Thankless Job

I thought I would feel good when I finished painting the baseboards. It's a good recession renovation: just take the paint from the garage and use.
But my family feels very strongly about preparing surfaces for painting, so I'm stiff all over from washing walls and sanding. The finished effect is pleasing- but very subtle.
It's like weaving ends in when you finish a knitting project. I wove in many ends last night while watching Twilight with Emily. The aran afghan is finished and needs just a light blocking. But I can't access the floor until the painting is finished and cleared away and the carpet is vacuumed. Darn that dog hair.
Still "frolicking" in the second sleeve of Bristow. Then I have to reknit the back in the correct gauge.
I did wind up some alpaca and the Handmaiden, so I may try to get out of this funk with a little startitis.
I am joining the Spring Into Summer endeavour. I have gained 10 pounds since I last stepped on a scale and am horrified and discouraged. Perhaps the encouragement of gentle knitters will help me to choose better meals while continuing my increased activity. The studying really held me back, as well as health troubles. But I need to work through those so I have the peace of mind to sit and knit.

Basically Stumbling

I am still waiting my paper work to begin nursing. I'm not late yet, but I don't think it'll be ready for me to start on Friday as first planned. I thought I had left lots of time. I'm afraid I have disappointed my head nurse. It has been over a month since I did a shift, and from here it seems daunting.

So I set goals.

Yesterday I worked on Scott's afghan. It's already March and when will I sew it together if not now? I have been sewing and knitting since I was a very young littlest sister. Six, eight years old? Julie and I used to make stuffed animals out of our older sister's leftover velvet. We were corking fools. I still have the first awful bit of knitting I ever did. A blue scarf for my teddy bear, Susie. I just tried to find them in the little wicker suitcase she sleeps in. No luck.

And it looks like little luck in the very unprofessional job of stitching up these squares and seed stitch sashes. Is it the seed stitch? Is is that I don't want a ridge on the back, so I can't make the front look as good as seaming a sweater?

This, as Ann from http://www.masondixonknitting.com/ says, will be my Lenten discipline.

Scotty is encouraging and says it's beautiful.

Then there's stocking stitch. How old was I when I learned this? I can knit lace and cables, and lace into cables. But stocking stitch is really challenging me. My purl back is showing great ridges, unless I carefully relax it. I normally knit loosely, but if I try to compensate, I get stuck with more ridges.

The good news is that if you are mindful in your knitting and focus on every stitch, or tension, or hand movement, in time, you will work past it and develop a new good habit.

I finished a whole audio book yesterday, while I drowned in the afghan, that I started on my 3 hour drive to Kamloops.

I also finished my book club book, A Year of Magical Thinking. Ironically, I feel that reading it has jinxed me and I have to keep better track of my husband until I go onto the next book.

I have other projects that were placed on long lists while I studied and made notes and wrote exams. This is a very different year than last year. I'm also trying to connect with my friends and family who were so ignored in the midst of refresher courses.

We had a lovely baby shower on Sunday with the ladies from my husband's practice. We are so lucky to have such good people on staff and working as vets. How can I connect better with them? If I can learn how to do new nursing skills, I can learn to visit with friends. And I can learn how to do basic knitting skills (all over again).

Slow Food

I'm part of the "Slow Food" movement. I got the craziest look at a party a while ago. But my kids have been trained to answer to "What is the secret ingredient?"... "Time" they say with their eyes rolling. But I'm serious. There is no substitute for a good long cook on the stove or in the oven. On Wednesday I was home last week (the other days were in the lab), so I made supper and I also cooked down some onions for French Onion Soup. This is a real favourite in our house. It doesn't take a lot of work, but it takes about 3 or 4 hours for those 6 giant walla walla sweet onions to cook down to carmelized.
Yum. A bit of olive oil and a bit of butter. The trick is to have really good broth. If you can't make it, I've been enjoying Campbell's organic chicken lately. And I like to use "Herbes de Provence". I forgot to put red wine in this time. Of course the fresh baguette is a must. It was a nice treat to come home to D heating it up and getting the dinner ready.
October's square was also from Alice Starmore's Inishmore. I loved this one. I set it up for the carpool commute and finished it Saturday night. Just as well because I'm a bit stuffed up and stupid now.
Miss February had her debut at a birthday lunch and was very comfortable. It's a big deal for me to have a sweater that fits. At first I had the wrong buttons! They were too small. So back to the fabric store for more. It just takes time. The sewing is quick. I even had to give the website to the check out girl at Safeway and there are few things more satisfying than that.
The new buttons had been my second choice, and next time, at 60% off, I'll just buy both sets and save myself a trip.
On Friday night D took our kids and youthgroup to the corn maze. Unfortunately God decided to rain down on them heavily. They were exhausted. And I had to be a nice spouse and drive Emily to her thing early Saturday morning. I didn't feel guilty sitting at home with my knitting and a Cranford DVD. We love Elizabeth Gaskell.
While in the city of Abbotsford (30 minutes west) I decided to poke around at a few shops. Michael's had Paton's Classic Merino on for $5 a ball, so I got enough for a nephew sweater in sweatshirt grey. That's all I've seen nephew six wear. I also bought some tulle for a tutu Christmas present a la "the Blue Blog". I'm sending it to a girlie girl cousin in California.
At Rietman's I found a few t-shirts to replace my plethora of turtlenecks because there's no way that I can manage with a covered neck when the thermostat starts fritzing. I know when this started. I think I'm going to invest a year or so before I see the doctor because I don't want to take hormones. Like I told him, "I didn't take anything for puberty." I just bought plain brown and black and grey. I tend to brighten up my wardrobe with scarves and jewellery. I'll bet you do too.
On the plus side, lighter sweaters also look better on big girls, according to Amy Singer.

Diversions

I should be studying. I am studying at 10 pm on a Saturday, but I wanted to see what you all posted and I needed to catch up on my own little blog patch.

The second square of the aran afghan flew off the needles. I am enjoying revisiting the sweaters that made this left over stash of aran yarn. Beth Brown Reinsel is the sweetest and best teacher. I see her name offered in workshops on the other side of the continent and I sigh. Some day I may be able to meet her. But this Knittng Ganseys is a workshop. I bought it when our old wool shop owner achieved master knitter status, qualified for carpal tunnel surgery and sold all her books. Now she beads.

I have already begun the third block and set up a scrapbook/notebook to keep track of my progress. Reflection is one of the joys of experience. The third square is EZ's fish trap which is a bit of a challenge on the straight. I'm getting it.

I also knit up all the dark green and have added the lighter green on the pi baby blanket. It looks like a sac. It'll look better off the needles. It's good TV knitting which I shouldn't do too much of.

Tomorrow we go up the hill to discuss the family cruise. I'm looking forward to it and I'm dreading the in-law expectations. Our rule on a holiday is that everyone gets to do what they want. I will want to read and knit and walk. A lot like a regular good day.

D. and I went out to Earl's lastnight while Noodlepie and her friends saw 27 dresses. It was nice to be just a couple away from the hurricane of teens. He was supportive today and let me hide in his office to get some studying done while he recalked the tub. Thanks D.

Escaping the Stash

Today is a day for planning.
I took down the tree and decorations and cleaned the front room. Whew!
I have in my stash an inordinate amount of aran wool. I have knit many aran sweaters and so have this very similar stash. I plan to make cabled squares for my son. At first I thought one per month because I really enjoyed the hat a month year a year ago. But this is probably a graduation present and he's only in grade 11, I can take my time and stitch it up, too.
I hope to do 12x12 inch blocks with a bit of seed stitch border and delve into some of my stitch pattern books. Although I am inspired by the Knitters' All American Aran Afghan, I really don't like most of those squares. I'll check in my back issues, though.
I cleaned up my stash enough that I have room to put my knitting magazines on those shelves.
The sleeve is decreasing. I hope to cast on the second one tonight. It depends on family viewing.
I really enjoyed listening to Live and Violet while cleaning this morning. I even joined the chore wars. We'll see if this encourages or intimidates.
I am cleaning up some files and emptying out my upstairs cabinet for the soon to be all-encompassing Nursing courses. I need to buy my books and hook up for on-line lessons. I'm glad I've already gotten my feet wet in that arena.
Hope your New Year's Day is filled with new hope and beginnings.