Friendly Frugality

Sweater Beginnings

I've finished the back of the sweater and believe it or not, I'm already about half way finished with the front. It became a mindless pattern that I can even knit in "almost" dark.

Off to a Bad Start

The pattern for the sweater has an error in the stitch count. I've checked and rechecked and even had my son count behind me….lol. So I'm adjusting and going on. I'll make the marks in the book so I'll have them in the future. On a good note the yarn is knitting up quite well. I love the color and I found one extra skein of it, so I have more than I thought. I'm hoping I'll have enough to make two sweaters.

Frugal Front

We've not been doing too poorly on the frugal front. I found oil on sale and saved $15 on 10 bottles -- Something that I have to have to cook and at a great reduction. 10 lbs of potatoes half price, 8 lbs of oranges half price and then my Honey (bless his heart) offset it buy buying a billion sodas. Well not a billion but enough to eat up my savings pretty quickly. So I guess we broke even.

On the home front, we mailed another large check to the mortgage holder and our balance is dropping pretty quickly. Thank you Lord!

We tried a new hot cereal – 9 grain cracked cereal. It is pretty good. Even my children like it. I've also used a cup of it in fresh bread and it wasn't bad!

Long Time No Type

Gosh, I haven't posted in so long. So much has been going on.

First and foremost the internet has been messing up – yesterday the Embarq guy announced it was actually the line. A lot was cleared across the road and they "messed" something up. J

Second, I've cast on a baby sweater and a top for me. I've frogged the top for me. Just not working out. The baby sweater is coming along fine.

Third, I'm working on a "green theme" in the Stashalong April KAL in a KAL. I'll be making a crocheted frog and a green sweater. My crochet hook was too large for the yarn for the frog, so I have to pick up another one from my stash (which is in the garage). So I did cast on the sweater top last night. I didn't get far – just a bit of ribbing – before I collapsed.

One Finished Object for March

I finished seaming my Nancy's skirt last night. The pattern was easy to follow and knits up beautifully. I think I should have gone down a size, but I'll see how it does after I sew the liner skirt. That may make all the difference in the world.

The skirt only took 3 skeins of yarn and that was with me adding a couple of inches in length. That leaves 8 more skeins of this same color. Right now I don't know of anything I want to make with it, so I'll probably pull through and see what I can find to either mix with it or just start on a new stack and come back to this yarn later.

Frugal Knitting

I'm certain that knitting is not necessarily a frugal past time. The amount of money I've invested in yarn, needles and patterns over the years has been untotalled for a reason. I'm simply afraid to know how much I've spent. Then when I add in the spinning wheel, the wool, the books for it, the special chair and well --- the list goes on.

But there are some great reasons for knitting in my life:

1. It keeps me grounded. There is something personal about creating an object that keeps me attached to the process and the thought behind a gift or project.
2. It is cheaper than therapy. We all have stuff in our lives that drive us insane at times. Knitting is my meditation and prayer time. It works for me.
3. I have repurposed yarn from other projects and that can be pretty frugal.
4. A skill is priceless and knitting is a skill.
5. Teaching my daughter to knit and knitting with her is part of a bonding ritual that I hope will carry us through the teenage years.
6. Being sick (and it being an invisible problem) causes some serious stress over the things I can't control and being able to knit and finish a project is one thing I do have control over.

So knitting – dollar wise – may not be frugal, but the rewards are high. And frugality isn't always about dollars saved. Sometimes it is about dollars saved to allow you to spend them on the things that are important to you and knitting is important to me.

 

Knittin’ and Rippin’

Well, I finally had the skirt long enough that I wanted to do the first decrease row. I did the first decrease row. I did the first decrease row WRONG. Somehow I've ended up with too few stitches. I hate to pull out lace knitting – even simple lace knitting. I guess that is what I get for watching the Avengers will I knit. (I love old British TV shows and we regularly order them on Netflix since we don't do cable or satellite.) The show was pretty good and I think I lost my place in my knitting – at least once.

The sad part is – this is a simple pattern.

Skirt Update and Chatter

I've hit about 6 inches on the length of the skirt. I'd be close to the first set of decreases if I weren't adding a touch more length. I'll admit I'm short…well vertically challenged, but I'm just not young enough to be comfortable showing that much leg anymore. So I'm thinking I'll hit 12 inches and see from there where I want to go. I'd like for the finished skirt to stop around my knees.

I'll try to post an updated photo soon.

 

Now for the chatter --- cold, rainy and very windy here today. We're still coming along on our frugal living plan. We were able to knock our mortgage down 5% last month and we'll be adding the same dollar amount this month. The Lord is blessing us and Lord willing we'll be mortgage free by July.

Last month we did a little more "store bought" snacking than I had hoped we would. For March I am hitting it much more aggressively. Tonight I will be grinding extra grains and I want to make up some brownies and cookie dough to stick in the freezer. I'm also reminding my guys that we have tons of popcorn. I'll also make more stove top cookies simply because they are quick and easy.

Simple Cooking and Knitting

I love cooking and I love knitting. The last two days have been great days for both of them. I've cooked pumpkin pie from scratch and baked bread twice.

I also cast on my skirt and knit about 4 inches on it. It really looks like it is going to be quite cute.

Knitting and Mending

I'm so excited! I've joined the Stashalong. (As soon as I figure out how to link back to it on the side bar I will.)

This is the sweater I am working on for my Honey. I pulled it off the needles to double check my size against his favorite sweater. I seem to be right on target. This will be the third sweater I've knit him and I'm proud to say he wears them until he wears them out.

I have one goal for this month. To use up this yarn.

It has been in this bag since I bought it…and the store I bought it from has been closed for almost two years now.

After much debate I decided to knit Nancy's Skirt from Book 3: Color by Sally Melville. I know my yarn isn't 100% wool, so I have resigned myself to lining the skirt if necessary. After two false starts I have it cast on and I'm at the beginning point.

Now for the mending…that would be my foot. I ran into the door facing and broke two of my toes. How? I'll be dagged if I know. I don't know if I need to blame it on being dizzy, off balance, or my medication. Or maybe I'm just a klutzy idiot. But on a good note, I can knit up a storm for the night while the children do the dishes.