List Up Catch Post

It's been a hot minute, hasn't it? This time of year always gets so ridiculously busy between Trails, birthdays, the start of school...

Soooo.... let's catch up!

1. First and foremost, I want to say a tremendous thank you to Debbie for the incredible gift she gave me at the last pj party.

I've already waxed poetic about it on instagram, so I won't subject you to my emotional overload again. (I may also be avoiding making myself cry again...)

2. I ALSO want to thank my aunt Jeaninne for the gorgeous pitcher from a potter local to her.

I also cried when I got this, too.

Apparently, I'm just a crying mess lately.

3. I made another journal!

This one is just for me for more traditional journaling.

It's a little rough because I was trying to remember how to make the dang things as I was going.

4. I've also started on my new bullet journal! And to start it off, I'm doing a Harry Potter themed month!

5. Em and I found a new, fun store to spend all the moneys in.

6. We went to the beach! At Lake Erie!

It was actually the first time in my life that I'd been to the beach. And I fell in love. As did Alex. And now we want to go every dang weekend.

7. We went to a couple other places in Cleveland, too. I managed to get this adorable picture of my darling spoose.

And I found a yarn bomb.

8. I've gotten two more shawls done, but haven't had a chance to write them up yet. But here's a teaser of one.

9. I FINALLY STARTED MY DANG WEDDING SHAWL SO Y'ALL CAN STOP YELLING AT ME NOW!

11. My mantle looks really pretty right now.

12. I don't know if you noticed, but I've kind of given up on the whole "get a project done every month" thing. It was just too much to try and do with everything else going on this year. 

13. And to round this out, I just want to say a huge thank you for being here and reading and supporting and loving and laughing with me. It's been 4 years now since I started this blog and your support has been incredible.

Here's to the next four years.

PS. This post marks my 200th post on here!

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*Creative Pun Filled Title About Presents*

So! Presents have been gifted and now I get to show them off!

First off are the socks I made for my grandma.

Pattern is Traveler's socks on Ravelry.

They were done in Sweet Georgia Worsted in color Mink.

You know, for hating cables so much, I actually didn't mind these too much.

Next up is the pillbug for Emmy!

He wasn't supposed to be felted, but I was in the mood for experimentation.

He's done in Wool of the Andes Worsted from KnitPicks, though I din't recall the colors off the top of my head.

I *nearly* ran out of the dark purple I used for the shell. I was DEFINITELY sweating on that one.

Also in the cute and cuddly category is the crab in a jar I did for Mom.

He was mostly improvised, especially as the original pattern had you using FRENCH FUGGIN KNOTS for the legs. And that is NOT in my wheelhouse.

He was made with the little bit of Rios I had leftover from my hat.

A hat for my grandpa was next, which if I'm honest, was pretty dang boring.

BUT! BUT! LOOK AT THIS COOL THING I MADE!

SEE IT?

IZ A LIL BLACK GOAT LABEL!

And on the back...

I used a scrap of leather and my wood burner. I'm pretty damn proud of myself.

And rounding out the presents for the year is this wee little scarf for my Hufflepuff husband's Christmas present: a little plush badger.

I *technically* have one other present, but I can't show it because it hasn't made it to the recipient yet. But you'll see it next month!

For now, though, I'm going to contemplate the like 80 different things I want to cast on right now before I inevitably end up doing another shawl.

Ketchup

This furry nightmare seems to finally be over. Which means that I've been released from the prison, along with my poor, long-suffering kitty.

Which means I need to get y'all up to speed so we can return to some sort of normal schedule around here.

So, list post.

1. My favorite little martini glass cosplayer is finally out of her cone of shame. Which, by the way, we had to go get a LONGER ONE because she fecking FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET TO HER STAPLES WITH THE SHORTER ONE!

Damn cat is too smart for her own good.

2. All of the other pets were so thrilled to see me that I have barely been left alone, especially when I'm trying to use the bathroom.

3. I have gotten SO MUCH squish mail in the past month, I'm genuinely feeling overwhelmed.

Christmas present

100% Mongolian Cashmere from a Kickstarter (intended to be a shawl)

Malabrigo Baby Merino Lace for Cobweb shawl by Boo Knits

Bulky weight eco wool from KnitPicks for a circular shawl

More Christmas presents

I actually had to rearrange the stash because of all this.

This is the "Shawl yarn that DEFINITELY has a pattern picked out/too delicate to put anywhere else" drawer.

4. I have started THREE BLOODY SHAWLS in the past three weeks due to above overwhelming feelings.

First is Sugar Maple

Cobweb

And Jörð

Jörð was the one I've worked on the most because duh, it's bulky and quick.

Well, it's supposed to be. When you can actually follow the damn pattern.

I... I apparently could not.

And I fucked it up so badly that I had to pull it off the needles, rip it back to where I STARTED yesterday, and repickup all 288 stitches.

Yes, it's in time-out.

5. The previous event made me sooooo angry that I knit a cat.

Who is being turned into a sushi cat...

No, I don't know why either. But when inspiration strikes, you go for it.

6. I did manage to get one Christmas present done and two others started.

Except, I don't think Al is actually going to care about getting a shark plushie, so I guess I have no Christmas presents actually done?

7. WE GOT TO SEE NINJA SEX PARTY AND TWRP LIVE AND IT WAS SO INCREDIBLE AND AMAZING AND AHHHHHHH!

8. I also went to Columbus with grandma this past Sunday because she was receiving some fancy-schmancy award for her contributions to Special Education.

9. John turned 32 and to celebrate, we went out shopping for new nail polish for him.

We also picked out each others' outfits for the evening.

I talked him into the outfit the previous weekend, and I absolutely adore how he looks. It makes me so happy that he's branching out and trying new things.

10. While getting his nail polish, I *may* have bought myself a new palette just because of the name.

11. We were actually planning on a surprise party for him the day we had to take Bee to the emergency vet, so that got shot to shit.

I did give him is present I had planned on that day, though.

Because everyone needs a GIANT fucking plush chameleon with a hand knit scarf.

This is actually supposed to be his familiar in our D&D campaign, Quell. The letter up there is actually the elvish one for "Q".

I knit this thing right under his nose. It was actually drying on the front porch the day before and he walked right by it.

12. Speaking of plushies, BETHANY GOT ME SOMETHING FROM YOU GOAT MAIL!

SPOOPY GOAT FRIEND!

13. She and I went out shopping last night and got ourselves into trouble at Pat Catan's. See, they had all their Halloween stuff 70% of off the club price. So I bought...

a hat...

some rats...

... annnnnnnd a life sized vulture.

He is my new favorite thing ever. Especially because I got him at a HUGE discount. He started at $66.66, club price $50. I paid $15.  

AND multiple people came out to me, all bummed because they wanted to buy him. Ain't no way I was letting go of him then!

I came home and immediately put this on to unleash my Full Inner Witch.

And I may very well have magical powers because look at how much I spent verses how much I saved.

Yep. Definitely got that money witchery going on.

13. I did some non-knitting crafting and made a few more cross stitch pieces.

Cactuses for my grandma and a Mustard the Wonder Llama for John.

14. And here's a bunch of random selfies because I like feeling pretty, damnit, and deserve to feel nice after all this garbage going on lately.

15. BONUS PICTURE!

I don't know how to make small quantities of soup...

Well, that should be about it. I'm sure there are some things I'm forgetting, but to be honest, the past month has been a blur. I'm surprised I remembered as much as I did.

I am so ready for this colder weather because it *should* mean that THE UNIVERSE TAKES A DAMN HINT AND SLOWS THE FUCK DOWN TOO. But we'll see.

For now, I'm going to go finish this sushi cat. And then freak out over the amount of Christmas stuff I still have to make.

*sigh*