I've been having a hard time keeping the faith lately. Things seemed to have been getting more and more difficult with not much end in sight. Work stuff, home stuff, dog stuff, life stuff, being stuck in one spot on pretty much every project I'm working on, including the non-craft ones..... it drags me under the surface sometimes. I felt myself starting to avoid people, mentally cancelling plans I've already made with friends, sleeping all the time or not at all-- all the warning signs of a bout of depression setting in, the kind where I become a melancholy recluse and no one hears from me for a month.
Moments like that I start to wonder how it's so damn easy for everyone else.
...but a friend's situation and a conversation with my mom reminded me that there are problems bigger than my own and no one really has it figured out as much as I think they do.
It's funny how a little thing like that may have just pulled me back from the edge.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Oh my god, she did what?
As one might expect, there's not a lot of info online about felting cashmere, because how often does one really do it? Heck, I was expecting the gods of fiber, or atleast my local yarn store, to strike me down when I stuck it in the washer and set the dial.
As it turns out, cashmere doesn't felt quite the same as other fibers. In fact, it turns more fuzzy than felt-y. After two go-rounds in the washer, it seems to have felted enough to hold a shape when I cut it, but I can still see a bit of stitch definition when I stretch it slightly. I think I may throw it in the washer again, but save a scrap as a sample of the two-cycle felt.
The plan? I'm starting with a simple snap-closure cuff with some needle-felted details (and maybe button embellishments!) and then we'll see where it goes.
...though it might go nowhere if I can't figure out how to make these stupid snaps fit in properly. Dammit.
Atleast I found the right wig for my Halloween costume, along with this tutorial for a tutu. Let's just say I'm going to be totally outrageous.
As it turns out, cashmere doesn't felt quite the same as other fibers. In fact, it turns more fuzzy than felt-y. After two go-rounds in the washer, it seems to have felted enough to hold a shape when I cut it, but I can still see a bit of stitch definition when I stretch it slightly. I think I may throw it in the washer again, but save a scrap as a sample of the two-cycle felt.
The plan? I'm starting with a simple snap-closure cuff with some needle-felted details (and maybe button embellishments!) and then we'll see where it goes.
...though it might go nowhere if I can't figure out how to make these stupid snaps fit in properly. Dammit.
Atleast I found the right wig for my Halloween costume, along with this tutorial for a tutu. Let's just say I'm going to be totally outrageous.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Hey, gotta keep trying. Gotta keep holding on to whatchagot (which sure ain't a lot)
Why does it seem like when you want things to stay the same, they up and change on you, but when a little change might be nice, you start living life like it's Groundhog Day?
Life has been in a sort of doldrums. To the point where even working up the energy to think about anything (like working on one of the 2493762 UFOs I have) more work than it's worth. In the last two weeks, I have finished a sock. That's it, just one sock. The same Uzume sock I'd been working on for over a month. While I should herald that as progress, I can't seem to get myself started on the other one and, really, what the hell good is just on sock?
Consequently, I've been avoiding ravelry for a week or two as well, and skimming through all of the fabulous knitting blogs I read. I'm terribly happy for all the folks who went to Rhinebeck and enjoyed the hell out of themselves, but reading too much about it might just make me stab myself in the eye.
(See how morose I've become? It's just pitiful.)
But when I woke up this morning on my day off, the rain and clouds had blown away to reveal a beautiful, rather balmy fall day. It seems like a sign that today is the day to kick myself out of my funk.
I started by just thinking about good things, like the spinning wheel I'm saving up for, and whether I should take some of that spinning wheel money and put it towards a spinning class. It would set me back a month or two from buying one, but then again I'd have a better idea of how to use it then. As far as problems go, it's a pretty good one to have.
Now, it's time to shower and get some stuff done.
The to do list for today:
-felt a sweater Gus got ahold of last night*
-Work out some Halloween costume details
-make trips to the following places:
-make soup
-dye my hair
-return the batteries I bought and get the right ones
-take mucho pictures of all WIPs, FOs, and whatever the heck else
*And of course, it just had to be my favorite cardigan that he chewed holes through. My oh-so-wonderful purple 100% cashmere cardigan that I found at Goodwill for $8.00. I atleast have to give it to him-- Gus has got good taste.
Life has been in a sort of doldrums. To the point where even working up the energy to think about anything (like working on one of the 2493762 UFOs I have) more work than it's worth. In the last two weeks, I have finished a sock. That's it, just one sock. The same Uzume sock I'd been working on for over a month. While I should herald that as progress, I can't seem to get myself started on the other one and, really, what the hell good is just on sock?
Consequently, I've been avoiding ravelry for a week or two as well, and skimming through all of the fabulous knitting blogs I read. I'm terribly happy for all the folks who went to Rhinebeck and enjoyed the hell out of themselves, but reading too much about it might just make me stab myself in the eye.
(See how morose I've become? It's just pitiful.)
But when I woke up this morning on my day off, the rain and clouds had blown away to reveal a beautiful, rather balmy fall day. It seems like a sign that today is the day to kick myself out of my funk.
I started by just thinking about good things, like the spinning wheel I'm saving up for, and whether I should take some of that spinning wheel money and put it towards a spinning class. It would set me back a month or two from buying one, but then again I'd have a better idea of how to use it then. As far as problems go, it's a pretty good one to have.
Now, it's time to shower and get some stuff done.
The to do list for today:
-felt a sweater Gus got ahold of last night*
-Work out some Halloween costume details
-make trips to the following places:
- craft store
- hardware store
- Goodwill
- possibly Old Navy
-make soup
-dye my hair
-return the batteries I bought and get the right ones
-take mucho pictures of all WIPs, FOs, and whatever the heck else
*And of course, it just had to be my favorite cardigan that he chewed holes through. My oh-so-wonderful purple 100% cashmere cardigan that I found at Goodwill for $8.00. I atleast have to give it to him-- Gus has got good taste.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
This is a transitioning week, and it's not going well.
Now that Eric's working graveyard shifts for turnaround, I pretty much haven't seen him since Sunday. Sure, I've managed to wake up just long enough to have a brief, incoherent conversation with him when he comes home around 5:30, and I make sure to kiss him on the cheek when I leave for work a few hours later, but that's about it.
It's really wierd to be living in the same house but opposite hours as someone. Kind of feels like he's out of town, and the two hours we spend sleeping in the same bed aren't real. I can't even imagine what it's like for people who's schedules are always like this, as six weeks is going to be more than enough for me.
Gus seems to be having the hardest time adjusting. He's started howling when I leave the house again. Apparently he's been howling loudly enough to make one of my neighbors think he's being beaten or something. It breaks my heart, but I can't take him to work with me, yanno? Now I'm scared to ever leave him alone, out of fear my neighbors will look at me like the next Micheal Vick.
On the bright side, atleast I'll have lots of knitting time while I'm cooped up in my house with just my nuerotic dog for company.
Now that Eric's working graveyard shifts for turnaround, I pretty much haven't seen him since Sunday. Sure, I've managed to wake up just long enough to have a brief, incoherent conversation with him when he comes home around 5:30, and I make sure to kiss him on the cheek when I leave for work a few hours later, but that's about it.
It's really wierd to be living in the same house but opposite hours as someone. Kind of feels like he's out of town, and the two hours we spend sleeping in the same bed aren't real. I can't even imagine what it's like for people who's schedules are always like this, as six weeks is going to be more than enough for me.
Gus seems to be having the hardest time adjusting. He's started howling when I leave the house again. Apparently he's been howling loudly enough to make one of my neighbors think he's being beaten or something. It breaks my heart, but I can't take him to work with me, yanno? Now I'm scared to ever leave him alone, out of fear my neighbors will look at me like the next Micheal Vick.
On the bright side, atleast I'll have lots of knitting time while I'm cooped up in my house with just my nuerotic dog for company.
Monday, October 01, 2007
And so my first KALs begin!
Tonight I will be putting aside the cardigan and starting my Pirate Mittens, with a little time out for sock knitting. Time to actually hunker down and rip out that sad looking toe shaping on the Uzume sock!
For some reason, it seems that much more exciting to be knitting something knowing others are doing kind of the same thing.
Tonight I will be putting aside the cardigan and starting my Pirate Mittens, with a little time out for sock knitting. Time to actually hunker down and rip out that sad looking toe shaping on the Uzume sock!
For some reason, it seems that much more exciting to be knitting something knowing others are doing kind of the same thing.
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