Pyrite & Shawls

I thought it was time to update on what's been going on in life. Last time I posted (August) I was going through a rough time but getting by with a lil help of my friends (sorry if you have that song stuck in your head now). Things are getting better though; I got back together with Steven (again) and hopefully this time it'll stick. We're working hard to make this long distance thing work. I'm on some new meds which seem to help my day to day functions. Work is going really well; we'll be fully staffed soon! I adopted a kitty, Pyrite, from the Humane Society who's adorable and super soft.

Bubba & Pyrite Cuddle Time

I finally finished (August) and took pictures (October) and uploaded pictures (December) of the test knit Bellatrix shawl. Here's a couple of the good ones:

Jen and I went up to Door County for my birthday weekend. We discovered an amazing yarn store -- Spin of Door County -- where we fondled lots of amazing yarn and discovered a bunch of great patterns. It's the best yarn store in 50 miles I'm pretty sure. While we hiked some bluffs near the top of the peninsula, I took some pictures of the shawl. It turned out well and is currently decorating my office. I think I'm going to take a break from test knitting for a while since I completed this nearly a year after the designer wanted. :/ 

Other things I'm working on: a shawl for Steven's grandmother (hopefully completed by Christmas), socks for his mom (so not going to be completed by Christmas); the Squall Line Shawl; my earth stole; Kyle's socks; and my sweater. I'll post pictures soon.

That's about all I can muster for now. I'll try to post more regularly in the vain hope it helps my knitting mojo. I really need to find a knitting group...or start one. Happy Holidays everyone!

Socks, Blankets, and Kittens!

Haven't posted in a while (again). Had another bout of depression (again). Lost my mojo (again). But things are looking up (again). This last year has been extremely difficult. Between moving, starting a new job, the one-year of my dad's death, breaking up, getting back together, then breaking up again with Steven, and just all the other stuff life throws at you it's no wonder I've been all over the place. But let me focus on the good things: I spent a lot of time cuddling with my cute furball, Bubba. I went to see my friend Megan and managed to give her completed (!) socks!

After spending some time with Megan, her bf Burrito (my nickname for him) and her friend Apryl, I went further up north to visit my brother, his fiance and their son, Wyatt. I met a lot of cute kitties and reminisced about my parents while going through boxes of stuff. It was a short trip, but it was nice to see the lake and to catch up with one of my favorite library ladies, Elizabeth, from Northland as well.

I also went to State Fair and ate way too much greasy food. It was a blast and I definitely got my steps in that day (I was sore for about two days after). Then I wandered down to southern Wisconsin and visited some college friends who I haven't seen in a while. I met their critters, walked along the beach, ate delicious German food, drank hard root beer (amazing!), performed/received tarot readings, and had deep conversations about life with my old roomie Brad. <3 It was just what I needed. I saw my ex, Steven, on my way back home and we had a great conversation about life and love. I feel like I'm in a better place now to reinvent my life. I've felt so lost since my dad's one year death anniversary. And I was handling the grief reasonably well in Iowa, but then the move happened and when his one-year death anniversary came up I just kind of lost my ambition. I'm on some new meds now which should help me focus and take on the day. I feel this renewed energy to live life, not just exist. My parents are dead (lots of people lost their parents younger than I was, so I'm grateful for the 24/27 years I had with them), but that doesn't mean I should stop living my life. I need to move on and learn to live without them. It's hard, no doubt, but they wouldn't want me grieving so long and hard for them. They'd want me to move on, fall in love, explore, travel, and create memories of my own. So that's what I plan to do.

I've noticed the new meds are helping me focus on things I enjoy but gave up. Before, I'd get so overwhelmed because I couldn't focus on anything for any amount of time so I'd just do nothing. I stopped knitting, reading, writing, walking, and even watching shows I enjoyed because I couldn't focus. It was bad. Now I can focus longer so I feel that drive coming back. I want to read, knit, and walk more. I'm not 100% yet, but things are improving. And I can tell they're improving because this past weekend I finally finished that test knit shawl from last year! Well, technically it's not finished finished because I still have to block it, but it's off the needles! It was the first time I'd knit in a while and the first time I'd completed something in a long while. I think Bubba missed me knitting too:

I also finished an afghan after trying to figure out how to widen it. I tried picking up stitches off the side, but it didn't really work. So I single crocheted the edges in gray then built on that. It's not the prettiest fix, but it's just for me so I don't mind. Bubba enjoyed cuddling up with it while I was working on it; he doesn't seem to cuddle up in it now that it's done. Silly cat.

 

That's about it for the last few months, but like I said, I feel the mojo coming back as I start to feel better and more productive.  I'm even heading to the Humane Society tonight to find a lil furry friend for Bubbs. He's been acting rather clingy lately and I think it's because he's lonely. He's alone from 7:40-5 everyday so it's no wonder he cries and wants attention when I get home. I'm hoping a kitten will keep him occupied and give me another fluff to love. :)

Cold Librarians Need Warm Cats

I decided I wanted to knit a sock that wasn't evil. So I cast on a new pattern. So far so good (minus the part where I forgot to kfkbkf on the increase row so I was way below stitches and had to rip out over an inch of my work). I really like the pattern (cables...yum) and the needles. And Bubba likes it too. 

Bubba's sexy pose.

Then I got cold. 

So I decided to cast on a sweater for myself. Yes. Myself. The last plus size sweater attempts did not end well for anyone. So I'm using good needles, fabulous yarn (Cascade 220 Peruvian Wool <3), and I'm using a pattern from my Plus Size Knits book that I bought a million years ago. I'm on my way, sweater. Be ready to be toasty come...June?

Who doesn't love turquoise ribbing?

Bekky Tested, Bubba Approved.

Obligatory New Year's Post

Well, it's the new year. 2014. I should probably talk about all the wonderful and not-so-wonderful things that happened in 2013. Then regale you with tales of my 2014 goals. But I'm not feeling it. I've always found New Year's to be rather depressing. It's that whole ending/beginning human conflict I just can't get past. To tell the truth, my life these last few years has been a constant test filled with momentous struggles and not quite as momentous victories. I've had so much loss and pain, it's hard to remember those victories. It's hard to imagine any good that may come my way in the year(s) to come. But that's life I suppose. Constant up and down as we try to stay focused long enough to see where we are along the trail.

I will say that my knitting year has followed a similar path of ups and downs. Little binges of knitting here and there. Month to month. I'm bored with everything yet can't seem to start anything new. Same goes for books. I read them, but as soon as I finish that last page I couldn't tell you the plot or about the characters. I can only tell you, in stunted phrases, how it made me feel.

Maybe that's why New Year's is depressing...because all the hopes and goals I thought about never came to fruition. And I know the next year will yield the same.

Okay. That's enough of my emotional unloading on the sorrows of each passing year. Here's my latest obsession:

Not the cat, though he is darn cute. The crocheted fingerless mitts. It's a pattern called V-Stitch Fingerless Gloves by Daphne Bekiari. They're super fast and easy and fun. I made over 8 pairs in less than 2 weeks. Like I said. Obsessed. The only alteration I made to the pattern was that I added another row to the cuff. They're pretty, warm (especially if you use wool), and practical. I made some for my co-workers.