Where have you been?

Hopefully some of you die hard fans of mine have been asking yourselves just that.  Where are my entertaining blog posts to get you through your day?

Well my dears, I have been occupied with other projects than my knitting (!!!)  Shocking.  My friends from Ann Arbor came to visit and boy are they distracting in the best way possible!  We had lots of romping adventures and I got to practice my photography.  Here's our best shot:

Yesterday I pickled some beets.  We ran out of sugar so they are VERY vinegary.  I am considering making warning labels. 

Now that everyone's gone and the beets are pickling, I have pulled on my plaid pj shorts over my pink sweatpants and have just sat down to start some new projects.

It's WHAT Time?

That, friends, is how I feel every time I look at the clock.  I spent quite a long time this morning changing the whole layout of my blog, only to decide in the end that I liked it better how I had it in the first place!  So much craziness is happening right now, it's a wonder I can remember to do anything.  I flipped out for a while earlier because I thought I had missed my dental appointment only to discover that it's actually tomorrow.  Those are the kind of odds I'm up against as I struggle to be productive.

On a happier note, my spinning is going very well indeed!  I hand-dyed some wool on Monday night with my two knitting gals, Kat and Kelly!  Fun night, good company, and, of course, crazy cats!  Don't worry, I've included a picture.

I have also almost finished spinning up some lovely silk and merino fiber that I got at the Ann Arbor Fiber Expo last fall.  I have plans for it but they're secret.

The key to this spinning success?  Some KnitPicks podcasts and PG Wodehouse books on tape.  I love the podcasts because they are inspirational and educational.  Kinda like the PBS of knitting.  As for Mr. Wodehouse, well...he's just my favorite.  I love the tales of the cavorting Wooster who's always getting himself engaged to ridiculous women and his gentleman's personal gentleman, Jeeves, who then has to get him out of the situation.  Never hear of either?  Check them out.  You won't regret it.  Or you might but that's not really my fault now is it?

Names 'n' Things

I am on a mission to come up with a name for my knitting and my eventual event consulting businesses.  Yesterday I had a rhythm going.  I would come up with a name, write it down, think about it, and finally ask my father about it.  All good stuff.  We made it through about ten ideas before my father decided to google all the names and see if they'd been used already.  Turns out ALL of my ideas had been.  I'm stumped!!!  Any ideas friends?

Apart from a bit of creative inspiration failure, today was an excellent knitting day.  I sent out my very first submission to a knitting magazine for one of their upcoming issues!  I designed a pattern AND wrote an article!  I am beyond excited.  I have been working on this for weeks and now it's finally out of my hands.  No matter what happens, I'll let you all know more details when I find out.

Appreciation? I'm not so sure.

Anna wanted to know if Sorcha appreciated her Christmas mice that I knit for her.  Here's the surviving one:

The other one had been reduced to a pile of stuffing.  This one, though it is mostly in tact, has lost quite a bit of it's tail and stuffing.

I do believe that somewhere in her cat brain, Sorcha is telling me she loves her presents.  However, if one of you ever ripped apart one of my knitted gifts with your teeth, I'd probably cry.  And then have you committed.

Finishing School

I have SO many projects lying around that are knit but not sewn together.  Thus today I have opened my finishing school in an effort to tidy up the masses.  I have a lot of loose ends going on in my life right now (that sounds dramatic doesn't it?) and I'd like to do something about them.  Perhaps some inspirations will come to me while I'm knitting.

My dear kitty Sorcha decided she wanted to be a part of the knitting today.  Only, per usual, her method of helping was to steal my yarn and bite my needles.  She has since been confined to my room.  Not that she minds since she sleeps on my pillow everyday anyways.

Bwains!!!!

Got your attention, didn't I?  Yes, I have found a picture of a knitted brain, which you can see to the right.  Awesome right?  It's from this site called The Museum of Anatomically Correct Fabric Brian Art.  Check it out here:
http://harbaugh.uoregon.edu/Brain/


On another note, does anyone want to do the 2012 Knitting Olympics?  Basically you cast on a challenging (but not impossibly hard) knitting project as the torch is lit and you have to finish before the torch is extinguished!  The information for this Knitting Olympics isn't up yet (since the real Olympics are still about 7 months away).  Just something to keep in the back of your mind.

1 Down, Many To Go

I finished my first commissioned project today!  It was for my mother... but still, that counts right?  Anyways, here's a picture:

It is a head wrap with a knitted/beaded flower!  I am on a roll making these flower head wraps so if anyone wants one... well you know where to find me.

In other knitting news, I am full of pattern designing inspiration, color work still presents a challenge, and I finished another baby hat for my mother.  Basically, if you want to talk designing, I'm in.  If you know anything about color work, please share.  And if you want to see the baby hat I just finished...um, go track down the baby who's currently wearing it?  Not sure where that one was going.