Kninja Knitter

It’s been an interesting week here, and I’ll share the most interesting tale later. I’ve been very glad to make lots of progress in knitting, including a project I forgot to mention I had planned last week. Let’s see if I’ve gathered my thoughts enough to share everything this week!

Stitched or Still-in-Progress

While it was a new cast-on last week, it’s been such an easy and addictive knit, I’m almost done with the Laura Nelkin poncho, Love Fest! The front, which I shared a week ago, was done on Wednesday morning. The back was so much easier with no lace or beads to deal with. The shoulder lace pattern is the same as the front center panel, sans beads. Stitch saver makes this project even easier to manage since stitches being held for later can be loaded onto the needle so quickly.

I should have this done by tomorrow (Tuesday) – the left shoulder and the neckline rounds are all that remain of the knitting. Then I can block it.

I put a lot of time last Monday into the vanilla sock, but I haven’t touched it since. Still, the pair can easily be completed this week to count in the Ravellenics WIP Dancing event.

Cast-on Conversations

With the Ravellenics make-along going on during the Olympic Games, I’d like to get at least one more entry to count. The best option then is something on larger needles that will knit up fast. I’ve signed on for a charity collection of baby blanket “loveys” (stroller size, 18”/46cm). We’ll see how much of my bulky stash here this first one uses (currently on ball #3), and I might be able to whip out two of them with what I have on hand.

I decided to start on yet another project in Laura Nelkin’s Q1 KAL after seeing an inspiration in her Ravelry group. Another knitter was using remnants of an Advent kit, so I decided to use the leftovers from the Rainbow shawl I knit late last year. The bright minis came from ZK2025, and I’ll use up what I have before switching to the blue-gray Cascade Heritage yarn for the rest of the scarf.

I’m also starting to think about yarn options for the Sock Madness qualifier pair. The pattern was released yesterday, and it requires three different colors. It really needs solid yarns, so I’m contemplating my choices. In reality, I’m not thrilled with the pattern, so I might not go through with knitting it up. To qualify to get the other patterns, I only need to knit one sock, but it’s not like I need more patterns, lol. We’ll see!

With the craft-alongs I have going on this year, I’ll also share that I’m planning to cast on the Cuentas Scarf by Laura Nelkin once Love Fest is done. This is another beaded design, and I’ve been sitting on the kit since spring 2024.

Grandson Glimpses

I don’t even know where to start with the kiddo’s antics this week. He’s been picking up so many phrases from watching Blippi on YouTube. It started with “I have an idea” along with “I have a surprise for you.” He’s now branched out to calling things “so cool,” and that can be applied to anything. The last phrase he’s using a lot is “Why not?” – but it’s obvious that he doesn’t understand what the phrase means. Rather, it’s what he says when he’s been told to do something he doesn’t want, or is not allowed to do something he does want to do.

He stayed with me on Saturday while Mama worked and Daddy went DoorDashing. When he got super tired and cranky, I managed to get him settled down to nap. He slept for a solid three hours and then had ALL the energy when Daddy got home.

Environment Evolution

Last week I shared the progress I’d made in my office, decluttering like crazy. The new windows are scheduled to be installed on Thursday, so I’m continuing to work on the spaces. A huge success marker was moving my standing desk across the room, and I’ve achieved that milestone! There’s still a lot of work to do, but it’s comforting to know that I can simply stuff-shift if necessary to clear the window spaces on Thursday. I’d like to avoid that situation if possible.

I’ve been thinking through several more changes to make, but the biggest hurdle is removing the excess! My son has been taking lots of things to Goodwill for me. The trash barrel and recycling bin are both full, too.

The weather has been so nice this past week, it was a shame we couldn’t open windows. That’s going to be one of the things I’m most looking forward to, and I’m also anxious to see how much new windows help in containing the heat.

One other note around the property: I’ve had a woodpecker visiting one of the remaining fir trees in my side yard. I think this is the critter that had been tapping on my house back in the summer.

Exploits in Exercise

It’s not always easy, but I’m doing my best to move more. Generally, I’m making it to OrangeTheory twice a week right now, Tread 50 on Wednesday evenings and Open Studio on Friday afternoons. Once I clear the floor space in the office, I’ll also be able to set up my walking pad. I haven’t been able to use it since the family moved in since it’s far too tempting for my grandson.

Exercise adjacent, I’ve also been loving watching the Olympics, particularly when I’m knitting. I’ve been most keen to see the U.S. curling teams compete. It started with watching the mixed double pair who eventually earned the silver medal. The women and men have been so entertaining to watch! For some reason, I’ve also been drawn to watch the hockey games. Right now, in fact, I’m watching the playback of the women’s semifinal game, US vs Sweden. A bonus here is that there are several Ohio State players on the ice. 😊

With YouTubeTV recording everything for me, I rarely watch anything in real time – given the time difference, that generally works to my advantage. I did watch the men’s games over the weekend though in real time.

Tail Talk

Although River is still apt to bolt at a moment’s notice, she’s definitely embracing the house cat life. In recent days, she’s been getting pushy, lol. She wants pets when I’m on the couch, even if I’m knitting or playing on the iPad. She’s also discovered human food… and occasionally begs.

Another pet has joined the household. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but the impact to me is very small. Mama brought home Spike, a 3-year-old chihuahua/Jack Russell mix, and she’s declared him an emotional support animal. It seems she’s providing him with all the support as she carries him everywhere, and he seems to be terrified of everything around him.

There might be more to share but I’m getting tired, and I want to post this. I’m glad that the general mood is much improved around here, though I still want more communication. We’ll get there.

Knit on. 🧶