Pendulum Swings

I haven't been knitting as much in the last year as I did in the years before. Since dating my honey, my crafting time has decreased. It's not exactly his fault, mind you- mostly it's because I actually get to bed at a reasonable hour now, so I no longer knit every night ::cough between 11pm and 2am::. He knew he was marrying a crafter, and he is pretty darn supportive. I have a craft room, and he'll even watch dancing shows with me on the television while I knit. But I've cut down on the amount of crafting at home, and my commute is just so much shorter than it was a few years ago that overall I have just been... anxious. Missing it. Wishing I could knit more. Regretting that I didn't feel like I had the time to swatch and start new projects, so I just kept going with big long-term ones that wouldn't require the initial start-up concentration, and wouldn't require me being alone to begin them.

So I thought maybe I'd take back a little time for myself. And I have. I cast on for the Hemlock Ring blanket, which is just a breeze to knit, and a total delight on big big needles. I'm using the Eco Wool, and am astonished by how soft the fiber is, and how beautifully it's knitting up. I also spent a lot of time swatching for a little knit top in one of the RYC 4plys (cotton, I think)... and just couldn't get the pattern to work right. So I switched over to swatching for a cotton Dalegarn tunic, in their Svale yarn, which is luckily going much better. I've finished the ribbing and am a good ways into the first pattern repeat. And as splitty as I'm finding the Svale yarn (4 ply cotton again, though at larger gauge), I'm so delighted by the raspberry color that I'm able to forgive it. And my mood? So much better. I'm no longer constantly worried about the wedding. I have had pleasant wedding dreams, instead of nightmares. I am still freaked about costs and details, but generally feeling like we're doing good, and that the world is good, and darn if I'm not happy to be knitting more again. And I've nearly finished the ironing of all the fabric for my next project, which is a bonus- I am probably the slowest iron-er in the world, so I'm glad that my pile is finally decreasing enough that I can actually cut out the patterns!

It's not a perfect world- by focusing more on sewing, and knitting, and spending time on the sofa or upstairs in my craft room, I have let things go around the house. Haven't pulled my weight enough during the week, especially on the nights I have picked going to the gym over cooking a real meal, or when I chose to watch So You Think You Can Dance while casting on over bothering to vacuum or do the laundry. I didn't need to be sitting around watching TV and scrutinizing the Hemlock Ring directions. But in a way? I did need to do that. I need to feel the wool pass through my fingers. I need to try new things, and get out of this project monogamy, in order to feel creatively sated and calmed.

But what I also need to do is learn a little moderation. I need to remember that we share a household, and share the responsibilities. Sometimes I need to knit that one row before I go upstairs and make the bed. But my life is better when I do that one row. I just need to remember to put the knitting down after a bit. It will still be there when the immediate task is complete, and the room is tidied. And then the reward is greater- I can sink back into the sofa without guilt, and my favorite person might even sit down next to me and enjoy the peace and gentle rythym of my clicking needles with me. I never have been good at moderating my pendulum swings. I spend an entire day cleaning the windows, or an entire day watching Battlestar Gallactica on DVD while working on a baby blanket. I go to the gym with great frequency, and run often, or I forget about my need for fitness entirely and go a week without even lifting weights. Finding a middle ground has never been my strong suit- it is appropriate that as a Libra I always seek balance, but have a hard time determining where that balance is. So that's my goal for the near future. I won't let the pendulum swing back to a world where I don't knit enough for my mental well-being. But neither can I ignore the very real domestic world I live in. Knitting more lately gives me the optimism to think doing both is a real possibility, so I'm going to take my enthusiasm and run with it! Conveniently I have an external motivating factor- another parental visit in a few weeks. I'd like to be able to show Mom some movement on the DIY projects for the wedding, as well as showing her that we can maintain a perfectly lovely and (tidy enough) home.

I'm curious to hear from my fellow crafters. How do you maintain balance between your chores and your desires? How do you remind yourself to stop with the one, to pursue the other?

Moving right along

With good friends you can't lose... oh wait, this isn't the Muppets.

It's 1:30 in the morning, and I have no desire to locate my camera. In the backpack? In a random purse? Right here on the table in the living room, which is current covered in random things because I haven't tidied up in a while? Who knows.

All I do know is that the fronts and back of my Cotton Bam Boo Sweater are DONE. And I already cast on for the sleeves.

I also finished the main sewing-up of my muslin for the dress I am attempting to sew. I paused it after last weekend because I couldn't figure out how to sew in the pocket, or the pooch pouch. Once I decided to ignore the pocket completely, it only took a few more hours to seam the whole thing up. Detailed inspection shows that it, unfortunately, does not quite fit. It's pretty close... but I have to do some thinking about how to fix it. I was so excited to finally fit a pattern size without alterations (even a pattern that already has done the Full Bust Adjustment for me). But I'm just a fraction too petite for the regular, and way too narrow in the back and shoulders compared to what the pattern company imagines for someone of my bust and waist. It's loose in the hips, too, but I actually quite like that!

I originally planned to make the muslin with 3/4 length sleeves, to get more practice with fitting them. If I get the main sheath part of the dress to fit, I'm going to just make it sleeveless. The cotton blend is so soft and cool, that even my cheap fakey muslin would be the perfect little summer dress. Again, if I can get it to stop gaping strangely in the bust and back... I have these hopes that installing a zipper will help, but I have definitely sewn enough to know that it isn't the panacea I could dream of.

This should be a very crafty weekend and week ahead. All I have on my calendar during the week are the Kabbalah class (more on that to come), and of course running. This weekend I'm checking out my neighborhood Saturday farmer's market for the first time, having dinner with a neighbor, and seeing BATMAN. Lots of time in between for working on sweater sleeves. The quicker I can finish them, the quicker I can do some steam blocking, sew it up, and do a whole bunch of ribbing for the neck and button bands! This sweater has to be done before the Olympics, so I am quickly running out of time.

Runnin' and Runnin

In my case, I suppose it is more jogging than anything, but I have a really proud moment. First, I haven't missed a run in a bit. The log goes like this:
6/29, 7/2, 7/4, 7/7, 7/10. That's... the way it's supposed to be. I've finished Week 4 of the Couch to 5k, which means I have two more interval run/walks and then the third run coming up is ... 20 minutes of jogging. Straight. I'm so excited!

The second really proud thing is that although I still hate the idea of running, and frankly don't really want to do it, and don't really enjoy it, I've gotten to the point where I don't keep track of how much time is left in the jogging sections as much. I still am pleased and relieved when I can go back to walking, but I just don't hate this as much as I did. And the feeling afterwards is fantastic. I've exercised to reduce stress before, but nothing has worked so well and so quickly as going for these little runs. By the time I'm done with my cool-down walk and ten minutes of ab work, I have completely let go of any anxiety I felt before I walked over to the gym. It's like the calm of yoga, only more invigorating. And a lot sweatier. I wonder if I shouldn't be burning off the pounds faster for all the sweating and bouncing and whatnot that occurs while I'm on that treadmill!

I haven't been running outside these last few weeks- I like to on Sunday morning, when not many people are out on the streets around here. It's a very church-y community. But it's just been too hot for me to be willing to run outside. To make up for this relative laziness, since this part of town is hilly and I'm thus missing the benefit of running on inclines, I do try and set the incline on the treadmill. Not too high, since I really can't handle it, but at least I make the effort.

Besides running, I can't say that I've been knitting much. In part this is because my hands hurt pretty badly from knitting with the Cotton Bam Boo.

I have to finish this sweater up soon though, and this weekend I'm going to work on it very seriously. I should be able to finish the back (again), and hopefully get pretty far into the 3/4 sleeves. This is because the Knitting Olympics are coming up, and I have to knit an entire sweater during the games! If you're a Ravelry user, you can find us in the Ravelympics forum. For the rest of you, I can only say this:
cast on during the opening ceremonies. For me, that's at 8:08:08pm on the East Coast, while I will hopefully be sitting in the National Sculpture Garden listening to jazz. Knit like the wind. And bind off (and weave in ends?) during the closing ceremonies. Pick a project you think is viable, but is a challenge.

For me, I'm knitting my absolute final commissioned knitted item. A simple stockinette sweater, for a former coworker. I hate hate HATE working on commission, but this is exactly the challenge to force me to knit the sweater and give it to her. Especially since I promised I'd get it to her by September- what fortuitous timing!

On a completely unrelated side note, I'm fanatique for So You Think You Can Dance. And how awesome is it that they did Bollywood- and my favorite couple got to do that style! Beautiful, athletic, and just lovely. Thank goodness for DVR.

A show and some knitting content

Last night the boy and I trekked up to Baltimore to see Rilo Kiley, one of my favorite bands. They generally attract quite the hipster crowd. At least, they did when I saw them last in DC and felt I was underdressed. But ah, good homey Baltimore is quite different. I went to school right outside the city, and last night's concert attendees were so familiar to me. Mostly in khaki shorts and polos and sundresses, with just a few hipsters spread throughout who are long-standing fans. Besides observing the dress code, I was entertained that during the show Jenny (the female singer/guitarist/bassist/wonder woman) starting playing a riff from... Everclear I believe. And the crowd was genuinely upset they wouldn't play the whole song! Rilo Kiley, for what it's worth, sounds nothing like Everclear. And they certainly have plenty of their own material. We left before the encores, since somehow the two opening acts became three and it was obscenely late at that point, with a long long drive back to Arlington ahead of us. But we did get to hear "Never" before we left- a song I have always somehow associated with my boy, and one of my favorite songs more generally. He doesn't care for it, though. Repeating the word "never" over and over again could get old, if you don't get into the mood of the song. Maybe.

I know you didn't read this for the concert update- you came for the knitting! I'm trucking along on the cashmere stole; I am just about to start the fourth pattern repeat. As soon as I retrieve it from the car, since I brought it on our little road trip last night. I did finish something else, though.


This sweater has a few issues for me.
First: this is going to be a belly sweater. I realized it pretty quickly, but was WAY too lazy to go back and add another few inches of ribbing. It has a beautiful swing and sway to it, however, with the cotton bamboo yarn, so I think I will just wear this over a tank top or a camisole anyways and be just fine if it swings up and exposes what would otherwise be naked belly and back.
Second: I adore this yarn. I think it's sheen is unmatched, and it has amazing heft while not being too warm. But there is no good way to say it- the yarn hurts like crazy. Knitting with this stuff is killing my wrist, my palm (where I grasp it with my little finger). I can't really change the way I hold the yarn now, since it would destroy my perfect tension. That means I can only knit a few centimeters at a time without wanting to cry. I hope that now I'm doing the fronts it won't be so bad- at least there are fewer stitches to a row. Sheesh.

I have been trying hard not to waste money, but I fell into the allure of using my stimulus money for what it was intended. A third of it went straight towards prescriptions and other useful and necessary stuff, but I also bought a wee bit of yarn and an OttLite. I am so excited to try cross stitching with this amazingly bright light! Here's a review of these latest fun purchases, lickety split.
The OttLite in its new habitat:


And my yarn purchases. This one I bought from someone on Ravelry- it's Vesper, a heavenly sock yarn:


The others are from Sonny and Shear, a great online yarn vendor. First up, Shibui Sock in a luscious deep purple:


Zen Yarn Garden in the color of clouds:


And two neat skeins of Dream in Color Smooshy:



Ah, my love of sock yarn is strong.