Commitments and Priorities

All she wants to do is knit, except when she wants to spin...

First, the Ravelry update...

You are #23291 on the list.
6660 people are ahead of you in line.
11763 people are behind you in line.
47% of the list has been invited so far

Getting closer...

Can you change your priorities? You can try to change where you invest your energy, but if you don't feel it as a priority, it's just a really heavy drag, isn't it? I know I NEED to work a little harder and make more money, but gods, I really don't WANT to.

As my life has been upside down, inside out and just generally remodelled in the last few weeks, I'm feeling a little disoriented to say the least. The commitments have changed some. But my priorities remain the same. I almost didn't even go to Flock and Fiber this weekend. It sucks to go with no money. So many beautiful fibers and yarns. And bunnies, oh the bunnies.. But one of my priorities is spending time with my family. I did, I went. With my family. And it did feel good. Not as gloriously and giddy-ously good as it has in years past. But the crowd there is good. You can' hardly help but be swept away with all the people walking around with eyes glazed over and big giant grins on their faces. It's almost like they've been smoking that wool or something. Someday, I'm going to go to that thing with some real cash, and time to actually do something with what I buy. Yes, someday.

I've got more commitments than I know really where to put them. Work, school, more work, more school, mom taxi, housework, dinner, exercise (ha).... but what I keep trying so hard to find time for is not working towards my work or my education, but my knitting. The fiber stroking hobbies are always first on my list of wanting to make time. I SHOULD be making time to work more, make more cash, or making time to work more on my midwifery school and doula certification. Or get out and get some exercise. But only so many hours in the day. And I have my priorities. And knitting is kind of like doing yoga, right?

I have my afternoons, which seem like hours that need to be filled up with something more productive than just wrangling 5-year-olds. Finding I can knit and holler, hey! stop that! without missing a beat. figuring if I try to spin though, I'll be telling kids not to stick their fingers in there.. ;)

Maybe I'll try to get them into some more crafting projects. I just wish we had the room to have just "dedicated crafting space" so they could have projects and things to work on. But there is only the kitchen, and that is already committed to something else. Eating is a priority after all.

I feel so tired. and I know, I'm only going to get more tired. But, it's the sacrifices we make, trying to build a better life. Speaking of which, I ought to get back to working on that. Work, I mean. If I get done early, I can knit. It's my little carrot to keep me on track. And wow, I sure would like to get that credit card paid off. Pay off the Visa, and you can use the next month's payment to buy yourself a shiny new spinning wheel! How's THAT for an incentive! I guess I just have to figure out how to creatively use my priorities to inspire myself to fulfill the commitments.

Tofutsies Socks Done, what's next?

Looky, looky - I figured out how to do the cursed blog tags/badges thingies for my sidebar. Seems like they coulda made that a little easier. but ANYWAY...

Finally finished Charlotte's pair of matching socks. I can't find the pictures (I actually think I deleted them because my card was full and I wanted more pictures at my sister's wedding last weekend). But, here is one of MY sock. Charlottes look just like mine, but her feet are smaller and cuter. It's just a basic vanilla sock using Tofutsies yarn.

I'm still working away on my sister's stole. Obviously, not going to be the wedding present, but maybe for their 2-year anniversary. I'm also working on the B4 Bag which I just started working on. Now, I'm going to have to try another pair of socks. Probably the new I-Love-Gansey socks from the Six-Sox KAL group

I'd also like to try the tilted duster pattern on the cover of the Fall IK.

All this, and starting to save up my pennies for the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in September, plus that whole change my life career, try to give some energy to spiritual pursuits, find time for marital bliss, etc... The plate is full, may I have another?

Busy Weekend

Still feels like nothing got done..

We went last weekend to the Pomeroy Farm Herb Festival and bought a bunch of herbs. And I SWEAR this time, they will LIVE! At least through the summer. Bunch of culinary herbs like varieties of basil, rosemary, thyme, sage. Some mints for their own pot. I even got three kinds of catnip, which have to live in a hanging basket high above the porch for their own survival. Lane will roll in it to death otherwise.

My sister is getting married this summer and I want to make them a lace stole. I may be getting ahead of myself in terms of just how fancy my knitting skills are. But we'll see. If I get to the first of July and find that it just looks like crap, I'll just make them some lovely heirloom washcloths. ;)

My joints are getting worse. My hands ache all the time. REALLY need to get my broken butt in gear and change this career path. Constant typing is just not going to work out for the long term. Oh, and I still have this weird rash on my thumbs. It's like, the pigment in my skin is turning brown. In the bright sunlight, you can see that it has some spots that are more pink, and the skin is starting to flake a little. I don't know what it is. But my medical transcriptionist brain goes right to the pathology potentials. It's probably not Alzheimer's disease, but there's always sarcoidosis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Or, as I've joked to my husband, I probably have about enough Native American blood in my veins to fill my thumbs. Maybe that's it.

Our beach vacation is finally on the horizon. I NEED this vacation like nobody could believe. Naturally, I'm taking my work with me because even though I need it, and I can have it, I really can't HAVE it. blah. I have some other projects I need to work on, my little doula bio, my web site, the ADF Seers study program... and several knitting projects.

Speaking of, I'm going to yank the yarn out of the little vest thing I started because I'm just positive there isn't enough yarn. I figure, since even when I look and think, oh yeah, there's plenty, I tend to run out. So, if I look and say, I don't think there's enough, then there is DEFINITELY not enough. But, this yarn will make a really cute tote bag.

Okay, better get moving on the mundane life... library, post office, bank... work, work, work...

Monkey Socks Progress

I 've been working on the Monkey Socks for a bit now. Using Wildfoote sock yarn, in the Purple. Just discovered that the avon bubble bath bottle works pretty good as a blocker in a pinch. I really like the pattern. It's hard to see until you kind of stretch it out a little bit. This is my first shot at a sock with a pattern in it, at least one that came from a graph. I'm rather pleased about it. :)

Not going as quickly as the others so far because:



A. Smaller needles
B. Actual sock yarn
C. I've been working more hours and have had less knitting time (sob)



Well, yesterday, we took a day trip on the train to Seattle. Which meant about 7 hours of knitting time for me on the train. Anyway, so far on the socks. I have finished the repeats and I'm about to do the heel on the first sock (hopefully tonight!) Took me the whole train trip to get that far.

I did spare the family and we went to the Seattle Aquarium, rather than just dragging them on a yarn shop tour. *grin*



I am trying to be disciplined and not buy any more yarn for a while! Okay, until Saturday, but you know, it's the big Spring Fiber Sale! How can I miss it? It will be MONTHS before there is another one. I might run out! (har)


I can always knit when they're sleeping. No one need ever know...


I want to finish up these socks so I can move on to the next fascination, the B4-Bag. My first boughten pattern. I hoard everything free I can find, but this is SOOOO CUTE and looks to be something I could actually DO. It will be my first shot at bobbles... and felting... and including beads in the work... but I SOOO must do it. I have some yarn in my stash that I bought on Ebay a few years ago, from a vendor called Dyeing for Fiber... apparently no longer around (much to my chagrine). The yarn is so beautiful. And I still have some dyed roving in my stash to spin as well. I almost hate to use it, knowing I can't get anymore. *pout* Ah well, on to the next artist.

In other news, there is much fantasizing going on around here about doing some drastic changes to our house, adding on a few rooms, and liberating another to become a mecca of creativity and peace... aka, the craft room. Which means my office will have more space as well, ANNDD... the kids will have their own rooms, which means further, we will have OUR own room. woot! And if we get too discouraged with the crazy making about doing that here, we'll give up, and sell this house and buy one that fits us already. But we have to change our train of thought here somehow, just to get motivated to make some progress one way or another.

The Latest Crafting Storm Damage

I bought this yarn on e-bay

- 100% New Zealand Wool ~ 2ply
~ Sport weight
~ 350 yd. double strand skeins
~ 700 yards total (2X350 yd skeins)

I managed to get it for less than 10 dollars total, including shipping. It came in the mail today, so very, very nice... I also bought a sock kit - to make some purple socks for Charlotte. Very yummy and soft...Then I went crazy and ordered a bunch of yarn and some circular needles so I can try knitting socks on 2 circs.

In my lust for yarn, I started browsing Ebay again, and found myself mesmerized by old knitting pattern books and magazines. Particularly those from the 1920's to early 1950's. So classy...

I am going to now stop splurging, at least for now.. Just wait for my purchases to come in the mail. Except that I have this $25 birthday money just begging me to visit the local yarn shop and see what's there...
Can you ever have more than you need?

In other crafts, I am utterly enamored with this magical stuff and I WILL have to buy her book besides. I want to make little felted magical people and animals.

And OTN: Cable-y socks, halfway done on the second sock, then I'm moving on to the actual sock yarn and smaller needles. I may try the Monkey Socks next. Or just some vanilla socks in purple for Charlotte.