Thursday, January 21, 2010

Times

I've come to realize, as I spend my days at home, that I look at the clock at nearly the same times every day. How do I realize this? Because the times I happen to notice are driving me bonkers.

Gee what time is it? 12:34 pm

I'm hungry, did I miss lunch? 1:23 pm

Hmm, is it getting close to end of school, I wonder? 2:34 pm

I'm beginning to feel quite insane about it and that bothers me as I am a stay-at-home mom and don't need to be the one they write that next mini-series about.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Trying new things

I suddenly got a brain-bug about the mittens from Charlene Schurch's Mostly Mittens. They're beautiful patterns, very complex, and yet simple in their overall concept. I have some lovely Kauni yarn, and some simple coned yarn in black, and I'd love to combine those to make a beautiful set of mittens for myself this year.

But I have almost no practice at stranded colorwork, particularly at this gauge, and didn't want to have a first attempt be with this yarn if it didn't go well.

So I've decided to work with some JoAnn Sensations Bamboo & Ewe - in a bright, long and short repeat multicolor and a charcoal grey, and practice. How does one practice a mitten? You make a totally insane golf club cover for your father!

The part the covers the shaft is just like the wrist ribbing on a mitten. But will be 6 inches long instead of 1.5 inches.

The head cover is going to be about 2/3 of a mitten back chart, and the underside of it will continue the ribbing.

I had to modify the cast on count a little, there will be some stitch rearranging once I get to the head so the ribbing continues smoothly, and I'm not certain what I'll do when I get to the pointed decrease at the top end, but so far, I really like it.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

New decade for the world, New decade for me

I was watching Ace of Cakes last night, with Lil'Rogue and Harb, and when one of the cakes was delivered for someone celebrating "the big 4-0" I asked the two of them - "I really hope I don't look as old as he does. Do I?"

They assured me I don't. Whew!

I think this year will be good for everyone, I'm hoping it'll be a healthy year for me, and a way for me to ease into this new decade and keep myself in shape for the next one. Already ran for a few minutes on the treadmill, and it hasn't killed me :)

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Wednesday

The turns of fate are passing strange, and stress verily evil;
May everything play out for good, 'e're twice the moon has turned.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Beginning a New

It's not just a new year. It's a whole new decade.

Looking back at where I started the century, I was fresh out of graduate school. I was starting a post-doctoral fellowship at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. I had a great boyfriend who lived in another part of the country, but who I talked to daily and saw every couple of months.

In the years that followed, I got engaged, finished the first post-doc, moved to Ohio, did another post-doc with wonderful people, got married, moved to Colorado, had a kid, bought a house, and became a stay-at-home mom.

Did I picture that this is where I'd be? Was this part of the plan? No, not really. Some version of it, sure. But this exactly - not really. I decided that there are things that I'm not good at, and things that I am. I'm trying to follow the things that I am good at, while still being happy and challenging myself. I miss many of the people, and particular parts of my old life in academia, but I know that in the long run I'm better off where I am.

So, what's next? I'm still not sure. I've not got a clear vision of what I want to be when I grow up, but I think that the biggest part of it has to be creative. I spent a huge part of my life in school, pursuing all the academic achievement that I could find. But that meant putting to the side the more artistic side of myself, or finding a way to integrate it into the academics. I failed at the second, and was forced to do the first. I refuse to put it aside any further.

I'm starting the new decade by cleaning up my project room, reorganizing my space and my brain, and deciding what the first project should be. I've got a lot to choose from, both old and new, and I'm looking forward - to the work, to the challenges, and to the new decade.

I look forward to seeing what happens next.