You guys

I finished big scary designation #1.  I'm so happy to be done.  Now I'm knitting a brioche cowl that I just effed up.

Tink tink tink.  Son of a bitch.

Well, this isn't ideal.

I'm getting like 30 minutes less sleep on a daily basis.  If htis continues, in very short order, I will have given up sleep full stop.

Related:  Due to increased lack of sleep, I've really ramped up my caffeine consumption.  I LOVE COFFEE.

I got up at 4:30 this morning but not out of bed until 4:52.  I made delicious coffee and started my day.

Two cups in, husband killed the pot and made the next one using the cheap coffee he prefers.  My third and fourth cups of coffee were less delicious.

Side note:  I'm doing a self taper on depression and anxiety meds because they don't seem to help me.  I plan to replace this with yoga, meditation and cardio.  I'm all about self care.

On the knitting front, I've been knitting the hell out of the tulip tank but also studying on course from hell 7 of 9.  So weekday knitting is largely out.

I added like 40 podcasts to my follow list and so I'm WAY behind on my listening.  It will probably take about 2 months to fully catch up.

I picked up some roving to spin for Sara's Christmas present.  I'm pretty jazzed to get working on that.  It's going to be random.  I am aiming for light fingering two ply.  I need a better wheel so that i can spin it all laceweight and then ply it to sock or better with a kate.

Dude, I started it in MAY

Today, I sewed the buttons on the cutest baby sweater known to man.  It's in the kitchen right now, hanging out in wool wash, being all spectacular and shit.  You don't have to believe me, see for yourself.

I freaking love that shawl collar more than life.

As I mentioned in one of my less verbose posts, I have bad news for that tank top.  The one it was supposed to be is a memory for this yarn and I'm working on this Tulip Tank Top

If I don't fuck it up, it will look like this from the back.

 

 Of course, Purl Soho, where that image is borrowed from, is far better at all things yarn than I.

So, what are you working on?

Crackhead Sleeve

You guys.  I totally made the sleeve.  I'm already starting with the congratulatory self back patting except I still have to make one more just like it.    After that it calls for...

• Joining the back and the fronts at the shoulder.  
• Picking up and knitting the button band and shawl collar
• Joining the back and fronts at the sides
• Joining the sleeves to the vest
• Mattress stitching the sleeves
• Buying wee little buttons
• Sewing on the wee little buttons

Likely dying of cute.   Those bullet points above aren't in the right order. 

This morning, we got a late start, but still headed over to the farmer's market.  On our way to it, we swung by Collectivo where I got a large iced coffee.  Only about 20 ounces but oh so delicious.
Our first stop was Stella's to pick up some Spicy Hot Cheese Bread.  We each had about two good tears of bread when the kid asked that we pick up some cheese curds.  NO PROBLEMO!  He picked out garlic dill curds.

I  noticed that there were two vendors selling wool. Knitting is becoming very vogue.  I'm starting to feel like I'm not special.  Of course I investigated the wool, even though I'm on the worst kind of diet.  A yarn diet.  One was selling only finished naturally dyed wool and one was selling finished wool and some roving.  The roving was pretty itchy and you know I'm too delicate to spin or knit with itchy wool.

 As we went around we also picked up a ton of amazing looking veggies.  We got tomatoes, sweet corn, jalapenos, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and a kohlrabi.  So this week's food plan is delicious, delicious veggies.

There were tons of street performers playing up and down state street, including someone playing the pan flute!  Ahh Madison, I love you.

After we left the market, we walked through the capitol building.  It was super busy in there. Triggered my anxiety pretty solidly, so I was glad to head out of there.   Then we headed down State Street.  We stopped to watch someone juggling while spinning a hula hoop.  I mean, the coordination is impressive, but the performer that used to occupy that spot was a delightful street magician.  I miss that guy.  On the way back to the car, decided to walk through the Overture Center.  There we checked the upcoming  shows, walked through the museum store (which I love) and then walked through the gallery.  Today's installation was a little highbrow for me, if I'm being honest.


It was getting to be lunchtime, so we were heading to Sol's on the square, which is on the opposite direction from our car, but carrying all the veggies around was kind of a burden so we hopped in the car and put our lovely veggies in the trunk and moved the car to a more favorable parking space for lunch.  At Sol's I had the bibimbap along with the complimentary soup and sides they bring when you order.  I was delighted to learn that all but the fish cakes were vegetarian.  I love their kimchi and cucumbers.  But bibimbap is pretty much my favorite food.  Look how pretty it is.

I was so full from aforementioned cheese curds and cheese bread that I really only ate like 4 bites of my lunch.  I took the rest home and had about half of it for dinner.  The rest will make a fantastic lunch tomorrow!

Heading back to the car after lunch, Deven had to pee pretty urgently, so we dropped into Ancora coffee roasters to use their facilities.  I can never just use a restroom somewhere, so I picked up a pomegranate green iced tea but they accidentally poured me an iced coffee.  I almost said "HEY GUY, EVEN BETTER!"  but it was after noon and if you read much of this blog you will see that I have to be preeeetty careful about my coffee consumption because of insomnia.  So he gave me the iced coffee for the husband and I happily sipped away at my green tea. I get it that green tea has plenty of caffeine on it's own, but humor me here.

So, today was a good day. I mean, I could have used more coffee. I can always use more coffee.  But it was alright, really.

How was your Saturday?

You guys

I'm going to work on the crackhead sleeve today. Maybe.

I've got bad news for that tanktop

It's going to get frogged sooner than later.

I'm working on it, anyway.

I just got back from visiting my family in the motherland (Iowa.)  Husband couldn't come along with us, but my kid came with me this time.  He enjoyed some quality cousin time.  I hung out with my sisters, drank a lot of beer, said "fuck" a lot and threatened to steal puppies. For reals.  Someday my sister is going to be missing Mavis and I will be up here teaching that adorable little shit to high five when the Badgers score.

I brought some knitting along with me but didn't make a ton of progress.  it was mostly along for the ride. My slump is pretty hard core these days.  I worked a bit on the left front of the baby sweater down there, but otherwise hadn't really made any progress.  Also, I suck at pattern reading so I tore out much of what I worked on over there.

When I got home, my textbooks for course from hell #7 (of 9) came in and all of a sudden I am "KNIT ALL THE TIME!"  Procrastination is a powerful tool.  I'd rather do almost anything rather than work on that class.   for example, I cleaned my kitchen.  So in 4 months when I have to test or die.  I'm going to be filled with regret but I will probably have some finished knitting.  Maybe I will have even finished spinning all that alpaca I have on the every so judgemental yarn bookcase.

With procrastination nipping at my heels over the the past few days, I finished the left front of the baby sweater, finished the right front of the baby sweater, started sleeve #1, accused the pattern designer of crack addiction (I'm pretty sure I'm right about that) and finished my 'Oy With The Socks Already.'  I freaking love them.   BFF gave me the yarn for my birthday.  With friends with taste like that, who even cares if you are getting to be as old as hell.  Bonus for fun yarn named for Gilmore Girls. (yarn is Oy, with the Poodles Already)

Check them out.

I also did some spinning.  I had some yak and something blend roving and I finally turned it into a yarn.  It came out ok, but not great.  I'm super impatient with my progress at spinning.  Here's what the singles looked like.

 My second single was a lot less even than the first for no good reason at all.  Sonofabitch.  It's still on the spool, but here's the plied yarn.  It's a usable yarn for sure, but it's got some serious slubs.  I hate slubs.

This morning, husband and I went to the Farmer's Market while the kid was at a sleepover.  While there, I got a giant iced coffee.  I added half and half which feels like such a luxury after months of 2% in my coffee.  Most places, your large iced beverage is about 20 oz.  This one was at least 28 oz. I love coffee shops with legit large drinks. <3  There is no amount of coffee that, in a single serving, would be likely to be considered too large a portion.

After we retrieved the kid, we headed over to the fair to walk around, eat some junk food, watch some shows.   Fun fact about me.  No thrill shows are ok with me.  There was a motorcycle stunt show.  No lie, watching them jump the ramps, I cried like 6 times.  My brain just says 'Oh man, I'm not here to watch someone die!" so yeah, it's a little intense for me.

It's a good day, I'm sun-burnt to a ridiculous extreme, but when am I not if I've been outside more than 5 minutes?

What did you all do with your Saturday?