not a lot of concentration

I was feeling okay on Friday until late afternoon.  Then the cold hit.  And it is still hanging on.  

I found that I just wanted to sit in my rocking chair and read or lay in bed in read.  Because when I was not reading I was sleeping.  There were a few minutes where I was spinning and this yarn was created.  I pulled out a crochet hook and started a shawl.  It is one of those few things that I seem to have the energy and concentration for.  Whenever I try to do something at a normal speed, I have to slow way down and my head get fuzzy easily.  I will get better.  And hopefully there will be more yarn made and more work on the shawl done.

not quite climb every mountain

I was wandering around pinterest and saw the Climb Every Mountain sweater.  The sweater is a bit of a poncho and it was knitted.  Which I really do not enjoy.  I decided to give it a try converting it to crochet.  

Not half bad.  I think it is a little full from the picture but it does not feel that full on.  Koda Bear actually likes to wear it which is fairly odd.  I used Cascade yarn 220 sport in straw.  I did not even make the yarn.  How odd again!

If I were to do this again, I think I would use a lace weight yarn and maybe a smaller hook.  Maybe not as full but it is hard to lose the fullness and get the right shape.  I think I would put a long sleeve t-shirt on underneath it to wear as a mid layer when cool starts.  I think it would be good for driving because I can never figure out where my sleeves should be.

I will give it a try but I may end up ripping it out.  Decreasing the fullness may be needed.  Or it just may not be right.  But then I do not mind experimentation, obviously!  If I rip it out, I have a new crocheting project to keep my hands busy.

I am such a klutz today.  I just spilled my tea.  Sigh!

rain

Working during the week and traveling every weekend for six weeks has finally caught up with.  Since  my hours at work were cut, I can consistently travel which I have been doing.  Time to do that type of thing has been one of those bits I have wanted more of.  But it does mean that the rest of life can get away from you.

This was the first weekend, since my weekends start on Friday, that I have woken up in my own bed with no place to rush off to.  It felt so strange.  But then there were just tasks that needed to take place that make living better.  I now have empirical proof, after working on the monthly books, that if I do not eat out I can travel and still put moneys away for a rainy day or a new project.  That is just a pretty lovely thing to know!

After I waded through more then a month of financial papers, due to have my life strewn over half the country, I got to sit down at my spinning wheel with Rain.  Rain is the name of the male sheep whose fleece I am spinning.  My hands were deeply aching today but I was able to spend about an hour working with the fiber.  I got a half a spindle spun.

I also got a sweater started.  I now it is only a couple rows but this couple rows came after multiple experiments for starting the sweater.  I had a hard time deciding what I wanted or how big it should be.  There still may be a mock turtleneck to be added but I decided to wait and see.  I am hoping to have something I can tramp through the woods in or wear on my walks under a waterproof.  

I need to walk more.  My joints and muscles are saying that.  Having two arthritis conditions does make life interesting.  My energy has been very low this week and I find it has been hard to go for walks.  I just may need a few more days of rest and walking slower.  I can do that!  Take more time at my spinning wheel.

modified calm cowl

When I was on the mountain, I picked up some gradient yarn from Huckleberry Knits.  I like the NW Handpun a lot and they are close to the mountain.  The yarn is basically a superwash sock yarn with a nice weight.  

I made a calm cowl for the Tall Short Person and I had been wearing a Buff a lot this spring.  I decided to change the calm cowl a bit.  I made it so I did not need it to loop.  I have pictures on my camera that I made that of one that is not so tall.  But I loved the colours here of this yarn so I decided to use all the yardage.  It was a good project that I did not have to think about during the whole automobile breakdown experience.  The picture above was taken in a park in Utah.

The colours are just so pretty.

It will keep my neck warm which is a plus, especially when wearing a coat or sweater.  I can put it underneath or above a shawl.  I am not a scarf person because they do not keep between my shoulder blades warm.  

I wished I had put this picture on Instagram.  I like it so much better then the one I did.  I have no practice taking selfies.

WIP destruction!

Many months ago, I purchased the Wool and The Gang for their quarterback sweater.  It speaks to me.  But it is knit, so I have been converting it to crochet.  Even though it is basically rectangles, it has been a harder convert for my head then some of the more complicated conversions I have done.  I was down to one sleeve yet I was having a very difficult time picking it up to finish.

Yesterday morning, I was soaking in salt water (it helps me to move easier) and got to pondering.  I really liked the stitch pattern I had been using in the Calm Cowl.   Both the Calm Cowl and the other sweater I have been converting from knit have a bit of eyelet pattern.  I like the detail.  

I then took measurements of the bit of the sweater I had done.  It was longer then the pattern and narrow enough that I might not wear it.  I like things that skim nicely but do not cling.  This would have clung and I would have only had a few select dresses that I could have worn under it.  

I am ripping it out.  It is actually not the first time.  I even started the sweater again and had to rip a bit out already.  Twice!  I get laughed at about this because I do not even get frustrated anymore.  It is just part and parcel of converting a sweater from knit to crochet and having something that you are willing to wear later.  Actually, it is part and parcel of my crocheting most of the time.

We are off to a large Maker's Fair this weekend.  Put on by Make magazine.  I am hoping for inspiration. If nothing else, I get two nights in a tent.  With tea.  No toast though.  I can be very simple.