I finished my first class sample (for 2024!) on Wednesday evening. Well, I am still making i-cord, but I purposely put that aside to work on something that required a bit more attention.
False Starts
If you follow me on Instagram (really? you don’t?) you know that I started said class sample not once, not twice, but three times. First time I counted incorrectly, plus didn’t get the pattern set up properly. I ripped it out and spent some time untangling the yarn. Urg. The second time was again operator error. At that point I decided maybe it wasn’t good vacation knitting and put it aside to start once I got home.
The false starts ate up about 6 hours of knitting time, plus 2 hours of untangling yarn.
Good Starts
Once I got home from Mexico, and back on the couch, I got the class sample on the right track. The casting on and the first two rows took four hours. I wrote down these stats:
- Cast on: 320 stitches.
- Increase to 440 sts on Row 2.
- Bobblet Row with 40 bobblets (love backward knitting (kb): (k4, kb4, k4, slip 3 over) was a total of 600 stitches.
After I got through that and back to 320 stitches, each round took me 20 minutes. By the end of the Decrease segment (40 rounds) I was knitting at about 12 minutes a round. I figured I got back 1.25 minutes every decrease round I worked (minus 20 sts). Nice!
Then it was knitting even and some short rows, and I didn’t pay any attention to how long anything was taking because the end was in sight! The successful sample took about 15 hours to make (less the i-cord). I worked on it for about 8 evenings after completing the Bobblet round. I had figured it would take me about 20 hours, so I have some unused knitting time back.
Startitis
This has been a long week and I was tired on Thursday. Mitch and I took turns yawning deeply and we finally decided to crawl into bed to read. When I left the couch I had two new projects going! Neither was intended. You know how it goes.
- The next class sample seemed tempting, and the yarn was nearby (there are only 288 sts in each round for this one!), but I got to the Bobblet round and decided I should wait until I wasn’t so tired. Better safe than sorry!
- Then I picked up yarn I had brought down to swatch with and began making a hat. It is an idea I’ve been pushing around, but not having a clear solution I have not let myself start it. I guess I was ready to give it a go!
- Tonight I plan to knit a swatch with another yarn I found for an idea that started brewing in Mexico. I love swatching at the end of the week when my brain is tired and less rigid (i.e., I can push myself around a little easier).
This week in the kitchen it has been the same thing.
- I have made Bolognese sauce,
- oatmeal cookies (most went to a grieving friend),
- chili,
- black beans, and
- chicken soup.
At one point I had 3 burners going on the stove and had to shift things around to cook meals. I don’t usually do that much at once. Tomorrow I plan to make more tomato sauce.
No Starts
Although this seems almost impossible to me, there are times I don’t start something I want to. I try not to wind skeins into balls to keep myself from easily grabbing things to start. It is a good thing when I can put things off, but it isn’t nearly as much fun as starting.
More False Starts
Bullet Journaling
I got started doing Bullet Journaling again but I have to say I have had a number of false starts on it. Usually I just give up. I am crap at keeping up on anything like that, but I have decided that I am just going to restart every time I quit but will simply get back to it without fussing about what I missed. Maybe I’ll get some momentum. I always do lists, but I’m trying to keep them organized and focused. Ha ha. 😅
Food Journaling
I cannot keep complaining to myself and Jamie about the four to six extra pounds I am carrying around. Food journaling is a good way to look at how indulgent I get in my portion sizes, and how treats sneak into our evenings. Noom’s app lets me log meals without paying for it, so I’ve been trying to do it again. I ran off that track when I had a complicated dinner that I just couldn’t face toting up. I am again back on board.
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