I’ve been feeling a bit shlumpy lately and haven’t felt like writing here much. I have missed it but every time I go to actually write a post, I draw a complete blank and can’t think of anything to write that anyone would actually want to read. I like writing when I am happy, unlike Casey- who has a journal filled with angry/ sad rantings. (love ya, babes! hehe)

Doing okay though… just have been adjusting to my new life, post-work. It is harder than I thought to get myself on a reasonable schedule/ routine. I do better with routines and structure and have absolutely NONE right now.

Because of this, I have been having a hard time falling asleep at night so I am up until 2, 3, 4, 5 am no matter how hard I try. Even getting up early isn’t helping reset my inner clock. Also, I burnt the crap out of my hands taking tomato sauce out of the microwave the other night (yes, burnt myself again!!) and had a migraine for the first time in over five years.

Anyways… blah blah blah.

Just wanted to pop in to say hello… the longer I am gone, the harder it is to come back, ya know? I have another post in the works so hopefully this will restart the old blogging engine.

I am at Casey’s office studying for a test that I have tonight. (I have decided that I cannot get anything done in my apartment- too many distractions… and the coffee shops are full of freaks.)

One of Casey’s coworkers is cutting his toenails. In the middle of the office.

Whaa??!

1. Linda at A Good Yarn

I bought a ridiculous amount of orange yarn for Julie’s stole, as in twice as much as I actually needed. You know how it is, you get down to the wire with a project, are confused, have a credit card and the rest is history.

Fortunately, the lovely Linda understands how this stuff can happen and allowed me to exchange the Karabella 8 that I had for this beeeautiful color:

What will I do with it, you ask? Well, make a happy cable cardigan, of course! Which brings me to…

2. The kpixie gals

I have heard Wendy talk and talk about how great this online store is but I really like to feel the yarn I buy so I don’t often buy yarn online. Unless I have had a chance to molest it in person first, of course.

So anyway, I was looking for a cute cabled cardigan to knit with the above karabella8 and I ran into this beauty: (It used to be here on kpixie but it has mysteriously disappeared!! agh.)

I was so excited to find that it only took one day for me to receive my package of goodies- I mean, it made it back here quicker than I drove back from New Jersey!

Oh! I also ordered some yarn because it just seemed silly to pay shipping for one piece of paper. Really, I was just being sensible.

Which brings me to…

3. Vesper Sock Yarn (the knitterly things site, and kpixie’s store)

Okay, I haven’t actually knit with it yet but look at the happy colors! I can’t wait to cast on but I want to find the perfect pattern… do I want to go with a classic pattern to enjoy the stripes in their perfect-ness, or do I want to go zig-zaggy? Decisions!

I was going to tell you guys about a few things tonight… including the new project that I am very excited about and a couple online yarn stores that have made me happy recently.

Unfortunately, I am pooped. I met up with Miss Maya earlier and we had some warm beverages and I giggled at two guys zooming around the street outside on those Segway things (bwahaha… don’t even get me started… It is impossible to look cool on one of those…. hahaha)

Then we made our way over to a knitting get-together… I already knew that I could only be there for an hour because I had to go back to Cambridge to be on time for class at 7:30.

There were some really nice girls there and I was sad to leave.

I was also sad to leave when I did because I missed the lasagna… and I had a yummy girly drink which meant that I had a roaring headache and an empty stomach 10 minutes later and got stuck in traffic and couldn’t find a parking space for the burrito place and had to park under the largest Tow Zone sign I have ever seen and then had to wait in an enormous line and then they didn’t have ice so I just left my glass and ran back to the car and then waited in more traffic going into Harvard Square and couldn’t find a parking space again and was late for class… (GASP FOR AIR)

Anyway.

I have no energy now… but I do want to tell you about the project and the yarn stores.

Just not tonight.

I am at home in New Jersey and my parents have gone all out for my visit.

My dad bought twizzlers, sour watermelons and my sparkling water. My mom is in the kitchen right now making my favorite- chicken dinner with the works (mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, spinach and butternut squash.) mmm!

AWWW yeah!!

If only my poor sweetie wasn’t at home eating pasta and working on work stuff! Love you, miss you!

It is seriously cold here in Boston. I know, you Canadians will pipe in and say it is colder up there… you are right. I am sure!

Anyhoo.

At this time of year, I feel the need to knit a hat for a certain person. What can I say, he looks cute in hats.

I am lacking in inspiration though- has anyone seen any cool hats for a guy lately?

My family is the type that likes to plan. Every time there is a family get-together, it requires a lot of thought and you must do it far in advance.

This year’s holiday planning is freaking stressing me out. It is not even Halloween.

I know, I know! Everybody has stressful holidays. (Who said that you have to love your family, not to like them? haha)

In my case, the problem is not that we don’t want to be with people. Actually, we want to be in three places at the same time.

Casey’s holiday situation is already complicated because he has divorced parents and it is difficult to keep them both content as it is… Everything has to be even or else someone feels hurt. Also, one of his sisters started college this year (out of New Hampshire!!! Go Haley!) so he feels that it is important to be there so that he can spend time with her during the holidays.

Then on my side, my family lost Aunt Beth last March, with whom we usually spend every holiday… which will make this year’s celebrations a bit difficult for everyone, especially my father, since it is the first season since she passed.

Also, my family is very small- it is just my mom, dad, brother and me. So if someone is not there, it wouldn’t really feel like a holiday… it would just be a sad little affair.

If our families were actually within driving distance, we could somehow do it all (although be very exhausted at the end of it). Unfortunately, my family is in New Jersey and Casey’s in New Hampshire- about a 6 hour drive each way. If we had a lot of money, we could fly back and forth but that doesn’t seem feasible either.

Every other year (we have been together for almost 8 years), we have separated for the holidays, both Thanksgiving and Christmas… feeling like we would rather miss each other than make people mad. That is not really an option this year- we are married now and want to be together and share the holidays with our families.

I am not really looking for a solution… I know what we need to do. Choose for this year and then do the opposite next year. We cannot make everyone happy all the time, I know that.

It just sucks. I hate disappointing the people we love. Ack, how am I going to respond to the emails asking us what we are doing?

Maybe I should just get pregnant and we can stay where we are and everyone will just come to us. Just kidding!! Christopher!

(if socks had butts)

Yippi! I am loving Chelsea right now… (as I said, she showed me the two circular needle method and gave me this helpful link.)

I finally finished my first sock! and am trucking through the second one! I knit all of that 2nd one tonight! And I am still going!

Yes, I am very excited!

I was not so excited yesterday and the day before when I couldn’t find a good cast-off method that was elastic enough to go over my heel. (I guess I have freakishly skinny feet or very large heels…)

I tried the regular, traditional bind-off and the single crochet bind off, neither of which would even fit all the way up my foot. Lovely.

Then, I went back to my trusty brittany double points and added two stitches per needle and did 5 rows of k1,p1 ribbing and then tried the (gulp) “grafting or kitchener stitch” bind off. Which was brave of me because I have never been able to successfully graft anything EVER. (bind off method from this awesome finishing book)

It actually worked!!

wee! Happy feet!

(update! Since everyone is asking- the yarn is Lana Grossa’s Meilenweit Cotton Fantasy #803.)

I was at a bookstore today and, as usual, spent a great deal of time looking at the knitting book section.

I found this book and thought, Christmas knitting? ugh! Probably full of ugly Christmas sweaters with bobbles!

Handknit Holidays- Melanie Falick

Boy, was I wrong! I want to knit tons of stuff in this book!

I was not able to find any images directly from the book but this lovely lady took pictures of the projects, here. (wowee! She even put the yarn requirements!)

My favorites are the nutcracker slippers, lace photo mats, the (hershey) kiss cap (teehee! too cute!), ornaments, this little purse, this scarf….ack! I could go on and on!

I am excited because there are some smaller projects using more advanced colorwork than I have tried. (I guess I haven’t really tried colorwork much at all now that I think about it…) I can’t wait to give it a shot!

Just a quick word though, be careful where you buy it- the price seems to vary greatly. At the large chain bookstore I went to today, it was $30 and on Amazon, you can get it for $18.15.

Well, Carrie, the knitting gods have punished me for doubting that you would not have enough yarn to finish your clapotis.

I really have not enough yarn to finish my clapotis. I am completely baffled here. I am using the same yarn that the pattern called for… and I have followed the instructions. (didn’t make it longer or anything…)

It even seems to measure correctly…. but see that tiny ball of yarn? I have about 60 stitches now.

Stupid little ball of yarn.