10 Things: June 19th

1. Update Etsy shop.
2. Update finances from etsy sales and send checks to the Kid's Foundation and Kovy & Friends foundation.
3. Start getting vacation knitting planned and organized (squee! 4 weeks off!)
4. Dye yarn for Just Enough Ruffles scarf.
5. Make a pattern for a Puck This! dishcloth.
6. See about replacing band on sewing machine.
7. Shorten bedroom curtains.
8. Start planning the Seriously Cool Ovechkin Sweater of Awesomeness.
9. Inventory essential oil stash and start replenishing what I'm missing.
10. Organize craft chest.

Since last week, I got my craft closet organized, and got knitting patterns put together for my mum. I got the bedroom curtains cut and pinned, just have to do the sewing. Let's see if I can knock another couple of things off this list by next weekend.
Meanwhile, I'm keeping busy with the off-season hockey swap with the Puck This! group. Stuff to make for my spoilee, and a couple things I'm selling to other members. I went shopping today for fabric for a project bag, I'm going to attempt to sew one. I found a good tutorial online to try out. Meanwhile I'm working on some stitch markers and waiting for undyed yarn to come in the mail.

Some random bits & pieces

Went shopping this morning for things I need, but haven't gotten around to buying, exciting things like a fitted sheet, an umbrella, and socks for work. Boring shopping, but necessary. Also bought a bunch of cotton yarn for dishcloths, wash cloths. I want to get a start on some gifties for Christmas and a hockey-themed dishcloth for the upcoming Hockey Swap with the Puck This! group over on Ravelry. Couldn't find all the colours I wanted, but this is a start.
I've also been digging through my pile of recipe clippings and found a couple I haven't tried yet. One is for a linguine dish with feta cheese, basil and lemon. That'll be great for supper tonight with some salad and a baguette. I'm also going to make a pasta salad with feta and chick peas that I can bring to work for my lunches this week. And for dessert I have a bunch of rhubarb I picked from the garden. I'll be mixing some of that with some strawberries and making a crisp.
Last but not least, I've been working on my Friday list and have gotten my craft cupboard organized. I still have stuff squirreled away here and there that will have to go in there, but the cupboard itself is tidy and organized.

The Fabu Saku Socku

One socku down, one to go. This is my TricotLores yarn in the Capitaine Koivu colourway. The base yarn is a bamboo/merino blend that dyes up quite nicely. The pattern is the Goldengrove pattern from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn, an absolutely fabulous book that I just know I'm going to be using a lot.

Meanwhile I got a start on my list of 10 things. I cut the bedroom curtains, pinned the hem and hung them up to see if I got it right before sewing them, and of course one is shorter than the other. Sigh. I'm leaving them hanging and will adjust them when I get the time.

10 Things

10 Things I Need To Get Accomplished In The Not-Too-Distant Future:

1. Update Etsy shop.
2. Update finances from etsy sales and send checks to the Kid's Foundation and Kovy & Friends foundation.
3. Start getting vacation knitting planned and organized (squee! 4 weeks off!)
4. Dye yarn for Just Enough Ruffles scarf.
5. Pull out patterns mom wants to borrow and make a copy of salmon salad recipe.
6. See about replacing band on sewing machine.
7. Shorten bedroom curtains.
8. Start planning the Seriously Cool Ovechkin Sweater of Awesomeness.
9. Inventory essential oil stash and start replenishing what I'm missing.
10. Organize craft closet.

I should make this a regular Friday thing. A list of 10 things I want to get done. Every Friday I'll review the list, get rid of what's done and add things so there's always 10 things on the list. I don't expect, by any stretch of the imagination, to get all ten things done within a week. This is just a way to push me towards actually getting these things done, things I want to accomplish but always seem to put off till later. Let's hope this experiment works!

Agh

My Habs hockey sweater has been placed in suspended animation. I am the back of the neck. After knitting the shoulder saddles, you have to knit a shallow saddle at the back of the neck and for some reason I have been unable to knit it. The first time it was all loosey goosey and I had holey gaps which were most unattractive. So tinked back and started reknitting, only to discover that I was actually knitting a shoulder section. Sigh. I am well and truly sick of knitting this. My original plan was to have it finished by the end of the playoffs, but honestly, it's June. Who cares if I finish it in time for the summer? I've been here before, I get stuck on a project and become unable to finish it. I just have to put it aside for a while and when I pull it out at some future date, I'll be able to finish it. Really.
Meanwhile, I did three more batches of soap last weekend. Two batches are cut and curing on the rack, the third batch will be coming out of the mold this evening. I'll get pictures taken and posted as soon as I can. I'm tired from work, the days are so long there. I so need to get my butt moving on looking into going back to school. being in a dead-end job is draining.

Knitting Update

I have started yet another project, even though my Great Vintage Habs Hockey Sweater is still on the needles. Got this going a few days ago. It's the Tattoo Kimono Shrug, available here and on Ravelry. I'm knitting it in Berroco Ultra Alpaca. There is a space on the back, a square area where you can knit in a picture. I haven't committed myself to a picture yet. My first impulse was to the the "CH" emblem, but am contemplating coming up with a skull & crossbones type graphic, but with goalie mask and crossed hockey sticks.
I've started with a sleeve, so I have a fair bit of time to think it over.

Meanwhile, I'm still plugging away on my hockey sweater. The end is in sight. I'm working on the upper back, which isn't a lot of knitting. Then I just have the neck band to do and the knitting will be done, just sewing left.