Eat.Knit.Sleep

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.

Posted by Jenny at 04:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

There are so many posts that I could have written in the last 2 weeks. Why is it when life is most interesting, and I feel like I have SO much to say (and no one to say it to) I don't come here?

The weekend in Boston/Lowell was good. We liked the area a lot, we spent a beautiful day in Boston (and I'd be showing you pictures right now if the camera cable wasn't AWOL again). We had a nice dinner with C's potential employer.

Without getting too personal about C here, the interview didn't go as well as he had hoped, but after many talks and emails, strong references, we have a preliminary offer that we are waiting to be finalized. It isn't as much money as we had hoped, as Mass is much more expensive than PA, and we will be responsible for our own moving costs, but word is on the street that there are no other jobs out there period right now, so we'd be stupid not to take the offer.

I'm happy for C, because this is a relief for him. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed by the idea of living here alone, selling a house, moving someplace where I don't know what I will do or how I will fit in. I started looking online for potential jobs, and I don't even know where to start because I really don't want to keep doing what I am doing. I know I will be fine and I will figure it out, but from this side of things, I can't see how.

So, I've been knitting and spinning a lot because they are the last thing I should be doing. I've finished the second Trekking sock, and will cast on for the second Calla Lilly sock today. I'm almost completed with the body of the Bluebell Boatneck from Fitted Knits. I've purchased yarn and beads and swatched for the Secret of the Stole KAL.

Distraction is the best plan right now.

Posted by Jenny at 08:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This is what my new toy looked like when I posted yesterday:

You can see some of my fiber stash spilling out of the closet there.

This is what my new friend looks like now:

This is the most enjoyable, consistent, usable spinning of done so far, and that alone makes it worth the price of admission.

I also want to share my beautiful new orifice hook, which matches the BFL top I'm using perfectly.

On a different note, growing up really sucks. It sucks for a lot of reasons, but today it is really bothering me because you start to think about your future in a different way. When I was younger, I thought about my future all the time as the light at the end of the tunnel; Adulthood would be a respite after the turbulence of adolescence. Lately, I find myself thinking a lot about how my actions now will inform my future, and it is making for a rather difficult present. I need some change in my life and I'm not sure of how to get it.

Now, I will distract myself with blurry pictures of baby bunnies

Posted by Jenny at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Today was a bit of disaster with 2 highlights . . .

C found another nest of sorts while weeding. This one was in the ground, and was two VERY cute baby rabbits.

I also got to spend some time with my new toy the Woolee Winder. So far so good.

Posted by Jenny at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I meant to post this last week . . .

Posted by Jenny at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ok, the weekend is over, and I have been completely unproductive. Work very nicely let us go at 12pm on Friday and took us for lunch and happy hour, where I apparently drank too much, because I basically managed to (possibly) break my nose walking into a door later. Ouch!

Carlos is sick again. Not with the same thing. He has gotten better and sick again in the 5 days since my last post. Healthy couple we are!

I've been spinning and knitting, and NOT doing any gardening or housework of any kind. Really must stop neglecting these things. I do have progress to show however . . .

Still working on the wheel wool. Here it is skeined up:

Carlos saw this and noted that my spinning is starting to look like "real yarn." I agreed, and decided I was ready to spin some pretty yarn. Not so sure . ..

That's some BFL from Hello Yarn that came with my original spinning kit. I do apologize for the photos. I'm too lazy to clean any of them up in Photoshop right now.

I've also been knitting away on Thermal . . .( not part of Claudia's war however).

This picture, and my somewhat enlarged belly (partially hidden by the disgustingly dirty mirror), is a good segue to my other plan. Starting tomorrow I'm embarking on a 3 month, very healthy eating and workout plan, designed to help me lose 15-20 lbs of fat, and gain 10lbs of muscle. I'm tired of being tired, and weak, and flabby all at the same time. I'm somewhat designing my own challenge very loosely based on the Body for Life challenge, with less processed food, a little more lee-way for my foodiness (and especially Carlos', since he cooks half the time and is not going on this plan with me).

I want to be in uber-shape before going to Santa Fe in July. Yah, we are visiting my mom this year! So excited, as I haven't been to Santa Fe in 6 years!

Posted by Jenny at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

and not from running unfortunately.

My house is a mess. Everything I own is covered in a thin layer of dust and his crammed into my dining room and living room.

However, I have a beautiful slate backsplash, and somewhere under 6 in. of grout is beautiful floor tile in my kitchen and family room. We were told we did 4K worth of labor in 3 days. I must mop now.

Posted by Jenny at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted by Jenny at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've been having a really hard time motivating myself do work hard at work, or even do the bare minimum of what is required by me. It's like high school all over again.  I discovered early on in school, that doing the bare minimum still got good grades, and I got no extra rewards from working hard. I learned a lot more from the reading I did on my own.

I'm at the same point at work.  I'm seem to not be trying very hard, and everyone is thanking me for my hard work.  Great, you'd think. . .  but I'm not happy.  After the initial happiness of not being in an office all day, and freedom to go home at lunch, I'm finding myself needing to make excuses to not crawl back into bed, or go home and knit in front of the TV.  I honestly think I'd be happier in an office, if I liked my job.

Before we moved to Pennsylvania, I was fed up with sales, applied and got in to graduate school for education. I think I would much rather screw it,  and go back to school full time for History and get my PhD, but I don't think it is practical, and I am afraid to bring it up with C.  Especially with the Kid in the house.  Maybe I made a mistake to come out here. I don't know.

I have been knitting. I've started Scoop du Jour, and a new pair of socks. Here are some pictures I've been taking but not posting over the past few weeks.

This is Carlos with his birthday cake. He made me take that picture, which says how proud he was of the cake. He HATES his picture taken.

Here is a picture of my Fiery Bolero

Here's another one.

Here is my first pair of socks!

Anyway, I'm in a funk, and I REALLY REALLY need the weekend.

Posted by Jenny at 03:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hi All,
Unfortunately no camera today. I Swear the boy has hidden it from me. A couple of housekeeping things.

Secret Pal, I apologize SOO much if I did not recognize your wonderful gift (which was this ). I hope this year I can progress to the level that I can knit some of the amazing designs in there.

Knitting News: 

The Booga Bag has been done knitted for a while now. It was truly Tour de France knitting. I am afraid to felt it. Not because I am afraid of ruining the bag -- but my washer!  It's front loading and I am afraid something bad will happen. Anyone suggest any good links for a first time felter?

The Sitcom Chic is being cast on for the 3rd time. I noticed that I had made an accidental increase, and decided to rip it back because I didn't like how the ribbing was looking anyway.

I am starting to look towards new projects --- particularly Christmas gifts.  I'm thinking that Carlos' mother and grandmother might appreciate hand knitted gifts. As well as my parents.

House news:
I had the day to myself yesterday and went to a wonderful place.

I got some curtains and rods for ONE window and spent over 100! It is going to take A WHILE to get this place totally decorated. It makes me want to learn how to sew so I can do some of this myself.

I'm also somewhat obsessed about learning to Garden, so I got a book on that yesterday as well.

The new job is going well . . . I almost made my quota (I'm in sales for the first time) and am going to GA for training in a week, and I will be gone for 10 days! I've never been away that long from Carlos and Oscar and I am feeling weird about it.

Well, I am attempting to clean right now (emphasis on attempting) since Carlos and his Dad are coming by with some furniture we had left at their house. Hopefully he has the camera and I can take some pictures of what I have been working on.

Posted by Jenny at 10:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are the pictures as promised. Here is the finished baby sweater:

This was my first full sweater that I made and I learned a lot about raglan construction making it (like I need to practice my seaming!!) but over all I am happy with how it turned out.

Here are some pictures of the furnished and painted house

First the kitchen:

  That light fixture will be the death to the back of my head until we find a kitchen table to put under it.

Next the family room. That is Carlos on the couch.

Dining room:

I seem to have forgotten to take a picture of the living room. Oh well, we barely have furniture in there anyway. Same reason my office has no photo.

Here is the loft times 2.

And Carlos' red office:

and the bedroom:

Posted by Jenny at 09:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I know I promised to post with more pictures, but when I went to do it last night, the camera was not in its place. I can only assume the boy took it with him to the new house, where he has been staying and painting this week, but I haven't asked him.

I've just finished the knitting on this.  I chose the same color as the one in this picture, but I didn't do the snakes.

It is for a Carlos' best friend's son, who was baptized this past weekend.

I'm still on the first sock, of my magic stripe socks.

I packed my stash yesterday, and I was amazed by its size.  The Kureyon, the Debbie Bliss, the Koigu. It's not much but it is a lot for me! I have some knitting to do.

Life has been interesting lately. Buying a house is very straining on a relationship. Especially when you are not 100% excited about the locale. A lot of bickering, and a lot of self doubt, but we will be OK.

I got a new job that I start next week. It's a little scary because I've been at my current job since college and I am very comfortable here. I also have to wear suits at the new job, so I have to do some serious shopping. Anyone who has good ideas on where to buy affordable conservative work clothes for someone who is short and small (TJ Maxx, etc. seemed to only have suits in size 8+, I'm 5'4 and a size 4), I'd really appreciate it.

Other than that, I'll take some pictures of the stash, and of the Daisy (after I learn how to raglan seam).  I promise I'll write more often if you folks (and I see that people come here) start commenting!

Posted by Jenny at 07:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First of all, thank you for all of your nice comments (both public and private) on the chickami. I'm really happy with it.

I cast on for a pair of socks today using a purply colorway of Lion Brand Magic Stripes. I have only knit one sock before (which I ripped because I thought I needed to go down a needle size), and I fully intend to finish this one.

I'm also thinking ahead towards my next larger project. I have a couple of balls of Kidsilk Haze with which I was planning to make Grace from www.knitty.com.

I also have 4 skeins of Koigu to make more socks with, but I want to do something different. I was thinking either the Little Black top or Peppermint Twist from the first Stitch and Bitch, or Nothing but a T-Shirt from the most recent MagKnits.

The move is coming quickly. Our walk through is on Tuesday, and then the closing is on the 31st.  Carlos got out home insurance and our appliances sorted out today.  I'm waiting to hear on a job that I really hope I'll get (this is a move from NJ to PA), and having a job waiting for me will take SOO much stress off, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

This has just been a really odd, scary experience -- owning a house seems so grown up, and I just still feel like I'm a kid most of the time.  I wanted to share some picture of the socks, but I can't seem to get the camera to work and Carlos is in the shower. I'll have him look at it tomorrow.

Good night!

Posted by Jenny at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, I'm just checking in this morning. I had planned on doing a big post with lots of pictures this weekend, but I got sick.  Only got a little knitting done this weekend accordingly. I finished the back of the Chickami, and started the front, until I realized I was using the wrong size needles. Have to start that over tonight.

Other than that -- picked out appliances for the new house, saw Medeski Martin and Wood (although I fell asleep at the club due to the beginning of said illness) and watched 21 Grams on DVD (wierd movie!).  Maybe I'll post some pictures of the house this afternoon since I have those at work. What do you think?

Posted by Jenny at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)