Monday, March 9, 2009

Knitting: It's a mystery!

So, I know I still owe pt 2 of knit camp weekend, but I don't have it in me to write about it right now. I'd rather talk about other things. I'm a member of Sock Knitters Anon (SKA) on ravelry. It's an interesting gang. These people live, eat, breathe and obviously knit socks. It's cool. I'm still horribly bad about actually finishing socks, but really that hasn't stopped me from casting on new ones.

I knew Cath was either finished or close to it with her Woodsmoke socks (lovely btw), so I asked if she wanted to KAL with me on these. She likes lacy style patterns and the March challenge was to knit a pair of lace socks, a cat bordhi pattern or the Mystery sock. Since I can tolerate a few surprises now and again, I decided to go with the mystery. It's pretty nice. I was trying NOT to see what it looked like before casting on myself, but that became harder because as soon as the first clue was posted, people were off and running. I started a few days later. Cath started this weekend as well. We didn't cast on quite together because of scheduling conflicts on my part, but we'll get together at some point.

I didn't have a lot of knitting time this weekend (i'll tell ya why in a sec), so I did get one repeat done. I'm thinking of doing another repeat and possibly a third. It's a 16 row repeat, so not too bad. And let me just talk about the yarn for a minute... holy wow am I ever glad I bought it. It's this gorgeous shade of green and it's all squooshy and sproingy. It's definitely the yum of yarns. I haven't knitted with the Malabrigo yet, but so far, I'm liking this better. Malabrigo will be put to the test next pair (probably).

So what took up my knitting time this weekend... well amidst all the other social engagements, etc, my spinning wheel arrived! It's beautiful and works very well. I did lots of practicing. So I can't wait to spin up a storm... but I'm missing knitting, so I'll be getting back to that for a bit.

I'm still dreaming about Sock Summit. I searched flights and hotels this weekend. It's definitely looking like a possibility. I really wish they would post the costs and classes soon. It's kind of a bit of hell waiting all this time, especially since I'm not sure if I should fly in on Wed or save the hotel stay and miss part of Thursday. Decisions, decisions. Anyway, Brian still hasn't raised a fuss about me going, so that's good. I DO have to be better about saving though. I've been bad.

I'll take some pics soon and get 'em up here.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Knitting: The quiet hours.

Hello friends, I realize I owe you anothe PART 2 of my knit camp weekend that already seems so long ago, weird how that is.

I haven't been too bloggy lately and it's not because I don't have anything to say, you all know me and my mind and mouth can run a mile a minute any day! But of late, I've been enjoying the silence and solitude.

Work has been hectic, it's good mostly but there is some stress to get everything done yesterday, now realize my bosses don't put this on me, it's all self-induced stress, so I can stop it and just "let things go" but it's not in me to do, I have to do the best job and be the best. So enter stress.

Anyway back to the silence... I am a music freak, I LOVE to listen to it very loudly in my car and I sing and yell along to it and lately, I haven't had it on at all. I just listen to the sound of the tires rolling along on the pavement, the wind smacking my windshield, the grunts and groans of the engine. My mind wanders away....

The past couple of evenings I have spent with my TV and my new cotton Henley. It's a basic top down pattern from Pure & Simple and it's pretty mindless. Once I hit the join it's round and round of stockinette. Sometimes stockinette is good, like when you don't want to pay attention and you just want to be lost somewhere. And as for the TV, it may as well be off, there hasn't been much on at all, well nothing of interest to me or it's been rerun central. This happens just when I decide to cancel my netflix membership--ha! Silly ol' me. Sunday was great though, Lord of the Rings was on all day long. I had watched Fellowship on Friday night and Two Towers on Sat (although I missed the last half-too tired), so on Sunday I was able to catch up on the Towers and finish with Return of the King. What is it about a scraggly bearded Viggo M on a horse that gets me going?! Shew! And in case you are wondering, yes I LOVE Hidalgo too. Although I cry everytime I watch it.

So just me and my knitting, sitting in silence... wandering thoughts.

The older I get the more I realize these patterns I have. A few times a year I get in these places where I just want to be alone... springtime is one of those times. It makes me happy and sad at the same time. It's kind of hard to explain, but I'll give it a go.

A. I love SPRING
B. If Spring lasted all year long, I'd be a happy girl

I love the sun and the rain and the new grass, trees, flowers. I love gray mornings that turn out super sunny. But, in those quiet mornings where everything is a just a little damp, the grass, the sidewalks, the sun is just peeping out, those are the special times. It's a lovely kind of quiet, a joyful kind of quiet and then I get lost in my thoughts and while I'm mostly happy I get sad. I think of sad things and people I miss and all the things I have yet to accomplish. These quiet times make me remember all the things not yet done.

And then in the fall... I go through this again. Fall makes me nostaligic for bonfires and friday night football games, those lost teenage years that are so far away now. Sometimes I love the fall and what it symbolizes, but I hate it at the same time because it means summer is over and winter is creeping in and I dislike winter a lot. I don't like those freezing cold days when you can barely breathe. I hate the mushy grey snow on the roads and the slick driving. And I think of the past, constantly and that can be happy/sad... happy memories and sad because they are gone, etc. So you see my patterns?!

Anyway... that's me, that is where my head is. I'm still furiously knitting, dreaming about Sock Summit in Portland, dreaming of summer vacation in Boston, dreaming of Colorado for thanksgiving. Yes folks lots of things to do this year. And lots of knitting to be done. It's already March and I've only officially finished one thing this year. I must get a move on!