Saturday, May 30, 2009

A Cure

If one is in need of a cure for startitis, I have found one.  I'm probably not the first one to discover this, nor will I be the last, but I felt that I had to share.  Guilt.

I have been looking (and almost stalking, but I'm not quite there yet) the Saoirse Shawl from IK Spring 2009.  It is soooo pretty, and as I'm beginning to focus on redoing my wardrobe, it's something I'd love to have.  However, thanks to my near pattern stalking, I've learned that towards the end, it takes over an hour and a half to work one row, which is worse that my Mystic Light!

Which brings me to why I haven't cast on the Saoirse Shawl or something else that would use my Karabella Aurora 8 in Oxford Grey.  The Mystic Light shawl.  It was supposed to be a Yule present (though I say Christmas most of the time, we're not Christian) for my blood sister, Kierstyn.  It is nearly June, and it's not done.  While that alone would put some pressure on me, I have a little internal deadline.

Next Friday (June 5), is the anniversary of Kierstyn's boyfriend's suicide.  As the Mystic Light was first intended to be a prayer shawl (well, something with similar purpose), I want her to have it on that day.  However, I don't have the means to block the shawl, so even if I finish it in time, I doubt I'd be able to block and dry it in time.

Of course, the Ocean Tide Shawl needs to be blocked, too.  That was meant as a prayer shawl for Sierra, and I also wish that I could have it blocked by Friday.  The guy that committed suicide was Sierra's ex-boyfriend.  So there is a lot of trauma around, and I'm nervous about Friday.  I think I will breathe a bit easier after Saturday, but I think I will always tense up around this time of year.

Oops, that was supposed to be about knitting, not my crazy life.  Well, the guilt from not having the Mystic Light shawl done is preventing me from casting on with the Aurora 8 (which is sooo soft, as it is 100% merino(!!!)), but I managed to side step it for long enough to start the Evenstar Gloves.

I am a total Lord of the Rings dork, with all the books (read the series only twice, but I will start it again soon), all the extended editions of the movies (watched those innumerable times), and all the soundtracks, though I really want the complete recordings of all three as well.  Any knitting pattern that has to do with LotR goes into my queue, including A Cardigan for Arwen, Eowyn (those are fingerless gloves), and the Rivendell Socks.

I am now done with the first cable repeat on the first glove, but the Mystic Light is nagging me.  I have 24 rows left, but each takes me anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes (or perhaps longer, I haven't timed it).  The length of each row, though I know that it's nothing compared to the Ocean Tide Shawl is really putting me off.  At least in the Ocean Tide Shawl, I had memorized the pattern, which was really simple.  I have to have the chart with me when I work on the Mystic Light.

Well, at 3 o'clock today, I go over to Diana's house to help set up for her birthday party later tonight.  I don't have a gift for her, but I have an idea of what to make her, even though she is capable of making it herself =].  Lots of dancing will happen, but it will cut into my knitting time.  Oh wells, I still can't wait for the party.

Hmm, I meant to work out this morning, but I'd rather take a shower right now....  I'll figure something out =]

-Sami

Sunday, May 17, 2009

El fin de la semana

This week/weekend was great. I got new yarn (yay!) for the Muir and Shipwreck shawls and I got to hang out with Snowdrop (lots of music and chocolate there).

On Wednesday, Snowdrop & Hawthorn & I went to Eva's Needlework and bought pretty yarn. I bought some green laceweight for the Muir shawl (70/30 wool/silk) while Snowdrop got some mohair and Hawthorn got a skein of Malabrigo Worsted.

Yesterday (Saturday), my aunt took me to Santa Monica because one of the yarn stores there was having a sidewalk sale. Man, that store is expensive! I didn't really find anything I had to have, so I didn't buy anything. Afterwards, my aunt took me to another store in the area, Jennifer Knits. My aunt bought me 7 skeins of Prism Merino Mia for my Shipwreck shawl. It's a bit heavier than the pattern calls for, but I don't think that it will be much of a problem =].

In the evening, Snowdrop and I went to the movies and saw Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. It was a great romantic comedy.  Then, we got Cold Stone ice cream, went to her house, and spend the next 20 hours listening to music, knitting, and eating a whole lotta chocolate.

I'm taking pictures of my friends for a scrapbook my mom made for me.  All of the pics will be in black and white, and I thought I'd post them here, too.

This is me.


And this is Hawthorn and her boyfriend (who is, ironically, my ex-boyfriend).


Peace, 
-Sami


Ocean Tide Shawl


It's all done! But Sierra can't see it until it's blocked, so the picture is not on Ravelry, and there won't be one until she gets it.

Posted by ShoZu

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The Silence

The night is very silent. Yes, there are the noises of the night creatures or of far and near traffic, but they do not muffle the silence of sleeping bodies. Every movement made by the person awake seems amplified and there are noises that ring out that were not made by the awakened person. I woke up around 1:00 A.M. from a nightmare and wasn't able to go back to sleep. It has been a long time since this has happened. I turned to my knitting, and I was comforted. Podcasts, and soon, gentle music keeps away the silence that brings back the childish fears of monsters in the closet. I don't plan on going back to sleep tonight, knowing that I'd just have to get up in too few hours.
Goodnight and sleep well.
-Sami
P.S. I sense Starbucks in my future.

Posted by ShoZu