Wips & Whimsy #1
Welcome to the very first WIPs & Whimsy.
I've had the idea for KnittyAndNerdy bouncing around in my head for a long time. I finally decided it was time to stop thinking about it and actually build it. I wanted a place to share my projects with people who understand why the yarn matters.
My friends and family are wonderfully supportive of my crafting. They admire the finished projects and always tell me how beautiful they are. But most of them don't ask about the yarn, the pattern, or the stitch count. They don't know why finding the perfect colorway feels like striking gold or why I might spend an entire evening debating hook sizes.
I wanted a place to document the things I make, the books I read, the games I play, and all the little side quests that seem to fill my days. If a community grows here, wonderful. If not, that's okay too. At the very least, I'll have a scrapbook of a life filled with creativity, humor, and too much yarn.
So let's begin.
Current WIPs
Like many crafters, I have several projects in progress. Four of them are currently active, although one has recently staged a hostile takeover of my crafting time.
My current priority project is a baby blanket for a former coworker's first grandchild. It's the Luxe Bamboo Baby Blanket from Hobbii, worked in Rainbow Bamboo in the colorway Dusty Pine with a 3 mm hook.
I'm about 30% finished, which felt pretty good until I realized the baby is due any day now.
Suddenly this project became my main squeeze.
The good news is that the filet crochet pattern is repetitive enough that I've memorized it, which meant I was able to make quite a bit of progress while administering EOG testing. There are only so many standardized tests a person can stare at before counting crochet stitches becomes the more exciting option.
This blanket has been hanging around for nearly a year, but this time I am determined to finish it.
I'm working Toni Lipsey's Mocha Ripple Afghan using Hobbii Amigo Chunky on an 8 mm hook. The colors are lavender, vintage pink, dusty green, sky blue, and silver blue, and together they make me ridiculously happy.
I'm probably around 80% finished now.
One of the best milestones in blanket-making is when the blanket becomes large enough to function as a blanket while you're making it. As someone who is perpetually cold, this is a major accomplishment.
Unfortunately, my cats have also discovered this feature.
They like to crawl underneath the blanket and nap at my feet while I crochet. They are far less enthusiastic when I have to flip the blanket over to continue working. Apparently, I am disrupting important cat business.
The Gerhard Sweater by Kolibri by Johanna is technically finished.
Well.
Knitter finished.
The sweater itself is done, but the ends still need to be woven in, which means it remains in crafting limbo.
This sweater was made for my best friend Rosa, who is moving to Wisconsin in a month. Since she's as Southern as they come, I suspect this will not be the last sweater I make for her.
One thing I loved about this project was working the stripes. There was always one more stripe to reach, which made the project feel like a series of small victories.
The Butterfly (Papillon) Shawl is also finished.
Mostly.
The shawl is complete. The ends are not.
That's a future-me problem.
This project deserves an entire post of its own because it ended up meaning far more to me than I expected, both as a knitter and as a person. For now, I'll simply say that this shawl has a story, and I'll share it soon.
Books & Board Games
Today I finished the Nightbane series by Alex Aster.
I have complicated feelings.
The series had all the right ingredients, but for me, it wasn't cooked quite right. After the first book, I wasn't entirely convinced. But the ingredients were there, and apparently that was enough to keep me reading all four books.
Overall, I enjoyed the journey, even if it won't be making my all-time favorites list.
Today I started The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, which has been recommended to me approximately a thousand times. My expectations are probably unfairly high at this point, but I'm excited to finally see what all the fuss is about.
As for board games, things have been a little quiet lately. My family's monthly game day is coming up soon, though, so hopefully I'll have more to report next month.
I did, however, purchase some new phonics games for my students, and Squishyland has been an absolute hit. My kids are obsessed with it, and honestly, I can't blame them.
Life Lately
Life has been a little messy lately.
Actually, life has been messy for a while.
I've spent the last year working my way through a depressive episode, and one of my biggest projects recently has been cleaning my house.
It's not glamorous work.
Every room comes with a little guilt attached to it because I let things get farther than I wanted. But every completed room also brings relief.
There's a children's song that keeps running through my head:
"Can't go over it. Can't go under it. Can't go around it. Got to go through it."
That's what this season has felt like.
Room by room.
Pile by pile.
One small step at a time.
The good news is that almost every room in the house is finally clean.
The bad news?
The one major exception is my craft room.
Of course it's my craft room.
Side Quest of the Month
My current obsession has absolutely nothing to do with yarn.
I've recently learned how to make origami lucky stars.
These tiny paper stars are consuming an alarming amount of my free time.
The goal is to fill five small clear glass vases that sit on my dining room table.
I'd probably be much farther along by now if I wasn't such a pushover.
Unfortunately, every time one of my students sees me making stars and asks for one, I immediately hand it over.
At this rate, the vases may never be full.
Until Next Time
Before the next WIPs & Whimsy, I'd love to finish the baby blanket, weave in approximately a million ends, make some progress on the ripple afghan, and maybe reclaim my craft room.
No promises on that last one.
May your yarn never tangle and your side quests be rewarding,
~Ally
