Mending

Yesterday was the first day in I don't know how long where I wasn't in crisis mode. There wasn't any homework to be caught up on, no supplies needing to be bought, no promises that I needed to make good on; it felt rather weird.

I looked around, trying to figure out what would be the best use of my time when my eye caught my Dad's sweater. Both sleeves needed some mending and I had finally found some yarn that matched it. It was tough to fix because it was a double knit. Eventually I was victorious... but not before I texted my Dad telling him what a miserable experience it was going to be mending it.

Since I had all my mending stuff out, I looked around again and realized that I had a stack of socks that have been waiting for some attention for maybe more than a year. Some needed duplicate stitching, some needed a woven darn, some needed a combination.

I don't know what possessed me, but I mended the lot.

There is still studying to do and other things that will need my attention in the coming days, but I haven't felt this much peace in a while. Who knew that mending all the knits might mend me a bit too.

Littlest Cowpoke

This past week was another wild one. A loved one had a few days stay at the hospital for a complication from a routine procedure. (All is well, thank goodness.)  It looks like I might be able to go up to Oregon to visit my Oma soon. An exam was delayed by two days. Connor is going back to Japan for business, but it looks like this time I might get to join him. All the ups and downs have left me worn out. Not much happen creatively except these cuties.

Cowboy Booties Pattern

I've been doing my best to quickly make these little booties for my cousin and his fiancée's new little girl. I'm not really sure how quickly baby feet grow, so I really hope that their little girl is able to fit these. 

Embroidery scissors for scale

I'm happy these little booties are done. I've been re-reminded that crochet is not my strength. I ripped out and re-crocheted these so many times! But clearly it was worth it. They are so cute!  Both my parents squealed when they saw them.

Now all they need is a little cowpoke to fill them.

A Sock By Any Other Name

The last two weeks have been hard. There have been lots of positives, but there has also been an enormous amount of stress. I've been doing my best to ride it out and be kind to myself. Meanwhile I've continued knitting and, in an unusual turn of events, crocheting. I taught myself to crochet a year after I learn to knit. And while I feel ok at it, I don't actively search out patterns to use that skill. Of course it turns out that sometimes those patterns find me. 

My cousin just had a baby and I was trying to figure out a good gift when I came across the cutest bootie pattern. It's going to take me a few days to make these, but I managed to get past the soles with minimal fudging.

I also finished up my Rose By Any Other Name socks. When I mentioned them last I thought I would be finished with them by Valentines Day. Ha! I did finish them, but just before I cut the yarn to kitchener the toe, I counted the stitches. I was one off. Eventually I discovered that I had decreased an extra stitch at the beginning of the gusset and that because I was a whole stitch off for the entire foot, my second sock was a 1/2 inch longer than the first one due to me placing the toe decreases based on the stripe transition. Rip, rip, rip. Then the sock sat in time out while I kicked myself for not counting my stitches after finishing the gusset. I made sure to count multiple times when I knit the foot for the second time.

Vanilla socks in Canon Hand Dyes color way A Rose By Any Other Name

So now I am left with only one project on the needles, my Groovy Socks. I'm actually a little worried about finishing them because I have no idea what my next project should be. I have all sorts of design ideas floating around in my head, but not enough brain cells to devote to figuring them out. 

Groovy Socks in White Birch Fiber Arts color way Wild Thai Ryder

I know that a lot of knitters suffer from startitis. Has anyone had a case of anti-startitis? (Does anyone have a better name for anti-startitis for that matter?)