The good and the bad

After a conversation with a couple of friends tonight, I discovered they had blogs and I always love to find new reading material! But it reminded me that I have been remiss. Sometimes I think my life is really just not interesting to other people. Then I remember the only people that read this blog are my friends who are far away and my mundane day to day is interesting to them. So I thought I'd give an update. Things are kind of busy at school this week. I have a couple of out of town visitors/collaborators to keep track of. Which is good, because I might make progress on two more papers talking face to face instead of over email, but is bad because it's chaotic to have them both here at the same time. I'm training a new grad student on the lidar. Which is good and bad, once he knows everything it will take some pressure off of me, but it means that I'll have less field work to do myself and I like the field work. I got my last two rejection letters this week, which is good and bad, it means we aren't moving far away, but it means that I'm not moving forward in my career either. There's a lot I can expound on that subject, but I think there are some things better kept personal and not in the public sphere of the internet. I've been thinking alot about moving this blog to an anonymous title and therefore being a little more free to blog with less self censorship. I will email those of you who read this blog when I do. (A link would kind of defeat the purpose).

I've been reading a new blog lately, that I find inspiring and it makes me laugh out loud in that way that things really aren't funny because they are too real, but still just make you laugh. It's pretty specific to me but someone might find it interesting.

Lest we forget I'm a knitter:

I don't want to leave you hanging. I finished my modified convertible. I LOVE IT! I've worn it in public twice already and I'm very happy with it. Not too happy with Hub's photography though so you'll have to wait a) to see it live or b) for me to try the self timer on my new camera.

I've started two new projects in addition to the 5 ongoing pairs of socks (current count is 3 of 10 socks complete-still no matching pair!) The first is a gift, so you can only see a closeup of the stich pattern and yarn:
I'm making it out of Lang Venezia Colors that I got at the Webs tent sale last weekend. They still have some available. It's a mohair/acrylic blend and usually I'm pretty anti-acrylic, but this I like, it's working up well and the color blending is goregous. I'm working it on size 8s so it's a pretty airy stitch and thus far I'm pretty happy.


Project number 2: Knitter's may or may not recognize. It's the start of a Prairie Tunic from the Spring 2006 Interweave. Well, a modified one at least. My continential style of knitting has produced a different lace then intended, but I've decided to go with it since it's less holey and see-thruish then the original pattern. We'll see how it goes. The yarn is the Jaeger Siena the pattern calls for, but a different color. It's the last of my purchases from last year's tent sale!

Oh and I'm trying out a new template. What do you think?

I sew too!

Well, I didn't quite keep up last week. A variety of things kept me busy and away from the computer, mostly friends, which is always a good thing. Plus I had pictures to show and didn't have a chance to dig out the camera cable. Still no official word from the interview. It's a non-standard situation so it might take a few more months for the wheels to make they're way to a final decision, so for now we are here.

Last weekend I had major crafty time. First, I will update you on the LL Vera that was giving me so much trouble. I decided to make a Convertible, to me this is a much more useful version of a shawl. One that won't slip off! I'm not coordinated or sophisticated enough for a regular one. But, I have no idea what gauge yarn that is and I really wanted to use my sock yarn, since I had more then I needed for one pair of socks and I already have three no make that four other pairs of socks on the needles. So I just decided to do some math with my own gauge, pick a lace pattern from my book and go for it. Well, that plan went mostly ok. One false start with the tracery pattern that I couldn't master:That big hole between my fingers shouldn't be there...and every row was just wrong! So I ripped back and went with the little arrowhead lace. Much easier to master and memorize so this went from a total concentration project to one I could do in front of the TV:
So, it grows, my goal is to have it done before the end of the month, but I'm not sure I'm that fast.

The bigger craftiness however, was my new bag. I started this pattern a while ago and just never got all the way through. It's the original ScrapBags pattern. And I love it.


A couple of notes on the pattern and my fabric choices. I used 45" home dec fabric from jo-ann's, so it's a little thicker than the quilt scraps the pattern is designed for. I'm tough on my totes so I wanted it to be more durable. BUT, the extra bulk was too thick for the machine, (three needles later) so I ended up with small holes in all the bottom corners that I had to stitch by hand. If I were to do it again, I would either eliminate the batting in the gussets, pockets and/or bottom, or use a lighter weight lining fabric to eliminate some of the bulk. I have one of the bottoms that the pattern calls for, but I haven't installed it, I like the slouchier look! The bag holds everything and fits very well over my shoulder so I consider it a success! What do you think?

Ok, I've stayed out of the sun enough for this beautiful day. I'm headed back out to the garden!

Clapotis is not for me

Look at this, two posts in as many weeks. I'm on blogging fire. I've been thinking alot about blogging lately. I feel guilty about my orphan blog, but at the same time, don't know if I really want to post. I mean, it's like putting your whole life up there on the internet for anyone to see. But at the same time, the technology geek in me loves that I can keep my friends and family all over the country up to date on the goings on in my life...I find myself in a bit of a quandary about the whole thing. So, for a while at least, I'm going to try to keep posting...mostly to avoid the guilt, but my posts may be not too personal, yet still tidbits of what's happening in my world.

So today I give you some knitting. You may remember in my last post that I mentioned I had started a clapotis. If you google it you will find that it is a VERY popular pattern, which I had never really considered knitting...probably because I feel similar to grumperina (whose blog I find very informative). But then I saw one on display at Webs and I decided that I wanted one. A smaller version in lighter yarn. AHHH, an excuse to use some more Lorna's Laces Shephard Sock that was not a sock!

So why is she still talking you might say? Well I'll sum it up in pictures. Now you see it:
and Now you don't:

It was coming out a little too camo-ish (the colorway is Vera by the way) for my liking, so I frogged it, and it has already been reborn into a new project...which I will blog about next week! This of course was all before I came across this post, (can you tell I've been surfing the knitting scientists webring) which shows the color pooling changes drastically after you drop the stitches...maybe I will revisit the clapotis at a later date...