Where I am....

As far as knitting goes, I do know the answer to that. Other things, not quite so much. 

I finished the cabled bag! I did the sewing part today. I'm not so great at sewing, but I think it looks alright. Sewing the straight stitches with the machine to form the lining wasn't too difficult, but sewing the lining to the bag was more difficult. I realize now I should have waited to add the handles until after attaching the lining, but eh, it's okay. Annnnd I should have added the snaps to the lining before sewing it in, but I think it worked out. The only issue now is that they are very strong magnets and I'm afraid they will tear the lining a bit as they pull against it. I'm working on weakening them, but not too much luck so far. However, all in all, I'm happy with the project. 

Still working on the baby blanket. I was able to borrow some needles that are much better. I ended up ripping what I had (cast on row and a half) and casting on 40 more stitches just to get a bit more length. Right now I'm at the garter stitch border, so it's just knit, knit, knit. I'm watching Season 3 of The Tudors so I should have plenty of knitting entertainment while I plug away. I am determined to finish on time! 

Speed Knitting?

Can I knit a baby blanket in a month? Let's hope so....

I finished the knitting on the cabled bag, but I've been putting off the sewing part. I need a new needle for the sewing machine. And...I've never been too good with sewing. I can do buttons and that sort of thing, but I am a little terrified of the sewing machine. So the knitted part of the bag awaits. It's pretty and soft though! I added two more rounds of the cable pattern to make the bag a bit bigger and closer to the measurements given in the pattern. I don't think I knitted too tightly, but I did use smaller needles. I think it worked out. I know the sewing part will be easy once I get going - just straight lines - but between having to go out to buy a new needle, figure out how to use the thing and so on, I'm not feeling too inclined to do it right away.

I started the baby blanket, with the pattern from Knitting To Go, the Lozenge-Look Baby Blanket. I'm calling it Lemon Drop since I'm knitting with a pale yellow yarn. I had originally been planning on a different pattern and when I bought the yarn, I bought needles for that pattern, not the Lozenge-Look one. I do have size 7 circulars, but they are only 16 inches. And they are bendy, sticky plastic. I have only cast on and knitted about halfway into the first row. Also added to my list: metal needles, size 7, 29 inches.

The baby, DB's future niece, is due at the end of May. I hope I can finish by then. I've been looking at patterns for me and it's hard knowing they will have to wait a bit. I found a pretty wrap-look dress that I'm trying to figure out how to add longer sleeves to....a few sundresses....sweaters....and I'm even thinking about learning how to knit socks!

My overwhelm in life is showing in my knitting ideation....Here's where things are: DB got into a school in Missoula, Montana. I was feeling quite on board with this until it was final and then the distance part really hit me. I really wanted to be nearer to my family and friends and start establishing a career out here. However, somewhere along the road this year, he and I did start talking a lot about moving back to San Francisco. So I'm already in the direction of moving eventually. It's just so soon. I may stay around here until after a friend's wedding in November, to give me more transition time. But then I will be away from DB and I'm feeling like that will be really hard. He is home for me now....so I have some figuring out to do and goodbyes and whatnot. Of course it's getting to be termination time at work, so that just adds a whole other layer to all this.

Off to sleep. I'm presenting at case conference tomorrow and will need to be on my toes for that and the rest of my day. At least yoga is at the end of that. Between the yoga, DB and my good colleagues, I don't know where I'd be right now, things have been so hard. Hopefully the knitting will also help!

a couple of projects for me!

I finished the Woodland Trails Cowl! It's a bit late in the season (we've had a few days in the 70s and 80s recently...), but I'm sure I will enjoy it come autumn and winter.

I went a little camera-happy with this one, trying to capture the color(s) and the details of the pattern (the faux-cabling and little purl-bumps). So lots of photos!

I did bind-off a bit too tightly, but not too tightly, fortunately. There is definitely a difference between the cast-on edge and bind-off edge though. Still fits.

I didn't twist a cord yet to make it into a hat. Well, I tried, but it wasn't working out. I'd like to try it using the drill to speed up the twisting process. Anyway, I'm not sure if I will wear this one as a hat, but maybe.

I'm really happy with how this came out - I think it will be soft and warm for cooler days. And, I love the pattern and colorway. It also matches my Valentine Mitts. This pattern might go on the list of possible gift ideas - it is so lovely, fun to make and relatively easy. It also went quickly, though I did stretch out the process longer than it needed to be. I actually had a few days last week where I was too stressed out to knit. Weird.

I think I'm over that now. No post-doc for me right now, and actually in some ways that's a relief. I'm going to focus on finishing my dissertation so that I can graduate at the end of the Fall semester. I'm also revising my proposal slightly so that I can do phone interviews since the face-to-face ones aren't happening (quickly enough or at all). I revised my methodology, informed consent forms and my HRRC application and submitted those to my chair on Saturday, so hopefully all my ducks are in a row, I can submit the changes, get approved and start collecting data! I've got a number of people from far geographic places who have volunteered, so I think the process may go quickly once I am able to start. I do need to finish basically before Fall semester even starts, so that means August. Ugh. So many deadlines for my school just to get the dissertation submitted.

I'm not sure what else the future may hold. We're looking at either Missoula, MT or Greensboro, NC for graduate school for DB. Either may be a difficult move, but they've got to better than where we are currently living. He and I still want to take a road trip this summer, so I've got to figure out how to finish the dissertation either before or while traveling. Speaking of DB - no further progress on the neverending hat. Until I start the baby blanket, another forever long project in my eyes, it may have to remain in hibernation.

For now, I'm working on another new project for me: The Christine Bag. I've got the super bulky Wool-Ease in "Linen" - very neutral and pretty. I bought a pair of black wooden bag handles and some pretty fabric to line the bag. I originally was going to use 17s because I know I knit tightly. I bought a pair of circulars to use, cast on and started to knit with them, and it just wasn't going well. Messy, uncomfortable and no way was the cabling going to be visible. So I switched to 15s as suggested even though I was concerned my gauge would be way off. It's hard to tell so far and there isn't an actual gauge given for this pattern, aside from the final measurements. So I'll go by those and add rows if I need to. I can't wait to finish - and it is going quickly. I'm a bit tired of the purses I have now....my current one is too small....and I don't want to go through the process of shopping for one and settling. I'm excited to have something I really like and can customize. Off to knit some more...then warm restorative yoga tonight, yay!

Long time, no write

Things have been a little crazy lately, so I haven't had much free time, knitting time, or blogging time.

Lots of not-so-great things going on and I think maybe hardest of all is that DB and I are still waiting to see what will happen for next year. He got into school in a couple of places, but we are still waiting on one more which should notify this week. Likewise, my postdoc should notify this week, too.

The problem is, I am behind on data collection for my dissertation and it would take a lot to pull off finishing the dissertation to graduate in August. Ugh. So even if I get it, I might not be able to accept it. If that is the case (or if I don't get it at all), I'll be following DB wherever he goes, more or less. I might have to stay in the area for a bit to finish data collection, but ideally, I will finish that this spring either way. It is exciting, but also scary not knowing where we will live next year!

Knitting-wise, I finally, finally, cast on for the Woodland Trails Cowl. I'm kind of in love with the pattern....it is turning out so lovely, even in its unblocked, sort of bumpy, funny form. I'm knitting it in Knit Picks Yarn of the Andes (colorway: Iris Heather), the same yarn I used for my Valentine Mitts. Pretty, pretty, pretty!

I was concerned at first that the yarn is a worsted, not aran. It's not a huge difference, but with my wacky gauge issues, I hesitated a lot before finally casting on. I'm using size 9 circular needles and at first I thought my gauge was too small, then too big, but then I realized it was just right. A Goldilocks moment. I was fortunately able to ask a fellow Raveler about her choice in needle size for a similar yarn and that helped as well.

I've also been plugging away at DB's cashmere hat. It's getting bigger and does appear to be big enough to fit his head this time. I'm not as motivated to keep going at a good clip on this one because it is a dull pattern and it is out of season for him to wear anyway....but I'll keep it going slowly anyway in case I need something different to do.

Next on my agenda is a baby blanket. Actually, first, I want to do a purse. Or both, at the same time.

The baby blanket is for DB's brother and sister-in-law, or rather, their daughter due at the end of May. I found a pretty pattern in Knitting to Go (picked up in the Border's bargain section) for a "Lozenge-Look Baby Blanket." I'm going to do it in a yellow cotton worsted. I wanted a natural fiber that could be machine washed and dried and Bernat's Handicraftier is it.

For the purse - and I actually do need want a new purse - I'm going with the Christine Bag pattern. I'm using Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Linen. I'd like something neutral that will go with just about everything, but I can jazz it up with a ribbon or a purse charm or something as I decide. I thought about using a purse charm while I was at Jo-Ann Fabrics the other day, but I had no concrete plan of what I needed, so it turned into me wandering the jewelry aisles aimlessly, back and forth, for a good hour. On top of the 90 minutes it had already taken me to pick a fabric to line the bag! And three hours later (add on the time spent looking at everything and ooooh I need needle case and project bag and....) I finally made it home. I realize I swore off chain craft stores, but Jo-Ann's seems to be in a different level than A.C.Moore or Michael's. I'm planning on making the nearly 40 minute drive in the future when I do need crafty stuff, instead of spending hours just being frustrated with the other two, as close as they are.

Anyway, that's where I am, knitting-wise. Otherwise, eh. Trying to be accepting of the not-knowing right now. It's hard. I did start taking hot yoga classes and that has been extremely helpful. This week I have a few appointments that will interfere with my classes, but I'm still hoping to make at least two. For now, I need to sleep. I'm starting a new testing rotation tomorrow, because, yes, I need more stress in my life.