And Done.

The cowl, a hat and the week. The hat may get a do over, but the rest went pretty well.

I Cast On

True, it's from stash (so I'm using up, not consuming more, that's good, right? right?. . .) Also true, it is the one skein knit along that my guild participates in each month (that makes it social, community building knitting. . .) And yes, it will probably be a Christmas gift for my aunt (to add to my ever growing stash of gifts already ready for the holidays of 2013 which is impressing the heck out of me and makes me feel so darn organized. . .)



But when I add this beauty to the UFO list that went from thirteen to eleven yesterday along with the crochet project I had forgotten to add initially, I'm suddenly back to thirteen again. Boo.

Even Toshi is Tired

Why is it that the last day of vacation seems to be the busiest? I know I lost a couple of days due to a stomach bug, but come on!

As I head back to work tomorrow, I'll be missing the lazy days on the couch and my list of personal to do items. I've got a huge list waiting for me at school that I'd like to complete before I leave on Friday. We'll see if I can make it disappear.

Today didn't seem all that hectic, since I was at home for most of the day. But my day was filled with heaps of laundry, cleaning up loose ends, finishing a few more UFOs, and some pampering. I left the house for the pampering, and a one hour turned into an hour and a half. . .and I was later than expected on my way home for my knitting class. From the looks of Toshi tonight, you'd think she spent the day running circles around me, or had a rough time guarding the house. Alas, she was napping most of the day. I'll be thinking of her tomorrow when my students and I will be wishing for her list:
sleep on the bed
bark out the front window
sleep by the front door
sleep by the back door
bark and run upstairs

I think I could take a few more days of a life like that, you?

I shared what I think is an interesting tip with one of my knitting students tonight. She's working on her first shaped garment, and it has a lace panel right where she's binding off and decreasing for the front. When I'm working a particularly challenging pattern that has me stumped, I graph it. Using knitters graph paper (honestly any graph paper will do) I graph the section that I'll be working and binding off. Then as I read through the directions line by line, I highlight the stitches I'm binding off. A quick check across the row to ensure I have matching increases and decreases helps me keep my stitch counts on target and lets me adjust on paper before I begin knitting. If you try this, remember, when you highlight a stitch you've bound off, don't forget to highlight it in the remaining rows, and work from the stitches that are left when you continue your bindoffs for your neck, for instance.

Off to sleep, the alarm rings early tomorrow, and I wouldn't want to disturb poor Toshi, she's whipped.

Health, Education, Plan

It's the end of New Year's Day, and I can't seem to not be surprised at how the time seems to slip through my fingers. Can it really be that the passing of hours from one year to the next really doesn't mean anything?

The year 2012 brought me less Joy, Self, and Completion than I'd hoped. It brought loss and service to others and a bit of scattered startitis. Not that I'm complaining. Overall, I'm pleased with much of what I experienced last year. I do miss a good friend who passed away this fall, and wish I'd completed more of what I'd hoped to.

Regardless of your thoughts on resolutions and change in the new year, I hope that 2013 brings you and yours all that you hope for and more.

In keeping with last year's post, I'm picking three new words for my year.

Health. Education. Plan.

My mental health, physical health and spiritual health have all been a bit neglected recently. Not that I'm in ruins, but it hasn't been a priority for me. Putting health forward in my thoughts may help me to plan more healthy meals like I made for dinner tonight--Hoppin' John Bowl with Red Hot Tahini from theppk.com




It may also help me to better prepare for the half marathon I intend to complete again this October.

As a teacher, education is always present. . .but often for others. I have a student teacher beginning her work with me soon, and I'd like to be sure that I take advantage of her time in my classroom to learn too. Also, there is much I'd like to learn about in many areas of my life. Maybe even share some of that here in my much neglected space on the web.

I'm contemplating a Julie and Julia-esque look at one of my favorite knitting books about mittens. That could come to play in this too, but will take some dedicated time and planning.

Oh yeah. . .that one.

My time seems to be running through my fingers lately. I want to make the most of the time I've got free from responsibilities and do the things I really want to devote my time to. I've been finishing up UFOs, and have already packaged and wrapped some things for next Christmas. It feels good. I'm enjoying this small burst of productivity. I desperately want to cast on for a new project, but I'm holding firm for awhile yet. My thirteen UFOs still hold some appeal for me, and I'd like to have a thoughtful progression into my next project. A plan. A plan for my knitting. Honestly, my finances too. . .and my exercise and eating and instruction and . . .well, I think you get the idea.

Here's a shot of my first finished item from 2013--the one that brought my UFOs closer to being single digits. A Tomten sweater knitted with scraps of icelandic wool from a friend.




So. How about you? Resolutions? Plans? What are your hopes for 2013? I'd love to compare notes.

Mitten Month

“ ‘Would you tell me please which way I ought to walk from here?’ ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.  ‘I don’t much care where—‘ said Alice.  ‘Then it doesn’t much matter which way to walk,’ said the Cat.” From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

I found myself extremely focused this weekend.  On to the finish line with many-a-project, I was.  My sweater is done and ready for steam blocking prior to wearing.   (Toshi loves it. . .or maybe she just wanted dinner?)

Joanie’s vest is as done as it’s going to be until she decides for sure on whether she wants a zipper or clasps as closures.   

I have two Little Coffee Bean sweaters awaiting new born children to warm,

and a cute bracelet from a kit I purchased last spring.

I frogged my Acorns sweater that I began last June, deciding my lack of serious progress on it meant it wasn’t going to be a joy to work on for me, and made good progress on a vest I’m knitting for a friend.  I have been FOCUSED.  And honestly?  I feel pretty darn good about it.

My juniors and seniors would say I was using Habit 2, Begin with the End in Mind, from Sean Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly EffectiveTeens.  (Guess what we’re reading in class right now?)  I have a goal.  Today begins October, and while the weather is somewhat fickle this time of year in these parts. . .cold weather is coming.  For my friends and family, this means mitten weather.  I’ve designated this October as “Mitten Month”.  Want to play along?

I’ve been so caught up in the excitement of other things that I’ve neglected some of the things I love.  I have a couple of new stitch dictionaries and technical knitting books that I’ve perused, but haven’t really put to good use.  I haven’t written up any new designs lately, and I’ve been feeling bad about it.  I’ve gotten bogged down by larger projects that I’ve neglected to finish.  To say my chi has been blocked might just about cover it.

How does this all connect to Mitten Month?  I can hear you asking. . .I’m committed to doing some design work this month, committed to completion, committed to getting some gifts in my gift basket ready for the holidays which are only eighty-some days away.  

Four Weeks + Four Designs = Eight Warm Hands

That’s it.  I’m going to knit four pair of mittens this month; designs that have been banging around in my head for a while will finally find their way out.  And just to keep my focused my intent is to write up the patterns and have them submitted or self-published by Thanksgiving.

I’m sure you’ve seen some cute mitten patterns along the way, check out your Ravelry queue, they might have made it there.  Or look through your library, I’m sure you’ll find a pair of fingerless mitts or two you’d like to cast on.  Or do a pattern search for a pair that gets you excited.  Pick a pair, knit along.  Just knit one pair.  For you, for someone you love, to donate to someone who doesn’t have a warm place to put their hands. 

No real rules, just knit mittens.  You know you want to. . .Mitten Month.  Everyone's doing it.

Falling

If September 22 and the Autumnal Equinox isn’t enough to let folks know that fall is here, I had to put on wool socks yesterday.  That makes it official.  That plus the fall knitting.

I realized a few weeks ago that while my summer was productive, it didn’t contain a lot of knitting projects.  I cleaned my crafting room and found SIX sweaters in progress.  Two of these are vests that just need a front, a couple are sweaters waiting for a sleeve or two, and one is a hope of a sweater that I’ve only knit a few inches on.  (That one may end up in the frog pond soon, I’m not sure I love the pattern enough to keep going and the yarn is too nice to spend knitting something I don’t love.)  One is a KAL that I was talked into, and the pattern is a hot mess.  I’ve been frustrated with it from about the fourth row, but I still kept knitting.  It’s only about a 150 yards from completion, but it’s annoying me.  Another one of the UFO sweaters has been a UFO for over two years. . .what is wrong with me?  I really love it, and want to wear it soon, why am I not finishing it?

So I made a plan.  I was going to knock out some UFOs.  And then I was shown this.  How cute is that little sweater?  Two coworkers are expecting, surely I could knit a wee sweater for them, right?  They sit in a bag now, one awaiting sleeves, the other needing some ends woven in and buttons to call them gifts instead of UFOs.

And then I received Wool Gathering in the mail. . .a vest on large needles using unspun Icelandic yarn would knit up fast, right?  I cast on almost immediately.  It only needs some icord to call it done.

This weekend I spent some time working on the UFOs and hope to have some FOs to show soon.  After all, if wool sock weather is here, sweater weather isn’t far behind, right?

My school district is progressive, and we have the day off of school to celebrate Yom Kippur on Wednesday.  I may be atoning by completing a few of these pesky little projects so that I can get excited about new projects without guilt in the coming weeks.  I need to fall in line (get the pun?  I crack myself up. . .) and become serious about finishing up some of these loose ends soon!

Also ahead for me this week is the American SewingExpo.  You know those friends who you can talk into just about any challenge?  I have a friend like that, and she’s jumped blindly into a lot of fun things with me,  has felt pushed and stretched a few times, but is always up for the fun.  Last August she challenged me to stretch myself and sign up for a CraftWars like sewing contest.  Never thinking I’d be selected, I said, “Sure!” and submitted the form without thinking much about it.  Guess who was picked?  If you’re near Novi on Saturday morning stop on by the Expo center and cheer me on. . .I’ll be turbo crafting for prizes, hope to see you there! 

Summer Crafternoons

A few summers ago I realized that if I didn't have structure to my summer vacation, I'd feel like the time was just slipping away. Fall would arrive and I'd pout because I didn't have much to write for my "What I Did on my Summer Vacation" essay in my head.

Last summer, I had strict schedules. Monday:chores. Tuesday:chiro appt, massage, social knitting. Wednesday:dinner and knitting with friends. Thursday:kayaking. Friday:date night.
Plus I had a trip to Portland and Sock Summit, Michfest, and the Allegan Fiber Festival thrown in for good measure.
It worked. At the end of the summer I felt like I'd done a lot, but that I'd been running all summer.

This year I took a few things off my plate and decided I wanted to spend more time sewing and knitting. I thought Tuesday would be the perfect day for sewing and crafting. I planned to keep the kayaking and dinner and knitting, but just switch up the days a bit. But you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men?

I woke up somewhere around the fourth of July and suddenly realized that my summer was almost over and that I hadn't done much of anything. Sure, there was some knitting happening. I'd sewn a dress and had cut out some knitting bags to sew too, but nothing was getting done. I had no finished piles, only to do lists.

Suddenly everyday was Crafternoon. I've been working on a pair of socks for a friend, (I can't show too much in case she's reading, but will try to post some photos from camp)




a vest for another friend, sewn up about a dozen bags for camp,




purged some old projects in my sewing room, I've spun a couple of pounds of fiber into yarn,








completed swatches




and mending and planned out Christmas projects for my family...things are getting done. And just in time too. I leave for Knit Camp this week. When I get home, I have a few days to prep for the Wine and Wool Festival, then I head to Michfest, and get ready to go back to school. But what I've realized is that there is plenty of time to do the things I love. I just need to make them a priority. Napping and lounging the VERY cool basement after summer school is great, but doesn't make me feel good about using my time to the fullest.

Accomplishing things and trying out new techniques does, as does using up the beautiful fiber and fabric stash that I've accumulated over the years.

Here's one of the mending projects I enjoyed recently. It might be a fun up-cycle project for you to try before the summer fades away...




A friend had some shorts that didn't fit any longer, but that she didn't want to part with. You know how sometimes there are memories in clothing? She'd worn these shorts while hiking the Appalachia trails, working at a camp she loves...they were part of her history that she didn't want to let go of yet.

We secured the side pockets with a quick basting stitch, cut the seam out of the sides of the shorts and did some measuring. The width remaining in the shorts was about nine inches smaller than her waist circumference. We were adding two gussets, so each piece needed to finish at 4.5". We added seam allowance, made the hem edge slightly wider and cut a trapezoid shape that was the finished length of the shorts plus a few inches for waistband and hem. We then fused some stabilizing interfacing at the waist, sewed a hem and a facing for the waistband and stitched it in. Now she has some cute "new" shorts, all for far less expense than a new wardrobe, and they're already broken in!








Here's to sucking the life out of summer...in whatever way you choose.