Coral Socks

This is another project that didn't get blogged about when it should have. I think because it took soooo long to finish and I showed them on Instagram, I just never got around to posting here.
I started these socks probably August 2015. What? Really?

They were my purse knitting for a long time. Feb 12, 2017, I was still working on them. I had decided to knit them long and not waste any of the yarn. By Feb 21 2017, apparently I was done.

I can't find the photo anywhere on my phone or computer so I had to screenshot it from Instagram. And I'm too lazy to crop it. You get what you pay for, here.

I was able to find the ball band. It's Regia "Snowflake Color" in 07712. This line, is of course, discontinued. I can also tell you that I bought it from Soper Creek Yarn, and that the original price was $15.95 and the clearance price was $12.00. I can even tell you I bought it December 12 2013. What great fun the blog is, when things work! LOL. I will also tell you, since you can't see it, that I did a Fleegle Heel . I've used it quite a few times (well, it seems like a lot of times, but it could just be because I'm a slow sock knitter), and find it fits my thick feet quite well.  I started the ribbing right after the ankles and as I worked upwards, I gradually increased the needle size. I did not intend for the socks to match. They don't actually match precisely, one toe has more orange, but they're very close.

I included this yarn total in my totals for 2017. I have not bought much sock yarn--if any--since then, and I'm not very excited about the sock yarns left in my bin. Not enough of some, some are colours I really wouldn't wear but were "a good deal", etc. I really like the two other hanks of yarn I bought at the same time, but they're only 175m each, so not enough for socks. I'm currently knitting a pair of socks and the colours really make me yawn. Yeah, sure, sometimes we need more subtle socks, but they still don't do it for me. Sock yarn is one thing I see myself buying this year.

Estuary

While reviewing my blog for the year end totals, and trying to figure out when/if I blogged my coral socks, I realized that I had never blogged about my finished Estuary shawl. I had posted it on Instagram, but not here! I've been finding that happens a lot. I went back and edited my 2016 totals (yes, I made this shawl in 2016!), though the 67gr doesn't change things a lot, it did take it from a "more yarn in than out" year, to a "more yarn out than in" year. Barely. LOL. The cool thing is I could actually go back on my blog and find when I got this yarn! Apparently, it was March 2007! I tried working with it in November 2007, but wasn't happy with that project. Curlerchik and I have kept in contact, through blogging and then Instagram!

 These pictures were August 2015, at our favourite chip truck, which sadly disappeared. So I don't know exactly when I started the shawl, but it looks like I had a good chunk done here.

Apparently,  April 7 2016, I noticed a mistake, I had made a row with eyelets when there shouldn't have been. It's dead centre above, and off to the left below.

 Do you see them? I could not leave it. Rip Rip Rip.  I even blogged about the mistakes!

 I must have been really motivated to finished because by June 19 I had it finished and blocked.

 It's not a terribly wide "shawl", more scarf than shawl.

The colour reads more purple in sunlight. The pattern calls for fingering weight, and I think my yarn might have been more laceweight. I think I might have added a pattern repeat, but I'm not about to check it out now. It's a light, lovely little thing to wrap around the neck, or daintily over the shoulders with a sundress. Though I don't really do dainty.

I still have some of this yarn left over. I'm not sure how much but I don't think it's very much. Sometimes, you don't need to use up all the yarn. Sometimes it's nice to have a bit left, just as a keepsake.

2017 Knitting Totals

I'm so far behind in getting my yarn totals for 2017. I'm not sure if I even have all the data needed! Some of it might be estimated.  Edited to add a pair of socks I forgot about.

Two custom Christmas stockings: 200gr in, 150gr out, cost for the yarn, Aprox $10
Reyna Shawl: Araucania "Ranco Sock", 100gr (the amount left over was negligible)
Charcoal socks: 100gr
green Mittens: 84gr
Red scarves: 600gr
Water bottle holders (from February?!): 110gr
Campfire Cardigan: 615gr
Coral socks: 100gr

Wow, I kept forgetting things I hadn't blogged about yet!! I wonder if there's more?  I did just find out about a shawl I made in 2016 that I hadn't blogged about. I went back and edited 2016 totals, so now I'm editing these totals to reflect that.
So, all this added up to 200gr IN, $10, and 1859gr OUT. Let's add that to the last totals I had in 2017:

Yarn In: 2242gr + 200gr = 2442gr
Yarn Out:  3041gr + 1859gr = 4900gr
Balance: 2458gr more USED than bought
Costs:   $10 +$57.30= $67.30/365days = $0.18 per day  

Now, to be fair, my fabric purchases increased significantly last year. Though I am doing really well at buying and using  within a short period!

So, now I can do a comparison of the past six years:

                     2017                  2016                 2015                    2014                 2013              2012
Yarn In:      2442gr        11 223gr               9 989gr                 10 076            16 153           21 096
Yarn Out:    4900gr        11 260gr                9 272gr                  8 061            16 805           16 849
Balance:       2458-              37gr -              717gr +               2 015gr +        625gr -           4 247gr+
Costs:          $67.30          $507.27                 $430.10               $511.49         $378.91          $524.43

Six Year Totals:
Yarn In: 70, 979gr
Yarn Out: 67147gr
Balance:  3 832gr IN
Costs: $2 419.50

Six Year Averages:
Yarn In: 11, 829gr
Yarn Out:  11, 191gr
Balance: 639gr added each year
Cost per Day:$2419.50/ 2192 days = $1.10/day

A hobby (and small biz) that costs $1.10 per day? Seems like a bargain to me! I'm still pretty high on how much yarn has accumulated in the past 6 years, even though I see a decrease in my cubbies.  The average amount I'm adding each year was cut in half by this year's totals. I can't see myself using up 4000gr of yarn this year by just using the stash, but I'm certainly going to try! I see a lot of mittens and socks in my future!






Ummm...It almost looks like I gave up knitting this year!  Business was really slow, I did a lot more sewing, and I tried to shop from the stash. Then in October things got crazy busy.  I'm starting to find a balance now.  I haven't bought any yarn this year, though I have bought fabric. I discovered some Canadian fabric selling groups on Facebook! But I do work it up as soon as I can. I just haven't been able to blog much.