Hey all, I’m doing a design for Shivaya Naturals‘ 2009 Yarn Club, so Heather interviewed me for their blog. If you’re interested, the interview is here. Also, the yarn club is up for subscriptions, just click the “buy now” button in the sidebar of that link.
I could really just throw last year’s 3 goals up again and tell myself “Stick with those, they worked for you” but I like to take the new year as a time to assess how far I have come, and what my plan for the future is. Not so much resolutions as assessment of where I am on my path.
My 3 goals from last year were:
1. Balance in all things. Strive not to let yourself go too far toward any end of the spectrum.
2. Get rid of all the shit. Emotional and physical. Cull what you do not need and use what you have to fullest advantage.
3. Exercise. For your health, for your sanity, for your body. Even though you think of this “resolution” every year, just make it a goal to be healthier in general. You can do that. Make choices every day to be healthier.
I have been better at #1, but could still use more working toward that end. I am a rockstar on #2. The things I bring into my house and my life have been all about sorting and organizing and decluttering instead of the acquisition of shit. Rampant consumerism has taken a back seat and I am very proud of myself on this point. And it turns out that all I needed for #3 was the motivation of keeping off insulin. I have a hard enough time with the lancets and finger sticking to test my blood glucose, I can’t imagine being insulin dependent with my squeamishness toward needles.
I’ve been thinking a lot over the last 6 months or so about how to be happy. I have struggled with depression and negative thoughts most of my life, and I spent a lot of time just trying to figure out what things actually make me lastingly happy. The root of the consumerism was that I would buy things that stimulated creative thoughts. Books, cooking stuff, craft supplies, etc… And after some thought I realized that it was the promise of creativity that made me happy. That creating something stimulates the right chemicals in my brain that let me push out the bad and the dismal. It breaks up the monotony of daily life that gets me down.
As I realized last year, three is not too many, so in light of all that, my goals for the new year:
1. Keep working toward balance in all things.
2. Be creative every single day. Write, draw, design, print, cook, sew, knit. Do what makes you happy.
3. Be kind to yourself. I have a tendency to judge myself too harshly and it’s a load of wasted energy.
Three is not too many. I can do three. Happy New Year all!
M
p.s. Happy Birthday Cara!
My Aunt has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. At this time we don’t know how far it has reached, she has a diagnostic test next month, but if you could all send your prayers, good thoughts, best wishes or whatnot, I would appreciate it.
M
Re-entry to the workforce yesterday was brutal, and then I woke up this morning at about 3:30 am thinking (in my obsessive way so that I could not get back to sleep) about how the only thing I could think of in the grocery store that has no marketing campaign is ammonia. Ammonia: distilled from animal waste. Really. What could you say? But it struck me how much cheaper the lack of marketing would make Ammonia compared to say… Kaboom that has it’s own frickin infomercial. It’s been quite a while since I purchased ammonia though, since I have a cat.
Anyway, here is something pretty to look at! I occasionally buy myself some flowers from the wholesale florist. There are a few more pictures in flickr (just click through the photo).
I’m trying to dig myself out of the figurative pile of crap that I’ve let stack up around me. I’m getting myself all registered (late) for TNNA in January, and I’m systematically going through my inbox to clear things out, so if you were expecting to hear from me, and haven’t, send me a heads up and I’ll make sure to get to it sooner rather than later. My desktop and house and brain are a mess, but a little time spent taking care of things, instead of sticking my fingers in my ears and going “lalalallalalalalalalalalallalala!!!! Can’t hear you!!! NOT LISTENING” should do me good.
More Knitting!
C’s Cabled Hat
M
A bit behind, but I’ve been enjoying my time off work and celebrating by doing almost nothing :)
The Borg Fan Collective and Stargate Atlantis: Season 2 have been good standbys for some much needed vegging, but I did manage to drag myself into something other than pajamas and to the post office to mail my belated Christmas gifts to family. it’s been snowing on and off all week, with some seriously heavy stuff on Christmas Day. It made a really good excuse to not go out and do anything.
Today we did make it out to see a movie. We saw Valkyrie, which was awesome! They managed to keep it very suspenseful despite the audience knowing that they didn’t succeed in their plot to kill Adolf Hitler. The movie was moving and thought provoking, and totally worth leaving the house for :)
M
I’ll post more of the FO’s as I get them photographed and out of the queue. Again with the ravelry links and the laziness ;)
OK, that leaves only Imogen, the lacey mitts (both pairs), Manon, which I started, finished the peplum of and now have to rip out and start again *sigh*, and a scarf which is a gift for someone who reads this, so I can’t show that until it has been gifted. Plus I started a hat for C yesterday. Black. But I chose some Shibui Sock in Ink so it’s not quite so tedious.
I have the day off work, so I will be cleaning my house, getting C’s last Christmas present, and screenprinting a present for a family member (all my presents are getting mailed late this year. Deal.) We’re having Christmas at home for the first time ever, and I’m cooking Christmas lunch tomorrow and probably something tonight.
M
Apparently, when I am stressed and busy, the blog is the first thing to go. I didn’t intend to be away for so long, but my entries would have been akin to this:
“I am busy, and feel uncreative. I have more angst than a pimply teenager. Please excuse the whiney content. Blah blah blah… Worry, Bitch, Moan”.
Rather than have negative content, I opted out of blogging. The lack of bread was making me cranky (since I felt like I hadn’t made any progress despite removing some of my favorite things from my diet), and frankly, my job has been stressing me out since the initial 6 month honeymoon period was over.
On the Pancreas Front:
I have been cutting portion sizes, and have removed most bread, pasta, and sweets from my diet. I will occasionally allow myself one of those 3 per day, not every day, and in a much smaller portion than I want. I have been exercising sporadically, and I have been making the choice to walk or take the stairs instead of sitting around. Or if I really REALLY want a treat, I just make myself exercise to make up for it. As a result, my morning blood glucose levels have been below 110 about 90% of the time, and my A1C is down within completely normal levels. And the 5 pounds I was supposed to lose by my December doctor appointment (20 for the whole year and 5 per quarterly appointment) ended up being 6, so I feel like I’m on track and that my choices are having an impact.
On the Knitting Front:
I have been knitting all through the blog break I took (I knit every day or else I’d probably go crazy), and I am finally getting around to taking pictures of the stuff I have finished. Here are some, with links to the full details on ravelry.
Another Noro Kureyon Striped Scarf
On the Family Front:
Nathaniel joined my sister Laura’s family on November 24. He’s very tasty and very squeaky, exactly as babies should be. His furrowed eyebrows crack me up :)
A ton more pics on Flickr as I was his official first photographer.
On the Designing Front:
I have a new design for lacey fingerless mitts that just needs some sizing, test knitting and photography, so hopefully I’ll have that one out soon. They’re really lovely and are worked in a couple of different lengths as well as the sizes that I am working on.
I’ve also got a great idea that’s kicking around in my head. I’m very excited about it, but I am going to explore some other publishing options for this pattern so it might be a while before you see it.
M
I feel like I’ve fallen off the face of the planet! I’ve had a couple of e-mails checking in with me, so I figured I ought to say something. I am alive, but really just off. You know what I mean? My life consists of going to work, high stress while I work, going home, managing the fallout from the stress at work by knitting in front of a movie, then going to bed. On Saturday I try to catch up with the stuff I’ve neglected like laundry, cleaning, loving on my cat. And then on Sunday I go to my second job at Blazing Needles, which is a great yarn store and a really fun place to be.
I have been knitting, and have a lot of things finished to show you, but that requires the time and focus to take, process and upload photos, which I seem to be lacking. Andromeda was actually ready to go 3 weeks ago, but I just hadn’t taken the pictures of the new colorway, so I couldn’t post it up. How ridiculous is that?!
I have a plan to make things better beginning in the new year, so I hope it’s just a matter of waiting it out. The lack of sunshine doesn’t really help me either. And the weather seems like it’s got the same “off” problems I have. Why is it the beginning of December and there is no snow on the ground?! And I can get away with just a light jacket most mornings. That is downright strange.
Anyhow, the gist of this is I am alive, and I’m not doing too horribly all things considered, just slogging. My pancreas is putting up a good fight, but I seem to be making headway. I don’t think I’ve actually lost any weight, but my clothes fit differently, so that’s something. My morning sugars are lower too. But I guess we’ll know for sure when I get another A1c on the 15th.
M
Andromeda is now available for purchase. Check out the shop for more info.
This top-down shawl plays with movement of stitches, having both subtle curving motion and clean decrease lines. The tessellating wave motif shifts and increases like ripples in a pond.
The uneven picot edging speaks of waves crashing against the shore.
Yarn Requirements: 2 skeins, Impulse of Delight Bluefaced Bliss, 100% Bluefaced Leicester wool. 375 yards per 110 gm skein. Colorways “Blue Skies” and “Lost Lake”
Suggested Needles: 3.5 (US 5) 24” or 30” circular or size needed to obtain gauge.
Gauge: 22 sts and 24 rows over 4” in pattern after blocking.
Finished Size: 52” across the top and 26” from neck to point.
Techniques Used: This pattern uses the following techniques:
knit, purl, k2tog, k front and back, yo, p2tog, p3tog, placement and slipping of markers, (k1 p1 k1) in 1 st, sl1 k2tog psso, sl, ssk, psso, and a provisional cast on.
It has been an absolutely beautiful autumn. It’s lasted longer than I thought was possible in this place. We normally have 2 seasons (summer and winter) with about a week of transition in between, but fall has been long, luxurious and sensual this year.
Yesterday the leaves on the maples outside of my office building were falling like snow, and this morning, I stepped from the bus, lifted my head and saw the most beautiful sight. The foothills were purple in the pre-dawn light and the sky was turning fiery shades of yellow and orange with streaks of azure cloud and the whole thing was framed by the vivid yellow, palm-sized leaves of the maples. It was gorgeous and I sat there for a minute just soaking it in, wishing I had my camera, willing my mind to keep that mental picture for as long as I live.
No wonder people in other places that actually HAVE autumn like it so much. THIS is what I was missing.
M
As the USA heads into another very important election, we are bombarded by a lot of advertisements, slogans, and one-word reasons why we should vote a certain way or against someone else. If you haven’t made up your mind by now, I can’t see any more bombardment making a difference. And that’s not why I’m writing about it today.
My mother sent me an e-mail the other day with Doris Goodwin’s list of 10 traits of great presidents, which got me reflecting on how I got to this point.
• the courage to stay strong
• self-confidence
• an ability to learn from errors
• a willingness to change
• emotional intelligence
• self-control
• a popular touch
• a moral compass
• a capacity to relax
• a gift for inspiring others
I am clear to anyone who asks that I am voting for Barack Obama. (I am not looking for an argument, so don’t start one, please) Living in Utah, the reddest state in the nation, I don’t hold out much hope that my one blue vote will count when the electoral college meets. Before the primary election, I hadn’t voted in 6 years, but after so long of being apathetic and cynical about the political process, I am inspired by the idea of casting a vote for someone I would not be ashamed to see fill the highest office in the land. For once I don’t feel like I’m voting for the lesser of two evils. And that gives me hope.
M
Ever wondered about LolCats? Where they came from? Their purpose in life? This documentary should clear things up.
M
I’ll be in Portland on November 8 and 9 teaching some lace classes at Knit/Purl. I’ll be doing an Introduction to Lace Knitting on November 8 and an Introduction to Lace Design Class on November 9. If you’re a Portland area knitter, or making a trip to Portland, come on down!
I’ve heard nothing but awesome things about Knit/Purl, so I am very excited to be teaching there. And my new LYS, Blazing Needles, is sort of a sister-store with Knit/Purl since the owner, Cynthia, is good friends with Darcy. Next year Blazing Needles will get to display the felted thanksgiving dinner that’s in the window at Knit/Purl right now.
Give a shout out in the comments if you’re in the Portland area!
M
Anne has announced the 2009 Wooly Wonka Lace Club and I’m excited to be a part of it again. This year the theme is Shakespeare. Here is the line-up.
March: Miriam Felton of Mimknits is kicking off the subscription kits with a nod to Othello. She’s taking her design theme from Desdemona’s handkerchief, a strawberry motif, done in a drapey merino blend laceweight dyed the color of (what else?) crushed strawberries.
June: Judy Anderson has chosen a lovely soft periwinkle blue silk/merino laceweight for her A Midsummer Night’s Dream project, a triangular lace shawl knit in fairy lace motifs and sprinkled with sparkling beads.
September: Anne Hanson of Knitspot will be chiming in for her interpretation of Macbeth’s Burnham Wood, with a rectangular stole covered with tree and woods motifs in rich earthy hues on a laceweight cashmere/silk yarn.
December: Sivia Harding has agreed to round out the year for us by taking a cue from As You Like it, following the twists and turns of the plot (which resolve neatly in the end!) in the shawl’s lace patterning, and creating a Faroese-shaped shawl knit in a slightly heavier, fingering weight yarn dyed in a deep blue-black ink color.
Doesn’t that sound great? If you’d like to learn more about the club, or sign up, visit Wooly Wonka’s page about it here. There are only 100 subscription spots total and they’re open to international subscribers as well, so if you’re interested, check it out.
Of course, almost as soon as I post the pattern, there are some errata. They’re simple, but important.
You can see the errata here, but the download has been updated. If you would like to download the updated version, just send me a note using the contact form with your order number and I’ll be happy to refresh your download so you an get the updated version.
Thanks,
Miriam
It all started with Norma (doesn’t it always ;) )…
She sent me this sketch of a mitten that was dancing around in her brain. A double mitten that would keep her hands warm through all of the levels of Vermont winters. Norma provided the concept, and I worked out the details.
I present to you… the Dimorphous Mittens.
The Inner Mitten is worked at 8 spi from sock weight yarn, creating the perfect showcase for a riot of color or a single skein that you were saving for something special. This simple stockinette mitten would be enough for fall or a quick jaunt out to the mailbox. The Outer Mitten is Manos Silk Blend at 5.5 spi. This yarn is light, drapey and luscious. Use a complementary color of Manos for a subtle look, or a contrasting color for some drama!
Dimorphous means “having two forms”. This pattern blends form and function beautifully.
This pattern is sized to fit a 7.5” hand (measured around the palm) with about .5” of negative ease. This allows for a comfortable and secure fit. The bottom portion of the Outer Mitten is worked flat until the keyhole is finished, and then the rest of the mitten is worked in the round. All other portions of the pattern are worked in the round.
Check out the online store for more information.
Having survived a week of all-day computer software trainings at work, I am now staring down a week of stay-at-home vacation. This break from work is much needed as I was starting to feel overwhelmed and trapped and very very cynical about my job.
When facing a break, I tend to frantically start typing up loose ends (because I finally have the TIME to do it rather than always leaving everything half done). Last night I processed a bushel of honey crisp apples into sauce, took stock of the remaining half of the flat of roma tomatoes I got last week to make some more salsa, and ran around the house scrubbing carpet stains out with Tuff Stuff. As an aside, if you have stains in your carpet get a can of this at an auto parts store and good stiff bristled brush and you’ll be a happy camper. This gets out the stuff that carpet cleaning doesn’t.
I folded laundry, I washed dishes, I cleaned out the fridge. And when I’m done with some tidying I think I’ll be ready to actually enjoy my week off. It felt like a clean slate, a completely FREE line of days with so many options! But I’ve started making plans now. I will work at Blazing Needles a day or two, spend some time with friends, perhaps eat Tibetan Food, and possibly design something new.
I’ve got a pattern release for you tomorrow, and hopefully a lot more posting in the week to come. But now it’s time for me to dash off to the farmer’s market.
Have a great weekend!
Mim
I found my camera cable after having it lost for a while (when I moved everything around to put an eliptical in my house) and just last night got around to finding it. This week is full of LONG hours of training at my full-time job (I worked 10 hours yesterday and barely scratched the surface of the things I have to do besides the training), so I’m just going to catch up in this space.
Pattern: Simple k3, p1 ribbing with k1, p1 ribbing at the upper cuff. Reinforced slip stitch heel, and a 4-pointed star toe.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks that Rock Lightweight in the Raven Clan colorway “Corbie”
Needles: 2.5 mm (US 1.5) Crystal Palace bamboo dpns
Verdict: I’m still not sure I like the STR, but they were fairly fast socks, and good colors… I might grow to love it, but I’m withholding judgment so far. After I wear them I might change my mind one way or another.
Pattern: stockinette sock with k2p2 ribbing at upper cuff and calf shaping. Eye of Partridge Heel and random purl decrease toe.
Yarn: My handspun chain-plied yarn from a Superwash Merino Bonkers roving.
Needles: 2.25 (US 1) dpns for the ribbing and 2.5 (US 1.5) for the rest of the sock.
Verdict: I am so in love with them. Every time I look at them I just tell myself “I SPUN that yarn! and I MADE those socks!”. It makes me giddy and totally inspired to finish the spinning for a sweater.
This was my first successfully executed Eye of Partridge (EOP) heel! For some reason all the previous times I was missing that you have to have a regular wrong side row in between the slip stitch rows. :)
M
I had a freak out this morning… couldn’t get in to my blog at all. I kept entering my username and password and it would just refresh the login screen. I tried it from 3 different computers. I tried resetting my password and being e-mailed my login just to be sure that the database hadn’t been corrupted.
So I tried a wordpress upgrade and voila! Perfect. Must have been a bug in the previous version. And if I had listened to wordpress’s handy reminders that I had an out-of-date version installed, it wouldn’t have happened.
I love this software!
M
I’ve had a couple of people ask, so I thought I’d update. Andromeda has been sent to the tech editor, and she said she’d get to it this week. It shouldn’t take too long, and then it goes to the test knitter. I feel this pattern is extremely important to test knit because of the complex directions for the edging picots. You have to attach and reattach the yarn multiple times in different spots and although I think I’ve articulated that pretty clearly through charts and written directions, I want to ensure that it makes sense when you’re knitting it.
I’m hoping to have the tech editing back by the end of the month and have the test knitting done by the end of October. If the test knitting goes well and is done earlier than that, then it should be good to go before the first of November.
Blogging will be sparse this week. I’m really busy with my real job and haven’t had a lot of time to take or process photos, even though I’m carrying my camera with me everywhere. The laundry is getting done though, so all I need to do is vacuum the floor and I can block a couple of sweaters that I need to show you.
M
There are a lot of charitable organizations out there. All clamoring for your money. All wanting a piece of your pie. I know you can’t give to all of them. Most of us are on a budget, and with the US economy in its current state, gas and food are probably taking up all your extra money.
But assuming most of us here are women, take a moment to think about how amazing it is that we have a voice. That we can vote, that we can HAVE our own income to budget. There are girls on this planet who don’t have those rights and opportunities that we have. They are treated as second class citizens with no bearing on the world around them. They are left to float in the wake of their fathers, brothers, husbands…
There is an art project in downtown salt lake that shows short movies in the window of an empty shop. That’s where I saw this:
And it made me cry. If you’re interested, go to girleffect.org and click on “Do something”. It will take you to a list of donations that can be made and EXACTLY what that donation will do. You can write in what you want to donate as well, so if you like ONE of the causes, but can’t do the minimum option, give what you can.
Although I feel we still have a ways to go, as women in this country, to be seen as equal, why not help a girl to make a change in her own country as well.
M
Have you seen this? I know a lot of you probably shop at WalMart and I have nothing against you, I just know about how they treat their employees and the companies they retail for and since I have other options, I choose to spend a little more and not buy at WalMart. If you don’t have those options or the little more to spend, I really don’t hold it against you. But I prefer not to shop at WalMart and am rather proud that it’s been years since I’ve been in one.
That said, watch the animation there. It only takes a few seconds, but shows the growth of WalMart from 1962-2007. I’m rather amused that they used a nice purulent green color that is reminiscent of infected snot… I guess they don’t like WalMart either :) Though regardless of what your feelings are, the whole thing is still a little shocking.
M
I finally had my appointment with the Diabetes specialist yesterday. He feels confident that 20 pounds of weight loss over the next year should put my pancreas firmly in its place and lower my blood glucose to acceptable levels. So now I begin a long arduous process where I attempt to overcome my feels about a gym (very similar to Juno’s feelings about same). But losing 5 pounds by my next appointment in December seems reasonable.
I need a low-no impact way to get some serious cardiovascular exercise without hurting my back… I’m thinking recumbent bike…. but I might need to buy one so I can get my exercise done in the morning before I go to work. Anyone local have any fitness equipment they want to get rid of?
Whether I end up having to go to a gym, or being able to work out at home, I’ve got a nutrition class scheduled to learn what I should and shouldn’t be eating.
M
I had planned to take a photo and write a post last night to auto post this morning, but Photoshop ate a chart I’d been working on for 2 hours and hadn’t saved as often as I thought I had. :(
Now I am spending my spare moments today rebuilding it because I told my tech editor that I’d have it out today. Grr….
Hope your Friday works out much better than mine! Have a great weekend.
M
Andromeda has been done for some time, but I just hadn’t taken pictures of her.
Pattern: Andromeda shawl, pattern forthcoming.
Yarn: Impulse of Delight, Bluefaced Bliss. 100% Blue-faced Leicester, approx. 375 yards per 110 grams. less than 2 skeins of “Blue Skies”. This yarn is luscious! It has a lovely bit of shine that glows through the subtly shifting colors. The 2 ply gives texture and bounce and a beautiful hand.
Needles: 3.75 mm (US 5) circular.
Verdict: It’s just lovely! I have taken it with me to knitting gatherings and it’s got a resoundingly positive reception.
In a previous post, I talked about the tessellations, which you can now clearly see once it was blocked. I considered adding another set, but it would have just gotten exponentially larger and used probably more along the lines of 4 skeins rather than 2 and been bigger than I wanted. I’m endlessly in love with this pattern though. At first glance it appears to be a simple geometric lace design, but then you start to count the “waves” and the little twist is revealed.
My very favorite part is this edging. This is the tricky bit. Each of the tessellations had to finish up with the point as it naturally progressed from the previously established pattern, which means that each point ended at a different spot than the one next to it. I’m sending it off to the tech editor by the end of the week and then having it test knit to make sure that the directions for the edging make sense. It would be very easy to get confused with so many things going on at once, so clear and understandable directions are paramount.
God, I love this shawl :)
M
I’ve long admired Allison’s Vessel Wednesday posts, so I thought I’d start a series of my own since I have a soft spot for vessels of all sorts. Pots, bowls, cups, boxes, etc…. If it has a function, but is beautiful in its own right even while it serves that function, then it gives me pleasure to have it share my space.
So here is a new addition.
I bought this little beauty from ceramic artist Barbara Dunshee’s etsy shop. This small, fairly unassuming pot is devious though. The wash of blue on the lid is just a taste, as the whole inside of the pot is glazed with a beautiful deep blue, which was hard to capture in late-night photography.
I’m not sure yet what I’ll keep in there, but I’m sure it will give me a grin every time I open the lid.
M
Pattern: Jared Flood’s Noro Striped Scarf (ravelry link)
Yarn: Noro Kureyon in colors 115 and 149, which I purchased at Lamb Shoppe in Denver when I was visiting there with Michaele.
Needles: 5 mm (US 8) 24″ circular.
Modifications: I slipped the first stitch of every row instead of slipping the edge stitches as indicated in the pattern. The pattern is written to slip the 1st and last stitch of every other row, which serves the same purpose as what I did but makes the color shifts line up perfectly with the stripes. The change was not dramatic, but made it easier to remember to slip stitches.
Verdict: I love it! It’s a great scarf and it was so much fun to knit that I have to restrain myself from purchasing a ton of Noro just to make more of them. I’ve got my eye on some for holiday presents though. I can see more of these in my future.
M
Now for a finished sweater —
Pattern: Coraline (ravelry link) by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Sirdar Balmoral, which I bought in a dingy old bag full from KnitCraft in Odgen, UT. But turns out that the yarn has been un-discontinued (at least in the UK)! I’m not sure how the new version resembles the old version (it looks like it might have a tighter twist), but it would certainly be worth a swatch because the 72% wool, 25% alpaca, 3% silk makes a BEAUTIFUL sweater!
Needles: 3.25 mm (US 3) for the main body and a 2.5 mm (US 1.5) for the facings. I wanted to use a 2.75 (US 2), but didn’t have one on hand and didn’t want to wait for it. Plus the dpns for the icord edges and sleeves.
Modifications: I shortened the sleeves as I realized I was running out of yarn more quickly than anticipated, so I pulled back the sleeves before joining for the yoke so I would have enough to finish. Turns out to have been a good thing, especially since I love the length of the sleeves this way. I also used more buttons than the 3 called for. I wanted to be able to close it up all the way down. These buttons are vintage mother of pearl buttons with steel shanks purchased on etsy.
Verdict: The most wearable sweater I’ve ever made. I am glad I put the buttons all the way down. The length looks short here, but it actually hits an inch or two into my hips (I’m very short waisted). The pattern was clear and well-written, with great attention paid to the details. The shoulder decreases that begin before the yoke line up perfectly with the smocking stitches, and the i-cord edges around the sleeves and collar give a really nice, finished look. Just wonderful!
M
Since I can’t stand to move on without at least a cursory mention of my time away, here it is in list form.
Things I did during my summer vacation blog-break:
1. Kept my living room clean
2. Made my own lunches and brought them to work.
3. Finished and photographed Adromeda.
4. Finished and photographed Coraline.
5. Finished and photographed a Noro Striped Scarf
6. Didn’t have a doctors appointment since they canceled and rescheduled for September.
7. Went to my coworker’s wedding and took photos
8. Fell in love with Joss Whedon all over again because of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog.
9. Went to see Flogging Molly in concert with a local band of special importance opening for them.
10. Mail ordered way more stuff than I actually need. I guess when I’m not eating impulsively I shop impulsively. I also subsequently curtailed the purchasing and started focusing on knitting from stash.
11. Got a haircut that instantly made me feel hot.
12. Had the stylist glare at me when I instinctively tucked it behind my ears when I stood up.
13. Convinced the doctor’s office to give me a blood glucose monitor so I could at least have an accurate picture of my blood glucose levels BEFORE my September doctor’s appointment instead of showing up, having him look at my feet, ask me some questions and then send me off with a monitor for ANOTHER 2 months.
14. I worked long hours at my regular job, and got a bunch of overtime, which is sort of making me really unhappy to be at work now. Too much of a thing….
15. I joined the 100 pushup challenge, and let it fall by the wayside after 3 weeks.
16. I made lots of jam. Red Raspberry and Apricot, Red Raspberry and Mango, Liquid Crack….
17. I hung out with my grrls when Norma and Kim were visiting and had such a wonderful time I thought about packing myself into Norma’s suitcase so I didn’t ever have to go back to work.
18. Changed my eating habits to remove complex carbohydrates and add a great deal more vegetables, then found it wasn’t really helping that much, and added back in some complex carbohydrates, but in moderation.
19. Tested my blood glucose levels every morning, getting them down to 104 or 105 (fasting), regularly, which is still higher than it should be, but better than before.
20. Found I could download TV series from itunes and got hooked on Weeds.
21. Finished and did not block my Hourglass Sweater.
22. Finished and didn’t photograph some handspun socks.
23. Began Imogen, Wintergreen and the Kusha Kusha scarf.
24. Started going to Yoga.
25. Spun and plied some of Isabo for my “Before I Die” sweater. I filled 3 bobbins, then plied them, and now I’ve got 2 more full and working on the 3rd so I can ply again.
In the next post I’ll show you some actual knitting. I just had to clear out the cobwebs first.
M
By way of clarification, Brother #2 from yesterday is engaged. And getting married in November. A bit soon, I think, but then again, I’m the old curmudgeonly sister who dated her then boyfriend for 4.5 before getting married.
And in case you need a laugh to get through the rest of this week (and who doesn’t… really…) check out the newest gadget that everyone must own.
The USB powered pencil sharpener.
Because there’s nothing you need more when you’re working at your COMPUTER than a pointy newly-sharpened PENCIL.
*with a hat tip to Wacky Hermit*
M
