Knitting goals!

So, Okay, I just wrote what turned out to be a rather depressing post on which of my 2009 goals I ended up accomplishing. So now I'm going to do something more fun - Knitting Goals Accomplished! Yay!

1. Bryan's Birthday present

Yeah, that's been done for ages. I know I already mentioned that.

2. finish the scarf, purse, and poncho WIPs

Okay, scrapped the scarf (just used some of the yarn for something else), finished the purse - and the poncho! yay!

3. Hat for my sis

Heh. I'll get around to that eventually...

4. fingerless mitts for myself and a friend

Finished those! Actually, have another pair in the works to give away, and want to make myself another pair.

5. Hooded scarf for mom

Done and gifted - she loves it. Just about finished with a pair of mittens to match

6. house-slippers for my sis

Not yet. Need to rethink this one.

7. afghan for myself

Okay, it's about 1/3 of the way done, has been for ages - all sorts of Christmas knitting got in the way. Hope to get back to it soon.

8. 25 assorted stocking stuffers

Well, I finished off the 7 of those I eventually decided to make. Didn't do the whole family this year.

9. first pair of socks!

Yes! Actually, those need a bit of darning right now, so they're back in my knitting bag. Also, planning on making more!

10. learn fair isle

Well, sort of. I did a swatch which didn't work too well. But I've already started the stocking I needed to learn this for, so we'll see...

So, all in all, I managed most of those. I also learned how to knit lace, and how to do double knitting, and started designing my own project, which I plan to publish on Ravelry when I've finished. And I made several other projects that I wasn't even planning on doing when I made that list originally. Honestly, my knitting goals change pretty quickly, nowadays.

Right now, for example, I have 4 projects that are 'officially' WIPs, and 3 more that are hibernating, which I'm looking forward to getting back to. Also, I have plans to start, for myself, a new pair of socks, a new pair of fingerless gloves, a couple different hats, and at least 2 different sweaters. I also have plans for my brother's B-day present.

Of course, on top of that, I just got several new knitting books for Christmas. One of which I totally wasn't expecting, but which has lots of...unusual patterns in it. So now I'm going through those, and finding yet more projects I'm really interested in making. You know, just in case I'm bored.

I'm starting to think I'm a knitting addict.

I don't think I have a problem with that.

What Happened to those goals?

So, it occurred to me that, at the beginning of this year, I actually did write out a list of 'resolutions' - something I hardly ever do. Since this is the last day of 2009, I figured I should probably go back and see how many of those I accomplished. So here goes.

I want to be in better shape than I have ever been before (whatever that might be, for me).

Totally didn't happen. I did manage to avoid gaining weight, but that's about it. And I've hardly exercised at all. Still planning to work on that.

I want to be working in a job where I plan to stay for a few years, that I enjoy.

Yeah....no. I'm working a crap job that I basically hate, although I get along pretty well with most of my coworkers, and am friends with a couple of them. On the plus side, though, I do have a job lined up to start in February, which I'm really looking forward to - just under a month left of the crap job! yay!

I want to have a place of my own, and start living like an actual adult, instead of a student.

Again, no go. I am looking for a place right now, and I do have a few more of the things I need to set myself up (thanks for those dishes! and the crockpot!). So...progress, at least.

I want to be living in a community I enjoy, and have started sowing seeds for the rest of my life.

Umm....not so much. Still living with my parents, obviously. The sowing seeds thing, though - that's going on all the time, really. Just not the way I thought it was going to.

I want to try to play my cello again, no matter how much it hurts.

Well, I did pull him out and try to get him in tune, but I need to bring my cello in and have him looked over - I think I need to replace the strings, for example. Been planning to do that for months now.

I want to have finished at least one large knitting project, and be ready to start knitting a Christmas stocking for my nephew.

Some success! I haven't actually finished a large project, but I have a couple started, and I have started on the stocking for my nephew! Also, I know what I'm doing for stocking stuffers next year, and it's not going to take nearly as long as this year's projects. So I should have time to knit more for me! (I'm being kinda selfish, I suppose, but I have a whole slew of sweaters and things I want to make for myself.)

I want to have met my friend Jacob, finally.

Nope, didn't happen. Not sure it's going to, either. Really, this is one that I need to think through...

I want to have set some money aside, and start making serious inroads on paying off my student loans.

Well, I have been making payments on my student loans, but I'm living paycheck to paycheck right now - and occasionally asking my dad for a bit of help. So, again, no go on this one. Fortunately I have a better-paying job lined up, so hopefully soon...

I want to be working on several projects that challenge me at my job.

Well, this would require having a challenging job. Which I don't. Will soon, though.

I want to have a plan for the future.

Okay, I'm counting this one as accomplished. I have some ideas for what I want to do with my life, and where I want to go. And that's good enough for me. I don't really want to have any set in stone plans, because then I'll be frustrated if they don't come through.

I want to have written a story, even though I don't think I'll let anyone read it.

Okay... I have written parts of a couple stories, but nothing finished. And they are so not going to be read by anyone, ever.

I want to do something unexpected.

Um. Not sure. I'm thinking probably not. At least nothing big.

I want to be kissed.

Okay, no. And we're leaving it there.

I want to be happy.

Well, yeah. In general, anyway. I'm still dissatisfied with lots of things, but I am relatively happy, anyway.

And I want to be loved.

Wish I hadn't put this on here. Duh.

Okay, so, out of 15 goals, I only accomplished 3 (2 of which were basically given). I partially managed another 4 (depending on how you look at it - my list, my count). Leaving me with 8 I didn't manage. Really, those are pretty sucky numbers.

On the other hand, though - 5 of those 8 were based on, or tied to, having a decent job. Which I will have soon. So those could be lumped together. Leaving me with 4 out of 11 unaccomplished. That's not quite as bad.

And anyway, this is all a load of crap, in some ways. I know I parsed those goals out at the beginning of the year, but my real goals have been to a) stop being reliant on my parents (have my own job, apartment, etc) b) know where I want to go, and be working on getting there and, c) enjoy my life.

I'd say I'm doing just fine on 2 of those 3, and really, it's all good.

Today was Practically Guaranteed to be a bad day

It really, really was.

This morning was alright - got almost enough sleep, got myself ready for work, got out the door on time. Seemed like a pretty normal Saturday.

Then, on the way to work, I ran out of gas.

Seriously, it's a 2 mile drive. I was planning on getting gas on the way home from work, just didn't get out the door quite quick enough this morning to stop on the way there.

Not that it would have mattered - I didn't even make it to the gas station. I could almost see it, though.

So, called my Dad and had him drive me the rest of the way to work, then realized I'd forgotten my tea in the car. Which was frustrating, since that was my main source of caffeine and, therefore, hope to stay awake at work all day. (It totally sucks to close one night, and then have to be back at work the next morning.)

At this point, of course, I know it's just going to be a bad day - maybe not dreadful, but bad.

Dad, being the awesome dad he is, goes back to put some gas in my car and see if that's the only problem (I wasn't entirely sure what was wrong, myself). And then one of my coworkers has to run to another store to get drink cups and banana peppers.

He gets stuck behind a car accident, and is gone for about an hour or more, instead of just 20 minutes. Yay.

That actually isn't a problem, though, as it's so slow that the 3 of us who were still there were all doing prep - hardly any customers. And it doesn't ever really pick up for lunch - the 3 of them are up on the line, but I end up doing random other chores around the store, and really, we only needed 2 people. So, of course, they got to go home early. I had to stay, since I was the one scheduled to work the midshift.

Guess when it got busy?

Yeah, about half an hour after they left.

Naturally.

And, of course, since it had been pretty slow, they didn't worry too much about getting the line all stocked up before they left, so not only was I busy, I was running out of things, which is just annoying, really. And I didn't get to stop moving for over an hour - it was just busy enough that every time I finished helping one customer, another one would walk in the door.

That's about the worst kind of busy, because it's juuust busy enough to keep me from doing anything else, but not busy enough to look good as far as the numbers are concerned. And that's all the management usually cares about.

So then, finally, things slow down a bit, and I manage to get things partially caught up, but I know that I'll have to go home early, which means not getting all my hours, and therefore money, I was expecting. Also annoying.

But then comes the really fun part. I get off work, go get my car and fill it up with my Dad, come home, have dinner, relax a little bit, and just start to think about going to bed early, get a good night's rest.

Get a call from work.

The scheduled closer called in, and the person who took the shift has managed to cut his foot so badly he's limping. Can I come in and close?

Why, of course I can. I have to, because none of the other closers are available!

So, that's why I'm writing this post so late at night - I just got home from closing the store, which was incredibly boring, since it was actually pretty slow. I only had I think 4 customers in. 2 of which managed, to my complete surprise, walk on the only part of the floor I had mopped - which involved actually moving the chairs I had blocking that area - and not even realize it. Because, of course, it's not enough that I have to come back in and close when I really need to sleep, I also have to do things twice, because people can't bloody well pay attention!

Of course, I did also have plans for this evening - I still have 2 Christmas presents to knit - one of which isn't even started! - and I was going to work on those all night. Didn't manage to knit a stitch. And, since I had to close tonight, and I still have to work all day tomorrow, I'll probably be too tired to work on them much tomorrow, either.

I'll admit, I've had worse days, but all in all, today rather sucked.

Prioritizing

So I am, apparently, almost incapable of working on one knitting project at a time. Or even of working on the most important project. Part of my sister's birthday present is now going to be her Christmas present - not that I'm actually working on it right now, even though it's on the needles. I have a blanket I'm working on, that I'm actually happy with, and is about 1/3rd of the way finished, but I haven't been working on that, either - partly because it's starting to get too warm to work on, the longer it gets. It'll be a very cozy lap blanket in the winter, but that does make it uncomfortable to work on in warm weather. I picked up yarn for a shrug on impluse, found a pattern I like, and made one sleeve - now it's hibernating until I can block out the sleeve. I have yarn to work on my mom's Christmas presents, my brother-in-law's present, a requested present for my friend's sister, and my grandmother's present - most of these are actually sitting in my knitting bag of 'current' projects, not in my stash.

I also have a list of projects that I need to buy yarn for and work on, if I'm going to get those done for Christmas. I keep telling myself that, really, I can't afford to just go buy yarn right now, especially more expensive yarns, but that's just an excuse. It's true that I shouldn't spend money frivolously right now, but that didn't keep me from buying a new bodice at the Ren Fest, did it? Buying all the yarn I want/need for projects right now probably wouldn't cost any more than that did.

What am I working on? A purse for a friend of mine, who mentioned rather casually that she might like a purse of a certain style, and maybe I could knit her one. I got ideas almost immediately, picked up yarn a couple days later, and then began designing my own pattern and learning how to do double knitting, which I'd wanted to learn anyway, and I think is perfect for the purse. It'll be reversible, and lined, as soon as I'm finished. Also, if she doesn't like it for some reason, I'll totally keep it to use myself. And I'm thinking about doing a variation on it for my sister and myself anyway. Even though I'm only less than 1/3rd of the way into the bag, and I haven't finished figuring out how to do the strap yet.

I am having lots of fun with this pattern, and learning a lot, but it's still not very high up on the list of things I should be working on. And that's just the list of knitting projects, not other things, like, say, filling out job applications!

I really am hopeless at this prioritization thing lately. Because, not only am I focusing on knitting instead of other things, and working on the least important projects first, I also spent most of my morning looking at yet more patterns. I ran across a pattern for a knitted wide-brim lace hat. I can never find hats that fit, and I had been looking for a wide-brim hat last year, so I immediately went "oh, that's so pretty! I wonder if there are other patterns like it! maybe I can find a free one!"

Yep, there went 2 hours.

Really, sometimes I think I need professional help.

And then I tell myself, no, I don't really, I just need to get my ass in gear and get things done, instead of sitting about wasting time.

Take this blog, for example - I've thought of at least a dozen things to post about since last time (in June?! holy crap), but I never actually sat down to write one. Why? I don't know - just lazy, probably. It's not like I've really been that busy.

I really do spend too much time just relaxing. I know I can keep myself moving and just go from one project to the next without pausing - I do that at work all the time - but I somehow lack the motivation to do that at home. Admittedly, I don't enjoy working like that, but neither do I really enjoy living with my parents and working at Subway at 25. I've just got to find a way to get that work ethic and motivation injected into every part of my life, and get used to the idea that I should relax like other people do - on vacation. Not all day every day.

I'll let you know how I do.

So Pretty!!

Isn't this beautiful? I'm not going to tell you exactly what this is, since it's my sister's birthday present.

(And I know she'll see this, but I couldn't resist sharing.)

I just had to post a pic of this - I'm using Lily's Sugar'n Cream yarn, and the combination of greens and purples is making me feel like I'm creating a field of flowers. I think this is my favorite project yet, and I absolutely love this yarn.

Which is fabulous, because it's pretty inexpensive, too!

Knitting Addiction?

Well, I've been productive the past couple of days, but not precisely in the way I should have been, most likely.

I've been feeling completely icky for about the past 48 hours, which I won't go into any detail about, except to say that it meant that instead of going to my friend's cookout today, I sat in front of my computer and knit while watching old episodes of Star Trek.

Upside of this is that I have finally, finally finished a poncho I originally started over a year and a half ago. And, contrary to what I was expecting, I actually like it. I'd spent so long ignoring it and not wanting to work on it, I was sure I was going to hate it when it was done. I was determined to finish it mostly because I didn't care to frog the darn thing, either. Now that it's all done, I do rather like it - especially the fringe, which is what I spent most of the afternoon putting on.

Fringe is hardly difficult, but it is time consuming.

I'm also feeling accomplished because yesterday, after sending in a job app (yay!), I finished off my aunt's scarf. One Christmas present is done!! Whoo!! All I have left to do is block it, which I aim to do either tomorrow evening or Monday. Depends on how exhausted I am after work tomorrow.

In any case, since I've finished off those two projects, I've been working on my sister's Christmas scarf - at this point I just plan to use the whole skein, and I know I'm getting close - should be able to finish it up soon. If I get that done, that'll mean I only have one actual WIP sitting around - my lace afghan. And I've actually been wanting to work on that, since I've figured out better how to follow the pattern. I may have to frog it and start over, though - I need to pull it out, take a good look at it, and figure out whether or not I totally messed it up yet.

I'm also excited because I found a pattern I think will work for a couple skeins of purple boucle I picked up at the Knit-Out in February. I'd been wondering what I would do with those, but I saw a pretty pattern for a wrap that should work, just need to test it out.

If you can't tell, I have some major urges to finish things off and start clearing out some of my stash right now. Some things I just want to get out of my way, some projects I really want to work on, but either way, I'm finally clearing out some of this stuff that's in my way.

Of course, part of working on clearing out my stash is that I'd have room to buy more yarn. I've spent the past 20 minutes or so drooling over some yarn over at Sereknity - which I checked out solely because I loved the name. I am really, really, insanely tempted to buy a couple skeins - particularly that lovely skein of Blue Lagoon lace yarn - I know that a lace shawl is still somewhat beyond me, but as soon as I looked at it, I wanted to snatch it up and cast on for an overly-complicated, but absolutely gorgeous, filmy lace shawl. It would look sooooo pretty. And just about any of the sock yarns, too.

I've also been getting urges to make myself another pair of socks. hand-knit socks really are nicer than store-bought.

Yeah....so, right now, want to clear out my stash and finish off projects, and I want to buy some absolutely drool-worthy yarn. Knitting is getting rather addicting.

I wonder if I can justify buying that yarn as a way of keeping my spirits up while I job-hunt?

Lace Knitting

So, lately, I've been working on Christmas Presents - it might only be June, but I would really prefer not to feel pressured to sit and knit for 12 to 14 hours straight 3 days in a row to finish things up. Once was quite enough, thank you.

I'm also taking the opportunity to learn knew knitting techniques. I've been having fun with lace knitting lately. Well, mostly fun, anyway.

It is fun to see how increases and decreases make what, at this point, really looks like a rumpled, hole-y mess, and then to spread it out over my lap and see the lovely pattern that's actually inside. If I can maintain enough patience for it, I might really like lace knitting.

Of course, for right now, it's a good thing I'm only trying simple stuff - the scarf I'm making right now is a very simple pattern, a variation on the feather and fan - I repeat the same pattern every right side row, and purl every wrong side. Means that now, almost half-way in, I have the pattern memorized, and all I have to do is keep careful count. After ripping out about 6 inches in because I'd ended up with the wrong number of stitches, and could not for the life of me figure out where the mistake was, I wised up - I now count my stitches out on every row, to make sure I haven't done too many YO's or decreases.

I do really like the way this looks, and I'm sure my Aunt Chris will appreciate it, too. (I'm not posting a picture here, just in case, even though I want to - presents should be a surprise.) The only real downside on this particular pattern is that it isn't reversible, which I think is an important thing, for a scarf. It is, however, probably going to be wide enough to fold in half (which it wants to do anyway), so it should be alright.

Unfortunately, the non-reversibility isn't the only thing I'm regretting, somewhat, about this pattern. This is actually the second pattern I've tried out for my aunt - the first was a pretty lace motif at either end, followed by plain stockinette which I was supposed to graft together, since the motif needed to be worked right after casting on at either end. The problem with that was that I didn't have enough yarn for a densely-knit scarf on small needles, and, since I'm rather broke, trying to find another skein in the same dye-lot didn't seem like the best idea. My goal is to finish off each scarf I'm making this year with only one skein of yarn each.

So, I ripped out that scarf and started over with a new pattern. Fine, except, since I had cut the skein into 3 pieces (one for each end, plus some set aside for fringe), I now have more ends to weave in, in the middle of the scarf, which is going to be very annoying, with lace.

Okay, I'll admit that really, that should be a fairly minor concern - it probably won't be very noticeable to anyone but myself.

The other thing is that I'm wondering what to do about my sister's scarf, now. The plan is to make a scarf for each of my aunts, my grandma, my sister, and my mom. I'm not making them all to the same pattern - if I did, I'd be sure to hate that last couple of scarves, and that doesn't seem right, to me. Nor will I be using the same yarn for all of them - I can't, since my mom's allergic to wool, the type of yarn I'm using right now. But I've already started my sister's, using a yarn she'd actually bought herself once, but since she's decided not to try to learn knitting, doesn't have much use for.

So far, no problem, right? Except that my sister's scarf is a simple ribbed scarf, with a slit for closure, but nothing special. And the yarn is not suitable for lace or cables or anything, anyway. But I kinda feel like she'd be getting shafted, if I'm making lovely, complicated(-ish) scarves for everyone else, and hers looks rather pedestrian by comparison. So now I'm debating making her another scarf similar to the ones for my aunts.

Yay for creating more work for myself!!




As a side note, I don't think I should ever bother with Twitter - I'm clearly too wordy for it. I'd intended this to be a fairly short post...

Speechification!

You know, one weird thing about me - or at least, I think it's weird - is that I tend to pick up ...speech mannerisms? I'm not exactly sure how to phrase it, but it's true. It's not just that I tend to pick up phrases or even accents from other people - it's just...weird.

For example, I've just been reading a new online comic (well, not new - just new to me). And now I'm thinking in the same way the comic is written - I can feel myself thinking with the same sorts of emphasis, the same short phrases and sentences - it's like a new type of language, and I'm repeating it, testing it out.

I'm not making it my own, which would be one thing. I'm just copying it, testing it out, kinda trying to make my thoughts fit in. Usually, this goes away relatively quickly - every time I watch Sweet Home Alabama, for instance, I think in a southern accent for about half an hour or so afterwards (and speak in one, too, although I'm sure it's atrocious), but then it's gone. I pick up accents from books - sometimes accents which don't even exist, but I get this weird feeling in my mouth, like I want to hold my entire jaw differently to pronounce things.

This is probably related to why I find languages relatively easy to pick up - somewhere along the way (I think a lot of it was from taking Sanskrit), I learned to pay attention to how to pronounce things - and how to hold my tongue and lips and jaw to replicate it.

Some things - ways of emphasizing certain words, turns of phrase, I decide I like, and keep, but it always feels kind of weird. Usually these are things I picked up from friends of mine, and I keep on expecting someone to say something about it. I'm basically parroting them, after all - I would think it must be annoying.

I almost wonder if this is some weird way of trying to make myself fit in. I've always been somewhat socially inept, and I don't feel like I'm very good at making conversation. Listening I can do, but actual conversations with people are hard for me. Sometimes I think I imitate others because it's easier than working out how to talk to people on my own.

I don't feel like I'm a very interesting person to talk to, a lot of the time - one on one is fine, but in large, or even medium-sized groups, I'm usually drowned out. I don't know if that just means I'm quiet, or if I'm actually boring to talk to. I think it's a mixture of both, but there are definitely times when I feel like it's entirely the latter. So I think I pick up things from friends of mine to try to make myself sound more interesting.

Whatever the reason is, though, I wish I could stop doing it - and it's usually subconscious, so I don't know how. But it would be nice, to find my own voice.
~2/5/09
~~~

Okay, I'm not actually sure why I didn't post that ( I wrote the above several months ago), but I didn't, and I feel like adding to it now - so I guess this'll probably be a pretty long post.

Anyway - I've been reading Ivanhoe lately - which I am actually enjoying, and I don't think it's that difficult a read. Just takes a bit of getting used to the language and style, really. It does mean I find myself thinking in an older English style, though. Fortunately I haven't said anything odd (yet), but it is very strange to find yourself thinking things like "I doubt it not".

Of course, besides this, I've also been working at Subway. And I generally let myself slip into 'dumb English - or whatever you might want to call it - while I'm there. Not that I think my coworkers are dumb, mind you, it's just that I try to fit in with how they speak. I've learned that there's nothing more uncomfortable than having coworkers think you think that you're better than them in some way. So, I try to avoid sounding like myself while I'm there. I don't mean to sound patronizing or anything, I just, apparently, naturally use a larger vocabulary than most people.

I have the same thing happen with my brother-in-law; I'll use a word that I assume is well-known, and he doesn't know what I mean. It's not that he's stupid - I'm just...introverted? I've definitely spent too much of my time reading books instead of conversing with people.

It does feel very strange, though, to be thinking in an old English rhythm, and then go to work for a few hours and deliberately use very poor grammar. Maybe I really should just talk like I normally would, but I hate it when people look at me like I'm crazy. I don't really mind not fitting in at work - I like who I am, and I know that the life I've chosen is very different from that of most of the other people there. I just try not to stick out like a sore thumb. Particularly since so many of the customers around here have a tendency to look down on us. Well, not the regulars so much, but other people...it's not exactly unusual for me to really wish I could point out that I probably went to a better college than them or their children, and, dammit, they should treat me like a regular person, not a servant.

In any case, with customers like that, it's easier to get along at work if I can joke around with my coworkers, and that isn't easy to do if you seem to think you're above them at all. It's not like I lie to them about anything, either - they know that I've got a degree and I'm looking for a job, just working at Subway temporarily. The point is to try and get along - even if I do occasionally catch myself wincing at what's coming out of my mouth.

Which brings me (sort of) back around to my original point - it's a very odd dichotomy, switching back and forth from Ivanhoe to street English. But maybe this means that my mimicking is actually a good thing?

Knitting List

Okay, I know I just posted a few minutes ago, but I was looking through my list of knitting goals, and I felt like updating it.

This is what it was back in February:

1. Bryan's Birthday present
2. finish the scarf, purse, and poncho WIPs
3. Hat for my sis
4. fingerless mitts for myself and a friend
5. Hooded scarf for mom
6. house-slippers for my sis
7. afghan for myself
8. 25 assorted stocking stuffers
9. first pair of socks!
10. learn fair isle

Well, as of right now, I've completed numbers 1, 5, 9, and 10(mostly). Those WIPs? I scrapped the scarf, finished the purse, and that damn poncho is still sitting there mocking me. I'd almost forgotten about the hat for my sis. I need to pick up more yarn for it, anyway. I made myself a pair of fingerless mitts, and I'm trying to convince myself to do a pair for my friend this week, since I'll be seeing her Friday for her b-day, and that way I'd have a present.

Slippers - I've found a pattern, and I know what type of yarn I want to use, but haven't even bought it yet. That afghan is currently the bane of my stash (I had no idea lace knitting was so hard), but I have at least started work on the stocking stuffers. I'm about halfway through the first one, and I have yarn and a pattern for another. I'm debating what I'm going to do for the rest of my family. I know I'm making scarves for my aunts and sister, but I might actually buy something for my cousins and uncles. I don't think they'd want scarves or hats, really, and I don't actually have the money to buy that much yarn right now, anyway.

Still, generally, I'm doing pretty good - I've knocked off 3 or 4 of those items, which isn't too shabby for 2 and a half months. I've added a few more projects I want to do, of course, too, though, so maybe I'd better stop blabbering on to myself and get to work...

Fair Isle Knitting

Right, so, one of the things I decided I wanted to learn how to do this year was Fair Isle knitting - the pretty colorwork stuff that lets you do snowflakes and things without five hundred ends to weave in.

Well, I just finished my first little test swatch. It was...interesting, to say the least.

I generally have pretty high tension in my knitting - I definitely knit tighter than I purl, but I keep trying to fix that by pulling even tighter on my purl stitches, and, unfortunately, totally forgetting to do the opposite with the knits.

Let's just say that this really, really doesn't work so well with fair isle.

All those floats of yarn across the back of the work? Far too tight. I mean, it wouldn't be as stretchy as regular knitting, anyway, but, well...see for yourself:

Alright, it might be a little difficult to tell in the photo, but that turtle is very wobbly. That swatch will not lay out flat for me. I might try blocking it to see if I can fix it, but it's an acrylic yarn, so I don't think that's going to work.

Needless to say, I had better do a bit of practicing before I try to make an actual project with fair isle.

Other thing I learned, though, is that it's actually rather fun. I mean, the actual process of doing it is a bit frustrating, since it requires a lot of concentration, and I kept messing up, but it's pretty cool to see the image slowly form on the needles. I think the turtle's darn cute, anyway. Much better than the little learning charts I could find. I just got this one from a book.

Actually, I think I'm going to use the same chart to try out double knitting. It should basically work the same. But I'd better not try to work that out today. I do have some other projects in the works. I did the fair isle swatch as a break from one of them, actually. I need to get it done, and it's going well, but it's plain stockinette stitch almost all the way, which can get a bit boring. Especially since I'm not good enough at it yet to knit without looking at what I'm doing. If I try to watch something that's too involving, I forget to pay attention to what my fingers are doing, and next thing I know I have a whole bunch of mistakes I have to go back and fix.

Of course, sometimes I get mistakes even when I'm looking at what I'm doing, but that's beside the point.

Eventually, though, I will learn how to do fair isle, and make it look pretty. Definitely understand why it's generally only used as a border or something, though - it must take forever to knit an entire project in fair isle.

...which I'll be doing, hopefully relatively soon. After all, the whole reason I'm learning it now is so that I can make my nephew a Christmas Stocking, and that pattern is fair isle almost the whole way.

Happy Birthday, Hermes!

So Hermes is 2 today. I didn't actually get him until June, but his birthday still needs to be observed. He's certainly changed a lot from when I first saw him - see?









This was taken the first day I got him - This was taken last month

See how much bigger he's gotten!? His bunny is still one of his favorite toys, though - the bunny and his reindeer. I swear he treats them like his kittens, now. Used to be more like litter-mates, but they didn't grow with him, obviously :P It's adorable, though - he routinely 'saves' them from the vacuum, and if I leave the house, he brings both of them near the front door to wait with him for me to come home.

He really is a total sweetie, even if he does drive my mom nuts with getting on the counters.

Admittedly, as much as I love him, I do hope he starts to calm down some this year. He's a bit rambunctious sometimes ^^;

Anyway, Happy Birthday, kitty mine.

Blather

Two posts in a week?!? Insanity :P

This is Hermes, asleep on my freshly washed clothes. Which is, of course, brilliantly appreciated - especially since these are my summer clothes, which I just pulled out of storage today, and haven't even gotten to sort out yet.

Thanks, Hermes. You're right, they didn't smell nearly enough like you, and they were all woefully lacking in kitty fur. How kind of you to see to that for me.

Incidentally, he's still contentedly snoozing away in the basket - it's not like they wouldn't be covered in fur by the time I wear them, anyway.

I have to admit, though - I really did not expect to be unpacking my summer clothes now. Not because I thought it would still be too bloody cold, but because I thought they would have gotten unpacked at least a month or so ago - along with everything else.

When I quit my job, packed everything up, and moved back home last August, I expected it to take a few months to find a job. I hoped I might be able to move out before Christmas, but I was expecting that it wouldn't happen until after New Years. I honestly expected to be employed by my birthday, though.

Obviously not the case. It's now been about eight months since I started looking (almost nine - I'm being generous). I expected it to take four. I didn't necessarily expect to move right away - despite wanting to move sooner rather than later, logic said I should save up money before finding my own place again, if I possibly could.

Now, well, it's a bit difficult at times to keep my spirits up. I'm essentially an optimistic person (sometimes to the point of stupidity regarding some things), and I rarely feel down. I'm not always exuberantly happy, but I'm usually quite content. Lately that's taken more effort. Not that I've been depressed (at least, not usually), it's just more difficult to be happy about anything. I think that's part of the reason I want to move out so badly - it's easier to keep myself happy when I don't have to worry about everybody else.

But! That's why I've been knitting lately ^_^ It gives me something fun to do and focus on. I finished my first sock last week, see? It even fits properly! Admittedly, it's a little roomy in the toe on my right foot, so for the second sock, I think I'm going to turn the heel just a row or two earlier. My left foot's a bit bigger, anyway. Ah, the joy of knitting something to my size and shape! It'll be a lot more difficult when I try to do sweaters, but I'm building up to that.

I've added a project to my list recently - I need to make myself a shrug. I went looking for one to go with my yellow dress this weekend, and I couldn't find one that would work. It's the wrong time of year to buy one, anyway. But I found two really simple patterns I can work off of, so I'm planning to go find some yarn this week. I really don't have anything in my stash that'll work. Well, I have a whole lot of purple yarn that I got from a frogged sweater, and it would have a lovely drape to it if I worked it into a shrug, but I want a simple white one to wear with the dress. I'll have to see about making myself a luxurious purple one later :P I have a time limit on getting a white shrug, since I want to wear it to Monica's wedding. Both patterns I'm looking at, though, are basically modified scarves, so - really easy. I'm thinking I'll add some seed stitch trim, but it'll probably depend on the yarn I get.

I didn't mention, but I think I'm going to actually go to a yarn shop for this project - I don't think Michael's will have anything that'll really work. It's almost pathetic how excited I am at the idea of going to an actual yarn shop. The closest one is is a good 20 minute drive, though, according to Google maps. For some reason, there just isn't one nearby. I don't think many people around here craft, since Michael's is the only craft store in town - we have to drive a ways just to find a JoAnn, even. So, yeah, very excited about a real LYS ^_^

Also thinking about going to the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival in May. I'm thinking I might be able to talk my sister into going with, since I know my nephew would love seeing the sheep and other animals. I know she's awfully busy, though, so maybe not. It would be lots of fun, though - and there would probably be handspun yarn for sale! Squee!

Although I'd have to remember not to pick up a free kitten this time around!

Babble

Okay, wow, two months since I posted. You'd think I'd post more often, since I don't really have much else to do. On the other hand, I don't feel like I have too much to talk about, usually.

Do I wish my life were exciting? Not really - I like not being busy and rushed. Also, there's that infamous Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times." The times are quite interesting enough, in my opinion, thank you. I would like to be busier, but I'll just have to wait and see.

I am, of course, still looking for a job, which is frustrating beyond belief, but I'm hopeful that something will come up soon. I've decided to apply to things further afield, so that should increase my odds, right? Besides, I might really like living somewhere like Utah - you never know. I certainly wouldn't mind living somewhere with mountains again - Minnesota is pretty flat.

Besides the interminable job search, there is, of course, knitting. I'm rethinking my plans for Christmas - I am definitely doing scarves for my aunts and grandmother (essentially, all the grown women in the family), but I don't think the rest of my family would really appreciate a hand-knit scarf or hat. And, honestly, considering the amount of time and effort that goes into knitting, it's no fun to give someone a gift they'll never use. So, I'm pondering colors and patterns and such for a few scarves, but I haven't even started any yet. Instead, I've been working on other things.

My fingers have been positively itching to work on my first pair of socks for...oh, two months, maybe? I'd gotten yarn and needles from Monica for my birthday last year - really nice yarn and needles, too - so all I had to do was find a pattern. I finally cast on on Sunday, and I just finished turning the heel on the first one! Yay! Now I just have to hope I put the heel in the right place. I'm going from the toe up, instead of top down, so I can try them on as I go, and I think I have it right....but it is hard to wiggle my foot in there between all the needles. Next time I try a pair of socks, I might do it on circulars instead of double-pointed just for that. Besides the difficulty trying them on, I don't have a problem with the dpns - and it's fun seeing people react to me working with 5 needles at once :)

(The pic is from earlier today, before I turned the heel - isn't it pretty?)

Theoretically, of course, I shouldn't be working on these at all yet - I told myself I was going to finish that poncho, at least, before I did. But I'm having a lot of fun with the socks, and the poncho is pretty boring - plain garter stitch, with occasional yarn changes for stripes. I had been planning on putting a fringe on it, but I might skip that - Hermes is having far too much fun batting at the strings hanging off as it is.

Besides the socks, I've been reading a lot lately - going beack and forth between some fantasy novels and non-fiction books on astronomy, for the most part. I'm a little frustrated with the library right now - I have two series checked out, and they don't actually own the entire series, so I can't decide whether or not I should read them. And they're terribly annoying about buying the rest of a series, especially with sci-fi/fantasy. Grr. I would be fine with just buying them myself, but I don't really have the cash. Of course.

The non-fiction books are pretty interesting. Not sure how many of them I'll actually finish, but they're interesting. I just read The Pluto Files, which was short and amusing, and I'm part-way through a book on Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler. I've picked up a couple others, including Hawking's A Brief History of Time, which I'm rather expecting to go right over my head. Thought I'd give it a shot, though.

And knitting books!! I've been checking out quite a few. I did, of course, pick up a sock book - probably not the best one in the world for beginners, but it has lots of charts for sizing and such, which is helpful. I think I'm going to start putting together a list of books I want to buy, too. It's nice to be able to look through, decide how many patterns are in there that I like, and then decide whether or not to buy the book. Well, to buy it in future, anyway. I've found patterns for birthday and Christmas presents for my sister, already. Still haven't decided what I'm giving my mom for Christmas, but her birthday present is already finished! Waaay early, too, since her birthday isn't until August :P

I'd been debating making something for my friends' wedding at the end of May, but I don't think I've got time, now. Especially since the one thing I might have made has gone into hibernation until I can figure out the pattern :P But I have definitely decided I'm going - haven't bought plane tickets yet, as I'm hoping I'll have moved *crosses fingers*, but I am going! It's a perfectly viable use of my tax refund. I'm going to go buy shoes (hopefully this weekend) with my sister. She also needs white sandals for a wedding in June, so the plan is to split the cost on a pair that fit both of us okay. Of course, she wants to see my dress before we go....but it's still buried with summer clothes in the basement. I'm hoping mom and I can un-bury that box sometime next week.

I'm also (sorta) making plans to go to Scotland in the fall. Megan and Monica and Lee are going, and I'm hoping I will a) have the money and b) be able to take the time off from the job I hope I'll have by then. So, needless to say, my plans are fairly tentative at the moment. I'm letting Monica and Megan do most of the planning, but I really should check out some travel books so I can put my two cents in. I really hope I can go, though! I'd love to see Scotland, and traveling with friends is always fun.

Stuff I've been doing lately...

So, finally, I'm posting some things I've been meaning to since Christmas!

I spent most of my time right before and after Christmas knitting - and I have, now, finally finished all my Christmas projects. I know, it's February, but considering that I didn't start working on knitting presents until the week before Christmas, it isn't too bad. Anyway, here're the things I made:

The purse was for my sister (she's requested a hat out of the half-skein I have left). the fuzzy blue thing next to it is an owl I made for my nephew. I am so glad I found a use for that yarn! it made a fantastic Kooky owl, but I have no idea what else I could have made out of it. Joe seemed to like him alright, too. We decided, though, that it kinda looks like the love-child of Gonzo and one of his chickens. Both of these were done before Christmas, by the way - I did have some things done!

This is the purse I made for my mom - I didn't even start it until after Christmas, because I just didn't have time, but mom promised she didn't mind. Honestly, this is the first project I've done with cables, so it took longer than it could have, too. I love the way this yarn feels and works, though, and I think I'm going to make myself a version of this - but probably only half as tall. And definitely with shorter handles - which means I might actually do the cable pattern for the handles, too, instead of cheating and doing stockinette.

And these little buggers are the reason I didn't have everything done for Christmas! I know, there's only three - but multiply that by about 7. I made 22 of these before Christmas, for the rest of the family. Most of those I did in the three days right before Christmas. We had a little assembly line running, actually - I knit the sweaters, my mom sewed on the initials, then I sewed the sweaters up, and my dad made little hangers for them, to make them into ornaments. I literally spent all day knitting the two days before Christmas - each sweater takes me about three and a half hours to knit, and I was less than halfway through.

Needless to say, I have learned my lesson, and I am already working out what I want to make people for next Christmas, so that I can try to get at least 2-3 stocking stuffers done a month.


Another project I've finally finished is the cat-stand I mentioned a few posts (months) ago. Hermes absolutely loves it, so it was worth the effort of figuring out how on earth you're supposed to carpet curves and weird shapes. Still, if/when he kills this thing, I'll just buy him a new one, I think. It costs twice as much to buy a premade one like the one we built, but considering the amount of effort and time that went into working this thing out, I think that's actually worth it. Anyway, a store-bought one would look nicer. Hermes won't care too much - he's so excited that he can perch up on the top of this one and survey his kingdom! That top tier is slightly taller than I am, and he loves to lay up there and bat at your head if you come too close. He hasn't really used the little cubbies in the bottom yet, but if he doesn't warm up to them, I figure I can use them to store his toys.

~~~

Well, so those are the projects I've finished lately (I also made a little lion backpack for my nephew's birthday present, but I forgot to take a pic). Right at the moment, I only have 3, soon to be 4, projects that are WIP's (works-in-progress), and I have resolved to get those done before I start any new ones - because I seriously need to clear some space in my stash. Technically that means I probably shouldn't start that 4th one, but since it's to be a b-day present for my brother, and his birthday is a week from Sunday, I need to get it done. And since I'm making up my own pattern, I'm trying to leave enough time to rip it apart and start over if need be. I'll let you know how that goes.

So, with all the knitting I've been doing lately, I have a set of goals/projects I've decided to get done this year. Right now, this is the plan(although the order is bound to change):

1. Bryan's Birthday present
2. finish the scarf, purse, and poncho WIPs
3. Hat for my sis
4. fingerless mitts for myself and a friend
5. Hooded scarf for mom
6. house-slippers for my sis
7. afghan for myself
8. 25 assorted stocking stuffers
9. first pair of socks!
10. learn fair isle

That list looks a lot shorter than I was thinking it is. But then I looked at it again, and noticed that I combined things. Sneaking 2 or more projects into one slot makes it look shorter than it really is. Guess that means I better get moving!

Setting Goals

I'm actually a little surprised that it's been so long since I posted, even though I knew that I hadn't since election day. I couldn't tell you how many times I've thought about posting something, though - usually when I'm not anywhere near the computer, of course.

In any case, I'll try to make several of the posts I've been meaning to over the next few days, but I want to start with something else. I was just checking thorugh my RSS feeds, and I ran across a post where someone had written out what he wanted to be able to say he'd done, this time next year. I've been trying to think of a good New Years resolution over the past few days, but this seems to be much more my thing - I'm not really resolving to do anything on this list, I'm just saying that this is what I want to have done by the end of the year.

I want to be in better shape than I have ever been before (whatever that might be, for me).

I want to be working in a job where I plan to stay for a few years, that I enjoy.

I want to have a place of my own, and start living like an actual adult, instead of a student.

I want to be living in a community I enjoy, and have started sowing seeds for the rest of my life.

I want to try to play my cello again, no matter how much it hurts.

I want to have finished at least one large knitting project, and be ready to start knitting a Christmas stocking for my nephew.

I want to have met my friend Jacob, finally.

I want to have set some money aside, and start making serious inroads on paying off my student loans.

I want to be working on several projects that challenge me at my job.

I want to have a plan for the future.

I want to have written a story, even though I don't think I'll let anyone read it.

I want to do something unexpected.

I want to be kissed.

I want to be happy.

And I want to be loved.


I'm already working on some of these, and I have no idea how many of the others will happen. But I felt like actually thinking things through, and writing them down. I'll have to see how I do - and I'll let you know, this time next year.