Fun

Kvetching aside... there is still room for smiles.

Life Needs Change

Sometimes...many times... in your life you may hit that point where you recognize the rut you are in has just settled into becoming your life. Your rut is your life. Your life is your rut. There doesn't seem a way out. I happen to thrive on change, and travel and "the new". If I can't get it I have to make it where I can. I need to add new things. Like updating the look of this page, with new colors and a gorgeous shot of Alaska. It's like a breath of fresh air. I've invented this secret life for myself as part of overcoming what is my life. My secret life is full of amazing wonderful things. I can move to Alaska in my secret life and create art. I have an endless supply of money and happiness, and knitting supplies in my secret life. I'm sure I'm not the first person to feel this way. Unless you are the perfect housewife and mother who loves the mundane details of school lunches and homework and nagging your children to brush their teeth and pick up messes. If I were perfect at it and could manage everything with a breeze and a smile and make wonderful creative meals and sign up my kids for after school activities and classes...(hmmm this is starting to sound more like my secret life than my reality), than perhaps I'd be happy with my daily routine as it goes.
Anyway, I've hit a snag. My reality seems to mimic my knitting, since I also have hit a snag in my tam. My pattern count is off after the last row and I have to tink back, but I've put it off. It sits in a bright pink bag on my coffee table, and I can see the needles from here. In fact it looks as though a stitch is about to slide off a needle and I still don't want to pick it up! I feel like Stephanie Pearl McPhee in one of her books when she is unable to finish something. Speaking of Pearls...there is a bright light on my horizon. I've just signed up to go see her this spring - right near WEBS. Maybe I should just stop whining and pick up my needles and fix the problem, and then start counting the days until she is on my horizon.

Finding Peace in A Busy Life

It's weird to think where we find peace. I found peace today because my husband is sick. I know, I know an awful thing to say - but with him not feeling well, I was left to do whatever I felt like doing when I felt like doing it. It was a nice day for me. I felt like a new person who has control over her weekend days. But I do feel incredibly guilty about it. He is at the Emergency Room right now. I think he'll be ok, but he was having some stomach pain that wouldn't let up all day today, and so he went to figure out if it was serious or not. They didn't have a lot of staff on, I guess, because he waited more than 3 hours just to be seen and still isn't home yet. Guilt aside, I got some quiet time to knit and play with the kids on their video games and did a tiny bit of cooking and dishes and laundry in between. But it was nice to have a day without someone giving me an earful about what we should be doing.

Anyway, so the class was nice; we hung out and chatted and I learned a new technique for stranded knitting. I have to admit, I've had a tough time sticking with it. Can't teach this old dog too many new tricks I guess. Some stick and some don't. Anyway, I made this silly little hat while I was in the class - finished it that night when I got home.

What was really fun about it was that I made it up. I love the yarn too, it's some I bought at an indian reservation store in the canyons of Utah?, New Mexico - I can't remember now, but it was for making navajo rugs. The colors were spectacular. I bought 1 skein in about 15 different colors. As you can see it's a little big. It was smaller until I blocked it and then it grew. I may have to play with shrinking it a bit, but I'm scared to do it.

The class was great in that I realized so many things about Fair Isle projects while talking with the ladies. I didn't have to be scared. At any given time I'd only be working with 2 colors, and I've done that before, and all I had to do was keep track of the pattern carefully (which I've already learned with my lace projects), and I can do it! So I started on something I had in my que on Ravelry. The Autumn Tam, by Sandy Blue - pattern available on TwoSwansYarns.com.

This is so far the most beautiful work I've seen next to stuff by Alice Starmore. So I got started on it right away. I ordered the kit without telling my husband, becuase I just needed to do it and if I had asked , he would have said no. I know he's seen the credit card bill...and knows I ordered something, but hasn't mentioned it to me outside of telling me he knows I've been spending money on knitting stuff. Whoops I hear a car door. I'd better load the pictures quick and get a move on with the dishes. Here is my Tam so far.

ON Hold until class is over

I am frozen. Not literally, but I have stopped knitting until Sunday. I could work on that simple Aran Scarf that moves quickly, when I actually work on it, that is. Or I could add a few more rows to my lace scarf. My arm has been bothering me again, and I've been spending more time reading instead of knitting, lately. But I have a good reason besides my arm. I'm taking a class on Fair Isle - A one day, Sunday Brunch group lesson at what remains of my LKS. She has moved it to her home now, and the actual shop is closed. She apparently still has a limited supply of yarn for sale in her home and opens her home to others to come and knit, or ask questions, or whatever they need, since the shop has closed. This is the first time I'll be going to her home, and taking a class with her. I'm looking forward to the day, like a treat. It's my idea of the perfect Mother's Day or Birthday. I' know I'll be starting something new, so I am hesitant to start something else. I have however done something I know I'll be in trouble for soon. I've ordered the pattern and the yarn for this GORGEOUS Autumn Tam, that I found originally on Ravelry. She has another like it in dark blues. I hope I can do it after I take this class. I have the feeling that we'll be making some kind of hat in this class, but that's ok too. I was hoping more for learning how to knit with multiple colors, but she's only having us work with two. That's ok, maybe the techniques will improve my rather scrambled attempts at color work so far. I'm assuming there is a better way than what I know. It's possible that what I'm doing is it. I still struggle with my carrying colors ending up too tight or too loose, however and herein lies the question. Is there some magical way, that will solve this problem for me?
I've been reading...and I'm almost embarrassed to say... albeit some really interesting reading it is actually children's literature. I'm reading a series called The Land of Elyon. I bought the first book for my 8 year old to read, but then as she started to read it, she became frightened early on and wouldn't finish it. I picked it up just to see how scary it was and whether or not it was appropriate for her. The book I was reading, is actually the 4th, after the initial trilogy, it starts as a prequel of other characters from the original trilogy. It was called Into the Mist. I loved it. I went right out and bought the trilogy. I guess I'm still looking for something to replace Harry Potter for me. I'll be finishing the 3rd book tonight or tomorrow. They make for a nice escape. Other than knitting that is...