Knitting, spinning… and probably some bitching.

So yesterday the man/boy and I spent sometime getting the hovel sort of cleaned up in preparation of a landlord visit. After her pre-inspection inspection, she offered us a box of produce from her garden! There were tomatoes of different varieties, some little red chili peppers and some larger green chilis. I started thinking about marinara sauce, but R’s thoughts went to the more obvious – Salsa!

We had enough tomatoes for both, including 2 attempts at salsa. (R was not impressed with the first, so try try again.) I liked both, but the first was quite a bit hotter than the second. They’ve been cooling and blending their flavors in the fridge all night, so I’m curious to see how they’ve changed.

Dinner is going to be good tonight!

When did that happen? Flew right past when I starting working again. It’s been a good summer, though. Great mild weather and lots of relaxing weekends…but not much knitting to show for myself. Instead, i was, well, I was…

SEWING!

Weird, huh? That’s what I thought when I followed my whims at JoAnns one day and bought some funky fat quarters. I had no plan for them, but they were just so cute and colorful. (and on sale!)

It wasn’t 3 days before I had checked out 20 quilting books from the library and had implemented a plan.

layout

A week later, people, and I had a quilt top. It happened so fast, I was actually surprised. Turns out, no really, that the creation of fabric (knitting) is way slower than cutting and seaming the fabric (sewing). Sometimes I am impervious to the obvious and must experience it myself for it to sink into my brain. I’m sure this is totally normal.

It took longer to get the thing basted, than it did to piece it, but I perservered and started hand quilting it a couple of months ago.

block detail

The basting was kind of a pain in the knees and the back, so I might do something differently… The handquilting is also not rocking my world, so again next time…

Yep, there will definitely be a next time. I’ve already started cutting…

Wow. Left that post hanging for bit. Oops. I have plenty of news, but most of it isn’t knitting or spinning related.

Firstly, I am gainfully employed! Woo hoo! It’s a permanent position. (double Woohoo!) After only one week, I am tentatively hopeful that this could be a real long term option for me. I like all the people I’m working with, the work is right up my alley and the organization’s culture/environment is just my speed. (not too formal, not too casual.) This little job seems to fit just right and I feel pretty grateful to have it. I do have to drive an hour each way, but with a bit of luck that might not go on too long. Time will tell, but I have a good feeling about the whole thing.

Secondly, I am an Auntie! My little sunshine is almost 2 months old and the cleverest, strongest, most beautiful baby, Ever. (that’s a completely objective point of view,too. No emotional bias At All.). She has cotton socks and sweaters galore, so she’s stylish, too. (course, the man-boy and I are now questioned frequently about when we will procreate, but we can take it.) I am in baby love with her. I forsee lots of weekend trips to missouri in my future. I am powerless to resist her:

So I’m one of those lucky (read: childless) knitters that has a room simply for yarn, needles, wheels, fiber and whatever other little doo hickey that catches my fancy. And what do I do to it?

Behold:

So I thought that my sister visiting was why I had stopped knitting, but it turns out that I’m just not feelin it. I don’t seem to want work on any of my current projects or start any new ones. Shocking isn’t it? Pretty annoying, too since I still don’t have a job therefore plenty of time…

Actually, now that I think of it, everything is a little slumpy. It must be January!

I’m hoping to have a pre-interview by the end of the week so that should perk me up. Maybe I’ll do some stash diving and see if I can’t get myself moving again.

I’ve just finished a really good week. My youngest, and pregnant, sister visited. She is having a girl and the knitting possibilties are great!

We played games, ate out a lot and basically just hung out. (I took the opportunity to ignore the dishes. What?They deserved it. Little punks just kept multiplying whenever I turned my back.) We visited one of my LYS so Sis could point me in the right direction for good baby yarn colors. (Definitely not traditional. Thank goodness.) Soon there will be a pile of baby socks as high as an elephant’s eye!

One highlight of the week: Waterloo Blackhawks v. Indiana Ice. (I just try to follow the puck, but R and Sis kept me in loop.)

One of my goals for 2009 is to write more for the blog, so there might be lots of short, kinda off topic entries. (Until I start slacking again.)

I’ve found yet another fabulous resource at my local library. “Playaways” are mini mp3 players loaded with one complete book. You connect your own headphones and push play. So simple, so convienent. I imagine that I’ll go through the local library’s catalog pretty quickly.

Other goals for this year include: eating more vegetarian, eating less (in general), getting out of breath more often (exercise), and oh yeah, finding A JOB. Knitting-wise? More stash busting, less stash enhancing.

At the moment though, I’m working on a birthday gift for my youngest sister and listening to a fascinating nonfiction acount of the mutiny on the Potenkim.

And my view? A kitty who has no sense of personal or knitting space…

2008 was quite year! I worked at some really interesting places, had my first hospital stay (and surgery!), met some great new people and moved to Iowa. Whew.

In general, it was actually a pretty good year. As a greedy human, I hope 2009 is better, but I can’t complain.

Happy New Year!

(gratuitous/celebratory sock shot)

It hasn’t been that long since my last update (my finger is almost good as new and knitting has commenced!), but since then R and I have packed all of our stuff, rented a new place in Cedar Falls, IA, moved said stuff to said new place and, finally, after holing up with the cats in a Motel 6 until our Milwaukee jobs were finished, have relocated. Whew.

It’s been… insane horrible challenging around here.

R has gotten a(nother) new job, this time in Iowa. Since no one in Milwaukee wanted to hire me permanently, I thought I’d give someone the chance in Waterloo/Cedar Falls. It’s strange how people loved hiring me for contracts, but not so much for permanent positions. Maybe I smell funny? I’m pretty sure I didn’t smell in Missouri… Oh well, nothing left for it but to try, try again, eh?

Mean time, when possible, I’ve been spinning (jammed finger didn’t mind spinning at all) a lot. (I wondered what the maid in the hotel room thought of my wheel.) Also the body of Sonnet is complete and the first sleeve is slowly emerging…

PS – Laptop has made full recovery! WOO HOO! Now to reinstall all my software…

Ok, not really down, but unable to knit this weekend. It seems that a football can be a dangerous thing if you try to catch it…