Finito

No, not the Evenstar. I am going to be completed with clue 6 tonight and then will start clue 7, but rather, I finished my job and am now on vacation. I was originally going to work another 2 weeks beyond the end of my contract, but there was an issue with the amount I would be paid for the full time work, so in the end, I chose to be a bum.

But now, think of the knitting time! Sure, a lot of it won't be bloggable, but I'll make sure that I keep at least one thing going that I can keep you all updated on.

But talk about a feeling of relief. It's weird to be without a job now, but I feel as if a huge weight has come off my shoulders. I forget sometimes just how stressed I would get here. There's always a language barrier, even if the coteachers are pretty much fluent in English. Then there's the cultural differences, and lastly, the administration who had a tendency to be so blasted nit-picky that they would drive me insane. But now it's over. I get to work on some things that I am really passionate about and I'm really looking forward to the creative time that I'm going to have now.

But this week is all about finishing Evenstar. Back to work...

Knit on...

Around and Around and Around

That's basically how the knitting is going right now. I'm just knitting around and around on Evenstar. I'm 10 rows away from being done with clue 5 now, so I'm making pretty good progress. Unfortunately the shawl is a bitch to photograph because it's so smooshed together on the needles right now. I have it on the biggest cable that I own, which I think is a 46 inch or something like that, and it's still quite smooshed together and not easy to get a picture of.

But, it's a wonderful knit. It's super entertaining and each section is a little different, so aside from the clue 4 TBL ribbing doldrums, I have been very entertained and satisfied with how the pattern is progressing. It also helps to see so many people posting pictures of their finished shawls on Ravelry. A few of my favorites so far are: here, here, and here.

And on a personal note, I was supposed to be finished with my teaching contract on Monday, but it appears that I may stay at the school for another two weeks. I'm not upset about the extra money for sure, but I was looking forward to that nice, long vacation-ish time where I could work on knitting and website design (not me, but directing my friend who deigns) for the super secret project I've been working on.

Speaking of, super-secret project should be announced sometime at the end of the summer, so stay tuned and I'll give you a heads up of when to look for it!

Knit on...

Blue Blob

I have been continuing to knit on the Great Blue Blob TM this past week. I had a lovely SnB with Julia this weekend and was able to get through the clue 4 doldrums and am now working slowly but surely on clue number 5. I'm 4 rows into clue 5, and I'm really hoping to get quite a bit done tomorrow since my morning classes have been canceled because of midterm exams. Anyways, here is the blob:I would also like to apologize for the lack of decent photography on the blog as of late. I am in the process of moving out of my apartment now that my contract is up and my good camera is sitting in a different city right now.

But, that also means I'm almost done with teaching! Woot woot! For those of you who don't know, I am going to be returning Stateside in another couple of months. I'm changing careers and hoping to make myself more marketable to future employers by getting some new certification. It's a big change, but one that I'm looking forward to. DF will be coming back a few months after I do and we'll see where we want to actually wind up (or more likely where we can get jobs and afford to live).

That's it for today. The blob will hopefully continue to grow this week and then will hopefully fly off the needles in the next 1-2 weeks since I'll have lots more free time in which to knit!

Knit on...

A Gift Given and a Blob Returns

On Sunday, I gave the finished Aeolian shawl to my former coteacher as her wedding present. Here she is, getting the first look at her present:And here I am, holding the shawl out to her so she can inspect it. She says she loved it and she's taking it with her for the cool evenings on the beach where she and her husband are going for their honeymoon:And, now that Aeolian is done, I have started working on Evenstar again. I'm half way done with clue 4 now, so I'm hoping to be completely done with 4 by the weekend and working hard on clue 5. The pattern is lovely, but I'm not 100% sure I am in love with Malabrigo lace. It's super soft, but it looks like it will felt in a heartbeat if I rub it against anything. We'll see how it goes, since I am for sure finishing the shawl with it.

Here's a blobby picture:Knit on...

Aeolian

Aeolian is fully blocked now. I enlisted the help of my neighbor to get a decent picture of the shawl. It's raining outside at the moment, so I can't get a natural light shot, but this should give you a general idea of how the shawl turned out:This is one of the prettiest things I think I have ever knit. It's also kinda hard to part with it, but this former coteacher of mine was so nice and so helpful, and I consider her to be an actual friend, so I will lovingly part with the shawl and hope that it brings her lots of comfort and warmth in the years to come.

Knit on...

Twist Collective

Have you all seen the latest issue of Twist Collective? I'm normally not one to gawk and rave at an online knitting magazine, but damn...

I want it all...

I have no money...

But I want it all! If I have to choose one thing from this issue (which I don't want to do, because I WANT IT ALL!), I really want to make Tanis. I love everything about this pullover. It looks interesting enough to keep me entertained for hours, but simple enough to not make me stab the couch with my Options needles.

Wow. The shawls are gorgeous, the socks are great, but the sweaters in this issue are astounding. Really, if you haven't checked out the issue, go do so now. I'll just be here drooling over the patterns while you go.

Seriously, Clicky to go check it out!

Knit on...

The Blob is Done

Well, the blob is finished. I just spent the past day binding off the bazillion stitches at the end of the Aeolian shawl. Now all that's left is to block it, but seeing as I need a lot of pins to do so, it's not getting blocked until tomorrow when I'm back to my place. But in the meantime, here's the shawl:It is quite pretty. I may make another one of these eventually, but for now, I'm happy with the one that will be given away in a week. Now I can get back to Evenstar! At least I can start on clue 3 just in time for clue 7 to be released :oP

Knit on...

Bad Blogger, No Cookie

Well, yes, I realize I have been a bad blogger. Is it because of the stealth projects? Nope. Is it because of lack of knitting? Nope. Is it because I am a lazy arse when it comes to making a blog entry? Yes, yes it is.

So yes, I am admitting right now that I have been a bad blogger. I think I just needed a little time away from the blog while working on other stuff, but now I'm back, and I should be updating with some photos and other things in the near future.

So what am I working on?

I'm about to finish and block the Aeolian shawl. It's lovely, the edging is nice, and I'll be glad when it's finished.

Once Aeolian is off the needles, I'm going to begin clue 3 of Evenstar. I had to fall behind on that project since the Aeolian has a time deadline.

I'm also working on some designs that you all should maybe see in July or August. Something big is coming, albeit it's still very loosely in the works and I'm really hoping you all will like it. I'm also about to have some big life changes (like, returning to the USA for one and having a career change for two), so I'll be keeping you all updated on those as they develop.

One last thing I thought I would post here for those of you who don't read my running log, or hell, even know I have one (Getting There The Long Way), I started a weight loss journey in January 2009. 1 year and 5 months later, I have lost 71 pounds and am now 9 pounds away from being at my goal weight of 160 pounds. I'm now wearing medium sized clothing, sometimes smalls, and have donated all the XXL, XL, and L stuff to charity. I have gone from a size 18 jean to a 10, and by the time I hit 160 pounds, I'll be close to a size 8. It's been a tough road, but I have finally changed my whole outlook on food and discovered the reasons I ate the way I did. For those of you who have been supporting me along this journey, I thank you for your encouragement. 9 pounds left, and I'll be celebrating with a new wardrobe!

The Blob

Yes, the big, lace blob! The Aeolian shawl has grown more this weekend and I'm almost to the edging on it now. But let me tell ya, nupps may very well be the bane of my existence when it comes to this shawl. They take me so long to make, but they do look very good with the design, so I'm not leaving them out just because I find them to be a pain. Here's the shawl progress so far:Even with the number of lace things I have made now, I am still fascinated how such a blobby piece of wool can transform into this delicate wonder when it's all finished. It is the magic of lace, and there is real magic there for me.

I know that I was wondering where my knitting mojo had gone last week. Well, I found it. Once again, it's in the magic that is called lace.

Now if that magic can heal me of this stupid lung funk/cold. Come on lace!

Knit on...

The Lace Grows

I caught my yearly upper respiratory infection this past week and ended up calling in sick for a day. The only good thing about that was that I had more time than usual to knit. I managed to get all the Yucca chart repeats done on the Aeolian and the Agave transition chart finished. Now I just have three agave repeats and the edging to do and the shawl will be finished. Of course, this will take a while because of the N word...

Nupps. Yep, nupps. Nupps are not something I'm enjoying right now. The purl 9 together is hell and I ended up using a tiny crochet hook to help me get that done. I think in my own lace design work that I will avoid nupps at all costs.
But I do have a picture I can show you at least of the progress. I'm feeling a lot better today, so I'm going in to work where I sadly can't knit anymore. The principals are on a rampage at the moment and don't want the teachers to have any kind of break at all between classes, but that's a whole other long story that I won't get into right now. Here's the shawl:Yep, it's a big blob of unblocked lace. Wish I could block it out some, but I'm already on my biggest cord length for size 2 needles and can't stretch it out anymore really. I'm loving how this is looking so far though, but it does make me really miss something...

Evenstar! I wish I could knit on my Evenstar shawl. I'm only finished with clue 2 and there are 5 clues out now! I need to get this Aeolian done first and foremost right now though for Sally's wedding, so sadly I can't work on the Evenstar right now. But soon, soon I will finish this white shawl and can go back to the lovely navy blue beaded masterpiece!

Knit on...

Once a Week Blogging?

Yep, I think I have become a once a week blogger for knitting courtesy of stealth projects and lack of knitting mojo. There have been good days for knitting, or like last night, no knitting at all.

Now to be fair, I have a head cold, so right now the only thing I really feel like doing is watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on the internet and going to bed. Tonight though, I will be knitting some on the wedding shawl for Sally, so I'll hopefully have something to show you then.

Any of you other knit bloggers out there have a similar problem? Is it just knitting doldrums that hit every now and then for us all? I'm sure hoping they go away soon. I miss my hyper desire for playing with sticks and string!

Something I Can Show

Yep, I finally have something I can show you on the knitting front. I've still been working on some stealth projects, but I have switched over now to knitting on the Aeolian Shawl almost exclusively. I have 6 of the 12 Yucca Chart repeats done now and here they are:It's growing pretty fast right now, which I am thankful for. I'm hoping to be through all the repeats of the Yucca chart by this weekend and on to the Agave chart.

Also, I received a prize for Team Plurk in the Ravelympics. I was given some very bright roving and two hanks of sock yarn. Here they are:
I was so thrilled to get these in the mail. Thanks, Morandia!

That's it for now. Hopefully more Aeolian progress soon!

Knit on...

Not Much to Show

There's not much to show you today. I have been knitting on the stealth project mostly, so can't show pictures of that one yet. I did work a little bit on Aeolian, so here's the progress on that shawl:Like I said, not much there :oP

Maybe I'll make some progress on this sometime this weekend. We'll see!

Knit on...

3 out of 5

That's right. 3 of the 5 pairs of mittens are done now. The last 2 are going to be put on the backburner for now since I have too much on my plate at the moment. I have a shawl to get done before a wedding in May and I have a few secret projects that I unfortunately can't show you yet since they are part of a bigger scheme of things that will hopefully be launched sometime this fall. I'll at least try and keep you posted on the status of the wedding shawl, which happens to be Aeolian from Knitty.com. So here's the finished mittens which will be given to their recipient on Tuesday:And lastly, I leave you with what DF and I saw this past Friday while walking around:That is a stretch Mini Cooper limosine. Yes, it was quite awesome.

Knit on...

As The Mitten Turns...

Almost done with the third pair of mittens now. I'm going to really try to get them done by the end of the day today so that I can give them to the coteacher tomorrow when he comes to my school. Then, I'm taking a break from the mittens. Yarn arrived yesterday (jaggerspun Zephyr) for a wedding shawl for a former coteacher who I also consider a friend. She picked out Aeolian from Knitty.com as her shawl of choice, so I'm going to cast on for that and get it finished. I may also work on Evenstar some. I really just need someone to pay me to knit so I can stay home all day and design and work on things that need to be done so I can play Wii in the evenings! :oP

Pictures tomorrow!

Knit on...

Anyone See My Knitting Mojo?

It went far away last week. In all, I only knit about 3/4 of a mitten all last week. I have accomplished more today than I did all last week, but still feel like I didn't do that much. Maybe now that I'm over half way done with the mitten parade I can push through the knitting doldrums. Either that or I'm going to just have to put the mittens away and work on something much more entertaining such as Evenstar. We shall see.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for my knitting mojo. I'd rather like to have it back!

Knit on...

Mittens.......

I'm trying to stay positive right now, but I didn't knit any for the entire weekend, or Monday. Why? Because I'm making myself finish the last mittens before I can work on anything else. So, since that backfired and I just didn't knit any this weekend, I decided that knitting on other, more exciting things will be the reward for slogging through more of the dreaded mittens.

But look, there's a finished pair:Yarn is Bernat Sox in some green and brown shade. Size 1 needles, modifications for a smaller hand.

More mittens to come...

Knit on...

Begin the Mitten Parade

That's right. For the next 5 projects on the list, you'll be seeing pairs of Broad Street Mittens in various colors. I know it's not terribly exciting for blog material, but I'm making coteacher gifts and birthday gifts for a couple of friends, and you guessed it, they all wanted convertible mittens after seeing mine. I swear, I've gotten to the point that I can knit this pattern from memory.

But anyways, I finished the first pair and am on to the second. More progress tomorrow:Knit on...

A Week of Knitting in Two Pictures

Last week was all about Evenstar for the most part. I had missed working on clue 1 during the first 2 weeks of the KAL due to the Knitting Olympics. So, I began working on the clue on Saturday last week and finished it on Thursday last week, along with clue number 2. Here's the mushy lace so far. It's Malabrigo Lace on Size 4 needles:Not much of a picture, but it's hard to photograph lace on needles that don't allow it to stretch out. After clue 3, I'll see if I can get it on a longer circular and get a decent picture. It's really lovely though and I think it will be quite nice when it's all finished.

After I finished clue 3, I cast on for a Broad Street Mitten. Yep, I've lost track of how many of these I have made now. These are new coteacher presents since I have all new ones this semester and I gave them the choice of socks or mittens. They all chose mittens!This weekend I didn't do any knitting, so I'll be cranking out mittens all this week. Prepare for the mitten parade!

Knit on...

Happy Bloggiversary!

Yep, the beginning of March always marks my bloggiversary. Hard to believe how the years have have gone by now. Normally, I do a lengthy post to celebrate the blog's anniversary, but today I'm just not really up to it. Hopefully in the next day or two I'll get something thrown together. In the meantime, flip through the archives to see what all I had to say years ago as a fairly new knitter :oP

Knit on...