Eat.Knit.Sleep

No excuses

2008-06-01T16:03:56Z

EDIT: I wrote this post a week a go, but have not yet been able to locate my camera cable so I'm posting without pictures.

I don't really have any excuses. I have been absent. I bailed on some things. Life got rough for me for a while.

I hesitate with what I want this blog to be. What it's original intent was, to meet knitters, and to record projects when I was newly obsessed and felt isolated. Some of that has been co opted by ravelry, which to be honest, I haven't been using to the best advantage.

I needed a break. Not from blogging because I never did that regularly anyhow, but just a break from everything that caused pressure.

I've noted here about my stresses at my job, and while I still don't believe that it is the long run career for me, the leaving of my former boss released so much stress, that I'm much happier where I am. This happiness has caused me to second guess some of my choices regarding going back to school for teaching. Do I really want to teach? Will I be a good teacher? Do I really want to earn less to most likely work harder? I'm somewhat torn between my desire to have a career that is meaningful, and starting to wonder if my meaning should be outside my career.

I'm still in school and plan to continue pursuing teaching, but all of this thought has brought up some interesting ideas about my life, my relationship and where I think everything is going. I've been thinking about whether or not I want to have children, and what that means for me and C (he does not). I've been thinking about knitting and spinning and baking (but not really doing much of any of it). Same goes for yoga and running. At some point I realized that during this "break," I inadvertently gave up a lot of things that I loved, finding myself watching TV with my knitting in front of me and not picking it up.

C and I were/are going through a rough spot, brought on by both of us questioning our lives in a probably very healthy way, and then reacting to those questions in a unhealthy and destructive way. I guess I'm still trying to figure it out. It's a strange thing growing up with someone in your life.

Any how, I don't think I've shown you what I have been knitting, if very intermittently and I have been enjoying it. It's Gale (Ravelry link), by Anne Hanson, in a beautiful kit from Wooly Wonka fibers.

Negligence

2008-04-30T01:47:23Z

So, I've been a really negligent blogger. I don't have the typical excuse because I've been negligent on Ravelry as well. Truth be told, I haven't been knitting and spinning very much. This is not a good thing, as I am still sitting in a room full of yarn.

At first, I was just busy, and never doing things that it was easy to knit while doing. Work, school, some mile relationship crisis, the usual. Then, something surprising happened. I'd find myself watching TV or on a long car ride, sometimes even with my knitting with me, and I just wouldn't knit. You know, like I used to do before I knit.

So clearly, I've lost my knitting mojo. What is ironic is that I've actually enjoyed what I've been knitting! (Don't bother checking Ravelry -- I haven't been updating there either). Anyway, I want my mojo back! I love knitting and spinning and I'm still enjoying reading blogs (and lust after yarn) so I'm not too sick.

I have this new kick ass laptop (Macbook Pro thank you very much). This should be a blogging machine!
Of course, I need to work on my photo skills and the Digital SLR I was dreaming about would be nice.

Instead, I've been obsessively reading and buying books on nutrition, diet, and food (not weight loss per se, health) as a procrastination method against the massive project due tomorrow for school. Did I mention, big project, due tomorrow, yet I'm posting for the first time in a month at 10:15PM?

So off I go, I just wanted to let you know where I was at, and that I hope to be back soon.

I'm alive

2008-03-28T17:44:56Z

and have knitting to show. I plan to catch up on blogs and ravelry this weekend.

Not just socks

2008-03-16T21:52:21Z

Hi, I'm Jenny, and I'm a procrastinator. After spending the majority of last week cramming for my midterm and then swearing I'd get ahead of my school work, here I am at 4:55 pm Sunday just starting. Ick.

I did have a good weekend though. Friday Carlos made a nice dinner and we had some wine and talked. Saturday we had a lazy day (although I skipped yoga which annoys me) and then went to IKEA to get a new desk chair for me and into Philly for dinner. We meant to go to a sushi place a friend recommended, but the wait was 2 hours and instead ended up all dressed up at a little hole in the wall Middle Eastern place and had an amazing meal. We then went to our favorite Belgian place for a few beers before trekking home to A-town.

Today was another lazy day . . . bagels and lox, 2 pots of coffee, and a lot of knitting. I did finish the first Jacobean sock, but I couldn't get a great picture so today I've actually been knitting on my scarf for the boy.

I'm pretty happy with how it is turning out. It is the Corrugator (ravelry link) pattern and is easy to memorize. It is a nice use of the Shephard Worsted C picked out when we were at Purl in December. It's getting very long and I'm not done yet with the 2nd skein (I bought 3) so he may end up with a matching hat or the like.

I'm making some excellent vegetarian split pea soup for the week and have to start the baked casserole for dinner tonight. (Did I tell you the trick to do work, school, and 90 minutes of yoga 3-4 times a week is cooking ahead on Sunday? Highly recommended). Oh, and do homework, so hopefully a better shot of the Jacobean sock later on.

The Ick

2008-03-07T00:26:43Z

So, I am home sick today. I have this weird combo of sinus headache, sore throat, and horrible stomach pains. I have been taking the time being home to catch up on some sleep, laundry, studying, blog reading, Lost watching, and yes knitting.

I had been focusing much of my energy on Oscar's sweater (which I have not blogged about yet) but misplaced the contrast yarn and the buttons that are needed for it, so that is on hold until I find those. I have been knitting however.

I decided, against all logical thought, to join the Sock Knitters Pentathlon (which is both a Yahoo group and a Ravelry group) even though I'm horrible about keeping up with these things. I did cast on for the sock last night and although the toe is a little weird shaped (this is only my second toe-up sock) I am enjoying it so far.

I am a little further a long than this is here:

Today has also given me some more time to think about things. I posted here before about my complete disinterest in my job, and you all know that I've started back to school for a career change to teaching. In the back of my mind since I made this decision, was a knowledge that in the fall I'm going to need to do some fieldwork as part of my classwork and I'm frightened that my job will not be supportive of me having to change my schedule. I've been trying to figure out a way to take more classes, and have more flexible work, but I've never had to do this with the responsibilities of a mortgage and a household and without wanting to put too much of a burden on C. Anyone have any experience with this? Well-paying part time jobs, flexible or work from home jobs, taking out student loans to cover some living expenses? Any advice would be appreciated

Did I offend someone again?

2008-03-02T21:20:41Z

Well, someone unsubscribed to my blog since the last time I posted so I must be getting pretty boring.

Anyhoo, I haven't posted because I haven't been doing much knitting and I just got a new computer this weekend (Macbook Pro baby!) so I've been playing around with that.

I did knit almost all of a
Gretel hat with the orange handspun I showed you and it wasn't until I ran out of yarn that I realized that somewhere along the line my gauge went completely off. Oops! I took a picture but I think it accidently got cleaned off my iMac before I gave it to C.

This week is spring break which means I don't have class, but it also means that I'm less than 2 weeks away from my first midterm and my first paper in almost 7 years. Not fun. So I should go hit the books. I just wanted to check in.

Not just spinning

2008-02-25T01:08:38Z

I finished this hat awhile ago but never posted. It turned out too big for me, but fits C's big noggin just fine. Which is actually fine with me, as I really just knit it to try my hand on fair isle. I've already cast on for a new hat with the orange handspun from the other day.

Not the best picture I know -- he didn't much care for being the model.

Here's a closeup:

More spinning

2008-02-21T22:35:53Z

The fire 2-ply is not all the spinning I've been doing . . .

I've been super busy lately with school and work. I've also really stepped up my yoga (and need to my running) because I'm tired of making excuses for not being healthy. For me knitting is like running, and spinning is like yoga in my crafty mind, and I need to make more time for all of it because it is what is keeping me sane.

Fire

2008-02-19T03:16:09Z

My first contribution to Project Spectrum. I've decided that I primarily want to contribute through my spinning, so this is also for NaSpiMoMo.

This is superwash Merino, that I did my best plying on ever. I now need to decide what to do with the resulting yarn.

And with a stitch marker for scale.

I'm beat and ready for bed, so this will have to suffice for now.

Good night.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T20:02:10Z

to those of you in or out of relationships. No matter how you feel about the day, do something nice for someone. There might be some people who need it.

Where'd I go?

2008-02-08T18:56:07Z

Ok, so I have some housekeeping to do here, and I'm at work so no photos. Sorry.

1. That was really fun to come out of lurkdom and give out the Make my Day awards to some of my favorite bloggers, although it was REALLY hard to narrow down my huge blogroll to just a few. I've gotten really behind in my blog reading so that was fun.

2. Pay if Forward. Mama E generously is Paying it Forward and making me something handmade. Same thing goes to you all. First 3 commenters get something handmade from me.

3. Project Spectrum. Need to really play along this year. The Elements theme is awesome.

That's all I've got, but I'm going to start instituting some structure to this here blog to make it easier for me to post. I spend all this time thinking of posts, and then never get around to writing them and that isn't fun for me or fun for you.

Have a great weekend you guys!

Make my Day

2008-01-25T02:32:11Z

So it made my day yesterday to see that I made someone else's day. Marianne listed me as one of the blogs that Made her Day.

I found Art is the Handmaid of Human Good when there was a good possibility C and I would move to Lowell, MA and I kept reading because of her wonderful photos. Thanks Marianne you make my day too!

The official rules are: *Official rules “Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.”

So in no particular order:

1. Concateknit Elisa's blog was one of the first I started reading when I found knitblogs. She seemed to be at the same level of skill as I was and her blog always made me laugh. She has become one of my true friends in the blogworld.

2. Wry Punster Another blog I've been reading since early on, and I relate to Elspeth, more as a person in that stage of life than a knitter, because she knits faster and better than I ever could.

3. Claudia Who doesn't know Claudia? I always like her take on things, her beautiful knitting and her photos. Plus I have a thing for tandem bikes.

4. Sknitty Beautiful knitting, and beautiful FO pictures. I've always enjoyed Jillian's blog.

5. Not knit related, but Go Fug Yourself. Just 'cause.

6. Grumperina I have half of Kathy's blog bookmarked for future reference, and the other half is good reading too.

7. Yarnstorm A true must read. Beautiful photos, and the amazing way Jane thinks about color makes my morning.

8. What Housework? I love the title, and Jessie makes me want to move to Vermont, buy a farm and buy her yarn and roving.

9. The Woolen Rabbit Everytime I read this blog I get inspired (or a buy something).

I read many blogs, and have many in my bloglines that I don't get to as often as I'd like, but these are my recent faves.

Off to bed for me good night.

Day Off

2008-01-21T20:08:46Z

So, yeah . . . I'd been putting off writing a big New Year's round up post because I didn't have time, and here we are 3 weeks into the month.

I knew the days were passing, but today was the final straw -- Even C asked me (via google chat) why it had been so long since I posted.

So I decided to forgo the whole New Year's round up and just write about what I was currently working on (as in the exact second that C chatted me). Yeah, you know what Carole and Margene have been up to right?

Yeah, of course you do, it is January 21st!

So I took some pictures of some wool I have been washing (which included some Spunky Club fiber and some wool that came with my wheel), and some of what I am spinning now (more Spunky Club). Yeah, can't find my camera cable at all.

So, as I spend today doing homework (homework!), laundry, watching spinning videos on You Tube, and actually spinning, I guess I will write a short writeup. Not of what I accomplished in 2007 (nor a recap of the first 3 weeks of 2008 which haven't been so hot) but about what my plans are. Not resolutions per se, but plans.

1. Lose weight and feel healthy. What I'm doing towards this is taking yoga twice a week, which I am really enjoying. I also bought a treadmill so my biggest excuses for not running aren't applicable. Dark outside? Bad weather? Who cares! I've also rejoined Weight Watchers online. I'm not very overweight (actually I'm probably at the high side of normal) but I need to nip things in the bud, and frankly no exercise and no paying attention to what I eat isn't going to prevent me from becoming fat.

2. Get my shit together. Literally and figuratively. The more emotionally messed up I am and unhappy I am the more my world becomes physically messy, which leads to more stress and unhappiness, and I'm sure you can see the downward spiral here. This is especially tricky when my lovely BF is a bit of a neat freak, and has higher standards than some other men. I'm taking on a lot this year and I need to start getting organized.

3. Be happy and enjoy life and plan for a happy future. This is tied directly to Number 1 and Number 2. When I'm tired, and lethargic, and sad and living in a pigsty, this is impossible. Yoga and running are things that I actually enjoy when I make time to do it. I've started back to school this month towards my teacher certification, and it feels good. I also need to spend more time enjoying my hobbies like knitting and spinning. I buy beautiful fiber and yarn and I do so faster than I use it and then the guilt comes. I'm not going on a yarn diet, because I don't see anything wrong with buying yarn/fiber if I will enjoy it, and I'm not enjoying what I purchase now because the lethargy has hit my craftiness too. This stops now.

I don't want to set myself up for failure by being too specific in my goals but these are essentials to a good life, and the life that I want to lead. I must go work on organizing (and finding my camera cable), doing my homework and laundry, and getting ready for yoga tonight. I love days off!

Go Giants!

Basement

2007-12-27T16:49:34Z

I swear, I typed up an entire post before heading out on Christmas Eve, and I must have forgotten to hit publish.

Anyhoo, I am sitting in my basement right now on C's laptop, while 4 people are cleaning my house upstairs. I'm feeling a little weird about being home while they clean, as clearly if I have the time to sit knitting (on Juliet) in my basement, I should have time to clean my house. Did I even mention that I was knitting Juliet? I am, in Misti Alpaca Chunky. Heavenly. Sorry, no links. C uses Safari not Firefox and I can't remember how to code a link without the little button in Movable Type.

I'm off this week, which is nice, although probably not a good thing about work, but I really don't care if I meet my quota at all. Not a good salesperson, am I. Good thing I don't want to stay one. My weekend was good. I went up to Kramer's Yarn shop and I found some purple ladybug buttons. Check it out:

Here is a close up:

Sorry, it is blurry. I can't seem to take a good picture with my camera.

The woman at Kramer's was pretty pissy that I wanted to go through the buttons to pick the nicest, and then felt the need to go over the price 30 times. I also got some Dream in Color Smooshy which I have been dying to try, and some discounted Summit Hill to make some Bird in the Hand mittens.

Christmas was ok. No one really seemed in the mood for it at C's house and it seemed a little forced, but I did get a lovely watch from C and some iTunes gift cards from his family. Really our gift to each other is to start making this house more of a home. Thus the deep cleaning, and the carpet cleaner who is coming tomorrow. We painted out dining room a beautiful blue yesterday and are looking into some new furniture for our dining room and living room. We have been here 2.5 years so maybe we should decorate!

Tonight we are having a good friend for dinner, and we are going to NJ for the weekend tomorrow. Dinner and a movie in Princeton, then into NYC for the Motorcycle show at the Javitz Center. Sunday is the baby shower for the recipient of the BSJ sweater. Should be a good time.

Surprise, Baby!

2007-12-13T01:17:20Z

or rather, Baby Surprise! (I'm sorry, that was awful).

I knit this without really mentioning it, for a friend's baby shower at the end of the month. I just need to find buttons that are suitably feminine.

I'm thinking little purple butterflies or ladybugs.

I'm still recovering from this awful cold and work has been pretty crazy, but I'm still working on the CPH, the Earl Grey socks, and the hat.