Delivery

Sorry for my non-presence lately. Though I've been keeping ties to the knitting world as of late, I haven't been doing a very good job of updating. Between starting the new job, having my boyfriend move in and just adjusting to everything, sitting down to type a entry just hasn't been something I could get off the list. A thing I really must remedy for the future.

I was finally able to give G the Big Bad Baby Blanket last night! Between her birthday, getting off maternity leave and going back to the office, it took awhile before we could actually set up a meeting for me to present the BBBB to her. On my way to meet her I was just so excited that I stopped by JAM to buy a box for it. When I finally got the chance to give her the dark red box after dinner, she seemed really pleased with it, which in turn made me even more happy. My second project completed and delivered. These are the moments that may very well become one of the reasons why I will continue to knit.

I enjoy the process of starting a piece (from shopping for the right yarn to casting on the first set of stitches), actually working on it, completing it and then giving it to someone. While I don't think I'll ever be a process knitter (at least I hope not to have a lot of UFOs lying about), and I don't think I'll ever knit too much for myself (eliminating some of the product part) I do know that I will continue to do this, and hopefully continue my plans of branching out into other textile arts.

However, here I sit with no project to speak of for the upcoming subway ride, and nothing that I'll be able to take with me to Men's Knit Night. We'll have to remedy that by the end of the day tomorrow.

Quickie I

It's complete! (Nearly.) I've just finished binding off the Big Bad Baby Blanket! I can't wait to sew in the ends and block this baby tomorrow!

Post Seminar

Finally! I've made it through my training sessions and can breathe for a few days. And knit. Sitting in all the sessions the past couple days, I had to repeatedly fight the urge to pull out the tote bag that I keep in my regular bag and start knitting away. (I'm starting to feel guilty about the BBBB not being done yet, but what is a boy to do?) And though the facilitators were very forward thinking and supplied Play Doh, pipe cleaners and other toys to keep our hands busy, I thought that my knitting may seem rude to some.

I have a friend who used to knit during class when we were going for our undergrad. No one ever said anything to her, but when she requested a recommendation she learned that professors did notice. The professor explained that watching my friend knit in class made her want to grab an object and hit her over the head. That is, until my friend would raise her hand and respond to a question, giving a brilliant answer. All was forgiven, but I fear that I would not have the chance to show people that I was in fact paying attention.

I'm slowly amassing a list of projects to undertake. A pair of gloves for my sister, a camera lens case for my friend, socks for DJ. I'm rather pleased to have the list growing steadily. I get the feeling that though this upcoming year and the commitment I've made will be great, I may need the occasional k2p2 to help me keep my patience.

NY Return

I've been back in the city for about a week now, and have just been so caught up that I haven't been able to sit down. I tried writing an entry on the train ride back from VT last Sunday, but the less than comfortable ride just produced rubbish and its stored away in the recesses of a folder. Perhaps I'll revisit it later.

The BBBB has gotten to being about 70% completed, and hopefully I'll have it done very soon. Just a few more inches of the stockinette and then I get to finish off with the seed stitch. I have to say, I'm sort of looking forward to the 20 rows of alternation. After knitting 53 times and then purling 53 times, I now zone out as I'm doing the rows on occasion.

I had the great chance to grab some yarn from a friend of mine that is moving. Being only a winter knitter and not wanting to take her entire stash with her, she gave me the opportunity to rifle through what she had and take my pick. I'll have to sit down and take inventory and put the stash section on Ravelry to some good use.

Halfway

I've finally reached the halfway point of the Big Bad Baby Blanket. It's taken some time, but attending the Men's Knitting Night (which I'll post about later) finally got me to (and a little past) where I'll switch the pattern around until I make the ending seed stitch.

The blanket's pattern originally calls for Koigu Wool Designs Painter's Palette Premium Merino. However, G requested that I give her something that she could just throw into the washing machine at the end of the day, so I substituted it for some Vanna's Choice Baby Yarn. It took some getting used to knitting with two strands of yarn held together (tog) but I think I've gotten the hang of it now. My friends says that the colors remind them of chocolate chip ice cream, which is an idea I've grown rather fond of. Hopefully the baby likes it also.

Other lesson learned, which my reading warned of but I learned when I ended up having to go and buy two more skeins of yarn: gauge before beginning the new piece! I'm about to finish my 3/4th balls of yarn and I've only just reached the midpoint of the pattern. This is something that I may have avoided if I had just stopped to make a quick swatch before I started. Hopefully I've learned at least that much from this adventure into my second project.