Carbeth 2.0

Remember when I had made the Carbeth.  This is such a beautiful sweater 😍🥰💕and while I don't regret making it with my polyester yarn, I was ready for an actual wool one.😁😉 So with my Cascade yarn (colour: Palm), I made another one just like my original sweater, here's what I did:

1. Starting with Step 1: using my Chiaogoo Twist 5.0mm needles & my 37" & 30" cables, did a provisional cast-on and K 10 rows.
2. Move onto Step 2: switching to my Chiaogoo Twist 4.5mm needles & 14" cables, ribbed the wrist portions; then switching back to my 5.0mm needle, continue the arms to increase for the smallest size & K an additional 32 rows to finish off the sleeves.
3. Complete Step 3 & 4.  For Step 4, I switched back to my 4.5mm needles and instead of doing a roll-over collar, I wanted a higher necked collar so I only ribbed for 10 rows before binding off using Jenny's stretchy bind off.
4. Then I went back to Step 1: using my 5.0mm needles where I K another 49 rows, before doing 2 short rows (using the German short row method) and then K another 2 rows, P 1 row, then finished off the bottom with ribbing for 10 rows and binding off (also using Jenny's stretchy bind off method).
5. To finish off the sweater (Step 5), since it seemed a little tight, I picked up 5 sts on each side and added 4 additional rows before I grafted it together using the Kitchener stitch.

Here's what my sweater looks like:

 Front

Side

 

Back

I had thought this would be an easy knit (because I had already made this sweater) but ... nooooo😔😖🤦‍♀️it was NOT!😔😖🤦‍♀️I had to cast on the body twice! because I couldn't count (and I possibly still have brain fog from my shingles) and I was still unsure if I had the right count on the body before connecting it in Step 3 (at this point, I had counted the body three! (3) times before deciding that I'd just fix it if need be when joining to the sleeves). Come to find out, I did have the right stitch count; I just couldn't count!😔😖🤦‍♀️ After that, I realized that I still couldn't do math properly as I had over estimated how quickly I could decrease the upper body section; in reality, I needed to take two (2!) days to finish it off (instead of the calculated few hours!)😳🤦‍♀️😭). Amazingly, I was able to finish the upper body and collar as well as doing a few rows on the body so, apparently, I made up some time there.😳😱🥳👍Amazingly, in reality, I did manage to finish this sweater in record time: it only took me five (5!) days to finish this sweater (including weaving in all the ends). I think I spent the most time casting on and making sure I had the right body count!😳😔🤦‍♀️ Everything else seemed to have knitted up quite quickly.😊🥳🎊🙌😍

My 2025 Yearly Recap

2025 has been quite a year for us. I've been very grateful to be out of the workforce; I think I would've lost my mind (& possibly more!) if I had continued to work (if I thought things were bad last year, it's worse this year and I'm very grateful that I didn't have to deal with the craziness I've been reading). I've spent the year with some much needed R&R; I had hoped to be able to get some (major) knitting time in this year but I lost my knitting mojo for most of the year.😳😱😭🤦‍♀️ I didn't realize how burnt out I really was and how much physical and mental time I really needed to R&R. And, to top it off, I got shingles at the end of the year which was painful and left me feeling super foggy & groggy. 😳😱😔😭🤦 Fortunately, I had some accomplishments for the year but not much to actually speak of 😱😔😭🤦:

• Reformed my All The Flower sock to fit better
  
• Used up the most of my acrylic yarn by making this: 1, 2, 3
• Finally started and finished some of my a crochet bug doll collection (that I may very well keep for myself! 😉🥰 at least for a little while! 🤭)
• Started to make myself a (belated) Valentine's Day sock🥰💕

• And, I was also able to:
• Enjoy all of my knitting purchases from 2020-2024 and items I purchased this year (at the very least) 😁🙌🎉🥰💕
• Have some closure on an outstanding project(s) that will never be done/complete

And, here's my new year's resolution for 2026:

• Get my knitting mojo back!😭🤦‍♀️🙇‍♀️😔 I haven't knitted very much if at all this year so, hopefully, my knitting mojo will be back soon so I can work on my goals!🤔🤞🍀🐰🧶
• (As always), Use more stash!  My goal is to get down to 1 (not overly stuffed) sock yarn box (still at last year's goal - got there!🙌🎉 My stash hasn't going down since last year); 1 Scheepjes Catona yarn box (I'm wondering if I bought too much yarn now that I've completed some of the projects!😔😳😱🤦), 1 box of "other"/leftover yarn box (still almost there! Since I lost my knitting mojo, I didn't work on any sweaters this year! 😭🤦‍♀️🙇‍♀️😔) There's still a layer of "other"/inherited yarn as there are still a couple of other miscellaneous projects in there to clear out; and I'm saving the last of my Caron Simply Soft Eco Plum Perfect yarn in case I need to make another big baby blanket).  
• Ultimate goal: not to actually have that much (if any) stash! (ok, well maybe just "some" sock stash😉😁🤭)
• Knit more 3-season sweaters in sock yarn and make three (3!) sweaters in a year!😉😁🙌🎉 
• Along with this goal is to:
• knit a set of Christmas sweaters for Hubs and myself (we can match!)😳🥳
• make my very first cardigan/jacket
• make a vest for Hubs
• Get back to working on my first 100% (superwash) wool blanket!😳😱😔😭🤦🤷 In my drive to use up stash, I still haven't gone back to it (yet).
• Learn how to do Ladder Back Jacquard so I can finish my Valentine's Day sock!😳😱😔🤦🤷

Now that I have had time to recharge (and am (hopefully) getting some brain and (general) energy back), hopefully, my knitting mojo will also return! I wonder what next year will bring. 🤔😳🤞🍀

2025 Purchases

Well, another year has gone by and it's now 2025. Life has gone back to pre-pandemic activities for everyone else except us. This year was filled with lots of family getting intense colds and flu (there was even a fludemic in Japan😳😱) and despite being sick often and longer, no one seems to want to go back to basic masking.😳🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️ So, for us, it meant that we had to double down to ensure our (health) safety.😔😖🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️. Which meant ... 2025 (post-pandemic) purchases! 😉😁🙌 🎉👍

Here's my 2025 (post-pandemic) Purchases:

In January, I managed to purchase nothing!!!!😱😳😁🙌 🎉

In February, I managed to actually purchase almost nothing!!! 😱😳😁

• I saw this Sock Yarn and pattern and had to have it for my very own Valentine's sock:

In March, I purchased:

• Another set of bugs from Lalylala.  I couldn't help myself; she was having a Spring sale and I've been pining for these patterns:

Honey Bee Life cycle

Death's Head Hawk Moth

Firefly (yes, I need to buy glow in the dark yarn now!😱😁🤭)

Cupcake Ella (this wasn't on sale but it was too cute to pass up!🥰💕😍)

In April, I managed to actually purchase .... nothing!!! 😱😳😁🙌🙂👍🎉🥳

In May, I purchased:

• While not knitting related (but crafting related!), I bought a Chandler heat and glue gun

I needed a heat gun for my water-colour painting and this was the best deal I found!😁🥰🎉🎊

REVIEW:  This was a great buy!🥳🙌👍I've been using it a lot for all sorts of things, including my watercolor projects as well as other projects around the house.

In June, I purchased:

• A stash busting sock weight sweater pattern by Wool and Pine: Extra Lite Bright

I couldn't help myself ... It was on sale and it was in a sweater weight I've been wanting to make more of 🤷‍♀️😁🥰🎉🎊👍

• I needed toy safety eyes for my crochet projects so, I had to purchased 5mm & 6mm eyes as well as a jig:

REVIEW: The eyes are not that easy to put in, even with the jig.😳🤦‍♀️🙇‍♀️🤷‍♀️ I used a combination of brute pinch/finger force, trying 2 different spots on my jig (the 2 smallest holes), and simply pressing it down directly on my flannel placemat to get the eyes on my insects. I'm sure most of my struggle was really due to my inexperience using both the eyes and jig so, I hope it gets better as I use them up.

• Furls Crochet hooks was having a birthday sale and I had a credit with them so, I bought this: 

REVIEW: I really love the Wood Streamline series and this Laurel Wood was on sale so I got a really good deal for this!🥳🥰🙌

In July, I purchased:

• There was a Sock-a-long for the Larch Peds and I've been wanting to try it (for better ankle socks so, I bought the pattern!
• And, while not knitting related but craft related, I bought some stationary items:

In August, I managed to actually purchase .... nothing!!! 😱😳😁🙌🙂👍🎉🥳

In September, I managed to actually purchase .... nothing!!! 😱😳😁🙌🙂👍🎉🥳

In October, I finally purchased:

• Wool stuffing😱😳😁🙌🙂🎉🥳from Sonoma Wool Company

This is 2 80oz (5 lb) bags of wool.  Hopefully, it'll last me as long as the Polyfill I had originally purchased back 2020.🤞🍀

In November, I managed to actually purchase .... nothing!!! 😱😳😁🙌🙂👍🎉🥳

In December, I purchased:

• A bulky weight sweater pattern from Wool & Pine: Deep Winter Sweater. I couldn't help myself - it had positive ease and set-in-sleeves which I've wanted to learn. Plus, it helped that it was on sale!😉😁🙌 🎉 Now, all I need to do is buy yarn for this pattern!😱😳

Year Six of the pandemic has ended; for most of the population, life has simply gone on with everyone feeling (and acting) that COVID is simply over/never happened and colds/"flus" they're currently having are simply what it is now (longer and harder to get over). However, life for us is still in the pandemic stage as our health safety is now threatened since no one seems to think twice now when they're sick (no self containment, masking, etc.). Most people don't even think they're able to catch COVID now and often think they are simply catching "colds"/"flu" or simply having their allergies act up. As such, staying safe, staying home has still been our motto and because of this, I have continued to enjoy my purchases over the last five years (as well as this year) and continue to be quite grateful for some of the things I've purchased (they've come in so handy and have really made my life so much better!). In fact, now that the years have been rolling on, I've noticed that I've slowed down on purchasing things! 😱😁🙌 🎉 I wonder what next year will bring and what else I will be buying next year ... 🤔😉😁🙌 🎉