by Kat | Jan 24, 2008 | General
head to West Michigan!
Without sun it is truly a grey and white world… and yes that is about 2 feet of snow on top of the “hibernating” hot tub….
Add some sunshine, it is not much more colorful. My grill is burried under that snow mound.
It snowed like mad most of yesterday afternoon and it looks like it continued for a good sum of the night.
No school for the kids today – funny how teenagers get all giddy like they did in grade school with a day off of school.
A good day to stay indoors and knit!
by Kat | Jan 23, 2008 | General
The knitting continues … all that is left is to pick up stitches at the bottom and knit the box stitch border and the applied i-cord trim. I thought I had a longer addi – but alas, I do not. So, I will start with the arm hole i-cords and work on getting a longer needle to pick up stitches around the bottom. I love how this is turning out – and yes, in the infamous words of Kramer “… I am lovin’ every minute of it!!”
I had a conversation with a friend today that was so uplifting. She is an incredibly positive person – even in the face of adversity. Conversation with her always leaves me feeling optimistic and upbeat, and I told her so. After I spoke with her, I called my father – who has been having some serious health issues recently. My call was two-fold – to find out how he was feeling today and to just spend some time talking with him. As we hung up he thanked me for my call. He wanted to share with me how much he looked forward to my calls. I realized that I was as important to him as my friend was to me. Now, don’t get me wrong – I know that my dad loves me. But, it was nice to hear that my calls were a bright spot for his day.
For the past several months, I have been working through being unemployed in a very dismal Michigan market – and there have been times when it would have been so easy to slide down the slippery slope of “poor pitiful me”. Now, I am not saying I did not slip there a few times – but, I tried not to go there.
In this journey I have found that I need to avoid some situations as they seem to push me down into the “Poor Pitiful Me Abyss”. That was a revelation moment for me – negativity breeds negativity. It becomes all to easy to complain. I was becoming a person I did not like very much – at all. And, I found myself attracting more negativity! Ugghh! How unattractive. And, how utterly unproductive!
So, with a fresh reminder that each day my attitude is my choice to make – like the fresh fallen snow outside my door – each day I have a clean slate to make all my own. And, with a positive attitude and joy in the day I am moving forward.
How easy it is to miss the blessings that surround us when we are focused all that is negative.
So, gentle readers, I challenge you – are you a positive, inspiring influence on those around you?
Go be that today where you live!
by Kat | Jan 22, 2008 | General
Hello Everyone! My knitting frenzy is paying off – I am in the home stretch of the “Outside the Box Vest”. I managed to get a good sum of knitting done last night whilst the Idiot Box talked to me. What was on, you ask? I have not a clue. Nothing note worthy, that is for sure.
We are having a bit of a heat wave here today – it is a whopping 25 degrees outside! After the frigid weather we have been having this feels downright balmy!
Although – we did get about 12 inches of snow between yesterday afternoon and this morning…. and I think more is on the way! But, the sun managed to peek out today and spread a little light on my corner of the world. I savored every minute of it – because the sun has gone back into hiding – cloud cover has replaced the sunny brightness.
Okay – back to the home stretch of knitting – have a good evening all!
by Kat | Jan 21, 2008 | General
Oh boy – so, I am just a knitting fool.
And, as I was a such knitting fool last night, I measured – in bed people, yes – in bed.
Yeah.
It seems that everything looks bigger in bed! No pun intended – truly. I measured and it was 9 inches – but in the cold light of the morning and measuring on a flat surface – it was a mere 7 inches.
Yeah… my thoughts exactly.
I will spare you all the foul language that was floating around here this morning as I was frogging back to knit those 2 more inches.
But, I am back on track now. I have just the left front to finish – then I can do the shoulder bands.
I am climbing in bed to knit and watch some of the idiot box… and I will not be measuring anything!!
by Kat | Jan 20, 2008 | General
I am knitting frantically on the vest. Each row completed is one closer to finish. Not saying it is a race, but I do feel compelled to finish this – and soon! I want to see if what is in my mind’s eye will be what the finished product looks like.
I feel a bit like Kramer from Seinfeld – remember the boxers or briefs episode? Well…. I am feeling a bit like Kramer right now and soon we will find out if I can come sliding in here on Monday letting you all know that I am “lovin’ every minute of it”!
I am not an adventurous knitter – oh, I knit things that are adventurous, but I knit them as the pattern tells me to. With little or no variation. Yep, I am an “in the box” kind of knitter.
That is strange, because if you know me at all – you’d say that I was an “out of the box” kind of person.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I will pick up an extra stitch or two from the heel flap when I am making socks (to get rid of the hole, right?) and an extra stitch or two when knitting mittens (same hole!). But, I don’t vary much more than that from a designer’s pattern. I figure that they know immensely more than I do – especially about knitting!
I mean, truthfully gentle readers, I just figured out gauge swatches! I know – duh!
And, there is still all the mystery of positive and negative ease.
So, I am knitting away on this vest – from this picture I have in my mind… scary stuff, I am telling you.
It is a good thing I am a process knitter – rather than a product knitter.
That way if I have to head to the Frog Pond I won’t be devastated!
Okay – that is enough of a break for me – back to the needles!
by Kat | Jan 19, 2008 | General
It has been less than 24 hours since I enabled another knitter in casting on something new….
It is a good day to stay indoors – being as it got to a whopping 11 degrees outside today!
I think it is even too cold to take photo’s to show you all the snow we have been getting.
So, I stayed in and knit.
Except I have knit nothing that I said I was going to….
I have to blame all this on my friend Marie who cast on this on Friday.
Yes, you guessed it – it was not long and I had found some lovely Classic Elite Gatsby that I had purchased on sale last year sometime. I bought all the skeins they had left – 8 lovely skeins of gray slubby yarn.
Now the pattern required a gauge swatch – and some math. None of this is a daunting task – especially when you are knitting on a 10 1/2! Quick, right?
So, I am knitting away – knitting and knitting and knitting away. And, I am not loving the pattern – I think the sleeves will be incredibly bulky with this yarn. And, being that this is knit sideways – I am thinking that the arm holes are not deep enough. And, I am really not loving how the neckline is looking, or how the shoulders will join. And, I don’t really think the sweater is going to be long enough – it is hitting me at the “wrong” spot. So, as I am knitting – I am making all kinds of changes – and I am going to add a placket at the shoulder – a much nicer way to join the shoulders. And, no sleeves – a vest. With i-cord around the edges. And, I am adding a border to the bottom….
I think this is turning the knitting corner for me. A big corner!!!
Stay tuned for Monday – I am sure I will have it done…
And, I think that this is totally fair since I passed the “cast-on bug” to Chris – I am ready for a 12 step stitch program….
by Kat | Jan 18, 2008 | General
BRRRRRR! It is cold outside, gentle readers! And, we have even colder weather headed this way for the weekend!
Temperature currently 22 degrees Fahrenheit – wind chill 5.
Yeah – cold!
Usually Lake Michigan keeps us a bit warmer in our winter months, but our fabulous friends to the north in Canada have sent this delightful blast of winter on to us. Now, I am all for sharing – but frigidy cold weather – not so much!
A good weekend to stay indoors, knitting and spinning!
On my plate – finishing up some lingering projects – hopefully I will have some FO photos for your enjoyment on Monday.
Oh – and I am in the process of doing a bit of redecorating around the blog. Stay tuned for more changes and updates!
Stay warm and have a good weekend all!
by Kat | Jan 17, 2008 | General
But, I do have a Tudora obsession!
A knitting lesson for you all … when you cannot sleep Tudora is the answer!
Insomnia + Elizabethan Brilliance (add in some Aurora 8 Italian Merino from Karabella yarns for good measure) and the outcome will be one that is most pleasing! I love the color, it is so soft and snugly around my neck, and I am casting on another one tonight. Sleep will hopefully not be as elusive as it was last night! I love this – althougth for the next one I am using some Donegal Tweed that I have in my stash.
It was Knit Nite – stubborn as I am – I brought my wheel. NaSpiMoMo is half over and I am finding my spinning skills are improving with my daily ritual! I have almost a full bobbin of some lovely blue/green/purple wool spun up!
I purchased the button and modeled Tudora for the group and Blogless Sue was less than impressed. She wanted it to be symmetrical – the asymmetrical beauty of it was lost on her. She tried all evening to “fix it” and complained about my penchance for lopsidedness. I shared with her how truly lopsided my life was and that this somehow was the perfect balance for it! We all laughed and lopsided comments kept the laughter going.
The laughter was a good fit for my week, a much needed commodity.
Taking a page from Chris, it is truly a blessing to get together with women during the week. Their warmth, love, and laughter are a balm for my soul.
Have a peaceful evening everyone!
by Kat | Jan 16, 2008 | General
Hello Everyone!
Happy Wednesday to all of you!
Winter is rolling right along here in West Michigan – and we have some storms looming on our weekend horizon. This is all wonderful, except after next week I will be traveling in to Grand Rapids every day for school! So, a bit less of the wintry, white kind of precipation would be awesome – or at least not the icing up the road kind.
And, yes, you read that right! The State of Michigan has finally pulled it together and I am enrolled in school for my start to my new career! Shortly, I could be coming to a hospital near you to take care of you!!
I said to a friend on the phone this morning – I am finally on the path!!!
So, poor Copper and Penny will no longer have mom home all day (or most of the day) with them.
Look at those faces (if they did not chew on their ears, they’d be perfect!)…. awww, what do you mean mom – why won’t you stay here with us???
We’ll just have to love each other then….
Have an awesome Wednesday! Share the love today, gentle readers!
by Kat | Jan 15, 2008 | General
Yes, it is Primary Day here in Michigan. Our much touted, moved to a new date because we think we are so important primary.
As a result of our moving the primary – we don’t have all the candidates on the ballot.
There’s some brilliance huh?
I have not had any responses from any of the candidates – so I fear there is not a knitter in the bunch! Although Hillary did say that she likes to clean out closets and drawers to relax. Wow, there is some normalcy, huh?
Hillary – have I got some relaxing time for you – head on over and you can have at it with my closets and drawers! You will be so relaxed we will need to pour you in your chauffer driven vehicle!
Now really, gentle reader, what on earth should one think about someone who cleans drawers and closets for relaxation???
I think she needs a new hobby! Or a very good shrink!
The candidates on the “other” slate are do not offer much improvement I fear.
But, if you are still working on which candidate is “your man or gal” just head over to Michigan Radio’s Select A Candidate link and they have some questions that will help you decide.
Have a good day everyone – I am off to vote!
