Life is crazy, but knitting keeps me sane (mostly)

So apart from a unreasonable meltdown on Saturday, my life continues apace.

Lots of stuff going on, but knitting has kept me sane.

I have photos of Mum's socks for you...

Note the eye of partridge heel, the ribbed and shaped top. They fit nicely and I am assured they are both loved and comfy. So that's a win.

I have also finished my Clapotis. Beautiful. Photos not the best, since I haven't had a chance to photograph it outside. It's also not blocked yet, though I am less worried about doing that.
Of course, this takes me back once again to picking what to work on.

I have a two works in progress, a cardigan and hexagon blanket, but the former is too big to comfortably lug around and the second is more of a "inbetween" portable project.

I have that lace yarns I mentioned a while back, but it occurred to me that if I am going to knit lace, maybe I should think about knitting myself that wedding shawl. So I have to pick "the" yarn. I don't think I'll be getting "the" dress, so I'm making do! ;)

Of course, I also have to deifinitively decide on a pattern also. It's all a work in progress. Or rather work yet to be in progress.

In the mean time, I look at my stashed yarns and think about what I can do while I decide on the other one...

Decisions, decisions...

So I have a couple of things on the needles.

A cardigan, and wrap and some crochet hexagons.

But I feel the siren call of lace. Unfortunately, the two laceweights in my stash are on the decidedly thin side. As in 1 ply wool and 2 ply silk. Skinny-skinny without any fluffy to make em look fat.

So what pattern to pick and fine enough needles to make the stitches not look too gappy.

I've cast them both on a few times with little success, so it's back to the drawing board and looking, looking again..

I am a ... Sock Knitter

So, I finished the socks.

I would show you pictures, only I left them with the giftee. Since she made me dinner while I kitchenered the toe and weaved in the ends, I am not complaining.

She has agreed to provide pictures, so they will come at some point.

Now to decide what to pick up next. That woolly & alpaca Clapotis is looking a good bet, except it's getting too big to comfortably lug around. I need to finish it so I can actually wear it. Which would be nice. Mmmmm.. warm black and gothy winter wrap. Nice.

I am just so over being busy

Work is crazy busy right now. Finishing a project, taking calls for a new position in my team, its all a bit nuts. And I need a holiday oh so bad. I'm just wiped every evening. Which has meant no knitting group, cos I just can't drag myself out.

I'm working on stuff still though.

I re-did that skirt properly. Took off the waistband, resized the whole damn thing and ended up taking it in 12 cm around the waist & hips. I mean, honestly. Patterns lie. But it fits now, and I am happy. It's fairly warm, too.

It looks like this : (no me in it, too tired to change etc)

And I've been knitting on my mum's socks again. They had a brief break because I felt bad every time I looked at them. Not due to the fault of the socks themselves, no. But due to what happened while I knit part of the leg and turned the heel.

It's one of those slightly odd stories where I still feel uncomfortable and embarrassed, even though I am not entirely sure I should.

It goes like this. I had to go to an all-day training course on bullying in the workplace. I took my knitting. During the course, quietly, while watching the single presenter, and actively asking questions, clarifications and so forth, I knit on my sock.

(You can see where this is going, huh?)

Several times during the day people asked what I was knitting, generally took an interest. Including the presenter, who I spoke to in at least 2 of the 3 breaks of the day. Sock knitting happened, below the level of the desk no less.

Okay, day finishes. The next day I get an email from the local learning coordinator to "just let me know" that she'd received complaints. From attendees and the presenter. When I went to speak to her about it, she increased that to state that the complaints had said I was rude and distracting. And that "everyone had the right to have a positive learning experience". I told her it helped me concentrate when sitting for long periods (true). She then suggested that if I "needed to do this, maybe you should have stood up and explained why and asked if it was OK.." (bashes head against wall) For... goodness' sake, when did knitting become a 'special needs' issue?

I felt this was massively unfair, particularly from the presenter - noone said boo to me about it, and I would have put it away if anyone had. For goodness' sake, during a table discussion I asked the guy next to me his opinion. He blinked, paused then said, "Sorry? What? I was in my happy place..." And I am the rude one. (sigh)

I told the learning coordinator that I thought the session wasn't much of a success - if someone can't complain in a session about someone knitting as bothering them, what hope will they have about making a complaint about actual harassment? I got the "oh, that's not fair, people need time.." etc. Maybe I was harsh on her, and still smarting about it. But jeez. I am cross about the person who made the complaint, but even more so about the presenter. Though the coordinator changed it later to saying the presenter "mentioned" that I had knitted - so god knows what the truth is.

Anyway, the whole thing left me feeling really uncomfortable, and still does. I don't do criticism well, particularly in a work context. So looking at the sock makes me feel bad, though that's passing thank goodness. Ah well, I have hopes it will make the wearer so pleased I forgot all about the other stuff.

Peace.

Why can't sewing patterns be sized correctly?

I know, it might be me. But I wear a standard size.

And both of the adult sized clothing items I have made come out way way different to the size I normally wear.

What happened? I made a skirt, based on the written sizing. It's too big :( About 1-2 inches too big around the waist and hips. Sigh. I shall have to acquire some assistance to pin and take it in. Which means the waist band will have a new seam, cos there is no way I can envisage me unpicking the whole damn thing and resewing it on. I mean, really.

And I was so happy with myself. I put in an invisible zipper!! Correctly, no less! And did a box pleat front correctly! Anyway, I'll take it in on the side. I am of the opinion that i don't think the slight off centerness of the zipper after taking it in will be noticable since it's on the side.

On a slightly, better note, I finished those slippers. They're drying by the heater now.