I swear, I think about my blog every day. Life, however, has not been providing me with ample time for reflection and photography, so of all my favorite passtimes, this is the one that sunk too far down on the list. I promise to do better from now on!
My vegetable garden has overtaken the prairie, except a great many of the prairie grasses have declared war and are moving back in. I've suffered both car and computer failures in the last 2 weeks too. Whine, wimper, sniffle!
Janine (Feral Knitter) is designing a Celtic Knot Cardigan, and I trust her implicitly, so I'm following in her wake. She is just sure she'll never need to pass the pattern along, knowing that I am loathe to knit sleeves. (For clarification, I have nothing against sleeves, I just LOVE knitting bodies!) I have outfoxed the Feral One, and have my sleeves complete! Jamieson & Smith FC56 on size 4 needles. I will be casting on the body next time I sit down to knit, which may well be in a week. I'm preparing for 4 sessions of Meg Swansen's Knitting Camp, and now have less than a week before I leave.
I am a list maker, and my list is extremely detailed. Having arrived at camp several years ago without any shirts, and once without pajamas, I've learned that I can't take anything for granted. I can no longer assume that I won't forget the basics, because my brain has chosen to let me rely on more pedestrian methods, so I refer to my lists endlessly. I use a database on my Palm Treo 700P (my external brain). I can sort the list alphabetically, or by room. Once an item receives its check mark, it magically disappears from the list until next time I need it. As the list gets shorter and shorter, I know I'm getting closer to leaving home.
The tricky thing is, never check the box until the item is actually packed. You can't say "I'll check off toothbrush, because I'm going into the bathroom to get it right now". No, no, no! On the way to the bathroom, I'll notice that the floor needs sweeping or mopping, then that the toilet needs a scrub. Soon I'll be happily dusting the ceiling for cob webs, and the next day I'll wonder why I have not toothbrush at camp with me! Lest you think I'm a compulsive cleaner, I will clarify. I only clean under duress, which means when company is immenent, or when I'm leaving town (because I like to come home to a clean house). Otherwise, I can walk past heaps and piles fo cat/dog fur, dirty dishes, and stacks of mail for weeks!
More to come - - Amy
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Whithering on the Vine
Posted by Amy Detjen at 6:52 AM
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13 Comments:
Me, too! I also clean under duress -- especially when I'm trying to ignore doing something that really needs to be done but that I feel guilt about! I have been laughed at about this trait, but I still have it! See you in two weeks!!!
I missed your updates! I sure wish I could attend one of those camps sometime!
Lists are a wonderful thing. The only problem is...on my list of things to do is "make list for camp". I'm not so worried about clothes and brushes, but what knitting do I want to take! Hope to meet you at my first camp.
That headline should read Amy knits TWO SLEEVES!!
Amy, I had such a good, good time at camp! I was especially happy to learn about the new 4 year old!! I have a question about some technique from camp. I am making a Dale drop shoulder pullover for my husband. I did not bind off the armholes, thinking I would sew them in with live stitches. Since camp, I have thought of picking up stitches around the steeked armhole and then doing a 3 needle bind off with the live stitches from sleeve. However, I thought this might be a little bulky. How about doing Kitchenner stitch? Do you have any recommendations? thanks so much!! Gail
Amy, I don't think you will remember me, but I met you at Knitting Camp in 2002 and I just wanted to say hi. My mom and I went to camp together and we shared a bond with you over Stargate SG-1 :) Anyway, I stumbled across your blog yesterday and have so enjoyed every post! As for lists, there is never a bad time for a list, lol. They are ALWAYS stylish ;) I hope that you have a wonderful time at camp this year, and hopefully my mom and I will be able to make it back up there soon!
Amy...I do not like your centered eyelet...it's too small! my mini shall sample from camp (fuschia unspun islanic, 10.5 needles) had top eyelets that looked puny. So I fixed it...since I wondered HOW your brain invented that convoluted eyelet I looked at it and realized that the hole was formed by stretching the stitch from the row below...solution is to make that stitch bigger, to allow the stretching to work better...so the row before the eyelet...wrap the stitch TWICE. makes doing the "leave on the needle" part easiers, too. Voila, bigger eyelet. BTW post something to your blog, please....
Okay...it's a comment. Now update us already!
Hey Amy-
I know you are swamped for time between Camp (which just ended but another's about to get going, and there are two folks dying for your attention....) so I wanted to leave you a Support Comment-- glad you have a blog, and I look forward to your future knitting commentary. Best of luck with the major life-changing event, he is a cutie and you are awesome.
I am jealous you get to attend Knitting Camp each year. This summer was supposed to be my first but a job transfer (my husband's) moved us too far away. I did have a friend that went, Terry from Michigan, not sure if you met.
I'm originally from Wisconsin myself and love the beautiful summer's there. It seems I only get back in the winter though!
Great knitting site. I look forward to seeing more of what you are working on.
Tina
I had a dream, once. It's fading, but still I can recall some details. In my dream, Amy had started a blog--it was funny and personable and I had a good time reading it. But it must have been a dream, I mean, it hasn't happened again and I don't see any evidence that it is a real thing even though I keep checking the URL my dream told me about....
Hey, Amy, I just reread the comments, including mine...I was trying for brevity...but BOY does it sound GRUMPY!!!!!!!!! I only meant it to be straitforward! ;-(
I think that your centered eyelet is really cool, but I wonder what somersaults (Do you know to teach your boy Winterpeppers...love that word ;-)) and twistings your mind went through to come up with it!!!!!
But I DO find it too small, and am quite proud to have figured out a fix for that...
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