Forgive the radio silence, it's been what, four days. I'm working right now toward finishing a book (writing) and I'm so close that I can taste it. I bet that this weekend I wrote more words that you spoke. I'm not joking.
And I've been knitting a lot too. I've got, let me count . . . four things on the needles, but that's not counting all the stuff that's dead in the water (and I'm feeling like re-starting a lot of them, but I'm resisting). Four things really isn't that much, but it feels like a lot. I'll have to do one of those "On My Needles posts" soon. Maybe Wednesday . . .
It probably doesn't help that I've got about half a cold this week. Not enough so that way I could reasonably call myself sick, make some tea and head off to bed. I'm just sick enough to feel miserable as I move through the day to day stuff. Though I've been getting a little bit better, it's just slow.
In short I really just don't know why I'm bothering to write this. I could be knitting something, I could be finishing one of those four things. Why? Why? Why? It's probably because it's nice to write as ME for once. Not this character or that, but ME! I swear, if you're a narcissist who's looking for a cure, just write a book in the third person. It's the last time I do it for something this big. I much prefer first person.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Obsession: Spinning
Over the past few days, this:
Became this:
An unknown amount of some unknown fiber, which will become a hat, pattern: unknown. Ever get the feeling that you're trying to draw your hand without looking at the paper, this whole hank of yarn was that feeling.
Now I'm working on two things, spinning some yarn that my cat tried to prep for me. (Hint: cats kneed things before they sleep) and then I'll ply it with some more of this fiber that I'm going to spin sock weight. Finally, a plan, however loose. I'll probably use that with some other sock yarn that I spun on the drop spindle earlier this year. (It was right after the dawn of pictures on this blog.)
The other thing that I am working on is clearing the deck of all those things that I'm working on. Really a lot less than I thought it would be. Just a sweater and then I'll be able to start the knitted upholstery of my dreams. (You read that right, I'm knitting slipcovers, more when I finally deem myself ready to start.)
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The last FO of 2011
These were finished last year, I just never got around to documenting them, what with the holiday rush and whatnot. Actually I really could have, but, I just didn't feel like it. You know the feeling.
Yarn: A Goodwill find, as everyone was disappointed to hear. I really didn't enjoy knitting with it, it kind of made me a little obsessive with finding ways to get the little bobbles to appear on the right side. I'll let you know as soon as I figure that one out.
Pattern: I made it up, CO 56sts on a US 3, work in 2x2 ribbing till you get really tired of it, make a flap heel, knit the foot, and then make a toe. Easy Peasy!
These, when I worked on them, were a really quick knit. I started them late in November, but were pushed aside later when I decided to let Christmas take over my life. (We really didn't need THAT many cookies.) When I worked on them though, they just flew by. I think about a whole sock was knit at the hospital, giving me a very Clara Barton* feeling of knitting by the bedside. I finished it at Knit Nite, and sat in a Barnes and Nobel for about an hour with no shoes on, wearing these socks.
Tomorrow, Spinning! (I find I post more often when I tell you I've got something planned.)
*I recently took the Carl Jung personality test as a joke, and she was really the only person on the list of people who have my personality type that I cared to be like. (Clara Barton is the founder of the Red Cross.) The other three, and I don't know why I'm admitting this: Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, and Ronald Regan. People tell me I would make a good politician, but I really resent that.
Yarn: A Goodwill find, as everyone was disappointed to hear. I really didn't enjoy knitting with it, it kind of made me a little obsessive with finding ways to get the little bobbles to appear on the right side. I'll let you know as soon as I figure that one out.
Pattern: I made it up, CO 56sts on a US 3, work in 2x2 ribbing till you get really tired of it, make a flap heel, knit the foot, and then make a toe. Easy Peasy!
These, when I worked on them, were a really quick knit. I started them late in November, but were pushed aside later when I decided to let Christmas take over my life. (We really didn't need THAT many cookies.) When I worked on them though, they just flew by. I think about a whole sock was knit at the hospital, giving me a very Clara Barton* feeling of knitting by the bedside. I finished it at Knit Nite, and sat in a Barnes and Nobel for about an hour with no shoes on, wearing these socks.
Tomorrow, Spinning! (I find I post more often when I tell you I've got something planned.)
*I recently took the Carl Jung personality test as a joke, and she was really the only person on the list of people who have my personality type that I cared to be like. (Clara Barton is the founder of the Red Cross.) The other three, and I don't know why I'm admitting this: Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, and Ronald Regan. People tell me I would make a good politician, but I really resent that.
Monday, January 2, 2012
What a Year!
This year has been a reall roller coaster for me. Constantly filled with highs, lows, ups, downs, a couple of loop-d-loops, and sometimes where the whole thing threatened to turn me out. Here's a short list of what this year held for me.
1. I re-learned how to walk.
2. I finished a book.
3. I finished another book.
4. I started another book, which needs about another months worth of work to have a first draft done.
5. Someone really read part of my first book, and they were very surprised to find that it is actually not crap. I was even more surprised.
6. I spent a lot of time with my physical therapist(s), and I was very pleased to go from that doctor/patient, to that good aquantices sort of thing. (In a good way.)
7. I got back into reading, and just since I did that, I've read, let me count . . . 17 books. Wow, I've been busy. I credit this to finding a great used bookshop.
8. I started learning to drive, a little late, but better late then never. (Which, given my fear of the wide open road, we may, may, get to that point. I'd rather walk a mile, or more, than drive it.)
9. I learned that if I really needed to, I could use my great hip-strenth to lift a car off of myself.
10. I knit myself . . . 6 sweaters this year. Plus one for my mother, so that makes seven total, with a lot in progress.
This also has been a great year for getting a lot of great blogs to read, and in turn, getting a few great readers of my own. I'm proud to call you friends, even in the geeky, I-don't-even-know-what-you-look-like kind of way. Let's all get together in a big room together and knit and talk till we pass out. Sound like fun?
I've got a lot of resoulutions I've, made, most of them in the informal, forget about in a few weeks kind of way. But last year I was feeling much more productive this time of year, so lets take a look at what I thought
My New Years Knitting Reasolutions (Aside from learning to SPELL!) (I can't believe I let that go for a whole year I'm suddenly SO embarrassed.)
1. To knit from stash as much as posssible.
Excellent, I knit from the stash, almost all year. I only bought yarn once, (twice if you count fiber fairs, which I don't, and it was one skein of sock yarn). Of course, the stash grew this year, due to my love of recycling old sweaters, and people who give me yarn, because, well, I'm likable, (not at all cocky) a pretty good knitter, young, and a male, all of which knitters love. (And Goodwill, but that doesn't count either.)
2.To keep the number of WIP around 5.
HAH! Define WIP!
3. To not buy any yarn that I would consider subpar.
As far as I can remember, I passed this one with flying colors. I may have aquired yarn that wasn't up to my standards. (I'm so picky, must work on that.)
4. To learn to do entrelac.
This year, I swear. A knitting friend of mine is going to take a class on it, and she's generously offered to let me tag long.
5. To learn to do the long tail cast on.
Did that one on New Year's day, right after I posted the (mis-spelled) resoulutions. See, I wasn't lying about the perky productiveness.
I don't think I'll be doing this again. While it was nice, it felt pretty silly to have those things posted on the side bar in July. Ya know what I mean.
And while I'd like to join all those knit alongs, the ones where you knit 12 shawls in 2012, or 12 garmets, or something, I don't think I have it in me. I'm still tried from the holidays (And still eating the leftovers). Not to mention that I don't like having my knitting governed by what I was thinking in January. I also don't like faliure, and there is no way that I can knit 12 sweaters in one year, so I'm not going to set myself up for faliure.
My main goals for this year are to meditate daily. Run daily. (I usually can do one or the other, but not both in one day.) Blog more, stand up for myself, and speak my mind (heaven help those around me, I think some . . . not nice thoughts, lets amend this one to speak my mind more.)
P.S. Like the new look?
1. I re-learned how to walk.
2. I finished a book.
3. I finished another book.
4. I started another book, which needs about another months worth of work to have a first draft done.
5. Someone really read part of my first book, and they were very surprised to find that it is actually not crap. I was even more surprised.
6. I spent a lot of time with my physical therapist(s), and I was very pleased to go from that doctor/patient, to that good aquantices sort of thing. (In a good way.)
7. I got back into reading, and just since I did that, I've read, let me count . . . 17 books. Wow, I've been busy. I credit this to finding a great used bookshop.
8. I started learning to drive, a little late, but better late then never. (Which, given my fear of the wide open road, we may, may, get to that point. I'd rather walk a mile, or more, than drive it.)
9. I learned that if I really needed to, I could use my great hip-strenth to lift a car off of myself.
10. I knit myself . . . 6 sweaters this year. Plus one for my mother, so that makes seven total, with a lot in progress.
This also has been a great year for getting a lot of great blogs to read, and in turn, getting a few great readers of my own. I'm proud to call you friends, even in the geeky, I-don't-even-know-what-you-look-like kind of way. Let's all get together in a big room together and knit and talk till we pass out. Sound like fun?
I've got a lot of resoulutions I've, made, most of them in the informal, forget about in a few weeks kind of way. But last year I was feeling much more productive this time of year, so lets take a look at what I thought
My New Years Knitting Reasolutions (Aside from learning to SPELL!) (I can't believe I let that go for a whole year I'm suddenly SO embarrassed.)
1. To knit from stash as much as posssible.
Excellent, I knit from the stash, almost all year. I only bought yarn once, (twice if you count fiber fairs, which I don't, and it was one skein of sock yarn). Of course, the stash grew this year, due to my love of recycling old sweaters, and people who give me yarn, because, well, I'm likable, (not at all cocky) a pretty good knitter, young, and a male, all of which knitters love. (And Goodwill, but that doesn't count either.)
2.To keep the number of WIP around 5.
HAH! Define WIP!
3. To not buy any yarn that I would consider subpar.
As far as I can remember, I passed this one with flying colors. I may have aquired yarn that wasn't up to my standards. (I'm so picky, must work on that.)
4. To learn to do entrelac.
This year, I swear. A knitting friend of mine is going to take a class on it, and she's generously offered to let me tag long.
5. To learn to do the long tail cast on.
Did that one on New Year's day, right after I posted the (mis-spelled) resoulutions. See, I wasn't lying about the perky productiveness.
I don't think I'll be doing this again. While it was nice, it felt pretty silly to have those things posted on the side bar in July. Ya know what I mean.
And while I'd like to join all those knit alongs, the ones where you knit 12 shawls in 2012, or 12 garmets, or something, I don't think I have it in me. I'm still tried from the holidays (And still eating the leftovers). Not to mention that I don't like having my knitting governed by what I was thinking in January. I also don't like faliure, and there is no way that I can knit 12 sweaters in one year, so I'm not going to set myself up for faliure.
My main goals for this year are to meditate daily. Run daily. (I usually can do one or the other, but not both in one day.) Blog more, stand up for myself, and speak my mind (heaven help those around me, I think some . . . not nice thoughts, lets amend this one to speak my mind more.)
P.S. Like the new look?
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