Thoughts on Designing...

So I have been designing jewelry since I can remember. I love working with the colors and the wire and create new and amazing things. I especially like it when I make something that I was not expecting and it turns out better than that I originally planned. I know I get frustrated but I go with the flow and surprise something amazing happens. Or I scratch it all and put the wire in my to be recycled bag...now on to knitting.

I started knitting last year. You know to make things for lil' R.* What I loved most was looking through pattern books. Immediately thinking of how I could tweak this or that. I scavenged how to design things, and read patterns for fun.

Fast forward to the beginning of the month. I was talking to Dee, of Posh Yarn, and we were chatting about her silk boucle (which I think is an amazing and unique yarn) and how she needed a pattern for it. I busted out - "I could work one up for you" So we chatted and it was figured out that I would be designing something out of this yarn I have seen, had in my stash , but alas never yet knit. I would take what I had on the cruise and start playing with it while Dee dyed up a colorway of her choice and mail it across the pond to me. Well the new yarn got here on Friday and I started. Quickly I discovered I did not like my chosen stitch with this yarn. I was wondering and worrying about what I had gotten myself into. I was feeling REALLY down about the whole situation. I went to knit with my girlfriend and she agreed yarn lovely, stitch would normally be lovely, but these two were not a marriage at all. Well I sat there and pondered. I brought a ball to swatch and spare needles in my size and just casted on. I decided to just knit and knit simple garter stitch. I knew that reverse stockinette highlighted this fabric. I thought maybe just maybe garter stitch would give me the thickness and the stiffness I was looking for. Well 5 rows in was promising. 10 rows in it was confirmed GARTER stitch it was!!!!! The design has now changed. I am going with the flow. I am so excited about this project now. I have a renewed since of hope and excitement for what is flying off my needles. Just what I feel like I was born to do. Designing and changing and working with my materials and making something to highlight them something entirely new.

Good gawd I am seriously a dork I know!

*yes I know I have only finished two items for him...but lets not go there.

Feeling all Tingly...

I finally got the courage and paid for my STR club! I had the code there almost a month just shaking at the thought of spending that amount. I just went for it...Lets hope I don't get grounded for too long lol

Whoa I feel all tingly now. I cannot believe I did this!!!

How a MONTH FLIES BY!!!!!!!!!!!

Well as we left Adore Knits we were stuck in snow in Denver and getting ready to leave for California for the holidays. What I did not tell everyone about was our cruise that we were taking just 2 days after we got home. So here is a quick synopsis there is a TON to update here.

LIFE RELATED:

• Went to CA on Christmas day saw both sides of our family we left with 2 suitcases one big and one small...we came back with 4 LARGE suitcases all at the max weight! Oh and 3 boxes my mom had to ship back. My parents got us small electronics...my MIL (who is a VERY nice lady, but sometimes we have butted heads. She adores little R so please do not think my bitching a bit means I do not like her or anything it is just comical to my sarcastic sense of humor...and I asked her not to spoil him. Alas, Christmas is her thing and she definitely spoiled all of us) well she got me a set of pots and pans! DH a roomba - and lil' R more stuff than I EVER thought was possible. Ummm yeah he has clothes literally for the next year.
  
• We went up to Nor Cal for NYE and saw Jackie Greene. Seriously this guy rocks. If you ever have a chance to see him DO! Honestly though, the show was not one of his best. It was good but not fantabulous.
  
• DH stayed in NorCal for work for the next week. I went back to my parents and then my dad flew home with me to help. Good thing! I have NO idea how I would of done it alone. We got to move our flight one day because of another storm that shut down the airport. We were fine, but our initial flight had us arriving at 10:30 PM and I did not want to get stuck with no 4-wheel drive AND a baby!
• DH came home the next afternoon we flew to Florida for our cruise.
  
• It was "moe.cruise" which means a band called moe. played every night. Yes we went specifically to go see the band.
• R went to a few of the shows. He loved it. Here is a pic of him at the acoustic set. From time to time all the members would stick their tongue out or laugh at him. He was actually REALLY boogying.Our friends took that picture and it was on the moe. myspace page for a bit. I had no idea they told us this week...more on that soon.
  
• My business site went down early in January. I emailed my web designer. I was stuck getting ready to go on the cruise and I never heard back. I came back and discovered her site was down. I found this. Yup I am screwed. Lost all my customers and my files well EVERYTHING! I am looking at this as a blessing in disguise. I actually had the site closed with a splash page because I was going to rework everything. In fact she had/has $250 of my money as a down payment for the upgrade. Good thing DH is taking it well and we will get up and going again really soon. I may end up combining the jewelry info with this blog. If I do it will be under my own URL but I will let you all know about that too - no worries there. Don't think I have many subscribers, but I do love you all that do read. :)
• Well Dee at Posh Yarn has asked me to design a sweater with her silk boucle. We were chatting before leaving on the cruise (she was the first to let me know my site was down!) and long story short I will be designing something amazing for her that I gotta get cranking on because it will hopefully be in Magknits in April. I talked to Dee and saw on Magknits that I can blog about it, but I need to be a bit vague. I am super excited to share with you this fun adventure. I promise to be a better blogger and share with everyone more pictures.
  
• Speaking of the progress: Yesterday, my yarn arrived from Dee it is a gorgeous silvery lavender/blue shade. Almost reminds me of a crocus flower. I swatched with some in another colorway on the cruise. Now I just need to finish some calculations and get knitting. It will be an easy knit that should fancy up any wardrobe, but look amazing with jeans as well.
• I think my photo shoot for the Magknits picture will be the PERFECT excuse to shop for a cute skirt and get my hair did. hehehehe I use the term photo shoot loosely...
• Our new cabinets were put in the day we returned for our cruise. They look A-mazing! Our floor is finally done! So nice to not have black plastic as the flooring. Cork is much more conducive to the lil' man ;)
• My dad, B and I went with our Realtor to look for investment properties. There may be more on that adventure soon.
• Moe. is in Denver area this week...
• Wednesday we went to an instore acoustic show. Lil' R got to go to the sound check while we were picking up our writstbands. All the guys in the band waved at him and he smiled and danced. It was cute because at the signing he remembered the guys from the cruise and was smiling at them and "talking" in his own gibberish way. During the show he was tired, but he still managed to flirt with the ladies behind us and play peak-a-boo with the sound guy and tour manager.
• Thursday, Friday and Saturday we had a sitter for R.
• Thursday was OFF THE HOOK
• Friday was great - but a dumb girl behind me really ticked me off. She actually was HITTING me during the show with her dancing (we were RIGHT up front) and told me that I should not be up front if I did not want to be hit. WHOA! Excuse me...do you have ANY idea how many times I have seen these guys and have NEVER had this issue. At one point (after many attempts at asking her to stop) I actually pushed her with both hands and screamed STOP HITTING ME! I have NEVER done that ever. I was almost mortified with myself...good thing I was surrounded by friends who ended up protecting me. I actually moved there to save a guy friend of mine because sometimes girls hit the guys because well guys can't do anything...they usually will stop if a girl asks them even if they will not for the guy. But this girl was out of control! My friend & I "took control of our fun" and went up top that was 100% better...maybe tonight I will save a chair and have a "rail proxy" lol. Sometimes being the sober mom kinda stinks at a show...maybe if I was as gone as her I would of not minded being beat up.
  
• I have NO idea if we will make it tonight because right now it is snowing with some HUGE flakes!

Knitting Related:

• FO's I gotta get on the horn and post about:
• Misshawklet's Handspun hat of my own pattern
• Fastest Fingerless gloves ever made out of Chunky Posh Silk/Cashmere blend
• Mary Jane Pithy Hat
• Lace Leaf Pullover made in Peace Fleece
• WIPS - yes I do have TOO many of these:
• RYC Harmony Sweater in Alpaca
• Eunny Jang Endpaper Mitts
• Posh/Malabrigo Scarf
• Hedera Socks in Posh Yarn Orchard Colorway
• B's Koigu Socks
• Rowan Carolina Sweater
• YK Sweater
• POSH - This is the #1 Priority!!!!!!
• Frost Jacket is not on the WIP list because she is on the edge of the frog pond. I screwed up the cable & I think I should just start over...but will have to wait for the Posh...so alas not thinking of th Frost these days :( oh well who could resist silk :)

Okay I am off to wash fleece for my spinning class I started last week (well a week ago Thursday we are in our second week). I also need to ball up the Crocus Posh...but that will happen after monster naps...baby and yarn not in a ball is a recipe for disaster.

I will be back soon...missed you ladies!