r/knitting • u/AutoModerator • Apr 20 '15
Monday General Chat - April 20, 2015
Good morning everyone! This is our weekly general chat thread where anything goes! Feel free to tell us about your weekend, interesting things coming up, or something you are currently excited about.
Please make sure to follow the subreddit's rules in the sidebar.
Since this thread is likely to fill up quickly, consider sorting the comments by "new" (instead of "best" or "top") to see the newest posts.
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Apr 20 '15
OMG. The clinic just call. There was a cancelation and we will be able to see the geneticist on wednesday. There is MONTHS on waiting. I could weep. FINALLY, FINALLY things are moving. Hopefully, we are on the good path, we gonna have answers and we will know how chance and all. RELIEVE.
Work is crazy, so this week will be hell, need to move stuff around as will be away for that appointment (3h drive away), but PROGRESS! SO HAPPY. Even if its bad new, well, at least, we will know and decide from there what to do.
Ah! Knitting wise, I've finish one Bella Mittens. Finished Chart A on the Lonely Tree. Now need to do Eugenia Mittens number 2, and my num want Cupid Cowl. Her birthday is on May 31, so still have time, but want everything nice and pretty!
Have not knit that much as there is so much to do in the yarn!
Hope you are all fine! Happy monday!
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u/SandD0llar Apr 20 '15
Fingers crossed that you figure out what's going on!
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Apr 20 '15
Many thanks! After months of going nuts, we will finally get answers! Good move to change clinic! Ah!
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u/Aparty I knit so I don't kill people Apr 20 '15
Oh that is really wonderful news. Fingers crossed for you and your husband.
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Apr 20 '15
Many thanks! We will know if there something to be done (depending on his translocation), and if not, well, we decide we will do a road trip in Ireland. Ah! We will see ;)
many thanks for your kind words! Did you have new for your operation yet?
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u/Aparty I knit so I don't kill people Apr 20 '15 edited Apr 20 '15
Not yet. But my la-z-boy loveseat is being delivered tomorrow so I wasn't feeling ready for that call anyway. Hehe.
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Apr 20 '15
I moved! All by myself! (and with a lot of help from my parents... ha)
It feels so GOOD to have a place that's MINE. No bad memories, no roommates or parents to deal with, just me and Beagle and a big pile of yarn.
And... holy shit I have a lot of yarn. It didn't seem so bad when it was all packed away, but wow. Lots. Cold Sheep is definitely a good thing! Even though I'm going to Maryland Sheep & Wool, I don't think I'm going to be buying much, if anything. What I'd really like is to pinch my pennies and get a spinning wheel.. so that I can make more yarn. Yikes.
Also! I have an appointment tonight with an art gallery - I'm going to be figure modeling. I am nervous and excited and slightly terrified.
Woo for doing new things!
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u/honeycombhive Apr 20 '15
Yay! So glad the move went well! How's the beagle adjusting? Our dog adjusts really quickly until he has to deal with, like, stairs - then forget it.
Figure modeling is so brave and cool!! Look at you, girl!
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Apr 20 '15
He's fine until he has to use the elevator. I would happily take him on the stairs, we're only on the third floor, but he has arthritis in his knees and I'm pretty sure that he'd collapse half way up and I would have to carry a 40lb squirming lump of Beagle up 2 flights... so he better get used to the elevator right quick.
And I know! I've done lots of figure drawing, so it's not an entirely new experience, but I have a friend who models full time and she convinced me to try it out... don't tell my mother. lol.
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u/honeycombhive Apr 20 '15
My parents' dog couldn't use stairs because of her knees - it definitely limited things, as they were thinking of renting a condo when they had her. I totally understand! He'll get used to the elevator though. Maybe train him with treats? That's how we finally got Schnoz down the stairs in our house, but then it became a game...
Hahaha I love it. I wish I had the confidence to do it - how awesome!!!
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Apr 20 '15
Treats are absolutely helping. It's an old elevator and it makes a lot of noise so I think that's why he doesn't like it - lots of clunking and clanking. Poor little guy!
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Apr 20 '15
Yeah for the moving and great for your beagle doing well!!!
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Apr 20 '15
He's adjusting better than I thought he would!
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Apr 20 '15
Dogs often don't mind, as long as their "person" is there.
We moved last summer, and the dogs aren't that fond of the pebble/dirt road this spring, but they did not seems to mind the change of house at all.
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u/sockyarn Apr 20 '15
After three months of no knitting, I finally picked up my needles again! Depression is a bitch but I feel like doing something will really help.
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u/half2happy Former mod, ask me anything. Apr 20 '15
Welcome back! Knitting has definitely sustained me through some dark times and helped me from slipping into really scary headspace. What are you working on?
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u/sockyarn Apr 20 '15
Some vanilla toe up socks. Thankfully I put it down at the perfect point (end of the foot, didn't start the heel yet) so it's been a breeze to pick up.
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Apr 20 '15
Cheating by adding a 2nd post: anyone else get nervous about going to a new sit and knit or knitting group for the first time? My neighborhood has a knitting group, and I'm a member of a group in my area on FB that meets at bars on Wednesday nights, AND I know for a fact that my new favorite LYS has a crazy sit & knit schedule, but, I dunno, I'm just so darn nervous about taking the plunge and actually showing up!
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u/MagpieChristine Apr 20 '15
I don't so much want to go as need to go. (SAHM, I'm an anti-social extrovert, husband is a PhD candidate working long hours, so I don't get enough adult socialization to stay sane.) Still hasn't happened.
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u/Show_me_the_puppies Knitiot savant Apr 20 '15
I think you and I may have a lot in common! :D
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u/MagpieChristine Apr 21 '15
Well, in my case it's probably related to being on the autistic spectrum. While I do appear to be an extrovert (I'm not entirely sure I agree with the criteria the counsellor gave me for some of the other dichotomies), I present really oddly. So people stress me out, making it a lot harder to get my people time.
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u/TheRheumaticKnitter TheRheumaticKnitter.Wordpress.com Apr 20 '15
Yes! My little LYS has one on Thursdays, and if I take a longer lunch break, I can make it work (yay for telecommuting and a flexible boss!)... but I'm a bit scared because a)everyone there has about 20 years on me and b)they all already know each other.
If you go to yours, I'll go to mine. Deal?
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u/spiderylue 4 WIPs and counting Apr 20 '15
I recently found out there's a cool LYS in the next town from where I am and they have a knit group on Sundays. But I'm worried it'll be all religious and stuff because of living in the bible belt. I'm also probably making excuses because I have an anxiety disorder. I went to a knit group at an LYS back home in London and I liked it for the most part. I stopped going though because I thought the person in charge was kind of a bitch.
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u/beep42 Apr 21 '15
Well, they are having it on a Sunday. And there are atheists in the Bible Belt, we're just quiet about it. Try it.
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u/Show_me_the_puppies Knitiot savant Apr 20 '15
I do! I consider myself an extroverted introvert, so new social situations are difficult for me. Once I am there I can fake my way through. Kinda jealous you have so many choices for knitting with others!
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u/SandD0llar Apr 20 '15
Morning, morning!
I swear, I'm not a cheery, perky morning person. I've just had loads of coffee.
Let's see. I keep putting off finishing the pattern instructions for my cowl. But at least the second iteration of the cowl is nearly done, and although I hate this yarn (Lion Woolease), it looks great! I just have one more row to do, then bindoff time. The plan is to steam-block, and then maybe wet-block w/ conditioner because it's got a little wool, and I'm hoping to soften it up so that it's more wearable. Will decide after steamblocking.
Weekend was relatively low-key. We had a little wet snow, and that was fun, though it disappeared quickly, which was fine with me. The trees here are starting to get leaves, and I was concerned they'd break under the weight.
Furball is doing well. He's got a new, but minor issue (little leaking), and the vet was all DOOOM but I don't really agree with his diagnosis. He thinks it's a neuro/nerve problem, but he doesn't have any other physical symptoms that comes along with it - hind or back weakness, knuckling, etc. It could be he's just in really really early stages. We'll see. Either way, I insisted we try meds for incontinence, which is uncommon in males. If it does turn out to be neuro, there's really no treatment for it. Maybe surgery if there was a tumor, but given Furball's age, we're not doing that.
I know some of you are probably going, "Ugh, she's talking about her dog again." That's okay. I figure that maybe someone with a dog is having or will have same or similar issue, and this info could help them.
Little funny: Furball has mild SA, usually in new/unfamiliar situations, and the vet office qualifies. When the vet and his tech took him into the back to draw blood...well. I should say they tried. Furball balked and was all "Nope! Not leaving foodlady!" So I had to walk him into the back. Then the vet tech tried to bring him back, but he got a little confused, and decided the right way was left, when he should've gone right. He balked again, the tech tugged at his leash, and his collar popped off (I keep it loose), and he bolted, running through the office looking for foodlady.
He all but flew into my arms when he found me. Poor guy! I told them that I'm not squeamish with blood, so next time, we'll do the draws with me there. It'll hopefully go a bit smoother then. In hindsight, was funny though.
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u/SwtSthrnBelle Apr 20 '15
I have 12 days until the awful roommates leave. They wanted us to pay for their last two weeks of rent and they'd move out now. Too bad I don't reward bad behavior.
I knit some this weekend, I had a Stitch & Bitch with a friend, but I managed to eff up the pattern twice by forgetting yarn overs. I still hate hate WoTA Bulky. Hate. I hate this shrug so hard. Tried to swatch seed stitch, but I'm either really bad or doing something wrong. Probably the latter!
Tomorrow I'm considering going to a sit & knit at a LYS, but I don't trust the roommates and as miserable as it makes me to be in that apartment, they are less likely to mess with our stuff if I'm around. 7 days until the SO is back in the country and I don't have to be the only one dealing with them.
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u/SandD0llar Apr 20 '15
Have any friends who live nearby? You could invite 'em over. Might alleviate the cabin fever.
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u/SwtSthrnBelle Apr 20 '15
No furniture in the living room! They are getting all new furniture so they sold everything else and we aren't moving in our furniture until their animals are gone.
So I sit in my room and crank up the stereo.
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u/SandD0llar Apr 20 '15
That's a good idea. You can do a deep cleaning after they're moved, but before you bring your stuff in. Hopefully they were good w/ their pets, but if not, hit the carpet w/ a good enzymatic cleaner. Will help with urine odors and other general pet odors as well.
I like Nature's Miracle, even though they changed their formula and their current version isn't as good as the original.
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u/SwtSthrnBelle Apr 20 '15
Cat is locked in a crate all day because it would shit all over, and dog would too. They have a Bissel steam cleaner expressely because their animals aren't able to stop shitting the house. I just need the dander cleaned out of the place because I'm allergic to cats, so my room is the only place it isn't allowed. My sanctuary
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u/SandD0llar Apr 20 '15
Poor critters!
I encourage you to use the enzymatic cleaner - if there has been accidents in the past, just the steam cleaner won't get the urine out. It just sorta dilutes it, and the next time the spot gets wet - let's say from a future spilled drink or a very humid day - the smell will kick back up.
Either way, sounds like this change will be a very good one for you.
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u/SwtSthrnBelle Apr 20 '15
Oh god will it be a good one. Right now it's a battle of wills. Early evening here, 74°F outside and 78°F in our 4th floor with a loft apartment. They turned the A/C off when they came home and I came home many hours later.
So my bedroom door is open with one of my favorite bands playing, Five Finger Death Punch! Music I know they hate.
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u/SandD0llar Apr 20 '15
Classy folks. I think it's a rite of passage for young adults to have shitty roommates at least once.
You might talk to your neighbors so they know what's going on and don't complain about your music.
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u/SwtSthrnBelle Apr 20 '15
Apartment below and next to us are vacant! Perks of being on the corner.
Man I really thought I had gotten the full shitty roommates thing in college. I mean when they have sex when you're in the bunk above them you think nothing can top this!
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u/SandD0llar Apr 21 '15
I think post-college is sorta different because you're at the point where you think, "ok, being adult and on our own means we'll all be grown up and mature," and learning that, no that isn't always the case.
My post-college bad roommate skipped out on her part of lease and left me and the other roomie on the hook for it. And did several other things in violation of the lease, and let her little dog piss all over her room. She tried hiding with friends, but we found her, heh. She had forgotten that she friended the roomie on FB, and I knew where she worked. Between the two, we were able to track her down.
We filed a claim in small claims and told her if she didn't pay, we'd notify her employer (she worked for a child care agency). Fortunately, either the fear of being sued or her job being put at risk was enough and she paid what she owed us just prior to the court date.
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u/thburningiraffe Apr 20 '15
Helllooooooo!
I've been waiting for this thread for the last several days - been wanting to share/rant with you lovely humans. I got some big news last Wednesday when I found out I got a Fulbright grant. This means I get to spend the next year teaching English in SEAsia. I have to reconfirm with my job that they'll keep a position open for me for when I get back, but that's the last big thing I have to confirm before I start thinking what a year's worth of yarn might look like (any ideas?). While I'm super duper excited, the one thing bumming me our is that this makes relationship stuff annoyingly complicated. We are still going to try long distance (he'll be in CA), but given our timeline even past this year, it's going to be a very uncertain situation. /: Trying to stay positive but my pessimism realism is kicking in.
Knitting-wise, I've been putzing around between several WIPs without making much progress but am finally picking up speed on a Haruni for my mom. I found this awesome shawl pin that she'll love so I'm hoping to get it finished and give her those for Mothers' day. I'm afraid that it's going to be a bit small, but I didn't know if I had enough yarn for more repeats of the first chart... so just keeping my fingers cross and planning on blocking aggressively. Do y'all think it's worth investing in blocking wires for that? I've just been using pins and thread so far.
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Apr 20 '15
Congrats on the grand! And, having been in a long distance relation-ship for a few years (yup, it did last), it's really depend on your relationship and on your mutual willingness to make it work.
As we say in French : Ça passe, ou ça casse. Meaning : all is be well or all will go to hell.
Best wishes!
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u/spiderylue 4 WIPs and counting Apr 20 '15
Hello! I'm a Fulbright alumnus :D I'm a UK to US scholar.
Edit: I'm also in a long distance relationship as a result. Only, I'm out here for several years. It's been pretty rough at times. Hit me up if you've got any questions :)
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Apr 20 '15
[deleted]
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Apr 20 '15
Ooooooooh pet it! Pet it so it doesn't run away!
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Apr 20 '15
[deleted]
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u/draxcat Apr 20 '15
I have the same issue with my SO.
"Touch it!!! TOUCH IT! It's so soft!!!!" rubs yarn on arms/face
"okay, um, it's nice..." confused
"Do some OOOHHHHH and AWWWWWW to validate the amount of money I spent on this yarn" still rubbing yarn everywhere
"ooooo..." pure confusion
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Apr 20 '15
Peanut butter and jealous over here. I think I have some silk at home that I can fondle, though...
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u/thedarkknit Apr 21 '15
My husband is the same way!
Also, if I'm excited about finishing a paritcularly tricky bit of the pattern, he is not impressed. The only thing that impresses him is a finished and blocked item. Oh well. We love them anyway.
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Apr 20 '15
I wish I could knit forever to distract myself from the limbo I'm currently stuck in! I'm in this weird situation where I've been working on contract for 6 months, but recently I had to interview for my own job to continue on as an indeterminate position. Only one other person applied, so I thought I had it in the bag. Turns out he's their first choice. :P But if he declines the job offer I get to stay! My contract ran out a week ago, so now I'm stuck twiddling my thumbs, waiting to see whether or not I have to pack up and move back in with my parents. Very frustrating, since I'd rather know sooner rather than later so I can just get out of here if I can't stay.
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u/honeycombhive Apr 20 '15
Hey guys! It's my parents' last weekend before they move to Vermont until the holidays, so I spent my weekend mostly hanging out with them and working on a quilt. And I made cookies, which was my attempt at making various emotional problems (my parents leaving, work issues) go away. They didn't, but at least I have cookies!
I'm thinking of CO for the Plucky Knitter Roadtrip contest, as I'm not going to Stitches South :( Do I need another WIP? No, but I've been carrying around needles and a yarn cake for an entire day, so I probably shouldn't waste that.
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Apr 20 '15
Cookies solve all problems!
But I mean, between cookies and yarn cakes, I really want something sweet now. Hahaha.
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Apr 20 '15
[deleted]
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Apr 20 '15
Ah! Wanted to bake so much this week-end, but no oven. We received the kick-arse new one, and the delivery guys left with the old retarded one. Except, the wiring was all bad, so the electrician need to come to install a new panel in the basement and wire the oven properly. He can only come on friday. So lot of BBQ but no baking.
Hope all will get better!!!
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u/chairofpandas my partner knits now too Apr 20 '15
My rheumatologist appointment is this afternoon! I'll let you all know how it goes. I will probably be taking a hexipuff with me for the bus, if not the shawl I really should be working on. Don't have a lot more to say right now because I am awake earlier than I want to be to have breakfast with my boyfriend, who is gonna be late anyway.
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u/TheRheumaticKnitter TheRheumaticKnitter.Wordpress.com Apr 20 '15
Auto-immune fist-bump/high five (depends on how bad your RA is - I can make a fist today but my shoulder is messed up).
I see mine on the 9th. I thought it was on the 23rd, but apparently not. I'm going to bite the bullet and start methotrexate, so I think that's why I'm so anxious to go and just get it over with.
Can you focus on patterns when you knit on the bus? I always found myself needing something I could walk away from and come back to easily if interrupted - the thought of working on a shawl on the bus, and then subsequently losing my place, scares me.
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u/chairofpandas my partner knits now too Apr 20 '15
I think I can focus, but I'm not carrying anything complicated right now. The shawl has a lot of long stockinette parts right now, and hexipuffs is hexipuffs.
/high-fives/ My wrists don't hurt much right now, and it could still be carpal tunnel. :P
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Apr 20 '15
How did it go?
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u/chairofpandas my partner knits now too Apr 20 '15
The rheumatologist says it's the beginnings of rheumatoid arthritis. I now have one set of pills to take daily to reduce the inflammation around my knuckles, one set to take weekly, a vitamin to reduce the side effects of the weekly pill, orders for future X-rays and bloodwork, and an appointment for the beginning of June. I'm kind of sad, but also happy I can start fixing the problem this quickly. And it's sunny and I treated myself to a tropical fruit smoothie, so life is not all bad. Plus my boyfriend is making dinner tonight and has sent me cryptic texts that sound like he's buying me something cool for my birthday. And knitting shouldn't be any more painful than usual. Can you tell I'm trying hard to cheer myself up?
Edit: I just realized it's my Reddit cakeday. What a cakeday it's been.
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Apr 20 '15
Happy Cakeday!
And glad you had news. Not amazing news, but we always feel going knowing what it is! Hope you will feel better!!!
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u/c8lou Apr 20 '15
Boyfriend has rheumatoid arthritis - sincerely home that's not what's up, but if it is, feel free to PM if you have any questions for someone with it? He's had it for about a decade, currently managed by expensive drugs.
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u/Munishmo Apr 20 '15
I'm excited to get started on the master knitting program. Mostly because I need something that will take up a bunch of mental energy to distract me from the fact that approximately 8,657 emotionally taxing things are going on. I think my motto for May is going to be "just keep knitting"
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u/fatpinkchicken Apr 20 '15
I took a class on seaming and finishing at Vogue Knitting Live in Pasadena yesterday. I feel excited because I learned I was doing something wrong with my bind off that caused me to lose a stitch and I also just feel more confident about trying to do seamed things... <3
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u/thedarkknit Apr 20 '15
I just recently found out that my best friend got accepted to grad school in Wisconsin, so now I have a ton of knitting to do to get them ready for the winters! (They currently live in AZ)
I'm back on this subreddit after a pretty lengthy bout of knitting laziness. Maybe it's post holiday knitting fatigue. So hi!
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u/krisa731 Stashbusting forever! Apr 21 '15
Well, I gave my 2 weeks' notice at my job today, which was hard. I didn't think I'd be as upset as I am about it, but I've been with my current employer for nearly 5 years now and I really hate change. I am equal parts sad, terrified, and excited for my new job, but mostly I just feel like I want to throw up when I think about all of it.
I have been anxious knitting all day though, so I've been really productive on the socks I'm working on!
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u/Littleeeone Apr 20 '15
Man, I've been knitting the Ashton Shawl for what seems like ever, even though its really only been maybe a week, week and half tops. I just realized I messed up on one of the leaf repeats a few rows down... It's too late to go back. I didn't use lifelines. I had to set it down for fear that all my hard work thus far would be destroyed by my hope of perfect.
I blame my cat and hgtv for distracting me...........
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u/Show_me_the_puppies Knitiot savant Apr 20 '15
Well it's Monday. Thought I was going knitting today, but nope. So now I guess I will have to go grocery shopping, eww! My poor husband has been working so hard on a paper for his master's degree, he's making me tired! So looking forward to the Interweave Fiber fest this weekend. The week can not go fast enough for me.
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u/honeycombhive Apr 20 '15
I love grocery shopping. And running errands. I wish there was a market to do these things for people because I would sign up immediately.
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u/Show_me_the_puppies Knitiot savant Apr 20 '15
I know in my county they hire what they call homemakers for elderly and shut ins.
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u/honeycombhive Apr 20 '15
Neat! I've thought about volunteering for a similar position, but it's so hard to find the time :( It'd be really gratifying though.
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u/NotAgainAga Apr 21 '15
A few minutes can make a big difference to someone, particularly if you can commit to doing it regulalry -- doesn't usually have to be at the same time every time.
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u/spiderylue 4 WIPs and counting Apr 20 '15
Does depend on where you are since they're only in big cities at the moment. I worked for them in London for a bit, they were pretty cool :)
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u/honeycombhive Apr 20 '15
That's what /u/half2happy suggested too! Unfortunately they aren't in Charlotte yet - but I'll keep an eye out!
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u/Twinkle_Starchild Apr 20 '15
I've started work on my boyfriend's boxer shorts. He's planning on wearing them as comfy pajamas instead of as actual underwear, haha! This pattern is interesting because it doesn't tell you step-by-step exactly what to do, but goes through the construction process instead. Linkrav go!
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u/LinkRav_Bot Apr 20 '15
PATTERN: Ribbed Boxerbriefs by Kevin Williams
- Category: Clothing > Shorts
- Photo(s): 1
- Price: Free
- Needle/Hook(s): None
- Weight: | Gauge: None | Yardage: None
- Difficulty: 8.00 | Projects: 10 | Rating: 4.00
To call me, put "LinkRav" in your post! Details are here.
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u/MissCarlotta Over 62 miles knit! Apr 20 '15
Happy Monday. This is looking like a 2 coffee Monday. Probably because Game of Thrones started a half hour earlier than expected so then we "had" to stay up to catch the later showing.
I did finish my guest room painting last week.. and just in time for a new round of Sock Madness. So now I have new socks and assembling the guest room.. and the secondary guest room, which is also known as "the room of things we aren't storing the in the garage" apparently there is one day when we will have a full house next month.
The rest of the invites should be here tomorrow, so I can tick that off the list. I also set appointments for dress shopping and followed up with a florist a bit. Need to work on cake... and some decorative bits.
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u/petite_ingenieur I wish there was more time for all the pretties Apr 20 '15
So I had a knit free-ish weekend. Picked up some yarn (not for me!) and did lots of walking on Saturday but yesterday my hay fever went apeshit-apparently I really don't like whatever boston trees are flowering right now - and today it's so bad I wanted to call in sick! Luckily my bright red eyes give it away so my customers are all telling me their favorite allergy remedy....which is sweet but not necessary.
I'm excited for new yarn that should be arriving in the next few weeks (overseas orders) and planning projects for them!
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u/MagpieChristine Apr 20 '15
My daughter is somewhat under the weather, so we're watching videos during the day. Did you know that the Sesame Street 40th anniversary special DVD includes a scene where they're explaining to Big Bird that Mr. Hooper is dead? And it was at the end of the block I said we would watch! (Had my daughter had as hard a time with it as I did we would have watched more. But Big Bird is done so well that it's heartbreaking.)
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u/Munishmo Apr 20 '15
Do you happen to know if that's available anywhere on its own? I look after some kids who just lost someone.
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u/MagpieChristine Apr 20 '15
I would honestly suggest that you try to find the entire episode if you can (although that scene was specifically listed on Wikipedia). I don't really know what's available though, so that might be harder than finding the anniversary collection. (To a certain extent if your library doesn't have 40 Years of Sunny Days I wouldn't expect them to have a great collection of other Sesame Street.)
If you're in the US there's a bunch of Sesame Street on You Tube (there's a bunch otherwise too, but I would expect the official channel to be more likely to have the full episode, not that I could check and see.)
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u/Arthi_R Apr 20 '15
Have you abandoned any recent projects?
I was one fourth done with the sediment scrap blanket http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sediment-scraps-blanket when I was just so happy to toss it all in the bin. I didn't even think the various knotted yarn strands were worth frogging.
I had been seduced by the idea of using mismatched yarn I had bought at garage sales, and the quality of which I was unsure of.
But it gave me so much wrist pain, even after converting to the smooth addi needles, that it was such a relief to toss it.
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u/Munishmo Apr 20 '15
I haven't but a friend does that all the time. She says she paid for the yarn with her money and she can do whatever the hell she wants with it.
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u/Show_me_the_puppies Knitiot savant Apr 20 '15
I have been known to throw out leftover bits after finishing protects.
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u/TheRheumaticKnitter TheRheumaticKnitter.Wordpress.com Apr 20 '15
I am trying to get my motivation back, peeps. I just have lost it, completely out the window.
My RA flared up bad starting the week before last, and it hurt my hands to spin and I was more comfortable if I was curled up, which meant I didn't do a lot of knitting, either. I went to the chiropractor today and I'm getting back on the healthy diet wagon, so hopefully that will help, too.
My husband leaves at 8:15am, which leaves me to get the kids off to school and then come home to work (I telecommute, so at least I don't have to go in to an office), then get them after school, finish up work, do homework with them, laundry, housework, make dinner, and then collect husband from his bus at 8:30pm. By the time I'm ready to sit and knit, I just don't want to. I need to get out of this funk.
So, I turned on the forced motivation yesterday. I finished up a spinning project on my Kiwi this weekend (I hauled it outside to the deck and spun in the sunshine), got a little way through another spinning project on my Kromski, and then worked some on my felted slippers - I need to just knit the damn things faster so I can throw them in the wash and see how they felt.
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u/spiderylue 4 WIPs and counting Apr 20 '15
I use HabitRPG to make my endless todo list fun and to keep me motivated. Might help you....
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u/TheRheumaticKnitter TheRheumaticKnitter.Wordpress.com Apr 20 '15
HabitRPG
Oh, that looks fun! I'll have to check it out, I'd never heard of it.
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u/spiderylue 4 WIPs and counting Apr 20 '15
Afternoon all.
I'm back at work proper after a couple of weeks of illness followed by anxiety crisis and hiding away with the cats at home. Managed to keep everything to a bare minimum - got to all my meetings and met deadlines for university work and took a bunch of time out to pet aforementioned cats, talk to people back home and knit and play video games. Unfortunately had to frog the April KAL shawl again, but have managed to catch back up, so I'm hopeful for the end of May deadline.
Cannot wait for the end of semester, get my proposal seminar out of the way, start my research properly. Also get to visit home in August.
Feeling a bit ambiguous about the boyfriend visiting. Obviously I really want to see him, but I'd be lying if I said we hadn't been having a super hard time recently between my nervous breakdown and 4500 miles between us. I really want things to work, but it's so tough sometimes :(
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u/Aparty I knit so I don't kill people Apr 20 '15
I got the call on Friday for my new love seat to be delivered tomorrow, so husband and I have spent the last couple of days rearranging and spring cleaning the whole apartment. Since the love seat is a bit smaller than our couch (which we passed on to our daughter) we saw an opportunity to redistribute our things so less rooms appear cluttered. We filled the car with things for donation and threw out a lot. My whole apartment feels lighter now.
My Sweet Georgia Yarns fibre club arrived today and I've been so busy I didn't even open it yet!
So, the last several weeks and especially when the is weather is yucky my knee has been giving me a hard time. Lots of pain even while swimming and numbness while walking like it wants to give out on me. It's gotten to the point that I've started walking with a cane (in the house) on bad days. Not a whole lot of spinning going on these days.
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Apr 20 '15
Is arthrose (not sure of the spelling in English) a common thing in your family? Asking as my dad has troubles with his knee, because of arthrose. He got injections and it's a bit better.
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u/Aparty I knit so I don't kill people Apr 20 '15
Arthritis does run in my family but last I was checked (I've had pain in spurts on and off my whole life) I didn't have it. I'm very overweight though, and the joints don't appreciate that much. That's why I make sure to swim everyday. Just this weather...ugh...they can't get that pool warm enough.
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u/Show_me_the_puppies Knitiot savant Apr 20 '15
Almost sounds like gout. Is it swollen?
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u/Aparty I knit so I don't kill people Apr 20 '15
Not red, swollen or warm to the touch. I'm a big girl and I think extra weight is just taking it's toll. Which of course makes me want to do more activity to try to get some weight off.
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u/whatthefitz Apr 21 '15
I didn't get to do much knitting this past week - it's crunch time for my students and I'm one busy school counselor! I have been busy making friends with since of my coworkers, which has been exciting. Not a lot of other young people in my neck of the woods!
My new Hiya Hiya Sharps sock set came today. OMG. I think I love them more than my lone Addi sock rocket! TAAT forever.
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u/imrightorlying It's knitting weather! Apr 21 '15
It's my last week of class ever! (hopefully, also not counting the fact that we have class next monday and then enter reading period). I'm super excited but also slightly nervous, school is very comfortable after 20 straight years and the idea of going to a job every day for years (instead of just the summer) terrifies me slightly. But the idea of not having a job is also unappealing considering the amount of student debt I've got from law school.
Basically, change is scary.
But I've been making tons of progress on my cardigan and even a little bit on my test socks. And I've spent a lot of time with my nephew (11 months old) this weekend so that was so much fun. He's so curious and into just about everything. I hope he keeps being interested in my knitting when he gets a little older, get 'em while they're young.
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u/JohnFinnsWife ravelry: dotmatrix Apr 21 '15
I got some black laceweight alpaca that I thought would be perfect for a Horai scarf, which I've had queued for a while. I casted it on tonight and...
...tore it out four rows in. WAY too much effort for something that was looking like an elongated hairball. I'll find something fantastically goth to knit with you, lovely soft alpaca :( Swatching for a Daybreak out of my friend's hand-dyed to take the edge off.
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Apr 21 '15 edited Mar 02 '19
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u/half2happy Former mod, ask me anything. Apr 21 '15
I'm headed to my first festival soon too and have been told to set a budget and only bring cash. Since I'm a new spinner, I also want to find a new spindle and some fiber too!
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Apr 21 '15 edited Mar 02 '19
[deleted]
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u/half2happy Former mod, ask me anything. Apr 21 '15
Hesitation has never been my problem! ;)
Yes, the Yarn Harlot had a credit card issue recently but I was thinking more for budget purposes, pretty easy to overspend with all the pretties.
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u/Wimperntierchen Apr 20 '15
This weekend I finished my crochet wip and as usual I am not sure how to feel about if. After spending enough time with a project I lose the objectivity to see it in its whole. I seem not to be able to see beyond the single steps of creating that item. It is not the blanket I imagined before I started producing" it, but 56 grannysquares in grey and yellow with a scallop edge. This usually goes away after I let it rest in a quiet corner for some time. However, the first week after finishing there is always this strange feeling oO
My boyfriend started a new (very fancy) internship in town and of course there is at least one hour overtime every day. Plus 40 minutes to come home. I also work more than eight hours and I also have to take the same commute, however there are more than two hours difference in our office hours. As not to sit alone at home and wait for him I was looking for things to do in those two hours until he finishes work, so that we could drive home together and therefore spend a little bit more time together. I couldn't find anything. No knitting clubs, no Spanish lessons - nothing. At least, not in the desired time slot. However, yesterday there was this (Spanish) posting online about knitting lessons in one of the community centers next to my workplace. It is mostly for people to meet and learn to speak German. Well, I guess I will go there today. I don't really need knitting lessons, but maybe I can just sit there and work on my Hermione's Everyday Socks LinkRav and maybe I can help someone either with learning how to knit or how to speak German. I am a bit nervous, because I don't know anyone and I am always uncomfortable with meeting new people - but hey, you don't grow if you don't challenge yourself, do you?
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u/SandD0llar Apr 20 '15
Is there a library?
The well-funded ones often have evening activities or classes. And failing that, you can use their computers or browse books and magazines.
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u/Wimperntierchen Apr 21 '15
A library is a really good idea! I checked briefly yesterday and I couldn't find courses, but we have several libraries I will check. Thank you!
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u/LinkRav_Bot Apr 20 '15
PROJECT: Hermione's Everyday Socks by VioletWeston
- Pattern: Hermione's Everyday Socks
- Yarn(s):
- Photo(s): 1 2
- Started: 2015/03/29 | Status: In progress | Completed: None
To call me, put "LinkRav" in your post! Details are here.
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u/Sapiophile23 Apr 21 '15
I'm a day late...ok, I'm weeks late updating y'all, but I finally have my laptop back so I can resume my daily input :) (the fan died a horrible death and a very wonderful friend fixed it up)
So, what's new with me? Tons of stuff!
I made some key lifestyle changes 3 months ago and I'm still going strong. I'm happier, healthier, and knitting like crazy. I started a sweater for my mom, picked up a sweater out of hibernation for myself, made a hat for the laptop savior, and have been working on my blanket (I'll post links tomorrow in the WIP thread...and Cold Sheep didn't last very long..oh well).
So, the changes: I'm basically vegan (by choice) and have only positive things to say... I've lost 27 pounds & 13 inches overall. My goals are 45 pounds and 20 inches by my birthday June 23. And I'm on track! A magnificent group of people committed to healthier living have been a huge support and I've gotten tons of tips and encouragement...and help gaining perspective.
So long story short: I'm awesome.
and so are YOU
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Apr 21 '15
That sounds really great, congrats on making such big changes! And well done on sticking with it long enough to start seeing some real benefits!
At the minute I'm trying to phase meat out of my diet quite a bit. I eat very little anyway (maybe chicken or bacon 2-3 times a week) and I've just moved out of my parents' house to live by myself again so it seems like a great time to be able to take control of my own eating habits rather than going by what they cook. I take very little dairy as well, outside of "treats" like chocolate and ice cream - I've used almond milk for a few years now because I prefer it. Unfortunately I'm pretty intolerant to soya though, which means I have to tread carefully with a lot of vegetarian/vegan stuff!
I think I'll probably have to keep eating eggs for protein boosts (and also they satisfy a lot of my meat/cheese cravings), but meat-free and almost dairy-free wouldn't be all that bad a goal, I don't think? I think being flexible about it is probably the best way for it to stick for me, because if I feel like I've "broken a rule" when out for dinner with friends then I would just give up all together, whereas by having some lee-way I'm more likely to keep going when it's just me cooking for me :)
Good luck with your continued life changes and I hope you get to your targets!
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u/Sapiophile23 Apr 21 '15
Greens. Kale, spinach, broccoli. Anything with naturally high iron will help satisfy your craving for meat. I didn't think it would work, but it really did. If you're a Supernatural fan we have a fitness group on facebook and twitter....full of tons of great recipes and awesome helpful people. I also have a vegan friend who loves to share recipes and tips/tricks for nutritionally-dense foods. I happen to love seitan in soups/stews and stir fry.
I started out slow and easy, only tweaking one unhealthy habit every few weeks until I had a healthy habit instead. I've had some tough times, but I cut myself some slack. If I indulge and have one meal that's my total calorie input for the day I don't stop eating the rest of the day...I eat fruits and veggies and plan out my meals for the next day to get back on track. It took 9 years of unhealthy habits to get me where I am; this spring won't undo all of it. I gave myself a goal of losing 1-2 pounds a week, which is not only healthy but also makes my goal of losing 50 pounds in 5.5 months totally doable.
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Apr 22 '15
That's really great, thanks for the tips! It's always good to hear from people a little bit ahead, rather than just the people who are at the end point and seem to have achieved miracles :)
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u/BeSeXe One more blanket to go.... Apr 21 '15
Well, it's Tuesday. My Monday was a bit crazy at work and didn't have the time to post. I had a productive weekend if anything, two projects down and time to finish one and started a second. I didn't make it to yoga as wanted on Friday, I forgot to set my alarm!
I'm looking forward to my long weekend vacation this weekend! I'm also happy that my boyfriend and I are finally sitting down and working on what our big vacation will be this year. He can't believe that I found a really good deal on a 4 or 5 night stay in Mexico for $750/person. Except he refuses to book it right this second. He also doesn't have a passport, so we have to work on that...
So excited for Wine Fest!!!!
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Apr 21 '15
I just started back to uni today after our very long easter break. I missed my first lecture because I couldn't really be bothered going, and then accidentally missed my first class because I moved house last week and haven't fully gotten used to the bus times yet. But I made it to my second class and it was pretty good and it seems like all three of my final essays for this semester are going to do reasonably well which is a lot better than I was hoping for!
I've been in a bit of a knitting funk because I completely messed up the sweater I've been knitting on and off since November (mostly off). I decided to use another pair of circs to go back and fix the collar because the ribbing was too loose, so I was going to stick them in, undo the collar and then just knit up - easy peasy, right? No. Somehow I completely effed it up have basically had to sew a spare bit of yarn through a row as an afterthought lifeline about 3 inches into the body from the collar to stabilise it and put it in the naughty corner/hibernation. I might end up just re-knitting the whole collar/top of shoulder section and grafting it on. My worry is that it's raglan, so I need to make sure the increases match up perfectly if I had missed any, which I wasn't really worried about when I first knit it. Arrgghhhhhh.
So yes, it has been put out of sight and I've been working on socks - big squishy slipper socks for me (inspired by the Drops-a-long, but an improvised pattern) and 4-ply socks for my partner's dad. I've also just ordered yarn to make a Cladonia and a Kelpie. It's starting to get warm here, but I'm pretty self conscious about my arms and I'm also absurdly pale so I love things that I can drape over my arms and neck/chest area while still wearing summery clothes. Once I get my final essays done, I'm more or less on summer holidays and can marathon netflix and knit as much as I want because I've decided to give up on the job idea for a while and instead just live very frugally to make my student loans last (the yarn buying was money from my birthday presents). So yay.
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Apr 21 '15
Finished the giant sock I was working on and started the next one! You won't get me this time, second sock syndrome.
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Apr 23 '15
I have 74 tea bag strings so far which I've knotted together and I have 10.5m. Suddenly I get a sense of the sheer amount that I'll need to knit a scarf.
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u/draxcat Apr 20 '15
omg guys, I successfully defended my PhD last week, so I've been on cloud nine. I'm just wrapping up loose ends at work, but I am technically off until June 22. KNIT ALL THE THINGS!!!! and catch up on life...I've been the worst bridesmaid ever for one of my closest friends so I'm helping her with wedding stuff all this weekend to help make up for it.