Monday, January 20, 2014

Hello? Anyone out there?


I seem to have fallen down a deep, dark hole.  The last few weeks have been spent in an effort to climb my way out.  There's been too much time lately spent in doctors offices, having tests done, recovering from those tests and generally trying to get myself feeling better.  Nothing really serious - I suppose a lot of it can be chalked up to aging not so gracefully and thinking I can maintain the same activity level I did 25 years ago.  I am nothing, if not stubborn.

Aannyy wwaaayy (as Ellen DeGeneres says), onward and upward.  Here it is deep into January and I've accomplished none of my January goals.  I'm going to have to get a move on.

What have I done?  Feed the sheep, chickens, dogs, cats, peacock, llamas and alpaca boys first thing in the morning, do a few necessary things around the house (cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing, filing patient records, etc), then off to the barn for evening feeding chores.  There's been some cleaning out going on too.  I've had the urge to purge lately and closets, drawers and cupboards have been under attack.  I've done a few small knitting projects while watching 'Downton Abbey' (I'm sooo happy it's back), 'The Last Tango in Halifax' and now Sherlock.  I've glanced longingly at my Lady Marple sweater, but it's at a point where I need to be at home and paying attention when I'm knitting on it and that hasn't been happening much lately.  So far,  the year 2014 has been a bit of a bummer. I'm ready to change that!  Really, I am.

One way I'm going to perk myself up is to go to a fiber gathering. Fiber Frenzy, a yarn shop in Berea, Kentucky, is hosting a Pins and Needles Retreat in a couple of weeks.  My friend, Teresa, and I have booked a room at historic Boone Tavern and signed up for a few classes. There's nothing I like better than learning new skills and getting to interact with other fiber folks.  I'm thinking it may be just what I need to get myself in gear again.


So, a few of my small projects.  The mittens are Cozy Purl Ridge Mittens designed by Jenny Gordy.  The rust colored ones are knit with Brooklyn Tweed Shelter (oh, I do love the color palette of Shelter) and the white mittens are a rustic handspun skein I found lurking in the stash. It's a well written, fun pattern and perfect for some quick knitting.  The socks have been on the needles for a long, long time and are now finally finished.  That is some Kroy sock yarn that I believe came from Michael's or JoAnn's or some such place - bought just because I liked the bright stripes. (They are not weirdly shaped as they appear to be....photographer error!)  The headband/ear warmer/or whatever you want to call it still needs a button and is knit from mystery yarn, also dug out of the stash.  I'm hoping it's going to be the cure for my perpetual case of bad-hat-hair in the winter.  It's cold and I need something to keep my ears warm when I'm feeding the sheep, but pulling on a hat several times a day electrifies my hair.  I have one more small-ish project that is off the needles and ready for felting.  I'm going to take some before and after pictures and do a book review, along with a great give-away in a few days.

Clearly, I've got some make-up work to do here on the blog.  I'm vowing to do better.

8 comments:

  1. I'm happy to see your post and hear about your knitting.

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  2. Sorry to hear you've been having a rough time! Glad you have vent to look forward to, and at least you're not missing out on pretty weather while you're in the doctor's office!

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  3. Glad your back.
    4 degrees here in west Mi this morning but the sun is shinning!!
    Haven't seen it in quite some time.
    At least a foot of snow on the ground.
    Will be watching for the book review.

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  4. I hope you feel better. This winter has been hard enough without adding health concerns into the mix. And it sounds to me like just the regular feeding and barn chores leaves little time for much else, much less knitting, spinning and reading!
    Keep Warm!
    kim

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  5. Yes, we're all out here just wishing the best for you. Stuff changes and we all have different priorities than at another time. Small pick up knitting is great. I'm trying to knit on 3 sweaters at once which assures no boredom. I've never done this before but it seems to be working.

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  6. I've been knitting small projects and feeling quite productive; you should, too!

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  7. I think the purging is a worthy accomplishment, even if it wasn't one of your original goals, so it's okay that you haven't had as much time for knitting lately. I hope you're feeling completely better soon.

    I'm excited that we get to watch this season of Sherlock as it is airing. We've had to wait for Netflix to get it in the past.

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