Day: September 28, 2010

It’s Tuesday.
I started and finished a test knit today after going to both stores in town that carry yarn, found nothing, and just made do with 2 balls I had on hand.
Bad Religion’s new album The Dissent of Man came out today. So far I have no opinion. It sounds like Bad Religion, and their social issues are the same. It may grow on me over the next week. We’ll see.
I hurt but it is the good kind of recovery hurting so I don’t mind.
Tomorrow I train at the hotel for a full day with a Dr.’s appointment smack in the middle of the day. Not so sure how working for 5 hours after being tortured is going to work out. My butt is so bruised from the last visit I am scared to let him touch me tomorrow. It will be good no matter what.
Holy crap, I almost forgot. I did jump lunges, squats, and all kinds of other stretching exercises last night and again today. Maybe that’s why I hurt so much. Who cares, I needed it.
You know, I am trying to stay focused on being okay in the now and not feeling like a complete failure for not being perfect. I expected perfection, to a certain extent, thinking my life was set on a path for the last 15 years that would eventually lead to success and happiness. The realization that it wasn’t going to happen in my marriage was shocking but reality. I can’t force someone to be something, and someone, they aren’t. I can only change and compromise so much without it costing a lot for me and my kids. It was time to face the truth, that we couldn’t force it, it was killing both of us inside.
“We’re okay until the day we’re not. The surface shines while the inside rots.” – Rise Against
I heard that line for the first time and my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. I knew I couldn’t go on in life being miserable. Am I a ray of sunshine now? Umm.. nope. But I am not rotting inside. I am me. I haven’t felt like me for years. I was a damn good faker. I had a friend tell me that reading my blog for the last few years you would never know I was unhappy, rotting inside, miserable. My surface was shining with my perfect front I put up for public consumption.
I am getting stronger with each challenge, I think.
I wish vivid, realistic dreams would leave me alone. I can’t seem to shake those. Sorry kind of off topic. But it is time to wind down and get to bed so avoiding dreams that stick with me for days was on my mind.
I know my blog content has changed immensely in the last month. I apologize, kind of, but I have to be honest about what is going on in my life and not carry on here like all is dandy and swell (like I did for the last 6 years) when most of you know it sure as hell is not. Maybe if I had been more honest fewer people would have been surprised by the divorce and losing our business and house.
Take it or leave it, but this is what you get for the foreseeable future.
I do promise to do my best to at least let my humor, dark, morbid, light, or goofy, shine through when I can.

Just thought I would mention that in case you all didn’t notice.

Textured Shawl

Originally uploaded by chauntelandreasen

I love this!
The textured stitch in the shawl pattern (recipe as the designer likes to call it) is so simple yet so striking!
The Farmhouse Silk Blend yarn has beautiful flecks of orange, pink, brown and even a little bit of blue thrown in.
I am so pleased!

Textured Shawl

Originally uploaded by chauntelandreasen

I got so tired of the socks I have been working on that I decided late last night to just cast on already!
I have put off making the Textured Shawl Recipe (you can only find it on Ravelry) until I decided on the perfect yarn match.
Well, I found it!
Farmhouse Yarns Silk Blend in Natural
4 oz, 350 yards
More than enough to make a decent sized shawl for summer time.
Heaven knows it won’t ever be too hot, we haven’t seen real sunshine in weeks!
I want to whip this baby out! I need a good, quick, well-accomplished project right now.

So Tracy finished her February Lady sweater and I LOVE IT.
So of course I must mimic her in all her glory!
Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Cavern from Oregon Trail Yarn & Books on Ebay.
Size 8 Denise needles
3 vintage plastic buttons that make me happy ;o)

And the Casting On begins!!
I am in a serious cast on mode. I would like to do a dozen sweaters, right now. Some lace, some cables, some large gauge, some small gauge. I am all over the map.
But first, I feel the need for a Laminaria Shawlette out of some Silk Habu yarn I picked up at Loop & Leaf.

I want it to be like a neckerchief that I can throw around my neck without covering my shoulders at all really. I decided to knit it using size 4 needles instead of my usual size 6 or 7’s for lace. A much tighter gauge will give it a thicker fabric when finished, just what I want!

With the last Olympics came the Knitting Olympics hosted by The Yarn Harlot.
This Olympics came Ravelympics hosted by Ravelry!
The idea is simple: knit a project in the time between the Opening Ceremonies and the Closing Ceremonies.
This was my project, the Little Birds Cardigan from Twist Collective designed by Ysolda Teague.

Yarn: Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift in Eesit (natural undyed)- 2 balls
Leprechaun-1 ball
Petrol blue- 1 ball
Lunar blue- 1 ball
as well as Jaggerspun Highland Heather in Stone- 1 cone, 1400 yards.
Needles: US 1 & US 3
It fits well, I chose to make 3/4 sleeves. My gauge was a tad tighter than recommended so I was still able to follow the charts precisely for my size and have them come out just the right length.
The body is a good length too, just to my hips. The photo in the group above makes it look short since my tank is hanging out the bottom and my pants are sagging a little low. George was the photographer this morning and let’s just say that was the best, most flattering of the bunch ;o)
For knitting it in just under 3 weeks I am pretty pleased! I did take a few days off here and there. I don’t feel like I really pushed myself like I could have to have it finished by the closing ceremonies. Sadie’s slumber party for her 11th birthday took precedence the Friday and Saturday of the Olympics final weekend. No knitting was done those days!
The pattern was written pretty well. I felt a little lost towards the top/end where some shaping in the shoulders and back was happening but my common sense took over and I just did what I thought made sense. It worked out well and fits exactly as it should.
Overall it was a fun knit and I know I will love wearing it!

Another online knitting magazine that I found through Ravelry~ amazing I didn’t know about it!
knitonthenet :: Archive.

I know, I started it way back in September of last year. I know I said I would be done with it by December. I know, I know!

But, it’s done now. Complete!

I don’t have pictures yet. They need to do it justice.

I promise, good ones!

 

Oh, and I made a quickie Mermaid Scarf on Saturday using a (giant) ball of Noro Taiyo. It’s so cute. Pictures of it to come soon too ;o) Promise!