a little yarny goodness

Ahhh, I finally got a bit of an urge to play with yarn again and pulled out my bag of WIPs last weekend.

Since I moved at the end of July, I've worked on a crochet bag (Ravelry link) a bit. This is what it looks like right now:

Yeah, I'm not impressed either.

There are also a pair of cotton socks in the WIP bag... that look exactly the same as they did when I posted about them last April. heh

The last thing on the needles is a blanket. I started the Moderne Log Cabin Blanket (Ravelry link) last April. Yeah, almost a full year ago and I was still maybe 2/3 of the way through the first block. lol That's what I've actually been working on a little this week. Now? It's about 16" x 20" and looks like this:

It's not massive yet, but it is garter stitch and done on a US6 so really, there's more knitting there than it seems. =) I'm liking the color combo though.

Weather's been crazy here, vacillating between snow, 70s, hail and torrential downpours (that we're having right now), but we have had some sunshine and critters are happy about that:

actual craftiness

Now that my craft room is more crafty and less storage, I actually felt inspired to sew a bit. Simple, but greatly appreciated by the recipients. =)

I had some flannel scraps:

That worked up into nice-sized pillows stuffed with fiberfill and catnip:

 

Which were well-received:

Big enough to be grabbed and kicked to their hearts' content. =)

back out of hibernation

Wow, so much has changed since I last posted to the blog. The biggest news? I finally moved back to Washington! I'm back in the Spokane area for now, though it's definitely not going to stick. I'm looking to move a bit farther west in the coming year. Last week, I was chatting with a friend in CA, each of us talking about our future plans and she called me a rolling stone. haha She's right. I don't really put down roots and settle in for the long-term. I'm always looking for what else is out there, what I'm missing. I do have a plan that will play into my gypsy urges. More on that later.

Since my move at the end of July, I've been super busy. I took a second full-time job not long after getting out here and switched to working remote only for my main job (yay, no more last minute trips across the country!) so I was working both jobs in my pjs at home. =) It was great for the bank account, but working 80-100 hrs a week doesn't leave much time for socializing (or crafting). Yeah, think zero. Last month, I finally got completely burned out and quit the second job. I'm SO much happier now. My remaining job has down time every Spring (they both would have, same job/different companies) and this week has been light on work... a welcome change from the past several months! I've been working on seriously decluttering and have been making at least weekly trips to Goodwill (donating, not shopping!) the past couple months and even sold a good amount of yarn last month! The mobile home I bought here (a huge mistake!) is a few hundred square feet larger than the one I had before moving to the Midwest and I could have made things fit with just a little decluttering... but I'm so glad I didn't. My home feels so much... lighter. I smile every time I open a cabinet that's half empty or walk into my newly-organized craft room. That room's been my focus the past few days that I've had off work. I still have a ways to go to get to where I want to be, but the large bulk of it's done and I can now take things slower... and maybe even pick up my knitting/crochet again! I actually started another blog about a month and a half ago and am posting daily what's leaving my house. It keeps me motivated to find at least one thing each day to get rid of. Some days it's a pile or a whole box full, other days just the one item. =)

I do have sad news as well. Feel free to skip this next part. It doesn't have a happy ending.

Two weeks before our drive across the country, my 14yo cat Sebastian was diagnosed with hypertension and put on meds. He'd responded well, but two weeks after the move, he started hemorrhaging into one eye. I didn't even have a vet here yet and of course, it was a Sunday. We headed to the emergency vet. The next morning, we saw an ophthalmologist and then headed to what has become my regular vet here where he ended up having surgery for what the vet guessed was a large collection of cerumen from the ear canal where there was no opening. They were amazed he'd never had a problem before now. He seemed to come through surgery well, but developed complications that evening. Unfortunately, the emergency vet nor my vet could fix what happened and I had to make the decision to let him go. I've doubted myself several times on whether I should have let them do that surgery when they did. Maybe if we'd waited? I wish I'd spent the evening near him rather than letting him sleep on the bed in the other room. Maybe I would have caught the problem sooner? Sebastian had congenital issues (that missing ear) and apparently had something else going on we didn't know about. I'm just so glad to have found this vet clinic. They are the most wonderful, caring group of people and the best clinic I've ever been to. It's so hard to lose a pet when you're not expecting it, but they made it just a little easier.

Unfortunately, the pet-related stress didn't end there. Two weeks after Sebastian passed, I had to make the same decision for my 14yo lab mix, Mugsy. He'd been gradually slowing down the past year or so but at 14, neither I, nor my vet in IN, thought too much of it. Blood work came back fine. He was just getting older. 14 is pretty good for a dog his size. A couple days before that fateful day, Mugsy started losing control of bodily functions and just had no energy at all. A trip to the vet and tests done, he had an issue with his kidneys. Meds and an IV didn't perk him up like they expected so an x-ray was done the following day. He had a growth on his heart causing fluid build-up. Apparently this type of growth is fairly common in labs. I knew I probably didn't have much time left with him at his age, but I wasn't expecting to lose him just two weeks to the day after Sebastian, though when I thought about it, it didn't really surprise me that they went so close together as they were always so close.

Really, I think Mugsy just held on long enough for us all to get out of a very stressful situation. It was almost like he knew I was in a better place and could let go. If there was anything I could have done, I wouldn't have cared what the cost was for either of them. I know in both cases, I made the right decision for them. It doesn't make it easier though. I just pray it's many, many years before I'm in that situation again. 

Sorry for being such a downer. I think that first month here clinched it for me. Aside from the fact that this mobile home has turned out to be a money pit, I have no desire to stay in Spokane. I think even this crappy house was part of a bigger plan. If I had gotten a place I ended up loving or even one I could grow to love, I'd have a much harder time moving on and I really don't believe this is where I belong. As it is, I can't wait to be rid of this place. I'm biding my time for Spring to come and in the meantime, I'm lightening my load to expand my options. I am glad I moved though. I don't think I could have dealt with all that stress and my mother too. Switching to remote work meant I was here for both of them too so they didn't suffer longer than necessary. All that working means my savings is healthy once again even with the unexpected house and vet bills...  though I have to say, I'll never again choose to work two full-time jobs!

Now that my house is less cluttered and I'm not working all the freaking time, I'm actually getting the urge to play with yarn again. And sew. And bake. And maybe even take my good camera out of the bag it's been in since I moved. Yeah, since I moved. Anyone who knows me knows how unusual that is. I've been using my little point-and-shoot for snapshots here and there, but the good one? Hibernating in it's bag. I'm just glad 2011 is over. I can't wait to see what's around the next corner. It's gotta be better... I know this blog's mostly been about crafty stuff and cooking/baking, but sometimes, life throws you a curve ball or tow and gets in the way.

who me?

So... I started this bag ages (a month and a half!) ago and made some progress. I'd planned to finish it before the fiberfest, but didn't make it in time and lost my motivation so it sat, and sat, and sat... waiting for me to finish the last bits. I haven't been playing with yarn at all lately and was trying to figure out how to get back on the horse (or owl), debating starting a small, quick project to get the yarny juices flowing again when I decided yesterday to just pull something out I already had going and finish it.

I know! I was shocked too!

He seemed a little angry that I'd taken my own sweet time in finishing him.

But owls are apparently a forgiving lot and it wasn't long before he was happily mugging for the camera.

What a ham.

(Ravelry project link for details)

I do think I need to look into some ergonomic crochet hooks. Maybe it's the way I hold my hook - I do tend to have a death grip - or maybe it's the cotton that did it, but I get this not-so-pleasant pain at the base of my right thumb after a little while. Any suggestions?

Now, if I can just finish those socks...

(I'm not delusional enough to think the blanket will be done anytime soon.)

rollin' right along

The dice are loving me. I've rolled for six books for the summer reading program at my library and gotten THREE books on CD so far. Makes up for my slightly late start, though now I'm way ahead of the game.  Today, I had to choose a romance on CD. The one I'd seen a few days ago while looking for a humor CD has been checked out in the meantime and not finding something else that looked all that interesting, I chose something fairly short at only 5 hrs (The Rocky Road to Romance). Who knows, maybe it'll be great! Then I headed upstairs to choose a humorous non-fiction book. I pulled half a dozen books off the shelf for this choice, read the first few pages, then picked one that looked promising (Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog). Dogs are easier to train, after all... heh

After that first book on CD and being stuck in my bedroom where my computer is (the only option for playing a CD other than sitting in my car), now I'm importing them into iTunes and listening on my iPad. =) While listening to Charmed Thirds, I kept thinking the reader's voice sounded familiar. I finally pulled the case back out and discovered the reader was an actress from a tv show I watched as a kid in the 80s. How funny.

a roll of the dice

My local library is hosting an adult summer reading program. Patrons roll a pair of colored dice - one die determines the type of book (fiction, non-fiction, book on tape/cd) and the second determines the genre (fantasy, suspense, comedy, western, romance, reader's choice). My first roll, I got non-fiction/suspense. They decided crime worked into that category since only 4 books came up in the catalog with the original parameters. I chose Transcending (link below).

Though I'm not loving their choice of genres, it will be a great way to get people reading books outside of their norm and it's been fun trying to find a book I'm interested in reading that falls within the set parameters when the specified genre isn't one I'd normally choose on my own. I know I've chosen three books so far that I probably wouldn't have read otherwise. My rolls have produced two books and a book on tape/CD so far. One down, two in progress, seven to go... by July 29th.

get your fiber today!

I got mine yesterday... but I left some for everyone else. I'm nice like that. The Hoosier Hills Fiberarts Festival in Franklin, IN, is always good for at least a couple hours of woolly fun. It seems a bit smaller than last year, but there were still lots of great booths to browse through. I did miss the couple with the great deals on bamboo needles this year though. =( I'd planned to fill in a couple gaps in my supplies. And I'm so glad I went Friday instead of Saturday! It's blazing hot today and would have made for miserable wool shopping. And yes, stash be damned, I did shop for wool! lol I planned ahead though to keep within my budget, stopping at the bank for cash and left the plastic in the car so I had to be sure I really wanted something before buying. What did I want?

This:

(alpaca)

and this:

(handspun)

and this:

(handspun)

Did I need it? Nope. But man is it pretty!

There's always a booth outside with at least a few adorable lambs. This year did not disappoint.

They even had a couple of angora goat kids. SO much cuteness in one little pen! And they're so friendly, I could sit there all day scratching little lamb heads. =) One of the ladies at this booth spun the red and purple yarns above. I think this is my favorite booth every year.

One little critter did sneak into the car with me.

Isn't he adorable?! I thought briefly about purchasing the fiber and supplies to make my own... then I added it up and realized I'd be better off buying this little guy instead. =) 

There was also a booth, Bur Oak Studio, selling aluminum knitting needles repurposed into jewelry. She had some nice pieces and at very good prices (much less than I've seen similar items on etsy). Unfortunately, I spotted a very cool set of earrings just as someone else picked them up to purchase them. Ah, well. Wasn't meant to be. They went to a good home though - the lady wore them away from the booth! =)

This morning, I hit the farmer's market. Not much produce to be had just yet, but there were a few booths with some crafty wares. I sense a sheepy theme to this weekend... heh