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Name: Kaitlyn

Date: October 21

Current Location: Shelburne Falls, MA

Oy, the last few months have been a beast! Work was a rolling disaster throughout September, and it won’t truly let up as the fall deadlines start rolling one after another. Oy.

Health updates: I spent 2 ½ months on some medication that require me to not eat anything I truly love (sugary, deep fried, or alcoholic 😭 ), so I sulked quite a bit about eating “boring” foods. I just finished that, so I’m back to all my unhealthy favorites, lol!

I also had a surgery earlier this month that will hopefully solve a large number of my health problems. Now I just need to finish healing and get back in shape, and I should be good (fingers crossed!).

Biggest craft news: I spent the first week of October in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts at the Vävstuga Weaving School where I learned to dress a floor loom in the Swedish fashion, and wove a blanket a small damask sample, a towel, and a ribbon tag for the towel.

This was one of the best weeks I’ve had in a long time – it was quiet, peaceful, and I got to devote myself entirely to my craft. I’m already planning my next trip back for another one of their week-long sessions! My full plan is to attend their 8-week immersion course, but that may have to wait until the year after next. I’m trapped in medical debt for the foreseeable future, and I’ve already got plans for my travels next year, so Massachusetts may have to wait.

Finished Projects:

Weaving

Behold, my blanket!

Due to supply chain issues, we didn’t get to pick our own colors, but the palette turned out ok anyway. I was very suspicious of the colors initially, but I suppose I should have trusted the yarns selected by the professional, lol!

Current Projects:

Wedding Shawl in Burnish from Purl Soho

So, this one is technically ALMOST DONE!! It is -not quite- there, yet. I still need to weave in the ends and block it so it looks nicer, but it is OFF THE NEEDLES!!

Up Next:

October is nearly over, and November is around the corner! I may be picking up another client, I’m in another weaving class, and I started a new shawl during my Massachusetts sojourn.

I’m heading for Texas next, so keep an eye out for more pictures!

See you all next time! ❤

Name: Kaitlyn

Date: August 31

Current Location: Bethesda, MD

It’s been a month! Work has been a rolling disaster with all of the state grants I’ve had to do, and it won’t truly let up until next week. Then, I’ll get a week or two to breathe before the fall deadlines start rolling one after another. Oy.

My health is doing ok, which is a relief. I’m on some medication right now that requires me to not eat anything I truly love (sugary, deep fried, or alcoholic 😭 ), so I’ve been pretty grouchy about eating “boring” foods. It’s only for another month or so, though. I’ll live, I just won’t be happy about it!

Finished Projects:

Weaving

Behold, my fabulous scarf/table runner!

I had so much fun in this class – the loom was a pain to warp, but such fun to weave on! Our instructor gave us a number of different patterns to try out, but I fell in love with one called the Rose Treadling Path, and just kept doing that one over and over again in different colors.

…now I want a loom of my own. My roommate is going to kill me O.O

Snowflake

I make another little snowflake this month! They’re such fun to crochet, and work up quite quickly. Be sure to let me know if you want one this year!

Current Projects:

Wedding Shawl in Burnish from Purl Soho

I’m happy to see tremendous progress on this project. Now that I’m no longer occupied with the mosaic blanket in the evenings, this has been my main focus, and it’s showing! I’ve added probably a foot to this over the last month, and switched to the second ball of yarn. I have 3 balls, so I’m not sure how long it will be when it’s finally done… Several feet at least, I would think.

I want it to be long and draped – I’ve made scarves in the past that were just TOO short, and they were a bit worthless. I may err on the side of caution and go into ball 3, just to make sure it’s long enough.

Up Next:

September is shaping up to be a busy month. I have a potential new client coming onboard for grant writing, and I’ve decided to train for a 5K in November (we’ll see if I survive!).

See you all next time! ❤

Name: Kaitlyn

Date: May 31

Current Location: Alexandria, VA

We had beautiful Spring weather here in the DMV for a hot second, then it flirted with cold and rainy terribleness for a while, then we dove straight into a hot and painfully humid summer.

This month has been crazy, and while I didn’t get nearly as much done on my fiber projects as I would have hoped, I did hit a few milestones, including FINISHING A SOCK!!! and crafting a weaving project.

Work has been super busy – I’m a freelance grant writer, so how much work I have depends on the time of year – May is a little bit nuts for deadlines, but it should calm down a bit over the summer while everyone’s off on vacation before picking up again in the fall.

Updates: My health has stabilized, and I’ve set up payment plans to sort out my finances. I’m just going to be very broke for a while.

But I digress. Let’s move on to FIBER CRAFTS!

Current Projects:

Weaving

LOOK! I MADE A THING!!

This is my sample cloth, which starts with tapestry techniques before moving into what’s called ‘plain weave’, which is a looser weave used for towels, scarves, and other daily use items. I’ve practiced a number of lace techniques, with varying degrees of success, and the bit at the top (pink/purple/red) is called hatching, which might be my favorite!

I really enjoy the tapestry style of weaving, but I’m not sure I have the creative juices to ever come up with a unique piece of art. I’ve considered picking a piece of art to use as a base, and interpreting it through a tapestry. I think I’ll need more practice before I can make that happen, though.

Ryelight Socks from Tincan Knits

BEHOLD! I HAVE MADE A SOCK!!!!

Objectively, it’s not a great sock, it’s true, but for my first attempt, I am very pleased with it!

…now to do the other one.

Wedding Shawl in Burnish from Purl Soho

No big progress on this one. Between work and focusing on weaving, I haven’t made much progress this month.

Up Next:

Not a lot going on in June for me – I’ve signed up for another session of weaving classes, but with my medical and tax bills, I don’t have a lot of wiggle room in the budget for travel at the moment. I may be visiting family up near Boston over the summer, and I’ll be going to Massachusetts and Texas in October for craft- and work-related trips, respectively, so I have that to look forward to.

Stay happy! Stay healthy!

Name: Kaitlyn

Date: April 30

Current Location: Bethesda, MD

So this month started off with a 15-hour visit to the ER. I was *THIS CLOSE* to making it out of March with no more disasters, and the universe decided to get one more in. It turns out, I’m severely anaemic, and needed to get 3 units of blood through a transfusion before the doctors would even consider letting me out of the hospital. It was quite the experience, but 2 tornados, 3 units of blood, and 15 hours later, I was released to return home.

No idea what caused the anaemia, however, so I’m on iron supplements and I continue to donate large quantities of blood to various health professionals to peer at curiously through microscopes (I presume. I genuinely have no idea what they do with the many vials of blood they take, but they send me a report with lots of numbers, so it seems legit, lol).

Unfortunately, due to my recent health issues and the fact that I managed to royally fork up my taxes two years in a row, my finances won’t support much of the “travel” portion of this blog for a while. Instead, we shall be focusing on the “yarn” portion for the foreseeable future.

Current Projects:

Weaving
I’ve started WEAVING!! My class started this month, and I’m having so much fun! I also get to go to Alexandria, VA for this, which is south of the city and an area that I don’t get down to very much. I’d forgotten what a beautiful area King St is.

My weaving instructor is a lovely Georgian woman named Tea Okropiridze, and my classmates are a friendly group who are all just as enthusiastic as I am to be learning this skill.

Right now, we’re still working on samplers and experimenting with shapes and patterns as we get a feel for the basics of working with a loom. You can see in the photo of my work that there’s a very tight weave going on here – we’ve started with tapestry weaving, which creates a very dense fabric. We will be working on a looser, open weave fabric later in the course.

Snowflakes
Yarn: Aunt Lydia’s Classic 10 White Crochet Thread
Needle: 1.5 mm hook

I made several of these a few years ago to decorate our tiny tree during the Lockdown Christmas, and several friends and family members asked about buying them. I’ve been approached by a number of people asking if I’ll be selling any more, so I’m starting my stockpile now to make sure I have some ready to mail out in the fall.

I love doing these little snowflakes, because I can rip off a couple in just a few hours, and I feel like I’ve accomplished something…unlike my larger projects that crawl along at a snail’s pace. I enjoy doing them as I watch tv or a movie – keeping my hands busy helps me concentrate on the show better, believe it or not. These are a variety of free patterns from around the internet, easily found on Google or Ravelry by searching “crochet snowflakes”.

Flowers
Yarn: Aunt Lydia’s Classic 10 Crochet Thread in Orchid Pink and Maize
Needle: 1.5 mm hook

My summertime answer to my winter snowflakes, lol. I don’t enjoy these as much, simply because they aren’t as lacy or intricate as the snowflakes, but a friend requested some of these flower appliqués to spruce up a pair of her jeans, so I made a few yellow and pink ones for her. I can’t wait to see her jeans – I’ll ask her to send along a photo so you guys can all see the finished product! These are two free patterns I found by googling “crochet flowers”.

Wedding Shawl in Burnish from Purl Soho
Yarn: Cloudborn Superwash Merino in Ocean
Needles: Circular Knit, Size 5, 16”

Still chugging along, lol. I swear it’ll be done eventually.

Eventually…

Ryelight Socks from Tincan Knits
Yarn: Cascade Superwash in Heritage Paints
Needles: Circular Knit, Sizes 1 and 2

I successfully “picked up” all the stitches that were “on hold” (check me out, using all that sock-knitting lingo like I know what I’m doing!). I’ve made it past the heel and am well on my way to the toe!

Up Next:

Mostly working my butt off to pay my medical bills and taxes, but I will continue to plug away on my projects. Never give up!

Stay tuned for next month, where I will hopefully have remembered to take photos of Alexandria, and possibly myself in Alexandria, and also the weaving workshop at the art school, which is a wonderland of looms and yarn.

Stay happy! Stay healthy!

Name: Kaitlyn

Date: March 29

Current Location: Bethesda, MD

Sorry about the long delay between posts (I know all 3 of you were waiting with bated breath), but March has been an absolute disaster of a month.

First, my birthday. Not exactly a disaster, but not something I particularly enjoy, either. No matter how I try to celebrate or what fun activity I plan, something goes wrong. EVERY TIME. New plan: celebrate my birthday in July, haha!

Second, I’ve discovered I have partial vision loss in one of my eyes. It’s not super serious, and honestly my eyes are already starting to work around it, so there are long stretches where I barely notice, but the doctors don’t know what caused it, and I’m going to need a TON of tests to figure out what exactly is happening. As someone who doesn’t have health insurance, it’s been a stressful few weeks, to say the least. Fortunately, I was able to get an appointment at a local clinic that works on a sliding scale for those without insurance, so I’m hopeful that things will turn out ok!

This has all been on top of my day job, dealing with self-employment tax issues, traveling home from Iceland, trying to settle in and get back into a rhythm with my clients and work schedule, and dealing with emotional breakdowns over the terror that I might be going blind….. It’s just been a lot this month.

However, while I can still see, I plan to continue my fiber crafts (and travel, where I can). I’m waiting to hear from Fulbright if my scholarship to study Irish in the Gaeltacht this summer has been approved, or if I have to re-apply (Backstory: I applied in 2020 and was awarded the scholarship, but then the pandemic happened and I haven’t been able to go for the past 2 years).

I have also locked down a slot to do a week-long intensive Swedish weaving course this fall that will take me up to Massachusetts, and I will be attending a work conference in San Antonio, Texas in October, so I’m looking forward to my domestic jaunts later this year!

Here are some more photos from the later part of my trip to Iceland for your viewing pleasure. Highlights include Vik, the Skogafos waterfall, the black sand beaches, and the delicious dick waffles from the Icelandic Penis Museum:

Current project(s):

Wedding Shawl in Burnish from Purl Soho

Yarn: Cloudborn Superwash Merino in Ocean

Needles: Circular Knit, Size 5, 16”

Slowly but surely, progress continues! This is my go-to project in the evenings, where I’ll often do a few rows as I try to wind down before bed.

Ryelight Socks from Tincan Knits

My sock is growing, and I have reached THE HEEL!! Honestly, I’ve been dragging my feet on this one because I had to rip it out so many times just in the cuff and ankle section. I was so terribly afraid it would all go to shit once I tried to turn the heel, especially with how my luck has been this month. 😦 The good news is, the turn went successfully. The “pick up and knit” stitches that were “on hold”… not so much. Wish me luck as I head for the toe!

Up Next:

I’ll be in DC for a little while, but I’m trying out a weaving class that starts next month, which I am VERY excited about! Stay tuned for photos! I am also confident that I will have ONE SOCK! to show you next month (maybe two? Am I flying too close to the sun?).

See you next time!

Name: Kaitlyn
Date: February 20, 2022
Location: Reykjavik

I MADE IT!! I’ve been having such a wonderful time here in Reykjavik – I’ve gone horseback riding and snorkeling, I’ve seen the Northern Lights, and I’ve met some truly wonderful people here.

I’ll do a more thorough round-up of my trip in my next post once I’m back in the States, but here are some photos to give you a sneak peak:

Current Projects:

Wedding Shawl in Burnish – Purl Soho Knits
Yarn: Cloudborn Superwash Merino in Ocean
Needles: Circular Knit, Size 5, 16″
Slowly but surely, I’m making progress. I also remembered to move my lifeline up this time, so I won’t have to rip out half of what I’ve done just because I’ve dropped a stitch and haven’t figured out how to fix it. Yay me!

Ryelight Socks from Tin Can Knits
Yarn: Cascade Superwash in Heritage Paints
Needles: Circular Knit, Size 2.25 & 2.75, 32″
BEHOLD! For I have created part of a sock! This has been a fun project for me, as I’ve gotten to learn the Magic Loop method for knitting smaller items in the round using circular needles. I’ve had to rip it and re-start a few times, but once I got past the initial cast on and join, it’s been pretty smooth sailing. (I say, loudly and with confidence, before I’ve reached the heel. *knock on wood*)

Up Next:

I’ll be in Iceland for a few more weeks, and then heading back to DC for March. Check out my next post for more photos of my travels in Iceland and to see how my socks turn out!

Until next time!

Name: Kaitlyn

Date: January 29

Current Location: Bethesda, MD

So, you may have noticed that this isn’t Iceland.

Yeah, I’m disappointed, too. A whole lot went off track for me in January: I tested positive for COVID and had to cancel my trip to Iceland, work was crazier than I’d anticipated, and I had to frog more than half of the shawl I was working on.

And YET – life goes on! My COVID symptoms were mild, I’ve made a full recovery, I’ve rescheduled my trip to Iceland for February, and I’m making slow but steady progress on the shawl.

Current project(s):

Crochet Snowflakes – These are a variety of snowflakes I first crocheted as decorations a few years ago. I really enjoy them, as they’re each beautiful, unique, and quick-finish projects.

Burnish Wedding Shawl –Wedding Shawl in Burnish from Purl Soho
Yarn: Cloudborn Superwash Merino in Ocean
Needles: Circular Knit, Size 5, 16”

I made tremendous progress here that I did not photograph, and then had to rip back more than half of it as I made some rather epic mistakes and had to rip it out back to my lifeline. On the bright side, it’s still longer than it was last month. Mental note: add more lifelines every few rows.

Tree of Life Afghan – Free crochet pattern from Lion Brand that I’ve had a lot of fun working on.
Yarn: Loops and Threads in Forest
Hooks: Crochet 10

Have made exactly 0 progress on this 😦

Up Next:

I will (finally!) be heading to Iceland, and socks are still on the docket! I also plan to buy a truly obscene amount of Icelandic wool to use in a crochet blanket that will be a forthcoming project later this year.

Name: Kaitlyn

Date: Dec 26

Location: Portsmouth, NH

Hey, everyone! My name’s Kaitlyn, and I’ve decided to start a blog dedicated to two of my favorite activities – fiber crafts and travel.

I’m 32, live in the greater DC area, and today you’re joining me as I travel home for the holidays.

Current Location: Portsmouth, NH

My hometown. Center of my nostalgia, neuroses, and deeply conflicted feelings!

Personal feelings aside, it’s a lovely, classic New England seaside town with a charming downtown area, great restaurants and shopping, and easy access to the beach.

As a local, I can tell you the best food is at Gilly’s and The Friendly Toast is overrated.

Current project(s)

Wedding Shawl in Burnish from Purl Soho

Yarn: Cloudborn Superwash Merino in Ocean
Needles: Circular Knit, Size 5, 16”

Don’t tell anyone, but this was meant to be a gift for my sister. However, I haven’t finished it yet. Fortunately for me, her birthday’s in January, although I’m deeply concerned that it won’t be finished then either.

I had a couple of setbacks where I had to rip out the entire thing and restart, but then I learned about these amazing little things called lifelines, and have since charged ahead fearlessly!

Tree of Life Afghan

This is a free crochet pattern from Lion Brand that I’ve had a lot of fun working on.

Yarn: Loops and Threads in Forest
Hooks: Crochet 10

Not even close to being finished, and was also originally intended to be a Christmas present. (You will quickly learn this is a running theme with me.)

Up Next:

Join me next month when I travel to Iceland (fingers crossed) and make my first attempt at knitting a sock! (And also, of course, continue to work on my WIPs, because I would never just start half a dozen different projects and take forever to finish them!)