It's going to be a long one...

I have been in a slump. Between having tonnes of emotions about leaving Ireland and even more about moving to Lithuania it’s been… well, simply a lot. Luckily, I have one constant: the crafts.

It’s always the crafts. That’s what we do here.

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I absolutely love Curious Handmade’s Secret Sock Society. I bought the books for the previous ones but this year I’m getting them smack dab in time. It’s been amazing. I’ve been working on the first ones of the year, the Shadow Box Socks in a gorgeous yarn I picked up at Fibre Arts Studio on Granville Island the last time I was in Vancouver.

Side note, I used to go to Granville Island all the time. I used to work at Granville Island. I was trying to figure out how I didn’t know there was a yarn shop in the Net Loft. It’s apparently been open since 1979. The only explanation I can think of is that I would go straight to the bead shop then go through Net Loft to the wine shop outside it and… I never went around the sides? Thinking about it you kind of surpass it on the way to the distillery, then to the brewery, which is across the street from the improv. Even going to the theatre never passed by it… What I’m saying is that this is a mystery and that if you’re in Vancouver Granville Island is fun.

Seriously, the brewery and improv was one of my favourite nights out in the city.

Back to the socks, I did make a major pattern change. The original socks have purls facing outward. I made about half of the leg and then looked at the reverse and man, the stockinette in this yarn just looked so good. I ripped back, did the cuff in a normal, not twisted rib, and basically knit where the pattern said purl and purled where I was supposed to knit. I love the original pattern and I’m definitely going to make it someday (I actually think I already know which yarn) but for this, it just turned out so perfect.

For the next pair of socks, I’m going to have to break tradition and talk about an acquisition first…

On the first Sunday of every month, there’s a craft fair spread across a few pubs in the Liberties (a neighbourhood in Dublin kind of in the Guinness area). The Libertine Market is basically shopping for amazing handmade stuff, while day drinking, AND I can bring my dog. It’s literally everything I like. Luckily, this month’s happened to be the day before my birthday and… there was a hand dyer. I have never had luck like this. I was so happy. I ended up getting these amazing Mira Isan Studio sock yarns. How could I not? I love fun socks. They’re 85% merino and 15% nylon. I’m hoping I can get two pairs of shorties out of them, and I must be getting very wild in my old age, the main colour being the multicoloured skein, obviously, then the heels with one mini colour and the cuffs and toes with the other mini colour. The main skein is the high twist sock in Asphodel and the minis are in the Merino sock- the yellow is Einstein 1, the orange Galileo 2.

Not matching the heels, toes, and cuffs?

I’m wild I know.

It’s partly because of my penchant for adventure, partly because I couldn’t decide between the yellow and the orange, and partly because it was set up at Arthur’s which, in my opinion, has the best Irish coffee’s in all of Dublin and an absolutely banging craft beer line up.

In any case, I simply couldn’t just add them to my sock queue. No, these guys needed to be made and they needed to be made now.

I decided that I wanted to keep at least one pair a fairly vanilla sock but I also wanted some adventure so I’m biting the bullet and learning toe-up socks. For someone who’s been knitting socks for so long it’s time to learn another way. I found a Craftsy class- My First Toe-Up Socks, and got going. This class is definitely geared towards someone who’s never made a sock before so it’s really thorough, possibly more thorough than I need, but I also feel like I’m finally grasping Judy’s magic cast on so maybe I need to be less judgemental. I’m really loving how these are working up and I’m really excited to try the afterthought heel.

I’ve also been working on my Tanis Fiber Arts Ombre Cardigan. I’m making this in the now-discontinued Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace. All I have to report is it’s getting longer. I need to try it on so I can get an idea of how it’s fitting. I’ve modified it to not to the buttons because I want to do some sort of wrap action, but I’m not sure how I’m going to accomplish that.

I still need to weave in the ends, but I’m calling this one a finished crochet project. It’s a crochet pattern- Scarf for Men by Golden Lucy Crafts. There’s a free version on her blog, or you can pay for an ad-free version. I had two skeins of this KnitCrate (rest in peace) merino/silk/alpaca mix plus a little teensy bit left over from when I crocheted a hat in it. I made this for Adam’s birthday so he now has a hopefully super extra warm set for the winter. I think the meterage may be off because it’s supposed to be twenty-six rows, but by the time I got to row nine, I had already finished one skein. I decided not to do the listed three rows of single crochet in the middle and instead do another repeat of the total pattern. I’m really happy with how it turned out and Adam can’t wait to try it on.

If you’ve been with me for a while you’ll be familiar with the absolute saga of the Schachenmayr Catania yarn. I bought this for some reason before Brexit. I love the colours I picked but I haven’t been able to find the right project for it. I was watching Kristen Lehrer and she’s been making this Fruit Garden crochet blanket and man, it looks so pretty! She mentioned it wasn’t super difficult, I was in an Edwardian mood and decided to go for it.

Now, this yarn is a sport, the pattern calls for a DK. My first thought was to use a smaller hook. Realizing I didn’t have a smaller hook I decided to raid my Tunisian crochet hook set and honestly, I’m not minding working with a longer hook. I have long fingers so I’m finding gripping it a lot more pleasant.

The other big issue is I’m not sure exactly how much of this yarn I have. So far I’m thinking I’ll just go until I run out. They still have all the colours so worst case scenario I go for different dye lots. I’m trying to keep the grey as the background because I have more of it but I’m not sure how that will play if I have different dye lots. I’m not sure if I’m going to do the border of the blanket or if I’m just going to focus on the squares and possibly do a double crochet border and call it a day.

This entire process inspired a very exasperated, “Sandy, do you ever just follow a pattern?” from one of my friends.

I’m not sure where this is going, but it’s pretty so I’ll keep on it.

Sometimes you just need to follow the impulses of your weird Edwardian moods.

One of the fun things about unpacking and packing is that you find things you’ve been looking for and I found my embroidery kit! I’m so happy to finally make more progress on this Moth Sampler by Kiriki Press. This one is a lot of long and short stitch which isn’t my favourite, but I feel like I’m definitely getting better at it with the practice.

I also managed to finish a sewing test! This is the recently launched Eva pattern by Sew DIY. She’s created this in a low-waste style- you print and assemble the front and front facing pieces, but the rest of the pieces are just rectangles. It has a cute corset back and comes in a crop top, a peplum top, and a dress.

I’m happy with the way this turned out but I definitely need to make another one not on a time crunch before I review it properly. I absolutely love this under a cardigan and think with high-waisted skirts this is going to be a new basic.

My other acquisition happens to be sewing related. I know that I’m not supposed to be buying new… well, anything, but this is a special circumstance.

I desperately need new jeans. Mine are falling apart. I’m going to attempt to make the Ash Curve Jeans in flared and skinny. I actually went to the fabric store to buy this and I realized I haven’t been in a fabric store in a really long time. I’m absolutely terrified to make jeans but I feel sort of ready? I think? My level of procrastination says otherwise, but I really don’t want to be in the position where I have to rush these because, well, I can’t live without a good pair of denim. Wish me luck.

And, bug me every week until you see a completed pair because lord knows I need the prompting.

I’ve also made a video to go along with this post- I’m wearing the Eva so if you’re curious about that and any other project check it out!