Sunday, December 11, 2016

YOP Week #24




Well, moving right along here at the Farmgirl Homestead.....I hope you are getting all your Christmas and holiday chores and shopping done and making some time for yourself.  I don't know about you but it seems when I have the most to do is when I go about casting on more projects! LOL!  I know I have things to finish but I don't have the time for that but I can spend a few minutes getting a new one started.....logical?   Probably not but it is soothing to me.  Such as this Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball in the Feng Shui color that MrsMcD918 posted about a few weeks ago.  When I saw her finished scarf I knew it was perfect for my daughter.....for NEXT Christmas!  Unfortunately, my tension is usually on the tight side and I am having a time getting the hook into the stitches.  I can get them in the spaces no problem but the stitches take a little doing so it is not that relaxing but if it turns out as pretty as MrsMcD918's scarf I will be a happy camper! Right now it's on the dark side but it goes through a light shade of gray also.
This is as far as I got with 1 skein of Lion Brand Landscapes.  I have several more but none are the same color so do I just use them anyway or go back to the store and get more of the same colorway?  Not sure...........this is definitely a fun project though!
Here are the other colors I have in the same yarn..........
I also got one skein of what Becki used in hers but the other skein hasn't arrived in the other colorway yet.
Mr. Bob Ross is coming along but things always take me way longer than I think they will.....
I finally got all my supplies for the Peace Cowl, a free pattern and KAL by The Healthy Knitter
I actually started casting on after I took this picture.  It calls for a long tail cast on of 318 stitches but in listening to The Knitting Pipeline podcast last night she mentioned she is also partaking and she opted for a knitted cast on.  I got on You Tube and learned it as I had no idea how long to leave my tail for 318 stitches!  I have about 200 cast on so far and she said to put a stitch marker every 50 stitches.....Brilliant!  I hope I don't mess up and have to redo those 318 stitches! It's an easy pattern though from what I saw on the discussion group but then "easy" is a very relative term! LOL!
I'm knitting this cowl in Knit Pick's Stroll Tweed in the North Pole Heather colorway.  I love the color and so appropriate for this time of year but the yarn seems to unwind as I'm using it which I don't care for.
I don't know if any of you follow Katie's video podcast of Inside Number 23, but if you do, you will have seen the awesome Yarn Journal she started which I went nuts over!  I want to be just like her when I grow up!  She is so creative and her journal looks beautiful and so fun to work on.  I've had this journal for several years and never used it as I thought it was too pretty to just do my daily journaling in but a Yarn Journal?  It's perfect for that!  In all honesty, I am gathering my supplies and prepping for not only my holiday food but also my activities for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Starting this Yarn Journal is on that list!  She showed it in Episode 42 and then showed even more in one of her Vlogmas podcasts...Day 9 or 10?  She is also very artistic!
Speaking of journaling, I need to update my Ravelry project pages too!  Woe is me!
LOL!
How are your projects, plans and holiday activities going?  I started watching Christmas movies last night and I watched a funny one called Up In The Clouds about a Ski Resort run by a Native American tribe.  It wasn't an award winner but I've seen worse and parts of it were really funny....I like funny!  Any Christmas movies you can recommend?  I also listened to free Christmas music play lists on You Tube last night while I wrapped presents.   They have some great ones. I especially like the old tunes from Bing and the gang.
Happy Trails!
P.S.  My son Ben and grandson Uriah were on the local news in Iowa!








16 comments:

  1. What a lovely son and grandson you have. A great way to have fun while making lovely memories together, and all for the benefit of the residents in those homes.
    I may be on the other side of the world to you, but yes, I do know who Bob Ross is as I've watched many of his tutorials. I love his style.

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    1. I took a class not with BR but with another man that taught it and I have a hallway full of paintings now but I've moved on to other things like fiber projects and sewing now. He was a wonderful inspiration to many.

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  2. I know all about casting on all things and ignoring my Christmas gift lists! I saw an MKAL on Ravelry and OOOH SHINY there's me signing up! And that's all I've felt like working on, LOL!

    As for your massive cast on, it may already be done, but if not you may want to look at Jeny's Stretchy Slip-Knot Cast On. It's a new one to me, but the thing I really like about it is that the stitches are created entirely from the working yarn with no need to guess how much of a yarn tail you'll need. And yes, stitch markers every 50 cast on stitches to save your sanity!!

    Good luck with all your projects - I can't wait to see where you are with everything next week!

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    1. I used the knitted cast on and it's done now....all 318 stitches but I haven't started knitting it yet. I really have to work on Bob today and get him done! But after that....and once the presents are in the mail....watch out! LOL! That MKAL is so tempting!

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  3. Way to go Ben and Uriah!! I am decorating so that is the project for now, still doing the join as I go when I have time:)

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    1. I hear you....I have the presents wrapped and still waiting for a few things from Amazon....now that they have their "Prime" they are slower than snail do-do if you don't have it. It's going on 2 weeks....I'll be switching to another seller soon...like jet.com or something. Amazon used to be good but to pay $11.00 a month? I don't think so....so bye-bye Amazon. Trust me, there will be others popping up now to take their place....they got a little too greedy for me!

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  4. I hear you, I should be do lots of other things but crochet sneaks in and going on Ravelry leads to downloading or signing up for a Cal you know you haven't the time for, lol! A yarn journal sounds a brilliant idea.

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    1. I feel better now that I know I'm not the only one that does that! LOL! I just have to get the presents in the mail, finish decorating and do some baking and come Christmas Eve through New Years it will be all about the hand work! My birthday is January 4th so it may get extended with a few stash enhancements too! LOL!

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  5. Remember with the Peace Cowl - as long as your stitches are divisible by 3 it'll work out fine. A friend cast on 330, another 315. It's all good. Can't wait to see your progress.

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    1. Well, I used a knitted cast on which I had never done so I learned something and I have the 318 all done with the markers every 50...that was a big help! I've never cast on so many stitches. Now, let the knitting begin! Of course, after I ensure I have Christmas in the out going mail! But it's like looking forward to a vacation so it's exciting!

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  6. I'm really enjoying the Peace Cowl...after the cast on! I did the long tail and it did take me three tries to get the 318 stitches without running out of yarn in the cast on tail. I put markers every 50 stitches for the first few rounds and it worked great. I'm really enjoying this knit. It's very meditative. I'm on the 11 repeat so I've caught up with where I'm supposed to be with the group. It is a Christmas present so I will probably make some extra repeats in order to make sure it's finished and ready to give several days before Christmas.
    I saw Katie's journal and admired it very much but I'm not artistic in that way at all so I think I'll have to just be content seeing hers and now yours as you make one.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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    1. I emailed Katie to ask her how she learned to do her lettering so maybe she'll mention it in her podcast? That would be great. Good for you on the long tail! You have patience in spades!

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  7. For the linen stitch scarf, I say go with a different color and make it bright and beautiful. I was so late the the peace blog, but have enjoyed the daily assignments. Cowls don't appeal to any of my family and I sure don't need one where I live.n we are all scarf peeps. Never thought if a yarn journal.....hmmmmmmmm, you are giving me great ideas.

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    1. I think you're right....I should just use what I have and "go for it". I like cowls because scarves are always falling off of me and I don't like turtle necks but my neck gets cold so cowls would be great for me even in the house.

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  8. I loved MrsMcD918's scarf too. I look forward to seeing how yours turns out! And wow - that Landscapes yarn is bright and beautiful. Reading your reply to Marsha above, I'm biting my tongue to not say something you'll regret, so I'm only going to offer my opinion if you ask me personally (and directly, like in a PM on Ravelry). lol Can't wait to see how your scarves turn out! I bet those colorful yarns are fun to crochet up. And a new podcast (new to me, I mean). I look forward to checking her out and seeing this yarn diary of which you write. Sounds like something I'd start with great intentions and then forget to keep it up. If you start one I hope you post about it here. And that video of your son and grandson is great! What a wonderful thing for them to do (both for the kindness it is to others and for the memories they're making for themselves). I'm so glad the news folks found them and did a story.

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