One love over another

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If you know me, you know that two of the things I love in my life are knitting (obviously) and my tattoos. The issue that I'm having right now is that, in my new job/career I am having to dress a bit more conservative than I'm used too. Being a bartender for the last 5 years, tattoos where never a problem. In fact, they were an asset that I'm sure have influenced many many tips. Now, working in the health care profession, specifically with the elderly, they have become more of an issue. They aren't asking me to cover all my tattoos and they aren't telling me that my tattoos are bad, but they are nervous of how our residents will view me because of my tattoos (which I don't entirely disagree with). So, they have asked me to cover up my wrist 1/4 sleeve. Ok, I'm sure I can do this. I have a few options, I could A) Where long sleeves under my scrubs (but as the weather is getting warmer, that could really suck) or B) Where a wrist brace ( then I get asked "What happened?" a million times and I have to explain the whole situation or C) I can cover up 1 love (tattoo) with another love (knitting). So, that's what I've decided to do. I've only made one wrist cuff so far and today I will wear it to work and see how it goes. I envision making a bunch of these and trying a few different yarns. I would just love to have a different one to match each of my scrub tops. Today is my first day on the floor interacting with the residents. I'm so excited as this has been along time coming. I'm also scared to death, but I'm sure that will subside when I get out there and am able to jump in with both feet and do the job I have been trained to do. The job that I WANT to do, that I feel very passionate about.

My knitting time has been drastically reduced in the last 2 days because for the last 3 months I've been unemployed, and now I'm working full time. I'm sure that I'll miss having all that time to knit but I'm going to really enjoy finally being able to afford the yarn I want. The knitting will continue.....

Yours knitting: 3.5
Total so far: 20.5

10 Reasons Knitting is better than Sex

After my sister texted me last Saturday night and asked why I wasn't out on a date it got me to thinking......

10 Reasons knitting is better than sex

10. It doesn't matter if your hair and makeup is done. Your needles will still let you touch them.
9. You can do it in public without being arrested.
8. It's less hazardous to your health, I've never thrown my back out while knitting.
7. After 20 minutes of knitting, I've never felt unsatisfied.
6. I regularly do the happy dance after CASTING off.
5. I can watch Law & Order or Criminal minds while knitting and no one thinks it's sick or disturbing.
4. The only disease you can get from knitting is Second Sock Syndrome.
3. I can spend hours on the Internet searching knitting related things and no one thinks I'm a perv (Well, not for that at least)
2. You don't need a shower afterwards.
1. If you want to snuggle with your yarn after, you can. If you want to roll over and start snoring, that's OK too.



I did get some knitting done. Friday night, cast on the second Leyburn. Sunday afternoon, cast off. And now the pair is done. HAPPY DANCE! HAPPY DANCE!!!

Hours knitting: 9.5
Total hours: 17

Avoiding the temperance

I'm doing a knit-along with my mother and sister. Atleast that's what I should be doing. We're all knitting Temperance designed by Liz Albinante. Available as a free download at Ravelry.com. It's a lovely pattern and is turning out well. However, there is a left twist stitch in the pattern that makes me want to stab out my eyes with the sz.0 needles I'm knitting with. Who ever discovered that stitch was a real sadist who I invision takes great pleasure from the pain she has caused me, my mother, my sister and countless other devoted knitters who love the pattern enough to work through the pain. Sorry mom, but I've taken a bit of a break. I know you, of all people, will understand. Here's how far I got, before I took a Temperance vacation.


Just because I've been on a Temperance vacation, does not mean I havn't been knitting. Just knitting on other things. I've started the Leyburn sock pattern, also a free download from ravelry.com. This was such a quick knit, it seemed to just fly right off the needles. The first one actually flew off the needles twice. One of the benifits to knitting toe up socks is that you can try them on as you go, but for some reason I forgot this and did not try on the sock till I had cast off. UGH, tears were shed when I tried and failed to get the sock over my heal. Due to the stranding in the stitch pattern, the cuff was to tight. CRAP!!! So had to frog back to the heal and switch from sz 1 needles up to sz 4, then back down to sz 1 for the ribbing. Thankfully it worked. Now, do I cast on the second one, or get back to the Temperance sock?


Nope, I didn't cast on the second sock. Nope, I didn't get back to the Temperance. Instead, I finally cast on a pair of slippers for me. See, I've made a grand total of 16 pairs of these slippers for OTHER people and never a pair for myself. Even though the whole reason I bought the pattern was to make myself a pair because I had worn out the same pair that someone had made for me. Still not done, have to do the soles and then felt them. Does anybody wanna let me use there washing machine? Havn't figured out how I'm gonna felt them when it seems that everybody I know has a front loading washing maching. Ugh, I'm sure I'll figure something out.


Hours knitting: 4.5
Projects: See above
Total hours so far: 7.5

Knit night with the girls

Got to spend a wonderful evening with my knitting family, the Fairbanks Fiberistas. Although the group meets once a week, we can't all make it every time, but that doesn't matter, it's always a blast. Plus, if the whole group were able to meet up, I can guarantee we would never be invited back to the venue it was held at. As we can be a loud, crude, crazy bunch of yarn obsessed women.

Knitting hours: 3
Projects: Slippers (I'm calling them the "Finally for Me" slippers)
Leyburn Socks

Pics of my projects will generally be posted when they are off the needles. Unless I decide differently, which I can totally do because this is my blog and I can do what I want. Yipee, I think I'm gonna like this.

Getting started

So this is my first attempt at the wonderful world of blogging. Lets see what happens.

I am starting this blog as a way to keep track of my knitting adventures (and maybe some random life ones as well). I read on another blog today about a bunch of ladies, fellow knitters, who are starting a 10k hours of knitting socks movement. The theory behind this movement is that it takes 10 thousand hours of doing something to become a master at it. There was some great documentation behind the idea but I'll leave that for the other women to contemplate.

For me, this was a wake up call. I've been thinking about blogging for months. Thinking about what I'd blog about, what would be the main theme, what would motivate me and be worth sharing. This excites me. I was thinking about doing like the other ladies and focusing on knitting socks, but I think this is just too narrow for me. That and all Ive knit for the past year has been socks. I've actually spent the last few days trying to get away from my trusty sock needles. So, I'm gonna broaden the horizon and focus on knitting in general.

And away we go...