a bit of knitting done always helps me be a bit calmer and not as nervous.

I started keeping a “purse project” with me when I went places I might have have to wait, or have down time where I really couldn’t go anywhere back, like a decade ago when I worked for a short time at a daycare. Days where I worked 6 hours or more, at that company I had to take a mandatory hour lunch. State Law only mandates a 30 minute meal period for 6 hours+ worked, but the company scheduled us such that if we worked over 6 hours we had an hour lunch. So I had started taking a dish cloth WIP with me to work on. Having knitting to work on helps pass the time.

Now that I am into working on socks, it is definitely my “purse project” or “on the go project”.

As I mentioned yesterday, I definitely want to try out different brands of yarn, besides for my own curiosity as well as for content. I have been looking at local yarn shops to see what they have. I know it takes money to buy the yarn, which is part of why I want and need a better job.

Knitting through the thick of it

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The past few days I have been working hard to make progress on the second sock I am working on. Beings that I don’t know how to knit two at once (and many of Hanks of yarn would have to be split to do that). I knit one sock at a time.

Yesterday I knit the heel flap, turned the heel, picked up the sides of the heel flap and began the gusset.

Today, I finished the gusset, and I am making headway on the foot of the sock.

Over the weekend, I have also been watching the first episode of three different shows to see if they were something that I could get into and watch more of while I knit. All three of them turned out to be busts for me, and I am still on the lookout for new (to me) shows that I actually like and I am hooked in just one episode. I am the kind of person who knits while watching tv or listening to music.

Part of why I love knitting so much, is the fact that it is tangible, and when things go wrong, 99% of the time it is my fault, and if production slows down, that is totally my fault. There are definitely times when I think life was and is easier without as much technology. I am definitely becoming more old fashioned in my “old age”.

I am looking forward to being able to order more yarn this month to share with you all, I am definitely excited for all the fall colors and stuff that are out.

Leather Waistcoat Socks!!!

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Last night, I finally finished up the Leather Waistcoat colored socks I have been working on for almost a month. These socks definitely took me longer than I expected to finish up.

The yarn I used is from Forbidden Fiber Company. The yarn base is their Fortitude base, and the colorway is Leather Waistcoat.

I definitely have to say that Forbidden Fiber Company is definitely my current place to get my sock yarn. There are so many amazing colorways to choose from, I do love the yarn, the owner is awesome.

I had so much more written here, but I am choosing to share them publicly, as I have purposefully set out to keep my blog as neutral as possible, as far as trying to be a positive force in the knitting community. I have really only tried to share what projects I have been working on, what I have finished, the Yarns I like, the Yarns I am not a fan of, as well as the shops that I love buying from (those with a great product AND fantastic customer service), the shops I am a bit more indifferent towards (ie: the yarn I purchased was decent quality, shipped in a timely manner, and the bare minimum to meet my basic expectations) and the shops where I won’t be ordering from again in the future based on customer service and the quality of the yarn.

Like I have previously mentioned, my current favorite small yarn shop is Forbidden Fiber Company. It is woman owned. The owner is fairly active on both Instagram and Facebook with updates and such. Her shop doesn’t seem to sell out often (ie the stock she has posted on her website is typically something she keeps stocked, or dyes to order, and if it is something that is sold out, it tells you right then and there and can’t be added to your cart). It’s definitely helpful for those like me who are on a budget and have to wait a paycheck or two before we can order. I was quite impressed with how quick she shipped, the yarn was always beautifully wrapped before she boxed it up to ship, my packing slips always have had a handwritten note to thank me for my order, and that she hoped I like the yarn kind of thing. I have definitely enjoyed working with the yarn I have ordered. I will definitely be ordering from her more.

Places I am neutral / indifferent to include sites like KnitPicks and We Are Knitters, they are the staples and pretty much the big box stores of online yarn shops.

There have been a few shops I have been less than thrilled with, that I have mentioned, when I have blogged about the finished product(s) I made from their yarn(s). While I won’t name them here, you will know I about the ones I don’t like when I do post. I try to be conservative about the feedback I would give and why I didn’t care for them. I am one of those people who doesn’t want to malign someone, just give an honest review about my experience, realizing that someone else will likely have the exact opposite experience with them than I did.

Last night, I cast on the first sock in my next pair. I starting in on my second pair of the Steampunk Collection Yarns I have. I am currently using the Victoria’s Memory yarn, on the Babel yarn base which has 10% Yak wool in it. I was super excited to finally find a color I like that was available on the Babel base, since I have never worked with anything containing Yak hair before. I like trying different yarn based. The Fortitude base has definitely become a favorite of mine, as it knits up well and makes a sturdy boot sock. I still need to try the Gluttony Sock and Pride bases, which I am planning on doing in the near future, when I order the autumn Yarns I am eyeing.

Leaving Ravelry and Finishing Projects.

Hey Everyone!

It’s a bit crazy how much has happened since my last post.

First off was the #Istandwithravelry / #byeravelry – #unraveled chaos. 99% of the time I do prefer to keep the extent of my political views to myself. Though it came to the point that I couldn’t standby and continue to support private companies that don’t share my values, who choose to discriminate against and inaccurately label a group of people who they don’t agree with. While Ravelry and the companies who support them are well within their rights to have their beliefs, and choose to take whatever stance they choose, it is also well within my rights to choose not to support Ravelry and their supporters. As a White, conservative, woman, I don’t appreciate being labeled a “White Supremacist”, when I am not, just because I chose to vote for Trump over Hillary. Honestly I don’t like the man any more than anyone else, though I certainly wasn’t going to vote for Hillary.

Since all that went down, I have been going through those who I follow on social media, and did some clean up. I choose to follow those who have similar values or are able to keep their business neutral. It did show me who I do and do not want to support.

That all being said, I intend to keep my blog about Knitting and yarn crafts in general, and keep it neutral. I don’t mind explaining something if I am asked a question that is respectful, and out of curiosity and just wanting to know why. Anything that is hateful, or looking for an argument will be deleted, that is how I have always operated.

The only reason I am even addressing it, is because the yarn I used for the most recent pair of socks I had knit up, I had ordered from a company prior to the Ravelry show down, that I wouldn’t have ordered after it happened. I am not going to waste the money I have spent on yarn, it just means going forward that I choose not to order from these companies.

I knit up this pair of socks using the hank of bubble sock yarn I had ordered from Bumblebee Acres Fiber Farm, in the colorway “Scottish Thistle”. The last time I had checked it was no longer available, though I have no idea whether it is currently still unavailable.

The socks turned out pretty, but the yarn was kind of a pain in the rear end to knit with.

This was also the same company that it took a month or so to even ship (so I had to wait for 5 weeks to receive the yarn).

That all being said, I am now definitely more mindful of where I buy my yarn from, as well as my patterns. I haven’t found a new place for patterns that I really like, besides KnitPicks, and the patterns I had gotten off Ravelry, most I had printed off when I got them years ago. I had just one left that I had printed off before I deleted my account. It’s no hard loss for me since I hardly used Ravelry anymore, it’s more the principal of the thing. I don’t support discrimination, and I try to treat people with respect, until I am treated with such disrespect that I need to walk away and tell them “Bye Felicia”.

Final Measurements

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While I was working on the first sock of my regal pair of socks, I had remembered something I had learned while working at the studio. 

This tip is: let the garment/item you are knitting shrink up before taking final measurements. 

I.E. the sock I am working on needs to be 5.25 inches from the heel flap to where I will start the toe. Once it measures 5.25 inches while knitting, I let it sit until the next day, then measure it again (it is typically a bit shorter than it was while I was working on it the day before), and then I knit up the remainder I need, before knitting the toe. I make sure it is the right length once it has shrunk to final size (as it is looser while knitting), before moving on. 

While I was working at the studio, we had to check the pieces against the final dimensions and against the other pieces of the same size to ensure consistency.