Whither Goest the Blog?

As the blog goes, so goes the knitting? You might think I haven't been doing any knitting, since I haven't been blogging - but that wouldn't be true at all. I participated in NaKniSweMo and actually finished my sweater, I made some holiday gifts (and even got them in the mail mostly on time), and now I'm close to finishing another sweater I've been working on for a while.

The truth is, I'm just not sure about the blog thing. I like writing and sharing about knitting, but somehow the blog feels like a lot of work for a small part of my life. Sometimes I think I should write about other stuff too, but I worry that a) it will get too personal or b) people won't want to read about anything but knitting/crafting. On the other hand, I know that some people read this blog to keep up with me generally, so maybe a (slightly) personal post every once in a while wouldn't be so bad.

I'm also aware that my new job has been a big change, so maybe once I get a new rhythm going I will get back to posting more regularly. But, blog posts were somewhat sparse before the change, so maybe that's not it either. I've also been somewhat flaky about other life commitments so the blog could be just another victim of my state of mind.

All of this to say - I don't know what I'm doing or where I am going just yet. Hopefully I'll make a decision soon. Talk to you then.

San Francisco

Downtown

Redwoods at Muir Woods

Bread Pudding at Tartine
S.F. was terrif. Really fun. Not sure if I've ever mentioned it, but my little brother lives there. Being a sister never gets old...it was so nice to see him every day during our visit. The trip was full of great food, time with close friends, yarn, baseball, wine tasting, etc. etc. You can cram a lot into four days - it was busy but still relaxing.

Artfibers was a blast. It was totally overwhelming to have so many choices in fiber, texture, and design. They will create a custom pattern for a very reasonable price, based on the yarn you choose, your gauge (or a standard one), and your exact measurements. I went there thinking, "I need a cardigan"; I should have gone in thinking, "If I could design the perfect cardigan, what would it look/feel like?" I think I made a good choice, but you could create a whole wardrobe using their yarns and a series of custom designs. I chose a yarn called Shizen - a 75% silk, 25% mohair blend with a sorta scrunchy texture. Here's a closeup where you can (hopefully) see the colors/shading. I believe this is color 12.


Artfibers Shizen
I was so lucky to get a chance to visit Artfibers. If you go, give yourself a good chunk of time to really take it all in.

Anyway, I should go. We've got houseguests! But I really wanted to tell you about my trip. I'll be more chatty later - promise!

Thoughts

Have you noticed that the twinset has faded almost completely? Other than the most staid versions on the Talbots website, no one is even selling them. Maybe I am too classic (read: boring) in my taste - but I LOVE a twinset. There are so many pretty cardigans these days, so it would be easy, but it seems that ala Anthropologie, the trend has moved away from looking 'matchy-matchy' in favor of a more thrown-together, eclectic style. I like that style too, but - I'm waiting for the fashion pendulum to swing the other way...

...I'm going to San Francisco next week, and this time - I'm going to go to Artfibers! I've never made it there because I always seem to show up on a holiday weekend, but this time we will arrive Friday morning and I'm going there first! I think I may spring for some Kyoto. Artfibers will also design a pattern for the yarn you buy...so I will be able to make something fabulous, no doubt!

There's a great picture of a completed Eyelet Cardigan on KPixie's blog here. Tempting, no?

Also, I started a LMKG Chevron Scarf! I am totally addicted. I love the interplay of the flashes of color in the hand-dyed yarns I'm working with. Here's a progress shot:

The colors are hard to photograph, but this is pretty close. Hopefully it's not garish. I've decided to use all my sock yarn for more of these scarves! I may never knit another pair, but I can scarf along with the best of 'em!

Me again

Hi everyone! I'm on the other side of surgery and happy to say that everything went very well. Thank you all for your good thoughts and well wishes. I know they helped keep me safe.

I am at home and on the mend. The pain is manageable, and my mom and my husband have been taking good care of me. I'm spending about 98% of my time in bed, but so far I'm not too bored...I've watched a LOT of DIY, HGTV and TLC. I'm also totally hooked on Top Design! (Why didn't Ryan get kicked off this week instead of Elizabeth??) I'm also knitting, but the turnaround time for photo shoots has lengthened substantially. :) I'm working on the Forest Canopy Shawl in the Dream in Color yarn I showed last week. It's beautiful so far! It's my first lace piece, so I'm excited to see it come together.

Also, I couldn't have been more surprised to receive lots of flowers! And since it is February and snowy, I thought I'd share some happy flower photos. Looking forward to catching up with all of you since I am back home and online.

Busy

Busy times around the sturdygirl household of late. I've been really busy at work, and busy attending to personal stuff too. It's all in an effort to get things squared away before I have surgery and am home from work and resting for four to six weeks.

Yes, you heard me. I'm having surgery on February 8. It's somewhat scary but I think it will be okay. I've never had surgery before, or had a reason to rest long-term for anything other than a broken bone (and that was when I was 6). I think the inactivity and temporary loss of my independence is almost scarier than the surgery.

On the plus side, I should have some quality knitting time to look forward to. When I first found out about this, I was wracking my brains for a special project to start and finish during my recuperation: a lace shawl, a cabled afghan, etc. But then I decided...screw it. It's too much pressure, and I'm not sure I want an item that just reminds me of a scary and painful time. I'm just going to do whatever I feel like and finish old projects, start new ones, swatch, practice crochet, or anything that comes to mind. My brain - and my body - need a break from deadlines and projects.

Oh, knitting? Right. I've been steadily working on my sweater, but realized through trial and error that it did _not_ need waist decreases. In fact, adding in waist decreases created a significant 'pooch' on the sides of the sweater. Not attractive. So after all this work...


(about 14 inches of fabric)
...I'm back to the picture you saw in the last post. Sigh. Oh well, knit and learn! Later, y'all...

Art

"You ask how I know of Toledo, Ohio? Well I spent a week there one day. They've got entertainment to dazzle your eyes: go visit the bakery and watch the buns rise."

-John Denver

Some of you may know that I am from Toledo, Ohio. I was there at Christmas this year, for the first time in a long time. It was great to go back to my hometown and see how it's changed (or hasn't). It's not the most exciting city (see above quote), but it does have a world-class art museum. When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time there, taking Saturday classes almost every term. My mom likes to tell the story of how, in order to get me signed up for my first classes (I was 6), she had to wait in line for hours on the first day of registration. She was about seven months pregnant with my brother, and she says she stood for a long time before someone brought her a chair.

I can't say I was the star of any of my art classes, but in high school I began to show a little promise. Unfortunately, my family relocated after my sophomore year, and I wound up going to a school with almost nothing in the way of an art program. After that, I did very little with visual art, although I did get more involved in music. My college degree is in biology. My current work (which, incidentally, does not involve biology in the slightest) requires very little in the way of creativity, especially with regard to the visual arts.

Not sure why I felt like talking about this; I just started writing and it came out. What got me on the topic was that I wanted to share some pictures from my Christmastime visit to the museum. I guess going there reminded me of a time in my life where I felt a world of creative possibilities. I'd like to think that through developing my knitting and (nascent) sewing skills, I'm entering another creative era of my life.

So anyway...here are some pictures from the collection at my hometown museum. I should also say that Toledo is the glass capital of the world, having been home to several of the largest makers of fine glass, the Libbey Company, as well as other industrial glass companies. The museum has a new Glass Pavilion which displays its vast collection of glass from antiquity to today.


Stegosaurus by Calder and the Museum


1st cent B.C. Roman bowl, mosaic ribbon glass technique


Libbey Glass punch bowl


Lalique bowl


Campiello del Remer #2 by Chihuly, inside the Glass Pavilion