Well, it's 2022 and we're into the third year of the pandemic now. We now have vaccines and booster available but the pandemic continues to rage on. So, for now, life for us will be the same as it was in 2021. Which means ... 2022 pandemic purchases! πππ ππ
Here's my 2022 (Pandemic) Purchases:
In January, I managed to actually purchase .... nothing!!! π±π³ππππππ₯³
In February, I purchased:
- A pair of needle holders from Maker's Mercantile - their addi To Go Heart Needle Holders
I couldn't help myself ... I'm a sucker for these little accessories and I'm hoping that it will help corral my needles while I'm knitting at home (when I put my projects down and transport it around the house).
REVIEW: These needle holders are actually quite large but, it does do it's job. It's not something I would really take with me on travel or while lugging my knitting around (like for long car rides or going to work with them) but, for around the house to keep it from stabbing something (or someone), it does the job quite well.
- Some fuzzy yarn to make my little kiddos a family of hedgehogs (also from Maker's Mercantile as it was on sale! ππππ):
I bought one (1) Limey and two (2) Azure for my little boys and my niece.
- I also purchased these two (2) patterns from Ravelry:
Iceberg (I love the shaping of this sweater!
ππ₯°❤️) Now, all I need is time and the right sweater yarn for these projects ... π€ππ
And, while these are not knitting related, these are other purchases I made that are well worth mentioning:
- A mythical (super hard to obtain) brush to tame my hair: a S-Heart-S brush from Veer and Wander:
I was actually looking for a short-handled version of the brush but it was simply impossible to obtain unless I was in Japan (which means it's going to be a while for me to be able to do this! π) Brian from Veer and Wander was a champ in trying to help me get that short-handled brush and when we both finally figured that it was impossible to get, I decided that I would simply buy the longer handled brush directly from Brian since (at least) I knew that could get this brush somehow! Hopefully, this mythical (aka unicorn) brush will do its magic on my hair and tame my poor tresses that hasn't seen my beloved hairdresser in the last 3 years!
REVIEW: This brush works just as described by the many reviewers who rave about it. ππ₯°❤️ When I brush my (thick) hair, it goes all the way through to my scalp and my scalp feels like it (finally) has its own dry brushing. I don't know how I lived this long without a brush like this! I l-o-v-e it! ππππ₯°π₯°π₯°❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I had actually purchased their Graphite dress last year and loved it so much that I wanted a printed dress from them as well. One of my "gearing up for retirement" goals is to slowly revamp (& reduce!) my wardrobe to retirement/travel wear so that I have 3- or 4-season wear clothes and will make it easier for me to pack everything I may need/want while traveling and still look like a "native" (& not like someone who's traveling).
REVIEW: Unlike my Graphite dress (which was a full linen dress), the Blueprint is a thicker cotton dress and absolutely gorgeous! π₯°❤️ It's not nearly as bright as it looks in the picture; it's a more darker teal colour. I'm so glad that my Hubs (who's been pushing me to get one of their printed dresses for a while now) "helped" me pick a dress! Unlike the Graphite dress, I do feel like I need a belt with it as I feel like wearing it "loose" isn't as structured as I would prefer. I can see why they also sell belts!
In March, I purchased:
- More Project Pouches! As you may recall, I had bought the cutest little pouch from Crimson Rabbit Burrow last year and after spending a year with it (along with the additional pouches my mother made for me), I simply needed more so, I asked Debbie if she would make me (another) set of custom pouches as well as if she would consider making me a larger one as well. In true British fashion, she delivered and I purchased these pouches from her:
I can't wait to receive them to use them for more projects! πππ₯°π₯°π₯°❤️❤️❤️❤️
Initially, I didn't think I needed a yarn meter; afterall, why would I need to really measure how much yarn I have when I can simply weight it, right? Well, ii was SOOOO wrong. Since I have a lot of hand me down yarns in which I have not been able to tell how much yarn I have in the first place, my "calculations" on how much yarn I have has not met my (normal) meticulous accounting standards. Since "discovering" how much it's irked me that I don't know how much yardage I have left, I've been wanting a yarn meter from Fiber Artist Supply Co. I decided to go with this brand because 1) it's supposed to work with with my ball winder from them (best investment e-v-e-r!ππ₯°❤️) and 2) I wanted something manual that didn't require me to plug it in and could be used separately (aka: l could simply thread my yarn through and it would "count" how much yardage I'm using as I'm knitting - this would be particularly helpful for a blanket I'm working on which requires me to cut the yarn for each itty bitty section that I'm going through).
And, while this are not knitting related, this is another purchase I made that is well worth mentioning:
- Remember that I had purchased a Zuri dress (the Blueprint) last month? While I love my dress, it needed a belt - a wide belt. And while I do have one, it wasn't quite "it" for my dress. So, I went to one my of favorite shopping sites, Etsy, I found this belt:
REVIEW: This belt matches perfectly with my various Zuri dresses and even works with my jeans! πππππ₯°❤️ The "end" is a bit stiff (like any leather belt) so, it doesn't always stay knotted but, I'm sure with time, it will "age" and soften so that the knot doesn't get undone (or else I will learn how to "knot" it better with time and practice! π)
In April, I purchased:
- A 'shroom darner from Katrinkles! They had their April special and I just couldn't help myself and I just needed it. ππ
REVIEW: I actually found this muchroom a little easier to use than some of my other ones because the size fits just right in my hands and because there's a "stem", it's actually a little easier for me to manipulate. (And, yes, it means that
I actually darned something!)
- A custom bag & pouch to store my Fiber Artist Supply Co. ball winder and yarn meter from FiveToSix. I've been trying to make do with a bag that my MIL had made me for a yarn project but, once I got my yarn meter, I knew it was time to finally find a proper home for these new items. Can you guess the theme I went with? ππ
Here's my bag for my ball winder:
It's roomy enough to hold my yarn meter bag plus some yarn or a project in there!
And, here's my bag for my yarn meter:
REVIEW: I love my new bags for these items!π₯°❤️ It's so much easier and convenient now to simply pull out my bag with everything in it. And, it's still pretty roomy in the bag so I know that one day when I visit with my MIL or my family and I have yarn to wind while spending time with them, I can totally bring my project in this bag!
And, while this is not knitting related, this is another purchase I made that is well worth mentioning:
I couldn't help it ... I simply loved the print! π₯°❤️ Like my Blueprint, it's a little thicker than my linen dress but, it's perfect for everyday wear. I know it looks a bit yellow but, it's not really that mustardy. The print reminds me of older (small) Asian prints which I love.π₯°❤️ (And, yes, I also used my new belt with this dress and love how well it works with it too! π₯°❤️π₯°❤️)
In May, I purchased:
- More Flox! Floops Stitch Markers had closed down to catch up on production and I had needed a "few" more Flox. So when they finally reopened, I purchased these:
Brilliant
Peacham
Moondancer
Wolcott
Solitude
"Maybe" I have "enough" (for) now ... ππ
And here's what it looks like compared to my original stitch markers - they are really much smaller and definitely sock sized!
- Custom (knitting) floor cushions! I'm getting older and while I enjoy (& more importantly can) sitting on the floor cross legged, I find that I can't sit for hours and knit like this. I had come across Takaokaya and was browsing their site as they had some cushions that looked like it would be helpful for me. So, after speaking with them about their cushions as well as some trial and error with my current floor cushions, I found the right height of cushion that would work for me. Then, it took some time to work out my custom sized cushion as well as as to verify if I could have a custom fabric on one of their current cushions (their Ojami) but, it's finally here:
This is my custom cushion (& cover):
Here's the Ojami (& cover):
Without the cover
With the Cover
The craftsmanship for the cushions and their covers are impeccable! What I paid for them was SO TOTALLY WORTH IT! π₯°π❤️π₯³ππ And, the cover for the smaller Ojami cushion was so creative and ingenious! π²ππ₯°
Yes - this is a massive box. I was almost afraid to open it! π±π³
And here's what all the yarn looks like in it's full (artistically arranged) glory:
Now, I don't have an excuse - I need to start making these creatures! π
And while this is not knitting related, I also bought:
- A facial reflexology kit (it's a tool plus facial map). I've been having some major sinus issues, which forces me to take sinus medication that completely zonks me out (and takes away from my precious knitting time!). So, I'm hoping that with some practice and daily self-care, this will help to minimize my sinuses so that I won't have to take too much medication and be able to knit more! π
In July, I purchased:
- Chiagoo finally came out with 3" needles for their larger sized needles! So, of course I had to have it! They also came out with new cables! ππ Here's (some of) my new stash!
I want to pick up more of their 3" needles but the "set" for it comes out in the fall (it's a better deal to buy the set) so, I only picked up what was missing from the set and I wanted to test out the new cables before committing to more. π
- And, with my new needles, I also had to get a new needle bag too (as Chiagoo won't be making a sleeve to hold all of their new 3" needles). ππ₯° So, I've gone back to my latest new favorite Etsy seller, FivetoSix for another custom order.πππ₯°
Since my bag has 2 layers of pockets, all I need to decide now if I should pick up two (2) sets of L shorties or not! π€ππππ₯³ The problems I have. πππ€
- You might recall that I had previously purchased two (2) Sirka counters a few years back. I have found them immensely useful and really enjoy using both of them. However, I had found that one of my Sirkas (my "newer" one from Yarn Story) was always getting "stuck". And, unfortunately, Grellow & Gray is no longer in business; hence, I was unable to send it to them to see if they could fix it. π±ππ€¦π€·π Soooo, Hubs tried to fix it and ... it ended up becoming a "little" free spinning for some of the dials and it still kinda sticks in some areas. π€¦π€·π Fortunately, Hubs has also gotten (back) into Role Playing Games (RPGs), and while he was searching for new toys, he came across this vendor where I saw the possibility of getting another Sirka-like counter but better! π±π€ππ So, I contacted him, asked if he would be interested in my request and he came up with this:
How cool is this?! π³π±πππ₯°πππ₯°πππ₯°ππππππ₯³π₯³π₯³ With this baby, I can now count rows, repeats for at least TWO! (2) different things going on in my sweater at the same time AND count the number of rounds and increases I need to make on the sweater.
REVIEW: I finally had a chance to use it and it works perfectly as expected! I was able to count the number of rows done, how many repeats for each sleeve and since I used all 6 counters for my current on-going sweater project, I still have 2 leftover that I was also able to use for another "quick" project I was working on too! ππππππ₯³ It was easy to move the counter from number to number (much more smoother than my Sirka counter) and despite it sitting on my coffee table and being occasionally knocked over, the numbers didn't change and held their position. I would definitely recommend getting this counter!ππ₯°ππ₯°ππ₯°π
- And, another bag ... I was scrolling through Instagram and saw someone's project bag; fortunately, this person actually listed where she got her bag from and I found the vendor on Etsy. So, of course, I went on to see what other prints/patterns this person made and found this:
How was I supposed to resist such a cute Mushroom bag? It was so cute, I couldn't resist! ππ₯°π I ended up picking up a L bag and it's actually quite roomy (& is currently holding my "blanket" project - this means, 10 balls of yarn and the little "scrap" of a blanket I've made so far).
In August, I purchased:
- Two (2) sets of positionable glass eyes from Laylala. I was working on a crochet project and realized that having positionable eyes would really be helpful, not only to figure out the size (aka diameter) of the eye but also where it should be on the face. While it's not a "need to buy", I suspect it will be one of those buys where it's like how did I ever live without this?! buy. π
REVIEW: The eyes work beautifully and it's a tool that while one doesn't need, it's extremely helpful in making sure the "face" of your object is positioned correctly, particularly if you don't have a good sense/knack for making "perfect" faces.π³π€¦π€·
- I also (finally) picked up the expansion pack for my Katrinkles darning loom. I had some bonus points at Jimmy Beans that allowed me to pick this up for a steal.
In September, I purchased: I managed to actually purchase .... nothing!!! π±π³ππππππ₯³
In October, I purchased:
- I loved my new cables so much that I ended up picking up all the lengths (from 2" through 37") and essentially duplicated all the Twist cables I had. I really do love them so much more - they are the prefect blend of the Spin and Twist cables. ππ And, while I was there, the new Chiagoo 3" needle set finally came out for the larger sized needles (it was more cost effective to pick this up as a set) so, I picked that up too along with another pair of 14" mini cables I "needed"!ππ
- On Instagram, I saw this at amirisu:
So, I search the web and found that the only way I could get this pattern was to buy a kit directly from arimisu. So, I caved and bought Kit F.
- I needed more yarn for my Wryit so, I picked up another skein from this vendor I found on Etsy:
In November, I purchased:
It's the Electric Eel Wheel (EEW) Cone Winder, a tool that automatically winds yarn onto cones. The Cone Winder easily winds yarn off balls, skeins, and yarn cakes and by using cones, the yarn comes off smoothly without tangling (where yarn cakes are eventually prone to tangling as they become depleted) so, using yarn off of cones can be helpful to your project.
I had found this through an email from Knitty.com and simply was smitten by this idea (yes, I know - it's electric! but, there's no way I could get something like this manually; it simply doesn't exist). I'm hoping that between my (new!) cone winder and my amazing cake winder, I will be able to wind my yarn where I don't have (as much) yarn barf! π±π³ππ€ I just need to wait until next December (2023!) for it now.
- I have been trying to see if there was a mystical bag in which there were 2 large (enough) pockets on each side and yet would comfortably hold a sweater in it. While I tried to use the bag my MIL made me, it didn't quite work (it really works best for smaller projects or a sweater made with sock yarn). π So, I saw this bag on Instagram:
So ... I had to give this bag a try. Since I ordered it so late, I might actually receive it in the New Year.π³
And it was working so well that I ended up buying a black version and the longer 25cm version in Orange, in addition to a few other stationary "needs".ππ€π Here's what's new in my stationary stash now:
I love my new markers and rulers so much that I bought more of them (& some other things too)!ππ€π
It's called Flutter (also) by Tomomi Yoshimoto. This pattern was also on sale and I was intrigued by her smaller flower pattern chart so, of course I had to pick it up too! ππ
- If you recall, last month I picked up a stranded colour work sock pattern called All The Flowers. Well, as part of the patter, when you "break" for the heel, you actually use an afterthought heel; this means that you need to put in "waste yarn". As you know, I'm not one to actually have waste yarn (nor want to "waste" yarn). So, to get around this, after some research, I decided to pick up this: The Knitting Barber Cord as I read that a lot of people really liked it in lieu of "waste yarn". Since they had an array of colours to pick from, I decided to go with a bright (highlighter) pink and yellow in hopes that it would be colours that are bright enough to "highlight" where the waste yarn is. Here's what they look like:
When I first got it, there was smell to it (it's a common "complaint" about these cords) and like everyone else described, if you just leave the tins open, the smell dissipates. I was able to use it (as intended as a lifeline (despite the fact that I had purchased it for some other use)) and while it's not quite as stretchy as I thought it would be; nor was does it feel like silicone (it feels more rubbery); and it looks like it kinks up when you pull it through your yarn (granted, I kept my current needle & cable in there so, it was a tight fit), it did it's job and was easy to slide it out (due to the more slippery rubbery feeling) when I no longer needed it. I can see why this is a knitter's fan favorite to use, particularly as a lifeline.
- Then on Black Friday, I ended up pick up:
I love my new yarn minders! π₯°π They're so cute and the bunnies are all glittery!☺️π₯°π
REVIEW: These pattern place markers are not as thick/durable as the rulers I bought from JetPens. It does work but if the writing board is too thick or if there's simply too many pages, the magnet may not be strong enough. Other than that, it's really cute and colourful and does it's job.
And, while this are not knitting related, here are some other purchases I made that are well worth mentioning:
Along with the cardigan, I was also "gifted" a scoop neck tee:
I was pleasantly surprised at the thickness of the cardigan (this is a Goldilocks moment: it wasn't as thin as I was expecting but it's also not so "thick" that it felt like a heavier cardigan; it was "just right".ππ) and the pockets are actually quite deep (it can hold a cellphone but, I wouldn't walk around with it in there unless I was using my phone (& holding it in my pocket with my hand - my phone is heavy and might tip out). And, I love the colour of the shirt! ππ₯° The scoop is a little wider than I would like but not so bad and sleeves are just right. The weight of the shirt is also perfect - a good three-season weight.
In December, I purchased:
- Another skein of Kraemer's Natural Skeins Rosa to finish my TrΓΆjan Barbros stjΓ€rnor sweater.
- As I was waiting for my Kraemer's Natural Skeins Rosa to come in, I decided that I would make myself a grove of holiday trees and purchased this pattern: Winter Fir Trees
- Another pair of addi To Go Heart Needle Holders from Etsy. While I wasn't initially thrilled with them initially, I did find them really useful to hold my needles while I was trying on my sweater (it actually held my needles on project really well); however, in order for it to really hold my needles well (without stretching my project), each side needed to be in one(1) holder (not using 1 holder holding 2 needles). And, since I was using one of the holders on another project, I actually needed another pair. π³π€¦π€· Hence, picking up another pair of addi To Go needle holders. πππ
And some more non-knitting (but mostly wooly) items:
- A pair of wool capris and a new 3/4 sleeved shirt from WoolX
I've been wanting to try a pair of wool leggings and while these are supposed to be capris length, it's actually a little longer than that for me. Despite that, these leggings are quite comfortable and keeps me warm (& cool); I can see why people would want a pair of these, especially if they're living in a cooler/colder climate. However, these are not compression tights and I can't see how it would ever replace my LoveHer leggings. As for the 3/4 sleeved top, I actually have this top in another colour and I really like how it's truly a 4-season top. The company normally has this top in spring/summer colours so, the company finally came out with two (2!!!) winter colours so, I simply had to pick up this evergreen colour which is beautiful. They also came out with a surprised third colour: a pebble grey and I had a really good discount so, I also picked that up as well.π₯°π
This is a lovely plum colour and is actually quite comfortable (not itchy or chafing). I'm so glad that I purchased it and would totally pick up another one (if there's another non-black coloured one!).
- A set of mechanical coloured pencils:
Since we're not able to travel to Japan, I decided to just bite the bullet and pick up these pencils so I can record and doodle in my knitting notebook. Plus, I'm sure it will help me "color out" potential new sweaters to help me use up my sweater yarn! ππ
Year Three of the pandemic has nearly ended and the pandemic itself isn't showing any signs of ending anytime soon (despite the world reverting back to "pre-pandemic" times) ... Like last year, this has been a stellar year in my knitting & accessory purchase buys; I think that since we haven't been able to travel, being at home has allowed me to search the web and find things I would not normally come across, much less allowed myself to indulged in. π²ππ I wonder what next year will bring and what else I will be buying next year ... π€πππ π
