Knitting, Sci-fi and other stuff...

      I wanted to do a quick update about the Fair.  We kept it really low key this year.  I entered 10 items into the fair and we only went one day to just look around.  We refrained from rides and excessive amounts of fair food.  So, onto my entries: I entered: a sewn tote bag, which I think I blogged about a few weeks ago.  It got first place then went on to win Best in Show. Sewn Tote with Best in Show ribbon I also entered the beaded shawl I finished in June, that also won a blue ribbon and went on to receive Best in Show. Beaded Holden mixed among other Best in Show items Six of my other items also won blue ribbons: Liara's socks Mandy Cowl Killer Queen Cowl Clean Windmill Dishcloth set Sacket's Harbor Mittens and Drops of Spring Fingerless Mitts The second place ribbon I received for my Hum Beanie is also in this picture.  Then I received third place for Sunset Hat. The first and second place entries for this class are in this picture ...

      I thought I'd do a quick review of my Year of Projects.  I started participating around week 5 so I'm summing up my year from that point to present.  I have 24 project entries on Ravelry.  (If I do several dishcloths back-to-back, I usually only make one project entry, so there are more than 24 individual finished items.  Direct Link to Goal Post:  YOP first post   I finished: -3 pairs of fingerless mitts -2 pairs of mittens -2 pairs of socks -5 hats -2 cowls -2 baby blankets -16 dishcloths -1 potholder -1 shawl I have one sock that's going to be frogged and half of another dishcloth that's sitting around because I ran out of that colorway of yarn.  I do have a few other WIPs still hanging about from prior to August of last year.  (We're going to keep pretending they don't exist.) I made a simple little picture "movie" of my projects, enjoy: As far as my quickly thrown together list: I completed 3/5 of my projected projects......

     I started this post last week, but didn't finish it so here's two weeks in one post.   I pulled Holden off the blocking board with the intention of getting some decent pictures.  It's been raining here off and on all week.  (Make that two weeks.)   It was ungodly hot and humid for a few days this past week.  Then it went back to raining constantly.  I just snuck in some "glamor" shots of Holden seconds before a cloud burst.     I received some disheartening news concerning the degree program I want to do.  I finally got the admissions decision last Saturday.  They are saying I need quite a few more pre-requisites than I had been told by two different faculty members of the program.  I was originally told I would only need three, possibly four, more classes.  Admissions is now telling me seven!  So, I'm not eligible  to enter the program this fall.  This was not the news I was expecti...

      This is probably going to be my last regular post for YOP.  My first class started this week and its proving to be very time consuming.  I did manage to get some things other than school work done this week, though.  First up, on Wednesday Hubby and I went up to Grandma's house and got some of her flowers.  I took some bleeding hearts, day lilys, tulips, narcissis and lupine.  It wasn't the correct time to take the bleeding hearts, but it looks like two of them will live.  The third got pretty mangled but one stalk looks alive.  I've planted a chunk of the tulips but they needed to be separed, so even though we dug up just a few plants, I have a ton of tulip bulbs I need to find a place for now. The bleeding hearts go quite windblown from being transported in the bed of the truck.  Day lilys are impossible to kill so those two plants will be fine.  The orange flags are denoting where I put the tulip bulbs.  They are ...

      Last weekend flew by and I completely forgot to post.  I had a long weekend, so we grilled on Saturday with my parents and brother.  Then we de-cluttered and cleaned the remaining days.  I went through a bunch of my crafting things in the basement and donated quite a few things I don't use anymore.  I got rid of nearly all my straight needles.  I only use circulars and DPNs so there's no need for to me to keep my long staights.  I did keep my short ones as I use those for dishcloths. (A pair of US 5s and 6s.)  I also donated a few skeins of acrylic yarn I wasn't ever going to use.  I had acquired some Lion Brand Homespun yarn and I absolutely hate working with it, so those got donated.  I had some other novelty yarns that also went in the donation bin.  I got rid of all my printed patterns as well.  I exclusively use digital patterns with my Row Counter app, so there's no need for me to have multiple binders fil...

     I made some progress on my Holden shawl this past week.  I completed another 1 and a half repeats of the lace pattern.  I've run myself out of another bead mix as well.  The rows are starting to get pretty long now.      I got my front flower bed mulched in between rain storms.  It's been raining here alot and is supposed to continue this coming week.  I got a few things washed up yesterday.  I ended up with three bags in my yarn allotment from Grandma's house.  I washed up two of them.      This one was either sewn by my grandmother or one of my aunts.  Its just a simple tote bag, but it will hold my current WIP project bags.  The other one I got washed up is a Thirty One bag.  I have a different style in this same print.  The handles are broken so my aunt had it in the trash but I rescued it.  Its in pristine condition other than the handles.  I'm going to either use it i...

    Not too much excitement here other than knitting for Malabrigo March.  The weather has been pretty dismal.  It's back in the 30s and snowing this week.  We're supposed to get a couple inches over night tonight... so I haven't been taking pictures of my progress very well.  I just took a few in overcast dismal light, but they're better than terrible lamp light when its completely dark outside, so here's what I've got so far:  I finished the Mandy Cowl a bit ago.  This still isn't blocked because of the whole yarn bleeding suspicion.  I want to pick up some color catchers first.  Realistically, it doesn't even need blocking, so I may just stream it and make the bleeding thing a future me problem.  I've tried it on too.  Its soft and squishy and the right length to sit inside my jacket and keep my neck warm. I'm happy with the way it turned out.  I did one extra lace repeat to use up as much yarn as possible. After this w...