Now don't take me wrong, not all that has been happening has been bad and this is not a whiney post. I've just been observing things recently and really realized the scope of this term.
Everything started with my allergies acting up and making me really itchy, which led to an infection. The infection was bad an on both legs and my doctor took blood and some skin for testing and observation. Well the antibiotics worked, but they caused every single one of their side effects. Every morning it was a roll of the dice to see if I would be dizzy, nauseous, sunburned easily, sleepy or had no appetite, and it kept me on my toes by throwing in some days were I felt fine. Then on the last day of the antibiotics I developed full body hives and was taking tons of antihistamines, when I got a call from my doctor.
In a somewhat surprised voice my doctor let me know that I'm in perfect health. I am slightly over weight, but I've beaten my family history of diabetes and since I run 3-4 times a week my weight is going down. My cholesterol is below average, and when paired with my very low blood pressure, it is a sign my heart is doing well. My thyroid is functioning normally and my doctor told me that she could not even tell I have anaemia from my blood tests. Her advice was to just keep taking Benadryl and wait it out.
While this all going on I started to realized I needed to either find a new job, or drop my current one down to part time, when the Yarn Harlot had my bags on her blog and the business exploded. 2 weeks ago I was just selling the bags I had made, making the Dr Who bags, and had taken on a custom order that would pay the business bills. Now suddenly in 3 days I had as many orders as what I normally had in a month. I was shipping left and right, ignoring the laundry, making pizza or burritos for 4 days, doing emergency runs to the fabric store for supplies, had a crash course in my new shipping software, and trashing my office. I have no plans to sleep tonight.
Then while on my way home from work I got stuck in traffic while driving Ben's new (new to him that is) car when it overheated. I have enough experience with cars that overheat on me due to blown head gaskets that I started looking and listening for the usual signs of a blown head gasket without thinking as I pulled over. I called Ben to tell him what happened and learned that my car was undrivable. I was driving Ben's car because my car (affectionately named Henry after Henry of Navarre) was having issues with it's driver side brake and Ben had taken everything off to find I needed a new brake pad and rotor. The traffic was so bad that I was able to almost completely cool down the car as Ben drove the van in the opposite direction to one exit down from me and then come back up the highway to where I had pulled over. We put water in the car and took a farm road to the closest town.
Good news is that the car made it home without overheating again and that by the time we checked everything the traffic was nothing till 1 mile from home, and then it was still moving.
Now tonight I'm planning on powering through the custom orders, some new bags, and the rest of the shipping.
Wish me luck!
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Knitters Being Teased
On occasion I have a conversation with my customers and we talk about our lives and why we knit.
Recently one customer was telling me about how her co-workers tease her about how she's an "old lady" for knitting. I'm use to this mentality and rarely do I get riled because I point out that my great grandmother could not knit and that I, at the age of 25, can most likely knit better then their grandmother.
I hold this as my proof:
There are many brilliant knitters that have taken knitting to the next level and their skills and smarts show in their work. They are not old, not grandmothers, and sometimes not even female.
These are people that have taken knitting from an "old lady's hobby" to an art form. Every time someone says that knitting is a worthless hobby I laugh and pitty them a little. They will never understand that knitted items last longer, wear better, and are warmer because they are made with love and spirit. Otherwise why would someone reknit the fingers on a pair of gloves 4 times to make sure the fit right?
Recently one customer was telling me about how her co-workers tease her about how she's an "old lady" for knitting. I'm use to this mentality and rarely do I get riled because I point out that my great grandmother could not knit and that I, at the age of 25, can most likely knit better then their grandmother.
I hold this as my proof:
 |
| Girasole by Jared Flood |
There are many brilliant knitters that have taken knitting to the next level and their skills and smarts show in their work. They are not old, not grandmothers, and sometimes not even female.
 |
Bridgewater by Jared Flood |
 |
| Snowdrop Shawl by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (I'd like to add she knitted this without a plan and just went with it as it grew) |
 |
Pointelle by Cookie A |
These are people that have taken knitting from an "old lady's hobby" to an art form. Every time someone says that knitting is a worthless hobby I laugh and pitty them a little. They will never understand that knitted items last longer, wear better, and are warmer because they are made with love and spirit. Otherwise why would someone reknit the fingers on a pair of gloves 4 times to make sure the fit right?
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Back to Work
Today I'm spending the day in my office creating bags for custom orders and the clubs. I really have missed working on the business full time and I have felt such joy since stepping in here to work.
This morning I got up with Ben and by 5am was in my office with coffee and cutting fabric. I love the feeling of the iron in my hands smoothing out wrinkles, the organic cotton for a custom order is so soft I rubbed it against my face to feel the softness of it, and I cut templates for small notions bags that I had planned on making before starting full time work, but never got around to.
Currently I'm looking for a part time job, because I'm finding it hard to balance my business with full time work and I came to the conclusion that by just finding a better paying job I can easily switch to part time. I must say that it has been a while since I took such a low paying job as the aquarium, but I enjoy working there.
What I enjoy even more though is creating.
I have this itch then needs to be scratched. I want to design a new sweater (or 4), create bags, make the scrap fabric into reusable sandwich wrappers and I have my dyer's chomping at the bit to do dyeing, but I can't figure out when I'll be able to.
As of tomorrow it will have been one year since the first dye day. I remember staying up till 4 in the morning to only get up at 6am to finish preparing for the dye party. Caren and Meghan were my dyers that day and I made pizza for our lunch.
We had so much fun that day and I have learned so much since then. The first batch took forever to rinse because I did not know how much dye a bottle needed, I have learned that vinegar does really work better then citrus acid, that if I want my yarn to be really soft to get the really concentrated conditioner (and it works on my hair too), an that dye days are always fun and should be shared with the best of friends.
I still feel a warmth in my heart when I remember that first day and I got to say that I really do love my at home business and the day that I can successfully just work from home will be a day that will be as important to me as getting married, because then I'll really be married to a job I love and it and I will sink or swim together.
This morning I got up with Ben and by 5am was in my office with coffee and cutting fabric. I love the feeling of the iron in my hands smoothing out wrinkles, the organic cotton for a custom order is so soft I rubbed it against my face to feel the softness of it, and I cut templates for small notions bags that I had planned on making before starting full time work, but never got around to.
Currently I'm looking for a part time job, because I'm finding it hard to balance my business with full time work and I came to the conclusion that by just finding a better paying job I can easily switch to part time. I must say that it has been a while since I took such a low paying job as the aquarium, but I enjoy working there.
What I enjoy even more though is creating.
I have this itch then needs to be scratched. I want to design a new sweater (or 4), create bags, make the scrap fabric into reusable sandwich wrappers and I have my dyer's chomping at the bit to do dyeing, but I can't figure out when I'll be able to.
As of tomorrow it will have been one year since the first dye day. I remember staying up till 4 in the morning to only get up at 6am to finish preparing for the dye party. Caren and Meghan were my dyers that day and I made pizza for our lunch.
We had so much fun that day and I have learned so much since then. The first batch took forever to rinse because I did not know how much dye a bottle needed, I have learned that vinegar does really work better then citrus acid, that if I want my yarn to be really soft to get the really concentrated conditioner (and it works on my hair too), an that dye days are always fun and should be shared with the best of friends.
I still feel a warmth in my heart when I remember that first day and I got to say that I really do love my at home business and the day that I can successfully just work from home will be a day that will be as important to me as getting married, because then I'll really be married to a job I love and it and I will sink or swim together.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Help me fundraise. It's fun and it makes you feel good.
I'm running in the Giants Race! For $5 you can sponsor 1 of my miles and it is 2.5 meals for a SF local
Just the running update. Go to the site to learn more!
Yes, I'm spamming my own blog, but it's mine so it's okay.
Just the running update. Go to the site to learn more!
Yes, I'm spamming my own blog, but it's mine so it's okay.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Getting My Mojo Back
Since starting my new job I kind of lost my mojo there for a couple weeks but I feel it all coming back.
These past couple of days I've been home sick with a leg infection that has caused my knee to swell up a bit, so what is a girl to do? Knit of course!
It had been about a week since I'd knit and my Dad's sweater vest is not going to knit itself so I spent Sunday figuring out where I was and while at the doctor's office yesterday I knit while waiting for my appointment, I knit while waiting for my prescription and then knit when I got home before my antibiotic put me to sleep.
Today I'm looking forward to being in my office sewing some bags and measuring yarn and just playing in fiber. Maybe I'll even plan out some yarns for Tour De Fleece!
Anyone have plans for Tour De Fleece?
These past couple of days I've been home sick with a leg infection that has caused my knee to swell up a bit, so what is a girl to do? Knit of course!
It had been about a week since I'd knit and my Dad's sweater vest is not going to knit itself so I spent Sunday figuring out where I was and while at the doctor's office yesterday I knit while waiting for my appointment, I knit while waiting for my prescription and then knit when I got home before my antibiotic put me to sleep.
Today I'm looking forward to being in my office sewing some bags and measuring yarn and just playing in fiber. Maybe I'll even plan out some yarns for Tour De Fleece!
Anyone have plans for Tour De Fleece?
Sunday, June 24, 2012
From Scratch
I love seeing things become something else. Be it roving become yarn and then a cowl, ingredients become bread or children growing up, I love it all.
This morning I was making a Berry Puff Pancake and was thinking about how much I love taking the fresh ingredients and how it becomes a yummy dish. I then realized that it is the same type of love I have for knitting.
While cooking has more instant gratification then knitting, my love for knitting runs deep because it takes longer then cooking. Knitting takes commitment that sewing and cooking do not have. I love the picking out yarn for a specific project, or even just falling in love with a yarn and searching for a project that will do it justice.
Currently I'm finishing up my Dad's sweater vest for graduation (sorry no pictures as he has not seen it and Mom reads the blog) and I was thinking about how the first sweater vest I made him was not quite right. The cuffs on the arm openings were too big and stuck up, the fit was off and while he likes it, I don't see him wearing it to work much because of these issues.
I'm also becoming something else. I'm becoming a better knitter, a better cook, a better sudoku player, a better girlfriend, and a better daughter. I notice that I also learn new things that make me better everyday and sometimes I have this urge to go back and remake or make something again because I want to apply my new knowledge to it and see how much better it can be.
If this new sweater vest fits my dad well then I'm going to offer to reknit the old one because I want to see and show how I've grown as a knitter. It's like baking the pancake a second time now that I've learned a thing or two about it (like skip the stick of butter and use a spray on butter).
This morning I was making a Berry Puff Pancake and was thinking about how much I love taking the fresh ingredients and how it becomes a yummy dish. I then realized that it is the same type of love I have for knitting.
 |
| I use less berries, because sometimes less is more. |
While cooking has more instant gratification then knitting, my love for knitting runs deep because it takes longer then cooking. Knitting takes commitment that sewing and cooking do not have. I love the picking out yarn for a specific project, or even just falling in love with a yarn and searching for a project that will do it justice.
Currently I'm finishing up my Dad's sweater vest for graduation (sorry no pictures as he has not seen it and Mom reads the blog) and I was thinking about how the first sweater vest I made him was not quite right. The cuffs on the arm openings were too big and stuck up, the fit was off and while he likes it, I don't see him wearing it to work much because of these issues.
I'm also becoming something else. I'm becoming a better knitter, a better cook, a better sudoku player, a better girlfriend, and a better daughter. I notice that I also learn new things that make me better everyday and sometimes I have this urge to go back and remake or make something again because I want to apply my new knowledge to it and see how much better it can be.
If this new sweater vest fits my dad well then I'm going to offer to reknit the old one because I want to see and show how I've grown as a knitter. It's like baking the pancake a second time now that I've learned a thing or two about it (like skip the stick of butter and use a spray on butter).
Saturday, June 9, 2012
World Wide Knit In Public Day (or really week)
Today kicks off World Wide Knit In Public Week.
Originally it started out as a single day (June14th as it is the Yarn Harlot's birthday) which all of us knitters would show that there is more of us then others think.
Just today I was talking to a co-worker when she asked what my business was and when I told her I was surprised that she did not give me the look. You know the look, the one that people usually give us before people they explain that we can buy a sweater for less then yarn costs. However she had a friend that knit and she thought it was really cool.
To celebrate this week when we shout our love for our craft from every coffee shop, theater and park I'm giving away a Knitters Without Borders bag to the next 10 people that place an order of $30 or more!
Originally it started out as a single day (June14th as it is the Yarn Harlot's birthday) which all of us knitters would show that there is more of us then others think.
Just today I was talking to a co-worker when she asked what my business was and when I told her I was surprised that she did not give me the look. You know the look, the one that people usually give us before people they explain that we can buy a sweater for less then yarn costs. However she had a friend that knit and she thought it was really cool.
To celebrate this week when we shout our love for our craft from every coffee shop, theater and park I'm giving away a Knitters Without Borders bag to the next 10 people that place an order of $30 or more!
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