QTpi

Darning is where my yarn hoarding paid off; I still had some of the original yarn left over.

There are a variety of tools out there. The darning egg and darning mushroom are two variations on the same principle: stretch the material slightly while stitching so the mended area stretches with the rest. I had a darning egg that I found at a thrift store years ago and used that. I think a mushroom would be handy for larger areas or objects. There is a darning/mending loom that you can set up on the item and that will help you keep your stitches neat and even. I don't have one but I definitely see the appeal.

I think knowing the sock was already damaged and I couldn't make it worse helped to ~~steal~~ steel my nerves. I wasn't going to ruin the sock, it was a hail Mary attempt to save it. It was my "gateway drug" into mending. Since doing that, I have now used sashiko stitching to mend two pairs of jeans and have a few other things that I plan to mend.

My husband's Scottish Granny would lay a sheet on the rug and pin to that.

I made a lemon cross section washcloth(https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/152-40-citrus) first and used that basic idea to make these two. It worked really well for the lotus leaf because I stopped knitting a row or two short and bound off instead of grafting to the cast on. The pepperoni and lotus flower were "free handed" and sewn on.

I agree! I would much rather actually retire which now, thanks to my pension providing job, I can.

There are agencies that act as intermediary for healthcare workers to pick up travel gigs. You sign up with the agency. Hospitals/laboratories/etc who need short term staffing solutions (laughs then sobs in COVID staffing shortage) reach out to agencies saying they need a nurse/medical assistant/medical laboratory scientist and the agency sends them the resumes of all their contract workers that are available. If the facility wants you, the agency contacts you to see if you want to take it.

Housing/living expenses are covered and you make BANK compared to the permanent employees (who may resent you for it). The travel pay and contracts are slowly returning to pre COVID levels but it was ludicrous for a while there. I did try to figure out a way to take a leave of absence from my job (don't want to lose that pension) so that I could pick up a travel gig. It was that lucrative. There's always a staff shortage in healthcare somewhere in the country.

There is potential for feast and famine so people doing it as their sole income need to plan for that or be willing to work in facilities that are a dumpster fire or in places that they wouldn't relocate to for permanent work. Most contract agencies don't offer benefits so that also needs to be planned for. Travelers usually make 2-3 times more per hour than permanent staff and have a separate allowance for living expenses so getting your own health insurance won't negate your earnings.

40yo millennial checking in. I landed a job at the state run hospital and signed up for the pension. Before I managed that, my "retirement plan" was to be a traveler. Pick up 13 week assignments all over the country with some down time between assignments. I still have it in my back pocket just in case.

I already warned my daughter if she insists on double knit scarf instead of a loop, that it may not be done in time for Halloween. 🤣🫠

ANOTHER double knit Halloween scarf (because twins 👫)

Learning magic loop was a game changer for me! No shame in wanting one needle for all the things! It leaves more money for yarn 😁

My first project was a garter stitch scarf. I picked a yarn and bought the needles listed on the band. Pros: super forgiving Cons: I had no concept of gauge so my second project (a hat) was baby sized.

I've become partial to wooden needles. I have metal and wood. Metal needles are so slippery that stitches slide right off (when you don't want them to). For some yarns, sliding right off is a plus but it is a matter of personal preference. I love interchangable needles which I learned about AFTER I built a fairly large straight needle collection. I almost never use my straight needles these days. Circular needles are more versatile and more easy to use when on a crowded commuter ferry.

This is my husband and I. He HATES it when I complain that I can't sleep after being in bed for only 5 minutes and I'm still awake.

As a person with a cool winter complexion, I resemble that last remark 🤣. My wardrobe is totally in that comment. I've been trying to branch out but I keep coming back.