Author Archives for sewknitpicky

May 2023: Wrap-Up

Yardage Totals 2023:

 January: 530
February: 293
March: 1087
April: 1102
May: 236
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
2023 Totals: 3,248 yds or 1.85 miles

May…just, flipping a double bird salute at May 2023.

Chemo continues to suck, and there are several related reasons why I barely crafted this much—ones that I do not feel like getting into quite yet. If I talk about them, they’re real, and that’s something I’m still trying my best to deny.

I started the month with some still going crafting mojo, and did manage to finish a pair of socks for myself during my second chemo cycle at the beginning. But then…? Not much, if anything. I’m just not moving at the moment, but I’m sure once I get over the initial inertia, I’ll be moving again for a bit. I’d really like to finish a couple knit projects before the summer is over. (I suppose it’s “lucky” for me that I live in a place where summer is roughly March through November every year. At least I have length of miserable weather working for me.)

In 2023, my only yarny goal is to knit something every month. I did, early on. CHECK.

So. What about you, kitten? Is your spring/fall crafty and full of making? What have you been working on? Do you have any exciting makes in your future?

Take care of yourselves and each other.

XO,
Manda

April 2023: Wrap-Up

Yardage Totals 2023:

 January: 530
February: 293
March: 1087
April: 1102
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
2023 Totals: 3,012 yds or 1.71 miles

April was another high stress month. Oof.

Chemo, it turns out, was more of a beast than I had anticipated, and it knocked me on my butt longer than I had expected. I’m in for a very sick and unfocused spring and summer.

I still managed to get some crafting done, though, thanks to my lovely friend Kate and her spending so much time chatting with me while I was sick and miserable. I knit my fourth and final hot water bottle sweater, a pair of socks for a sibling, and quite a lot of a sweater for myself—which I ripped upon realizing it’s large in a ridiculous way instead of a stylish, fun one. Oh well. I’m currently figuring out how to fix it so I can recast on and hopefully get it finished in May or June along with at least one other gift project I want to get done.

In 2023, my only yarny goal is to knit something every month. Absolutely did.

So. What about you, kitten? Is your spring/fall crafty and full of making? What have you been working on? Do you have any exciting makes in your future?

Take care of yourselves and each other.

XO,
Manda

March 2023: Wrap-Up

Yardage Totals 2023:

 January: 530
February: 293
March: 1087
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
2023 Totals: 1,910 yds or 1.09 miles

Somehow in the chaos that is my current situation, I forgot to post up March’s numbers. Whoops.

The month started with a tonsillectomy. Mid-way through, I found out I have cancer. And then the rest of the month was a blur of appointments, jabbing, sticking, prodding, poking, and preparing for my first chemo session in early April. It’s not surprising that posting up March’s numbers slipped through the cracks. It’s not like they’re any less accurate now than they were a month ago.

I was quite crafty last month as I worked through even more anxious energy for all of the afore-mentioned medical issues. I managed to knit a full size shawl, a hot water bottle sweater, and start a sweater for myself that month. I needed something to focus on and keep my hands moving.

In 2023, my only yarny goal is to knit something every month. Check.

So. What about you, kitten? Is your 2023 full of crafts so far? Have you been working on anything you’d like to share?

Take care of yourselves and each other.

XO,
Manda

Stash Track 2023: T1

2023 Stash Tracking

T1:
Fiber in: 0.0 oz
Fiber out: 0.0 oz
Ratio out/in: neutral
Total fiber stash change: 0.0 oz

Yarn in: 4,811 yds
Yarn out: 10,181 yds
Ratio out/in: 2.12
Total yarn stash change: -5,370 yds

T2:
Fiber in:  oz
Fiber out:  oz
Ratio out/in: 
Total fiber stash change:   oz

Yarn in:  yds
Yarn out:  yds
Ratio out/in: 
Total yarn stash change: 

T3:
Fiber in: oz
Fiber out: oz
Ratio out/in:  
Total fiber stash change: oz

Yarn in: yds
Yarn out: yds
Ratio out/in: 
Total yarn stash change: yds

2023 Totals:
Fiber in: oz
Fiber out: oz
Ratio out/in:
Total fiber stash change: oz

Yarn in:  yds
Yarn out:  yds 
Ratio out/in: 
Total yarn stash change: yds

Kittens. Somehow we’re already one-third of the way through 2023, and it’s time once again for a stash track.

I can’t say too much about this one. I finished some large projects, destashed a good chunk of yarn, and some new yarn did come in to meet with my changing plans and desires for what to knit. And nothing has been spun. Again. I can never seem to find the focus and time for all of the things I want to do, and my brain is especially scattered these days thanks to chemo treatments. I’m hoping by the fall to find my desire to spin again and get something worked up from my large and lovely fiber stash before 2023 is done.

What about you? Is 2023 headed in the direction you hoped?

Stay safe, keep wearing your masks and cleaning your hands, hydrate, and take care of yourselves.

XO,
Manda

Cozy Craft Club: Episode 24

Hello, kittens! In this episode, we start with a serious life chat section, where Amanda talks (even more) about what’s been going on with their health since we last talked to you. It’s going to be a sick summer at their house. Then we both have lots of purple knitting to share with you! We wrap up talking about T. Kingfisher’s new book, A House With Good Bones, another haunted house narrative that works better for one of us than the other.

Good to Know: Gentle Slopes shawl

Like many others, I fell in love with a free pattern last summer and wanted to cast it on. Gentle Slopes by Quinn Reverendo for Fairmount Fibers was featured by ESK, as part of a push to sell Fino mini sets.

Photo is originally from pattern page, captured here with text over top from when ESK featured it on their social media.

I thought I would cast it on as a birthday knit for myself and quickly lost my enthusiasm for it—I need to be in the right mood for a shawl and I’m not the biggest wearer of them, despite liking to knit them. When Bad Times started up for me in February of this year, I decided it was time to finally cast this on, but there was one big problem: while the pattern photos had been updated for the mini skein sets to be used, the pattern still had not. It was written for 2 full skeins, not a 5 skein mini set. And I knew that wouldn’t do, and with a little research realized that no one has documented how to knit this shawl as pictured.

So. See a need, fill a need. Here’s how to use a mini set to achieve the same look as the pattern sample. It’s not difficult, but it did take a little reverse engineering. All linked yarns are from ESK, and all amounts given were for my gauge, but should be roughly correct for expectations.

NOTE: I found the cast-on instructions for this project over-fiddly and complicated. I did a simple garter tab cast on and simply picked up stitches from the cast on edge instead of going through the trouble of a more complicated crocheted provisional cast on.

Modifications for the mini-skein set in place of CC in the original pattern:

1 full skein “Corsage” Manos del Uruguay Fino
1 “Zelda” mini set MdU Fino

Key:

CC1 = 4th darkest color

CC2= Middle value color

CC3= Second lightest color

CC4= Lightest color

CC5= darkest/brownest color

For stripe repeats 1-26, use CC1. I used ~9 grams of yarn for this section.

For stripe repeats 27-39, use CC2. I used ~10 grams of yarn for this section.

For stripe repeats 40-52, use CC3. I used ~14 grams of yarn for this section.

For stripe repeats 53-64, use CC4. I used ~17 grams of yarn for this section.

The border color is CC5: I used the full mini skein plus 1 gram of CC1 to finish the bind off.
There was about 4 grams of the main color left over at the end of the shawl, so an extra stripe or two could reasonably be added in the shawl if one desired to use up as much of the yarn as possible. You have your choice of which color you’d like to see more of.

And that’s it! Easy Peasy.

-Amanda

Cozy Craft Club: Episode 23

It’s a long one today, kittens! In this episode, we start with a longer chunk of life chat, where Amanda talks about what’s been going on with their health and an upcoming medical procedure. Then we both have lots of crafts to share with you! And we end with a longer discussion of Grady Hendrix’s latest book, “How to Sell a Haunted House.” Thank you for joining us today!

February 2023: Wrap-Up

Yardage Totals 2023:

 January: 530
February: 293
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
2023 Totals: 823 yds or 0.47 miles

Another month, another yardage tally.

I started off February returning to social media and had to take the time to find some balance. At first it was too much and resulted in an immediate downshift in mood and desire to do anything. By the end, checking in for under 10 minutes twice a day seems to work well.

I was quite crafty this month as I worked through some anxious energy for an upcoming surgery early in March, so I managed to finish several small projects—both knitting and cross stitch.

In 2023, my only yarny goal is to knit something every month. Sure did. I knit two handspun hot water bottle coozies with plans for two more this following month.

So. What about you, kitten? Is your 2023 off to a start you’re happy with? Have you been working on anything you’d like to share? Are you also going more analogue in life and trying to “unplug” a bit?

Take care of yourselves and each other.

XO,
Manda

Cozy Craft Club: Episode 22

It’s the first podcast of 2023! Kate is settled in Boston, and Amanda is living through never-ending home renovations. We both have crafty projects to share, and we are super excited the new Grady Hendrix novel is out! Come chat with us for a bit and share what you’ve been up to with the Club.

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