Quietish

Hooray, it’s Tuesday! Monday was busy and rather sucked. So I’m glad to have a new day to work with, even if it hasn’t been all that exciting. What have I done with my day so far, you ask?

I knit a small amount on sock1 for Justin, which is moving along at a snail’s pace. But that makes sense, doesn’t it? He’s got much longer feet than I have. I’ve also swatched some yarn that I happily attained without having to fork over cash.

A clue to where my time has been going. Sock in progress. Swatch of Berroco Soft Twist. Swatch of Berroco Love It.

Just before leaving for the grocery store, I saw that my brother had his webcam on so I chatted with him some.

Boy, James would kill me if he ever bothered to read my blog enough to find pics of himself on here.

Then, because I was making a shopping list, Jamie decided she needed a list too.

Translation: Cake mix. This was all she wanted at the store. I may or may not have gotten it.

Dunno what I’ll do with the rest of my day. Probably knit some. I guess. And we’ll have another walk tonight. By the way, the kids and I have gathered a mile’s worth of walking since Wednesday night, which means I’m:

Out of the woods (55 miles)

And one last pic for people like Grandma, Daddy, and other such folks that like kids: Pics of the costumes Jamie will have for her recital in June, which will either be on the 1st or the 2nd.

When I remember that I need an sps pic once it’s already dark, I have much fewer options. So, I took my camera out on my walk with me.

And since I’m on the topic, I may be found:

In the woods. Pippin is sleepy. Dear Hobbit. (44 miles)

My SPS for this week comes from the midst of The Noisy Construction. The other night I walked past to check the hours. 10:30pm close most nights except Sunday, when it closes at 9.

I spent an hour or two there tonight, enjoying a grande mocha.

It is pretty and very spacious in there, with lots of comfy seating. Yes!

So I did a little journaling in my poor neglected pocket sketchbook Moleskine.

And to avoid having spent the entire day on my rear, I got out for a bit of walking. Which leaves me:

Beginning to sing (38 miles)

Some finished knitting: A quick instant-gratification project for CIC / Care Wool cast on yesterday and finished today.

My plans for the rest of the day include wolfing down lunch and then deciding whether to fit in a chapter or two of my current read or work on some art journaling or both.

As for the matter of last weekend’s Mayer concert, I think that the meaningfulness of the experience is best known to me and trying to explain how I feel about it will only serve to embarrass me a little. So, I’ll give some highlights.

I still am.

Middle Earth report:

Saw a Black Rider a mile back (33 miles)

Although not quite to the extent of a new year, a new month is a good time for fresh starts.

Firstly, the SPS list is now pruned back to the people I seem to recall have mentioned, commented or emailed me that they wanted to keep posting portraits in 2007. Let me know if I have removed you prematurely and I’ll add you back on. Also, remember that you can be added to or removed from the list at any time. Post your portraits and have fun!

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On a whim the other day, I signed up for the second installment of Lolly’s Project Spectrum. I watched scads of bloggers’ gorgeous, colorful photos of their crafts and surroundings pop up all over the internet for a lot of last year, and was very inspired.

As a lot of people are following the color designations for their respective 2 month time periods in terms of what yarn they will knit with, I didn’t sign up. I don’t always like to be boxed in by rules and whatnot. This week, I decided I will follow this round of PS and still knit or paint or whatever I want. My participation will to be more aware of the current colors and maybe learn ways to incorporate them into my work. And post pictures, of course. The first set of colors will certainly challenge me because while white and grey are not issues for me, I tend to avoid blue. More on that later, I suppose.

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As for walking to Rivendell, I don’t plan to change my pace much. Only for the better, anyway. Even the weather hasn’t stopped me lately, which makes me very glad.

As of last night I

Have left the rolling hills, finally. (28 miles)

And since the start of the month is a good time for refreshed goals. I plan to start work on my poor neglected midsection. Simple good eating doesn’t seem to be completely enough to take those inches off.

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I have spent the morning adjusting to the release date of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I am still adjusting, more like. I’m not entirely happy about it, but I won’t complain too much because, well, it’s Harry.

So yeah, you all can stop sending me links to the news stories. Of course I have seen the news. I have a spidey-like HP sense, dontcha know?

Partially in honor of the announcement, Kelly and I hope to record tonight and get Fangirlin’ rolling again. Stay tuned.

Ooh, I have been bad lately, haven’t I? I promise to be a better blogger this week.

Here’s my SPS, still technically on Sunday. I realized I hadn’t yet gotten one just before setting out on my evening walk, which has been back and forth in the parking lot mostly this week. So here it is, sorta dark and blurry, but still rather cool I thought.

Yes, that is a ski mask. I was cold.
And while I’m at it, my Middle Earth update:

Still in the up-and-down hills. (25 miles)

(Psst: After Wednesday I’ll be pruning that SPS list back, so please be sure you have let me know if you still want to be on it. Thanks!)

Hedwig

Pattern:
Monkey by Cookie A. (Knitty)
Yarn:
Sunshine Yarns‘ Hedwig
Mods:
I knit one less repeat in the cuff and I knit the heel flap shorter. Just didn’t need that much heel.
Comments:
When the Knitty issue that included this pattern came out, the euphoria of the new issue and all the new patterns caused me to want to knit it badly. Fortunately it turned out to be a very simple and well written pattern. The lace is interesting but not too demanding. It is incredibly cute, and I am happy. I also happen to think that the pattern works for this owlish colorway. I think the lace looks like wings and down.

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Walking to Rivendell:

The road rolls up and down. (23 miles)

Edit: Eeek, I misspelled Rivendell. Apparently no one noticed though :p

For my self portrait this week I tried to get a picture of my new earrings, bought at Simply Shell’s.

But it’s blurry, so here is a better shot:

I love them.

And just because- a shot from my walk in Middle Earth last night:

(Poor frozen trees.) Where I’m:

Camping and Eating and Drinking, and being seen by wildlife. (18 miles)

Oh, and live as of a little while ago:

CraftBorg, Episode Thirteen.

Hi there. How are you? Good? Good.

I kept feeling, all day today, that I should get on here and write. About what, I didn’t really know. I clearly continue to have no clue, as I’m several sentences into this post and still haven’t alluded to a topic.

Letsee. Knitting, yes knitting. Do I have progress? Nope. Nothing to report. I have spent a couple of hours a day on that super-secret project that seems to have quit growing at some point. I did knit on Hedwig1 for a couple of hours today and I am now in the toe, now that I think of it. So yeah, I am almost done with a sock. Go me!

No, I don’t have a picture. And it’s too dark to bother with that now.

So, reading. I’ve been excited about my resolution to read more. In my minds eye, I’m reading my books so fast that the pages are flying out of their bindings. To my real eye, however, I’ve made no progress on my current read since I added it to my sidebar last week sometime. I do want to read though. Really, I do.

At the moment I feel like I’ve been too busy to get around to things I intend to and, at the same time, wholly unproductive to the naked eye.

Perhaps I have an unrealistic idea of what can be accomplished in the span of a week. I haven’t really thought that my expectations were very high, but maybe I should rethink that. I would feel pretty good if I could spend some time at least weekly:

I rarely get them all in. Even if 5 minutes of an activity were to be counted.

Anywho, I’m not really trying to complain. I’m actually pleased with most of what I’ve accomplished this week. Although I am frustrated by the stove top that is impossible to return to the bright-white I know it can be.

And I suppose I’m not a complete slacker. I did 2.5 miles last night, so I’m:

Walking through a deeply cloven track between tall trees, singing. (15.5 miles)

What on earth am I talking about? CLICK

I’m off to get a coupla more before we get recording for CraftBorg, Episode 13 tonight.

I’m not doing much at the moment so I thought I could spend some time sharing a few crafty things.

The other day I got a message from my pal Roberta that she received one of her baby gifts, so now I can share it!

Pattern:
baby bonnet from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Yarn:
Dalegarn Falk, leftover from Jamie’s sweater. (It will be awhile before I go through all of it methinks)
Comments:
I totally dig this pattern and can see myself making it many times over with different yarns. The i-cord edging is sort of a pain, but rather cute and understated. I thought the other day that at some point I’d like to try a little crocheted ruffle on there as well.

On Saturday night, shortly before the trip to the ER, I finished a larger-child-sized vest for CIC/Care Wool.

Pattern:
None. Used the Handy Book of Sweater Patterns again.
Yarn:
Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride in Silver Grey.
Comments:
Yes, I know its very grey. I picked it out when I stood and stared at the wall of it at Gourmet Yarn, couldn’t get excited about any of the other colors, and decided I needed a color I hadn’t used in awhile.

Other knitting:

Last night my desire to sew something was fairly strong, so I set to work binding a little book made from playing cards and paper that Alchemia painted years and years ago.

And then, because productiveness and creativity is attacking from all sides, I drew a quick little ATC. Heee.

And lastly, I walked another mile last night (on solid ice, mind you, so it’s really quite a lot of exercise!), putting me at

Frustrated that I haven’t gotten much further. (13 miles)