Woe is Being Twenty-Three

When I was sixteen, I went to France for three weeks on a school trip. I brought along a journal, good friends, and an open mind. I was determined to find myself on that trip.

Did I find myself? Not so much. I did, however, find a taste for art museums and bowls of hot chocolate.

Now that I've been a human being for a little bit longer, I've realized that behind all of the life changes I have gone through and will go through in the future, there are a few qualities that make up the base of me. Such as my love for all kinds of arts and crafts. Such as my appreciation for all things hand made, and the work, the stories, that went into thing. Such as my tendency to develope multiple hobbies, usually the same kinds of things (arts and crafts and solitary sports), take them to higher levels (or at least plan on it), but to get so overstimulated that it takes me a really long time to accomplish anything. Current example below.

So I would really like some extra cash. So I'm trying to start an arts and crafts business. Without giving too much away (more to sound mysterious than anything else), this involves selling dozens of pieces of beaded jewelry that I made as a teenager for precisely this purpose, knitted accessories, and some other crafts that will be revealed in good time (again, I'm just trying to sound mysterious, but strangely sounding like an asshole. Oh well.) At staff appreciation day at work, each staff member was given a $25 gift card to Barnes & Nobel. Today I went there after work to try to find a book of crocheted flowers. I didn't find one, but I did find myself a nice little book of Sexy Little Knits. The book is amazing, and it is stuff I can actually see myself making and wearing. I want to make many of the things in that book. So I have to fit this into my schedule too. And on top of that, I have to keep going to the gym and cooking for myself so I can actually wear these things. And have a full time job. And a social life (well, at least Sam). And at least look like I'm making an effort to keep my apartment, and my clothes, clean.

All this because Sam wanted to save money and lose weight. I sort of needed to too, and we decided that it would be fun if we did it together, which we are. But then I have to go out and get all these crazy ideas. But let's face it, that's just how I am.

I stole this one from Anna

I think it's the coolest thing ever because I am a huge knitting dork. I'd like to point out that I've never done one of these things as a myspace bulletin or on my blog when I used to update it. But this unites knitting with dorkiness and that's just cool. For a knitting dork anyway.

Mark with bold the things you have knit (or are knitting)/crocheting, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments (I don't think hats, headbands, other accessories count...)
Cable stitch patterns
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items
Knitting socks on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living (Yeah, let's make it a plan! I'd love to, anyway)
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine (how about knitting an online pattern from a knitting magazine?)
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

So apparently, not only am I very ambicious, I also don't know what a few of these things mean. Oh well, I guess I'm not planning to do them.

Why I Love I-Cords

Back in the day, kids used to make pot holders out of circular strips of nylon. We would stretch them over a hollow loom and weave them in and out of each other. Even more dated to the 80s (and early 90's), even brighter neon strips of nylon would come in bags. You would buy the bags and weave the nylon around your fingers. You would twist one round strip, then another. Then you would pull the bottom strip over each finger, add another strip, and do the same to the second, etc., etc. Lots of kids liked to have them over the backs of their hands, but I, being the weird - err...artsy?? kid that I was, I liked to have them over the palm of my hand. To feel my tactile creation. Sometimes, if we didn't have neon nylon strips, we would just use yarn.

And that is just what I-cords are! (Well, they would be, if we only had three fingers.) And that is why I love them.

knitting at the crack of dawn

yes, it's come to that. it's the only way i can be productive. i got up at 6:15 monday morning to knit. the plan was to make that a routine. 6:15 every day and either go to the gym or knit (sometimes i have to be at work early, but even then i don't have to leave until 8:00.

that plan lasted all of one day. by monday afternoon, i was exhausted, i had a headache, and my finger hurt. (the former two were knitting-related, but i don't know what happened to my finger. it still hurts, though.)

maybe i actually will get my act together, but i've realized that i need to be more creative in order to make it work. i can't just sit there and knit hats without being in some sort of in depth coversation/activity, and i don't have a television. so perhaps i will make fewer items but they will be more unique. i really think i can do this. i just have to take all these little goals one step at a time. i just got my credit card bill and it was way better than last month. and i've finally begun to cook more and to cook extra so i can bring lunch to work. sam is trying to do the same, and that's helping a lot. team work!

oh. and remember that image that refused to upload onto my computer last week? here it is!

Still no new material progress in the way of product. But I have a couple of business ideas/endeavors in the works. For now, though, I won't jinx anything by mentioning them here.

Went to P&O Fabrics on the Lower East Side today. Got Lion brand stuff in bulk and on sale. Other cheap (for NYC) yarn too. New stash includes:

Red Heart Light and Lofty
Lion Brand Color Waves
Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair
Patons Brilliant (in black and in gold)

The first three will probably be for hats. The Patons will be for making headbands. It has little threads of sparkles in it. Trendy and pretty.

***photo to come...my computer is acting up again***

Unfortunately, I have no new photos to show you just now. But I promise, there will be more to come! I'll make up for this current dry spell, I swear!

And then there was this whole business with my blog. For some reason, I couldn't log in. It was weird. I was convinced that either someone had hacked into my blog (why on earth someone would do that, I have no idea) or that it or my computer was possessed. Turns out I'm just retahhhded.

The past two weeks have not been very productive on the knitting front. My dad was here and then when Sam got back I wanted to spend a lot of time with him and then I went to May Day. Good old Bryn Mawr. Didn't think I'd be back so soon, but my friends convinced me. I'm glad I went, though. It was great seeing everyone again. A lot of people from my class were there. It was awesome seeing them again, and being at May Day without exams looming is a whole experience unto itself. I was very ambitious when I packed. I brought that same gauntlet I've been working on forever and the yarn to start my blue hat just in case I finished that. Unfortunately, I didn't bring the fourth needle for the gauntlet, so I just ended up starting the hat on the bus. I had to stop after an hour or so, though, because it was giving me motion sickness. And the way back? Forget it! I was simultaneously drunk and hungover. It was difficult enough just to fumble out sentences. Luckily, Amna and Rohini came back on the train, bus, and subway with me!

Every time I look at my bank statements, I once again remember how freakin' expensive this city is. I could move, but quite frankly, I don't want to. Instead, I've been thinking about somehow capitalizing off of my craftiness. On an unrelated note, last week, I enquired about volunteering to teach an arts and crafts class at a senior center. But like every other regular volunteering opportunity (it seems) I can't do it because I work during weekdays. However, this did get me thinking. I may not be the most experienced knitter, but I do know a lot about crafts. I can knit, crochet, needlepoint, bead, and cross-stitch. And I have basic sewing skills. And then there are those awesome projects from Summer camp and the ones my mom taught me when I was little - like worry dolls, friendship bracelets, and decorative hairclips. It would be awesome to be able to teach this stuff to people. Before I started school, my mom sent me to a class at this lady's house where I made awesome things like edible sculptures. If only I had a house. Or if I could find some way to sell stuff. When I was a teenager, I used to sell beaded jewelry at markets. But I don't think I made a total profit over twenty bucks. Still, it's a thought...