Kninja Knitter

I’ve got a variety of topics to touch on as we begin the last month of the calendar year! Let’s get started…

Stitched or Still-in-Progress

I remained somewhat focused this week, though as you’ll read later, my knitting time was limited throughout the week. And when I wasn’t busy, my knitting mojo was occasionally on vacation, apparently. Still, I have things to share.

Now that the mystery in Laura Nelkin’s MKAL has been revealed, I don’t need to worry so much about spoilers. A week ago I had a blocked Hooded Dickey and an i-cord drawstring in progress. I added the drawstring casing to the hood, and it turned out my i-cord was already the perfect length. I bound it off and wove in the last end.

I ended up not revisiting any of my other WIPs, choosing instead to cast on a couple things.

Cast-on Conversations

As I mentioned last week, I wanted to finish my last pair of test knit Wicked socks, so I cast on the second sock but had no bandwidth to keep up with the not-quite-intuitive stitch pattern. It required just a little too much chart attention for me. I’ll get back to it soon, though. Knowing how many repeats to work, having knit the first sock, usually makes the second one go faster.

I also was inspired to cast on a pair of little socks for my grandson, something I could knock out fairly quickly. The first one was done in about eight hours of knitting time, but I was short on knitting time for much of the weekend. The second sock should be done tonight or tomorrow.

I’ve also started winding yarn for the next big shawl on my list. Beach Nights will give me a good amount of yardage toward the Pigskin Party, and its use of minis will also qualify for the December challenge in said party, requiring the use of four-or-more minis. I have my rainbow collection that I bought at Zombie Knitpocalypse this past summer.

Grandson Glimpses

I had a fair amount of bonus time with the little guy this week. There has been family drama as his mama’s cousin’s family is having difficulty tolerating the toddler, particularly when he got the cold that has been going around. He stayed with me three nights last week. I got some Vicks VapoRub for children, and that helped his symptoms tremendously.

The munchkin is obsessed with Paw Patrol, so it’s easy enough to keep him calm. Of course, he also gets distracted fairly easily. We also went to the grocery store and did some laundry, both tasks that entertain him. In the grocery store, we had a funny moment when a ringing phone was heard over the P.A. system, prompting the kiddo to say, “Hello?” And after one load of laundry was done, he pulled out a pair of clean jeans to proclaim: “Pants – these are AMAZING!”

On Friday night, the Paw Patrol Christmas special aired on network television. I recorded it through YouTubeTV, though for some reason the end of the show was cut out. Thankfully, we could watch the replay on Paramount+ once I realized this. He fell asleep halfway through on Friday night – but he made up for it by watching the remainder on Saturday morning and then the entire show on repeat 4-5 times before Mama arrived.

I’m hoping to have him a couple nights this week, though I have a several evening events for work – wrapping up things before the year-end tech freeze.

Environment Evolution

The bedroom decluttering efforts continue – I didn’t complete the work in November as I’d planned/hoped, but it’s definitely improved considerably! I continued to work on the corner catch-all section I’d started previously, and it continues to improve! I managed to empty three totes , and I’ve removed one basket of socks, though there’s still a knitwear purge to come. I’m also going through the stack of knitting books on my bookcase, and a bunch of them will be offered for free at Zombie Knitpocalypse next year, along with knitted items that don’t suit me.

I’ve also continued to add clothing to the donation boxes as I’m making my way through the laundry.Once I get through the remaining two totes and one laundry basket, I’ll be working on my closet. The kitchen is also a key focus area for December.

Football Frenzy

I know at least a couple of my readers are with me in rooting for the Ohio State Buckeyes – we had a very rewarding weekend, as the team defeated their arch rivals in The Game, the traditional season closer. With a sound 27-9 win, a lot of doubters’ questions have been answered about this team. Now, they prepare this week for Saturday’s Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis against the Indiana Hoosiers, the only other undefeated team in the FBS ranks this season. Ohio State and Indiana are expected to be ranked #1 and #2, respectively, in the CFP rankings tomorrow night, I’ve also seen on social media that folks are calling this the “least anticipated 1 vs 2 game in college football history” since both teams, regardless of the outcome, will be in the CFP playoff, and both will likely get the bye (skipping first round games). Even ESPN’s College Game Day is planning to broadcast on Saturday morning from another conference championship (showing their SEC bias again?).

I’m excited to see how the post-season plays out!

Bookish Banter

I haven’t shared a whole lot about my reading exploits lately, but I’ve continued trying to meet the Kindle challenges throughout the year. The occasional wacky schedule has meant that I haven’t been perfect. Each quarter of the year I’ve missed at least one challenge – most often the Perfect Month, because I’d miss a day. This quarter, October through December, It’s looking promising that I can get all but one challenge (missed one because I didn’t get to read on a required day for the challenge).

This past week, in particular, I managed to score multiple badges. I read a whole book – something I don’t do very often, unfortunately. This was the third book in a trilogy I believe I’ve shared here. The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (Book 3 of The Lost Bride Trilogy) was released back on November 18. Over the holiday weekend, I sped through the second half of the book – I was not disappointed with the conclusion, and it was riveting nearly to the end. With that, I earned the Bookworm badge (2 books completed) and the Scarecrow badge (reading a title included in the Mystery, Thriller & Suspense category).

As long as I can stay consistent and read even a page a day in December, I can collect the last two badges I’m eligible for – Perfect Month and the mystery badge to be revealed mid-month. I also have two books left to read toward my annual challenge – I set that to fifteen for 2025, knowing I’d have stretches of available time mixed with periods I wouldn’t be able to read much. That particular challenge, though, excludes audiobooks, unless I’m using Whispersync and have the book open, and physical books, because it’s being tracked by Kindle. I don’t read physical books much anymore, so the latter isn’t generally an issue for me. I am, after all, a Techie! Up next: re-reading one of the later Robert Langdon books, as I’m prepping to read the most recent.

Random Ramblings

I have a few things to share here – and I’ll start off with the subject in my post title! Gratitude: as the US celebrated Thanksgiving last Thursday, I was glad to start the day with the kiddo. I expected him to return in the afternoon or evening, but that didn’t happen. Still, I’m oh-so-grateful to have him in my life, even if his dad (my son) is dealing with his own challenges. We have a very good relationship, and he’s even taken to meltdowns when he has to leave my house with Mama. Thankfully, he can always come back! When he came to visit on Friday, he insisted on bringing the tree he decorated late Thursday.

I’m also incredibly grateful to have a job I enjoy, for which I’m appreciated by my peers, and that provides me with good compensation along with health insurance and retirement benefits. In this country at this time, I have it much better than a lot of people. Plus, I have two other part-time jobs. This has been an exhausting year as I’ve been filling is as the interim choir director for the Sunday morning group. Yesterday was my last time leading in this capacity, as a new assistant music director has joined the parish staff, and she is taking over, starting with rehearsal this Thursday. Going forward, my responsibilities will be limited to the worship team I lead once a month plus several other Saturdays here and there when I lead the music. I’m also continuing to put time into DoorDash shifts as my schedule allows. Yesterday was a wonderfully lucrative shift, as most folks tipped very well, and I didn’t have to drive to other zones for deliveries. Woot!

And in addition to my family and friends, I feel so blessed to have a home that I enjoy. This has been a busy year, but I’ve accomplished quite a bit in decluttering spaces to make it more comfortable. I’ve enjoyed reading the journal entries from last November when I had plumbing repairs and bathroom upgrades, and this year I had another small plumbing repair – my kitchen, bedroom and living room are becoming peaceful spaces (need to revisit the office… apparently I’m not ready for everything to be perfect yet).

My last tidbit to share before I wrap for the week – I’ve been mulling over the past few weeks in preparation for setting goals for 2026. My “word of the year” for 2025 was Elevate, as I sought to make improvements to several areas of life. In transitioning to the new year and my further visions, I’ve chosen THRIVE for 2026. And with the help of ChatGPT, I even expanded on that word which could mean so many different things, so it serves as an acronym:

• Tend what matters
• Honor my energy
• Refine as I learn
• Intentionally choose joy
• Venture forward
• Elevate everything I touch

And with that, I’ll sign off, wishing you a wonderful week, and happy Advent!

Knit on. 🧶