Blogjam

Merriam-Webster defines  logjam as “a jumble of logs jammed together in a watercourse” and, alternatively, as a “deadlock, impasse”, “blockage”, “jam” or “crowd”.  Maybe I’ve just got logging on the brain since I started reading “Last Night in Twisted River” by John Irving, but logjam seems like an appropriate word to assess the current tide of life out here in the great north woods. The torrent of ideas, events, projects, and thoughts I’ve been wanting to share has been building behind the world’s biggest bottleneck (time) for quite a while now, jostling and bumping around in the flow of my mind and threatening to flood its banks if relief doesn’t come soon.

Like a typical right-brainer, I figure I’d better start at the beginning….

The quality and quantity of time available to me for daily activities has been in a strange state of flux since late September when preschool started.  That’s right.  Preschool.  Knittymunchkin is in PRESCHOOL.  WTF?!  How the hell did that happen?  I was anticipating a month or more of trying to guiltily edge myself out of the class while Knittymunchkin cried bloody murder and clung to my legs.  But it didn’t happen that way.  In fact, it was a little bit anticlimactic.  A hug, a kiss, and an absentminded “I love you” is about all I get.  But it’s good.  It really is.  I go to the nearby coffee shop for about an hour and a half and knit while he’s in school (on the days I’m not a parent helper) and I am actually getting an a$$load of knitting done.  Everyone is happy and I feel like I actually get a moment to breathe once in a while, probably for the first time since he was born.  We miss each other, but he is learning so much and I’m incredibly happy we found this preschool for him.  Hopefully we will both make some new friends that we’ll have for years to come.

First day of preschool!

Strangely, I have what feels like tons more time to knit, yet I have much less time to blog, photograph, or even be online in general.  Case in point: this post has taken me nearly 3 days to write.  Knittymunchkin is going through an incredibly dependent stage (despite doing so well with me leaving him at preschool) and any time I am out of his sight there’s a little mini freakout, after which he is attached to my legs like a limpet for the next half hour.  It’s nice to be needed so much and I try to remind myself he won’t want me around forever so I should enjoy it.  But some days it would be nice to have a little more breathing room.

I did get a little mini-vacation a couple weeks ago when I stayed with my Mom for about 4 days after her surgery.  I got her medication when she needed it, did her dishes and made small meals, and just generally kept her company.  She watched TV and dozed and I did a ton of knitting.  So many things to show you once I get them photographed!  I made myself finish two things for every one I started and it’s such a great feeling to get those ancient WIPs off of my cluttered knitting to-do list.

For my birthday in September I did allow myself one new project.  I made sure it was a small one so I wouldn’t get myself tied to another WIP/UFO that would sit there forever.  And with a pattern name like Ball Sack, I just couldn’t resist.  Yes, I’m a dork.  I’m not afraid to fly my freak flag (sometimes).

Loved this pattern!  It took about 10g of sock yarn (I made it slightly taller than the pattern called for) and is incredibly useful.  Here it’s snuggling my ball of Cephalopod Yarns‘ Skinny Bugga! in “Grey Scalloped Bar Butterfly” that I used to knit Leftie.  Which I still need to photograph.  Someday.

So now that a couple things have been cleared out of the blogjam I think I feel a little better; a little more clear-minded.  Time to get back to the limpet :)

 

What Condition My Condition Is In

Just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in….
~ Mickey Newbury

 
I remember my Mom singing this unabashedly tunelessly around the house when I was a kid.  Figures it would be about the LSD experience.  But it’s running through my mind on a loop as I get the urge to blog again.  I attribute this itch to the whole autumn back-to-school vibe that’s floating around.  I get it every autumn with the arrival of tumbling leaves and rumbling school buses.  And this year I have a preschooler on my hands (!).  How and when did that happen?
 
But I’m feeling a bit better, slightly less overwhelmed, and I think it might be time to get back our (somewhat) regularly scheduled dosage of Knittymuggins nonsense.  In keeping with the back-to-school experience I bring you:
 
What I Did On My Summer Vacation

 
• In June we took our first real family vacation!  We didn’t stray far, just 3 hours to Whistler, B.C., but it was almost like being a world away.  My BFF from college and her whole family were here from Kentucky and we stayed at their time-share with them.  The weather was gloomy (but we’re used to that!) so we just spent a lot of time swimming in the pool, playing on the playground in the village, and catching up.  I hadn’t seen Michele since R. Darling and I got married in 2004, and of her 4 children I had only met the oldest (when he was a mere 6 months old!) so it had definitely been too long.  The amazing thing is how easily we picked up where we had left off, as if I’d seen her only yesterday.  I wish they lived closer!!

 

 
• I quit Facebook.  I was wasting WAY too much time on it and found myself feeling truly depressed whenever I logged out.  Easy solution: give it up.  I feel guilty that I don’t know what’s happening with many of the people I care about (since everyone uses FB and people don’t seem inclined to communicate any other way anymore), but I also love not feeling bummed out every day.  Besides, I saw “The Social Network” and that Mark Zuckerberg seems like a total a-hole. Just sayin’. I’ve actually been pretty unplugged all summer and I feel much happier and more productive on a lot of levels.

 

• I participated in my first ever Ravellenic Games!  Well, not “officially”, but in spirit for sure.  My friends Jess, Troy, and I had our own personal knitalong conducted mostly via text, and it was so much fun I want to do it again :)  Each of us knit Leftie and though I was sure I wouldn’t finish it in 17 days, I totally did.  That was a huge eye-opener for me and has changed how I feel about my knitting.  It proved that if I stay monogamous with a project (and by now we all know I have a problem with that), it can be finished quickly.  On top of that this was the first project, probably since I was a beginner in 2006, where I picked out specific yarn and colors for this exact project.  Usually I sort of shop my enormous stash and try to fit project to yarn like a puzzle, with sometimes less than stellar results.  But I adore my Leftie and actually plan to wear it a lot this fall.

 

Leftie: In Progress July 2012

 
• I started Body For Life again about 7 weeks ago and have lost 7 lbs!  I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight and had the utter joy of being able to put my diamond wedding ring back on after not wearing it since about November 2009.  I almost feel like a newlywed because I cannot stop admiring that sparkling chunk of white gold and diamond adorning my left ring finger.  Knittymunchkin was shocked when he caught sight of  it replacing my plain old white gold band that I’ve been wearing since he was in my tummy.  I can’t explain how wonderful it feels to have it back (and a little of my “old” body too!).  I’d ideally like to lose another 5-7 lbs to get back to my pre-pre-pregnancy weight, but the progress I’ve made so far still thrills me on its own.

 

• I have a potty-trained toddler who is also going to preschool in a couple weeks!  I am just stunned he is this big already.  It’s going to be sad, exciting, and so much more, to watch him go off to school.  We weren’t planning on it just yet, but there was a last minute opening in a local co-op preschool that everyone raves about so we jumped on it.  I’m going to miss him like crazy, much as I will appreciate the break and the joy I get from watching him make new friends.  Wish me luck on this new venture!

 
I’m sure there’s much much more that I’m forgetting.  But I’ll be back with more before too long.  I hope you had a wonderful summer as well & look forward to catching up with each and everyone of you just as soon as I can.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Happy almost-Autumn!

 

Down Time

It’s been a couple weeks again.  This is becoming my thing.  And since it seems that there is a trend going on here, I guess it is about time I make it official: I’m taking a break.
 
There has been a lot of upheaval at Chez Knittymuggins over the last month.  I have a beautiful son entering the “Terrific Twos” and every day is a roller coaster of emotions, personalities, and power struggles.  Not only is he the biggest love of my life (besides R. Darling, of course), but he is also the most monumental challenge I will ever face.  Being a parent is HARD.  I am a huge ball of stress.  Normally I consider myself an incredibly patient person, and stable enough to weather the ups and downs that life throws at me.  But between mothering, trying to be a good wife, and trying to keep the household chaos down to a dull roar, I’m kind of losing it here.  And I have absolutely no support network to lean on when things get tough.  I’m holding it all inside and going it alone, and I can’t take it anymore.
 
Don’t worry, nothing drastic is going to happen :)  And I’m not telling you so you’ll feel sorry for me.   I just had to tell someone to relieve some of the anxiety.
 
So I’m going to take some time off.  I need to focus more on my own inner peace, getting things done around the house and re-grouping.  I hope to be back when I’m feeling better, I’m just not sure when that will be.  Until then, thanks so much to all of you for all the friendship & support you’ve given me throughout the years.  It has meant so much more to me than you’ll ever know!  And if you are still here to read when I get back I will welcome you with a heart full of gladness.
 
But just so you know, I DO sometimes still have fun!  Check out my first hand-dyed yarn:
 

 
Best wishes & hope to see you soon,

M
 
———
 
P.S. – Want to do something nice AND get free yarn? Ravelry members check out this thread. I’m already on my second pair of kids’ mittens!

 

There’s Something About Minis Part Deux

After 4 months of swing shift, R. Darling’s schedule has changed to day shift again and we are all trying to adjust.  This means more family time (yay!) but less time for catching up with my own stuff (boo!).  Summer is always a tough time for me when it comes to blogging, and apparently springtime is not much different.  Though you will most likely be hearing less from me for a while, never fear.  I’ll still be slugging away behind the scenes.
 
A two week recap on the Thinning The Nest Project:
 
Week 18 (May 3, 2012):  Gave away another pyrex dish & lid to my Mom, using travel size contact solution, threw out some old face powder
 
Week 19 (May 10, 2012 – this week): Goodbye Gallon Size Bag O’ Corks!
 
Nothing crazy or life-altering here.  A while back the makers of the contact solution we buy (Clear Care) decided to add some extras to the big Costco sized box we buy every month.  One of those extras is a travel size bottle of solution.  Pretty cool if you are traveling a lot, but with a 2 year old and not much extra in the bank, we aren’t going anywhere any time soon (except for maybe crazy).  I decided to start using some of these before they either expire, or bust out the bottom of our “junk” drawer in the bathroom.  As for the face powder, I’ve had that stuff in my makeup case for going on 9 years now.  I guess because it was powder I just hung onto it, figuring I’d find a use for it someday.  I try it periodically and it never seems quite right.  So this time, instead of putting it back in the drawer, I just chucked it.  It kind of felt good!  And I’m pretty sure I won’t miss it. And the corks, you ask?  They came in a vase I bought at an antique shop (which, it turns out, was NOT an antique & was made in China; not that I really cared).  I wanted the vase for something else, so dumped out the corks and decided I could find a good use for them eventually.  Someone on the Random Acts of Kindness Group on Ravelry was looking for corks, so they’ve now been happily rehomed.
 

Knittymunchkin Loves Minis Too!

 
A while back I mentioned that I was a little excited about minis.  I also mentioned that if I started talking about my “tub o’ minis” and complaining that the lid wouldn’t shut, I might need you to stage an intervention.  Um.  Houston, we have a problem.  Wednesday this week I went to Target and bought myself a bigger tub for my minis.  Granted, we are nowhere near rubbermaid tote proportions, but the collection is growing at an astonishing rate.  And um, there might be more to this addiction….er….situation.  I started growing a little collection of orphan minis from the swaps I’ve been in.  Minis in dark, crazy, stripey, boyish colors that just didn’t belong in my girly Beekeeper’s Quilt.  What to do, what to do?  Well, what any nutjob like me would do: Start a Sock Yarn Blanket for my sweet baby boy!!  Gulp.  I need another years-long project like I need more yarn, but what can I say?  There’s something about minis……
 

The Beginning of The Madness!

 

Where To Begin?

Where to begin when you haven’t begun in so many beginnings you may have forgotten how to begin at all?
 
It’s been a long time.  There have been things to share, and then the moment has passed and it seems like such old news that there is no point in writing about it at all.  When did I start feeling so overwhelmed that I began to let these opportunities slip away from me?  Did it happen on my birthday in September when I cooked my own birthday dinner and ate my celebration cake all alone?  Or maybe it was a few weeks later when Knittymunchkin decided naps were for suckas and a three week pitched battle between mama and little one ensued.  I’m sure you can guess who the victor was.  I’ll give you a hint: not me.  When did time become something so elusive?  When did I lose the ability to indulge in the things I love and how do I get it back?  I don’t have any answers.  I wish I did.  But I will just have to take one day at a time.  Because this is worth it.  Writing is worth it.  Connecting with all of you is worth it.
 
The biggest event I may have failed to mention was my five year blogging anniversary on October 14, 2011.  Five years!  It’s a bittersweet accomplishment because the milestone is not without some significance to me, yet I know I haven’t been maintaining things here well enough to consider it a five years worth acknowledging.  I had planned festivities, but perhaps we will save those for the New Year.  A kind of new start which, as many of you know, I typically celebrate on my birthday in September.  But since that date has come and gone I will shoot this year for January 1, 2012.  After all, 12 is my favorite number.
 
Though it would seem likely I haven’t been knitting much, what with the lack of content here and a toddler boycotting naps, I’ve actually been knitting quite a lot.  Knittymunchkin rewards me with moments each day during which he is content to play quietly by himself, and we have recently reverted back to at least 45 minutes of naptime most days.  On top of that, R. Darling has a temporary promotion at work that has him working different hours which means that I have a few hours to myself each evening before bed now.  Though I dearly miss our couple time, I have been thrilled to have a few more quiet moments to myself each day.  They’ve seemed few and far between the past 2 years.  And, as if I needed another distraction from my knitting, I’ve started working out again.  But it’s good.  It’s all good.
 
I’ll leave you with a picture of Knittymunchkin from a hot August afternoon this summer…..
 

 

You’ll be happy to see that I’m starting him off early :)

 

Hope all your holidays are off to a joyful start!

 

Be Our Guest!

The lovely Amy asked me to write a guest post for her blog today! I am so honored :) You can find it here.

More on the final days of Sock Summit 2011 coming soon….

 

Someone Has Been Knitting?

Wow, it’s been a while.  I suppose an explanation is in order.  You see, I’ve rather sadly become one of those bloggers that doesn’t blog regularly anymore :(  I see my stats dropping like the dirty bastard moths I am still swiping at now and again and though I feel deep sadness over that, I have come to the conclusion that there isn’t much I can do about it right now.  Time for blogging will come more regularly again (I hope!), but my focus is elsewhere for the time being.  Mostly on that little cherub napping in his room upstairs ;)
 
The silver lining to this is that I actually have knitting to show you!  Yes, I have actually been finishing things.  I’ve been subscribing to a new philosophy on knitting (and life in general) i.e., completing what I start and eliminating the baggage of everything else.  This is sort of new to me, and it’s actually been easier and more satisfying than I expected.  I think the first time I started and finished something this year and didn’t allow myself to start something else in the meantime, was just the boost I needed to break my habit.  Experiencing how good it feels to get that last stitch finished and take those photos so I can mark it “completed” in Ravelry has become downright addicting.
 
I know, I know.  Get to the pretty pictures already!  No one wants to hear you tooting your own horn.  So, I’ll dispense with the pleasantries and get down to it.  Just the nitty gritty deets for now and I’ll chit chat more next time.
 

Twisted

 

• Pattern: Twisted by Galia Lael  (Ravelry link here; My Ravelry project link here)
• Yarn:  Approximately 156 yds of Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky in “Wild Violet”
• Needles:  16 inch Size 9 & 10.5 bamboo circs
• Mods:  None
• Completed:  January 27, 2011

 
I made this for Amy as her Pay It Forward 2011 gifty.  This was such a quick and addicting knit!  Amy loves purple and she really likes hats, so this was a fun (and hopefully useful) thing to make for her.  I don’t have a lot of purple in my stash, but I did have this pretty yarn and it was just the right amount for this beret.  I was sweating having enough until the very last stitch, but squeaked by with just the right amount.  My first time blocking a hat on a dinner plate!
 

Multnomah

 

• Pattern: Multnomah by Kate Elsa  (Ravelry link here; My Ravelry project link here)
• Yarn:  Approximately 484 yds of Hill Country Yarns Superfine Supersock in “Blueberry Wine”
• Needles:  24 inch size 3 addi lace turbos
• Mods:  Knit extra lace repeats (19 total) to increase size of shawl
• Completed:  March 23, 2011

 
A gift for Lisa, this was my second completed Pay It Forward gifty for the year.  Lisa is also a purple fan!  I thought the colors would be perfect for her and I really wanted to knit a shawl. I love knitting shawls, even if I don’t wear them :) It turned out as more of a shawlette, even though I did many more repeats of the feather and fan pattern than were called for in the original pattern. I think the yarn was closer to laceweight than fingering; more than I’d realized initially. But I’m still happy with how it turned out and Lisa tells me she really likes it too. Hooray! Blocked this with blocking wires. My very first time! They are amazing, let me tell ya…..
 

Undergrowth

 

• Pattern: Undergrowth by Mandy Powers (Ravelry link here; My Ravelry project link here)
• Yarn:  Approximately 101 yds of Frog Tree Alpaca Sport in “#23″ (Red; MC) + 79 yds Knit Picks Andean Treasure in “Meringue Heather” (Cream; CC)
• Needles:  16 inch size 4 bamboo circs & dpns
• Mods:  None!
• Completed:  April 29, 2011

 
This hat was for Jess (my 3rd Pay It Forward gifty for 2011).  Jess mentioned one of her favorite colors was red and that she really liked hats (but never seemed to get to make one for herself).  I saw this pattern and had to make one.  It worked out perfectly because I had just the right red in my stash already!  A while back Jess wrote a post about “Potato Chip Knitting”.  You know, the kind you can’t put down?  I’d never heard that before and thought it was super clever :)  My potato chip knitting just happens to be colorwork, so how fitting that she should be the recipient of this hat!  This pattern was fantastic.  The instructions were clear & concise, and the design was amazing.  I would make about a zillion more of these if I had that many heads to put them on :)  I seriously couldn’t put this down.  So, I’ll just put this out there: if you want one and don’t have the skillz, time, or desire to knit one, let me know!  If you got the yarn, I got the time ;)
 

The Kumfy Schluttli

 

• Pattern: The Kumfy Schluttli by Meg Layaw (Ravelry link here; My Ravelry project link here)
• Yarn:  Approximately 232.5 yds of Dream In Color Classy in “Beach Fog”
• Needles:  24 inch size 8 bamboo circs & dpns
• Size:  3-9 months
• Completed:  May 19, 2011

 
I made this little sweater for a Ravelry penpal who just had a little boy in March.  I was kind of pushing it size-wise perhaps, but was hoping it would still fit him for a little.  Jess will recognize this yarn since I received it in trade from her sometime last year :)  What a truly adorable sweater!  And what a truly sketchy pattern.  I was surprised at that, but was ultimately able to figure things out, having knit a fair number of raglans by now in my knitting “career”.  Personally, I prefer patterns that lay it all out for you, and don’t appreciate it when things seem vague or too “casual” in the instructions.  But that’s just me.  Anyway, I can see myself making a few more of these.  It was super quick and satisfying to knit, and only took 1 hank of yarn!
 
Whew!  I suppose if I didn’t store stuff up to post it would go a lot faster (it’s already taken me 2 days to finish this post).  Anyhoo, I’ve got 2 more FO’s waiting to be blocked and a half-finished Spectra (OMG. LOVE.) to show soon too.  Guess I’d better get a move on!
 
Knit happy, blogg peeps :)

 

Remembering 2010

What can I say about 2010 as it comes to a close?  It sped by so quickly, yet there were moments (both effervescent and scary) that seemed to last an eternity.  I suppose it is the same each year.  There are joys and sorrows, tears and laughter.  And before you know it a whole new bright and shiny year is ready to begin.  That’s the beauty of this season.  A fresh start and renewed optimism are gifts each of us are entitled to receive with open hearts.

But for one small moment, I’d like to remember the year that was 2010.

I read 13 books and finished a paltry 14 knitted items, though it’s a wonder to me that I accomplished any of that at all.  I guess if I hadn’t been reading the Outlander series (Diana Gabaldon) I might have finished more books (each one is well over 1000 pages each) and if I didn’t have a newborn I might have finished more knits.

In January, Knittymunchkin kicked happily inside me as I napped and nested, my blood pressure soaring insidiously.  We bought a family car and I said goodbye to a sock club, already attempting to discourage my nasty stash acquisition habit.  I hired a doula and made a list of 101 things I’d like to accomplish in the next 1001 days, and even got started.

Then the calendar flipped to February and our lives changed in a matter of 2 days.  On February 1st I went in for routine fetal stress monitoring and ended up getting an unscheduled ultrasound and, ultimately, being admitted and labor induced.  When Knittymunchkin’s heart rate would drop with each contraction (contractions I couldn’t even feel) they told us I’d need a c-section the next morning.  And on February 2nd at 8:05 AM, 5 weeks and 1 day early, our little groundhog arrived weighing 4 lbs. 7 oz.  We had waited over 8 months to find out if Knittymunchkin was a boy or a girl (I just knew he’d be a boy!) and finally the day had arrived.  The rest of February would be a torturous roller coaster of ups and downs as Knittymunchkin lingered in the ICU building up his strength to come home.

March was spent adjusting to home life with our new little guy.  I struggled with feelings of inadequacy about my new role (and still do on frequent occasions), and functioning with a huge sleep deficit.  I almost gave up on breastfeeding, even after all the valiant attempts we made during his ICU stay, but managed to stick with it and now Knittymunchkin is a nursing champ :)  I’m so glad that he figured it out because I was getting awfully tired of the pumping, bottle feedings, washing all the myriad pieces of equipment for both, and doing this every couple hours day in and day out.  It was exhausting.  Not that I’m not exhausted now, but you get the idea.  It was 3 times as much work for each feeding as it is the good “old-fashioned” way.

In April I finally woke from my stupor enough to start to notice the rapid development my little guy had been making since February.  I sent announcements – late.  I even knit a little!  Life was changing fast.

May came, along with my very first Mother’s Day.  I finished some things and I dressed my baby funny :)

In June I questioned how I felt about blogging and asked you to share your thoughts too.  We took our first trip out of town with Knittymunchkin and he was a trooper!  We loved him more and more each day.  I finished a project that had been hanging around way too long and knit something quick and easy to soothe my soul. We caught colds, something that always sucks in summertime, and then we got better.

July arrived and it was hot hot hot.  My little boy could put his foot in his mouth and we started attempting to feed him solid foods.  It felt like there was never enough time for anything.  Little did I know things were going to get even busier!

In August I chopped off my hair.  It had been growing for close to a year and I was ready for a change.  I instantly regretted it.  At first I thought it was too short, but then I started to like how different that was for me.  But my idea had backfired.  In seeking to avoid Knittymunchkin’s wee grabby little fingers, I  had unwittingly foiled myself instead.  Because now there was not enough hair for a ponytail anymore and Knittymunchkin could pull with wild abandon.  I’m still in the process of growing it back out and only now (in December) is it long enough for a stubby little ponytail.  Knittymunchkin started the month off at a healthy 15.2 lbs and began eating his fruits & veg like a champ!  But he still cannot stand carrots and bananas.

This September I turned 37.  Ugh. ‘Nuff said.  But that’s when my real new year began.

In October I celebrated my 4th bloggyversary and announced a break for 2 months.  Knittymunchkin got 4 teeth and ended the month at 17 lbs. 10 oz.  I could finally wear my plain wedding band again, though I’ll have to lose 10 more pounds to be able to wear my diamond again :(  Oh how I miss it!  Started teaching Knittymunchkin some basic sign language and he got his first kiss at baby class.

November and December have been all about establishing a healthy routine and focusing on the lightning fast changes occurring in Knittymunchkin’s development.  It’s truly amazing to look back and see how far he’s come.  I know all you other moms out there know what I mean :)  It’s hard to believe that he is almost 11 months old now.  How fast this year has flown!  I’ve enjoyed my time off from the intrawebs and haven’t missed it nearly as much as I expected to.  It’s hard to come back after so much time off.  I feel like I did when I moved away for one year in 7th grade and came back to find that my friends had moved on despite my going away.  They still liked me and I slowly fit back in, but the feeling of being an outsider, like I’d missed out on the secret joke that everyone else got and I didn’t, lingered on for years.  I hope the inspiration of the new year will carry me forward and help me transition back into an online presence that is Goldilocks perfect – neither too much time online nor too little.

So all my best to you as you perhaps take a moment to reflect on your very own 2010.  I wish the best for you in the upcoming year and look forward to sharing with you as all our hopes and dreams for 2011 become reality!

 

Merry Christmas!

Our little family - November 2010

 
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season!  And best wishes to each of you for a happy and successful New Year too!
 
I’ll be hopefully returning to my less-than-regular blogging program sometime soon :)  But now that Knittymunchkin is mobile (!) finding time for anything other than chasing him around is proving to be something akin to milking a unicorn.  I hope that all of you have been well during this most longest of blog breaks, and I look forward to catching up with all of you very very soon!
 
Until then, Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones!
 

Totally gratuitous Knittymunchkin picture!

 

This Is Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  I can’t believe that tomorrow is November 1st.  It’s really tripping me out.  I haven’t even managed to watch “The Nightmare Before Christmas” my usual 16 or so times during the weeks leading up to Halloween.  How sad is that?  This month just went way too fast.  We did make a little time to take Knittymunchkin to a local punkin patch on Friday though.  It was so much fun tromping around in the mud with him in the backpack, and taking the little tractor ride out to the corn maze.  Everything was pretty well picked over, but the main reason I wanted to go was for the photo opportunities anyway.  I never seem to take enough photos and who can resist dressing up their little guy or gal and nestling them in amongst some nice orange punkins?  Next year will be awesome when he’s able to stand and walk around on his own and maybe even pick his own punkin.  It’s a good family tradition and I’m glad we started it this year so we’ll have something to look forward to as Knittymunchkin grows.  We broke in the new fancy baby backpack and he even took an inaugural nap in it while R. Darling and I ate apple pie :)
 

Boo!

 
It is with great sadness that I have to announce a planned blogging break here at the Knittymuggins blog space.  As much as I love my blog and all of your wonderful comments and support, I just don’t have the time I need right now to put into writing quality posts that people might be remotely interested in reading. I hardly have time to knit and I’m so exhausted, overwhelmed, and generally bummed out lately, that I can hardly stand my own self.  I have struggled for most of the 4 years I’ve been blogging to keep from letting those down times show in my posts and I don’t want to start now, so I’m taking some time off.  Blogging is supposed to be a source of joy for me but lately it feels like one more thing on my list that I can’t possibly hope to keep up with or accomplish well.  I hope that I will be back, and maybe I will surprise myself and find some inner reservoir of energy and inspiration that will allow me to come back sooner than I hope, but for now I don’t expect to be blogging again until the beginning of the year (though I may not be able to resist posting some pictures of Knittymunchkin now and then ;)  I am still going to be working on my Day Zero goals in the meantime and hopefully knitting some things that I can share with you when I’m back again.  Until then, thank you so very much for your understanding and support and I wish all of you the most joyful holiday season imaginable!  January will be here before  you know it :)
 

In the Punkin Patch

 

A Day Late….

“A day late and a dollar short”, is what my folks have always said when someone misses a big opportunity or forgets to do something important.  Well, I may be a day late, but two of you certainly won’t be a dollar short :)  So sorry for the delay, but now that Knittymunchkin is working on crawling (not quite there yet, but he’s trying!) I am even more busy than I used to be.  Who would have thunk that would even be possible?  And yet it is.

Anyhoo, just a comment on all your comments before the big announcement.  R. Darling always reads your posts on my bloggy (so thank you to all of you who say or have said nice things about him; he is always so touched by this!) and he noticed a little trend amongst some of the ladies who wrote in.  Many of you said that the best thing you ever did for yourself was to leave a relationship.  I find that so interesting.  It makes me wonder if we women, as a whole, try just a little too hard to accommodate everyone else in our lives to the detriment of ourselves in the process.  Is it necessary to lose ourselves in order to be a good mother, wife, or friend?  Of course not, but how easily it happens sometimes.  Just a little food for thought!  And thank you so very much to all of you for sharing your triumphs and joys by answering my big deep question.  Your strength, courage, and ability to grab that brass ring of happiness for yourselves is so inspiring!  Keep up the good work :)

O.K. Enough of my nonsense.  On to the winners!  First, I’ll go with the easiest answer.  I used the random number generator (the R. Darling Automaton 4000 was unfortunately, out on loan to the county this morning) to pick a random winner from my commenters.  And the random winner was commenter #10: Debbi!  Congrats Debbi!  Debbi and I have probably known each other for most of the duration of my blogging “career”.  I think we met during The Knitting Gnome Swap?  My memory is a little fuzzy, but I know I sent her a little package with some purple sock yarn in it way back when.

And the second winner….  This was a toughie guys.  I mean, all your comments were heartfelt & touching and I was so inspired by each of you.  I wish I could give you all a prize!  So I deliberated for a really long time.  And I considered copping out and just choosing another random winner.  But I sucked it up and made a choice.  My winner for the comment I liked best is Andi of My Sister’s Knitter (BTW: you should totally check out her bloggy!  The pics of her yarns & projects are beautiful & inspiring :)  Andi gets my vote not just because of what she chose to do to find her personal happiness, but the way she explained her choice and its result.  Just a couple quotes (hope this is o.k. with you Andi!): “I learned that by giving everyone everything you have doesn’t do them or you any good” & “My time now has only one purpose-to replenish my soul so that I can be a better person to others not by what I can do for them, but what type of person I am”.  Well said!

So thanks so much everyone for reading the past four years & commenting & just being the best blog readers ever!  Congrats to my contest winners & I’ll be in touch via e-mail to find out which patterns from Ravelry you’ll choose.

Now, to get Little Mister ready for baby class today :)

 

Brought To You By The Number Four

Yarnbombing Garland Outside My Favorite LYS

 
Dang.  As of today, I have been blogging for four entire years!  That’s a long ass time.  Granted, there have been some bursts of radio silence (most especially this year) but I am more than a little shocked that I have kept it up for this long.  I really never would have guessed that there would be that much I’d have to say and so much that I’d want to share with all of you.  There have been so many times when I’ve  been tempted to quit, but it’s because of all of you that I am still here and still blogging.  And I can never thank each and every one of you enough for all the wonderful comments, and generous kindness and support you have all shown me during these last four years. You’re fantastic!!  I most definitely would not be celebrating four years of blogging if it wasn’t for all of you amazing peeps that keep me in your thoughts and stop by to see how I’m doing!  I really and truly am so grateful for all of you :)
 
I feel like there is so much more I should say, on such a momentous day, but I’m so tired today I can hardly think straight.  So let’s just keep it short and sweet.  In honor of my 4th bloggyversary I am going to have a little contest!  Leave me a comment telling me what the best thing you have ever done for yourself (and only yourself) has been (or will be), your favorite weight of yarn to use, and your favorite color (just because I’d like to know!) by Midnight October 17th, 2010.  On the 18th I’ll pick two winners: one at random, and one whose answer I like best.  The winners will receive one pattern of their choice (up to $9) through Ravelry’s gifting feature.  Please keep in mind that, unfortunately, Twist patterns and certain others cannot be included in this feature at this time.  The pattern must be available to gift through Ravelry.  I can’t wait to hear all your answers!!
 
And since I’m holding the contest, I think I should play along :)  The best thing I have ever done for myself (and only myself) is a little boring, but has got to be refusing to have a roommate throughout grad school and my early working career.  Yes, I could have saved money, but having that time to be in my own space with my own thoughts and no need to consider anyone else’s, is a gift that I am so incredibly grateful for.  If you want a can of corn for dinner, or no dinner at all, you can do that.  If you want to come home and go to bed immediately, or if you want to wake up early and blast the music and dance in your underwear, you can do that.  No one will look at you funny and the chance to be so uninhibited in just living your life is so truly priceless.  I think everyone needs the gift of that freedom at some point in their life.  And my favorite yarn weight?  Probably worsted.  Not too hard on the hands, but works up quickly and satisfyingly into a lovely item.  Though fingering yarns far outweigh the worsteds in my stash.  Probably because I’m a sucker for sock yarn!  My favorite color?  Used to be pink, but changed to green over the last year/year and a half.  Yet lately, I find myself drawn to purples for the first time in my life.  How strange!
 
Thanks for all the joy, the laughs, shouldering my burdens with me when I needed it most, and most of all, for just being there and listening to all my nonsense.  You are all the best and I am so thankful for you each and every day.  Look forward to hearing all your answers and maybe (fingers crossed) spending another couple years with all of you fabulous bloggy peeps!