Color therapy

This weekend I went to see my parents.  It's a 9 hour drive each way.  While it doesn't seem like it should be, riding in a car is exhausting.  Even when the weather is gorgeous and you have your sweetheart driving you all the way.

I was trying to put a positive spin on things by acknowledging that I had 18 hours of knitting time.  I didn't think about my 6am departure as actually taking away from that knitting time...nor really the fact that on our return trip I would lose knitting time at the end of the day.  But it was a good 14 hours of knitting (or knitting related activity) time.

SO, my car knitting...therapy knitting...comfort knitting...whatever you'd like to call it is this blanket from the Berroco Comfort Afghans.  The pattern is called Autumn Haze, and while I'm not using Comfort yarns, I do find the knitting of this blanket to be very comforting indeed. You'll also notice that I'm not using autumn colors, but I've mentioned that before.

This photo shows the blanket 1/3 finished.  That's one full pattern repeat.  I've decided to reassign colors to the "letters" in the pattern to create a more random and overall colorful effect.  I'm now about 1/2 finished (expect to be tonight if I feel like working on it).

The yarns I'm using are a mix of things from my stash--some Malabrigo Worsted (the delicious purple on the end, pink and turquoise solids).  There's a fun alpaca tweed in a lighter turquoise--can't remember the yarn brand or company.  I'm using some Cascade 220 (light purple) and Knit Picks Swish worsted (the variegated purple and pink).  I love the colors in this afghan, I love the knitting of this afghan (even the slip-stitch color work is gorgeous and interesting) and I love the textural interplay between all the different yarns.  The plump Malabrigo next to the springy Knit-Picks and the slick Alpaca.  It's just gorgeous in so many ways.  And total color therapy.  It's very difficult to dwell on sad or depressing things with all that color and lovely yarn in my hands.

On the way out, though, I almost hit a road block though.  I ran out of the ball of turquoise I was using and needed to wind off a hank of yarn...I usually do this with my swift or David, but David was driving, so I had to improvise.  Thankfully I've lost a lot of weight and am more flexible so was able to get the hank of yarn around my legs and wound it off by going under my legs about 100 times.  See I got exercise too.  Need proof?

Lastly, yesterday I took the day off to recuperate.  I knitted on the Purple Blanket and rested and thoroughly enjoyed myself.  At some point I decided that it was time to examine the stash and see what I could get out of it to make Alyssa's afghan. (I'm sure this is the case when having 2 children, but it's more so when having twins...if I commit to making one thing for one, I MUST make something for the other immediately, sometimes simultaneously...)  In the interest of stash reduction, I wanted to make this happen as much as I could from the stash, but in conversation with David we decided that if I HAD to buy some yarn to flesh out a project that it wasn't a bad thing...as long as the net income of yarn was less that the outflow.

SO, I went into the studio, dug through my wool basket, my alpaca basket, my basket with yarns set aside for other projects long-since forgotten...and I even raided the sock yarn baskets.  (I had put a few skeins of worsted in their with the intention of making some thick socks for around the house).  I came up with the yarns below:

I had intended Alyssa's afghan to be much more green, but what happened is the rose colors really came through...and blues and greens...and some gold, oranges and browns.  And they all look perfectly lovely together.

And yes, that's a calico cat in there.  She totally loved all the yarn in the floor and I had to put everything away to keep her from "cleaning" the babies I'd left her.

I'd rather be weaving

...right now...right this very minute.    Weaving...sitting at my loom passing shuttle through shed and making a gorgeous scarf for my daughter (and then another for the other daughter).  And THEN I want to embark on a major stash reduction of towel yarn, so be prepared.  There may be stuff for sale eventually.

I truly do love weaving and I've missed it like crazy the past two years.  It's been really difficult to find time to weave once I started working away from home again.  Plus, the diet this past year left me really drained of energy so weaving of an evening wasn't really an option.

I'd planned to spend my Christmas break this way:
-4 days with my parents
-10 days weaving and dying (the latter if the weather was warm enough)

Instead I spent my Christmas break this way:
-4 days with my parents
-3 days at home getting everything ready to go BACK to my parents
-5 days with my parents
-2 days recovering from being at my parents.

Don't get me wrong.  I wouldn't trade that time with my parents for anything.  It's become painfully apparent that every minute I get to spend with my dad that he's aware that I'm there and interacting with me is a blessing, just not what I'd planned.

And, those of you who are artists and serious crafters know this, when you have been itching to cast on a new project, set up the loom for a woven design, or just need to get your fingers on yarn, substituting another craft because of time or space allocations doesn't really do you justice.

And, you also know this, crafting is an emotional release.  I need lots of that right now.

The right kind of crafting for the right kind of emotional release.

All of this is to say that what I WANT to do is weave, what I've had time to do is knit.  And knitting just isn't "cutting it" right now.  I love the pillow I'm making.  It's pretty and soft and will fit perfectly in Betty's house...and is almost finished on one side.  I've enjoyed seeing my "design" come to life.  I've even enjoyed that I'm combining my former love of quilting and my current passion for knitting by knitting a traditional quilt square.

But what I'm finding each evening is that when it's time to sit down and craft, I don't want to do what I'm doing.  I want to do something else, but there's a reason for me not doing it.  And I'm frustrated with that. I'm sad about it and I want to get to it.

SO, I'm (kind of) looking forward to the fact that David has to work 3 nights a week this semester.  I'll not have that excuse pulling me away from weaving.  And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to find a rhythm that works for me--weaving, knitting, hanging with the family, seeing my parents when I can.  Not overwhelming myself and stretching too thin, but being able to meet my creative needs...at least somewhat.

Because...look at this face...she wants me to finish "her" monster. (which is knitting, not weaving, but also not really a possibility right now considering my hands hurt when knitting monsters, so I'm pacing myself!)

Some Advice Please

So, as you know I had some Awful News a few weeks ago...and now the Awful News will result in several days of hospital waiting time.  And I need projects.  Easy things that I can knit without having to do too much thinking but that can be beautiful and distracting all at the same time.  Advice? (links to the Ravelry page in the comments would be great).

I'm planning to take some socks I have in progress.  The Color Affection Shawl is really quite perfect for mindless, addictive knitting, so that will also be in the bag.  I've been working on some dish cloths for Christmas gifts, so that will be in the bag.

Which, when you really stop and think about it, is probably more than enough knitting for 10 days.  But that little word "probably" causes me issues.  What if it isn't.  What if I finish everything, get bored, or something else just as awful?

Because I know that laughter is the best medicine, I'm showing you a picture of Zora wrapped in bubble wrap.  She did this all by herself, btw.  She can be a very funny cat when she chooses.

Retreat

I'm on retreat this weekend.  A much needed retreat.  In fact, I'd stay this way for an entire week if I could but work beckons and it's the wrong time of the semester to call in sick. There's a lot moving and shaking at work and I could find myself in quite different circumstances in the coming months...or I could find myself just exactly where I am.

I'm ok with that.

But back to the retreat.  My plans for this weekend are to knit and weave and relax.  I'm going to watch travel shows and dream about where I will travel and what I'll do there once I lose my weight.  I'm eating healthy this weekend (thank you so much David for cooking me food for when you're gone...steaming or baking veggies is definitely something I can manage on my own).

I was so excited about my retreat that I actually woke up early this morning.  I did this during spring break too.  Cracks me up.

I currently have 8 knitting projects on the needles and would have started a 9th without question except I'm out of size 7 needles (though I do know I have tips in there, so may change my mind if I can find the right size circular cord) and am definitely starting another mystery knitalong.  Those are so fun.  I even watched the premier episode of Game of Thrones this morning to be part of the spirit behind the KAL (not sure it's going to be my kind of show, but I'll watch it with David when he gets home and hide my face during the violent parts).

I designed the next scarf I'll weave with a lovely "splurge" yarn (thanks to David for my Easter "basket").  It's a cashmere sock yarn and goofy me didn't pay attention to the fact that it's only 50g which isn't enough to knit a pair of socks, so I'll have to weave it into a gorgeous scarf with some bamboo and tencel yarn. It'll be scrumptious.  I have another scarf waiting to be woven that I'm calling "4 shades of grey"...for obvious reasons.  Art Box #1 is still on the loom, but I've made very good progress on it today and won't be surprised if I finish it off if not today, then tomorrow morning.

So, my goal is to be creative, relax, watch tv, knit, weave, and not disarm the alarm on my door until the girls come over on Sunday evening!  Heaven.

Today's picture is of Frankie.  It's a little knitted monster I'm making for my mom to give the little girl she babysits.  The head and body are complete.

Teeny Tiny Little Baby Steps

I have been struggling with all the emotions and crazy-ness that has been my life lately.  I think I'm even beyond the point of feeling stress any more.  Not quite numb, but I definitely don't feel stressed.  I think what I feel is that somehow things are beyond my control and stressing about it won't do one single little bitty bit of good.

It's freeing actually.  There are things that I CAN control, and focusing on those has allowed me to actually feel good despite all the circumstances around me.

The one thing that has me still stressed, but I felt ease up a bit this morning is Pearl.  Poor kitty is having a hard time overcoming her attack.  I don't know if she was still feeling physical pain from it, or if she's just genuinely frightened (and who can blame her) but she's been very very skittish and not wanting to play much or cuddle.  One of the reasons for her name is that she has such a big purr (thus the pun PUUURRRL), and the amount of purring has been very minimal and it has definitely not been loud and rip-roaring like usual.

And of all the things from this past week, this makes me the saddest.  I know (in my head) that she's a cat and has to do things in her own time.  But I know (in my heart) that she needs comforting and that she has always sought me for that comfort.  So I'm feeling incredibly anxious about helping her heal all the while knowing that she needs space, and for me not to feel anxious.  It's been very very difficult.

But, today, Pearl took some teeny tiny little baby steps towards getting herself back to normal.  She came and sat in my lap and purred for a few minutes.  She still flinched when I reached out to pet her, so I backed off, but she stayed there and purred and looked at me and said, "I'm working on it" in her kitty way.

And David just texted me a picture of her sitting in his lap with her happy face on, and it made me tear up.  She's such a sweet fun kitty and is truly special.  She is friendly to everyone who comes over.  I'm hoping that she can get back to her normal self eventually.

Today's picture is a close up of the scarf I'm weaving.  The pattern is a lace pattern that will look completely different once it's removed from the tension of the loom.  The fibers will relax and get all cozy in a different way and open up pretty holes and create a lovely pattern...that's the plan anyway.  Even if they don't, I think this is quite lovely and can't wait to feel the kitteny softness of this scarf against my neck.  I'm almost hoping for a continued chill so I can give it a wear next week after I've finished it.  (btw, you can click on the photo to see it close-up and get a real appreciation for the pattern).

Calling it Quits

I had a totally different idea for a blog post today and gave it up upon starting to work on the very project that I was going to write about.  I'll hopefully be able to save this post for another time...but today I think it's important to let you know that I quit a project.

I don't do that very often when weaving because once the warp is wound it's pretty much used up...and that's money and yarn that I hate to throw away.  But, in light of the angst I would have expended trying to see the tiny threads that I thought I could warp made me realize that 1) this week is ALL about rest and relaxation and 2) $10 worth of silk yarn isn't worth all the stress I was already feeling...and I'd only "sleighed" about 2" worth of the warp.  I cut it up and threw it away.

I think it's very important to know when to call something quits.  Especially when it comes to crafting.  This is about fun, relaxation, spending time making something and learning about ones self in the process.  It isn't (for me anyway) about persevering to the end regardless of how much trouble the project turns out to be.  I find it interesting how easily I can quit a knitting project...but after all, the yarn is reusable and the only thing that's lost is the time I spent working on it.  And I know that no matter what I learned something during that process, even if it is that I don't like a particular stitch, pattern, etc. (for instance, I recently learned that I don't like the concept of a "free sole" sock even if it means that one can replace that sole 100 times.  I plan to wear my socks to death and make new ones.  Life is too short to do something that doesn't make a whole lot of sense in the end).

But weaving is a different story.  I don't like the idea of waste.  I hate throwing away yarn and not being able to use it for anything (trust me I've tried to figure out things I can do with a wasted warp).  I HAVE persevered through some projects, but I knew in the end they were worth the trouble.  This project, however, was way more stressful and annoying than I needed at the time, which, in the end, wasn't anything near what I wanted for this week.  Maybe later.

Below is pictured a project I didn't give up on, thank goodness.  The cones of yarn were picked out well over a year before I started working on the project.  It survived in my head through many different projects, patiently waiting for its turn.  And then, once I got started on it we had the tornado that required us to move...and yet, I finally finished it and hemmed it up and gave it to David as planned all that time ago.  And I think they're just about the loveliest towels I've made!

Tuesday...and we're settling in

I'm so sorry to have left you in a lurch last week.  I had a couple of hours of internet on Monday and then everything became hectic and frenzied and I slept when I could and ran around like a crazy person when I couldn't.

The good news is that we've moved to a warm, snug apartment that doesn't have water pouring in the ceiling.  Our house appears to be drying out finally.  The insurance is coming through with payments already.  And we're next on our contractor's list of jobs.  I'm very happy about all of this.

I'm more than happy about the fact that I spent Sunday putting together my Yarn Room.  It's funny how at the house it was my studio but here it's definitely a yarn room.  I don't know why exactly, just is. I've tested the loom and it survived the move just fine.  All is very well indeed.

And thank goodness I'm finally sleeping.  That's really helpful too.

The apartment living will prove interesting for a number of reasons.  David and I have been talking about wanting to sell the house and move to the carefree living of an apartment.  We're in a much smaller space than our house, but it feels just about right (our furniture is too big but that's something that can be remedied if we decide to make this permanent). So, the excitement of "trying this on" is helping with the transition and adjustment (and the fact that we'll just have to move again in 3 months!)

We're meeting with an architect and our contractor this morning to draw up some plans of what we'd like to do with the house if we can do what we want to do with the house.  Might as well since we have an apartment already rented for 3 months.  This will hopefully give us some closet space and make our one large bathroom a little easier to move around in.  We'll see.  The options we'll have in front of us will be good...it's just a question of whether our brains can think clearly enough to make a decision right now!

Today's picture is of the new loom room.  I honestly can't wait to get back to work on those towels.  That darn tornado totally interrupted progress on that project!

The (not-so) Exciting News

After several days of soul-searching, talking with David, stewing by myself, talking some more with David, not sleeping well, and all the while soul-searching, I decided not to interview for the very exciting job I applied for.  I was beside myself and thrilled to get the interview...so much so that I didn't really think about the practicalities of it at the time.

But, I'm a grown woman now and can examine things with perspective if I'm forced to, so upon looking at the fact that I'd be living apart from David and the entire rest of my family (and friends!) and that I'd not be making any more money than I'm making now...it just didn't make logical and rational sense to do the interview, especially since if (on the long shot) they did offer me the job I would have to turn it down.

Well, it was a hard decision, but I know the right one.  I slept better last night than I have in several weeks.  The challenge now will be to get myself focused back on the life that I'm living right now and enjoy it.

And I do enjoy it...most of it.  There are things that I'd like to change and things I'd like to never change, so I need to be positive and look at the possibilities of the here and now and revel in the fact that I'm truly happy in my life.

And, btw, I slept beautifully last night, in case you didn't catch that earlier...good sleep is a marvelous thing.

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So, I think I put you through a huge teaser last week with the cowl I finished knitting but never bothered to put up here.  Here I am in it.  When I looked at this picture, I don't know why, but I saw Grandma's eyes.  I was a little shocked because I don't know when I got them (and even IF my eyes even look like hers in this picture).  I think they do, but I also think I'm hoping since I've been missing her a lot lately.  I went in search of pictures, but the only color ones I have she has her eyes closed or the color of her eyes isn't popping quite like mine did in this picture!  Which means I've probably made the whole thing up, but for a minute there, I did see Grandma looking right back at me and it made me very happy indeed!

Don't Peek Ernie

Well, I had a wonderful weekend at the beach.  It was so peaceful, and really the exact rejuvenation I needed.  I've been able to accomplish a lot at work today...all that jumble that's been going on in my brain somehow settled out and I was able to accomplish a lot this morning...so much that the next hour is going to be a challenge because I need to let the rest of it stew for a little bit.

So,  here's what we did:

1.  sat around and talked
2.  Went shopping at Publix and were terribly sad that we don't have one in our town.
3.  Ate and talked.
4.  Sat in the hot tub and talked.
5.  Watched the Heisman ceremony (go Johnny Manziel!!!)
6.  I knitted and David read the news on his phone.

And that's really it.  Just absolute laziness...and it was bliss.  The condo was super-nice.  Perfect in all ways except a couple, but I don't want to dwell on those.

I did manage to finish Ernie's socks and here's a picture!  Tomorrow I'll show you a picture of the socks I've started in Knitterly Things's sock of the month club yarn--Holiday Boogie Woogie (I just love the name!).

Cakes, and other things that make me happy

I guess I'm working with a theme here...thinking of things that make me happy, maybe will make me happy.

It isn't that I'm unhappy, but things have been so stressful and hard to get through that I'm having a hard time remaining steadfast and positive.  I have wanted to give up in exasperation so many times recently, and that's just not like me.

So, I've determined that I will make myself happy!  The Happy Feet socks have helped go a long way into kicking my rear in that direction.  But they will be finished soon, and I'll need something else to make me happy.

So, I think of things that I enjoy doing and one of those things is winding yarn hanks into cakes.  Yesterday I showed you a picture of my beautiful bright sock yarn in its "hank" state...today I'll show you the picture of it wound into a "cake."

Isn't is pretty?  It's just sitting there waiting for me to pull that center yarn out and start working...which I did about 2 seconds after I took this picture.  In fact, I may have already pulled out the first length of yarn before I took this picture...that's why the center yarn is draping over the back...but I don't remember exactly.

Tonight, my work-friend has brought me some yarn of hers to wind into cakes.  I told her I enjoy doing that. I think people think I'm a little wonky (but I know that to be true...so I don't care if they think it or not!)...so that will make me happy.

I like other kinds of cake.  Chocolate, cheese, coconut.  Cakes in general are happy things.  Maybe I should make a particularly decadent chocolate cake this weekend.  It has coffee and kahlua and creme de cacao in it so by the time you've eaten a slice you feel very satisfied and happy--life is grand.  It's a thick and rich and delicious cake (and worth about 1/3 of my daily WW points, but that's cool...it's worth it) and makes a wonderful breakfast to boot.  I think I've talked myself into that cake.

Cake is definitely one of those things that makes me happy...

A little obsessed with happy feet

I was in a great position Friday night.  I was getting ready to finish up the sock I was making for my friend to give her mother for Christmas (featured in the past couple of blog entries).  Only 3 more rows to finish when I got home on Friday, so I sat down to finish those three rows and bind off the sock.  I was completely prepared to start knitting the socks for my friend Jeff as the yarn had come in on Thursday and I'd already showed him a picture of the hanks.  They are beautiful yarns and look so pretty together.  One is all blue and the other has some gold in it, but the blues go together so nicely.   I was even about 90% sure about the pattern I was going to use...

...until...

...I opened my package from Jimmy Beans Wool that had my new needles in it.  I always buy some yarn when I but the needles because you get free shipping if you spend $75 at JBW and that's just too good to pass up...so I threw a few skeins of yarn in the "basket" and then sit and wait until they arrive.  I have a very short memory when it comes to the yarn I just throw in the basket because I usually see so many that I want, that picking out one or two is difficult...so when they arrive it's always exciting.

This time I actually squealed!

Isn't is bright and cheerful and absolutely beautiful and wonderful? I can't tell you how far it went to cheering me up after some very very stressful weeks.  I immediately wound the yarn into a ball and cast on some socks. I finished the first one last night and was wearing it just because I could.  OH MY how cheerful these socks will be.  And amazing how quickly they are knitting!  I even brought them to work on today at lunch.

This week was rough...

This week was rough.  I didn't know how I was going to make it through, and now that it's Friday and I'm sitting at home waiting on David to bring home some pizza for dinner, I'm thinking about how grateful I am that I did make it through.  I thought at some point I might just throw up my hands and walk out.  It's been that kind of rough.

And to be honest last week was like this.  And the week before that.  And the week before that.  As I think about how many weeks before that it's been rough, I'm easily going back to June.  There were a couple of slow weeks in May that were rough because they were boring, but mostly it's just been very difficult to get through the workweek without feeling like I'm just going to collapse.

I know this makes me a difficult person to live with.  I wish it didn't, but I have such a strong desire to do a good job and I feel like I never can catch up or keep up or whatever else I need to do, and I feel like the work I do can only be "so" good because I don't have time to pause, reflect and double check it.

And that means that I've been awfully tired and frustrated.  This affects my desire and ability to craft and that frustrates me because crafting is a major source of satisfaction and stress relief.  And I honestly don't know what to do about that cycle.

Today's picture is of my Olympic yarn all would up into a yarn cake.  This was before I found out that it was a major mess of a yarn cake, but there it is.  I think yarn cakes are almost as lovely as regular cakes!

It's like I'm a new me

I was looking at a needlepoint that I bought sometime a year or so ago (probably more like 2 but I don't want to admit how fast time is flying) and thinking how I don't work on it anymore.  How I would usually watch football and needlepoint or work on needlepoint (or cross stitch) when my friends were over for crafting night.

But somehow, knitting stole its way into my psyche and now IT's what I DO.

And it's strange because knitting wasn't something that came naturally to me, but now it's what I think about, plan to do, and do at an alarming rate.  I have projects started, more printed out than I could do in a lifetime, yarn purchased for that perfect sweater, and now I don't know which pattern that was, yarn I want to buy but don't because I have too many other things "on the go" and really need to be focused on saving some money.

I also don't read much anymore.  I was looking at my kindle which is beside my bed this morning and realized that I haven't read in at least 2 nights, if not more.  At one point in time recently, I mourned that me that wasn't reading...and from time to time I do wonder what's come over me, but I have come to accept that I'm just in a different phase of my life.  And it doesn't mean that I'm digressing or not "me" but that I'm discovering new things...

...and apparently reveling in it!

Last night I was so very tired.  Went to bed at 8:30, but I still managed to squeeze some knitting in there.  It was nice feeling the needles and yarn in my hands and relaxing some.  I think it was the most relaxed I'd been all day.  I enjoyed making a little progress on my sock.  It's fun seeing the color changes and how the little bits of colors interact with each other.  While I'm making something for someone I always think about that person and how they might enjoy it.  I don't know the man who is getting the sock I'm making, so it's kind of weird thinking about someone I don't know, but yet I do.

Today's picture is of the black and white houndstooth scarf I made for my friend Catherine.  She's a big Alabama fan.  This scarf was in my head for almost a year before I finally got to make it.  I love it and hope she does too!

Long Weekend

I don't usually like coming back from a long weekend.  I have successfully gotten myself into my happy place only to have to come to work and enter my unhappy space--getting up early, dealing with stressors, doing work that I find tedious or boring (all of which greeted me at the door this morning, not to mention being 10 minutes late).

Today was really no exception.  I truly thoroughly and completely enjoyed this weekend.  Saturday was all to myself.  I wove, read, knitted, cross stitched and otherwise just enjoyed myself.  I watched some TV. I've recently discovered "CREATE TV."  Who knew there was a channel of quality tv shows totally dedicated to crafting, cooking and travel!  I also discovered that Create TV broadcasts on a 6 hour rotation.  Unfortunately that fascinating travel show is only fascinating the first couple of times.

As I was struggling to wake up this morning on my drive in and thinking about what I wanted to write about today, I thought about this form of relaxing through my crafts.  How I use it as my stress outlet...all the stress goes out and very little stress goes in (sometimes things are difficult, but I look at it as a puzzle and figure it out and then life is good again).   So, imagine my surprise when I read this entry by the Yarn Harlot this morning.  Yes, indeed...relaxing through crafting is the only way to go.  And ironically, another blog I follow, Weaving a Life, had a post in response to the Yarn Harlot's.

I think it's so fascinating to sit and stitch and create things.  I love reading charts and patterns and figuring things out.  The puzzles to solve and the positive energy put into it is always exciting and almost always puts me in a good mood...and if not at least it keeps me busy so that I don't snap someone's head off.  I definitely love spending my long weekends with something I love.  I can't imagine how awful it would be to sit in front of the tv with nothing to do...I'd go bonkers, as would everyone around me.

Today's photo from the studio is a lovely alpaca "sock yarn" scarf.  The variegated yarn is sock yarn and the black is natural alpaca.  Very soft and lovely.  My friend bought it as a gift for his mother.

Stressful day...

Yesterday at work was a stressful day.  I'm trying not to talk about work on the blog, but it has a relationship to the goals I have for this year--focusing on the things I love (i.e. my crafts, family, friends, travel, not necessarily in that order).  One of the purposes of this blog is to help me focus and keep my head around that, so that my stress level doesn't get out of whack.

One of the ways I am using crafts to manage that stress is that I'm knitting at lunch.  I didn't like the square I was working on so I ripped it out yesterday and started something easy.  I am using sock yarn so it'll take an inordinant number of lunches to get enough squares to make a blanket, but what a great way to use up those little bits and ends of the yarn.

I'm also thinking about the blog and what I want to write about on the way to work.  This helps pass the 45 minutes drive, which is very boring, and ensures that I'm keeping myself honest to my focus.

Another thing I'm doing is making sure that I do some weaving in the evening.  Last night I threaded my secret project.  I love working on it because, as I said yesterday, when I make something for someone I can think about them.  And then surprises are even that much more fun because I get to imagine how she will respond when she gets her surprise.  What an awesome way to spend 30 minutes in the evening.

By the time I sat down to chill, I was relaxed.  I slept great last night and even got up to exercise this morning.  Stress management is a great thing and I'm so happy that I have crafting to get me through it.

Today's photo is of an alpaca scarf I designed last year.  The warp is a lovely natural black and the weft is royal blue.  I chose this funky little broken twill and what an impact it made.  It's very very soft.