The past month I’ve been knitting like a fiend on a new shawl. Late last night I finally finished it and after a blocking session it was ready to go out in the snow today for a photo session!
The Pattern: Three-Cornered Shawl in Clover Pattern
The Needles: US 5’s
The Yarn: Wollmeise Lace-garn in Baristo
The Verdict: This shawl was a hard one to start as you begin at the outer edge by casting on 624 stitches. That makes for some very long rows at the beginning and a lot of feeling like you’re knitting forever and getting nowhere. About halfway through, though, thanks to the decrease rows you drop down to about 350 stitches across and from there on out it’s smooth sailing! The patterns are intuitive and easily memorized and I really enjoyed knitting this one. It came out huge – blocked it is about 9 feet across at wingspan and 4 feet tall at the mid-point. It will be the perfect shawl to wrap myself up in on cool evenings. And the colors are beautiful – teals and browns and blues. My favorites!
Tomorrow marks 5 years since I started this “blog” thing. I can barely believe that it has been that long, but I have a cute little reminder. My nephew was born on February 1 five years ago. And look at him today:
Wes assured me that this voice changing Storm Trooper helmet would be the bees knees for a certain five-year-old.
Over the past year or two my posting has slowed down. Sometimes I feel like maybe I shouldn’t be blogging any more since most of my posts are related to knitting, and since Ravelry gives me a place to chronicle those. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve completely bored all (any?) of my readers to death.
But then sometimes I look back at old entries and find this really cool journal of my life over the last five years, and then I think that it doesn’t matter exactly when I post or what I post, but just that I do post.
In short, this isn’t an eloquent post but please accept my heartfelt thanks for hanging in there with me. Here’s to another great year!
1. a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.
2. a situation that requires a choice between options that are or seem equally unfavorable or mutually exclusive.
Word Origin & History
1523, from L.L. dilemma, from Gk. dilemma “double proposition,” a technical term in rhetoric, from di- “two” + lemma “premise, anything taken,” from base *lab-. It should be used only of situations where someone is forced to choose between two alternatives, both unfavorable to him.
As I left work today, I absentmindedly put my cell phone in my lap. (A bad habit I know.)
On the way home, I stopped at the post office. When I got out of my car, forgetting that I had a cell phone in my lap, I managed to drop the cell phone in the parking lot. Just under another car.
To clarify, just under another car whose owner had just started the engine.
I think you can see where this is going.
I had about a split second to size up the situation and discover I had three options:
Bang on her window like a crazy person.
Reach under and get my cell phone.
Do nothing.
I tried waving at her to get her attention, but she was preoccupied looking behind her to make sure no cars were coming so she could back out of her space.
I’ve had several posts in mind of late, but this one clearly deserves to be written today.
On Tuesday, January 12 a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti.
On Wednesday, January 13, the Yarn Harlot, knitter and author, posted the Knit Signal asking Knitters all around the world to do what they could to help the people of Haiti by donating to Doctors Without Borders.
On Monday January 18, just 5 days after the Knit Signal went up, Knitters had donated over $234,000 to Doctors Without Borders. The emails and donations are still pouring in.
As of this morning, January 20, my group on Ravelry has raised over $17,500. Another group on Ravelry that I participate in has raised over $35,000.
That is the power of the knitting community and I am unspeakably proud to belong to such a wonderful group of people.
Phew! It’s 44 degrees today and I’m loving it! No it’s not my 60’s and 70’s from days of LA past, but I’ll take it! See, for the last two weeks we’ve been subjected to highs of ZERO and ice and snow and winter of DOOM. Yeah ok, maybe not that bad, but it says something when my dad tells me he’s heard that Kansas City is one of the coldest places in the country, doesn’t it?
With that in mind, I raced to finish some mittens!
The Needles: The pattern calls for US3, but I used US1
The Verdict: I LOVE these mittens! If I make them again, and I will, I will probably make them on US2’s so that they will be a bit larger and have room for a more substantial liner. As they are, I ended up subbing Kid Silk Haze as the liner (yarn was included in the kit – but I had some KSH in the stash!) because the mittens weren’t quite big enough for the intended liner. These took me a few weeks to knit because I dallied a little, but I knit the entire second mitten in 2 afternoons, and then the liners only took me a few more hours. Now my fingers are toasty warm!
And I didn’t knit them. These were knit for me by a wonderful friend who I have never met in person, only online on Ravelry. Thank you Kippi! They will be treasured!
I’ve been reading Sundry for the last several years and each year she does a great year in review survey. So I thought I’d shamelessly steal it from her and let you have a peek into my year. If you choose to do this on your blog, leave me a link so I can see what your answers are!
Wherever you are, I wish you happy, healthy, peaceful and prosperous 2010!
1. What did you do in 2009 that you’d never done before?
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn’t specifically have a list of resolutions last year. But if I had, the top of the list would have been getting a new job, which I did in April! It’s also amazing what getting a real paying job will do for your financial goals! Wes continued to challenge me to get more active and be more fit and I’ve been working out more this year than in previous years.
I’ve been thinking long and hard about my goals for this year.
* Continue to resist my urge to be a couch potato and get up and move!
* Use my money with a purpose. After not having any for the year I was out of work, this year I went a bit crazy with the spending. In 2010 Wes and I hope to buy a house, so I’m trying to avoid spending my pennies on instant gratification purchases and saving them for the bigger ticket items.
* Continue to hone my craft skills. Challenge myself with new projects and techniques!
* Live, laugh and love.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes! My best friend Light had a gorgeous little boy in October. The owner of the LYS had a beautiful little baby girl in October, and another knitting friend gave birth a few days before Christmas.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
This year we lost my great-Uncle Sy. I will always remember him as fun, with a sly grin and a great sense of humor. My last contact with him was a beautiful note he sent me right before my wedding.
5. What countries did you visit?
This wasn’t a big travel year for us. Here’s to looking forward!
6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
The big one is a home of our own. I’d like to be able to BELONG somewhere and to grow a little vegetable garden. To have a craft room, and a place for Wes to collect power tools and for us to build furniture and raise a family.
7. What dates from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
April 20, 2009 – The day I started my new job. Being out of work for almost a year, and working at Macy’s for several months in late 2008 and early 2009 made me appreciate starting a new job that much more!
August 8, 2009 – Our first anniversary!
August 17, 2009 – The day I paid off my credit cards from my year of unemployment!
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Doing what it took to pay the bills until I found a job that I could love.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Finally having a good paycheck again, I went a little crazy in the yarn buying department. This will surprise exactly no one. I want to be more financially purposeful in my 2010 spending!
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
2009 started off with a bang when I got cellulitis and made my inaugural visit to the Emergency Room. May 2010 not be nearly as eventful!
11. What was the best thing you bought?
No one thing stands out in my mind for this year.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
John McCain for his graceful concession to President Obama. Ted Kennedy for his tireless crusade for healthcare.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The list really is too long this year: Tiger Woods, Balloon Boy’s parents, Chris Brown…
14. Where did most of your money go?
Ahem. Four-letter word: Yarn. Oh, and our “House Down Payment” account, and paying off my credit cards (finally!)
15. What did you get really excited about?
I’m excited about starting a new year. And of course, I’d be lying, if I didn’t say that my knitting brings me more excitement and creative joy then I thought possible.
– happier or sadder? Definitely happier. – thinner or fatter? About the same. Hopefully a little thinner in 2010! – richer or poorer? Richer. Having a job will do that to ya!
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spent more time with hubby, outdoors in the good weather, indoors in the bad weather.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spending time worrying about money. It always seems to worry about.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
We spent Christmas snowed in with the in-laws. It was a great weekend.
21. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Every day I fall in love with my husband more and more. I hope this lasts forever.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
This year Wes and I discovered The Big Bang Theory. That’s our don’t miss Monday night ritual now!
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Not that I know of!
24. What was the best book you read?
My reading has really taken a hit since I spend most of my time knitting! I tore through the Harry Potter series this year (I’m late, but I get there eventually!), the Twilight series. I also read, and greatly enjoyed, The Namesake.
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I’m pretty hooked on Glee, as it has renewed my love for a capella. I spent another year listening to Pandora, creating my own radio stations to groove to at work!
26. What did you want and get?
A new job. A wonderful first year of marriage with my husband. Time with family and friends.
27. What did you want and not get?
I consider myself lucky this year to have had a job, food on my table, shelter over my head, and healthy and happy loved ones. I couldn’t ask for more.
28. What was your favorite film of this year?
No one movie stands out in my mind. We just saw Avatar and the special effects were amazing. Inglorious Basterds was the most enjoyable to see in the theater. The Reader for the incredible acting.
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
This year I turned 31. We celebrated with our annual dinner at Piropos!
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Achieving our financial goals.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Pretty much the same as the rest of my years…tragically neither hip nor funky!
32. What kept you sane?
My wonderful husband. Knitting and my amazing group of knitting friends. Laughing!
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
No celebrity crushes to speak of this year!
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
It was the year for healthcare – I finally had decent insurance where I didn’t get turned down for treatment, denied covered and didn’t have to pay a disproportionate part of my income to be able to see doctors when I needed to. I hope the same will be true for everyone one day.
35. Who did you miss?
I miss all my Los Angeles friends (especially Ndef and Bel!) and Light who is on the east coast now!
36. Who was the best new person you met?
This year I met a fabulous group of individuals online – some of whom I will be meeting in 2010 face to face!
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
Even though I will always worry, things usually work out somehow, so the worry isn’t really necessary!
I resisted it until late last week, but then I turned my trusty friend Pandora to the Holiday Music station and grooved to Christmas tunes. In the last few years I’ve tried to highlight what I consider to be great remakes of carols. In some cases these remakes inspire a newfound love for carols I really disliked previously. We’ll just call this:
