Ah, November… Girl, you were fire. You burned hot, and you burned fast. It is crazy how much was packed into that month. Was there a large amount of making completed? Absolutely not. Did I blaze trails with cast-ons and check off more Bingo Card boxes? No, ma’am. I completed exactly one thing, and it was a small thing. The year is almost over, and I have several knitting boxes left to check, and not a single sewing box was checked at all. But honestly, I don’t care. November was good.
Finished Objects:
Self-designed ribbed hat. I knit this using Life in the Long Tall Grass in the colorway Truffel. This was a quick pickup (I even had to have the yarn wound) at Stephen & Penelope. It was supposed to be knit for me, but I knit it too short to fold back, so it has become day #25 in Feebs’s advent calendar.
New Cast-ons:
Vanilla uni-sock
Works in Progress:
Shatar Vest
Knit House Cardigan
Home camisole
Goals for next month:
Expand sizing on ribbed hat
Set goals for 2024
Review goals from 2023
Sew one thing before the year ends
Survive the holidays
I can’t say why I was so off this month. I started the uni-sock (which is a cast on toe, knit to the end of a bound off toes, then cut in half then add heals and cuffs.) I got the idea to do this to use up the whole ball of yarn and not have to fuss with splitting the yarn in half and measuring. I also worked on the Home Camisole but kind of stalled out when I realized it was too big for me. I need to get back to it. I think I may finish it and see who it fits. This is the second Cadrie top I have knit that is too big for me. I would love to blame the designer, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it was a user error both times. I got word that I wouldn’t be allowed to knit on the flight, so I prepared for the worst. I did pack the sneaky sock, but I also didn’t have much elbow room on the way there, so I got almost nothing done. Once we got there, I realized it was really cold, and I didn’t bring a hat. That prompted me to pick up a skein of yarn and draft a pattern. Naturally, it was too short once it was done, and I still didn’t get to wear it. I can’t seem to fall in love with anything I am making lately, so I will just have to keep casting on till I do. Knitting the V-neck Boxy did nothing to spark joy, and while I am glad I have the sweater, I vow to never knit it again. I have decided to frog the Slippy V shawl and the Blue Ridge Cowl. I can’t get any traction on the Knit House Cardigan, but that is because I don’t love the yarn. I love the idea of knitting with Paton Worsted yarn, but I never really love the end product. I used it to knit an Andi Satterlund pattern, and it is scratchy and sheds red flecks every time I wear it. I have a feeling it will be the same with the black yarn. In fact, I snagged a ball to knit a hat for the husband, and it shed to the point that I ripped it out and bought a different yarn (side note: Busy Stix in Lafayette is charming). So, my new goal is to find something that makes me excited about knitting again. I also have one month left to sew something before the entire year is a wash. I am not exactly disappointed with myself. I just haven’t been able to get over my fear of starting something new. I will get there in good time. I will get myself to the point where I need to be to find joy in sewing again. I will find something that I really want to make and be motivated to do it. I may even start with my mending pile and see if that sparks an urge to create.
The month of November was very full. It started with an incredible trip up to Red Bluff to see A & A. She had an art show, and we had the privilege of attending. I bought a really beautiful graphic print for Lou Hoo’s birthday and a gorgeous colored pencil drawing of primrose that I think will be my next tattoo. The O’s were supposed to go, but the male of the group got covid, and they had to cancel. We had such a nice time with A & A, though. We were introduced to the coolest meta shop, The Broom Closet, and many treasures were purchased. The weekend after that was Veteran’s Day weekend. The holiday allowed me to spend that Friday with Sister #3 in our hometown. That was such a lovely day. Note to self: the Napa Goodwill and church charity shops are fantastic! At lunch, we ran into our favorite high school teacher. This man was instrumental in my actually graduating from high school. He is an absolute darling, and I am so glad we reconnected. We will get together in December. Saturday was a day for running errands and getting ready for our big trip. We had Friendsgiving dinner with the trick-or-treat crew on Sunday at the McC’s house. We had so much fun. The kids all played together, and the parents got to talk. It was a very relaxing time. That week was all about wrapping up work and getting set to be gone over Thanksgiving. Our trip was delightful (there is a separate post for the trip). We learned lessons and made memories and can’t wait to expand our world more. The week after the trip was very exhausted and a bit blurry. The things I would normally do right after Thanksgiving were postponed till after we got back. Things like putting together Feebs’s advent calendar, putting up decorations, and getting our Christmas cards ordered and sent out the door all had to be squeezed into the 4 short days between November and December 1. Feebs’s calendar starts on December 1, so there wasn’t much time to lose. I definitely felt like I was scrambling. We/ I have decided that we are setting some financial goals for 2024, so no big travel will happen. We’ll count one of the two that we did this year as a credit toward next year. Hopefully, we will get to go on another trip in 2025.
So, I think that concludes November without getting into some of the topics that will have their own posts shortly (Amsterdam, goals for next year, etc.). I will continue looking for a knitting project that makes my soul smile. I will keep looking for the courage to just sew something. I will continue juggling the very many parts of my life that I am terrified will drop if I slow down or relax. Basically, I will just be me and keep on trucking. I am going into this new year with an uncomfortable yet appropriate word of the year and a whole new set of goals. I am going to make this next month a good one and see 2023 out with a smile and a sigh of relief. So, come on, December, I am ready for what you have to throw at me.
Loves,
M
Mrs. Collins Makes Stuff 