Knit'nat

And the Sky is Gray

I think the Mamas and the Papas had spent some time in Western Pennsylvania, because the sky here really is gray, has been for the last couple of days, but there are no brown leaves (at least that I've seen), but there is brown (dirty) snow.

The ice storm that came on Tuesday/Wednesday was rather vicious (although I do know that it could have been much worse and there are people who are less fortunate than I and they are suffering mightily in the cold).  Driving was treacherous.  A trek to work that normally takes me half an hour took me an hour and 20 minutes, and I saw two overturned vehicles and a fallen tree on the way in.  The drive home wasn't much better, but there were no overturned vehicles and no fallen tree. 

       

What you really don't get from the photos is the thick layer of ice/snow/schmultz that I'm driving on.  Ugh.

I would have taken a picture of the 1/4 thick pieces of ice that we "picked" off of the car yesterday but I wasn't smart enough (and it was too cold) to pull out the camera while I was scraping the car off.

Here, though, is a picture of the trees along the road: 

 

Excuse the quality of the photos, please, as it was gray (it is still gray). 

(No lectures about picture taking while driving in the winter snow, either, mind you).

We were without power last night from about 6:15 until 11-ish or so.  The family huddled under blankets and read, played battery-operated games or, in my case, knit by candlelight.

This morning, the car was covered again with snow, but it was a lovely fluffy bunch of flakes, nothing stuck together, so I whipped out the camera, played with the macro setting, and have these to show you:

   

Click to make 'em bigger. I personally love snow flakes and their intricate patterns.  So cool. 

I think this is the time of year that the gray is getting to everybody.  People are more sensitive than normal, more touchy.  People take things the wrong way and what was an innocent comment or observation often escalates to hurt feelings or even heated arguments.  Lots of grouchiness all around, and I think it's because we've all got serious cases of cabin fever.  I'm a generally happy person, but the strife and the strain and the generally crabby feeling really gets to me after a while.  I de-Twittered, as Robin M. puts it - I turned it off and haven't been looking at it to see what is going on.  I haven't looked at Facebook in ages (not that I did much on there anyway - I get annoyed with all those apps or whatever that people send you constantly)!  Anyway, the crabbiness and the craziness sends me indoors and under the quilts and makes me not want to play.  To that end, don't be surprised if I'm more quiet on the blog (not that I'm a frequent poster anyway) and in comments.  I'll get out of the funk soon enough, but for now, I think I'm going to make like a bear and hibernate.

 

Of Problems and Solutions

Problem:  I get physically ill in the morning when I think about coming to work.

Solution:  Find another job.

Problem:  I work hard at my job, but others seem to see it as a social event, complete with singing, dancing, swearing, calling friends and relatives on the phone for hours on end, creating work for themselves to appear busy*, and several smoke breaks.

Solution:  Find another job.

Problem:  Jobs are scarce.

Solution:  ?

Anybody have any thoughts on that one?

Knitting News:

There was a lot of knitting this weekend.  Not only did I knit at Renata's on Saturday, but I also didn't leave the house on Sunday, so there was quite a bit accomplished, but not on any project -- I finished two dishcloths (one of the Mason-Dixon Washcloth variety and one of my own design) and am ready to attach a 2nd ball of yarn to the 2nd Hey, Teach sweater that's being knit.  I'm still 5 rows away from completing the 2nd chart of the Norwegian Woods shawl.  Maybe today motivation will hit.

 

*By creating work for herself, I don't mean that she just creates charts or labels manila folders excessively, but sits at the computer looking through EVERY phone directory online to see if we are listed, and if we are, how our name appears, and who does she need to talk to to update it if we need to update it any time in the future. 

Who Put Father Time on Speed?

So I woke up at 6:20, went downstairs, made lunch for the hubby, started prepping my dish for today's knitting at Renata's, sent hubby off to work, finished the cooking part of the dish (it has to cool before adding remaining ingredients), then did a few clean-up tasks.  I checked my email and looked at a message I had on Ravelry (I'm selling my spindle).  I still have to finish the dish, get a shower and get the knitting bag ready to go.  But it's 8:19 already.  Where the hell did the time go?? 

No Particular Order

The title of the post is kind of like my thoughts right now - no particular order.  So please bear with me!

1.  Did the second blood test.  Not diabetic (thankyouthankyouthankyou) but I am at increased risk and need to "eliminate added sugar" from my diet.  I'm already off the soda (mostly, have been since the exercise kick started) and have to make some other subtle changes (like sweet tea and sweetened lattes need to go, or at least take a seat up "in the nosebleed section", I guess).

2.  Let me tell you about that second blood test.  Basically I ate two breakfasts worth of food in one sitting.    1 c. cereal, 1 c. milk, 1/2 banana, 1/2 c. orange juice, 2 eggs, 2 slices toast, butter and jelly.  I didn't eat again until 6 or 7 that night. 

3.  Knit Night on Wednesday was a bit of a disaster for me.  I had no gumption and couldn't concentrate.  I started out casting on for a Mason-Dixon dishcloth, but at first didn't leave a long enough tail, then cast on with a correctly long tail but the wrong number of stitches.  So I packed that in and whipped out some Knit Picks yarn to do a gauge swatch.  I'm going to knit another Hey, Teach, this one for a girl at work.  I was able to cast on correctly and even managed to get through about 4" of knitting.  Knitting on this will continue tomorrow as the Hurricane Knitters get together for a Saturday of knitting at Renata's house.

4.  I've worn my Traveling Scarf in public many times and just love it.  I still haven't mailed Kim's to her (nor have I mailed her Deborah's scarf).  But there is hope - they're boxed up and in the car, I just need to go to the post office.  Full scarf here, shown with the hat I blogged about previously:

5.  Last weekend, I knit my first pair of mittens using Kate Gilbert's Gifted pattern.  The construction is genius, even though I am not genius*.

6.  Here's a close-up photo of the hat:

 

7.  Close-ups of each section of the Traveling Scarf, in the order of knitting:

                

If you can't tell by the titles of the pictures, the knitters were, in order:  Yvonne, Kim, Deborah, Becky, Marie, Sonya, Rachel, Ruth.

8.  Pics of the amount of snow we have, and a picture of the cat in the snow (she's mildly weird, don't mind her...and she didn't like the snow a bit, mind you.)

   

9  The winter doldrums have hit me a little early this year, as I want to do nothing but hibernate.  I have all these things I want to do (Knit!  Clean!  Knit!  Quilt!  Knit!  Rearrange!) but can't seem to get motivated.  Hell, I haven't been to the gym recently (this is changing on Monday, as I have a new strategy).

10.  If you haven't tried the Ina Garten method for cooking steak, you must do so now.  I think my hubby fell in love with me all over again after I made that last weekend.

11.  It's home show season, which means work is more stressful than normal.  This is not only the time when I look for a job but also the time that I feel guilty for looking elsewhere because I'll leave this company in a lurch if I do leave during home show time. 

12.  Speaking of job hunting, I've received NO response to any of the 10 resumes I've sent out in the past two weeks.  Doesn't that suck.  And I was so sure I'd hear from at least one of them.

13.  This concludes this week's random psychobabble. 

*I didn't use a bulky yarn so my gauge was off but I adjusted my stitch count accordingly.  The cuffs are short (forgot to allow for that, duh) and I didn't do the three needle bind off on the first mitten correctly.  Nevertheless, I love them, they're warm and squishy and mine, and I wouldn't trade them for anything...or at least I wouldn't trade them for storebought stuff.   

Houston, We Have a Problem

While my lipids and triglycerides and cholesterol levels were all in the "very good" range after my blood test on Monday, my sugar levels were cause for concern, so I need to do a 2nd round of blood testing, this time after I've fasted then eaten something specifically prescribed. 

So let's see...diabetes runs rampant in my family.  Mom - check.  Uncle - check.  Another uncle - check.  Another uncle (no I'm not stuttering) - check.  Cousin - check. 

Other symptoms:  Frequent urination - check.  Unexplained bruising?  Not really that I can think of.  BAD bruising?  Check, but I don't know that that's a symptom.  Numbness of the arms/hands?  Check.  Unquenchable thirst?  Not really unquenchable, but I do drink a lot of liquids (not all sugary, either - lots of water and very little pop/milk/etc.).

::sigh::

In other news, I have received my traveling scarf!  I've also got Kim's and I need to finish it.  With the thought of finishing it in mind, not-blog-free-but-not-updating-her-blog Melissa and I went to Yarns Unlimited yesterday in search of the perfect Koigu.  I found it, and some pink/brown/cream yarn (I can't remember what it is right offhand) that I bought for mittens.  It reminds me of Manos yarn in its hand and muted colors, and Anne promised me that it knits up beautifully.  Pictures will come, both of the finished Traveling Scarf and of the new yarn (and the purple & green hat).

I am five rows away from finishing the 2nd chart of the Norwegian Woods shawl.  I am getting REALLY anxious to move on with this and finish it.  I'm also itching to cast on for a sweater, and I'm thinking Wicked.  If I get on with it, I may be able to have either it (or the Norwegian Woods shawl) finished for the Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet festival.  I'm going on Sunday 2/15 with Melissa, methinks, as the 14th is Amanda's 40th birthday and her hubby has planned a shindig (she knows, I spilled the beans accidentally last week). 

It's cold here (7°F).  I'm working so I can't go knit...but I really want to go home and knit!

The Weather Outside is Frightful

What, you think I'm kidding?

Bill shoveled the driveway at 6:45 a.m.  I shoveled the driveway at 11 a.m.  It needs shoveled again.

When I was out shoveling at 11, I stuck a ruler into the snow that had accumulated on the hood of the Jeep.  This is the result: 

   

Yes, that's right, 7.5 inches of snow.

I shall report to you again once I have been back outside.  In the meantime, bread is rising and a plot is forming for dinner (roasted potato and fennel soup, with grilled cheese). 

4:45 p.m., Edit:  The ruler showed 10" at 3 o'clock.  The bread is baking in the oven and smells divine.  My socks are soaked through from shoveling snow and my coat and shirt were also soaking wet.  I am going to go boil water for tea, grab the afghan, and curl up with some knitting.  Brr.

It's the Second Week of January and...

...I have one finished object to my name for 2009 (it's a hat and I don't have a picture of it, but it has been seen by Melissa and Amy, so they can attest to its existence).

...I haven't made it to the gym at all this week.

...I have made it to the doctor and discovered that I am down 45 pounds from when I first visited the gym in September (which means I can seriously look at Namaste bags!).  I also have to go to an otolaryngologist due to some vertigo.

...I have possession of Deborah's traveling scarf, which will wing its way to Kim once I weave in my ends and take a picture of it.  It is the prettiest of the traveling scarves I've seen thus far (but remember, I haven't seen some in a long time, since there are 8 of us).

...I have word from Ruth that Kim's traveling scarf and my traveling scarf are on their way to me (I should have them Saturday, methinks).

...I have a new recipe in mind to try.  I have actually tried 3 new recipes so far this year and all 3 have been successful.

And now, I think I need a nap.  (I had a chocolate bar for dessert after lunch...and I was fine until just seconds ago.  Talk about crash and burn.  I really am seriously ready for a nap!)

Another Auld Lang Syne

2008 is well behind us.  Most everybody I know is reflecting on 2008, some showcasing their many knitting projects that they accomplished.  My completed knitting projects number 11, and for two of them there are no photos.  It is a paltry list, my friends, so I refuse to lay it forth for you to see.  Three sweaters, one (yes, one) pair of socks (seriously, just one), some other mishmash. 

2008 wasn't exactly a banner year here.  We were the victims of criminal acts twice.  Our beloved kitteh passed away.  An overzealous Hampton police officer made things very difficult for us by removing the inspection sticker from my husband's Jeep.  We had more car trouble than I care to mention (transmission/belts/air conditioning something-or-other), and wound up buying a new-to-us car (not a Jeep, a car!) and now have a car payment (after something like six years of not having a car payment, this was a big adjustment).  I spent a lot of time in support court, no thanks to my ex-husband's lack of understanding of the justice system.  My hours were cut at work, and I received more reprimands at work in 2008 than I have ever received in my entire working career (25 years). 

There were many positive things, though, that outshine all of that.  I made new friends.  I solidified already good friendships.  I experienced new things - not just the midnight ride to New York City with the hari krishna woman, but also new tastes, new restaurants, new stores, new techniques, new sights and sounds.  We took a family vacation and I introduced the rest of my family to Washington, DC and to Dani.  I've watched my kids grow, have seen glimpses of what their futures hold, as I can see they are kind, attentive, and sometimes mature beyond their years.  Robert is more quiet and reserved; Matthew, outgoing and flirtatious and perhaps in need of a chastity belt.  I still have my parents, though neither of them live close.  I got to see my dad; he lives in Florida, and I hadn't seen him in two years (maybe more; I can't remember).  I joined a gym and have made a commitment to a healthier lifestyle.  We've stopped eating dinner at restaurants so often, and are trying new recipes and different foods.  Store-bought bread is no longer the norm (although I do admit to buying it from time to time, especially when things are hectic, as they have been the past few weeks).  Matthew has the most popular lunches at school, and we refuse to buy the school lunches because while they appear nutritiously sound, they're the same thing over and over, and include very little vegetables (salad once a week just doesn't cut it, IMHO).  We added a new kitty to the family, and while he can't replace Purl, he really holds his own and is rather entertaining.  So there is more good than bad, which is just as it should be. 

And now, in no particular order, my resolutions for 2009.

I resolve:

1. To start and complete one pair of socks from the New Pathways book.
2. To try one new recipe every two weeks.
3. To look for -- and find -- a better job.
4. To complete my Norwegian Woods Shawl.
5. To complete my Goddess Anniversary Knitalong shawl.
6. To make it to the gym 5 days a week.
7. To knit at least 5 items from my Ravelry queue.
8. To do better with the housework (sometimes it gets behind things like knitting or reading).
9. To start saving NOW for MSWF and Rhinebeck.
10. To be more kind, for this world can use more kindness.

I hope everybody has a wonderful 2009.