Winter for Knitters

Every 4 years knitters get a little sillier than usual. I mean, we're generally a fairly silly bunch, though serious about what it is that we make. But when the Winter Olympics roll around all bets are off.

Stephanie has sent out the challenge. I'm almost afraid to accept, but I think I will step up this year. I can't say that I haven't already cast on - my goal is to finish a sweater that has been languishing for most of a year. I purchased the yarn for my birthday in 2009, I started it sometime this past fall. The body is already up to the middle of my chest, but, honestly, I'm not certain I like the hip shaping and I may need to rip the whole body back out -- does that make it enough of a challenge for the Knitting Olympics? I think it does.

Every 2 years is the Ravelympics as well - adopted from Stephanie's marvelous idea and taken to a whole other level. I have entered that as well, but not for knitting. I purchased spindles and fluff last June and have not spent quality time with them. What's the old adage? You need to do something every day for 3 weeks for it to become a habit? Well the Olympics is about that long, and my goal is to spend at least 20 minutes every day spinning. I really don't care what I make as long as it is yarn, and I'm getting in the habit of spinning a little every day. Maybe I can figure out how to not have huge lumpy joins and follow Maggie's advice to draft them out properly.

Wish me luck! I'm goin' in!

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.

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.

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 :)

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.

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.

That hole was big!

Yeah, fell off the face of the Earth back there. End of August and through the fall was a pile of busy, with not as much art or craft as desired, nor as much inspiration for posting.

With the new year coming, I think it's time to try again - to make telling others about my work at least a weekly part of my life. Hopefully, there will be knitting, sewing, spinning, and other epic struggles with craft products.

And maybe some philosophy .... or dirty limricks.

I think the limricks are more likely.