More Zenning

 I spent 2 hours going through all my knitting needles.  I now have 2 full vases less of straight needles. They are now organized by height and size.  I have a dozen less circular knitting needles too.  I also filed the ones I have used since Teri’s last visit and she does not even have a trip planned.  I must have earned bonus points for that.

Next on the list is pairing down my double pointed knitting needles.  I am sure I have a few too many of those too.  As for today I am way to tired to start.  When one reaches a certain age, one, namely me should not sit kris cross applesauce for as long as I did today. I did manage to stretch out my hip muscles and tendons though.  

After dinner I will work on Tinker.  This version will not be the final version.  Since it’s not the final version I will show pictures when it is finished. I am almost halfway through, so I will finish the blanket then send it off to a good home once I have a couple of boxes of hand knit blankets.  It might be a while because it takes mr 6 or 7 days to knit a blanket.  

Below are my knitting needles already for a project.  It is much more organized   

A New Design

The new design with Mary Gavin’s yarn is coming out better than expected.  Only 10 zillion rows to knit, just kidding only about 300 rows to go.  youcan ask for her Measyarn at your local yarn shop or go to MartGavinYarns.com.

New Designs

As I was looking at my mini shawl number two today I noticed that there were major differences between shawl 1 and 2.  I find it simply amazing what the addition of a stitch or two can make in the overall design. So instead of 1 mini shawl patterns there will be 3.  Since my arthritis got the better of me today, I will get the first one published tomorrow. Number 2 should follow shortly as I have knit 48 grams of a 100 gram ball of yarn.

Time to call it a night so I will be productive tomorrow.

Alpha Testing

The alpha testing continues on John’s new 3D printed knitting accessory. I am really loving the new design. It is so portable.  It traveled with me to Northern California and back. I also love giving positive feedback for changes and seeing the changes made.  I also learned that .05 millimeters can make a huge difference in a 3D design.  Not so much in knitting.

The engineering design work is so different than designing with fiber.  It seems to require a lot more pre planning and tweaking than with fiber.  Don’t tell anyone that you heard it from me, but I am learning a lot about the process.  Some of this might be incorporated in my fiber design work in the near future.

Of course when the design is finished it will be sold exclusively at Grandmas Spinning Wheel here in Tucson.  I will post when that happens.  With pictures of course.

Bits

It has been busy as usual around here. A lot of knitting is getting done. Designs are starting to stir in my head so be on the look out for new patterns. I know that this is a crazy hour to be awake, but I feel a little stuffy, my hope is that it is this low pressure system and high winds that are rattling the house  and making things fly outside; and not a cold. As usual I don't have time for a cold.

My major accomplishment yesterday was choosing to ride the bike for 45 minutes instead of going to the bakery. Its not much but its was a start considering the day I was having.

I think that I will try some sleep or house cleaning now.

Changing Directions

I think it is time for me to change directions. After what seems like years of knitting in the range of 100 to 200 items a year for charity, I need to knit some things for me. I have at least 3 sweaters that I need to finish or start. I have shawls, mittens and accessories that I would like to have. I have the yarn and the patterns lined up. I am thinking some where in the 50 project range. I have a blanket for Teri that is 2/3's done that I started in her first year of law school. I want to make John a new quilt. I have fluff that I want to spin. I want to work on weaving. I want to design more patterns. I need to exercise more.

Eric's life has become more unpredictable. He is requiring more care on our part. I feel stressed out that he is not up to going on many outings. That use to be a big part of our lives.  He just does not have the energy.  I feel that I am spending my life in catch up mode. I need to take time for me. It is time for a change.

As Eric's life becomes more unpredictable I am having a harder time being as artistic as I would like. I can't do as many have suggested just to block off regular time each day to create. I never know when I am going to be up until all hours with Eric. I never know how many days it will take Eric or I to recoup, or how many days he will be at his day program. I always wonder if  I can recoup my energy before Eric gets the next cold. Yes, we always know it is just a matter of time before the next cold hits.

This does not mean that I will stop working on charity projects. This just means that it will no longer be my main focus. I want to spend more time creating. So a few times a week I hope just to post pictures of my latest projects. I am hoping that by taking some of the pressure off myself to make the world a better place at all cost, I will instead try to make my little corner of the world a better place.

So the new journey begins.....