An addition

Nope, not a baby . . . at least not the normal kind.

Meet our new fur kid!

Her name is Bree.  She’s an 8ish month old Australian Shepherd mix, and a barrel of fun!  She’s crazy smart, and getting better behaved by the day.  We love her!

A New Year

I’ve been amassing a collection of half-finished knitting.  I have two partial socks, a third of a shrug, half a wrap, and a sweater that only lacks the second sleeve.

That last one makes me feel truly pathetic.  I know that the sleeve would take me maybe two days to knit and then I could sew them on and have a whole sweater.  But have I so much as cast on that sleeve? Nope.  To add insult to injury, this was my “speed sweater.”  I worked on it monogamously and kept track of my time spent to see just how long a sweater truly took.  It’s craziness!  The thing is, the sweater is a little snug and short.  So while it technically only needs a sleeve, it really needs a little more than that.

There is hope, though.  The completion muse has struck me again.  I finished a pair of socks for the boy that had been languishing in my bag while waiting for midnight to roll around New Years Eve.  I got the shrug to a point that the recipient can try it on the next day.  I got one of the socks from barely a cuff to half way down the foot and it should be done in another day or so.

I’m in the mood to tie up loose ends at the moment, perhaps I will make some progress on that front as this new year gets going.  I hope so, I really want to cast on something new and exciting as a Ravelympics project this year.  I’m thinking hooded V-neck cardigan, real raw and casual:  rolled cuffs, zipper, brown-gray tweedy Bartlett yarn, thumb holes, and a needle felted yarn skull and cross knitting needles on the back in a bright-ish color.

What are we coming to??

I got an odd phone call today. A gentleman called from a Kentucky dealership to which I had taken my truck, George, back in 2005 when my windows suddenly wouldn’t roll up. He wanted to know if I wanted to trade in George for a newer model. When I told him that I had only had her for five years and wasn’t ready to part with her just yet, he suggested that I must be the drive-it-into-the-ground type.

Seriously? When did five years and less than 60,000 miles become a long time to own a car?

He was otherwise very polite, so I don’t think he was crazy or mean. Just horribly mislead by his industry and society as a whole.

But wow. I don’t think I deserve any kind of award for intending to keep a reliable and easy to maintain truck for at least ten years, lord willing and the creek don’t rise. Am I off base here?

Anything worth doing . . .

I’ve heard a lot of good endings for that phrase: anything worth doing is worth over-doing; anything worth doing is worth doing well; anything worth doing is worth sacrificing for; we have a fair few.

I think I have a new favorite, though.

Anything worth doing well is worth doing badly for a while first.

How encouraging is that?

The Pull of Fall

I can feel it coming. It doesn’t help that the fall knitting magazines are hitting my mailboxes both real and virtual. And what with the weather being unseasonably comfortable of late, it’s easy to think it’s nearer than it actually is.

For those who are unfamiliar, fall has a strange power over knitters, especially the wool lovers. She is a siren whose song grows stronger right around august. It’s the promise of cooler days and a growing need for layers. We relish fall. Autumn is our mistress. Normal people get caught up in spring cleaning; knitters get caught up in fall knitting.

Add to that the fact that I, like at least a few others, measure our year by a school calendar, which means renewed vigor for a new year comes now, rather than between Christmas and New Years. You don’t want to see what happens when I smell a new box of crayons around this time of year; it’s downright silly.

But back to the wool. I’ve just finished leafing through my copy of Interweave Knits Fall ‘09 and I’m so inspired. All I want to do is stockpile some yarn and park it on the couch and knit until I can’t move my arms anymore. Not helpful when one is still unemployed – no new jobs to be found on the couch. I, however, would be blissfully unaware of this fact. Just look at what I’ve been eyeing. Not all of these are new, but still exciting.

fall 09

Fall 09

Fall 09

Winter 06

Fall 08

Winter 08

Fall 09

Spring 09

Winter 08

Spring 09

Fall 09

Winter 07

Winter 08

New Apartment Observations

** Note, we have found a really nice apartment, it was clean, appliances are all new and work great, very quiet, and I even get to do some gardening. These following observations are not meant to be complaints.**

I don’t like living spaces that are really cavernous. I think I would prefer my ceilings to be 8 feet or less. I want to feel cozy in my home. Built in shelves are a good thing. Anything to bring the walls in a little without actually creating a problem walking around. Think hobbit house. Having these big blank walls that stretch up 9-10 feet actually makes me a little uncomfortable.

I don’t much care for carpet; I would much prefer wood floors and some throw rugs.

I want a window behind my kitchen sink, along with a good many windows to brighten up my kitchen. And what wall is left between cabinets and windows should be covered in something durable like tile, stone, or metal. Personally I would replace the typical microwave over the stove with a pot rack or just the vent hood. Though the microwave has proved somewhat useful in melting wax for candles, but I can do that on the stove just as well once I find the designated not-food pot. I think I like black appliances – not as jarring as white ones, less industrial feeling than stainless steel – though i wouldn’ t mind mounting cabinet door panels on them to make them blend it either.

I want my windows to be simple squares/rectangles of glass with as little breakup in them as possible. Some I would hang bits of knitted lace over, cafe curtains and such, because sunshine through handknit lace is really pretty. But otherwise they should have nice molding around them and be clean so I can see the outside.

That’s all I’ve got at the moment.

Moving

I’m not a fan. But I am learning new things about myself: I have too much stuff, when that stuff is rearranged and packed in boxes I lose the ability to track my relative position in time and space along with my ability to produce logical thoughts, also when packing I tend to forget to eat. But we’re chugging along smartly and should be done soon.

Time to get back in the habit of posting

Soon I hope.

We’re moving, rather soon. I could really use a job. That’s all I’ve got the energy for now.

The Year of Natural Fibers

I have no idea who decides these things, but 2009 is the year of the natural fiber. I’m a huge fan of natural fibers, so I’m fine with this. Thought I’d share a little inspiration.

From top left:
1. Cotton Boll 2. Silk Noil, Ingeo, Acala Cotton, Bamboo, and Cormo Wool 3. Naturally Dyed Wool 4. Natural Colored Cotton 5. Handspun Artyarn 6. Handwoven Scarf 7. Wool and Bamboo Yarn 8. Flax Fiber 9. Hand Dyed Wensleydale Wool

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where my head has been lately. Enjoy!

Ok, that mosaic making thing is really fun – I might need to do that some more!

Tuesdays are for taking pictures

Time for an update.

Here’s what I’ve been up to lately:

I’ve been finishing things.

I’ve started some things.

I’ve had some interesting things on my mind:

Snow White
This whole book
Girasole
Demi

I think maybe I’m on a texture kick.