It was a fairly quiet week in the way of classes and appointments. A nice change from the constant running of the past few weeks! We did go to the zoo with friends on Friday but that was about it.
Jaunty
Only added a few rows this week. Hoping to have this done soon. I’m ready to start the next one! The cool tones yarn is really calling to me! I’m holding off until this one is finished so I don’t abandon it.
Socks
Not much has changed here. Haven’t worked on these this week.
Spinning
Currently working on some red merino I had in stash. I need to finish it so I can clear my bobbins. This spin has not been my favorite as the staple is shorter than I’m used to and has been giving me some trouble.
Felix
I’ve long admired the Felix pattern and have finally started one. I’m using. In a maroon colorway.
Another busy few weeks with more driving time than knitting time. It’s just the season we’re in. Road trip #1: Babygirl had a regional competition for a club she’s in. They placed 2nd and are now prepping for states.
Roadtrip #2: This past weekend we took a trip out to Myrtle Beach (South Carolina). Hubs wanted to go to a big car show (Run to the Sun), and I have a friend who lives out there. It was a fabulous weekend! Another friend came down and they all surprised me with an early birthday celebration!
Weekender
This one is sitting out until I get back to the sleeves for my daughter.
Jaunty
Still going with this one. Hoping to have it finished in April.
Socks
Took these to the car show for when I was walking around. Added a bit to the leg and I’m now ready to start the heel.
Spinning
This will be washed this week and put away for Jaunty #2. I’m excited to get to this one!
Acquisitions
I have the best friends and family. Definitely felt all the love this weekend. I received all of this goodness for my birthday. Some new to me yarn and fiber along with some old favs! I am blessed to have such great people in my life. it was a weekend full of love and laughter!
It’s been two weeks of not a lot of crafting time. I’ve worked a bit on each of my projects, but really couldn’t dedicate much time to crafting as a whole.
Weekender
Finished the body… and it doesn’t fit. It’s a me problem, not a pattern problem. I was making the largest size I could with the yarn I have. Which just would have fit had I not gained some more weight since starting the sweater. So, the body is finished and it’s in a bit of a time out. I’m going to finish the sleeves so my daughter can wear it in the Fall. And maybe by then I’ll have lost the extra weight. (At this point I do not “give” my daughter wool sweaters, she “borrows” them. This way they get returned to me for proper laundering and do not end up felted. )
Jaunty
Still going strong with this one. Loving the smoosh factor so much I just purchased the Inclinations Shawl (also by Andrea Mowry) because it’s the same stitch pattern.
Socks
Socks are finished!
I’ve started two new pairs of a new to me sock pattern. I’ll be meeting up with some knitting friends later in the month and we’ll be going to an all day walking event. I need some plain vanilla socks to knit on while we walk. My plan is to get the cuffs done before we meet up. The pattern is Vanilla Is The New Black. I’m intrigued by the heel. It does not require picking up stitches. More on these next week.
Spinning
I’m finished spinning my Cool Tones braid. I’m planning to ply this week. I’ve been intentionally taking this slowly because I really want to knit a Jaunty from it. BUT I NEED to finish my first Jaunty so it doesn’t end up in the UFO pile.
It has been a long week of classes over here. The upcoming week is more relaxing so I’m looking forward to it before March begins. March is one of those crazy busy months for us. Looking forward to a week of downtime before it all begins.
Weekender
Up to the neck bind off on the front, which will be completed today. Then it’s one to the sleeves. I don’t think I’ll be able to finish this by the end of the month. I’m now aiming for the first week in March.
Jaunty
Continuing right along with this. I’m on the decreases and excited to finish this one so I can start the next!
Socks
Heel is done and decreases are complete. I’m at the round and round part of the foot. Saving this one for co-op this week. I didn’t get to add too much to it last week as we were doing a hands on activity.
Spinning
I have one last bobbin to spin to finish up my next Jaunty yarn. It’s about 2 ounces. I’m hoping to spin it this week and ply/wash it next week.
First 2 bobbins spun and plied
Acquisitions
This week’s acquisition was some new fiber. I’ve decided I’m going to participate in the Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em Passport program. It’s a way for me to experience some new to me wools and help raise awareness of some heritage breeds.
The program is through the Livestock Conservancy. Details can be found here: Shave Em to Save Em.
My goal is to (eventually) spin all the breeds in the passport. (There are 23 breeds on the current endangered list, but I believe 24 in the passport as a breed was removed from the list last year.)
The first breed I’m starting with is the Black Welsh. I received my fiber yesterday. It’s a lovely color. The fiber is soft, but also a bit more coarse than anything I’ve worked with. I ordered a pound to see how much yarn I can get out of a pound. I’m just starting to measure/take note of these things.
It’s been a busy two weeks! Nothing too exciting, just life catching up with us. Last week was one of those “why do I bother to plan weeks?”. Nothing horrible, but a series of pop-up events that had to be addressed immediately: Washing machine stopped working correctly- but hey we fixed that one with a crochet hook!, refrigerator that went into “vacation mode” by itself, emergency orthodontist appointment (wire popped out), gutter that needed to be adjusted because the snow pushed it out, chicken waterers that kept freezing… Just small annoying things that just ate up time.
About the washing machine, because I know someone will ask: it stopped draining completely. The wash cycle would end, but the clothes were still sitting in a few inches of water. Google and YouTube to the rescue. My husband googled most common reasons for this. We made a list in order of most frequently occurring that we felt we could handle ourselves. My husband YouTube’d some tutorials and we started experimenting. First two weren’t the cause of our problem. When we got to number 3, he said “I need something with a really small diameter that I can get into this tube to see if it’s clogged.” Well, a thread crochet hook did the trick! It was the perfect size and able to clear the clog. I now have a fully functioning washer again and we saved ourselves the service fee.
Weekender
Almost finished with the back. I’m on the bind off/put live stitches on other needles row. That’ll be done later today so I can start knitting the front.
Jaunty
I’ve started the decrease section. Still loving this and looking forward to making another. The fabric is so soft and squishy!
Socks
Pulled out a pair of hibernating socks so I’d have a portable project for co-op this past week. Finished the leg while there, so I’m working to get the heel done this weekend. This way I’ll be set for co-op again on Tuesday. Socks are the perfect project for knitting while helping out. This is the second sock, so I should have a completed project soon.
Spinning
Enjoying spinning my cool tones braid but I’m almost finished. I plied the first two bobbins for a total of 170 yards. I’m almost finished with bobbin 3, then I’ll be moving onto the last bobbin. I’m hoping to have that done next week. Then I can ply and set the week after. I’ll post pictures next week.
This week’s acquisitions are spinning related. I purchased some fiber. My friend had this beautiful black art yarn. An internet search led me to a new to me shop for fiber. I purchased 80 ounces each in purple and natural with silk flecks. Both are new to me blends. I’m thinking about doing a combo spin of the purple with a solid lavender for a Traveller sweater. Still in the planning stage and I need to find a lavender, so we’ll see.
Other Crafting
Our monthly sewing class was this weekend. We had a zoom due to the library being used for early voting. We made hand sewn pin cushions.
Last week I finally made my 100 Acre Project bag. it was a Summer of Stitching Project with the Bakery Bears Patreon. It was a fun project. I’m really happy with the size. It’s currently home to my Jaunty, when I finish that I will be gathering all my scraps for the 100 Acre blanket and putting it in there (and getting back to knitting that project 😉 ).
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hoping for a quieter week that allows for more crafting this upcoming week!
Well, Mother Nature is having a moment here. We got hit with 10 inches of snow last night. (That was my last measurement before bed.). I’ll remeasure later when I’m ready to face the cold.
I couldn’t get an accurate measurement this morning due to drifting. Pretty sure we didn’t get much more last night as our local news is reporting 10 for our area.
It’s going to be another upside down week with cancellations and things switching to virtual. (North Carolina does not have the resources to deal with this the way northern states do, because it doesn’t happen often.)
Weekender
Add a few rows to this. This was not a focus this week. I’ll be working on it more this upcoming week because my goal is to finish this one in February. No picture as there is not a noticeable difference.
Jaunty
Still loving this pattern! I’ve added a bit to this during the week. I’m already spinning more yarn to make another.
Party Cardigan
It’s DONE! Super excited to have finished this one. Just in time for our crazy low temps this week. It’ll be getting a lot of wear for sure. This is a great pattern and I love the yarn, so soft and squishy.
Riggies Vest
I have frogged this and will be adding something else to the rotation in its place. I still like the pattern and love that it’s garter stitch, but I’m not loving the yarn with the pattern. I’m going to put this to the side for a bit and think of a different yarn choice.
Spinning
Started spinning a new braid. Environments Cool Tones Braid. It’s blues, greens, purples. Got a few tips from friend after my last spin. Implemented what they told me and I’m happy with the way this one is spinning up. It’s thinner, more consistent, and has more twist than my previous spin.
Other Crafting
Last Saturday we had our monthly sewing class. We made Japanese Knot Bags. It was a lot of fun!
I also took a diamond art class this week. We made bookmarks. It was fun for something different. For me, a bookmark is the perfect size. I can’t see myself doing anything bigger.
That’s all over here. Hope everyone stays warm and gets lots of craft time this week.
What a week! We’re currently in the beginning hours of an ice storm. We’re under an ice storm watch until 1pm Monday with most precipitation expected today (Sunday). Much time was spent on storm prep this week, This is an unusual event for our area (North Carolina) and the first time it’s been predicted to be this severe in the six years we’ve been here. I’m not really sure how I got so much crafting done!
Weekender
Currently working the back of the sweater to do the shoulder shaping. I was hoping to have this finished in January, but February is more realistic. I’ve updated my goal on this one to finish the body in January, leaving the sleeves for February.
Note to self: use a better background next time
Jaunty
Loving this project!! I’ve finished the spinning and am currently working on the knitting. It’s so exciting using my own handspun. I’m also really enjoying the half fisherman’s rib, it’s a new to me stitch. I’m already planning my next Jaunty!
Party Cardigan
Sleeves have been attached and I’ve started the ribbing. Looking forward to getting this one off the hook and being able to wear it! This winter is proving to be pretty cold so it’ll be a great addition to the wardrobe.
Riggies Vest
Enjoying the garter ridge of this one. I purchased this pattern due to the construction. I took it to the library the other day while my daughter had a class. It’ll probably become my go to project for her class time for the next little while.
Stash Enhancement
Part of my storm prep this week was heading to Michael’s to pick up some yarn. My plan is to start a patchwork cardigan on my knitting machine. I’ve made exactly one hat so far so I wanted to stick with a yarn most people say works great with the machine. Being that it’s Lion Brand Pound of Love I’m thinking more grams in than out this month for sure… Oh well,. 😂
Here’s my first hat on the machine, made with Lion Brand Pound of Love in Denim.
The cold weather has returned. We have a very slight chance of some snow flurries today. I’m in North Carolina, so snow is big when it happens here. Being from New York I don’t mind snow here. Mother Nature takes care of cleanup herself. :). It’s not an ordeal with shovels and a snowblower. We’ve been here 6 years and have only had a dusting a few times.
Weekender
Progress… I picked it up, measured it and determined I am ready to work one side at a time now. This will be in tomorrow’s knitting rotation.
Jaunty
This is where I have spent my time this week. I have spun the last two bobbins and will ply them together today.
I started knitting with the first yarn I’ve spun up for this. This is the first time I’m knitting with my handspun. So.much.fun! I am really enjoying this project.
Color Palette Socks
First finished object of 2026. Super fun project! This was a Christmas caston with some friends. I completed them last night. I’m already picking out colors for my next pair.
On blocker: wet sock Other is dry (unblocked)
Party Cardigan
I’ve been working on the second sleeve. Unfortunately, I got distracted by a new project. So I’m going to set the goal of having the sleeves connected to the body by the end of the week. After that it just needs the ribbing. So close!
Sleeve 2
The Riggies Vest
Yup, I started a new project. There’s something about this vest that just kept calling to me. I’m intrigued by the construction. I don’t know if it’s that or the fact that it’s a garter stitch project. Either way, it has been cast on. It’s a good project to have on the needles this week as my daughter has a number of classes which equals waiting time for me. I’ll be bringing this along.
I did a deep stash drive for this one! I’m using Bernat Satin Solids which was purchased at AC Moore on clearance. I paid $1.49 a skein.
Stash Enhancement
I do have a goal of January/February no yarn/fiber purchases. So far so good on purchases. But the yarn I ordered (Thanksgiving weekend) for my friends and I for Christmas was finally dyed and ready for pickup. So, I did have 100 grams come in. I’ll share a photo next week as the yarn is currently on the way to my friends and I don’t want to spoil the surprise.
Yesterday I won an auction for an Addi circular knitting machine. Tomorrow is pickup day so I’m looking forward to exploring some things to make with it.
Re-entry to school and work has been rough. We enjoyed a nice long vacation and were able to travel home for Christmas. We’re slowly getting back to our routine.
This past week has been beautiful weather wise and we were finally able to meet up with some of our homeschool friends at the park. A few are still down with the flu :(. We have not been able to meetup since before the holidays due to all the stuff going around. Hoping that we’ll all be able to meet up this week!
Weekender
I did not work on this one at all.
Color Palette Socks
Moving right along on these. Shouldn’t be too much longer until they’re finished. I’m loving how these are working up, I can see making more of these in the future.
Jaunty Along
Still working on the spinning for this one. I was able to spin about 1/2 a bobbin this week.
UFO focus: Party Cardigan
I’ve spent some time sewing the sleeve pieces together this week. I’m excited to get the sleeves attached so I can crochet the border. Looking forward to wearing this sweater soon!
Garden
Yes, a garden update. It has been unseasonably warm here. We’ve had a few days with upper 60 degree temperatures and a day where we hit 70 degrees. It has been wonderful! I’ve been trying to spend some knit/crochet time outside each day.
On two of the days I was able to get out and spend some time cleaning up the garden. I’ve got one garden box cleared and ready for new soil/compost and another area prepped to put a new garden box down in the Spring.
I was hoping to get the garden bed full of soil this weekend, and planted next week (strawberries and/or onions) but Mother Nature has decided we need some rain. So I think that’s going to be pushed to next week.
Starting off 2026 with some crafting goals. Focusing on 3 current WIPs and a UFO pulled from my master list of projects. I believe anything on needles is listed, I’m still working on linking the projects to project pages. And in some cases creating them.
Current WIPs: my Weekender. Color Palette Socks, and the Jaunty Along. UFO focus: Party Cardigan.
Weekender by Andrea Mowry. This is the second one I’m making. Love the fit of my first, it’s like a comfy sweatshirt. The yarn is a deep stash dive. I’m using Little Barn Down Under Wool from Kansas Yarn Barn. It was purchased at Rhinebeck in 2008.
Color Palette. Socks. This was a gift from a friend for the 12 Days of Christmas. Our friend group is doing this as a Christmas cast on. The natural color yarn is Stratus by Knomad yarn, the other yarns are a mystery (possibly madtosh, but no labels).
First sock was finished on New Year’s Eve and I cast on for the second on New Year’s Day. I’m absolutely loving this pattern! I can see making this one again.
I’ve jumped into the Jaunty Along. This will be my first Jaunty and my first time spinning yarn for a project. I started spinning the yarn when I returned home from Christmas travel. I’m using 8 ounces of BFL from Kansas Yarn Barn. Hoping I can keep it consistent enough for this project. It’s been a long time since I’ve used my wheel. (And I’ve never knitted any of the yarn I’ve spun.) Looking forward to the monthly meetups and actually getting back to spinning with this one!
Spun 2 bobbins, then plied them together. It’s spinning up as a worsted. I plan to knit half of my yarn, then begin decreasing.
UFO focus: Patchwork Party Cardi. It’s absolutely ridiculous that I have not finished this yet. I’m currently sewing up the sleeve pieces, then it just needs the border. This one needs to be completed ASAP. It’s sooooo close!
Looking forward to getting organized and get ting some of there long term WIPs? UFOs? off my project list! (I’d love to know how you define a UFO… how much time does it have to sit before it stops be coming a WIP?)
Carolina Tales 