Goals

So I am setting for myself some goals, as far as the fiber arts are concerned....

1. color knitting--- I know that once I try it, I will have no problems, I just haven't tried it yet! : )
2. lace--- I can knit lace, but I have never knit anything big and complicated as far as lace is concerned. I have a shawl in mind....
3. spinning--- LOL! spinning in general, both spindle and wheel
4. dying
5. crocheting--- I only know a few stitches and I am not real sure I know what I am doing when I do crochet. I have done a couple things that were nice looking, but not consistant looking.....

I am sure that the list will go on. I want to have most of this accomplished by this time next year. No promises though! : )

Well it is going to be big

For the record this is not my fault. I explained to my husband that the size that he wanted would probably be a little big for him. Then I got started and I have been telling him, well a lot, that I think that this thing is going to be really big for him. I am just slightly large on the gauge, but not enough to make any real difference. I am talking like 1/4 of a stitch off of gauge so it is coming out to be almost exactly the right size. I am going to finish the front and try it on him with the front and back held together at the shoulder seams so he will get a real good idea of what size this will really be. I don't think that it is going to be horrible, but I think that a size or two smaller would be better. Maybe just one size because I don't like sweaters to be too fitting on guys.
Other news. The bookcase looks great. We are going through the rest of the house deciding on different things that we want to do. We have the loft area kind of figured out. Not completely but it is coming together. We have been starting to discuss our shop (even though it is 10 years from now) and I have to say I am so excited. Even though it is so far off, it is exciting getting ready for it. I am hoping that this will bring my husband and I even closer together.

Finished the back

I finished the back of DH's sweater last night! Yay. Some sense of accomplishement on it anyway. I had fully planned on working on it all day Saturday, but there were too many errands to run. I only got to knit for maybe an hour or so Saturday. That made me super sad, but at least there was a lot of stuff that got done around the house. My bookcase is painted now, so hopefully it will be dry and ready to go by tonight. We are waiting to see if there will have to be any touch up spots before we move it in to the house. Now the living room is almost done. Well I should say that it won't look like it is still packed anyway. Plus the garage is going to look a little more empty now! I just need to find a good place to put my big tub o' yarn. I just don't know where it is going to fit. I need some sort of visible storage thing where I can easily inventory what I have. Soon. Jim and I started working on our 10 year career plan. It has made me very excited for the future as well as helped me so I will be able to get on track. I need to work on financial aid for school very soon. Just have to wait for w-2s to come out. Then we can do our taxes and everything will start falling into place. : ) Have my 1, 3, 5, and 10 year goals started. Of course there will be some changes here and there (I would love to be at 5 years where I want to be at 10, but that probably won't happen) but I am so excited for everything. Will reveal more at a later date.

Well, I am almost finished with the back of The Fog sweater. This picture is actually not very recent. I took it earlier this week when I had just started the back. I have just a couple inches left to go and I am hoping to have it (the back) finished tonight. Then all I will have is the front, sleeves, and neck. I am thinking mock turtle, but DH doesn't have any problems with a full turtle, so we will see. Anyway with just those little bits left and most of a weekend to work on it, I will hopefully have it done by next Thursday. That is my goal. If I can get it done then, it will be within this month (I know I probably won't be knitting on Halloween so it has to be done Thursday) and DH will be VERY happy.

In spinning news, I have been spinning a little bit again. I haven't hardly touched my wheel in forever. I think that I may actually be getting the hang of it. Still trying to understand the whole drop spindle thing. Not quite getting the hang of it (ha! Hang. Get it? Drop spindles hang? I crack myself up!). I even bought a subscription today for Spin Off magazine. I would like to get more into spinning, just not real sure if I am doing it correct most of the time. I guess that is a good goal for the remainder of the year. Just learn to spin. Of course AFTER DH's sweater is finished!

Let's see. Other areas of my life... I am looking for a part time job in the evenings/Saturdays for some extra dough. DH and I are going to Georgia in December 25 or 26 to see his family for a long weekend! I am just a little worried about money. Plus I have a doctors visit in December that will more than likely all be out of pocket. $107.01 for my shot and then who knows how much for the procedure. Have I mentioned that I hate going to the doctor? I was sick for a month just recently and finally broke down and shelled out $69 because I had bronchitis. Ug. Plus $18 for Amoxicillin and some really fun cough syrup. Good thing is, I am feeling much better now. Yay. I am hoping to start going back to school next fall. I am thinking seriously about getting a degree in Apparel Studies. I am weighing my options before I commit though. I just don't know. There are so many things that I would like to do and I just don't know if I can do them. I know that probably sounds dumb. I know. I know. You can do anything you put your mind to. That is just the problem. I don't know if I will enjoy it and I don't know if I will do anything with it if I do it. Of course I would love to own my own yarn shop someday, but that will probably never happen and even if it did, I am pretty sure that a degree in apparel studies will only help me so much. However DH works for a testing company that has a branch for textiles and IF I were to get the degree, I might be able to get on there and use the degree. Not completely sure, but whatever. Honestly I really like my job that I have right now (most of the time LOL!) and I don't have any plans anytime soon of leaving. I just don't know. I want to do so many things with my life, and life is so short, that it is hard to plan accordingly.

Speaking of life being cut short. Very dear friends of our family were killed this weekend in a motorcycle accident. http://www.legacy.com/palestineherald/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=119185094 Mr. James and Miss Gwen have been there as far as I can remember. We have known them since I was 2. I was at their house all the time. I remember Miss Gwen taking me to the park that was near the house. I remember when the screened in porch was added. I have so many memories from there with them. They were the kind of people that make such a huge impact on your life. People that you will never forget. It was such a tragedy to see them go, but at least they went together.

Knitting tonight

Well I haven't knitted in over a week because I have had a bad cold and I don't like the idea of infecting my knitting. I am going to go to KnitWicks tonight to knit, I think. I am still not feeling great but I don't feel near as bad as I did. I went to bed a little after 8 last night so I am not near as tired this morning as I have been. I can't wait to go knit. I need to hurry up and finish Jim's sweater so I can start working on the afghan for him mom. I doubt I will have it done by Christmas when we go to see her but I would like to give it a try. That will mean though that I can't work on my sweater. :(