I’ve primarily been focusing on knitting my Peaceful Lodge Sweater. It’s so soft and it’s easy knitting. I would love to finish this soon so I can wear it all winter.
I’ve also reached the skull lace on Ghost Knitter’s Shawl. I had to rip back half of the first row because the count didn’t match the pattern, although the stitch count is correct on the row. I must have made a mistake. The lace looks pretty straight forward, so I’m hoping once I get started, I can finish it by the end of the week. I would hate to have another unfinished Halloween project to add to next year’s stack. I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by the number of knitting projects I have going.
I need to start on my Audrey Trousers in the black cotton twill. (I’m not saying pants anymore, for my friends in the UK.) If I could sew these this week, I could wear them with my Halloween Number One Shirt, which was the plan all along. Can I finish these in a week? Doubtful, but I will might try.
I also need to sew project bags from the cotton canvas dyed with black walnut leaves and iron mordant. I’ll be making a sweater sized bag and a shawl sized bag to list in the shop.
What Else is Going On?
I’ve started bullet journaling in earnest. It’s helping me stay organized and I can design it to work with my brain.
This Saturday, I’ll be volunteering with the Central Ohio Weaving and Fiber Arts Guild at the Ohio Craft Museum, leading a make and take activity: a tiny wet-felted pumpkin! This is my sample. I need to organize the materials today so I won’t be stressed about it during the week.
As you may have noticed, I’m not blogging (or crafting) as much. I’ve taken on two part-time, remote jobs. One is temporary, but it will help us make ends meet and get caught up on bills. Working will also impact how much time I have to concentrate on my own business and personal makes. (Survival must come first. Story of my life!) I’m lucky I could take time off to rest and reset, and figure out my GI health. And I’m grateful to be working. The job hunt was deflating.
I’m still sorting out how to create a sustainable routine for myself. It will take practice. And it will mean letting some things go. What about you? Are you thinking of letting some things go? Fall is a great time for that.
Okie in Ohio 
Hmmm. Which knitting requests from loved ones should I let go??? I don’t see that happening! What gets let go is house cleaning/window washing. Love your mini pumpkin.
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I wouldn’t be letting any knitting requests from loved ones go either.
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Love the yarn of your Peaceful Lodge Sweater and the style too. Though I would make the rolled back cuffs a little less clunky. And I would probably add some pockets or a kangaroo pocket hand warmer. But that’s just me, always need a place for the cell and a hanky. Also like the Audrey Pants, and the Loran Jacket that they show a picture of at the website.
Since you asked, this past week I reknit a palm sized burn hole in the back of a fine baby alpaca pullover that had an allover alpaca themed design which turned out great, if I do say so. And I reknit 10+ moth holes in each of 2 ultra fine knit merino tam style caps from New Zealand that a mother was paying to have done for her adult daughter. They were like working on jewelry. Happy to say both mother and daughter were thrilled with the results. That was fun! Of course, there were umpteen plain old moth hole repairs and such last week, too. Each with their own challenge and that I still love doing.
I particularly loved Linda Cortland’s (she of Wilde Fibers) Sunday Read this week about the Vietnamese woman who has discovered how to make a silk from lotus stems. I recommend it highly. It is a subscribed article, but you can try it out for a month for less than $5. Here’s a link if you are interested:
https://www.wildfibersmagazine.com/blog
And I have decided to go with the flow on how to observe all holidays. After years of wishing people would hold off on the start of all major holidays and just plain remember to celebrate Thanksgiving, I will celebrate all holidays whenever I feel like it from here on out! I may have a Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings later this week just to celebrate! 😋
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I like your Thanksgiving plan! I used to subscribe to Wild Fibers. I will have to revisit. I am curious how your mending customers find you?
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About finding customers, they have this thing called ‘the Internet’ and I have had my business online since 2000. 😉 Before that I provided knit repair services to better clothing stores in the Pac NW. I have been in business since before the Internet. Yes, almost the beginning of time. ‘Reknitting’ is a unique skill and there are not too many of us still doing this type of knit repair. It is not mending or darning, per se. I ‘go in’ and recreate all of the damaged and missing stitched in a hole – usually with yarn from the garment. I also do other types of knit repairs and knit alterations. Retrieving yarn is part of the skill of reknitting. I only work on natural fiber knits and 90% of those are fine machine knits. They come in from all over the country and even from overseas. But I don’t talk about my business too much because I am booked through the summer of 2023. I started receiving oodles of knit repairs and alterations during the start of Covid when so many of my long-time customers were stuck home and going through their wardrobes. I am also a decent knitter with quite a bit of experience in it before I learned to do reknitting at a reweaving shop many years ago.
I do enjoy watching how you grow your knitting and other skills Alissa! You are dripping with talent, and I know you will find a place to flourish soon.
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The objective is to take care of “you” first – then all else will fall in place…..Congrats on the new job! Hugs…
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Glad you were able to reset, and congratulations on the new jobs! Your crafty updates are always enjoyable regardless of the number of projects.
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I do love your current knitting projects! I can almost feel that soft sweater! I hope the jobs go well for you and you can maintain a good work-life balance. Hugs!
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Loving all of your projects! I hope you do get time to make those trousers – that pattern looks very wearable. The pesky “work for a living” struggle is real. But I 100% agree that a bullet-type journal really helps me keep on track with things I need/want to do both inside and outside work. Here’s hoping things even out for you soon!
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Oh look at that bullet journal image – awesome!
Lots of nice projects you are working on! The felted pumpkin is adorable!
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That sweater looks so comfy! And I love the colors you picked for the ghost knitter’s shawl, too. I know what you mean about finding a balance for everything… I’m in the middle of working out a re-balancing act, myself. Hopefully it won’t take you long to figure out how you want to handle it!
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Your sweater looks so soft and cozy, and so does your adorable little pumpkin!! I love how your Ghost Knitter’s shawl is turning out – LOVE THOSE COLORS!! So glad to hear that journaling is working out for you – one of the best things about it is that it can be whatever you need it to be. You will find your balance, I know it!
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