Petty Harbour Squam Socks

The past few months have been insane.  In addition to losing my job at DWW, we were traveling nonstop before school started for Xena and even after.  Amber and I went to Squam in early September.  I still need to blog about it but I don't have time to do it now.  However, in an effort to share new content, I want to share the socks that I knit for Squam.  Amber and I have a little tradition of knitting matching socks for the major fiber arts events we attend together but I was so stressed out and distracted before I left for our retreat that I actually forgot to bring my finished socks with me; so here they are now!

I used Urban Girl Virginia fingering (90% SWM/10% nylon) in the RBG colorway.  This was especially fitting after all of the racist BS I had to deal with working at MAGA-*ss DWW.  I actually think they should just rename the shop to DWWW.  Dances With White Women.

As per usual, I knit my socks using US size 0 needles.

Believe it or not, I knit this pair in 6 days.

In late August, I also had a brief cervical cancer scare but thankfully I got the all clear.

One of the highlights of the retreat was receiving a job offer from Ellwood Thompson's, my favorite local grocery store/health food/vitamin & supplement shop while we were there!  I also received a job offer from LEGO!  It might've been my dream job but their 2-2-3 swing shift schedule doesn't work with Xena's school schedule or Matt's vampire work schedule so I had to turn it down.

I accepted the job at ET and I have been happily working there since early September!

The irony is that I'm a manager in the Customer Service department and sometime cashier.  Meanwhile, I've heard from multiple local knitters that Debbie has been continuing to slander me at DWW, especially at the meet ups.  It's just sad that a 70+ y.o. business owner feels the need to behave so immaturely and unprofessionally.  But seriously, could I have really been such a terrible retail employee if I am now literally the fun and friendly face that greats 100s of customers per day at a freaking grocery store?!  Finally, before attempting to throw false shade on me, I really think Debbie should have a deep inward look at herself and the following facts.  Not only did her ex-husband leave her frigid ass for another woman, he was so desperate to do it, he paid her vast sums of money - enough to open her own yarn store.  So contrary to popular belief, she didn't work tooth and nail to start her own business, it was just handed to her like any other woman of (white) privilege.  Her son disowned her.  Her 1 daughter is a drug addict who also barely speaks to her.  Her other daughter was actually one of my first crochet students at DWW and she told Debbie, myself and countless customers that I was the best teacher she's ever had.  Now that I am a mother and also the daughter of awful (adopted) parents whom thankfully, I'm not actually biologically related to, I can only say that if your kids are actually related to you and they disown you and/or become addicts, it's not their fault; it's yours.  You failed as a parent.  Reflecting back on my time at DWW, I sometimes wonder if in addition to be racist, Debbie was really just jealous of the loving relationship I have with Xena.  But even if that is true, is that really grounds to mistreat an employee so badly?

Anyway, after reaching out to the ACLU, they have put me in contact with a broad spectrum of legal resources.  If Debbie thinks this is over because I got a new job, just fucking wait.  What goes around comes back around again!

Back to knitting, this pattern was very simple and easy to memorize.

I love this colorway because it matches so many of my outfits.  I am definitely going to knit another pair!

Decima Crochet Handbag Designed By Isa Catepillán

 

The minute I saw this pattern published in Pom Pom Quarterly Issue #41, I knew I wanted to crochet it.

I have to admit that I'm not completely in love with these photos.  Matt has a tendency of taking THE MOST UNFLATTERING photos of me EVAR.

But then I tried to take some selfies and they didn't come out much better either so you just gotta trust me.  This bag is super cool!

...and this isn't an ad for ADT security, LOL.

Somethings that do look super cool though are the mini-hank earrings I'm wearing designed by Misti at Recycled Yarn!

Our house was built in the early 1970s and I love the tile in our guest bathroom.

This bathroom still life with Xena's scuba goggles cracks me up.

I finished this bag while we were in Tyson's Corner for the NAPEX stamp show.

I used Sandnes Garn Duo in White and Dark Beige.  It's a cotton blend.   

This bag is reversible.  The Dark Beige is Double Moss stitch.

The white is Alpine stitch.  Both of these stitches are an easy sequence to memorize.

I intentionally crocheted this bag in neutral colors so it would match everything but I definitely want to make one in bolder colors.

The rest of the details are on Ravelry.

Twinning Knee Highs from One Hella Hank

 

Again, I'm just majorly playing catch up after traveling for a month solid.  

I already posted these socks on IG, but not on Ravelry because this is a pattern I designed specifically for Xena and I that is unpublished.

 

When I look back at some of the progress shots of these socks, I cannot believe how much my life has changed since I first started knitting them.

From my zoological roadtrip from Atlanta to RVA to countless PTA sponsored events volunteering.

I never leave home without a mobile sock project.

I started these socks during the NCAAMB March Madness tournament.

If I had more time/energy, I would try to design them in a broader variety of sizes but with school about to start and so many other WIPs in the wings, I gotta pause.

I love that one of Emma's Hella Hanks yielded enough yarn to knit not just socks, but knee highs for both of us.

That being said, being less than 5' tall, I can definitely maximize the production of my sock yarn.

I used the March 2024 colorway and I love the way the colors naturally pooled.

Tellin Knit Sweater Designed by María Jesús Camus

 

 

I already posted these photos in my Ravelry projects but I also wanted to archive them here.

This was one of the most enjoyable sweaters I've knit all year and I cannot wait to cast on another although I'm definitely going to wait until the weather cools down.

This is a breakdown of the yarn I used:

MC: Kim Dyes Yarn Meringue Fluff (74% Suri Alpaca/26% Silk) in the Gelato colorway (head double)

CC 1 (body): The Wandering Flock 100% Extra Fine SWM in the Neon Coral Colorway

CC 2 (cuffs, collar, hem and raglan details): Kim Dyes Yarn Napoleon Sock (80% SWM/20% Silk) in the Gelato colorway

This pattern was featured in Issue #47 of Pom Pom Quarterly.

I used the needles called for in the pattern and I knit size 2.

 

These photos are pleasant reminders of how much joy our family experienced while I was making this sweater over the spring and summer.

I'm trying to stay positive but it isn't always easy.

 

All I want is to provide a better life for Xena than I had growing up.  

One thing is for sure, she definitely has a sense of humor!

This pattern was very thoughtfully designed and easy to follow.

Although I first learned to knit 2 years before Xena was born, I didn't really take it seriously until after I started to recover enough from my emergency C-section to get out of the house.  For the first 2 years of her life, I peed blood every time I went to the bathroom, bent over, or put any pressure on my abdomen.

I am thankful everyday just to be alive and to be a part of her life.  Although it's a bit morbid, I love when she likes something I've knit so much, that she asks me if she can have it when I die.  I always remind her that she could also borrow anything before I'm actually dead!