Blah

So, we survived Sock Summit, and had a good time in Portland. I wish I had signed up for more classes, and taken several shorter classes instead of 2 long ones. Next time....I did buy some yarn, but was overall pretty good (the yarn purchases were my birthday present from hubby, so yay!). I would promise pictures, but we all know how that would turn out! :)

I did finish some socks for hubby's birthday, and I've seamed up several sweaters lately - pretty exciting huh? Not much knitting going on in the past few days, as we're getting ready for school to start tomorrow. I've been under a great deal of stress lately, since I got assigned a new classroom on Thursday night and had to set it all up by Friday at 7 for Meet the Teacher. Yikes. Still not all done. I also didn't find out what grade I was teaching until 5:30 Friday night. I'm a wee bit stressed. I'm not able to perform my usual stress relief (casting on 5 million projects) as I have no time for knitting (or blogging, but here we are).

I've been feeling a bit cranky lately about my knitting - lacking inspiration I think. I was fired up about Sock Summit, but then sad when I realized that I had no one to talk to who I thought would really "get" it. I love my knitting group, but that kind of experience doesn't translate well. I also have been really missing have a local yarn shop. I am still buying yarn here and there (mostly on trips this summer), but nothing compares to walking in and seeing what's new, what someone's just finished, etc. And I really really miss the people. I miss seeing folks I only knew through the store, or people I only saw every once in a while. I miss the vast variety of projects and colors and yarn choices. Ravelry is great, but it's not the same as seeing some things in person.

OK, that's enough crankiness for now - must go clean while the bambino is sleeping so we can play for a bit before bedtime - and then, more schoolwork!

Sock Summit

Clearly, I don't have the blogging mojo lately. I think it's because I haven't been taking many pictures, and I think a blog without pictures is boring. We've been up to lots, and I've actually finished some things, which I hope to show you soon, but I have a more pressing matter!

We leave for Sock Summit first thing Wednesday morning. I am so excited! I'm taking classes with Nancy Bush and Anne Hanson!

All this is to say - if you're reading this and you'll be there, leave me a comment (or email me at knitnlit AT gmail DOT com. I'd love to meet you!

Who knows, maybe this will rekindle the blog mojo? One can hope.

Five on Friday

Knock knock? Anybody still out there?

Just a wee bit of a filler post while I get some pictures together.

1. School's out for summer. Unfortunately, I agreed to tutor during summer school, so I'm not out yet.

2. While I don't have to teach, I am taking two graduate classes this summer. Will I never learn?

3. The Bug will be 9 months old in a week. Where has the time gone? She is adorable (of course), and really interested in toys - she likes to take things out of and put back into her basket. She likes to spin wheels on toys, she loves to talk to her toys. She loves being outside, especially in the swing. Her hair has taken on a tendency to stand straight up (a la faux hawk). She loves to eat (maybe not vegetables so much).

4. I've been working on quilting The Girl's birthday quilt (birthday was in March. Shutup). It may kill me. Remind me not to take on huge projects when it's only my second quilt, ok?

5. I'm trying to finish up a bunch of lingering projects this month, with the intent to start working on Christmas gifts next month. Yikes, that seems early, but I know that with school, two grad classes and a one-year old, my time will be precious.

Hopefully I can be around here more this summer! Hope to "see" you soon!

Two posts in one month!

Who could believe it! Well, when you're up at 1 am due to nursing/storm, it works. I keep joking about how much more I could get done if I didn't need to sleep - here's my chance!

Things here are good - The Bug was 7 months old last Sunday - where does the time go? She can sit up unsupported, though she likes to throw herself backwards, so we have to be near (wood floors are killer for your wee little head - ask me how I know). She likes most foods - yogurt, applesauce and bananas are favorites. This week we're trying peas and mango. She sleeps pretty well - most nights only up once to nurse, but when things don't go well she's up twice (like tonight - she was up past her bedroom due to The Girl's spring church musical). She has favorite toys now, and loves to play. We hung a swing outside for her and she loves it.

I've been bitten hard by the sewing bug - I have made several things in the past, but I want to sew all.the.time. now. Which has led to some fabric purchases. Ahem. Let's just say that perhaps I'm running into the arms of my LQS (local quilt shop) now that my LYS is (almost) gone. Last day for LYS is Thursday. Sob. Sewing heals all wounds, right?

I'm actually knitting again - wanting to rush home and knit, working on several different things. It feels good.

My spring classes are over, and I have a month off until summer classes start - two days before I'm out of school. Of course. But I'll take it where I can get it.

I have jury duty next week, and I'm actually looking forward to it, for the break from school it provides, since I have no sick/personal days to take. OH, and knitting time!

I'm starting to feel sleepy again, and the wind has died down, so I'm going to see if I can get back to sleep. More here soon, including pictures!

I'm back (hopefully)

OK - making an effort here to really recommit to the blog, not just talk about it. We'll see how long it lasts. :)

What The Bug has been up to:

*Eating solid food - sweet potatoes and rice cereal are favorites. Makes me a little sad that she is so grown up now!

*We can roll over, but we're not sure about sitting up - we like to throw ourselves backwards.

*She babbles and giggles all the time now - it is so cute!

What we've been up to:

*We spent our spring break sprucing up the house (as has become tradition). We painted the living room, put together some new furniture, and hubby resodded the front yard. Busy, busy, busy.

What I've been up to:

*Teaching my brains out.

*Trying not to be too frustrated with the master's classes I'm taking and their dumb assignments.

*Knitting - only a little - lately a cardigan for The Bug for Easter - back is done.

*Trying to get back into pre-baby shape

*Sewing - piecing quilt tops, cutting fabric for skirts (for me), trying to resist buying all the fabric I love

Hopefully I'll get my act together and post some pictures. No promises! And maybe I'll have more exciting things to say. Maybe.

Still breathing

But barely sometimes. We're still alive. Just incredibly busy. Barely knitting. Barely making through the day due to work stress. And this week our house decided to start falling down around us. Fantastic.

But next week is Spring Break (or, as one of my coworkers pointed out, spring break starts today at 3:10), and we have big home projects planned (as is traditional around here), and one of mine is to sew/knit/photo/blog. Hopefully my plan will work. Stay tuned for more, including 6 month pictures of The Bug (next Thursday - where has the time gone?).

Out of touch

I'm feeling out of touch with the blog. Ever since I found out I was pregnant (just over a year ago), the blog has been low on my list of priorities (rightly so, I think). But I miss the blog. I miss the conversations. I miss sharing what's going on in my life, beyond the knitting. 

So I'm taking back the blog. 

What's new? 

The Bug turned four months old last week (where has the time gone!?). She loves to laugh and giggle, she tries to put her whole hand in her mouth, she loves to nudge her socks off. She is really looking at and manipulating her toys now. She loves to "talk" to you and will roll from her back to her side over and over again. She holds herself up well on her tummy, but hates being there for more than a few minutes. She's still not sleeping "well" according to almost everyone, but we're getting there. Mommy going back to work and colds haven't helped. 

I told my principal today that I want to move back down to a lower grade and she took the news well. Hopefully there is a place for me still at my school - I would hate to leave. I also (because I'm nuts) started some graduate classes in reading this past week. I'm just getting a certificate, but it's 27 hours of graduate work. Two classes to start, and while I'm a little nervous about getting all the work done, I'm unreasonably excited to read my textbooks! Dork!

I haven't been knitting much this month, but I've had a terrible cold with lots of sinus pressure and ear pain that I can't shake (no medicine since I'm nursing). I am feeling better, so hopefully next month will be better for the knitting progress. 

I did decide that my LYS closing could be good for the stash - I'm much less likely to order yarn than to pick it up in a shop, so hopefully I can knit down the stash a bit this year. The only problem with that plan is that I want to make baby things and they don't use up much yarn! 

I did spend an hour or two in front of the sewing machine a few weeks ago trying to piece the quilt pieces I cut before The Bug was born. I'm just doing nine patch blocks, but I'm loving it. Hopefully I can successfully turn my pile of pieces into a quilt, as I may have already bought fabric for another. 

I made Christmas pjs for my girls this year and they were super cute, which has led me to want to sew more. I've got a pile of fabric for skirts for me, dresses for The Bug and more flannel for pjs. 

One thing I want to accomplish this year is to embroider and cross stitch more - I still need to post pictures of my cute kitchen curtains.

And finally, I put my first pattern in my ravelry store this week.  It is the Loopy Laces pattern that was my first design for the Ewenique Feet sock club last year. It's $5.00 and available through ravelry here:

Have a great weekend! Thanks for the daring egg suggestions - I hope to get one soon! 

Darn it!

So, a pictureless post, again. 

Last week was a bad week for socks - my embossed leaves socks, worn for the first time, blew out the toe (I knew I should have kitchenered it!). Grrr. 

And then hubby announced that he had holes in the bottoms of not one but two socks (separate pairs)!!! 

I find myself in need of a darning egg - any resources? I found a grand total of one on etsy and my googlefu must not be good today, as I can't find any. 

Tech Socks

These have been finished (and worn) for several days/weeks now. Apologies for the dirty sock picture, but let's face it, it was this or nothing.

Pattern: Basic sock pattern

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Sport in Team Spirit Colorway from the Loopy Ewe

Needles: Chiagoo 2.75mm

Dates: December 2008-January 2 2009

Mods: none

Thoughts: Knit up very quickly. Feels a little too skinny to be "sport" weight. Hubby loves them - has declared all future socks must be knit with Lorna's Laces 'cause they are so soft. :) 

Hope

It was such an amazing experience to watch the inauguration today with my students. I don't remember watching any other inauguration, other than the oath of office on the news.

 It was going to be special to me no matter what, but to see it through the eyes of a 9 year old...they clapped each time the people on TV clapped, they chanted "Obama" along with the crowd, they cheered each time they saw Obama's beautiful daughters. What a neat day for them - a day I hope they will remember when they are my age. 

I teared up a bit, but managed to keep it in control. What a powerful day for our country. Good things to come, I'm sure.

Obama...Obama....Obama.

President Obama. Pinch me. 

Bad week

I really had good intentions about blogging more. I was waylaid by lack of pictures (darn that winter early darkness!) last week, and by sickness of The Bug and myself. (Luckily, she's getting better, while I'm getting worse - lovely).

But the real blow to the week was the news late Saturday night that my second home and part of my heart, my LYS was closing. 

Hubby walked in after putting The Bug down for the night to find me crying. When I told him the news he said "I thought someone had died." And I do feel like something has died. The shop was a refuge for me, a place where I have made some amazing friendships. A place where I learned more about knitting, taking risks, being confident, than I had before it existed. Where I learned that my heart really lies in teaching - teaching knitting. I have missed working so dearly while on maternity leave these past few months. And now I won't work there again. It is heartbreaking. And while my close friendships will remain, and there will still be a knitting group somewhere else, all the people I knew as casual friends, and folks I saw every once in a while, will probably be gone. And that crushes me. I'm sure many of you can relate - the shop was a home for me. I was always comfortable there, from the first day I went in. I felt loved, welcomed, accepted. The Bug was showered with love, and gifts from these wonderful people. And to think that she won't grow up in that store breaks my heart. 

Tears are falling as I write this. And I know EZ said to knit on, through all crises. But what if the crisis is that I may run out of yarn to knit with? 

January Goals

January Goals:

Finish Tech socks

Finish Ribbed socks

Finish small project 

Finish plain jane socks

Finish shawl collar sweater

Work on Smoke Socks

Start Stocking for The Bug

Start sweater for The Bug

Start slippers for me

Finish Isotope

Finish Clappy Scarf

Finish Anemoi mittens

As always, very ambitious. 

Looking forward and looking back

It's that time of year again - looking at where I've been and where I'm going. First, a look back at 2008:

I knit the following things:

5 sweaters

10 pairs of socks

7 scarves

3 blankets

2 toys

2 adult hats

3 pairs of slippers

2 ornaments

1 shawl

2 dish/wash cloths

1 pair fingerless gloves

1 shrug 

and 34! baby items!

It's easy to see where my priorities where in my knitting last year! 

I wanted to knit from these books:

Kid's Knits -Heads Hands and Toes - done - Teddy Bear Hood, Inca Hat, Duck Hat, Ladybug Hat

Jo Sharp Knit Issue 1 - started - shawl collar sweater

Ella Rae Book 7 - not done

Handknit Holidays - done - Snowy Triangle Scarf

Greetings from the Knit Cafe - not done

Knit 2 Together - done - slippers

Folk Mittens - not done

Vintage Knits - done - Salina

Favorite Socks - done - Embossed Leaves

Knitting Vintage socks - done - Child's First Sock

Opinionated Knitter - done - Baby Surprise Jacket

Knitter's Almanac - done - February Baby Sweater

Pretty good! 

In keeping with this theme, I've found these books I'd like to knit from this year:

Treasury of Rowan Knits - Carpenter

Vintage Knits (Sarah Dallas) - short sleeved striped sweater

Adorable Knits for Tots - hearts and stars blanket

Special Knits - ribbed baby jacket

Celtic Knits - lace alpaca scarf

Simply Baby - pompom beret

Knitted Toys (McTague) - cheeky monkey

Itty Bitty Nursery - Flower Cardigan

Mason Dixon Outside the Lines - felted trees

Irresistible Gifts to Knit - Gnome

Street Smart (Patons) - cabled hoodie

I did not make my goal of reading my knitting books  - maybe I'll try that some this year. 

Let's look at the numbers - in January of 2007 I had 604 balls of yarn. In January 2008 I had 821 balls and 166,195 yards. This January I have 900 balls of yarn and 193, 453 yards. I used 97 balls and 17, 004 yards. To be fair to myself (and my efforts to knit up the stash) I did really go through and analyze and add a lot of partial balls to the stash. I also "inherited" some yarn - leftovers from The Bug's feet blanket and some leftovers from mom. Even so, I knit 11% of my stash. I knit almost 10 miles of yarn! That's pretty impressive, for feeling like I wasn't getting any knitting accomplished for much of the year. 

Obviously, I want to knit more from the stash this year. To accomplish that, I've set up some little "plans" for myself. 

I haven't officially joined NaKniSweMoDo (or whatever it's called), but I would like to knit 12 sweaters this year (same goal as last year). I've got several started (almost enough to count for all 12!), and I have a few gift sweaters to work on.

 

I have also bagged up a few small projects (yarn and patterns) and plan to pick one each month to knit up, to get some odd balls out of my stash. 

And I have 12 "plain" socks worth of yarn bagged up, some stuff I've been holding onto for a while that I want to be socks already! 

And I have my 12 "fancy" socks picked out. I'll be (hopefully) knitting these, in no particular order: 

Cider Moon - Bellatrix

Vesper - Groovy Socks

Jitterbug - Vinnland

Firebird (STR) - Firestarter

Chewy Spaghetti - Aquaphobia

Fleece Artist - Flicker

Malabrigo - Knitty Twist

Wollmeise - Brigit

Shibu - Conwy

Madelinetosh - Little Child's Sock

Zen Yarn Garden - Charade

Hazelknits - Hourglass

And then there's the laundry list of other things I want to knit, gifts and such, including stockings for the girls and sweaters for next winter for The Bug. 

One big thing I want to do is clear out the WIP pile. Some of these knits have been hanging around for over a year now, and they need to be finished! I ripped two sweaters (Ariann and Buttony) and both will be reborn, possibly this year. To work on other things, I've made a plan: I assigned a number to each project, and each  night I'll draw a number and work on that project for at least 30 minutes. I can work on any of them at any time, but this way they should all get worked on at least once a month. I've got 34 active WIPs (and a few that will stay hibernating for the near future), and I'd like to end the year with no more than 5 still on the needles (my sock yarn blanket is one that won't be finished this year for sure). 

As usual, I'm being way over ambitious about the number of things I can get done. But that's OK - shoot for the moon and all that. 

I'm off to get started! Wish me luck!

2008 Wrap Up

I'm a little late finishing up my 2008 FO posts, but I had to wait for hubby's sweater to finish drying to take his pictures. Anyway, here are my last 4 FOs for the year. 

Pattern: Salina by Kim Hargraves, from Rowan Vintage Knits

Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed - 7 balls

Needles: 5 US

Dates: Feb 2007-December 2008

Mods: My gauge was off, so I knit the largest size to get a 36"

Thoughts: Needs to be blocked. Could be a smidge longer. The yarn was crap to seam with. Didn't really take a year and a half to knit - back was finished in Jan or Feb of '08, other pieces knit this summer, waited until Dec (post xmas knitting) to seam. I think after blocking it will be the sweater I wear the most, after my Central Park Hoodie. Will be knitting it again, as my sister wants one too!

Pattern: Cambridge Jacket by Ann Budd, from Interweave Knits

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Evergreen - 10 balls

Needles: US 7 Clover bamboo

Dates: um, 2006 sometime? to December 2008. Sat unworked on for most of that time.

Mods: Knit a tighter gauge to get a smaller size for skinny minny hubby. Didn't do the crocheted edging. 

Thoughts: Fits him really well after blocking - an amazing difference. He asked for no edging, and it's not flipping up too much. Zipper is put in much better than the zipper I used for my Ribby Cardi (which I need to redo). 

Pattern: Superlong Wrap by Kris Percival from Knitting to go box

Yarn: Baby Alpaca (no brand)

Needles: 10.5 US Clover bamboo

Dates: Sept 2008-Dec 2008

Mods: smaller gauge to make scarf instead of wrap.

Thoughts: can't decide if I should block it or not - I kind of like the curling quality of it unblocked. 

Pattern: Korknisse 

Yarn: scraps

Needle: US 6 or 7

Dates: Dec 2007-Dec 2008

Mods: none

Thoughts: knit all of the pieces last December. Got forgotten in a purse pocket. Found and bells attached for the girls' xmas ornaments this year. Will make more - they are so cute!

There were also 2 pairs of longies and a soaker knit for The Bug, but they are not super exciting blog fodder - they are in my flickr and ravelry, if you really want to see them. 

Now that my 2008 slate is clear, I can tell you about my 2009 plans. Tomorrow.