Is summer ever anything but whirlwind? It seems predictable to say it flew by, but there you have it.
We moved and it won't be our last move in the next year or two - but we're comfortable until we close on our home this fall and find a new one next year. I refuse to move in the winter!
I traveled - a lot. All of my trips were knitting related and fun. My entire family went to Schaumberg for Stitches Midwest - and we spent some time at Lego too.
The kids moved to a new school and with that came quite a bit of preparation. Overall we are all settled now and finally returning to our typical rhythm.
I hope everyone else is having a joyful return to fall!
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Knitting Goals 2013 - Part Two
Part two of my knitting goals has to do with future projects and stash managment.
I'm no longer in a place where I stash yarn just to stash it. Other than a skein or two as a souvenir, I won't buy anything unless there's a specific project for it and I have nothing in my stash that will work. There's really not a project I couldn't accommodate with my stash, other than perhaps for a baby.
I recently cleaned up my ravelry queue. There are so many beautiful things within it! I have a small handful of sweaters and shawls I hope to do in 2013, but I will go with whatever compels me at the moment I am ready to cast on. My true goal is to just use up some of the older stash, especially sweater lots.
In my queue and vying for my needles are:
1. Dark and Stormy - Thea Colman I want to use my Shepherds Wool from Mackinac Island for this. The photo is not showing the color well - the yarn is a very rich purple.
2. I bought the Eco Wool for this sweater when it came out in Knit Scene in 2009! Heather Hoodie Vest
3. I think this "vintage" yarn is destined to become a Plain and Simple Pullover provided I can make the yardage work.
4. I need to add some shawls to my rotation. Phil bought me some lovely wool for Christmas - and though it's not deep stash, I'd love to knit it. This is Imperial Yarn in the Columbia worsted - with which I plan to knit The Lonely Tree Shawl
5. I've been wanting to knit a Multnomah for ages. There are so many pretty ones in ravelry! I have a lot of yarns to choose from too - but I think I'm leaning toward a natural variegated yarn I bought from Green Mountain Spinnery in 2011 at the WI Sheep and Wool Festival. I'm not sure yet, but I really love this yarn.
I hope to a few pairs of socks, and a sweater for each of my kids this next year too - but nothing is an actual resolution or certain. These projects have been on my mind for awhile, so that tends to mean I won't get sick of them as I work on them. My last two sweaters are gray so I'm looking forward to working with a vibrant purple!
I'm no longer in a place where I stash yarn just to stash it. Other than a skein or two as a souvenir, I won't buy anything unless there's a specific project for it and I have nothing in my stash that will work. There's really not a project I couldn't accommodate with my stash, other than perhaps for a baby.
I recently cleaned up my ravelry queue. There are so many beautiful things within it! I have a small handful of sweaters and shawls I hope to do in 2013, but I will go with whatever compels me at the moment I am ready to cast on. My true goal is to just use up some of the older stash, especially sweater lots.
In my queue and vying for my needles are:
1. Dark and Stormy - Thea Colman I want to use my Shepherds Wool from Mackinac Island for this. The photo is not showing the color well - the yarn is a very rich purple.
3. I think this "vintage" yarn is destined to become a Plain and Simple Pullover provided I can make the yardage work.
4. I need to add some shawls to my rotation. Phil bought me some lovely wool for Christmas - and though it's not deep stash, I'd love to knit it. This is Imperial Yarn in the Columbia worsted - with which I plan to knit The Lonely Tree Shawl
5. I've been wanting to knit a Multnomah for ages. There are so many pretty ones in ravelry! I have a lot of yarns to choose from too - but I think I'm leaning toward a natural variegated yarn I bought from Green Mountain Spinnery in 2011 at the WI Sheep and Wool Festival. I'm not sure yet, but I really love this yarn.
I hope to a few pairs of socks, and a sweater for each of my kids this next year too - but nothing is an actual resolution or certain. These projects have been on my mind for awhile, so that tends to mean I won't get sick of them as I work on them. My last two sweaters are gray so I'm looking forward to working with a vibrant purple!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Knitting Goals 2013 Part 1
I have big plans for 2013! So big, my goals will be split over several posts.
Projects:
I finished/frogged or hibernated all but five projects at the end of 2012. I don't think I've had so few active WIPS on the needles since I started knitting!
1. It's the Berries Cardigan -
This Sunday Knits kit really is beautiful and I'm about half way done. Its a bit of a slog though as I'm on the sleeves. My projects always stall on the sleeves. I got the yarn and pattern at Stitches Midwest in 2011 when I met up with my Knit Camp friends Kim and Jessica. I plan to go to Stitches this year, so I really need to finish this up.
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2. Wiggle Wrap -
This was a complete impulse purchase from WI Sheep and Wool this past September. I found a half-knit sample in a booth while I was waiting to pay. (I bought a few pounds of roving for a project at my kids' school - another story all together) It calls for two colors of Kauni, the rainbow and a tonal or semi-solid. Since I already had the rainbow in stash, I thought it was perfect. This is totally a slog however. I only really work on it a little while at a time. I bought an awesome Yarn Pop project bag for it at Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago - it has grommets for color work. I'd like to have this done before WI Sheep and Wool 2013.
3. Lacy Baktus -
Not much to say about this project. It lives in my car so I'm never without knitting. I expect it'll still be on my needles in a year from now. The yarn is Cascade Heritage
4. Effortless Cardigan -
I can't explain why I casted on another gray sweater with one still on the needles. I guess I blame Vogue Knitting Live as there was a beautiful sample in a booth that I wasn't able to stop thinking about. I casted this on just before Thanksgiving and am using deep stash - DIC Classy in gray tabby. I love this yarn so much I bought a sweaters worth in blue at the Eat Sleep Knit Black Friday Sale. That yarn is destined for a sweater for my son. I want the Effortless done ASAP - ideally before our February break trip to Door County.
5. Spiderman Socks -
These socks for my son were started in December out of Three Irish Girls Adorn I got at VKL Chicago. I'm just doing a basic sock. I'd like to have these done while were still in sock weather as my kid grows fast.
I believe that's everything that I'd consider active. I have a handful of hibernating projects (camp blanket, ano, evenstar, lucy socks, chicken mittens and aestlight) that I'll try to pull out during this year.
I do have a vest on the needles, but it's a sample knitting job and I ran out of yarn! I'm waiting for the dyer to send me some more so I can get it done and off the needles.
Next up - 2013 Project Plans
Projects:
I finished/frogged or hibernated all but five projects at the end of 2012. I don't think I've had so few active WIPS on the needles since I started knitting!
1. It's the Berries Cardigan -
This Sunday Knits kit really is beautiful and I'm about half way done. Its a bit of a slog though as I'm on the sleeves. My projects always stall on the sleeves. I got the yarn and pattern at Stitches Midwest in 2011 when I met up with my Knit Camp friends Kim and Jessica. I plan to go to Stitches this year, so I really need to finish this up.
.jpg)
2. Wiggle Wrap -
This was a complete impulse purchase from WI Sheep and Wool this past September. I found a half-knit sample in a booth while I was waiting to pay. (I bought a few pounds of roving for a project at my kids' school - another story all together) It calls for two colors of Kauni, the rainbow and a tonal or semi-solid. Since I already had the rainbow in stash, I thought it was perfect. This is totally a slog however. I only really work on it a little while at a time. I bought an awesome Yarn Pop project bag for it at Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago - it has grommets for color work. I'd like to have this done before WI Sheep and Wool 2013.
3. Lacy Baktus -
Not much to say about this project. It lives in my car so I'm never without knitting. I expect it'll still be on my needles in a year from now. The yarn is Cascade Heritage
4. Effortless Cardigan -
I can't explain why I casted on another gray sweater with one still on the needles. I guess I blame Vogue Knitting Live as there was a beautiful sample in a booth that I wasn't able to stop thinking about. I casted this on just before Thanksgiving and am using deep stash - DIC Classy in gray tabby. I love this yarn so much I bought a sweaters worth in blue at the Eat Sleep Knit Black Friday Sale. That yarn is destined for a sweater for my son. I want the Effortless done ASAP - ideally before our February break trip to Door County.
5. Spiderman Socks -
These socks for my son were started in December out of Three Irish Girls Adorn I got at VKL Chicago. I'm just doing a basic sock. I'd like to have these done while were still in sock weather as my kid grows fast.
I believe that's everything that I'd consider active. I have a handful of hibernating projects (camp blanket, ano, evenstar, lucy socks, chicken mittens and aestlight) that I'll try to pull out during this year.
I do have a vest on the needles, but it's a sample knitting job and I ran out of yarn! I'm waiting for the dyer to send me some more so I can get it done and off the needles.
Next up - 2013 Project Plans
2013 New Year - New Life
Not long after I started this new blog, my husband suffered a hemorrhaged brain aneurysm at home. I don't want to rehash the details of that awful night at this point. He survived, and is doing really well considering how dangerous the injury was.
Our autumn is a blur to me. He was in the hospital about a month and was released to out-patient therapies. Thankfully he was discharged in time for our daughter Maya's birthday in mid-October. The next thing I know Thanksgiving was here and I was lucky to get a fresh turkey last minute! Another blink and Christmas was here. We decided to stay home during the holidays this year and it was quiet, and relaxed and the most beautiful time I can remember.
I still find it unbelievably ironic and really frustrating that I had been working so hard to be more present in our daily lives, only to have this traumatic event happen and put great strain on us. But, so many good things have come from Phil's injury. Truly. Our family is closer than ever and we are so much healthier now. We make better decisions about our time and resources.
We are counting on 2013 to be our lucky year. We have huge plans! Huge! Travel, home (farm?) buying, and maybe even a winter abroad, homeschooling.
My knitting lulled while I was caregiving. I remember at some point finding kitting cathartic but it didn't last long. I did some sewing last fall, too. My birthday gift, the week before Phil got sick, was a new Bernina! So much has happened since late summer but rather than trying to play catch up, I'll just start a fresh new year here as well!
Not long after I started this new blog, my husband suffered a hemorrhaged brain aneurysm at home. I don't want to rehash the details of that awful night at this point. He survived, and is doing really well considering how dangerous the injury was.
Our autumn is a blur to me. He was in the hospital about a month and was released to out-patient therapies. Thankfully he was discharged in time for our daughter Maya's birthday in mid-October. The next thing I know Thanksgiving was here and I was lucky to get a fresh turkey last minute! Another blink and Christmas was here. We decided to stay home during the holidays this year and it was quiet, and relaxed and the most beautiful time I can remember.
I still find it unbelievably ironic and really frustrating that I had been working so hard to be more present in our daily lives, only to have this traumatic event happen and put great strain on us. But, so many good things have come from Phil's injury. Truly. Our family is closer than ever and we are so much healthier now. We make better decisions about our time and resources.
We are counting on 2013 to be our lucky year. We have huge plans! Huge! Travel, home (farm?) buying, and maybe even a winter abroad, homeschooling.
My knitting lulled while I was caregiving. I remember at some point finding kitting cathartic but it didn't last long. I did some sewing last fall, too. My birthday gift, the week before Phil got sick, was a new Bernina! So much has happened since late summer but rather than trying to play catch up, I'll just start a fresh new year here as well!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
I'm on my third hard drive for my IMac since we bought this computer in 2008. The first time we lost the hard drive was in 2009. We had not been backing up to any external sources and there was no such thing as the Cloud. We paid a huge amount of money to have our data recovered. I wanted all our pictures, and my husband needed our quickbooks information for our business.
We lost a lot of pictures when a tornado hit our house in 2008. So paying $800 to have all our digital photos recovered from our hard drive was really painful but as we had no hard copies, what choice did we have?
The second time we lost our hard drive, we were prepared. We had been backing up on an external hard drive and didn't lose anything.
I spent this past weekend restoring all of our photos onto the computer from the hard drive. My kids asked tons of questions about the photos and also noted that I'm not in 99% of them. I never realized how few pictures there are of me! This suits me just fine - but I realize it's not going to make it easy on my kids once they are older and trying to recapture memories of growing up. I am kicking myself for not having more photos of my parents now that they are gone.
I'm going to make more of an effort to record our daily lives here. I've archived all my older blogs (frankly I seldom updated anyway - I was always waiting for something exciting to write about!) and am working to remember that our every day happenings in our present surroundings often are the things we strive to remember and cherish later on.
We lost a lot of pictures when a tornado hit our house in 2008. So paying $800 to have all our digital photos recovered from our hard drive was really painful but as we had no hard copies, what choice did we have?
The second time we lost our hard drive, we were prepared. We had been backing up on an external hard drive and didn't lose anything.
I spent this past weekend restoring all of our photos onto the computer from the hard drive. My kids asked tons of questions about the photos and also noted that I'm not in 99% of them. I never realized how few pictures there are of me! This suits me just fine - but I realize it's not going to make it easy on my kids once they are older and trying to recapture memories of growing up. I am kicking myself for not having more photos of my parents now that they are gone.
I'm going to make more of an effort to record our daily lives here. I've archived all my older blogs (frankly I seldom updated anyway - I was always waiting for something exciting to write about!) and am working to remember that our every day happenings in our present surroundings often are the things we strive to remember and cherish later on.
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