October was so busy, it’s almost like it didn’t happen. The month is also the doorway to holiday season, so it just stays busy till January (notice the date this is being posted?). October houses several crucial birthdays, an anniversary, and an important annual trip. And during all of it, not much making happened.
* New Cast-ons:
Lapis- will be ripped out, with the intention of using different contrast yarn
* Works in Progress:
Shatar vest
August 2022 socks
2470 Women’s Lace Border Tank Top
White denim skirt
10 pairs of pajama pants/ shorts
* Goals for next month:
Don’t fail any classes
Rip out Lapis and get new contrast yarn
Figure out and start holiday knitting
Teach Yin to knit
My knitting just didn’t work out this month. I tried. I honestly did. For some reason I just couldn’t get into any project that I worked on this month. Even knitting on the socks wasn’t bringing me joy. I started Lapis after Kristin, of the Voolenvine podcast, brought it to my attention. She had started it, then planned to rip it out. I thought the pattern would be an excellent way to use the gorgeous Ephemera mini set that I bought at Lambtown. I paired it with a charcoal gray Patons Kroy sock yarn, thinking it would moody and Fall-ish. I was wrong. It ended up being a weird color-block stripey thing that simply did not meld the way I had envisioned. This was my Mendocino knitting this year, so it is disappointing that it didn’t work out. I still want to make it, though. I think the top would be incredibly cute and versatile for layering during the cold months. I am leaning toward using a natural color contrast and striping it, instead of the solid block of color like in the pattern. I would also love to keep working on Shatar. I think that will be another excellent layering piece, and it will look scholarly and adorable. The only issue with working on that is that I have to 100% pay attention to what I am doing. This is NOT a T.V. knit. That being said, I haven’t had the time available to dedicate to it. And sewing… I will keep trying to get something out of that machine each month, but I am not sure it going to happen while 1) school is still a thing and 2) the Mother is here often and the bed has to stay down. Yin comes next month, too, so I am thinking the bed will stay down and sewing space won’t be available.
So October… The first weekend was Lambtown. There is a separate post for that, so I won’t bore you by going into detail. That following week was both Mendocino, and our 10th Anniversary. Our trip was so great! I know I say that every year, but this year was incredible. We did new things, like try an amazing Mayan restaurant in Fort Brag (mayanfusion.com), went to the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, and tried out a new beach. We went the new coffee shop (formerly Moody’s) and found that is the same coffee as the previous shop, thank goodness. We went to a lot of the same places: the toy shop, Sea Pal Cove, and the rock shop. The girls got along so well, that it was almost eerie. The hot tub was out of commission, which was heartbreaking, but Ms. Lucy was incredibly generous about it and left us wine and offered a discounted rate for next year’s booking. Our anniversary was very nice. The O’s were kind enough to keep Feebs for us while we went to dinner. We tried the Mendocino Inn’s restaurant for the first time. The food was very good, but we felt that we should have gone back to Mayan Fusion instead (because that place was so amazing). I ordered the whole fish, and good lord, that was a commitment. It was huge! A guy at a neighboring table ordered the same thing, and both were delivered at the same time. We made startled eye contact and I told him that we should have shared one. He laughed, and we both did our level best to finish our dinners. While we were in Mendocino, of course we got our traditional pictures; the three of us in front of the house, the girls in front of the fireplace, and the girls at the beach. For the first time, we had the girls take a picture of the four adults. It was a great picture, and we now have a new memory. Once we got back from the trip, we got a slightly less fast-paced week. I had my EEG (everything looked good), and then Feebs and I spent the weekend at the Father’s house. The Mother changed our plans, so it was not as relaxing and flexible as I had hoped it would be. We saw the youngest niece and nephew, as they stayed with Dad over the next week. I guess I didn’t realize how difficult age 10 is. Once I was exposed to it, and it’s incredibly sassy attitude, I began to reminisce about all of the previous 10 year old’s (me included), and realized that it wasn’t a unique thing. I think all 10 year old’s, especially the female ones, are wretched. Gee, I can’t wait to have one of my own… It was nice to get to talk to them, though. I don’t see them often, and never in a small enough group to have actual conversations. The next week began Birthday Hell Week. The Ladies hosted Ms. V’s 50th birthday party on Tuesday, then Yin turned 20, then the Husband had his birthday, then the Mother had hers. This all happened in one week. It was a very long week. On the Husband’s birthday, we went to the Arnocorps show with the U boys. We had a fantastic night! The rest of the weekend was spend making the Mother happy. The following week was Halloween, and Feebs decided to be Harley Quin. She was stuck between that and Poison Ivey. Her penchant for villainesses makes me slightly nervous for the future. We went trick or treating with the FH group, which was really nice. and Feebs make out like a bandit with candy.
So then, finally, the month was over. It was so packed. I feel like I am forgetting to document some stuff, but… such is life. October is always like this, and I hope it never changes. It was a really good month. I hope to do more making next month, but with work and school, I am putting no pressure. I want to get over this semester’s hurdles, then I can figure out what life will be like next semester. More excitement and adventure to come.
Loves,
M
Mrs. Collins Makes Stuff 