Yarn spinning progress

It took a few months of on and off work, but I finally finished spinning one third of this merino/silk blend that I call "My Little Pony colors."

No promises that I'll get the next two sections done any more quickly. It will be a 3-ply yarn when it's done.

EDIT: Crap, I just realized that this spindle is less than a third, because I'd already spun a single ply of this roving during my intro to spinning class. Um. I guess it's time to finally buy a kitchen scale and work out how to divide this up evenly...

Mandarin growth

My dwarf mandarin tree has finally grown viable fruit! Two years ago it created a lot of tiny green balls but they all fell off at only 1-2 cm in width. Last year it created a good amount of green fruit but it still fell off well before ripening. This year, I will finally get to taste it!

2016 review, plans for 2017

2016 was eventful in terms of my hobbies and life plans. I met Rachel and Eli and we are looking for property to purchase together. We had hoped to find something before the end of this year, but it will certainly happen in 2017. I finally got a chance to butcher a chicken (my sick Ameraucana), and then dispatched 6 Silkie roosters! My parents got me an Instant Pot for my birthday and it's made cooking many dishes way more convenient, plus I use it to make yogurt. I learned how to spin, purchased a spinning wheel, and learned how to knit. I was indeed better at setting aside time to craft, which is my favorite way to decompress.

Goals I'd set that I didn't complete: sewing up the 3 patterns for which I already had fabric sitting in my closet (I only did 1). Sewing with rabbit hides (I did a little but not as much as I wanted). Watch 2 hours of my dog seminar DVDs each month (it was the first thing I would reschedule when I was short on time, plus my computer sucks at playing DVDs).

So here are my goals for 2017:

• Buy property! Set up the new house and land with an eye to permaculture principles, but also make the house as dog-friendly as possible. Set up for and purchase meat rabbits.
• Rebuild my business from scratch in the new service area. Work hardcore on marketing until I'm living on a comfortable income again.
• Take more photos of the dog(s) with my fancy camera.
• Continue to set aside time every week for crafting (sewing, crocheting, knitting, miscellaneous projects).
• Try hang gliding (it's on my bucket list).

Aaand... that's it! The first two will be taking up so much physical and mental energy that I won't have much time for other stuff. Can't wait!

Custom end table

I was inspired by Pinterest to make a custom end table for my dad's favorite plush leather armchair. He has to lean way forward to get his coffee or the remote from the low coffee table. This table is intended to be placed right up against the side of the armchair, with the top part hovering over the armrest. The bottom has a caddy for his magazines and such.

It's not perfectly made - the cuts are slightly crooked, and there are a couple of extra holes from placing screws incorrectly. But I'm a woodworking newbie so I'm proud of myself. I borrowed a circular saw from the Oakland Tool Lending Library to cut the pieces. Then I sanded the edges, assembled it, and painted with the recommended 3 coats of sealant.

Crocheted shark socks, mesh shirt

My sister was very happy with the foot-eating shark socks I crocheted for her.

I also made a mesh shirt for my mom to wear over a swimsuit at the beach. She'd specifically requested it after we saw some for sale while on vacation at the Caribbean. I only got a picture of it getting blocked.

Recent projects: rusalka cowl, Pusheen amigurumi, bow ties

Rusalka cowl in alpaca & merino yarn:

Pusheen amigurumi for Rachel:

Bow ties for Rachel:

Learning to knit

I took an Intro to Knitting workshop from my friend Chase, who recently opened her own yarn store in Berkeley! It's called The Black Squirrel and I've already spent a few hundred dollars there. You gotta support your friends, right?

Only two other ladies were in the class, so we got plenty of individual attention. I brought a crappy polyester yarn, bought a small pair of circular needles, and learned how to cast on, knit, purl, and cast off.

I came home and started a new swatch and am spending a few minutes here and there practicing to keep it fresh in my memory.

I figured that my first knit project should be a simple stockinette scarf. I've been listening to a podcast about Harry Potter and decided that a Hufflepuff scarf would be perfect. (I'm a total Hufflepuff and proud of it.) I stopped by a yarn store in Lafayette (The Yarn Boutique) yesterday and found yellow and dark gray skeins of one of my favorite yarns, Classic Elite Yarn's Chateau/MountainTop Chalet.

Ravelry says that I have over 100 types of yarn in my stash. It doesn't look like that much...